Only seventy years ago, the World Book Encyclopedia read like this:

North Carolina was one of the pioneer states of the South in the systematic care of defective and dependent classes. A state board of charities controls charitable and correctional institutions. In 1925 the control of the state prison department was given to a board of seven directors appointed by the governor and the senate. The institutions include hospitals for the insane at Morganton, Raleigh, and Goldsboro (colored); and institution for the feeble-minded at Kinston; a tuberculosis sanitarium at Sanitarium; the state prison at Raleigh; a colored orphanage at Oxford; Stonewall Jackson Training School for white boys at Concord; a home and industrial school for girls; and Morrison Training School for Negro Boys.

The terminology used and the assumption that tuberculosis, insanity, and crime were all pretty much the same problem seem terrifically offensive to most people today, but this was no doubt the height of cultural sensitivity at the time. Do you think currently-fashonable PC jargon will hold up any better over the next seven decades? Will people find ridiculous acronyms like “GLBTQ” or unweildy and imprecise terms like “communites of color” any more acceptable? I have my doubts…

I do rather like the idea of being able to say “feeble-minded” in an academic setting, though….

One of my pet peeves: when people use the terms “chain” and “franchise” interchangeably. Of course, it’s a mistake usually made by squishy granolas who are complaining about what a social evil these type of businesses are. This is what makes it even much more annoying, because franchise businesses can actually encourage local entrepreneurial spirit…

For the record: Wal-Mart, Borders, Best Buy, Safeway, and the like are NOT franchises. These stores are 100% owned and operated by their respective parent companies, making them chain stores. As a rule, non-restaurant retail establishments tend to be chain stores rather than franchises, although there are exceptions…

Franchises, on the other hand, are owned by someone other than a parent company (often a local operator), but operate using that company’s brand name and image through a licensing agreement. Franchising is common to the restaurant industry, particularly in fast food, but a few retail stores and service businesses are also franchises: Hallmark card stores, IGA supermarkets, and Sir Speedy printing, for example. Franchises offer varying degrees of local control, and the agreement may be little more restrictive than requiring the use of a name. In some cases, the local entrepreneur’s name may even precede the “brand name” (e.g. “Bubba’s IGA” or “Lurleen’s Hallmark”)…

Now that I’ve made that clarification, I can safely return to my job search, message boards, and “In the Heat of the Night” reruns…

In the shopping center near my house, across from the Wal-Mart Supercenter and next to the Dollar Tree, there is something called a Family Christian Store. Every time I drive by, I have to stifle my urge to walk in and ask what kind of Christians they have on sale today. Maybe something dependable AND economical, perhaps?

What I’d really like is a nice cute, young Mormon boy. They’re so shiny and fresh and healthy-looking , after all. Just like non-organic produce…

I’d also need to find out about their return policy, I suppose, because I’m almost sure I’d end up bringing him back after trying him out one or twice. Especially if he made the mistake of trying to start up a conversation. I understand that a restocking fee would probably apply, and I’m comfortable with that…

Happy birthday to the best Mom in the world…