OT GOP scolding from a former true believer

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...
Take Arlen Specter for instance, a thoughtful, diligent, capable
Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter faces a primary challenge he
may very well lose in 2010 even though he would be reelected easily
were he the GOP nominee.

there is debate in Democratic Party meetings over whether to support Specter
in the primary(as he IS a good representative of the State, and has lots of
clout), which could easily get him past any challenge(think a million union
members temporarily changing party affiliation next March....), or letting
him get beat and hammering the bejeezus out of the right-wing loon that
beats him. Downside to the latter is having two fairly low tenured Senators,
not conducive to helping the State in the long run.
Tom

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

, just like on roff, the only folks left in the
GOP are the whackjobs.



Ken, they need you over at rec.outdoors.rv-travel


I've been doing a little research in preparation for a more full time rv
lifestyle after my wife retires and have asked a couple questions on that
UseNet group.


The demographics over there seems to be, old, enough money to own an RV,
old, white, not well educated, old, retired, scared of almost everything,
and, ... old

It's nearly impossible to wade through all the political jibberish to find
any post vaguely on topic ( similar to ROFF ) but the average wackjob looney
over there makes Dave LaCourse seem level headed and open minded ( and they
average 2 or 300 posts/day )

You might want to get over there and straighten them out if ROFF gets any
more lonely.

On Mar 11, 6:03*pm, "Larry L" wrote:
Ken, they need you over at rec.outdoors.rv-travel

I used to hang out at alt.rv.pop-up-trailer, and it wasn't the
politics as much as the apparent demographic that finally got to me.
Not quite the old retiree cohort, but a lot of religious conservatism,
home schoolers, and general intolerance for any liberal viewpoint.
Lots of good folks there despite our political and social
disagreements; but after a few dozen versions of the same discussions
on trailer sway and dutch oven recipes, it just lost my interest.
That; and I sold my pop up.

If that group is still around, there is, like roff, some good
practical info among the other stuff. I haven't been back in years,
so I don't know what it's like any more.

Joe F.

"rb608" wrote

a lot of religious conservatism,
home schoolers, and general intolerance




Heah !! We home schooled my kid one year ( 2nd grade ) and I'm pretty
sure I don't deserve to be lumped into a group that includes 'religious
conservatism' or 'general intolerance' G

////////////


IMHO, one of the great shortcomings of our culture is the low status and
social position given teachers.

My son had a TERRIBLE teacher for first grade. When you met her it was very
clear she didn't like children or her job. My son, who had loved
Kindergarten quickly became a youngster that hated school. He would sit
in my truck as we waited for the school bus ( it wouldn't come down to our
end of the road house ) and want to play math games with me, or read the
street signs, or read magazines I might have in the cab ... but he HATED to
go to school. Think about that, a child eager to learn but dreading
school ... I still shiver at the sad image.

At the end of that year we determined that we would get him out of that
school ( very small, rural, anything but progressive ) after the principal
told us he knew he 'had a problem' in the awful teacher but he wasn't going
to do anything about it. So we tried the home schooling. It went 'OK'
but my wife worked, as did I ( at home), and it wasn't the answer, for us.

So, we transferred him to a different district. That meant I had to drive
him to and pick him up from school each day, but, lord was it worth that and
more.

His 3rd grade teacher was Penny M____ and I'm tempted to use her full name
because she is one of my greatest heroes. The first couple weeks of 3rd
grade the kid would explain that he just wouldn't go to school, that he'd
run away if that is what it took, if the new teacher turned out to be like
1st grade. Scared about his future, and nearly as sad as having at a very
ill child, we'd promise him that if it wasn't better we'd find a different
school.

Penny recognized his badly damaged attitude, and his unique abilities, took
him under her wing, and turned him around. I am, as I've told her several
times, eternally grateful for her skill and her caring and her profession
( in such good hands) .

My 'little boy' graduates from the University of the Pacific in May, with
honors, Phi Beta Kappa, etc .... something I honestly believe would never
have happened without Penny's dedication to her extremely important job of
teaching 3rd grade. We all, at the Linthicum house, love you, Penny, and
respect your work as much as any work done by anyone, anywhere.


Larry L ( who admits the home schooling sub culture is a bit odd ... during
that 2nd grade year we went to several social events designed to help HS
kids get more contact with others, and we were not really in a group of
ideological peers :-)

On Mar 12, 10:27*am, "Larry L" wrote:
Heah !! * *We home schooled my kid one year ( 2nd grade ) and I'm pretty
sure I don't deserve to be lumped into a group that includes 'religious
conservatism' or 'general intolerance' G

Ironically, I tried making a similar point in the arvput group a few
times that homeschooling by itself wasn't a bad thing; but a few of
them, from what I could determine, had removed their kids from the
public system for the wrong reasons and to the likely detriment of
their kid's education IMO.

I also echo your praise of teachers. Too few people, I think, really
understand what the science of teaching entails. It's not necessarily
expertise in the subject matter, it's the art/science of how to best
impart that knowledge to the students. Like Penny, the good ones
understand each student's particular avenues of learning and adjust
their approach accordingly. Not so hard if you're teaching one's own
child; but damned tough with a class of 30 diverse learners. (Judging
by the results of my class' midterm grades, I kinda suck at it.)

We had a 2nd grade teacher who we still consider a friend because of
her amazing ability to reach and motivate her kids, ours included.
She's the greatest. It's truly amazing to see how a good teacher or
team can change the lives of kids.

Joe F.

"rb608" wrote

(Judging
by the results of my class' midterm grades, I kinda suck at it.)


Hopefully you're mostly kidding .... if not, back up and remember that
'scores' are only a small part of success ... another thing our culture
needs to understand better




It's truly amazing to see how a good teacher or
team can change the lives of kids.



AMEN And let me continue by adding that each of those positively
changed kids is FAR more likely to make positive changes in dozens and
dozens of other lives, over time, not just by teaching but simply by being
'better' What we do, good or bad, spreads out from us and ...yes ...
genuinely changes the world ... our part of it, for sure. As you teach,
remember ( for me:-) that YOU are changing the lives of your students, their
kids, and their grandkids ... and for the better I'm sure, Joe.


Larry L ( who thinks of you daily since the neighbor girl as baby lambs
...... 4H .... she just won a laptop, one of those animal carriers that fits
in the bed of a pickup, and a fancy animal weighing scale at a show ... and
is going to the Cow Palace soon, I think )

On Mar 12, 11:29*am, "Larry L" wrote:
..... 4H .... she just won a laptop, one of those animal carriers that fits
in the bed of a pickup, and a fancy animal weighing scale at a show *.... and
is going to the Cow Palace soon, I think )

Very cool. I'm just hoping the bottle feeding stage ends soon.
They're cute, but it's getting old. :-)

Joe F.

rb608 wrote:
Very cool. I'm just hoping the bottle feeding stage ends soon.
They're cute, but it's getting old. :-)

Pardon my ignorance, but I've got to ask. Why bottle feeding ?
Doesn't the ewe take care of feeding the lambs ?

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Mar 12, 1:08*pm, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
Pardon my ignorance, but I've got to ask. Why bottle feeding ?
Doesn't the ewe take care of feeding the lambs ?

No ignorace; you're exactly right. The ewe is *supposed* to take care
of the lambs; but sometimes that instinct doesn't kick in for some
reason. Two things happen: You bottle feed the lambs or lose them,
and the ewe ends up in the chili so it doesn't happen again next year.

Joe F.

rb608 wrote:
No ignorace; ...

Joe, I really like this word. Even beter as a noun - ignoracist. Just watch.
This word will be all the rage in a few years.
--
TL,
Tim
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http://css.sbcma.com/timj