Red Quill Books recently published the first in what will be a four-part comic book series based on The Communist Manifesto. Apparently it's selling well, including to college professors who plan to use it in their classrooms. It's important to have this historical perspective and, I guess, this is an easy way to do it. I'm not too worried about students, aside from those who live and die by locally grown food, buying into the old-school bourgeoisie vs. proletariat struggle.
Promotional videos for the comics are available on youtube. What's really interesting about this one, at least to me, is the use of the 'the whole world is watching' chant for the whole soundtrack, start to finish. Oh please. I doubt very much the proletariats violently filling the streets in Moscow, or wherever, were hoping that someone was going to post their struggles on youtube, or even on the old-school broadcast news, which is when that chant was first broadcast, during the antiwar demonstrations outside of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Well, maybe people who won't eat oranges in January will believe it.
Anyone who enjoys eating lettuce, oranges and even arugula all winter can watch this.
Just substitute "financial meltdown" for "war" and The Road to Serfdom is brought up-to-date. Right?
Yup.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
I found the best idea yet for getting rid of the Christmas tree on Geeko System, a site always worth checking.
Nice.
Nice.
It takes a lot of (snow) balls...
This is a picture taken the day after New York City was buried under 20 inches of snow on December 26, 2010.
Still a big mess 24 hours after the storm ended. In fact, still a big mess today, three days after it stopped snowing. According to the New York Post, there is a very good reason for why the city, including emergency services and public transportation, was paralyzed after the Boxer Day Storm. The plow guys, unionized public workers all, were ordered by their supervisors to purposely stall clean-up efforts to protest budget cuts made to their department by Mayor Bloomberg over the past couple of years. They
Yup. Don't do your job, destroy private property, just cool out and enjoy yourself.
Still a big mess 24 hours after the storm ended. In fact, still a big mess today, three days after it stopped snowing. According to the New York Post, there is a very good reason for why the city, including emergency services and public transportation, was paralyzed after the Boxer Day Storm. The plow guys, unionized public workers all, were ordered by their supervisors to purposely stall clean-up efforts to protest budget cuts made to their department by Mayor Bloomberg over the past couple of years. They
Yup. Don't do your job, destroy private property, just cool out and enjoy yourself.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Education 24/7...
After seeing Waiting For Superman and visiting First Achievement's Amistad Academy, the interest I've always had in education, pushed aside while I worked 24/7 building my career in real estate, has rewakened big time.
And Lord knows there is plenty happening. It seems like the efforts to reform the public schools are becoming far more mainstream than they were even ten years ago. Charter schools are an important part of the educational system nearly two decades after the first one opened in Minnesota. Many school districts have open enrollment, allowing parents more choice in where their children are educated.
The teacher's unions are no longer the sacred cows they used to be, and the priorities of the whole educational establishment are finally being questioned. In earlier posts (here, here and here) I took a look at the courage of Michelle Rhee's efforts in Washington, DC and the tough stand Chris Christie has taken with the entrenched powers-that-be in NJ education, even while career politicians continue to place a higher priority on teacher's votes than on their performance.
Waiting For Superman has played an important role in focusing the attention of more and more people on our broken schools. Two other films about the problems with public education were released in 2010 as well. They are both available on demand from most cable companies and I finally took the time to watch them.
The first, The Cartel, goes into great detail about how the vast amount of money budgeted for education in New Jersey is spent. It was made before Governor Christie took office but it explains perfectly what he is trying to do ~ break down the destructive power of a gargantuan educational establishment. The Cartel doesn't have the emotional impact of Superman but it offers seemingly endless examples of corruption and dishonesty on the part of school officials who, historically, have been untouchable because they are 'working for the children.' As one of the parents says in the film, "they've been pimping our children for a very long time." Perfectly said.
Here's the preview:
A few weeks ago, while I was researching Chris Christie, I ran across a youtube video showing New Jersey teachers misbehaving during, I guess, the cocktail hour of a union conference they were attending. At the time, I didn't feel it was fair to post it. After watching The Cartel, I've changed my mind. National Review added some fun graphics but the teacher's quotes are all too real.
The next film, The Lottery, is about the lotteries held every year to place children at the coveted Harlem Success Academy Charter Schools. The film is similar to Waiting For Superman as it follows the stories of four children who would all benefit greatly by leaving behind their substandard neighborhood schools and attending one of the charter schools. The focus, though, is very local, specifically Harlem, where schools have been in trouble for decades. The film does a great job showing the push-back from the entrenched educational establishment when written-in-stone power is questioned. The 27 year old filmmaker, Madeleine Sackler, discusses why she was inspired to make the film. The preview:
The founder of the Harlem Success Academy schools is Eva Moskowitz, yet another education reformer who showed amazing courage against vicious attacks from the educational establishment when she pushed for more accountability from them as chairwoman of education while serving on the New York City Council. Now, in a way, she has gotten her revenge by opening seven highly successful charter schools that do not to conform to the same union rules traditional schools have to follow.
Of course, that has only made the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) increase their efforts to bully Ms. Moskowitz, including the hiring of outsiders posing as neighborhood parents and, read this twice, Acorn, to carry signs and scream ugly slogans at the parents and children arriving for the first day of school at Harlem Success Academy. This is repulsive:
How is screaming ugly words at children who are entering the school of their dreams different from this?
All three films are worth making an effort to see. And there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the fight for more school choice and reform.
An obvious answer to finding places at functioning schools for the children who come up short at charter school lotteries is to issue publicly-funded vouchers for use at established private schools. Vouchers, though, remain a sort of invisible alternative, rarely, if ever, mentioned by school reform organizations. The Foundation For Educational Choice includes vouchers, along with other alternatives, as a viable and valid choice. The site offers a lot of meaty information and research for getting up to speed on education reform.
The week starting January 20 has been designated National School Choice Week with events being held around the country promoting, um, school choice. A lot of the events revolve around showing The Cartel. Reason Magazine is holding a panel discussion in their Washington, DC office, with food and drink (of course) as well. It's not too late to organize a viewing of one of the films or to find a local speaker and book a room at the nearest library.
DoneWaiting.org is an organizing tool started by Education Reform Now, with the hope of taking advantage of the motivating force of Waiting For Superman to get more people involved in the reform movement. Both organizations support publicly-funded charter schools and push for improving traditional public schools.
Michelle Rhee has gotten her new effort off the ground. Student's First focuses on improving public education rather than promoting choice. Probably worthwhile if it shakes up the unions. In the few weeks since its start nearly $700,000 in donations has been raised, another testament to impact of Waiting For Superman, which featured Ms. Rhee's struggles in Washington, DC.
Hmmm, maybe it's time to get involved?
And Lord knows there is plenty happening. It seems like the efforts to reform the public schools are becoming far more mainstream than they were even ten years ago. Charter schools are an important part of the educational system nearly two decades after the first one opened in Minnesota. Many school districts have open enrollment, allowing parents more choice in where their children are educated.
The teacher's unions are no longer the sacred cows they used to be, and the priorities of the whole educational establishment are finally being questioned. In earlier posts (here, here and here) I took a look at the courage of Michelle Rhee's efforts in Washington, DC and the tough stand Chris Christie has taken with the entrenched powers-that-be in NJ education, even while career politicians continue to place a higher priority on teacher's votes than on their performance.
Waiting For Superman has played an important role in focusing the attention of more and more people on our broken schools. Two other films about the problems with public education were released in 2010 as well. They are both available on demand from most cable companies and I finally took the time to watch them.
The first, The Cartel, goes into great detail about how the vast amount of money budgeted for education in New Jersey is spent. It was made before Governor Christie took office but it explains perfectly what he is trying to do ~ break down the destructive power of a gargantuan educational establishment. The Cartel doesn't have the emotional impact of Superman but it offers seemingly endless examples of corruption and dishonesty on the part of school officials who, historically, have been untouchable because they are 'working for the children.' As one of the parents says in the film, "they've been pimping our children for a very long time." Perfectly said.
Here's the preview:
A few weeks ago, while I was researching Chris Christie, I ran across a youtube video showing New Jersey teachers misbehaving during, I guess, the cocktail hour of a union conference they were attending. At the time, I didn't feel it was fair to post it. After watching The Cartel, I've changed my mind. National Review added some fun graphics but the teacher's quotes are all too real.
The next film, The Lottery, is about the lotteries held every year to place children at the coveted Harlem Success Academy Charter Schools. The film is similar to Waiting For Superman as it follows the stories of four children who would all benefit greatly by leaving behind their substandard neighborhood schools and attending one of the charter schools. The focus, though, is very local, specifically Harlem, where schools have been in trouble for decades. The film does a great job showing the push-back from the entrenched educational establishment when written-in-stone power is questioned. The 27 year old filmmaker, Madeleine Sackler, discusses why she was inspired to make the film. The preview:
The founder of the Harlem Success Academy schools is Eva Moskowitz, yet another education reformer who showed amazing courage against vicious attacks from the educational establishment when she pushed for more accountability from them as chairwoman of education while serving on the New York City Council. Now, in a way, she has gotten her revenge by opening seven highly successful charter schools that do not to conform to the same union rules traditional schools have to follow.
Of course, that has only made the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) increase their efforts to bully Ms. Moskowitz, including the hiring of outsiders posing as neighborhood parents and, read this twice, Acorn, to carry signs and scream ugly slogans at the parents and children arriving for the first day of school at Harlem Success Academy. This is repulsive:
How is screaming ugly words at children who are entering the school of their dreams different from this?
All three films are worth making an effort to see. And there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the fight for more school choice and reform.
An obvious answer to finding places at functioning schools for the children who come up short at charter school lotteries is to issue publicly-funded vouchers for use at established private schools. Vouchers, though, remain a sort of invisible alternative, rarely, if ever, mentioned by school reform organizations. The Foundation For Educational Choice includes vouchers, along with other alternatives, as a viable and valid choice. The site offers a lot of meaty information and research for getting up to speed on education reform.
The week starting January 20 has been designated National School Choice Week with events being held around the country promoting, um, school choice. A lot of the events revolve around showing The Cartel. Reason Magazine is holding a panel discussion in their Washington, DC office, with food and drink (of course) as well. It's not too late to organize a viewing of one of the films or to find a local speaker and book a room at the nearest library.
DoneWaiting.org is an organizing tool started by Education Reform Now, with the hope of taking advantage of the motivating force of Waiting For Superman to get more people involved in the reform movement. Both organizations support publicly-funded charter schools and push for improving traditional public schools.
Michelle Rhee has gotten her new effort off the ground. Student's First focuses on improving public education rather than promoting choice. Probably worthwhile if it shakes up the unions. In the few weeks since its start nearly $700,000 in donations has been raised, another testament to impact of Waiting For Superman, which featured Ms. Rhee's struggles in Washington, DC.
Hmmm, maybe it's time to get involved?
Monday, December 27, 2010
The morning after...
My backyard...
and the weather for the day.
view from my office...
off the front porch...
and the weather for the day.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Well, it's snowing, that's for sure...
We are hunkered down for the rest of the day. The snow is blowing sideways, probably have a little past an inch with lots more coming. The backyard...
from my office window...
up towards the horses (who are wisely staying in the barn)...
I love it.
from my office window...
up towards the horses (who are wisely staying in the barn)...
and out front.
I love it.
My backyard...
this morning, the day after Christmas.
A big snow is headed for the Northeast today.
My green backyard is history.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas
If one googles "pretty christmas lights" dozens of youtube videos of behemothic, computer-directed residential Christmas light displays come up, all sychronized with various techno versions of holiday songs. They all start looking the same after awhile. I like this one though ~ noir Christmas light display video:
This is my favorite though, simple and to the point:
I don't know if this old Nat King Cole tune is a Christmas song or not, but it feels like one to even to my own heathen self.
Instapundit turned me on to PomplamooseMusic a couple of years ago. I love her voice and the videos are charming. They and their friends put together a series of music videos celebrating the season. Here's Silent Night...
O Come, O Come Emmanuel...
And now it's time to open up your gifts...Merry Christmas, Gayle
And Tacy...
And Merry Christmas to me.
This is my favorite though, simple and to the point:
I don't know if this old Nat King Cole tune is a Christmas song or not, but it feels like one to even to my own heathen self.
Instapundit turned me on to PomplamooseMusic a couple of years ago. I love her voice and the videos are charming. They and their friends put together a series of music videos celebrating the season. Here's Silent Night...
O Come, O Come Emmanuel...
And now it's time to open up your gifts...Merry Christmas, Gayle
And Tacy...
And Merry Christmas to me.
At Christmas play, and make good cheer,
For Christmas comes but once a year.
Thomas Tusser, 1580
Our Christmas Eve...
Really, Christmas is in the heart, no matter what it looks like in reality.
There ya go, dear.
There ya go, dear.
Friday, December 24, 2010
It's Christmas...!
I love Annie Lennox's voice. She put a Christmas album out last month. It's good but I love this version of Winter Wonderland by the Eurythmics. The video is good too.
I love Doris Day too. Always have; always will. And I'm not being ironic. Here's her version of Sleigh Bells. For some reason, she's just skating around rather than singing in the video. I guess that's an old school thing.
Billy Idol's version of Jingle Bell Rock is a little more upbeat with an element of goofy.
And finally, a little light show for Santa:
I love Doris Day too. Always have; always will. And I'm not being ironic. Here's her version of Sleigh Bells. For some reason, she's just skating around rather than singing in the video. I guess that's an old school thing.
Billy Idol's version of Jingle Bell Rock is a little more upbeat with an element of goofy.
And finally, a little light show for Santa:
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