The Magic of Andy!

Watch What Happens Live is a hit.  It has filled a time slot that has to compete with the local news, The Daily Show and Chelsea Handler.  Since I have to work early in the mornings, I have started to tape each show and my daughter and I watch them the next day after I get home from work.  We really love the show. Andy is a master at stirring the pot and allowing the celebs to "spill the tea" without ever insulting anyone personally or taking a side.  If you notice - he does the same thing at all the Housewives reunions too!

Every once in a while Andy will give you a hint that he disagrees with one of his guests- IE. Joe Gudice( currently pronounced- Jew dich A) and Bruce Jenner on their homophobic natures.  Andy also lists a Jack hole of the Day- but this is usually not a celebrity. 

I thank you Andy for bringing the laughter into our home!

Cloris still has "it"

My Belly laugh of the week came to my daughter and I via Watch what happens Live. Cloris Leachman was a guest along with Jeff Lewis and she was her wacky self. She had the boys competing for who was the best kisser and she she was completely irreverent. She "spilled the tea" on Judy Garland and other celebs, forcing Andy to continually repeat-"just the first thing that comes to mind Cloris." My roomate's dad dated Cloris in the 80's and couldn't handle her eccentricites.

I have always loved Phyllis Lindstrom from the MTM show. She is also hysterical in Raising Hope- vasilating between bouts of clarity and demensia as Hope's great grandmother- Ma maw. Thanks to Andy Cohen for giving us a talk show that is simple, honest and fun!

Happy? endings? Spoiler alert- Weeds finale

I have to say that I enjoyed the series finale of Weeds. I wasn't expecting the time jump to ten years later. I liked the tie back to the first episode with Doug's son.  I liked that Shane was the one in the worst shape and that he appeared to be aware of it. After all,  he never really had to pay for his crime of murder ( with the croquet mallet) and it finally has caught up with him.  Of course Doug being the leader of a cult was perfect!

I was so happy for Andy, because the episode before this was not one of his best moments.  I think the point of the finale was that Nancy is the type of person that needs her men around her and now she is alone and that is her pay back for all she has done to her family.

I didn't understand the whole Silas's wife and her extreme hatred, after all she aborted Silas's baby( which Silas isn't an innocent in either) as a teenager.  She really doesn't have much of a leg to stand on when it comes to moral issues. 

I didn't like the child actor that played Stevie.  His story line was well done and Guillermo finally got his revenge on Nancy.  I also was sad not to see Celia.  She was the funniest person on the show. 

Weed's was a groundbreaking show.  It was both a comedy and a drama.  I think it was fun and yet maybe it got the people thinking about the war on drugs and is it all really worth it?  I like that the show ended in the future with legalized pot being sold at convenience stores.  You know maybe it will plant the seed that finally starts the movement towards legalization of marijuana.  I think this is could be the trend that sends us out of the economic crunch and would also prevent the incarceration of many people that really don't need to be in jail.

Why I hate Dekalb county- Part 2

It has been about a year since my last rant on my employer. Has anything changed? Yes-but not in a positive way. We had a summer of childish fighting at the school board, Quite honestly it was better than watching NeNe or Sheree tugging at Kim's wig. (Real Housewive's). The problem is that this isn't Bravo TV- which is something you all know I love to watch for fun. This is true reality. This is our kid's lives here.

We have no textbooks to hand out anymore. The students are issued a website to go to the book online. Does every household have the internet?

I am currently making a salary that is less than what I made ten years ago. It is tough to be at the age of retirement and really not being able to afford to retire. I have worked over thirty years for this county. I have seen this school system go from being truly "Premire" in the state to being a laughable embarrassment.

We need more than five teachers to replace either retired teachers or overenrollment and the classes have been taught by substitutes for the last four weeks. In one case there was a willing science teacher that thought he was going to get hired during pre- planning and they still haven't hired him.

When you go to the website to look for posted teacher positions, there aren't any postings for our school. They did hire two teachers within the last four weeks. We now have a new art and a new PE teacher! We need 2-3 science teachers, at 2-3 social studies teachers and all of our general level classes have at least 40 students in them. I know one teacher that is teaching all the students that failed, mixed in with special ed students and there is a total of 57 students on roll with 2 teachers in the room in a room built for 28 people.

Our IB and AP students may have to pay for their exams in May. No one in any authority position at the county office will discuss whether or not the funds will be available.

On a personal note, I have tried to have some of my money in savings stopped on my check, so that I will have similar liquid assets each month. My first request went in July 11th. I still haven't seen the outcome. I have contacted payroll 4 times and the last time I spoke personally to the person in charge and was rudely assured that the change had been made. No change in five pay periods!

The morale is at an all time low. Class sizes are bursting at the seams. The empathsis is in quantity instead of quality. Was saving 2 million dollars by pissing off every single person in the county really worth it?
(I think the latest report was that the budget had a 70 million short fall)

Why I will miss "Weeds"

After watching last weeks episode (5 miles from Yetzer Hara), I have to disagree with the nay-sayers. Jenji Kohan has masterfully crafted a comedy with halarious characters. She has done this throughout eight seasons, never forgetting every detail of the plot. Nancy started out in season one as a recent widow. She lost her loving husband to an early heart attack and is faced with financial ruin, all the while living in a "little pre-fab box" on the hillside, attending PTA meetings and living in a body that secretly desires to live a high risk life style. She decides to sell weed and then later grows it. She gets involved with every type of criminal and holds her own against all the men with guns. ( My favorite is U-turn-check out season three-also my favorite season). Some critics have panned this show because it "glorifies" illegal activities. I think most people realize that TV is just entertainment. Besides, Nancy Botwin's character never really gets ahead. Every time that she starts making money someone jacks her. She even spent three years in prison. Her boys go through time periods where they hate her, but in the end they are her biggest support team. This is the type of writing that I love. You get invested in the characters. They are flawed and real. I am wishing that we will see Celia and Conrad towards the wrap up of this series. If we don't,it won't be a tragedy. Can't wait to see what is in store for the Botwin clan!

Paul Ryan and Teresa Guidice- Separated at birth?

Maybe Paul isn't quite as tan as Teresa.   Maybe Teresa doesn't have the widow's peak like Paul, but
the hair and the hair-lines are strikingly similar.   Maybe I am just jealous, since I have the five finger forehead.  I think they are definitely three fingers or less.  I am not certain if brain size correlates to forehead size.  I saw Paul Ryan speak on 60 minutes last night and I immediately thought of Teresa!

Truancy Crack Down-about time!

I heard a small blurb on the local news yesterday about arresting parents of students being arrested for allowing their children excessive absences at school.  I hope this is the trend and it will continue.  Congratulations for this positive step towards taking back our schools.

There are way too many students that miss over 10 days of class per semester.  I can not think of any reason that students should miss that much school unless they have a serious medical issue.  I had a ninth grade student last year that was absent more than 80 days.  I spoke to his mother and she said she couldn't wake him in the morning.  Who is in charge at the house?  Some students miss school without their parents knowledge- but every parent should know when progress reports are released.  Every 4.5 weeks this document is released and it is part of your job as a parent to find out this information.

  I had another student a year ago and his mother wouldn't let him in the house some days.  He was definitely gay and his older brother (and probably the mom) was a drug dealer.  Unfortunately, being gay in some households is worse than being a criminal.  This kid was living at friends homes or on the streets and the only meals he was receiving were at school.  I came to find out that the mom had kept him out of elementary school for four years.  Now he was in ninth grade and failing everything.  Go figure.

We live in a country that prides itself for providing everyone with an education.  We must establish some guidelines and hold both the student and parent responsible for not meeting the standards of attendance and behavior.  we are under extreme financial burdens.  Our tax base has been severely disrupted.  Use this time to affect real change in the minds of our lack-luster parents.   If you start enforcing tough penalties due to truancy or poor behavior perhaps there will be an appreciation of a good education.  School is not just day-care.  It is the first step towards self-discipline and self-improvement.