Oct 112015
 

It has been raining all day long.  I could hear the steady beat against the rain spout beside the den window.  The furbabes are surrounding my feet. Could life get any better?

Puzzle — Today’s took me 3:20 (average 7:09). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.

Short Takes

Upworthy h/t JL — "It makes their day, and it makes mine to see them smilin' and happy!" he said.

I like his style!  My kind of teacher.

Raw Story — Then Noah asked a question that Maddow found nearly impossible to answer.

“If you had to vote for one of the Republican candidates, if someone held a gun to your head because Ben Carson said (to) point it that way, who would you vote for if you had to vote for one of the main 12?” Noah asked.

Read the rest of this short article and view the video at Raw Story. Unfortunately, I couldn't watch the video because it is not on The Comedy Network (Canada's version of Comedy Central) yet, and Comedy Central is not available in Canada.

Daily Kosh/t Pat B — After a Houston-area mother complained about how his son's ninth-grade Word Geography textbook defined African American slaves as migrants and workers, I was curious to see what my son’s seventh-grade Texas History textbook would say about slavery and immigration. So I looked at the online edition (the history teacher refused to let my son bring home the textbook) of the Texas History textbook published by McGraw-Hill, the same publisher of the now infamous high school World Geography book. And McGraw-Hill did not disappoint me!

Read the rest of this article at Daily Kos.  The saying "History is written by the victors" as attributed to Winston Churchill, seems apt here.  The text misinforms readers and gives short shrift to the history of African Americans, something totally unacceptable.

My Universe — Sitting down to a great mousey dinner!

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  10 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 11/10/2015”

  1. I bet that school doesn't need police on campus either.

    Funny that all who address the question views Kasich as the least disastrous.

    There's a good reason CA refuses to use TX history textbooks.

    Kitties always welcome.

  2. 3:52  WEIRD average.  It's just a picture of the James Joyce Bridge, it's not a page from "Ulysses."

    Upworthy – For real.  When I was in school, the assistant principal always played the bad guy so that the principal could always be the good guy (gender neutral).  Like Commanding Officer/Executive Officer in the military.  Good to see this sterotype go down the drain.

    Raw Story – I think I see where Rachel is coming from, but I disagree.  If we had to get stuck with a Republican, i would wan the most obviously crazy of the bunch.  I want that warning rattle.  I would rather have a rattlesnake than a cobra.

    Daily Kos – Godwin's Law be da**ed, McGraw-Hill is just begging for the title "McGraw-Heil.."  Your summary, Lynn, is kind.  I would just say "Lying lies told by lying liars."

    Universe – What we need is Whack-a-troll.

  3. Upworthy: When I did car rider duty (for many years), we had smiles on our faces, and waved to parents as they dropped off their students. This AP has it right!! (and the moves too!).

    Raw Story: The video wouldn't load for me, but Mr. NoBody comes to mind, and I feel back pain coming on too. lol.

    Daily Kos: Yea, only in Texas, JL. I haven't read the section as I don't have access anymore, but I shudder to think what is written about the Native Americans too. I passed on this to teachers too. Follow-up link here:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mcgraw-hill-ceo-says-it-has-done-enough-to-fix-its-description-of-slaves-as-workers_5616ad0ce4b0e66ad4c6df26

    My Universe: My cat would be all over this. I'm too lazy to make one, but she does like her stuffed rat/mouse toy.

    Glad that you are relaxing, we all need to do that. lol. Send some of that rain here, we're parched !!! Take care, and Thanks, Lynn.

     

  4. Sounds like you had a near-perfect day, Lynn. Good to hear you're keeping on top of things while the blog keeps on dong well. Thanks to you, Nameless, JL and Joanne.

    Upworthy: This assistant principal know how to share his joie de vivre with the parents and the kids arriving with grumpy faces and soon it has rubbed off on them, there's no way this man and his songs can be resisted. A far cry from the grouches and bullies that awaited us in our classrooms when I was young.

    Raw Story: What a terrible question to ask Rachel. She'll be wanting to interview a few Republican hopefuls on her show, so she can't be too honest and say out loud they're all belong in the outhouse as far as she's concerned. But I think that is what really comes closest to what she thinks about all of them. OK, I admit it, I'm projecting a bit here.

    Daily Kos: McGraw-Hill should not be allowed to get away with this blatant re-editing of the past, not even if it is for schools in Texas who most likely demanded that. Giving kids the impression that everyone who migrated to Texas did so out of their own jolly free will, and just circumventing the truth by leaving the most important aspects such as slavery out, is called manipulation in my book (not McGraw-Hill, I can assure you). And claiming that Native Americans remained an important presence, but giving them no "space" on the Texan map, nor telling what happened to them when more and more white immigrants and their slaves entered the state is just as despicable. No federal money should go towards schools who insist on buying these books. 

    My Universe: My goodness, the lengths people go through to keep their cat's entertained!

  5. James Joyce Bridge puzzle time; 4:03. It's one of those that puts itself together. 

    Fun kitty game! And why don't all school days everywhere start up with soul music and dance?

    Texas makes up it's own history!

    I hope TC comes back soon! 

     

     

  6. Upworthy:  I love love love this one.  How much better these kids must feel to meet a smiling face and music when they get to school! 

    Raw Story:  You could tell Rachel was grasping for at least one less offensive candidate.  Alternet exposed Kasich for the sexist he is in today's article.

    Daily KOs:  McGraw-Hill owes a huge apology to all African-Americans for this screw up.  What air head thought calling slaves immigrants was a good idea?

    My Universe:  I would love to have instructions on how to make this.  I have enough mice from torn up cat toys to do the job.

     

  7. It is RIDICULOUS the way the printers of education materials rewrite history! Leave it to Texass to treat the African-Americans slavery this way! McGraw-Hill is notoriously bad about doing terrible rewrites! The lady that found that slaughtering of history was on The Nightly Show on Thursday night, I believe. It was a very enlightening piece from Larry Wilmore!

    The Daily Show interview with Rachel was great! Trevor Noah is doing an admirable job replacing Jon Stewart. But I still miss him terribly!

  8. Upworthy  – hooray for Mr Logan, he'd certainly make me smile!

    Daily Kos – history is indeed written (and re-written) by the victors, Winnie was quite right.  That is one of the reasons that whenever there is a considerable political regime change, one of the first things the new regime does is re-writing history, so the academics who could speak out about it (and often bravely do) are one of the first groups 'up against the wall' – hopefully not literally in the West these days….

    My Universe – bless you for several minutes of joyous giggles, Lynn!  Wasn't the honey-coloured cat adorable!   That video was so lovely – mind you I couldn't understand how the person operating the wonderful device wasn't giggling helplessly, I would have been!

     

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