White supremacist opening nightclub for youths

By GottaLaff

Nothing says Family Values like a club for teens run by an anti-Semitic racist Nazi:

A man who once proclaimed himself the national director of Aryan Nations is planning to open a nightclub east of Kansas City for the under-21 crowd.

The Black Flag is set to open Friday in the Prime Outlet Mall in Odessa, but Charles Juba, a self-avowed racist and anti-Semite, has extended invitations to high school students in Blue Springs, Independence, Fort Osage, Grain Valley and others.

Why not just go on Larry King Live and promote it in front of millions, because that's how shamelessly brazen these monsters have become. Why, he could indoctrinate millions of high school students in one fell swoop!

It's becoming much too easy to spread hate in this country. There is a real danger of Americans becoming desensitized, assuming they're even aware of white supremacists to begin with.

Tea Baggers are screaming about "evil" President Obama while this kind of thing is going on in front of their little blind beady eyes. Way to prioritize.

President Obama to announce steps Monday to reduce school dropout rate

Someone clue me in as to how this will help? Is a huge shake up enough?

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will offer $900 million in grants to states and school districts to turn around low-performing schools — but recipients would have to take drastic action, such as replacing principals, reopening schools as charter schools or closing them outright.

Obama was to announce the plan Monday at an education event sponsored by the America's Promise Alliance, the youth-oriented organization founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma. Obama also planned to discuss ways to better prepare students for college and careers.

The White House says 1.2 million students drop out of school each year, and only about 70 percent of entering high school freshmen go on to graduate. About 2,000 high schools turn out half of all dropouts, and the administration says it will work with states to identify those schools with graduation rates below 60 percent.

Video- Obama issues challenge to high school seniors

Isn't competition the American Way? Not exactly "a foreign ideological vision" that Rep Issa claims Obama lurves.

Washington (CNN) – One lucky high school class will get President Obama to speak at their graduation this year, the White House announced Friday.

The first annual "Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge" competition invites public high schools across the country to show the White House what sets them apart from other schools in academic excellence and college preparedness. Obama will address the commencement of the winning school.

"Public schools that encourage systemic reform and embrace effective approaches to teaching and learning help prepare America's students to graduate ready for college and a career, and enable them to out-compete any worker, anywhere on the world," Obama said in a video released on the White House Web site Friday. "This is your opportunity to show me why your school exemplifies the best that our education system has to offer."

Schools must fill out an application form available through the White House Web site by March 15. Six finalists will then be featured on the White House Web site where the public will have an opportunity to vote for the three schools they think best meet Obama's goals. An ultimate winner will then be selected. The six finalists will be selected by the White House and the Department of Education according to a statement from the White House.

VIDEO: Michelle Obama breaks ground mentoring high school girls

By GottaLaff

Heartfelt:



Earlier I posted about Michelle Obama's breaking new ground with her amazing mentoring program. Now you can watch her talk about it, and as usual, she captivates.

Michelle Obama leads: 1st mentoring program with high school girls

By GottaLaff

Michelle is making history... again:

First lady Michelle Obama -- and some of her Chicago "sisters" in the White House -- on Monday will launch a first-of-its-kind mentoring program with about 20 high school girls from greater Washington.

This is such a fantastic idea. Can you imagine being fifteen and mentored by the first lady? The others are nothing to sneeze at either, but come one... the first lady?!

Observers say her leadership and mentoring initiative has not been done by a first lady before. It will see Obama -- and White House staffers including Valerie Jarrett, Tina Tchen, Susan Sher and Desiree Rogers, Chicagoans all -- act as mentors to high school juniors and sophomores.

Before our male readers start pouting (oh yes you do, you know you pout!), check this out:

A similar initiative for young men is coming later, she said.

Tchen said the program launch will see proteges visit their mentors' offices and gather as a group for dinner. The inaugural class's duration has not been decided, she said, adding that she expects discussions of college, careers, and balancing work and motherhood.

In other words... indoctrination. It's all a trick. You know how devious those Obamas are.

The mentors, she said, want to give proteges a "window to a wide variety of different opportunities to play out your dreams."

And by "dreams" she must mean "trances" which must mean blind following which must mean indoctrination which must mean government control of our children's impressionable minds which must mean the end of America as we know it.

Church to protest high school production of 'Rent'

By GottaLaff

For background on this story, please see my original posts here and here. For the record, I direct/write shows for a local performing arts high school, and we are always under the very, very watchful/critical eyes of other teachers, the principal, and of course, parents. But never have we been scrutinized by a church:

A Kansas-based church known for celebrating at the funerals of American soldiers killed in war plans to protest the staging of the musical "Rent" at an Orange County high school Friday.

The Westboro Baptist Church intends to picket at Corona del Mar High as classes let out and as audience members arrive for the play. Counter-protesters also plan to attend. [...]

Westboro Baptist Church believes end times are imminent and President Obama is the antichrist, said Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of the church's leader. The church has been named a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

And isn't that just who parents, teachers, and principals would want hanging around the kiddies?

The organization announced the planned protest on its website earlier this month, describing the play as a "lying, maudlin piece of propaganda" and saying that those who "enable" such projects are "worthy of death."

"Kill the children!" That's the spirit. But never, ever forget to protect the blastocysts.

"God hates [gay people] and [their] enablers; ergo, God hates Corona del Mar High School!" the website said.

I thought God loved everyone. Isn't that the Christian way? I'm not really up on religion, but I've heard that from time to time.

Church members show up at soldiers' funerals, contending that they are purposefully killed by God because America is accepting of homosexuality.

The Orange County Equality Coalition, which supports gay and lesbian rights, plans to support the teenage actors. [...]

Newport Beach police are developing staffing plans.

Well, Jesus Christ! (oops) They're must be a bright spot! Oh, good. Here's one now:

The controversy may have resulted in one bright spot: Tickets reportedly are selling briskly.

I hope it's SRO. And that it rains, and that there's a big thunder storm, and you-know-who smites you-know-whom.

PhotObama: Michelle Obama's high school prom date was no Barack

By GottaLaff

Prom Night! 18-year-old beauty named Michelle Robinson: Check. Flirty low-cut dress slashed to the thigh: Check. Handsome prom date: Check. David Upchurch instead of Barack Obama: Ruh-roh!

Back then, [Upchurch] recalls Michelle exhibited the drive that would take her from a rough Chicago neighbourhood to Harvard University and on to a law career where she would later meet her husband, Barack Obama.

David said: 'I grew up with Michelle and her brother Craig. We were neighbours, and our families were close.

'When Michelle was in the middle of her junior year, we began dating and continued to date for a year-and-a-half.

'Michelle knew what she wanted and after graduation she was off to Princeton University. I couldn't stand in her way.'

Perhaps mindful that her husband is the President, David refuses to 'kiss and tell' about their time together.

He says he can't even remember if he received a goodnight kiss after the prom.
The romance ended when Michelle went off to Princeton to study sociology. [...]

'I wished the best for Michelle because she has always been a wonderful person,' he said.

'I always knew Michelle was special and would make a difference in the world.' [...]

David, a divorced father-of-three from Colorado Springs, Colorado, says he finds it hard to believe his prom date ended up in the White House.

'I cannot tell you how proud I am of her and her husband. I have never met Barack, but I have to say, he is a very lucky man,' he said.

David Upchurch: The Pete Best of dating.

High school un-cancels production of 'Rent'

By GottaLaff

Original post with all my usual commentary here. Happy ending here:

A controversy erupted when the Corona del Mar High School play was canceled over possible objections to gay content. But the principal has reviewed the script and the show will go on as planned.

At Corona del Mar High School, the show will go on.

After a flap that raised the ire of the gay community and ruffled feathers across the Newport Beach campus, drama students will be allowed to stage a production of "Rent," a musical about struggling artists in New York City.

"I never had a problem with the play selected" by drama teacher Ron Martin, Corona del Mar Principal Fal Asrani said in a statement released Wednesday by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

"The selection of our drama productions is his call. I just requested the opportunity to review the script before it was final. [The school] administration received parent concerns from a previous play and I wanted to be able to ensure my commitment to the concerned parents as well as show my support of the student production without any reservation." [...]

As the controversy filtered onto blogs, drama students and alumni of the 2,300-student school spoke out against the show's cancellation, which some said stemmed from intolerance. The musical deals with poverty, drugs and the impact of AIDS on gay and straight relationships.

Last week, Martin requested a rush copy of the toned-down version of the script, which he gave to Asrani on Monday. [...]

Newport-Mesa Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard denounced media reports of the controversy and criticism that the school was homophobic, citing human relations achievements at the school. [...]

Martin said, based on slurs he had overheard and offensive videos posted by students online, that he felt there was a problem with homophobia on campus and that he hoped "Rent" would help promote understanding.

And they sang and danced happily ever after.

School cancels 'Rent' production because of gay characters

By GottaLaff

I saw this in my morning paper yesterday, but I was gone all day and couldn't write about it. Luckily, Paddy sent me a shorter e-version of the article today:

A Southern California drama teacher says his school's production of the musical "Rent" was scrapped because of the play's gay characters.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach, Calif., planned a spring production of the Bohemian love story until the drama teacher said he was told by the principal to cancel it.

Sounds a little like the school I work for, which is actually very liberal for the most part... but that doesn't matter. It's the parents who drive our principal's decisions.

For example, in one show that I co-wrote, we had to refrain from using two words in a running comedy gag. The words? Tampons and PMS. Never mind that the words are used in ads on the Tee Vee Machine at all hours of the day, and never mind that every teenager has seen them in the aisles of their local drugstores. Uttering them out loud, even in a comedic context, was taboo.

The school district said Principal Fal Asrani did not put the kibosh on the production, but only asked to review the script.

That's exactly what happened in my case, too. The problem with that is, when one sees words in print, and not in the context of a performance, it tends to skew one's perceptions and focus. The result? In my case, a watered-down script filled with euphemisms. In the case of Corona del Mar, cancellation.

Teacher Ron Martin said he chose "Rent," the story of artists struggling in New York City, for the spring musical because he hoped it would help teach tolerance after overhearing students using anti-gay epitaphs.

You'd think that life lessons in "tolerance", not to mention freedom of artistic expression, would be the priorities, but no. And what about other themes emphasized in "Rent"? That of drug use and living one's life with AIDS.

To further the comparison to my own experience, there was a segment in my show in which a girl performed a monologue about the joy and liberation she felt from coming out as a lesbian. I was forced to rewrite the scene, substituting gender-neutral pronouns so that her "lover" could be construed as male or female. I managed to keep it ambiguous enough, remaining faithful to the original intent. Don't ask.

The reason I'm bringing my own show into this is to explain that a well-known show like "Rent" may have had preconceptions attached to it, but the show we produced was original. But that still didn't matter. The only advantage I had was my ability to rewrite and adapt the material, sneaking in the original concepts despite the censorship. In short, we got around it (after six rewrites) via writing acrobatics.

Corona Del Mar High didn't have that luxury, but they shouldn't have to. And that is a real shame.

Grandma Palin Says Levi Johnston Is Not a High School Dropout

By GottaLaff

I wonder if Levi and Bristol will take correspondence courses in birth control:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, says her future son-in-law is not a high school dropout as the press is reporting.

Palin told The Associated Press on Wednesday that 18-year-old Levi Johnston is enrolled in high school through a correspondence program.

Palin said some media outlets also are erroneously reporting that her 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, is a high school dropout. The governor said her daughter is enrolled in regular high school and also has taken correspondence courses.

I'm sure the press is Tripping all over themselves to make the correction: Levi is not a high school dropout. Nosireebob.

He's just a hormone-laden jock and the very high school-educated son of a drug dealer, who got his equally overzealous, high school-educated girlfriend/daughter of a phony family values, inarticulate vice presidential candidate, pregnant out of wedlock.

The perfect role models. Especially now that we know they are not high school dropouts. That would have been a deal-breaker.

PHOTOS: Anderson Cooper's high school yearbook page

By GottaLaff

Via HuffPo:

Anderson Hays Cooper, who graduated from the tony Dalton School in New York in 1984 before heading off to Yale, listed his senior quote as, "Mary had a little lamb, the doctor fainted."

(Photos via)

John McCain High

By GottaLaff

No, that blog post title doesn't refer to the probable state of inebriation Gramm-pa has maintained since November 4th. Worse. It's about naming a high school after him:

Eighty-two residents want Gilbert Public Schools to name its newest high school after McCain. His name is just one idea out of 880 suggested in a recent survey to name the school under construction at Val Vista Drive and Germann Road.

About 4,700 people weighed in on naming the new Gilbert high school via e-mails and the recent online survey whose results were released Friday afternoon. Some 144 of the respondents want to keep the board's name, Campo Verde, which struck a sour note with dozens of other families in the area.

The name is Spanish for "green field." Some residents have complained that the name is Spanish, while others have said it is too generic.

And "John McCain High" is an improvement?

McCain's name appeared among the top 10 most popular suggestions by the respondents:

• South Valley High School with 574 in favor
• Quartz Hill High with 427.
• San Tan High with 315.
• Greenfield High, 242.
• Val Vista High, 194.
• Germann High, 159.
• Campo Verde High, 144.
• Quartz High, 135.
• Copper Point High, 110.
• John McCain High, 82.

John McCain High. Cindy McCain blitzed. Sarah Palin oblivious. Barack Obama victorious.

The "honorable" Gramm-pa McCain: "He cursed them so vilely that he was hauled into court on a profanity charge."

By GottaLaff

More excerpts from Make-Believe Maverick, re: his time at Episcopal High School, an all-white, all-boys boarding school across the Potomac in Virginia:

There, McCain behaved with all the petulance his privilege allowed, earning the nicknames "Punk" and "McNasty." Even his friends seemed to dislike him, with one recalling him as "a mean little fucker."
McCain was not only a lousy student, he had his father's taste for drink and a darkly misogynistic streak. The summer after his sophomore year, cruising with a friend near Arlington, McCain tried to pick up a pair of young women. When they laughed at him, he cursed them so vilely that he was hauled into court on a profanity charge. [...]

Before meeting a girlfriend's parents for the first time, McCain got so shitfaced that he literally crashed through the screen door when he showed up in his white midshipman's uniform.

And then there was Annapolis:

When McCain was not shown the pampering to which he was accustomed, he grew petulant — even abusive. He repeatedly blew up in the face of his commanding officer. It was the kind of insubordination that would have gotten any other midshipman kicked out of Annapolis. But his classmates soon realized that McCain was untouchable. [...] McCain dodged expulsion a second time by convincing another midshipman to take the fall after McCain was caught with contraband.

"He was a huge screw-off," recalls Butler. "He was always on probation. The only reason he graduated was because of his father and his grandfather — they couldn't exactly get rid of him."

McCain's self-described "four-year course of insubordination" ended with him graduating fifth from the bottom — 894th out of a class of 899. It was a record of mediocrity he would continue as a pilot.

Some hero, huh?