UNDERNEWS: LOCAL HEROES: SEATTLE TEACHER SUSPENDED FOR REFUSING TO GIVE STANDARDIZED TEST

UNDERNEWS: LOCAL HEROES: SEATTLE TEACHER SUSPENDED FOR REFUSING TO GIVE STANDARDIZED TEST: "PARENT EMPOWERMENT NETWORK Carl Chew, a 6th grade science teacher at Nathan Eckstein Middle School in the Seattle School District, last week defied federal, state, and district regulations that require teachers to administer the Washington Assessment of Student Learning to students.

'I have let my administration know that I will no longer give the WASL to my students. I have done this because of the personal moral and ethical conviction that the WASL is harmful to students, teachers, schools, and families,' wrote Chew in an email to national supporters."

France may make it illegal to promote extreme thinness - Yahoo! News

France may make it illegal to promote extreme thinness - Yahoo! News: "PARIS - The French parliament's lower house adopted a groundbreaking bill Tuesday that would make it illegal for anyone — including fashion magazines, advertisers and Web sites — to publicly incite extreme thinness."

Book: AMERICAN WARS: Illusions & Realities

When Americans hear that the US country may go to war against another nation, they generally believe there’s probably a good reason for it or that no viable alternatives exist—or they don’t think about it at all. They trust their leaders to represent them and defend their values. They accept their leaders’ claims that war is to ensure their safety when others wish to harm them. The media reassures them that the reasons for war are altruistic— that Americans wish to spread democracy and allow others to adopt their way of life. But is this the case? Well-known peace activists examine the realities of American wars—how American values are manipulated to gain support for initiatives contrary to their ideals and the well-being of their country.

ISBN: 13-digit: 978-0-932863-56-0 188 pages 24 illustrations $14.95

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart? - WSJ.com

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart? - WSJ.com: "High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no tardy bells and no classes for the gifted. There is little standardized testing, few parents agonize over college and kids don't start school until age 7.

Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world."

60 Minutes takes a dump on "millennials" - (37signals)

60 Minutes takes a dump on "millennials" - (37signals): "60 Minutes takes a dump on 'millennials' Matt Nov 16


“Millennials” is the nickname for people born between 1980 and 1995. 60 minutes ran a very unflattering story about this generation n the workplace." See blog posting several previous to this one. Here are 132 comments in response to the 60 minutes segment.

Recently Popular Videos about ‘Satire’

Recently Popular Videos about ‘Satire’: "Recently Popular Videos about ‘Satire’"

Go to: http://www.stumbleupon.com/video/satire/

Scroll down and click on "Civilization"

Happiness ...on 60 Minutes; Exclusive Video Only on Yahoo! News

Happiness ...on 60 Minutes; Exclusive Video Only on Yahoo! News: "The Keys to Happiness

Which is the happiest country in the world? According to a scientific study by Leicester University in England, it's Denmark. And that's despite having one of the highest tax rates in the world! Morley Safer explores why it's so great to be a Dane, and talks with a Harvard psychology lecturer who has some tips on being happy, no matter where you live!"

Sadness may encourage more extravagance - Yahoo! News

Sadness may encourage more extravagance - Yahoo! News: "BOSTON - If you're sad and shopping, watch your wallet: A new study shows people's spending judgment goes out the window when they're down, especially if they're a bit self-absorbed."

Boomer Discontent

"We've managed to ignore the financial challenges associated with aging for a long time; until recently they've mostly been in our future. But for more and more of us the future is now, and the stress is starting to show. A Money Magazine survey found boomers less satisfied at this time in life than previous generations - with our finances, our careers, our health and even our marriages. We aren't just singing, 'I can't get no satisfaction.' We're living it."