SuperJerk

So we're actually arguing over frequency? Even *if* there was a way of measuring this in exact terms, I doubt the documentation exists to prove anyone correct.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/25/f...y.ap/index.html PTC They gave TV shows parental ratings and all TVs have v-chips now...what the fuck else do you idiots want?????

What's this "we" stuff? Seriously, though... The reason history isn't taught very well in schools is because teachers are often given huge district ciriculum standards and are told to cover the whole thing, rather than picking and choosing what's the most important things. Thus, topics like WWII are not gotten to until May when there's little time to spend on them. Even sometimes when district's prioritize topics, often things like the social consequences of the industrial revolution (important, but not essential) are given first priority, and the teachers are again left without enough time to cover WWII. Another alarming trend is that teachers in some states are forced to rush through everything to meet state assessment deadlines, while other states do not require students to be tested in history at all. Add this to the fact that many history teachers are coaches, thus lacking the time to devote to lesson planning, and you've got a recipe for societal ignorance.

Wes was such a damn pimp. His girlfriend from Season 2 was hot, too.

^Isn't Shadowcat in the new Avenger/X-Men/Magneto mini-series (written by Bendis)?^ Bringing Colossus back was actually a good move, though, considering how beloved the character is. I don't think anyone expected him to stay dead for as long as he did. On the other hand, Psylocke's return = pointless.

So basically, if their favorite moment wasn't one they were personally involved in, it most likely featured Hulk Hogan.

And wasn't that just the hottest Lilah scene ever? Who's with me on this???

I'm not getting all the Whedon hate.

My local Sam's Club has every season for $37 apiece. (Not a taunt.) Hopefully they'll have the copies long enough for me to buy the other 4 season's I'm missing. I finally saw "You're Welcome". Good ending. I didn't realize how much I miss seeing Charisma Carpenter on a weekly basis. She was damn cute in this episode. Also, quite a contrast to how flat-chested she was the first 2 seasons of "Buffy". I'm not looking forward to watching "Why We Fight" for some reason. Hey, Rick, what episode was it where Lilah dressed up like Fred?

"I Am Charlotte Simmons" by Tom Wolfe.

Has anyone said Juggernaut yet? Anyhow, I finally bought a copy of Wizard this month. The articles were good, but the price guide was CRAP~! Talk about thin! All kinds of stuff was left out.

I'll make no secret about the fact that I think "Wizard" started to completely prostitute itself to Marvel and DC a few years ago. However, every once in a while I'll pick up an issue just to see what stuff they're covering. I almost bought an issue tonight at the mall because I'm thinking about selling huge chunks of my collection on Ebay. I noticed two things right away though. First, the cover price was almost $6. Second, it was awfully thin. Since it was in a plastic bag I couldn't check, but did they take out the monthly price guide or something? The thought that that's what they might have done was enough to keep me from shelling out the $6. Can anyone answer this question for me? Anyone else want to share what they think of the publication as a whole?

Nitro wrestled on Raw? I just thought he ran around as Bischoff's assistant the whole time.

100% correct.

*Insert South Carolina joke here.* Seriously, though, your evidence that radically altering the sample won't effect testing outcomes is shaky at best. "Bottom 5" of what exactly? All states (both those who do and do not make SATs a requirement) or just states who only test those students who are going to college? A what about states where almost no one takes the SAT (except kids trying to get into schools on the coasts)? In the midwest, people generally take the ACT, which is scored differently.

You're basing your opinion that those things never happened entirely on refusals to testify. There are plenty of others who have come forward over the years with stories of those type of acts to lead me to believe things like that did happen. You're talking about a group of men who were forced into the military against their will (drafted), treated like subhuman objects during training, encouraged to be as aggresive as possible, conditioned them to think in terms of "kill or be killed", told look at everyone they met over there in those terms, fed lies that they were fighting for freedom and democracy, and then thrown them into the thick of a war and told "KILL! KILL! KILL!" by their commanders. Given those conditions, the types of atrocities described by many, many sources is to be expected. That's not to say that everyone one, or even the majority of, soldiers serving in Vietnam did those types of things. However, the idea that those occurences were widespread should be expected. Interview with the author of The New Winter Soldiers: http://hnn.us/articles/6811.html

I just altogether quit reading from 1991-94 and 1995-98. Dark days indeed.

Cannonball?

AYP basically says that if a school doesn't improve by an arbitrary percentage each year, its not good enough. There are many suburban school districts which are in danger of not making AYP since there's not as much room for them to improve as some less fortunate districts. Charter schools run by for-profit companies run the risk of putting profits ahead of good practices. Allegations of gross financial mismanagement are also not unusual. As I already stated, a school can fail to make AYP on account of Special Education or ESOL kids. NCLB is incompatible with provisions of IDEA.

credit: http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/23/...left/index.html I'll go ahead and point out that my biggest problems with the law are the ones I put in bold. Before someone uses the "teachers don't like standardized tests because it makes them do their jobs" argument, let me point out that most states had standardized testing in place decades before Bush took office.

You're right. Still, my point is that comparing the two countries test scores is like comparing apples and oranges since the cultures are so drastically different. For example, when a kid fails in Japan, its the kid's fault for not trying hard enough. Here its the teacher's fault.

No argument here. I'd just like some changes made so that the majority of the students aren't punished for the poor performance of the few (little but enough to cause a school to not meet annual yearly progress).

Comparing American test scores and Japanese test scores is like comparing apples and oranges because the testing sample is so different. What are you basing this assumption on, exactly? They actually have a 2 track education system, one track for college-bound, and one for everyone else. edit: I am incorrect on this point.

They only test their college-bound kids. We test EVERYBODY.