I’m writing for tomorrow and feeling a bit groggy after wrapping myself around a generous portion of chili beef, rice and veggies casserole, topped with melted cheese. I got some bad news last night. The group controlling the prison Activities area on Tuesday maxed out their guest list, so I was bumped from my CoDA. Once I have my volunteer card, that will no longer happen. Please don’t expect much tomorrow. I have a Urologist appointment. I’m not sick. I have to go in to fill the cup and get an exam, because he changed my meds in February. The process will kill half the day.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:52 (average 4:53). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: In this delightful satirical look at a corporate PSA, some energy executives tell us what they are REALLY thinking. YAY!
Just FYI, this uses language that is not safe for work. Also, as I mentioned in the first sentence, this is actually satire, not a real company. Real companies would just keep pretending none of this is true.
So in case you didn’t see the other sentences, I’d like to make clear that this is satire. Also, satire warning.
Dang!! Australia has imported Republicans!! 🙁
From Daily Kos: Dana Perino on Fox News’ The Five:
Without getting into the infinite list of times that Faux Noise, the Republican Reichsministry of Propaganda, has done exactly what they are accusing Obama of doing, calling him a jerk is just the only argument they can make, because he’s right. Perhaps they might like some cheese with their whine.
From NY Times: The health care law may be Republicans’ favorite weapon against Democrats this year, but there is another issue roiling their party and shaping the establishment-versus-grass-roots divide ahead of the 2016 presidential primaries: the Common Core.
A once little-known set of national educational standards introduced in 44 states and the District of Columbia with the overwhelming support of Republican governors, the Common Core has incited intense resistance on the right and prompted some in the party to reverse field and join colleagues who believe it will lead to a federal takeover of schools.
Conservatives denounce it as “Obamacore,” in what has become a surefire applause line for potential presidential hopefuls.
Without Common Core, children in Republican controlled states will get to learn Dinosaur Riding 101, Racism 102, Homophobia 103, Misogyny 104, TEAbuggery 105, and little more.
Cartoon:
16 Responses to “Open Thread–4/21/2014”
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3:53 Not quick like a bunny for me.
3:44 I think TC is loves chasing the bunny.
4:42 – Puzzle
Upworthy ~ Truth in advertising. Too bad it's satire.
Daily Kos ~ Pass the cheese, please.
NY Times ~ Here in NY, some people, a lot of teachers included, are protesting against Common Core standard Testing. They say it puts too much pressure on students. Pressure to learn? I don't understand it. We had standardized tests in the 1950s and 60s. I never had a nervous breakdown because of tests. You don't always like them, are sometimes unr=prepared for them, but they are neccessary in education to determine what areas need to be adressed for impovement. That is my humble opinion.
Cartoon ~ Happy Birthday Rome.
Time – 3:20 Hoppy Easter
Good satire always always cuts close to the bone. Very well done, and no doubt exactly the message many corporations are sending out to all of us, just with a slightly different vocabulary.
We are creeping towards total privatization of public schools, just as with prisons this will happen by eroding the current system so that people will believe the only answer is to privatize. Once that is complete, people will find that like the many functions of government public education will collapse under a private system.
If the US wants good schools and better education, get the government and politicians out and allow the educators to do their jobs.
Rome had a darned good run, but ultimately collapsed under the weight of the 1%.
Thanks again. TC
Well, looks like we survived what has historically been “The Worst Week in American History”. Here’s just a few of the tragedies that have occurred in America’s past during the week of April 14-20 that I just learned about:
Lincoln Assassinated
Titanic Sinks
Boston Marathon Bombings
Virginia Tech Massacre
Bay of Pigs
1906 San Francisco Earthquake
Oklahoma City Domestic Terrorism Bombing
Columbine HS Shootings
BP Deepwater Oil Spill
http://sploid.gizmodo.com/is-this-week-april-14th-to-20th-the-worst-week-in-ame-1563677695/+caseychan
5:00
Upworthy – Aw, I knew it was satire. In the real world, they wouldn't tie their thoughts up in all those pretty rationalizations. They'd just cut to the chase. And not one of them would have the imagination to see that they might one day want to switch sides.
Daily Kos – Ah, but he is black. Black boys are suppsed to take whuppings in silence. If he were white we wouldn'y hear this double standard crap, or at least not so obviously. Say – one group is sending logo'ed robes to SCROTUS and another is sending aluminum cans to the Federal Reserve to protest banks dealing directly in commodities – could we get up a movement to send Fox some cheese? Like the Limburger Lona (Care2) has? Lots of it?
New York Times – This is an old, old argument. I've read comments on it written in the 1930's, and we have essentially the same two positions today. The truth is somewhere, of course. Certainly some testing is necessary for the benefit of the teachers so they know what is working, if nothing else. But I personally have a deep distrust of standardized tests for cultural reasons. I also went to school in the 50's and 60's, and I never had a standardized test that affected either my grades or the reputation of the school. Yes, I took a standardized test in 8th grade, but it was for admission to the National Merit Society, so I doubt it was even requird. I also took the PSATs while a junior in high school – that was a courtesy offering on the part of the school to help kids who wanted to go to college know what to expect when they took the real SATs, which were NOT administered by the schools but by the ETS which designed them. I didn't know then but I do now that all those tests were extremely culturally biased. But the problem is that it pretty well passes the wit of humans to produce standardized tests that are NOT culturally biased. Please read carefully what Charlene V on Care2 has to say on this: "Common Core – Our grand daughter's teache'r told me it's really insanity at its best. Someone dressed in fancy suits selling a "new" way for kids to learn how to multiply and think. Really? Teachers having to teach kids to test is a waste of time. Danielle's teacher had to spend untold hours reteaching the 4th grade class the "new" way to multiply when they all knew how to multiply already. Little squares all over the classroom floor, adding 10's, 100's, etc. when if you give them a problem they simply did it without all the little pieces and time wasted. My impression thus far is that Common Core is simply a new way to confuse kids who already know how to think." It appears to me that standardized testing can be and often is another weapon in the crusade to privatize public schools which misstexaskitty describes so well.
Cartoon – Yup. And if you are ever reading about early Rome and come across an A.U.C. date, that (753 BC) is the U.C. (urbe condita, or date of the founding of the city) that the date is A. (ab = from)
This is interesting reading about Common Core. And another point, I think the Kochs and Big Biz are somehow behind it because here in NY state, corporations place ads on the tests. I was surprised to read it in this mornings paper. But it's true.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/19/1293236/-you-want-to-know-what-s-wrong-with-Common-Core?detail=email
Thank you, Patty, I just read my Kos Rec List and came here to post the same diary. You beat me to it and saved me the trouble. This is EXACTLY what worries me about Common Core.
America. 37th. in education !..fast becoming a third world nation. The REPUGS must LOVE this. An under educated population is SO easy to manipulate!. Students need and require a challenge. and mental stimulation ( and they LOVE competition. ).
Why not ask the teachers ,what works for them ?
Have a good day TC.
I just watched the Boston marathon and I am exhausted!!.
I don't know Exactly what the Common Core tests involve, but hasn't Everyone in America done yearly testing since the 19th century? (okay, Maybe not that far back).. I remember taking the Scholastic Tests (if I remember right) to see what grade level you're reading at, and math, and Social Studies, and Science…so how is Common Core Different? Is it Harder? Did they do away with the Bell Curve? Sounds like too many (RepubliCON) school districts have invested in Junk Education, like cheap pseudo-science, and don't want to be caught Ignorant!
I think it all started getting bad when Bush's dumbing down of America began. "No child left behind" was just the beginning.
NY Times: Polarization and paranoia are what the Republican party is basing itself on these days. I hope it bites them in the butt. that old, I was for it until I was against it thing is rampant with them these days.
Daily KOs: Faux news is passe' these days. They keep ranting the same junk about Obama, no matter what he does. The American people are realizing this, too. Their ratings are going down down down.
Hope you get your volunteer card soon. Good luck with your dr appt tomorrow.
753 BC Rome founded – well actually the Romans flattened the Etruscan civilisation – which had women eating with men (horrors!) instead of as second class citizens in a back room, and slaves with rights and money to spend – and women riding horses and with rights and money of their own (none of which the Romans had for many centuries, and only for the very rich at that…) – it does make me think – what if the Etruscans had stayed in power and not the Romans….
20 Billion Fuck you 's… 😳