Happy Halloween!

"The internet is the technology paradox writ more monstrous than ever. It’s a nonpareil tool for learning, roving and constructive community-building. But it’s unrivaled, too, in the spread of lies, narrowing of interests and erosion of common cause. It’s a glorious buffet, but it pushes individual users toward only the red meat or just the kale. We’re ridiculously overfed and ruinously undernourished."  (Link here)

Hate, Violence, and the Pursuit of Vengeance

How many more innocent lives have to be sacrificed on the man-made altar of the 2nd Amendment before the unalienable Rights endowed by our Creator to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness take precedence?

Spirits of the Season

The Bottled Spirits at Gallagher's Pub in Huntington Beach, CA 

Why I Believe Dr. Ford (My Response to a Conservative Friend)

Have you seen this chart?  Ask any man what he does to NOT be raped - the only thing they might come up with is "stay out of prison" (or the Catholic Church, haha) -  but ask a woman and the list goes on and on and on.  Sadly, I'll have to be teaching my daughter all these ways to stay safe, if we don't create a culture where boys and men are held accountable for their sexual predation.

Do conservative really believe that "Kavanaugh has been smeared by the media."  How so?  I listened to his testimony myself.  He was not forthcoming - he was evasive and combative - he dissembled and gave misleading statements about ways to drink, ("Boofing") "drinking games," (Devil's Triangle is NOT a drinking game AT ALL) and drinking ages.  Have you seen this graphic?

More significantly though, he continually said Dr. Ford's account had been "refuted" by the very people she named at the party.  Actually, one has said she believes Dr. Ford, and the others have said they don't remember or can't recall.  That's a FAR cry from "refuted," as Kavanaugh repeatedly and erroneously claimed. 

I also listened to Dr. Ford's testimony which sounded anything but "hazy" to me.  She remembered specific details  (She went upstairs to use the restroom, she was pushed from behind into a bedroom, she was wearing a bathing suit under her clothes, there was music playing and Kavanaugh turned it up, he covered her mouth when she screamed, etc.) and was quite forthright about wanting to provide as much information as possible (See graph above).

Are you implying she doesn't actually suffer PTSD since she didn't want to fly to DC before the FBI investigated her claims?  (Speaking of which, Kavanaugh has been investigated six times in his lifetime, PRIOR to Dr. Ford's allegations - until now, none of those FBI investigations would have included Ford's claims.)  Nonetheless, do you think there might be a difference between flying somewhere in the world on vacation and flying to DC to detail and relive the most horrendous moment of your life in front of the whole wide world?

I've also seen conservatives wonder aloud what took so long for her to come forward.  I'm sure you've seen the posts going around by women titled, "Why I Didn't Report My Assault" - needless to say, shame and disbelief rank high among the reasons why women don't report sooner.  I guess you don't believe Dr. Ford when she said it was "her duty as a citizen" to testify when she saw that Kavanaugh was being considered as the next justice of the SCOTUS?  Or maybe you are suggesting Feinstein should've broken her pledge of confidentiality to Dr. Ford and told the Judiciary Committee about the letter before the media leaked her name?  (Btw, The Intercept - the site that broke the story about Ford's letter - tweeted a few days ago that Feinstein's office did not leak her letter to them.) https://twitter.com/ryangrim/status/1045441295282556928

I think everyone can agree on presumption of innocence for the accused.  Where we may disagree is to whom this principle is afforded.  Does it apply to POC?  How about Dems?  For example, do you think that Hillary Clinton is innocent?  What did those Benghazi investigations find, anyway? (As a side note,  do you think she could have shouted and cried during her testimony like Kavanaugh did and then been praised for it?)  Seriously, has "Crooked Hillary" ever been convicted of any crime?  But do conservatives still think she is guilty?  Where's that presumption of innocence for her?  And what's up with Kavanaugh blaming Clinton for Dr. Ford stepping forward?  Was he feeding the base a line reminiscent of, "Lock her up," an applause line that contradicts your insistence on due process?  What does he have against the Clintons anyway?  After all, Kavanaugh was the one that reopened the Vince Foster case years after it had been proven he killed himself.  Here's a recent excerpt from the Times about this very topic:

WILENTZ (9/5/18):  "Mr. Kavanaugh served under Mr. Starr as associate independent counsel between 1994 and 1997, and then again in 1998. Although not yet a judge, he was charged with investigating impartially what Attorney General Janet Reno deemed substantial accusations of misconduct arising from a failed real estate investment known as Whitewater. 

Judge Starr’s predecessor as independent counsel, Robert Fiske, had looked into unfounded claims that the White House counsel Vincent Foster, who committed suicide in Fort Marcy Park in 1993, had in fact been murdered as part of an alleged White House cover-up related to Whitewater. After a thorough investigation, Mr. Fiske concluded in 1994 that there was nothing to the conspiracy theories and that Mr. Foster, who suffered from depression, had indeed killed himself. Official accounts by the National Park Service in 1993 and by a Republican congressman, William Clinger, the ranking member of the House Government Affairs Committee in 1994, came to an identical conclusion, as did a bipartisan report of the Senate Banking Committee early in 1995.

But shortly after the Senate report was released, Mr. Kavanaugh convinced Mr. Starr to reopen what he called a “full-fledged” investigation of the Foster matter, telling his colleagues, as justification, that “we have received allegations that Mr. Foster’s death related to President and Mrs. Clinton’s involvement” in Whitewater and other alleged scandals.
...
Mr. Kavanaugh noted in various memos that he personally believed that Mr. Foster had indeed committed suicide — “my thoughts, not the Office’s position,” he clarified at one point. But he did not file away the harebrained theories; instead, he apparently felt obligated to address the conspiracy-mongers’ already disproved fantasies. And for nearly three years at a cost of $2 million he aggressively followed up.
...
Of course, Mr. Kavanaugh proved nothing new, as there was nothing new to prove except in conspiratorial illusion. But there was nothing funny about his Inspector Clouseau performance. For months, his inquiries callously harassed a grieving family and Mr. Foster’s friends. His office spread malicious sexual innuendo about Hillary Clinton, whom he seems to have regarded as prey. By reopening a closed investigation, he irresponsibly gave the Foster conspiracy freaks credibility to continue smearing the Clintons and poison public debate for another three years, all at the taxpayers’ expense."

 

Is it any wonder that last week, Kavanaugh blamed a left-wing conspiracy by the Clintons for his troubles?  (Project much?) Also, Wilentz is being extremely kind by saying Kavanaugh's Clinton obsession helped "poison public debate for another three years." Try more like twenty years, helping to solidify Trump's phony, "Crooked Hillary" nom in 2016.

Anyway, how has that sacred principle of presumption of innocence worked out for POC who've run afoul of the law? After all, there's a long list of deceased POC that weren't afforded this privilege since they were killed by law enforcement before they could exercise their right as an American to due process in a court of law.  Could race also play a role in whether the police presume your innocence?  I'm just asking.

But I guess when it comes right down to it, I just have to wonder what evidence the FBI could possibly find that would make you believe Dr. Ford over Judge Kavanaugh.  Is there anything that persuasive? 

Either way, regardless of whether you believe Dr. Ford or not, if Kavanaugh's testimony last week - his blatant partisanship, injudicious temperament, and misleading statements - doesn't already make you think he might not be cut out for a lifetime position as one of the most powerful people in our country, then what new piece of information from 36 years ago could the FBI possibly find that will change your mind?

And that's not even mentioning how Repubs handled Merrick Garland...  But, if you've made it this far, I'm sure you've heard quite enough from me.  I'll save it for another time. :)

Things You Learn Reading Children's Books

The REAL reason Grandma's cakes were the BEST!!

The Omen Was Adapted For A Children's Book??

The Consequences of Voting Your Conscience

Are the left-leaning #neverhillary voters really that surprised by today’s SCOTUS decision? Aren’t Supreme Court rulings like these (not to mention Gorsuch’s nomination/confirmation) EXACTLY what Clinton supporters warned them about? Before the election, I asked anti-Clinton lefties how their decision to not vote for her wasn’t merely showing their privilege PRECISELY because of potential decisions like this (or the Colorado bakery decision) and their effect on marginalized communities. So, today, again, I ask them how the real-world implications of this administration make them feel about their protest vote?

Vinyl 15: 3-7

Today’s lesson from the Gospel of Vinyl:

"Which of you, if you had one thousand records, and lost one of them, wouldn't leave the other nine hundred ninety-nine on the shelf, and go after the one that was lost, until you found it? When you have found it, you carry it on your shoulders, rejoicing. When it’s back on the turntable, you call together your friends, your family and your neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my record which was lost!' I tell you that even so there will be more joy in my house over recovering one record, than over nine hundred ninety-nine righteous records that need no rescuing."

Talking About the Space Between Us

It’s been nice to see Sen. Sanders on TV talking about issues that Democrats should focus on in order to win this November – Universal Healthcare, raising the minimum wage, forgiving student debt, and making our public colleges and universities free.  And I agree with him that Americans care more about these things than the latest Trump scandal du jour.  

But, I can’t help thinking that if Sanders really cares about Democrats winning, then he should change party affiliation and become one!  

Wouldn’t that simple act of good faith go a long way toward unifying the progressive and centrist factions within our party?  

After all, he’s already sought the Democratic Presidential nomination once (and may again), so if he really wants Dems to follow him, then he needs to get in there and lead the way by fighting from within the party, not without.

NAEP Progress

Good news, everyone! 

Despite the false claims pushed by so-called education reformers (elites who would love nothing but to bust up teachers unions and starve our public schools of funding in order to privatize them), our public school students in 8th grade have slowly but steadily been making improvements in reading on the NAEP over the last 20 years, especially when you disaggregate for race. (For reference, ten points is generally considered about 1 grade level.

Gain in average scores, 1998-2017 Public schools, Grade 8 reading, NAEP:

All students: 4.67 points

White students: 5.49 points

Black students: 6.34 points

Hispanic students: 13.17 points

Asian/Pacific Islander students: 20.00 points

Sadly, our mainstream media are not allowed to discuss these improvements because it contradicts the reform movement’s scripts about our failing educational system. Chomsky called it “manufacturing consent,” the practice of selective and/or inaccurate presentation in which the public is led to believe a preferred outlook favored by elites.

Even sadder still, folks of all political stripes end up not knowing about these significant successes.

Wordz & Thingz

Thanks to Falling James for writing an incredible feature article on The Thingz for the latest LA Weekly!

We appreciate the love, and it's certainly mutual.

Thoughts on Thoughts and Prayers

I’m all for thinking and praying, but is that the best way to affect positive change in this country?

I’m sure some of our founding fathers thought and prayed for independence, but is that the only thing they did? Dr. King publicly thought and prayed for equality, but is that the only way the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts passed? I’m pretty sure plenty of slaves prayed for emancipation, but is that how they ultimately won their freedom? (As Frederick Douglass put it, “I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”)

Conservatives like to talk about American Exceptionalism, but do Thoughts and Prayers make us exceptional, or do our nation’s Ideals and Actions? Sadly, as of late it seems one of the most exceptional things about us is the growing number of mass shootings we have compared to other developed countries. (Japan and the UK could even call us a “shithole” country when it comes to gun violence if they wanted.)

Most Americans would agree that the founding document of our country is quite exceptional, but how are Thoughts and Prayers alone going to sufficiently ensure our Rights to Life and Liberty enshrined therein? Doesn’t the Declaration say that our government was created specifically to protect those Unalienable Rights, since they’re given to every human being from God?

How can a person's Right to Bear Arms supersede Rights endowed by our Creator? Why is someone’s freedom to kill with a gun more important than someone’s freedom to live without being shot?

I wonder if Americans will ever learn to love each other more than we love our guns… How much more blood must be spilled before we realize we’re making a suicide pact with the gun lobby every time we offer our Thoughts and Prayers with no action?

Yes. Think and Pray. Then fight the NRA.

It's Unanimous!

I think everyone can agree, left, right, center, Democrat, or Republican (and ESPECIALLY Repubs who talk about "wasteful government spending"), that if 45 really wants to honor our troops, any federal money used for a military parade would be better spent on our veterans, especially our homeless and disabled heroes who have served our country so bravely.

Happy New Year!

If you sing "The Hokey Pokey" at 151 BPM tonight at exactly 11:59:51, you'll "turn yourself around" right as the clock strikes midnight. Start your new year right because "that's what it's all about!"

Betting on the House

Proceed with caution - Pollyanna post ahead!

It's not a done deal!!

Yes, the Senate voted last night along party lines for their version of the tax bill, but the House passed a different version, and (as I'm sure you know) the House and the Senate have to agree on the SAME bill. In other words, the House still has to agree to the exact version the Senate passed in order for 45 to sign it into law, and that almost NEVER happens. More likely, it will go to committee next week where the House will try to hammer out the differences between the two bills.
 

It might also be helpful to keep in mind that all House members will be up for reelection next year, so if they do what they've traditionally done and make the bill WORSE, their constituents, whom will bear the brunt of the cuts (to Medicare, for example,) will wise up and vote them out of office next year, especially if Dems effectively hang this crappy plan around Repubs' necks leading into the 2018 midterms.

But if enough people call their House Member on Monday and tell them to vote against this bill, we could still stop this thing from ever getting to 45's desk...

There's still hope!!

Doubling Down on W

Maybe I've missed something, but in the past year, whenever I've heard liberals/moderates mention George W. Bush, it seems like they're ruefully pining for the "good ol' days" of his presidency (which is somewhat understandable given the lunacy of 45).

But with Republicans poised to pass their horrendous tax plan, are any libs/mods bringing up what happened when Bush tried this same thing?

Have we already forgotten that his tax cuts contributed to the biggest recession since the Great Depression?

Remember, W inherited a surplus, and his tax cuts (along with two wars and a Medicare expansion) tanked the economy to the point that it took Obama 8 years to right our economic ship.

Are we really on the verge of doing this again?

Take a Knee

I’ve never been much of a fan of the NFL.

The culture of violence (both on and off field) and toxic masculinity (not to mention all the brain damage from CTE) were too much for this sports fan, but after seeing so many patriotic displays of protest from so many players around the league today (in response to 45 calling them “SOB’s,”) I may have to reconsider my boycott and start watching!!

More Cowbell

Last night, while I was BBQ'ing in my backyard, someone walking down the alley shouted, "Let's hear some DRUUUUUUUUUUMS!"

Facetious or not, I'll take it!

To Sir, With Dove

Today, I felt really touched when, for the first time in almost 20 years of teaching, I received a present on the first day of school.

Just not sure how I should feel about the fact that it was a bag with two bars of Dove soap and a stick of deodorant in it...

Now I can't stop singing, "Don't stand so, don't stand so, don't stand so close to me..." :D

"When You're Used to Privilege, Equality Feels Like Oppression"

10 Things Every White Teacher Should Know When Talking About Race

Excellent points to consider...