Four-day school week?

Reading the local Fox station's rss and see that there is a growing call for a 4-day school week to address budget gaps. In my opinion, this is actually the very wrong thing to cut to address budget woes. As it stands (according to this story in the Boston Examiner "Eight graders from the United States rank below students in many Asian countries when it comes to Science and Math, according to The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study."

Do we really want to make budget decisions that could dramatically impact the future of US children? Aren't there other things to cut (I can probably find some "diversity initiatives" to remove)? This is a bad decision.

Ok - some of you are saying, the school days will be longer. But what is the impact to sporting programs that are played after school? Here locally, there is a 1/2 day every week that the entire school is dismissed early. If the teachers are paid for a full day's work, why not (at a minimum) use that day for a full day of instruction?

Here is the link to the story - Four-day school week?

Iraqi leader willing to ask some U.S. troops to stay - CNN.com

Ok - I called this a way before the election.

We (the US) are there for the long haul and the American People, Congress and President should realize that.

Iraqi leader willing to ask some U.S. troops to stay - CNN.com

Falmouth boy, 7, faces assault and battery charge | Greggorey Ball-Roemer |

I am divided on this - Assault and Battery for a 7 yr old?

Falmouth boy, 7, faces assault and battery charge | Greggorey Ball-Roemer |

City’s police sharpen their watch on crime - The Boston Globe

Interesting take on Boston's new crime fighting initiative. Would like to hear a follow up story and the crimes that were prevented..

City’s police sharpen their watch on crime - The Boston Globe: "As part of a new crime-fighting initiative unveiled yesterday, Boston police now have the ability to witness shootings, robberies, and even homicides on many city streets from computer screens at headquarters and then distribute crucial information about the suspects and the crimes to officers heading to the scene.

What is BlogThis! ? - Blogger Help

Not sure if I had found this before but this is a great feature to have on your browser.

What is BlogThis! ? - Blogger Help

Classic horror movies

Not very holiday like - it is a week for classic horror films - first we had Rosemary's Baby on Tuesday and tonight it is The Shining - creepy

I will have to balance it off with Frosty or Rudolph this weekend.

TV and the Soft Eshoo Bill (Brent Bozell III)

I was reading Yahoo Opinion and saw this op ed from Brent Bozell. He writes about the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM) which was passed Tuesday on a voice vote that urged that TV commercials be no louder than the shows in which they appear.

I remember my dad always asking if the commercials were louder than the original show and I guess they were!! Not that I think this is a pressing need for Congress (the subject of the Op Ed) but I think there is a niche market here for someone to develop some sort of utility that lessens the ads. I don't need Billy Mays screaming at me.

Bozell's column is linked below - a good read.

TV and the Soft Eshoo Bill
(Brent Bozell III): "Brent Bozell III - Lest any citizen think the U.S. Congress is absorbed only in the weightiest matters like nationalizing the health care system, the House just passed another piece of legislation — a bill urging that TV commercials be no louder than the shows in which they appear."