Monthly Archives: May 2014

Thoughts on Needing More “Excellent Teachers” and Lake Woebegone Punditry

Posted on May 28, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Recently, NY Times columnist Eduardo Porter wrote this about U.S. K-12 education (boldface mine): But that won’t overcome perhaps the greatest shortcoming in the United States compared with top performers like Canada, Finland and Singapore: a dearth of excellent teachers. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 3 Comments

Links 5/27/14

Posted on May 27, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Health care: Bring microbial sequencing to hospitals Woods Hole allies with energy firms: Federal funds slip, but researchers remain confident of independence What Researchers Learned About Gun Violence Before Congress Killed Funding The perilous plight of … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 5/27/14

Another Undah?

Posted on May 27, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

A while ago, I posted a photo of the last vestiges of the old T, the Scollay Under sign in the corner of the Blue Line platform at Park Street (now closed for construction). During the repairs, two other Under … Continue reading →

Posted in Boston, Transportation | Comments Off on Another Undah?

Nocera Gets It Half-Right: On the Freedom to Hunt Your Slaves

Posted on May 27, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Joe Nocera does a good service with this history lesson, but he misses the key point (boldface mine): The surprising discovery is that of all the amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights, the Second was probably the least debated. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ammosexuals, BANG! BANG!, Civil Liberties | 8 Comments

Links 5/26/14

Posted on May 26, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Strange Findings on Comb Jellies Uproot Animal Family Tree America is fat because we exercise a little more and eat a lot more Overselling the microbiome award – many – for stories about placental vs. oral … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | 4 Comments

In Memoriam

Posted on May 26, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Observed on the Boston Common, one flag for every fallen Massachusetts service member:

Posted in Massachusetts | 2 Comments

What Teacher Evaluation Looks Like in Practice

Posted on May 26, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Somehow, I think many of the commentators who routinely bash teachers would become violent if subjected to assessments like these in Palm Beach, FL (boldface mine): Five (or more) times in the school year my principal does classroom observations. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 3 Comments

Links 5/25/14

Posted on May 25, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Forgive Me, Scientists, for I Have Sinned (must-read) House Panel Wants to Strip That $50 Million from SBE Again Climate Change: The Anti-Story? Dust Bowl Days: Will We Cut Carbon Pollution Fast Enough To Prevent Permanent … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | 2 Comments

A Misogynist Asshole Without a Gun Is Just a Misogynist Asshole

Posted on May 25, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Unfortunately, mass murder is so commonplace that we can develop standard reactions to it. One thing we should learn is that understanding the psyche of a shooter mere hours after the shooting is difficult at best, and often subject to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ammosexuals, Public Health | 8 Comments

Targetting the Wrong People for the Wrong Reasons

Posted on May 25, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

I know I beat this drum often, but once again, we learn that our surveillance apparatus is directed at non-violent political opposition (boldface mine): Other centers distributed information about the [Occupy] protests, sometimes describing arrests or disruptive tactics, but often … Continue reading →

Posted in CIA Spy Shit, Civil Liberties, Fucking Morons, Terrorism | 2 Comments