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Topic starter
03/09/2023 2:06 pm
Stopping at a McDonald's "drive-thru" for a cup of coffee after church this morning, I'm afraid our youth and our world are doomed. Ordering as I always do, a large coffee, it comes to a $1.71 with tax.
When I pulled up to the pay window, I handed the young man a dollar, three quarters and a penny. He took it from me and said, "thank you", while starting to close the window. I blurted out, "I get a nickel change, please". I wish I'd gotten a photo of his face, as he literally was frozen. Then he replied, "Huh?". I repeated, "I get a nickel change". Then he closed the window.
Well I wasn't going to move on, as now this became both comical and tragic. After about 10 seconds, I saw another employee join this kid at the register for another 10 seconds or so, and then the window opened up, and I was handed a nickel.
Upon driving forward, I muttered to myself, "OMG, our world is doomed". This was a most basic math situation, and this kid was as lost as he could be in a forest without a map. Why do our kids go to school? They can't do basic math, they no longer learn to write (cursive), and most are only able to read at a 3rd grade level. What happened to the "Three R's", that all of us were once told we go to school for? I considered going back to church to pray.
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota
Steve Jacobs reacted
03/09/2023 2:14 pm
All that cipherin' stuff isn't important any more George, those calculations can be done by computer; same as spell check. Deciding your choice of sexual orientation for the following year, selecting which bathroom you want to use today and knowing your rights in elementary school is far more important. God help them/us!
Steve Jacobs reacted
03/09/2023 3:25 pm
It’s a movement…it’s called the “dumbing down of America” & it’s a blazing success…we now have an entire generation of I.D.I.O.T.S. who can’t think themselves out of a wet paper bag…and don’t ask any of them to think critically because that’s a lost art!
Zeeky Banutski
The People’s Republic of Maryland
Steve Jacobs reacted
03/09/2023 3:34 pm
@terryslekar Time for us to step up collectively and demand that school boards be replaced/reined in and that the so-called enlightened academics stay out of our children's lives. I am stunned that it has gotten this far...it's an absolute disgrace IMHO. Perhaps this is the beginning of the emergence of private schools as a more viable choice. My daughter has two children and she has no intention of sending them to public school as she is disgusted as well. If I was my choice would be a faith based school.
TerrySlekar and Steve Jacobs reacted
Topic starter
03/09/2023 3:48 pm
All that cipherin' stuff isn't important any more George, those calculations can be done by computer; same as spell check. Deciding your choice of sexual orientation for the following year, selecting which bathroom you want to use today and knowing your rights in elementary school is far more important. God help them/us!
What's even sadder Jack, as you hit on the answer and still the kid couldn't figure out that I had a nickel coming. The math is done by the computer in front of him. Price of coffee: $1.71. Amount received: $1.76. Change: .5 cents. And still, he had no clue! And yes, what schools are allowing today, is NOT what they should be going there for. As I said in my heading, "The World is Doomed".
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota
Steve Jacobs reacted
03/09/2023 3:51 pm
@georgeschire Our only mental salvation is our models, car conversation, a little humor and The Forum. Long live The Diecast Zone!
john barry and Charles Rockett reacted
Topic starter
03/09/2023 3:54 pm
@terryslekar Time for us to step up collectively and demand that school boards be replaced/reined in and that the so-called enlightened academics stay out of our children's lives. I am stunned that it has gotten this far...it's an absolute disgrace IMHO. Perhaps this is the beginning of the emergence of private schools as a more viable choice. My daughter has two children and she has no intention of sending them to public school as she is disgusted as well. If I was her my choice would be a faith based school.
I'm with you Terry. A faith based school would be a good choice. But again sadly, our elected populace has forbidden "God" to be included in anything today. My oldest daughter is a Kindergarten teacher, and the diversity in her classroom and the issues she has to deal with, are nutty to say the least.
She's having to accept in her class that there are kids that "choose to be referred to by a pronoun (i.e. they/them) and yes, their parents support it. Tell me this isn't horrific that it's come to this? And the most tragic of all is that, when we as sensible and moral people try to dismiss this crazy movement, we are admonished for it and told that we need to accept it.
I'm glad I'm 72 years old and the road in front of me is short.
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota
Brush reacted
03/09/2023 4:19 pm
@georgeschire I am just so appreciative to have been born when I was. I fear greatly for my children and grandchildren.
Brush reacted
Topic starter
03/09/2023 4:22 pm
@georgeschire I am just so appreciative to have been born when I was. I fear greatly for my children and grandchildren.
AMEN to that Jack. The old saying, "The world is going to hell in a handbasket" is no longer pliable. WE HAVE WENT TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET!
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota
03/09/2023 4:31 pm
Going out on a limb here, guys. I wonder if teaching kids that the world is 7 thousand years old will improve their mathematics?
David Green reacted
03/09/2023 4:37 pm
@georgeschire I have found that by leaving a city of about 400,000 and moving to a community of 16,000 in central Alberta I have been able to distance myself from almost all of the daily dysfunction, negative behavior and relative street issues that used to anger/stress me daily. I now realize clearly just how burned out I was and frustrated with the continuing decline I witnessed; especially after having policed there for 27 years. I was much more depressed than I realized....and believe me that is not my nature. I have lived in my new town for two years and have not experienced ONE situation that has angered me or caused me distress....no kidding. I mention all of this simply to suggest that it might be very healthy for you to consider such a move. Before my move if someone had told me how trouble free life here would be I would not have believed it was possible. My wife and I are totally happy with our choice and are not about to leave. It was a huge move for me because I had been born and raised in the city I left behind, but of course the city I grew up in no longer exists....it's gone forever and been replaced by a relative mess with no resolution in sight. Good riddance!
David Green reacted
03/09/2023 4:39 pm
Going out on a limb here, guys. I wonder if teaching kids that the world is 7 thousand years old will improve their mathematics?
I guess it might if they had a calculator app on their phone to figure it out.
03/09/2023 4:47 pm
@jack-dodds I suspect you've hit on the root cause of George's missing nickel. Had the complex calculation been done on the smartphone, I reckon there would have been enough engagement to at least see the maths did not add-up - or added-up to too much! The company's till clearly is what was disengaging George's coffee assistant 😃 . I would suggest the problem is not understanding he's there to work, rather than being able to work/add-up.
Jack Dodds reacted
Topic starter
03/09/2023 5:35 pm
I just shake my head. Seriously, in my 53 years since I graduated from high school, I've never seen our society in worse shape. And sadly, everything points to it getting even worse. I'll say it again, "I'm glad the road in front of me is short".
George Schire
Oakdale, Minnesota
Jack Dodds reacted
03/09/2023 5:59 pm
Give the bugger some credit, at least he showed up for work today. ✌️
Frank Reed
Chesapeake, VA
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