Times have changed, Amber. For my first regularly employer-paid summer job, I became a union member when still under 16.

Street talk in Ferguson says Dorian Johnson used Michael Brown as muscle in numerous strong-arm heists, but Johnson's testimony was that he was shocked that Michael stole the cigars. He admitted that Brown gave him the box of cigars before grabbing another handful of loose cigars and man-handling the storekeeper who tried to stop him from leaving without paying. Johnson claims Brown laughed about the theft as they walked away, seeing a number of police cars arrive soon. Ofc. Wilson received two alerts describing the suspect and called in for backup as he passed Michael Brown who fit the precise description and held a handful of the named cigars as he strode down the center of the street. Seems he was "caught dirty" and decided to fight his way out of this just as he did leaving the store. Read the Grand Jury report... it's all there, with all objective physical evidence matching the story of Officer Wilson and the majority of the witnesses. A few "witnesses" admitted they just repeated rumors and others admitted they lied or disremembered. There was no credible evidence to justify a trial. FBI has copies of everything and will reconfirm and restudy it all, too. Wonder if the "protesters" will call them, AG Holder and Pres. Obama racist bigots if they also determine that it was an unfortunate but righteous shooting? No way they will prosecute, either, because it would backfire so badly that race relations would be reversed back another 100 years more than the 50 year reversal we just experienced from the fanatical demagogues with personal ego agendas. County Prosecutor McCullough had it right when he pleaded for the demonstrators to continue to press for needed reforms in general despite the lack of justification for their protests in this particular case. A shoplifter who assaults two people within a half hour and then deliberately chooses suicide by cop is not the best candidate for retroactive sanctification. Reformers should continue to protest racial bias, but they should pick a better example for their cause! Find a real injustice against a model citizen, next time, please, lest the valid message again is lost amid lies and distortions.

Bad things used to happen to “rate-busters” paid under piecework plans back in The Day. What kind of message was sent to those who collected bonuses here, I wonder?

Wonder if teachers whose students improved in the second and third years changed their behaviors in response to hostility from the teachers who did NOT earn bonuses? When a fairly consistent improvement suddenly ceases, something changed. Besides, as I observed in my article on merit pay for teachers (http://www.compensationcafe.com/2010/08/the-merits-of-merit-pay-for-teachers.html), there are a LOT of variables in play. "Teaching the test" is only one technique for learning and pay for student test results rewards those who get the best test-takers, not necessarily the "best" teachers.

Which word? I rarely constrain myself to merely one, to the despair of my readers/listeners. "All rewards don't jingle?" "It's rude to brag about cash?" What was the context or the implication?