Those wacky far-left liberals ruin all our fun. Their latest target is the international sign for “OK;”you know, the one where your fingers form an “O” with your pointer and thumb, with the other three fingers up. It has been declared (are you ready)…a symbol of hate. OK, then? Apparently some folks have decided this common, American Sign Language, everyone-understands-it sign is associated with white supremacy and the far right. I actually have no words. Add this to the list of loony ideas promoted by the left in recent months. There’s the California city that amended the city code to … Continue reading I’m OK, you’re OK, we’re all OK…OK?

Does Trump have a strategy?  How would you know? Four-star General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell was noted for insisting that, prior to any military operation, it’s necessary to define victory.  Only when you know your objective can you develop and implement the tactics needed to do the job.  Only then can you know if your tactics are working, or require adjustment, or need to be revamped.  The first and primary requirement in war and statecraft is strategic clarity.  All else follows. What brings this to mind is the news that Trump has fired Director of National Security … Continue reading Strategic Clarity, Tactical Flexibility

In Part III of a continuing series, Nashville charter schools continue to “fail” so badly that they outperform Nashville’s traditional public schools in most metrics.  From a report by the Nashville Charter Collaborative: “Data from the 2019 TNReady state standardized testing shows that the percentage of economically disadvantaged students in Nashville public charter schools significantly outpaces their peers in all other Nashville public schools”…”Notably, all of the (Metro Nashville Public School) middle and high schools that achieved Reward School status are charter schools or academic magnet schools. While academic magnet schools have academic entrance requirements, such as test scores, public … Continue reading The “Failure” of Charter Schools, Part III

On August 26, 2019, the Wall St. Journal ran a commentary by a Los Angeles public high school teacher named Glenn Sacks.  It’s behind a paywall, but if you have a subscription, I suggest you read it, then come back here.  https://www.wsj.com/articles/charter-schools-success-is-an-illusion-11566859572 He started off by telling us how well his students did on the Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics exam – far above the national norm, and even farther above the California average.  Then he informed us his students’ success is an illusion. Well, that’s odd.  You’d think that a teacher with such a great class would be … Continue reading Education Follies, continued.

In Part II of a continuing series, Tennessee’s charter schools continue to “fail” so badly that their students are among the best performing in the state.  The Valor Schools are in Nashville, which is a hotbed of charter school “failure”.  Charter schools are “failing” so often and so regularly that Nashville is closing traditional public schools and turning them over to charter school operators.  With “failure” like that, who needs success? An email received August 29, 2019: ALL VALOR SCHOOLS PERFORM IN TOP 2% OF STATE IN ACHIEVEMENT & GROWTH We started Valor six years ago with the mission to … Continue reading The “Failure” of Charter Schools, Part II

Mass shootings – what won’t work, and what might. Pardon the inappropriate title to this essay.  Unfortunately that’s the term we use when describing the can’t-miss sure thing that is going to fix the problem under consideration.  Or, rather, the can’t-miss sure thing that someone is absolutely convinced will fix the problem.  But, of course, it won’t. Mass shootings are the problem.  The magic bullet is gun control.  It would seem that no amount of evidence is adequate to convince the true believers that it won’t work.  But it won’t. True believers, here’s a fact:  Complex problems never, ever, have … Continue reading Magic Bullet

By Ron McCarley At the close of the first millennium after Christ, apocalyptic fears of the biblical end-times were heightened.   Famines, earthquakes, and astronomical events were seen as signs of the “Day of Wrath”. “Affliction overcame the hearts of many” (Godel), some reportedly dying “from fright, giving up their ghosts then and there” (Erdoes).   The rich disposed of their earthly treasures, and many people made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  Fast forward to 1988.   As the end of the second millennium approached, a new kind of millennial fever was emerging.   The biblical Armageddon was being replaced by an … Continue reading IS ORGANIZED RELIGION LOSING ITS WAY?

By Rebecca Horvath Being part of a newly-launched blog is exciting – lots of great content on a wide range of topics from some fantastic writers. Then there’s me. In the first few weeks of our blog’s existence, I’ve only made two appearances – far less than my colleagues. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I’ll catch up. But: life. (Also filed under: what did I do with my car keys?) Our original intent was for each member of our core team to provide at least two articles per month, with more certainly allowed. I’m already behind on my … Continue reading These are the days…lo, the busy days…

The name Kurt Waldheim won’t ring many bells today, but there was a time when he was an important man.  Waldheim, an Austrian, served in the German Army in World War II.  After the war he had a distinguished career as a diplomat, capped off by 2 terms as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 – 1981.  However, when he ran for the presidency of Austria in 1986, investigative journalists discovered that he had lied about his military service.  After being wounded on the Eastern Front, he claimed he had been discharged from the army.  In truth, he continued … Continue reading The Kurt Waldheim Problem