A great moment in public education

This makes me happy that the BHG family doesn't live in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh public schools are following a policy where students can no longer get an "F" if they get below 50% on an assignment. Instead, they get something called an "E", which is equivalent to a 50%: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08266/914029-298.stm. This is asinine. In other words, if you have a test where you get only one out of ten questions right, you still automatically get credit for getting five out of the ten right.

Here's a suggestion: How about grades that actually reflect a student's knowledge? I know that it's a radical concept but work with me on this. We could have schools that are not institutions focussed on building up a student's self-esteem but are instead oriented towards TEACHING children! Imagine that! We could even (I know that this is shocking, so I hope that you're all sitting down) reward students based on their knowledge!

I know, I know, too much to hope for.........

Rusting away

The decline of the so-called "Rust Belt", which has been the subject of commentary for the past 30 years, has seemingly intensified over the last four or five: http://promo.realestate.yahoo.com/americas-fastest-dying-cities.html. To me, this is a sadder commentary on the United States in general. At one point in the not-too-distant past, this was a country which actually made things. Many of those manufacturing jobs were based in the Rust Belt--Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Northern Indiana, etc. Now, they are overseas, and an entire area of the country is suffering because of it. You can't just blame it on the failures of Big Three automakers (GM, Ford, Chrysler), though that this certainly a large part of the problem.

Not looking good

A Quinnipiac University poll has given Barack Obama a decent edge in three of the major "swing states" in the upcoming election, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/18/poll-3-key-swing-states-put-obama-over-mccain/. This is the first time that Obama has led McCain in Florida, a state which many thought would be certain to go for McCain given his military background and the large numbers of military personnel who live there. If Obama sweeps those three states, you can stick a fork not only in John McCain's presidential hopes but in the Republican Party in general.

It is shaping up to be a LONG night in November for the Republicans......................