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[ides1056]

Opinion | The Bearable Whiteness of ‘Little Women’ - The New York Times

[guido]

Opinion | The Bearable Whiteness of ‘Little Women’ - The New York Times

I really liked the movie. Direction, writing, acting are all first rate. While it is a fine snapshot of family life, and a great portrait of of young artists, I loved it's celebration of the simple compassion and charity that the March's lived. That it is being knocked on assumption that art needs to represent all possible universes of experience is quite silly. Bravo to Kaitlyn Greenidge for pointing out the film's universal truths...

[marley]

This basic shit has and will not help with the divide of this country.....Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. - The New York Times

[guido]

Or our standing in the success of educating our kids...

PISA 215 Worldwide Ranking - average score of math, science and reading - FactsMaps

[mzilliox]

This basic shit has and will not help with the divide of this country.....Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. - The New York Times

this is sort of scary right? i mean i dont do the kid thing, but if i did do the kid thing, this sort of crap would scare me.

[marley]

this is sort of scary right? i mean i dont do the kid thing, but if i did do the kid thing, this sort of crap would scare me.

It is really scary...I do the the kid thing and will keep their basic education in the Northeast. I have a good friend who was raised in Alabama during the 70s/80s and was taught about the War of Northern Aggression.

[Scott G.]

This basic shit has and will not help with the divide of this country.....Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. - The New York Times

History textbooks exist to make you figure where the public library is, I felt sorry for the people who had to write that pablum.
Dad had a book club member ship, so William Shirer, Bruce Catton, Will & Ariel Durant were my first history teachers.

[bcm119]

What every American should know about US foreign aid

"Opinion polls consistently report that Americans believe foreign aid comprises around 25% of the federal budget. When asked how much it should be, they say about 10%. In fact, at $39.2 billion for fiscal year 2019, foreign aid is less than 1% of the federal budget."

[mzilliox]

History textbooks exist to make you figure where the public library is, I felt sorry for the people who had to write that pablum.
Dad had a book club member ship, so William Shirer, Bruce Catton, Will & Ariel Durant were my first history teachers.

your dad did good by you. really good stuff.

but, Perspective: for some kids, a lot of them, public school is the closest thing to a dad they have, and the only place reading books to them. and ask a kid in school right now what a library is...

[marley]

No doubt and also History is typically the first time most kids will have a male teacher - thank you Mr. Kotter

-signed

Juan Epstein's Mother

[guido]

Which of these 2020 Democrats agrees with you most? | Washington Post

[theflashunc]

Elizabeth Warren and the Futility of Talking About Sexism

[ides1056]

I will listen to Rush now.

Beautifully said.

Opinion | Neil Peart, Beyond the Gilded Cage - The New York Times

[guido]

More than 100 billion pain pills saturated the nation over nine years | Washington Post

"The new data further confirms the states that were flooded with the most opioids per person: West Virginia with 66.8 pills per person per year, Kentucky with 63.6, South Carolina with 60.9 and Tennessee with 59. West Virginia also had the highest prescription opioid death rate during the nine-year period."

[mzilliox]

More than 100 billion pain pills saturated the nation over nine years | Washington Post

"The new data further confirms the states that were flooded with the most opioids per person: West Virginia with 66.8 pills per person per year, Kentucky with 63.6, South Carolina with 60.9 and Tennessee with 59. West Virginia also had the highest prescription opioid death rate during the nine-year period."

great... again

[bcm119]

More than 100 billion pain pills saturated the nation over nine years | Washington Post

"The new data further confirms the states that were flooded with the most opioids per person: West Virginia with 66.8 pills per person per year, Kentucky with 63.6, South Carolina with 60.9 and Tennessee with 59. West Virginia also had the highest prescription opioid death rate during the nine-year period."

The reddest states are a real disaster. I won't speculate on causation, but it's no wonder right-wing news tries to keep the focus on the homeless population in California.

[Dallas Tex]

The reddest states are a real disaster. I won't speculate on causation, but it's no wonder right-wing news tries to keep the focus on the homeless population in California.

I’ll wager a guess. 8 years of hopelessness under Obama. Make that 16 years under Obama/Bush.

And while you’re pointing a finger and describing places as a ‘real disaster’ under this one metric take a look at the utter nuclear-holocaust level oblivion of what used to be beautiful urban cities that are mostly run by blue administrations.

[bcm119]

I’ll wager a guess. 8 years of hopelessness under Obama. Make that 16 years under Obama/Bush.

And while you’re pointing a finger and describing places as a ‘real disaster’ under this one metric take a look at the utter nuclear-holocaust level oblivion of what used to be beautiful urban cities that are mostly run by blue administrations.

There was no finger pointing. There was an observation about right wing media strategy.

Like I said, I don't want to speculate on causation of the decline of rural areas, there are simply too many moving parts and each of us can easily cherry pick statistics to fit our world view.

As for the large cities, I think the causes of blight are simpler: economic activity has concentrated in large urban areas and the new economy leaves a lot of folks behind. It's inequity. I live in the american capital of inequity, the SF bay area. There are 3 factors causing incredible inequity here: extremely hot tech economy paying high wages, geographic (and to a lesser degree governmental) constrictions on housing, and CA prop 13, which locks your home's assessed value for property tax at the price you bought your home for (ie I got mine and screw everyone else).

The problems of urban areas are a reflection of the changing geographic distribution of economic activity, which is largely unrelated to local politics as far as R vs D.

[AngryScientist]

but, Perspective: for some kids, a lot of them, public school is the closest thing to a dad they have, and the only place reading books to them. and ask a kid in school right now what a library is...

Matt,

You and I generally agree on most topics, cycling related and not. Just as constructive criticism, I think at times you have an overly pessimistic view of American society. I have two kids in school right now, kindergarten and 2nd grade. They both (along with our little guy) have their own library cards and go to the public library in our town about once a week, so they would be able to confidently tell you what a library is.

I want to note that they are in public school, got their library cards as part of a school program, and have one of their "specials" as library once/week, where they go to the school library and pick books and learn about library and reading stuff. We do not live in a rich neighborhood and obviously everyone is getting the same treatment, so it's not a matter of privilege or anything.

believe me, i'm well aware of all the shortcomings of the US education system and the imminent problems we will be facing in the future, but it's not all doom and gloom either. :)

[mzilliox]

Matt,

You and I generally agree on most topics, cycling related and not. Just as constructive criticism, I think at times you have an overly pessimistic view of American society. I have two kids in school right now, kindergarten and 2nd grade. They both (along with our little guy) have their own library cards and go to the public library in our town about once a week, so they would be able to confidently tell you what a library is.

I want to note that they are in public school, got their library cards as part of a school program, and have one of their "specials" as library once/week, where they go to the school library and pick books and learn about library and reading stuff. We do not live in a rich neighborhood and obviously everyone is getting the same treatment, so it's not a matter of privilege or anything.

believe me, i'm well aware of all the shortcomings of the US education system and the imminent problems we will be facing in the future, but it's not all doom and gloom either. :)

totally agreed, i dont mean to say that its because of schools kids dont know about libraries, more because of technology. I had a kid age 12 laugh at me recently when i asked if they ever go to the library. I think its awesome when kids still go to the library. I also think lots of schools are much better than people give them credit for, im not dumping on schools at all, In fact my point here was to remind people that for some kids, when they leave school, education stops.

My best friend takes his kids there all the time, and we have a great library here in town. sorry, thats not quite what i meant here. But yes, i have been in a particularly down mood lately, ill take note, and thanks for the check. appreciated.