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Everyone would like to be seen as competent and successful.  When I was young many more jobs abounded, all available to me were of the waiter, dishwasher, delivery-boy sort; these jobs today are neither as available nor desirable.   In addition, our children are told incessantly and continually that the only path to success is through college. College is much less subsidized than ever before, and truth be known, lead to much fewer decent jobs in chosen fields than ever before.

Children who are loved at home can have a decent place to live with freedom to explore the outside world with a comfortable place to retreat to at the "end of the day."  Imagine, if you will, not having to struggle with a poorly paying job to supplement student loans and being to rest between periods of intense study: pretty good huh? The least a middle class family (a vanishing group I am told) can do is to provide a launching pad for their progeny, while still exposing them to love and advice when necessary.

In sociology class I was told that continuing in education was a means by which society can remove  people from the job market during a time of reduced available jobs. As long as one can account for one's occupation over this time (not in prison or fully addicted to drugs), then it makes little difference to society as a whole. Having unstressed citizens working toward careers of choice instead of struggling with poverty and loneliness, I believe, is a good way to grow up, be it at home or away, coming or going. These people you speak of are, after all,  our family and our children.

Staying at home, by the way, is not an issue in places as far flung as Ireland,  Puerto Rico, Singapore, and so on and on (these being places known to my personal experience).  Where are we going in such a hurry anyhow.  To be stuck in endless traffic jams getting to inappropriate occupations, living with stress and regret, or pursuing a life of choice in a focused and purposeful way.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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Inspectors could be teachers in cases like this, explaining why some practices, like wearing plastic gloves in food prep., or like one other said handing out the ingredients to customers, ice from the local supermarket loaded with a scoop, etc.  A child might welcome the attention, especially if done in a friendly manner, i.e. while buying a glass of of whatever.  Surely this is a common enough situation where temporary (FREE!) permits could be handed out to a children's lemonade stand after the observation that sanitary conditions were being met.

A cute little comic book would be a plus, if such a thing exists.  Like, lighten up already!

posted 2 years, 10 months ago
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I haven't heard the charge against Aaron Campbell besides the fact that he was distraught.  Was he waving a gun around (which I suspect), or screaming obscenities, or what?  From the little I've heard and read I do not see any reason that would lead someone to shoot him (my wife says he was shot in the back).  My experience(s) with the police is that they easily overreact to just about any situation requiring control of people.   When I meet them away from those situations my experience is that they are "nice guys".  I think they must be in over their heads, with too much responsibility to make rational decisions, when they choose force to control people, especially mentally disturbed people. 

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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I have been in Portland when only one car per cycle could get through an intersection due to the traffic jam, therefore the next car in line would jump into the intersection to get through at all.  I think that traffic engineering is usually very poor forcing drivers to non-intuitive stategies to move with traffic.

My wife is disabled and in a wheelchair.  I will never slam on my brakes if there is no reason to because of the way it throws her around.  The yellow light is way too short in most places to allow us older folks to have a graceful stop.

posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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I'm struck that drug crimes are often crimes without a victim.  The prisons are full of people who at best shouldn't be be criminals at all. If they are driven to violent crime it is to obtain drugs.  I think that we could even close prisons if we legalized drugs, or at least decriminalize them (at least cannabis).  

Legalized drugs would create a tax bonanza.  We should treat drug addiction as a public health problem.  The police would not be so demonized, prisons would no longer need to be built, which, after all, this is all about.  We could move down from the top of the list of nations that incarcerate their citizens.  That's not all bad!  Mexico would thank us, too. 

posted 4 years ago
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