UPDATE: Apparently, I was fooled, and the post below simply reflects my own credulity, and ignorance. In any case, it appears to have no basis in fact. My apologies, and my thanks for the timely correction. The "newspaper article" link was sent to me by a Jewish friend, and I was taken in. Whether RL was likewise taken in, or was having a little fun with me, I do not yet know.(though see update II, below)
************************************
Interesting; I had no idea this was a problem.
Kosher for Passover Gasoline
By Danielle Wolfbergand and Henry Lorman
Bergen County Jewish Times
Teaneck, New Jersey, March 1, 2007
Yaniv Ban-Zaken, a local gas station owner, will be selling Kosher for
Passover gasoline during the holiday this year. The move, Ben-Zaken says,
has become necessary due to the increased ethanol content in gasoline
required by the government. The ethanol is typically derived from corn,
which is a forbidden food for Jews on Passover. And, according to Ben-Zaken,
under Jewish law, it is also forbidden to derive any benefit from corn.
"We will be providing a number of services to anyone interested in making
their motor vehicle Kosher for Passover," Ben-Zaken says. Services will
include siphoning off the non-Kosher gasoline and replacing it with the
Kosher gasoline. The entire process will be supervised by Rabbi Yitzchok
Mendelbaum. A special exemption to the EPA rule regarding the plant ethanol
content of gasoline had to be obtained from the government to allow for the
use of this gasoline. The move has created some controversy among local
community leaders. Rabbi Shalom Silver, of Congregation Ohel Emeth in
Teaneck, has recommended to his congregants that they not buy the gasoline.
"Although Jews of Ashkenazi descent are not permitted to eat corn on Pesach,
they are permitted to derive benefit from corn byproducts, such as gasoline
with ethanol additives," he said.
However, Rabbi Mordechai Silver (no relation to Shalom Silver), of Yeshivas
Torah Ohr in nearby Englewood, disagrees, and maintains that while it might
technically be acceptable to use mass-produced gasoline, those who can
afford to purchase the new alternative should. "In Jewish law, we have a
principle of lifnim mshuras hadin--going above and beyond the basic
requirements of the law," he explained in an email. "Thank G-d, many people
in the area can afford to do so in this case."
Some local Jewish leaders have also complained about the high price of the
ethanol-free gas, which Ben-Zaken estimates will be $9.69 per gallon, but
Ben-Zaken insists that it is necessary. "The Kosher gas is made in small
quantities and not mass produced, so the costs are high." In fact,
Ben-Zaken, an immigrant from Israel who is not himself religious, claims
that he will not be making any profit on the sale of the Kosher gas. "I'm
doing this more as a community service. My hope is that people will be more
likely to patronize my station the rest of the year." Julio Sanchez, one of
Ben-Zakens employees, also expressed some concern over the high price,
explaining that it might drive away customers and reduce his income from
tips. Co-worker Naveen Samhari disagreed, because, as he says, "Orthodox
Jews are among the best tippers in the area."
Ben-Zaken also says he will be contracting with a local car rental agency to
provide customers with a Kosher for Passover car if they would prefer not to
use their own. This will also save the time of having to clean chametz from
the car before Pesach--time that many local two-income families do not have.
"Jews use different dishes for Passover. They ought to be able to use a
different car, as well." Ben-Zaken says.
Danielle Wolfberg is a freelance writer and reporter. Henry Lorman has
published several novels and is currently working on a memoir, to be
published by Random House.
(Nod to RL, whose grandmother told him: "Kosher is as kosher does." Or, maybe she didn't tell him that.)
UPDATE II:
First, RL noted in comments that he had NOT seen it as a hoax. And, it WAS well done. So, I still gratefully acknowledge the assist from RL, though of course I am going to break him in half next time we meet.
Second, a great comment from Elizabeth over on the relevant post on KOSHER BLOG. Here it is:
[The content of the hoax "article" is] not completely absurd though–I have a friend with a biodiesel car. He gets the biodiesel from the discarded cooking oil of a local restaurant. They fry breaded food in that oil, so there is chometz in his engine. Last year, he was worried about whether he would be able to drive the car during Chol HaMoed, as the chometz was sold… (the solution: add regular diesel to the fuel, rendering it no longer food and thus no longer chometz).
I have to admit that I don't understand why non-Jews make fun of dietary laws like this. It is simply a sign of observance. If one's point is to make fun of religious observance of ANY kind....well, I don't admire aggressively evangelical atheists. Let those of us who believe have a little space, and you atheists can all go out and burn question marks on the lawn, and let your kids play with the matches.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Sweetie? Want Some Milk? Dear?
You may have seen this milk commercial. I hadn't.
And I laughed.
Three things to say here:
1. PMS is real. Not made up. Women may not be a raging mass of hormones, but sometimes their hormones make them rage.
2. My wife forwarded me this link. So, don't blame me for it. She was complicit. So do NOT be sippin' on that HATERade, and crisping me up in comments.
3. On the other hand, PMS just makes women act, for three or four days a month, like men act ALL THE TIME. So, guys, think about that the next time you want to fight the jerk in that SUV that just disrespected you on the highway, when traffic isn't moving anyway and there is no actual harm. Just pour some milk on your big ol' head, and you will feel better.
(Nod to Scott Rope, for putting up that commercial on his blog nearly two years ago. Looks like he hasn't posted for a while, tho. Another voice gone silent...).
And I laughed.
Three things to say here:
1. PMS is real. Not made up. Women may not be a raging mass of hormones, but sometimes their hormones make them rage.
2. My wife forwarded me this link. So, don't blame me for it. She was complicit. So do NOT be sippin' on that HATERade, and crisping me up in comments.
3. On the other hand, PMS just makes women act, for three or four days a month, like men act ALL THE TIME. So, guys, think about that the next time you want to fight the jerk in that SUV that just disrespected you on the highway, when traffic isn't moving anyway and there is no actual harm. Just pour some milk on your big ol' head, and you will feel better.
(Nod to Scott Rope, for putting up that commercial on his blog nearly two years ago. Looks like he hasn't posted for a while, tho. Another voice gone silent...).
A Milepost....and a "Free Prize": Mug for a Mug Shot
I love the idea of free prizes. The prizes that cost money, well, they really aren't prizes.
As of this morning, ME has had more than 99,000 visitors (thanks, visitors!)
If YOU are visitor 100,000, and are willing to admit it, you will get a free (that's FREE!) "Munger for NC Governor" stainless steel mug, mailed to your home address!
These mugs are already much sought after. One was recently offered on Ebay for $2.70! No one bought it at that price, but I'm sure the bids will go up as the word gets out.
Seriously, I will contact the person who is visitor number 100,000, and if they are willing to give me their name, home address, and a picture (to be posted on the ME site), I will do a post honoring them, and SEND THEM A MUG for their mug shot.
As of this morning, ME has had more than 99,000 visitors (thanks, visitors!)
If YOU are visitor 100,000, and are willing to admit it, you will get a free (that's FREE!) "Munger for NC Governor" stainless steel mug, mailed to your home address!
These mugs are already much sought after. One was recently offered on Ebay for $2.70! No one bought it at that price, but I'm sure the bids will go up as the word gets out.
Seriously, I will contact the person who is visitor number 100,000, and if they are willing to give me their name, home address, and a picture (to be posted on the ME site), I will do a post honoring them, and SEND THEM A MUG for their mug shot.
Private Bus Systems
How long before the public transit authorities try to outlaw this? After all, if the public monopoly starts to lose ridership...well, there ought to be a law!
March 10, 2007 NEW YORK TIMES
Google’s Buses Help Its Workers Beat the Rush
By MIGUEL HELFT
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — The perks of working at Google are the envy of Silicon Valley. Unlimited amounts of free chef-prepared food at all times of day. A climbing wall, a volleyball court and two lap pools. On-site car washes, oil changes and haircuts, not to mention free doctor checkups.
But the biggest perk may come with the morning commute.
In Silicon Valley, a region known for some of the worst traffic in the nation, Google, the Internet search engine giant and online advertising behemoth, has turned itself into Google, the mass transit operator. Its aim is to make commuting painless for its pampered workers — and keep attracting new recruits in a notoriously competitive market for top engineering talent.
And Google can get a couple of extra hours of work out of employees who would otherwise be behind the wheel of a car.
The company now ferries about 1,200 employees to and from Google daily — nearly one-fourth of its local work force — aboard 32 shuttle buses equipped with comfortable leather seats and wireless Internet access. Bicycles are allowed on exterior racks, and dogs on forward seats, or on their owners’ laps if the buses run full.
Riders can sign up to receive alerts on their computers and cellphones when buses run late. They also get to burnish their green credentials, not just for ditching their cars, but because all Google shuttles run on biodiesel. Oh, and the shuttles are free.
But if the specifics sound quintessentially Googley, as insiders call the company’s quirky corporate culture, it is the shuttle program’s sheer scale that befits Google’s oversize ambitions. This is, after all, a company whose stated goal is to organize the world’s information — and whose founders’ corporate jet is a Boeing 767.
“We are basically running a small municipal transit agency,” said Marty Lev, Google’s director of security and safety, who oversees the program.
Not that small, really. The shuttles, which carry up to 37 passengers each and display no sign suggesting they carry Googlers, have become a fixture of local freeways. They run 132 trips every day to some 40 pickup and drop-off locations in more than a dozen cities, crisscrossing six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area and logging some 4,400 miles.
They pick up workers as far away as Concord, 54 miles northeast of the Googleplex, as the company’s sprawling Mountain View headquarters are known, and Santa Cruz, 38 miles to the south. The system’s routes cover in excess of 230 miles of freeways, more than twice the extent of the region’s BART commuter train system, which has 104 miles of tracks.
Morning service starts on some routes at 5:05 a.m. — sometimes carrying those Google chefs — and the last pickup is at 10:40 a.m. Evening service runs from 3:40 p.m. to 10:05 p.m. During peak times, pickups can be as frequent as every 15 minutes.
At Google headquarters, a small team of transportation specialists monitors regional traffic patterns, maps out the residences of new hires and plots new routes — sometimes as many as 10 in a three-month period — to keep up with ever surging demand.
Many employers run programs for commuters, including van pools, shuttles to and from transit hubs and subsidies for public transit and alternative modes of transportation, but several transportation experts say Google appears to have built an unparalleled transit network.
ATSRTWT
(Nod to Tofe. And good job with those Butterburgers. The grass looks greener already)
March 10, 2007 NEW YORK TIMES
Google’s Buses Help Its Workers Beat the Rush
By MIGUEL HELFT
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — The perks of working at Google are the envy of Silicon Valley. Unlimited amounts of free chef-prepared food at all times of day. A climbing wall, a volleyball court and two lap pools. On-site car washes, oil changes and haircuts, not to mention free doctor checkups.
But the biggest perk may come with the morning commute.
In Silicon Valley, a region known for some of the worst traffic in the nation, Google, the Internet search engine giant and online advertising behemoth, has turned itself into Google, the mass transit operator. Its aim is to make commuting painless for its pampered workers — and keep attracting new recruits in a notoriously competitive market for top engineering talent.
And Google can get a couple of extra hours of work out of employees who would otherwise be behind the wheel of a car.
The company now ferries about 1,200 employees to and from Google daily — nearly one-fourth of its local work force — aboard 32 shuttle buses equipped with comfortable leather seats and wireless Internet access. Bicycles are allowed on exterior racks, and dogs on forward seats, or on their owners’ laps if the buses run full.
Riders can sign up to receive alerts on their computers and cellphones when buses run late. They also get to burnish their green credentials, not just for ditching their cars, but because all Google shuttles run on biodiesel. Oh, and the shuttles are free.
But if the specifics sound quintessentially Googley, as insiders call the company’s quirky corporate culture, it is the shuttle program’s sheer scale that befits Google’s oversize ambitions. This is, after all, a company whose stated goal is to organize the world’s information — and whose founders’ corporate jet is a Boeing 767.
“We are basically running a small municipal transit agency,” said Marty Lev, Google’s director of security and safety, who oversees the program.
Not that small, really. The shuttles, which carry up to 37 passengers each and display no sign suggesting they carry Googlers, have become a fixture of local freeways. They run 132 trips every day to some 40 pickup and drop-off locations in more than a dozen cities, crisscrossing six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area and logging some 4,400 miles.
They pick up workers as far away as Concord, 54 miles northeast of the Googleplex, as the company’s sprawling Mountain View headquarters are known, and Santa Cruz, 38 miles to the south. The system’s routes cover in excess of 230 miles of freeways, more than twice the extent of the region’s BART commuter train system, which has 104 miles of tracks.
Morning service starts on some routes at 5:05 a.m. — sometimes carrying those Google chefs — and the last pickup is at 10:40 a.m. Evening service runs from 3:40 p.m. to 10:05 p.m. During peak times, pickups can be as frequent as every 15 minutes.
At Google headquarters, a small team of transportation specialists monitors regional traffic patterns, maps out the residences of new hires and plots new routes — sometimes as many as 10 in a three-month period — to keep up with ever surging demand.
Many employers run programs for commuters, including van pools, shuttles to and from transit hubs and subsidies for public transit and alternative modes of transportation, but several transportation experts say Google appears to have built an unparalleled transit network.
ATSRTWT
(Nod to Tofe. And good job with those Butterburgers. The grass looks greener already)
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Men Time
On Sunday, a wonderful day. Great NC spring weather, mid-60s, sunny, a breeze.
Went down to our Pittsboro property, for some work and weapons.
Stopped at the Hardees on the way down, and got two "Monster Biscuits," one for me and one for fuzzy younger younger Munger, who came along. Not a food item approved by the Heart Association. YYM couldn't finish his, which tells you a lot. (Yes, I managed to choke mine down, but didn't finish his, which was a victory).
We get to the property, 30 acres of forest plus a baseball field. Every man needs his own baseball field, but I actually have one. YYM mowed and ran the aerator behind the tractor, while I spread 400 pounds of Milorganite. Organic fertilizer, made from sewage in Tofe's new adopted home town. (Nice video on the link, don't miss it).
The grass had a little dew on it. In no time the aroma...well, let's just say I love the smell of composted, dried, and pelletized human excrement in the morning.
We dragged the infield, worked a little on the drainage (some big ruts from heavy rains), and then got out the guns. A terrific exercise in optics for the YYM: I took a Hardee's cup, an EXTRA LARGE so it would be fair, and placed it on the far side of the baseball field, about 120 yards away, in right field.
YYM's job was to make sure his Ruger 10/22 scope was sighted in correctly. Took about 40 shots, but then he started nailing the cup every time. Interestingly, the following things are true:
1. If you leave the Hardee's cup empty, the 22 round goes through both sides of the plastic without knocking the cup over. Pretty high velocity. Cool, actually, like a magic trick. He said he was hitting the cup, and I told him he was nuts, the cup should go flying. But when we went downrange and looked, he was right: the cup was riddled. An empty cup is pretty light, but a small, pointed shell moving at 1000 feet per second (almost exactly the speed of sound, just under) goes through pretty fast.
2. On the other hand, if you put a limestone rock in the bottom of the cup, and hit that with a shell, the cup explodes. The shell broke the rock into high speed shards, and the bullet itself broke up into shrapnel. Very cool, and exremely satisfying.
Drove home, but stopped at Pizza Hut. YYM and I were hungry (Monster Biscuits at 8:30 am, pizza at 3 pm), so we each ordered our own large pizza. Waittress tried to argue, counseling mediums, but we just stared at her. I was trying to be virtuous, so ordered the "Veggie Lovers" pizza. But the waitress rallied, showing she was a fine and sensitive young woman after all. She brought me the "Meat Lover's" pizza instead, which has four kinds of pork products and four kinds of beef products, all heavily salted and laden with fat. She got an extra tip for that. As I told my son, "I hate to make trouble. I'll just eat the one she brought."
Got home, took a nice nap, mowed the lawn at home, and then went with wife, the YYM, and the elder younger Munger, to see Blue Man Group. Very nice, funny and entertaining.
An excellent Sunday in central North Carolina.
Went down to our Pittsboro property, for some work and weapons.
Stopped at the Hardees on the way down, and got two "Monster Biscuits," one for me and one for fuzzy younger younger Munger, who came along. Not a food item approved by the Heart Association. YYM couldn't finish his, which tells you a lot. (Yes, I managed to choke mine down, but didn't finish his, which was a victory).
We get to the property, 30 acres of forest plus a baseball field. Every man needs his own baseball field, but I actually have one. YYM mowed and ran the aerator behind the tractor, while I spread 400 pounds of Milorganite. Organic fertilizer, made from sewage in Tofe's new adopted home town. (Nice video on the link, don't miss it).
The grass had a little dew on it. In no time the aroma...well, let's just say I love the smell of composted, dried, and pelletized human excrement in the morning.
We dragged the infield, worked a little on the drainage (some big ruts from heavy rains), and then got out the guns. A terrific exercise in optics for the YYM: I took a Hardee's cup, an EXTRA LARGE so it would be fair, and placed it on the far side of the baseball field, about 120 yards away, in right field.
YYM's job was to make sure his Ruger 10/22 scope was sighted in correctly. Took about 40 shots, but then he started nailing the cup every time. Interestingly, the following things are true:
1. If you leave the Hardee's cup empty, the 22 round goes through both sides of the plastic without knocking the cup over. Pretty high velocity. Cool, actually, like a magic trick. He said he was hitting the cup, and I told him he was nuts, the cup should go flying. But when we went downrange and looked, he was right: the cup was riddled. An empty cup is pretty light, but a small, pointed shell moving at 1000 feet per second (almost exactly the speed of sound, just under) goes through pretty fast.
2. On the other hand, if you put a limestone rock in the bottom of the cup, and hit that with a shell, the cup explodes. The shell broke the rock into high speed shards, and the bullet itself broke up into shrapnel. Very cool, and exremely satisfying.
Drove home, but stopped at Pizza Hut. YYM and I were hungry (Monster Biscuits at 8:30 am, pizza at 3 pm), so we each ordered our own large pizza. Waittress tried to argue, counseling mediums, but we just stared at her. I was trying to be virtuous, so ordered the "Veggie Lovers" pizza. But the waitress rallied, showing she was a fine and sensitive young woman after all. She brought me the "Meat Lover's" pizza instead, which has four kinds of pork products and four kinds of beef products, all heavily salted and laden with fat. She got an extra tip for that. As I told my son, "I hate to make trouble. I'll just eat the one she brought."
Got home, took a nice nap, mowed the lawn at home, and then went with wife, the YYM, and the elder younger Munger, to see Blue Man Group. Very nice, funny and entertaining.
An excellent Sunday in central North Carolina.
The Anniversary of the Lacrosse....What?
This is the 1 year anniversary of the Duke lacrosse party incident/event/whatever you want to call it.
Much (too much?) has been written on this. But too much suffering has taken place also. I don't know what happened; maybe no one really knows what happened that night. But a lot of lives have been ruined, from the accuser to the players, the coach, and a lot of people in Durham.
My commemoration of the anniversary will simply be what I believe to be the single best piece done on the whole affair.
And that is: The Saturday Night Live Skit, with Amy Poehler sending up that idiot Nancy Grace from Headline News. The line in the skit where Amy points out that it must be harder for false victims, because they have to make up consistent stories that people then pick apart, was brilliant. Easier for actual victims, Amy says, because "they just have to remember stuff."
The audience didn't know whether to laugh or not at many points, and so just tittered nervously. And I don't blame them. This is as savage, and well-conceived, a piece of social satire as any I have seen in years.
(Nod to DiW for the link to Jumpcut. The original link on YouTube was taken down)
Much (too much?) has been written on this. But too much suffering has taken place also. I don't know what happened; maybe no one really knows what happened that night. But a lot of lives have been ruined, from the accuser to the players, the coach, and a lot of people in Durham.
My commemoration of the anniversary will simply be what I believe to be the single best piece done on the whole affair.
And that is: The Saturday Night Live Skit, with Amy Poehler sending up that idiot Nancy Grace from Headline News. The line in the skit where Amy points out that it must be harder for false victims, because they have to make up consistent stories that people then pick apart, was brilliant. Easier for actual victims, Amy says, because "they just have to remember stuff."
The audience didn't know whether to laugh or not at many points, and so just tittered nervously. And I don't blame them. This is as savage, and well-conceived, a piece of social satire as any I have seen in years.
(Nod to DiW for the link to Jumpcut. The original link on YouTube was taken down)
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Life as a Married Lifer
I got an email from my wife.
No, no: Pay attention, please. An EMAIL from my wife. I see her pretty often, but I got an email.
"Have you been using my toothbrush? It was moved from its usual place."
We have been married nearly 21 years. But, according to her, late in life, I have developed a fetish that requires me to use another person's toothbrush. I'm glad it is finally over, all the deceit, the lies, the cover-ups. I don't know how much longer I could have gone on, living a double life.
Sigh. Vive la difference, et vive l'amour.
No, no: Pay attention, please. An EMAIL from my wife. I see her pretty often, but I got an email.
"Have you been using my toothbrush? It was moved from its usual place."
We have been married nearly 21 years. But, according to her, late in life, I have developed a fetish that requires me to use another person's toothbrush. I'm glad it is finally over, all the deceit, the lies, the cover-ups. I don't know how much longer I could have gone on, living a double life.
Sigh. Vive la difference, et vive l'amour.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The Planet is Hot, But You Are Hotter....
Green boxers, or green briefs?
An article on....well, it's hard to say.
(Nod to Anonyman, who tries to save the planet one ironic observation at a time...)
An article on....well, it's hard to say.
(Nod to Anonyman, who tries to save the planet one ironic observation at a time...)
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Okay....NOW I'm Mad.
A child is not revenue. She's a child.
This gem of statist reasoning, from the Raleigh NEWS AND OBSERVER, got me thinking about school choice, and "revenue":
Some excerpts from the story by Samiha Khanna, Staff Writer for N&O, with my most insightful comments in caps:
DURHAM - ...The opening of Durham's eighth charter will expand a $6 million dent in the school system's budget.
Though charter schools are public schools, they operate independently from the local school district. They receive money from the state, and for each student from the Durham school district who enrolls in a charter, a certain per-student allowance follows him. (BUT...BUT...BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ALSO DOESN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE A SEAT FOR THAT STUDENT, OR SCHOOL BUS SERVICES! AT A TIME WHEN SCHOOLS ARE OVERCROWDED, HOW CAN THIS BE A COST? UNLESS...UNLESS YOU JUST THINK THE LOSS OF CONTROL OVER CITIZEN CHOICE IS A COST, RIGHT?)
This will make difficult several projects coming up for Durham Public Schools, including the opening of a new middle school and three small high schools in the fall. (AGAIN, THEY ONLY NEED TO DO THAT IF THEY ARE OVERCROWDED. AND SENDING KIDS TO CHARTERS RELIEVES OVERCROWDING. FURTHER, CHARTERS SAVE THE STATE MONEY, BECAUSE THEY DON'T PROVIDE LUNCH, OR BUS SERVICE, AND GET MUCH LESS PER STUDENT THAN THE STATE-RUN SCHOOLS.)
"We're trying to do a lot of things that require revenue," said Hank Hurd, associate superintendent of administrative services for Durham Public Schools. "Charters are depleting some of the resources that we need to address the student population at large." (STOP DOING THOSE THINGS! THAT'S NOT "REVENUE!" THAT'S MONEY TAKEN AT GUNPOINT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE DESPERATE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO BETTER SCHOOLS!)
When it opens in the fall, Voyager will serve about 320 students in grades four through seven. Its home will be the 40,000-square-foot former Little River Elementary School in the northern Durham town of Bahama. (NO NEW BUILDING, AND NO STATE COSTS, EXCEPT THE RENTAL. LESS THAN HALF AS EXPENSIVE FOR TAXPAYERS, AND HIGHER QUALITY EDUCATION.)
The school will expand to eighth grade the following year, and eventually cap growth at 500 students, according to a plan the school's board of directors submitted to the state.
As of this week, the school received about 400 letters of interest from parents in Durham and as far away as Hillsborough and Roxboro....(GOSH, SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THE DURHAM SCHOOLS AREN'T REALLY DOING THEIR JOB. AND THEIR PROPOSED SOLUTION IS...PREVENT PARENTS FROM HAVING ANY CHOICES? IT IS TRUE THAT WITHOUT CHOICES, THE DURHAM SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE MORE STUDENTS. WHY NOT PURSUE THAT A LITTLE FURTHER? IF WE CRIMINALIZE READING, WE CAN JUST USE THE PRISONS FOR SCHOOLS, AND THEN WE CAN REALLY MAKE SOME REVENUE! USE THE SCHOOLS MONEY TO BUILD NEW PRISONS!)
...At Voyager, the emphasis will be on hands-on projects and other interactive activities, said Christy Whiteside, a contractor who worked with the school's board to create its education plan.
Teachers also will focus on character education and public speaking. Directors are still trying to solidify a partnership with the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, Forsyth said.
Parents and students won't know until March 31 who will attend Voyager. If the school gets more applications than there are spaces available, it will choose by lottery. (I'M GUESSING THEY ARE GOING TO NEED A LOTTERY. SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD EXPERIMENT IN EDUCATION, AND IT WILL CUT COSTS TO TAXPAYERS.)
Most of Voyager's students are likely to come from Durham, so administrators with the school system can expect to send at least an additional $800,000 to the new school in per-student allowances, plus state resources allotted based on enrollment, Hurd said. (AAARGH! WHERE DO YOU START HERE? IT IS NOT DURHAM'S MONEY TO LOSE! THAT IS TAXPAYER MONEY. CHARTER SCHOOLS JUST LET PARENTS MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES WITH THEIR OWN MONEY! HOW DARE DURHAM BUREAUCRATS TALK ABOUT "LOSING" MONEY? THEY HAVE LOST THE SENSE THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE LOST!)
....Durham administrators tried to drive home the point last fall, when enrollment in traditional public schools in Durham increased less than 1 percent and charter enrollment soared by almost 22 percent.
*****************
After reading that story, I had to just go sit on the floor in the corner, hugging my knees, rocking back and forth, and making little whimpering sounds.
Remember, charter enrollment is capped by capacity. That 22 % growth is not the number of people who WANT to send their kids to charters. That is the actual number of seats filled by parents who are going crazy with worry about how their kids are treated in the schools runs by teachers' unions and indifferent, revenue-maximzing bureaucrats.
If more charter schools were available, thousands of parents would transfer their kids. Some would be good schools, some not so good. But what would happen to the bad ones? They would lose enrollment, and close? What happens to Durham PUBLIC schools that are bad? We all spend more money on them. They never close, because there is no competition and no standard of quality to meet.
Anything that improves choice, improves education. Charters, and vouchers, are a good start. Let's get started!
This gem of statist reasoning, from the Raleigh NEWS AND OBSERVER, got me thinking about school choice, and "revenue":
Some excerpts from the story by Samiha Khanna, Staff Writer for N&O, with my most insightful comments in caps:
DURHAM - ...The opening of Durham's eighth charter will expand a $6 million dent in the school system's budget.
Though charter schools are public schools, they operate independently from the local school district. They receive money from the state, and for each student from the Durham school district who enrolls in a charter, a certain per-student allowance follows him. (BUT...BUT...BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ALSO DOESN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE A SEAT FOR THAT STUDENT, OR SCHOOL BUS SERVICES! AT A TIME WHEN SCHOOLS ARE OVERCROWDED, HOW CAN THIS BE A COST? UNLESS...UNLESS YOU JUST THINK THE LOSS OF CONTROL OVER CITIZEN CHOICE IS A COST, RIGHT?)
This will make difficult several projects coming up for Durham Public Schools, including the opening of a new middle school and three small high schools in the fall. (AGAIN, THEY ONLY NEED TO DO THAT IF THEY ARE OVERCROWDED. AND SENDING KIDS TO CHARTERS RELIEVES OVERCROWDING. FURTHER, CHARTERS SAVE THE STATE MONEY, BECAUSE THEY DON'T PROVIDE LUNCH, OR BUS SERVICE, AND GET MUCH LESS PER STUDENT THAN THE STATE-RUN SCHOOLS.)
"We're trying to do a lot of things that require revenue," said Hank Hurd, associate superintendent of administrative services for Durham Public Schools. "Charters are depleting some of the resources that we need to address the student population at large." (STOP DOING THOSE THINGS! THAT'S NOT "REVENUE!" THAT'S MONEY TAKEN AT GUNPOINT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE DESPERATE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO BETTER SCHOOLS!)
When it opens in the fall, Voyager will serve about 320 students in grades four through seven. Its home will be the 40,000-square-foot former Little River Elementary School in the northern Durham town of Bahama. (NO NEW BUILDING, AND NO STATE COSTS, EXCEPT THE RENTAL. LESS THAN HALF AS EXPENSIVE FOR TAXPAYERS, AND HIGHER QUALITY EDUCATION.)
The school will expand to eighth grade the following year, and eventually cap growth at 500 students, according to a plan the school's board of directors submitted to the state.
As of this week, the school received about 400 letters of interest from parents in Durham and as far away as Hillsborough and Roxboro....(GOSH, SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THE DURHAM SCHOOLS AREN'T REALLY DOING THEIR JOB. AND THEIR PROPOSED SOLUTION IS...PREVENT PARENTS FROM HAVING ANY CHOICES? IT IS TRUE THAT WITHOUT CHOICES, THE DURHAM SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE MORE STUDENTS. WHY NOT PURSUE THAT A LITTLE FURTHER? IF WE CRIMINALIZE READING, WE CAN JUST USE THE PRISONS FOR SCHOOLS, AND THEN WE CAN REALLY MAKE SOME REVENUE! USE THE SCHOOLS MONEY TO BUILD NEW PRISONS!)
...At Voyager, the emphasis will be on hands-on projects and other interactive activities, said Christy Whiteside, a contractor who worked with the school's board to create its education plan.
Teachers also will focus on character education and public speaking. Directors are still trying to solidify a partnership with the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, Forsyth said.
Parents and students won't know until March 31 who will attend Voyager. If the school gets more applications than there are spaces available, it will choose by lottery. (I'M GUESSING THEY ARE GOING TO NEED A LOTTERY. SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD EXPERIMENT IN EDUCATION, AND IT WILL CUT COSTS TO TAXPAYERS.)
Most of Voyager's students are likely to come from Durham, so administrators with the school system can expect to send at least an additional $800,000 to the new school in per-student allowances, plus state resources allotted based on enrollment, Hurd said. (AAARGH! WHERE DO YOU START HERE? IT IS NOT DURHAM'S MONEY TO LOSE! THAT IS TAXPAYER MONEY. CHARTER SCHOOLS JUST LET PARENTS MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES WITH THEIR OWN MONEY! HOW DARE DURHAM BUREAUCRATS TALK ABOUT "LOSING" MONEY? THEY HAVE LOST THE SENSE THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE LOST!)
....Durham administrators tried to drive home the point last fall, when enrollment in traditional public schools in Durham increased less than 1 percent and charter enrollment soared by almost 22 percent.
*****************
After reading that story, I had to just go sit on the floor in the corner, hugging my knees, rocking back and forth, and making little whimpering sounds.
Remember, charter enrollment is capped by capacity. That 22 % growth is not the number of people who WANT to send their kids to charters. That is the actual number of seats filled by parents who are going crazy with worry about how their kids are treated in the schools runs by teachers' unions and indifferent, revenue-maximzing bureaucrats.
If more charter schools were available, thousands of parents would transfer their kids. Some would be good schools, some not so good. But what would happen to the bad ones? They would lose enrollment, and close? What happens to Durham PUBLIC schools that are bad? We all spend more money on them. They never close, because there is no competition and no standard of quality to meet.
Anything that improves choice, improves education. Charters, and vouchers, are a good start. Let's get started!
Friday, March 02, 2007
Those....Those Swiss! I thought they were neutral....
Swiss troops, who had no ammunition, invade Lichtenstein, which has no army.
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- What began as a routine training exercise almost ended in an embarrassing diplomatic incident after a company of Swiss soldiers got lost at night and marched into neighboring Liechtenstein.
According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.
A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion.
''We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem,'' Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.
ATSRTWT
(Nod to LC, who knows things)
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- What began as a routine training exercise almost ended in an embarrassing diplomatic incident after a company of Swiss soldiers got lost at night and marched into neighboring Liechtenstein.
According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.
A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion.
''We've spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it's not a problem,'' Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.
ATSRTWT
(Nod to LC, who knows things)
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