I’m happy I could help. My sympathies for having to make up later in life an education you were rightly owed. I’m from the south myself and know more than a few people who experienced the same. Fortunately it’s never to late to learn and what better time than an election year?

If you’re interested Scott Abernathy’s “American Government: Stories of a Nation” is a great and comprehensive overview of the structure and function of the US government. It provides a fairly balanced view and a narrative style that is easier to digest than more textbook-like sources.

Our country is indeed in trouble and while I won’t say fixing it will be easy, I urge you not to give in to doomerism. Stay informed, be critical, and most of all, find some way to get involved, if you can, at the local level.

The SC judges are supposed to be non-partisan. The idea was that life terms would insulate them from partisan pressures. This has never really been the case. As far back as 1857, the Dred Scott decision was largely viewed as influenced by partisan politics. You can look to the tensions between Roosevelt and the court for more stark evidence of the political nature of the Supreme Court.

Changing this would require a constitutional amendment, which seems unlikely in the near future given the present state of affairs.

I’ve spent 20 years in various kitchens, pizza included, and in my experience while kitchen work is very tiring it’s not very good exercise. In a well designed kitchen you will mostly be moving back and forth in a small, maybe 5 square foot, area bending over, squatting down, standing back up, and reaching a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it is very active work, but it’s not likely to make you much stronger or improve your cardiovascular health or conditioning much.

There’s something else to consider as well. Relative to the misery, kitchen work pays very, very poorly. As a result kitchens are largely populated by those either unable or unwilling to find better paying and less demanding jobs or by those who are deeply passionate about the work. Neither of these types make terribly good workmates to a casual interloper and it would be wise to keep in mind that those around you are living out a tough life. One they mat find deeply rewarding, but tough nonetheless.

There are, however, as many types of kitchens as there are types of people, so you may find a place that fits with what you want to get out of it, it just might be a longer than average search. Good luck, though.