Osama Who?

Daddy is mad. I’m hiding under my desk.

The Yahoo story is stupid because it implies a causal relationship where it’s unlikely one exists.

HOWEVER, thanks to the all-obsessive fixation on standardized tests and test scores, and that history/social studies are not on standardized tests used under NCLB to evaluate schools, they are teaching bupkus when it comes to civics. Per the National Assessment of Educational Progress:

Fewer than half of American eighth graders knew the purpose of the Bill of Rights on the most recent national civics examination, and only one in 10 demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches, according to test results released on Wednesday.

Sounds like they’re ready to be Vice Presidential candidates!

I blame Benedick.

@SanFranLefty: The Supreme Court is also pretty loose about the Bill of Rights, especially the 4th amendment.

@Dodgerblue: The current Court seems to think that the 4th, 5th, 8th, and 14th amendments are optional.

@SanFranLefty: Except that corporation are “persons” within the protection of the 14th amendment. Get with the program.

@Dodgerblue: Well of course, I meant as applied to protect individual human beings.

@SanFranLefty: And on the 8th amendment, there’s only a violation if a squad of Navy Seals puts a round in your chest, one in your eye, and throws your body into the ocean. Unless you’re an enemy combatant, whatever that means.

@Tommmcatt Be Fat, And That Be That: I have CRUSHED Angry Birds. CRUSHED IT!!!11 There are only three games at which I’m not at 3 stars. Woo hoo!

And now, because of my mad mousing skillz I am CRUSHING Zuma’s Revenge. Even though I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing.

Oh yes. And such as. (Has noje stopped shouting and banging stuff around? I’m afraid to look)

@Benedick HRH KFC: Have you tried Words With Friends yet?

@SanFranLefty: Never heard of it. Should I? I’m very new to games and better quit right now if I ever hope to get anything done. On the other hand, I’ve finally found something useful to do with my computer.

Today is not only Cinco de Mayo, it’s also One Day Before Lefty Quits Her Job And Leaves For A Vacation In Paradise. Drinks are on me!

@Benedick HRH KFC: OMG, go to the App Store and download it for $2.99. Then send me a message in the sandbox and we can start playing Scrabble on the go.

@Dodgerblue: Woot!

@Benedick HRH KFC: I’ve been told that one can find photos of attractive, naked people by using a computer.

@SanFranLefty: Congrats! I trust they have planned a suitably lavish party with gifts? (Look out for those little blue bags from Tiffany’s)

@Benedick HRH KFC: Not mad. Just wondering how the anti-FDR blogosphere would have responded to the Normandy invasion.

@Dodgerblue: My Mexican friend Liz is totally down on Cinco de Mayo:

“For the record: nobody in Mexico says “Happy 5 de Mayo”, this is a holiday heavily promoted in the US by the beer companies, and NO, it’s not Mexican Independence Day. You got that?”

But it is Mexican Punk, Metal and Hard Rock Day. I declared it myself. See my FB posts throughout the day, starting last night with something from the Repo Man soundtrack and a really big guy playing industrial metal. But today’s Really Big Guy is Rob Trujillo of Metallica.

@nojo:
The Normandy invasion was an Anglo-American assault on German occupation troops in a legitimately conquered country. The Vichy government condemned the invasion. Also, don’t forget that the trains stopped running on time in Fascist Italy after the Anglo-Ameriucan bombing and invasion of that country.

@Dodgerblue: You know, I’ve heard of that. I think Catt mentioned it. I wonder how that works?

@Jesuswalksinidaho: You have a future in Republican consulting.

@nojo: Joseph P. Kennedy and Charles Lindburgh would be all over Fox “News.”

@Benedick HRH KFC: I just read that William and Kate will be visiting California this summer. Will they be getting matching tattoos down at Venice Beach?

@Dodgerblue: The Brits love LA, especially Santa Monica. We met the most charming English tourists during our visit in March.

@¡Andrew!: One hopes they outnumber the Germans, who are everywhere in Cali. And let us not speak of the French.

@¡Andrew!: I did so love Santa Monica when I was there. I watched sushi on little trays go round and round. Valet parking creeps me out. I drove up the coast.

@Dodgerblue: She’ll get ‘Common’ tattooed across her ass. He’ll get a PA like his brother’s.

@Dodgerblue: I was surprised by the number of German tourists that I saw in Mexico City. Lemme tell ya, Spanish spoken with a German accent sounds especially chilling, like Satanic chanting or one of those dumFux Nooz bimbos when they erupt into gibberish from their demonic possessions.

@¡Andrew!: My favorite tourists are Aussies. They know how to have fun.

@Benedick HRH KFC: Did you drive from LA to SF? There’s so many places along that route I’d love to visit: Santa Barbara, San Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel… oh the glamour, adventure and romance!

Watch out for that left toin at Pismo Beach.

@Dodgerblue: Yah kahl that a serfbord?

@¡Andrew!: Didn’t have enough time. Drove up the coast to Carmel then back down through the mountains. Hiked a bit. Ended up with a nice car crash about 30 miles north of LA. I thought the coast was very beautiful north of San Simeon.

@Benedick HRH KFC and @¡Andrew!: The drive between Santa Barbara and SF is absolutely stunning. I would suggest driving south-to-north, because that way when you’re on Highway 1, you’re on the side closer to the cliff versus closer to the ocean.