This morning’s newspaper was, how should I say, amusing.
You may (or may not) recall the story of the 6 year old boy in Newport News, VA who shot his teacher. There was an update in this morning’s paper with the most interesting part being the response of the various entities being sued by the teacher, and I quote “Last month, the defendants in Zwerner’s lawsuit filed a motion to have it dismissed. The Newport News School Board, the former superintendent of Newport News schools and Richneck’s former principal argued Zwerner’s claims are covered under Virginia’s Workers’ Compensation Act and should be considered a workplace injury.” (Emphasis added.)
Oho! Getting shot is now a workplace injury in schools. For teachers? Seriously? How many people snorted derisively when they came across that sentence? Who typed the legal document, and did they type it under duress?
(An aside: When I worked as a legal proofreader, we on the night staff refused, on moral and ethical grounds, to work on a particular case the firm was defending. And yes, we got away with it with no reprisals from management.)
Is anyone seriously wondering why there is a teacher shortage with few new victims candidates and so many leaving the profession altogether. If people wanted to risk their lives every day at work they would join the military or become police officers or firefighters.
I’m just gobsmacked with that response. Workers Compensation Act my ass.
Today was an expanded edition of the Washington Post with several special sections that elicited a huge MEH from me and sympathy for the trees that died in service to them.
One is called The Weed Report and no, it’s not about gardening. Should you be a devotee of cannabis in any form and are in need of such while in this area, you should check this out. It covers what to buy, where to buy and the legalities.
The other special section is A Guide to the AI Boom. Am I the only person who doesn’t care? I’m sure there is useful information in there but I have no use for it. Are Siri and Alexa considered AI? And BTW – what are they used for? Seriously, I do not know what they are used for or even how to use them. Not that I’m a luddite, just that I don’t talk to inanimate objects – my husband notwithstanding.
I think that to access Siri you have to say “Hey, Siri”. Now right there I am put off. I detest, DETEST, the use of “Hey” in conversation. It is no way to address a person. I can’t abide it. (Alright, alright, – Siri is NOT a person. I get that still – I see no use for the word Hey. Merriam-Webster does tho – “used especially to call attention or to express interrogation, surprise, or exultation“)
And what the hell is Alexa? You have to buy some sort of gadget to access it? What do you use it for? And Why?
I realize I have overused the word And. I care only a little about that. Were I writing for something other than my own mental health I would have crafted this rant/tirade more carefully.
Also too – despite getting little sleep last night and being up at o’dark thirty for a grocery delivery, I managed to make it a bit of a spa day for me – facial, hair cut, eyebrow shaping etc. I’m tired but pretty.
Subject to Change Without Notice 
Your post got me out of having to blog a second time to eat this morning :). You sometimes do these accidental favors just by being yourself. It’s great.
Ha – I am the opposite, Grace, obsessed with AI matters. Alexa is great for setting timers and calling up any musical artist in the free world to enjoy. I share the sense of general disgust that teachers are expected to endure workplace violence now. A teacher on here did a great satire post about this. I wish I’d bookmarked it so I could share the link.
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Maybe I should dig that section out of the recycling and read it anyway…Nah, I don’t think so. I should ask our daughter how she feels about teacher burn-out. She teaches middle school social studies. She is always mentioning “the team” so I do wonder how schools and teachers are organized these days.
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I know nothing about Siri. Alexa I don’t get why someone would want everything in their home hooked up to it so that they can tell Alexa to do this or do that. I read somewhere that by using stuff like that you can actually put yourself at risk. It makes it too easy for someone else to access things in your home.
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I don’t get either one – I don’t need someone or thing to look something up for me. Melissa mentioned setting timers – what do people need timers for? I think people have become insanely lazy and supposedly the Alexa thing is always listening and people tell funny(?) stories about Alexa buying things without them knowing – say something like “We’re almost out of toilet paper” and Alexa buys some from Amazon for you whether you want it or not. That is just creepy! (I looked this up, all by myself LOL – https://www.techrepublic.com/article/apples-siri-the-smart-persons-guide. I still see no need.)
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I feel no need to read The Weed Report, my days of partaking the chronic are decades past. The future of AI positively terrifies me as no good will come from the singularity. None.
As for gun violence.. and especially school shootings … I’m hoarse. Thoughts and prayers be damned, let’s do something.
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I intend to remain totally ignorant about AI – all that is needed is one person to pull the plug out of the wall. The Weed report has lots of FAQ’s – it was a primer on what cannabis is and its many forms and uses. As well as the other practical stuff. I surfed it. Drugs of any sort, recreational or otherwise (ask my doctors LOL) was never a thing for me.
There will always be gun violence in the US for reasons I am not clear on – an entire country based on fear – someone should come up with a new motto for the USA – something involving xenophobia. Pry their guns out of their cold dead hands? I’d love to!
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Considering where I work, the concept of workplace violence is quite a hot button topic these days. Pizza delivery drivers murdered, workplace violence. Nurses assaulted by mental health patients, workplace violence. Never in my life did I ever imagine a time when teachers would face this. Yes there are troubled students that could assault an educator but rarely would they kill
Them or use a deadly weapon. This world is on fire as my new favorite Dolly song exclaims.
Love you dear Grace. And I know your plate and your days are full. You are doing a great job though very likely a thankless one. Know that you are loved.
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Nothing is going to be done about the gun problem until one of the-powers-that-be becomes a victim of it. No one needs an automatic weapon.
And yes, thankless – “not waving but drowning”
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