Depressed

I am very depressed because of the shootings at VTech. I didn't know anybody there. I don't know anybody who knows anybody, that I know of. I believe I watched too much coverage the first two days and it knocked the wind out of me. I remember people telling me they felt this way after Columbine. I understand better now. It is especially hard now that the media is playing the videos of this mad man. I will not watch any more of his rants. I wished him dead after listening to him. He is already dead. I wish everybody with the amount of hate this man had, would all go away and take their troubled minds and souls with them and let the rest of us be. Don't take us with you when you go. You are dead. There is no glory in having your name repeated over and over on the news. We tune you out, apparently just like we did while you were alive, at least in your own head. If you feel the need to be on the news, climb a tree and rescue a cat. Have a friend video tape it and put it on youtube or myspace. On a slow news day, you are sure to get picked up.

My heart goes out to all the families and friends of the victims, and those of us who grieve from the residual effects of this despicable act. It also goes out to the rest of us who worry about our children going off into this crazy world. And I do mean crazy.

Love and Peace. How hard is that?

Happy Over Commercialized Religious Holidaze

I received an email this morning from an online shopping site that said, "We miss you." I thought, sheesh if they miss me, it has been way too long since my last post! This is me, making the time to write about nothing really.

The stores have had Easter candy out since Valentine's Day. The Valentine's Day candy was the day after Christmas. It is all too commercialized. At least prepackaged egg dye is cheap. Even teenagers still want to dye eggs. Have you dyed your eggs today or have you had a nice chunk of Gefilte fish with some matza? All on sale this time of year, of course, so enjoy.

We are all fine. Girls are excited that next week is Spring Break. Who wouldn't be? Remembering that "ski week" was only two months ago, it seems to me they get a whole lot more time off than I did as a kid. However, they get much more homework than I did. The amount of homework astonishes me. The class is not long enough, so they send home what doesn't get done? Or is the class long enough and not being managed properly? Other classes watch films on days they have substitutes. Why don't the students just do a study hall for that period? Even better, why doesn't the teacher have a class plan so the substitute can follow it? How hard is that?

These kids are much more stressed than I was at their age. Eighth grade GATE classes don't seem so tough. Homework load seems pretty light actually. Tenth grade honors classes are much tougher. Then there is all the stress of what college to choose and what to do to get in one. We are being besieged college paraphernalia. Some are from colleges we have never heard of. Being a sophomore, we still have time to choose, but not much. It really screws up being a kid to have to deal with all this instead of just enjoying their high school years. Sucks really.

Anyhow, happy spring break to everybody and safe travels for all who get to go somewhere for vacation. Hopefully, none were on a cruise ship in Greece. We are staying put this year. Happy Passover and/or Easter too.