October 23, 2013

Grambling football dispute draws attention to cuts

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/grambling-football-disputme-draws-attention-211743385--spt.html

No doubt Jindal and the Republican legislator has gone through the higher education system with a meat cleaver, but Grambling (5,000 students) and Louisiana Tech (11,000 students) are within 6 miles of one another. Why can't these two institutions be merged? Louisiana has a population of 4.6 M with 17 separate bachelor granting colleges/universities. In comparison Iowa has three with 3 million in population. Some consideration should be given for historical black institutions, but do 17 make sense (many in the same city)?

Anyone from Louisiana have more information on this topic?

August 21, 2013

In bus beating case, we are sending kids the wrong message

"You know, y'all going to jail,'' the bus driver says. "Y'all going to jail.''

Looks as if the driver may have been mistaken.

Authorities have recommended that two of the 15-year-olds be given nine months of probation for the attack that took place in Gulfport but circled the nation via video.

*****
First the administration does not take the younger boy's complaints about being approached to buy pot seriously. Then they allow him to ride home on a bus with those he accused. A school employee (the bus driver) takes no physical action to protect the boy from a brutal assault that continued even when the boy tried to hide under the seat (I will give him a break no 64 year old man could stop the assailants without getting injured himself).

Now finally the justice system does not try to incarcerate the assailants. Some many great messages coming out of this community.



http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/to-every-kid-who-wants-to-do-the-right-thing-this-is-the-wrong-message/2137274

July 31, 2013

5'6" over 300#

I am committed to losing weight. In the past I had a cheap knock off rower and got into pretty good shape with it until I broke it. I just purchased a Concept 2 Model D rower to go along with my 1 1/2 hours a day walking. Once I get some more weight off I hope to get back to slow jogging/speed walking.

I have to work full time, spend about 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day with the kids on their studies, and cook my own meals. I am still committed though. Lots of stir fries using loads and loads of veges with a little meat and currently no grain (plan to add whole grain back in once I lose more weight). No sauces and just a little oil used in cooking. Lots of spices.

My biggest problem is ability to concentrate at work as I try to lose weight.

June 2, 2013

A video done by my daughter and her friend concerning Sex Trafficking

May 27, 2013

China Parents Apologize After Netizens Track Down Teenager who Defaced Egyptian Temple

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/05/27/ding_jinhao_chinese_parents_apologize_for_teen_s_egypt_graffiti.html

"The father called on China’s netizens to leave his son alone: "The kid has a good academic record, but is a little introverted. This is too much pressure for him to take."



One advantage of losing our hegemony is that other countries will feature more prominently as "Ugly non-Americans." The apology by the father is clueless as to how serious what this boy did.

May 13, 2013

Commenting on daughter's English essay

My daughter wrote a persuasive essay for 9th grade English. One of the requirements was to have an adult review the essay, help make grammatical and other corrections, and fill out a sheet that looks like a rubric that a teacher would use. I was more than happy to do this for my daughter (I homeschooled her in English in 7th and 8th grade). Some observations:
1. What about the kids without parents willing and/or able to do this?
2. I have found that my daughter's ability to write essays has actually declined from were she was under my instruction in 8th grade. I attribute to the decline to the involvement and expectation of a teacher (me) with only one student (my daughter). I have a great deal of respect for her teacher (my older daughter had her as well), but my daughter just seems to be dialing it in. She does not have the passion and commitment she exhibited last year.

I am considering dual enrolling my daughter going forward (Homeschool and selected classes at the High School). This would mean that my daughter would not graduate from the public high school, but it would mean that she could focus on more important considerations without the other things which get in the way of learning. At the end of the day her college transcript is really all that matters (she wants to go to medical school). I don't think she got much out of English this year.

February 13, 2013

Pendleton Murder Suspect Violated Probation 3 Times

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/02/12/pendleton-murder-suspect-violated-probation-3-times/


The two suspects charged by police for the shooting of Hadiya Pendleton both had criminal records and one of them was on probation at the time of Pendelton’s shooting, reports CBS 2′s Roseanne Tellez.

In fact, CBS 2 has learned he violated that probation three times before her killing.

18 year-old Michael Ward was put on probation after pleading guilty to a weapons charge in January of 2012, when he was still 17.


There is no computer somewhere sends out an alert when someone on probation gets arrested, but probation officers have the job of spotting violations by routinely checking arrest records.

The head of the probation department tells CBS 2′s Roseanne Tellez that archaic computers, big caseloads and fewer officers, make the job extremely challenging.