Posted on February 28th, 2007 by Stephanie
It seems an absurd idea to me, but a school in Concord, CA has done just that. They decided that students needed some motivation to boost test scores, and split them up by race to do so.
The whole thing just reeked of stereotypes, if the description of the article is even remotely accurate. Jazz music for the black students. Various Asian flags for the Asian students.
The principal’s excuse for this is that she didn’t want students harrassing each other based on race because the test results are broken up by race. Clearly she just doesn’t get it. Her quote that “In this country, race is a very uncomfortable topic, and it’s time we got over it,” just goes to show the depths of her ignorance, not to mention the hypocrasy. If she wanted to get over it, why separate the students? Read more…
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Filed under: Controversial, Education, Politics
Posted on February 21st, 2007 by Stephanie
It’s been sad watching how the International Space Station has been whittled down since it’s inception. Budget cuts have severely limited its utility. Even John Glenn feels the station deserves more.
I can’t help but agree. The International Space Station currently may not be so much as used after 2016. Just watching the goals for the station get cut back year after year has really disturbed me. What had once been intended as a platform for all kinds of science experiments has turned into something far more minimal and not nearly as useful as it might have been.
It’s tough, I know. Going back to the moon and heading out towards Mars just sound so interesting. Those are wonderful goals also and have their own merits. But the Space Station has already had tremendous sums spent upon it. To just drop it is absurd. Read more…
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Filed under: Politics, Technology
Posted on February 20th, 2007 by Stephanie
I want to make one thing clear first. I love this country. But I am at a point where I really loathe what politics is doing to it.
Let’s consider the candidates for the next Presidential election and how campaigns are likely to be run. Smears all over the place. Minor faults and old mistakes made big and new. Reputations ruined by people all in the same political party just to gain that nomination in the primary.
Certainly some things need to come out. Knowing a candidates political history is quite important, as their history is vital to understanding their true beliefs. Read more…
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Filed under: Politics
Posted on February 19th, 2007 by Stephanie
Reading over at Gun Toting Liberal about Alabama working on banning sex toys. Being in California it seems silly to do such a thing. They’re for private use in the home. I know the rant about protecting the public morality, but I don’t agree that banning sex toys would do such a thing.
Let’s face it. There are more important things in this world to worry about than sex toys. People use them. If they can’t buy them, they’ll find a substitute or order it online. It’s not something that causes people to run out and commit crimes. And as for public morality…
I don’t believe that enjoying your sexuality in private is criminal. That is in part what such a ban is targeting, after all. But if you aren’t hurting other people, where is the immorality? Read more…
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Filed under: Controversial, Musings, Politics
Posted on February 15th, 2007 by Stephanie
Things are tough when your home is damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster. Many people have to fight their insurance company to get what they should. And just to add insult to injury, sometimes companies refuse to cover you thereafter.
This is being taken to a new level by State Farm in Mississippi. While I have no doubt that this is an expensive area for them to insure, it saddens me to see them suspending the writing of new policies in that area, and reconsidering how many to renew.
State Farm, of course, blames government regulations in that area, which they say make it too difficult for them to operate. Read more…
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Filed under: Business
Posted on February 14th, 2007 by Stephanie
After all these years of companies not being all that supportive of mothers, I was happy to read today about businesses that are trying to keep new mothers working for them.
Now, I’m a work at home mom and happy to be so. I think it’s wonderful when one parent can be at home to raise the children. But I also know that it isn’t what every family wants and it isn’t always practical.
And then there are the times when a woman has lost her job essentially due to being pregnant. The reason is often enough disguised as something else to make it not appear to be discrimination, but it happens. Just look at the experience of Elizabeth at Career and Kids, where I found this article. She lost three jobs during pregnancies. Hard to consider that a coincedence, as she says. Read more…
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Filed under: Business
