Here’s to learning and illumination and you, Thers.

By the by, how’d the Treehouse come through for you? (Those of us who hang like fruit from his limbs breathlessly await a new song….)

Hmmm I think that entendre doubled itself in a way that makes me blush.

Laura, you caught this post at a magic moment. We’re all still downstairs with Kirk and will join this thread for Late Night.

Heh.

Hiya all. Sorry for the earlier belch.

Crap!

Hey Thers

Suz! Betsy! Thers!

Laura, why am I wondering if it feels like spring in your part of the Bay, too?

Can’t be sinking money into education. Why, we’d have an informed electorate!

Nice one Thers!

The last educamacated generation was from the 60’s. The last troublemakers were from the 60’s until quite recently.

Hello all –

The last educamacated generation was from the 60’s.

IRrC the highest SAT scores were the class of 1962..

Nice post, Thers! Education is key. But you knew that already ;-)

Kirk, we’ve been having our own dog days of January right here in the Dee Cee area recently. The poor confused sparrows who frequent our birdhouse out back at work are busily readying their nest this week.

Still some educated people, just not nearly as many.

You could say that. Though i’m of those younger generations. I just refuse to be spoon fed and seek out different sources and POVs. I’m a troublemaker in the way that i won’t vote the way i’m pushed by the media. Because i can see their tricks a mile way. *evil grin*

I can’t say the same for all of Gen X, but there are some of us out there. Gen Y i haven’t a clue about though, i should ask my younger brother about that.

OT..Clinton and Obama are looking for votes in Las Vegas this weekend…there is also a huge P0rn convention going on at the same time.I am not sure what it all means.

link

Bush says we are planning on staying in Iraq for ten years more, McCain says that 100 years would be okay.

Doesn’t this just demonstrate how Bush’s idea that we are gonna be there only until Iraq is ready to stand on their own hind legs is going. All those claims three years ago that the Iraqi National Guard were nearly trained…ready to take over. Now he says that, well, maybe he WON’T continue the withdrawals!

Yeah…this surge is clearly a success! Meanwhile the KIDS of deployed soldiers are showing signs of instense stress akin to PTSD say school and military psychologists. But Bush cares about the troops and their families…NOT.

Then there is the statement by the President of our ostensible ally, Musharraf, that any US incursion into the territories that Pakistan itself can’t control is tantamount to WAR.

Hiya all. Sorry for the earlier belch.

Hiya Thers – great post and good news.

And – I’m such a Luddite….please pardon the question…but

How do I get my computer to do that?

I dare say that anyone posting here ain’t gona be dum.

Good on Spitzer! Though using lottery money bugs me a bit; encouraging gambling to pay for education seems a bit dicey to me. We have such a deal in Louisiana and it’s not working quite like it was sold.

But in happier news, Bobby Jindal will be sworn in as Governor next week. w00t! /s

I’m gonna barf.

Lottery tickets, I call them the Stupid Tax. They are a voluntary tax, right? Not many of those around.

Hey! That’s one of my retirement plans. The other one is to drop dead at work.

Madmommy,

I long for the days of Governer Jimma Davis.

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/sunshine.htm

How do I get my computer to do that?

Gentle persuasion.

OT..Clinton and Obama are looking for votes in Las Vegas this weekend…there is also a huge P0rn convention going on at the same time.I am not sure what it all means.

Are there Repub’s there too? Maybe Huck could show up and do some evangelizing. (or get turned into a pillar of salt)(or was it stone)?

Kirk, I know the secret but it will cost ya.

Up here in Canada, we have one nicknamed Pension 649.

The poor confused sparrows who frequent our birdhouse out back at work are busily readying their nest this week.

I was in Southern Md. last week and the Daffodils were 3″ out of the ground. Things are really F’d up.

My spring bulbs are coming up and many trees have started to bud.

I was in Southern Md. last week and the Daffodils were 3″ out of the ground. Things are really F’d up.

You must have been here on the days when it was approaching 70F, huh? No wonder everyone at work is getting sick!

Isn’t it way too early for that?

Let’s just say that I am not confident in the future of the state and leave it at that. If it weren’t for my darling, elderly MIL we would probably have left by now. Hubby’s the youngest and the only child still living in-state, we just can’t go off and leave her and she’s not gonna move at this stage in her life.

but I’d sort of prefer public monies be spent on making us all less dumb, and perhaps healthier, rather than frittered away on harebrained wingnut boondoggles like the incarceration industry and ludicrous sub-contracted wars where we can piss away money (and lives) for everything except a fucking independent auditor.

If that makes me a Commie, I’m a Commie…

Hey LL – nice to see your tubes cleared.

yeup

My irises already bloomed.

i’m with the commie tuttle (is that what the C stands for)

Hi Suz, thanks! It was a very long two days around here without the internets. A very unusual outage. Hmmmm, might have been those NSA trucks…

You must have been here on the days when it was approaching 70F, huh?

I was there X-mas & New Years..IIRC a Loudoun Co firefighter was killed in a traffic accident at that time.

Apparently so, Ma Cheri! *g*

them NSA trucks – they are forking everywhere. turned off my power during last week’s storm for 2 friggin days (spitting). i blame boosh.

IIRC a Loudoun Co firefighter was killed in a traffic accident at that time.

Yes that’s right, very sad — believe that was on New Years Eve. He was coming across the Rt 15 bridge from MD into VA and skidded on the icy surface.

Oof, on the bridge, eh? The first to do so… 8-(

.

I was so proud of the state separtment of education here in FL for its recent adoption of a “Curriculum for the 20th Century.” Next yerar, evolution will be taught as a scientific fact. Such open-midedness.

Well, I can be open minded, too, ya know. So, when I saw this headline: Senate panel favors gender segregation in schools I said “Well, sounds like a pile of shit of Himalyan proprtions but I’ll keep an open mind.” Like maybe they can do a pilot program. (Read: “Pilot program” = “Include my kids OUT”!) Hey, i went to an all boys high school amd it was OK. So me an’ my open mind read on and we are assulted by this:

Then this: “Senate panel favors gender segregation in schools”.

The boys like to punch each other and push each other, not sit up straight and follow the teacher’s orders,” the Jacksonville Republican said.
“The girls like to please the teacher.”

SLAM!!!! (Sound of my open mind slamminmg suut line a steel trap)./

I let the miogynist-sexist thing here run its course but, I mean, wow. the girls like to please teacher and the boys beat each other up

My folwerbed is looking a bit pitiful. Though the daylillies are sprouting all new leaves, and there are several blooms comming up on the Gerbera daisies. But our climate is a bit different from everywhere else. The camelias are blooming like mad all over town.

judas forking priest, bfl.

It’s cold and yet some trees are blooming early. There are also regular bloomers for this time (tulip). The cherry usually begin in a week or two…I’m wondering. It’s all vermisht. (And I LOVE maine coon kittehs. I’ve a very funny/odd story about one, for some day…)

I don’t think pelvic inflammatory disease is a suitable topic for a family blog

So, who’ll teach the boys, then, BFL…? *g*

The boys like to punch each other and push each other, not sit up straight and follow the teacher’s orders,” the Jacksonville Republican said.
“The girls like to please the teacher.”

This fuckin idiot never meet me or my daughters. He’d be crying for his mama if he spent the day with us.

Parallel universe time. Again. It’s just a thing Billy Pilgrim and I do….

I am! Hence my name.

This fuckin idiot never meet me or my daughters. He’d be crying for his mama if he spent the day with us.

I’d pay good money to see that.

ouch… i’ll be whimpering over in the corner (laughing)

these people are deciding what my kids’ schools are gonna be like. seriously, i’m neither here nor there on same sex classrooms. i think the proponents see it as some panacea but it’s just not that important. My daughters said their teachers were teaching evolution as fact, so tehre’s hope yet, i guess.

NEWTON!

Even I am scared of my daughters.

Is his kid there? The pron king of Ouchita Baptist Bible College!11!!!!

G’night all, working tomorrow. I miss the Late Nite vibe when I can’t be here, so keep on keepin’ on and I’ll catch up with you all soonest!

You must have been here on the days when it was approaching 70F, huh?

PID??? I saw enough of that when I was a resident. The classic Chandelier sign.

I went to high school with 1000 girls. in louisiana. public. BORING!

g’nite LL

G’nite, Lou. Sorry about the work thang.

Greeting Thers and may I offer an uplifting report on the lack of trouble makers. We’re back. Just got back from an all day retreat with the coalition for peace action . Our group ranges from the teens to over ninety year olds(those guys just don’t know when to quit) and our active rolls doubled from last year to over 3,500 households. And let me tell ya the kids are alright and they got the right stuff. We sponsor vigils and protests and also provide a voter peace guide that has proved very effective. Take heart and take care.

Aloha, LL!

Where is that, tjbs?

so here’s what fucktard had to say today:
“There is no doubt in my mind when history was written, the final page will say: Victory was achieved by the United States of America for the good of the world.”

No doubt.

Now if the “final page” of history is gonna be about the Iraq war, that
would make it Armageddon, no?

No doubt.

Hi y’all.

“There is no doubt in my mind when history was written, the final page will say: Victory was achieved by the United States of America for the good of the world.”

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

*MOD NOTE: last line removed by moderator*

They just don’t make light fixtures the way the used to…

and those plaster ceilings sure were sturdy.

breathe, mary mc, take a deep cleansing breath

hey suzanne:

i went to that scout thing today. and i volunteered to chair some committee. I thought it was some ad hoc fundraing bullshit. Turns out that without realizing it,., I agreed to be, basically, the grand pobah of the troop or pack or whatever the hell it is. and you know what else (if I go throgh with this)?

I’ll have o put on the uniform. Grown man in a weeblos uniform. i think I should bai out on this.

“There is no doubt in my mind when history was written, the final page will say: Victory the trial at the Hague is finished, justice was achieved by the for the good of the world.”

There. Fixed.

(Breathe out, Mary!)

scared of a buncha kids?

…that would make it Armageddon, no?

Actually, if Iran was involved it could be Armagedon, then… They’re certainly trying, tho…

Ellie can’t sleep
Ellie can’t sleep

I’m waiting for Morpheus again, Suz. How long will he be?

Hi Marilyn, long time no see! Coming to the get together at greenwarrior’s 2/16?

I went to high school with 1000 girls. in louisiana. public. BORING!
reply

Awhile ago, there was a show on NPR about uni-sex education. IIRC, if a girl had one year of uni-sex education, they did much better in math and science.

i figure, with my luck, you will fall asleep about 3 minutes before my late late nite publishes

CTuttle My republican dad warned me about commies but we are based in Princeton NJ and have eight chapters in the surrounding counties. Web http://www.peacecoalition.org. The last event we sponsored was “Stopping Nuclear Terrorism and Proliferation ” w/ Max Kampelman, Phillis Benton,Professor Janne Nolan and Dr. Frank von Hipple ..Congressman Rush Holt was in the audience . I answered right back but got slowed by the hunt & peck.

Are you advocating for Vassar and Wesleyan? Oh, wait, they went Co-Ed…

Sorry I am so bad with names, but did the guy who went to India come back?

Ummm, yeah.

Those little heathens will have you for lunch if you show the slightest whiff of fear. Better bring your “A” game, BFL!

are you thinking of howie klein, who usually hosts blue america talks?

Oh I hope not, now I have a goal to stay to play. I have a whole box of cafeine pills at hand.

My brother sent me a small gift, a hardbound volume of the Constitution, just for so.

It was marked for the bin of History. It’s not History, it’s Alive & Current *cue fanfare*

hey pups -

culinary quandry here…

what condiment best favors a roast done at 450 for 45 min?

a roast wooden spatula?

hey – could have been worse.

could have put the pizza in and forgotten it, too.

(uh…instead of forgetting it on the counter)

so what’s all this about bloggers gaining weight, anyway?

Most all girls’ schools are private. This would make it a better climate for math and science.

If public schools treated boys and girls equally then there won’t be a difference in achievement.

For a man who supposedly doesn’t care about polls or what other people think or what his legacy will be he spends and awfully large amount of time telling us what he thinks people will think about his legacy.

He is looking like a Travis Bickle at the end of Taxi Driver….nucking futs.

-G

been putting in some long hours, doc?

Nah. But at that thing today, i was bored. To. Tears. i mean, i’m just not into scouting.

Yes, that’s the name Howie Klein come back from India?

I thought if Iran was involved it might be like the Cuban missile crisis. or the Bay of Pigs. Or… whatever. Same difference. Right, DAD?

He is looking like a Travis Bickle at the end of Taxi Driver….nucking futs.

Hey! Travis Bickle was comparatively pure of heart in the end, at least…

did you just increase your carbon footprint?

I’d like to. Waiting to see the outcome of hubby’s carotid angiography later this month. He may have to have surgery…apropos of the last thread on “health” care, we had to get a second opinion to certify that he is (or is not) a candidate for surgery…something Medicare now requires. It has been over four months since the first diagnosis…two CTA’s later, a trip to the specialist, then to the neurologist… the condition may require surgery or may require a stint (stent?) or may require no action!!! Incredible. No symptoms, but still a worry.

So anyway, I’d like to be with the Cent Tx Firepups in FEb…we’ll see.

My daughter is in India. Do you think she saw Howie?

I think he may still be traveling but i could be wrong. This is his blog.

Most all girls’ schools are private. This would make it a better climate for math and science.

If public schools treated boys and girls equally then there won’t be a difference in achievement.

In my public edyamacashun, my AP Math class was predominately female, and, that was 20+ years ago, Math was never my forte, tho…! *g*

Bush’s problem is that he gets too much fluffing…he’s in a constant state of non-reality fantasy…he believes he’s real.

Oh Dana.

Sorry.

Kinda big country, eh?

I must remember to include in my prayers tonight my thanks that I am NOT boosh’s fluffer.

Has anyone heard this joke? Here is the punchline: Pie are round, cornbread are square.

‘Pig Missile’ Perino to you…! ;-)

Yeah, don’t we all!

I might suggest rosemary if she isn’t otherways occupied this evening.

I prefer the simpler cracked peppercorn and salt, garlic -not-too, and au-jus

Dang. I have to go to Mr. LS’s gig on 2/16. I have to. Saxon Pub..it’s a kind of tribute thing sort of.

Ben Nazareth?

Yep.

so it is written

by some

Ewww…me too! Brain bleach…spit!

mary, i am scared to ask (thinking of clowns and camels)

I vaguely remember something about π squared…

When you mentioned PID, It reminded me of Sunday nights in the ER. After a hard weekend and about 2:00 AM, Mambo-Willie would bring his “girls” in to get checked out. It was the socially responsible thing to do but doing 6 gyn exams early Sunday AM?????

I could play a song I’ve been listening to all this day.

headphonist

I hope you enjoy it, makes me move around the room

LS, you ever available for lunch? Gnome and I had a great time Friday.

I’m holding happy healthy thoughts, and hoping you’ll both be there!

so long as it isn’t clown cars and camels…

‘Quickies’, tho… Right? ;-)

Not too easily…but we will meet up soon…I promise. I bet you guys had a great time!

Not to worry. It is not nasty but silly. My grandfather told it to me.

A young man from the mountains of Tennessee was the first in his family to go to college. When he graduated and went home his father asked him to “speak some of that algebra for him”. The young man said, “Pi are squared.”
And his father said, “Damn, son, we sent you to college and you don’t even know pie are round, cornbread are square?”

I was seven and didn’t understand any of it.

Where’d you meet?

Let’s do both! Gathering of the Clans is at 12:30 till whenever. And Rodrigo y Gabriala sold out to La Zona Rosa. Saxon is right up the street from green’s.

Steve AR
are you an er doc?

Gnome and I went to lunch off of 183 in Austin, not far from where I work. She was in Austin for the afternoon for a family thing.

Suz,
He’s here. what was that I was to say in the morning?

gnite all

Gotcha.

g’nite Ell

G’nite EE. Be well.

g’nite Elliott – sleep fun.

ooh. Ooh. That reminds me of anotehr story from the scout thing. i got a ride back from one of the dads who’s son is in the same den (or pack or troop or flock or gaggle or whatever) as mine. Now, I haven’t talked to this guy alot. But he’s a good guy so when I did talk to him, I probably talked the wasy I do with most everybody else. Asshole this. Bullshit that. I just donb’t remember. and I don’t remember if I ever talked politics. If I did i would not have been at all complimentary of anybody on the R side. it was same as I would anyone else. So on the way home, he has to stop uin his office for something. We get by the security guard, pass the manicured lawns, around the little man made lakes and come to these tow new big buildings. Probably an insurance company, i figger. We get to the building and it’s…. Campus. Crusade. for Christ. The guys a JF!!! Man those Christians are loaded. Two huge, beautiful, new buildings. But I tried to replay every conversation i ever had with this guy to see if, under the circumstances, I said something stupid. Don’t know.

You may know that Mr. LS plays with Rusty Wier, and Rusty is very ill, but he’s going to do a gig at Saxon that night…Goddess willing…WC Clark also. It is probably going to really be packed, so it would be kewl if pups came…

DAD

Dumb
As
Dogshit

I call ya that ’cause I love ya, dana.

Not stupid, honest.

g’nite ellie

No..old, retired heart surgeon, mostly trying to “fix” kids heart problems. Did adults also, operated on Hillary’s father many years ago.

I think I disagree here – boys (overall) tend to have different learning styles than girls. A lot of educators are really concerned that schools the way they are currently conducted are not serving boys very well – performance is suffering in comparison to girls and they are increasingly dropping out.

A case can be made for separate classes for boys and girls, but if they don’t do something about the teaching methods, it won’t likely help the boys all that much.

Well. You’re going straight to hell. But you know that already, right?

The big kid made faint noises about scouting last year but the meeting night was not ging to work for us so it just quitely went away, and I am not going to bring it back up again. I like the outdoorsy aspect, but I’m not enthusiastic about the theocracy of the whole thing.

*snort* i remember you referring to yourself as a plumber… geez, glad i did not ask ya about toilet wax rings

Even in Canada, eh?

Well, it is plumbing…! ;-)

I think it is safe to say that you likely did say something stupid.

One of my nephews (the one who thinks he knows everything) is currently in an internship with that lot.

I am taking it as one of my personal missions to undermine his faith. One of my brothers is helping (the one who has studied theology). Christmas was fun.

LOL that is really funny!

not the same kinda plumbing as those sunday morning pelvics either

Is Mr. LS is Rusty’s Keyboardist? I am a very longtime Rusty fan.

My first hubby was an internist turned er doc.

Lead guitar.

Keyboardist was Cole El Salah who plays with Carolyn Wonderland now.

Well, it is plumbing…! ;-)

Exactly…it’s just blood not water.

Uh huh. Though we are not saddled with the whole stupid NCLB nonsense.

Fewer young men going to university. Many professional faculties have more women than men, even in professions once male-dominated.

Long conversation with my SIL over Christmas about the lack of young men in leadership positions in the non-profit world. The young men are sort of going missing.

’cause those visits weren’t related to matters of the heart?

it’s been my experience that the little head tends to get those two confused, kirk

I knew Rusty has been ill but i didn’t know your hubby played with him. First concert I saw in Austin was an assembly at Porter Jr. High for 25 cents! That would have been about ‘71. All the shitkickers thought it was going to be country. Imagine their surprise when all the DFHs stormed to the front of the stage and left them back in the bleachers.

Anyway, I’ll be there! Are they selling tix in advance?

No. Just the door, as far as I know. Cosmic Cowboy…

*humming theme to its a small world after all*

What time?

No! No…..

Now you’ve gone and done it.

Not sure yet.

Sorry Suzanne..:(

heeeheeeheeeeheeeee
or should i say
herherherherher

don’t you dare apologize – i was teasing :)

707!!!!

Okay, sorry, I just didn’t want to be rude…I guess it’s just because it’s a really sad occasion for us…..

‘night all!

‘nite MM.

g’nite madmommy

ls, you were not being rude – for goodness sake, you were talking about a meetup and then sharing sad news.

humming theme to its a small world after all*

Don’t start that ear worm shit…*g*

Texas may be a small world, but it’s a big cookie!

The young men are sort of going missing.

Is that necessarily a bad thing?

Wow!! Yum.

*innocent look*
golly gee wiz, that sounded like a double dog dare to me

I sure hope you’re not planning on putting on a boy scout uniform like my former 400 pound boss did.

Laugh of the century.

check out the waffles!

Oh Tex, I really missed sugar cookies this holiday. But I made a fabulous fruitcake that everyone loved.

That wasn’t very nice, Loo Hoo… Bwhahahaha…!

fabulous fruitcake? isn’t that an oxymoron? (ducking)

I luv’s me some waffles…especially Pioneer brand…with bacon…and syrup…mmmmm…tomorrow is Sunday….Yeah!!!

ever had one the first year, when it’s still fresh?

Roast what? Depends.

I wish I were near, I’d love to come there!

But I made a fabulous fruitcake that everyone loved regifted.

*g*

OT: Water-boarding ‘would be torture’
from BBC World
US national intelligence chief Mike McConnell says water-boarding “would be torture” if he was subjected to it.

Chris, I love fruitcake, cut very thin, heated and spread with a little cream cheese, or drizzled with honey.

You’re damn right it is. I’m a twin — with one child (girl). My twin’s first one (boy) was born three weeks later. My girl is bright, active, involved with life (currently in law school). My nephew still lives in his university town, has just “a job” and his big excitement is whether he’s winning the fantasy football pool.

Wish I could say this phenomenon is just familial. However, have worked in professional grad school admissions for thirty + years and it’s tough out there to gender equalize our incoming classes.

We used to laugh when they were younger that Nintendo was Japan’s revenge on the US. Am beginning to believe that a bit. My kid never had her own TV much less any video game console … but then again, she accepted that was not a possibility. My nephew, although a good hearted fellow, still seems to be playing at life…..and video games.

hey margot – thanks for the funwalls

But this year’s fruitcake was FAB Suzanne, really… and I dragged it all over Pennsyvlania. And, it it gone.
See you at LLN.

Tangentially connected to sole sex education. I was told (by Koreans in Korea) that in S Korea it is (or was) true that almost all college grads were women because of the long mandatory military requirement for men. Men were over 30 before they were free to pursue their individual lives and then generally married and of necessity took jobs.

This info is over 10 years old, but may still be accurate. I’ve often wondered just how much that affected society and corporate structure. Anyone happen to know?

Mmmmm…that sounds good. I love those crazy English fruitcakes where they pour Brandy on it and leave it in a tin for about 10,000 years….wow…that is some goooood stuff.

Wow! Real connection.

Since the kids left, and my baking went from everynight to zero, I’m happy to present this offering. And, it was drenched in whisky.

every fruitcake i’ve ever had could have been used as a doorstop. maybe i shudda been looking for them crazy english ones

It’s the booze.

Kids are dropping out because of NCLB. Surprising as it may be for the admin. Not all kids are college material. If they could study drafting, construction, homemaking, metal shop, etc, kids wouldn’t drop out in nearly the numbers they do now. And our economy would be far healthier.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about..man that is gooooood!!

It’s more than NCLB because they are dropping out here too, and we don’t have NCLB.

I totally agree that not all kids are college material – and learning some practical skills and seeing applications of theory would help a lot of kids.

I’d go on, but I’m already EDUed

Loo Hoo, I’ve often wondered what happened to the trade highschools that were common years ago. Maybe it was thought to be unfair/discriminatory to put kids on tracks so young.. If I recall correctly, rather than jr highs in my old fashioned industrial city, they put the academically inclined into “prep” schools (maybe 8th and 9th grade), then moved them on to academic high schools.

I’m sure not advocating a system like that, but to the extent it was based on ability and interest, it makes some sense. Of course it assumes there are non-mcjobs for hs grads.

trade schools are so completely necessary.

The thing is that people underestimate the skills and intelligence required for learning a trade – it’s not just a place to dump the dim bulbs.

The hands-on approach to learning in a good trades program is good for a lot of people though.

We are experiencing a major shortage of skilled tradespeople, and it is going to get worse before it gets better.

Here we have a system called “career pathways” for 10th – 12th. In one of the programs, kids can take classes that will help them with EMT, pre-nursing, home health aide, or even pre-vet, pre-dental or pre-med. Lots of anatomy, health terminology, etc.

I don’t think that learning a trade vs. going to college is necessarily an IQ thing. Some people are just not willing to jump through continual hoops that it takes to graduate college. Pure and simple. Some just will not play the game.

I know many people with less than a AA degree that make 3 to 4 times the money I make. They just said fuckit.

We have similar programs in some schools – for instance you can get the first year of an apprenticeship program, or the preparation for other occupations. Not in all schools though.

Thers, As a veteran of the Vietnam era (I served my time in Germany) I am fortunate to be covered by the WWII benefits ( and I need them, some of you know my situation) I am absolutely pissed at what has been done to the current crop of veterans. I am sure it was done for simple reason that the right wing in this country has no interest in spending money on our returning soldiers and sailors who desperately need the care and services that should be afforded to them, I think that all of them deserve the same benefits I receive and then some.
I could go on and on ranting about how I feel about this sorry state of affairs. I do know some of what they are going through as I have friends and uncles who have been destroyed by the horrors of combat.
If there is anything I would wish for it would be that our candidates would make firm policy commitments to rectify this abhorrent situation. And maybe just maybe the firepups could help in some way, I am not sure what we can do but it would be nice to dedicate a couple of threads to brainstorming things we, as a community could come up with that might make a difference to these young men and women, so they might be able to somehow have a shot at a decent rest of their lives. I guess I am just sick and tired of what I have seen and read… I do remember how the Vietnam vets were treated upon their return and I don’t see much difference now , maybe in some ways it is worse!
And Thers please thank your wife her post, please tell her to keep up this vital work in behalf of the vets now returning. We must get these rightwing bastards out of office so that a progressive democratic majority can address the tragedy that has befallen them! Remember it is not just having your favorite candidate get into office, it is so we as a country can give the veterans the help they have so rightfully earned.

Mr. Doodle is in the trades. It is a good thing. You can’t really outsource electricians.

That depends on what is being taught! With a good balance of “the trade taught” and core subjects that must be mastered such as advanced math, science and civics it could be very to those who wish to learn a trade.

Electrical is good that way!

The kids also take 3 yrs of science and math, 4 yrs on English and history/geog/govt, 2 yrs of language, etc. Those requirements don’t change.

Then if that is not enough for todays world it needs to be updated. I went to a technical high school in Boston and that education has stood me in stead all these years. I graduated in 1965. We can’t let the kids down they are our future! Education cuts are just plain wrong! We here in California are looking at the governator decimating the education here!
He should be recalled just for calling for such drastic cuts! $ billion dollars and he refuses to raise taxes, what fucking kind of bullshit is that!

Yes, it’s not a matter of intelligence, but types of intelligence and aspirations. Maybe some think the jr colleges/voc schools fill the bill and everything taught in conventional hs classes is critical.

I might take issue with that, particularly if a significant portion of the class is disinterested. And I wonder if that didn’t just drag down some of the classes.

Betsy, what percentage of your kids go on to college?

Bush’s problem is that he gets too much fluffing…he’s in a constant state of non-reality fantasy…he believes he’s real.

Sadly, Obama and Clinton seem to be getting similar treatment. All this talk about sexism and racism just got under their skin and now they’re at each other’s throat.

The way past people like this, who require constant conflict and attention, is to simply vote for the best candidate for president, the best leader, John Edwards.

John Edwards for President — Leadership, not fantasy and fluffing