My Beauty Best Teacher

Recently I read The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare (Penguin Classics), by G.K. Chesterton. I've heard a lot about Chesterton, and have always wanted to read some of his stuff, and I would still suggest reading something he has written, but probably not this book to start. Although it is good, the longer the book goes, the less good it gets, and the ending to me felt like I had to read it 10 times just to say 'oh, I get it now, clever'- not the kind of ending that will stand out in your mind. That being said, it was a good book, and had some good parts to it.

The book takes place in 1900 London, and focuses on a policeman who is fighting anarchists. He manages to get himself elected to the anarchists council, where each person is called by a day of the week. Our hero is called Thursday, and he schemes to stop and expose the other anarchists, including the man bad guy, Saturday. Through this surreal plot and the nutty characters, Chesterton comments on moral relativism and nihilism, and this is the best stuff in the book.

The main character, Gabriel Syme, is a guy who I sort of understand. He grew up in a home where 'change' was the mantra of the day, where his parents were beholden to progressive ideas, and where the whole family attempted to portray sophistication and rebellion. And as time went on Syme began to see how revolting this behavior was, how demented and sad these people were, and so he himself revolted to sanity. He ran from change and progressivism to common sense, to law, to gentle and courteous behavior.

I understand Syme- as our society embraces 'change' and values are lost, MTV grows more lewd, Micheal Jackson is a 'hero', not eating meat and smoking drugs is embraced, and our culture becomes more progressive, I personally am increasingly revolted. When I was younger, I was less conservative, I was more moderate- but this revolting behavior of our society is causing me to revolt against it, and to embrace traditional values, to have more common sense, and to be a better person, much like Syme was.

Chesterton, like other great authors like Orwell, understood the way the world works and understood how tyranny and oppression develops. Remember 1984 and Animal Farm- the dangerous characters, those that were bad and evil, were not the uneducated country boys who believed in private ownership and conservative values. The dangerous, evil, and bad characters were the educated, sophisticated, moral relativistic, and value free ones.

So it goes with Chesterton. As Syme talks with a policeman in Chapter 4, the policeman says:

(The anti-anarchist police) deny the snobbish English assumption that the uneducated are the dangerous criminals. We remember the Roman Emperors. We remember the great poisoning princes of the Renaissance. We say that the dangerous criminal is the educated criminal. We say that the most dangerous criminal now is the entirely lawless modern philosopher.

Compared to him, burglars and bigamists are essentially moral men. They accept the essential idea of man; they merely seek it wrongly. Thieves respect property; they merely wish the property become their property that they may more perfectly respect it. But philosophers dislike property as property; they wish to destroy the very idea of personal possession. Bigamists respect marriage, or they would not go through the highly ceremonial and even ritualistic formality of bigamy. But philosophers despise marriage as marriage. Murderers respect human life; they merely wish to attain a greater fullness of human life in themselves by the sacrifice of what seems to them to be lesser lives. But philosophers hate life itself, their own as much as other people's.

The common criminal is a bad man, but at least he is, as it were, a conditional good man. He says that if only a certain obstacle be removed- say a wealthy uncle- he is then prepared to accept the universe and praise God. He is a reformer, but not an anarchist. He wishes to cleanse the edifice, but not to destroy it. But the evil philosopher is not trying to alter things, but to annihilate them.

Yes, the modern world has retained all of those parts of police work which are really oppressive and ignominious, the harrying of the poor, the spying upon the unfortunate. It has given up its more dignified work, the punishment of powerful traitors in the State and powerful heresiarchs in the Church.

This is a vast philosophic movement, consisting of an outer and inner ring. The outer ring- the main mass of their supporters- are merely anarchists; that is, men who believe that rules and formulas have destroyed human happiness. They believe that all the evil results of human crime are the results of the system that has called it a punishment. They do not believe that the crime creates the punishment. They believe that the punishment has created the crime. These people talk about 'a happy time coming,' 'the paradise of the future,' 'mankind freed from the bondage of vice and the bondage of virtue,' and so on.

And so also the men of the inner circle speak. But in their mouths these happy phrases have a horrible meaning. They are under no illusions; they are too intellectual to think that man upon this earth can ever be quite free of original sin and the struggle. And they mean death. When they say that mankind shall be free at last, they mean that mankind shall commit suicide. When they talk of a paradise without right or wrong, they mean the grave. They have but two objects, to destroy first humanity and then themselves.

I realize that is a long passage, but it was one of the most meaningful in the book, because it conveys that the enemy is indeed a terrible thing, and not because they wear a black mask or have a golden gun, but because of what they themselves believe. As you read that passage, perhaps you understand why Chesterton is so highly regarded- did you get a sense that he was describing someone in our political system?

Chesterton might have called them anarchists or philosophers, and later they might go by other names like fascist or communist, but to me, their ideas about economic suicide for no reason, their dislike of labeling things right and wrong, and their views on life and mark them as the modern Democratic Party. And at the center of the inner circle there is a man who speaks to applauding crowds and says pleasing phrases, but he is under no illusions, and his actions have terrible consequences for our great nation.

Buy the book here and learn more about the left-wing movements...

Why In The World Did President Obama Dub Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee A Wonderful Superintendent ?

According to my sources (Rick Santorum on Frank Beckman show), the Senate is very close to not passing the Cap and Trade bill (or Limit and Tax bill, or global warming bill, or energy independence bill, or whatever they call it). This is a good thing- the Senate may just not take it up and instead try to go about socializing our healthcare industry instead.

Let's defeat these bills one at at time. In the battle to pass the Limit and Tax Bill, Michigan's Senators are going to play a pi vital role since they are members of the majority party in the Senate (Democrats) and they are wavering. Please contact them to let them know that you want them to vote against the Climate Change bill. Emails are good, mail letters are better, but phone calls are the best.

Click here to contact Carl Levin, click here to contact Debbie Stabenow. I think Levin's office will be receptive- he is a hard-working Senator who cares about our state and isn't corrupt. Good luck with Stabenow's office- she is a lazy Senator who is bought off by special interests in California and doesn't really care about Michigan voters.

It is important when you communicate with these Senators that you mention that you are a registered voter from Michigan. I would start out by stating your stance on the issue, and then you are free to bring up anything that bothers you about the global warming bill. These Democrats are likely Believers, so it probably isn't going to do much good to bring up the fact that man-made global warming is a myth, and they are Democrats, so it probably isn't going to do much good to talk about how this bill is just a plot to increase taxes and transfer power to the government. Don't threaten either- from personal experience, this doesn't go over well.

The best line of attack is to discuss how this bill will affect the citizens of Michigan. This bill will transfer wealth from Midwestern states like Michigan to states on the coasts by taxing coal producers and subsidizing wind and solar power. As a Michigan Senator, they should be concerned about how this bill will affect Michigan more so than protecting the globe. This bill will raise taxes on manufacturing companies that are in Michigan and transfer that wealth to government bureaucrats and regulators in Washington DC.

Obama has been talking about how this bill will create green jobs, and perhaps it might. But the cost to create those green jobs in the south and coasts will be paid for by the residents of Michigan. And according to studies in Spain, each job created by subsided renewable energy will cost the jobs of at least 2.2 jobs in other industries and will cost over $774,000 per job created. Those job losses will be in Michigan, and that money will come from Michigan. Michigan Senators should oppose this because it hurts Michigan.

Don't do nothing with this. Don't take this sitting down. Make a phone call. Be able to say "I did something" or "I at least called." We can stop this thing. Yes we can! Hope! Change! Power to the people!

Nigerians are a conquered people.-Sahara Reporters
'They Came in the Name of Helping'
A canny chameleon-Blaise Compaoré
The Longevity Project,Ghana.
Black Economic Empowerment failed-Moeletsi Mbeki
Carnegie's gospel of wealth

Although I am no expert on foreign policy, I do have an undergraduate degree focusing on it, and so I'm always interested in events like those going on in Honduras. The situation is really quite simple, and summed up nicely by the WSJ via Powerlineblog. I'm going to copy the whole story down here, because it is complete and does a great job at showing just how clear the situation is:

Yesterday the Central American country was being pressured to restore the authoritarian Mr. Zelaya by the likes of Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega, Hillary Clinton and, of course, Hugo himself. The Organization of American States, having ignored Mr. Zelaya's abuses, also wants him back in power. It will be a miracle if Honduran patriots can hold their ground.That Mr. Zelaya acted as if he were above the law, there is no doubt. While Honduran law allows for a constitutional rewrite, the power to open that door does not lie with the president. A constituent assembly can only be called through a national referendum approved by its Congress.

But Mr. Zelaya declared the vote on his own and had Mr. Chávez ship him the necessary ballots from Venezuela. The Supreme Court ruled his referendum unconstitutional, and it instructed the military not to carry out the logistics of the vote as it normally would do.

The top military commander, Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, told the president that he would have to comply. Mr. Zelaya promptly fired him. The Supreme Court ordered him reinstated. Mr. Zelaya refused.

Calculating that some critical mass of Hondurans would take his side, the president decided he would run the referendum himself. So on Thursday he led a mob that broke into the military installation where the ballots from Venezuela were being stored and then had his supporters distribute them in defiance of the Supreme Court's order.

The attorney general had already made clear that the referendum was illegal, and he further announced that he would prosecute anyone involved in carrying it out. Yesterday, Mr. Zelaya was arrested by the military and is now in exile in Costa Rica.

It remains to be seen what Mr. Zelaya's next move will be. It's not surprising that chavistas throughout the region are claiming that he was victim of a military coup. They want to hide the fact that the military was acting on a court order to defend the rule of law and the constitution, and that the Congress asserted itself for that purpose, too.

Mrs. Clinton has piled on as well. Yesterday she accused Honduras of violating "the precepts of the Interamerican Democratic Charter" and said it "should be condemned by all." Fidel Castro did just that. Mr. Chávez pledged to overthrow the new government.

Honduras is fighting back by strictly following the constitution. The Honduran Congress met in emergency session yesterday and designated its president as the interim executive as stipulated in Honduran law. It also said that presidential elections set for November will go forward. The Supreme Court later said that the military acted on its orders. It also said that when Mr. Zelaya realized that he was going to be prosecuted for his illegal behavior, he agreed to an offer to resign in exchange for safe passage out of the country. Mr. Zelaya denies it.

Many Hondurans are going to be celebrating Mr. Zelaya's foreign excursion. Street protests against his heavy-handed tactics had already begun last week. On Friday a large number of military reservists took their turn. "We won't go backwards," one sign said. "We want to live in peace, freedom and development."

Besides opposition from the Congress, the Supreme Court, the electoral tribunal and the attorney general, the president had also become persona non grata with the Catholic Church and numerous evangelical church leaders. On Thursday evening his own party in Congress sponsored a resolution to investigate whether he is mentally unfit to remain in office.

Again, I'm no expert, and I don't want to oversimplify things here, but the bad buy is the former President and the good guys are whoever is getting rid of the brutal communist who is trying to illegally stay in power. If I were the President of the United States, I would be supporting those people on the side of good- those who want law, freedom, and prosperity. Perhaps I would wait a bit just to make sure my initial take on events was correct, but probably my statement would be supportive of what is going on, or at least as neutral as Obama's statements were on the overthrow of evil dictators by forces of good in Iran.

But Democrat President Obama sees things differently. He quickly sided with the bad guy, and stood shoulder to shoulder with other bad guys (Castro, Chavez, Ortega) in being "deeply concerned" about the ouster of the tyrannical president. Again, he quickly sided with the bad guy- Obama's first impulses, those that show his qualities and character the most, are to side with bad guys. He further makes a call to restore the tyrannical president to his place, and appears to be 100% supportive of the bad guy in this situation.

I've hammered Obama about his domestic policy, where it appears as if he is trying to destroy the United States for no reason at all. Let's not forget Obama's foreign policy though, where he is attempting to hurt our best friends (British, Israel, Georgia) while attempting to give everything to our worst enemies. Not to make this oversimplify or black and white, but Obama appears to be helping the bad guys. That's why he is a bad President.

Juliette Tuakli of Child and Associates in the Stimulist:

If we don’t start systemically supporting African mothers and re-conceiving the role and relevance of African women, we simply will not enjoy sustained economic development in Africa. Full stop. As things stand, the continent’s considerable “female resources” — agricultural skills, negotiation, commitment to infrastructure development and, last but not the least, child rearing — have been completely mortgaged to supporting an inequitable patriarchal system. Whether we like to admit it or not.

More here

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This article below was written by Nikita Stewart of The WaPo on June 25. Somehow I overlooked it. I think it is interesting particularly since it is about a Dept. of Employment Services (DOES) summer contractor who regularly made disparaging comments about Anacostia SHS ( his place of employment) and loafing, on his Twitter page. I find it curious that many people think they have the right to publicly make 'racially insensitive' comments about Ward 8 where Anacostia SHS is located. DOES contractor David Le's comments are akin to the alleged statement made by Donald L. Hense of Friendship-Edison when Hense explained that the reason Anacostia SHS students can't learn is because their mother's are on crack cocaine (see 6/28/09 entry on this blog). Had this same type of offensive comment been made in a more affluent part of the city like ward 3 where residents are more politically astute, I believe that it would not have been tolerated by DC schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and would have resulted in an immediate investigation by the Rhee administration .

All I know is be careful what you say publicly out of your mouth. People are watching. Here's the story:

D.C. Summer Jobs Contractor Fired for Posts on Twitter

"The D.C. Department of Employment Services fired a contractor who was working with youths in the city's summer jobs program after officials became aware of messages on his Twitter site that Anacostia is "ghetto" and that he was loafing at work.

David Le, who was working as a participant service specialist, was terminated yesterday, said Mafara Hobson, spokeswoman for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). "He no longer works for DOES," she said. "I can't talk about personnel issues."

The firing came a day after The Washington Post showed Hobson a month-long string of tweets from Le's page. "In america's ghetto anacostia... If I get scared i will just yell chinese carry out! They will not shoot me," a message read on June 22. On June 15, a message read, "thank goodness my boss is making things easy, he told me to pretend to do work so he can mark me down for hours."

Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), chairman of the committee that oversees DOES, called the messages "unprofessional, wrong and racist." "To do that, I don't think it represents the high standards of the Fenty administration," said Barry, who represents Anacostia. "You can excuse one [tweet], but he has a series of them. It's excessive."

Reached through Facebook, Le declined to comment. In a Twitter message, he said he is Asian. The profile photo shows him shirtless and in sunglasses. Hobson said he began working on June 10 and was paid $13 per hour to oversee participants in the Summer Youth Employment Program. His Twitter page was brought to the attention of the Post by David Hoffman, owner of an employment placement firm whose agreement to find jobs for 400 to 500 participants was terminated this week by the city. Officials said the firm improperly assigned some participants to go to development and construction companies to see if they were complying with a city law to employ District residents.

City officials said they knew nothing about the assignments. But Hoffman said the employment-services department endorsed the idea because the agency needed an activity that could employ large numbers of participants. When the city terminated Hoffman's agreement, Le was one of the employees who contacted participants to tell them they would be getting new work assignments.Hoffman said he found the tweets disturbing. "One of the schools I am in charge of is Anacostia [High School]. If you are from here, you know ANACOSTIA . . . about 100+ murders in one year," said a tweet from June 15."

Posted by The Washington Teacher. Story courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

In a couple posts, I have mentioned that Democrat President Obama and the Democrats who control Congress seem to be promoting energy policies that are closer in vision and direction to those of the 1800's than the 2000's. While Republicans push for oil to fuel the internal combustion engine and points towards splitting that atom as a source of fuel for electrical generators, the Democrats push for windmills and solar heaters. Republicans talk about faster, safer, better automobiles- a product of the 1900's. Democrats talk about faster, safer, better trains- a product of the 1800's. It's almost as if the Democrats are looking at an old playbook, one from the late 1800's.

With this thought in my head, I pondered. Perhaps the Democrats are using a playbook from the late 1800's. But whose playbook would they use? Obama uses ideas of radicalism that were invented by Saul Alinsky- but this 'railroads, wind, and solar' junk predates his adventure in government. These ideas must have come from farther back. They must have come from someone who really influences the Democrat party, even today. So I did some research, and think I know where the Democrats got their energy policy from: Karl Marx.

Marx was influenced heavily in his communist theories by his amateur and uneducated studies in soil nutrients. He read a report once from a German chemist, Justus von Liebig, who claimed that British agriculture, with its intensive methods of cultivation to increase yields for the market, operated as a system of robbery, destroying the vitality of the soil. Marx thought that this worked fine- instead of farmers making society better by watering more, putting down fertilizer, and employing better farming methods, Marx thought that the poor soil was being tortured and that as the British farmers grew more and more crops, the soil was losing nutrients.

Marx said that in earlier societies, where they didn't use such environmentally unfriendly methods, everything was better- there was some cycle of life that went on. But capitalism and private property destroyed this utopia, and the land was sad. Now, farmers grew crops who took happy nutrients from the soil, and then those crops were exchanged for money (the horror!), and the nutrients went to cities, were they were wasted by people. Marx thought this was all very bad, and the solution that he implies is that all people must die.

Democrats today like these ideas, and react with horror when oil is traded for money and produces things- they are upset that the Earth is being raped for money. Pelosi and others talk about how the globe has been protected by cap and trade, about how we are going back to responsible stewardship of the planet, and how the energy that is produced can now be better controlled by government so that it isn't wasted.

Democrats are using Marx's ideas today.

"Today is a sad day in the lives of students and parents of Anacostia High School, when you Mrs. Rhee want to turn over our school to people like Mr. Donald Hense of Friendship Edison. When the founder of Friendship Edison says that the reason the students of Anacostia can’t learn is because their mother’s are on crack cocaine this is a sad day. He made this statement at the Anacostia construction meeting. Again as a parent why would someone say this about our children’s parents this way? Is this the way you Mr. Lew, The Mayor, The Gates Foundation and members of your staff think about our students at Anacostia who belong to us ?

I attended a meeting today at Anacostia . I thought that we were going to talk about the construction of Anacostia, but it was not the case. For the first half or more it was about Friendship's programs and their history and not about Anacostia’s building. I talked to the staff of Mr. Lew’s shop before the meeting and Mr. Robinson told me they would have a few words in the beginning and that did not happen. Friendship took over the meeting. Again the lies that people tell us to get us in a room so that they can say they had a meeting with parents of Anacostia, so that they can get paid by The Gates Foundation. Friendship told the Gates Foundation that they had met their obligation as it relates to the DC Education Compact and the community, parents and students, when in fact they never met with the parent body and they gave out false information along with Mr. Justin Cohen a member of your staff . I have heard back from Andrea at the Gates Foundation and she has let me know that she has spoken both with Friendship Charter Schools folks and with Justin at DCPS regarding our concerns. At this point she feels that the project is on target as described in the plans as they have documented opportunities for parent and community engagement – among benchmarks they are responsible for. The parents of Anacostia did not know any of this and the cover up grows.

When people say things about our children I have problems with it, here is a statement made by a member of your staff:, Mr. Justin C. Cohen of the Office of Portfolio Management:

"The Chancellor asked me to respond to your last email. The DC Education Compact serves as the fiscal intermediary for grant funding to DCPS from the Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation. Acting in this capacity sometimes requires them to disburse funding to organizations that support our work, and such is the case with the Friendship Schools. DCPS does not pay the DCEC any funds; rather they disperse grant funding on our behalf. To your other point, the No Child Left Behind act establishes targets for standardized test scores and attendance at individual schools. While it is one indicator of school performance, it is an imperfect and incomplete measure. Friendship's high school - the Collegiate Academy - has consistently outperformed every DCPS high school, except for our selective admission magnet schools. In addition, the Chancellor does not have control over the charter schools in DC, as those are overseen by the DC Public Charter School Board, a completely separate independent entity. We appreciate your concerns, and I encourage you to come to us with questions about these arrangements, as we want to make sure you have the appropriate facts. "

A member of Mr. Lew’s staff told us Mr. Lew did not care about this meeting, so writing him gets us nothing. He is not going to look at it any way. (He will just delete it). Mrs. Rhee the parents at Anacostia did not know about this meeting but the parent and staff of Friendship knew, and they came to a school that they do not teach at or their children did not go to. This tells me that this is about money not about making the city schools better. Mr. Cohen said it best in his e-mail that the test is an imperfect and incomplete measure, so why do we take the test and why did you change Anacostia school staff if it does not mean anything ? Our children are in trouble at Anacostia when Mr. Beck of Friendship follows the young ladies of Anacostia to the rest rooms with a video camera and films them going in and coming out. He told the young men of the building he was taking their pictures so when he took over he would put them out. What happened to the investigation on him because Mr. John Davis of your staff knew about it and did not turn it over to your security force unit? All these things have been going on since you made the move at Anacostia. It is time to remove Friendship Edison from Anacostia. If you don’t, you are looking at a war on your hands. I hope you can take care of this matter before it gets bad." - Signed an Anacostia SHS parent

visit: http://www.nclb.osse.dc.gov/aypreports.asp

*Anacostia SHS made Safe Harbor in reading in 2008 for Black/Non-Hispanic groupings. They went from 6.28% proficient in 2007 to 21.15% proficient in 2008. As a result of having 95% students tested and reducing those non-proficient students by 10% earned them safe harbor in this category.

Posted by The Washington Teacher

In a paper M. Bratton and R. Mattes report on attitudes to democracy building:

The good news is that democratic attitudes are generally on the rise among the African populations we have surveyed. If sustained, this up-tick– measured prior to the onset of the global financial crisis in late 2008 – is a promising portent for
further democratization. But the bad news is that fewer than half of all Africans interviewed demand democracy and perceive its supply when these indicators are measured rigorously.As such, the project of democracy building still has a long way to go.

via Pambazuka

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With the passage of the Tax and Limit bill in the House, it now looks like the US government will indeed take steps to limit its energy growth and move our nation backwards to the stone age. The bill includes subsidies which will transfer wealth from businesses and taxpayers to projects which were the dream of visionaries in the 1800's- railroads, bike paths, windmills, and hydroelectric. It is as if Obama and the Democrats want to make America poorer, less prosperous, and less advanced, all in the name of appeasing Mother Earth.

Because of the progress of this bill, I am now forced to confront a fear which I had hoped humankind had finally solved- global cooling. Growing up, I looked with fear on pictures of freezing hunter-gathers trying to kill mammoths during the ice ages. That could be me, I thought with alarm. Then I sighed happily, gazed at my air conditioner and SUV, and realized that it would not be me- that because of my actions, I would not have to suffer through another ice age and the ravages that it brings.

But now, I may. The dreaded ice age that strikes every several hundred years will once again come, now that massive amounts of money will be transferred from productive people and businesses to useless government tinker toy projects. All of that energy and warmth and power will be gone- sucked out of the United States by the brutal and cold hand of government. At a massive cost, the United States will possibly lower the Earth's temperature now .000000001 degrees over the next hundred years, thereby encouraging the deadly glaciers of the upper north.

I fear these glaciers and this ice age. If only global warming was caused by the sun! But, it may not be- it may indeed be related to me driving my SUV, setting my air at a chilly 64, and mowing my lawn on ozone action days. I only hope so, because now I am going to have to do those things more and more to stave off global cooling.

Today I announce it my intention to drive a bigger and bigger car, at faster speeds, and not inflate me tires- I will make it my goal to fight global cooling by turning my air condition lower and my heating higher- I will do my best to defy the glaciers of the north, ever on the horizon, by starting and stopping my lawn mower whenever I feel like and running it on ozone action days- and I swear that I will someday buy a cow and feed it whatever makes him fart the most. This I do to fight global cooling.

And if all of this sounds silly to you, actually read the bill the House passed and do some research on man-made global warming, and you'll see that that is a lot sillier than anything I could ever write. The difference is my thoughts aren't dangerous to our nation.

The Agahozo Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) aims to create a safe and structured residential community for orphaned children in Rwanda. The village will be a place of hope, where traumatized youth can "dry their tears" (Agahozo) and "live in peace" (Shalom).-website

In Bookforum James Gibbons writes:

Are we in the midst of an “African literary renaissance,” as Rob Spillman (author of God and Soldiers) contends, an el boom from the other side of the Atlantic? Perhaps, but the surge of African writing is tellingly different from the Latin American explosion of the ’60s. Besides being identified with magic realism (though not all its writers practiced it), the literature of the Latin American boom was already formed within the region’s own institutions and coteries before being packaged in translation and exported. The new African writing is emphatically not homegrown. Forged in the crucible of globalization, it is a literature largely of displacement and exile.

More here
via 3quarksdaily

Over at Powerline blog, they note that the House is likely to pass the Limit and Tax bill, which will put a limit on energy production in the United States and tax all other energy producers. This is supposedly in the name of fighting the increasingly-disgraced theory of global warming. In reality what it does is give more power to government officials who can then funnel money to their political supporters, creating a more corrupt and tyrannical government.

If you haven't already done so, take a minute to write your Congressman and Senator to note your opposition to this bill. I'm sure it will do no good- if your Congressman or Senator is a Democrat they only care about people who give them and their family money and power- but at least you can rest knowing that you took 5 minutes to do your job as a citizen. Search your public official, go to his homepage, click contact, and hammer out an email- it takes less than 2 minutes per official. Keep it short- one paragraph- and make it clear that you vote and donate money and oppose this bill.

What has been holding up this bill is that some Democrats want to get more taxpayer money for favored constituencies, and the other Democrats hadn't thought of that yet and so had to figure out a way to get it into the bill. The Democrats from farming states wanted more money for ethanol boondoggles, and so Democrat tyrant Pelosi had to redo the bill to put that in. Other Democrats never even bothered to read it and smile as they ignore every argument against it- this bill isn't about saving the globe, the bill isn't about making America better- the bill is about power and money, and they know it and don't care how bad it is.

Powerline charts its likely progress in the Senate:

Of course, tomorrow's vote in the House won't actually decide anything. The Senate is likely to pass a bill (if it passes one at all) that is even more loaded with special interest favors than the House version. If a "climate change" bill eventually does become law, it will probably consist of little but a gift bag for favored Democratic Party constituencies, funded by what may be the biggest tax increase in American history. Still, that's better than the alternative--the all-out attack on American industry that was originally envisioned by environmentalists. Waxman-Markey is a reminder that what is now happening in Washington isn't politics as usual. It's worse.

Our way of life is under attack, and regrettably, it is about to be lost. Any one of you who voted for a single Democrat anywhere is part of this disaster. In one stupid move, the American people gave liberal Democrats like Obama and Pelosi total control over our nation- and just like that hundreds of years of careful hard work is going to be wiped away by taxpayer-give-aways, socialized medicine, tax and limit, deficits, and mismanagement.

Darn watermelons- green on the outside, red on the inside, and their only goal is to take away your life, liberty, and property using the power of the state. Our founding fathers died fighting less tyranny than this.

Michael Jackson died today. Not to date myself, but the first cassette tape that I ever bought was Thriller. I loved that tape, and thought that whatever Michael Jackson was, he was a great entertainer. His songs rocked, his dance moved dazzled, and he is the only singer whose music videos were always a sight to see. Remember back when MTV showed music videos? The coolest ones were always Jackson's. Anyways, here is my favorite Michael Jackson video of all time- Thriller. Reflect on his work and remember him as you enjoy the video.

A DC teacher from Anacostia senior high school wrote me several e-mails about the inequities in excessing of DC teachers and school counselors at Anacostia senior high school which is located @ 1601 16th Street SE where Rodney McBride was the principal . This teacher's email parallels other emails that I have received about similar occurrences at reconstituted schools in DC schools. Here's a copy of the email:

Dear Candi:

"More than 50% of the staff were excessed at Anacostia SHS including all the school counselors. Initially it appears that the restructuring/reconstitution process consisted of weeding out the senior teachers. Interesting many of our colleagues who are Teaching fellows or Teach for America were selected to remain without all of the proper credentials. The grief in this crime is that our students and our schools are further being left behind. These issues are not just NCLB mandates, rather our students and teachers are being harmed. Where is the justice in this?

I'd like to suggest tracking the number of teachers being "EXCESSED' and terminated in our school system. The Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) should be keeping the data on this. I believe that DC teachers that are being excessed are tentatively scheduled to be fired in the near future. Yesterday, I was jogging on a Montgomery Co. school track where I met a young man who was just hired to teach in DCPS from Chicago. What's the sense in this if this new teacher will be terminated next year ?

My recommendation is to gather front line teachers to get together to collaborate this summer in a round table work discussion with a facilitator that will allow us to collect the data to build a case. " Signed an Excessed Anacostia Teacher

What's happening in DC public schools poses some interesting "Questions About the Future of DCPS" as written by Roger Scott in his June 24, 2009 piece in 'themail' (1 word) , an online magazine publication by Gary Imhoff .

"In response to “Chancellor Michelle Rhee Is a Terminating Machine” by Candi Peterson [themail, June 21]. I have three questions for Ms. Peterson, other DCPS teachers, and those in the know on DC Watch.

1) With all these mass layoffs, terminations, and retirements, who is going to replace these teachers? Is Chancellor Rhee only pulling teachers from the teacher prep programs? No disrespect intended to any individuals who completed such programs, but I doubt that veteran teachers from the surrounding area would want to enter our system at this point.

2) Are there any other examples of this kind of “teacher crackdown” in the nation as a baseline for such a practice? This kind of thing seems unprecedented.

3) It feels that Chancellor Rhee is plowing ahead with her agenda full-stream, with no checks, stays, or reviews. Is there anything that can be done to validate that this “slash and burn” process is actually good for the future of DC youth and the school system? Logically, it does not seem to be an effective way to achieve the end result. That is, assuming the end result is to improve the quality of education and create better and stronger public schools."

Posted by The Washington Teacher

Makaechi's

...mission is to offer solutions to the social and economic hardship that affect our global community. We pledge to introduce innovative platforms that will inspire a call to action for the greater good. We believe that we can improve the quality of countless lives through the implementation of simple technologies, self-help initiatives, and public awareness. Watch a video from their Patrick Okoroafor campaign

Democrat President Obama is well-known for his positions on life issues, such as abortion, but be prepared for seeing more of his lack of compassion once he is in charge of running your healthcare. I imagine there will be a lot more of this:

President Obama suggested at a town hall event Wednesday night that one way to shave medical costs is to stop expensive and ultimately futile procedures performed on people who are about to die and don't stand to gain from the extra care.
In a nationally televised event at the White House, Obama said families need better information so they don't unthinkingly approve "additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care."He added: "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller."

So, let's imagine that you are about to die, but you had not tried everything yet. A reasonable person, if they had quality insurance that they paid for their whole lives, would expect the doctors to try everything to save their lives, if it was possible. If they paid for the insurance, and the insurance covered it, then it is expected that the doctors try expensive procedures, get additional tests, and try additional drugs. If these things are ultimately unsuccessful and you die, at least you did all you could to to save your life, and so did the doctors who took an oath to save your life.

Even if one person is saved using these expensive procedures (that they paid for their whole lives with insurance), then it is worth it. You can not measure the cost of one life, it is that precious. In our society, you can indeed hope that medical science can save you, and it is possible to change your condition to dead to alive by getting an expensive surgery.

Under Obama's plan, a government bureaucrats full time job would be to say 'no' to saving your life. Obama wants people in our government to take your tax money and then evaluate whether your life is worth saving or not, and if that bureaucrat doesn't think your life is worth saving (based partly on your race, condition, age, sex, political affiliation, etc), the you die.

Obama wants to kill you- although he wants you to die quietly by being drugged up on painkillers first. He said "maybe you are better off not getting the surgery" when he was talking about people on death's door- he is saying he wants you to die rather than cost the healthcare 'system' any more money. To 'shave medical costs' Obama wants you to die, as cheaply as possible, rather than cost the 'system' any more money. He does not value human life, he does not value liberty, and he does not value property.

Perhaps though Obama is right- really, all this healthcare plan needs is more cowbell. I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!

Many of DC's terminated teachers have asked whether they should file a complaint with EEOC. I think that if you are uncertain, you definitely should consult with an EEOC office near to you. Discrimination is defined broadly and also includes retaliation. If you believe that you have been the victim of retaliation , then certainly you should file with EEOC. Keep in mind that there are timelines that must be be followed. I have posted EEOC's guidelines for complaints as well as their toll free telephone number @ 1-800-669-4000.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Headquarters and Washington Field Office (WFO) moved in November 2008 to 131 M Street, NE., Fourth Floor, Suite 4NWO2F, Washington, DC 20507-0100

The Wash. Field Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination against private, state and local government employers in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia, and for administering hearings regarding complaints against federal government employers in these geographic areas. Additional information about the WFO, including contact info, hours of operation and directions, can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/washington/.

If you believe you have been discriminated against by an employer, labor union or employment agency when applying for a job or while on the job because of your race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability, or believe that you have been discriminated against because of opposing a prohibited practice or participating in an equal employment opportunity matter, you may file a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Charges may be filed in person, by mail or by telephone by contacting the nearest EEOC office. To avoid delay, call or write before hand if you need special assistance, such as an interpreter, to file a charge.

There are strict time frames in which charges of employment discrimination must be filed. To preserve the ability of EEOC to act on your behalf and to protect your right to file a private lawsuit, should you ultimately need to, adhere to the following guidelines when filing a charge.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII) charges must be filed with EEOC within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. However, in states or localities where there is an anti=discrimination law and an agency authorized to grant or seek relief, a charge must be presented to that state or local agency. Furthermore, in such jurisdictions, you may file charges with EEOC within 300 days of the discriminatory act, or 30 days after receiving notice that the state or local agency has terminated its processing of the charge, whichever is earlier. It is best to contact EEOC promptly when discrimination is suspected. When charges or complaints are filed beyond these time frames, you may not be able to obtain any remedy.


Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - The time requirements for filing a charge are the same as those for Title VII charges. (within 180 days)


Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) - The time requirements for filing a charge are the same as those for Title VII and the ADA. (within 180 days)

Equal Pay Act (EPA) - Individuals are not required to file an EPA charge with EEOC before filing a private lawsuit. However, charges may be filed with EEOC and some cases of wage discrimination also may be violations of Title VII. If an EPA charge is filed with EEOC, the procedure for filing is the same as for charges brought under Title VII. However, the time limits for filing in court are different under the EPA, thus, it is advisable to file a charge as soon as you become aware the EPA may have been violated.

Posted by The Washington Teacher

"To advance human good and avoid harm, biotechnology must be used within ethical constraints. It is the task of bioethics to help society develop those constraints and bioethics, therefore, must be of concern to all of us."

This was the message and mission of The President’s Council on Bioethics. This Council of advisers was created by Republican President George W. Bush to examine the ethics behind such issues as enhancement therapy, cloning, brain death, genetics, drugs, organ transplants, sex selection, and stem cells, and attempt to put in place policies and guidelines so that these issues would be dealt with in a civilized and humane way.

Sadly, this council published a report that criticized new Democrat President Barack Obama, and so he shut down this council. With a one-day notice, the members of the council were told in a letter from the President that their services were no longer required- pack up and get out. The descent into barbarianism is encouraged by our current President, who puts ethnic concerns ahead of ethical concerns, who cares more about how to advance humans that advance humanity, and who cares more about political issues than the issues involved in politics.

Peter Lawler, member of the now-defunct Council, notes that the letter from Obama dismissing the Council says that the President cares a lot about the value of having a commission like this. I guess he didn't care enough, or more likely, he wants a council like this but one that he puts together that agrees with everything he says- he likely wants a commission to rubber-stamp his decisions, whether they are ethical or humane or not.

I imagine the webpage of this group will be shut down soon and the work they did will be wiped out of existence by Obama's thugs, but in the meantime, you can check out some of the work they did here.

As theblogprof says, "There's your hope and change America! Chicago brass-knuckles politics at work right in front of America's eyes, and very few to report on it." I agree- with no reporting, the President shut down in one day a council focused on ethics, and replaced it with nothing (unless you count more czars and deficits).

Democrat President Obama every day works to take away life, liberty, and property and lower the human condition. He must be opposed.

An architect of Singapore's astounding economic growth-via Ethan Zuckerman
Investing and empowering farmers-Guardian
Nurturing an industrial renaissance in Ghana.
Africa,Business destination-TIME
Favoring poor governments over poor people-Aidwatch

From Special Guest: James Ehrlich - Co-Founder of Cuts Hurt Kids

visit: http://twitter.com/cutshurtkids/

No Apology, No Diploma for some L.A. Students

The graduation ceremony Thursday, June 18 at Liechty Middle School in Los Angeles, CA featured as a speaker Monica Garcia, L.A. Unified board president.Dozens of students turned their backs in silent protest of Ms. Garcia who has supported laying off thousands of teachers district-wide as part of LA's United School District budget cutbacks. Liechty Middle School, near downtown L.A., was particularly hard hit with over 70% of teachers receiving pink slips. The school is new, having opened only 2 years ago.

Several teachers, including Julie Van Winkle, United Teachers L.A. rep. at Liechty have been involved in the Hungry For a Better Education campaign which included a 23 day water-only hunger-strike to protest budget cutbacks. (visit: http://www.lahungry4ed.com/ )

Parents outraged at this latest incident are demanding an apology and their childrens' diplomas. They have been refused meetings with Principal Jeanette Stevens, who insists on meeting individually . LA Opinion reports in yesterday's paper (June 23, p.3) that students are being forced to sign an apology letter in order to get their diplomas: http://i42.tinypic.com/2cnijbq.jpg

Posted by The Washington Teacher

I received this email from a DC Teacher who was terminated from Sousa middle school where Dwan Jordan is a new principal. Sousa is located at 3650 Ely Place, SE in Washington, DC. I have removed the names of teachers who write me in order to protect their right to confidentiality.

Given that Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee signs off on all of these teacher terminations, it is concerning that there is no right of appeal. What if the principal was wrong in his/her assessment of the teacher and the teacher is not ineffective ? Who bears the responsibility for any errors that are being made ? What would you do if you were wrongly terminated ?

Here are some of the details regarding what happened to the teachers at Sousa. More details will be provided to you as they come in.

Hi Candi:

"I had been teaching at Sousa and never received a bad rating in all my ten years working in DC Public Schools. However, I was placed on the 90 day plan and have been terminated also. I was wondering if you could add this update of factual information to your blog.

The principal Dwan Jordon is a first-year principal, formerly an Assistant Principal from PG County, who placed 8 veteran teachers on the 90-day plan and terminated all of them. Interestingly enough, early reports are rumored that Sousa made some of the highest middle school gains with the DC-CAS, so how can all of our teachers be ineffective? Sousa has less than a total of 25 teachers so a third of them were terminated."

Posted by The Washington Teacher.

From the Amend website:

Road traffic injuries are the number one cause of death and disability for children between the ages of 5 and 21 in the developing world — in areas where little, if any, emergency and pre-hospital medical care is available.
Remember the adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? It’s true. The most effective way to improve this reality is to stop the incidents before they happen...[continue reading]

According to Yahoo News, Democrat President Barack Obama is about to sign a law that was sent to him by the Democrat-controlled Congress that will give the bureaucratic national Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate the ingredients that a private company puts into its products, regulate advertising of these companies, and put in place rules that make these products less flavorful. The legislation is called the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

Whatever your views on smoking are, and I happen to find it a disgusting habit, this legislation is wrong. It gives the national government to decide that it doesn't like a particular product and can use its power to attack any company that produces this product and drive it out of business. It gives unelected bureaucrats the power to control a major industry in our nation, controlling the products themselves and their advertising, controlling free speech and getting the government further involved with private businesses. It will lead to more corruption, more pay-offs, and more tyranny.

If you feel smoking is a threat to life because of second-hand smoke, than ban it outright. But if it isn't, then it is not the government's business to suppress liberty and seize property. As the yahoo article points out, anti-smoking advocates have been pushing for years for this bill so that they can control an industry fundamental to the U.S. These groups who personally oppose smoking know that once this bill is signed, they can lobby and pay off politicians to drive something underground that they personally oppose. It is using the power and force of government to punish politically-unfavored groups.

Opponents of the bill have argued that the federal government does not have this power, that the national government shouldn't pass legislation that attacks particular areas of the country, that the FDA is a corrupt and inefficient mechanism for the forces of good, that this bill will be unsuccessful and counter-productive, and that tobacco companies are already doing more on their own to reduce second-hand smoke by producing smokeless tobacco.

These arguments have fallen on gleefully deaf ears, as anti-smoking forces recognize that hope and change are in the air and now is the time to institute rules that tyrannize opponents. The Obama administration recently issued a royal decree declaring strong support for the measure. President Obama himself frequently enjoys cigarettes and likely will find a loophole in any laws that take away his cigarettes or lower their quality.

Some DC teachers have reported that they did not receive their Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) robo call on June 21, 2009 or the follow up email. Here is a written copy of the message regarding the June 23rd meeting at the AFT headquarters.

TERMINATION LETTERS

The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) has scheduled a very important meeting with all teachers on the 90-Day plan and probationary teachers who received a letter of termination. The meeting will be held this Tuesday, June 23rd, at the AFT headquarters building located at 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, in the 4th Floor Conference Room.

The meeting with probationary teachers who received a letter of termination will begin promptly at 1:00 pm. The meeting with teachers on the 90-Day plan who received a letter of termination will begin promptly at 3:00 pm. WTU attorneys will also be on hand to answer legal questions. We strongly urge all probationary teachers and teachers on the 90-Day plan who received a letter of termination to attend these very important sessions. We will meet with all teachers terminated due to certification at a later date.

(Posted by The Washington Teacher).

For the last hundred years, pagans have come to Stonehenge each year to celebrate the midsummer sunrise. At first, they were just a few eccentric people who were snickered at and frowned on. Later, when it was no longer politically acceptable to snicker and frown on those who had crazy ideas, these pagans were merely tolerated. But, change is the the air and there is hope now to many who once were not tolerated in western culture, and this week the midsummer sunrise at Stonehenge was attended by a record number 36,500 people.

This may be just a small sign, but to me, what caught my interest is that this is a record number of people- being a hippy pagan and dancing around when the sun comes up is more popular than ever before. As government becomes increasingly powerful in Europe and America and we move father away from our Founder's conservative views, more and more often we are seeing evidence of Western societies slide back to barbarianism, and this celebration by hippies, leftists, liberals, and pagans at Stonehenge is yet another example.

Pagan religion is becoming increasingly popular and accepted in our society. I see it most in the numbers of people who openly and proudly proclaim that they are not Christian, and also are the most fervent and devout believers in man-made-caused-one-way-global-warming-solved-by-government-power. They now worship the Green God. Other people, in an effort to be fair and politically correct to everyone, have decided to worship every god, embracing a polytheistic view of the world, whereby they pray to whatever god they think will help them the most. Animal rights activists worship animals and many people worship men (like Obama)- paganism is on the rise, not decline, in our society.

The field of Stonehenge may have been littered with trash on that midsummer day when thousands of pagans, reveling in drink, drugs, and free love (see the pictures) worshipped the rising of the sun, but in reality what their record numbers were worshipping is the fall of western civilization, the loss of the morality of our society, and the descent into barbarianism of Europe and America.

YK project's ewaBAMJO is:

...A bi-annual international festival for interdisciplinary arts, specially dedicated to throwing glamour on the city of Lagos and establishing relationship through DANCE, CIRCUS, COMEDY, MUSIC, DRAMA, SPOKEN WORD and other interdisciplinary art forms, under one dance umbrella, that brings about conferences, debates, film screening and shows around the theme: HOME AND ABROAD

Jack McHugh put together a stunning list. Maybe you are old enough to remember back when every aspect of your life or business wasn't taxed. Or maybe you remember starting your own business, without getting a license from the government. Maybe, but I don't remember those days. I have grown up in tyranny and seen it only increase as I have gotten older. This is no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our Founding Fathers fought and died for less than this.

Here is a list of 55 Taxes On You and 116 Licensure Mandates for those who want to start a business in Michigan. First, here are all the taxes that government has slapped on us to steal our money: Accounts Receivable Tax, Business income tax, Business Gross Receipts Tax, Business Tool and Equipment Property Tax, Building Permit Tax, CDL license Tax. Cigarette Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Dog License Tax, Excise Taxes, Federal Income Tax, Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA), Fishing License Tax, Food License Tax, Fuel Permit Tax, Gasoline Tax, Hunting License Tax, Inheritance Tax, Inventory Tax, IRS Interest Charges, IRS Penalties, Liquor Tax, Luxury Taxes, Marriage License Tax, Medicare Tax, Property Tax, Real Estate Transfer Tax, Service Charge Tax....

Seriously, are you still reading this list of taxes? Do you think the government taxes all these for the money, or is it just to control us and do a little social engineering? You know, pick winners and losers like government is God or something?

Here are more taxes: Social Security Tax, Road Usage Tax, Sales Tax, Recreational Vehicle Tax, School Tax, State Income Tax, State Unemployment Tax (SUTA), Telephone Federal Excise Tax, Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax, Telephone Federal/State/Local Surcharge Taxes, Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax, Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax, Telephone State and Local Tax, Telephone Usage Charge Tax, Use Tax, Utility Taxes, Vehicle License Registration Tax, Vehicle Sales Tax, Watercraft Registration Tax, Well Permit Tax, and Workers Compensation Tax...

As if those aren't enough taxes, the Democrats and Obama are proposing two new giant taxes- Cap and Trade and taxing employer provided health care benefits.

I'm not going to go through all the license requirements here- you get the picture. Check them all out though if you want, and email me and let me know which license requirement you think is the most insulting. Personally, I'm a little surprised that you can't clean out a sewage tank without paying the government money for a license (Sewer Pipe Cleaners License). Oh well.

Kind of makes you look longingly at the days of a Stamp Tax, doesn't it?

Despite what Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's termination letters stated that DC teachers were evaluated by their local school principal, some DC teachers were fired without ever being evaluated as we heard on WJLA, channel 7 yesterday on the 5 p.m. news.

When Rhee signed off on the terminations of 21 teachers @ Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC) given the standardized test scores as reported on The WaPo site- it leaves me wondering whether Principal Maria Tukeva ever cheated in some back room. How is it that the entire middle school teaching staff at CHEC were all ineffective ? Based on The Washington Post's 'Fixing DC Schools' report on line, there were only approximately 32 teachers in total at the middle school level.

How is that the entire special education department at Ludlow Taylor elementary school where Carolyn Cobbs is principal were terminated ? Was the whole department ineffective ? Stories like these and many others defy probability and reason and suggest to me that it's not about removing ineffective teachers.

Some of us are determined to ensure that due process of law occurs. A committee is being formed now to secure representation for many of our DC teachers who have been wronged. We are in search of of an experienced labor attorney willing to represent a class of DC teachers pro bono.

If you can help in any way, please contact: savedcteachers@gmail.com

(posted by The Washington Teacher)Video courtesy of wjla.com

Democracy in Dakar a film by Nomadic Wax bridges the gap between hip-hop activism, video journalism and documentary film and explores the role of youth and musical activism on the political process.

African Underground: Democracy in Dakar - Episode # 1 from Nomadic Wax on Vimeo.

via Society Hae

Aikins Adusei rails against the complicity and complacency of the Western Media when it comes to the acquired loot deposited in Western Institutions:

Corruption is rife in Africa because there are banking institutions in Europe especially Switzerland, France, Jersey Island, Britain, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Austria, US and many others who accept money from African leaders without questioning the source of the money. According to the UN around $148 billion are stolen from the continent by the political leaders, the business elite and civil servants every year with collusion and connivance of banking industries in Europe and North America.
Even though it is a common knowledge western banks are acting as safe havens for looted funds from Africa, very little attention is received from the western media to expose them. The media tend to focus their energies on the corrupt leaders with little or no mention at all as to where the monies they have stolen are being kept. There has not been any concrete effort to expose the banks that collude and connive with these corrupt leaders who are impoverishing the people. No effort has been made by the political elite in Europe and America to force the banks to return these stolen monies to the poorest of the poor because they are often the shareholders and beneficiaries of profits made by these banks.

More here

Yahoo Finance carried an article from the Wall Street Journal called "Retailers Head for Exits in Detroit.' The story details how there are no more big box stores or major retailers left inside the city limits of Detroit- not a single major car dealership, no Borders, no Starbucks, no chain grocery stores, no outlets to sell fresh produce and meat, and no Home Depots or Lowes.

The city of Detroit has been hammered by years of liberal Democrat rule (it is getting increasingly tough to blame all this on Bush in Detroit), and now there are very very people buying goods- the city's has a 22.8% unemployment rate among the highest in the U.S. and 30% of residents are on food stamps- and there are fewer people selling goods now. High taxes, high regulation, easy access to welfare, poor crime fighting, government handouts, and government directed building projects- the very platform of Obama- have destroyed capitalism in the city of Detroit, and now its residents have to travel to the suburbs (which are still run by Republicans) to buy goods and services.

How did Detroit get in this mess? Buried in the middle of this article, we discover the real reason why residents of Detroit are unable to buy food and consumer goods- GOVERNMENT. The barrier to a better life is government. The thing that stands in the way of eating good food for cheap prices is government. The people of Detroit can only blame themselves, because they elected liberal Democrats on a message of hope and change, and now live poor and solitary and brutal lives as a result.

After the usual 'it's the white people in the suburbs fault' line, the real reason why Detroit is suffering comes out- the reason why there are no stores in Detroit is because the city is inept and negligent in keeping track of who ones what property and now there are hundreds of buildings were left vacant with unclear property ownership. The other reason that residents of Detroit have to travel twice as far to get food is because zoning rules and other red tape to develop land for big-box stores that might cater to a low-income clientele is daunting.

What is the solution? One approach is to go green, and start village gardens and markets and revert back to the middle ages. Another approach is to tax the pants off any rich person the government can get its hands on, and squeeze more blood out of rocks. Another approach is to spend tax money trying to talk people into relocating their businesses to Detroit. These are all bad ideas though.

The solution is for residents of Detroit, Wayne County, Oakland County, the State of Michigan, and the United States of America to vote straight ticket Republican next election. That is the easiest way to affect positive change and restore hope for Detroit. Do it.

UPDATE: I want to respond to some of you who emailed me because you don't like my solution (vote Republican). First, government is power, and it is very important who is in power, and the best way to affect government is by voting. Voting is the easiest way. Voting is the most direct way. Voting is the quickest way. So voting is the best solution. As to voting Republican, Republican politicians usually are closer to the advocating the correct policy decisions than Democrats, and if you vote Republican you have a much better chance of voting for conservatives than if you vote Democrat. And voting independent or third party is an utter waste of a vote because we have a two party system.

So that's why I just suggest voting straight-ticket Republican. That is the easiest, quickest, and most direct way to change our nation for the better. Keep that in mind next election when there are Congressman and State Senators up for election- it is because of people like you who didn't vote straight ticket Republican that our country is in this mess.

Dee Does the District responds: "Thank you, but this issue is bigger than just me. There are six other teachers that were terminated from Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School by Carolyn Cobbs (Principal). These individuals range from probationary teachers to veterans in the District. One teacher in particular was told her job was safe, only to receive a certified letter stating her termination yesterday. I want others to know that they are not alone in this! We need to band together and fight for ourselves and fight for the current and future teachers of the District. What happened to us is not right and it is not fair and although this will be a long, arduous task, we will win this."

250 DC Teachers Terminated As Reported by The WaPo
No official confirmation from Chancellor Rhee's office

I decided to post the story of Dee's termination, a fellow education blogger right here in DC. Dee features the story of her own termination on her blog @ Dee Does The District

This one's for you Dee ! It ain't over till its over. The Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) has pending litigation with respect to last year's probationary teachers who were terminated unfairly. One of the first cases involving a probationary teacher had over 30 contractual violations for starters. By the way, last years terminated probationary teachers had meets and exceeds expectations performance evaluations.

Here's what Union Prez Parker said in today's Post article by Bill Turque: "Parker said the union disagrees with the school system about the status of probationary teachers. The union contends that if a teacher on probation receives a satisfactory evaluation, he or she should be hired permanently. Last year's firings of probationary teachers are the subject of a court fight, and Parker said he intends to pursue a similar remedy this year. "

I Was Terminated by Dee Does The District

"I was terminated yesterday."

Just two quick thoughts before I go to bed for the evening:
1. Michelle Rhee has acknowledged how terrible she was as a first-year teacher; this is hardly different for the majority of of first- and second-year teachers (traditional or alt-cert) as we are all trying to navigate our classrooms and our schools. But according to her, she was able to come back for two more years and make significant gains -- why aren't all of the probationary teachers who were terminated allowed to make the same progress after a rough (or smooth...) first year in the classroom?

2. Rhee has also acknowledged that the PPEP form is a bad document that allows for administrators to arbitrarily put down negative scores based on whims, fancies, and personal vendettas. This acknowledgement has been translated into a new evaluation system for the upcoming school year that will bring in impartial, expert teachers to ensure fairness in the process -- we are in fact, dealing with people's careers and lives here. Alas, despite recognizing the inherent flaws in the process, a single administrator was still allowed to make the final ruling on a teacher's employment status. It seems that these two things are in direct conflict with one another.

No, I'm not mad or upset with Rhee -- I'm just disappointed that she failed to terminate the right person. " (Courtesy of Dee Does the District) quote courtesy of The Washington Post.