Nice piece by Alex Burns of Politico on the emergence of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley as President Obama’s “sharpest-tongued, most enthusiastic…advocate” [Politico]
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This gets my vote:
On one hand, Kilgore’s line of attack already seems slightly outdated: as he concedes, the state is actually in the process of developing metrics for evaluating which private schools are eligible for participation in the program, and the more pressing debate in Baton Rouge has not been over performance standards, but over which faith-based institutions are suitable for inclusion. Kilgore still persists in assuming that Louisiana’s voucher program will let in too many bottom-dwellers. But while lamenting the fact that an unidentified number (he unhelpfully describes it as a “lot”) of the schools applying for the voucher program suffer from curriculum flaws or other professional deficiencies, Kilgore offers no evidence beyond a reflexive suspicion of Louisiana’s competence that the weakest applicants will survive vetting. Of course, the larger inference, that too few of the state’s private schools provide a high quality alternative worthy of public support, requires a much rigorous assessment of comparative data like graduation rates, college enrollment, achievement based testing, etc.
Nor does Kilgore grapple with a fact that even a private school skeptic must concede. At least some Louisiana private schools are high performers, but remain well out of financial reach for children whose median family income is one of the lowest in the country. Is it troubling to Kilgore that without vouchers, there is no consistently effective path for low-income Louisiana children to gain access to schools like New Orleans’ well regarded but 8% African American Isidore Newman, or the nationally recognized girls school at Mount Carmel Academy, with its 2% black population? Read the rest of… Check out how Toure expertly breaks down the relationship between the War on Drugs and the nihilism and anger of hip-hop. [Washington Post]
Crashing or coasting? Depends on if you are on the outside looking in or the inside looking out. Unfortunately, you see it a lot in business. It’s almost a predictable arc–rising, leveling and, like a star, eventually imploding. It starts with breaking through initial barriers and onto the scene. Followed by rapid and dynamic growth for a sustained period until it becomes an institution of sorts. Then there is a plateauing. An uneasy period where management becomes more concerned about maintaining market share than growing it…because, frankly, it already has about all the market share it can ever get. And then there is a disconnect. Slow at first and only noticeable to those looking for it. But then noticeable to a growing number of others. But not to management. Until the decline has begun. Sometimes management notices and faces the problem then and tries to reverse course. Other times a new management team is brought on because the current team is unable to see the problem clearly or navigate out of the crisis they inadvertently created. And if neither of these take place, there is the crash. Sometimes its soft; sometimes hard. Sometimes swift; sometimes slow. But the crash is inevitable. In the final stage the company is no longer nimble. No longer responsive to customers. It takes them for granted. Instead of trying to see ahead and anticipate market demands and adjust early to them the company instead rests on its laurels and tries to prevent the natural changes from happening within the industry—ironically, the same changes this once great company used to break into a leadership position by being more responsive than their former complacent competitors. The former agent of change has become the agent for the status quo. They resist change during this phase not because change will hurt better delivery of their products or services to customers but because change has become an inconvenience for management. The company is no longer “client centered” but “self centered.” And they have long forgotten the day when they counted on their once larger competitors to believe that self-importance was a successful long-term growth strategy in business. It never is. They will eventually remember this truth. That is inevitable too. But sadly that is almost always “after” the inevitable crash–not before. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Fittingly, it’s a weirdly wonderful song. One I still fail to understand and have never been very interested in figuring out. I just enjoy listening to the bluesy moody jazzy melody. And seem never to tire of it. “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” by Traffic. The song sustained me many nights, days and afternoons from my teens into my late 20s–when I finally got to see the band live in Tamarac, FL in 1992. It was a small intimate theater in the retirement community of Tamarac, FL and the average audience age was about 40. But if I had to pick out my favorite concert moment, it would be when Traffic played Low Spark. That moment, for me, just barely beat out the time I saw Steely Dan live (also in the early 90s in FL) play Aja. Which was a close second place for the song I’ve listened to the most times. And, again, a song I have no interest in understanding. I just enjoy the bluesy, moody, jazzy…. Maybe there really is no accounting for taste…
Having had my own top fundraiser and best friend wear a wire on me for months as the Feds closed in, I am, regrettably, all too familiar with this plight. I have no idea what’s going on with JJJ mentally or physically. But for me, when the feds started sniffing around, and you realize that they have unlimited resources at their disposal and tremendous leverage over your closest confidante, those were the most stressful days of my life.
I first saw JJJ speak nearly a decade ago to an audience of rich white people at St. Louis Country Day School. Advocating policies that would raise their taxes significantly, he had them in the palm of his hand. It was shortly after I saw then-Senate candidate Barack Obama speak for the first time, and frankly, there was no comparison. JJJ was, hands down, the most impressive pol I’d ever heard. Read the rest of… Late to this, but trust me, you don’t wanna miss this haunting piece about DC elite society, and a really f’ed up dude. [New York Times]
It was inevitable. No relationship that begins with love at first sight is able to remain in the “honeymoon” phase forever. There’s that initial irritation (maybe an offhand comment, the way they chew their food, a quirky habit not noticed before–but always something). And then there is the first disagreement (or fight). Maybe you work through it; maybe you don’t. But there is disappointment. And then reality sets in and you move ahead with a more realistic assessment of expectations in the relationship. That happened yesterday between me and my new iPhone, which I bought last week. I didn’t say anything at first. Just changed the subject and looked the other way while lovingly recharging. But when it died again late afternoon Friday, I snapped and said some insulting things to my iPhone. “Come on! What is it with you? Do Apple people only work 4 hours a day and don’t make phones that last longer than that?” Ouch! I took that back. But later thought “You (my iPhone) remind me of that cute little Chihuahua that Paris Hilton carries in her purse —a cute but useless accoutrement.” Fortunately, I didn’t say that out loud. If was Friday night, so I let it go. And we had a good time. Took some pictures. Played with some apps. Watched a video clip of Modern Family. But today I’m wondering if the iPhone and I are going to make it. Breaking up with the Blackberry wasn’t easy. And, yes, I’m on the rebound now and perhaps not thinking straight. But I was hoping for a second phone that was more like a solid second marriage….not a fun fling to get out of my system. I’m committed to making this work, if it can. And am buying a car charger for the iPhone this morning. The initial thrill is wearing off and I worry about being stuck with a high maintenance smart phone. I’m not ready to explore legal options of breaking the two year service contract. But I am starting to notice other phones. |
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