#377 Punishing the Messenger is Stupid

Pic Of Sleeping Sub Nets Student Suspension

The story: Substitute teacher falls asleep in class, student uses cellphone to snap a picture to show to administrators who promptly bust student for violating school policy against use of cellphones during school. Punish the messenger and, more or less, disregard the message.

Rather than thank the student for bringing to their attention a grossly negligent substitute teacher, the administrators at the Oklahoma school punish the messenger because he broke a school policy of not using telecommunications devices during the school day.

So, if he'd used a digital camera without a cellular connection to take the photo, then taken that camera to the computer lab at the school or home to download it and then email it to the administrators, then everything would be hunky dorey? I doubt it. Seems like these administrators were embarrassed by this teacher's dereliction of duty and sought to diminish the messenger to avoid the message.

The school officials refused to comment on what sort of disciplinary action might befall the sleepy teacher but they were all too happy to discuss the student getting suspended for breaking their stupid rule.

What if the kid had used his cell phone to record a violent crime being committed? Would they still suspend him? Zero-tolerance policies are almost always used in places where people are too friggin' stupid to be able to think for themselves.

I feel bad for people who live in Oklahoma, there's a good reason it's firmly on my fly-over list. I'm sure there are good people in Oklahoma and probably nice things to do but if a state institution is being run by ignorant bureaucratic jackasses then I'd just as soon not visit or contribute my money to their stupidity. And that's money I have a choice over, did you know that most of these backwards ass stupid states take waaay more in Federal aid than they give back? Yeah. And then they have Tea Party rallies to decry entitlements. Dumbasses.

 Rule #377 is Punishing the Messenger is Stupid

#316 Remember Who The Rescue is For

Raft guide arrested after helping stranded rafter on Clear Creek because he obstructed the official rescue operations even though he was the one who called in the emergency.

This story smacks of a cop or cops with ego issues feeling like their moment to shine was stolen from them so they are behaving like petulant children. The rescue isn't about getting your picture in the paper, its about saving someone who's life is actually in real danger.

Getting into a pissing match about who is in charge totally overlooks the basic fact that a rescue's absolute first priority is, uhh, rescuing the endangered person(s).

I hope the charges against the river guide are dropped and that he is commended for acting to save the stranded rafter. Also that the Clear Creek sheriff's deputies get a stern talking to about the reason they do their job (hint, it ain't about getting your picture in the paper).

File this one under Egotistical Obstructions.

Rule #316 is Remember Who The Rescue is For

#273 Private Information is Private for a Reason

Enter Your Password

City officials in Bozeman, Montana, seemed to think that city employees should have nothing to hide. On employment applications, they demanded that prospective employees list their user names and passwords to "personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc." After local media reported the demands, the city backed down.

I'd have loved to have been in the meeting where they decided that this was acceptable to try and require.

That and I'd love to have one of those applications to fill out just to point at it and laugh my ass off.

There is, simply no possible rationalization for a prospective employee to be required to supply private access information to online sites.

Rule #273 is Private Information is Private for a Reason