bachanon

nuns seem to do a pretty good job teaching without a big salary, as do many home schooling parents. i think being a good teacher has little to do with salary. i think the real problem is a system that allows sorry teachers to keep their jobs. btw, the idea that every kid needs to prepare for college and not a trade is a major issue. kids who show no aptitude for learning should not be required to attend school for 12 years. apprenticeships and trade schools for a certain segment of the school population would solve a host of problems. high school is an unnatural and historically recent construct (camille paglia).

there is a cd with tony bennett and k.d.lang with nice renditions of classics like what a wonderful world, la vie en rose and so on. the arrangements are oh so comforting. if you don't like k.d.lang you might not enjoy it.

isn't it true that schools are funded based on student attendance? if this is so, what would be the motivation for getting rid of poor performing students?

speaking of flamenco, i could add ottmar liebert to my list of favorite, classy cds.

wouldn't school choice solve some, if not all, of these issues?

school districts are simply too big.

\ sorry, i wouldn't travel to vegas to see a "lit up strip". i would travel to vegas to gamble, drink and see shows. the lights are a bonus, but i wouldn't travel there just to see them in person.

the point of the story was to note changing demographics in an area outside of the loop. i don't think she was making the neighborhood out to be racist, but she may have made a mistake using an oddball like t. c. burton to prove her point. i enjoyed the article. it made me want to check out glenbrook. i believe the article served its purpose.

i've enjoyed hollywood and van loc. i think i'd like to try cali's. van loc, although with occasionally bad service and a dirty floor, has consistently GREAT bo luc lac, salted shrimp and vietnamese rolls. i've never been disappointed with the food. one thing i've learned......they don't mind if you come up to the counter if you need something. they won't apologize for anything, but they will bring you what you want. i miss vietnam kitchen on main and elgin. i had my first vietnamese food there and have been hooked ever since. someone mentioned they were in the heights now. i'll have to check that out.

i had this huge list and just lost it. maybe later. on the top of my list was digitally remastered nat king cole, etta james, ella fitzgerald, dean martin, frank sinatra, most baroque compilations, the "capital sings" series and the "ultra-lounge" series. maybe we need "haif" radio a la shoutcast.com. we could stream our music on to the site.

two of our teachers were not on the list. two of my nephew's teachers failed and one passed by one point. two of his teachers passed with flying colors. it is funny how the two teachers he dislikes the most are the two who did well on the competency tests (they require something of him). the two teachers who failed are his easy classes. this doesn't surprise me.

haven't realized how funny that was until just now. thanks.

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"same difference" 10-5=5 8-3=5 6-1=5 all the equations have the same difference. occasionally, differing circumstances bring about the same result or prove a similar point.

................and benjy's is overrated.

i'll second barnaby's. mark's black walnut cafe (same owner as palotta's) pho be

my niece, like many of her friends and kids her age, rage about environmental issues but still throw wrappers out their car windows and leave lights on all night. like wacko christians they spout their environmental "convictions" expecting others to comply never requiring sacrifices from themselves. i simply referenced a story on environmental protesters/earth-day-festival-goers that made an interesting connection. it is interesting that the majority of protesters had little or no religious/spiritual affiliation with the exception of wiccans. no one is expecting environmentalists to explain themselves.

bayou place needs more residential development in the area.

the old professor in "the lion, the witch and the wardrobe" said it best......."what do they teach in schools these days?" i heard a school teacher on rush limbaugh this week. she was perplexed that she couldn't profess her christianity to her classroom per the school's lawyers. i'm thinking.......how do you have time to worry about that?. you have 45 minutes to get a lesson across. if these teachers were focusing on basic education they wouldn't have to "teach to the test" when TAKS comes around. they seem to be so concerned with "environmental" and "social" concerns that algebra has a back seat in algebra class. why would anyone NEED to profess their personal religious ideology in most classes. i can see where environmental issues might come up in science or government classes. but why did my nephew's eighth grade teacher have them writing and discussing the issue of "who am i?" and "what events in life have made me who i am.". his high school algebra teacher somehow came across buddhism and moral relativism. SATs are around the corner. he can seek spiritual information elsewhere. the entire public school system is "re-educating" kiddos to be morally vacant, but socially "concerned". here is where environmental "wackism" comes in to play. tell my niece that mount pinatubo released more green house gases than the entire industrial revolution and she will still think george bush is killing the planet, along with car manufacturers and litterbugs. reason is not taught in schools, at least where it conflicts with political agendas. there was a great article in some magazine (maybe "reason") i read awhile back. the author of the article interviewed environmental activists at protests and festivals around the country. what he/she found was that many of these people had rejected organized religion and practiced no system of faith (other than environmentalist fervor). they couldn't explain half of what they believed where destruction of the planet was concerned, yet they were out professing their angst at how big oil was killing the planet and so on. the focus of the article was how it appeared that the human need for spiritual affirmation had evolved in these "earth people" in a new, illogical way. faith in god/saving mankind replaced by faith in nature/saving the planet (at all costs). i thought it an interesting spin on the subject.

editor, you're asking for a windstorm. why aren't people quoting these "scientists/specialists" now? three decades ago they were predicting a new ice age because of human consumption, now they predict apocalypse from global warming. it is amazing the stretch of reasoning that people will embrace when they have no religion. it is intrinsic, this notion of a creator or higher purpose. reject a known deity and people seem to find new fervor in nature itself. the recent environmentalist mindset is similar to that of young earth creationist evangelicals; they are intent on emotional fervor without acceptance of scientific information. tree huggers are so close in thought to bible thumpers where careful thought is concerned.

ditto. welcome to the forum muralpainter.

nothing? for one, your community association fees pay for your garbage pick up as well as keeping the roadways, greenspace and parks clean of debris. here's some more: Parks and Recreation Community Associations of The Woodlands, Texas, Parks and Recreation Department, operates and maintains more than 140 miles of hike and bike paths, nearly 100 parks, 12 swimming pools, more than 1,800 acres of open space, The Woodlands Recreation Center, and a variety of amenities for residents to enjoy. Hike and bike pathways are for non-motorized use and are located throughout the villages of The Woodlands so residents can enjoy a variety of activities, such as walking, jogging, bicycling and roller-blading. Pathways are also conveniently linked throughout neighborhoods to parks and area shopping centers. Parks offer residents opportunities for recreation and socializing, and contain various amenities such as swimming pools, picnic pavilions with barbecue grills, basketball courts, playground equipment, sports fields, volleyball and tennis courts. The purpose of the Parks and Recreation Department is to maintain, contribute to and enhance the quality of life in The Woodlands. This purpose is achieved through the provision and facilitation of recreational programs for residents of all ages with a special emphasis on teen programming, the protection and restoration of our native and forested environment, and stewardship of common areas of the associations including parks, swimming pools, facilities, pathways, athletic fields, roadsides and medians. With this understanding, a goal of the Parks and Recreation Department is to be timely and responsive in addressing the needs and concerns of citizens of The Woodlands. We, the parks and recreation team, recognize that our customers want solutions to their problems, quality and reliability, and most importantly to be valued and understood. We also recognize that every customer is different and strive to treat customers the way they want to be treated. We welcome and accept the responsibility and accountability for providing the best quality customer service possible. Parks & Recreation Links Summer Recreation Programs (PDF) 2007 Swim Lessons Interactive Pathway Map Park Amenities Matrix Park Rules Pathway Etiquette Recreation Center and Programs Spring Programs 2007 - Action Guide Program Registration Park Safety Tips Wheel-Friendly Parks Pool Schedule and Swim Pass Information CB&I TRI Construction Updates Integrated Forestry Management Program Request for Bids Summer 2007 Concert-in-the-Park schedule Dog-friendly Parks Ten For Texas Triathlon One O One 2007 Summer Camps In the Spotlight Teen Talent Environmental Services The Community Associations of The Woodlands, Environmental Services Department, is active in promoting earth-friendly programs throughout the community, with programs such as Don't Bag It, Yard of the Month, Xeriscape, Adopt-a-Path, Texas Recycles Day and Earth Day, just to name a few. The department also provides educational information by arranging local seminars and conducting educational programs at area schools, in cooperation with existing community resources and volunteers. In addition, the Environmental Services Department monitors the contract with Waste Management of Texas, Inc., a private waste company, to provide an integrated residential solid waste management system for The Woodlands. Services include once-per-week curbside collection of garbage, recyclable materials and yard waste. The department also oversees The Woodlands Recycling Center, located on Research Forest Drive. * Mosquito Information Call 281.210.3900, or e-mail enviro@catw-tx.org for more information on Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, Volunteer Opportunities, Less Toxic House, Earth Friendly Yards and Dealing with Wildlife. Environmental Services Links Earth Day 2007 Garbage, Recycling and Yardwaste Pickup Information Local Recycling Guide Recycling Center Checklist Adopt a Pathway Composting Classes 2007 Holiday Garbage Schedule Donations Guide Mosquito Information Household Chemical Waste Facility Walk in the Woods Nature Lectures Woodlands Landscaping Solutions Neighborhood Services The mission of Neighborhood Services is to create a sense of community and a safe community through a series of outreach programs into the neighborhoods of The Woodlands. We also foster a neighborhood-based network of volunteers, community partnerships and public safety partnerships. Our goal is to create opportunities for educating and informing residents about the services available to them and to create a linkage between Community Associations of The Woodlands, Texas, community and the villages. Click here for the Telephone Network Message page Please click here for information related to preventing fires and arson * Request a Paint Kit * False Alarms Brochure * Solicitor Information * Top 5 Points of Interest Contact us at neighbor@catw-tx.org there is much more that the "astronomical" fees pay for, i don't feel like posting more. i'm perplexed at how someone could say the fees provide "NOTHING". my association fees are under $500 a year. i feel that living in the environment provided is worth it.