the Black and White cookie

Google and NPR report on the most recent leak of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE)  from the White House today.  All Presidents have selectively leaked information from this known classified document, both parties do it.  Ask Valerie Plume about this White House leakage though and you will see that this admin only leaks what theythink the people, and by that we all known we mean rich-white-Christian-men, deserve to know.  So it was shocking to hear the leak over the weekend that included reference to this Iraqi war causing more terrorism around the world. [Is it just me, am I the onlyone that thinks our presence there & over-through of another government (stop, do not say imminent threat - or I'll shoot - haha) was a bit terrorist in itself?] Of course we are stirring up more anti-American sentiment, now I need to wait even longer before I can go to Europe…

How naive is our President? 

And that he implies that some people might do this with politics in mind?  Oh the horror! (insert pic: Valerie Plume rolling eyes here)

Thirteen Things I am Going to do FYI - “Tag Applied For” is what those in the rural (& not-so-rural) South write on their cars while they are or are not waiting on license plates. Of course, noted within 5 minutes of each other, a professionally printed version on an UPS vehicle and also available in cardboard in the back window of a Ford Tempo. 1. Write a children’s book. 2. Retire Early. 3. Start writing my newsletter again. 4. Finish my master’s paper, since I was accepted to present it at this year’s NCTM! 5. Guess I already told you #5, present at the NCTM. 6. Hang the rest of my posters in my classroom. 7. Finish repotting my houseplants (started over the long weekend) 8. Reorganize my closet. 9. Sell some of the crap I stupidly moved down here, EBay?!? 10. Weed the front bed. 11. Get back on respectable Law & Order viewing schedule. 12. Finish unpacking the basement, maybe, someday. 13. Keep a regular yoga schedule.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

All this past week has been a mind-numbing standardized testing week. 
* all the teachers sigh in unison *
Sixth graders take instructions from the book the teacher reads.

While bubbling in * sigh * this exchange took place:

Teacher: “Are there any questions?”
             “Joe?”
Student: “Do they want my whole first name?”
Teacher: “Yes, write down the name your mother put on your birth certificate.”
Student: “How do you spell Joseph?”