Every morning I wake up to a slew of email with so many interesting items I would love to share. But by the time I get through them and part of the NY Times, it is almost noon. Such is the tough life of a retiree. So today I decided I would begin a morning post and add to it as I read things and try to post it no later than 10AM. We'll see how long this lasts.
I just did two tweets:
NYT reports new fossil- apelike with human features. New species dubbed Australapithecus RickPerry.
NormScott1
Norm Scott
Me, say something in 140 char? I may get the hang of it one day.
I had to add these 2 great posts from NYC Educator:
Increase in Homeless Students Attributed to Bad Teaching
Today:
I'm working on the Jim Callaghan Files - so much stuff - call it the Jimi-leaks. But it's a busy day so I may not get something up until tomorrow.
I've been invited to attend and speak at a screening of our film, "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" at a NYC high school – shhhh. Don't tell Walcott. The teachers are opening the school year in what seems like an exciting fashion - doing a documentary series. They're showing Michael Galinsky's great film "The Battle for Brooklyn" in the morning and our film in the afternoon.
(Our film is also being shown in Denver at The Equity in Education Film Festival this month:
http://www.brownpapertickets.c
Then I have to race home to video "Crossing Delancy", another great show at the Rockaway Theatre Company at Fort Tilden.
My wrist is healing enough to allow me to do more but I still have a long way to go. Yesterday's phys therapy session really took a toll but I'll never have full flex unless we really work it. Yesterday was 9 weeks since the July 14 break. Nice summer!
I realized that the Ed Notes Online blog passed its anniversary date at the end of August 2006. So I am into my 6th year now. I do want to point out that Ed Notes had a pre-blogging life for almost a decade as a newsletter, then a newspaper that I began in 1997, pretty much when Randi Weingarten's became the head of the UFT, a real archive of history - from my point of view of course. I put out an edition almost every month until I began this blog - which with this post reaches 3099 - plus another 375 in draft mode. "Write a book," people tell me. I would try but then I would have to give up being an activist and hunker down and concentrate. I'm too ADD - which is getting worse with age - to do that. Working with so many younger activists who actually remember things, I often have to ask, "What was I supposed to do again?" I put the words "Bedpan check" in the subject line so they know what's coming.
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For a real hoot, check out the trailor for the Yes Men - http://theyesmenfixtheworld.
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Great Daily News article on Testing and Cheating with links to all the cheating scandals (the big one has not hit NYC yet and WalBloom will do what it takes to make sure whatever surfaces is tamped down - the culture of Atlanta exists here and people act the same in response to such a culture all over.)
Our testing culture is out of control: No wonder so many schools are cheating
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Good class size quote from newly retired Pissed Off Teacher: On Being Back
"I had mixed feelings walking into the building today. A couple of people were surprised to see me so I had to explain why I was back. I loved my class, but I always love that class. Walcott should know, but won't admit that part of its success is its cap at 25 students. The kids, while motivated, are not always the brightest and some have to be prodded to make it on time to period 1. But, with 25, it is easy to keep tabs on all of them. And, since we don't have any uniform exams, it is easy to let the kids lead the way, spend more time on the things that interest them and just let them enjoy learning the math. It is always a class in which fun and learning go hand in hand."
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From the great Andy Borowitz reports - you really should subscribe:
===============Rick Perry Needs to ‘Tone Down’ His Rhetoric, Says Kim Jong-Il
‘He Scares Me,’ North Korean Dictator Says
PYONGYANG (The Borowitz Report) – Gov. Rick Perry’s performance in this week’s Republican debate, in which he called Social Security a Ponzi scheme and took pride in executing an innocent man, “made him seem like a totally unhinged lunatic,” said North Korean President Kim Jong-Il today.
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The reclusive Kim, who rarely speaks out on U.S. politics, said he was breaking his silence in this case because “quite frankly, he scares me.”
The North Korean dictator said that Gov. Perry would have to “tone down” his rhetoric considerably if he were to become a head of state.
“When you’re President of a country, you can’t go around spouting the first crazy thing that comes into your head,” Mr. Kim said. “That man I saw onstage gave me the willies, and I don’t think I’m alone on this.”
While the North Korean dictator said there was still a chance that Mr. Perry might “dial it back a little,” watching the Texas Governor at Wednesday night’s debate left him “shaken.”
“I’ll tell you this,” Kim said, “I would not want a person like that to have access to nuclear weapons.”
Elsewhere, some Republican lawmakers said they were unable to hear President Obama’s jobs speech due to fingers stuck in their ears.
Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.
Thanks for the note of appreciation. (Got posted at quickie Rhee post.)
ReplyDeleteKeep up the awesome work.