Anathema
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Tuesday, December 12th, 2006
| Time |
Event |
| 2:49p |
they wouldn't be stressed if the teachers could actually teach Citing Stress, School Stops Publishing Honor RollNeedham High School has abandoned its long-standing practice of publishing the names of students who make the honor roll in the local newspaper.
Principal Paul Richards said a key reason for stopping the practice is its contribution to students' stress level in "this high-expectations-high-achievement culture."
Richards said publishing of the honor roll represented "an unhealthy focus on grades." He pointed out that there are a lot of other ways that students achieve, such as in clubs, musicals, concerts, athletics and community service. I understand that some kids may feel bummed by not making honor roll. However, I think his reasoning is off (and not just for my "damn stupid boost-self-esteem-at-all-costs culture" reaction). There are indeed a lot of other ways that students do well, and they involve everything he pointed out. However, some kids aren't joiners. They don't like joining clubs or never wanted to get into band, don't like sports and absolutely loathe some of the community service crap that gets pushed in high school. (I'm not saying that community service is in itself crap, but the limited choices I was presented with, along with some groups having "mandatory volunteer service" was no way to present service options to students.) And how do these kids succeed? Often through high grades. Through raw academic performance. There are awards for band members, various club activities, sports achievement, etc., and they're all valid. (They also look pretty damn hot on a college application even if the grades aren't stellar.) However, for kids whose only achievements can be measured through high grades, it's a little unfair to take away that achievement just because a principal decided that some kids' feelings matter more than some other kids. (For the record, I was in debate and drama and still made honor roll, although I made it a point of pride to rip up my invitation to Honor Society in class. Fuck their mandatory volunteer hours.) | | 3:08p |
*sporfle* 20 Lines That Could Have Dramatically Changed The Lord of the RingsElrond: “I’m sorry, we’re not authorized to perform any Elvish medicine on this wounded Hobbit of yours until we’ve seen proof of insurance. You’ll just have to take him somewhere else.”
Elrond: “The Council made a resolution suggesting we take the ring to Mordor and cast it back into Mount Doom, but looks like we’ve been filibustered by the Gondorian delegation. Guess the bill’s going back to committee. Frickin’ Democrats.” | | 3:27p |
"If the Holocaust was a myth, where is my sister?" Holocaust deniers' meeting spurs outrageVIENNA, Austria - A gathering of Holocaust deniers in
Iran touched off a firestorm of indignation Tuesday across Europe, where many countries have made it a crime to publicly disavow the Nazis' systematic extermination of 6 million Jews.
David Duke, an ex-Klan leader and former Louisiana state representative, was among those at the two-day conference. Although organizers touted it as a scholarly gathering, the meeting angered many in countries such as Austria, Germany and France, where it is illegal to deny aspects of the Nazi Holocaust.
But Soeren Espersen of the Danish People's Party, which staunchly defended the Muhammad cartoons, said people should have the right to speak their minds — even at a "hideous" conference like the one in Tehran.
"We believe in freedom of speech also for nut cases," he said.
Francois Nicoullaud, France's ambassador to Tehran from 2001-2005, saw the conference as another expression of Ahmadinejad's continuing efforts to get back to the basics of the Islamic revolution. ( full text ) | | 4:14p |
my eyes, they bleed
...
When writing dialog, it is best to at least create a new paragraph for every new speaker. Why is it so hard for some writers to hit the enter key after each spoken bit?
It's worse when it's decent writers doing it. | | 4:37p |
Iran president: Israel will be wiped outTEHRAN, Iran - Iran's hard-line president said Tuesday that Israel will one day be "wiped out" as the Soviet Union was, drawing applause from participants in a conference casting doubt on the Holocaust.
"The Holocaust is the device used as the pillar of Zionist imperialism, Zionist aggression, Zionist terror and Zionist murder," David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader and former state representative in Louisiana, told The Associated Press. These boys got a real one-track mind. | | 10:17p |
Uzumaki 7 is up. Working on chapter 8. Chapters 8 and 9 are also up. | | 10:55p |
???? Hearing tentative rumors that Spanish Radio has reported Castro dead. Nothing solid yet, though, and he's more tenacious than a dang cockroach. While we wait, dance, dead Castro, dance! |
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