Kumar goes to Washington? Kal Penn leaves House.
Yes, I’m a House fan. Yes, my favorite character was Kutner once known as Kumar (Harold and Kumar go to White Castle and Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay). He was killed off on last night’s episode of House to the anger of many fans (why wasn’t it 13 or Taub?).
Today I was on a Mommy board and a link was posted explaining why Kal Penn (Kumar/Kutner) left House. His leaving was bad enough but is he seriously taking a position in the Obama administration?
I understand it was your decision to leave House. True?
KAL PENN: Yes. I was incredibly honored a couple of months ago to get the opportunity to go work in the White House. I got to know the President and some of the staff during the campaign and had expressed interest in working there, so I’m going to be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison. They do outreach with the American public and with different organizations. They’re basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House. It’s similar to what I was doing on the campaign.Will you actually be working in the White House?
PENN: This particular office is in the executive building. The White House has two buildings: the actual White House and an old Navy building called the Old Executive Office.Are you there as long as Obama’s in office?
PENN: A lot of that stuff is up in the air. This is a relatively recent development.Safe to say you’re taking a huge pay cut?
PENN: Oh, yeah. There’s not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. But, obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor.
I know this isn’t big news, but it certainly is interesting.
My head is exploding listening to Obama on the Auto Industry
As though he freaking knows everything about everything auto and business related. I can feel a disturbance in the force here in Southeast Michigan. Everyone’s heads are exploding right now in the region.
So now the government owns your GM or Chrysler warranties. I can remember a year or so ago as I cried out against universal health care that we should watch out as the government may someday take over car repair. It was a joke! Now it’s not.
Have you driven a Ford lately?
Isn’t this why everyone was so pissed at the Catholic Church?
A drunken middle school teacher forces her students to dance with her as she “grinds” her bare bum against them. Oh, and it’s caught on video by the students. This sounds like grounds for dismissal, right?
“We told her, Miss Nelson, please pull up your pants’, and she did, but then they fell down again and she held them there,” the eighth-grader said, also noting her teacher did not appear to have on underwear.
“She was kinda grinding, like, putting her butt against you,” the student said.
Reports show Nelson had a blood-alcohol level of 0.26 and later ran from the school to a nearby community center where she was found passed out by a pool.
Apparently this wasn’t the first time she came to work drunk:
In a separate incident in October 2006, reports indicate Nelson failed to show up for a third-period class at Seven Spring Middle School. A school resource officer found Nelson passed out in her car surrounded by bottles of wine.
Instead of just suspending pending criminal action, the school district is moving her to another school pending a decision by the school board!
District administrators say Nelson remains on administrative leave pending a decision on her future by the Pasco County School Board.
A recommendation on how to discipline Nelson will be made during an April 21 school board meeting. The decision on whether or not to terminate her employment will ultimately be left up to the school board.
And finally:
She was ordered to change schools and undergo a substance abuse program, but remained employed with the Pasco County school district.
David Letterman is a Bitter Clinger
Filed under: Are you kidding me?, Democrats, Entertainment, Politics
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised but I so loved David Letterman’s brand of humor when I was in college. It was off the wall, with Panicky Guy, the NBC pages, Larry “Bud” Melman, viewer mail. Maybe I’m remembering incorrectly, but wasn’t he an equal opportunity comedy shot-taker when it came to presidents? So what’s with his latest faux comedy, bitter editorial on all the joking about the TOTUS?
The joke (if it was meant to be a joke) is so nonsensical as to render it useless.
This makes more sense:
Organizing for America is happy to post your info!
Remember that Pledge drive I posted about yesterday? Well, it seems that one of their very competent volunteers, Colleen O’Brien, decided it would be wise to post all of the information that she gathered in the last two days on her blog located on the BarackObama.com website.
She posted it at 8:38 PM ET and it’s still there as of 9:26 PM ET.
Attended two local events yesterday and today to get pledges
By Colleen O’Brien – Mar 22nd, 2009 at 8:38 pm EDT
Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable ContentGot 26 pledges. Was not able to turn in, except by phone. The pledges are:
Out of respect for the duped pledgers, I’m not going to post thier info. I won’t even post the link, but you can find it for your self at the BarackObama.com – you’ll have to look for the blogs.
10:08 PM ET and it’s still there.
11:45 PM ET and all is still there.
I hadn’t noticed that at 11:35 PM someone posted a comment:
You should not be posting personal information on this board. Please delete all personal information asap.
Here’s a screen shot with the vital information blacked out. Click for larger view.
According to Michelle Malkin, Organizing for America is falling flat.Pelosi’s plan to stimulate the future – Remove it!
No doubt you’re already aware of Speaker Pelosi’s grand scheme to stimulate the economy–give hundreds of millions of dollars to family planning services. Remove the children and you remove the burden to society. It’s quite simple really, why isn’t anyone getting this?
In case you didn’t hear it from the horse’s mouth:
So where else can this go?
Like Michelle Malkin points out:
Up next: Emergency funding for suicide manuals and euthanasia education.
It should be noted that the disability community has thought about that for a long time now. Michelle Malkin’s comment reminded me of this from the Ragged Edge Online Magazine:
Customer Service Representative: It is the law, Ralph. Assisted suicide procedures and methods are regulated by both federal and state governments. It is administered under END-A, the Early Need for Death Act that was passed by Congress in 2020. Since that time, unapproved suicides are illegal and punishable by fine and imprisonment.
Ralph: What’s the reason for that?
CSR: Unapproved suicides can be highly ineffective and often result in incomplete suicides. One incomplete suicide can leave a patient and his or her family with extremely high, long-term, health care costs. Ten years ago, Unregulated Incomplete Suicides (UIS) were threatening the viability of the entire Managed Universal Care System. On the other hand, Approved Assisted Suicide is the most cost-effective medical procedure in the history of health care. The Administration of END-A has now established best-practice guidelines and inexpensive toolkits that ensure an effective, safe suicide experience for about 98 percent of patients who are eligible for the procedure.
Ralph: Well, I have always tried to follow the advice of my personal physician.
CSR: Very wise, Ralph. Touchstone Healthcare encourages all eligible patients to use Approved Assisted Suicide. Most patients are highly satisfied with the outcome and benefit package. Oh, good, I see your doctor’s order is on my screen. Okay, I can move to the authorization process.
Ralph: How does that work?
CSR: I will ask you a series of questions. I will record your answers for privacy and compliance requirements. Ready?
Ralph: I guess so.
CSR: Okay. Ralph, state your name, date of birth, and patient account number.
Ralph: Ralph Craven. Date of birth was 06/27/1990. My account number is 2175-002-4569.
CSR: Ralph, what is your physician-approved END?
Ralph: What?
CSR: What is your Early Need for Death?
Ralph: I have Predicted Genetic Terminal Illness.
CSR: Has your physician explained what that means?
Ralph: Yes. It means that DNA tests have determined that I definitely will die from something within 20 to 30 years. It is not possible to predict what disease will cause my death, but the DNA predictive test results were conclusive. My doctor said the 20- to 30- year prognosis makes me eligible for Approved Assisted Suicide.
CSR: Ralph, did your physician explain the Suicide Benefit Package?
Ralph: Yes. In fact, the benefit package is what helped me make the decision to go with assisted suicide. The package is just too good to pass up. My family will receive a Suicide Choice Rebate from the Touchstone Healthcare, and they will still collect my life insurance.
CSR: Right, Ralph. For most people it is a real win-win situation. Well, let me go ahead and email you the Patient Suicide Handbook and Toolkit. The Handbook describes the procedure and tells you how to prepare and what to expect from your assisted suicide. The Toolkit includes your choice of a lethal dose of Endal, or a reusable handgun. If you choose the handgun option, a family member must ship the gun back to Touchstone within thirty days or its cost will be deducted from your Suicide Choice Rebate. The Patient Suicide Handbook also is loaded with other practical information about crematoria and other resources that you might be interested in. Shall I ship your Handbook and Toolkit today?
Ralph: Okay. And I will take the Endal option.
CSR: Excellent choice, Ralph. Your Handbook and complete Assisted Suicide Toolkit will arrive by UPS within 24 hours.
Ralph: Thanks.
CSR: Is there anything else I can help you with today, Ralph?
Ralph: No thank you, Susan. You have been very helpful. I’m sure I will be quite satisfied.
There must be a grain of Joe Bidenesque patriotism in all of this!
UPDATE!
Pelosi pulls it out – so to speak.
Candy Rush Slice? Candy Limbaugh Slice?
President Obama doesn’t want Republicans to listen to Rush Limbaugh. In a matter of time, he may not even want the name, Rush Limbaugh, spoken. Well, in the spirit of bipartisanship of which President Obama once spoke, I thought we should take on some of the sillyness of liberal Democrats and show our support of Rush by taking on his name. You know, like Sunshine Hussein Lipshits.
What sounds better, Candy Rush Slice or Candy Limbaugh Slice? Should there be a hyphen? Or should it be Candy Rush Limbaugh Slice?
If only more “Republicans” in congress would actually listen to Rush Limbaugh…
Michigan Running a Surplus – Who Knew?
If you heard Jennifer Granholm talk, you’d never know there was a surplus. Our state is bleeding businesses and people. The ONLY industry that Granholm saw fit to offer incentives was Hollywood (movie/television etc.). It was a great lesson showing that tax cuts/incentives to industry work – but I guess the stars in her eyes blinded her to the fact that it would work across the board. In any case – I want my money back!
“Taxpayers deserve a refund!”
-Attorney General Mike Cox
Cox calls for state tax refund…Attorney General Mike Cox says the state is overcharging taxpayers, and more than $700 million should be refunded to them to help with car, house and other payments. He said when the state raised income and business taxes in October 2007, it was sold as a means to deal with an economic crisis. And yet, he noted, the state ended the last two fiscal years with surpluses, including $712 million for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
CAIR’s latest attempt at protecting our civil rights
Please take time to read this story at The Gathering Storm:
CAIR’s latest attempt at protecting our civil rights are charges against a California middle school teacher, Randy Ingram, who had the courage to state to his sixth grade class the obvious – that Iran has sworn to destroy the state of Israel.
Merit pay, an anathema for teachers’ unions?
It seems simple. Someone does a great job and he is rewarded – typically with more money in a capitalistic society. If he does a poor job; he is not rewarded. In many facets of business and society, it works brilliantly. Common sense tells us that creating a such a sytem would motivate any employee, including teachers:
Bush seeks teacher merit-pay funds
President Bush wants more money in the 2008 budget for a fund that encourages performance-based pay systems for teachers — a request that will no doubt feed into the larger debate on Capitol Hill about how best to attract, create and retain effective teachers.
The administration is asking for $199 million for its Teacher Incentive Fund, which was created in 2006. The fund provides financial incentives for teachers and principals who improve student achievement in high-poverty schools and helps to recruit top teachers to these schools. Rewards are left up to the states to decide and can include bonuses or raises.
Dangle reward. Do well. Receive reward. It’s not climatological science! We’re taught this system as very young children even before we enter school. A reward is often a motivator for good behavior, completing chores, kissing Great Aunt Ethel. For children entering school, grades become the reward; though some teachers have been known to give out candy and trinkets to motivate their students. Public school teachers are well aware of this cause and effect response.
However, public school teachers are union members and the rules of the motivation system somehow do not apply.
The top teachers union has criticized the fund.
Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, recently said the setup “is nothing more than a merit-pay system, and merit pay hasn’t worked wherever it has been tried, for the most part.”
Far from spurring teachers on to greater effectiveness, extra bonuses for some and not others simply “creates tension” between teachers and kills any teamwork, he said.
“It doesn’t work and it’s not going to do anything to attract and retain quality teachers,” Mr. Weaver said. What will work is getting teachers involved in the decision-making process, giving them a safe and orderly school and a decent salary, he said.
My question is, what does motivate our public school teachers to do their best? If it’s pride in their job and students, then why would attractive salaries be a motivator? Reg Weaver is wrong and his positing otherwise is a glaring show of the disconnection between teachers’ unions and reality.
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