Incidentals

I knew if I committed to write something I'd run out of things to say.  But I thought it would happen later rather than sooner. So here's a short list of incidents that have occurred and seem odd.

First, a judge issued a bench warrant for  a Cal State Northridge math professor who failed to appear in court for urinating on a colleague's office door. Really? Is that against the law?  Is it a felony or a misdemeanor?  What about if your dog does it?  Is that an accident or a crime?   The two professors had a difference of opinion on something,  and the one was caught on a security camera weeing on the door.  Needless to say this guy doesn't watch enough TV or he'd know to look out for cameras.

In department stores when your dog has an accident you have to pay for the merchandise.  Shouldn't the offending and offensive prof just have to say sorry and buy a new door?  Seems like a waste of court time to me. (And for those of you who don't see dogs in stores...Newport Beach matrons often take their afghan hounds, spaniels, or great danes to Bloomingdale's to shop)

Second, a "star" of the Jackass movies had a few too many, drove his Porsche 100 mph over a lane divider, down a ravine, and into a tree.  He was toast, literally. Killed by his own kind of prank. Not too bright.  Seems kinda like a divine "intervention".

Then there's Edge aka David Evans who wants to build 5 mansions on his ridge in the Santa Monica mountains.  The Coastal Commission calls it one of the worst plans for development it's ever seen.  Mr. Evans of U2 fame wants to slice the top off the ridge, destroying animal habitats, and cutting into the mountain to build a road.  He tried to pull the wool over the Commission's eyes by putting the properties into the names of relatives to make it look like several people want to build there.  The Commission wasn't fooled and turned down him and his relatives.

In an interesting twist, the Nature Conservancy stepped down from their opposition to the building after David Evans gave them $1million and some land for public use.  I guess everyone has their price.

In other news a court has ruled that an autistic 7 year old can take his service dog to school.  The dog calms and corrals the boy who is prone to screaming and running away.  The judge in the case ruled that the boy could take the dog to school so he could "better enjoy" the benefits of the dog and to build a better relationship with the dog.  The mother was happy that her son would be able to bond better with the dog now that he could take it to school. Yes, that's right, that's what she said.  Boy, dog, bond. "Learn" was not mentioned by either judge or mom.

OK, I guess I'm unclear on the purpose of school.  I thought there were standards to be taught, skills to be learned, but I guess I'm wrong.  Yeah, yeah, I hear all you bleeding hearts out there, I know the poor kid has problems but let's look at the other side of the coin.  Many, many teachers and students have asthma or allergies to dogs. Lots of children are terrified of dogs. And a dog really is a huge distraction in the classroom. So what about the rights of those teachers and students to not only "enjoy" good health but to be provided a safe learning environment?  And lest I forget, who cleans up after said dog? Moreover, just what is the school's liability if a student injures the dog or vice versa?  The can of worms opened here is large.  If this child is so severely disabled that he needs a dog to corral him then maybe he needs special placement at a special school where running away is not possible.

As you might be able to tell, the end of the school year is not conducive to sympathy, empathy, or any other warm fuzzy feeling.  I know I don't have any. Happy June.