Monday, March 31, 2008

No Disparity - Iowa High School Big Schools Vs. Iowa High School Small Schools

Large School/Small School Myth Debunked...
Students From Smaller Schools Compete
With Peers From Larger Schools

Graduates from Iowa's small high schools do just as well at the state's public universities as their peers from Des Moines and other urban and suburban high schools, a Des Moines Sunday Register analysis shows.

The findings come at a time when the quality of educational opportunities at the smallest of school districts is under scrutiny by government administrators, lawmakers and educators.

The Iowa Department of Education recently ordered the Russell school district out of existence at the end of this school year. Members of the Iowa Legislature are considering a bill that would require all high schools to follow a model core curriculum. And a prominent businessman has threatened to sue state officials if Iowa cannot maintain quality education statewide.
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Friday, March 28, 2008

Iowa Is Hated Again...

University of Iowa Wrestling Team Wins Nationals
Iowa Wrestlers Love Being Hated...

It has been a while (2000) since the University of Iowa has won a national championship. Behind individual national titles from Brent Metcalf and Mark Perry and a runner-up finish by Joe Slaton, Iowa ran away with its 21st NCAA championship Saturday at the Scottrade Center.


Seconds after the Iowa wrestling team was awarded its first championship since 2000, the Scottrade Center rang with high-decibel reverberations of whistles, screams, claps, and cheers. The noise grew once Hawkeye second-year head coach Tom Brands was honored as the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year in a post-meet ceremony. And when 149-pound sophomore Brent Metcalf was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships, the sounds pouring down from the tiers above seemed to shake the 20,000 seat arena.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008

New York's New Governor

New York Governor David Paterson
- First Blind Governor -



Paterson, a blind African-American who was sworn in on March 17, supposedly with the squeaky-clean image needed to clean up state politics, told NY1 television he had used both marijuana and cocaine, but not since the 1970s.

"I'd say I was about 22-23. I tried it a few times, yes," Paterson, now 53, said of his cocaine use.

Paterson's political honeymoon came to a swift end just hours into his term, when both he and his wife admitted last week to having had extra-marital affairs.
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Clinton Exaggerates To The Point Of Dishonesty

How Clintonesque!
Exaggerated Fish Stories Are Lies Too...



The former First Lady recalled landing there under “sniper fire.” But one passenger on the plane: comedian Sinbad, also along on the humanitarian trip, disagreed.


“I never felt that I was in a dangerous position,” Sinbad told the Washington Post last week. “I never felt being in a sense of peril, or ‘Oh, God, I hope I’m going to be okay when I get out of this helicopter or when I get out of this tank,” he said.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick In Scandal

Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice, Obstruction of Justice,
Two Counts of Perjury


Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and Detroit's youngest elected leader, was charged Monday with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office.
Read Article...


Meet The Prosecutor



Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office.

"The justice system has been severely mocked and the public trust trampled on. ... This case is about as far from being a private matter as one can get," she said.

Perjury is a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. But for Kilpatrick, a conviction also would mean his immediate expulsion from office. The Detroit City Charter calls for any elected official convicted of a felony while in office to be removed.
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Monday, March 24, 2008

Holy Week Message To Bill Richardson's Endorsement

New Mexico Governor Responds To The Clintons
- Gutter Politics -


Asked about James Carville's comments, as reported in the New York Times Saturday, that Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama was comparable to "when Judas sold out [Jesus] for 30 pieces of silver," an angry Richardson told Wallace, "I'm not going to get in the gutter like that."

Then he followed with a blistering attack on the Clinton's inner circle.

"And you know, that's typical of many of the people around Senator Clinton. They think they have a sense of entitlement to the presidency."

He also said both campaigns have been too negative, but then slammed Clinton's campaign.
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Friday, March 21, 2008

CIETC Trial To Proceed Without Ramona

New Presiding Judge and Still No
"I Believe I Earned" It Ramona Cunningham


Former CIETC boss Ramona Cunningham will not stand trial with three co-defendants on April 7 so lawyers can resolve questions about her sanity, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

The ruling creates a question as to when Cunningham will face a jury on federal fraud and conspiracy charges that stem from her days as executive director of the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium. Authorities say between $1.5 million and $1.8 million was misspent at the agency, mostly on unearned salaries and bonuses.

There will be no delay, however, for Cunningham's co-defendants in the case: former CIETC treasurer Karen Tesdell, former board member Dan Albritton and former Iowa Workforce Development supervisor Jane Barto.
Read Article...


***

U.S. District Judge Ronald Longstaff has filed an order saying he won't be able to hear the case involving the defunct Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium. Chief Judge Robert Pratt has been assigned in his place.
Read Article...


Previous Posts On CIETC Scandal



Thursday, March 20, 2008

McCain Beats Both Clinton and Obama

Obama's Lead Over Clinton Narrows


Democrat Barack Obama's big national lead over Hillary Clinton has all but evaporated in the U.S. presidential race, and both Democrats trail Republican John McCain, according a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

McCain leads 46 percent to 40 percent in a hypothetical matchup against Obama in the November presidential election, according to the poll.

Matched up against Clinton, McCain leads 48 percent to 40 percent, narrower than his 50 to 38 percent advantage over her in February.

"It's not surprising to me that McCain's on top because there is disarray and confusion on the Democratic side," Zogby said.

Read Article...




Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Beer Kills Cancer In Humans

Even Helps Post-Menopausal Hot Flashes
And Also prevents Osteoporosis



Researchers are always looking for the magic bullet to kill cancer, and now they may have found it in a surprising place – a glass of beer! (Who knew?) It turns out that hops, which is the flavor component of beer, contains a cancer-fighting compound called xanthohumol.

Xanthohumol turns out to be toxic to several kinds of human cancer, including prostate, ovarian, breast, and colon. Further, it inhibits enzymes that can activate the development of cancer, and also helps detoxify carcinogens. It even seems to slow down tumor growth in the early stages. Scientists are trying to produce hops that contain even more xanthohumol, and the Germans are racing to develop a “health” beer.

But wait – there’s more! Other compounds in hops are potent phytoestrogens which may help with post-menopausal hot flashes and also prevent osteoporosis.

Beers that provide the most benefits contain the most hops, and include strong brews such as ale, stout, and porter. In general, the darker the beer, the better. For those who can’t stand beer, herbal supplements made from hops contain the highest concentrations of beneficial elements.
Read Article...


Tuesday, March 18, 2008

No Re-do Of Primary Election In Florida

Perhaps The Court System Might Intervene


With any luck at all, the federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta will come riding to the rescue of 1.7 million Florida Democrats who thought they already voted for their choice in the presidential primary.

True, one federal lawsuit contesting the Democratic National Committee's decision to deny seats to Florida's delegates at its upcoming national convention already has been dismissed. But an awful lot has happened since then.

There has been talk of a "re-do" primary election in both states. Michigan continues to move ahead. However, Florida threw in the towel Monday afternoon. NO NEW ELECTION IN FLORIDA. "A party-run primary or caucus has been ruled out, and it's simply not possible for the state to hold another election, even if the party were to pay for it," said Karen Thurman, Florida Democratic chairwoman.
Read Article...

What about Michigan?


Monday, March 17, 2008

End Of Conservative Movement?

So Says Campaign for America's Future...

The conservative era that began with Ronald Reagan's presidency in 1980 is dead, according to a liberal advocacy group. At a press conference last week in the nation's capital, the Campaign for America's Future (CAF) drew parallels between the Carter-Reagan years and the current election year.

Leaders of the conservative movement, however, dismissed the idea that their movement is over.
Read Article...




Friday, March 14, 2008

Body Parts Found In Dumpster At Michigan Clinic

Included Were Patient Records, Medical Waste
And Body Parts Of Aborted Fetuses


State officials are investigating the alleged improper disposal of medical waste -- including body parts of aborted fetuses -- found in the Dumpster of a Lathrup Village clinic.

On Monday, officials from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality searched the trash bins of WomanCare clinics in Lathrup Village and Sterling Heights, spokesman Robert McCann said.

Sgt. Vincent Lynch of the Lathrup Village Police Department said the parts, other medical waste and patient records were found in the clinic's location on Southfield Road by an anti-abortion group, the Michigan-based Citizens for a Pro-Life Society. He said medical waste was taken away by a licensed hazardous waste hauler. Lathrup Village police will investigate the improper disposal of the patient records, a misdemeanor, he said.

According to state law, pathological waste -- which includes body parts and "products of conception" -- must be incinerated, ground and flushed down a sanitary sewer or buried in a cemetery.
Read Article...


Thursday, March 13, 2008

Resignations Amidst Controversy In The State Of New York

I Will Keep My Midwestern Iowa Values
- Thank You -

1. New York Democratic Governor Resigns
The call girl at the center of the prostitution scandal that prompted Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign in disgrace has been identified as a 22- year-old aspiring musician who struggled in a broken home as a child.

The New York Times reported that the real name of the woman—identified as "Kristen" in court papers alleging that Spitzer paid thousands of dollars for her services—is Ashley Alexandra Dupre.
Read Article...
***
2. Geraldine Ferraro Resigns From Clinton Campaign
The Clinton campaign confirms Geraldine Ferraro has stepped down from her role on the finance committee of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign after making racially charged remarks about Sen. Barack Obama.

Ferraro notified Clinton by letter Wednesday that she would no longer serve on Clinton's finance committee as "Honorary New York Leadership Council Chair," reported the Associated Press.
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