This is a private company enforcing its own standards of behavior. I thought right-wingers were all about letting the free market decide how to handle itself?

I think the distinction is that few people identify with a strictly "white culture," whereas other races have cultural features. Thus, it's more about culture than skin color. Since there's not necessarily a clear "white culture," I think it'd be a better comparison to create, say, scholarships for German Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, etc., where cultural features can be distinguished. "White Pride" I believe sounds racist, and rightfully so, but "German Pride" does not, even given the Nazis and their ilk. Of course, too much pride in something like race or nationality, features that you have no control over, is also a recipe for disaster, but I don't think a little bit hurts.

Seems there's been more years of discrimination against whites now then there were years of slavery...

#5 | Posted by reitze at 2013-05-15 06:40 PM |

Am I the only one to pick up on this nugget of overreactive hyperbole?

I usually see both sides of an argument here. It's rare for me to come across something so mind-numbingly stupid as the above statement.

They would most likely give Gosnell a medal there, too.

Yep. Because letting two people who are in love declare their commitment to each other and reap some legal benefits is totally on par with what that monster did. Statements like this is why people think pro-lifers and anti-gay marriage people are psychos.

As a religious person myself, I understand your religious objections, but rationally, we don't live in a theocracy. Religiously I'm very torn about homosexuality, but politically I have never been able to see an argument against gay marriage. If you take religion out of it, there's just no reason not to allow it. None.

There are so many things in that article that made my head spin:

First, what exactly DOES insect poop look like? I mean, every living thing poops (except for Catherine Zeta Jones), but to be able to recognize large insect poop in the middle of the night while clinging to a nearly vertical rock in the middle of shark-infested waters? That takes a special kind of scientist.

And then - to be an expert on insect breeding boggles the mind. I truly admire someone with enough knowledge to be able and willing to nurse something like that back to life.

Not to mention the fact that the last 24 of these things were found alive living in just one area under one bush for who knows how long.

And the fact that they pair off and spoon when they sleep? I got warm fuzzies!

Of course, when I started the article, I thought they were accidentally discovered by rock climbers in the middle of the night, and I was trying to imagine accidentally coming across a few of those things whilst clinging to that rock in the middle of the night. Can you imagine? You put your fingers over a precarious hold, feel something crawling across them, peek your head up to see that thing nestling against your hand? *shivers*

I think the word "actor" here is being used loosely. Actors know (or should know) that you never, never, never appear with a prop weapon outside of a tightly controlled environment. They're lucky nobody was killed.

I don't know whether to be depressed now or happy. Thanks DR and Zach for the deep conflicting emotions!

A really nice song and beautiful gesture, though. Very poignant and touching lyrics.

I can't believe there are people questioning the cops in this video. You can clearly see the guy get hit and then continue to try to aim his weapon at the police. At that point, I'd think the proper response would be to make sure he can't fire the weapon any more, however you'd need to do it.

My in-laws kiss on the lips - man to woman and woman to woman. I always felt weird about it, though, so I've refrained, but now I'm the weirdo who doesn't kiss anyone.

On my side of the family, my dad and his brother kiss their mother on the lips, but it seems to have stopped at that generation because after about fifth grade, I didn't kiss either of my parents on the lips anymore.

I kiss my son on the lips, but he's two. I haven't figured out at what point I should stop doing that, but I know I'm not there yet.

Mitt Romney was 2012's John Kerry. Has this occurred to nobody else? The alternative candidate so bad that a sub-par president gets re-elected? And both from Massachussetts, too! And the hair!? And fake tans!?!?! This stuff writes itself!

#7-
Shhhh.... you'll lose your conservative credibility....

;-)

taco bell is cheaper than a bullet and the meat is of equal quality as a squirell

If I was a squirrel, I'd be insulted.

#35 - Thank GOD. I can sleep easier now! ;-)

By the most recent data, the average white family had about $632,000 in wealth

Well, THAT'S depressing. Looks like I've been slacking quite a bit.

My grandmother told me that her grandparents forbade her then young mother to speak German in the house after they emigrated from the Old World -- even though the parents barely spoke English. The kids grew up not knowing German, but spoke perfect English and became very successful and productive citizens.

I love stories like these. My own grandparents were in a different situation. My paternal grandparents were both fluent in German (my understanding is that they were fluent in different dialects, which is also interesting to me - apparently they'd speak German around the house, but it wasn't always easy because of the dialects) despite having been born in the US. I don't think my grandmother received education beyond 8th grade, but my grandfather worked his way through school to a doctorate degree and taught at every level of school except kindergarten. He was supported by his family at home who were building bridges in Nebraska during the Depression to help pay for his schooling. At any rate, you can see there that bilingualism and "American" values were both celebrated, not one to the exclusion of the other.

My maternal grandparents were a different story. My mother tells me that her mother, when she was little, had her grandmother living with them. The grandmother had come over from Germany. Every time my grandmother would sit down to start working on English homework or to practice the piano, her grandmother would dump out water which would require my grandmother to stop what she was doing to fetch more from the well. I may have the details wrong, but you can see the gist of it - Great great grandmother Dylanfan was not too keen on English or music education for little girls. And yet within a generation, everyone seemed to be functioning pretty normally.

Sadly, when you spend all your time teaching kids that gay is O.K. or confiscating gun shaped pop tarts what do you expect.

You mean I'm NOT supposed to be turning kids gay? There goes everything I learned in teacher school!

Yes, but at least some of the blame goes to the general political environment of that time period. It's one of the primary reasons, I think, why I find myself on the left side of the aisle today. Dissent is patriotic.

The only education class that I used ANYTHING of were MACHINES

As a performing arts teacher, I'm not surprised you feel that way. I know that when I teach theatre or work with my theatre kids, I basically use what I learned in my theatre classes, NOT my education classes. In my undergrad theatre work, most of my classes were geared for professional training, and that's helped me immensely in my theatre work.

In my English work, however, I can tell you that my approach to material and to students has been influenced greatly by the discussions and reading I did in my Masters program. I don't remember enough about my undergrad education classes to be able to comment there, but at least some of my classes ABOUT teaching were useful. Not all, granted, but I think it takes more to be an excellent teacher than content-area knowledge. At least in the core academic areas.

Again, though, I think performing arts take a slightly different tack because of the nature of the beast - it's basically product and skill oriented, and as you go through music or theatre training, you see what methods are useful in developing a quality product or skill in someone.

#20-22

I love watching you guys go back and forth on here. You both provide excellent food for thought, and although you seldom agree, you are both almost always civil. Almost always. ;-) It's refreshing.

They don't even teach cursive or proper letter writing any more.

That is one thing that bothers me. The argument is that it's useless in a digital age, but I can't tell you how many students I have come in who simply make letters incorrectly. Their handwriting looks like an elementary school student's. A common example would be that the Os close at the bottom and not the top. It's appalling.

The theme from Parenthood. Naturally. :-)

Thanks Prag. I'd agree about the misplaced emphasis on testing. Unfortunately, that's nothing new, and it certainly isn't the fault of CCSS - although they also don't do anything to step back from it.

You don't make a pig fatter by weighing it more often.

I also love this!

I haven't looked at CCSS across all grade levels, but I can tell you that in Wisconsin, CCSS is a kick in the rear. As a state, we're about two grade levels behind the level of work that CCSS requires. It's not a dumbing down - it's a ratcheting up, for us.

Frankly, I think it's a good thing. There have ALWAYS been standards in education, at least in Wisconsin. Everything I've taught has always had to adhere to the state standards. CCSS simply replaces those. The methodology is another question entirely, but as far as I know, CCSS doesn't itself require any certain methodology.

Furthermore, from my understanding, the only standards that are "finished" at this point are those for math and language arts. They're still working on social studies and science, but those are due to be rolled out in another year. I think.

It all boils down to this, from my perspective: if you're angry about CCSS, you either don't understand it, or you do understand it and think it's too rigorous.

Again, this is all based off my own DIRECT EXPERIENCE working with these standards, trying to prepare to implement them next year, etc.

Less than 30% of the Union Members are paying them now.

As a former member of the union, let me fill you in on why I stopped paying dues. There were two reasons, and neither of them are because I support Scott Walker:

1-Our school board failed to give us a contract for the three years leading up to Act 10. During that time, not once did WEAC step in to try to force arbitration. Because of this, when Act 10 hit, we were in an extra squishy position regarding our salaries, step increases, etc.

2-After Act 10 was passed, my pay was cut in the vicinity of $300/mo (up to $500/mo if you look at the raises we would have had if there had been contracts signed for the years we went without or if our pay hadn't been frozen in the years since Act 10). Quite simply, I couldn't afford the $60/mo. in union dues. But really, I think that was part of the plan all along. "Let's make it so they can't AFFORD to be in the union, and then it'll look like they don't WANT to be!!"

Again, let me be clear - NEITHER reason has ANYTHING to do with support for Scott Walker.

I think his handling of the politics in WI left much to be desired.

THANK YOU.

That's all I'm saying.

Actually, that's not all I'm saying - but it's a start. ;-)