E Wayne Ross – Page 48 – Critical Theories in Education

MLB 2010 Prognostications

MLB predictions from five of the most knowledgeable and bias baseball experts in North America and the Caribbean.

1. The Unassailable 2010 MLB Picks from Just North of the Border:

[Never, ever, start with the AL]
NL East
Philadelphia Phillies (They are monsters, pitch, hit, hit with power, Da Champs)
Atlanta Braves (Jason Heyward, rookie of the year; Braves give manager Bobby Cox a nice run in his last year)
New York Mets (Suck)
Florida Marlins (Good hit; only average pitching)
Washington Nationals (Even Stephen Straussburg can’t save this pitching staff)

NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals (Should probably pick em to battle with the Phillies, but I hate LaRussa)
Chicago Cubs (Could be the wild card, but lots of “ifs”; A plus that Milton Bradley is gone)
Milwaukee Brewers (Will play .500 ball and be third in the Central agin)
Cincinnati Reds (Chapman got the big contract, but can these guys hit?)
Houston Astros (Play in a bandbox but can’t hit it out)
Pittsburgh Pirates (Those are really cool statues outside PNC Park)

NL West
Colorado Rockies (Speedy and powerful, plus decent pitching)
Los Angeles Dodgers (Manny, will he be weird and good or weird and bad?)
San Francisco Giants (First class pitching, but last year lowest OBP and only 122 homers)
San Diego Padres (Give me a break, camo unis?)
Arizona Diamondbacks (Lot’s of candidates for the bounce-back award)

AL East
New York Yanquis (They are like capitalism, I’ve got nothing good to say about them)
Tampa Bay Rays (Should have the guts to pick em to beat the Yanquis, love Carl Crawford; Soriano will be big time help)
Boston Red Sox (I’m tired of these guys, especially Papelbon, if it’s between NY and Bosox I’ll watch soccer)
Toronto Blue Jays (Cito will never get these guys going)
Baltimore Orioles (Love Boogs BBQ, but not much else to like in Balto…ceptin’ “The Wire”, sorry Kev and Larry)

AL Central
Minnesota Twins (Out of the horrid HHH dome and on to the AL pennant and these boys can hit)
Chicago White Sox (Lot’s of pitching but not enough pop)
Detroit Tigers (Damon helps the offense, but not enough)
Cleveland Indians (Worst pitching in baseball from the team that’s traded away two recent Cy Young winners)
Kansas City Royals (Good young core, on the upswing but not there yet. I picked em below the Tribe to help Perry feel better when he talks baseball with Marty in April…”See Wayne thinks the Tribe is better than KC!”)

AL West
Seattle Mariners (Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez, take that)
Los Angeles Angels (Figgins and Lackey are gone)
Texas Rangers (Wish I could pick em last, just based on past ownership, but the A’s are that bad)
Oakland A’s (Why on earth did Mr. and Mrs. Crisp name their kid “Coco”? Their No. 1 starter, Ben Sheets, missed all of ’09; has made 30 starts once since ’05.)

Playoffs:
NL Pennant: Phillies
AL Pennant: Twins
WS Champs: Phillies

Awards:
NL MVP: Albert Pujols (StL)
AL MVP: Evan Langoria (TB)

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay (PHL)
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander (DET)

NL Rookie: Jason Heyward (ATL)
AL Rookie: Wade Davis (TB)

2. MLB Picks from The Edge of the Continent:

AL East
Tampa Bay
NY
Toronto
Boston
Baltimore

Tampa Bay will surprise and mercilessly stomp the Yankees into oblivion (or at least second place). I hate the Fucking Yankees. Toronto will be a surprise with their young, solid prospects.

AL Central
Minnesota
Detroit
Chicago
Kansas City
Cleveland

It hurts me deeply to pick The Tribe last. They are but a shadow of the 2007 team that was one game from the World Series. The ownership in Cleveland is back to their 60’s and 70s style: CHEAP! So it will be a long year. Shin -Soo Choo will be an all star. Sizemore will comeback after injury. Pitching is dismal. Carmona is a head case. The Twins may win it all this year.

AL West
Los Angeles
Seattle
Texas
Oakland

This may end up being a very competitive division in the AL. The A’s may surprise but will fall short. Milton Bradley will be tamed by the presence of the great Ken Griffey Jr. Cliff Lee may win 30 games if he is healthy.

NL East
Philadelphia
Atlanta
NY
Florida
Washington

The weakest division in all of baseball. It’s the Phillies and no one else. They could win this division by 15 games. No one else has game in this division. Atlanta is the only hope here to give the Phillies some competition. Will the Nationals (they need to put image of the the Capitol on their hats) win 55 games? It’s over by May 1st in this division. Only two teams over 500 in this division.

NL Central
St Louis
Chicago
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
Houston
Pittsburgh

St. Louis will be just good enough to hold off the Cubs. The winner of this vision will win no more than 86 games; the weakest division winner in baseball. LaRussa is overrated. The Reds and Brewers may surprise a lot of teams and win some games. One of these two teams will finish over 500.

NL West
Los Angeles
Colorado
Arizona
San Francisco
San Diego

Another weak division. I hate to say it, but the Dodgers will end up on top of this mediocre group. The Giants have great pitching and no hitting. A lot of 2-1, 3-2, 5-4 losses are in their future. Giants fans will be jumping off the Golden Gate by July 4th. The Rockies may surprise the Dodgers. San Diego needs to dump the camouflage uniforms, then I’ll pick them higher.

Playoffs:
American League Wild Card Team
New York

National League Wild Card Team
Chicago Cubs

ALDS
Twins over the Yankees
Rays over Angels

NLDS
Phillies over the Cardinals
Los Angeles over Cubs

ALCS
Rays over Twins

NLCS
Phillies over Los Angeles

World Series
Phillies over the Rays

AL MVP: Evan Longhoria, Rays
NL MVP: Albert Pujhols, Cardinals

Cy Young – AL: Cliff Lee – Mariners
Cy Young – NL: Chad Billingsley, Dodgers

3. MLB Picks 2010 by Himself (aka The Ethnarch of Puce; aka Del Cerro Bad Boy)

Well, I cannot stand the fucking Yankees either and hope that, well, I cannot say what I hope as the Michigan case now shows that the Sedition Laws are firmly in place.

But, here are my picks, having been humbled last year. Except everything I said last year was right. I stick to my premise of being the fairest of fair weather fans, especially since I just attended the LAST big league Spring training game ever at Hi Corbett field in Tucson, the Diamondbacks and Rockies left after demanding a billion dollar stadium from Tucson, moved to that desert horror, Phoenix, so I shall root for the game which is better than the people who own it and many of the people who play it too. Up the Lake Elsinore Storm, sez me!

AL East
Yankos (I cannot stand it and hope OBL changes this)
Rays (they restore the Devil name and it works)
Red Sox (losing Tiger Damon ruined ‘em)
Orioles (Baltimore, whadda pit)
Blue Jays (Canada hits bottom after the Olympic Crosby Nightmare)

AL Central
Tigers (a homer call if ever there was one but Cabrera is sober, Willis may not be crazy, Damon might have another winner’s year, the rookies Might come through, yadayada)
Twinkies (how do they do it??)
White Sox
Indians (river catches fire again but Indians do not)
Royals (killed off half the schools so what is left?)

AL West
Rangers (sheer guesswork)
Angels (LA is simply in the way and that is all that is worth knowing about it)
As
Seattle

NL East
Phillies (the only real team in this league this year)
Mets (playing over their heads)
Braves
Marlins
Nationals (that boy from San Diego will come up and help, but not enough)

NL Central
Cards (Bob Gibson reborn in Wainright and Carpenter)
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Astros
Pirates (pity the Pirates, Somalis are doing better than the Pitts boys)

NL West
Dodgers
San Diego (homer surprise! total speed Go go Pads –in camo! with flyovers! )
Diamondbacks
Rockies (my guess is injuries as the boys are not really better)
Giants (because I like to see Bochy chew his hat)

ALCS–Tigers

NLCS–Cards

WS Winners –Bless those boys, it is a Tiger Year!!!!

It is 68 all over again! A great year! Woo hoo!

AL MVP–Tigers Cabrera
NL MVP–Pujols

AL Cy Young—Verlander The Tiger
NL Cy Young—Wainwright Cards

4. From somewhere deep in the middle of Pennsylvania a Yanqui fan?:

How could such smart people be so dumb about baseball.

Yankees get 28th by beating the Rockies, who beat the Cards and the Braves. Joe’s boys beat Rays after beating the Twins.

Mets, Nats, Pirates, Stros, Diamondbacks, Padres, Os, Blue Jays, Cleveland, Royals, and As are no longer really trying to win or play baseball in some cases. There must be a salary cap in baseball after Jeter retires this Fall in order to become Governor of NY.

Yanks
Rays
Bosox

Twins
Chisox
Tigers

Rangers
Mariners
Angels

Braves
Phillies
Marlins

Cards
Cubs
Brewers
Reds

Rockies
Giants
Dodgers

Jeter finally gets his MVP and then they break the mold in both leagues because Pujois is found to taking HGH or is that Arod?

No rookies of the year because the Yankees don’t play rookies. So why give awards away.

Halliday is DL after July sinking the wins.

5. Caribbean via the Charm City predictions for MLB 2010

Good morning all: Now for the correct predictions 🙂

First, as a native Baltimorean, a born and bred, livelong Orioles fan and a former longtime resident of Arizona, I am happy for a number of reasons: 1. The NFL season is less than 6 mos away; 2. Brian Matusz; 3. That the D’backs (my 2nd team) sent WR Anquan Boldin to the Ravens (good for Baltimore, a killer for AZ), and 4. That I live in Barbados 🙂

AL East
New Yankees (AL Pennant)
Boston Red Sox (Wild Card)
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals

AL West
Texas Rangers
L.A. Angels
Seattle Mariners
Oakland A’s

NL East
Philadelphia Phillies (NL Pennant)
Atlanta Braves (Wild Card)
New York Mets
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals

NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros

NL West
Colorado Rockies
L.A. Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres

AL Wild Card: Red Sox AL MVP: Joe Mauer (Twins) AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez (Mariners) AL ROY: Brian Matusz (Orioles!!!!!!)

NL Wild Card: Braves NL MVP: Albert Pujols (Cardinals) NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay (Phillies)
NL ROY: Jason Hayward (Braves)

WORLD SERIES: Yankees over Phillies

Socializing NASCAR is the best idea I’ve heard! Let’s go racin’ boys….

Call for papers: Feminism and Marxism: Reassessments and Reports

Call for Papers for a Special Theme Issue on Feminism and Marxism: Reassessments and Reports

New Proposals calls for submissions for a special issue that will be dedicated to taking stock of intersections between feminism and marxism. A valuable series of publications on this debate appeared in the 1970s and 1980s.

We are interested in full-length articles (normally 3,500 to 10,000 words) as well as shorter comments and arguments (up to 3,500 words) that reengage with these earlier debates. For this issue, we also welcome short research reports (up to 1,500 words) summarizing the theoretical framework, methodology, and preliminary results of research projects that draw on both feminist and marxist traditions.

Submissions should be made to the journal web site by September 3, 2010. Please indicate that this submission is for this special issue.

Charles R. Menzies
University of British Columbia

http://www.newproposals.ca

History, Texas-style and other recommended articles from Historians Against the War:

“Top Ten Reasons East Jerusalem Does Not Belong to Jewish-Israelis”
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment blog, posted March 23
On the history of Jerusalem from ancient times; the author teaches Middle East history at the University of Michigan

“Texas School Board Whitewashes History”
By Daniel Czitrom, History News Network, posted March 22
The author teaches history at Mt. Holyoke College

“Counterfactual: A Curious History of the C.I.A.’s Secret Interrogation Program”
By Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, March 29 issue
Dismantles Marc Theissen’s best-selling book Courting Disaster

“From the Philippines Conquest to Afghanistan, the U.S. Trains Local Police in Brutality”
By Jeremy Kuzmarov, History News Network, posted March 22 (first published in Asia-Pacific Journal)

“Twisting History in Texas”
By Eric Foner, The Nation, April 5 issue, posted March 18
The author teaches history at Columbia University

“The Pentagon Church Militant: The Top Five Questions We Should Ask the Penatagon”
By William J. Astore, TomDispatch.Com, posted March 18
The author, a retired Air Force lieutenant Colonel, teaches history as the Pennsylvania College of Technology

“Justifying Torture: Yoo Besmirches the Legacy of Jefferson”
By Ray McGovern, CounterPunch.org, posted March 16

“Torture and the Imperial Presidency”
By Cary Fraser, Truthout.org, posted March 15
The author teaches history at Pennsylvania State University

“The Travails of a Client State: An Okinawan Angle on the 50th Anniversary of the US-Japan Security Treaty”
By Gavan McCormack, Foreign Policy in Focus, posted March 12

“An Open Letter to President Obama: U.S. Foreign Policy and Post-Election Iran”
By Cyrus Bina, Counterpunch.org, posted March 12
Traces the history of recent decades of US-Iran relations

Rouge Forum Update: March Madness, Spring Break and Holiday War Special

Remember Proposals are Due, April 15, for the Rouge Forum Conference

Send Your Articles, Photos, Cartoons, for the RF News to Community Coordinator Adam Renner.

On the Little Rouge School Front:

Freep Gets to the Real Conditions of DPS–Critiques Broad’s Bobb’s Moves: “What works at Ferguson is constant, intense individual attention to the students’ academic, social and economic needs.” But Bob Bobb is closing the school….

More Arrests of Detroit Public School Scammers: “Bell said his office has opened investigations in 248 cases based on 280 complaints that range from theft to mismanagement. More are to come, he said.”

From The Detroit News: Detroiters Robbed by Broad’s Bobb’s Bond Scheme: “They sold us on a dream,” Hicks-Lark said. “And I jumped on board with it, and now we’ve been crushed.”

Marion Brady: 10 False Assumptions and the Ratt: “”Race to the Top? National standards for math, science, and other school subjects? The high-powered push to put them in place makes it clear that the politicians, business leaders, and wealthy philanthropists who’ve run America’s education show for the last two decades are as clueless about educating as they’ve always been. If they weren’t, they’d know that adopting national standards will be counterproductive, and that the “Race to the Top” will fail for the same reason “No Child Left Behind” failed—because it’s based on false assumptions.

NAEP Results: NCLB Flopped–Nearly No Movement in Test Scores

March 4th Action Video

Rouge Forum Update: March on March 20 and Mayday! Here’s to the Bogus Health Care Bill Met By Endless War!

Remember Proposals are Due, April 15, for the Rouge Forum Conference

Send Your Articles, Photos, Cartoons, for the RF News to Community Coordinator Adam Renner.

Links to Classic Rouge Forum Flyers:
“Got War?”
Justice or Barbarism
Shoot Moneybags, Not People

Always be sure you are right, then go ahead

On the Little Rouge School Front:

Colbert vs Foner: This was passed along by social studies good-guy Tony Whitson.
My favorite line (Colbert to Eric Foner): “They say that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. But, if you change what history was, doesn’t that solve that problem?”

Words Counted in the Ratt (Race to the Top) Literacy Plan:
-standards: 48
-assessment: 37
-reward: 34
-literacy: 19
-rigor: 16
-challenge: 15 (including new buzz phrase “challenge schools”)
-accountable/accountability: 14
-math: 11
-science: 10
-history: 7
-poverty: 7
-language arts: 5
-compete/competition: 4
-thinking: 2
-library: 1
-reading: 0
-writing: 0
-book: 0

Broad’s Bobb Named as Detroit Mayor by NPR on March 17th, Issues Plan to Close 45 Detroit Schools, Spend $70 million on Construction

Broad’s Errand Boy Bobb Demagogics it Up for Parents: Still, he said, he expects to eliminate approximately 2,100 jobs, continue to reduce health care costs and outsource as many options as possible in fiscal year 2010-11. There was a noticeable air of displeasure in the audience as Bobb said he plans to announce on Wednesday which 45 schools will close at the end of this school year.

Detroit Federation of Teachers Refuses to Join Suit Against Broad’s Bobb: “The Detroit Federation of Teachers voted Thursday against joining the lawsuit, with leadership calling it frivolous. However, the union did vote to file a complaint with the state ethics commission against Bobb for accepting the funds, said Keith Johnson, the president.”

The Official Program for the Gutting of Chicago Public Schools: Class Size to 37!

UTLA Boss Favors Revamping Tenure, Certification–Eats Breakfast With Broad: “I would have no problem with changing the tenure rules and extending probation. We should not take tenure away once you get it but [have] some form of recertification.”

Michigan Education Association Moves to Smother Direct Action Resistance—A Three Phase Action Plan to—vote (surprise)

NY Times OpEd–National Socialism for the Schools

The They Say Cut Back; We Say Fight Back Front:

March On March 30 Against the Empires Wars and Mayday Too: The Traditional Rouge Forum Mayday Flyer

On the Perpetual War Front: March on March 20th, Anniversary of the Invasion:

Key Data on the Iraq War Since the Invasion

Rouge Forum Update: Up the Rebels!

Remember Proposals are Due, April 15, for the Rouge Forum Conference

Send Your Articles, Photos, Cartoons, for the Rouge Forum News to Community Coordinator Adam Renner.

On the Little Rouge School Front:

CTA is the Biggest Campaign Spender in California: “ $211,849,298″

“Fire All the Teachers” Demagogue Becomes Good Cop on NCLB: “The new proposals would require states to use annual tests, along with other indicators, to divide the nation’s nearly 100,000 public schools into three groups: some 10,000 to 15,000 high-performing schools that would receive rewards or recognition, some 5,000 chronically failing schools requiring vigorous state intervention, and 80,000 or so schools in the middle that would be encouraged to figure out on their own how to improve.”

AFT Welcomes Common National Standards (ya cannot make this stuff up): “The new standards released on March 10 by the Common Core State Standards Initiative represent the best effort so far to transform today’s patchwork quilt of 50 sets of state standards into one set of strong, consistent expectations for what all students should know and learn, AFT president Randi Weingarten says.”

WashPost: National Regimented Curricula Require Racist Tests: “We will need tests—they will likely evolve into national tests—that are aligned with the new standards. That means changing the annual tests already used in some states, and overcoming the still widespread view that national testing undercuts states rights.”

Emily Alpert on Apartheid U. That is, UCSD: Black students are a rarity at UCSD. Only 1.6 percent of its undergraduate students are black, a stat that has become a rallying cry after an escalating series of racially offensive events around the university…

Paul Moore: “Letter: I teach at the ‘Central Falls High School’ of Miami, Florida, and we won’t let you scapegoat us for your problems.”

Detroit Board Joins George Washington (yes) In Lawsuit Against Bobb: “The Detroit Public School Board unanimously voted Monday night to file a second lawsuit against Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb, saying $145,000 in private foundation support he receives under his new contract is unlawful.”

On March 12th the Detroit Federation of Teachers leadership announced on their web site that they would join the lawsuit against Broad’s Bobb while the community began to respond to the Skillman plan to abolish the Detroit School Board. “Union and community activists at a school board meeting Thursday night said they were outraged by the plan to get rid of the board, while many parents were divided, and Mayor Dave Bing said he’d only take on the responsibility if voters agreed.”

Financial Manager Bobb Throws DPS into Deepest Debt Ever: “• Instead of a $17 million surplus Bobb projected for this fiscal year, spending has increased so much Bobb is projecting a $98 million deficit for the budget year that ends June 30…(and proves concessions don’t save jobs)…The financial situation will be managed, Bobb said, if a number of measures take place for the fiscal year that begins this summer. Among them: eliminating 2,100 positions to save $128.8 million; reducing health care costs by $47 million; saving $8 million through outsourcing transportation; and closing an estimated 41 schools.”

Detroit News Editorial: Back the Tyrant; Fire the Teachers and Let the Union Help! “Detroit Federation of Teachers President Keith Johnson says his leadership team will hold a review today to decide whether to eject Conn and other such teachers from the union for their actions. That seems appropriate. It’s not up to individual teachers to decide what policies they’ll abide by. The union has agreed to some of the changes the dissidents are trying to block. Bobb should fire educators who are actively working to undermine district policies during school hours.

Bobb, Skillman, Broad, et al, Plan to Seize Detroit Schools–Close 40: “A coalition of education leaders and foundations will unveil today a sweeping academic reform agenda that targets failing schools, calls for 70 new programs and launches a national effort to recruit principals. The $200 million plan also aims to build community support this year to eliminate the Detroit Board of Education and make the mayor accountable for Detroit Public Schools….Other initiatives include the effort from the Detroit Federation of Teachers, which did not sign off on the plan but was engaged in the talks to develop it, to open its own school,”

Who is Michigan Future Inc?

Could it Be A Pattern? KC to Close Half of its Schools: “The Kansas City Board of Education voted Wednesday night to close almost half of the city’s public schools, accepting a sweeping and contentious plan to shrink the system in the face of dwindling enrollment, budget cuts and a $50 million deficit.In a 5-to-4 vote, the members endorsed the Right-Size plan, proposed by the schools superintendent, John Covington, to close 28 of the city’s 61 schools and cut 700 of 3,000 jobs, including those of 285 teachers.”

Texas Loves Them Textbooks: Tx, Fla, and California set the social studies standards in textbooks because they make huge, state-wide, purchases. ”In economics, the revisions add Milton Friedman and Friedrich von Hayek, two champions of free-market economic theory, among the usual list of economists to be studied, like Adam Smith, Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. They also replaced the word “capitalism” throughout their texts with the “free-enterprise system.”

“Let’s face it, capitalism does have a negative connotation,” said one conservative member, Terri Leo. “You know, ‘capitalist pig!’” ”Cynthia Dunbar, a lawyer from Richmond who is a strict constitutionalist and thinks the nation was founded on Christian beliefs, managed to cut Thomas Jefferson from a list of figures whose writings inspired revolutions in the late 18th century and 19th century, replacing him with St. Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin and William Blackstone. (Jefferson is not well liked among the conservatives on the board because he coined the term “separation between church and state.”) “The Enlightenment was not the only philosophy on which these revolutions were based,” Ms. Dunbar said.”

Read the rest of the Rouge Forum Update here.

Rouge Forum Update: March 4th action and beyond…March 20…May Day!

“…That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness…”

Remember! Call For Proposals—Rouge Forum Conference August 2-5, 2010

March 4th Actions, Analysis and Videos:

WashPost Lead on March 4th Actions: “The University of California at Santa Cruz, expecting disruptions, had advised employees and others not to come to campus Thursday. Dozens of students blocked roads, prohibiting drivers from entering the campus at its main and west entrances. There were also reports of students intimidating employees. At Berkeley, the Academic Senate urged protesters to “stay on your feet” and offered helpful hints for those who chose arrest. Organizers hoped to spur events in 30 other states.”

California March 4th Actions and Beyond, A Critical Approach

Read the entire RF update here.