{"id":22022,"date":"2016-05-24T14:06:11","date_gmt":"2016-05-24T21:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=22022"},"modified":"2016-05-24T14:06:11","modified_gmt":"2016-05-24T21:06:11","slug":"open-thread-5242016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/05\/24\/open-thread-5242016\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread – 5\/24\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had a rough night last night.  I was awakened by an intermittent sharp stabbing pain in my left ankle, and it remains.  What make it particularly difficult, besides ruining my night’s sleep and my morning nap, is that my left ankle is made of titanium and is about three feet away from me.  On the plus side, I called my medical equipment company and told them to come pick up my O2<\/sub> tanks and concentrator, because my Pulmonologist told me that he doesn’t think I need them anymore.  I really needed that good news.  My turn for some was overdue.<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today’s took me 2:51 (average 4:45).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From Think Progress<\/a>: <\/font>Climate education in Oregon just took a big step forward.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Portland Public Schools board voted<\/a> to eliminate the use of any textbooks or other materials that are \u201cfound to express doubt about the severity of the climate crisis or its root in human activities.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the text materials are kind of thick with the language of doubt, and obviously the science says otherwise,\u201d Bill Bigelow, a former Portland public school teacher, told the Portland Tribune<\/a>. \u201cWe don\u2019t want kids in Portland learning material courtesy of the fossil fuel industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his testimony to the board, Bigelow quoted from the book Physical Science, published by Pearson.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles, power plants and other sources, may contribute to global warming,\u2019\u201d he read. \u201cThis is a section that could be written by the Exxon public relations group and it\u2019s being taught in Portland schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other books have also been found<\/a> to cast doubt on climate science: A review of sixth-grade textbooks in California, for instance, found that the books \u201cframed climate change as uncertain in the scientific community \u2014 both about whether it is occurring as well as about its human-causation.\u201d<\/p>\n

No doubt the problem of Republican skience<\/em> replacing science in many of our nation’s textbooks stems from the influence Texas exerts on the publishers. Kudos to the Portland School Board. Oregon leads the way!<\/font><\/p>\n

From American Bridge PAC<\/a>: <\/font>Donald Trump Profited From Companies He Blasted For Outsourcing<\/p>\n

Barf Bag Alert!!<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n