The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Corin Stormhands]

What kind of dicipline do you suggest a school use?

This isn't a discipline issue. The school is tossing out a full day of instruction to take the "smart" kids to the movies. If Jr. goes, he'll get no classroom instruction, no chance to do anything to raise his grades...NOTHING...they'll be baby sitting them. That's it.

Of course, this is also the same school system that said "we're going to use Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a makeup snow day" and when people complained the school board said "but if it's important to you, you can have an excused absence." Over 40% stayed out that day. We made Jr. go to school.

[300winmag]

the acreage away from the road is well established hardwoods, without all the "shite" growin' up underneath...

What kind of hardwoods? Mature black walnut brings BIG bucks as lumber, as in several kilobucks per tree. "Walnut rustling" around here is a problem, especially on state land. But if you're the legal owner, they can represent some nice cash, unless you like the strong taste of black walnuts.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I don't know.... I guess it seems that if they wanted to have an end-of-year class field trip because no one does any work the last week anyway, it makes more sense to me to just let everyone go or not do it.

I will concede that it is possible the students knew about this all year, that they had to get B's to go to the end of year movie, and Jr. just didn't say... That might change things, *but* still, it is a dumb idea because busy work in the last days of school is a de-motivator, and I am sure the parents are better at handling what to do about the quality of the report card than the school is.

And I feel for Jr.... He's a cutie pie and has had enough trouble this year.

[Corin Stormhands]

Jr. rattled of a list. I'm pretty sure the parents did have to give permission for movie selection. I got the impression the kid's choice was done when they signed up.

[Wneighbor]

What kind of dicipline do you suggest a school use?

Discipline is something that happens at the time of an offense. A movie day at the end of the year might qualify as some kind of reward but it in no way goes in the discipline category.

And why should the school system employees take a day out of educating the kids who really need help - so that they can take the kids with high grades on an outing? It doesn't make sense.

[HairOfTheDog]

If'n she wants to, she can scratch yer eyes out and make you think you enjoyed it...

ROTFL!

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - If they are letting the kids choose the movies, it is an especially bad idea!

[Wneighbor]

Well, that makes sense to me Corin. But, thinking back to some of my times. My parents were very strict about what movies I saw. And it was always pretty easy to say I was going to Movie G and then end up in Movie R. Know what I mean? I'd hate to be responsible for watching to make sure all kids go to the right movie. And "ouch" I suspect that the chaperones may not really care enough to check closely when they really get there. (sorry, that jaded view comes from personal experience with public schools.)

[Corin Stormhands]

He's a cutie pie and has had enough trouble this year.

Thanks Hair. It has been a rough year. I'm glad to see it behind us.

I've stayed too long. I was supposed to be in bed by now.

See y'all tomorrow.

[osagebowman]

G'nad; not many places have any, they fed the mills long ago. Having a hardwood forest and old pasture (in various stages of ecological succession) is pretty typical. A few cedars are nice to have. Gives us something green during winter months.

Check out the Missouri Department of Conservation's website. You can get food plot bundles from the State Nursery at Licking MO at a good price, even order on line. Don't forget to subscribe to the Missouri Conservationsit magazine, it's free to residents.

I believe we were the first state to pass a 1/8 cent sales tax for conservation purposes only. Went on the ballot by initiative. The wild bunch in Jefferson City have been trying to get their hands on it ever since, but haven't got it done yet, Be Vigilant.

[Wneighbor]

Yeah - If they are letting the kids choose the movies, it is an especially bad idea!

At that age I would have welcomed the opportunity to sneak into the "wrong" movie. And - *laughing now* - since Myranda has graduated I can say she would have done that at the end of 8th grade too. She matured amazingly in the year after that and started making some extremely mature choices. But, she will admit that 7th and 8th grades where her period of insanity.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

and I am sure the parents are better at handling what to do about the quality of the report card than the school is.

That's the problem though. Most parents now a days, are NOT disciplining their children. That's why there are so many brats at school. Parents have also tied the hands of the schools on discipline. The school has NOTHING it can employ to discipline or motivate without some parent getting upset about the "fairness" of it. Life is not fair. Fair is where they give ribbions to pigs. I absolutly detest PS. That is why I homeschooled. But the problems in the schools have been caused by PARENTS, not teachers, not school boards, not the government. JMO.

Becky

[Wneighbor]

Good night Corin. This too shall pass. Ya'll are EXTREMELY good parents. And you're trainin' him up in the way he should go.......

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It would be interesting to know when the criteria was set.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I agree that the school's hands are a bit tied nowadays with discipline problems, but they aren't keeping kids out of the movie who have been discipline problems during the year, they are keeping kids out because their grades weren't good enough.

I'm not gonna second guess Corin on this one about whether it is deserved for him to do busy work.... That isn't what we are here for.

[Wneighbor]

I don't know what your experiences are in public schools but I can say from mine that a whole lot of what's wrong in public school CAN be traced to the schools themselves. True, there are a lot of parents who don't do what they should. But, that's not where these issues in public school are rooted. I did not spend a year NOT having to attend a school board meeting over school issues often related to parents rights as opposed to school rights for (adding in my head fast) I think 16 years.

I have argued the issue of whether the state of Texas has a right to make choices about my kids for all this time. The school I'm talking about is one of those that actually supplied my oldest daughter with birth control at age 14. They have said that it is not a parent's business what they teach about sex education and had we not moved to Wichita Falls Myranda would have been required to attend a class teaching sexuality with both boys and girls in the class. The class was to encompass not only biological and health aspects of sexuality but also homosexuality.

The attitude of "educators" when you speak with them about these issues is such that they do not deem you knowledgeable enough to even be informed on these issues. When educators talk to the parent that way, don't you think that attitude is conveyed to the students on a daily basis? No wonder kids mouth at parents. They learn it from SOME (not all) teachers.

Sorry, I've heard all those things you are saying. And there is truth to some of them. But, that's a catch-all that blames only parents and excuses educator's deplorable behavior and attitudes.

Incidentally, remember, I AM a teacher. Probably about 3/4 of my employed family are teachers. I'm not attacking a people group that I don't fit in.

[HairOfTheDog]

Did you see my ping about the baby bird? - Can a chicken eggspert tell how old that chick is? Might he be two weeks from flight? - Or a month? - Or two months? Just wonderin' if you know such things.

[Wneighbor]

Good night. I'm going to bed now.

[HairOfTheDog]

hokie dokie....

See ya at breakfast.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL...are you trying to change the subject:)

Yes, I saw the post about the baby birds. I got my bird book out and tried to find it in there, I also tried to post a question to you earlier, but the system was not working. What state do you live in?

As far as aging chicks, When they have all their feathers they are usually 4 wks. The chicks that hatched last Monday, have their wing feathers now. I don't know how old they will be to fly. Chickens don't:)

Is it blue in color or is that just the way the picture looked?

Becky