*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* Is this thing on....

Enter Rant Mode (apologies to Brighton and Tsarina) I went today to finish getting my little Nate ready for school. I whipped out his handy dandy supply list. $3 for his assignment book for the 1st semester. (Hrrmmmm) Two composition books (black and white and sewn at the seams) Wide-ruled loose leaf notebook paper (to go in the...) Two-inch, three-ring binder with subject dividers Pencils, pencil sharpener, and pencil pouch (can’t reuse that old pencil box from last year!) Erasable blue or black pens Highlighter (what for? He’s 9!) Crayons (got a shitload of those) Set of fat water-based markers (Why? I just got him crayons) Set of colored pencils (Why? I just bought him crayons and fat markers) Four folders (with pockets and 3 hole bindings) - but I just bought him a three ring binder... Four single subject spiral notebooks (but I just bought him a three ring binder WITH dividers AND notebook paper!) A dictionary for home to do homework - (dictionary.com... okay, okay, I actually do have a real dictionary and one for him as well) A backpack or book bag (DUH! How the hell is he supposed to carry all of this shit?) AND a box of sandwich-sized Ziploc baggies (She got generic) So. All this shit. And in two days I’ll receive a note asking me to please remit my $3. By the end of the week, they’ll send a note home telling me how Nate wants to sharpen every pencil he owns. And by the end of the 2nd week, I’ll have a flyer (or two) for fundraisers. By the end of the month the PTA or PTO or LSIC or whatever the fuck they are, will want me to give them money to vote for stuff. And the teachers are already in an uproar because the Gov-nah has said, “No new raises for state employees right now... special legislative session, yada yada,” so they’ll want us to vote for a levy and then my property taxes will go up. By the end of the 2nd month, I’ll get THE NOTE stating that Nate doesn’t do this and Nate doesn’t do that, which has been documented since Kindergarten that he’s ADHD and documented since last year that he has a writing disability and they are supposed to make allowances for that but basically and the just of the matter is... I need to teach him at home. NOW, WHERE THE FUCK IS ALL OF MY TAX MONEY GOING? WHERE IS ALL OF THE FUCKING LOTTERY MONEY GOING? THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT EDUCATION? WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT! And then, they’ll nickle and dime me to death over the Math-A-Thon, the Jump-A-Thon, the Walk-A-Thon, help pay for a school bus, $2 here, $3 there... Jebus H. Christ peeps, gimme a break!! Where are our PARTNERS IN EDUCATION?? Now you want my boxtops and soup labels??? You dumbasses!! I can’t afford to buy name brand shit now, you already took my money for everything else and I’M STILL THE ONE EDUCATING MY CHILD!! I NEED A DRINK!!! End of rant Pray for our friends and family in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. I’ve been trying to get through to my cousin, who just had gastric bypass surgery on Wednesday, to no avail. Looks like Seven has hit the dirty and dusty (soon to be flooded) trail northward and we wish you good luck.