Sweet Papa Crimbo

I happened to love the interior of the TARDIS in the movie.  It was very cool, I love the Victorian/Steampunk aesthetics of it all.  As for the Master as a plasma snake with green eyes you have to remember the last time we saw the Master he looked like this:

 

But they weren't flourescent.

yeah that was complete BS.  It was trying to explain the Doctor to an audience who didn't know him.  Though I wonder what would have happened if it was successful and became a full tv show.  

And the deal with all the clocks in the Tardis...the Master as a plasma snake with green eyes...

Ever try to deal with 30 six-year-olds at the same time?

 

I think when you say, "For every teacher dedicated to their profession and proficient in their teaching field, there were two who were skating by," that is the textbook definition of "anecdotal." Not really sure how you can know something like this.

 

A big part of the decline for respect of the teaching profession is due to the sense of entitlement among students and their parents, not to mention the rise of parents being "advocates" when their precious Johnny or June is being a total asshole. It's great that you were able to get the help your child needed by pushing for it...but it's very possible that for every child like yours who really needs help from a GT program, there are two or three who are just spoiled little pricks whose parents think they can do no wrong...and guess what, those are the kids whose parents are actually calling the teacher, after hours, on their private home phone, to bitch about this or that. It must be so much fun trying to grade papers at 7:30 at night and being interrupted by strangers calling you at home to bitch at you. I know, because my mother used to go through this all the time, and that was after over 20 years in the field. It wasn't like that in the 70s, 80s or even 90s, but by 2000, the helicopter parents were running the show in education in my home town...bugging teachers, principals, hell, freaking janitors.

 

Believe me, thanks to the "self-esteem" movement - where there are only winners, no losers, and everybody gets a prize no matter how mediocre or outright bad their work is - we have an entire generation of people out there whose parents have protected them from the consequences of their behavior their entire lives. But they are ready to blame the teacher at the drop of a hat when little junior doesn't rise to the top of the class. You could not pay me enough money to be a teacher in today's environment...not because it's a thankless grind, but because of having to deal with all the idiots out there trying to tell you how to do your job.

I don't know whether you were simply using my story as the jumping off point for your screed, but I surely hope you aren't deeming to paint me as one of your offending parents. (I'm assuming you were simply looking for a point to jump in..we've never had any beef).

But when I have my son's first grade teacher tell me at his graduation "we got him through...I'm so glad you stuck to your guns", I can only wonder at what might have been and thank God I am done with the public school system. 

I'm all for paying teachers, but as Hixter cited for his school District in Texas, the pay ain't that bad here. I've got all kinds of opinions and theories about bloated levels of administration (no coach ever gets fired...they are made assistant superintendants) and misplaced priorities, but I can honestly say I am thankful that My kids made it through and have (thus far) excelled.

No, I meant , as in the Schutzstaffel. Not everything is about you, you know.

CLOSE THE THREAD...GODWIN'S LAW VIOLATION.

56 is too young.

One thing the entire Via Chicago family can agree on is a heartfelt expression of sorrow, sympathy and condolences.

It is really interesting the decline in respect for teachers.

I have a generally favorable view of teachers and the teaching profession that has survived somewhat intact although I have two kids who made it through the Public School system.

For every teacher dedicated to their profession and proficient in their teaching field, there were two who were skating by.

Anecdotally, I can say public schools are not doing their job unless your kids are in GT and AP programs.

My  son has a minor learning disability (mild dysgraphia and mild ADD). His First grade teacher was ready to totally write him off and he was beginning to exhibit behavior problems in class. My wife and I met extensively with the principal, counselors and a testing 'expert'. He was bored and getting more and more frustrated. I thank God that the GT teacher recognized what was going on and pushed the principal to but him into the GT program.

After he graduated with honors from High School and was accepted into the Engineering program at a major University, I wonder what would have happened to him if we simply listened to the 'expert educators'?

I'm not what I used to be.

There's a lot more of me than there used to be in sense, but there's a lot less of me in another.

Which is a shame because in the Big Finish Audio Dramas Paul McGann's Doctor is quite cool.  

And that crap about the Doctor being half human...dreck.

The Paul McGann Doctor Who movie is on BBC America tonight. I also saw a commercial for the new David Tennant show Broadchurch.

Only Fox could make a Doctor Who movie such an abomination. I bet Eric Roberts doesn't even put this on his vita.

I would not want to raise kids on a combined household income of $100,000, but it can certainly be done.  And I say this from the perspective of someone raised in a house with an income of $125,000 in a positively plush lifestyle.  Inflation really creeps up on you I guess.

 

To that end, $250,000 is not what it used to be, but if I had that income I would be choosier about who I complained to about my bills.

Heh...$100,000.

Really? I put one child through college, am putting another through college (without borrowing any money) and there is quite a bit of room between my income and your strained calculaitons.

The song "After The Gold Rush," for instance, reminds one of nothing so much as Mrs. Miller moaning and wheezing her way through "I'm A Lonely Little Petunia In An Onion Patch." Apparently no one bothered to tell Neil Young that he was singing a half octave above his highest acceptable range. At that point his pathos becomes an irritating bathos. I can't listen to it at all.

 

This really captures the snarky, cooler that thou and very often clueless wonder that Rolling stone was in the early years.

Now they simply rate everything at three stars other than releases from the favored ones.

Rolling Stone reprint their original damning review of After the Goldrush from 1970.  Wow.  Is it possible for a reviewer to be so wrong about everything?

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/after-the-gold-rush-19701015

It was really interesting...the reviewer apparently hated Deja Vu also.

I am locked in my basement... watching Austin City Limits right now - have heard of Wilco, but have not had the opportunity to see them play.  All i can say is...wow, excellent music; easy to tell these guys have played together for long time. so tight. And what is that music - country mixed with pink floyd lol...its awesome any way i slice it.

 

ACL and wilco remind me of why i have watched this show since i was a kid - excellent musicians playing great music. Is that drummer crazy or what??? fantastic skills and those lead vocals just so...original. Kind of restored my faith in contempory music - ya know?  does that sound weird? 

 

In any case, i completely enjoyed the concert, and a new fan is born.

 

Thanks to ACL...and a thank you Wilco - great original sounding music, played by excellent musicians.

You have a wonderful time ahead of you discovering the discography of this band.

I heard some girl did something that many consider to be immodest.

Apparently Jamie Foxx is owed an apology for those who got so pissed off at him about his Miley Cyrus comments a couple of years ago.

I haven't been here much recently, but I had to share with my Wilco family the heartbreaking news that I lost my beautiful son Christopher in a motorcyle accident Sunday night. He was on his way home from a concert in Saratoga where I had recently seen Wilco with Dylan.  My kids, like so many of  yours, were raised on an endless Wilco soundtrack, and VC brought wonderful people into my family's life.  We have created a benefit fund to help Chris' three beautiful children, including a new 8 week old baby.   If you're inclined to help or just leave good wishes, you can do so at http://fundly.com/the-chris-thomas-family-fund#home

 

He died on Jefftivus, just another weird Wilco coincidence in my life.

Oh my god.

I can only imagine the pain you are suffering.

My most sincere and heartfelt condolences.

Are you f'ing serious man?  Did you actually read what I posted or not?  I am guess not, considering I linked to that exact same speech in the post you quoted and discussed it.   If you are going to use my words in a quote please read it before you do so.   

 

Here is the problem with this board at times (and the internet as a whole), we all think posters think one way and never actually read what they post.  

 

We have become lazy and unfortunately that is too bad.  

Nah...I just wanted to watch you twist off (as one who twists off quite often, I enjoy it.)

So sue me. Call me a troll.

But discussing the politics of race, the race pimps and the holy crushers is really not going to lead to much rational discussion anyway.

I'm not even sure if this belongs in a music thread these days, but did ANYBODY watch this?

I did not mind the Red Wedding too much until they killed the Rob's Dire Wolf. That is unacceptable. UnFuckingAcceptable. Might be done with GoT after that. 

There's a lot of really good stuff coming up...If you haven't read the books, you will have a hell of a ride coming up

 

Maybe I should explain myself here.  So I don't get POWNED as Tweedling so skillfully pointed out .  

 

Hixter you said this:

 

 

which I assumed is how you felt PBO was putting himself in the middle of the case.  Which as you can clearly see it was a t press conference.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/23/obama-trayvon-martin_n_1375083.html

 

Since you referenced speech was after the verdict I am not sure how he injected himself in the case when it was actually over.  Also everything PBO has said on this issue has been relatively measured.  Now this case in OK is in its infancy as there has been no trial.  And if the trial gets the national attention that the Martin case does and the President stays silent you might have a point.   

 

Let me explain myself more on this issue and where I am coming from.  What the liberal community did with Martin case was terrible.  They used this young man's death and tried to push their agenda.  I don't think they cared about Martin's death.  They just wanted to point out what is wrong with race relations in this country.  

 

Now what the Right is doing with the OK case is even more terrible  They don't want to point out what is wrong with race relations they want to point out what is wrong the Liberals.  The Right just found a case that fit their narrative and exploit it.  

 

You seem to be so concerned with the political nature of what PBO, Jackson, Sharpton, et al did, but yet you seemingly refuse to acknowledge the political nature of what you and the right wing media is doing.  This is what I find so disingenuous.

 

No one really cares about these tragedies they are only using them to push an agenda.

 

This is probably another statement that you would prefer to ignore

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57403200-503544/obama-if-i-had-a-son-hed-look-like-trayvon/

...Farrar won round one. That was a long time ago.

 

This says it all.

It sucks getting old

Awakening

Wrong.

New Boots and Panties.

What is the meaning of life?

Love them. Such beautiful, simple arrangements.

If those songs had been released in 1970...those versions...

The overdubs and selection of material were horrible (in the original SELF PORTRAIT)...

I find it charming and more than a little cool when the band I am seeing doesn't look like a group of homeless winos. I remember seeing Dr. Dog when they opened for Wilco and wondered if they smelled as bad as they looked.