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Bad Knee Leads to Bad Back...

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..Bad, bad, back!  I'm out today from work (hate to do that, but I really am in bad shape).  Can't get into the doctor's until Monday, so, need to call off for that day, too.  AND make up some lessons that the kids can do without me.  It's more work than going to work, so, usually, I just suck it up. Not today, though.  I'm a big baby about severe pain. Since I didn't take work home with me, and I really don't like TV, I'll plan on catching up with my web reading and blogging. Then, later, after lunch, maybe a little Roku.
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Winter Break? Bah, Humbug!

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I work in a public school.  As a result, I've occasionally been corrected - very gently, I must say - when I refer to the 2 week vacation at the end of the year as "Christmas Break". Oh, no, I am informed, it's a GENERIC holiday celebration (I generally refrain from pointing out that HOLIDAY is a variant of the original HOLY DAY).  Just happens that SO many important holidays occur around this time that it's convenient to adjourn for vacation. I always respond by saying, "I'll call it Winter Break the very first year that it DOESN'T include Christmas". Christmas is the ONLY reason for the break - it comes at a bad time, just before the end of the semester.  It would make FAR more sense to delay the vacation for another week, give the tests, then adjourn for a between-semesters vacation. Won't happen.  Parents (most of them taxpayers and/or voters) would have the school boards roasted - like chestnuts - for daring to implement the sensible swi...
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NOT ILLITERATE, BUT ALLITERATE

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Illiteracy vs. Alliteracy Illiteracy is best defined as the INABILITY to read, or at read fluently. Alliteracy, on the other hand, occurs when a person CAN read, but does not. Alliteracy is becoming quite common. Increasing numbers of people seldom, if ever, read, unless there is no other alternative. They prefer text messaging to email, video to text, and get virtually all their news from television and cable. The ability to sit still and concentrate is not an innate characteristic of humans. Repose does not come naturally to active youngsters. It must be developed, little by little, until the person has learned to appreciate and be comfortable in silent tranquility. Today's young have never been taught to listen to the "quiet within". They live in the midst of constant noise - many homes never turn the TV off, whether or not anyone is watching or listening. It's not uncommon to have several forms of media playing at the same time (TV, music, video game). We ha...
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