Things That Piss Me Off

I mean other than the squirrel, which we still haven't caught. This morning someone had defeated the humane trap, but the culprit got away free. I think I heard him in the outside wall later in the day. So yes, the squirrel is still pissing me off, but not enough to resort to firearms. Yet.

No, I mean things that piss me off in a more general, "What sort of a world do we live in?" kind of way. We can excuse the squirrel-he's just doing what squirrels do and doesn't know any better, but what the hell is wrong with:

The person that wrote THIS?
I'd like to go on record pointing out that we aren't exerting some sort of class privilege. We're suffering financially to homeschool, and sooner or later I won't be able to hold my car together with duct tape. The generalisations are so incredibly broad that it is almost comical that the author feels the need to point out she's a product of public education. Furthermore, we still pay taxes for our local schools. People homeschool for a variety of reasons, but reading this trite article, you might come away thinking only religious fanatics and well-to-do liberals who hate public schools homeschool. I guess it is nice for the religious homeschoolers to have someone else get the broad brush treatment for a change. I don't hate public schools. I don't judge people who send their children to public schools, parochial schools, boarding schools, military schools, or wherever they feel is best for their child. I do resent the suggestion that we can't be arsed to bother with curriculum and watch Simpsons re-runs all afternoon. I know many, many homeschoolers of many backgrounds, and I have yet to see the sort of fantasy depicted in the article. Urban legend, perhaps?

Also Pissing Me Off- The Belief That All Adults Are Child Molesters:

Lenore has a case of a teacher who bought a student lunch and is now in deep shit for the kindness. Today, a local school district in Nebraska is talking about implementing a policy prohibiting "friending" your students (or letting them friend you) on Facebook. There's a whole hell of a lot of reasons to avoid letting your children on Facebook, but fear that the classroom teacher is a pervert probably isn't a realistic one. I had a favourite teacher in middle school that used to take me to the film night at the local library because I was interested in old movies. To do that, on unpaid time was really something that I (and my parents) appreciated. I can imagine what that would look like today. If you don't teach kids who is a real threat, or at least what sort of behaviours to be wary of, how are they to be expected to tell the difference? Assuming everyone is a potential child molester/abductor/ax murderer seems like a rather sad way to go through life.

The Use of the "At Risk" Label to Infringe on the Rights of the Poor and Minorities:

I wonder how, "voluntary" this really is. I also wonder how they define child abuse and neglect. Judging from some of the charges we read about in the paper (many of which are tossed once they get to court) it doesn't sound like they have a very defined way of identifying abuse. I'm no legal expert, but I have to think if you let people in your home without a warrant that are looking for something, they're probably going to find something making the trip worth their effort. Whoops-you left dirty dishes in the sink...you're living in filth! You get the idea. Again, I'm no lawyer, Constitutional scholar, etc. but personally, I'd make them get a warrant, just on principle.

Just Awful.

If Sticking Your Hands in the Air and Surrendering Isn't Enough, What Is?

Baby Name Regret:
. I've probably told this story before...in college I had a friend whose sister misspelled the baby's name and it read, "Telephone" on the birth certificate. I think she was going for something along the lines of "Telifonie", but got telephone instead. I don't know if she ever changed it, but her sister was outraged by the stupidity. "She named her baby, "Telephone!"

"I Was A Bit Unhinged:
Was? The guy in painting with his blood, and carrying a crack pipe in his pocket to a newspaper interview.

Well, it Was a Pretty Neat Game:
This one doesn't piss me off, but I had to link to it. I'm sorry, I really had to.


Anything irritating you guys? Feel free to share.