Depressing ... Just Depressing

From yahoo finance:


Here's a list of top-paying jobs requiring little schooling, and their median annual earnings as of 2006, using the latest data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Keep in mind that these jobs have their own challenges and often require some type of specialized schooling - sometimes on-the-job training.

1. Air Traffic Controllers: $117,200
2. Industrial Production Managers: $77,670
3. First-Line Police and Detective Supervisors: $69,300
4. Funeral Director: $49,620
5. Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers: $47,460
6. Advertising Sales Agents: $42,750
7. Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents: $39,760
8. Occupational Therapist Assistants: $42,060
9. Occupational Therapist Aides: $25,000
10. Physical Therapist Assistants: $41,360

So, I'm depressed on two counts:

1. It's taken me 4 years of college to get a degree, a year-and-a-half to take classes to become certified, 2 more years to achieve my Master's, and 14 years to get all kinds of academic experience--and NOW, just now, I get to have a 5 as the first number of my salary.
2. In my classroom daily, my entire profession is built around preaching to my teenage students the essential nature of a good education in today's financial environment--and this article comes out saying that one doesn't need all that silly ole schooling to make a decent living in the good ole U.S. of A.

I need people to stop telling me what a "noble profession" teaching is; I think I'd rather have the money.

I Need a New Halloween Sign at My Front Door

Here's what it'll say:

IF you are ...

• not even wearing a friggin' costume, GO AWAY!
• older than 12, get a life and then GO AWAY!
• from an entirely different neighborhood, get back in your damn car and GO AWAY!
• not even planning on saying "Thank you," get your hand out of my candy and GO AWAY!
• planning on "tricking" me later, seriously ... GO AWAY!

Backasswards in America

From msn.com


Spain bans new 'Saw' movie

WENN -- Spanish film officials have banned the latest gruesome "Saw" movie from cinemas by giving it the same rating as explicit porn films.

The new picture, the sixth in the "Saw" franchise, revives the hunt for gory serial killer Jigsaw and features scenes of graphic violence as the body count rises.

The gruesome scenes have disturbed bosses at the Spanish Culture Ministry's Film Institute, who have made the unprecedented move of handing the film an "X" rating. The classification means the picture will miss out on a nationwide release - as there are only eight theatres in the country which are licenced to show "pornographic" material.



I've tackled this issue before; however, I just wanted to thank Spain for being bold enough to say "NO!" to this gruesome American cinematic garbage that somehow we in America are okey-dokey with labeling as "R" while giving "Showgirls," another type of cinematic garbage, an "NC-17."

Let's be serious. What's more damaging to an individual's psyche: seeing full-frontal Elizabeth Berkley cootch shots several times or watching numerous realistically portrayed grotesque modes of torture? Which one of those--if given the either-or choice--would I rather my child or teenager not see? Which one should be rated as ethically "less child-oriented"?

We in America are sooooooooo scared of sexuality while somehow remaining rather accepting of violence.

How backwards is that?

Thank You, Catholic Church!

from yahoo.com:



Vatican seeks to lure disaffected Anglicans

By NICOLE WINFIELD, VATICAN CITY – The Vatican announced Tuesday it was making it easier for Anglicans to convert to Roman Catholicism — a surprise move designed to entice traditionalists opposed to women priests, openly gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions.

The decision, reached in secret by a small cadre of Vatican officials, was sure to add to the problems of the 77-million-strong Anglican Communion as it seeks to deal with deep doctrinal divisions that threaten a permanent schism among its faithful.

The change means conservative Anglicans from around the world will be able to join the Catholic Church while retaining aspects of their Anglican liturgy and identity, including married priests. Until now, disaffected Anglicans had joined the church primarily on a case by case basis.


Finally, finally, and again I say to you--FINALLY!

I have recently been looking for ways to feel spiritually superior while still...

• retaining my spiteful homophobia,
• encouraging the spread of HIV and unwanted children because of my antiquated view on contraception,
• helping sweep rampant pedophilia under the rug,
• defying all known biological possibilities with my beliefs in 2 virgin births,
• ignoring obvious idolatry with the worship of saints,
• sweeping all of my weekly sins away with a quick confession to a man in a box.

And now I can get there faster!

Woohoo!

The Political Correctness Movement Is Now Taking Halloween Hostage

I thought this was pretty funny and creative, as far as Halloween costumes go:


Description:
He didn't just cross a border, he crossed a galaxy!
He's got his green card, but it's from another planet! Sure to get some laughs, the Illegal Alien Adult Costume includes an orange prison-style jumpsuit with "Illegal Alien" printed on the front, an alien mask and a "green card".





But when I tried to find it on Target's website, this is what I got:



PAGE NOT FOUND
There is no Target.com page matching your request.
It's possible that you typed the address incorrectly, or that the page no longer exists.

Why? Here's the reason (according to cnn.com):

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Immigrant rights activists are calling on U.S. retailers to stop selling two controversial "Illegal Alien" costumes that have surfaced for Halloween, saying the outfits are a broadside attack on illegal immigrants.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said it began receiving e-mails from concerned legal immigrants on Friday. In response, CHIRLA wrote a letter asking several retailers, including Target, Walgreens, and Amazon.com, to stop offering the costume.

As of Saturday afternoon, Target had pulled the products, and some links to the costumes on other sites were no longer functional.

Target said the "Illegal Alien" costume was inadvertently uploaded to its Web site due to a data entry error.

"It is never our intent to offend the consumers with the products we offer," a company statement said.

"Offend"???? Are you serious? Whom, exactly, are we concerned with offending?

• Legal Mexican immigrants? No. They're here "legally," so they can obviously recite the Pledge of Allegiance and tell me the capital of Iowa, so they're good.
• Galactic aliens? No. They don't have the correct WiFi connections to see this on the Internet.
• Prisoners who have to wear orange jumpsuits? No. They're too concerned with memorizing the correct dance steps for the next West-Side-Story-esque gang war to surf the Internet for pretty costumes.

So, it must be illegal immigrants that are here ... (wait for it!) ... ILLEGALLY! They're not citizens; therefore, let us remember, they have no Constitutional rights, no legal voice or standing, no reason to be using our money for purchases of goods at Target, and obviously no sense of freakin' humor! (It's supposed to be funny, for El Dios sake!)

I'm ordering 20.