8:46. 9:03. 9:37. 9:59. 10:07. 10:28.

8:46. 9:03. 9:37. 9:59. 10:07. 10:28.

2 Comments
A lot of horror can be released in 102 minutes. We should remember it. We should remember those we lost in those minutes. And we should remember the sacrifice of those who tried to help. But we shouldn't dwell in anger and hate. We have gotten our vengeance. Our revenge. It is time to move on. We shouldn't be seeing posters like this on Facebook......

Blog Housekeeping

A post about blog rules is so 2007.  Blogging is so 2007 for f%cksake.   Anyway, for anyone who cares, I only have one rule.  I mean, there are rules,…

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Poverty And The Smarter Balanced Assessment

63 Comments
Last week LiberalGeek took a comment I posted about the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) scores and turned it into a graph. Now we have many graphs and charts. Inside you will find charts of the four districts that serve city of Wilmington students (click on charts inside to enlarge). You will also find a chart of Charter Schools. Pay attention to the trend lines. Some are more obvious than others. Before I continue, let me say this: I do not support the SBA, but since we'll be using these scores to judge and label students, teachers and schools we need to look at the data. This test will have consequences.
Thursday Open Thread [9.10.2015]

Thursday Open Thread [9.10.2015]

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Ed Kilgore says the GOP can screw up a one car funeral. Greg Sargent says the GOP is going to snatch defeat from the jaws of defeat. What am I talking about? Well, we all know that the Iran Deal is done. President Obama has secured the support of enough Democrats in the House and Senate to not only sustain his veto of the potential Disapproval Resolution from the Congress, but also to filibuster the Resolution in the Senate so that it never passes in the first place. And that is not sitting well with your Radical Republican. They hate it when the President and America wins. So instead of going through with the vote on the Iran Deal and passing their Disapproval Resolution, radical conservatives in the House have hatched a new plan that is also doomed for failure.
We are 3 for 3

We are 3 for 3

6 Comments
The remaining member of our Congressional delegation, Congressman John Carney (D), came out in favor of the Iran Deal yesterday. His statement from his Facebook page:
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to support the Iran nuclear deal. I appreciate hearing from so many of you on this issue, and I know this is something many feel passionately about. I am under no illusions that we can count on Iran to adhere to this deal in good faith. That being said, this agreement allows us to immediately ‘snap-back’ sanctions should Iran cheat. It also curtails Iran’s nuclear program by blocking its pathway to a bomb. I do not believe it’s possible to go back to the negotiating table, and I have concluded that this deal is better than no deal at all.
You see, that is why I am so fucking angry at this staged rendering of the garments by Carney and Coons. If Iran reneges on the deal, then guess what? The sanctions get reimposed immediately AND we bomb the ever loving shit out of them. That is obvious to everyone.
We Stand with the Democratic Six.

We Stand with the Democratic Six.

4 Comments
Last year, the budget deficit, which fluctuated between $60 and 83 million dollars, could have been solved by the implementation of new progressive tax rates on the wealthy alone. But we did nothing and now we have double the budget deficit. That was the main objection of the Democratic Six to the budget that passed last year. Their no votes were a reflection of disappointment that the can was kicked down the road. Guess what? Pete Schwartzkopf is not that strong of a kicker. Because "down the road" is January 2016. That's about 100 days from now. And no one time settlement money or budget gimmicks is going to balance the budget this year. And Pete Schwartzkopf is going to have to get over his hurt feelings, and not engage in petty retaliation against the six. Instead, he is going to have to follow their lead on the budget. We did it your way last year, Pete. Now we are going to do it our way.
I’m using “United States” and ditching “Union”

I’m using “United States” and ditching “Union”

19 Comments
The words we use shape our reality. This makes a concise case for not using the term "Union Troops" when we are talking about the armies of the United States of America.
I suggest we follow the lead of Finkelman and Baptist and alter our language for the Civil War. Specifically, let us drop the word “Union” when describing the United States side of the conflagration, as in “Union troops” versus “Confederate troops.” Instead of “Union,” we should say “United States.” By employing “Union” instead of “United States,” we are indirectly supporting the Confederate view of secession wherein the nation of the United States collapsed, having been built on a “sandy foundation” (according to rebel Vice President Alexander Stephens).