My Beauty Best Teacher

• David Truss :: Pair-a-dimes for Your Thoughts » Facebook Revisited

  Excellent Facebook revisited blog post by David Truss. this echoes many of my own thoughts on this.

  tags: education facebook

• CNN Student News Transcript: April 14, 2011 - CNN.com

  Next week is the anniversary of the oil spill. Here is a CNN student news segment to help you study this. (Hat Tip: Richard Byrne, Free Tech for Teachers)

  tags: education science_teacher all_teachers

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

CNN reports:

A 19-year-old Nigerian undergraduate student has signed a two-novel deal with the British publisher Faber, making her its youngest ever woman author.Chibundu Onuzo, a history student at King's College London, will have her first novel, "The Spider King's Daughter," published next year."I wrote the book in my last year at school," Onuzo told CNN. "I've been writing since I was 10, but this was the first novel I finished, so it was very liberating to be able to write 'The End.'"...[continue reading]

The Inside Deal is Democratic President Barack Obama's domestic economic program and is characterized by extensive government spending for politically connected groups within American society. Increasingly during the height of the Inside Deal, there is a link between who receives taxpayer money from the federal government and their political connections. It is called by some crony capitalism. For some politically connected groups in American society, the Inside Deal allows them to to avoid or delay certain mandates, fees, regulations, or restrictions, due purely to their political connections and status in society. During the height of the Great Recession, these deals between Democrat politicians and regulators and bureaucrats and politically favored businesses became increasingly more common.

One such deal was recently struck between McDonald's and Obama's bureaucrats. McDonald's (which has CNN on in all of its restaurants, doubling CNN's viewership) apparently is going to be able to allowed to waive certain requirements of the new health-care laws. After Micky D's threatened federal regulators saying that it would drop its health-insurance plan for nearly 30,000 restaurant workers, Obama's officials jumped to announce that they will exercise discretion this time. There was no announcements as to whether or not the thousands of other employers would be allowed to waive the requirements that will cause thousands more to lose their health insurance coverage.

This McDonald's announcement highlights the kind of healthcare law that Democrats passed into law last year- one that will cause employers to drop coverage of thousands of employees, who will then be forced to go on the government's health care plans paid for by taxpayers or lose health care coverage altogether, unless businesses are politically connected like government officials or labor unions or companies that threaten retribution, who are all allowed to waive the requirements and continue to provide service to their employees free from government interference and fees.

Obamacare is the kind of legislation that creates a society that is based on who you know, on who you donate money to, on who you have political connections with- it creates a deal between favored groups in society and the government masters who dictate policy over them. There might be some incidental good side effects, but at a fundamental level it is tyranny that degrades the human condition and lessens our protections of life, liberty, and property.

Founder of the 10,000 Girls program Viola Vaughn discusses its impact:

"We have girls who were told they'd never get through high school who are at university now," beams Vaughn. "We hope that if we get 10,000 girls out there, 1,000 girls will come back to Kaolack and work. It would revolutionize the whole region...[continue reading]-CNN

From the CNN special heroes series:

At age 19, Yohannes Gebregeorgis (founder of Ethiopia Reads) borrowed a soft-cover romance novel entitled "Love Kitten" that changed his life forever. ...Today, at 56, Gebregeorgis is establishing libraries and literacy programs to connect Ethiopian children with books."Most Ethiopian children have only access to textbooks in the classroom," says Gebregeorgis. "Books children read outside of school, those are the spices of education."It wasn't until he became a children's librarian in the United States that he realized what the children of his native home were missing...[continue reading]

CNN reports:

According to a local market trader, the bead revival is a sign that young Ghanaians are experiencing what she called "sankofa.""There's a culture of 'sankofa:' Go back and retrieve what you've left behind," said bead-shop owner Ernestina Anafu...There was a period when they [young people] shunned beads; they said it was archaic, it was no longer fashionable. Since this period of 'sankofa' people are going traditional again."...[continue reading]

Zite and Flipboard are two must-have new apps for the iPad. Each is different and an important part of my media diet.

The rumor mill is churning up that CNN and Zite are chummy on a deal to sell Zite for $20million+.

Mainstream media hasn't really gotten social media or apps- until now? They gotta buy it. Not sure I am happy about this one.

Is it Nite Nite Zite?

Related posts:

• 15 Fantastic Ways to Use Flipboard
  
• IPad Productivity:Pareto Your Home Screen
  

Ibukun Awosika founder of The Sokoa Chair Centre at Wharton:

“Africa … is highly diverse. It is [not] one country. It is 52 different countries.” She takes to task anyone who still clings to the Western business stereotypes that dog the continent. Not checking out business opportunities in such a vast and underdeveloped market is costing those people money…
“Those markets that CNN tells you are not the good markets are actually the hidden secret,”...The former chemist’s implication: Her enterprise serves as an example of the lucrative deals in African countries that savvy outside investors can encounter, if they know where to look...[continue reading]

The AP and mainstream comedians are outraged at the rumored cost of the Obama inauguration bash that is coming up. Over at The Guardian, one author writes "Police State Inauguration for King Obama: Unprecedented Security & Cost for Obama's First Inauguration," and goes on to describe how "central Washington will be transformed into an armed camp next week." Opps, never mind, I got that wrong- that's how the media described Bush's 2nd inauguration. Sorry.

At least this CNN article rips Obama for the massive expense of his inauguration "Some critics have questioned spending millions on inauguration festivities in a time of war and after the collapse of the nations economy recently." Oh wait, never mind, again that's the media ripping into Bush. CNN's coverage of Obama's inauguration makes no mention of those who criticize the cost.

At least comedians, who never hold back from ripping politicians, are involved. I found a list of potential jokes they will be rolling out here. "President Obama is being criticized because his inaugural celebration cost $40 million. When asked about it, the president-elect said, 'Sorry, but my daughters insisted on free rap CD's'" Conan O'Brien joked. Just kidding- he would never make fun of Obama- the joke was about Bush and alcoholism, funny subjects both to O'Brien. Here is a good one Jay Leno- "There were a total of ten balls last night and President Obama went to all ten. He even went to the ball hosted by William Ayers, but no one recalls seeing him there"- just kidding, that was Leno ripping into Bush.

One more good one- "They say that the security arrangements for the up coming presidential inauguration will be the most extensive in history. And that's just to keep the Obama twins away from the crack" from Craig Ferguson. Again, just kidding, the real joke was about Bush and drinking, but for some reason joking about Bush's underage daughters drinking is funny, and implying that Obama's underage daughters might do drugs is just wrong. Must be due to the difference in age? It couldn't be due to race- Obama's election has saved us from that sin, and soon will save us from the sins of torture and global warming too.

Yeah, if my post today shocked you, here is the kicker- Obama's inauguration cost is estimated to reach $160 million. That is more than Bush's second inauguration. That is more than Bush's first one... more than Clinton's 2nd... more than Clinton's 1st... and more than H.W. Bush's... combined.

In CNN:

Zimbabwe native Betty Makoni founded the Girl Child Network to provide a haven for young victims of sexual abuse. The organization has rescued more than 35,000 girls since 2001.

OPEN LETTER TO ALL 

Dear DCPS Employees Past and Present, Parents, Guardians, Students and DC Community:

I am writing this letter to issue a challenge to us all. We as a system are under fire. For those of you that are still in the classroom please do not be lulled into a false sense of security. This school system is under attack and teachers are on the front lines.

In the past few weeks it has become clear that the Washington Teachers Union is either unwilling or unable to protect and successfully defend us, so we must do it ourselves. I and some of my other friends have been on a letter writing campaign and have sent letters to everyone from the DC City Council to President Barack Obama. My focus right now is Oprah Winfrey. It may sound silly but understand that Ms. Winfrey profiled Michelle Rhee as one of the most powerful women in America and is planning on having her on the show.  I think that it is important that we get our side of the story to her. Michelle Rhee has been allowed to control the press for far too long. (Contact Oprah's website by clicking this Link . Scroll down and click contact us ). 

I have sent letters to Oprah but if we flood her website she will be forced to at least investigate what is going on. It only takes a few minutes to go to her website and click on “contact us” and send an email. We all have a story now it is time to tell that story. From former Principals, to teachers, to custodians, to office staff, and to the students, it is time that we go global with our story. Talking on the blog is great but we are preaching to the choir.

I also encourage you to contact Senator Daniel Akaka who is the Chairman on Oversight of Government Management. Click on Senator Akaka's name above and it will take you directly to his website. You can also write Senator Akaka c/0 141 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, telephone: 202-2246361 or via fax: 202-224-2126.

I have friends that are teachers all over the country and believe me they are watching what is going on in DC and if Michelle Rhee wins here it will spell trouble for all educators across the country.   We cannot continue to sit back and wait for others to save us we must save ourselves.  Please feel free to forward this letter to all friends in DCPS past and present. 

Sincerely,

A RIF'd DC Teacher Fighting For Truth

dcpsfightingfortruth@gmail.com

Other people that we can email, just click on the links below:

Senator Daniel Akaka , Subcommitte on Oversight of Government Management

Senator George V. Voinovich, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Oversight Management

DC City Council 

DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton 

Md. State Senator Barbara Mikulski 

Va. State Senator Jim Webb

Toy Joyner, Russ Parr, CNN, The View,  etc.             

Everyone has a website and a “CONTACT US” button on that website, let’s use it. 

Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence

Jonathan Jones in the Guardian:

Art is as natural as breathing to the peoples of Africa. If there is ever another Picasso, she will be an African. And yet the problem with exhibiting it abroad is that if people are so modest about what they create, it is easy to come in as the big man and reinvent this art for yourself by selecting what to export, and what to say about it. If I'm suspicious that curators too easily impose their own aesthetic on African visual culture when they select from it what to call "art", it is because I've done it myself...

From Africa Rising:

When a Western charity makes an appeal for funds with the photo of a seemingly helpless African child, the Western donor is cast in the role of the strong, generous, and righteous person helping the lowly and needy. Strength, generosity, and righteousness are all good things, but I fear that an unrighteous pattern has developed. The West and Africa have become type-cast into strong and weak, resourceful and helpless, giver and receiver, parent and child.
To cast whole continents and cultures in such starkly contrasting and fixed roles is an untruth and an injustice. There is strength in Africa, and there is resourcefulness, generosity, and righteousness...[continue reading]

Mutumwa Mawere writing in the African Heritage Society:

Africa’s future belongs to builders. Our civilization has evolved and contemporary African civilization is dualistic with one part based on laws and other institutions underpinned by a market system and another that is based on what can be described as African norms, traditions and custom...I have come to the inescapable conclusion that business development is unsustainable without moral capital investment.This view is not only supported by my personal experiences but by the notion that markets and morals evolve together and are, therefore, aspects of the spontaneous order of any society.

We all know that the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress have fought to make sure there is no new nuclear power (see my post Yucca Mountain for information on how Obama has defied Congress and shut down the Yucca Mountain project). Obama and the Democrats have also worked to make it more difficult for more energy production through coal. After the Deepwater Horizon accident, Obama and the Democrats put in place an ”arbitrary and capricious” ban on all oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in waters over 500 feet in depth, a ban that was intended to do “irreparable harm” to businesses.

But perhaps you didn't know that for some reason, since June, the Department of Interior has refused to issue any permits for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf in waters less than 500 feet of depth- effectively banning through administrative decree any drilling in shallow waters.

Via Sweetness&Light, this story is from CNN’s Money.Com:

Stealth ban on Gulf drilling, By Steve Hargreaves, Senior writer
June 25, 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The offshore drilling ban imposed after the BP disaster is only supposed to hit operations in deep water — 500 feet or more. But drillers in shallow water say they haven’t been issued permits since the April 20 explosion. The delay has already forced hundreds of layoffs, and many more could be on the way.

"I’m almost out of business over here," said Paul Butler, president of Spartan Offshore, a small drilling company in Metairie, La.

"The Department of Interior isn’t issuing permits," said Jim Noe, a Hercules executive. "By mid July all of our rigs will be on the beach, and the workers without a job."

That could be a lot of jobs. Jobs are on the line: Deep water drilling, which is currently banned while an investigation into the Deepwater Horizon accident is underway, is estimated to employ at least 35,000 people on both the rigs and in jobs that support them.

Nearly that many jobs (at least 35,000) could also be at stake (lost) over (a ban on) shallow water drilling. While shallow water rigs are smaller and employ only about half as many people, there are almost twice as many of them in the Gulf, according to the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association…

Safety first: An Interior Department spokeswoman said there is no freeze on shallow water drilling. However, she said, new safety procedures were put in place following the Deepwater Horizon spill.

"Companies have to comply before we can issue them permits," the spokeswoman said. "No one has fully complied."

Spartan’s Butler said there was a long delay between when Interior stopped issuing permits and when the new safety guidelines came out. Indeed, the first Interior Department notification to oil companies about the new requirements was dated June 8, nearly two months after the disaster.

Butler said he has been scrambling to get his paperwork in order and hopes that permits will be issued soon…