CAT Tracks for February 2, 2011
GROUNDHOG DAY

The article below has been sitting in the background of my computer desktop for over an hour whilst I tried to numb my mind with the salve of Freecell.

The article is about as ugly as it gets...

The story even had me Googling articles on demagoguery and demagogues, historical and modern. Alas, my memory of such topics served me correctly.

I left Google alone and played more Freecell...


My mind kept telling me to suppress this article. There comes a time when enough is enough. There certainly was nothing in the article that would be considered "news". I mean...since George W. Bush invented No Child Left Behind, we've all been down this road more times than we can count.

However...

...if ever there was an article that SCREAMED for publication...to "rally the troops"...to convince any remaining fence-straddlers that "It's a war out there!"...

...well, THIS was that article.

Another ten games of Freecell were in order...

...while I pondered weak and weary.


Every new day, another article of gloom and doom...


Finally, growing tired of Freecell, I decided to check on the latest Cairo news...

No, no...not whether there was yet another fire in another abandoned building.

The other Cairo...our namesake! Is Hosni Mubarak still President of Egypt?


Clicked on my browser homepage...MSNBC. (Surely you did not expect FOX Noise! There's only so much abuse an old, liberal ex-CAT can take. Of course...since Keith Olbermann has left the building, there is no joy in mudville.)

Anyway...

When the MSNBC homepage came into focus, I received "A SIGN!"

'Tis Groundhog Day...a suitable day for yet another story attacking teachers. Another and another and another...there is no escape.


So...

...as you tentatively open one eye to see what the day will bring.

I am here to bring you the word...

...teachers suck and deserve to be held accountable - by any means necessary - for their dastardly deeds!


CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

Although it won't do any good...

...the demagoguery will continue and demagogues will continue to exploit their lies...

...check out the false premise in the opening words of the article below:

Well, excuuuse the hell outta me! There is NO "national anxiety" about public schools. It is a rouse first perpetrated on the American public by self-serving rapers and pillagers among the never-enough-money class of fat-cat (if you will pardon the expression) business types aided and abetted by the Republican Party.

Now...

...wussy, suck-up "leaders" of the Democrat party have sold out their historic principles (and their union supporters) to throw gasoline on the alleged but fictitious "national anxiety"...invoking Sputnik, Rosa Parks, or the traditional Republican favorite...National Security.


Uh, Ron...

The much ballyhooed 'Waiting for Superman' was a bust at the box office, snubbed in the Oscar nominations.

Uh, Ron...

I mean, stop me if you've heard this before, but...

Uh, Ron...

WHAT?!

Uh, Ron...we HAVE heard this before...like every day!

Oh...

...NEVERMIND!

Have a Nice Groundhog Day!!!

Be back tomorrow...

...and the next day...

...and the next day...


From the New York Times...


Link to Original Story

G.O.P. Governors Take Aim at Teacher Tenure

By TRIP GABRIEL and SAM DILLON

Seizing on a national anxiety over poor student performance, many governors are taking aim at a bedrock tradition of public schools: teacher tenure.

The momentum began over a year ago with President Obama’s call to measure and reward effective teaching, a challenge he repeated in last week’s State of the Union address.

Now several Republican governors have concluded that removing ineffective teachers requires undoing the century-old protections of tenure.

To continue reading this pack of lies, follow the link...


CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

BTW...

For you eternal optimist, glass-overflowing types...

...there IS good news!

NOT being one of your kind, I will admit to expecting the worst...

Yea, I was anticipating that the Prophet Phil, that little fella in Pennsylvania who appears to the huddle masses on this date each year to give his annual weather report...I was fully expecting that he would smote me over the head and spake unto me...more bad news.

In my gloomy state of mind, I fully expected the Punxsutawney Prophet to see "the light"...the light that casts the shadow of fear, causing him to scramble back into his humble abode and hunker down! I assumed that this would be an appropriate sign to teachers...to batten down the hatches, to expect (at least) 6 more YEARS of abuse!

Me of little faith...

Phil is optimistic...Phil says to rejoice...Phil says that spring is in the air!


Yeah...

...just one little thing, Phil.

Teacher-bashers know no season...it's always "open season" on educators.

Our enemies are always out there...winter, spring, summer, or fall!