Stand up and cheer, except at your own kid's high school graduation

So sad. Gotta read this load of crap.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/05/12068135-sc-mom-busted-at-kids-graduation-i-cheered-for-my-baby-and-i-got-the-cuffs?lite

Motherload of school news comes from this new blog

Check it out.  http://www.pa-sos.org/ 

I am going to put it on this blog's sidebar now. 

Fwd: Fw: Thanks for taking action. Can you help spread the word?

An email with footnotes.

Reposting it about democracy.

. . . . . Snip starts . . . .

Thanks for demanding an end to Florida's unlawful voter purge and calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate Governor Rick Scott and Secretary Ken Dentlzer. Now can you take a moment to ask your friends and family to do the same?
Below is a sample message you can copy and paste into a new email. Please only send it to people you know personally — spam only hurts our campaign.
 
Dear Friends,
An unprecedented attack on the right to vote is happening in Florida — a state George Bush "won" by just 573 votes in 2000.1
Florida Governor Rick Scott is trying to purge state voter rolls just before a key election2. Scott's purge will give 180,000 Floridians — 87% of whom are people of color — 30 days to prove their citizenship.3 Any person who does not provide proof will be dropped from the rolls and deemed ineligible to vote. If this reckless plan succeeds, thousands of eligible voters could be disenfranchised.4It could sway upcoming primary elections, and the presidential election.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to Florida Secretary of State Ken Dentzler demanding a halt to the purge.5Governor Scott just responded with blatant disregard for the order and explained Florida's plan to continue the purge.
The DOJ has already taken the first step to stop this purge, now they need to hear that we're behind them. Florida's county election officials, Governor, and Secretary of State need to know that we will use our collective power to fight and protect our voting rights, and our democracy.
Please join us in demanding that Florida officials stop this purge, and asking the DOJ to investigate Governor Scott and Secretary Dentzler for violating the law. It only takes a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/rickscott/

In April, Governor Scott began the purge by sending lists of over 2,600 suspected non-citizen voters to county election officials across the state. After reviewing the lists and Scott's method of compiling non-citizen names, several officials (mostly Republican) have refused to comply with the state sanctioned voter purge, citing the lists as unreliable and suspect.6

This unlawful move is painfully reminiscent of the voter purges in 2000 ordered by former governor Jeb Bush — where thousands of mostly Black and Latino voters were disenfranchised prior to a presidential election. That year, despite much controversy, George Bush's victory was decided by a mere 573 votes.7

Based on current ratios of Floridians falsely flagged as non-citizens, there may be more than 35,000 eligible voters disenfranchised by this proposed voter purge in a state where elections have been decided by far fewer votes.8

This is not the first time Florida has come under federal scrutiny for tampering with the voting process. Just last year, the U.S. Department of Justice challenged three changes to the state's election law as discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act.9 Florida's legislature is seeking to cut the early voting period in half, place prohibitive regulations on voter registration drives and increase the use of provisional ballots. These changes effectively disrupt the voting process at several stages, suppress the vote by shrinking the electorate, and disproportionately affect Black and Latino voters.

For years, Republicans have used every trick in the book to gain a political advantage and steal elections by preventing certain kinds of people — Black people, Latinos, students, the elderly, and the poor — from voting. Right-wing groups and public officials use a range of tactics to advance this agenda: passing discriminatory voter ID laws, manipulating the distribution of voting machines, restricting voter registration,10 and attacking groups that register large numbers of voters. As a way of justifying many of these policies, they have spread the myth that "voter fraud" (individuals voting illegally) is a widespread problem, when in fact it occurs almost never.11 Voter purges like the one we're seeing in Florida are a very powerful form of voter suppression.
Governor Scott is waging a full assault on an essential component of any democracy — the right to vote. If the DOJ doesn't take further action to stop Governor Rick Scott's voter purge, thousands of citizens could become ineligible to vote. Please join us, and our partners at Florida New Majority, in this effort to end state sanctioned voter suppression. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/rickscott/
Thanks and Peace,
-- Rashad, Gabriel, Dani, Matt, Natasha, Kim, Aimée, Charlene, Arisha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team

June 9th, 2012

References
1. "Florida weighs warning against voter purge," Reuters, 6-2-12
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/02/us-usa-voting-florida-idUSBRE85011W20120602
2. "Florida Continuing to Protecting Citizen Voting Rights, Miami Herald," 6-6-12
http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2012/06/06/18/40/7E4PS.So.56.pdf
3. "Florida voter-suppression campaign means WWII vet has to prove he is American or lose his vote," BoingBoing, 6-1-12
http://boingboing.net/2012/06/01/florida-voter-suppression-camp.html
4. "Florida Gov. Scott appears ready to fight DOJ on voter rolls purge," Miami Herald, 6-6-12
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/06/v-print/2835357/florida-gov-scott-appears-ready.html
5. "TPM Docs- DOJ Demands Florida Stop Voter Purge, ThinkProgress," downloaded 6-6-12
http://www.scribd.com/doc/95500652/TPM-Docs-DOJ-Demands-Florida-Stop-Voter-Purge
6. "Florida Election Officials Refuse to Use Rick Scotts Inaccurate List to Purge Voters," ThinkProgress, 6-1-12
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/06/01/493206/florida-elections-officials-refuse-purge-voters-inaccurate-lists/
7. See reference 1
8. "Florida voter purge to intensify," The Rachel Maddow Blog, MSNBC.com, 5-31-12
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/news/2012/05/31/11987875-florida-voter-purge-to-intensify?lite.
9. "Shameless: Florida's Tea Party Governor Trying to Strip Voting Rights from Thousands," AlterNet, 5-31-12
http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/155676/shameless%3A_florida's_tea_party_governor_trying_to_strip_voting_rights_from_thousands/.
10."Voter registration groups sue over new Florida election law," Tampa Bay Times, 12-16-12
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/voter-registration-groups-sue-over-new-florida-election-law/1206508 "The Myth of Voter Fraud," Washington Post, 3-29-07
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/the_myth_of_voter_fraud/
11."The Myth of Voter Fraud," Washington Post, 3-29-07
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/the_myth_of_voter_fraud
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
 
 
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. "
Franklin D. Roosevelt


--
--
Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com    
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim and Water Polo Camp Head Coach with Neighborhood Learning Alliance

http://NeighborhoodLearning.org

http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell

Groupthink at school

The trouble with 'Groupthink' in school reform from The Answer Sheet at the Washington Post This reminds me of a phenomenon called "Groupthink." What we are experiencing in education is actually a virulent and coercive strain of Groupthink, and it is harming our students. The value of test data has been inflated way beyond its true worth, in a manner similar to real estate prices during the bubble of the past decade. Once this bubble is launched, many people begin to depend on it for their livelihoods.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-trouble-with-groupthink-in-school-reform/2012/06/08/gJQAywg6OV_blog.html#pagebreak

PR video for Neighborhood Learning Alliance about waterpolo with me, Coach Mark

Let's all go swimming on Thursday, after school is out!

We’re going for a Guinness World Record!

Thelma Lovette YMCA is a host site for…

…and YOU’RE INVITED!

Pre-register NOW for this unique event to be a part of history and receive a FREE swimming lesson!

June 14^th, 2012Check-in: 10-10:30am
Lesson begins promptly at 11 am(must be present for the entire lesson to be included in the attempt)

You will receive an official certificate showing your participation in the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson happening around the entire world!

REGISTER TODAY!

Worlds Largest Swim Lesson, world record. Happens Thursday at Hill District's YMCA. Kids and teachers are invited.

I will try to be there. What about you?

Rivers Casino wants what?

Got an email from Rose that read in part:

So, the what of the Rivers Casino's tax assessment appeal for years 2009-2013 - an appeal that if they win will force the Pittsburgh School District to write a check to the Casino for somewhere in the ballpark of $5 million dollars!

So much for the new Casino benefiting our communities! I would like to have as many community groups as possible sign an open letter to the Casino (that we could hopefully get printed in the paper) to tell them to stop their appeals. This is mostly to shame the Casino - whose owner, Neil Bluhm, is on the record in New York telling investors about the hundreds of millions of dollars they are making at the Rivers just weeks before he testified in Allegheny County tax court that "in 20/20 hindsight he never would've made the investment here" because they've lost so much on their investment(!) - and to scare other major real estate holders and corporations from taking on the same sort of appeals and deprive our schools of even more desperately needed funds. I'll be reaching out by phone about this soon, starting with those of you directly involved with education focused groups, but please, if this interests you, reach out to me now and we can figure out how best to work together on it.

Pitt has Big East flap pulled from Allegheny County to Federal Courts

See the court papers from Pitt about the case.  http://aforathlete.wikia.com/wiki/File:BIG_EAST_COMPLAINT.pdf

Plan A is still Ron Paul pulling off a Tampa miracle. Plan B is Gary Johnson.

Now that's Drama! Pittsburgh High School kids got a taste of bigots in the Culture District

Link to a story in the school newspaper about the CLO treatment of a high school theater group at the awards night.

http://www.obamaeagle.org/top-stories/2012/06/05/obama-drama-voices-protest-over-gene-kelly-awards/

I'm proud that the school newspaper did such an article.

Tweet it!

Update:

A friend posted speculation that this will all be worked out and that the article will be taken down from the website. My reply is different. I said, "No way will the article be taken down from the school paper. That would be more of an outrage than the crap the kids experienced in the Cultural District that day.

Schools are getting an "F" in this graphic.

I didn't create it, just re-posting it. Food for thought. Chew as you wish, mouth open or closed is fine.


Via: OnlineEducation.net

Graduation speech for the kids from Glenbrook Evening High School

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight
you, then you win."

Last night I was invited to deliver the Commencement Address to
the Graduating class of 2012 at my high school.

Consider this a great milestone for our efforts to restore America.

Why?

For years we have fought to make our message part of the American
Dialog using every format we can think of... Websites, films,
news shows, flyers, street actions, elections and more...

Despite the attacks from the establishment against our message the
fact that I was given the podium and able to address the young
graduates is a major victory.

We recorded it for you to see and share. I hope it inspires.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W8Zg_-oDbI


Forever Vigilant for Liberty,

Gary Franchi
RTR National Director

FUD kills nations too

From another source on a web thread:

The concept of "Romney Supporters" is an Oxymoron. So refer to them instead as the (GOP) "establishment".

The establishment's biggest weakness (problem) is that they embrace the culture of FEAR.

Fear is at the root of our country's problems. These fears have been created, nurtured, expanded, and embedded into our very culture by TPTB for the purpose of manipulating the people into surrendering to tyranny and the NWO. (death of Liberty)

Based on my experience, I think they KNOW that our country is screwed, but because they have such great FEAR they fail to take any action - including mentally recognizing the problems, and therefore doing anything about them - (we would call them "asleep" vs. those with less / no fear are "awake").

Now, because they are driven by their fears, it is much easier for them to "accept" the falsehoods of TPTB and actually embrace evil than it is to "man up" and do what is right. They SUBMIT to SLAVERY because they are COWARDS.

FUD = Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

Israel and apartheid

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Julian P Heicklen" <jph13@psu.edu>
Date: Jun 1, 2012 9:35 PM
Subject: Israel and apartheid
To: "Julian Heicklen" <jPH13@psu.edu>

Hi Tyranny Fighters

I have received e-mails, seen Facebook postings, and videos, where Israel is called an apartheid state.

This e-mail is to clarify this situation.

The world is an apartheid world.  It is sending all of its Jews to live in the ghetto called Israel.

Anti-semitism has grown rapidly since 2000 all around the world.  Jews are fleeing their native countries.

A significant factor driving this is the emigration of Muslims into many world countries, particularly in Europe.

The Muslims are the world's leading zionists, driving Jews into Israel.

As far as I know, there are only 2 countries in the world where the Jewish population is growing.

These countries are Israel and Germany.

Since the second world war, the Jewish population in Germany has grown from zero to about 100,000, mostly emigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Over the same period, the Jewish population in Israel has grown from about 100,000 to over 6 million.

In all of the rest of the world Jews have been sufficiently badly treated that they left their home countries.

All of Africa, except South Africa and maybe Morocco is cleared of Jews.

All of Asia, except for Iran, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and parts of India have been cleared of Jews.

Vast emigrations now are taking place from Western Europe.

Emigrations are increasing from North America.  In Jerusalem, I live in an area of almost total North American Jews.

Please be careful when you use the word apartheid in reference to Israel.  Israel is the ghetto.  The rest of the world is apartheid.

Yours in freedom and justice—Julian

Teachers teach

Bram is diving into education at his blog. He is way out of his comfort zone, and that's okay from time to time.

I posted this at his blog.

---

Here is the deal. Bad teachers should be fired. That needs to happen throughout time.

Good teachers in the wrong settings, perhaps, should be moved to different settings once or twice. But, PPS can't be keeping bad teachers.

There are very few bad teachers, but they are exist.

Furthermore, if we did fire bad teachers, then it would be easy to decide who needs to stay and who needs to go based upon years on the job.

Because some bad teachers have stayed too long, because of failures of middle and upper management, and because of a lack of peer review among teachers, we are in a mess.

Yes, teachers need to watch out for other teachers, helping and otherwise.

I wish there was more peer review and more peer pressure.

First, gang up on the teacher (among other teachers, staff and administration and even trusted parents) so that the challenges are overcome to make sure that the students are getting good opportunities, making progress and successes are delivered.

But by the end of the year, the staff needs to realize that the hand holding can't be forever.

Sadly, when a teacher is floundering, they don't get the help. And in due time, they don't get the next assignment nor the boot.

Bad teachers that linger are hurting public education, PPS and the Teachers Union. IMNH, good and great teachers have to carry some (say 5%) of the blame. The principals get the lion's share of the blame. Central Admin gets some too.

Great teachers know what's going on in their buildings.

Ask how much impact in all the rubics outlined in the blog posting are with peer review?

Heading to Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday

These students get to go to Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday at 10 am to get a Proclamation. Erik Rauterkus (far right) is the Pennsylvania Youth Governor this year.

Flashback: Four years ago, we were getting set for the Olympics in Beijing

We love the Olympics. In 2008, we went to Beijing. Here is a little slide show from then.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByN94c3Pp4BpYTYyYTMzMWUtZmM1My00NjIwLWE1YWEtYWY3YTMwZmE5OTdk

John Carlos in the UK, before the London Olympics

My life is not about winning medals. My life is about being a freedom fighter.

It is not about "black vs. white." That is what they want us to believe. It is about "right vs. wrong."

Olympic Project for Human Rights.

I am not afraid to offend my oppressor.

Grant jumps from NA Tigers to Princeton Tigers to get ready for possible JO tournament in California in August

Screen shot.

USA_Waterpolo_Transfer_Grant_May_2012.bmp

So, this summer Grant might play water polo at the JOs in northern California with a team from Princeton. The deadline for switching one's club status is tomorrow. Grant moved from being a NA Tiger to a Princeton Tiger.

This happens all the time. The NA program is going to field teams in other age groups, but not 14-under boys.