So why, if Pickles the Cow is referred to as “he” both by the kids and by the literature that came home, does “he” have an udder? There’s a good…
So why, if Pickles the Cow is referred to as “he” both by the kids and by the literature that came home, does “he” have an udder?
There’s a good conspiracy theory somewhere in here …
Katherine was named this week’s classroom “cowgirl of the week” (recall the cow motif for the class), which gives her custody of Pickles, Pickles’ attractive tote, and Pickles’ diary. The…
Katherine was named this week’s classroom “cowgirl of the week” (recall the cow motif for the class), which gives her custody of Pickles, Pickles’ attractive tote, and Pickles’ diary.
The intent is that Pickles goes everywhere Katherine does, and she journals about it in his diary.
Cool.
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Rodeo day at school. Accourements include hat (shopping bags, feathers, yarn), horse (shopping bag, construction paper, yardstick), belt (craft paper, with brands on it), bandana (with brands on it) and…
Rodeo day at school. Accourements include hat (shopping bags, feathers, yarn), horse (shopping bag, construction paper, yardstick), belt (craft paper, with brands on it), bandana (with brands on it) and boots (rainboots). Much fun.
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A melange of articles I don’t have quite the get-up-and-go to get-up-and-blog in detail: Kids are blogging! By themselves! Unsupervised! Gads! Okay, granted, kids do dumb things. Fine. Educate them….
A melange of articles I don’t have quite the get-up-and-go to get-up-and-blog in detail:
After watching one our new BTAS DVDs: KATHERINE: I’m going to practice karate at home. Just a little bit. DAVE: Well you know, we could let you take a class…
After watching one our new BTAS DVDs:
KATHERINE: I’m going to practice karate at home. Just a little bit.
DAVE: Well you know, we could let you take a class in karate.
KATHERINE: But then I’d have to listen a lot!
She got a bit offended by how loud and long Margie and I laughed.
So if you can’t teach Intelligent Design in a public school’s science class, can you teach it in a philosophy class? Especially if you make it an elective? Well, I…
So if you can’t teach Intelligent Design in a public school’s science class, can you teach it in a philosophy class? Especially if you make it an elective?
Well, I suppose you could, looking at the philosophical or even metaphysical considerations behind intelligent design, its implications, the coherency of its thinking, etc. You could examine what folks who believe in ID actually believe in, sure. You might even look at related areas, or discuss creation myths. But, as with any school course, one would have it oriented toward teaching and description.
That would probably be okay.
Holding a course that says ID is true, you better believe it, kids! smacks of religious proselytization, if you ask me. Not that the fine school trustees at Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec, California. Which is why they’re getting sued.
In their suit, the parents said the syllabus originally listed 24 videos to be shown to students, with 23 “produced or distributed by religious organizations and assume a pro-creationist, anti-evolution stance.” They said the syllabus listed two evolution experts who would speak to the class. One was a local parent and scientist who said he had already refused the speaking invitation and was now suing the district; the other was Francis H. C. Crick, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, who died in 2004.
A course description distributed to students and parents said, “This class will take a close look at evolution as a theory and will discuss the scientific, biological and biblical aspects that suggest why Darwin’s philosophy is not rock solid.”
Um. That sounds like advocacy to me. Religious advocacy. And, um, teaching ID as science, no matter what category the class is, itself, listed. Never mind that science used to be called “natural philosophy.”
And that, frankly, is off limits, guys.
The school principal referred inquiries to the superintendent, John W. Wright, who was in Washington and did not respond to an interview request. But Mr. Wright said in a letter on Jan. 6 in response to a complaint from Americans United, “Our legal advisers have pointed out that they are unaware of any court or California statute which has forbidden public schools to explore cultural phenomena, including history, religion or creation myths.”
Exploring cultural phenomena? Go for it. Sounds fun.
Advocating religious viewpoints and exploring (from a pre-determined negative position) the scientific basis for evolution? I’ll bet you we can find something in the courts and statues of California that don’t let you do that.
The Bar Exam should be tough. Still, this sort of thing makes you wonder: Kathleen Sullivan is a noted constitutional scholar who has argued cases before the Supreme Court. Until…
The Bar Exam should be tough. Still, this sort of thing makes you wonder:
Kathleen Sullivan is a noted constitutional scholar who has argued cases before the Supreme Court. Until recently, she was dean of Stanford Law School. In legal circles, she has been talked about as a potential Democratic nominee for the Supreme Court. But Ms. Sullivan recently became the latest prominent victim of California’s notoriously difficult bar exam. Last month, the state sent out the results of its July test to 8,343 aspiring and already-practicing lawyers. More than half failed — including Ms. Sullivan.
Although she is licensed to practice law in New York and Massachusetts, Ms. Sullivan was taking the California exam for the first time after joining a Los Angeles-based firm as an appellate specialist.
The California bar exam has created misery for thousands of aspiring and practicing lawyers. Former California Gov. Jerry Brown passed on his second try, while former Gov. Pete Wilson needed four attempts. The recently elected mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio R. Villaraigosa, never did pass the bar after failing four times.
I had the pleasure of both hearing Ms Sullivan speak last summer, as well as having a pleasant lunch with her. I’ve had her name in a Google News search since then, which is how I spotted this. I think she has the makings of a fine Justice.
But, I guess, I won’t be calling on her as a lawyer in California.
Why anyone expects anything particularly pleasant, intelligent, or to the benefit of Christianity as a church or institution to come from Pat Robertson’s lips is beyond me, but he’s too…
Why anyone expects anything particularly pleasant, intelligent, or to the benefit of Christianity as a church or institution to come from Pat Robertson’s lips is beyond me, but he’s too busy turning his Evil Eye on the citizens of Dover, PA, who just voted out the Intelligent Design supporters from their school board. Dover’s a fairly conservative place — conservative enough to think that teaching creationism in a science class isn’t a very good idea. Pat’s response?
I?d like to say to the good citizens of Dover. If there is a disaster in your area, don?t turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city. And don?t wonder why He hasn?t helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I?m not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that?s the case, don?t ask for His help because he might not be there.
Christianity is like an extortion racket, see, and if you don’t cough up, well, Lew here might have a little accident with your car, or your house, or your little girl. And then Mr Big wouldn’t be able to do nothin’ for you. He doesn’t mean nothing by it, he likes you, see, but if you don’t show him a little respect, you can’t expect him to trouble himself with your worries, OK? Me and Vinnie’ll be by tomorrow, and you will have that little donation ready.
Nicely done, Pat! I’m sure the city fathers of Dover are busy gnashing their teeth and repenting their evil ways so that God won’t get ’em!
(I observe that Pat’s argument, by the bye, puts lie to the idea that ID isn’t about “religion.” If it’s not creationism in drag, why’s Pat so sure that God considers it a prerequisite for His protection?
(via J-Walk)
Katherine did well in class a few weeks back, and was rewarded with getting to bring the class turtle home. Cowabunga! this post enabled by airblogging.com….
Katherine did well in class a few weeks back, and was rewarded with getting to bring the class turtle home. Cowabunga!
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The principal of John XXIII Catholic School has decreed that students there shallt not keep blogs. When students post their faces, personal diaries and gossip on Web sites like Myspace.com…
The principal of John XXIII Catholic School has decreed that students there shallt not keep blogs.
When students post their faces, personal diaries and gossip on Web sites like Myspace.com and Xanga.com, it is not simply harmless teen fun, according to one Sussex County Catholic school principal.
It’s an open invitation to predators and an activity that Pope John XIII Regional High School in Sparta will no longer tolerate, the Rev. Kieran McHugh told a packed assembly of 900 high school students two weeks ago.
Effective immediately, and over student complaints, the teens were told to dismantle their Myspace.com accounts or similar sites with personal profiles and blogs. Defy the order and face suspension, students were told.
Um …
Okay, even if there’s truth in the principal’s concerns (debatable), it seems to me that’s more a matter for parents/families to decide, not the school. It’s sort of like decreeing that R-rated movies are bad, and, thus, we want copies of your Pay-per-view logs …
Or … is it that the school is tired of kids blogging negatively about it, and so is latching onto the “sexual predators” excuse the way some folks latch onto the “terrorists” meme to justify whatever they want?
(via BoingBoing)
Serenity opens up on Friday. The movie I’ve been looking forward to since, oh, when it was first hinted that it might happen. This Friday. The chances are passing slim…
Serenity opens up on Friday. The movie I’ve been looking forward to since, oh, when it was first hinted that it might happen. This Friday.
The chances are passing slim that I’ll be seeing it then.
Let’s see — I work in the morning. Life’s way too busy at the office now (he said in the same gift of understatement by which he referenced Hurricane Katrina as ‘that spot of weather down south’) to play hookey.
In the afternoon? Ah. Parent-Teacher Conference for Katherine. Followed by eye appointment for Katherine. (There’s a good possibility that the, oh, 100% chance that she’s going to suffer from both sides of the gene pool’s vision woes, is, in fact, going to come true.)
In the evening? Oh, nothing much, except opening night for the Cotton Patch Gospel. Y’all come now, hear? Unless, of course, you’re going to Serenity. Or MirrorMask, for that matter.
After that — say, 9 p.m. Friday night?
I have no idea. Except, of course, there’s the sitting thing (we’re raising Katherine as geekily as we can, but I suspect Serenity is a scosh over her age bracket), and there’s the Holy frell, I’m exhausted thing. Either of which can possibly be overcome, but, to be honest, I really don’t have the time or energy to do so.
(“Pity me, pity me,” he wailed.)
Ah, well. Maybe Saturday afternoon. Or Sunday night.
At least I was there for the first sneak peak showing. Otherwise I’d really be torqued.
Keep ’em flying, folks.
Just to show that what’s legally permissible is not necessarily a good thing … A 14-year-old student was expelled from a Christian school because her parents are lesbians, the school’s…
Just to show that what’s legally permissible is not necessarily a good thing …
A 14-year-old student was expelled from a Christian school because her parents are lesbians, the school’s superintendent said in a letter. Shay Clark was expelled from Ontario Christian School on Thursday.
“Your family does not meet the policies of admission,” Superintendent Leonard Stob wrote to Tina Clark, the girl’s biological mother. Stob wrote that school policy requires that at least one parent may not engage in practices “immoral or inconsistent with a positive Christian life style, such as cohabitating without marriage or in a homosexual relationship,” The Los Angeles Times reported in Friday’s edition.
I think the school in question has every right to be as persnickety and restrictive in its admission policies as it wants. And I think that parents who find this sort of action on the school’s part abhorrent have every right to withdraw their kids from the school, too.
And the only other bit I have to say is that it’s a good thing that Christ didn’t decide the only folks worthy of association with were those who “did not engage in practices immoral or inconsistent with a positive Godly life style.” In fact, I sort of recall he hung out with just the opposite … but, then, that was then and this is now and I’m sure he’d agree with Ontario Christian School having to maintain, well, standards about whom they invite to their educational table. Otherwise, who knows what sort of riff-raff, thieves, tax collectors and prostitutes they might have to rub elbows with? Gads!
(via Ginny)
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… that those who want to support Katherine’s elementary school via Entertainment Books and Innisbrook gift wrap, etc. have to do it by tomorrow, Monday the 12th! Keep those orders…
… that those who want to support Katherine’s elementary school via Entertainment Books and Innisbrook gift wrap, etc. have to do it by tomorrow, Monday the 12th! Keep those orders coming, people!
Dave cringes at soliciting funds from his readers, shuffles back into the shadows to fill out his own orders …
Why “teaching the controversy” in science classes is a bad idea. Hint: it’s not because teaching controversy is wrong. Why, then, would two lifelong educators and passionate advocates of the…
Why “teaching the controversy” in science classes is a bad idea. Hint: it’s not because teaching controversy is wrong.
Why, then, would two lifelong educators and passionate advocates of the “both sides” style of teaching join with essentially all biologists in making an exception of the alleged controversy between creation and evolution? What is wrong with the apparently sweet reasonableness of “it is only fair to teach both sides”? The answer is simple. This is not a scientific controversy at all.
The article goes on to note that there are various genuine controversies within the field of evolutionary science, but that ID is, for a variety of reasons, simply not one of them.
Good stuff worth reading.
So neither Margie nor I are the sorts to go door to door ringing doorbells to raise money for stuff. But now that Kitten has hit elementary school, the fundraisers…
So neither Margie nor I are the sorts to go door to door ringing doorbells to raise money for stuff. But now that Kitten has hit elementary school, the fundraisers are beginning to come hot and heavy. So since I have this nice venue where I don’t have to actually look in anyone in the face soliciting for these things, and since our local friends who we’d be hitting up all (I think) check this place out …
It’s a bit more embarrassing than usual in the face of solicitations for money for Katrina relief. The only thing I can say is that if you are already going to be buying this stuff or spending money at places covered in the coupon book, consider this a way to redirect some of that already-budgeted money to a worthy cause (Katherine and her school). If you aren’t, then for heaven’s sakes hit the actual charity links at the top of the main page; that’s a lot more important.
For some reason, rather than pushing a single product, Katherine’s school is shotgunning their effort across multiple vendors. The following is a subset, the ones easily accessible via the Net.
We also have local “e” Books for the Denver area, but those can’t be ordered online; local people can contact us directly, at which point we’ll look very embarrassed over hitting up our friends for money-raising stuff.
Anyway, there you go. Orders due by 12 September. Again, if you were already planning on buying gift wrap, or think the coupon book is for something that you’re likely to make use of, faboo. If not, and you have money burning in our pocket, there’s folks that need the help more than Katherine’s elementary school does.
Katherine gives Nono and Nona a tour of Franklin.this post enabled by airblogging.com….
Letter from the Superintendent of Littleton Public Schools, addressed to: Katherine Hill Class of 2018 Holy crap. Side note: While I can barely imagine a superintendent of schools sending “me”…
Letter from the Superintendent of Littleton Public Schools, addressed to:
Katherine Hill
Class of 2018
Holy crap.
Side note: While I can barely imagine a superintendent of schools sending “me” a letter when I was just entering Kindergarten — one just did not do that back then, but instead sent letters to the parents, and addressed them as Mr. and Mrs. — the idea that (a) it would be typeset on preprinted, brightly colored paper, and (b) that it would have an “electronic mail” address on it would have been inconceivable. Which makes me wonder in what ways this will seem utterly archaic to Kitten when she’s sending her kid off to Kindergarten — that it had an “e-mail” address of “@lps.k12.co.us”? (“Mom, why memorize an address when you have the person’s Name and Context?”) That it’s on paper? (“But — how did you keep it filed and crossreffed, mom? How could you find it in a few months or a year?”) That it’s in English? (“M@, s0 zed-c00l ^1337!”). The mind reels.
Friday Worked from home, since I wanted to be there for Kitten’s send-off on the bus, and it was supposed to be a half day. Several phone calls later, around…
Kitten parties down at a soiree for our new rector.this post enabled by airblogging.com….
Friday
Worked from home, since I wanted to be there for Kitten’s send-off on the bus, and it was supposed to be a half day.
Several phone calls later, around 2 or so, I called it a week. Margie was home still later than that, despite “just” having one late morning meeting.
Greeted Kitten back on the bus. The new rhythm of our lives.
A couple of parishioners were having a big party for the new rector and his family finally arriving from Oregon (house sales and school schedules being such as they were). We had a fine time, they had a good band and tasty food, Kitten got to play and dance and goof around, and we called it quits early enough to visit Jackie … or not, as she wasn’t feeling like visitors (which is certainly her prerogative), so we headed home, got the kid to bed, and played CoH for a while until I was nodding off.
Saturday
Slept the morning away.
Went to a Saturday Cotton Patch Gospel rehearsal, again focusing on the music. Seems there are now to be two rehearsals a week, with Thursdays for working the script (argh) and Saturdays the music. The latter is semi-optional for me, since Jim knows my Saturdays are difficult, but I feel like I need to attend a few more pretty, er, religiously, given the amount of music we’re still pushing through.
Not quite sure what happened the rest of the afternoon. Ah. Got new tires on the Subaru. Did some shopping. New slacks at Costco, but refrained from buying a couple of DVDs I wanted.
Evening was a CoH task force. Fun times.
Sunday
Did the normal church stuff in the a.m. Margie was one of the chalice ministers, so I got to be guardian of Katherine in the front row right. She behaved pretty well for a 5-year-old in church, though she got upset that (a) she only had two crayons in her drawing bag (which she’d already known) and (b) I wouldn’t let her get up in the middle of the readings to go back to the narthex to get a bag of crayons from there. I did duck back there during the announcements, which made her a happy camper, er, drawer up into the parts of the service she knows how to participate in.
Afterwards, we did some shopping and had lunch at Panera Breads. The good news is that the portabello mushroom pannini is extremely tasty. The bad news was that the house latte was dismal — I think the preparer (a “certified trainer”) forgot to put the espresso shots in.
Sunday was also the first planned Game Day that I’ve managed to actually be available for. This was my hot new idea when it turned out that both circumstance and other life stressors meant that continuing my RPG campaign (or Margie’s, for that matter) was simply not going to happen. The alternative is a biweekly Sunday that’s just light gaming and socializing — not necessarily RPGs but not necessarily not, but generally one-off activities, with my doing as much prep and planning as the Muse enables me to.
Two months later, I wasn’t busy on a designated Sunday, so huzzah. The only complication was the new Testerbaby. After much going back and forth, and De being excused from attending because of a cold, we ended up with a tentative plan to go to Doyce & Jackie’s for an hour or so, to let everyone ooh and aah over the Bebe, and then adjourn back home.
As it turned out, we stayed there the whole afternoon, along with Stan and Randy. The conversational part of the day far exceeded any gaming, as we all caught up with stuff (much, though by no means all, CoH related). Ultimately, Doyce went upstairs for a nap, and I managed to crack a game open — Guillotine, which I’d played some years back at KOA. Good stuff, simple and quick to play, and the resemblance to another home favorite, Family Business, may or may not be coincidental.
The only drawback to sticking around was that I’d sketched in the idea of doing some SPANC with Margie, Randy, and Stan once we got back the house. It will, eventually, happen.
Headed home, got Kitten in bed for an early morning of Kindergarten, and played some CoH.
All in all, not a bad weekend.
Kitten parties down at a soiree for our new rector.
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Yowzers! Katherine in Kindergarten. Hard to believe, in some ways. Click on a pic to blow it up. Katherine’s Official Back-to-School Photo 2005 Katherine hurries to school with Mommy in…
Yowzers! Katherine in Kindergarten. Hard to believe, in some ways. Click on a pic to blow it up.
