Utterly Meaningless » 2013 » October
  • IDIOTS!

    Filed on October 21, 2013 at 6:00 am under by dcobranchi

    Once again, we look like a bunch of mouth breathers. This time, it’s all about the Common Core:

    Walker’s resolution is substantially similar to the resolution approved by an overwhelming majority in the House, but inserts a provision explicitly exempting home-schooled students.

    “Parents who choose to educate their children at home … retain their independence and control over their children’s education and are not subject to Common Core State Standards or the Smarter Balanced Assessment,” the text of the resolution reads.

    State school law already exempts students who are educated at home from complying with the department’s education standards and testing requirements, and the adoption of Common Core by the Michigan State Board of Education did not require religious schools or parents who home school to use the standards…

    Several home-schooling groups, however, have spoken at legislative hearings on the standards over the summer, alleging that keeping the standards in place would effectively outlaw non-public education, as college admissions tests like the SAT and ACT will be based on Common Core.

    Anyone want to guess how many initials those “home-schooling groups” have in their name?

    As for the claim that the SAT and ACT will be based on the Common Core, boo fuckin’ hoo! If you choose to homeschool, you cannot expect the rest of the world to match their assessments to your personal curriculum. Having to do extra work for SAT prep is the price that you and your kids will have to pay if you choose not to teach (or they choose not to self-teach) the concepts on the Common Core. The math standards are, for the most part, “common” sense. The only thing that seems new to me is the Modeling section. You don’t want your kids to learn algebra, geometry, and statistics? Well, don’t count on that academic scholarship to MIT. And the English Common Core standards are all based around literacy. That is, reading comprehension. Breaking News: The SAT test currently includes major sections on “Passage Based Reading.” So, once again, if our kids are doing all right on the SAT now, chances are they’ll be fine when the Common Core is fully implemented.

    Why do these home educators continually fall for the hype put out by certain “home-schooling groups” that the latest legislative initiative represents the end of homeschooling as we know it? Are they just too dumb to see that it’s all about the money (IAATM)? Tell those “home-schooling groups” to pound sand. Either teach your kids at least as much of the Common Core so that they can continue to do well on the SAT or quit whining!

    AMERICA HELD HOSTAGE: DAY 9

    Filed on October 9, 2013 at 4:16 pm under by dcobranchi

    Hey, Boehner! Just a reminder: Obama doesn’t have to run for re-election in ’14. You and the other idiots Republicans do.

    AMERICA HELD HOSTAGE: DAY 8

    Filed on October 8, 2013 at 2:24 pm under by dcobranchi

    NASDAQ down another 2% today. Thanks, Boehner!

    AMERICA HELD HOSTAGE: DAY 5

    Filed on October 5, 2013 at 6:14 am under by dcobranchi

    And the assholes wingnuts morans TEA partiers take the shutdown into the weekend.

    Where is Ted Koppel when we need him?

    AMERICA HELD HOSTAGE: DAY 4

    Filed on October 4, 2013 at 7:59 am under by dcobranchi

    Must read of the day: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/shutdown-debt-ceiling-explained

    AMERICA HELD HOSTAGE: DAY 3

    Filed on October 3, 2013 at 8:52 am under by dcobranchi

    I wish there were a Hell so that Ted Cruz and the rest of the TEA Party could rot in it.

    PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

    Filed on at 7:28 am under by dcobranchi

    What not to do with a Ghost pepper:

    1) Take a bite to see if they really are as hot as “they” say. Trust me. They are.

    2) Fry one up without first opening all the windows, turning on some fans, and donning a gas mask.

    We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

    DEFECTIVE PRIUS WINDSHIELD UPDATE

    Filed on October 1, 2013 at 8:31 am under by dcobranchi

    Toyota replaced the windshield with a special order one that they promised would fix the problem (which they continue to pretend doesn’t exist). The fix worked. Now they need to acknowledge that there are many, many bad windshields out there (2010 – 2013, at least) and recall them.

    HAPPY 123rd BIRTHDAY, YOSEMITE!

    Filed on at 5:48 am under by dcobranchi

    Too bad you’re closed. Thanks, morans Tea Partiers.