Mighty AC

That's a good point. I've been involved in taking kids out to explore natural environments in part to build empathy and respect for species, food webs, natural ecosystems, etc. It's an effective way to combat nature deficit disorder, but in my neck of the woods we simply don't have access to ocean environments and many of the world's most impressive land animals. Aquariums and zoos can educate a lot of people, while also allowing for breeding and research opportunities. However, we can probably do away with shows that make animals perform tricks for our amusement.

Spoken like a man that truly cares about education.

This vid fits the discussion here pretty well. "I'm not a heterphobe but...."

I just watched Blackfish recently as well. It's very well done and currently available on Netflix. The Cove is another doc worth watching.

I didn't think there would be enough to discuss in this thread to get beyond a page or two. It's understandable that some people may feel uncomfortable seeing public acts of affection by same sex couples. People used to be shocked by interracial acts of affection at one point too. As long as those who feel awkward about it realize that it's their own problem, and they will have to get used to it and get over it. I can't believe anyone feels homo and hetero athletes would need separate locker rooms. I once stayed in a residence that had co-ed washroom and shower facilities. I never once felt the need to hit on or assault a woman showering in the stall next to me. The only time it felt a little awkward were those mornings after late night, drunken Taco Bell runs. The kind that leave one running for the border, early the next day.

I can't believe that nobody has commented on the fact that the first openly gay NFL draft pick went to the Rams. The only possible better outcome would have been if he was picked by the Browns or the Packers.

For those that are interested comicbookgirl19 on YouTube does some very interesting GOT episode analysis. Plus I think she's very hot. Anyway, here is the S04E07 recap.

I hear you... That's why I was hoping for a big departure from the books in the Bran/Northern plot line.

It's amazing to see the frequency of violent special needs and behaviour problem kids in schools. Some kids can be very normal, docile students but then encounter their particular trigger and they blow. I've seen kids punching, kicking, choking, biting, scratching teachers, admin staff and other students over seemingly nothing at all. Some of the kids throw chairs, desks, equipment, etc. at other students. I've had colleagues who teach kids that get angry and then just urinate or defecate on the classroom floor. The safety of the rest of the class has to come first so these kids do have to be removed and isolated at times. One last resort strategy is a modified day, where students only attend school for a short period of time and then go home. If they handle the shortened day, they work up to longer and longer periods at school until they can handle the normal schedule. Anyway, under a Hudak regime, these kids will not receive the special help they require. Even worse they will be will be in regular classrooms where they will monopolize teacher time, robbing the rest, of what Tim vows will be larger classes, from instructional time. It's a lose, lose situation for everyone involved. As for your comment about retired teachers still acting as occasional teachers, I'm indifferent. They don't get paid anymore than young substitutes and they have far more experience, so from and education and classroom management perspective they are generally better for the students. From a union or fairness perspective, they are robbing job opportunities from young teachers who could use the income.

Election suicide would be far preferable to dismembering education though. When thousands of educational support workers are let go it doesn't just hurt the learning disabled and low functioning students. When struggling kids, plus all those with behaviour issues are in regular classrooms full time, everyone is dragged down. If Hudak actually wants to save money without doing irreparable damage to Ontario students he should plan to stop publicly funding a separate education system for one religion.

The actual teaching of students is certainly just small part of the job; however, making a difference (hopefully positive) is what most of us sign on for. Coaching, clubs, PD, extra help, parent communication, endless meetings, reflection - tweaking - reassessing, enrichment, remediation, etc. is just part of the profession. I would rather unions use the millions they collect to advertise and create awareness of all of the services teachers provide, rather than working to rule to make a point. It's the students we care about and they ultimately lose. Scary, wing-nuts like Tim Hudak would be far less dangerous if the public had a better idea of how the system operates and the importance of educational support workers. It is always a good idea to create efficiency and minimize waste, but what he is proposing will do an immense amount of harm to the quality of education students receive. If he is looking to save money, why not stop the public funding of one religion's separate school system?

From what I understand he is favour of the status quo on this issue. The dude is a disaster on every level. This election would be a landslide if it wasn't for Tim.

I watched Walk Of The Earth play a week and a half ago in Toronto and I still have this tune in my head. They put on one of the most creative and entertaining live shows I've ever seen. Don't pass up a chance to see them play. Edit: I had to add this excellent cover and cool video by Gianni and Sarah of WOTE.

What could be cooler than the rock acordian? Bagpipes? Maybe the electric uke? Anyway, I dig their ungentlemanly chops. I started on a Kongos tour of YouTube tonight and then eventually started to wander. I ended up finding this solid duet of Axl and Shannon Hoon singing Don't Cry Anyone else think the young Axl, sans bandanna, looked a lot like Donna from "That 70's Show"?

Look, there was another leak today. I suspect this one will get MSM coverage because it happened in LA. 10,000 gallons of oil spill on Los Angeles streets I don't want this to be a Keystone thread, but you, Shady, PIK and other cons seem to think that job creation, or profits trump everything. I suspect if the pipeline does go ahead on Obama's watch and it eventually leaks into the Ogallala Aquifer, Shady will blame Obama for creating a midwestern drought. Harper, along with you and PIK will argue that there was never any reason to suspect a pipeline leak was even a possibility. Are temporary construction jobs and then a handful of inspector jobs worth destroying the most important water source for a large chunk of the continent? Wouldn't building a much longer pipeline that avoids such critical water sources create even more jobs?

Certainly. However, I would also argue that the religion plays a role. Adding wealth, stability and comfort (or something to lose) can lessen the negative side effects of religion but it doesn't ever seem to eliminate them. I think anytime we give supernatural or magical weight to a book or an idea, and then grant only a handful of men the "power" to interpret it for us, we are going to create problems.

I didn't notice that before, but you do see a glimpse of Tyrion's champion. You only see that back of the Crown's champion, but the identity of Tyrion's fighter coupled with the physical characteristics will probably give it away.

Are you arguing that religion is not a causal factor or just that it is one of many?

The character known a Socialist is most likely a parody created by another forum member, but at least the fanatic rants get us talking about education. I am a software designer that also teaches a little biology, chemistry and computer science. As someone that makes most of my living in the private sector but also works as a teacher I tend to see and despise both sides in labour debates. The die hard unionists and ignorant anti-teacher preachers both tend to steer the debate away from the sane middle ground. I'm not that familiar with the situation in BC. I know BC has been battling budget issues and has frozen education spending for a while now. I understand the need to control spending, I supported the measures taken by the McGuinty government in Ontario. However, I do know first hand that educational opportunities are limited by funding. A lack of equipment, supplies, space, staff, maintenance, time, etc. continuously prevent students from being immersed in those optimal inquiry based, kinesthetic, problem solving activities that are so beneficial. I'm impatient so I often buy my own resources and use my own tech devices to get the job done, but not everyone can do that. Education is better than it has been in a long, long time but every freeze and cut is actually felt in the classroom. Like I said, I sided with the Ontario government when it came to freezing and even reducing teacher compensation, while avoiding cuts to personnel numbers. However, the mass education firings proposed by Tim Hudak while be a colossal mistake. Many speculate that it will be the struggling and ELL students that suffer most when cuts are made. This true to a certain degree because it tends to be the extra support systems that a shut down first. However, when slow, struggling students or those with severe behaviour problems have no special support classes they end up in regular classrooms full time, where they act like giant anchors holding back everyone else.

Leaky pipes were continuously in the news until the public grew tired of the stories. Let's look at Keystone 1, built in 2008 for example. It is a modern pipeline designed to meet or exceed "world class safety standards." TransCanada stated that it would leak at a rate of 1.4 times per decade. This should still be considered a problem when the pipeline runs through the most important fresh water source in the central US. Anyway, on top of that "state of the art" design TransCanada agreed to 51 additional special conditions and safety procedures. Sounds great, but the pipeline opened in 2010 and leaked 14 times in one year. The Feds were forced to issue a corrective action order making it the youngest pipeline in US history to receive such an intervention. In 2010 TransCanada built the "state of the art" Bison pipeline which it claimed would "not even need repairs for 20 to 30 years." Within two months of opening a 60 foot section exploded. In both cases, evidence of shoddy welding were found and in the case of Keystone 1 the company knowingly used sub-standard steel in parts. The investigations launched afterwards revealed that TransCanada repeatedly places budget and scheduling concerns ahead of quality. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aswift/transcanadas_record_presents_a.html

This coming from a CPC supporter. The party that tosses MPs who put their constituents first. CPC MPs are not open about social views and are far from autonomous. That party is completely run by the PMO. Like the NDP did with same sex marriage, JT and the Libs have simply charted a moral course on this issue as a party. It's only an issue right now, because they are leading the way. I suspect it's the higher proportion of old and religious members in the CPC base that always leave it struggling to catch up on issues of ethics and rights.

You seem to think higher education equals better teachers. Wouldn't it make sense to provided incentives then? In Ontario a Masters degree provides only a negligible salary bump over others already at the top of the pay grid. For that matter the pay increase to be an administrator doesn't seem worth it either. I can't imagine why anyone would want to be a principal or VP.

The neo-liberal-cons are invading Ontario as well. http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/05/14/tim_hudak_targets_students_seniors_teachers_for_budget_cuts.html Hudak plans to not just freeze employment numbers in education, but actually gut them.