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Sink with paper boats is fun, and then they decompose.

I might be a child at heart, but basically I like throwing rocks at things.

This. I fully intend to go down to the river this summer and play Sink this way.

Why don't U.S. citizens do crazy shit like this anymore? We could relearn some things from the people of Thailand.

Marches used to be a legitimate threat until the novelty wore off them in the sixties and seventies. And they're easy and the biggest, looming example of What Works in our heads, even if they don't anymore, so we try to use them.

Just did some research, and while California and Florida are also major players, Texas is king.

...These states are Texas, California, and Florida.

Clearly, publishers cannot afford to produce a textbook for every state and its unique criteria; so each publisher must create a book that meets the criteria of the majority of its clients. So the publishers attempt to meet the combined curricular requirements of the three key adoption states. As a result, the curriculum guidelines for California, Texas, and Florida dominate the scope and sequence of nearly all textbooks published by the four main publishers.

Texas has even more clout among the three dominant states because it allots a certain amount of money per year per student, and by law it must spend all of the allotted money. Publishers desperately want that guaranteed money, so they cater particularly to the Texas curriculum guide, known as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). In fact, Tamim Ansary, an editor for nine years at one publishing house and a writer for the others at various times, claims that "TEKS describes what Texas wants and what the entire nation will get."

So the publishers want to satisfy Texas first, but they also need to meet the diverse requirements of Florida and California. Of course, it is also financially important to gain the market of New York and the other states with large populations. So the publishers seek to align the textbooks with the curricular requirements of all of these states. To evaluate their success, they use correlational analysis, computerized key-word searches, and sometimes untrained reviewers to determine how well they comply with these state standards. Harriet Tyson, an education writer, researcher, and consultant, argues that these methods are "superficial," "dysfunctional," and even "destructive" methods of judging the legitimacy of textbooks.

http://www.bjupress.com/resources/articles/t2t/market-driven-textbooks.php

Jesus. Note to PD parents: AP is the way to go, imo. Classes are designed to meet AP standards, which are outside what the states want your kids to know and damn good. They'll learn way more anyway, but I would argue it's closer to what they ought to be learning.

Just realized the irony of using those three in that statue.  George Washington never went to church. He'd shove Martha out of the carriage and then ride around for a couple of hours. Jefferson wasn't a fan of modern Christianity as that letter and the Jefferson Bible shows. And Franklin... well, he farts in God's general direction!

He went to church, at least for a while.

Then he got up in the middle of service and declared the communion blasphemy.  I don't think he'd have been allowed back in after that.

Link? This is too epic not to be used as ammunition.

I dunno about Texas determining 80% of the text book market--California is damn big too, and we're a little bit more liberal than the other guys for all that's it's worth.

Landscape and macro is what I do, mostly, but I dabble in portraiture, too.


For Bigger


For Bigger


^ Also at Mesa Verde. For bigger

Edited to adjust sizes. If you want full detail, the links will give it to you.

Thank you and yes indeed.

These are varying shades of Old, but I thought I'd post them anyway. Going to pick up the camera again in the near future, though.




Mesa Verde national park, from 2007

I would rather puke than lay still and be miserable for a day. Puke once or twice, sleep all day, be fine the next morning.


Feel better Dok. Milk and toast? Usually works for me.

Neil Gaiman's American Gods for the umpteenth time.

that was a hell of a book! I should prolly read it again.

Definitely one of my favorites. I liked it a lot better than Neverwhere, though Anasi Boys comes in a close second.

Neil Gaiman's American Gods for the umpteenth time.

I enjoy going to Starbucks and asking for a venti cup filled with just espresso shots, then chugging the entire thing. I usually do it in the Starbucks, too, just for shits and giggles.

Of course, my brain and bowels summarily decide to flip me a gigantic bird afterwards. That's cool, though. I have fun while I'm at it, and that's all that matters, amirite.

(Inb4 getting bitched at for buying Starbucks.)

That has to taste awful. All the shots are dead by then unless you add a little bit of milk to it. Ugh.

One day your bowels decide they will no longer tolerate any abuse, and vacate your body forever. I'm not sure what exit they use, but it's best not to think about it.

I would argue that it's a cultural/religious identity, but not a race.

I'm gonna homeschool.

I totally agree.  Ive got a pretty good idea how well public schooling works, and I think I (and maybe tutors here and there) can do better.  Not only can I do better than most algebra teachers (partly due to their split attention), but homeschooling would be a good way to bond with my kid (in theory; no existing contingencies exist).

I don't know how well I'd be able to teach upper level math, but I can do reading and writing skills like nobody's business.

When your kid gets to that point, send him to community college.

*IF* your state allows for that. Mine doesn't. You have to 18 or have graduated to go.

WTF?

I've never heard of something that stupid. I know that in Oregon, Washington and California, you can take college courses and simultaneously earn college and high school credits. It's common for AP and homeschooled kids.

Dual enrollment is allowed, in either CC or a four-year university. But dropping out of regular high school to attend a community college is not. Here in California, anyway.

And you're probably right on the community funding being the reason it's not done.

NOT true for CA.  CC's will take you, GED or not.  ETA: but you may be right about the 18 years old thing, I haven't checked.  I just know you don't HAVE to be 18 nor do you need a GED, as for the either/or, not sure.

I go to a community college and I'm pretty sure that isn't just our policy, nor do I think it's changed since I started here. If you're 18, you can go whether or not you were a high school drop out. If you're under 18, you either have to have graduated high school or be dual enrolled to come here.

Exactly why I refuse to answer. My last name is very, very common and crosses racial boundaries in some places, so they can't do that to me because they don't know for sure when I am.

I usually mark "prefer not to say" on applications because I don't want that interfering with getting into a school, which is pretty much my focus right now.