None of them from Miller Place (whew!). Pretty outrageous stuff. What were they thinking? Check out the amount of Scotch tape on that kid's mouth!
h/t Linkiest.com
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Wisconsin...
I have a picture in my mind (or used to) of Wisconsin being populated by polite and well-mannered people. Like Miller Place. Now, look at this video posted by Ann Althouse on her blog of Sarah Palin's Tax Day/TEA Party speech in Madison, WI on Saturday:
About 2 minutes in there is extensive video of a guy screaming "shame, shame" while hiding his face and attempting to stop the filming. The crowd is doing it best to drown out Palin. They only want one viewpoint heard -- theirs. So much for free speech. Heck, so much for common courtesy!
This is what the left and the unions do -- they shout down, browbeat and attempt to intimidate their opposition. They use these tactics rather than debate because their positions have very little merit. Will we see this type of behavior in Miller Place? We are starting to. At the last board meeting, the teacher's union president spat out a "thank you' to one of the board trustees who had the temerity to point out that maybe the deal worked out with the teachers was not a good one for the district's long-term fiscal health. Rather than counter his detailed arguments she accused him of bad faith, said that she was not about to take a vow of poverty (I don't remember that be discussed), and then stormed away from the microphone, to the applause of the teachers assembled in the auditorium.
The country/state/county/pick one is BROKE. There is no more money. The public employees must realize that the people who pay their salaries, pensions and benefits are tapped out. They don't want to hear it, though, let alone understand that it is true. So, the public employee unions are channeling their inner two-year-olds and covering their ears and yelling I CAN'T HEAR YOU (just like in the video). In the long run it is not going to work, but we are in for a few years of this stuff. Madison is now; Miller Place is teed up for the (near) future.
About 2 minutes in there is extensive video of a guy screaming "shame, shame" while hiding his face and attempting to stop the filming. The crowd is doing it best to drown out Palin. They only want one viewpoint heard -- theirs. So much for free speech. Heck, so much for common courtesy!
This is what the left and the unions do -- they shout down, browbeat and attempt to intimidate their opposition. They use these tactics rather than debate because their positions have very little merit. Will we see this type of behavior in Miller Place? We are starting to. At the last board meeting, the teacher's union president spat out a "thank you' to one of the board trustees who had the temerity to point out that maybe the deal worked out with the teachers was not a good one for the district's long-term fiscal health. Rather than counter his detailed arguments she accused him of bad faith, said that she was not about to take a vow of poverty (I don't remember that be discussed), and then stormed away from the microphone, to the applause of the teachers assembled in the auditorium.
The country/state/county/pick one is BROKE. There is no more money. The public employees must realize that the people who pay their salaries, pensions and benefits are tapped out. They don't want to hear it, though, let alone understand that it is true. So, the public employee unions are channeling their inner two-year-olds and covering their ears and yelling I CAN'T HEAR YOU (just like in the video). In the long run it is not going to work, but we are in for a few years of this stuff. Madison is now; Miller Place is teed up for the (near) future.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Further proof that....
"Global Warming" "Climate Change" is a total money-making scam.
Introducing the "Carbon-neutral Bra".
I wish I was shameless enough to scam idiots out of their money like these GW shysters do. Alas, I have a conscience.
Introducing the "Carbon-neutral Bra".
I wish I was shameless enough to scam idiots out of their money like these GW shysters do. Alas, I have a conscience.
Miller Place school board adopts a budget....
... at what cost?
The agenda handed out mentioned "amendments" to the employment agreements of some of the bargaining units, most notably the teacher's union. My guess is that if the meeting went according to the administration and 4/5ths of the board's plan we would never have learned the details of the deal with the teachers.
Trustee Mike Unger took a lot of heat last night. He simply pointed out that the deal that the board was about to vote on was not a good one -- AS POINTED OUT BY THE DISTRICT'S OWN LAWYER. That certainly should have, at least, been discussed among the board before it was presented as the saving grace of the '11 budget season. What did he get in return? The ire of the teacher's union, as evidenced by the glares aimed at him from the audience.
As he pointed out, it is a very short term solution to a long term problem, and he is absolutely right -- the problem will be back next year, and it will be worse. Many in the auditorium wanted to shoot the messenger.
And I hate it that the unions turn every criticism of them into criticism of the teachers themselves. The union's job is to negotiate the best deal for the teachers. The board is there to protect the interests of the residents, but the teachers unions have made it an art to equate hard-nosed bargaining tactics with disrespect to the teachers. And, too often, that tactic works in their favor. It is nonsense and dishonest.
To the person who equated paying school taxes to buying gasoline at Hess -- do you have any idea how NOT correlated those examples are? No one is mandated to buy gas from Hess. One can take the bus, or carpool, or ride a bike. While gasoline is certainly a necessity, is not purchased by anyone by force of law. Taxes, on the other hand, are extracted from us at the point of a gun (don't pay your taxes and armed people will show up and escort you away). You can, in a fashion, "negotiate" what you pay for gasoline by moderating your consumption. Try negotiating your tax bill.
I close with this interesting article on tenure. It talks about it in the university setting, but it has the same implications in K-12, too.
The agenda handed out mentioned "amendments" to the employment agreements of some of the bargaining units, most notably the teacher's union. My guess is that if the meeting went according to the administration and 4/5ths of the board's plan we would never have learned the details of the deal with the teachers.
Trustee Mike Unger took a lot of heat last night. He simply pointed out that the deal that the board was about to vote on was not a good one -- AS POINTED OUT BY THE DISTRICT'S OWN LAWYER. That certainly should have, at least, been discussed among the board before it was presented as the saving grace of the '11 budget season. What did he get in return? The ire of the teacher's union, as evidenced by the glares aimed at him from the audience.
As he pointed out, it is a very short term solution to a long term problem, and he is absolutely right -- the problem will be back next year, and it will be worse. Many in the auditorium wanted to shoot the messenger.
And I hate it that the unions turn every criticism of them into criticism of the teachers themselves. The union's job is to negotiate the best deal for the teachers. The board is there to protect the interests of the residents, but the teachers unions have made it an art to equate hard-nosed bargaining tactics with disrespect to the teachers. And, too often, that tactic works in their favor. It is nonsense and dishonest.
To the person who equated paying school taxes to buying gasoline at Hess -- do you have any idea how NOT correlated those examples are? No one is mandated to buy gas from Hess. One can take the bus, or carpool, or ride a bike. While gasoline is certainly a necessity, is not purchased by anyone by force of law. Taxes, on the other hand, are extracted from us at the point of a gun (don't pay your taxes and armed people will show up and escort you away). You can, in a fashion, "negotiate" what you pay for gasoline by moderating your consumption. Try negotiating your tax bill.
I close with this interesting article on tenure. It talks about it in the university setting, but it has the same implications in K-12, too.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
R.I.P. Flip video camera (2007-2011)
Why did Cisco kill the Flip video camera, a brand they paid $509MM for in 2009? Some analysts have said it is because margins on the cameras have dropped significantly due to competition and the advent of HD video being built into smart phones.
While this is true, I still see a place for these video cameras, especially the ruggedized and waterproof ones from Kodak and GE. For citizen journalists -- the regular person who goes to a public meeting and sees something "irregular" -- these cameras are very valuable. Sometimes things get ugly, like here:
When some goon gets in your face and tries to slap your camera away (skip to about 5:17 in the vid to see my point illustrated), do you want to be holding a $99 Flip or a $$$ smartphone that, if stolen, contains all of your personal data?
While this is true, I still see a place for these video cameras, especially the ruggedized and waterproof ones from Kodak and GE. For citizen journalists -- the regular person who goes to a public meeting and sees something "irregular" -- these cameras are very valuable. Sometimes things get ugly, like here:
When some goon gets in your face and tries to slap your camera away (skip to about 5:17 in the vid to see my point illustrated), do you want to be holding a $99 Flip or a $$$ smartphone that, if stolen, contains all of your personal data?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The teachers unions are firmly on the side of...
Us? The children? Not likely. In the immortal words of Albert Shanker, the founder of the United Federation of Teachers, "When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children."
Here are a pair of articles that illustrate the point.
Understanding the Adults' Insatiable Thirst for School Spending
Teachers Support Cop Killer
Here are a pair of articles that illustrate the point.
Understanding the Adults' Insatiable Thirst for School Spending
Teachers Support Cop Killer
Monday, April 11, 2011
Newsday and Trump
Newsday is trying to arrest its slide into oblivion and eventual demise by going the hyper-local route. Like Patch.com, a division of AOL. But, Patch was there first, has a real team of internet techs behind them (I know, AOL is to tech as the Amish are to the Kardashians, but have you ever looked at Newsday.com?) and people who are already online for news slide right into Patch, an easy and logical site to navigate (again, totally unlike Newsday.com).
So, what kinds of stories does the new hyper-local Newsday snag? How about this one:
Bellport Residents Say Yes to Higher Taxes
Uh, does anyone really believe that? A few people show up at a village meeting (about 30) and say they would be willing to pony up more to "save" village amenities. The total population of Bellport is around 2,500, so 30 people don't represent much of a groundswell.
Unfortunately, this thinking goes on in Miller Place, too. There are about 12,000 residents of MP and even if a school board meeting is packed the attendees only represent a small fraction of the populace. If the board thinks that the people who attend meetings are representative of the voting public they are going to be in for a shock.
I know this is like shooting fish in a barrel, but Newsday supplies soooo much to mock.
Earlier in the week, they ran the following story from the AP:
Glenn Beck's Fox Show Ending
I am not a big Beck listener/viewer, but my thinking is that if that one guy can make the liberals/democrats that bat-schitt crazy, well, then, he must be doing something right. But, even for Newsday, it was a fact-free, no-attribution hatchet job (of course, it was ripped right from the AP wire). Just a few pages in, however, was this article (and picture, too):
Obama Seeks Re-election Help from Sharpton's Group
Oh, the irony. They absolutely demonize Beck because he says things that the libs find uncomfortable (ie, true). But here is the POTUS standing there and beseeching Al "Tawana Brawley Freddie's Fashion Mart Howard Beach" Sharpton -- the guy who tells the IRS that he doesn't even own his own clothes -- for his help to get re-elected. Wow. Newsday, you are not even worth the $2/week (delivered) that you cost me.
Donald Trump. My gosh, is he getting under President Birth Certificate's skin. I don't think that he will ultimately run (the job is way too confining for an Alpha like that) but he is gonna have fun making O squirm, and he is rubbing the media's nose in it. I predict that the big story is going to be the discovery of the millions of dollars O and his handlers/enablers have paid to bury this story, and that is what is going to blow up in their faces. Go Trump! On Nov 3, 2012, I predict the front page of the NY Post is going to have Trump's pic on it with the headline "Obama, You're Fired!"
So, what kinds of stories does the new hyper-local Newsday snag? How about this one:
Bellport Residents Say Yes to Higher Taxes
Uh, does anyone really believe that? A few people show up at a village meeting (about 30) and say they would be willing to pony up more to "save" village amenities. The total population of Bellport is around 2,500, so 30 people don't represent much of a groundswell.
Unfortunately, this thinking goes on in Miller Place, too. There are about 12,000 residents of MP and even if a school board meeting is packed the attendees only represent a small fraction of the populace. If the board thinks that the people who attend meetings are representative of the voting public they are going to be in for a shock.
I know this is like shooting fish in a barrel, but Newsday supplies soooo much to mock.
Earlier in the week, they ran the following story from the AP:
Glenn Beck's Fox Show Ending
I am not a big Beck listener/viewer, but my thinking is that if that one guy can make the liberals/democrats that bat-schitt crazy, well, then, he must be doing something right. But, even for Newsday, it was a fact-free, no-attribution hatchet job (of course, it was ripped right from the AP wire). Just a few pages in, however, was this article (and picture, too):
Obama Seeks Re-election Help from Sharpton's Group
Oh, the irony. They absolutely demonize Beck because he says things that the libs find uncomfortable (ie, true). But here is the POTUS standing there and beseeching Al "Tawana Brawley Freddie's Fashion Mart Howard Beach" Sharpton -- the guy who tells the IRS that he doesn't even own his own clothes -- for his help to get re-elected. Wow. Newsday, you are not even worth the $2/week (delivered) that you cost me.
Donald Trump. My gosh, is he getting under President Birth Certificate's skin. I don't think that he will ultimately run (the job is way too confining for an Alpha like that) but he is gonna have fun making O squirm, and he is rubbing the media's nose in it. I predict that the big story is going to be the discovery of the millions of dollars O and his handlers/enablers have paid to bury this story, and that is what is going to blow up in their faces. Go Trump! On Nov 3, 2012, I predict the front page of the NY Post is going to have Trump's pic on it with the headline "Obama, You're Fired!"
Sunday, April 3, 2011
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