On the Lighter Side

I am headed for China again...
Here are some more amusing links.
MSN News in Comics

If you want one to discuss...  Thoughts?

Poor Women and Children Will Suffer

NPR Trump Administration Proposes Sweeping Changes To Federal Family Planning Program

I am still amazed at how these crazy Pro-Lifers are so dedicated to keeping poor women poor.  And how they also want to keep them stupid and unprotected.  I mean listen to this stupidity...

"Some of those organizations emphasize abstinence outside of marriage or promote fertility awareness methods, which depend on understanding a woman's cycle and restricting sexual activity at times she is fertile.  Mario Dickerson, executive director of the Catholic Medical Association, said he would like to see the program move in that direction. "We could provide abstinence programs; we could provide natural family planning ... but not have to provide these other services," Dickerson said."

Like that poor wife or live in girl friend will have a lot of say in dissuading the horny husband or boyfriend...

I mean quality birth control and first term abortions are available to every woman who has a reasonable household income.  And yet Religious Whackos want to withhold these basic legal freedoms from low income women but cutting the funding. Then on top of that the same Religious Whackos want to cut programs that help these unwanted kids after they are born...

I will never understand their rationale?  Thoughts?  

Voter Fraud Matters Unless GOP Benefits?

WAPO Analysis: A federal election will be rerun because of fraud. Republicans aren’t talking about it much.


Thoughts?

ISIS Bride Lawsuit

CNN Alabama ISIS bride's father sues Trump administration over citizenship, seeks her return


Trump is apparently being a hypocrite AGAIN....  He is urging European countries to take back their citizens and yet this stupid young lady and her child are being refused due process in the USA.  Thoughts?

Majority Disapproves of Trump National Emergency

NPR Poll: 6-in-10 Disapprove Of Trump's Declaration Of A National Emergency


Well that number makes sense...  I mean it is almost exactly the same as Trump's disapproval to approval ratio...  Well that is assuming that some of the Trump supporters are actually fiscal conservatives, therefore against spending on some silly wall rather than on actual defense projects... :-)  Thoughts?

Walz's Budget Proposal

MinnPost  Walz’s budget: OMG or DOA?

I am kind of guessing Dead On Arrival... It looks like he is proposing a lot of long term spending that will become problematic if a recession comes...  Like it always does...  Thoughts?

School Choice Re-visited

Forbes Six Reasons Why School Choice Won't Save Us
Jerry and I were arguing the school improvement thing again and I found the above interesting piece while researching a response..

I had asked him to provide me the "benchmark school" that I should research and that all should learn from...  And as usual he avoided giving me the name I seek...

"How about looking at modern schools and learning what is NOT working, for starters? Maybe ask why, when "better school" vouchers are offered, why hundreds line up for each one available. Or how about Khan academy?" Jerry

This discussion has been on going for nearly 10 years now.  He believes that vouchers will work miracles because the kids will be able to attend schools like "??????????"...  But then he refuses to share the name...  The big tease. :-)

American Progress Piece

Brookings Negative Impacts of Vouchers

What to do about Billionaires?

VOX Bill and Melinda Gates and the problem of the “good billionaire”
A new wave of critics say even the most generous billionaires are bad.
Are they right?


Some interesting concepts.  Thoughts?

Emergency? Really?

So we know most illegal drugs and residents enter through legal ports of entry.  They do not run across the border in the middle of the night.  And yet the wall is Trump's top priority?


He must be really scared of those families and children who cross illegally to claim asylum...  Do you think they look threatening?


WAPO Recipe for GOP Disaster?


Politco I Do Not Need to do This?


Reuters Legal Challenges Face Uphill Battle

The Importance of Phonics?

MinnPost Minnesota’s persistent literacy gap has lawmakers looking for ways to push evidence-based reading instruction

MinnPost Special-ed reform: Paperwork exacerbates funding challenges, proponents say

Thoughts?

22 Trillion and Climbing

Well our irresponsible politicians are giving us greedy Americans just what we asked for:

• Tax cuts
• Spending Increases
• More debt to burden future citizens

Are there any responsible adults / citizens left in this country?

CFR Debt Dilemma

Shut Down Clock Keeps Ticking

NPR ICE Detention Beds Latest Stumbling Block

Klobuchar for President?

MP Klobuchar To Run for President

MP Is Klobuchar a Moderate?

Well she is not a Centrist, but she is more centered than some of the others...

Do you think she can get the DEM nomination?

Religious Freedom for Christians Only?

NYT Justices Allow Execution of Muslim Death Row Inmate Who Sought Imam 

Sean provided the above link.

I am thinking that the prison's solution should have been adequate.

"The officials said Mr. Ray’s imam could visit him shortly before the execution and observe it from a viewing room. But they would not allow the imam into the execution chamber. 

The chaplain was allowed to be present, the officials went on, because he was an employee of the prison system who was “a member of the execution team” and was “familiar with the technicalities of the execution protocol,” having attended almost every execution in the state since 1997. The chaplain kneels and prays with inmates who seek pastoral care, the officials said. After considering Mr. Ray’s request, prison officials agreed to exclude the chaplain. But they said allowing the imam to be present raised unacceptable safety concerns.

"Chaplain: A clergyman in charge of a chapel"

I am not sure why the inmate thought it was important to have the Imam on his side of the glass... Probably just trying to hold on to life a little longer.

Or are we thinking that chapels need multiple Holy persons there...

Education Improvement

The Atlantic I Used to Preach the Gospel of Education Reform. Then I Became the Mayor. Policy makers need to question their assumptions about what makes a good school.

That was an interesting read. A solution somewhere between the Unions and the Charters.