The inbox of a parent of a student in Texas.

School started on Jan 5'th. We've had 15 days of school and 13 days of Covid notifications.

Against Texas Education Agency policy, our ISD mandates masks. It doesn't matter much as no one enforces it. My daughter told me one teacher explained she just "couldn't wear a mask," and that none of her friends did at school, they kept them pulled down to their chin.

This is one of the more progressive ISDs in Texas. Don't believe me? Those notifications I get are also against TEA policy. Sure, they notify us, but there's no actual contact tracing. It's just a broadcast alert. Better than nothing, but ... not by much.

These are just the students - it doesn't include teachers, bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers, aides, counselors, and all the rest.

Folks around me complain that their schools are closing, some are down to 3 days a week max - no healthy teachers - or can't provide bus service - no healthy drivers - and when I point out that it's their lack of vaccines and masks, the unnecessary holiday parties and so on, they're astounded or enraged.

"You believe Fauci's lies? Do your research!"
"Vaccines CAUSE covid and mostly vaccinated people are dying!"
- other things it's not important to include-

Some kids get it, but it's not enough. No one is going to listen to them anyway, the teachers and staff that care are already covering 3-6 classes for the folks that are out, they don't have time to advocate.

I live just a few miles from 3 massive (100-200 bed) hospitals, and that's just those I could walk to if necessary. There's loads more in the Austin area. Yet if the hospital system was a patient, it'd be on life support and the family would be making arrangements at the funeral parlor.

Here's why. 56.95% after two years of this shit.

It's not that they're idiots - oh, they are that. But it's gone past that to the point where it's malicious. Ken Paxton, the Texas AG is suing RRISD for the mask mandate. These folks cheer when they hear proposals like this, because they think they're really sticking it to democrats. They don't give a thought to their kids or their own health, if they feel they're making others suffer.

You'd be impressed with how proud they are of their wilful ignorance on social media like Nextdoor.

Cat Tax; my idiot cat Div biting his own tail and then looking around to find what just bit him.

He actually showed up on Halloween a few years ago, following a group of girls. They left, he just stood there for a minute and walked in. Kept him. Big mistake.

He's big into eating foam, so he's cost about 10k in vet surgeries I couldn't afford at the time.