Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at Brookings

Speaking to a SRO crowd at Brookings recently, Arne Duncan endorsed the concept of using school buildings year-round, night and day. “School buildings do not belong to me; they belong to taxpayers.” he said.

“The more schools become part of community life, the better the community becomes"
since “families learn together.” Non-profits could use school buildings from 3 – 9 p.m. like some Chicago schools have done, and no rent is collected: “Whose room is it?” he asked.

Schools can be safe havens in crime areas. One questioner from the Service Employees Union said schools “are the safest places” in some communities.

A retired math professor said it was common knowledge that students now enter college less prepared than they were five years ago, and students five years ago were less prepared than their predecessors: “What are we doing about this?”

He lamented the lousy teaching of fractions, often taught by professionals who do not understand them themselves, noting “A massive amount of money is being spent on pedagogy” which would be better spent on “teaching content.”

Secretary Duncan said the massive infusion of stimulus dollars will save “hundreds of thousands” of teaching positions.

What should be a goal for 2012? Sec. Duncan said one goal should be to close the 500 “chronically underperforming schools.”

Managing federal money is not easy: The dilemma to use the funds “short-term” (before their two-year expiration) while trying to solve long-term problems puts schools in a quandary.

Nine states have already spent their stimulus money. Russell Whitehurst, a member of the panel which convened after Duncan's presentation, said $100 billion flowing from the U.S. Department of Education is a huge amount to manage.

When asked by a member of the audience, Velma Sawhill, another panelist, said there was a risk that some federal dollars would be spent unwisely since it is “so much, so fast.” Mike Smith, another panel member, said “it takes a long time to go through all the channels.”

Dr. Whitehurst said a recent study of technology in the classroom showed about the same level of performance by students who had technological classroom benefits as those students who do not. He said tech product developers protested the results of the study saying time and teacher training to implement the new technologies damaged the results.

100% troop deaths: noncombat related

In the May 14, 2009 edition of the Washington Post on page A10, the names of seven dead American troops are listed. They all died as a result of "noncombat injuries."

Five of them were killed by the mentally-ill Army sergeant who shot and killed them May 11 at Camp Liberty in Baghdad.

Why do so many of our troops die from noncombat related reasons?

This morning NPR (and the Post) featured a story on three troop deaths due to electrocutions in "sewage showers." An engineer claimed that 90% of military electrical work done in Iraq was faulty. The inferior work has been attributed to KBR, formerly of Halliburton,Inc. Dick Cheney's old firm, whose public relation officer responded: "Us? No way. We are not to blame."

Is Patrick Tillman's death the only cover-up?

How do these numbers compare to those in other conflicts? Are soldiers rushed into combat so quickly they are not trained sufficiently? Does the Defense Department need numbers so badly that soldiers are sent to harm's way without adequate training about the deadly weapons they carry? The mentally ill carry them!

Does the Defense Department investigate these deaths and the reasons behind them?
What changes has the Defense Department implemented to stop them? Any?

Family members and taxpayers would like to know.

The five soldiers shot by their comrade were:

Spec. Jacob Barton, 20, Lenox, MO

Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos, 25, Paterson, NJ

Maj. Matthew Houseal, 54, Amarillo, TX

Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, 52, Wilmington, NC

Pfc. Michael Yates, Jr., 19, Federalsburg, MD

Two other soldiers are listed in the May 14 paper who died from "noncombat injuries" were:

Pvt. Justin Hartford, 21, Elmira, NY

Spec. Omar Albrak, 21, Chicago

We hang our heads in sorrow.

Code Pink Rallies at the White House on Mother's Day

Emerson, the driver, Joshua, and Julian provided transportation (right)





The handmade banners commemorate the lives of dead soldiers from the Iraq War


To know Code Pink is to love Code Pink, its presence at the Capitol Hill hearings and the pictures and signs members hold aloft behind the heads of the Big Shots testifying as they try to wrangle out of their (mis)deeds or vie for government dollars.

For a small group, Code Pink garners an unusually large amount of media attention. Hurray for Code Pink!

With admiration for its unceasing efforts and always applauding its goals, I joined the group last Sunday at Lafayette Park for a small and sincere rally to stop the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On a gorgeous Mother's Day afternoon we carried the long banner made by women from 20 different countries who sewed more than 4,000 squares in pink of many different shades. We marched in front of the White House chanting "I will not raise my child to kill another mother's child'" which is based upon the 1870 Mother's Day Proclamation composed by Julia Ward Howe

Code Pink leaders charmed the White House police corps which waived an arrest for one Pink member (for what I don’t know), and permitted, after denial, the laying of hundreds of pink, white, and red roses at the base of the White House iron railing.

Sadly, the withering roses represented the brief lives of soldiers and citizens
who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Al Franken carries baggage!

Seen at National Airport in D.C. on Saturday afternoon May 2, Al Franken in person waiting at the luggage carillon to pick up bags.

Yeeks! A senator carrying baggage? Well, maybe it’s because he ain’t quite a senator yet so he lugs his own stuff.

Everyone knew who he was, and he graciously signed a book for an autograph seeker.

It was about three years ago that I saw him speak and sign books at the packed “Books a Million” shop in McLean and he cried, I mean he shed real tears, about Iraq. Most of the rest of us cried, too. (Don’t get me started about Iraq.)

Al, I hope you’ll always keep your head above water and continue to be part of us, the commoners, the voters, the people who matter, and resist "going out of your head" when you get to the Senate. Thank you.

75% Die in Iraq from Non-Combat Related Causes

The causes of deaths of our soldiers listed in the Washington Post today are: non-combat related (6) and military action (2).

Why are these numbers so high?

Inadequate training? Friendly fire? Suicide?

I have raised the question with the Defense Department which sent me to its Web site and later, did not return a telephone call inquiring about the statistics of the dead.

Is anyone with any power asking these questions?

The names of the dead from non-combat related reasons listed today are:

Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo, Jr., 32, Albuquerque

Staff Sgt. Raphael A. Futrell, 26, Anderson, S.C.

Lance Cpl. Nelson M. Lantigua, 20, Miami

Sgt. Devin C. Poche, 25, Jacksonville, N.C.

Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, 24, Buffalo

Lance Cpt. Stephen F. Dearmon, 21, Crossville, TN

The two soldiers who died from combat-related causes were:

Spec. Gary L. Moore, 25, Del City, OK

Spec. Israel Candelaria Mejias, 28, San Lorenzo, P.R.

The Book: "Know Your Power" by Nancy Pelosi

Did you know Nancy Pelosi had written a book?

Nor did I until I spotted it at the library.

There’s a good reason it’s “under wraps.” It’s really not a book but a magazine piece written by a p.r. firm.

Not much in it except the last few pages offering encouragement to women who are considering a run for public office. The subtitle is: A Message to America's Daughters. We need more women in public office, Nancy (and Amy Hill Hearth, co-writer, likely the writer) cry.

Oh well. The writing style is what I call “chop, chop” or sentence structure something a bit more advanced than “Dick and Jane.” If you are looking for vocabulary and content, it ain't here, babe.

Pictures would have added something like maybe one of her dad? Her mother? A picture of Nancy with JFK? She writes so much about each! Her children? What does her husband look like? He has got to have wings and a halo.

But pictures cost more which would have reduced sales, and God forbid, that’s the only reason to write one of these, isn’t it? I mean look at the money Obama is raking in with his books.

The only issues Nancy (written in first person) describes at any length (which is not much) are AIDS and human rights violations in China. She does lambaste Bush for Iraq and that tragedy, but it’s a pity she didn’t use her bully pulpit when he was in office.

The book has no negatives in it, except for her friends (no names) who attacked her when she decided to run for office. That she had five children in six years, and she is still Pollyanna! Her life has been a bowl of cherries. Yawn. She could have told so much more. Maybe later, when she’s out of office and doesn’t have to fear backlash from colleagues, but I don’t think they open up then either. Dull, lackluster. Save your money but more importantly, save your time.

Lincoln Davis: Looking Good!

At the Tennessee State Society, the South Carolina State Society, and the Alabama State Society joint fete the other night at the Rayburn House Office Building...

Has Lincoln lost weight?

Had a face-lift?

He is lookin' spry!