Stay Involved, Stay Connected

After yesterday's meeting, it's important to continue demonstrating our unity to the district. Some simple ways to show your support are to...

1. Wear your 5/17 buttons to school and around town. People will ask, and will be interested--and probably pleasantly surprised--to hear your opinion.
2. Attend the School Board meeting, Monday, May 22 at Boston Harbor. Don't forget to bring that stack of papers to grade.
3. Enter and leave the building together on the 24th and 31st of May, both Wednesdays, at the beginning and end of the contract day.
4. Join the OEA Wellness Walk on Wednesday, May 24. (Don't bring your papers to this one.)
5. Hold building meetings or parties to share your ideas for displaying unity and letting the Board know your opinions.
6. Write a letter to the editor, or a positive comment on the Olympian's website whenever someone else does, or, heaven forbid, start your own blog. Take advantage of the new media!
   

quadrapalegic, Boston, monkey

If you'd spelled it right--"quadriplegic"--you would have been directed to the actual, useful website, Boston's Helping Hands.

Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled
is a national nonprofit serving quadriplegic and other people with severe spinal cord injuries or mobility-impairments by providing highly trained monkeys to assist with daily activities. As live-in companions, our monkey helpers provide 20-30 years of service, bringing the gifts of independence, companionship, dignity and hope to the people they help.

Which is pretty darn cool.

Oh, and whatever you do, do not, DO NOT watch "Monkey Shines."




[eighty-ninth in a series]

an offer we could refuse

After hashing out nearly every discrepancy between what the district wanted and the union demanded, only one sticking point remained: compensation.

The district offered an extra 14 hours of staff development. Teachers would have to attend special classes in order to get remuneration. The union said no, and offered a compromise: 6 hours of staff development, and 9 hours of "optional day" time, money for work already done outside of school. (Two hours per day for the average teacher.) A raise. A real raise.

The district wouldn't budge. After a brief meeting this afternoon, union members present unanimously voted "no" again.

On to mediation.

And that was how I spent my afternoon.

5/17 Meeting

5/17

Motion presented by Barb Hoonan, "That the OEA membership directs..."

maybe it's time for a sabbatical

Via Mark, who got it from this guy, we learn of a teacher suing a student for a mocking MySpace page, alleging "defamation of character."

Teacher Robert Muzzillo pursued the charges against Alex and another student after noticing a profile with his name attached on MySpace.com. The profile talks about Muzzillo liking Michael Jackson and having a “gay old time,” like the Fred Flintstone song.

Davis said he only wrote that Muzzillo lost an eye wrestling with alligators and midgets.

When the school found out that Davis was involved, he received three days in-school suspension. Then he learned the teacher had filed charges against him.

Why is Muzzillo (a veteran science teacher, by the way) up in arms? Tough to say, since the report doesn't quote him--and, according to another source, it's because he's keeping mum. He should be happy, though, to know he's someone's favorite teacher, and has a decent student rating. For now, at least.

my friend's friend is my enemy

Now Venezuela is threatening to send fighter jets to Iran.

Venezuela's military is considering selling its 21 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to another country, possibly Iran, in response to a U.S. ban on arms sales to President Hugo Chavez's government, an official said today.

Gen. Alberto Muller, a senior adviser to Chavez, told The Associated Press he had recommended to the defense minister that Venezuela consider selling the jets to another country.

Muller said he thought it was worthwhile to consider "the feasibility of a negotiation with Iran for the sale of those planes."

Dealing weapons to every non-communist regime on the planet is bound to come around and bite you in the ass every decade or so.

scrounging through the mailbag II

A reader writes,

To all who bear witness to this message, heed every word for it is the truth. The time has come for God's will to be done.....on earth as it is in heaven. Each and everyone's fate is sealed, with the mark of the beast or the seal of God (truth). And, from now until that very hour, everyone who calls on His name will be saved. This is the little scroll revealed, God's purpose revealed; and the delivery of the message gives birth to Christ ---> all the people seeking and demanding the truth and justice, everyone who has been delegated His power and authority. Now the time has come. There have been many tears for years knowing these things as the insight and knowledge was unfolded on us, for the many atrocities and crimes committed against God and His servants, and for those who sacrificed themselves who are being persecuted by those who claim to be the "Chosen Ones" and their beasts, their instruments, was also unfolded. Now it is our turn.....to pour out His wrath onto these impostors, these anti-Christs (anti-truth) and the beasts, through His power and authority He has delegated to His Christ. Christ is all the peoples who seek the truth (Lamb), testify to the truth, demand the truth, and judge in the name of the truth and righteousness (for what is right), those who have been delegated His power and authority.

If you can make sense of this, you're more erudite--or more insane--than I.

de facto parents are parents, too

Six months ago I called it a landmark ruling, as the Washington State Supreme Court recognized the rights of de facto parents who meet a rigorous set of legal criteria. (Being straight is not one of them.)

Now, after all this time, the nation's highest court refuses to comment, inaction that is a landmark of its own.

Judicial inactivism. What a beautiful thing.

Stratfor on illegal immigration

While I'm still investigating the trickle of responses (we'll see if it turns into a flood) to the GAO study of arrested illegal aliens' criminal activity, I should note a level-headed analysis by Fred Burton of Stratfor.

Beneath all of these politically charged issues, however, lies a more subtle danger posed by criminal aliens, one frequently overlooked or simply glossed over in the debates. It is a quiet threat; the risks to national security are quite small, but criminals mixing in with the tide of other legal and illegal migrants crossing the border can directly threaten the security of private American citizens and corporations in very real ways.

There is an important point to be made here: The vast majority of illegal aliens in the United States -- whether they cross the border in hopes of becoming American citizens or as temporary economic migrants -- are not violent criminals. They have powerful economic incentives to enter the country; many unskilled laborers can earn more in one hour working in the United States than they earn in an entire day in their home country. Moreover, the economies in many countries that contribute to the problem are partly or largely dependent on remittances from both legal and illegal aliens working in the United States -- so officials there have few incentives to help control document fraud or discourage emigration.

There are an estimated 12 million illegal aliens in the United States, most of whom view the country as a "land of opportunity." Among this multitude are a minority who perceive a land of criminal opportunity as well.

As is often said, read the whole thing.

today's spam poem

faint-gleaming dog belt milk-white
cloud drift quick-fading cuckoo owl
plain-soled woe-embroidered day-day
areca palm quiet-spoken cherry-colored
tar-burning air brick half-rueful
ever-prompt twice-roused frame molding
orange peeler gold-green ant cattle

things I would have blogged about this past weekend if life hadn't gotten in the way

I visited a casino for the first time. Unglamorous, cacophonous, oppressively smoky, and depressing, especially if you're sober and not gambling.

Going along with that, never try to reason with an inebriated penny-slot champion.

The Mariners just might be fun to watch again, now that the big guns have whipped out the pink power bats, and Lopez and Betancourt continue to surprise. Watch out, Texas!

I got sunburned in May. This bodes well for the summer.

Just when we've solved global warming, along comes an asteroid.

"Tethered" lunchtime? A little too "I'm a hyper-hypo" for my taste.

the first nativist responds

And, as predicted, uncritically, with saber-rattling to boot. "The findings are awfully telling." Except not in the way you might think.

Added: The second chimes in. "If they are sent back, who will commit the crimes?" he asks. Well, duh. These idiots will. (Don't worry, there are plenty more like them.)

And another, mentioning damning numbers. "YES to well-vetted, screened, qualified, desireable [sic] immigrants. NO to illegals." How about "NO to uncritical commentary" instead.

Another including a derogatory epithet.

Another with a double whammy: the bogus "95% of warrants" at no extra charge.

This time, uncritical passing-along by "The Lawman."

Why nuance when it's not deserved? I declare it thoughtless, no hesitation.

By and large the MSM hasn't picked up on the story, so far, perhaps because of liberal biases, or perhaps because the statistics are a non-starter. But not to this commentator.

What was staggering was that for the studied population of 55,322 incarcerated illegal immigrants, these numbers represented “about 8 arrests per illegal alien” and “about 13 offenses per illegal alien.”

Which really isn't all that staggering, especially when nearly all felons are under wraps for multiple offenses. Whatevah.

Innumeracy from The Other Side:

Hmmmm… and that’s only arrests: we all know the statistic that most criminals commit anywhere from four to eight crimes for each time they’re arrested. Taking six as the median, that means that the group of 55,332 illegal aliens committed about 4.2 million crimes. Somebody calculate what that costs the country—my little calculator hits the “.+E” wall with all those zeroes.

Even if six really is the median number of crimes per arrest, that would mean approximately 2.75 million crimes, a drop in the bucket'o'criminality.

And then there's Denise, who can't tell the difference between an arrested illegal immigrant and your everyday variety.

What does this tell you? It tells me they are definitely putting a strain on the economy, and that they’re not coming across the border merely to do the jobs that legal residents won’t do. Unless those legal residents were waiting to commit these crimes and got cheated out of the opportunity. And please note, there is no mention of what nationality these criminals hail from. That’s because it doesn’t matter. Don’t be fooled, people. This is not a race discrimination case. It’s a matter of national security.

And a matter of inexcusable ignorance.

Last, for now, let's not forget the aptly-named American Blowhole, which is so bad it might be parody.

Okay, not last, because there's Jim Kouri again, asking how you say "chutzpah" in Spanish. (It's cojones.)

And then there's McQ, who has the cojones to link to a NewsMax article claiming that 17% of the (federal--and this is unmentioned by McQ, but important) prison population are illegal immigrants--but doesn't have the cerebro to check the numbers for himself. A DOJ report from 2004 notes that "An estimated 8% of jail inmates were not U.S. citizens, unchanged from 1996."

GAO report on illegal immigration

Update, 11:04 a.m. Reflecting on this post, I saw an error in my reasoning, which I will correct momentarily. It may affect the results.

Update, 11:15 a.m. The math has been corrected. The results do not significantly change the conclusions.



We'll have to wait to see how the xenophobes respond to this one--since the statistics, this time, aren't bogus. A GAO study examines over 50,000 illegal aliens in the prison population at all levels (federal, state, and local), finding that, among other things,

* They were arrested at least a total of 459,614 times, averaging about 8 arrests per illegal alien. Nearly all had more than 1 arrest. Thirty-eight percent (about 21,000) had between 2 and 5 arrests, 32 percent (about 18,000) had between 6 and 10 arrests, and 26 percent (about 15,000) had 11 or more arrests. Most of the arrests occurred after 1990.

* They were arrested for a total of about 700,000 criminal offenses, averaging about 13 offenses per illegal alien. One arrest incident may include multiple offenses, a fact that explains why there are nearly one and half times more offenses than arrests.[Footnote 6] Almost all of these illegal aliens were arrested for more than 1 offense. Slightly more than half of the 55,322 illegal aliens had between 2 and 10 offenses. About 45 percent of all offenses were drug or immigration offenses. About 15 percent were property-related offenses such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and property damage. About 12 percent were for violent offenses such as murder, robbery, assault, and sex-related crimes. The balance was for such other offenses as traffic violations, including driving under the influence; fraud--including forgery and counterfeiting; weapons violations; and obstruction of justice.

The immediate problem with these statistics is the lack of context. Sure, imprisoned illegal immigrants have committed crimes, many of them--just like all other criminals. But are they more likely to offend? Overburdening the system? Incarcerated for worse crimes? Inquiring nativists want to know. (Others, I'm sure, are equally interested.)

A moment's investigation gives reason for caution. According to a 2004 Department of Justice report (with statistics as frequent as 2002), despite increasing numbers of permanent illegal aliens from Mexico--the unexpected result of tighter border security--the percentage of ethnic or racial minorities in prison stayed the same between 1996 and 2002.

Furthermore, compare percentages of crimes from the overall population to the subpopulation of illegal aliens, and see that they're skewed in favor of the aliens.

Most serious offense, 2002, all incarcerated:
Violent offenses: 25.4% [compared to 12% 15.1% of non-immigration offenses above]
Property offenses: 24.4% [compared to 15% 19% of non-immigration offenses above]
Drug offenses: 24.7 % [compared to 30.3% of non-immigration offenses above]
Public-order offenses: 24.9%

Take away the number of offenses related to illegal immigration--forgery, obstruction of justice (for flight), and the like--and the ratios skew even further a little closer to the expected rate--but remember that the overall numbers include illegal immigrants, which means they would be higher in nearly all cases if aliens were excepted.

In sum, illegal aliens as a whole are no more likely, and may even be less likely to commit violent offenses.

I'm sure criminal experts will have a much more detailed analysis soon. I'll try to post updates when they're available. I'll also keep track of the "95% of warrants" crowd, to see if they latch on to this study. I predict they will--and I predict they'll misinterpret the results.

Added (see above): I forgot to subtract immigration offenses (21%) from the first study total when comparing the rates of offenses. The percentages above are revised according to the correction. I'm no statistician, so if you see any other errors, please let me know.


[GAO link via Instapundit]

big news in the world of standards-based testing

A California jurist has declared that 47,000 California students can graduate this year without passing the state's exit exam. (Washington State, for my unfamiliar readers, has its own version, the WASL--and similar lawsuits may be in the works.)

Morrison & Foerster filed a suit in February on behalf of 10 students. The suit claimed that the test was unfair, particularly to English learners and poor students who were more likely to have unqualified teachers and supplies necessary to learn the material on the test.

The suit also asserts $20 million in state money aimed at tutoring for students who failed the test was unfairly distributed. According to the complaint, 166 districts with failing students received none of the money.

Judge Freedman called this argument the most significant.

"Plaintiffs are likely to prevail on their claim that the State's arbitrary distribution of the $20 million allocated for remediation purposes constitutes an additional violation of the equal protection clause."

This is just the beginning, I'm sure.

Calabasas, the City of Shining Air

The municipal government of Calabasas, California knows what's best for you.

As the nation's most draconian anti-smoking legislation [pdf] so aptly sums up,

NOW THEREFORE, it is the intent of the City Council in enacting this ordinance, to provide for the public health, safety, and welfare by discouraging the inherently dangerous behavior of tobacco use near non-tobacco users; by protecting children from exposure to smoking and tobacco; by reducing the potential for children to associate smoking and tobacco with a healthy lifestyle; by protecting the public from smoking and tobacco-related litter and pollution; and by affirming and promoting the family-friendly atmosphere of the City’s public places.

Good intentions? Maybe--if you discount the "stunt" angle. (See below.) Maddeningly, the ordinance allows "Private Enforcers" to step in and threaten litigation whenever some miscreant toker (or hapless out-of-towner) ignores signage and dares to drag. (Think Gomer Pyle shouting "Citizen's Arrest!")

And then there's the ordinance's poorly thought-out provision:

(b) No person, Employer, Business, or Nonprofit Entity shall allow the placement or maintenance of a receptacle for Smoking waste in an area under his, her, or its legal or de facto control in which smoking is prohibited by this chapter or other law.

So, if you trudge in from the rain, having finished your cigarette in the alley, since it's verboten near an entrance, and are about to throw the smoldering butt into an ashtray instead of just tossing it aside, which is also verboten.... Don't! 'Cause there isn't one, 'cause having one handy is against the law.

For the "stunt" angle, at least as parlayed in various letters to the editor, check out the new sign that proudly announces "CLEAN AIR CALABASAS: a smoke-free city.*" What's under the asterisk? Strain your eyes to read "smoking allowed in designated areas."

Cough, cough, sigh.

who knew?

Caped crusader / mathematician Jason Rosenhouse has found a new slot over at ScienceBlogs. But did you know that Jason Rosenhouse is PZ Myers' alter ego? (Click the picture for proof.)

Update: A cat? I smell coverup.

heaven on earth

Today's inspirational scripture is Romans 13:1-7:

But it is dominion we are after. Not just a voice.
It is dominion we are after. Not just influence.
It is dominion we are after. Not just equal time.
It is dominion we are after.
World conquest. That's what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish. We must win the world with the power of the Gospel. And we must never settle for anything less...

Wait, that's not what Romans 13 says, is it? Nope. It isn't. This is.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

But then, silly Apostle Paul thought the end was nigh, so what use would a government run by Christocrats be?

Friday English teacher link

Concept isn't a verb. Yet.

50 random questions people ask

1. Are we there yet?
2. Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?
3. Which way to the emergency exit?
4. Does this make me look fat?
5. Can God make a bathtub so big He can't bathe in it?
6. Parlez-vous Français?
7. Why hasn't my check arrived yet?
8. How many fingers am I holding up?
9. Where do bad folks go when they die?
10. Why do we park on driveways and drive on freeways?
11. Who shot Mr. Burns?
12. What time is it?
13. Can I go to the bathroom?
14. May I go to the bathroom?
15. Does this hurt?
16. Will you marry me?
17. Whose fault is that?
18. I know you are, but what am I?
19. What's for dinner?
20. Why did the chicken cross the road?
21. Are you almost done?
22. Could you point that the other way?
23. Mind if I play through?
24. Are you going to eat all of that?
25. Don't I know you from somewhere?
26. How do I convert degrees to radians?
27. Could you please pass the salt?
28. What's that scent you're wearing?
29. Which floor?
30. Paper or plastic?
31. Did Adam and Eve have navels?
32. Who are you?
33. Could you repeat that?
34. If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?
35. Why is water wet?
36. What are the seven wonders of the world?
37. Is it in you?
38. What are you looking at?
39. Gotta light?
40. What would Jesus do?
41. Where's Waldo?
42. If tin whistles are made out of tin, what do they make foghorns out of?
43. What's that smell?
44. Where's the beef?
45. Is tabletop fusion a pipe dream?
46. Are you listening to me?
47. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
48. Shaken or stirred?
49. Why is six afraid of seven?
50. What was the question?




[eighty-eighth in a series]

cosmic alignment

A student came in today asking for help. In two weeks he'll participate in a mock trial of Socrates, and has the tough job of playing the prosecuting attorney. (Socrates will be played by his professor, a Plato expert. Ouch.) I ran some questions past him, he outlined some strategy ideas. He left with more questions than when he came--so I suppose I fulfilled my Socratic mission.

My brother is a huge fan of Plato. He also is a Biola alum, and sometime defender of Intelligent Design.

What brings these thoughts together? A comment by Kansas Anarchist, who compares an upcoming Biola panel discussion called "Intelligent Design Under Fire" to Socrates' trial. Apologies, K.A., for reproducing in large part. It's just too precious.

If Socrates had run a debate like this, he would have told his friend Crito, "Hey, Crito, old buddy. I know you're very intent on my saving myself from the death sentence imposed on me. Look, why don't we hash it out here in my cell? I'll invite the jailer, a few of the jury members, and a couple of people who don't know much about the case like Kephalos the olive-vendor for balance. I'm going for a type of panel press conference feel rather than a debate, strictly speaking. You know, the kind of thing to stretch Plato's abilities--he's a good kid, getting stuck in a rut with all those dialogues."

"Um, Socrates, if you're filling up the panel with your jailers and people who won't be able to argue strongly one way or the other, then where do I fit in?"

"Oh, well, we'll take questions."

"Questions?"

"Yeah. I think giving you an opportunity to ask a question should allow you ample opportunity to put your case."

"A question? Am I to infer from the singular that I'm allowed to ask only one?"

"Yeah, that's how it is. After all, I wouldn't want to let you monopolize the question and answer period."

"Socrates, this is bullshit."

"Oh, come on now! If you really feel this strongly about saving my life, you should welcome any opportunity to make your case!"

[exit Crito shaking his head in dismay and fade out on Socrates looking smug]