Wilmington City Council’s Meeting On Priority Schools

Wilmington City Council’s Meeting On Priority Schools

Last night I attended the City Council Meeting on Priority Schools. I've stared at the above sentence for quite a while, not sure how to proceed.  Mainly because I think last night was simply window dressing, a box checked off... the deal is done.  These schools, imo, are headed for charter conversion, privatization or closure.  The only question is when this will happen.  Shortly after the December 31, 2014 Plan deadline? Or after the specified four year, approximately 6 million Plan doesn't meet the standardized test bar?
Friday Open Thread [10.10.14]

Friday Open Thread [10.10.14]

Paul Krugman pens a defense of the President against his critics, and also lists his accomplishments. It is a lengthy piece, and you should read the whole thing, but here are some excerpts:
Obama faces trash talk left, right and center – literally – and doesn't deserve it. Despite bitter opposition, despite having come close to self-inflicted disaster, Obama has emerged as one of the most consequential and, yes, successful presidents in American history. His health reform is imperfect but still a huge step forward – and it's working better than anyone expected. Financial reform fell far short of what should have happened, but it's much more effective than you'd think. Economic management has been half-crippled by Republican obstruction, but has nonetheless been much better than in other advanced countries. And environmental policy is starting to look like it could be a major legacy. [...] [T]here’s a theme running through each of the areas of domestic policy I’ve covered. In each case, Obama delivered less than his supporters wanted, less than the country arguably deserved, but more than his current detractors acknowledge. The extent of his partial success ranges from the pretty good to the not-so-bad to the ugly. … Am I damning with faint praise? Not at all. This is what a successful presidency looks like. No president gets to do everything his supporters expected him to. FDR left behind a reformed nation, but one in which the wealthy retained a lot of power and privilege. On the other side, for all his anti-government rhetoric, Reagan left the core institutions of the New Deal and the Great Society in place. I don’t care about the fact that Obama hasn’t lived up to the golden dreams of 2008, and I care even less about his approval rating. I do care that he has, when all is said and done, achieved a lot. That is, as Joe Biden didn’t quite say, a big deal.
Middle East Bloodbath: DeJavu All Over Again

Middle East Bloodbath: DeJavu All Over Again

Overrunning towns, pillaging, plundering, setting fire, torture, burning at the stake, rape, burning children alive, enslaving, beheadings, sacking places of worship, taking body parts for trophies, destroying libraries, cannibalism, crucifixions, opening bodies for swallowed treasure. A special place in paradise for warriors. Justice for infidels. Slaughter of their own. Robbing and keeping the riches.

Thursday Open Thread [10.9.14]

The chart / graph tells us which states are angels on the street yet devils... well, on their computers. The chart finds that the more religious a state is, the higher the number of Google searches for porn. The states with 80% religiousity and that are over 60 in their interest in porn (and I cannot tell how that is measured (i.e. 60 on a scale of what? as a percentage?)) are Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Utah and Texas. I wonder what all these states have in common, other than hypocrisy. Delaware is on the opposite end of the spectrum: We are less religious and our searches for internet sex is low.
The NJ Newsroom of the Future Begins

The NJ Newsroom of the Future Begins

A memo from David Ledford to NJ reporters, editors and other staff went out with a list of the new job descriptions that NJ employees need to fit into (see below). You'll recall that NJ employees are going to be required to re-apply for their jobs, re-interview I suppose, and convince whoever is in charge of this business that they should still be around. After reading the memo and the Job Descriptions (see below), this is just an odd thing. It certainly looks like they are using this exercise to orient themselves to the web and it looks like they are going to reduce positions. It isn't immediately clear that some of the folks on the editorial page would fit into this order. Which (even though they make me mad sometimes) seems like a waste of knowledge. I understand that some of the NJ folks have already decided that they will not re-apply and are walking away. Over the past year, that's quite the exodus of local knowledge.
Wednesday Open Thread [10.8.14]

Wednesday Open Thread [10.8.14]

Yesterday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), or rather, his staff, prepared a tweet that was supposed to both briefly describe in bullet point form the GOP Jobs Plan (because after being in power for four years in the House, NOW is as good a time as any to get started on that) and then link for a more detailed description, presumably. Now, you might think that Twitter, what with the 140 character limitation, might be the wrong place to even briefly describe a Five Point Congressional Jobs Plan. But not the GOP! Their entire economic theory does boil down to four words: Cut Taxes, End Regulations. Still, this was embarrassing. It seems the Speaker and/or his underpaid intern didn't complete their homework before sending this out: Capture Or maybe it is a rare moment of honesty from the highest ranking Republican in the land: The GOP has no jobs plan.
Why Not Invest A Few Shekels in These Candidates?

Why Not Invest A Few Shekels in These Candidates?

1. Sean Matthews, 11th RD: Even if you backed Dennis E. Williams in the primary, you'd have to admit that Matthews is infinitely preferable to R candidate Judy Travis, whose support comes from far out of the political mainstream. As opposed to your traditional Brandywine Hundred R, Travis is one of only two House candidates to get the support of the Delaware chapter of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. 2. John Mackenzie, 22nd RD: A rarity. Campaign stuff that's worth reading. Click on this and on this.  Not only is it clear that he wrote his own copy, but he comes across as someone who will be a serious legislator and quite the progressive. He perhaps reminds me most of Michael Barbieri, who is one of the most outstanding legislators we have.  We could use several more legislators like him, and Mackenzie is in that mold. 3. Marie Mayor, 20th RD: Well, let's see. She's right on the issues, she's running a great campaign, she never really stopped running after the 2012 election, she almost won last time, and she, too, would immediately take her place as one of the best legislators in Dover. The political stars could also be aligned, as the anti-Obama folks won't overrun the Sussex County results like in 2012.  I also believe that, once she's elected, her constituent work will enable her to get reelected several times over. Let's help her win!
Can We Talk About Pedophilia?

Can We Talk About Pedophilia?

No, not the act of abusing children and/or engaging in inappropriate behavior with them.  Such activities are criminal and should be subject to the strongest enforcement the justice system can bring. I'm talking about adult attraction to children which never rises to the level of physical contact, but which may include viewing images that we find abhorrent, and may cause acute mental anguish for those with this condition. A thought-provoking piece in Sunday's New York Times argues that pedophilia is a mental illness and makes an effective argument that we're treating it improperly. Read the whole thing before reacting reflexively. Here are some salient excerpts from Prof. Margo Kaplan's op-ed:
Tuesday Open Thread [10.7.14]

Tuesday Open Thread [10.7.14]

It is going to be very ironic if the GOP pulls off winning the six seats they need to gain the majority in the Senate (i.e. Montana, West Virginia, South Dakota, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alaska) only to lose three seats that put the Democrats back in control (i.e. Kansas, Georgia, and Kentucky). But right now, that is the state of play...