cutting back on subjects other than reading and math in order to continue receiving funds under the No Child Left Behind law. As a result, many kids are getting either reduced or no exposure to the vast body of knowledge — science, history, languages, and the arts — that our society has to offer. Instead, they get to grind through hours per day of reading and math. I agree that these are bedrock skills to master, but I can’t agree that this lack of variety is anything but damaging to a person’s desire to learn.

One principal is quoted as saying that there has been minimal complaint from the students about taking two subjects. I wonder if these kids, already frustrated with their struggle to do well on standardized tests, even believe that providing feedback will lead to any changes in their education. I also wonder about the context of who is taking this altered curriculum at these schools, and whether this ultimately fuels a larger divide between the haves and have-nots in a world increasingly reliant on brainpower. ]]>

Jason Narducy (of Rockets Over Sweden) play an acoustic covers set at The Hideout last night. Jason’s been touring a lot lately — he played bass on Bob Mould’s tour last year; he’s now touring with Bob Pollard of Guided By Voices fame. I generally recommend any music that Jason’s involved in, including his own band, the current tour, and any time he can get on top of a bar and serenade an unwilling victim with “I Want You To Want Me.” ]]>

brackets. As I went to a Division III (no scholarships) school, I can watch the tournament without too much emotional turmoil. Not so for my friends that went to Illinois.

Some links:

• George Will has a satisfying view on Iraq, 3 years later.
• A fun little doom-and-gloom about the upcoming elections and Bush’s abysmal approval ratings.

]]>

circling the wagons. My favorite theme is the ol’ “hate the sin, love the sinner” routine — everyone praises Bush and decries the deviation from traditional conservative values. As several of the “successors” are U.S. Senators who supported the White House’s spendthrift ways, I find the sentiment a little hard to swallow. My current consolation is that, McCain aside, the potential heirs are almost as interesting to listen to as Kerry. ]]>