I don’t know where Jackson County, MO is exactly, (I was going to look it up, but I didn’t want its ruralness, or lack thereof to cloud my perception), but their Spelling Bee ended today after more than 90 rounds and a two-week delay due to the “word givers” running out of words.  The showdown was between a fifth grade girl and a seventh grade boy.  The fifth grader ultimately stumbled on “stifling” and the seventh grader swooped in to win with “definition”.  I hope this gives some of you pause.  I actually shouted, “Holy crap!  Definition?  No wonder most of the world is kicking our educational butts.”