Long Time, No Blog

Guess I've just been at a loss for something to say -- hey, it happens -- but I'm overdue for a blog. We'll go with some quick hits:

1. New Jersey's hand-free law was elevated to a primary offense yesterday, March 1. I don't know about you, but I see a lot of people talking on cell phones on the roads, most of them in enormous gas-guzzling SUVs with no one but the driver in the vehicle, who is attempting -- poorly -- to execute a left turn. Interestingly, text messaging behind the wheel is now a primary offense as well. I, myself, am guilty of this. Most of the time I'm recording memos on my BlackBerry at a traffic light. There goes that.

2. Speaking of tickets, New Jersey is now in the midst of a so-called ticket "blitz." Beginning last week, police have been issued quotas, speed limits in some areas have been reduced and fines have been more than doubled.
Thankfully, I do not take the New Jersey Parkway to work. Obey those posted speed limits out there as cops have even been told not to issue warnings.

3. Moving away from the cars and cell phones, did you hear about the middle school in Readington Township where 29 eighth graders were given two days detention for having paid for their lunches entirely in pennies because they felt they had too little time to eat?
While I can appreciate the protest, seems they never made their feelings about the shortened lunch known before the prank, which resulted in frustrated lunch ladies -- you don't EVER want to be on their bad side -- and several students not getting to eat Thurs., Feb. 29.
According to school administrators, this was the first they'd heard of the students being unhappy about the lunch period. As a teacher with a cafeteria duty this year and many times in the past over my six-year career, I have to side with the administration here. I think it was disrespectful, first off, for students to overwhelm the lunch staff in such a way. It's not their fault the lunch period got trimmed. Secondly, how short-sighted were these students to do this and deny classmates and friends the opportunity to eat that day? And they confessed to having coordinated the whole thing over their cell phones (sorry, couldn't get away from that topic).
Well, until next time, keep your hands where we can see them.