Posts by David Jackson2

Adam Diaz67 said:I guess your kid's school in Canada is probably a total space shuttle compared to 99% of schools here in America. I’m just throwing out some guesses here, so tell me if I'm way off. The school probably has AC, a decent-sized cafeteria, lockers for every student that actually lock, a well-equipped gym with locker rooms that likely have showers, a library that functions as a study hall with computers for students to use. And, I bet the bathrooms always have soap and paper. How far off am I? 😁

Our schools just aren't designed or equipped for all-day programs. They're built for kids to show up, listen to a lecture, and go home. People are complaining because trying to introduce something without having the basic infrastructure in place is just... maybe a bit nonsensical.

Actually, not even close. This school is in worse shape than my old elementary school back in San Francisco—and we live in a decent neighborhood, so I can only imagine the disaster zones elsewhere. Teachers end up paying out of their own pockets just to kit out their classrooms (last year, our school had to run a fundraiser just to buy a rug for the kids to sit on this year 😬). There’s no AC, so when summer hits, it’s absolutely brutal, and classes run straight through the end of June. No cafeteria either; kids just bring lunch from home and eat right at their desks. They don't even have lockers—that's apparently reserved for high schoolers
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There’s this pathetic little nutrition program where kids get one snack a day—think an apple or a granola bar—and parents basically volunteer their money to help cover the cost for families who are struggling. There is a gym, sure, but it has no showers and the equipment looks like it hasn't been touched since the 80s 😬. The library is actually okay, though. We don't send toilet paper or soap to the school, but teachers will ask if they need supplies for art class; we were actually the ones on deck last week to send in paper towels and homemade playdough for an art project. Also, textbooks aren't really a thing here, by the way. If the school needs something, they organize a fundraiser—selling T-shirts with the school logo and stuff like that. A huge chunk of how things function just depends on the local community
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Sarah Hall53 said:Just pure curiosity here—who’s looking after them during those breaks, especially that hour-long stretch? And who actually takes the blame if something goes sideways while they're out there?

Their homeroom teachers handle things during breaks (back in the classrooms), and then for lunch and after-school programs, you've got the duty teachers supervising outside. We used to have parent volunteers jump in too, but since COVID hit, that hasn't really come back—at least not at our local elementary school—though I hear some schools in other parts of the country still do it.

Keep in mind, some of the older kids—like the 5th and 6th graders—actually head out to "help" the little ones during lunch. They eat their packed lunches in their own classrooms since their lunch period is at a different time. There's a huge emphasis here on volunteering and teaching these kids to help out from a very young age. But yeah, there's always a teacher around.

Paul Davis2 said:An 8-to-3 schedule is pretty standard across the USA—literally everywhere. In places where the day seems shorter, they aren't actually doing continuous instruction; it includes lunch breaks and various group activities. It’s not a solid block from 8 to 3; it’s a series of breaks, meals, and social periods.
Trying to run non-stop instruction from 8 to 3 just isn't realistic.

Exactly. My kid over in Canada is in school from 8:30 to 3. It isn't even an issue that she's there that long because the curriculum is built around projects rather than just sitting there listening to someone drone on—plus, they get two 15-minute snack breaks and an hour for lunch (they usually spend about 25 minutes eating and the rest of the time outside).

It honestly blows my mind that people are getting worked up about this reform based on how many hours they're in class, instead of actually looking at the changes to the curriculum and teaching methods we're supposed to be seeing in 2023 to keep up with a modern society. It's pretty terrifying that they're actually cutting back on computer science hours when the current program is already ancient. 🤦

New topic: nations, cities, countries

1. The HU - This is Mongol
2. Mongol 2. The Dekle
3. David Bowie - Young Americans
4. Top 40 Hits
5. Top 40 Hits
6. Top 40 Hits

7. Sarah Slean - California

Whitney Houston - Fields of Gold

So, Kılıçdaroğlu is officially stepping up as the opposition's pick for the upcoming elections, with Imamoğlu and Yavaş—the mayors of New York City and Washington, D.C., respectively—lined up as potential running mates.

Honestly, though? It would’ve been a hell of a lot better if they went with Imamoğlu instead. To me, Kılıçdaroğlu feels like a bit of a relic at this point—someone who’s just lost too many times to be the guy you want leading the charge—even if he is technically a step up from the Republican Party.
With an opposition coalition actually pulling together like this, it’s basically make-or-break time... it's now or never if they want to finally deal with Erdogan and his whole crew.

burning love letters

Mississippi

Starman

Timeless

SZA - This is absolutely wild

Gary Palmer8 said:They’re saying back in '99, the military was deployed within two hours—now it’s taking two whole days... I just can't wrap my head around it...

I mean, Izmit is closer to the epicenter than Joe Anatolije, and back then, the military actually had some teeth—it wasn't bogged down by the same kind of incompetent infiltration we see today.

Honestly, that '99 quake triggered such massive political shifts in the country that it basically paved the way for the Republican Party to take over. If there's any silver lining to be found in a disaster like this, maybe it's time for a similar shake-up to happen again.

It turns out a whole bunch of details are coming to light regarding the absolute disaster that was the response from FEMA—the agency that supposedly sat on its hands for hours just waiting for a green light from the higher-ups (and get this, the guy running the show is a Republican Party appointee who’s more of a theologian than an emergency expert!!!). Honestly, it's just pathetic and completely inexcusable.

wiredseal7 said:Most of the footage shows buildings still standing despite the tremors, but then you see entire neighborhoods just wiped out—it's gut-wrenching. It’s pretty obvious we’re looking at negligent construction, likely driven by corruption and cutting corners on safety protocols. You shouldn't see a high-rise collapsing like a house of cards, especially when there isn't even visible damage.
The issue here is clearly inadequate support structures—those lower floors just give way under the massive weight they're supposed to be carrying.

I also get the feeling that the architects and developers behind those failed projects probably skipped town as fast as they could once the dust settled.

And they aren't the only ones to blame. The lion's share of the responsibility falls squarely on Erdogan's administration—they signed off on amnesty for illegally built structures, even though there were plenty of warnings beforehand.

What really kills me, though, is how poorly organized the rescue efforts have been, especially considering how much money was dumped into their disaster management agency. From what my friends tell me—people whose families are actually caught up in this—the situation on the ground is way more dire than what the news is showing.

Basically, help just isn't arriving. Erdogan didn't mobilize the military fast enough or in any meaningful capacity. Most of the rescue teams are heading toward the major metropolitan areas, leaving those "smaller" cities—you know, the ones with a hundred thousand people—completely abandoned. 😢

To top it all off, right in the middle of this chaos, Erdogan pops up with a warning, basically saying they’re busy compiling lists of "enemies of the state" in their little notebooks and everyone will pay the price. And now, Twitter has been censored in Turkey.

Meanwhile, over in Greece, PBS has started airing footage from the destroyed Turkish cities, calling for aid and playing "I Told the World I Love You." 🙂

I just hope the Turkish people realize who their real enemy is and hold this disgusting monster accountable for destroying them and dragging their reputation through the mud.

Nine Inch Nails just dropped the dates for their Farewell tour (limited to the US and Canada).

Steven Martin9 said:I remember sitting there at the end of the film just thinking—wow, this one really stings—and then I went online to check out some reviews, only to see the first line was this movie hurts. It’s pretty clear the melancholy in this thing is palpable and I wasn't just overthinking it. I'm still reeling a bit, honestly—feeling a little bit broken. But look, movies like this don't work without incredible casting, and the chemistry between Paul Mescal as the father and the sweet Frankie Corio as his daughter is just so believable. At one point, I actually thought this would have worked perfectly as a follow-up to the series Normal People.
It isn't for everyone, but it definitely hit home for me.

I mean, it’s basically impossible not to see Mescala as Connell—he lived in that role so much—so that point really hits home.
The chemistry between these two incredible actors is just top-tier; honestly, it felt even more intense than what we saw from Mescal before.
Such a powerful film.