2013

I especially like this first McCain ad at top. I'm confident that a McCain administration would have achieved some of those campaign pledges, although in 2013 we could be stuck with our "Celeb" one more time ... that is, depending on who (whom?) the GOP nominates. Quinnipiac indicates that voters would prefer an "unnamed" Republican in 2012:

A year after President Barack Obama's political honeymoon ended, his job approval rating has dropped to a negative 44 - 48 percent, his worst net score ever, and American voters say by a narrow 39 - 36 percent margin that they would vote for an unnamed Republican rather than President Obama in 2012, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

But who's it gonna be?

Alvin Greene's First 'OFFICIAL Attack Ad' Smears Jim DeMint as 'Liar, Bigot, Un-American, Maniac, Evil'

At least he admits it's a smear: "Watch our first OFFICIAL attack ad and start spreading news!." Watch the background text rolling by. Did I miss anything?

Hat Tip: Linkmaster Smith.

New Jersey's Mount Olive Schools to Eliminate 'D' Grades

At The Daily Caller, "New Jersey school district eliminates “D” grade."

Starting this fall, Mount Olive Middle and High School students will have to work harder to earn a passing grade.

The Mount Olive school board voted 8-1 Monday night to eliminate the “D” grade in the middle and high school grading systems.

Last month, Superintendent Larrie Reynolds proposed the policy as a way to encourage students to learn — not just earn credits, Reynolds said.

“I’m tired of kids coming to school and not learning and getting credit for it,” he said. “We intend to be the beacon of excellence in Morris County, and to do that, we have to fix it.”

Currently, anything under a 65 is considered failing. The new policy, which is expected to be in effect by September, would raise the failure score to anything under a 70.

One thing that always bugs me is when students at my college are happy to get a "D". They'll continue to get financial aid, which is more of an immediate interest than the longer-term goal of a high GPA.

Oakland Plantation — Natchitoches, Louisiana

A fabulous photo-essay, at Pat Austin's, " Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Oakland Plantation" (click and enlarge here full overseers shot):

And at Wikipedia, "Oakland Plantation (Natchitoches, Louisiana)."

Unplayable 45s, at Althouse

I've been reading Ann Althouse for about 5 years now. And while posting Three Dog Night yesterday I remembered Ann's post on her "Unplayable 45s" she won't throw out:

Meanwhile, Billy Idol was more my generation, although "One" came out when I was about 8 years-old. I always liked it, but the reviews were mixed at Althouse's comments.

Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif., Endures Loss of Seven Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Most From Any School in California

I'll be in Clovis at the end of August to attend my father-in-law's 70th birthday gathering. I called him this morning to give him the heads up on today's front-page story at the Los Angeles Times, "Wars Take a Heavy Toll on One California School." He thanked me, although Clovis is a small town, and he was well familiar with the losses:

The seventh funeral was Friday. The church was full, even strangers lined the streets and everyone in sight stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads as Brian Piercy's body moved from church to cemetery — the same as they had done for six others.

Seven boys from Clovis' Buchanan High Shool have been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With Piercy's death, Buchanan has the somber distinction of more war dead than any other school in California.

There's no sure answer as to how such a thing could happen. But many people in this Central Valley city have a theory. They say Clovis is an extraordinarily patriotic community and its children are raised on God and country, duty and honor. They're willing to serve and willing to die, the same as Clovis' generations who went before them.

Buchanan's school colors are red, white and blue. The stadium is named Veteran's Memorial. Former classmates and older siblings come back in uniform for campus visits. Friday night football games include a moment of silence for Buchanan's fallen soldiers.

"The cheerleaders wear six stars on their uniforms. I guess it will be seven now," said 15-year-old Julie Thaxter. "We're not proud they died, but we're proud they fought. It makes others from here even more ready to go and honor them. My brother wants to join. He's 14 and he's been set on it since he was 8."

RTWT.

Also, "California’s War Dead" (for Buchanan High).

Cancer Patient Nikki Phelps vs. Virginity Repairs in Britain — i.e., Islamic Hymen Replacement Surgery

Doug Ross reports on the British cancer patient who fought the NHS, which denied life-saving drug treatment. "Nikki Phelps, R.I.P."

Nikki Phelp's insurer was Britain's National Health Service (NHS), the model for Barack Obama and his hand-picked appointment for the head of Medicare, Donald Berwick.

RTWT.

And at London's Daily Mail, "Virginity Repairs and an NHS That's Lost Its Way":

Three months ago, Bill Phelps became a widower — he watched, helpless, as his cancer-stricken young wife Nikki’s life slowly ebbed away.

Nikki, 37, a former teacher and mother of two-year-old twins, was denied the drug that might have saved her life, as it was deemed too costly by her NHS Primary Care Trust.

I wonder, then, how Mr Phelps feels after reading yesterday’s report that the NHS is happy to foot the bill for young women to have ‘virginity repairs’?

How can it be right that the mother of his two little boys was condemned to death by an NHS that put women’s desire to appear ‘untouched’ before the right of a mother to live as long as she can to raise her children?

Latest figures show that there has been a 25 per cent rise in hymen replacement operations carried out on the NHS over the past four years.

And, while there is no way of knowing the ethnic, cultural or religious background of the women undergoing these procedures, we do know that there has been a three-fold increase in Muslim women having the operation done privately — fearful that a future husband might discover they were not a virgin on their wedding night.

Might some of the rise in NHS cases be for the same reason? The NHS insists that it carries out the procedure only ‘to secure physical or psychological health’.

The same justification is often used for state-funded cosmetic procedures such as breast reductions.

Whatever the case, I find it astonishing that at a time when women are dying because they can’t get cancer treatment, other women are having their virginity repairs paid for by the State.

Let me be clear: I have every sympathy for a woman, of whatever cultural origin, who is so fearful of an oppressive partner that she would seek surgery to restore her ‘purity’.

We must never forget that it’s certain men who are to blame for this, as they demand a standard of behaviour from their wives, sisters and daughters that they would not dream of applying to themselves.

But how can we defend aesthetic breast procedures, sex- change operations or hymen repairs at a time of crippling national debt, and when we have some of the worst cancer survival rates in Europe?

RELATED: "A Victory Too Late: Mother Dies as the NHS Finally Agrees to Pay for Cancer Drugs."

Summer School 2010 — One of the Best Classes in Memory

I watched "The Paper Chase" again last week for the first time in years. I'd been having such a fabulous summer session — with some of the best classroom discussions in years — that I wanted to share the opening scenes with my students on the day before the final exam — and not just so they'd get a look at Professor Kingsfield's method. I love how the movie opens with the first-year law students settling into their seats on the first day of class with the caption "Harvard Law School" flashing at the screen just as John Houseman enters the room. It does capture that supreme sense of both excitement and fear that is the college classroom experience, all the more so since it's Harvard. We couldn't watch the whole movie, of course, and amazingly not one of my students had seen it, so perhaps they'll dwell on it if they find it while surfing the cable channels in the future.

Teaching this summer was a lot different for a number of reasons: We're fully moved into the South Quad Complex, and the new classrooms are fully modernized with smart technology; the computer console/media setup is extremely user-friendly, which facilitates use of short video clips for quick discussion launchers; I'm using a new textbook, one that offers an "exceptionalist" take on American politics, and one that helped drive some dramatic sections; lots of university students attend community college in the summer, to save money and finish up their G.E., so they help elevate the quality of the experience; I also had two Iraq war veterans and a public relations officer from the Long Beach Police Department, and they further added to the diversity of the summer session; and I taught just this one class, which left me with more time to think about my students and how to improve instruction.

All of that, plus after ten years at LBCC I'm more comfortable in my methods than ever. I try less to be a Professor Kingsfield and more like when I was younger — i.e., more hip and laid back, and even more understanding.

In any case, things really came together. Not only were the sections dynamic and endlessly vibrant, but the students were not shy in sharing their feedback on the learning experience. Some classes go better than others (every classroom is different), and you'll know when you're hitting it off. But I was surprised and honored that the students put together some thank you cards on the day before the final. One student in particular had a life-changing experience. His comments are up on the "guys" card at top right:

Professor Douglas!!! I have never been so excited to come to class as I was this semester! You are a tremendous leader and a Class-A example of looking at both sides of stories. Thank you for your passion for teaching.

At top left, a UCI student comments:

You've made me realize that your political ideas should be based on sound knowledge/reasoning. Thanks ....

Now that is interesting! It seems to me that upper-division students at a top-tiered public university would have already gotten instruction in "sound knowledge/reasoning"? Or maybe that's just a good reflection on the (non)quality of instruction at UCI, where the reputation's as one of the most radical campuses in the country.

The students signed the cards on the same morning that I showed "The Paper Chase" clip. I went around the entire room and asked each student their major and their plans for college and beyond — and I called on each by name to personally validate and humanize their participation and experience. Lots of students are majoring in psychology, and they laughed when I joked that I was now recruiting political scientists! But some took that discussion to heart. It made them think about what they were doing in the context of the career aspirations of the others. As one fellow wrote, on the left at middle-top:

Professor Douglas ... It's been an interesting summer session, and the discussion today has made me consider my immediate future a little more. Keep doing what you are doing.

Reading the card from the "girls" seemed almost like reading farewells in a high school yearbook at graduation! The comments had more of that kind of a feel, for example, at the ladies' card center-left:

Thank you for being a great teacher! You are one of the funniest teachers I've had a LBCC. I know I'm not the best student although I try as hard as I can but thank you for taking your summer to teach us!

And this one, second to the bottom at right:

Thank you for being a cool guy. I really appreciate teachers who take the time to emotionally reach out to students. Sorry I couldn't have been a better student! Anyways, thanks for the fun lectures! I'll miss them. Thanks and have a great summer.

Some of the other comments are readable at the picture above. Not all the students in class signed the cards, but 42 students took the final exam, which ended up being almost 100 percent retention (a key measure of classroom effectiveness from the administration's perspective, especially when the drop-out rated exceeds 50 percent for a lot of professors) .

In any case, I mostly wanted to share all this with readers.

It takes a long time to get truly comfortable in the classroom. Teaching is not a natural ability for a lot of people, and even for great teachers it takes a while to warm up the inner attributes that can enliven a classroom and change lives. Meanwhile, I don't push myself off as some kind of "Master Teacher" or "Expert Instructor." We have a few like that on my campus. Folks who dominate curriculum development and are fairly closed-minded on pedagogical inputs from others. I just do my thing. I teach it right down the middle. With the new textbook I'm making more of an explicit effort to counteract left-wing indoctrination on campus, but as you can see from the students' comments, the kids appreciate a balanced approach that focuses on sound argument and careful evidence.

I think this is also important in the context of blogging as well. I don't use the blog in class, although some of my idiot antagonists online love to launch attacks on AmPower as perverted and "creepy." For example, after eviscerating Scott Eric Kaufman the other day, the LGM lamebrain commented at the post (twice actually, since comments are moderated, and Insecure Little Scotty wanted to be sure he got his digs in):

You've got me there. My whole world view invalidated by a spelling error. No amount of having taught Dispatches can ever take back that typo ... on the internet, at least among children. Please, tell me how teaching critical thinking and persuasive writing through complex texts with students are familiar is necessarily a bad thing? I await your silence, since the last time you thought twice about pedagogy was when you decided which of the beautiful ladies in the second row would require the bulk of your creepy attention. For the rest of us, we aim to teach.

Scott proves correct my criticisms of him: He never once has acknowledged he's not that good with language, which is not good, since he's an English professor. So word to Scotty: Your use of "flack" wasn't a spelling error or a typo. You didn't know the differences. And you'd show some intellectual maturity by just admitting that you still have things to learn, even in what should be your field of expertise. And no, Scott, as you can see above, this isn't the "last time" I thought about pedagogy. A good professor thinks of it whenever she sets foot in the classroom. And my sense is that trolling the conservative 'sphere for snarky attack material against your ideological enemies is eminently more "creepy" than your allusion to "beautiful ladies."

Eyes Without a Face (Stylin' Replay Version)

I played this song over and over when I posted it the other night. So, while doodling around online I found that Billy Idol's playing the Pechanga Resort in Temecula on August 11th. Recall that I just took my family out that way a couple of weeks ago (to nearby Harrah's Rincon). A lot of these casinos have great concert venues. Well, checking with my wife it turns out that she's got complimentary room stays at the hotel, so we booked a room and scored tickets for Idol's concert — hence, here's a stylin' replay of "Eyes Without a Face." Billy Idol's homepage is here (with tour dates). Here's Pechanga's Billy Idol blurb. This YouTube's concert information is below:

In November 2009, a 70 minute version of this concert was released on DVD and Blu-Ray and is available via various stores online.

Billy Idol Live from the Congress Theater, Chicago on July 28, 2006. This program was originally aired as a two-hour show on the Voom RaveHD channel in 2007, and then rebroadcast as a one-hour program as part of the PBS Soundstage series in 2009.

Billy Idol - Vocals
Steve Stevens - Guitars
Derek Sherinian - Keyboards
Stephen McGrath - Bass, Vocals
Brian Tichy - Drums

One is the Loneliest Number

From Carolyn Tackett, "Help a Friend."

And previously, "The Recession Hits Stogie at Saberpoint." Stogie's blog is here.

Horrible Paris Rosen Front-Flip Crash at X-Games Motocross Event

Don't watch if you've got a soft stomach. It's much worse in slow-motion. Rosen lands head-first:

Mexican Drug Cartel Puts $1 Million Bounty on Sheriff Joe Arpaio

This is totally WTF territory.

Via MAinfo, "Juarez Cartel Offers 1 Million For Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Head":

Howard Zinn's 'The People Speak'

Well, perhaps I'll get some Google traffic today with another post on Howard Zinn's Marxist education project, "The People's Speak."

And don't miss all the earlier coverage at Michelle's, e.g., " “Social Justice” for grade-schoolers: The Howard Zinn Education Project." And previously, "FBI Releases 423 File on Communist Historian Howard Zinn."

RELATED: "FBI Files Reveal Historian Howard Zinn Lied to Hide CPUSA Membership."

Revving Up Weekend Rule 5

Mind Numbed Robot kicks off the weekend's Rule 5 festivities. And my friend Patrick at Political Byline runs a great blog, but I'm searching in vain for some beauties, LOL!

And as alway, look for some wonderful posting at MAinfo.

**********

And be sure to visit some of other friends of American Power:

* Another Black Conservative.

* Astute Bloggers (Honorary).

* Blazing Cat Fur.

* Bob Belvedere.

* Cold Fury.

* Classical Liberal.

* Daley Gator.

* Left Coast Rebel.

* Mind Numbed Robot.

* Not a Sheep.

* Paco Enterprises.

* Panhandle Perspective.

* Political Byline.

* POWIP.

* The Other McCain.

* Reaganite Republican (Honorary).

* Right Klik (Honorary).

* Saberpoint (Honorary).

* Serr8d (Honorary).

* Snooper's Report (Honorary).

* Stormbringer.

* Theo Spark.

* TrogloPundit.

* Washington Rebel.

* WyBlog.

BONUS: Don't forget Instapundit.

And drop your link in the comments to be added to the weekly roundups!

The Recession Hits Stogie at Saberpoint

It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job. It's a depression when you lose yours, or at least that's what they say. All I know is it's a heartbreak when your friends are losing their home. Stogie at Saberpoint's been a blog buddy of mine for roughly four years. A good guy and great patriot, facing financial hardship:

It's just a matter of weeks before I lose my home. I never, ever thought I'd be in such a predicament. This happened to other people, sure, but not to me. I am a college graduate and a CPA. Accountants were supposed to be immune from unemployment. Not any more. The fact that I am well past 50 doesn't help. Seniors and new grads are the hardest hit.

I am not feeling sorry for myself. I am pissed, but have entered a phase of my life where nothing surprises me anymore. If one could get jaded to bad news, political malfeasance and power-grabbing, I am about there. No outrage now seems to surprise me. The neo-Marxists now running the country are capable of the most outrageous usurpations of the Constitution, which in effect, is no longer the law of the land. It is merely a quaint old parchment kept under glass in the museum of history, for people to gawk at. The economy is being destroyed by fools, mostly Democrat fools, but with the assistance of RINO Republicans who haven't the sense or the gonads to resist.

Hit Stogie's tip jar if you're able.

FBI Releases 423 Files on Communist Historian Howard Zinn

Great reading at Robert Stacy McCain's: "FBI Files Reveal Historian Howard Zinn Lied to Hide CPUSA Membership."

It's lengthy so just go over there and read the post. Leftists are denying that the files prove Zinn was an active member of the Communist Party USA (pointing to Zinn's own denials). But McCain's sifting through the files carefully. Lots of clues, but this is especially noteworthy:

This might end up being big on Memeorandum today. And self-identified CPUSA member or not, Zinn's left-wing extremism has worked havoc on young minds for decades, and continues with the school indoctrination programs he left in place. See Michell's entry, "Hollywood & Howard Zinn’s Marxist Education Project."

DISCLOSURE: I attended a Howard Zinn lecture at Fresno State in the early '90s. My copy of A People's History is at the office.

Outlook Dims on (Obama) the Economy

At NYT (FWIW), "With Recovery Slowing, the Jobs Outlook Dims":

There is no more disputing it: the economic recovery in the United States has indeed slowed.

The nation’s economy has been growing for a year, with few new jobs to show for it. Now, with the government reporting a growth rate of just 2.4 percent in the second quarter and federal stimulus measures fading, the jobs outlook appears even more discouraging.

“Given how weak the labor market is, how long we’ve been without real growth, the rest of this year is probably still going to feel like a recession,” said Prajakta Bhide, a research analyst for the United States economy at Roubini Global Economics. “It’s still positive growth — rather than contraction — but it’s going to be very, very protracted.”

A Commerce Department report on Friday showed that economic growth slipped sharply in the latest quarter from a much brisker pace earlier, an annual rate of 5 percent at the end of 2009 and 3.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010. Consumer spending, however, was weaker than initially indicated earlier in the recovery.

Many economists are forecasting a further slowdown in the second half of the year, perhaps to an annual rate as low as 1.5 percent. That is largely because businesses have refilled the stockroom shelves that were whittled down during the financial crisis, and there will not be much need for additional orders.

Additionally, the fiscal stimulus measures that have propped up growth are expiring. Proposals for individual programs like another expansion of unemployment benefits have been beaten back each time they have come up in Congress.

“We need 2.5 percent growth just to keep the unemployment rate where it is,” said Christina Romer, chairwoman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers. “If you want to get it down quickly, you need substantially stronger growth than that. That’s what I’ve been saying for the last several quarters, and that’s why I’ve been hoping that we’ll please pass the jobs measures just sitting on the floor of Congress.”

The approaching midterm elections, however, may harden the political standoff after Congress returns from its August recess. As a result, pressure will probably increase on the Federal Reserve to use its available tools to prevent a double-dip recession. Recent reports from Fed policy makers suggest the central bank has become increasingly worried about where the economy is headed.

American businesses, if not American households, seem to be hanging on.

Image Credit: Blogmocracy.

Saturday FMJRA

Theo's fired up, that's for sure!

See also Blazing Cat Fur, "Veiled in secrecy: Religious observance or cultural apartheid?" Plus, Astute Bloggers, and Astute Bloggers, "A CORRUPTOCRATIC TWOFER: MAXINE WATERS TO GET CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS TRIAL, TOO - (ALONG WITH RANGEL)." And check Instapundit while you're at it!

Taliban to Hunt Down Informants Identified by WikiLeaks

At Telegraph UK, "Wikileaks Afghanistan: Taliban Hhunting Down Informants'":

The Taliban has issued a warning to Afghans whose names might appear on the leaked Afghanistan war logs as informers for the Nato-led coalition.

In an interview with Channel 4 News, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said they were studying and investigating the report, adding “If they are US spies, then we know how to punish them.”

The warning came as the US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen said that Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, may already have blood on his hands following the leak of 92,000 classified documents relating to the war in Afghanistan by his website.

Is White Privilege a Myth?

Terence Samuel, on Senator Jim Webb's call to abolish affirmative action, at The Root:

In last Friday's Wall Street Journal, Webb asserted that affirmative action programs, which he and most everyone else now refer to as ''diversity'' programs, have strayed from their original intent and today do more to hurt white Americans and harm the country than they do to redress past racial injustice.

''I have dedicated my political career to bringing fairness to America's economic system and to our work force, regardless of what people look like or where they may worship,'' Webb writes. ''Unfortunately, present-day diversity programs work against that notion, having expanded so far beyond their original purpose that they now favor anyone who does not happen to be white.''

The piece is headlined, ''Diversity and the Myth of White Privilege.'' The notion that white privilege is a myth will surely ignite a backlash among many black Americans, who will say that there is nothing mythical about the advantages that being white bestows in America. Alternately, Webb will be hailed as a hero and a truth-teller among those who see the racial landscape in America so vastly altered in the last 50 years that the idea that whites continue to have any inherent advantage based on race is at least outdated and, more likely, a perverse, intentional corruption of the truth. People will argue that white privilege is a social conceit intended to gain political and economic advantage -- the race card, in common parlance.

So here we are, almost 150 years after monumental disagreements about race led to the outbreak on the Civil War, confronting monumental disagreements about how to deal with the consequences of the last 150 years. Racial injustice has been at the core of the national debate for the entire life of the republic; it has been a blunt-force instrument used to destroy the lives and aspirations of a whole race of people over many generations and with lasting consequences. The remedies, when they've been sought, have never been elegant, largely because the blunt force of racial injustice and discrimination has never allowed for elegant solutions. From the Dred Scott decision to the present-day diversity programs, we have argued consistently about the role of race in the American life. Black people have almost always come out on the losing end of that debate. The length of the debate alone is evidence of how difficult progress has been.

RTWT.

I could write a long rebuttal, but nah. Folks already know pretty much where I stand (or, Jim Webb's right).