uncommonly feeble and random thoughts

I posted a petition on Facebook. I urged others to sign it to oppose Betsy DeVos's nomination for secretary of education. I received blowback. It was not unexpected - I know people who still think highly of Sarah Palin. But this commenter blamed the Dems, and the unions, and took a shot at our dem governor Grandholm being a Canadian. And he mentioned the mayor of Detroit. And what did he blame them for? Detroit. Nothing specific. Just, "Detroit". I have to ask: what? This is typical of the toxicity of the political climate that's attached to the candidacy and election of Donald Trump. The pushback lacks specifics, uses a shotgun approach, and puts forth nothing in support of DeVos. For clarity's sake: The DeVos nomination is a serious threat to public education throughout the country. Her agenda is to fund private schools with public money. Betsy knows nothing  about education, and she's never been in a leadership position. Her nomination represent...

In reviewing the folder I have commemorating and chronicling the events of 1997 and '98, I came across this page from the OO Riders contract/agreement. My charges for the hotel accommodations in Greater D.C., per night, are handwritten in the lower right. Adjustment was made due to my being a single traveler:

As today's events unfold in Washington, D.C., I'm reminded of events from 20 years ago. Prelude As the school year was starting in August of 1997, as a school principal, I was privileged to meet with a mom who was considering enrolling her daughter in our building, Lewton Elementary, in Lansing, MI. She had heard "good things", she said, and was considering moving her daughter, Jessica, from the private Montessori school which she had attended since Kindergarten. We chatted about our program, and since school hadn't yet started I was able to introduce her to our two fourth grade teachers. We talked about Montessori, as of course I'd read the founder's works and knew the philosophy. We were able to connect a bit as principal and parent, and at a parent-to-parent level as well. That's when she shared they were "horse people", and that Jessica was an accomplished barrel racer, and that they were part of an equestrian group that rode in a l...

Which concept is key, for a nominee for Secretary of Education, under Trump? Consider whether a potential nominee should have a familiarity and/or understanding of the term, and/or its practice and/or its application. 1. Proficiency 2. Achievement 3. Emolument Feel free to share your IDEA. (I think that's the disabled thing, Betsy)

I got lost writing here about Betsy DeVos and the cataclysm about to befall public schools across the land. I got away from stuff I know. I tried to write about stuff I don't know. One of my cardinal rules of life: stay in your lane. So when I read this story, it sort of put it all together for me. My subset was impact on schools, and I suppose I have more to say about that, but the political landscape issues are huge, and that's the stuff that's out of my reach. Thank you Politico, and Zach Stanton, and everyone else who is writing about these issues. Let us learn. How Betsy DeVos used God and Amway to Take Over Michigan Politics The articles linked below are shorter and focus more on the nomination itself, and are from the New York Times: Betsy DeVos and God's Plan for Schools Trump's Pick for Education Could Face Unusually Stiff Resistance And another link to an anti-charter educator: https://www.bridgemi.com/guest-commentary/opinion-charter-s...

I often rant that who needs fiction, when fact tales are so... seemingly fictional. Another one of my favorite themes is, one person, or even a group of people, has or have a pretty hard time making significant change happen. Witness the attached story of birds, and towers. You can read the whole tale, but capsule, researchers found lots of dead songbirds at the bases of towers - you know, communications towers, like cell phone towers. They discovered that (are you ready for this) towers using intermittent (meaning, blinking) lights reduced the kill rate by 70%. Of course the lights are required for human navigation safety. And the part of the story that I wish to emphasize is that this research was done in Michigan, and began in 2003. "Work could begin," quoting the article, in 2017, to "reach out to tower owners and operators..." to, well, to start flashing. I'm stunned it takes so long. The current annual kill rate of migratory birds by towe...

I think I've mentioned Puck is sick. Not cancer, but PLE - protein-losing enteropathy. Long road to recovery. So, how is he as a pet these days? Wants attention... Who could possibly resist the muzzle-on-the-thigh trick? And what is it you want, little guy? You wanna go out? Huh? Outside? Ok, buddy!!! First gaze upon this object d' art, and consider what it might represent: Yes, it's the deck(s) out back. But look closely: do you see a pattern? What might that be? It's not, paw prints, right? Hmmm.... For all of you who guessed, "doodle tongue prints", you are correct! You may collect your backwoods critter identification and appreciation badges for your vests!! Please be aware, PETA and ASPCA members, he has a full water bowl indoors, dumped and filled twice daily. He also has a heated bowl outside, on the theory that maybe it's not the freshness but the temperature that's the allure for him. Apparently,...