The Chill

Every year, the day after Labor Day I get just a little depressed.  

I can't identify with those exasperated moms and dads who look forward to kids heading back to school, as if the day after Labor Day is the finish line to some insane marathon they've been running for two months.  No matter how crazy kids will get over the summer, I don't look forward to school starting up again.  

School starting means summer is over, but that doesn't mean I don't cling to it.  No, summer isn't truly over until The Chill comes.  You know, it's that first morning you step out of your house and think to yourself "maybe I should have worn a light jacket."  There's a chill and a crispness to the air outside, and it goes hand-in-hand with a faint scent in the air that I've come to detest over the years.

The Chill came this morning.  The Chill means I ought to stop wearing summer clothes.  The Chill means that even if I could break away from work and run to the beach, it's probably going to be too cold to enjoy.  Worst of all, The Chill means that even if I want to cling to summer, everybody else has dispensed with it. 

So everyone's excited about football, there's Halloween candy in the stores, and I'm sitting here in the office wearing shorts and flip flops.  Goodbye, summer. 

"Unfriend"

It started with the political dittoheads.  The unthinking morons who merely forward talking points without thinking were the first to go.   Unfriend.

While I was at it, I disassociated from the hucksters.  You know, the people trying to sell stuff from their living rooms.  The type of people who are always inviting you to parties where they demo products and try to sell you junk.   Unfriend.

That made it easier to go after the jetsetters.  You know, the people always trying to get attention by posting pictures of exotic places they're visiting, or checking in from a restaurant in some foreign country you'll never travel to.   No more hotels on tropical beaches, thirty-ton stone Buddhas or complaints about airport wifi.  Unfriend.

Then I went after a few more groups.  The stay-at-home moms complaining about their kids throwing up on them.  The annoying dads who post pictures of their crotchfruit as if anyone cared.  The schmucks who post thrice-daily spiritual affirmations in the form of frilly text over a picture of a sunset.  The amateur 'life coaches.'  The self-diagnosed Asperger's sufferers who can't catch a break.  The political activists who post inflammatory comments about human rights violations in dark corners of the world that no one cares about.  The people who post spoilers about TV shows you haven't seen yet.  The people who post glurge their crazy old aunt sends them.  Defriend, defriend, defriend. ..

Can't forget about the social game addicts looking for some sort of assistance with the next Candy Crush level or looking for something to bling out their virtual farm.  Or the people who talk about their jobs in specialized lingo only their colleagues understand.  The saccharine newlywed couples who post their wedding photos.  The people with low self-esteem who constantly fish for compliments.  The teens posting pictures of themselves trying to out-party one another.  The girls who duckface.  Defriend, defriend, defriend. ..

And who wants to stay connected to the perpetually clueless?  You know - the people who can't figure out the difference between the search bar and the status update bar and who comment in all caps? Or the vaguebookers who post non-specific references to Things Generally Going Wrong so that other people will drag the details of the problem out of them?    The people with First-World Problems?  The people a hop, skip and jump behind the conversation who re-post things everybody was talking about three days ago?  Unfriend, unfriend, unfriend...

We got rid of all the people who were annoying on Facebook, and suddenly, the social network world was a very boring place.  Pretty much just me and Fred.  We like the same things, but he only posts a couple times a month.  Man, Facebook sucks.

Full-day Kindergarten Back In

So it's back in.  Forgive my cynicism, but it's probably not wise to cancel enrollments at the private school until the budget passes. 

I'm glad we're not cutting academics to preserve sports.  But my concern over the horseshit we've had to endure along the way is completely unaddressed. 

Folks, I think we're seeing the Law of Unintended Consequences at work here.  I'm sure this tax cap process was well-intended, but it gives the board and the school district too much power to bluff their way through the budget process.  The dynamic has completely changed, and it's going to take some time for communities to fully grok what's real and what's mere posturing.   The consequences of failing to pass a budget are certainly greater in magnitude.

I don't like the process and I think it's having the exact opposite effect of what was intended. 

I'm not saying I'll vote "No," but...

My daughter is enrolled in private kindergarten.  Whether we actually put her there in September or go with a half-day program remains to be seen.​

What I'm exceptionally pissed at is hypocritical parents who ask me to vote yes on the budget at this point, claiming that a no vote "screws the kids."  That's easy to say, coming from a position where you just got everything you wanted including fully-funded sports teams.  I equate that to "We just screwed the kids.  Don't screw them further."​

On one hand, voting no puts us in a position to see programs cut to unhealthy levels.  It will be a big deal to the kids.​  Without a doubt it will impact them negatively.

On the other hand, I'm in a position where I've no longer got a dog in this hunt.  Perhaps voting no this time around will force the board and sports-focused parents to reassess their priorities and perhaps force the school district to unfuck itself for 2014-15 when my daughter goes into first grade.​

In that way, a "yes" vote now sets a dangerous precedent.  It says "we're okay with this new process painting parents into corners and we're okay with how the priorities have been set."  But I'm not.  A "yes" vote kicks the can down the road and makes it easier for us to prioritize sports above academics in future budget votes.  Whether that means putting kindergarten on the chopping block again in future budget votes while keeping the precious sports programs intact remains to be seen.  It certainly makes it easier with a precedent.​

So, here's where I am right now.  I'm not tolerating anyone telling me I'm selfish for voting my self-interest here.  At a minimum, the BOE and the football moms can shit bricks for a couple weeks while we fans of academics decide which way we're going to vote.  Shit bricks while we decide whether we should vote according to our interests or vote to pay twice for kindergarten while the kids run on the sports fields.  Shit bricks wondering whether your "stop being so selfish because you didn't get what you wanted" arguments are going to fly.  Shit bricks wondering whether we feel like we should continue to be held hostage like this.​

I have no dog in this hunt anymore.  Neither do many of the parents who my wife saw at private kindergarten registration, putting their deposits down for the fall.  Think about what that means.​  Then decide if you want to call our bluff or maybe re-think your priorities.