Holy smoke! Give me some of that North Carolina Barbecue

There is nothing better than North Carolina barbecue (where I come from bbq means chopped pork). I’m particularly fond of the eastern NC, vinegar-based, barbecue (although mustard based bbq in South Carolina is pretty darn good too, I never miss a chance to visit Piggy Park in Cayce, SC).

Here’s a slide show primer on eastern NC barbecue that features Allen & Sons in Chapel Hill. Also check out the article “Finger Lickin’ Research,” both items from, of all places, The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The best barbecue anywhere just might be at B’s in Greenville, NC.

“I’ll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.”

Actually George, you don’t have to be that smart to figure it out…

You’ve heard or read them before, but let’s review the last eight years of Bushisms as we count down the days to January 20th.

ON HIMSELF

“They misunderestimated me.”
Bentonville, Arkansas, 6 November, 2000

“There’s an old saying in Tennessee – I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee – that says, fool me once, shame on… shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again.”
Nashville, Tennessee, 17 September, 2002

“There’s no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead.”
Washington DC, 11 May, 2001

“I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me.”
Nashville, Tennessee, 27 May, 2004

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

“For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times.”
Tokyo, 18 February, 2002

“The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorise himself.”
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” Washington DC, 5 August, 2004

“I think war is a dangerous place.”
Washington DC, 7 May, 2003

“The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the – the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice.”
Washington DC, 27 October, 2003

“Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat.”
Washington DC, 17 September, 2004

“You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror.”
CBS News, Washington DC, 6 September, 2006

EDUCATION

“Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?”
Florence, South Carolina, 11 January, 2000

“Reading is the basics for all learning.”
Reston, Virginia, 28 March, 2000

“As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards.”
CNN, 30 August, 2000

“You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.”
Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001

ECONOMICS

“I understand small business growth. I was one.”
New York Daily News, 19 February, 2000

“It’s clearly a budget. It’s got a lot of numbers in it.”
Reuters, 5 May, 2000

“I do remain confident in Linda. She’ll make a fine Labour Secretary. From what I’ve read in the press accounts, she’s perfectly qualified.”
Austin, Texas, 8 January, 2001

“First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren’t necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn’t mean you’re willing to kill.”
Washington DC, 19 May, 2003

HEALTHCARE

“I don’t think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs.”
Orlando, Florida, 12 September, 2000

“Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN’s aren’t able to practice their love with women all across the country.”
Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 6 September, 2004

TECHNOLOGY

“Will the highways on the internet become more few?”
Concord, New Hampshire, 29 January, 2000

“It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber.”
Washington DC, 10 April, 2002

“Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it’s also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets.”
Washington DC, 2 May, 2007

OUT OF LEFT FIELD

“I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.”
Saginaw, Michigan, 29 September, 2000

“Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream.”
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 18 October, 2000

“Those who enter the country illegally violate the law.”
Tucson, Arizona, 28 November, 2005

“That’s George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three – three or four books about him last year. Isn’t that interesting?”
Speaking to reporter Kai Diekmann, Washington DC, 5 May, 2006

ON GOVERNING

“I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together.”
Bartlett, Tennessee, 18 August, 2000

“I’m the decider, and I decide what is best.”
Washington DC, 18 April, 2006

“And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and [Tony Blair] read it.”
On the publication of the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington DC, 7 December, 2006

“All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone.”
San Diego, California, 25 October, 2007

“I’ll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.”
Washington DC, 12 May, 2008

Cop executes 22 year-old unarmed man at transit station in Oakland, incident captured on video

Here’s “post-racial” America for you. A traffic cop executes a 22 year-old unarmed man at BART station in Oakland, CA.

Here’s a report by KTVU, with video of the execution made by a train passenger. The most outrageous incident of a police violence I’ve ever seen.

The cop has given no account of the incident and has not been identified or even interviewed.

Postmodernism R.I.P. says AHA president

The Chronicle News Blog reports that Gabrielle M. Spiegel, President of the American Historical Association, declared postmodernism moribund.

Speigel, a professor of history at the Johns Hopkins University and “a well-known theorist who has written extensively about how language has shaped the writing of history, noted that ‘we all sense this profound change has run its course.'”

“The whole influence of poststructuralist and postmodernist historiography is receding,” she said. “What is worth saving?”

The Chronicle noted that: “Starting in the mid-1960s, scholars in history — and throughout the humanities — began to focus on how coded meanings in language affect the way that people experience, and understand, their lives. As the linguistic turn moved through semiotics, structuralism, poststructuralism, and deconstruction, scholars increasingly began to emphasize the multiple layers in language, and the instability of meaning. By the late 1980s, Ms. Spiegel noted, many historians were calling the impact of postmodernism “an epistemological crisis” that undermined traditional ideas of causation and action in history.”

So it’s back to the real world for historians, carrying a few insights from postmodernism…education scholars will likely discover the error of postmodern their pomo ways and return to the real world in the next decade or two.

“Evaluation for Success, Not in Excess”

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Testing…Testing…Testing…

A Conference on the impact of standardized evaluation on education in the Americas
The Research Network of the Initiative for Democratic Education in the Americas (IDEA), identifies standardized testing of students and productivity-based evaluation of teachers as areas of serious concern for the education community from Canada to Argentina.

Important studies on the theme have been carried out in many countries, but it is necessary to enrich this work through the development of a regional understanding of the repercussions these neoliberal policies have on teachers’ working conditions and professional autonomy, and on students’ rights to access public education at all levels and to define their role in society as fully participating socio-cultural historical subjects.

As part of IDEA’s hemispheric “Evaluation for Success, Not in Excess” campaign, the Network is organizing “Testing, Testing, Testing…,” a conference on standardized evaluation to take place in Mexico City, Mexico February 19 – 21, 2009.

The event is an opportunity to share research and experiences regarding standardized testing, and to participate in the collective construction of knowledge that will enrich international strategies to resist neoliberal evaluation and develop alternative evaluation processes.

The IDEA Network in invites researchers working for, or allied with, education organizations, and other education activists working for democratic public education to participate in the “Testing, Testing, Testing…” conference to share their concrete experiences as educational actors. Contact the IDEA Network at sstewart@idea-network.ca for conference registration forms and other information.
Download a conference registration form here: ideas/admin/UserFiles/File/REGIFORM_-_evaluation_-_Eng.doc

Wayne’s Favorite Albums of 2008

It was a superb year for music listening and adding a Sonos system transformed listening habits at our place. Having access to on-demand streaming of millions of tracks from Napster as well as hundreds of radio stations made it easy to listen to just about anything we wanted to hear—from 70’s schlock pop to opera. And we now have our dinner party game of pass the Sonos controller to choose the next tune we’ll listen to.

I loved reading reviews of new releases in the Tuesday paper and, without leaving my chair, queuing up the cds on Napster/Sonos, which lead to many purchase (and not-to-purchase) decisions.

I thought that my cd buying ways might be reigned in with access to Napster, but it actually had the opposite effect as I purchased about 50 more cds this year than last. Although, an eMusic subscription fueled many downloads of independent releases. Take a look at what I did pick up this year, here.)

No doubt the largest portion of my listening was devoted to Soma FM’s Groove Salad channel (“A nicely chilled plate of ambient beats and grooves”), which was the soundtrack to just about every evening.

Continuing a tradition, here’s a list of my favorite (purchased) albums from the past year. As usual, I have way more than a Top Ten list.

[BTW, you can get a 27 track iMix of my favorite tracks from the albums below on iTunes, “E. Wayne’s Favs of 2008”.]

Wayne’s Top Ten of 2008

  1. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
  2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig Lazarus Dig!
  3. B.B. King – One Kind Favor
  4. Ryan Adams – Cardinology
  5. Boston Spaceships – Brown Submarine
  6. Alejandro Escovedo – Real Animal
  7. Shelby Lynne – Just a Little Lovin’
  8. Randy Newman – Harps and Angels
  9. The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
  10. Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs

Best of the Rest (New Music) 2008

R.E.M. – Accelerate
JJ Grey & Mofro – Orange Blossoms
Howard Tate – Blue Day
The Baseball Project – Volume 1 Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails
Robert Pollard – Is Off to Business
Rodney Crowell – Sex and Gasoline
Jim White – Transnormal Skiperoo
Al Green – Lay It Down
Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
Susan Tedeschi – Back to the River
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
Billy Bragg – Mr Love & Justice
Black Mountain – In the Future
Ray Davies – Working Man’s Cafe
Calexico – Carried by Dust
Lindsey Buckingham – Gift of Screws
Theivery Corporation – Radio Retaliation
Nada Surf – Lucky
Chris Walla – Field Manual
Los Lonely Boys – Forgiven


Favorite Reissues of 2008
Titan! – It’s All Pop
Bobby Womack – The Best of Bobby Womack – The Soul Years
Nick Lowe – Jesus of Cool (Bonus Tracks)
Mott the Hoople – Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology
Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue
Ry Cooder – The UFO Has Landed
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs – Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006

It’s time to restart the Rouge Forum News; it’s time for our 13th edition!

It’s time to restart the Rouge Forum News; it’s time for our 13th edition!

The economy continues its descent. Runaway capitalism slides off its rails. The results of deregulation rear their hyrdra-like head(s). The Bush tax cuts illustrate what applying leeches to a patient who is bleeding to death must feel like. The numbers can no longer be faked, massaged, or hidden. CEOs are given a free pass while blue collar workers must fight (sit-in, resist, etc.) for their lives. And, the blowing embers of neoliberalism might (finally) begin to flicker away. Needless to say, we are faced with a financial crisis we have not seen for some time. Few groups/publications have had the courage to maintain their voice, keeping the critique of capitalism in the forefront of the struggle (even when the markets would suggest otherwise).

Alongside folks at the Monthly Review, the International Socialist Review, and a few alternative news sites, educators in the Rouge Forum have also continued to keep their voices strong, consistently providing links between runaway capital, the rabid and rapid standardization of curriculum, the co-optation of our unions, the militarization of our youth, and the creep of irrationalism in our schools.

The Rouge Forum has been attempting to spearhead a mass movement of conscious educators, parents, and students toward connecting reason with power. Despite the overwhelming power of the opposition, the Rouge Forum, like only a few others, has chosen to continue to struggle–by meeting, by writing, by organizing, by sharing the struggle. Toward this end, and in order to try to make better sense of how we arrived at this economic moment, the Rouge Forum is reinstating the RF News in 2009.

We’d like our first edition back (our 13th overall) to focus on the financial crisis: histories, analyses, commentaries on the economic state of the union/world.

We are interested in work from academics, parents, teachers, and students: teachers at all levels, students in ANY grade, parents of children of any age.

Something small, something big, something serious. We want to publish YOUR story in our next issue. It is the stories we get from people like you that make the RF News what it is. If you have a story to share, but would like to protect your identity, use a pen name. Pen names are welcome!

We NEED Art! Songs! Poems! Editorial cartoons! Links to online videos or other material! Perhaps you are better at expressing yourself with art or poetry. Send it in!

We are looking for narratives as well as research and the interplay between research and practice which focus on our current economic meltdown. If you have a story to tell, some research to share, a book to review, we’d love to see it (and share it).

We publish material from k-12 students, parents, teachers, academics, and community people struggling for equality and democracy in schools — writing (intended to inform/educate, or stories from your classroom, etc.), art, cartoons, photos, poetry. You can submit material for the RF News via email (text attachment, if possible) to our Rouge Forum community organizer, Adam Renner: arenner@bellarmine.edu. PLEASE SUBMIT BY FEBRUARY 15, 2009.

Rouge Forum Update

Happy Happy and Merry Merry!

There are hopeful signs for the year ahead.

Greece (thanks to our friend VK): http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/12/2008_greek_riots.html
(Similar actions took place in France at the same time. In Greece, workers seized their union offices, arguing the offices belong to the workers, not the union bosses).

The New School: http://www.newschoolinexile.com/

Chicago: http://www.rabble.ca/rabbletv/program-guide/best-net/workers-republic-scenes-successful-factory-occupation

The Rouge Forum Conference in May:http://www.rougeforumconference.org/ (send your proposals) http://www.rougeforumconference.org/

The Rouge Forum Blogspot: http://therougeforum.blogspot.com/

The Rouge Forum News (send your articles, poems, art, cartoons, and good ideas to Adam Renner at arenner@bellarmine.edu

The New Improved Shoe Game for snow-ins: http://www.aksalser.com/game.htm

For those with longer memories, three more of the Grenada 17, jailed in a 17th century prison since 1983 for crimes they did not commit, were released last week, leaving seven in jail today: http://www.counterpunch.org/gibson06052004.html

Thanks to Wayne, Amber, Adam, VK, Beau, Erin, Gil G, Patrick, Susan O and H, Joe L, Steve, Curry, Perry, Sandy, David H–both–Sally, Sharon A., Mary and Paul, Tally A, Dana, Katie and Greg, Karen K, David S, Bill, MrJ, George S, Donavan, Tommie and Bob, Glenn R, Michael, Kevin, Tony, Marc, Sherry, Mandy, Kim, Matthew, Zoe, Linda, Jim and Gordon, Llona, Lisa, Bertell, Joe B, and C., VP, Nancy, Mike A, Kino, Stephanie, Bonnie, Ann D-H, Chris, Candace, Norma, and to all those who helped build a class conscious social movement for freedom and equality.

We are saddened to note the death of a friend, Joe Kincheloe (1950-2008).

Down the banks and
Up the Rebels!

All the best,

r