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1. https://celiafarber.substack.com/p/karen-kingston-reported-as-missing

2. Seventy four percent of lamb is imported into the Unitied States.

3. 1/4 of the way in, you discuss colleges, their tuition hikes and spending, and not aspiring to make their students outstanding for the global market. I graduated from North Carolina State in Raleigh (where John now lives) in the late ’70’s. I had a scholarship for chemical engineering. I worked in industry for 35 years, then got tired of the rat race, so began teaching Process Technology at my local community college / VoTech. Half my salary but twice as much fun. This program teaches students how to operate industrial plants, from pumps and motors and chemical reactions to electricity generation to discharge water purification to industrial automation. I wanted my students to succeed as I had done, yet I kept running into roadblocks and barriers that prevented me from teaching the full gamut of what was needed. Then the state ran out of money and let me, my dean, and my vice chancellor and 27 other instructors and staff go at the end of the school year. Then during the summer they found $4.3 million to “complete” the building I was in (finish the other half that was in the original plans 10 years before) which included a new auditorium, some classrooms, and 2 industrial labs which were filled with equipment from another campus they decided to close that had older buildings, but still in good condition.

4. In addition, I had spoken with students who had gone there a few years before, then came back to get a different 2 year degree. They told me that it used to be that it was hard to find a parking place in our 1000 spot lots. I was shocked. Students were parking in adjacent grassy fields and roadsides. 5 years later in 2015 / 16 / 17, the parking lots were less than half full, maybe 40% full. Reason? These older students, now in their late-20’s to early-40’s, said it was due to the tuition increases the state allowed the community colleges to make each year. Instead of volume, they went with an elitist view and slowly but surely priced themselves out of the market. On my last day, several of the students lamented to me about my leaving and several of their favorite teachers leaving, “Why do they always get rid of the good ones?”.

5. Furthermore (rant #3), after my 2 years at that one community college, I went to a nearby state (77 mile commute for me each way each day) and taught another 2 years in a similar program at one of their community colleges / vo-tech. This time I was also Program Director, which bumped up my salary to pay for my gas for my commute. This time I also had high school students that were bussed to our campus at noon for a 2 hour class. Then I had adults for evening classes and oversaw 2 adjunct (part time) instructors. I enjoyed the time with my co-workers, but my dean kept throwing roadblocks to me and to other instructors to limit our teaching. Endless committee meetings which limited class planning and set-up time. He would not enforce discipline for unruly students, which detracted from teaching. And the final straw was when he declined my request to spend $2000 for 19 small industrial valves of different types and sizes. I wanted my students to have hands-on experience in what they would find in industry. I had $8000 left in my budget. This was early Feb., yet he wanted to wait until May “in case something happened and needed the money”. But May starts Final Exams, so too late for these valves to be of use this semester. Also, he had previously spent $9000 on 24 laptops that I did NOT request, nor even knew about until the day they arrived. And I was Program Director. In name only, it appears. Yet I had only 12 students during the day and 9 at night. I had 5 desktop computers and 3 laptops already, so what was I going to do with an additional 24 laptops? I needed more industrial equipment, not more computers.

6. Thank you Catherine for pointing out Pres Trump gave 10 billion to pharma, for them to up load from China and do much harm. All run by the military. Yep voted for him twice, never again. James Corbett had it so right the Make America Great Jab, I will do all I can that Trump wears it and owns it. This year will be the first year I have ever voted in the Dem Primary. Yes the song touches a cord with people. So many realize our country is being destroyed and the rule of law…………well at min there is two standards. Rich get one and we little people get another. In 4 days the crowd already knew the song, wow. Thank you both for your hard work. Keep shining your lights, and I will shine mine as well. And never should any of us forget Trump destroyed 30 percent of small business……the heart of America. Dang is big Corp loving hide.

   1. Did he really have a choice? Isn’t his and family’s life at risk if not done what told? I don’t think anyone in the Presidential office has full control – or that’s what we are told. The question is – can the person elected – do more good in the position and less harm than under another person? Don’t you have to look at this on a relative basis given the special situation? What person in the U.S. – if elected – would/could have stood up to this situation? Is there anyone? Hmmmm.

      1. Did he really have a choice? Isn’t his and his family’s life at risk if not done what told? I don’t think anyone in the Presidential office has full control – or that’s what we are told. The question is – can the person elected – do more good in the position and less harm than under another person? Could things have been WORSE if someone else had been elected? Don’t you have to look at this on a relative basis (“all in value” – total of wins/losses for the net result) given the special situation the President operates within? The question is – What person in the U.S. – if elected – would/could have stood up to this event, changed or stopped it? Seems like it was long planned. Is there anyone? Hmmmm.

7. Oh got to tell you both, I met another Solari person at the farmers market I sell at last week. Cool stuff. We talked and as she said we have to connect with like minded people. Pretty cool.

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