pandora's Latest Posts
Decision Making In Shades Of Gray – Is It Time?
I’m a decisive person. Give me a choice and I’ll make it – quickly and, in most cases, easily. Raising children means constant decision making. So yeah, I’ve had some practice.
But now I’m facing a decision that’s far from clear cut. Our dog, a black lab mix (aka mutt) is fourteen years old. She has hip dysplasia, a torn ACL (surgery wasn’t an option due to her age, but she is on medication), is partially blind, and almost completely deaf. She also appears confused and easily frightened – and just for fun, she is now having trouble controlling her bowels. Lucky me! None of these symptoms is life threatening. And we won’t make a decision in the name of convenience (altho, some days I want to).
Due to her hip dysplasia/ACL tear, she has trouble getting up from a resting position. She still attempts stairs, but usually ends up stuck, or worse, sliding backwards down them. Trying to keep her downstairs while we go to bed results in her howling loud enough to wake the dead – and the neighbors. Lately, Mr. Pandora has been carrying a 70lb dog up the stairs. At the beach, I’ve been placing pieces of Beggin’ Strips on every other step and supporting her weight as she slowly makes the climb – which we only let her do three times a day. Dog’s gotta go potty.
And here’s where things get tricky.
ABC Is Wrong To Hire Jenny McCarthy For The View
I would really like to know ABC’s thinking on this. First, the only subject that Jenny McCarthy seems to have had an opinion on is vaccines cause autism. I’ve actually spent the last half hour googling her to discover if her activism crosses into areas other than autism and came up empty handed. So why would ABC select one issue McCarthy to co-host a show that covers a multitude of issues?
And there’s concern over giving Jenny McCarthy such a large platform.
True Confessions… Zimmerman Trial
Been crazy around here, but as I’m running around I’m listening to the George Zimmerman trial. Fascinating stuff. If you’re interested, it’s live streamed here.
Also, Charles Pierce has a great post on this. Check it out.
But they persist. How could Martin have been smothering Zimmerman at the same time Zimmerman was, as he claimed, screaming his head off for help? (This question will not be settled by the testimony of voice experts, thanks to the judge’s ruling, though the jury will hear the tape.) This was just before the fatal gunshot.
“It’s continuous screaming,” another officer asks, “how can you be smothered?”
Damn good question.
“You think he might have seen you had a gun before he punched you?” the first officer asks.
Another damn good question.
“What was the provocation for punching you other than you were following him?” another officer asks.
By this time, Zimmerman is losing his patience. “I’ve gone through it a million times.” Despite his passion for justice, repeated questions about the death of a 17-year-old boy at his own hands annoys him.
HB 165 Passes House – Time To Contact Your Senators
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to write a detailed post on what happened tonight. (Family responsibilities. Sheesh) Please read the comment section on this post for details.
Now, start contacting senators. Here’s the list. Just click on their name for contact info.
Live Blogging The Delaware House Session – Focus HB 165
Here we go – well, it will probably be a while!
Here’s the link to listen to the live-stream of the Delaware House. They’re recessed now (3pm). Anyone know what time they’ll start up again?
Mike Matthews is live tweeting the session. Follow him @dwablog Use #hb165
Meanwhile… Mike O. of the Seventh Type, via commenter Citizen, brings us this: Michael D. Thomas, Ed. D. President, Delaware Chief School Officers Association opposes HB 165. Go read the letter!
Use this thread to keep us informed.
I Resent The News Journal’s Desperation
I found this Subject Heading in my email inbox today:
Action Required Regarding your News Journal Account
Wow! That sounds important. Did I miss a bill? What’s the problem? Because there’s obviously a problem that requires action.
I opened the email ASAP, and here’s what I found….
HB 165 – DL Readers, You Have Homework!
HB 165 is up for a vote in the House today. If you are not familiar with this bill please read this post – More importantly, click on EVERY link in that post. Those links will take you to blog posts from other bloggers fully explaining HB 165. Lord knows, you won’t find any of these concerns in the News Journal.
So here’s your homework, CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE! No excuses. Just do it. Also, contact your friends and family and have them do the same.
I’d like to return to an email Rep. Jaques sent to Elizabeth Scheinberg over at Children & Educators First blog. This part jumped out at me:
If you took the time to read House Bill 165 you would see loads of transparency and accountability throughout. I hope you are not listen to the nay Sayers who just like to yell at the top of their voice, but most of the time don’t know what they are talking about! HB 165 has been properly vetted and has loads of support throughout the education community.
First, I know Elizabeth read the bill, and it was insulting to imply otherwise. Second, naysayers? “Who just like to yell at the top of their voice, but most of the time don’t know what they are talking about?” Is that what Rep. Jaques considers citizens who have concerns about HB 165? What’s the opposite of naysayers? Yes men? (Yeah, that ticked me off.)
And about that “loads of support” for HB 165? Well, Charter School advocates love this bill. In fact, if this bill was full of compromises like Jaques implies, surely charter supporters would point out the areas they weren’t so pleased with. Haven’t heard one complaint or concern. In fact…
Steve Newton has the emails going out to charter parents, urging them to contact their Reps and to tell them to vote for Hb 165. Read them. There’s a lot of talk about money in these emails. So much, that one would be forgiven in thinking HB 165 was a funding for charter schools bill.
The Charter Working Group May Have Been A Public Body
Rep. Kim Williams had a few questions about the Charter Working Group: From: Williams, Kimberly (LegHall) Sent: Friday, June 07, 2013 11:23 AM To: McConnel, Ian R (DOJ) Cc: Williams, Kimberly (LegHall); Peterson, Karen (LegHall) Subject: 24 Member Working Group – Charter Good Morning Ian, I am requesting an opinion today from the AG’s […]
Delaware Blogosphere Education Round-Up
First, let me say how proud I am of our Delaware Bloggers and the work they’ve been doing covering education. It’s been a while since an issue has fired up so many. And if you want to understand what’s going on with education be sure to read every blogger I link to below. I’m going […]
The Deliberate Destruction Of Public Schools
First, Education Reform has very little to do with improving education. It does, however, have a lot to do with union busting and corporations tapping into all that delicious tax payer education money. It also thrives on propaganda.
When discussing education today there’s one theme that remains consistent: Public education is failing our kids! Our children aren’t learning! Just look at the test scores!
Okay, let’s look at the test scores:
- The chart below shows overall reading and math scores for 9-year-olds starting in the early ’70s. Since then, reading scores have gone up 12 points and math scores have gone up 24 points. Ten points on the NAEP roughly equals one grade level, which means that today’s 9-year-olds are performing more than a full grade level better in reading and two grade levels better in math compared to the ’70s.
- Scores for blacks and Latinos are up more than scores for whites. In reading, as the chart above shows, white kids’ scores are up 14 points, while Latinos’ have risen 24 points and blacks’ 34 points. In math, scores for white kids are up 25 points, while Latinos’ have jumped 32 points and blacks’ 34 points. There’s still a significant gap between whites and other groups, but we’ve been making steady—and largely unheralded—progress for the past 40 years.
- Private schools have done well, with reading scores up 10 points and math scores up 22 points, but public schools have also improved in reading (4 points) and math (25 points). Overall, the rise in test scores is due to improvements at both private and public schools.
Interesting, no? And yet you rarely, if ever, hear about these results. Don’t get me wrong. There are problems, especially when children reach high school, and that must be addressed, but the idea that public schools aren’t educating children is nothing more than the Ed Reformers’ Marketing Strategy.
Let’s Check On That Republican Outreach
Okay… this is confusing. Rick Chick? Peeps? Republican Michigan Governor Rick Snyder brought along stickers that said “I’m A Rick Chick” to the annual Mackinac Policy Conference in his home state yesterday. The stickers included a pun based on the popular chick-shaped “Peeps” marshmallow candies. Have a great weekend. Guess I’ll hang out with my […]
The Men Of FOX News Latest Freak Out
First, this happened: Women are not only more likely to be the primary caregivers in a family. Increasingly, they are primary breadwinners, too. Four in 10 American households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family, according to a Pew Research Center analysis […]
New Poll Should Make The GOP Change Their Priorities
But it won’t. Via TPM: The poll found that 73 percent of American voters nationwide believe that dealing with the economy and unemployment should be a higher priority than the investigations. Fewer than a quarter of Americans — 22 percent — believe that the investigations should be the higher priority. But… but… but… Benghazi! Has […]
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