An End to the California Homeschooling Controversy?

Originally posted at http://digitaldiatribes.wordpress.com on July 23, 2008.

In cautiously welcomed news, it appears that the entire case in California where a court held that parents had no right to homeschool their children (originally discussed here, with a follow-up here) has been dropped.

While that sounds good, there is still one more step to go in order to completely right this wrong. According to this article on the matter,

Hausknecht believes one of the parties should ask the appellate court to dismiss the appeal completely as being moot. “And that should happen as a matter of course,” he notes. “But since this is California, no one quite knows for certain. So we can’t say with a hundred percent certainty that this case will go away, but we’re pretty sure it will.”

So, dropping the case is a great first step. The next step is to eliminate any and all recognition of the previous ruling. This means it cannot be used as precedent. This step was previously taken on a temporary basis while a re-hearing was scheduled, and it is now time to make that permanent with the case’s dismissal.

The best final step is legislation that takes this out of the hands of the courts entirely. As the article says:

Ideally, says the analyst, state lawmakers would enact a law protecting parents’ right to educate their children as they see fit. He says it looks as if home schooling has won, but Hausknecht believes it could be just a ceasefire “because the uncertainties that convinced the court of appeals…to outlaw home schooling still exist under California law.”

“And we hope that that law becomes solidified in the future rather than made more uncertain for families that home school,” he adds.

But given the liberal nature of the California legislature, Hausknecht does not expect that to happen. He thinks it is a good sign, however, that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came out so strongly in support of home schooling.

Packers Fans – Take the Emotion out of the Favre Saga and Think for a Moment

Originally posted on http://digital diatribes.wordpress.com on July 11, 2008.

We interrupt the global temperatures to address a critical and continually developing process entitled “The retirement of Favre’s retirement.”

To those of you who have been living in a cave, away from the sports pages, the last week has created a bit of a stir with regard to Favre. The icon has apparently officially asked for his release from Green Bay. This is the culmination (so far) of a week full of rumors about Favre wanting to come back to Green Bay, which were escalations of earlier statements by him that made it sound like he’d possibly be interested in returning to the Pack in the event that Rodgers would get injured.

Now, word has it that the Packers’ Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson did not react with wild enthusiasm at his request to unretire and rejoin the team. Thus the letter asking for his release.

This letter in no way obligates the Packers to do anything. But one can imagine that if they do not comply reasonably soon, then Favre will take the next step and officially unretire, which will force the team to either release him, trade him, or keep him. Favre has apparently asked to be released because he wants the flexibility to choose where to go, and has said that he does not want to be traded for that reason.

Unfortunately, some of the commentary is starting to turn negative. Instead of taking responsibility for the fact that he made a decision he is regretting, he is placing at least some of the blame on the Packers, who he is saying pressured him into a decision.

Emotions run high on this. We Packer fans love Brett and all he has done for the Packers. There is nobody I know who wants to see Favre play for any other team. Ever.

But let’s all take a deep breath and think about the situation, and what this all means. There are a number of things we Packers fans need to consider with reason, and not emotion:

1) Favre is the one who ultimately decided to retire. He’s a grown man. He should not be blaming the organization for desiring a quick decision. He has all year to weigh this decision. It is entirely reasonable for McCarthy and Thompson to want to know as quickly as possible what his plans are, so they can prepare for the draft and next season knowing who their QB is going to be, and how many holes need to be filled.

2) Let’s give credit where due. Favre had a wonderful year. But the team built around him has been the work of Thompson and McCarthy. I believe much of Favre’s success last year can be attributed to McCarthy. That takes nothing away from Favre – he still has to execute it. I guess what I’m saying is, Thompson and McCarthy will not be grinding an axe of any sort with their ultimate decision. They will be doing what they feel is best for this team for both the short and long term.

3) There is a real issue with Favre disrupting things right now. The Packers spent two draft choices on quarterbacks. They have likely spent a great deal of time adjusting the offense to accommodate Rodgers’ strengths. The psyche of the team has been such that they have been preparing for Rodgers to be the starter. It simply seems unreasonable to bring Favre back to the team. I say this as a person who very much wanted Favre to return and was sad that he retired. But once he retired, it completely changed the equation.

4) Let’s not forget about the importance of the future situation with Rodgers. The Packers really need to know whether or not he is worthy of consideration as the long-term starter. Taking this year from Rodgers not only hurts him, but it potentially hurts the long-term prospect of the team. This was true before Favre retired, but even more true now. If he continually feels like he is being jerked around, it presents a major problem for him not only from a preparation standpoint, but also from the standpoint of his desire to even play in Green Bay.

5) Trade possibilities: I think most of us need to come to grips with the fact that a trade is entirely possible, and it is probably the right business decision to make if Favre decides to press the issue. But how will Packers fans feel about a trade to Minnesota or Chicago? Many will emotionally overreact to this, should it happen. In fact, I agree, in principle, that this would be a horrible thing to do. However, suppose one of those teams makes an unreasonably ridiculous offer, such as two first-round draft choices? As much as I’d hate to see Favre in a Bears uniform, sign me up for the squad of people laughing at Chicago or Minnesota for thinking Favre is worthy of two first-rounders. This is entirely conjecture, and I don’t know where the tipping point is, but all I’m saying is let’s look at the actual deal before knee-jerk lambasting Thompson for such a move.

6) If the Packers determined that it was too big a risk to release Favre, they could actually absorb his cap number, as high as it is, and make him the backup. Favre would probably raise a stink with this and it may be too large a distraction, but they could do it. And quite honestly, it might be the right thing to do. Suppose Rodgers sucks? Suppose he gets injured? Suppose the only logical destination in Free Agency is Chicago or Minnesota? Why just release him? It may not be the wisest move on an economical basis, but weighing everything involved, it may be the best thing, particularly if they can get Favre to agree to be a team player about it.

7) If there is an outright release, fans just need to realize that Thompson and McCarthy assessed the situation and made the difficult decision that it was time to move forward, and eliminate all potential distractions. This will be difficult to accept, but it must be accepted. These guys are not relishing this situation.

This is a situation where there is no perfect resolution, given the condition that Favre actually is adamant that he wants to return. There just isn’t. And, as much as it pains me to say it, this is Favre’s doing. We love him, but this has really brought him down a notch on the endearment meter. In my opinion, Favre should take the year off no matter what he’s feeling, but stay in shape. Let the Packers know that, should Rodgers get injured, he is available. But leave it at that. Stay out of the way.

This has become a mess. It is very unfortunate.

UPDATE 1: The Green Bay Packers, and in particular Ted Thompson (GM) and Mike McCarthy (Head Coach), have understandably been somewhat muted in their response to all of this hullabaloo. However, they did release this statement, where they not only say that they will not release Favre, but that they welcome him back to the club in a different role. This is a gutsy call by the Packers brass, and they had to know that it would evoke strong emotion from many of the Packers faithful. Again, I call upon thinking and reasonable people to understand that this is complicated, and as much as many want to make it sound like a simple “who gives us the best chance to win now?” issue, it really is not as simple as that.

UPDATE 2: People, you are not taking my advice. Let’s let this play out. This story demonstrates to me that about 100 people simply have nothing better to do with their time, which is not a positive statement about their lives. But it’s nothing new. Overly emotional fans always seem to think that they really know what’s in the best interest of the team more than the coaches and GM. But I think history shows that the most successful teams are those willing to make tough decisions and not necessarily popular ones.

Don’t get me wrong, it may sound as if I’m calling for them to cut ties with Favre. I’m neither doing that nor am I clamoring for him to stay. All I’m saying is that they are in the best position to assess things. I can guarantee that 95% of these protestors had major issues with Thompson last year for not going out and getting a Running Back and/or Wide Receiver. I absolutely guarantee it. By the end of the year, we had an impact 1000 yard back and the deepest set of receivers in the league, and we were an overtime away from the Super Bowl.

Stop with the protesting already. We don’t even know what’s all really going on. You just look like idiots.

Subway Excludes Homeschoolers From Essay Contest

Originally posted on http://digitaldiatribes.wordpress.com on May 25, 2008.

WorldNetDaily has this story on a new Subway contest.

The contest rules are shown there, with the following note:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Contest is open only to legal residents of the Untied (sic) States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted. emphasis mine

Now, keeping in mind that this is a Scholastic-directed contest where the winner gets equipment for their school (I assume this is why the exclusion is in there. As the linked article points out, anyone with a few brain cells could have figured out a way to include homeschoolers and have the donation go to a park or a school of their choice, perhaps with some little equipment/books reward for the homeschool or something. It’s not rocket science..) you will notice the incorrectly spelled “united.” The article also posts the grand prize winner’s take: a Scholastic gift “bastket.”

Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.

Well, I just sent a little note of my own to Subway. I didn’t keep a copy of my text, but it went something like this:

“I just heard about your essay contest. I find it interesting that you chose to exclude homeschoolers. I would like to thank you for this decision. As a homeschooling father of 6 (soon to be 7) we have a lot of potential future customers. We have too many dining choices, and we are always looking for ways to narrow our choice down. Thank you for the opportunity to eliminate your business from our list. After all, I am assuming that since we are not welcome to participate in your little contest, then we are not welcome to patronize your business.

Oh, and pass on my best to your public relations/marketing personnel. They are doing a bang-up job. I’m sure they are all MBA’s.”

Geniuses.

UPDATE: While predictable that damage control was likely on the way, credit also needs to be given where it is due. At least one homeschooler received a pretty nice reply from Scholastic at this forum.. The company not only apologized, but promised to include homeschoolers in future promotions and offered to send some books to the family. Now, they may not make the same offer to everyone, but still this is a little meatier than a “oh, yeah… we’re sorry.” Take it for what you will. If and when I receive my own response I will post it.

Update #2: I had originally posted the update above as Subway responding. Thanks to a comment that corrected that, we are still on the official “Subway response” watch…

Update #3: Well, as with many things, what started out as a heated discussion on the blogosphere has now become a little bit more pronounced. I could list all the columnists who are picking up the mantle on this, but just in the last few hours I’ve also received two e-mails addressing it. One is from the American Family Association and the other from the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. I’m sure that if I dig, I can find more. My purpose here isn’t to list every source, but to suggest that the response to Subway has only just begun. If I were a Subway P.R. guy, I’d be writing that this was a huge “gaff.”

Update #4:It would appear that Scholastic has talked to Subway management, because what was the Scholastic Apology has now been re-worded and, according to American Family Association’s Second Subway Action Alert, includes Subway in the apology. So, the two companies have now spoken and have officially recognized their error and have promised to not let it happen again. Take from that what you will, but it’s better than a hunkered-down snubbing. I’m sure it didn’t hurt matters that Scholastic has a lot to lose, and seemed prepared to throw Subway under the bus on this one.

News: 01-31-2008 – McCarthy’s the man, 2012 Aliens, Problems with Ethanol, and Disappearing Bats

Originally posted on http://digitaldiatribes.wordpress.com on January 31, 2008.

LINK: Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy is fans’ Coach of the Year

Hey, maybe youse guys outside of Wisconsin don’t care, but whenever there is Packers news to be had, everything else takes a back seat. Bill Bellicheck won the Coach of the year as voted on by the AP a few weeks ago, and so I was surprised when I saw the headline that McCarthy had won. I guess this was a fan ballot.

Anyway, congrats, Mike! Thanks for a great year, even if it did end on a disappointing note. I was among the mass of freezing bodies at Lambeau field for the Championship game. Even with that loss, it was a heckuva year, and you deserve this honor.

LINK: Time to start working on the Red Carpet for ET

I’m a fan of the weird stuff. It interests me. The year 2012 holds a lot of weight in doomsday circles. One of the reasons for this is the Mayan Calendar that ends at that time. Some people think the world will end, some believe it will enter us into a New Age, and so on. Much of this is occultic in nature, and really needs to be treated carefully. This story is yet another one of those delusional elements: saviors from space will come to us and bring us peace.

News: 01-28-2008 – Killer Satellite, Carnal Carnival, Sheep, and Kennedy loves Obama

Originally posted on http://digitaldiatribes.wordpress.com on January 28, 2008.

First the Asteroid, Now This…

It seems we’re not safe from anything these days. A spy satellite the size of a bus is going to tumble to earth some time in the next few weeks, and nobody seems to know where the thing will land. Well, ain’t that just dandy. I can see it now… “Um, yeah, Mr. Achmadinejad? Um, you see, we have this huge thing that seems to be falling from the sky right towards your home on the lake. No, that’s silly… It’s entirely coincidental. What’s that? Well, this is the embarrassing part. You see, there’s really nothing we can do about it. That is, unless you let us shoot it down with a missile. Hit your house with a missile? No, no, no… we’d never let that happen. Really, we wouldn’t. Um, you by any chance aren’t going to be at your lake house that weekend, are you?”

Be careful, and here’s a bunch of condoms.

So it’s getting close to Carnival in Brazil, the annual orgy that happens in the month leading up to Lent. You know Lent… it’s that pesky religious holiday where a lot of people, like Catholics, decide to fast and pray and stuff to reflect of Christ’s sacrifice. Well, somewhere along the way, it was decided that it would be a good idea to treat the month leading up to it in the most hedonistic way we could imagine. And now the government has come out with a very helpful message – here’s a bunch of condoms. This is our way of asking you to be responsible.

Just a crazy thought… maybe if people don’t want to get AIDS or any other of the various diseases that are just waiting for a chance to spread, people should – now I know this is crazy – ABSTAIN from sex with strangers. I know, I know… this is just me being a prude. Or, perhaps, it’s me using some other cell of my brain other than the endorphine-producing section. But probably the most enlightening quote comes from the President of Brazil, “Everybody has the right to have fun and enjoy themselves but it is important to remember that the next week we have to work and look after our families.” Wow. With requests for responsible behavior like that, how can they go wrong? And our forefathers clearly missed that whole “right” to fun and enjoyment. (For those not familiar with the lingo, that most likely means sex and drinking.) Time for an Amendment to the Constitution.

The Sheep Circle
I’m not sure why this story intrigues me, but there’s something about people being freaked out about sheep eating in a perfect circle that’s just kind of humorous.

The ringing endorsement of Mr. Kennedy
So, all over the news today has been the endorsement of Senator Edward Kennedy on the side of Barack Obama. What hasn’t been fully explained to me is why this is good news for Mr. Obama. Oh, I suppose the people in Massachusetts who have been like sheep in a circle, worshipping the icon of Mr. Kennedy, may follow his lead. Maybe his influence even extends throught New England, for some reason that only God and a Northeastern Liberal will understand. But outside of that, how does this do anything but hurt Obama? At best, nobody really gives a hoot about an endorsement. At worst, a bunch of people like me suddenly lump Obama in with the guy that many people consider one of the biggest jokes on the hill. An endorsement from Kennedy = a check mark in the “against” column. Now, I’m certainly not the target audience. But I’ve had enough discussions with those on the left to know that they are more embarrassed by Mr. Kennedy’s perpetual presence in the Senate than they are proud, and they quietly wish the people of Massachusetts would get a clue and send him on his merry way. To Camelot, or something.

On a funny note, some time ago Kennedy is the genius who introduces Barack as “Osama.” Ah, yes. If nothing else, he does provide some good comic relief once in a while. Too bad he actually gets to vote on stuff.

News: 01-25-2008 – Chavez the nutjob, Killer Asteroids, Bad Models and Nanavut

Originally posted on http://digitaldiatribes.wordpress.com on Januar 25, 2008.

I had so much fun yesterday, I thought I’d try this again. Let’s just dive in.

Chavez the nutjob claims Colombia is planning to attack

I suppose it’s not nice or Christian of me to call anyone a nutjob, but I call it as I see it. here’s just another example of the blowhard rattling his sabre, demonstrating his paranoia, and presenting to anyone who has eyes and ears what promises to be a cancer for peace and stability in the world. He is threatening the world with $300 per barrel oil, with combat, and who knows what else over no clear supposed intelligence reports that the U.S. is trying to work with Colombia to do something-or-another. The worst thing about this, as an American, is that so many people on the left hate our current President so much that they love Chavez. Why do they love him? Because he hates Bush. It’s the old “the enemy of the enemy is my friend” thing. For once, I wish people could understand that – whatever your differences are with our President – an objective view of some of these other leaders leads to some scary stuff.

The purported visionary Sister Maria Esperanza once made a comment regarding Venezuela, her country: “this is where it will begin.” What is “it?” When is “it?” We don’t know, and this is a private revelation, so we should discern carefully. But it is interesting, nonetheless. Perhaps we should be taking Chavez entirely seriously, regardless of how easy it is to just call him a nutjob and dismiss his rhethoric.

Killer Asteroid will Doom us all on January 29!!!

Don’t panic yet. I enjoyed this youtube video presentation that is meant to scare the devil out of us. And while it’s an intriguing thing to consider that something like this just appeared out of nowhere and makes one wonder “Gosh… any more of these things out there?” from everything I read, there is nothing to fear. This video aside, probably put together by some guy like me with a little more energy and time, January 29 should come and go without much in the way of worldwide catastrophe. It does sound like there could be some Northern Lights, which would be cool. However, the video does, coincidentally enough, discuss the 1908 Siberian event, which most assuredly did occur. Now, the video misrepresents this occurrence, as far as I can tell. The meteor in question is believed to have entered the Earth’s atmosphere, and actually exploded (if memory serves) 5 miles above ground. It may well be that it exploded because of a negative charge, I suppose, although I really haven’t delved into that. But the point is that the two events are not even remotely similar. But one must respect the forces of God’s creation in any case. The devastation done by a 50 foot meteor was enormous, and it occurred (coincidence?) in possibly the most remote part of the globe. I’m not a doomsayer, but we should just never take anything for granted. I highly doubt we would ever pick up another 50-footer heading our way. But you know what? There’s really not much I can do about it either way, so I guess I’ll just try to be ready for anything. Two words: Hot pads.

Al Gore Admits the Models are all wrong

I guess it’s OK to question the scientific models as long as you are saying that things are worse than the models suggest. That’s pretty much what Al is saying. Apparently, in the year since the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) issued their dramatic report, essentially telling us that we’re all going to die (and not from an Asteroid), a bunch of new data has appeared that has been fed into Al’s brain, and we now find out that the polar caps could be gone in 5 years. The upside to this prediction is that by speeding up the whole timeline, we can much more quickly proclaim the guy a false prophet and move on with our lives. I’ve got $20 that says there’s still a north pole in five years. Caveat: unless we are hit by a comet, asteroid, or an invasion of the rock-people on Mars.

Nanavut blues…

I’m a sucker for weather stories, even when they really have nothing to do with me. But I just felt like posting this one on the heels of Al’s warnings of the coming heat trap we’re all about to be a part of. Nanavut – 7 days in a row of blizzards was “one for the record books.” 30 below temps. Snowmobiles getting dangerously close to power lines! I know, I know… global warming doesn’t mean these things can’t or won’t happen. But I’ll tell you what… it’s been cold here. And in Siberia. And in Nanavut. And in Greenland. A one-winter respite from a deluge of fire? We’ll see, I guess.

Besides, I just like the name “Nanavut.”