tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.comments2023-03-29T08:56:03.171-07:00GrigorPDXGreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11353591301596453989noreply@blogger.comBlogger349125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-74326879234828497132010-01-08T11:03:31.735-08:002010-01-08T11:03:31.735-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-59641869255691765292009-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:002009-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:00Check out your district's map, schools there are d...Check out <A HREF="http://oregonvotes.org/DistrictMaps/HouseMaps/hd42.jpg" REL="nofollow">your district's map</A>, schools there are decent. Maybe these are the important issues for your district. :)Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17191060762481605793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-25751419987155250582009-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:00I know it's effectively making stop signs yields. ...I know it's effectively making stop signs yields. It's more that it sticks in my craw that this bill seems to reward that small minority of overly-aggressive, rude, and generally terribly-behaved cyclists that give the rest of us on two wheels a bad reputation. It's giving them a free pass to do keep misbehaving instead of providing a disincentive for ill behavior.<BR/><BR/>That said, what bothers me far more is that the Representative is choosing petty issues like this and the whole "fair pint" thing as his primary focus rather than the vastly more important problems facing the state.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11353591301596453989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-15807199630171235422009-03-20T09:18:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:18:00.000-07:00Personally, I'm really hoping the Idaho-style stop...Personally, I'm really hoping the Idaho-style stop sign law passes, and I think you're mischaracterizing it. It wouldn't allow us to *ignore* stop signs; rather, it would allow us to treat them as yields.Sam Livingston-Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13841716191422678103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-76752009955897410342008-12-06T11:38:00.000-08:002008-12-06T11:38:00.000-08:00Anonymous,Not only is your overly-broad characteri...Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>Not only is your overly-broad characterization factually incorrect - most teacher certification programs I aware of <I>start</I> with a bachelor's degree and then require another year or two of study - but your libelous claim that they spend college years doing drugs is incredibly offensive. I work daily with public school teachers from elementary school through university faculty. While they are all human with their faults, I have found that all but an extremely small minority are excellent teachers who are absolutely devoted to educating their students. You are unfairly insulting a great number of good people who are doing a vital and often-unappreciated service to society.<BR/><BR/>Have you graduated from or attended a university? Your comment seems more based on the fictional "Animal House" stereotype than personal experience.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11353591301596453989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-46510896988494401832008-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:002008-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:00Just because you have a piece of paper that says y...Just because you have a piece of paper that says your a teacher doesn't mean that you are one.Some of the best teachers I have known were subs. who stayed on after teacher left midyear.AMericans think that if you have been to college then you know something Newsflash : most "teachers" have studied for four years and that's it!That's all they have even done anything and quite a few of them spent their college years drinking and smoking crack still our county seems to think that the few brain cells they haven't burnt are enough to teach children to be responsible adults!I have met first graders who have had more common sense then their teachers!people need to get over the awe of a college diploma as they are to easily obtained to be precious anymore.Real teachers are the ones who care about raising children to be people our country can be proud of , in the military or not.Whether this is what John McCain was saying or not isn't the issue it is what every american should be acting uponAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-91444927739012698722008-11-01T11:35:00.000-07:002008-11-01T11:35:00.000-07:00Oh, I'm entirely wrong: there's laws in Alaska pre...Oh, I'm entirely wrong: there's laws in Alaska preventing the governor from appointing a senator to fill a vacant seat. There's just special elections.Abner Cadaver IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02360047607428642750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-47106120896232973622008-10-30T15:57:00.000-07:002008-10-30T15:57:00.000-07:00I knew a guy in college who wore an IRA t-shirt wh...I knew a guy in college who wore an IRA t-shirt which said "Out of the ashes... rose the Provisionals."<BR/><BR/>I shre your feelings, especially when I see "real Americans" looking at this trainwreck and saying "WTF?", but be careful what you wish for. Wounded animals are dangerous.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05385463369182392891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-76207474499212406242008-10-28T18:49:00.000-07:002008-10-28T18:49:00.000-07:00Or if Stevens retires sometime after winning re-el...Or if Stevens retires sometime after winning re-election, she can just appoint herself to fill his seat.<BR/><BR/>Which is probably even more unlikely, but as long as we're speculating wildly.Abner Cadaver IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02360047607428642750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-12070351352785537292008-10-28T17:38:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:38:00.000-07:00I just wanted to put in a little in put from the h...I just wanted to put in a little in put from the high school stance. I'm a senior and I've met alot of bad teachers and alot of good, and I understand that teacher retention rates are really bad right now, but I don't think that means we should support uncertified teaching. I had a Biology teacher once. Top notch guy, used to work over at this fancy lab so when he wanted to get into teacher the school was honored to have someone with that much first hand experience teaching the students. What they hadn't counted on though was he was a horrible teacher. He couldn't handle us but they've kept him on for years. The people going through these programs will be no different. I learned nothing from that man and his impatience only made the students worse. How can we afford to allow that in schools. Like I said I know there's a need right now, but we should fix it. Most teachers leave because of issues with the school systems. Maybe if things were altered then more teachers would come back. I looked at some of Obama's plans and I thought it kinda looked like he was on the right track, or atleast had the right ideas. Support certifications and better prpare teachers to try deffer the teacher retention rates. <BR/><BR/>Add on to the site TeacherRefPoet had:<BR/>http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/<BR/><BR/>I just think we should try harder. The youth is the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-33534971176117193392008-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:002008-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:00Greg,The entire reason that Teach for America and ...Greg,<BR/><BR/>The entire reason that Teach for America and Troops to Teachers exists is because there are not nearly enough certified teachers out there--and those that are certified do not wish to teach in traditionally underresourced areas.<BR/><BR/>Fresh out of college, and with just 9 days of student teaching in a Los Angeles elementary school, was I as prepared as a certified teacher (like the one I eventually became)? No. But the question is irrelevant because there were no certified teachers who sought my position. If there were, Louisiana law would have required me to be out of a job. (To my knowledge, the law is similar in most other states.) So Anonymous's statement that TFA and TTT serve merely as cost-cutting measures is not an issue with TFA or TTT, but with law-breaking districts. If superintendents and personnel directors follow the law, emergency-certified teachers would never be hired in certified teachers' place.<BR/><BR/>The choice isn't between TFA/TTT and certified teachers. It's between TFA/TTT and other emergency-certified teachers. My principal in Louisiana would literally go to Wal-Mart every August and walk the aisles, asking "Do you have a college degree?" and if the shopper/worker said yes, follow up with "Would you like to teach third grade this year?" It's a matter of who you give the emergency certification to in order to fill the empty classroom. <BR/><BR/>I agree with you...it'd be wonderful if all teachers were certified. But in the parts of the world where the kids are undereserved (which is to say poor and of color), that ain't happening. Certified teachers don't tend to want to go there. They (and I include myself in this) prefer suburban jobs with more money and fewer problems.<BR/><BR/>Incidentally, as of 1992, I had to pass the NTE to teach in Louisiana for longer than a year...so there -was- a certification requirement of sorts. Not that I necessarily supported that. As a guy who does well on standardized tests, I passed. But the school had to fire a great teacher down the hall--an incredibly gentle guy and fine role model--because he didn't pass it. As I recall, he was merely replaced by another emergency-certified teacher. I don't think the school was better off with the change.<BR/><BR/>The obvious solution to this is to triple teacher salaries tomorrow so loads of well-trained teachers are clamoring for every teaching position out there. <BR/><BR/>But since that won't happen, I was very, very happy to see McCain support TFA and TTT (especially since several of my best-ever colleagues have been retired military personnel). <BR/><BR/>Of course, I was also happy to see Obama support them!<BR/><BR/>http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/TeachforAmerica<BR/><BR/>(And Bush, and Perot, and Clinton, and Gore...)<BR/><BR/>I've got more on this issue, Greg...just let me know! But McCain is right on this one. People are already "exempted from certification"--just like I was--simply due to a dearth of certified teachers. I'd rather it be a passionate military veteran who's choosing to teach or a sharp college grad than a random shopper at Wal-Mart.TeacherRefPoethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10087147646389275919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-25706759998713426962008-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:002008-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:00Swankette - thanks for sharing that. I didn't kno...Swankette - thanks for sharing that. I didn't know Teach for America is the program TRP participated in. <BR/><BR/>I was more responding to the latter part of the Senator's statement. He seemed to imply that after serving in the military a veteran was qualified to teach and should be exempted from certification.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11353591301596453989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-20856486434239236092008-10-16T08:57:00.000-07:002008-10-16T08:57:00.000-07:00Teach for America is a way to keep costs down in s...Teach for America is a way to keep costs down in school districts by sending in temporary teachers who are only committed to a school for two years-thus earning salaries that are on the low end of the scale. They also will never require a pension.<BR/>Salaries and pensions are the two largest part of a schools' budget.<BR/>It's not about children - it's about cost cutting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-9484336698982439462008-10-16T07:02:00.000-07:002008-10-16T07:02:00.000-07:00I'm strongly of both opinions on this one. My expe...I'm strongly of both opinions on this one. My experience as an undergrad in the education department showed me that the traditional approach to educating elementary and high school teachers is insufficiently rigorous. So I agree that we need to find ways to draw talented people without traditional credentials into the profession.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, my experience in higher ed now is showing me that professors and librarians really need a lot more training in learning theory and cognitive psychology. So we need a way to expose those talented individuals to the professional body of knowledge.<BR/><BR/>It's not an either-or.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05385463369182392891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-39600829789089843162008-10-16T00:32:00.000-07:002008-10-16T00:32:00.000-07:00Actually, Teach for America is a really good progr...Actually, Teach for America is a really good program - Sweetie did it for 2 years out of college. It's an Americorps program (or at least works the same way) where participants get emergency certification and teach in areas where they cannot hire adequate teachers otherwise. Sweetie did his service in rural Louisiana.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-4016810944825015662008-10-14T22:49:00.000-07:002008-10-14T22:49:00.000-07:00The saddest thing is that calling a candidate a 'b...The saddest thing is that calling a candidate a 'baby-killing Muslim' is par for the course now. Any other election, it would've been overly obvious satire.<BR/><BR/>(And 'for president'? Are all those Ohioans running?)Abner Cadaver IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02360047607428642750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-52469062526832287332008-10-14T13:28:00.000-07:002008-10-14T13:28:00.000-07:00There are only 2 emotions -- 1 is fear the other i...There are only 2 emotions -- 1 is fear the other is Love, this poor man is acting out of fear. He's using alot of negative energy perpetuating fear. How sad, when love is so much more gratifying and easier than fighting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-17922402267202948032008-10-14T13:18:00.000-07:002008-10-14T13:18:00.000-07:00I'm not aware of any baby-murdering Muslims on the...I'm not aware of any baby-murdering Muslims on the ballot. Maybe he's just protesting some local write-in candidate.Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17191060762481605793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-9338649702360918282008-10-03T19:37:00.000-07:002008-10-03T19:37:00.000-07:00Greg, I found this article on my space, thought yo...Greg, I found this article on my space, thought you should see it too. <BR/><BR/>> MY HOLIDAY WITH JOHN McCAIN<BR/>> by Mary-Kay Gamel<BR/><BR/>> It was just before John McCain's last run at the presidential nomination in 2000 that my husband and I vacationed in Turtle Island in Fiji with John McCain, Cindy, and their children, including Bridget (their adopted Bangladeshi child). <BR/><BR/>It was not our intention, but it was our<BR/>misfortune to be in close quarters with John<BR/>McCain for almost a week, since Turtle Island has a small number of bungalows and their focus on communal meals force all vacationers who are there at the same time to get to know each other intimately.<BR/><BR/><BR/>He arrived at our first group meal and started<BR/>reading quotes from a pile of William Faulkner<BR/>books with a forest of Post-Its sticking out of them.As an English Literature major myself, my first thought was "if he likes this so much, why hasn't he memorized any of it yet?" I soon realized that McCain actually thought we had come on vacation to be a volunteer audience for his "readings" which then became a regular part of each meal.Out of politeness, none of the vacationers initially protested at this intrusion<BR/>into their blissful holiday, but people's buttons definitely got pushed as the readings continued day after day.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately this was not his only contribution to our mealtime entertainment.He waxed on during one meal about how Indo-Chine women had the best figures and that our American corn-fed women just couldn't meet up to this standard.He also made it a point that all of us should stop Cindy from having dessert as her weight was too high and made<BR/>a few comments to Amy, the 25 year old wife of the honeymooning couple from Nebraska, that she should eat less as she needed to lose weight. <BR/><BR/>McCain's appreciation of the beauty of Asian women was so great that David, the American economist, had to move his Thai wife to the other side of the table from McCain as McCain kept aggressively flirting with and touching her.<BR/><BR/>Needless to say I was irritated at his large ego and his rude behavior towards his wife and other women, but decided he must have some redeeming qualities as he had adopted a handicapped child from Bangladesh.I asked him about this one day,and his response was shocking: "Oh, that was Cindy's idea ˆ I didn't have anything to do with it.She just went and adopted this thing without even asking me.You can't imagine how people stare<BR/>when I wheel this ugly, black thing around in a shopping cart in Arizona .No, it wasn't my idea at all.<BR/><BR/><BR/>I actively avoided McCain after that, but<BR/>unfortunately one day he engaged me in a political discussion which soon got us on the topic of the active US bombing of Iraq at that time [i.e., Clinton era policing of no-fly zone].I was shocked when he said, "If I was in charge, I would nuke Iraq to teach them a lesson".Given McCain's personal experience with the horrors of war, I had<BR/>expected a more balanced point of view.I<BR/>commented on the tragic consequences of the<BR/>nuclear attacks on Japan during WWII ˆ- but no, he was not to be dissuaded.He went on to say that, if it were up to him, he would have dropped many more nuclear bombs on Japan.I rapidly extricated myself from this conversation as I could tell that his experience being tortured as a POW didn't seem to have mellowed out his<BR/>perspective, but rather had made him more<BR/>aggressive and vengeful towards the world.<BR/><BR/>My final encounter with McCain was on the morning that he was leaving Turtle Island.Amy and I were happily eating pancakes when McCain arrived and told Amy that she shouldn't be having pancakes because she needed to lose weight.Amy burst into tears at this abusive comment.I felt fiercely protective of Amy and immediately turned to McCain and told him to leave her alone.He became very angry and abusive towards me, and said, "Don't you know who I am." I looked him in the face and said, "Yes, you are the biggest asshole I have ever met" and headed back to my cabin.I am happy to say that later that day - when I arrived at lunch - I was given a standing ovation by all the guests for<BR/>having stood up to McCain's bullying.<BR/><BR/>Although I have shared my McCain story informally with friends, this is the first time I am making it public.I almost did so in 2000, when McCain first announced his bid for the Republican nomination, but it soon became apparent that George Bush was the shoo-in candidate and so I did not act then.However, now that there is a very real possibility that McCain could be elected as our next president, I feel it is my duty as an American citizen to share this story.I can't<BR/>imagine a more scary outcome for America than that this abusive, aggressive man should lead our nation.<BR/><BR/>I have observed him in intimate surroundings as he really is, not how the media portrays him to be.If his attitudes toward women<BR/>and his treatment of his own family are even a<BR/>small indicator of his real personality, then I shudder to think what will happen to America were he to be elected as our President.<BR/><BR/>> Mary-Kay Gamel<BR/><BR/><BR/>> Professor of Classics, Comparative Literature, and<BR/><BR/><BR/>> Theater Arts<BR/>Cowell College<BR/>University of California, Santa Cruz<BR/>Santa Cruz, California 95064Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-7488613866130348482008-10-03T00:21:00.000-07:002008-10-03T00:21:00.000-07:00You got it right, Greg. There will be minimal fal...You got it right, Greg. There will be minimal fallout from this...no real impact on the polls. People rarely if ever vote for VP anyway. If they did, Bentsen would have been VP. <BR/><BR/>Obama's huge rise is about to level off, and maybe even ease up a little bit with the inevitable attack ads that will be used against him. But he'll still win. The floor for him is about 290 electoral votes right now. McCain just punted on Michigan, and I don't see where he can gather the EVs to replace it right now.TeacherRefPoethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10087147646389275919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-68557997755091237202008-10-02T23:20:00.000-07:002008-10-02T23:20:00.000-07:00Wish I could've been at the Bagdad for it. I could...Wish I could've been at the Bagdad for it. I could barely hear half of what was said over the chatter of the other students watching (though I did learn how to identify Biden's 'orgasm face' from them. Education!)<BR/><BR/>I feel a bit disappointed. I guess hoping Biden would actually tear Palin's throat out and throw her still-writhing body onto the moderator's desk, letting out a terrible cry of barbarous triumph, was a little unrealistic.<BR/><BR/>Can't wait for the Tina Fey/SNL take on it.Abner Cadaver IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02360047607428642750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-28673266183964194182008-09-26T09:51:00.000-07:002008-09-26T09:51:00.000-07:00Yeah, Letterman's show was greatly entertaining - ...Yeah, Letterman's show was greatly entertaining - and I usually find Letterman to be annoying (although I think it's more his freaky bald sidekick that puts me off the most). Bringing on Olbermann was brilliant.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11353591301596453989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-18146706879249461362008-09-26T09:13:00.000-07:002008-09-26T09:13:00.000-07:00If you haven't seen Letterman from the other night...If you haven't seen Letterman from the other night (y'know, the night McCain called him to say he was getting on a plane to rush back to DC... and then did an interview with Couric instead), go find and watch the clip. Letterman was -- how you say -- pissed? Yes, pissed.Sam Livingston-Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13841716191422678103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-61768205403061625162008-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:002008-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:00This campaign may not be like reality, but it's a ...This campaign may not be like reality, but it's a hell of a lot like reality television, and believe me, I've seen a bit of that.<BR/><BR/>(Gotta go. Survivor debuts tonight.)TeacherRefPoethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10087147646389275919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11319918.post-54781158198841801582008-09-23T20:12:00.000-07:002008-09-23T20:12:00.000-07:00Last I read, at least five. Given a position in a...Last I read, at least five. <BR/><BR/>Given a position in agriculture because she "loved cows" as a youngster? Give me a break!Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11353591301596453989noreply@blogger.com