the journey

Two ways to bolster high school graduation rates

I ran across two different ways to bolster high school graduation rates.

• One was posted on AP's web site
• the other was posted in the Dallas Morning News

The first involved a creative marketing campaign; the second involved lowering the educational standards.

First, I applaud the Los Angeles Unified School District for their persistence and creativity--demonstrating the practicality of education is a great idea. It's one of those "duh" experiences.  Why haven't more school districts thought of this?

In contrast, I'm dumbfounded by DISD's recent policy changes. What were they thinking? I thought schools were supposed to teach student responsibility and accountability, not procrastination, entitlement and victimization.

It's like reducing the crime rate by legalizing theft.  It simply makes no sense.

Technorati Tags: Los Angeles Unified School District, Dallas Independent School District, Jefferson Senior High School

Rush Limbaugh on the John Edwards debacle

The New York Times has probably posted the most insightful article about John Edwards' affair. This, on the other hand, has probably been the least helpful:

We know -- we've been told that Elizabeth Edwards is smarter than John Edwards. That's part of the puff pieces on them that we've seen. Ergo, if Elizabeth Edwards is smarter than John Edwards, is it likely that she thinks she knows better than he does what his speeches ought to contain and what kind of things he ought to be doing strategy-wise in the campaign? If she is smarter than he is, could it have been her decision to keep going with the campaign? In other words, could it be that she doesn't shut up? Now, that's as far as I'm going to go....

It just seems to me that Edwards might be attracted to a woman whose mouth did something other than talk." Limbaugh went on to say in a subsequent segment: "my theory that I just explained to you about why -- you know, what could have John Edwards' motivations been to have the affair with Rielle Hunter, given his wife is smarter than he is and probably nagging him a lot about doing this, and he found somebody that did something with her mouth other than talk.

I'm afraid this comment tells me more about Rush Limbaugh's character than it does about Edwards.

Rush, you really need to hold back sometimes.

Source: The Plank

Technorati Tags: John Edwards, Rush Limbaugh

Summer Olympics photos at Flickr

I ran across this interesting set of 2008 Summer Olympics photos posted on Flickr. You gotta love the ones that capture Chinese cuisine and culture.

HT: Flickr Blog

Technorati Tags: Flickr, Summer Olympics, Beijing Summer Olympics

Beijing 2008

Reporters Without Borders
Originally uploaded by François Lafite

The Beijing Olympics have opened amidst controversy, protest and criticism. Not everyone is excited about supporting a government known for it's poor (oppressive) human rights record, it's controversial stance on Tibetan independence, and it's willingness to sell guns to Darfur.

But the games go on...

• Here's Google's Olympics page.
• Here's YouTube's video coverage.
• Here's Yahoo's official Olympics page.
• Here are the official Getty images.
• Here's an interactive map of the Olympic venues.

 Technorati Tags: Beijing 2008, Summer Olympics

rave card

rave card
Originally uploaded by ratterrell

[Click on photo for larger versions.]

I was drawn to this unique "rave card" publicizing a new church start called Tapestry. While browsing their site, I ran across their three primary dreams as follows:

* Tapestry dreams of being Holistic.
We believe that the Gospel impacts every area of a person’s life and culture. We reject unfounded categories that divide the world into uniquely sacred or purely secular. GOD is redeeming all of creation through JESUS.

* Tapestry dreams of being Missional.
We believe that the church exists for the world and not for herself - she is to introduce and usher in the Kingdom of GOD into every part of this world.

* Tapestry dreams of being focused on Community.
We believe that salvation brings people together as a reflection of a triune GOD: FATHER, SON and SPIRIT. Saved from sin by faith through grace, the people of GOD are able to live in unity as was intended by GOD in the beginning.

Interesting stuff.

What a rock star!

USA-OBAMA/GERMANY
Originally uploaded by SirKnightGary

[Click on larger version.]

If you're enamored with Obama's rock star mystique, maybe you'll like this web site too. Funny stuff.

Here's more about Obama's rock star status.

Have a great weekend everyone!

pax,
meb

HT: bob blog

Earthquake damage in Beichuan County

Earthquake damage in Beichuan County
Originally uploaded by Insane Zamboni

[Click on photo for larger versions.]

Rebecca Blood linked to this remarkable set of photos capturing the earthquake damage in Beichuan County, in Sichuan, China.

Wow.

To view the entire set, click here.

HT: rebecca's pocket

Those darn teenagers

Katy Perry, originally Katy Hudson, the daughter of two conservative pastors, first pursued a career as a contemporary Christian artist.  I suppose that did work out, because now, as Katy Perry, she's singing about the joys of kissing another girl.  Wow.  Kids have an uncanny way of makin' a parent proud. ;-)

If you're in a fog and don't have a clue what I'm talking about, here's the video clip.

Here's a live version too.

HT: Walt Mueller

Tags: Katy Perry, Katy Hudson, I kissed a girl

A platter of delicious

A platter of delicious
Originally uploaded by PunkJr

[Click on photo for larger version.]

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Enjoy a hot dog or two, a baseball game, late-night fireworks, and time with family and friends. For me, I'm spending lunchtime with my daughter.

Have a fun, safe and refreshing Independence Day.

If you'd like to see other styles of hotdogs, click here.

pax,
meb

Burnt popcorn in my new microwave

It was all so innocent...

I stuck a bag of popcorn in the microwave for 3.5 minutes, but you'd think I left it in there for 33.5 minutes instead.  Yikes.

By the time I reached the living room-- I had taken a quick jaunt to the bathroom--the whole front of the house was filled with gray smoke, a horrendous odor triggered my gag reflex, and the inside of my brand new microwave oven looked like ground zero.

Oh Lord.  It was awful.

And it's still awful.

I've let the house ventilate for 2 hours, turned on all of the fans & hoped for the best.  But so much for hoping.

So, I purchased three odor eliminating room air fresheners as well as three odor eliminating sprays--none of which have done much good so far, unfortunately.

I feel like Cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation trying to save the burnt up couch-- a noble idea, but a losing proposition.

Geez.

Technorati Tags: burnt popcorn, microwave