Maribou and I saw Novocaine on a date and I was surprised by how deftly it handled its absolutely absurd premise. Graphic violence and gore, but it was a live-action cartoon. I laughed as I watched through my fingers.
The Monkey was a short story from 1980's "Skeleton Crew" and I read that back in my teenage years after surreptitiously sneaking it out of the library. It was one of the scariest short stories I'd ever read to that point and some of the imagery haunts me even yet. NO WONDER I WASN'T ALLOWED TO READ STEPHEN KING.
I'm glad they finally made a movie out of that one. I'm sure that there were dozens who tried to get a movie made out of it but no script was able to generate that whole "grab more of the blanket" feeling that the short story pulled off. Going for comedy is probably the only way it could have gotten across the finish line, I guess.
Pragmatically, I don't think that publicly funded child care will work.
Specifically, it seems that we've got yet another iron triangle and people are saying something to the effect of "I want exactly what we have now, only cheaper".
The high quality day care you get at the $300/week place? We want that, only for $100/week.
All of the joys of sitting in a circle singing "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts", all of the costs of being given a seat on the couch and Cocomelon and Bluey marathons.
I'm pretty sure that the problem schools aren't the ones with the good teachers.
I went to very good schools and had very good teachers.
When people complain about the school districts that have 39% of students at proficiency (OR LOWER!!!), they're probably not thinking of the schools with the good teachers.
I've mentioned Marie Gluesenkamp Perez before and I will most assuredly mention her again. She's capable of holding down a blue seat in a red district in Warshington and she's capable of speaking like she's not online.
(She also absorbs an animal spirit from the forest early in the vid.)
The whole abundance/pragmatism thing that seems to be infecting parts of the Dems should be welcomed. This rejection of the perfect over the achievable is downright refreshing.
The advancements haven't made their way through the snake yet but Mississippi and California are tied.
Reading has similar numbers. 4th grade reading has Mississippi four points above the national numbers and California 3 points below (but California is 2 numbers below the national numbers and Mississippi is 3).
But Mississippi is really turning things around and we should probably take what they're doing and see if it can be made to work in other places.
I'm not suggesting what might be done, mind... Merely pointing out that "why do you care, they're only college students" has stopped working for a large number of carers.
It's more that the "why do you care? They're stupid college students and will grow out of it" has been demonstrated to be false for a non-zero number of the stupid college students.
Some of them gain power not over Israel, but over more local Zionists.
"Why do you care? They're only DAs." Will become "It's not like they're judges."
On “Pop Culture Quarterly Report: Quarter One 2025”
Maribou and I saw Novocaine on a date and I was surprised by how deftly it handled its absolutely absurd premise. Graphic violence and gore, but it was a live-action cartoon. I laughed as I watched through my fingers.
The Monkey was a short story from 1980's "Skeleton Crew" and I read that back in my teenage years after surreptitiously sneaking it out of the library. It was one of the scariest short stories I'd ever read to that point and some of the imagery haunts me even yet. NO WONDER I WASN'T ALLOWED TO READ STEPHEN KING.
I'm glad they finally made a movie out of that one. I'm sure that there were dozens who tried to get a movie made out of it but no script was able to generate that whole "grab more of the blanket" feeling that the short story pulled off. Going for comedy is probably the only way it could have gotten across the finish line, I guess.
On “Gender Critical: Legally Defining Sex”
Great. Another short dude who uptalks and complains that nobody wants to date him.
We have enough of those, thanks.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
The North Side schools are the ones that have high proficiency rates and large numbers of students who go on to college/university.
The South Side schools are the ones more representative of the country as a whole.
"
Yeah, if we have day care work on a voucher/charter/private school model, it'll work as well as the schools in North Colorado Springs.
"What about the schools in South Colorado Springs?"
"HOW DARE YOU"
On “About Last Night: Carney’s Liberals Complete Canadian Comeback”
Trudeauism without Trudeau.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/28/2025”
Well, they arrested the guy who stole Kristi Noem's purse. It's allegedly an undocumented visitor.
This, of course, has resulted in Truthers.
"
Yes. This will be fixed by hiring more administrators with intangible goals and zero deliverables.
"
You guys need to do a better job of normalizing roommates.
"
It's one thing to say such a thing in North Colorado Springs.
Quite another to say it in some parts of Baltimore.
Where are we saying it?
"
I strongly dispute that 10 dollar a day daycare is a UMC welfare issue
"
Pragmatically, I don't think that publicly funded child care will work.
Specifically, it seems that we've got yet another iron triangle and people are saying something to the effect of "I want exactly what we have now, only cheaper".
The high quality day care you get at the $300/week place? We want that, only for $100/week.
All of the joys of sitting in a circle singing "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts", all of the costs of being given a seat on the couch and Cocomelon and Bluey marathons.
"
I'm pretty sure that the problem schools aren't the ones with the good teachers.
I went to very good schools and had very good teachers.
When people complain about the school districts that have 39% of students at proficiency (OR LOWER!!!), they're probably not thinking of the schools with the good teachers.
"
You should primary her with someone who won't win against the Republican.
That'll show her.
It'll be like the Harris/Palestine thing, only for Congress.
"
You don't care about childcare? HOW DARE YOU
"
I've mentioned Marie Gluesenkamp Perez before and I will most assuredly mention her again. She's capable of holding down a blue seat in a red district in Warshington and she's capable of speaking like she's not online.
Check this out.
(She also absorbs an animal spirit from the forest early in the vid.)
The whole abundance/pragmatism thing that seems to be infecting parts of the Dems should be welcomed. This rejection of the perfect over the achievable is downright refreshing.
"
"Pragmatic argument."
"HOW DARE YOU"
"Statement of the importance of achievable goals."
"HOW DARE YOU"
lather, rinse, repeat
"
Let teachers teach. Pay them well. Give students the additional support. Stop trying to meet production quotas and quantitative rubrics.
"
It's a failure to regurgitate on specific tests in a specific way?
It seems to me that that particular criticism indicates that 39% is too high.
"
Play with the knobs on the website!
"At or above basic" and "At or above proficient" are both on there.
When it comes to Grade 4 match, at or above proficient for the national number is 39%. (Insert "that's practically half!" joke here.)
"
Wait, you're describing a program where students who haven't earned the right to advance don't advance until they have the required skills to advance.
Except you're describing it as bad.
"
Goodness! That's quite a claim!
"
New education numbers are out and we're going to have to change our jokes about the Deep South because of how much Mississippi has advanced!
Here's fourth grade math according to Nation's Report Card:
Mississippi is two above the National Public and California is four below. That's right, Mississippi beats California at 4th grade math.
8th grade math?
The advancements haven't made their way through the snake yet but Mississippi and California are tied.
Reading has similar numbers. 4th grade reading has Mississippi four points above the national numbers and California 3 points below (but California is 2 numbers below the national numbers and Mississippi is 3).
But Mississippi is really turning things around and we should probably take what they're doing and see if it can be made to work in other places.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/21/2025”
I'm not suggesting what might be done, mind... Merely pointing out that "why do you care, they're only college students" has stopped working for a large number of carers.
"
It's more that the "why do you care? They're stupid college students and will grow out of it" has been demonstrated to be false for a non-zero number of the stupid college students.
Some of them gain power not over Israel, but over more local Zionists.
"Why do you care? They're only DAs." Will become "It's not like they're judges."
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: Blue Prince”
On day 54, I finally had a floorplan with 45 rooms.
Doing so got me no closer to finding the 46th.
But I understand that now the game can actually begin in earnest.