Dear So and So

[ny biker]

alex just said this morning my sdhc camera card is where i last put it ...if the gremlin does reveal where the tights are, send it to me

Hmm. I have a mylar blanket that I keep in my bike bag during cooler months, for emergencies. I looked for it recently, couldn't find it anywhere, not in any of the places where I keep bike gear. Bought another one yesterday. OF COURSE this means that I found the first one this morning. Fortunately they're inexpensive and having two is actually a good thing -- now there's one for the car and one for the bike!

[smilingcat]

Dear AP editor,

You are getting very sloppy with headline. "Trump expands anti-abortion ban to all US global health aid" what is meant by anti-abortion ban?? Des it mean that Trump is banning anti-abortion activities, activists or what?? Or did you mean to say that Trump is banning abortion practices and pro-abortion rights activities and activists.

The "anti-abortion ban" nearly smacks the use of double negative. In fact, when you read the article, the usage is double negative. So confusing. aarrrghhh!!

Yes, his executive order stops all funding for abortion and women's right to choice for all international organization (WHO will be on the list). On slightly different note, he is allowing Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline to move forward. BTW, Trump is a big shareholder of Keystone XL.

[smilingcat]

And yes Trumpster has defunded International Planned Parenthood! not sure how they are related to US domestic Planned Parenthood; but, his executive order is for the world and that would include USA.

[shootingstar]

And yes Trumpster has defunded Planned Parenthood!

What is the matter with the guy? http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-don...womens-health/ Vey sick. Please let's just talk a little more here with more people.

[Blueberry]

Dear Medical School:

You have really, royally screwed an entire class of students. We are the second class in the new curriculum. When you realized that the first class tanked the major licensing exam whose score determines many of your career options (or can certainly close some doors), you started helping the third class. What did you do for us? You cancelled the review course and told us to watch it online (where the professors say "too bad for the people who didn't come that they can't hear" because it was intended to be re-offered). You started coaching the students a class below us. Us - you hung out to dry. But made sure to tell us to do well because "it's important for the reputation of the school."

I've been studying for 6 weeks straight. I'm burned out and exhausted, and I'm not doing well on the practice exams. Neither are my classmates. Why am I not doing well? Because you decided to experiment with a new curriculum and didn't teach us about 1/2 of the content. When it didn't work, you threw us to the wolves. I've asked for help - and been told that there is none. The only person who can "help" is a PhD in education and does not understand any of the content. Nor can she recommend any resources. She's given me the same (unhelpful) advice twice now. I'm completely on my own. Oh yes - and you told me I have test anxiety and need help for that. Are you flipping kidding me? Of course I have text anxiety - I'd be crazy not to. It's not the reason I'm doing poorly though - you are. I've taken big tests before. It was never a problem until I had to take one that determines my career options with a half-empty toolbox.

Sincerely,

A Stressed Out Med Student

PS - I probably *do* have test anxiety at this point (given the burn out and the lack of progression and the lack of direction) - but I'm not about to admit it to you. I think it might be time to take up meditation. I'm gonna need it to get through 2 more years of your incompetence.

[emily_in_nc]

Wow, Blueberry, I am surprised and saddened to hear this. Very surprising a good, established med school would do this to you.

That sucks!

[Pax]

Wow, Blueberry, I am surprised and saddened to hear this. Very surprising a good, established med school would do this to you.

That sucks!

Agreed, and to eschew responsibility so thoroughly, that truly sucks!

[emily_in_nc]

That would bother me too, Sheila! Seems to me that an awful lot of people are relying on gofundme (and similar) these days. In the "old days", families would help out financially if one in the extended family was having a tough time, but in this age of social networking, it seems that some are taking advantage of their social networks for things they should be able to handle on their own or within their families.

Perhaps it sounds cold and heartless, but in many of these cases, I think it's going a bit overboard to expect your friends to pitch in -- especially for something optional like a new bicycle. Hey...we want kayaks, perhaps I should set up a gofundme page!

[Crankin]

We stopped speaking to my BIL and family, when he set up a Go Fund Me page supposedly for his daughter who had leukemia. He had insurance and a good job. They wanted a new house... his daughter is fine after a bone marrow transplant (so we hear), but she got a Make a Wish Trip to "go shopping."
I think that's wrong. Her parents could take her shopping.

[ny biker]

This reminds me of a situation years ago with some friends (who are now ex-friends). They had two young children at the time. They believed that vacations were supposed to be for adults only, not children. So they planned elaborate trips to Europe just for the two of them. And expected their family and friends to take care of the kids while they were away. So grandfather took the kids for a couple of days, one friend took them for a weekend, another friend took them for a few days. I was appalled. When we were growing up, sometimes my parents would go away for a weekend on their own, but real vacations included all of us. And we never had much money so the trips were to visit relatives, or to go camping someplace close to a historic site. Anyway. What really got me about these (ex-)friends was when the wife looked me in the eye and asked me, "what days will you be taking our children while we're on vacation?" Not "can you please help out" but "when will you take them." So I said "none." I'm sure the look on my face said much more than that.

(This actually was not the reason they became ex-friends. But that's a story for another day.)

[emily_in_nc]

We stopped speaking to my BIL and family, when he set up a Go Fund Me page supposedly for his daughter who had leukemia. He had insurance and a good job. They wanted a new house... his daughter is fine after a bone marrow transplant (so we hear), but she got a Make a Wish Trip to "go shopping."
I think that's wrong. Her parents could take her shopping.

Wow. I knew people were taking advantage of it, but that's ridiculous. Don't blame you for cutting them out of your lives. Some people have zero ethical compass and feel no shame!

[Blueberry]

What really got me about these (ex-)friends was when the wife looked me in the eye and asked me, "what days will you be taking our children while we're on vacation?" Not "can you please help out" but "when will you take them." So I said "none." I'm sure the look on my face said much more than that.

On my. That's some entitlement. Don't blame you one bit. We're expecting we'll get a similar request from the BIL one day. He has one, they want more - and they are travel obsessed (while we're been saving money for retirement, etc.). Hopefully her mom will take them (they bought a gigantic house with an extra wing for her) - but nothing would surprise me.

I've also become frustrated by the many, many go fund me pages out there. It seems like half of our local news stories have funding pages attached to them. I realize there's a lot of hurt and need in the world, but at some point, it gets excessive.

Thanks also for the sympathies on the medical school situation. There's not really much we can do - graduate, get the MD, and move on. Doubt I will have forgotten when they ask for donations, though (actually, they already are). Trying to keep the debt down so that I don't have to make a decision based on earning potential - as some of my classmates who will be 200-300k in debt (for a state school) will have to.

[Crankin]

NY, that story is terrible. If you want to travel without your kids, then hire a babysitter, like I did, or ASK the grandparents. I was lucky that I had several people who I hired, some relatives, some co-workers, as well as the family of our teenaged babysitter.

[azfiddle]

Dear 7th grade student who shared the test answers: I don't know who you are but you got at least three other kids in trouble with me and the office and now everyone in all four classes will have their test score thrown out and have to take a new and harder version of the very easy quiz I gave you.

And thank you for the opportunity to stay an hour late after school on a Friday afternoon to rewrite the test for Monday.

Sincerely, your extremely annoyed teacher.

[smilingcat]

dear weather,

Last week, it was pouring rain and the daytime high didn't even hit 60F. And this coming Sunday, its predicted to hit 100F. It just seem that you do not want me farming.

Back in Mar/Apr time frame, we had several days of 90+F heat. The temperature was enough to bolt my radishes. Then it got super cold and most of the kale thought it was winter again... This isn't so bad but when it warmed up again, most all of my kale thought it gone through a winter, a process called vernalization, and it prompted the kale to bolt. Kale is biennial so it flowers the second season. But the heat wave then the cold then the warm weather made it think it had gone through a winter.

grrr. work from sun up around 5:30AM till about 1:00PM. siesta from 1 to about 6:00PM then work from 6:00PM till sundown around 9:30PM. My cats are not happy that they are getting their evening din din around 10:30PM.