Posted by: Frozen Al ||
11/07/2014 16:12 ||
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#1
Essentially accurate, with the caveat that the SEALS are an 'older' outfit that originally had a somewhat different mission. That mission has been modified and augmented over the years.
Years ago, when I was covering education for a newspaper in Georgia β when my oldest daughter (now 25) was in kindergarten and my twin sons (now 22) were just toddlers β I came to the conclusion that βsex educationβ in schools is (a) morally corrupting and (b) a harmful waste of taxpayer money. As to point (a) just think about your typical public school teacher. Have you seen these people? Have you ever had a conversation with a public school teacher?
Are you aware that students pursuing education degrees, on average, have the lowest SAT scores of any college major?
If you are sufficiently literate to read and comprehend this sentence, congratulations: Youβre smarter than a fifth-grade teacher!
If you are more intelligent than the average public-school teacher, why the hell would you trust one of those hopeless dullards to teach your kids about sex? Might as well send your kid to the Post Office or Department of Motor Vehicles to ask a random bureaucrat about sex. More:
Workshop at Harvard: "Your Ass and a Hole in the Ground: How to Tell the Difference."
FACT: 17% of male Harvard students did not know how to have an erection until they learned it at a #SexWeek workshop. The other 83% are gay. More at the link...
#7
The only beings dumber than the teachers are half the parents, which is why they ended up having to teach sex ed in schools. The important part being: this is a condom. Use it or you might get aids/hepatitis/chlamydia/pregnant.
#8
Wasn't Obumbles going to appoint someone as Education Czar (or the lesser post of Secretary) or something which supported teaching all sorts of deviant 'sex' behaviour in elementry school - including but not limited to 'fisting'. As I recall he had a website and a 'kit' he gave out.
[DAWN] "WE only facilitate their wish. We don't impose our own will on them." The bland statement masks a world of obfuscation as a result of which the marginalised of the country receive what, sadly, experience has taught them to expect: to be either directly victimised, or live in circumstances in which they feel victimised. The statement by the spokesperson for the Bharchundi Shareef shrine in Daharki, Sindh, was in reaction to questions raised by the family of Anjali Kumari Meghwar about the attached seminary's possible involvement in the girl's abduction, forced conversion to Islam from Hinduism, and subsequent forced marriage. After nine days of making a fruitless attempt to convince their area's local authorities to focus on their plight, Anjali's family came to Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... and met the city police chief on Wednesday. Her father insists that she was kidnapped from her home in broad daylight, and that hers was not a conversion by choice. He has with him Nadra and school documents that put her age at 12.
In the context of Anjali's family, and many others like them, it is true that free choice stands compromised. It can only be conjectured how much pressure is felt by members of minority religions in a society where issues of faith are increasingly becoming the focus of violence. Caste too can effectively become a stigma that holds entire communities in oppression. And, while it is as yet too early to pronounce upon Anjali's case, it is a matter of record that the same complaint of forced conversion has been voiced before, that the caretakers of this particular shrine have also faced this accusation previously, and that an immediate and thorough investigation is needed. That said, the case of 12-year-old Anjali should be very simple to resolve: forcing underage marriage has been criminalised in Sindh since last year, and the family have named the man to whom they claim the girl was married. For any government even halfway committed to the cause of the marginalised, the equation should not prove too difficult.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/07/2014 00:00 ||
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#3
Yeah, I wanna talk about this Metric System thingy
Yeah, using my 'Fitzall' Crescent wrench I can now round off the heads of BOTH SAE and Metric fasteners. No more searching for the wrong wrench to do the job; a great time saver. Gets me right to the cussing stage!!!
[DAWN] A REPORT by the US Department of Defence with critical comments on Pakistain's alleged use of "proxy forces to hedge against the loss of influence in Afghanistan and to counter India's superior military" has elicited a sharp response by the state -- and perhaps rightly so. With army chief Gen Raheel Sharif due to visit the US this month, following an equally important visit to Afghanistan yesterday, the report is being perceived here as a snub to an important military ally that has at long last launched a military operation in North Wazoo and has consistently asserted in recent months that the long-term goal is to eliminate all terrorist and myrmidon sanctuaries on Pak soil. As ever, the truth lies somewhere in between American petulance and Pak prickliness.
First, the basic facts. The report in question, Progress Towards Security and Stability in Afghanistan, is a biannual one compiled by the Pentagon after consultation with other senior US officials, including the secretary of state, director of National Intelligence and the administrator for USAID. The last report, published in April 2014, had much the same language on Pakistain, but did not have a reference to "proxy forces", ie non-state actors/militants, or "India's military superiority". Clearly, whoever inserted the newer language meant to send a stronger message. At the same time, the last report, in March, before the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb ..the Pak offensive against Qaeda in Pakistain and the Pak Taliban in North Wazoo. The name refers to the sword of the Prophet (PTUI!)... , contained the following comment, "Pakistain did not take significant action against Afghan or India-focused myrmidon groups". So while the language has somewhat hardened in the current report, the overall sentiment is the same: Islamabad is not doing enough to promote regional stability. That is, the threat of militancy and terrorism emanating from here towards Afghanistan and India is not diminishing, even as the country is progressively taking on turbans and Death Eaters focused on attacking Pak state and society.
Even if true, and arguably the Pentagon's characterisation has some truth to it, it is only part of the story. A more balanced view would have taken into consideration Islamabad's legitimate security concerns, not least the issue of reverse sanctuaries, ie Pakistain-centric Death Eaters finding refuge in Afghanistan and launching attacks inside Pakistain from across the border. In addition, the issue of Afghan forces firing into Pakistain has become one of the main concerns in the military-to-military relationship in recent months. The "irritants" in the Afghan-Pakistain bilateral relations are bidirectional, rather than the unidirectional as the Pentagon report has suggested. On the Pakistain-India relationship too it is worth asking why a US report on the situation in Afghanistan has throwaway comments on "India's military superiority" and proxies that are "India-focused". In 13 years of seeking, needing and enjoying Pakistain's cooperation on certain issues in Afghanistan, the US foreign policy establishment still does not appear to have much a clue of when it comes to broaching difficult subjects with Islamabad.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/07/2014 00:00 ||
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[DAWN] During the last 67 years, Islamiat has been part of the curriculum and is being taught in almost all schools across Pakistain. But its efficacy to inculcate Islamic values in students' lives, turn them into ethically conscious citizens with empathy for others and to mould them into one unified nation is yet to be seen.
Nobody denies the importance of Islamiat; rather, it is key to social transformation. It can be a base for building strong ethical and civic foundations for individuals alongside a healthy, progressive society. It should aim at promoting emotional, social and intellectual development through Islamic perspectives. But unfortunately, the concepts taught in Islamiat courses are mostly learnt only to be regurgitated in examinations.
True and honest teaching of Islamiat can change an ordinary person into a better human being and subsequently create a peaceful society. However, facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable... this depends upon well-trained, well-versed and well-equipped subject teachers with a passionate sense of creating a God-fearing society. The subject's contents and pedagogy need to be in line with our national requirements.
At present, the contents seem abstruse; hence students tend to avoid them. Therefore, they need a thorough review to make Islamiat responsive to our present problems. We should incorporate aspects pertaining to ethics and civility, inculcating love for fellow human beings, a caring attitude for all of God's creations and consciousness of the divine presence in students' hearts. Besides, students need to be engaged practically in various ethical dilemmas challenging them to solve these issues in the light of Islamic teachings.
Many schools slack off in teaching Islamiat and regard it as a mere formality. Many school managements do not value Islamiat as compared to other subjects. They remain impassive, showing neither interest in nor concern for the subject. Mostly unqualified people having no credentials of teaching Islamiat are hired. No in-service teachers' training is arranged for Islamiat instructors.
Consequently, it has brought no improvement in our society. Though it has been taught for decades, the results are entirely contrary to what had been expected. No impact is witnessed in the state apparatus; rather many institutions have slid into disarray. We see that new sets of problems have emerged in the last decade. Pakistain is in the grip of horrendous problems like lawlessness, corruption, nepotism and killings etc and with each passing day our problems are multiplying. Materialistic tendencies are rampant and their overwhelming influence has made us more self-serving and least bothered about the rights of others.
Islamic education needs to be based on the Koranic ayat which states: "...So vie with one another in good work. Unto Allah ye will all return and He will inform you of that wherein you differ" (5:48). The subject can help students discover divinity in their hearts. It can make them aware of the divine presence behind the whole universe to which we belong.
The Islamic message is all-encompassing and always open for multiple interpretations; it is like a garden with a variety of trees, plants and herbs etc, adding to the beauty of the garden.
Further, Islamiat can encourage love and affinity between relatives, neighbours, the community, and humanity on the lam. Therefore, a thorough evaluation is the need of the hour.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/07/2014 00:00 ||
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[Ynet] Analysis: All the Paleostinian factions, without exception, have created a combined front aimed at shaking off the Israeli control of Jerusalem. In order to stop PA's encouragement of violence, Israel can either resume peace talks or use more force.
Call it an intifada, call it a popular uprising, call it serious riots. The semantics won't change the fact that there is a bitter and violent battle taking place here over the illusory sovereignty in Jerusalem.
All the Paleostinian factions, without exception, have created a combined front aimed at shaking off the Israeli control of Jerusalem.
Continued on Page 49
Over the past five years, the Democratic Party has tried to add class warfare to its pre-existing focus on racial and gender grievances, and environmental angst. Shortly after his re-election in 2012, President Obama claimed to have βone mandate .β.β. to help middle-class families and families that are working hard to try to get into the middle class.β
Yet despite the economic recovery, it is precisely these voters, particularly the white middle and working classes, who, for now, have deserted the Democrats for the GOP, the assumed party of plutocracy. The key in the 2014 mid-term elections was concern about the economy; early exit polls Tuesday night showed that seven in 10 voters viewed the economy negatively, and this did not help the Democratic cause.
#1
Permit me to suggest it was not demographics but their suck-ass policies over the last few years. Like "Let's drive energy prices up!" Genius, Holmes, genius.
#2
Obama has, as the article points out, driven pretty much all small business from even considering voting for Democrats.
Not primarily because of taxes, as the article says, but because of the regulatory crush that has been heaped on small business. Regulations which do little or nothing to help consumers or employers or the environment, but a great deal to shore up job security of the employees at the regulatory agencies.
To the extent that this administration has paid lip service to helping small business at all, they have done so in a way which is ultimately not helpful long term. Their "help" consists of trying to get small businesses to borrow more and more money and become even more dependent and debt-ridden - all the time enriching the Wall Street friends and donors that helped put him in office.
The truth is Obama specifically and Democrats (and blue state model large corporations as well) in general loath small business and the only thing they perceive small business as being good for is a potential income stream for Democrat donors in investment and finance fields.
Access to credit is nice, but if you talk to business owners like myself, you'll find that 99 out of 100 would trade a little access to cheap credit for relief from the regulatory monster that has grown to epic proportions in the past six years. Keep your addictive and dependency creating credit and get off my back and let me do my thing.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
11/07/2014 5:51 Comments ||
Top||
#5
the regulatory crush that has been heaped on small business. Regulations which do little or nothing to help
The regulatory monster is suffocating us in big (the biggest!) business too. Half of my time spent in getting an oil well from idea to oil in the tank is consumed by dealing with government regulations. This feels like double what it was 10 years ago. And it was already bad. I wouldn't have an objection if the regulations actually made sense or allowed logical flexibility, but no - it's all about making sure boxes are checked off on forms and all entries match to the sixth decimal place. It is driving me to early retirement - let somebody else deal with it.
#6
They did best in states like California and New York where there is a high concentration of progressive post-graduates and non-whites,
Hmmm, progressive post-graduates, translation socialist with a college degree plus and non-whites, original Obama voters who still have his bumper stickers on their cars late in 2014.
#8
The truth is Obama specifically and Democrats (and blue state model large corporations as well) in general loath small business and the only thing they perceive small business as being good for is a potential income stream for Democrat donors in investment and finance fields
Success stories by the working class are poison for the left since it incites perople to work hard and study to emulate them instead of voting for "Hope and change" thinking they will no longer need to pay reant or for filling their car's tank (real statements from some Obama voters after the 2008 elections). The left can tolerrate a couple Stev Job's or ill Gate's because these are obviouly once in a decade stories. It is the myriad small businesses with their myriad of owaners not voting for tem and the myrias examples that "it can be done" they hate and fear.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[DAWN] "WE only facilitate their wish. We don't impose our own will on them." The bland statement masks a world of obfuscation as a result of which the marginalised of the country receive what, sadly, experience has taught them to expect: to be either directly victimised, or live in circumstances in which they feel victimised. The statement by the spokesperson for the Bharchundi Shareef shrine in Daharki, Sindh, was in reaction to questions raised by the family of Anjali Kumari Meghwar about the attached seminary's possible involvement in the girl's abduction, forced conversion to Islam from Hinduism, and subsequent forced marriage. After nine days of making a fruitless attempt to convince their area's local authorities to focus on their plight, Anjali's family came to 
Wazoo
[DAWN] During the last 67 years, Islamiat has been part of the curriculum and is being taught in almost all schools across Pakistain. But its efficacy to inculcate Islamic values in students' lives, turn them into ethically conscious citizens with empathy for others and to mould them into one unified nation is yet to be seen.
Chickens home to roost possibly ? 
