Those of you who use Blogger.com for you own blogs noticed that there have been problems with the site most of the past few days. We couldn’t get access to publish our posts, and that sure threw a wrench into our schedules, didn’t it? And now I don’t know what to title this post. It was written for my usual Friday’s Odds and Ends, but what do I call it today?I really don’t know. That’s why I came up with that really catchy title.
Something new for the PC police to watch for – people who refer to their pets as pets. Apparently there is some concern among philosophers that the reason we treat animals as animals is because of the way we talk about some of them. The Journal of Animal Ethics, a new publication, wants people to change some of the common terms applied to animals: Stubborn as a mule, sly as a fox, slippery as an eel. Using terms like that supposedly makes us think poorly of those animals. The article in the Journal, also asks people, specifically writers, to refer to those cuddly creatures we share our homes with – the dog not our husbands – as companion animals, rather than pets. Apparently, “pets” is a derogatory term.
No wonder my pets, er, companion animals, are so deranged.
General Electric, one of the largest companies in the U.S. made $5.1 billion in profits in the United States last year, but according to a report in the New York Times, the company has not paid a penny of federal tax for 2010. Other large corporations that have paid little or no taxes include Exxon Mobil and Boeing, Bank of America and Citigroup. And they are not doing anything illegal. The tax laws allow for major loopholes for businesses.
And some people still think we don’t need a massive overhaul of the tax system in the United States.
In a suburb of Dallas there have been two incidents of students fighting in a classroom and the teacher has not intervened. One incident was more of a beating than a fight as the victim was attacked at his desk and punched numerous times while the teacher just watched. Some teachers were quoted as saying that it is dangerous to try to intervene in a fight, and unless a policy is in place to deal with this type of violence, they are advised to do nothing.
It is a sad, sad day when students can rule a classroom like that. What kinds of parents are raising children who can strike such fear in their peers and other adults who are supposed to be in authority?
What a ridiculous idea for Journal of Animal Ethics to come up with – especially since my pets are treated better than the humans in this house! 🙂
As to the rest, I’m glad my child-rearing days are past me. I no longer understand the school system.
Where do I start? Yes, I think of my cats as my children, but they’re my cats. Cats! As for the tax loopholes, the cynic in me says it will only get worse. As for the school system and parents, on one hand you have teachers telling the kids to call DSS if their parents punish them. On the other, you have lawyers and DSS taking teachers to court for interfering or ‘touching’ a minor in an effort to get them out of the way. A no win situation. And of course, that’s only the surface of the tip of the iceberg….
Thanks for stopping by and for your comments. I agree that we are in an endless loop of problems when it comes to the education system.