I'm doing fine, thank you.

Raspberry Scone

2012-01-16T10:11:00.001-09:00

I just uploaded a video of myself eating a raspberry scone and saw Greg Walloch talking about the way he feels when he's about to eat cake. This.

Church of Know No God.

2012-01-15T01:02:00.003-09:00

I just started a new church here on the internet. It's called the Church of Know No God. If you already trademarked the name or whatever, sorry about that. I searched the internet and didn't find any matches for "Church of Know No God." so I call due diligence in my research.

The Church of Know No God is going to apply for tax-free status under the applicable provisions of Anchorage and Federal laws. I dunno what the heck that means, so I guess that requires more due diligence research for me.

I'll be following the tax law as it's written. Unless I need to write new laws to support my tax-free status. Churches apparently do that as part of their mission in Anchorage. It's true according to this statement by ADN.

In 2006, ... the Anchorage Baptist Temple lobbied the Alaska Legislature to change the law so more of its two-dozen-plus church-owned staff houses would be exempt from taxes ...

Thanks to ratfishtim for his enlightening comment on the tax benefits of becoming ordained. The Church of Know No God wouldn't be here without your incisive wit. I repost here for posterity:

Anyhow folks, this is the real deal. Church of Know No God will hold services on the internet. All you have to do is upload and link to to a video of yourself eating cake. Thanks.

The Church of Know No God will meet here in an effort to live tax free! And eat cake.

I got ordained for this and everything.

What are the Federal Government Sources of Revenue?

2011-10-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

The Tax Policy Center breaks it down. I especially liked looking at the trends in revenue sources over time from 1950 - 2008.

Government Revenue

2011-10-04T16:36:00.002-08:00

I just found a cool website. Lots of good tables and graphs. You can make your own tables and charts for government revenue all the way back to 1792.

http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/

And here's a neat fact I discovered: Only 53% of federal revenue comes from income tax. When you figure in state and local revenue, income taxes only account for one-third of the total.

The due-process-free assassination of U.S. citizens is now reality - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

2011-10-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

The due-process-free assassination of U.S. citizens is now reality - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com What happened to trial by jury?

Matt Damon’s clear-headed speech to teachers rally - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

2011-08-10T22:58:00.001-08:00

You can read the full text of the speech and the video here. Welcome back to work teachers! Matt Damon’s clear-headed speech to teachers rally - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Government is in the business of helping everyone, not just poor folks

2011-07-10T23:51:00.001-08:00

Half of Americans Getting Government Aid Swear They've Never Used Government Programs according to some research uncovered by GOOD. Matthew Lesko is probably reading this article right now... And thinking, "WTF! Half of America still hasn't bought one of my books?"

Short Rest Makes Short Temper

2011-07-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

This sounds like something from Poor Richard's Almanac but the quote doesn't show up in my searches. Did I make it up, or what? Anyway, it seems to fit my mood today.

Names of 10 Firework Effects

2011-07-03T23:47:00.001-08:00

I didn't know the name until today, but my favorite firework is called the Fish. You can see 9 others at the link below.

mental_floss Blog » The Quick 10: The Names of 10 Fireworks Effects

Unbalanced... The Beginnings of Fox News

2011-07-01T18:45:00.001-08:00

I really enjoyed reading the history of how Roger Ailes created a propaganda machine. He worked for decades to promote the Republican Party before hitting on a winning formula with Fox News in 1996.

Though it died in 1975, TVN was obviously an early trial run for the powerhouse Fox News would become. The ideas were the same - to route Republican-friendly stories around the gatekeepers at the network news divisions. In Nixon's day, the only way to do that was to pump stories directly to local stations. By 1996, cable television offered a much more powerful alternative. And the whole project began - on the taxpayer's dime - in the White House under the direction of a Watergate felon.

http://gawker.com/5814150/roger-ailes-secret-nixon+era-blueprint-for-fox-news

I'm NOT doing this on July 4th.

2011-07-01T14:46:00.001-08:00

No Comment: iPad vs 300 Black Cats | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

War is expensive, part 2.

2011-06-29T08:07:00.001-08:00

U.S. cost of war at least $3.7 trillion and counting | Reuters

For every person killed on September 11, another 73 have been killed since.

Astounding... I think it's fair to say America has overreacted a little bit. That is only a rough (low) estimate since the Pentagon doesn't make official death toll announcements for Afghan and Iraqi civilians. Or indirect dying as a result of PTSD, illness, or other trauma.

The report underlines the extent to which war will continue to stretch the U.S. federal budget, which is already on an unsustainable course due to an aging American population and skyrocketing healthcare costs.

Again, 3.7 trillion is given as a conservative estimate. That will go higher if America doesn't get out of the war business. It is time to reevaluate our priorities and end the culture of armed conflict.

Mind Your Manners with Mimi

2011-06-28T11:46:00.001-08:00

YouTube - ‪BOBSMOKETV's Channel‬‏

This lady is great! I say give her a YouTube Channel and a series of video blogs. Add some internet buzz and you'll get a Mimi meme.

War is expensive.

2011-06-27T15:48:00.003-08:00

Among The Costs Of War: $20B In Air Conditioning : NPR

The amount the U.S. military spends annually on air conditioning in Iraq and Afghanistan: $20.2 billion.

That's more than NASA's budget. It's more than BP has paid so far for damage during the Gulf oil spill. It's what the G-8 has pledged to help foster new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia.

I hope more congressmen begin to see our 21st century wars as Sen. Manchin does:

When you have this many people in a country that doesn't want you there — that has no economy, no infrastructure and a corrupt government — and you're trying to stabilize it and build them into a viable nation? I'm not sure we have enough time, and I definitely know we don't have enough money.

America is still spending money for war operations in Afghanistan and Iraq but politicians won't increase revenue from taxes. That leads to national debt and that, in turn, is hamstringing our national economic recovery efforts.

Politicians make this so complicated... but it is simple. When governments fight wars, they have to pay the bill by increasing taxes. America had huge national fundraising drives during WWI and WWII and the premise is still true today. Tea party folks seem to forget that.

And nearly all 21st century politicians are beholden to poll numbers, lobbyists, and MSNBC/Fox viewers. It's never easy to tell Americans, "sacrifice your standard of living", but that is exactly what we need to do in order to pay our debts.

Please understand that I do not support war in Afghanistan or Iraq and would love to bring every American soldier home tomorrow. But those are already sunk costs and it makes no sense to continue piling up national debt.

In order to buy bullets, we need to bite one and raise tax revenue.

Gravity is just a theory, after all.

2011-06-26T16:45:00.001-08:00

This is one story which gets even funnier in the re-mix.

Friendly Atheist » Should Gravity Be Taught in Public Schools?

An argument for lowering the voting age

2011-06-24T16:51:00.006-08:00

Why should holding office be for old people only? - War Room - Salon.com

The U.S. Constitution sets strict age requirements for election into federal office -- 25 for the House, 30 for the Senate, and 35 for the presidency. Most Americans probably take these age minimums for granted and don’t think twice about them. But they actually represent an antiquated, imprudent and even pernicious form of state-sanctioned discrimination -- one that undermines our democratic republic more than you may realize.

Here's my summary of John Seery's argument:
1. Many other countries allow young people to run for office and they bring a unique perspective to election debates.
2. Other fields (sports, business) have great young professionals, therefore there may be some great young politicians that are not allowed to participate due to age requirements.
3. There exists a generational gap between Americans and their elected officials.
4. Young people are disenfranchised because they can vote for, but not serve as, elected officials.
Those are convincing arguments and surely debate worthy. I would love to have some real facts, though. Canadians may have elected six University students to Parliament, but have they done any good work? Do young elected officials produce better legislation? Are there any studies to find out whether lowering the age of candidacy would spur more young people to seek office?
And are there any studies to the contrary? Since "good judgement" is correlated with prefrontal cortex development, couldn't we say that elected officials over age 25 are better for our country?

Spend money wisely.

2011-06-24T16:51:00.004-08:00

There are some good comments at YouTube, here is my favorite.

Barking Cat

2011-06-24T11:00:00.004-08:00

Governor Parnell doesn't know a good thing when he sees it.

2011-06-22T16:59:00.003-08:00

Parnell still says he is going to cut the budget by $400 million. I wish he'd give up the heavy-handed threats. Alaska just went through a costly special session in May, partly because Governor Parnell threatened to veto capital spending projects for districts who opposed him.

Of course, I would like more education and social service funding, but this is the best budget our legislature could craft. Governor Parnell, do you really think your judgement is that much better than the collective wisdom of our House and Senate?

Oh, and Parnell... if you are so concerned about balancing the budget and maintaining our $11 billion budget reserve, stop trying to reduce our revenue with your flip-flopping 2 billion dollar-a-year tax cuts. Go ahead and sign the budget already!

Please don't baptize me after I'm dead.

2011-06-21T11:13:00.002-08:00

Here is a funny list of Famous Dead Mormons. I don't want to be one.

"I'm sort of a logical person..."

2011-06-20T15:44:00.001-08:00

James Verone has no job and no health insurance, so he decided to get arrested. He wants the government to pay for 3 years of medical care, food, and shelter.

Given that our taxes are paying for his medical care, shouldn't we demand a cheaper and better alternative for James?

Man robbed bank for $1 to cover jail health care | 9news.com

This Pretty Much Sums Up The Midterm Elections

2010-11-07T20:53:00.003-09:00

Via Davezilla.

Imagine If All Atheists Left America

2010-08-21T21:13:00.001-08:00

Personal goals - keep them to yourself?

2009-12-03T22:22:00.003-09:00

I read a shocking article in Newsweek via mental_floss today.

Announcing life goals publicly may have an adverse psychological effect on whether you actually achieve your goal.

According to the scientific study, it is good to have goals... but even better if you keep your goals to yourself. Keep that in mind when you start on you New Year's Resolution list.

So are we doing students a psychological disservice by encouraging them to make public announcements of their academic goals? (e.g., when students say, "I am going to graduate!" and then begin to slack off.)

More importantly, how do we create a psychologically effective sense of urgency and determination to accomplish their goal?

Or does a psychological study of adult behavior not apply to at-risk teenagers?

All work and no play...

2009-01-27T17:16:00.001-09:00

Daily School Recess Improves Classroom Behavior

School children who receive more recess behave better and are likely to learn more, according to a large study of third-graders conducted by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

TJ and the gang knew this 10 years ago.

Strategies for keeping students in school

2009-01-21T13:33:00.000-09:00

Staying Power: How to End the Dropout Crisis | Edutopia

This year, an estimated 1.25 million kids will leave school without earning a high school diploma -- that's approximately 7,000 students every day of the academic year.

Some strategies mentioned in this article include:
Engage and Partner with Parents
Cultivate Relationships
Pay Attention to Warning Signs
Make Learning Relevant
Raise the Academic Bar
Small Schools
Rethink Schedules
Develop a Community Plan
Invest in Preschool
Adopt a Student-Centered Funding Model

Are you going to school?

2009-01-20T18:17:00.000-09:00

Afghan Girls, Scarred by Acid, Defy Terror, Embracing School - NYTimes.com

“My parents told me to keep coming to school even if I am killed,” said Shamsia, 17, in a moment after class.

1,300 Afghan girls are going to school despite having been burned with acid. Despite the lack of regular electricity. Despite the lack of running water or paved streets. Despite living in a culture that does not provide for the education of women. The parents of these girls want them to get an education despite the constant threat of violence or murder.

Are your kids going to school?

Tragicle.

2009-01-19T06:58:00.002-09:00

Via Pharyngula: Edward Current must be a highly trained theologian

8 years of 'oops'

2009-01-16T05:56:00.001-09:00

So Long Worst President Ever; 10 Reasons History Will Hang You | | AlterNet

Bernie Horn takes out his Bush-Bashing stick one last time:

So, congratulations for being the worst president in American history.
That's not just my personal opinion; that's the opinion of 109
historians polled by the History News Network. Fully 61 percent ranked Bush as the "worst ever;" 98 percent labeled his presidency a "failure." And this poll, taken in early 2008, predated the cataclysmic housing and banking crashes. Bye-bye W -- history will not be kind.

Palin pwned by the ADN

2009-01-15T15:35:00.003-09:00

Cost of Sarah Palin writing a letter to the Anchorage Daily News Editors, regarding "false reports" that were "pursued and/or published": $0

ADN editor Pat Dougherty's response: $priceless

You can find the full text of the Palin-ADN email exchange at adn.com. Here are some of the best parts:

Did you really allow a story to run in your paper today claiming Levi Johnston is a high school drop out?

Your question today is the first suggestion I've heard that this fact might be in error.

Should I infer from your question that Levi did not drop out of school and will graduate with his class? If so, we will be happy to publish our own correction of the AP story. I think you would also want to contact the AP and ask them to issue a correction as well. Their story was distributed nationally and internationally.

(Paragraph written after this message was otherwise finished.) Literally just this minute I see an AP story, quoting you, saying that Levi has enrolled in correspondence classes. There's not much detail in the story about what he's doing and when he started his correspondence work. Does that mean today's story should have said something like: Johnston dropped out of school last fall but has since started taking correspondence classes?
---

Did you really print a story last week suggesting I had any connection with Sherry Johnston's activities in the past six months or so and you won't correct the story?

Because we checked the trooper's statement in the affidavit with the Secret Service, we didn't make the mistake of treating it as fact. I don't see that anything we reported was incorrect.

Do you read this differently, or am I missing something?

I would also remind you that we called the governor's office for comment about the Johnston arrest. Your spokesman declined to make any comment on the matter. He could have clarified your relationship and/or interactions with Ms. Johnston, but elected not to.
---

And is your paper really still pursuing the sensational lie that I am not Trig's mother? Is it true you have a reporter still bothering my state office, my very busy doctor (who's already set the record straight for you), and the school district, in pursuit of your ridiculous conspiracy?

Yes, it's true.

You may have been too busy with the campaign to notice, but the Daily News has, from the beginning, dismissed the conspiracy theories about Trig's birth as nonsense. I don't believe we have ever published in the newspaper a story, a letter, a column or anything alleging a coverup about your maternity.
---

And, oh, I could go on . . .

Governor, I would encourage you to go on. I cannot address your concerns if I do not hear them. Perhaps after reading this you will conclude that the facts are not exactly as you thought, or that there was more to these issues than you knew.

And I'm sure naughty British teens grow up to get arrested at footie matches

2009-01-14T12:43:00.001-09:00

Behavioral Difficulties At School May Lead To Lifelong Health And Social Problems

They show that the participants with severe or mild conduct problems in adolescence were more likely to leave school with no qualifications and go on to suffer a number of problems in adulthood including depression and anxiety, divorce, teenage pregnancy, and financial problems that continued throughout adult life.

Now blogging on a Windows lappie

2008-12-14T10:05:00.003-09:00

I looked at the MSI Wind and Asus 1000 with every intention of installing OSX. But in the end, I decided to go for a full-size craptop and install Ubuntu Linux. But now... after running Vista for a few weeks... I am no longer interested in my Ubuntu partition! How did this happen???

It all started about a month ago. When my MacBook display had a high-speed collision with the living room floor. Now blackie is hooked up to life support (a 19" monitor for use at work).

Then the Walmart sold me a Compaq for $299. And Best Buy offered an identical HP G50(though upgraded with Intel core 2 duo) for $279. The last deal even included a free printer. Thanks Black Friday.

I customized the HP and used PING to restore everything onto the Compaq. Now I have a matched set for me and the missus. And a funny thing happened... I decided that I like Vista better than Ubuntu.

Occasionally, I get serious Unix withdrawals but the Vista UI is more polished and friendly than Ubuntu. Of course I still use Mozilla & Open Office software and that made the Vista transition easier. And I can't imagine what I'd do without Launchy and Rocketdock.

Movie clips too violent for school?

2008-12-03T07:12:00.000-09:00

I have shown parts of R-rated films in class but have never ventured to show a full-length "R" movie. Is that common sense or just a prudish overreaction to sex, foul-language, and violence?

/really hoping I'm not a prude

Elmbrook schools consider restrictions on R-rated films in classrooms - JSOnline

A Brookfield East High School history teacher's notice to parents that he might show clips or full lengths of those R-rated films - as well as "Glory" and "Mississippi Burning" - has drawn protests from two families who say R-rated movies have no place in school.

Teens getting dumber?

2008-11-23T07:48:00.000-09:00

It's official - Teens are getting dumber - ParentDish

The study reviewed test scores of 800 thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds and compared them with similar tests of teens from 1976, a generation ago. The results? In one test, only one in ten of the current teens tested with top scores, down from one in four twenty years ago. In another, only one in twenty reached the top score compared to one in five from the 1976 batch. Professor Michael Shayer, who lead the study, believes the educational focus on testing (rather than learning) is at least partially to blame. Focusing on testing leaves little time for teaching development skills such as those required in the tests that were part of the study.

Primarily, however, Shayer believes that television and video games are responsible for the decline. Participating in these "non" activities leads to a lack of being involved in other things such as playing with gadgets and tools which develop higher level thinking. The UK education system has responded that measures were being taken to "ease the burden" of testing. According to the article in the Mail Online, the UK government had also scrapped the SATs for fourteen-year-olds.

Still need a majority to win...

2008-11-19T07:26:00.000-09:00

Forget Red vs. Blue -- It's the Educated vs. People Easily Fooled by Propaganda | Media and Technology | AlterNet

Millions of Americans live in a non-reality-based belief system informed by childish clichés - they can barely differentiate between lies and truth.

Rhee on unions

2008-11-13T15:34:00.001-09:00

New York Times: A School Chief Takes On Tenure, Stirring a Fight

Tenure is the holy grail of teacher unions,” she said, “but has no educational value for kids; it only benefits adults. If we can put veteran teachers who have tenure in a position where they don’t have it, that would help us to radically increase our teacher quality. And maybe other districts would try it, too.

Time for the U.S. to wage a unilateral war on world hunger

2008-11-10T07:10:00.001-09:00

ecosalon :: the green gathering :: Could Just 4 of the Wall Street Bailout End World Hunger

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that it would only take $30 billion a year to launch the necessary agricultural programs to completely solve global food insecurity. (Severe hunger afflicts 862 million people annually.)

$30 billion sounds like a lot of money, but considering we've just bailed out Wall Street to the tune of nearly a trillion, it's trifling. After I did a little digging, all I could think was...really? $30 billion is all we need to end world hunger? That's it? I thought such a major goal would require some unreachable, vast sum. Here are six things I learned we're doing with that money instead.

Pregant? Put down the coffee and soda pop.

2008-11-03T07:08:00.002-09:00

Even a little caffeine may harm fetus, study finds | Reuters

Women who drank one to two cups of coffee daily, or between 100-199 milligrams, had a 20 percent increased risk of having a baby of low birth weight, the study found. This was compared to women who consumed less than 100 milligrams daily.

Record high temperatures in my backyard

2008-10-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Arctic temperatures at record highs, report says - USATODAY.com

"Changes in the Arctic show a domino effect from multiple causes more clearly than in other regions," said James Overland, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle. "It's a sensitive system and often reflects changes in relatively fast and dramatic ways."

University Pay Scales

2008-10-21T07:21:00.003-08:00

Evolving Thoughts: This is a disgrace

Fish in a barrel

2008-10-19T12:57:00.001-08:00

Friedman: Palin's kind of patriotism - International Herald Tribune

Criticizing Sarah Palin is truly shooting fish in a barrel. But given the huge attention she is getting, you can't just ignore what she has to say. And there was one thing she said in the debate with Joe Biden that really sticks in my craw. It was when she turned to Biden and declared: "You recently said paying taxes is patriotic. In middle-class America, where I have been all my life, that is not considered patriotic."

Sleeping in

2008-10-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

Should kids sleep in parents' bed? - ParentDish

Having kids in the bed disrupts our sleep and God knows that parents with five kids need their sleep. On the other hand, we know that this stage is limited (our nine year-old no longer comes to our bed at night ) and that we will one day pine for the days when our kids loved to crawl in our bed and cuddle.

Free internet - nationwide!

2008-10-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

FCC Clears Free National Internet Plan | Epicenter from Wired.com

The FCC plans to auction off a chunk of airwaves to a carrier who will set aside some of the space for free national Internet access. The costs will be offset by advertising and a subscription-based plan for consumers willing to pay for faster access.
...
The decision is a blow to the telecoms, as the FCC could begin
auctioning off the airwaves as soon as the first quarter of 2009. The
proposed network would have to reach 50 percent of the U.S. population
in four years and 95 percent within a decade.

Mammalian diversity declining

2008-10-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

1 in 4 mammals faces extinction, scientists say - USATODAY.com

The report due Friday in the journal Science says that of the world's 5,487 mammal species, at least one in four land species and one in three marine species face extinction in the foreseeable future.

To do: buy myself a pay raise

2008-10-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

In Most School Districts, the Doctor Is in Charge, but Some Question Degree

Nationally, the percentage of superintendents who hold an education-related PhD or the education doctorate known as an EdD rose from 36 percent in 1992 to about 51 percent in 2006, according to the American Association of School Administrators. An exception to this trend in the Washington area is D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, who holds a master's degree in public policy.

Superintendents and many academics say the doctoral programs teach vital management and statistical skills while providing an intellectual challenge. But critics say the programs mostly provide financial rewards -- for the universities that collect tuition and for educators who pick up a credential that helps them earn a higher salary and a "doctor" title.

Oh noes! I can't haz a spelling test!?

2008-10-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

Learning spelling lists too 'distressing' for kids: UK school - World

"We have taken the decision to stop spelling as homework as it is felt that although children may learn them perfectly at home they are often unable to use them in their daily written work.

"Also many children find this activity unnecessarily distressing."

Internet use is OK during Australian exams

2008-10-13T17:56:00.000-08:00

Top News - Digital debate: Prepare kids for exams or life?

Students at Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC), a private girls' school in Sydney, Australia, are participating in a pilot project in which they can use cell phones, the internet, and can even call a friend or relative to help them with an exam question.

Learning environments make a difference in math

2008-10-10T07:37:00.001-08:00

Girls love math, too! Please be sure to praise them for it.

A recent report

... found that while girls can be just as talented as boys at mathematics, some are driven from the field because they are teased, ostracized or simply neglected.

Buzz, Buzz.

2008-10-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

Bees Can Count - Yahoo! News

Honeybees are clever little creatures. They can form abstract concepts, such as symmetry versus asymmetry, and they use symbolic language - the celebrated waggle dance - to direct their hivemates to flower patches. New reports suggest that they can also communicate across species, and can count - up to a point.

Blu-Ray? How about Bug-Ray?

2008-09-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

News in Science - DVD uses bug protein to store data - 07/07/2006

DVDs coated with a layer of protein could one day hold so much information that storing data on your computer hard drive will be obsolete, says a US-based researcher.

An entire generation will have no frame of reference for Dan Aykroyd's character in Trading Places

2008-09-29T13:40:00.002-08:00

Starting a New Era at Goldman and Morgan - NYTimes.com

The transformation of Wall Street picked up pace on Monday as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, the last big independent investment banks, moved to restructure into larger, less risk-taking organizations that will be subject to far greater regulation by the Federal Reserve.

No purses in class.

2008-09-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

Indiana school bans purses in the classroom - ParentDish

In an effort to keep kids as safe as possible, many schools have banned backpacks in the classroom, forcing students to keep them in their lockers instead. But an Indiana high school is taking that idea one step further, telling female students that they can't carry their purses either. And that new rule has girls and parents alike upset.

Dropout statistics

2008-09-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

Visit LeaderTalk: Dropped Out or Pushed Out? to get the citation sources for each statistic.

Every nine seconds a student becomes a drop-out [1].

Of those who graduate from high school, the completion rate is 72% for females and 64% for males [2].

Among ethnic groups: African-Americans have a 50% graduation rate; Latinos - 53%; Asian/Pacific Islanders - 77%; and Whites - 75% [3].

Students from low-income families drop-out at six times the rate of higher-income families [4].

75% of inmates in state prisons are drop-outs. 59% of inmates in Federal prisons are drop-outs [5].

55% of drop-outs are employed [6].

The U.S. death rate for people with less than 12 years of education is 2.5 times higher than those with 13 or more years of education [7].

The cost to the public for crime and welfare involving drop-outs is $24 BILLION annually [8].

There are 3.5 million drop-outs between the ages of 16 - 25 [9].

Total combined loss of income and taxes in one year due to drop-outs equals $192 BILLION (1.6% of the Gross Domestic Product) [10].

Arguments about our pluralistic attempt to educate all children notwithstanding - graduations rates around the world include the following: Denmark - 96%; Japan - 93%; Poland - 92%; Italy 79%; and the U.S. - 70% [11].

Smithsonian online coming soon - cool!

2008-09-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

Smithsonian will digitize its full collection - USATODAY.com

The Smithsonian Institution will work to digitize its collections to make science, history and cultural artifacts accessible online and dramatically expand its outreach to schools, the museum complex's new chief said Monday.

Methane - 20 times more potent than CO2

2008-09-24T07:11:00.001-08:00

Melting Arctic Permafrost Is Releasing a Global Warming Timebomb | Environment | AlterNet

The first evidence that millions of tons of a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere from beneath the Arctic seabed has been discovered by scientists.

Tax Plans: Obama vs. McCain

2008-09-15T16:56:00.005-08:00

Take a look at the graphics below and notice the differences at the top and bottom income levels.

At first glance, you see that the Obama plan benefits the most Americans. The number of taxpayers who get a tax break is greatest with the Obama plan.

On the other hand, McCain proposes huge tax breaks for the wealthy. This is just more of the same Republican trickle-down economics which led to skyrocketing national deficits and failed to balance the budget in the Reagan and Bush administrations.

McCain (net worth 21-45 million) gives ultra-rich folks the greatest tax breaks while cutting taxes on the poorest Americans by less than one-fifth of one percent. Obama (net worth less than 1 million) only raises taxes on folks who make over $600,000 per year.

Are you reading my blog and making over 600K? If so, that puts you in the top 1% of American taxpayers!!! You top 1% have been getting huge tax breaks for years and Obama's plan simply asks you to pay your fair share.

Are you reading my blog and making less than $110,000 per year? Probably, because that is well over 60% of American taxpayers. You will get more tax relief with Obama's plan.

Don't be distracted by campaign rhetoric, the numbers are clear. Obama has the only rational tax plan to stimulate our economy and balance the budget.

TaxProf Blog: Comparison of the McCain and Obama Tax Plans

The Obama tax plan would make the tax system significantly more progressive by providing large tax breaks to those at the bottom of the income scale and raising taxes significantly on upper-income earners. The McCain tax plan would make the tax system more regressive, even compared with a system in which the 2001–06 tax cuts are made permanent.

The Washington Post ran a story using this data and published this chart:

And CNN breaks it down this way:

McCain: The average taxpayer in every income group would see a lower tax bill, but high-income taxpayers would benefit more than everyone else.

Obama: High-income taxpayers would pay more in taxes, while everyone else's tax bill would be reduced. Those who benefit the most - in terms of reducing their taxes as a percentage of after-tax income - are in the lowest income groups.

Sarah Palin and Charlie Gibson, a triumph of ignorance!

2008-09-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

Op-Ed Columnist - She’s Not Ready - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

While watching the Sarah Palin interview with Charlie Gibson Thursday night, and the coverage of the Palin phenomenon in general, I’ve gotten the scary feeling, for the first time in my life, that dimwittedness is not just on the march in the U.S., but that it might actually prevail.

Accountability and learning goals

2008-09-13T15:26:00.002-08:00

Teachers must communicate the learning objectives every day. This includes the big ideas and essential questions as well as daily objectives.

My focus on prepping students for Alaska's graduation exam in mathematics is identifying and targeting their areas of need. For the bulk of individualized instruction, I am using Carnegie's Cognitive Tutor (Pre-Algebra) on computers. Several students use consumable workbooks instead of the computer math program.

This year, I've also incorporated a daily skill lesson focused on computation and solving word-problems. My skill lessons follow the Video Tutor series: students work the problems and then watch the video to see the step-by-step solution.

This routine is working well so far for most of my students. But I struggle to identify daily objectives for each student because they are all working on a variety of concepts.

My routine includes stating the Video Tutor objective but falls short of the mark when it comes to the individualized instruction goals. I try to state the learning objectives as I circulate through the class and provide assistance.

I'll be honest... stating individual learning objectives 50 times per day is wearing me out. I need to be more consistent and diligent about getting to every student, every day. Every day.

Kevin Riley has a few thoughts on how to help students "color in the
dots". His post caught my attention because his school sounds at least as 'alternative' as mine. And I gotta' give some love to an administrator who knows that quality instruction starts with clearly stated objectives.

LeaderTalk: PUZZLE FIT THE THE PIECES...OF TOGETHER

So Internal accountability, at least for my school, requires this:

• Virtually every student, every teacher, every parent must be able to articulate the essential, non-negotiable standards and competencies that must be mastered in order to perform 'at grade level' in May;
• The formative data from MAPS must be clearly understood by each student so that they know exactly where they are along the continuum of mastery as the year goes on-- and even more importantly-- so that they know what they need from their teacher ( the very definition of engaged, independent, self-reflective students!)
• Every lesson must be tightly designed so that children always know the purpose and learning goals for that lesson;
• Every lesson must feature research-based instructional strategies that simultaneously target and differentiate for every learner... at whatever level they may be along the continuum (see: Gradual Release of Responsibility!!!);
• Teachers must be able to use all evidence available-- MAPS data, student work samples, etc. -- to make strategic and on-going adjustments for each child.

Lies, Myths and Flip-Flops

2008-09-12T16:37:00.001-08:00

McCain and Palin's Top 20 Lies, Myths and Flip-Flops | | AlterNet

here is a quick, short and cited list of the top 20 lies, myths and flip-flops that have come from the McCain/ Palin ticket so far

Conventional discourse

2008-09-06T18:16:00.001-08:00

Words They Used - 2008 Political Conventions - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com
This is interesting. Challengers usually point out the mistakes of the incumbent party so you would expect to see some talk of Bush/McCain/Iraq by the Democrats. Similarly, you wouldn't expect Republicans to associate themselves with such an unpopular president and his failed foreign policy.

What surprised me is that Republicans have so thoroughly distanced themselves from using the words 'health care', 'jobs', 'energy' and 'economy'. I mean, wow...

Sarah Palin is not a scientist. Not even close.

2008-08-31T07:10:00.003-08:00

I don't want Sarah Palin making policy on scientific research. Or casting the tie-breaking Senate vote on environmental issues.

Heck, I wouldn't even want her teaching my kids first-grade science class.

Reason #1 (via Newsmax)

Newsmax: What is your take on global warming and how is it affecting our country?

Palin: A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.

Palin thinks global warming is not man-made. WTF?! That is simply ignorant.

No scientist will debate that humans have caused rising carbon-dioxide levels and therefore increased mean annual temperatures worldwide. It is simply a fact.

I can only assume that she is clinging to the Bush doctrine (More Oil = Good Policy) because it is politically expedient in Alaska.

Or else she needs to have serious environmental conversation with someone - anyone - at the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute.

Governor, if you are reading this, go ahead and email any professor at your state university. I guarantee it will be illuminating.

Reason #2 (via adn.com)

Republican Sarah Palin said she thinks creationism should be taught alongside evolution in the state's public classrooms.

Palin was answering a question from the moderator near the conclusion of Wednesday night's televised debate on KAKM Channel 7 when she said, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."

So my Governor and Republican VP candidate thinks creationism deserves a place in my classroom. Umm, well... got an ethical problem here, boss. I would never present any mythological version of creation as a scientific fact.

To be fair, Palin does not advocate creationism as a mandated part of our state science curriculum. She "only" wants to allow the debate in the classroom.

So we can fairly say that she is not an off-the-wall-lunatic. She is "only" a scientifically-misinformed individual who is capable of pandering to religious voters.

Somehow, that doesn't make me feel much better.

When cheerleading is not okay at school.

2008-08-30T12:54:00.002-08:00

Some schools are banning cartwheels and others take issue with the short skirts.

I can only imagine what my daughter would say...

I can do a running round-off back-handspring with my eyes closed and, like, now you say cartwheels are too dangerous?!

All I can say is, like, whatever!

And how can do a Hurdler, Herky or Double Hook jump with a long skirt?! And I'm wearing spanks - so there!

Ruth Rosen on Sarah Palin

2008-08-30T07:57:00.001-08:00

Sarah Palin and Feminists for Life | Reproductive Justice and Gender | AlterNet

Sarah Palin is the inexperienced woman Sen. John McCain has chosen as his running mate, hoping that she will attract the vital female vote.. It's the worst kind of affirmative action, choosing a person he barely knows, who is completely unprepared to assume any national office. It's like nominating Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court. It's all about ideology and not about competence.

To put it bluntly, Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton. Nor does she have the vision and brilliance of Barack Obama. This is an incredible insult to most American women. Just how stupid does he think we are?

Most Insightful Palin-as-VP Analysis I've Seen Today

2008-08-29T20:36:00.001-08:00

Nicklas Johnson · morons.org - Palin?!

This pick completely mystifies me. Not only does she make McCain look even older by virtue of him looking old enough to be her father, but she undercuts the core message of McCain's candidacy, that Obama is not experienced enough to be President. If McCain thinks experience is so important, why would he choose for Vice President -- a job just one heartbeat away from the Presidency -- someone who has only been Governor of a small state for less than two years? In addition, the person Palin will have to compete with on the campaign trail in the next few months is Joe Biden. Joe Biden will shred her in the VP debate, and after watching her acceptance speech, I'm confident there is no way she could match Biden, let alone Obama, rhetorically on the stump.

Tracking bracelets for truant youth

2008-08-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

School skippers forced to wear tracking bracelets - ParentDish

A new program designed to crack down on truancy will allow the Bexar County courts to fit habitual school-skippers with ankle bracelets outfitted with Global Positioning Systems. The bracelets will be worn at all times and will allow authorities to track the student's whereabouts twenty-four hours a day.

Wow. I've heard about RFID chips in student ID badges, but this takes it to a whole new level. I'm guessing that this will be reserved for habitual truants. And the court system will be making some tough decisions when it comes time to draw the line on which students get the tracking bracelets. What exactly is a "habitual school-skipper"?

Rhee: I'll pay students up to $100 per month

2008-08-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

D.C. Tries Cash as a Motivator In School - washingtonpost.com

Beginning in October, 3,000 students at 14 middle schools will be eligible to earn up to 50 points per month and be paid $2 per point for attending class regularly and on time, turning in homework, displaying manners and earning high marks.

This is definitely an out-of-the-box idea. I'll be interested to see what happens.

Inspiration: good deeds

2008-08-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

Homeless families have a street-wise 'Mom': Alaska News | adn.com

A street-wise advocate for children living with their parents in cars and motels and campgrounds, Neeson's a renaissance caseworker, a professional puller of strings, a one-woman social program called Beyond Shelters.

Can't find any scientists to challenge

2008-08-26T13:32:00.001-08:00

Scientists dig into tundra's effect on warming: Alaska News | adn.com

"But the rate of change is alarming," he said. "Species can't adapt or keep up in an evolutionary sense because everything is happening so fast."

It's futile to engage polar researchers like him on whether the planet is warming naturally or if mankind is to blame. You might as well challenge these biologists on evolution.

This quote is interesting to me because it illustrates an important fact. There is no scientific controversy on global warming. (Or evolution.)

Why? Because all scientists agree... the facts support global warming. (And evolution.)

Multi-ethnic checkboxes needed here

2008-08-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

I make it a point to introduce my family as mixed-race. I have always been Irish AND Italian. My wife has always been Inupiaq. So my children are Irish AND Italian AND Inupiaq.

Families are strange things. We identify ourselves by culture and race. But culture is very different from ethnicity/race.

I think of my family as genetic and cultural vegetable soup. Take some carrots, onion, garlic, and potatoes. Next you throw in celery, corn, green beans and tomatoes. Spice it with lemon-pepper, salt and chicken broth.

What do you get? It is a mixture that tastes different than any of the individual ingredients.

But strangers who meet my kids generally approach them as "native" or "half-native". (It can be a point of interest or pity on their part.)

On the surface, my kids are identifiable as multi-ethnic. Especially when they get dark brown in the summer. They look like gingerbread with a ginger father. And so they "see themselves in others' eyes" as multi-ethnic.

Very-very-rarely someone will treat my kids as "white". That usually happens to my daughter when she starts using 50-cent words like exhilaration and vigorous to describe why she likes cheerleading.

The perception of adults is reflected back from adult to child. I can see the influence on my kids expectation of themselves.

What am I'm trying to say? Just that other peoples' perception does make a difference to the way that children view themselves.

Therefore, schools (and parents) must be very careful to acknowledge and value every child - regardless of race. Take this case in point:

Child's school enrollment isn't black or white - ParentDish

In the section where it asked what race/ethnic group the child belonged to, none of the available options fit 10-year-old Kenny. Lovelace was asked to choose from Asian/Pacific Islander, Black not Hispanic, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska native, or White not Hispanic. Since Kenny is biracial with one white parent and one black, Lovelace checked both Black and White boxes.

That didn't go over well with the secretary at the Kenosha Unified School District's Educational Support Center. "She handed the form back to me and said I had to pick one, otherwise, someone would pick his race for me," Lovelace said. District policy dictates that if the race of the child is not indicated by the person filling out the form, an "observer identification" must be made. By that logic, Kenny Lovelace looks white, so he is white.

Mother on Fire

2008-08-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

Interview with Sandra Tsing Loh, "Mother on Fire" | Salon Life

For any parent who has ever worried that her children will end up uneducated and deprived of art and music because she has chosen a career in the creative fields rather than, say, podiatric surgery, for any parent who has ever dissolved in tears after being ignored by the self-important secretary behind the desk at her corner public school, for any parent who has ever felt the searing pain of unrequited love after touring a fancy private school or suffered an existential crisis while considering a move to the suburbs, "Mother on Fire" will function as much-needed salve -- and inspiration. Because if public school is the urban middle class's tragic fate, it is also one that can end in a catharsis. And after we follow Loh on her journey -- through fluorescent-lit schools, complicated female friendships, the elaborate dances of decades-old marriages -- we emerge euphoric, flush with community spirit and able to laugh at our own insanity.

Children caught in the housing foreclosure crunch

2008-08-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

Foreclosures and the schools via creative loafing:

You can add another casualty to the mess created by subprime mortgage lending. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are projecting the system could see more than 3,000 homeless children when schools open this month -- a 17 percent increase since June.

Laurie Schwartz, development director with A Child's Place, a nonprofit that works closely with CMS, said officials counted 2,493 homeless children enrolled in the school system two months ago. That's a 13 percent increase from June 2007, and a 35 percent increase from the June prior.

Dyslexia prevention

2008-08-22T17:07:00.001-08:00

Pre-school Age Exercises Can Prevent Dyslexia, New Research Shows

According to Lyytinen, the predictors of reading and writing difficulties are evident primarily in two contexts: on the one hand as a delayed ability to perceive and mentally process the subtleties of a person’s voice, on the other hand as a sluggishness in naming familiar, visually presented objects.

This is good news and underscores the importance of learning games and activities for pre-school kids. At least until gene therapy produces a cure for dyslexia.

McCain on Russia-Georgia

2008-08-16T11:29:00.003-08:00

Found this story on The Huffington Post.

To sum up, McCain held a press conference on the Russia-Georgia conflict and repeated the Bush-Cheney doctrine of condemning the Russians.

Forget for a minute that McCain is the one stuck in 20th century, cold-war-mentality, empire-of-democracy politics. He actually said, "In the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations."

ah...hahahaha

War on Drugs

2008-08-13T10:02:00.001-08:00

Should Barack Obama and Cindy McCain be in Jail? | Rights and Liberties | AlterNet

On January 20th 2009, either the president of the United States will be a man who used to snort coke to ease his blues, or the First Lady will be a former drug addict who stole from charity to get her next fix.

DNA, dopamine, addiction, and learning

2008-08-12T10:56:00.002-08:00

What Your Child's DNA Can Tell You About Parenting | Newsweek Culture | Newsweek.com

In about 30 percent, the coils of their DNA carry a glitch, one that leaves their brains with few dopamine receptors, molecules that act as docking ports for one of the neurochemicals that carry our thoughts and emotions. A paucity of dopamine receptors is linked to an inability to avoid self-destructive behavior such as illicit drug use. But the effects spill beyond such extremes. Children with the genetic variant are unable to learn from mistakes. No matter how many tests they blow by partying the night before, the lesson just doesn't sink in.

NYC gets an education in no-bid contracts

2008-08-11T16:26:00.001-08:00

ED. DEPT. 'NO BID' MESS - New York Post

The city Department of Education paid nearly $10 million to a nonprofit group to train Big Apple teachers to "demystify" their students - but the group trained less than one-fifth of the teachers planned

That's a big oops. But wait 'til you find out who is in charge of the nonprofit group.

Pipeline bomber sentenced

2008-08-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

Alfred Reumayr plotted a pipeline blast (ADN):

A Canadian man was sentenced Thursday to 13 years in prison for plotting to blow up the trans-Alaska oil pipeline and get rich off the resulting disruptions to the oil supply.

In other news... Bush & Cheney plot to kill Saddam Hussein and get rich off the resulting disruptions to the oil supply... 100,000 dead so far (conservative estimate) and no trial.

Guess we have to wait until Bush & Cheney are out of office so they can't issue pardons to each other. But don't hold your breath.

Habbush letter - more evidence for Dick Cheney's trial

2008-08-10T02:09:00.001-08:00

The Habbush letter is in the news again, thanks to Ron Suskind's new book The Way of the World.

Simply put, the Habbush letter was a forgery designed to connect Saddam Hussein with al-Qaeda and 9/11 hijacker Mohammed Atta. William Saffire in The New York Times and The Telegraph in the UK were completely deceived and reported the letter as authentic back in 2003. The contents of the letter were used by Dick Cheney and others to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Juan Cole speculates that the letter was designed to cast doubt on Ambassador Joe Wilson's revelation that Saddam did not buy yellowcake uranium from Niger. (And we all remember what else the White House did to discredit Wilson, don't we ?)

Ron Suskind alleges in his book that the Habbush forgery was directly ordered by the White House and carried out by CIA officials. Furthermore, Suskind wrote that Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti (Habbush) was secretly resettled in Jordan by the CIA.

Former CIA officer Phillip Giraldi reported an "extremely reliable and well placed source in the intelligence community" confirmed much of Suskind's allegations. Giraldi's source confirmed that Dick Cheney was behind the forgery but used the Office of Special Plans, not the CIA, to do the job.

I'll leave you with some relevant bits of Ron Suskind's interview with the CIA's Rob Richer as they discussed the Habbush letter. My only conclusion is that Cheney somehow directed the forgery with Scooter Libby's help.

Since Cheney and Libby got away with discrediting our own Ambassador and illegally revealing the name of a covert CIA operative, I'll assume they did the same with the Habbush letter...

Ron Suskind: The Way of the World Transcripts

Rob: No, no, no. What I remember is George saying, 'we got this from'--basically, from what George said was 'downtown.'

Ron: Which is the White House?

Rob: Yes. But he did not--in my memory--never said president, vice president, or NSC. Okay? But now--he may have hinted--just by the way he said it, it would have--cause almost all that stuff came from one place only: Scooter Libby and the shop around the vice president.

Ron: Yeah, right.

Rob: But he didn't say that specifically. I would naturally--I would probably stand on my, basically, my reputation and say it came from the vice president.

Ron: Right, I'm with you, I'm with you. But there wasn't anything in the writing that you remember saying the vice president.

Rob: Nope.

Ron: It just had the White House stationery.

Rob: Exactly right.

Tasers in school

2008-08-09T16:15:00.001-08:00

Would tasers for school security be a good idea in your neighborhood?

The Uniontown Area School Board, as well as concerned citizens and parents, had an opportunity Wednesday to learn about Tasers that will be proposed in the school district and share their opinions on the subject.

FYI: Bush Alaska Fuel Prices

2008-08-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

From ADN: Villagers shudder at fuel price increases

A gallon of unleaded gasoline: $10. Heating fuel: $9.10 a gallon. Electricity: $1.17 per kilowatt hour - 11 times the national average.

Some heavily taxed European nation or a time in the future when global fossil fuels have grown dangerously sparse?

Try right now in the most remote villages of America's 49th state.
...

Alaskans in rural areas will spend 40 percent of their annual income on energy this winter compared with 4 percent for the average Alaska household, according to a University of Alaska Anchorage study published in May.

Pot asks kettle to stop boiling - or something like that

2008-08-09T02:02:00.000-08:00

Via Reuters U.S. urges Russia to pull forces out of Georgia:

The United States told Russia on Friday to withdraw its forces from U.S. ally Georgia, stop its air attacks and respect Georgia's territorial integrity, following fighting in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Now the USA thinks it is a bad idea to foment insurrection and ultimately invade an oil-rich country for no reason?

I'm just sayin'...

Arctic Map Plots New Gold Rush

2008-08-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

On Science Daily:

Researchers at Durham University have drawn up the first ever 'Arctic Map' to show the disputed territories that states might lay claim to in the future.

Getting robbed by the people we hired

2008-08-08T03:41:00.000-08:00

From Thomas Frank on AlterNet:

Mass firing of federal prosecutors; bribing of newspaper columnists; pallets of shrink-wrapped cash "misplaced" in Iraq; inexperienced kids running the Baghdad stock exchange; the discovery that many of Alaska's leading politicians are apparently on the take -- our heads swim. We climb to the rooftop, but we cannot find the heights of irony from which we might laugh off the blend of thug and Pharisee that was Tom DeLay -- or dispel the nauseating suspicion, quickly becoming a certainty, that the government of our nation deliberately fibbed us into a pointless, catastrophic war.

Sidney Blumenthal thinks that Republicans have seen enough:

Without the crackup of the conservative movement and the fragmentation of the Republican primary field, McCain would not have had his opening. His candidacy is as much a manifestation of the shattering of the Republican phalanx as Obama's. Whatever the outcome of their contest, the party as it was is over.

Fiscal Policy

2008-08-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

Via Digg. Any questions?

IHS loses $6 mill worth of equipment in Alaska

2008-08-07T03:43:00.000-08:00

A recent report declares:

From 1999 through 2005, IHS did not follow required procedures to document the transfer of property from IHS to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, resulting in an unsuccessful 5-year attempt by IHS to reconcile the inventory

ANTHC says that they can account for $7 million in property. It is not accused of mismanagement.

Core Commitments

2008-08-06T21:41:00.002-08:00

Change *We* Can Believe In

Add your name to this Open Letter calling on Barack Obama to stand firm on the principles he so compellingly articulated in the primary campaign.

Congressional subpoena doesn't mean what you think it means, either.

2008-08-06T03:30:00.004-08:00

Last month, I wrote about how Karl Rove was issued a congressional subpoena but failed to appear. This month Dr. Kaye Whitley, Director of Sexual Assault and Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) failed to show at a Congressional hearing despite being subpoenaed. Two examples of the Executive Branch refusing to play by the checks and balances rule.

I don't think it means what you think it means.

2008-08-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

As linuxwrangler explained on Slashdot:

Preparing for English-speaking visitors, a restaurant in China recently ran its name through an online translator, took the result, then purchased and mounted a large sign displaying the English version of their name: Translate Server Error.

Tobacco-free college campuses

2008-08-04T04:48:00.002-08:00

MC-Rockville now has a strict no tobacco policy.

"Almost certainly within five years, virtually all college campuses will be smoke-free," said John Banzhaf, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University

I attended Montgomery College for two years and completed almost 60 core-class credits. I transferred them all to UM College Park, which still allows students to light up. Has your alma mater gone smoke-free or tobacco-free?

Police and Third Grade Reading Scores

2008-08-03T14:09:00.007-08:00

"You can predict the number of prison inmates based on third grade reading scores." I've heard that statement from educators and reading specialists. It has been been published in The New York Times.

Police in the UK are even funding anger management lessons for children as young as 8. But surely states don't build prisons based on third grade reading scores alone.

I began to wonder what factors accurately reflect current prison populations. I wanted some actual data on prisons and school success. Is there really an historical precedent for low-performing students ending up in jail?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes, and...

Why Are So Many Americans in Prison? by Glenn C. Loury opened my eyes to a wider problem. It goes something like this: socially disadvantaged -> poor school grades -> jail. This correlation goes way beyond a statistical anomaly.

Crime rates peaked in 1992 and have dropped sharply since. Even as crime rates fell, however, imprisonment rates remained high and continued their upward march.

The decreased crime rates are great news. But it represents a fundamental shift in the nature of our justice system towards more incarceration and longer jail time (i.e., punitive measures). The increased 'punitiveness' has come with some terrible, long-term consequences for society.

Take a look at some quotes:

• On average, state inmates have fewer than 11 years of schooling. They are also vastly disproportionately black and brown.

• Between 1980 and 2001, there was no real change in the chances of being arrested in response to a complaint: the rate was just under 50 percent. But the likelihood that an arrest would result in imprisonment more than doubled, from 13 to 28 percent.

• While three out of 200 young whites were incarcerated in 2000, the rate for young blacks was one in nine. A black male resident of the state of California is more likely to go to a state prison than a state college.

• Among black male high-school dropouts aged 20 to 40, a third were locked up on any given day in 2000

• nearly 60 percent of black male dropouts born between 1965 and 1969 were sent to prison on a felony conviction at least once before they reached the age of 35.

Glenn Loury makes an analytical argument that the white majority middle-class decided to create

a system of suffering, rooted in state violence, meted out at our request. We had choices and we decided to be more punitive. Our society—the society we have made—creates criminogenic conditions in our sprawling urban ghettos, and then acts out rituals of punishment against them as some awful form of human sacrifice.

And again,

a central reality of our time is the fact that there has opened a wide racial gap in the acquisition of cognitive skills, the extent of law-abidingness, the stability of family relations, the attachment to the work force, and the like. This disparity in human development is, as a historical matter, rooted in political, economic, social, and cultural factors peculiar to this society and reflective of its unlovely racial history: it is a societal, not communal or personal, achievement.

Young and Homeless

2008-08-02T04:29:00.001-08:00

Kids age out of foster care to the streets: Life | adn.com

Nearly 38 percent of foster care alumni in Alaska said they were homeless at some point after leaving their foster homes, according to a 2005 study from the UAA School of Social Work -- much higher than the 12 to 25 percent for foster care alumni in other states.

Leaving foster care is an uncertain time for youth who are struggling through their coming-of-age years without a stable family. Add the pressure of graduating from high school and the need for employment... this can be the perfect storm.

Moving is an acute life stress for even the best-prepared and well-adjusted teens. (For the record, I was well-prepared by a loving family. No foster care.)

I left home at age 18, lived in at least 4 different apartments by age 20, moved back in with mom for a few months, and shared a house with friends for about a year. All the while, I worked full-time and paid my own college tuition.

With a B.S. and $7,000 saved up, I drove to Alaska. Enrolling in grad school cost $5K but I could get a job, right?

Wrong! Unable to find work in Fairbanks, I slept in a tent (or the UAF library) from June until late October. Yeah, the ground froze, snow fell, and I got rousted by police more than once for sleeping in my '69 Beetle. You gotta wear every stitch of clothing and slide into a sleeping bag to make it through an October night in Fairbanks.

This is the part in the story where I say thanks Paul. That little house out on mile 14 Chena Hot Springs Road saved me from a frozen a**. I lost touch after Teller but if you read this, please email. Cold fizzy drinks are on me.

Well, I lost 15 pounds in a couple months but was able to make it. January rolled around and I was still out of a job. Eating was a luxury that dwindled my bank account to just a few hundred bucks.

Fortunately my student teaching assignment came with free housing and the lunch ladies were very nice to me. What luck.

I skipped over most of the really good parts of this story but you get the idea. Bouncing around for the better part of 6 years and sometimes homeless.

But never desperate. Never hopeless. I always had the goal of a college degree and the confidence that I would survive and prosper.

The college goal, the self-confidence, the ability to learn, and the adaptability came from a loving family. If foster care kids get that much, then they will be okay.

Coming Soon: Volcano Energy For Sale

2008-08-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Alaska Opts for Underground Energy - TFOT

Officials are already set to begin auctioning off exploration rights - the first volcano to be tapped for geothermal power is Mount Spurr, a 3.4-km tall snowcapped stratovolcano in the Aleutian Volcanic Arc of Alaska.

Computer use, low math achievement, and digital equity

2008-07-31T23:56:00.003-08:00

My school district uses Carnegie Learning software for math remediation and credit recovery. The State of Alaska even purchased a state-wide license for Carnegie's Algebra I curriculum.

I'm a good company man and I'll use whatever software my district provides. In the past 10 years, I've used Accelerated Math, Larson Math, Plato, and Apex.

As a classroom teacher, I get a close-up view of computer-based math learning programs. But I don't often get the state-wide and nationwide perspective. That's where Educational Insanity comes in.

Jon Becker ran series of articles that explored NAEP Data on computer use, race, and math test scores. Here's what he found.

From Computer use and (lower?) math achievement:

This is 4th graders, 2007, and, yes…the score for the group of students who report daily or almost daily use of computers at school for math is (statistically significantly) lower than all of the other groups.

From Computer use and math achievement (part deux) regarding 8th grade results:

The group of students who never or hardly ever use computers score significantly higher than the other groups, across all applications.

From Drill & Kill and Digital Equity:

Overall, African-American students are much more likely to use computers to practice or drill on math facts than White students. Given the significant achievement gap that exists, these differences partly explain why, overall, the there is a negative correlation between using computers to practice or drill on math facts and math achievement. I can’t be entirely sure about the degree to which race confounds that overall relationship without access to the raw (restricted-use) NAEP data.

854 million lack daily nourishment

2008-07-31T11:55:00.000-08:00

Food Shortage Aid Should Start with Lessons in Agriculture: Scientific American

Global food prices have roughly doubled in three years. At the World Food Summit in Rome in early June, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon recalled that on a trip to Liberia he encountered people who had once bought rice by the bag and whose cash now suffices for a meager cupful. The current crisis means that another 100 million hungry may join the 854 million who already lack sufficient daily nourishment.

Interactive guide to the Bush scandals

2008-07-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

Crimes and Misdemeanors - By Emily Bazelon, Kara Hadge, Dahlia Lithwick, and Chris Wilson - Slate Magazine

There is a text version, too. After you have the facts, you might be interested in Amy Goodman's discussion with Glenn Greenwald and Cass Sunstein: How Should the Next President Deal with the Bush White House's Crimes?

Question Authority

2008-07-29T13:28:00.002-08:00

I've seen something like this pyramid presented at numerous workshops and inservice training. Well-meaning teachers and trainers put it on 20-foot-tall screens to accompany their presentation. Quoted it as research and I believed.

Today this post from Stephen Downes brought me to

People remember 10%, 20%...Oh Really?

and

Modern myths of learning: You only remember 10% of what you read - 30 Jun 2008.

I feel foolish because I never questioned the authority of the "research". And now wondering which other modern education myths need myth-busting.

Neverending War

2008-07-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

Another video from Jed Lewison, this time showing McCain's position on Iraq.

Uncle Ted Finally Indicted

2008-07-29T10:19:00.002-08:00

Ted Stevens indicted on corruption charges: Sen. Ted Stevens | adn.com

The seven-count indictment charges Stevens with making false statements by failing to disclose things of value he received from Veco Corp., an Alaska-based oil services company, and from its chairman, Bill Allen, over an eight-year period.

Edit: ADN posted a roundup of news from the web.

VOISE Academy

2008-07-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

From Edutopia No More Pencils, No More Books: A School of the Future Readies for Launch

Forget textbooks and handouts. Forget No. 2 pencils. And if you're looking for curricula for science or English class, you'll need to go online. At the VOISE Academy, a new high school opening this fall in Chicago, classwork is guided and shaped by the tech tools of the twenty-first century, providing an intriguing glimpse at what schools may look like in the future.

Why Karl Rove Should Go to Jail

2008-07-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

Why Karl Rove Should Go to Jail by Rep. Linda T. Sanchez via AlterNet.

After my ruling that Mr. Rove's claims of immunity are not legally valid, Congressman Conyers and I gave him one last chance to comply with the law. He ignored us

Congress seems incapable of standing up tp the Bush administration. In other news, Congress approval rating slips to single digits. Connection?