SCHOOL BOARD REACTS TO PUBLIC

A gaggle of geese?

You might remember the post about the Albuquerque School Board changing a kid's grade from an F to D? And how the public got into the act (looking to recall the free loading Board members)?

Well, the Board took action yesterday to make sure that faux pas isn't repeated. (Just showing off my French. And that's about all there is, too.) How they did it makes me scratch my head and shake it to hear the rattles.

Seems they added "to the student handbook", that poor communication between school officials and parents is not sufficent to alter a kid's grade.

You read that right. "Student handbook." What is that? A job description for kids? What legal standing does a "handbook" have? Click on the header to see it.

In other news, the Board increased its per diem to $85. All of the Board members live in the area. Lunches are expensive.

The Board also unanimously approved keeping the names of cadidates for superintendent secret. That is, until they narrow it down to three candidates. Seems to me that violates a state open records law. But one doesn't expect a bunch of lawyers to know about that. And they also approved $100,000 to be spent on the search. I wonder if that's a reasonable amount?

RICHARDSON COMEDY OF ERRORS CONTINUES

( Pictures enlarge when clicked on.)

Sometimes we forget to add needed things to presents that we give, I guess. At least Bill Richardson does. And so does the state legislature.

A couple of weeks ago, New Mexico became yet another state to legalize medical marijuana. No problem, I'm all for it. I have an intimate relationship with pain and agony. On the other hand, all the adolescents in our state were also overjoyed.

Give a little, get a little. It seems that neither Richardson nor our esteemed government electees had enough basic common sense to realize they had forgotten something important,

But it didn't escape the state's health secretary, Doctor Alfredo Vigil, nor the Attorney General, Gary King. The AG said state workers could (and would?) face federal prosecution if they helped oversee and distribute medical marijuana.

Dr. Vigil said: " The Department of Health will not subject its employees to federal prosecution...therefore will not distribute nor produce medical marijuana."

N.M. is the twelfth state to legalize med marijuana. You'da thunk they'd have been able to copy how other states do it. Other states do not require the state Department of Health to do this.

The Health Department will certify patients who can participate in medical use, however. Thirty of them, so far. Under the law, the participants can each retain a 3 month supply.

Bill Richardson is busy campaigning and probably didn't even read the then proposed law. The one with his signature on it. Obviously our legislature has problems reading also. But the Governator, who has publicly taken credit for getting the bill passed, seems to have a lot of egg on his face. If he's going to run the country the way he runs New Mexico, better fasten your seat belts should he luck out and be elected.

Maybe I should apply for legal permission to cultivate and sell this drug? There'd be a fair amount of money involved for little effort. Or maybe I should buy a field from an already established grower and ask Bill for permission to peddle it? Entreprenuers needed in N.M.

Oh, yeah. Click the header for a request from me.

BILL RICHARDSON AND THE PORK BARREL

Sometimes the things one wants are way too big to handle.

It seems our Governator, Bill Richardson, was at a cook out in Des Moines, Iowa and, as is usual with him, wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.

Of all the funny things (funny is used loosely) he thought he'd show off as a man of the people and take a turn at flipping pork burgers. But his gas got in the way and one of the regular cooks yelled that he was only burning the pork. If you want to tick an Iowan off, just burn his pork burger. The Governator got yelled at for not paying attention to what he was doing. (If he's done that here in N.M., somebody would have pointed it out it was business as usual.)

So he quit his turn at the BBQ and went on trying to peddle himself to the Iowans in attendance.

He had the cajones to remark that he had to beat someone of "significance" in the Iowa primary. He failed, however, to name anyone of "significance" in that primary. Just as well, I guess. So far, I haven't seen anyone of significance in either political party.

But the thing I liked in the newspaper's coverage, was the picture of fat Bill turning a couple of patties. Talk about posed.

Perhaps the picture of our Governator working a pork barrel brought images to my mind. Not nice images. Because he would owe a lot of jobs to people you don't want to hear about.

I am becoming more and more discouraged about the coming (yes, it will arrive sooner or later) election. Not one candidate has told us we're about to go down the toilet if we don't make some serious changes in this country. They all seem to want to go on with "business as usual".

There are web sites all over the 'net that are for this or that candidate, party or a particular axe they have to grind. But I don't see anything that leads me to a man/woman who makes me believe that he/she has answers that just might work.

Some are just absolutely not worthy of my trust. Others are deceptive and kind of slimy.

Obviously, I will never make a good Party man. I have a need to believe in the general goodness, honesty and common sense of anyone who wants my vote.

Yep, I was one of those who hated Lyndon Johnson's lies, who denigrated Richard Nixon's stupidity in denying wrongdoing, who was revolted by Clinton's lies, who still detests both Bush's falsehoods.

It has always been sort of a wanting on my part not to have my Commander In Chief be a liar. And worse yet, a liar who should recognize he's going to be found out, but seems oblivious to the idea that cheap lies will forever be found out. Maybe it's that kind of stupidity I don't like.

Jim Hightower is quoted if you click on the header.

GUESS WHAT SHE DID?

Bumper sticker I saw: "I'll support impeaching Bush, if they de-nut Cheney first." Ring Bell for Maid Service...If no answer, do it yourself! If we are what we eat, then I'm easy, fast, and cheap. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand. Help keep the kitchen clean - eat out. Countless number of people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to lead normal lives. My next house will have no kitchen --just vending machines.

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The three biggest lies:

3. Your check is in the mail.

2. I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.

1. We'll delete your personal information.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Google, the proctologist of the Internet

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One ugly frog.

An elderly lady was somewhat lonely, and decided that she needed a pet to keep. So off to the pet shop she went.

Forlornly, she searched. Nothing seemed to catch her interest, except this one ugly frog.

As she walked by the barrel he was in, he looked up and winked at her!

He whispered, "I'm lonely too, buy me and you won't be sorry."

The old lady figured what the heck, she hadn't found anything else.

So she bought the frog and went to her car.

Driving down the road the frog whispered to her, "Kiss me,you won't be sorry."

The old lady figured what the heck, and kissed the frog.

Immediately the frog turned into an absolutely gorgeous,sexy, handsome, young prince.

Then the prince kissed her back, and you know what the elderly lady turned into?

Come on, guess...

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The first motel she could find.

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One night, after a couple had retired for the night, the woman became aware that her husband was touching her in a most unusual manner.

He started by running his hand across her shoulders and the small of her back.

He then ran his hand over her breasts, touching them very lightly.

Then he proceeded to run his hand gently down her side, sliding his hand over her stomach, and then down the other side to a point below her waist.

He continued on, gently feeling her hips, first one side then the other.

His hand ran further down the outside of her thighs.

His gentle probing then started up the inside of her left thigh, stopped and then returned to do the same to her right thigh.

By this time the woman was becoming aroused and she squirmed a little to better position herself.

The man stopped abruptly and rolled over to his side of the bed.

"Why are you stopping darling?" she whispered breathlessly.

He whispered back, "I found the remote."

A WARNING FROM SOCIAL SECURITY

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Here's an article straight from the horse's mouth (at least I hope that's the right end). I am on SS's mailing list and this popped up in my email box. I'm shocked, but glad:

Employer Responsibilities When Hiring Foreign Workers The Social Security Administration (SSA) has taken extra steps to ensure the integrity of Social Security numbers. The changes to the way Social Security assigns numbers and issues cards may cause a delay of several weeks or months in receiving a number. This fact sheet addresses employer responsibilities when hiring foreign workers (e.g., students or cultural exchange visitors) who are legally allowed to work in the United States and who have applied for and are waiting to receive a Social Security number and card. Note that the employee may work while the Social Security number application is being processed. 1. What causes delays when foreign workers apply for Social Security numbers? When foreign workers apply for Social Security numbers, SSA verifies their documents directly with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Most applications are verified immediately, but there can be delays. Social Security understands that this process may affect companies who hire foreign workers, but direct verification from DHS is vital to ensuring the integrity of the Social Security number. 2. What are an employer's responsibilities when hiring foreign workers who don't have Social Security numbers? Advise workers that they are required to apply for a Social Security number and card. If a worker applied for but has not yet received a Social Security number, you should get the following information as complete as possible: The worker's full name, address, date of birth, place of birth, father's full name, mother's full maiden name, gender and the date he or she applied for a Social Security number. 3. What if the worker doesn't have a Social Security number when wage reports (Forms W-2) are due to Social Security? Electronic Filers: If the worker applied for a card but didn't receive the number in time for filing, enter all zeros in the field for the Social Security number. Paper Filers: If the worker applied for a card but didn't receive the number in time for filing, enter "Applied For" in Box a. Remember to instruct the worker to tell you the number and the exact name printed on the card, when it is received. 4. My foreign worker received his or her Social Security number after I filed my wage report. What do I do? When you receive the worker's Social Security number, file Form W-2c (Corrected Wage and Tax Statement), to show the worker's number. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/employer/pub.htm for instructions on filing W-2c’s. SSA/IRS Reporter The SSA/IRS Reporter is a newsletter issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It publishes articles about employment and business tax compliance. The SSA/IRS Reporter also carries general information about best payroll and employment tax practices as well as SSA and IRS products and services. Current and past issues are available in both English and Spanish on www.socialsecurity.gov/employer and http://www.irs.gov/ and search for "Reporter."

There's a newsletter from Jeff Bingaman in the header.

THINGS I'D LIKE EXPLAINED

In all the hubbub about manufactured goods from China ignoring basic safety considerations (why aren't these things inspected before they get to resellers?), it seems that we need to realize something else.

America has been "the bread basket of the world" for so long, that we tend to ignore that fact. We've all heard how Nebraska alone could feed the world's population. (Although the cities in Nebraska might not like having to move out.)

If that's agreed upon, then here's some questions I'd like answered:

1. Why are we importing beef cattle meat from a country we are told is starving?

2. Why are we importing grains and vegetables from that same country?

3. Why are we importing sea food from China when they consistently violate world wide conservation bans?

Current farm policies are misplaced. Taxpayers spend as much as$20 billion annually to subsidize only a few farmers. Crop subsidies damage the environment by placing pressure on sensitive lands such as wetlands and native grasslands.

The Fairness in Farm and Food Policy Amendment would better reward farmers for conservation practices, increase assistance to hungry Americans, provide consumers with more food and energy choices, and stop sprawl. and foreign importation.

Interest and unrest has been building in the US over sourcing products and ingredients from China after several safety problems reported in the past few months. The Chinese safety scares have included chemical additives in wheat gluten, poisoning in dog food, toothpaste recalls due to the presence of diethylene glycol, a poison found in antifreeze, and a hold on safety of some seafood imports.

Tony Snow, White House spokesman, said: "It's important to note that you have food safety concerns throughout the world and it's important to act on them." He said that the US did not expect a trade war to develop, in spite of China's decision to bar some US meat imports in response to increased US scrutiny of its products.

China wants to bar our imports? OK with me. We can bar their crappy stuff, too. I'm first in line to cast a vote, too. I just wonder if the FDA is a tool of the Administration or can act on its own with Congressional approval?

I guess my real, main, important question is: When do the people get their America back?

And another thing about Chinese ideas on food safety: BEIJING - They're flush with pride in a southwestern Chinese city where a recently-opened porcelain palace features an Egyptian facade, soothing music and more than 1,000 toilets spread out over 32,290 square feet. Officials in Chongqing are preparing to submit an application to Guinness World Records to have the free four-story public bathroom listed as the world's largest, the state-run China Central Television reported Friday. "We are spreading toilet culture. People can listen to gentle music and watch TV," said Lu Xiaoqing, an official with the Yangrenjie, or "Foreigners Street," tourist area where the bathroom is located. "After they use the bathroom they will be very, very happy." Footage aired on CCTV showed people milling about the sprawling facility and washing their hands at trough sinks. For open-aired relief, there is a cluster of stalls without a roof. Some urinals are uniquely shaped, including ones inside open crocodile mouths and several that are topped by the bust of a woman resembling the Virgin Mary. "Other bathrooms are all the same. This one is very special, I've never seen anything like it," one visitor to the tourist area told CCTV. There are also plans to build a supermarket nearby, which will sell toilet-related items, CCTV reported.

Where could there be better fplace or a supermarket than next door to a public potty?

To end this post, this, from a real action hero:

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.--- Theodore Roosevelt

Holly's Hystrionics: An Illegal Immigration Rant

Holly's Hystrionics: An Illegal Immigration Rant http://querkeyturkey.blogspot.com/2007/08/france-can-do-it-dubya.html#links