Thursday, November 02, 2006
And We Wonder Why Are Children Are Poorly Educated.
This article from the N.Y. Daily News discusses the apparent in ability for a principle to add. It has a range, when totaled, to between 105% and 140%.
The principal excuse, it was designed to be flexible so teachers have some discretion on grading. They must have a lot of discretion, other wise I suspect almost noone will get an A. (Hitting 105% is going to be a bitch.)
The principal excuse, it was designed to be flexible so teachers have some discretion on grading. They must have a lot of discretion, other wise I suspect almost noone will get an A. (Hitting 105% is going to be a bitch.)
Labels: Commentary
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
A Day of Family Insanity
I was taking care of a few errands this afternoon, after my wife went to work for the evening, and I got a call from her. The information of that call was rather enlightening and disturbing. ( I will be providing some non-phone call information that relates to this as I go, so not everything is 'new' information from the phone call. I will try to identify this where it makes sense.)
As a bit of background, Wife's grandparents moved to a 'senior living' apartment about four years ago. (This is the same grandmother, and her husband, that slapped father-in-law last year.) We somehow got through the 'trauma' of the move.
For the last several weeks, Grandfather was in the skilled nursing facility in preparation of a move from one apartment to another in a building that they would be more easily 'watched.' It wasn't assisted living just in the main building at the facility. When Grandfather was 'admitted' to the nursing facility they evaluated him and had determined that he was showing signs of advanced 'dementia.' (He thought it was 1960 and he had no idea who the President was. This may actually be a good thing all things considered.) On Monday the facility had a meeting with Grandmother, Grandfather, Father-In-Law, and Father-In-Law's Sister (by phone). At the meeting Grandmother 'demanded' that she 'get' Grandfather back in her charge, which the facility agreed to. Additionally she agreed to 'allow' a nurse to come in to the apartment to help them get their medications straight.
So the phone call from today. Mother-In-Law called Wife to tell her that Grandmother, who has officially moved apartments, was visiting Grandfather in the nursing facility. While Grandmother was visiting, she began hitting Grandfather. (Actually we had suspected this was going on but we had no proof.) I am not sure of the circumstances of the situation, ( That information has trickled to me yet.) but Grandmother was observed in the 'act.' She was then informed that due to the situation that Grandfather would not be 'returned' to her care. She then called Father-In-Law to tell him what was going on and threatened to hurt herself.
This is as up-to-date on the situation as I am on the moment. The insanity has more to it but Wife got home from work a short time ago, and I need to go. I have other things to add to the over all situation, but that is will be filled in over the next several days.
As a bit of background, Wife's grandparents moved to a 'senior living' apartment about four years ago. (This is the same grandmother, and her husband, that slapped father-in-law last year.) We somehow got through the 'trauma' of the move.
For the last several weeks, Grandfather was in the skilled nursing facility in preparation of a move from one apartment to another in a building that they would be more easily 'watched.' It wasn't assisted living just in the main building at the facility. When Grandfather was 'admitted' to the nursing facility they evaluated him and had determined that he was showing signs of advanced 'dementia.' (He thought it was 1960 and he had no idea who the President was. This may actually be a good thing all things considered.) On Monday the facility had a meeting with Grandmother, Grandfather, Father-In-Law, and Father-In-Law's Sister (by phone). At the meeting Grandmother 'demanded' that she 'get' Grandfather back in her charge, which the facility agreed to. Additionally she agreed to 'allow' a nurse to come in to the apartment to help them get their medications straight.
So the phone call from today. Mother-In-Law called Wife to tell her that Grandmother, who has officially moved apartments, was visiting Grandfather in the nursing facility. While Grandmother was visiting, she began hitting Grandfather. (Actually we had suspected this was going on but we had no proof.) I am not sure of the circumstances of the situation, ( That information has trickled to me yet.) but Grandmother was observed in the 'act.' She was then informed that due to the situation that Grandfather would not be 'returned' to her care. She then called Father-In-Law to tell him what was going on and threatened to hurt herself.
This is as up-to-date on the situation as I am on the moment. The insanity has more to it but Wife got home from work a short time ago, and I need to go. I have other things to add to the over all situation, but that is will be filled in over the next several days.
Labels: Personal
My All Hallow's Eve Fright
I was skimming the internet this morning and decided to check Foxnews.com to see see what they were reporting on today. I came across the follow which is, I guess, a transcript of Bill O'reilly's Talking Points segment.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,226640,00.html
"Is America Becoming a Sick Society?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
On this Halloween, the No. 1 movie in the USA is "Saw III," a sadistic slasher flick designed solely so its audience can enjoy graphic depictions of human suffering.
Now I'm a libertarian when it comes to censorship, so I don't like it. I fully support freedom in the marketplace. You alone should decide what you want to consume. But I will say this, sadistic movies are bad for everyone. They are a disgraceful exhibition and the companies that finance them are harming individuals in the country.
There is nothing worthwhile about seeing graphic displays of unspeakable violence. And if you enjoy that, you might want to find out why to protect yourself and others.
Cannibalism, dismemberment and all the other garbage that is featured weekly in the multiplex is worse than gangster rap or dirty movies, far worse. Young children are buying tickets to see PG films and then sneaking into the sadism displays. Young adults are craving more and more barbaric images, all in the name of entertainment.
On the "Oprah" show, she told me that freedom means slasher flicks should be available and Oprah is correct. But freedom also means Americans have the right to condemn these movies and hold the companies who supply them accountable.
The turning point for ancient Rome arrived when the population turned from building their society to consuming whatever the government would give them, including sadistic displays of brutal death in the Coliseum.
In modern America, the culture is definitely on the decline. Just ask any public school teacher how kids behave these days, as opposed to even 10 years ago. Standards of behavior are collapsing everywhere and the media is leading the way.
Vile gangster rappers have hurt millions of at-risk children. And now we have a movie industry that can't make these sadistic films fast enough. Of course, they all hide behind freedom, but that rationalization is hollow. Those who push base entertainment are villains, no question. All of us need to wise up and jump into the culture war when the No. 1 movie in the country revels in close-upshot of limbs being sawed off, there is a problem.
Enough is enough with this dehumanizing trash. It is wrong, it is evil and it demeans America — period.
And that's The Memo.
Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
Did you know that Halloween is a $5 billion industry in the USA, second only to Christmas in consumer sales? And the Eve of All Hallows has now spread to many other countries.
But France is rethinking the trick-or-treat situation. According to the magazine "Le Monde," the French have begun to reject Halloween because of the rise of anti-American feeling in that nation.
And that's fine with me. I'm still boycotting France.
Besides how would you like to say Bon-bons ou batons all night long? That's "trick-or-treat" in Francais. Bon-bons ou batons, bon-bons ou batons.
Ridiculous? You make the call.
You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly"
The link has been reproduced in it's entirety for sake of completeness. Why, may you ask, is this frightening to me. I actually agree to a large extent with what he is saying about horror/slasher flicks and how this country is showing more and more signs of becoming like Rome. The thought of agreeing with that twit about something is actually very scary to me.
Oh Well.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,226640,00.html
"Is America Becoming a Sick Society?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
On this Halloween, the No. 1 movie in the USA is "Saw III," a sadistic slasher flick designed solely so its audience can enjoy graphic depictions of human suffering.
Now I'm a libertarian when it comes to censorship, so I don't like it. I fully support freedom in the marketplace. You alone should decide what you want to consume. But I will say this, sadistic movies are bad for everyone. They are a disgraceful exhibition and the companies that finance them are harming individuals in the country.
There is nothing worthwhile about seeing graphic displays of unspeakable violence. And if you enjoy that, you might want to find out why to protect yourself and others.
Cannibalism, dismemberment and all the other garbage that is featured weekly in the multiplex is worse than gangster rap or dirty movies, far worse. Young children are buying tickets to see PG films and then sneaking into the sadism displays. Young adults are craving more and more barbaric images, all in the name of entertainment.
On the "Oprah" show, she told me that freedom means slasher flicks should be available and Oprah is correct. But freedom also means Americans have the right to condemn these movies and hold the companies who supply them accountable.
The turning point for ancient Rome arrived when the population turned from building their society to consuming whatever the government would give them, including sadistic displays of brutal death in the Coliseum.
In modern America, the culture is definitely on the decline. Just ask any public school teacher how kids behave these days, as opposed to even 10 years ago. Standards of behavior are collapsing everywhere and the media is leading the way.
Vile gangster rappers have hurt millions of at-risk children. And now we have a movie industry that can't make these sadistic films fast enough. Of course, they all hide behind freedom, but that rationalization is hollow. Those who push base entertainment are villains, no question. All of us need to wise up and jump into the culture war when the No. 1 movie in the country revels in close-upshot of limbs being sawed off, there is a problem.
Enough is enough with this dehumanizing trash. It is wrong, it is evil and it demeans America — period.
And that's The Memo.
Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
Did you know that Halloween is a $5 billion industry in the USA, second only to Christmas in consumer sales? And the Eve of All Hallows has now spread to many other countries.
But France is rethinking the trick-or-treat situation. According to the magazine "Le Monde," the French have begun to reject Halloween because of the rise of anti-American feeling in that nation.
And that's fine with me. I'm still boycotting France.
Besides how would you like to say Bon-bons ou batons all night long? That's "trick-or-treat" in Francais. Bon-bons ou batons, bon-bons ou batons.
Ridiculous? You make the call.
You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly"
The link has been reproduced in it's entirety for sake of completeness. Why, may you ask, is this frightening to me. I actually agree to a large extent with what he is saying about horror/slasher flicks and how this country is showing more and more signs of becoming like Rome. The thought of agreeing with that twit about something is actually very scary to me.
Oh Well.
Labels: Secular Holiday Wishes
