Popularity points

I just want to say that I wish schools would get out of the Valentine's business.

Not High Schools, or Jr Highs, where the students decide what they want to do (or not), but elementary schools.

You know, the class where the kids exchange valentine cards.

Take fourth grade. We spent a day making elaborately decorated bags to hold our valentines. As an art project it was kind of fun, and kind of annoying because you couldn't just decorate your paper bag any old way; it had to have hearts and such nonsense.

Then it was up to the parents to furnish the kids with valentines to distribute. Which for me meant the least expensive box that would cover the whole class. How much I would have liked to pick just a few nice ones for the friends I really wanted to give to, to set them apart from the crowd.

So on the morning of the 14th you went to school with your valentines in their envelopes, neatly addressed. You attached your decorated bag to your desk. And the chaos of distribution began.

Of course, it wasn't every child putting a little card in every other child's bag. We fell into two classes of distributors: those whose parents made us give each and every classmate a valentine, regardless of whether we loathed each other. And those who were free to give fabulous valentines to a select few, and nothing to the rest.

Naturally there were two classes of recipients: the popular, whose bags were stuffed full of the offerings of their friends and their would-be friends. And the unpopular, whose bags contained just the forced and hollow cards from the kids of give-to-all parents.

There is no child on earth who does not already know which category he or she belongs to. There is no need to go through this exercise to remind us. I actually saw Becky K sort her valentines and keep only the ones from her clique, tossing the rest in the trash.

I don't think it's better to say that every child must give to every other - the whole point of giving is lost. Or that it they should be completely free to choose who to give to - just think of the poor souls who end up with none. I think the whole contest should be abolished.

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Dead batteries

It's interesting how some people think something is common knowledge, and then many many others have never even heard of the issue. My bit for getting the word out:
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Batteries are toxic waste (because of their heavy metal content).
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As I haven't lived in the States for a while, I'm not sure what the rules there are, but in France, any store that sells batteries is obliged to take the used ones back. And while it might be the case that accumulated waste batteries still go into trash instead of their heavy metal components being recovered, at least they go into the 'toxic trash' stream, where disposal regulations are stricter (one hopes!)
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For information and a disposal guide, click here.
When I lived in LA, Vons stores had a bin for them at the front. Most major grocery chains do; you just have to look.
It's the little things we do every day that can make this world a better (or worse) place!
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Friday Photo Shoot Out: Circles

I don't have many photos for you today, sorry.
These are fortuitous images from my recent trip to Strasbourg.

Today's theme was chosen by Kerry. Kerry’s post at Ed and Reub has some rings in the header photo that remind me exactly of diving rings from learning to swim. OK, except for being linked.
These weighted, colored, rings were diabolical instruments of torture. The swim instructor would throw them into the deep end, and you had to go get them. And you had to get them faster than your neighbor. And you had to keep trying for the really deep one, with the whole class wishing you’d get on with it already.

I hate diving. No matter what, I get sinuses full of water. I get sinuses full of water just doing flip turns. Also, I don’t swim very fast. I could swim all day, just not fast. So the diving ring thing was right up there in the top three of why I didn’t like swim lessons. Just thought I'd share!

Anyway, for the rest of the Shootout, click here. Have a good weekend!

Thursday zebras

Views of Strasbourg

Scaffolding! Another for my collection.

Sunday morning brought new snow after Saturday's rain washed it all away. At 9 am not much of anyone was out. The botanical garden was closed due to the weather.
Why? The plants are still there.

Not many people were biking around town, either.

This statue seemed quite pleased with the snow.

This other one rather less so.

Some architectural details.
This sort of thing really lends a good look to a city.

These gulls were waiting for something.

This young swan reminds me of Natalie,

seeing an intruder in her territory and giving a good nip.

The passing beaver did escape to the safety of the bank.
There was snow on Thursday, too, and school trips went on as usual.
A few inches of the fluffy stuff didn't seem to bother anyone.

More stories tomorrow!

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