October 18, 2010

Thanks, Mr. Eastwood for making my day

Eastwood on Eastwood: His 5 — er, 6_ favorites

October 14, 2010

Our kids lose again

Washington Schools Chancellor to Resign It appears that while Ms. Rhee was successful, she may have used an “iron-fist” to achieve her goals. Neglecting the Base. As a long term educator, I realize that, after decades of neglect, reform comes slow. Education involves the co-operation of three key stakeholders: students/parents, teachers and administrators. Unless all these parties are on the same page, reform will not succeed.

October 13, 2010

Band-aid soultion: New rules but old regulators

White House Lifts Ban on Deepwater Drilling
There are rules and then there are regulators. I have wondered if the BP oil “gush” was the problem of inadequate rules or incompetent/corrupt/uncaring/compromised regulators. I believe it is the latter. How could we, in the first place, have let an oil company drill miles(s) into the ocean without any contingency plans? If that is the regulatory climate, will a few additional rules change anything? For example, remember the S & L (Saving and Loans), Enron, and then, the latest the Wall Street scandals, which have operated basically like reverse-socialism: transferring wealth from the “poor” to the “rich”. We need a defender of socialism, like Robinhood. Will the Democrats (I have given up on the Republicans) ever really fight for social justice and equity?

What do you think?

October 12, 2010

Democrats’ worst nightmare: wishy-washy Obama

Obama Message in Flux as Election Day Nears

When we enthusiastically voted in Mr. Obama as President, we expected the same clarity of massage and honesty in his office actions. There is some evidence that his White House may have suppressed the truth of the magnitude of the BP oil spill during the early days. Report Slams Administration for Underestimating Gulf Spill

October 11, 2010

Our priorities have gone topsy-turvy

California Teachers Paying for Their Own Supplies and More

Ah, what we desperately need now…

Microsoft Unveils New Windows Phones

Just wondering: Any of these phones made here in the US?

October 7, 2010

What is a rare literary talent worth here in these United States?

$35,000/year- one time only

“Mr. Merwin, [who was appointed poet laureate of the United States in June 2010] has won just about every major award an American poet can . . . ”
What does this say about us, as a society, where a top hedge fund manager, who earns a $ 1 billion a year (a conservative estimate), is worth 28571.4 times more than our poet laureate.

October 6, 2010

Once again, backing the wrong horse

Karzai’s Kin Use Ties to Gain Power in Afghanistan

As in Vietnam, we are backing a corrupt leader. I do not believe any of this is going to protect us from Al Quida, Taliban. . . .. If this Afghanistan adventure isn’t so tragic, I would say this is funny.

September 30, 2010

And still, the Dems are running scared….

House Passes 9/11 Health Care Bill

This is wonderful. Finally, the brave people who the rushed to help those in need, without regard to their own safety, will get some help, when the Senate approves the same idea. People: Write your Senator to make it happen.

“Opposing the measure were 157 Republicans and three Democrats” Who are these people? Do they deserve to be reelected?

September 29, 2010

Education and Obama

Stop torturing our children with more schooling
For educational reform to succeed, we need the rigor of the discipline that standardized tests brings to the class room, but let us also give them- our kids- a chance to dream and be creative.

I know something about education having been been professor at several universities for more than 3 decades. Let us first look at it from a common sense perspective: What cannot be achieved in 9 months will not be magically achieved in 10 months.
Educational reform will work only when these 3 key things are in place: a good curriculum, good teachers and good support at home. The reform does not address this last issue, which President Obama correctly points out is important. My suggestion is that schools provide after hours “tutoring” to students whose home environments are not conducive to learning.

And please, do not make standardized test scores the holy grail of educational reform. These tests scores comprise only one aspect of learning. It does not measure creativity. Indian K-12 education, which I know from personal experience, is evaluated solely on standard test scores. There is little creativity.