Flush with Money or Money Flushers

More money to being spent on a gatekeeping system to keep intruders out of public schools? (Tulsa World article 2-11-08).

I have a better idea. Instead, let’s build underground facilities with secure walkways between buildings, and institute mandatory lock down upon entry. We could then ban all outside clothing, backpacks, and electronics. I'm sure these ideas have already been considered, but if we put a guard on every tower for outside time and then constantino wire…

Why are we wasting the money on yet another fruitless endeavor? There are two reasons for increased security measures, to placate fearful parents or to minimize liability; neither of which justifies added expense in this area.

Reasonable and rational people know that schools aren’t built as lockdown facilities—nor can they be secured while children race across an open campus in pursuit of lunch and recess. Our best efforts cannot insure our children’s complete security.

I have an nine yr old in second grade and I’m aware of his school’s futile attempt at safety. I check in and out at the volunteer desk, and must now present photo id to pick up my son who, even on my worst hair day, could pick me out of a line-up. This measure will, in no stretch of the imagination, protect my son.

I sit in the parking lot and I watch while people go in and out of that school on legitimate business, the repairmen, inter-school delivery, day care pick-ups, etc. and I can envision no possible way to prevent an intruder who was intent on destruction. I just imagine the volunteer racing up the open hallway after him yelling, "Wait, you haven't checked in!"

If our intent is to pretend vigilance and to present yet another deterrent or to placate litigious persons, let's once again roll out the x-ray machines that languish unused in the entry of these schools—another remnant from the last security frenzy. Lastly, we could purchase the crossing-guard a new official-looking uniform.

P.S. And then let’s talk rationally about neglected video survellience on buses and the true threat from within.

...training in deception

What are we teaching in the high schools?

One success of increased security measures is that my teenagers are feeling increasingly mistrusted, and deceived. With such treatment, they can’t help but develop into youth who are untrustworthy. Why are they treated as such?

Weekly, I’m entertained by tales from school of how teens must outwit the newest security measure that encourages law-abiding youth to connive and deceive in order to move past the limitations that they see as futile and recognize as insidious encroachments to their liberties.

The thinking has become: "Toss your cell phone in the bushes while waiting in line for the search." "If you are too dumb to think of a way to ditch the system, then you deserve to get caught."

My tenth grader says one day the teacher warned the students of a backpack search outside in the hallway after school and told the kids to hand over their illegal cells and she would "protect" them.

She collected 25 from 27 students and promptly took them to the office.

WHAT ARE WE TEACHING?

Even my son, who doesn't carry a cell phone could see the entrapment training taking place. Kids may have no rights, but the training we are giving them is to deceive. Thanks schools.

...developing bus trust

Please don’t spend any more money on outside threats without fixing the threat within! I'm more concerned with the pressing concern of my children being unable to ride the bus without fear.

I recommend installing video cameras or adult monitors (in camouflage with pellet guns is probably pushing it) on buses first.

The sure fire way to get my teen up at 5 a.m. is the gentle reminder that his sister is leaving with the car, but "don't worry, you can catch the bus." I've never seen a 9th grader move faster.

There is a shortage of seats, the verbal abuse is absurd, and the other things that happen on the buses are abhorrent. Last year, my then Sophomore daughter (and in response, I) reported teenagers engaging in oral sex on the way home from school. Both children would prefer to take my car (which is as old and more cranky than I am).

I realize that this issue has been considered and I know videos are no answer, because who then will monitor the monitors, etc., but more money flung at a exterior security processes that for the most part will serve to do no more than falsely assuage fear and further complicate parenting—no way!

Just venting futilely,

Terina Dee

A parent clinging to the hope that there are only 3 1/2 years of high school left and just praying for an end to the social degradations of school before my grade-schooler gets there.

Twas the Freeze Before Christmas Letter 2007

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care… in hopes they would dry, so that we could wear.

 As you may know, as part of our pre-Christmas festivities the family took part in the 2007 Oklahoma Freeze and during our three days of forced power outage, we had abundant time to reflect on the blessings of the season. We discovered the blessings of natural gas fireplaces late in the first twelve hours but took another two hours to recognize the necessity of an open fireplace flue.





  While I in my kerchief and they in their caps all settled down for a long winters nap, we explore the benefits of authentic down comfort (King-sized is not big enough, nor are three layers thick.)


The moon on the breast of new fallen snow had nothing on the candelabra we had goin’ on inside. We will never again disparage Dave’s fetish for flashlights. We revisited family togetherness while reading classic literature by candlelight. (Dave Barry may be surprised to find himself in this category) and we renewed the joys of handicrafts by headlamp to stave off boredom. (Dia made hats, hats, and hats galore.)

  When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter… we marveled that in spite of the avalanche of tree limbs clamoring outside to abandon their trunks and cascade with a thump to the ground, we received no damage to rooftops or vehicles. However, fences were not withstanding.

Visions of sugarplums danced in our heads as we foraged from the freezer, struck up the gas stove and stacked the outdoor patio table with refrigerator stock. Camp food tastes ever so much better anyway.

Dressed all in fleece from our head to our foot, we like St. Nickolas, all wore the soot. After chopping branches down and hauling limbs away to uncover downed power lines (Yes, I realize now that the lines could have been live,) we learned to wear natural fibers that dry quickly and absorb some serious filth. The whole Christmas thing that started with stockings hung up to dry was once someone's daily life and I would rather not return to it. There is nothing quite like warm showers, hot food and outside contact. For us, we learned that desperate times result in … blessed measures.

You will hear us exclaim as we drive out of sight, but not in "Firebird--the Acura" because the day school resumes, Dia is t-boned by a Porche boxter on the way home from seminary.  So sad to have the car we bought when she was a baby gone.  

Yet amidst all, we are blessed by the wonder and beauty of our Saviors birth.  So, Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

 Love, the Darceys

Day 2, December Ice Storm

We spent the evening eating dinner by candle light and reading Dave Berry’s narrative of the Utah Winter Olympics. He made fun of the Ho Ho Gourmet’s name, after that the daughter escaped to a friend’s (powered-up) house for a hot shower sleepover.

Everyone has their headlamps on. No one is making fun of Dave’s fondness for flashlights and headlights now. And all the used candles that I wanted to throw out but didn’t are now being put to good use.

It seems that about two out every three houses do not have power throughout all of the city. Pretty overwhelming. It is ironic to live in a neighborhood (some of you who have visited here know what I’m talking about…) of gigantic mondo mansions who have power and running billions of gigawatts for his Christmas decorations and you’re sitting there across the street, the poor relative, with no power at all. We saw this in quite a few places.

We spent the night in our bedroom….interior house temp was 56 degrees this morning….so livable. Kids are out of school today again. Ian gets to work on a limb that fell on the back driveway, right where we normally park the Acura and pickup, but we moved them right before the limb crashed. It has trapped the van in the garage and I think of everyone who has only one vehicle, trapped.

Dave's input:

Lost quite a few limbs and trees. The 100 foot birch and maple by the back driveway are probably shot. Spent quite a bit of time knocking ice off limbs last night to try and save some more trees over back deck and front door.
Seemed to help.

Temps are warming and it is melting just in time for another round tonight.

Generators are all sold out….expecting more shipments today.
Don’t know if should buy one or not……at this pt, still saying 7 – 10 days…but managing ok.

Back to Terina: Dave seems to have an aversion to personal pronouns.

Day 2, We spent the evening eating dinner by candle light and reading Dave Berry’s narrative of the Utah Winter Olympics. He made fun of the Ho Ho Gourmet’s name, then the daughter
escaped to a friend’s house for a hotshower/sleepover.

Everyone has their headlamps on. No one is making fun of Dave’s fondness for flashlights and headlights now. And all the candles that Terina wanted to throw out but didn’t are now being put to good use.

It seems that two out every three houses do not have power throughout all of the city. Pretty overwhelming. Its sad, though, to be in a neighborhood (some of you who have visited here know what I’m talking about…) of gigantic mondo Mcmansions running billions of gigawatts for his Christmas decorations and you’re sitting there with no power at all. We saw this in quite a few places.

We spent the night in our bedroom….interior house temp was 56 degrees this morning….so livable. Kids are out of school today again. Ian gets to work on a limb that has the van trapped in the garage. It fell on the back driveway, right where we normally park the Acura and pickup.
but they were parked in our front diveway when that happened.

Dave's comments:

Lost quite a few limbs and trees. The birch and maple by back driveway are probably shot.
Spent quite a bit of time knocking ice off limbs last night to try and save some more trees over back deck and front door. Seemed to help.

Temps are warming and it is melting just in time for another round tonight.
Generators are all sold out….expecting more shipments today.
Don’t know should buy one or not……at this pt they are still saying 7 – 10 days…but managing ok.

Back to Terina: Dave has an aversion to personal pronouns.

Mad About Keys

Technology makes everything better. A simple car key now has the ability to not only open the door, but turn on the lights, warm up the engine and slowly reroute my life savings to its Swiss bank account. My van key looks pretty nondescript, incapable of none of that, but it’s smart, the customer service rep at the dealership assures me. When I lose it, I will not only be unable to start the vehicle, but the vehicle must be towed to the dealership and a lengthy, special secret reprogramming procedure will be undertaken by a specialized geek with pocket protectors who will attempt to unlock the sophisticated system—two minutes and a hundred bucks—for a key!!! He says that the dealer is prevented by the manufacturer to disengage the little thingydoodle in the ignition system that prevents the use of a cheap key and it’s all because somebody could steal my car. I said. “I won’t buy another car that does this,” and he suppressed a giggle and confounded me with his response, “It’s all about liability.” So, there is no more running to the hardware store to have an extra key cut. What was a three dollar wrinkle in my day, will be a three hundred dollar just fold me in half. An article in the Boston Globe assures me that it is industry wide and the FTC has thus far failed to act. California seems to be the only sane state thus far… (which in itself is frightening). They are requiring vehicle manufacturers to release key code to locksmiths by January 2008. I’ll try to lose my keys next in CA. I just had one last question, if these expensive, exclusive keys are so smart, how do they get lost?