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Good morning everyone. It’s expected to reach high 70s to low 80s today in Central Texas, so I’ll be joining you all in shorts and a tee-shirt. Jealous?
Here are your links -
Education
Caving to steady pressure from parents and school administrators, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams granted a one-year “pause” on a rule that would count STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness) test scores as 15% of 9th and 10th graders overall grade. Lawmakers are expected to water down or eliminate the rule when they meet in January of next year. Any blow to standardized testing = win.
Esquire’s Charles P Pierce opines that education reform, and not immigration or social issues, is the next target of the GOP.
Ontario teachers’ unions are poised to walk out next week in protest of Bill 115, which gives the government the power to “impose wage agreements, cut the number of teachers’ sick days and block strikes or lockouts”. This has prompted Laurel Broten, a liberal politician and Education Minister for the Province, to blame union leadership. The Canadian Rahm Emanuel, anybody?
Activism
Peter Dreier at Huffington Post – 50 Young Progressive Activists Who Are Changing America. I didn’t make the list. He must not be familiar with my work.
There is mounting pressure on Universities, from their own students, to divest from fossil fuel companies. 350.org is organizing the campaign. 72% of Harvard students recently voted for their school to divest. The University essentially told them to shut up.
Gabriella Coleman, an anthropologist, spent 3 years living with hackers. Cool interview with her from Wired. (Yes, I believe that most hackers are activists. Hacktivists.)
Grab Bag
Former Microsoft Exec to Launch High-End Pot Business. Capitalism and legal pot! Let’s see how this works out.
For anyone who cares (or cares to troll him… *winky face*), the Pope is now on Twitter.
Everyone should listen to this, just because Muddy Waters was so damn cool.
See you in the comments!
106 Comments
Good morning firedogs!
Morning Kris.
Did you put that photo of the pope up there just to creep us out?
I’ve never twitted before, can I just pray to God, and then that prayer gets zapped to Rome?
Really, he’s just too scary.
Nazi-Pope is watching you 0_o
Nuh uh. I’ve got Ruth’s lampshade on my head.
It’s kind of quiet in here. Just me, you, Nazi Pope, and a lampshade.
Eerie…
I hope this doesn’t mean that people are actually reading my links. They’re not intended to be informative. They’re only there to make it look like I actually wrote about something.
So, you, me a Nazi Pope and a lampshade walk into a bar…
Bartender asks the Nazi Pope what he’s having….
(your turn)
Good morning pups.
Busy morning at chez Clausen.(more like three ring circus)
and the Pope asks “do you have any multi-billion dollar criminal enterprises?”
The bartender says “Nope.”
The Pope says “Nevermind, I’ve already got one!”.
Good morning JC. I just pushed the wife and the little one out the door to start their days. Just me and the big kiddo left. She gets to hang out for another half an hour before her bus comes.
Gah Morning, Jimmy.
So, you should take a load off. Come sit in my booth. I’ve got beef tamales for brekky.
The new pope looks evil, even when he’s trying not to. I’d use him as a villain in a Stephen King movie.
Pierce might be right about education reform being the next GOP target, they’ve already been eating at the edges with the charter schools, testing, and union attacks. The GOP can’t solve anything if it can’t be solved by tax cuts, deregulation, or union busting but they’ll see the latter two as solutions. Odd thing is that killing charters saves tax dollars, but they hate the teacher unions more than they hate taxes.
Telling university students to shut up rarely works and is usually counterproductive.
Microsoft Marijuana. The jokes that will come from that…
Boxturtle (They should have enclosed at least two doobies in every M$ software pack since Windows 3.0)
Wonderful, Kris. I’ll be your straight (wo)man any day.
Here’s a cute bear.
Yes, I’m reading your dang links. Don’t post ‘em if you don’t want ‘em read.
Boxturtle (You expect people to ignore a link to Microsoft Marijuana?)
You better watch out with that lampshade, demi. Jane may stop by and then you’d have to explain why you’re cavorting with a lampshade on your head at 5:00 a.m. LOL.
Good Morning All; I’ll have tacos instead. Thanks.
Anybody have more coffee?
I just tried for 2 minutes to think of something snarky to say to BT and I couldn’t come up with anything.
I’m going to go ride a fail whale into the Sea of Shame. See ya’ll in a bit.
She’s not partying early. She hasn’t been to bed yet!
Hey, BT. When I was out running errands yesterday, around noonish, I stopped at a pizza place I haven’t been to in a long time. I got talking to the owner, who’s Lebanese, and we got chatting about what’s going on in the ME. I wanted to hear his take. Anyway, a nice looking young man with a ponytail came in to get a sandwich and he joined the conversation. Really pleasant person and I learned that he’s a Special Ed teacher at the charter middle school in the neighborhood. After he left, I decided that today I would call the school and leave him a message asking him to call me. I’d like to interview him about charter schools and special ed. What do you think?
I’d give Jane a snarky look and say “It’s Over Easy” and had HER a lampshade.
Boxturtle (Something to match that blonde helmet of hers)
I got high just reading the microsoft marijuana link.
(Will she buy that?)
Ah, but it’s not blond anymore. She is now a redhead! But I suspect she’d be fine with the cavorting!
But, I don’t have any tacos. Do you? We could have a “pot”luck. :)
Not yet…we can call ‘em in. Want some?
I seem to remember reading, not sure where but I’ll look, that a number of universities HAVE divested in response to pressure. And yes, telling students to shut up is never a good idea at most universities (my entire career was spent in higher ed).
She’s not blond anymore. On Thanksgiving day, Jane wrote a lovely diary and showed a picture of her new red/auburn hair.
But, ya know, it might be fun to have a day designated as Lamp Shade on your head day.
I’m a sucker for redheads. I had a thing for Jane before, but now…
*faints*
If we can get al pastor, I’m in.
Yes, please. And, I prefer the salsa verde. Thank you.
Tended bar for Muddy at a private party/tribute just before he passed. Was a great show from a cool, cool cat. I was a lucky duck that night. Glad you enjoy him, too.
I’m pretty sure that makes you my new favorite person. That is too cool for school.
Mornin’ Kris!
Now that I’ve got the wife and kids out the door I’ll settle in the booth for awhile.
Beef tamales sound great.
Don’t say asswipe! Mom’s got the window open!
Here ya go, Kris.
Isn’t it illegal to be so smart and so cute at the same time?
Good morning Jane.
(Please ignore my infantile comments above. Kthanx.)
I’d love to hear him thoughts and opinions on that. Special Ed is, well, special and some charters have been systematically excluding such students. It also seems like Special Ed gets a bigger share of the budget cuts when the district runs out of money.
Boxturtle (I had a Lebanese pizza once that had grape leaves on it. I really liked it)
LOL. See comment #33.
Yeah. I got caught.
And if anyone can catch my obscure movie reference (in another comment upthread) I’ll give them 3 shiny gold internets.
And an animal lover. You’re going to make me swoon again.
They have disvested and recently. It IS working. Harvard will be a tough nut to crack, lots of connections to politicians and money there and money normally means heavy carbon supporter.
I’ll be happy if we can just get rid of the “independent” research that some of these for-profit science depts are producing.
Boxturtle (Thinks Corporations SHOULD give to education, but with no Quid Pro Quo)
Just Googled:
and got a lot of links to news items about student pressure to divest. Didn’t find the article I was looking for, though. I was reading McKibben’s 350 site the other day, maybe it was there.
I’m definitely going to call him. A write up of the conversation would make a great diary, I think.
And, I’ll invite him the the Lake too.
Be still my heart. Always had a weakness for smart redheads.
Boxturtle (hoping the wife is not reading FDL today)
And I’ll bring the food (you’ll be sorry) since you made me the cook….or waitress. Wonder what he likes?
Being a redhead, I have a thing for lampshades.
I would be interested, too. My daughter is a “specials” teacher at an elementary school. “Specials” not in the sense of special ed, but she teaches technology, and there are “specials” in music and art. These days schools have to get creative about providing the enriching education we all used to take for granted. SIGH.
She also gives help to special needs kids in reading, I think. She knows every child in the school.
That would make for a wonderful diary. Go for it!
Yeah, suggest to him that he introduces himself with a “day in the life of a Special Ed teacher” diary.
Boxturtle (Today, I spent the entire day curled up in a corner twitching…)
Will do. But, first I have to find him. Shouldn’t be too difficult. It’d be great to get another Younger voice here. Variety, Spice and all that.
Ha. When I explain my son’s Asphergers to people, I say instead of staying the corner curled up, he moves around the room, but brings the corner with him.
Sorry folks. Had to get Lexi-face on the bus. What’d I miss?
Late to the party as usual. Thanks for the postnhost Kris. Look busy everybody the boss is around.
That’s actually a good way of explaining it. I may steal that.
Boxturtle (Tries to set aside one day a month to curl up and twitch)
Just saw this morning that Asphergers will be reclassified as part of Austism Spectrum and removed from the mental illness listings.
Good morning.
I was wondering where you were.
On that note, where did everybody go? And no Ruth this morning?
That was deliberate extremely dark, lamp-shade humor and not just an off-the-cuff comment? I never know, but it was scary.
Good Morning people, very nice diary Kris. I am trying to determine which of my teens school board members voted for Walker, and then get the info out to parents who do care about public over voucher schools.
Hmmmm, do you have a link? I’d love to read that. I thought Asphergers was always on The Spectrum. That’s how the James and his friends self define.
Good morning nonq.
Give that school board member hell. They have no place on the board of a public school if their preferences lie in under-cutting and defunding that same school.
I thought Aspergers has always been on the spectrum. But I think ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) are in the DSM-IV, too, as a mental disorder. I was reading about them in my daughter-in-law’s copy.
DIL is Exec Director of the Indiana Autism Society.
Yes, Microsoft will be placing small replaceable vials of extracted cannabis oils in each new devices that when slowly released onto a special pan on a hot motherboard, vaporizes to keep users (whole new connection with that word) glued to their sites longer.
It was deliberate. Nazi Pope is scary.
Genius.
Does that mean Microsoft will start charging Apple prices for their devices?
Let’s all take a moment to imagine Bill Gates singing “I’m Your Pusher Man”.
(and demi)
Just heard that in passing on the
NoJoMorning JOkE this morning. Hard to tell what was being said because every time Mike opens her mouth the asshole talks over her.NPR story from 2010.
Asperger’s Officially Placed inside Autism Spectrum
Bill Gates is regularly characterized as having Asperger’s, but of course he isn’t saying.
They’ll have to get me to one of their sites first. Bing is a virus and I’ve got that entire system in my hosts file since so many websites seem to promote it.
I’d be happy if they just set their smoker to run while I’m doing the required updates.
Boxturtle (though overdose might be a risk, there)
UW (Wisconsin) is being pressured also. Recent daily news, no link.
Leave it to Morning Joke to be 3 years behind! LOL.
The Steve Miller Band
Lol. My wife’s laptop took 15 hours to do the last round of Windows updates. I think that would get my whole neighborhood high.
Maurice was my nickname in high school.
Two of them voted Republican but don’t even see the connection. Tough nut to crack, for sure.
That’s the truth. And, sometimes I love the eyerolls and glares she gives him.
Thanks, Molly.
Woo Woo. :)
Meeting with a small group of environmentalists over very local ground water issues in a bit, Thanks Kris, for sure. Signing off for now.
Good Day everyone.
Assuming they’re actually qualified to be school board members, you should be able to put together a reading packet that would correct them.
If you have the anti-science, anti-sex education, stealth members there’s really nothing you can do. Those types already know everything.
Boxturtle (That’s a voter education problem)
Thanks for all your activism, nonny.
Alright, anyone who is still here –
Making my grocery list for the week. Need dinner ideas. Suggestions?
(Finished checking my mail)
I went to school with two of them 40 some years ago, qualifications here amount to 20 signatures on a petition, submitted by a certain date. There is no one deliberately subverting things as far as I can tell, and there are other ways to apply influence to overcome, how shall I state it most politely, rank cluelessness.
Bye-bye.
Grilled cheese sandwiches?
Oh – if anyone recalls the Orange Santa program I linked to a couple of weeks ago…
We got our tee-shirts last night for the distribution event this coming Saturday.
They’re Orange, of course, and have a picture of the Hutto Hippo on the front, with the caption “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.”
My new favorite shirt.
Oooh, the kids will love that.
How much fun.
Thank you so much, Kris, for this excellent thread.
I’m taking off now to get some stuff done. See you all later.
And, soup!
Have a great one demi! Thanks for being here.
Great conversation this morning.
Have a great day. LOL on “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas”.
Spaghetti with salad and garlic bread?
I typically do a pasta dish every week. Last week was lasagna. This week I’m doing chicken parmesan that I usually serve with pasta on the side.
Al Pastor tacos. (HEB has ready made/ heat & serve that is mild and very good)
One box rice a roni.
One bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese
One can mushroom soup.
Chicken breasts or chicken strips or any other form of cut up chicken.
In a crock pot:
add rice aroni and water per directions. Stir. Add cheese in a single layer. Carefully pour mushroom soup on top, you’d rather it sit on top of the cheese though notall of it will cooperate. Place chicken on top. Set to low and ignore for 3-4 hours. Stir before serving.
This is probably a recipe from either the rice box, the mushroom soup label, or Cheap Eats.
Boxturtle (VERY popular here and it takes longer to type the recipe than to prepare)
Guess I’m out too, for now. Gotta get moving on today’s to-do list.
Great thread this morning, Kris. Interesting links, nice chatting! I will look in later to see if anyone else shows up.
I’m going to share that one with my daughter! She’d probably substitute cream of chicken soup, since they don’t care for mushrooms. Not that you can find mushrooms in a can of Campbell’s. But I think they’d like that and she’s always looking for crock pot ideas.
Basic crock pot recipe:
1) Empty fridge into crockpot. Add water to cover.
2) Ignore 3-4 hours.
Boxturtle (All crockpot recipes seem to be variations on the above)
ROTFLMAO! Thanks for he recipe. It’s a keeper!
Thanks, Kris, no time like the present to come along, is there. Sorry, got too much piled on all at once today.
Hi Ruth. We missed you this morning, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. We’re with you.
We have wi-fi Kris, speaking truth to power.
Education ALEC meets a real teacher.
Sorry to be away, folks. Doing a required training module for work.
And that’s done. Phew.
Awesome video nonq. A brave and righteous teacher.
ALEC is disgusting, undermining the democratic process for purely profit-driven motives.
From a blog my wife often reads, Single Dad Laughing –
Anything Other than Straight.
Yeah, I cried. Wanna make somethin’ of it?
No. Especially knowing you have bullets in your drawer. :)
You’re a good, no, Great person, You!
Also, kudos for the best Over Easy title yet. Truly inspirational. I’ve just awoken awakened got up from a great nap, but I have some writing to do now. Yeah, I do.