I just discovered Seasick Steve. He was a guest on the episode of BBC's "Top Gear" that I watched last night as the driver in their "reasonably priced car." An American, he's a huge star in England, so why have I never heard of him here?
Here's a sample of his music. Hard to put in a category, but it's something of a cross between old style R&R, boogie woogie, and roots. He makes all his own instruments. On Top Gear he played a short bit on a guitar made from two hubcaps from a Morris Minor. (Yes, the tune was in a minor key.) Really likable guy who doesn't take himself seriously and is just havin' fun.
OK, here's another one, a little different, in case that first one was a little too hard for you.
The Wikipedia article on him says some big name musicians have played backup on his albums, so he's got respect from his peers.
Me too. I'm thinkin' the next album on my iPod will be some Seasick Steve.
"The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing" never fit so well as when applied to the medical profession. I was told to have blood work done in time for my appointment with the cardiologist next Tuesday. For insurance purposes the order had to come from my primary care physician, so I called his office, explained the situation, picked up the paperwork, then had the blood drawn yesterday morning. After breakfast.
When I stopped at the lab's front desk they asked, "Are you fasting?" No.
AFTER he draws the blood the phlebotomist says, "You're fasting, right?" Uhm, no.
Then he proceeds to tell me I was supposed to be fasting for this test.
Nowhere on the paperwork did it say fasting. I checked - repeatedly.
Today I had an echocardiogram at the cardiologist's office, also in prep for next week's appointment, and I asked if that blood work should have been done fasting. "Oh yeah, it's no good unless you're fasting. You'll need to have it redone."
So I call my primary care and learn our insurance won't pay for another one.
At her suggestion I called the lab. It's already been sent in and processed.
Alrighty, then. My cardiologist is just going to have to make do with a blood draw that comes after two eggs over medium, link sausages (2), hash browns, raison toast, and a whole lot of black coffee.
(I was hungry.)
I have questions. Why didn't the paperwork say "fasting" on there someplace? Why does the lab look at the order, ask me if I'm fasting, and then give no response when I tell them I'm not? Why does the tech ask AFTER he draws the blood? And then say nothing knowing I should have been?
Now that I have a new battery in Louise I realize how weak the old one was. That thing cranks!
The sticking point in the Chicago teacher's strike is teacher evaluations. The administration wants to gradually increase student performance to count for 25% of the total teacher assessment, growing to 40% over the next five years. (I'm curious what factors count for the remaining percentage.) The teacher's union rejects that plan saying they can't be held responsible for factors like poverty and crime that affect students' performance on standardized tests.
On NPR last week I heard a panel discussion on the growing charter school movement in the U.S. that included a representative of the National Education Association, the national union for teachers. She ripped on charter schools, saying there aren't sufficient safeguards to insure each child gets a quality education or oversight from state and federal administrations.
Some charter schools are very good, some are undoubtedly bad. But their growing number, and the long waiting lists at the charter schools with strong reputations for student achievement wouldn't happen if the public educational system was working like it should. Parents know which public schools and which districts do a good job and which don't. The demand for quality education has created a supply (charter, private and home schooling) that isn't going away as long as teachers' unions act like the one in Chicago.
Why can't they see that??
4 comments:
I just saw one of those political signs in someone's yard that said "Charter Fools." Needless to say, as of now there are no charter schools in WA, which is too bad, because they can work well.
Most of the kids at Pathway go to a charter school. Megan is in 4th grade (?) and taking Latin. 'nuf said.
A friend of mine on Facebook taught in the Chicago school district 10 years ago. Her post from Monday:
"When I was a teacher in Chicago Public Schools ten years ago, I had 33 first and second graders in my classroom. I had 30 desks. My students were living in poverty - many of them had never even held a pencil before entering my classroom.
I’ve never worked harder than I did that year, and my salary qualified me for food stamps."
Dana is someone for whom I have great respect and I trust that she paints an accurate picture. I think the politics of this strike is masking the real teacher pay issue here.
Interesting. None of the news reports I've read or seen, including statements made by the union pres. have mentioned pay. I wonder if that problem has been fixed. All they're talking about now, incl. union people, are issues related to teacher evaluation and seniority.
Post a Comment