[thechat] Jan 18 peace march

[Erika Meyer]

Adrian wrote:
>  my brother, who was born a 40-
>year-old man mentally, was 'diagnosed' as hyperactive some 20 years
>ago...

same with my bro... but he *was* pretty damn hyper... my mom found he
had allergies and adjusted his diet and he was much better...

>but *instead* of parents taking responsibility, we have obese people
>suing McDonald's for being fat...

I think we can all agree that is a bit silly...

>  we have all sorts of apologists
>telling us that thin-body images are a detriment to our children --

I was anorexic as a teenager (very much so for about a year -- hair
falling out in chunks, auschwitz chic, all of that gross stuff).  The
fashion mags are part of it... and self esteem
issues...self-destructiveness... I think the biggest part has to do
with control issues in family dynamics.

>what you're seeing is the
>effects *outside* of schools... if parents stepped up,

I agree.  Though parenting is not IMO really a valued role in our
society.  There's no economic value put on it --no health care, no
retirement benefits, no wages-- so therefore it has no real value in
society.   Makes it pretty thankless (all the feel-good mothers day
hallmark crap be damned).

>make into law... hell, laws on testing for 'sick building syndrome'
>came into effect locally only when my school was shut down from kids
>getting sick...

yeah, kids & staff at one lower income portland school were poisoned
by radon for 10 years and they should have known about it.  And they
finally tested for lead in the drinking water 2 years ago and found
that MOST of the schools had unacceptable levels. they say it's fixed
now...

>every american rails against the metric system... as for a math
>teacher going on about reagan, it's not really his subject to teach,
>although i probably would have enjoyed a class with him...

Mr Cesaretti was mostly blind (you can imagine -- in a jr high school
teacher) immigrated from Italy with $10 in his pocket and a broken
leg... pulled himself up by his bootstraps... something like that...
yes, math was incidental.

>but i also hate SUVs, too, so i'm certainly biased...

The only people who don't hate SUVs are drivers of SUVs.

>there should be public humiliation spectacles for those who don't
>graduate high school... at least those who had the opportunity...

yes, you would like Mr Cesaretti.

>damn, i am *so* jealous... good spin? minimal drop?

I was okay with dodgeball and kickball, but probably because I was
relatively quick on my feet.  And kickball you don't have to kick
hard just well-placed.

>you and i should join the same PTA -- we'd
>scare the hell outta everyone else during these debates, and then
>confuse them when we go out for coffee afterward...

tee hee.

Erika

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