News of the Weird / Pro Edition, Part II (October 5, 2010)
News of the Weird/Pro Edition
You're Still Not Cynical Enough
Prime Cuts of Underreported News from Last Week, Hand-Picked and Lightly Seasoned by Chuck Shepherd
October 5, 2010
(datelines September 25-October 2) (links correct as of October 4)
Weird 2.0
"To see what is in front of one's nose requires a constant struggle"—George Orwell
"That's close enough for government work"—unknown
"Nero Fiddles While Rome Burns"—Rome Daily Inquirer, 7-18-64A.D.
You say you want to keep costs down but you also wouldn't mind it if Medicare spent $93,000 on a designer drug that would keep you (a cancer patient) alive for four more months? Associated Press via Google News
"f 25 percent were slashed from arts funding," said British artist Mark Wallinger, "the loss would be immeasurable." [Well, literally true, but the benefit to UK society of any particular arts budget is equally "immeasurable."] Wallinger's taken to re-creating a famous work but with "25%" of it defaced. BBC News
The federal No Child Left Behind program requires progress in each school. The problem now in Massachusetts is that some of the schools already graded out at 98 or 99, and it's almost impossible to improve on that. Consequently: No progress, and they're on the caca list! Boston Globe
For everyone sick of taxes, look at it this way. If your income was $34,000, and you paid $5,400 in federal tax, you paid, for example, $11.20 for the FBI, $192 for the military payroll, $28 for NASA, and so forth. No, taxes don't come a la carte, but maybe this project of the Third Way think tank will enrich the discourse. NPR
In America, we complain about the banks, but in Westbourne, England . . action! Fed up that Barclays (and other banks) resolutely failed to come through in any of his attempts to borrow money, Cameron Hope and some pals bricked up the front door of a Barclays branch. Since no money is getting out, no customers should get in. Daily Mail
Busted! Atheists rudely outscored people of faith on a knowledge test of rudimentary religion. However, people of faith continue to have faith that there are more important things to know than facts about religion. New York Times
A couple hundred FBI agents are being investigated for cheating on a mandatory test on national security and foreign intelligence procedures. Open book? Yes, that was OK. During-test consulting with colleagues? Not OK. Instructors teaching students only the exact test questions and answers? Not OK. (Bonus: Fidelity. Bravery.Integrity Irresponsibility.) TPM Muckraker
You're Still Not Cynical Enough
Prime Cuts of Underreported News from Last Week, Hand-Picked and Lightly Seasoned by Chuck Shepherd
October 5, 2010
(datelines September 25-October 2) (links correct as of October 4)
Weird 2.0
"To see what is in front of one's nose requires a constant struggle"—George Orwell
"That's close enough for government work"—unknown
"Nero Fiddles While Rome Burns"—Rome Daily Inquirer, 7-18-64A.D.
You say you want to keep costs down but you also wouldn't mind it if Medicare spent $93,000 on a designer drug that would keep you (a cancer patient) alive for four more months? Associated Press via Google News
"f 25 percent were slashed from arts funding," said British artist Mark Wallinger, "the loss would be immeasurable." [Well, literally true, but the benefit to UK society of any particular arts budget is equally "immeasurable."] Wallinger's taken to re-creating a famous work but with "25%" of it defaced. BBC News
The federal No Child Left Behind program requires progress in each school. The problem now in Massachusetts is that some of the schools already graded out at 98 or 99, and it's almost impossible to improve on that. Consequently: No progress, and they're on the caca list! Boston Globe
For everyone sick of taxes, look at it this way. If your income was $34,000, and you paid $5,400 in federal tax, you paid, for example, $11.20 for the FBI, $192 for the military payroll, $28 for NASA, and so forth. No, taxes don't come a la carte, but maybe this project of the Third Way think tank will enrich the discourse. NPR
In America, we complain about the banks, but in Westbourne, England . . action! Fed up that Barclays (and other banks) resolutely failed to come through in any of his attempts to borrow money, Cameron Hope and some pals bricked up the front door of a Barclays branch. Since no money is getting out, no customers should get in. Daily Mail
Busted! Atheists rudely outscored people of faith on a knowledge test of rudimentary religion. However, people of faith continue to have faith that there are more important things to know than facts about religion. New York Times
A couple hundred FBI agents are being investigated for cheating on a mandatory test on national security and foreign intelligence procedures. Open book? Yes, that was OK. During-test consulting with colleagues? Not OK. Instructors teaching students only the exact test questions and answers? Not OK. (Bonus: Fidelity. Bravery.
Comments
Arts Funding Detroit Symphony musicians make up to $104,000 @ year! And are on strike because they don't want to take a pay cut. Hay! I've got an idea... :lightbulb:
No Child Left Behind Wait! I know there's at least 110% most employers now demand that much from their employees.
F.B.I. Come on! When did that stop meaning Female Body Inspector?
No Child Left Behind Wait! I know there's at least 110% most employers now demand that much from their employees.
F.B.I. Come on! When did that stop meaning Female Body Inspector?
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/05/10 at 09:00 AM
Cancer drug: tell you what, I'll split the difference. By the time I'm that badly off, I probably won't want to suffer for four more months. How about you cut me a check for $46,500 and we call it quits?
No Child Left Behind: I can easily believe educators missed that particular nuance when they helped draft the law. Or maybe they put it in there deliberately - you're making the rest of us look bad, you should be punished.
FB, no I: didn't this come up a few years back, as well? Makes me all warm and fuzzy to know that our finest are on the job.
No Child Left Behind: I can easily believe educators missed that particular nuance when they helped draft the law. Or maybe they put it in there deliberately - you're making the rest of us look bad, you should be punished.
FB, no I: didn't this come up a few years back, as well? Makes me all warm and fuzzy to know that our finest are on the job.
Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 10/05/10 at 06:11 PM
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