States Help Schools Hide Minority Scores

States Help Schools Hide Minority Scores - Yahoo! News (AP)

States are helping public schools escape potential penalties by skirting the No Child Left Behind law's requirement that students of all races must show annual academic progress.

With the federal government's permission, schools aren't counting the test scores of nearly 2 million students when they report progress by racial groups, an Associated Press computer analysis found.

Minorities — who historically haven't fared as well as whites in testing — make up the vast majority of students whose scores are being excluded, AP found. And the numbers have been rising.

What's with this? This is not right.

IMHO, all the students' scores should be treated as a whole, with no singling out in regard to any category.

Schwarzenegger backs steps to cut emissions

Schwarzenegger backs steps to cut emissions - Yahoo! News (Reuters)

Cool. Thank you, Arnold.

US says gas cost to hit record

US says gas cost to hit record - Yahoo! News (Reuters)

It really does appear to be time to get over our addiction to oil. (I actually do agree with Bush on this.)

This oil problem with its high prices is not going to go away. That's just plain reality.

Wonder if my next car should be a hybrid?

Maybe all the more reason not to get a second car - and get a bus pass instead?

I'm a strong believer in public transportation. Unfortunately SoCal does lag with this, but it is making an effort to catch up.

More walking would be good. All of us could use more exercise, after all.

Immigration rallies sweep US

Immigration rallies sweep US - Yahoo! News (Reuters)

I think the Christian Science Monitor was so right the other day when it wrote about the illegal immigration issue being so muddled with semantics.

"National Day of Action for Immigration Justice" the illegal immigrants and their supporters call today.

"Immigration Justice" more appropriately would be about those millions of immigrants who came here legally, played by the rules, obeyed our laws (what a concept!).

And, taking the word "Justice" - justice is about the law, fairness, what one rightfully deserves, what is just and merited, isn't it?

Again, illegal immigration has nothing to do with justice, and illegals demanding justice here in America, beyond basic human rights, of course, is out of line, actually unjust in itself. As illegals perhaps the justice they most deserve is being hauled back where they came from? (No, that's not a solution to the illegals problem. There are millions of illegals. It's not even practical.)

Again, as the daughter of an immigrant - a legal immigrant - I am truly offended by the demands and behavior of these illegal immigrant protesters.

Are there as many Mexican flags being flown today as in past demonstrations I'm wondering? Are protesters still wrapping themselves in the Mexican flag?

And, what message is that use of the Mexican flag sending?!

And yelling "Si se puede" - "Yes, we can." (roughly translated). Yes, they can what? No, they can't - who do they think they are?

Someone called the waving of the Mexican flag in the streets the equivalent of giving Americans the finger. Yeah, that's about right. Sure does makes us want to help out the illegals.

But, I digress. Remember, my ranting is not about immigrants - half my family was born in Sweden. I have nothing against immigrants, how can I? - including Mexican-American immigrants. (Piss me when they won't learn and speak English, though...) Immigrants are okay; it's illegal immigrants who are not.

Back to the beginning, so let's stick to using words according to their actual meaning, please. Such as what part of illegal is not being understood?

Walt Disney's Apartment

The Orange County Register - Walt's apt. tour

Something light and very California-y to get us through the wet and cold and the Mexican flags in the streets. Good old Walt...