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- Oops: Forgot to hit the "publish" button 30 minutes ago.
- I posted a picture of Jamie Lee Curtis the other day and now her famous dad, Tony Curtis, has died.
- There was a Texas Monthly article a couple of years ago (or more) recalling the famous University of Texas shooter of 1966. I wonder if it is online? That is one fascinating story (and the Dallas Morning News has a brief article about it today.)
- Does any magazine sell more advertising than Texas Monthly?
- I kind of scoffed when I heard a Driving With License Invalid/Suspended was being tried the other day in Wise County. Then I learned he was convicted and given 30 days in jail. What the heck?
- And a DWI case is supposed to be tried today. I'll stick my head in on it like I always do.
- There's a murder case set to go to trial next week in Decatur. I think it's the one that was the subject of this editorial entitled "Justice Delayed."
- Before 6:00 a.m. yesterday I was standing in my yard over a dog repeating the phrase, "go tee-tee-potty." And I was wearing a robe.
- Is this naval ship real?
- I tagged along on a parent-teacher conference yesterday. The only question I asked was, "Is she behaving like she is supposed to?" Thankfully, the answer was yes.
- Elementary schools are sensory overload.
- Unemployment claims fell sharply according to the news release this morning. And it seems like more and more companies are turning quarterly profits. I'm telling you, if this economy turns around Obama will win re-election with ease.
- It seems like every time I turn on a news show there's a reference to a new documentary called "Waiting For Superman". Something about improving public schools. I love documentaries.
- I've heard of "walk off home run" but I've never heard of a "walk off strike out" that the Rangers won with yesterday.
- I told the second grader "It's October!" this morning. I suspect I'm going to be seriously corrected by her when I get home.
47 comments:
There's a rumor that Whitman had a tumor.
The only way Obammy will be re-elected is if he gets Congress to pass a budget which they punted on yesterday, keep in place Bush's tax cuts, which they punted on yesterday, repeal Obammy care which will never happen, end the war in Iraq which he promised to do, ease restrictions and burdens on all aspects of American business that would put 20 million people back to work which he will never do. Other than that, he's a shoe in.
The unemployment numbers are for NEW claims for ONE week! Only 453,000 new claims, down 16,000 from what the analysts had predicted. And you are saying the economy is turning around?
The ship is real. It is the USS Independance and was commissioned last fall. It is a littoral combat ship designed to operate in shallow waters with a modular cargo/mission suite.
Photoshopped Arse
Yes the War Ship is real, I saw it on modern marvels or one of those shows like that.
That navel ship is BADASS!
How did that summer of recovery work out for us?
I'm no baseball guru, but I don't think it's possible to win a game on a strikeout, technically speaking (even though lots of media outlets are referring to it that way). It would be more accurate to say that the Rangers won on a wild throw. A walk-off error, I guess you would call it.
It's kind of rare, but consider that the Rangers have won games this season by a walk-off HBP, and I think a wild pitch, too. Throw in the usual walk-off homers and singles, and they probably have the record for different ways to win this year. Not necessarliy the number of times, but the methods used to win
"..."go tee-tee-potty." And I was wearing a robe"
I keep thinking that the dog was thinking about the "Wanna get away?" ads. Even for a Yorkie, that's embarrassing. C'mon, Green...man up!
How about this: get in the dog's face and scream at it like you're a pro rassler challenging it to a steel cage death match.
a)You'll scare the teetee out of it, or
b)it'll laugh so hard it'll potty on itself.
Either way, mission accomplished
Triple Fake Dog (non)Whisperer
"It seems like every time I turn on a news show there's a reference to a new documentary called "Waiting For Superman". Something about improving public schools. I love documentaries."
That is about as much a "documentay" as it would be if Rush Limbaugh did a film on the merits of the Democratic Party. It is a piece put together by proponents of charter schools, i.e. private schools who can accept or deny admission based on any criteria they choose yet want to use tax dollars to support the charter school. They cherry picked the success stories in charter schools and ignored the fact that the huge majority of charter schools are worse than the worse public schools. Not much of a story here, just more of the same slanted "facts" that permeate the majority of the media outlets in this day and time.
Love the new Navy combat vessel. Amazing turn radius. And how did that girl in the Bama top slip into the picture sequence? Are you seeing if we are paying attention?
My Other Brother Darryl
Doing a "documentay" on the merits of the Democratic Party would be the shortest documentay in the history of ever. It would start with the opening credits and then say "The End".
Every new statistic on the economy is always a "surprise," less or more "than anticipated," or some other descriptor that shows how inaccurate professional economic forecasters are. They always seem good at explaining what happened after the fact. If hundreds or thousands of professional economists can't project accurately, what makes a politician, whose primary focus is to sell his favors for money, believe he can anticipate the effects of anything he does?
the Waiting For Superman docu is being pushed heavily by Oprah--gag, so no thank you.
RE the Navy ship: BAD A**!!!
That ship is real...costly. Those who constantly carp about government spending seem to overlook the vast sums spent on the military. Of course we need forces and equipment capable of protecting us and our national interests. But do you realize even a destroyer now costs about 3 BILLION $$$? Our Navy costs as much as the next 17 navies in the world - and 15 of those are our allies. Geeeeze! Outside of Medicare, Medicaid and SS, the military is the ripest target for reduced government spending. BTW - I am a veteran.
The navy ship is the USS Obama, looks great, sounds real nice, changes direction sharply, but has no real purpose.
Goober: Waiting for Superman is about the disparity in public schools and how to combat the achievement gap. While the solutions that it offers might push towards charter schools, I believe that you would have a hard time arguing against its premise that public schools are a failing institution, and failing students. In the end whatever "slant" this movie makes towards education reform, it will at least do the justice of jump starting a conversation about needed educational reform in this country.
Please keep the goobers of the world going to public schools...someone needs to paint my house and wash my car.
Yes, the Navy Ship is real. USS Independence, LCS-2.
Though, all the "Roll Tide" comments in the website linked are kinda funny. It was built in Mobile,AL by Austal, USA. Its an Australian company that made its name making highspeed aluminum yachts and ferrys in Asia.
The US is the only country on the planet with free MANDATORY public education past childhood. Anyone who thinks schools are failing is welcome to take a stab at it if they think they can do a better job. Unfortunately privatization of public schools is by and large a massive failure, and only a handful of charter schools have any kind of measurable success. Public education in this country is actually pretty successful given the odds stacked against schools and teachers.
Ah-Hahahahahaha
11:35 AM
The navy ship is the USS Obama, looks great, sounds real nice, changes direction sharply, but has no real purpose.
That one is worth a repeat!
There have been a couple of comments here about the failure or low quality of charter schools. Is there evidence to support that position? The Wikipedia page on charter schools cites several studies, with conclusions and opinions all over the place. And is a charter school really "privatization?" And does your condemnation also include private schools?
I agree that mandatory public education brings down averages. Unfortunately, many of the "feel good" courses that become well-known support the impression that public schools have turned away from their primary (some say "sole") goal of educating students and more toward feeding self esteem and/or indoctrination. (Food for thought: What exactly is the purpose of an education? Better job? Better citizen? Better conversationalist?)
We saw the Navy Littoral Combat Ship when we crossed over the bridge to Del Coronado from San Diego during our recent Golden 50 anniversary trip to California/Alaska! (We would rather cruise on the Oasis again or the new Allure!)!
What happen to her ass? Bee sting that thing 100,000,000 times!
11:35,
LOVE IT!! that's Great!
12:17 Our MANDATORY education is free? So does that mean we can all stop paying school taxes? I guess it is free if someone else is paying for it.
I just can't seem to get excited about all this.
why the f are we building new naval ships. we are 12 T in debt.
hopefully when the tea party takes over theyll cut this sort of government waste out.
we can handle a little terrorism from time to time if itll save us a couple trillion here and there.
How would you like to be a Somolian pirate on a rubber raft and see this bad boy coming after you?
The ship you all are bitching about was developed under the dare I say "The Bush Administration". It started in July 2003.
Nice shelf to set your beer on
I'm going on "Stakeout" by your house just to get a birds eye view of you in your robe. I'm lookin and hopin you'll flash me :)
Here's my problem with Waiting for Superman and the gov't that keeps saying had friggin BEHIND we are in educating our kids. WHERE'S THAT PROOF??? I'm not swallowing that bs without concrete proof because I happen to know that statistics can and will be altered to make anything "look" how you want it to look. America needs to stop gulping down this nonsense without making these so called education bashers prove up!
Half of the U. S. population is below averabe in intelligence. Your opinion of Glen Beck place you above or below that line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ0mdxXw8Ac
All of you Obama haters are stupid. We are in this mess b/c of Bush and his 2 wars and his f@##% tax cuts. I got my $300 but really, who did that help. Bush is an IDIOT! I just don't understand.
Re: education: All of you people who are calling Obama a socialist, I'm sure your kids are attending the public school system (which is socialism-free for all, paid for by a few {homeowners}.
Meanwhile, the cover of the NYP features another gay kid who killed himself because he was bullied. That's the fifth one this week. I expect your regular readers will cheer that fact.
Goober--
Get your facts straight. Waiting for Superman is about several charter schools who consistently have far better results than the public schools in those featured neighborhoods. No one is denying that many charters are bad, but there are several brands that are consistently outstanding--Yes Prep Schools in Houston, KIPP Nationwide, and several others. They charge zero tuition. They are better schools because their teachers are more qualified and better educated, their parents are required to sign contracts, and they have longer school days and years until they catch up to their peers in wealthier neighborhoods. Waiting for Superman is about how those schools use a LOTTERY (nothing to do with intelligence or merit, btw, they literally use the same technique that someone uses when calling BINGO numbers) to decide which students get to go to those outstanding schools. You have no idea what you're talking about.
7:19:
Statistics can be altered to reflect different meanings, no doubt about it. However, there's simply no way to spin those statistics into saying that America is where we should be. We have a disadvantage because we educate ALL children for so many years, whereas other countries do not. But our public education system is not cutting it, regardless. It's not that kids are stupider here by nature, but the system is completely broken. We don't see that in Wise County so much, because our districts are smaller and more manageable. We are removed from the catastrophe of inner city schools here, we don't suffer from the same gang violence and drug problems, so most people have no idea how bad it really is. Watch Waiting for Superman.
1243 - I try not to characterize other peoples' comments as stupid, but yours made the cut.
1123 - Really? Bush, still? Did Bush force Obama to cheat legal bondholders and shareholders so he could pay off unions with the federal government's takeover of Chrysler? Did Bush cause Obama and Congressional Democrats to lie about healthcare legislation costs, coverage, and benefits? Did Bush elect the Democrats who controlled Congress (and federal government spending) the last two years of his presidency?
You earned the same exception I made for 1243.
"They are better schools because their teachers are more qualified and better educated,"
REALLY?? That is again BS!! I've worked in several public schools along with some highly qualified and fabulous teachers. 8:43, you're drinking the cool aid!
If there are problems with "some" schools then the media needs to target those schools and stop stereotyping educators! I am sick to death of hearing how we are failing our kids! "WE" are NOT failing our kids. "Some" may be, but now "WE!"
I've been in education for over 34 years and I have seen the very best in students. Yes, I will agree that not ALL students who graduate are top notch in academics, but most are! They go on to live prouctive and successful lives. EDUCATION is not in the horrible condition our media claims. I am not sure what exactly is behind all this recent hoopla, but I can tell you money has something to do with it!
114 - Perhaps basis for the claims that education is in bad shape is the fact that teaching is one of the few professions in which there is no performance standard. The one metric that might logically be used -- educated graduates -- teachers object to. Teachers also object to letting parents choose which school to let their children attend -- another, more "customer based," metric. Finally, although we hear variations of "we can't solve the problem by throwing money at it," teachers unions seem to constantly demand more funding as the only solution. Options such as charter schools and vouchers are attacked, as in this thread
Although I respect and admire teaching as a profession, and many teachers who I know personally, there is something wrong with the system. Teachers seem unwilling to offer solutions, and they oppose any proposals that offer hope for a solution.
114 - Perhaps basis for the claims that education is in bad shape is the fact that teaching is one of the few professions in which there is no performance standard. The one metric that might logically be used -- educated graduates -- teachers object to. Teachers also object to letting parents choose which school to let their children attend -- another, more "customer based," metric. Finally, although we hear variations of "we can't solve the problem by throwing money at it," teachers unions seem to constantly demand more funding as the only solution. Options such as charter schools and vouchers are attacked, as in this thread
Although I respect and admire teaching as a profession, and many teachers who I know personally, there is something wrong with the system. Teachers seem unwilling to offer solutions, and they oppose any proposals that offer hope for a solution.
1:14 - I am sure that you have a great education and work hard every day for your kids. I don't doubt it one bit! I grew up in Wise County public schools (graduated in
02) and believe that most of the teachers were well trained and hard working. I went to college decently well prepared. I also taught in a really crappy part of Houston ISD that couldn't score decent teachers like Wise County can, even though they pay ridiculously well. Most teachers aren't willing to go into that environment, and who can blame them? It's incredibly hard work, and you're faced with overworked principals and parents who are working several jobs and don't have the time or resources to support their kids educations.
I don't recall hearing the media being so hard on teachers, so I'm not sure where that's coming from. I don't hear a lot of negativity about school workers, just school SYSTEMS that are failing kids. And anyway, I wasn't talking about media as a whole, simply this one documentary that focuses exclusively on inner-city schools and the POSSIBLE alternative of certain excellent charter schools. Those inner city schools really need charters, because big city districts in places like Newark, NJ (for one example) can't get their act together. Charter schools aren't meant for places like Wise County or most rural areas, where the local gov't is able to maintain great schools.
It's not that I'm drinking the koolaid, I'm just pretty familiar with the state of urban education and some POSSIBLE alternatives. I'm well aware that there are excellent public schools and also craptastic charters. I think maybe teachers (and I've been one, so I think I have a right to say this) can be so defensive because you care a lot about your work, and sometimes being defensive means that you never consider problems around you. And I mean, these problems aren't really relevant to Wise County, so maybe that's why people put on their earmuffs and say "Everything's fine, everything's fine!" when it's not.
2:22...A better solution might be vocational education for the kids not willing or able to perform to certain standards. They system, excluding teachers unions, may not be as broke as you think. I would think teaching the unteachable would be a miserable job so why not remove the "unteachable" rather than trashing the whole system. Using New Jersey as an example may not be valid...they are not even allowed to pump their own gas. Even the stupidest Texan can pump gas!
9:46
And yet, you just made my point. Congratulations.
142 - I would be absolutely delighted for you to explain to the world a) your "point," and/or b) how I made it for you.
7:51
By illustrating once again the level of respectful discourse (or lack thereof) that often exists on this blog among the comments. The number of times I have read n**ger or f*g here is staggering. It isn't "stupid" to point this out. It would be "stupid" not to.
332 - Wait, are you the one who claims that readers would celebrate someone else's death, or the one who blamed Bush for Obama's problems?
When you read the pejoratives that you mentioned, do you believe they represent the feelings a majority of people who read this blog? Or do you consider the possibility that there are only a few (possibly even one?) users of that language. or that such comments are planted to create the impression that readers of the blog harbor such feelings?
And how in the world do you believe that I made your point?
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