Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
cinematicdiversions
cinematicdiversions's Journal
cinematicdiversions's Journal
January 18, 2022
Do you agree with Paul Begala, Our leaders are fine... we are dropping the ball somewhere else.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1483194036521422852
January 14, 2022
https://secure.img1-fg.wfcdn.com/im/74759376/resize-h800-w800%5Ecompr-r85/1793/179372255/Pretty+Oversized+Bear+Statue.jpg
The Brown costs $15,299.99 and is available $600/mo. for 24 mos - Total $14,399.991 with a Wayfair credit card
Only 3 Left in Stock. Buy Soon!
https://secure.img1-fg.wfcdn.com/im/24797265/resize-h800-w800%5Ecompr-r85/1793/179372652/Pretty+Oversized+Bear+Statue.jpg
Speaking of empty shelves the $14,399.99 Resin white bear statue is sold out
https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/gushante-pretty-oversized-bear-statue-gaha7969.html?piid=65004030https://secure.img1-fg.wfcdn.com/im/74759376/resize-h800-w800%5Ecompr-r85/1793/179372255/Pretty+Oversized+Bear+Statue.jpg
The Brown costs $15,299.99 and is available $600/mo. for 24 mos - Total $14,399.991 with a Wayfair credit card
Only 3 Left in Stock. Buy Soon!
https://secure.img1-fg.wfcdn.com/im/24797265/resize-h800-w800%5Ecompr-r85/1793/179372652/Pretty+Oversized+Bear+Statue.jpg
January 13, 2022
The Biggest reveal of the pandemic is how many crazy people there are "Jim Gaffigan"
January 13, 2022
The New York Yankees introduced Rachel Balkovec as the new manager of the Tampa Tarpons, a Class-A level team in their minor league system.
"When players meet me there’s a level of curiosity, which that’s normal — change is change,” Balkcovec said. "I was curious, I was like, 'Geez, what am I going to look like in a uniform?'”
The job makes Balkovec the first full-time female manager in the history of affiliated baseball. But Balkovec is confident she can earn the team's respect and trust.
"I just know within five minutes — I walk into the room, the presence that I have, how I speak confidently, I’m bilingual and that’s something that I learned,” she said. "I’m from Nebraska, I’m not from a bilingual home. As soon as I open my mouth and start speaking — I’m speaking in Spanish and English, and they hear what I’m saying, and they know I know what I’m talking about, it all just goes away.”
Good on the Yankees.
Yankees introduce Rachel Balkovec as first woman manager in Minor League Baseball
https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/sports/2022/01/12/yankees-introduce-rachel-balkovec-as-first-woman-manager-in-minor-league-baseballThe New York Yankees introduced Rachel Balkovec as the new manager of the Tampa Tarpons, a Class-A level team in their minor league system.
"When players meet me there’s a level of curiosity, which that’s normal — change is change,” Balkcovec said. "I was curious, I was like, 'Geez, what am I going to look like in a uniform?'”
The job makes Balkovec the first full-time female manager in the history of affiliated baseball. But Balkovec is confident she can earn the team's respect and trust.
"I just know within five minutes — I walk into the room, the presence that I have, how I speak confidently, I’m bilingual and that’s something that I learned,” she said. "I’m from Nebraska, I’m not from a bilingual home. As soon as I open my mouth and start speaking — I’m speaking in Spanish and English, and they hear what I’m saying, and they know I know what I’m talking about, it all just goes away.”
Good on the Yankees.
January 12, 2022
Until recently, I was a loyal, left-leaning Democrat, and I had been my entire adult life. I was the kind of partisan who registered voters before midterm elections and went to protests. I hated Donald Trump so much that I struggled to be civil to relatives on the other side of the aisle. But because of what my family has gone through during the pandemic, I can’t muster the same enthusiasm. I feel adrift from my tribe and, to a certain degree, disgusted with both parties.
I can’t imagine that I would have arrived here—not a Republican, but questioning my place in the Democratic Party—had my son not been enrolled in public kindergarten in 2020.
Late that summer, the Cleveland school system announced that it would not open for in-person learning the first 9 weeks of the semester. I was distraught. My family relies on my income, and I knew that I would not be able to work full-time with my then-5-year-old son and then-3-year-old daughter at home.
Still, I was accepting of short-term school closures. My faith in the system deteriorated only as the weeks and months of remote-learning dragged on long past the initial timeline, and my son began refusing to log on for lessons. I couldn’t blame him. Despite his wonderful teacher’s best efforts, online kindergarten is about as ridiculous as it sounds, in my experience. I remember logging on to a “gym” class where my son was the only student present. The teacher, I could tell, felt embarrassed. We both knew how absurd the situation was.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interesting article though both the original title Democrats botched public school covid policy and the revised title Why I Soured on the Democrats.... seem a bit harsh and clicbatey... esp for The Atlantic
COVID school policies set me adrift from my tribe.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/democrats-botched-public-school-covid-policy/621183/Until recently, I was a loyal, left-leaning Democrat, and I had been my entire adult life. I was the kind of partisan who registered voters before midterm elections and went to protests. I hated Donald Trump so much that I struggled to be civil to relatives on the other side of the aisle. But because of what my family has gone through during the pandemic, I can’t muster the same enthusiasm. I feel adrift from my tribe and, to a certain degree, disgusted with both parties.
I can’t imagine that I would have arrived here—not a Republican, but questioning my place in the Democratic Party—had my son not been enrolled in public kindergarten in 2020.
Late that summer, the Cleveland school system announced that it would not open for in-person learning the first 9 weeks of the semester. I was distraught. My family relies on my income, and I knew that I would not be able to work full-time with my then-5-year-old son and then-3-year-old daughter at home.
Still, I was accepting of short-term school closures. My faith in the system deteriorated only as the weeks and months of remote-learning dragged on long past the initial timeline, and my son began refusing to log on for lessons. I couldn’t blame him. Despite his wonderful teacher’s best efforts, online kindergarten is about as ridiculous as it sounds, in my experience. I remember logging on to a “gym” class where my son was the only student present. The teacher, I could tell, felt embarrassed. We both knew how absurd the situation was.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interesting article though both the original title Democrats botched public school covid policy and the revised title Why I Soured on the Democrats.... seem a bit harsh and clicbatey... esp for The Atlantic
January 5, 2022
“Jingle Bells,” explained Council Rock principal Matt Tappon in an email, has been replaced with other songs that don’t have “the potential to be controversial or offensive.”
Tappon and other staff confirmed by email that the decision to remove the song was based in part on information in a 2017 article written by professor Kyna Hamill, director of Boston University’s Core Curriculum. Hamill’s article is a deep dive (nearly 12,000 words including appendices and footnotes) into the origin of “Jingle Bells,” the life of its composer, James L. Pierpont, and the popularity of sleigh songs in the mid-1800s. She found documents showing that the song’s first public performance may have occurred in 1857 at a Boston minstrel show. Minstrelsy was a then-popular form of entertainment in which white actors performed in blackface.
But when told that Council Rock has removed ‘Jingle Bells” based partly on her research, Hamill responded in an email: “I am actually quite shocked the school would remove the song from the repertoire. … I, in no way, recommended that it stopped being sung by children.”
When I shared Hamill’s response with Council Rock staff, Allison Rioux, Brighton Central School District assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, offered a different reason for removing “Jingle Bells.” She wrote:
“Some suggest that the use of collars on slaves with bells to send an alert that they were running away is connected to the origin of the song Jingle Bells. While we are not taking a stance to whether that is true or not, we do feel strongly that this line of thinking is not in agreement with our district beliefs to value all cultures and experiences of our students.
This reminds me of the Picnic is racist lunatics or the Black Hole is racist lunatics
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy and really are looking for things to be offended by.
School banned Jingle Bells due to racism concerns
https://rochesterbeacon.com/2021/12/23/jingle-all-the-way-maybe-not/“Jingle Bells,” explained Council Rock principal Matt Tappon in an email, has been replaced with other songs that don’t have “the potential to be controversial or offensive.”
Tappon and other staff confirmed by email that the decision to remove the song was based in part on information in a 2017 article written by professor Kyna Hamill, director of Boston University’s Core Curriculum. Hamill’s article is a deep dive (nearly 12,000 words including appendices and footnotes) into the origin of “Jingle Bells,” the life of its composer, James L. Pierpont, and the popularity of sleigh songs in the mid-1800s. She found documents showing that the song’s first public performance may have occurred in 1857 at a Boston minstrel show. Minstrelsy was a then-popular form of entertainment in which white actors performed in blackface.
But when told that Council Rock has removed ‘Jingle Bells” based partly on her research, Hamill responded in an email: “I am actually quite shocked the school would remove the song from the repertoire. … I, in no way, recommended that it stopped being sung by children.”
When I shared Hamill’s response with Council Rock staff, Allison Rioux, Brighton Central School District assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, offered a different reason for removing “Jingle Bells.” She wrote:
“Some suggest that the use of collars on slaves with bells to send an alert that they were running away is connected to the origin of the song Jingle Bells. While we are not taking a stance to whether that is true or not, we do feel strongly that this line of thinking is not in agreement with our district beliefs to value all cultures and experiences of our students.
This reminds me of the Picnic is racist lunatics or the Black Hole is racist lunatics
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy and really are looking for things to be offended by.
December 11, 2021
No injuries reported after shooting
BRANDON, Fla. — A shooter was arrested Thursday after a firefight with Hillsborough County deputies.
Part of Brandon Blvd. was shut down in both directions for much of the afternoon while the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office worked their investigation. The shootings happened around the 1 p.m. hour Thursday.
The sheriff's office says deputies were called to the report of shots fired at the Wash Up-Brandon car wash off Brandon Blvd. Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies arrived within moments, and upon arrival, the sheriff's office says deputies witnessed Daniel Lighty, 35, firing a weapon.
The sheriff's office says deputies were called to the report of shots fired at the Wash Up-Brandon car wash off Brandon Blvd. Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies arrived within moments, and upon arrival, the sheriff's office says deputies witnessed Daniel Lighty, 35, firing a weapon.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
He was taken into custody after he ran out of bullets. This is Florida, after all...
The police took care not to escalate during the incident, which has been described as a mental health crisis.
I never see reports on DU of police doing their job well. It creates an artificial and often racist view of the police. We have over 330 million people in this country. Those rare incidents that make the cable news are not the norm. Most incidents are like this one.
Shooter arrested in Brandon after firing at Hillsborough deputies Fifteen times
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/active-investigation-shuts-down-brandon-blvd-in-both-directionsNo injuries reported after shooting
BRANDON, Fla. — A shooter was arrested Thursday after a firefight with Hillsborough County deputies.
Part of Brandon Blvd. was shut down in both directions for much of the afternoon while the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office worked their investigation. The shootings happened around the 1 p.m. hour Thursday.
The sheriff's office says deputies were called to the report of shots fired at the Wash Up-Brandon car wash off Brandon Blvd. Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies arrived within moments, and upon arrival, the sheriff's office says deputies witnessed Daniel Lighty, 35, firing a weapon.
The sheriff's office says deputies were called to the report of shots fired at the Wash Up-Brandon car wash off Brandon Blvd. Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies arrived within moments, and upon arrival, the sheriff's office says deputies witnessed Daniel Lighty, 35, firing a weapon.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
He was taken into custody after he ran out of bullets. This is Florida, after all...
The police took care not to escalate during the incident, which has been described as a mental health crisis.
I never see reports on DU of police doing their job well. It creates an artificial and often racist view of the police. We have over 330 million people in this country. Those rare incidents that make the cable news are not the norm. Most incidents are like this one.
December 10, 2021
DETROIT — Caitlin Reynolds, a single mother, was happy that her son, L.J., was finally settled into fourth grade after a rocky experience last year with remote learning.
Then, on Wednesday, Nov. 17, an announcement: Detroit public schools would close their classrooms every Friday in December. There would be virtual school only.
On Friday, a follow-up announcement: School was also canceled starting that Monday, for the entire week of Thanksgiving. This time, there would be no online option.
After a few months of relative calm, some public schools are going remote — or canceling classes entirely — for a day a week, or even for a couple of weeks, because of teacher burnout or staff shortages.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is a localized problem, but with the very low risk of kids in the classroom and the incredible disruption to working class parents Schools really need to rethink these policies.
Much like crime and inflation I really think democrats need to go on the offensive against school districts that are breaking the covenant of taking the kids on a regular schedule so parents (Often single mothers) can work,
This effects the most vulnerable in our society by far and I am afraid many are simply out of touch of the reality of the working class.
If we ignore the needs of the working class in America, we will lose them.
Schools Are Closing Classrooms on Fridays. Parents Are Furious.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/us/schools-closed-fridays-remote-learning.htmlDETROIT — Caitlin Reynolds, a single mother, was happy that her son, L.J., was finally settled into fourth grade after a rocky experience last year with remote learning.
Then, on Wednesday, Nov. 17, an announcement: Detroit public schools would close their classrooms every Friday in December. There would be virtual school only.
On Friday, a follow-up announcement: School was also canceled starting that Monday, for the entire week of Thanksgiving. This time, there would be no online option.
After a few months of relative calm, some public schools are going remote — or canceling classes entirely — for a day a week, or even for a couple of weeks, because of teacher burnout or staff shortages.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is a localized problem, but with the very low risk of kids in the classroom and the incredible disruption to working class parents Schools really need to rethink these policies.
Much like crime and inflation I really think democrats need to go on the offensive against school districts that are breaking the covenant of taking the kids on a regular schedule so parents (Often single mothers) can work,
This effects the most vulnerable in our society by far and I am afraid many are simply out of touch of the reality of the working class.
If we ignore the needs of the working class in America, we will lose them.
December 2, 2021
https://thetakeout.com/plant-based-meat-sales-are-starting-to-drop-1848131060
We’ve been keeping track of plant-based meat alternatives for a while now. This year, vegan chicken offerings have sprung up big time, and overall, the momentum has felt strong. But now, the Financial Times reports that sales of plant-based meat are starting to fall. This might come as a surprise given the wild amount of choices at grocery stores these days, but it turns out that variety might actually be part of the problem.
A data group called SPINS found that in the four weeks prior to October 3, sales of vegan meat substitutes dropped 1.8% as compared to 2020. There are several likely reasons for this (it’s been a complicated year, everyone). Not only have dining restrictions lifted in many areas, meaning a dip in grocery sales, but supply chain issues have also caused some store shelves to go empty for periods of time.
Maple Leaf Foods, a Canadian company that owns a plant-based protein brand called Green Leaf, along with Beyond Meat, logged weak sales over the past few weeks too. Maple Leaf CEO Michael McCain told analysts earlier this month, “In the past six months, unexpectedly, there has been a rapid deceleration in the category growth rates of plant-based protein.”
Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown thinks the weak sales are due to people being uninterested in healthier options (which certainly seems possible), along with people making fewer trips to the grocery store overall. Innovation doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down in the market, however. Some companies are taking a foray into 3D-printed whole cuts of vegan meat, and vegan fish seems like it’s still coming up in the world, too.
Plant-based meat sales do a face-plant
https://thetakeout.com/plant-based-meat-sales-are-starting-to-drop-1848131060
We’ve been keeping track of plant-based meat alternatives for a while now. This year, vegan chicken offerings have sprung up big time, and overall, the momentum has felt strong. But now, the Financial Times reports that sales of plant-based meat are starting to fall. This might come as a surprise given the wild amount of choices at grocery stores these days, but it turns out that variety might actually be part of the problem.
A data group called SPINS found that in the four weeks prior to October 3, sales of vegan meat substitutes dropped 1.8% as compared to 2020. There are several likely reasons for this (it’s been a complicated year, everyone). Not only have dining restrictions lifted in many areas, meaning a dip in grocery sales, but supply chain issues have also caused some store shelves to go empty for periods of time.
Maple Leaf Foods, a Canadian company that owns a plant-based protein brand called Green Leaf, along with Beyond Meat, logged weak sales over the past few weeks too. Maple Leaf CEO Michael McCain told analysts earlier this month, “In the past six months, unexpectedly, there has been a rapid deceleration in the category growth rates of plant-based protein.”
Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown thinks the weak sales are due to people being uninterested in healthier options (which certainly seems possible), along with people making fewer trips to the grocery store overall. Innovation doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down in the market, however. Some companies are taking a foray into 3D-printed whole cuts of vegan meat, and vegan fish seems like it’s still coming up in the world, too.
Profile Information
Member since: Sun Mar 28, 2021, 05:24 PMNumber of posts: 1,969
