Comment Archives: stories
Re: “"Game of Thrones" Season 3, Episode 10: The finale that didn't feel like a finale”
Stopruining: I haven't given away ANYTHING in this blog. Absolutely nothing above reveals any details of upcoming plots, or intimates anything that a reasonable savvy viewer couldn't figure out on his/her own (like Arya and the importance of the coin, or that the Joffrey/Margaery wedding is in the offing, or that more pain and misery is coming for EVERYONE). I've hinted at important events to come, but have not given details about any of it. The fact that the Red Wedding was such a surprise to the vast majority of show viewers -- despite the fact that those scenes have been around in book form for nearly 15 years -- should be proof enough that bloggers aren't interested in spoiling this story. I consider myself one of them.
And seriously, if you don't like my approach, feel free to read any of the other "Game of Thrones" blogs out there. I'm not going to do a scene-by-scene recap. That's boring. My approach is to look at the show from the perspective of someone who has read the books, and offer insight for show-only viewers who may be missing some of the details/color that you only get in the books.
Re: “"Game of Thrones" Season 3, Episode 10: The finale that didn't feel like a finale”
Don't forget the youngest Stark boy is still alive, adding to the potential heirs to Winterfell.
Re: “"Game of Thrones" Season 3, Episode 10: The finale that didn't feel like a finale”
Can you not fucking hint at every plot twist to come, please!?
Re: “Our tone-deaf governor: Cuomo and the cities”
Another example of stone-deaf Cuomo: He touts his 'women's legislative agenda' and yet does NOTHING to get rid of Sheldon Silver who paid off the sexual harrassment victims of Vito Lopez. Cuomo pays nothing but lip service.
Re: “"Game of Thrones" Season 3, Episode 10: The finale that didn't feel like a finale”
It was a thud of a season ending. Probably more so for the folks that haven't read the book since it was short of all the action that the preceding episode provided. I am eagerly anticipating the next season and the presentation of the rest of Book 3!
Re: “Budget hangover”
For anyone who knows a city student or works with them, this is a SCARY, SCARY situation. Kids need these important services. School staff can NOT address these issues as well as School Coordinators! It will cost more than just money in the long run.
Re: “State says Monroe Community Hospital is back on track”
I agree with Dave.
In fact being a daughter of a current resident, I am ashamed of the "care" I see going on at that facility. The patient next door to my mother has had to call 911 several times, because the nursing staff and aides fail to answer call lights.
The meals they provide my mother consist of green beans on a plate.
The nurses/aides can be seen texting on their cell phones or watching tv in the lounges.
Re: “Police chief responds to problems with city's red-light camera program”
Update:
A law suit has been filed in NYS Supreme Court challenging the red light cameras all over Rochester as unconstitutional based on violating the 5th Amendment right to due process.
People should not have to give up their civil liberties to live, work, play or just drive in the city. I am the Plaintiff in the court case. Read more and follow the case through court at:
https://twitter.com/KriegerLaw
Re: “Will historic conversions save the City of Rochester?”
These people must be out of their minds.
Re: “Reductions at All City High may signal trend”
PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE ARTICLE ABOVE. IT IS MOST INTERESTING, IF NOT AMAZING, FOR SEVERAL REASONS:
1) Some of the comments in the article MAY be indicative of the very first time that any semblance of a small fissure of public disagreement has occurred between Dr.'s Vargas and Urbanski --- who have pretty much, walked in lock-step (at least publicly) concerning all major education issues --- since the time that Vargas was first hand-picked to so-called "lead." In fact, development and implementation of All City High was obviously an almost exclusive, joint-venture between leaders of the Rochester Teachers Association and Rochester City School District's top Administration.
2) Surely it is not news that the 7 people who were elected to lead the RCSD are totally out of touch. Instead of them issuing policy directives, and insisting that the highly-paid Superintendent adheres to their directives --- they are continuing their long-standing abdication of responsibility, and literally begging the highly-paid Superintendent to keep them informed of what he's doing. So, we have the 7 people who are elected to lead the school district NOT holding the highly-paid Superintendent accountable for his actions, and you have us (voters and taxpayers) NOT holding the 7 people who are elected to lead accountable for their in-actions. So, NO ONE IS HOLDING ANYONE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANYTHING. WE LITERALLY HAVE THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND, AND WE WONDER WHY CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT NEVER OCCURS? A couple of clear, outstanding examples of the phenomenon referenced above are as follows:
a) "Some board members say the superintendent's decision caught them off guard." WHAT???!!!
b) "Something is very inconsistent about all of this," says school board member Van White. "All along we've been asking for data on All City High, and just two weeks ago we were told everything is fine there." WHAT???!!! Well, now that Board members know (based on the latter quote) that the highly-paid Superintendent has essentially been lying to them --- what do they intend to do about it? And, if Board members follow their long-standing, normal pattern of not doing anything about it, what do we (voters and taxpayers) plan to do about the fact that they are not going to do anything about it? Will we all just continue the long-standing pattern of no one holding anyone accountable for anything? When will heads roll?
3) There are some statements in the article that are disingenuous (to say the least), and designed to bamboozle and hoodwink the public into believing that some type of magical transformation has occurred. The following is a classic example: "But school officials say that All City High was always intended as an immediate option for students floundering or at risk of dropping out of the five schools that are being closed. The school has fulfilled that mission, officials say,..." WHAT???!!! Are we to believe that there are no longer any students who are "floundering or at risk of dropping out?"
4) The article also contains some brand new language, which the writer seems to be attempting to palm off as part of the norm. It is not. For example, we have heard, and read general rhetoric concerning the idea and possibility of future, "teacher-led-schools," but there hasn't been any mention of parents being a part of leadership until now. Thus, based on the following quotes, apparently someone has had an epiphany, and realized that, with regard to leadership, it's critically important to include parents: "Urbanski says he supports more innovative schools, such as parent-and teacher-led community schools. But he says that Vargas wants to convert the failing schools to parent-and teacher-led charter conversion" schools." I repeat, the term "PARENTS" in the latter quotes is BRAND NEW LANGUAGE. Yet, (based on past rhetoric), it is my unequivocal view that parents need to be very cautious, and even suspect. That is, we have heard TALK in the past about "shared leadership and decision-making," but for the most part, it has boiled down to nothing more or less than just TALK. Additionally, in my humble, but firm view, it is important for us to reject the idea, and past practice of hand-picked parents being assigned as our so-called "leaders" (such as, for example, many of those who are part of the so-called District Parent Council) who are clearly disconnected from the vast majority of RCSD parents and guardians. Instead, we must insist on a completely democratic process that provides equitable opportunities for involvement and engagement of ALL RCSD PARENTS AND GUARDIANS. According to information in the article, there is already a serious, potential, fundamental problem with Vargas's idea of "parent- and teacher-led charter conversion" schools," i.e., "A majority of the teachers [BUT NOT THE PARENTS] in the school would have to agree to the conversion..."
Indeed, parents and guardians, especially those whose children are struggling the most, should be skeptical of any type of charter school arrangement --- because one thing is crystal clear: Charter schools definitely "siphon off the better performing students from the host school system, leaving the district with mainly low-performing, disruptive students — those requiring more and costly special services."
It is important to give credit where credit is due. If he is really serious, Urbanski is correct about one thing: “The goal should be to fix the broken system, not opt out of it."
Re: “Reductions at All City High may signal trend”
http://www.salon.com/2013/06/03/instead_of_a_war_on_teachers_how_about_one_on_poverty/
Here's a solid article that points out some of the flaws of "reformers" like you Mrs. Remis, and your local education cronies ( Gantt, Warren, Williams, etc). Charter's are a corporate hustle and don't deal with the real issue that is holding back many RCSD students, overwhelming concentrated POVERTY. You can call out teacher accountability and unions and support charter schools until you're blue in the face, but more and more people are realizing the dishonesty and lack of evidence to support this new con game. How is your child's unionized, non-charter, affluent, suburban school performing?
Re: “Feedback 6/5”
Fracking and energy independence are an interesting pair....until you realize the gas industry is preparing to sell fracked gas to foreign countries.
Re: “Teachers may take over some schools in Rochester”
AMEN HOWARD EAGLE...I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF!!! Sad to see, but it appears that 9 people "dislike" hearing (reading) the truth. You keep speaking that truth brotha cuz the people that really care about our children are listening and reading!!!
Re: “Analysis finds racial disparity in pot arrests”
There has been some national coverage of this finding. I saw that some scholars pointed out this was perhaps indirectly associated with a more aggressive police presence in minority inner city neighborhoods (which has been significant in reducing black-on-black violence).
I still have not seen the obvious explanation. Some African Americans are smoking marijuana much more openly than any other group I am aware of. My overwhelming exposure to marijuana in the city (via smell) has been from young African Americans smoking in public.
Leave it to the ACLU to push their innuendo.
Re: “Budget hangover”
Mr. Partner's statement illustrates the problem perfectly - RCSD admin is detached from what goes on day-to-day in their schools. As a former agency employee, I relied heavily on Student & Family Support Center Coordinators to help me ensure that I met my program (funders) goals. School SWs & counselors are already overwhelmed - to think they can step in and fill the void of a SFSC Coordinator is downright foolish. What RCSD will end up with is disorganization, disruption of academic time, duplication of services, violation of student & family privacy, violation of RCSD & school policy, and a lack of awareness among teachers & students as to what services are available and how to access them. The services will be less effective and less efficient, plain & simple.
SFSC Coordinators also act as liaisons to the community - not just the programs located in the school. How will that be replaced? By SWs that can only work with the Special Ed population? By Guidance Counselors that already have a caseload of 300 students? This is RCSD pulling the wool over everyone's eyes - even their own.
This is NOT about money - not when RCSD gives the Hillside Work Scholarship program $600,000 - a program that will only accept students already on the path to success and that will terminate a student with quickness if they fall by the wayside. This is going backwards. Really expected more from Vargas (a guidance counselor himself). What a shame.
Re: “Reductions at All City High may signal trend”
Parents should be cautious of the charter conversion option. Converted charters are not 'real' charters: they have the same contracts and work rules as the district schools. Charters in name only.
Re: “Budget hangover”
This is a sad, sad state of affairs. If the center's counselors and social workers saw more than 5,000 students in the 2011 to 2012 school year, um...that's a lot of kids who received support. And now ten positions have been cut, so other social workers with be over-burdened in an attempt to deliver the same kind of quality care to the same numbers of students in a school district that is currently ranked one of the WORST in our state? Seems like you should be hiring social workers, not firing them.
I understand that counseling programs are expensive, but jail is even more expensive.
Is there REALLY no where else fat could have been cut? Seems like these kinds of support services are critical to the city youth population.
Re: “State says Monroe Community Hospital is back on track”
Jeremy,
Any chance you'd be interested in interviewing past and current residents at MCH to get THEIR take on how awesome it was and is?
Dave
Re: “Analysis finds racial disparity in pot arrests”
In the end it's a personal choice. The outcomes that you experience in life will depend on the choices that you make, not your neighborhood or any other factor. Yes some neighborhoods require (and have) better police coverage than others, so if you choose to sell or use illicit drugs then your chances of getting caught may vary as compared to someone else's. Stay away from drugs and you won't need to worry, or roll the dice and get caught-up in use and/or sales, it's your choice. Marijuana leads to harder drugs and is associated with turf- and debt-related violence. The "everybody's doing it - it's unfair that I'm being singled out" excuse common from those charged with what they view to be low-level activity isn't persuasive. Put the focus on yourself. If you're arrested for marijuana possession, chances are you were involved with open-air drug sales. Police have limited resources to conduct undercover buys therefore street corner dealers are often charged only with possession. Make healthy choices and develop a habit of following the rules, or choose to roll the dice but don't cry "unfair" when your questionable decision making leads to a conviction record.
Re: “Rochester Fringe Festival reveals 2013 headliners”
To paraphrase Marc Maron (who I've never heard of), WTF is a podcast?