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Whatever you think of the odds of the T-SPLOST passing, there's an opinion poll that says you're right.
On May 21, Channel 2 Action News reported a poll by Rosetta Stone showing 42 percent for, 45 percent against and 13 percent undecided.
A day later, the group advocating passage of the tax touted a poll of its own indicating — surprise, surprise — the tax is sailing toward passage: 51 percent for, 36 percent against and 13 percent undecided.
If you thought those two results were incompatible, get a load of a new poll out today and reported by Fox 5 Atlanta:
A new InsiderAdvantage polls shows that most people oppose the penny sales tax referendum, with 47 percent saying they plan to vote against it, 32 percent said they are in favor of it and 21 percent remaining undecided.
So, it's either 32 percent, 42 percent or 51 percent for the T-SPLOST; either 36 percent, 45 percent or 47 percent against it; and anywhere from 13 percent to 21 percent undecided. Only the Rosetta Stone poll's cross-tabs and margin of error are available.
If I had to guess, I'd say the Rosetta Stone poll's splits — 42 to 45 with a lot of undecideds, which is within the margin of error — sound most likely to be correct. The in-house poll for the advocates sounds the most off-base; given that they originally thought they needed to move the vote to November to get a larger Democratic-leaning/pro-tax electorate, I find it hard to believe they'd have a majority today with so many still undecided.
Any guesses as to how it'll pan out?
– By Kyle Wingfield
June 13th, 2012
6:32 pm
Best news I've heard today.
June 13th, 2012
6:42 pm
It all depends on turnout. Which ever side of the argument can get their supporters to the polls during summer break to vote will win. I am planning on voting NO.
June 13th, 2012
6:49 pm
Three words-400 toll road
June 13th, 2012
7:48 pm
The O-bimbos are skewing the poll results, again.
June 13th, 2012
8:12 pm
All within the margin of error.
About the previous topic. Whatever happened with this.
ATLANTA — The state's ethics commission unveiled a plan Friday to overhaul the way it operates.
Commissioners said they want to contract with a private attorney to handle regulatory and compliance questions from candidates, officials and the public. The commission also would hire a second auditor and the two would handle complaints and investigations, with legal help from the state attorney general's office.–GPB News
Seems like a better alternative to in-house as far as I'm concerned.
June 13th, 2012
8:14 pm
All within the margin of error.
June 13th, 2012
8:30 pm
I don't care what the polls say…still voting NO. I suppose polls are about as unbiased as "news stories" these days.
June 13th, 2012
8:47 pm
Some folks sure are spending a ton of money to try to get this thing passed. You'd thing they had something to gain by it.
June 13th, 2012
8:47 pm
*You'd think, that should say.
June 13th, 2012
8:55 pm
This one of obozo's "great" achievements-
Instead, President Obama gave over $26 billion to the UAW—more money than the U.S spent on foreign aid last year and 50% more than NASA's budget. None of that money kept factories running. Instead it sustained the above-average compensation of members of an influential union, sparing them from most of the sacrifices typically made in bankruptcy.
Of course GM is still alive, you bought them.
June 13th, 2012
8:56 pm
Heard there's a push poll being taken this week from a New York area code trying to drum up support for this.
June 13th, 2012
9:07 pm
No matter what, I'm voting no, voting no, voting NO NO NO.
June 13th, 2012
9:36 pm
May I ask why some of you are voting no and can you please tell us your ideas/suggestions for fixing Atlanta's transportation issues??? Also, do you believe our transportation issues/traffic congestion negatively affects our areas ability to attract and retain jobs?
June 13th, 2012
9:43 pm
Can't help but to wonder how all of you screaming about the national debt and what it means to your kids and grand kids can be so opposed to a measure that will lead to future growth and opportunity for the region. This translates into jobs for your kids and grand kids. Why don't you take time to learn more regarding what projects these $'s will go toward. Pretty good chance you are delayed on a daily basis somewhere that will be untied by passage of this.
June 13th, 2012
9:43 pm
Anybody voting for T-Splost
Has got the hots
For tax increases
And other malfeances.
L:ike Eric said NO NO NO.
And we mean forevermo!
June 13th, 2012
9:43 pm
June 13th, 2012
9:36 pm
Where is the major traffic congestion in metro Atlanta? Please take a look at the projects and come back and tell us if the list is going to address the major problems.
June 13th, 2012
9:55 pm
I agree with Becky – remember Ga 400 Toll!
June 13th, 2012
9:55 pm
Piedmont Road in Buckhead is horrible, and it will be widened from Lindbergh to Sandy Springs and Bus Rapid Transit will be added to the corridor… the 285/85 interchange (aka Spaghetti Junction) is usually pretty bad and some of the ramps will and merges will be rebuilt, it will fund a new interchange for 400/285 which is another bottleneck and it will widen 400 by adding sorting lanes near 285 in Sandy Springs, the 20/285 interchange on the westside which causes backups on 285 will be rebuilt, it also rebuilds the 75/Windy Hill interchange which is also pretty congested and it will make the Windy Hill/Cobb Parkway intersection into a freeway style interchange, it will build a rail line through the Emory CDC area connecting to MARTA on both ends – this area is very congested and it will provide people with an alternative to driving, it will convert several intersections on 316 in Gwinnett County to freeway style interchanges, it will extend Sugarloaf Parkway in Gwinnett County to past I-85 to provide more alternatives for inner county traffic, it will pay to synchronize lights throughout the city of Atlanta which helps with traffic flow, it rebuilds several intersections on Cobb Parkway… these are some of the major projects off the top of my head that would certainly help address some major problems.
You still haven't answered my question though… you just asked me a question instead, which I just answered for you above. So please, will some of you explain your reasoning and if you think congestion in our area negatively affects job growth/our local economy??
June 13th, 2012
9:57 pm
"can you please tell us your ideas/suggestions for fixing Atlanta's transportation issues"
move the jobs (businesses) out to the suburbs where people want to live. Let the city of Atlanta die in its own ghettoes.
June 13th, 2012
9:58 pm
Forty years ago, Metro Atlanta had a lot less traffic, a lot less people and a lot less jobs. All the wide open growth was in the name of jobs. So here we are 40 years later, there's a lot more people, a lot more traffic, real wages have been flat in the U. S. for 40 years, taxes are higher, the cost of living is higher, there's a larger number of jobs but the increase in people accounted for that, traffic is worse and everything is paved over. The unemployment rate is higher now than it was 40 years ago. So what did you gain?
June 13th, 2012
10:19 pm
Hillbilly D
June 13th, 2012
9:58 pm
Very well said. I would just like to add one more point. We do not have the water in metro Atlanta to sustain more growth. If we fix all these roads then more people will move in at a faster clip and when we have the next drought we will not have the water for everyone.
June 13th, 2012
10:22 pm
I agree with you but their solution for that will be to come out into the rest of the state and take land away from people to build reservoirs for them. It's a certain mindset that sees Atlanta as the center of the Universe.
June 13th, 2012
10:51 pm
Wow, you people really are a bunch of hillbillies.
June 13th, 2012
10:56 pm
Excellent summation Hillibilly…..we have enough Yankees here already. If we make it even more desirable to live here. we'll just be another Miami….
Six million in metro Atlanta….do we really want to be 9, 10, 11 million???
June 13th, 2012
10:56 pm
Insider Advantage has an excellent track record for Georgia elections and its polling comports with my gut instincts which I like to think are pretty good.
June 13th, 2012
10:56 pm
@Mike….yup…and damn proud too!!
June 13th, 2012
11:03 pm
I wonder where Mike was 40 years ago.
June 13th, 2012
11:08 pm
yeah….I want to give a bunch of folks in another county control over my tax money….NOT
June 13th, 2012
11:21 pm
If a place doesn't grow, it stagnates and dies. Is that what you prefer??
I just don't get it… why do you hillbillies live in the 9th largest metro area? If it's too big for you and Atlanta is such a "ghetto", why are you still here? I'm sure you could find a job picking peanuts in South Georgia… plenty of space out there and you won't have to worry about "Yankees" or traffic (because nobody wants to live there).
June 13th, 2012
11:23 pm
Since InsiderAdvantage is rarely right on anything, shouldn't we assume the TSPLOST will pass?
June 13th, 2012
11:26 pm
"Also, do you believe our transportation issues/traffic congestion negatively affects our areas ability to attract and retain jobs?"
Mike, the short answer is – no.
There are many reasons why businesses might not move here, and traffic isn't one of them. Traffic occurs EVERYWHERE in every major metropolitan area. We're really not very different in that regard. The answer is that those firms that want to come to Georgia will go outside of the 285 beltway if they so choose to do so.
However, lack of water for the area and a dismal education record will also be bigger factors in keeping firms from moving here, the former being the biggest one. Manufacturing (especially bio-tech) largely requires water, and we don't have it.
June 13th, 2012
11:29 pm
Well… if it doesn't pass, and folks wait for the mythical 'Plan B', I doubt that it will be any better, and will only upset another group of people that only vote for 'ME' and 'NOW'.
I do intend to vote 'Yes' for this pass – BUT…. if it does not pass, don't expect my vote again. This is the ONE chance for lots of folks in the 'burbs to really realize they are in a region, not a fiefdom. I would bet that a 'Plan B' would be chock full of roads, without any transit. So you would expect Fulton and DeKalb to vote for that? Really???
You gotta give something (some transit) before we further subsidize your roads! (they are already subsidized by the general fund since gas taxes don't cover the maintenance anymore.)
You might wish that businesses move out of the city, but why? The suburban road network won't be able to handle the sprawl, and access will be horrible. Then people will complain again… and won't be able to drive across town to get to another business, and the traffic will be horrible… But who cares? Many folks that are already tired of the sprawl are voting with their feet – moving back into the city! Wow… (shhhhh….don't tell anybody!)
If the businesses move out of the city, who will pay for their roads? They will be needed! And, for that matter, what business person would want to land at the airport, and drive for 2 hours to get to their client? Some people (not surprisingly) hate MARTA, but it sure does get one downtown quickly (BTW – there are LOTS of businesses downtown, along with universities and other things – but apparently those don't count.) You really think they would move to an inconvenient location? Ha! I have a piece of a bridge for you!
So go ahead and vote 'No' …. continue to bury that head in the sand… and don't expect any more sympathy from those in town that are already subsidizing your commuting lifestyle. Many of us will vote for it this time around… but don't expect us to vote for it again.
June 13th, 2012
11:31 pm
Plenty of businesses are also moving inside the beltway… and plenty of people are too. Recent demographic info shows more people are moving to Fulton and Dekalb then Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee, etc.
Atlanta/inside 285 is not dead… there's probably more construction going on right now inside 285 compared to outside. I don't understand why so many people here hate the city, want it to fail and think it is just one huge ghetto when it's not (I mean really, have you ever seen a real ghetto? If Atlanta scares you, grow some balls).
June 13th, 2012
11:33 pm
Good comments Mike… there are lots of construction cranes in Midtown/Buckhead…. and few outside I285.
June 13th, 2012
11:35 pm
Hear that giant sucking sound, Mike?
That's the sound of wealth being generated in North Fulton County being drained away to prop up the rest of Fulton County.
The only reason Atlanta / inside 285 isn't dead is because of the life support it receives from outside Atlanta.
June 13th, 2012
11:36 pm
If this passes and Atlanta grows don't come down I-75 looking for my water. i provide for myself thank you.
June 13th, 2012
11:41 pm
That is complete BS and makes no sense. Please explain how North Fulton has anything to do with all the apartments, residential and commercial projects being built inside 285/the city of Atlanta?? That's right, absolutely nothing.
Atlanta/inside 285 is not some empty ghetto – I mean, do you people really even live in the same metro area? Do you even venture over here? It's not DEAD and the whole theory that North Fulton supports everything is so blown out of proportion. I mean, if it helps you sleep at night to think that so be it…
June 13th, 2012
11:42 pm
And by the way, all your precious suburbs around Atlanta wouldn't even exist without Atlanta and the city's investment in the AIRPORT.
June 13th, 2012
11:53 pm
Old Timer
Oh, they'll come for it. It's an entitlement mentality.
June 13th, 2012
11:57 pm
By the way, y'all do realize that the Atlanta region isn't the only place voting on T-SPLOST? Yours isn't the only one.
June 13th, 2012
11:57 pm
Mike, I suggest you face reality, son.
If North Fulton didn't keep Atlanta alive, there would already be a Milton County. The reason there isn't today is directly because of the life support North Fulton would no longer be required to send to the rest of the county.
June 14th, 2012
12:05 am
Case in point, Mike.
A neighborhood that straddles the border of North Fulton / Forsyth County has homes that reside in each. On two streets, the homes back up into each other. The home in Forsyth County pays about 3 times less in property taxes than the home butting up against it that sits in Fulton County. Neither home gets any difference in support services (police, fire, roads, – even if the schools in Forsyth are better) as the other does due to it's location.
Where is that three times larger tax money going, Mike?
Yeah. You guessed it.
Propping up Atlanta.
June 14th, 2012
12:58 am
The T-SPLOST can burn in Hell with Ted Kennedy.
If this voted into place, it will NEVER go away.
see also:
State's Promise to Voters of Immediate GA 400 Toll Booth Removal When Road was paid in full in August 2006
June 14th, 2012
4:14 am
No on TSPLOST, Yes on Obama a second term.
June 14th, 2012
8:17 am
Kyle, you sure know how to bring out the haters.
I'm voting no, not because I think we don't need to fix congestion problems (yes, more roads) but because its a poorly written bill that will be a waste of time and money.
Interesting that no one seems to remember that the bill was written and passed by the GOP controlled legislature and governor. But I'm sure we can all agree its Obama's fault, or Roy Barnes, or some yet-to-be named democrat.
June 14th, 2012
8:57 am
TSplost is going down in flames.
June 14th, 2012
10:28 am
This referendum is all about getting support and educating family and friends. The passage of this referendum is so important on various levels. Road widening projects and interchange improvements that could ease the traffic in the city are crucial. Atlanta has some of the worst bottlenecks in the nation and with the passage of this referendum we can work on improving congestion, provide more mobility options and become a more welcoming city for businesses who are looking to come to the area.
June 14th, 2012
12:47 pm
I do not think T-SPLOST is anywhere near perfect. First of all it is another politically timid referendum for yet another regressive sales tax. (Can't we do anything straight-up in Georgia?) But, I am voting for it because I have no faith that our factionalized metro area can come up with ANYTHING better than this. If it fails, only those who subscribe to the divisive, selfish, and self-destructive politics of certain northern suburbs will consolidate power while the region as a whole suffers long-term economic stagnation or decline. Remember folks, there is no reason for Atlanta to be here other than for transportation. It was a City founded as a railroad terminus and reborn as an aviation and automobile hub. Without continued transportation improvements, we will wither and fade away as a city.
June 14th, 2012
1:18 pm
You tried Mike… I noticed this past weekend, at my 17yo sons graduation, how the next generation views itself and us. My son and his friends are culturally diverse, open minded, and accepting; they have a much better grasp on the meaning of the word "community" than do most of people commenting here. I had to have a car ASAP when I was his age, he STILL does not have his liscense and PREFERS to use his bike and public transportation. We may still be a generation or two away from the south truly leaving behind small minded people, only concerned with life within a 5mile radius of thier home.
This list of projects is flawed, but its a start. What list is going to make EVERYONE happy? More rail infrastructure is needed: MMPT (hub for all transit), commuter rail to far suburbs (to give 75/85/20 commuters outside 285 a REAL option) and cities within Ga, a rail station at the international terminal (who thought NOT including that was a good idea?), and yes a COMPLETE beltline (bring all these people into the city, they need last mile connectivity). Bus service in Clayton and I TOTALLY agree that nearly EVERY interchange with 285 needs to be rebuilt.
Small minded people see growth bringing in more people along with new jobs and think more traffic and congestion. Infrasturcture (which BTW is a MAIN function of government) and planning means building walkable communities that surround new transit and new employers creating jobs ALSO around new transit stations. More jobs, less congestion, better economy… big thinking. Community thinking. Mutual prosperity.
June 14th, 2012
7:23 pm
A lot of metro-ATL comments here from probable GDOT advocates. T-SPLOST is BS, unconstitutional and your're not getting my or my county's money to fund another MARTA expansion into a trans system no-one uses (rail, Buses, etc.). If Atlanta want better roads, then pay for it yourselves with a real "Local" tax increase. Using donor counties outiside of metro ATL is BS – and Mike you can go to hell… Calling us brainless hillbillies will get you fired…or worse.


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What's class got to do with it? My ResearchED 2014 presentation
Anyone who is interested can download the slides from my presentation today on the problems of class in educational research here, including the exciting attempt to explain Bourdieu's model of social reproduction in a SmartArt diagram:
Michael Gove: The George S Patton of English education
I've written a piece for today's TES explaining why Gove remains such a signififcant figure for all education reformers (of whatever political background). His ambition and willingess to slay sacred cows was exhilarating, even whilst the precise nature of his ambitions and his slaying techniques could be exasperating. With him in charge, education had not just a day but several years in the sun – and as anyone who's looked outside today will tell you, the sun can burn as well as heat.
Anyway, my piece is about two-thirds of the way down this page, and it starts like this:
"Famously, on the wall of what is now his former office in the Department for Education, Michael Gove had pictures of Lenin and Malcolm X. However, the historical figure he most reminds me of is George S Patton, the maverick American general of the Second World War. Almost any Patton quote sounds like a Govian manifesto: "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week" or "If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking". Like Patton, Gove is charismatic, aggressive and steeped in the history of the battles he fights.
His forcefulness and unwavering commitment to education reform often cast those of us who believe in the need for great change in England's schools (especially those of us from different political traditions) as Omar Bradleys…"
Build bridges not lifeboats: Why Open Access isn't the right answer
This post is cross-posted from Progress.
As the Major government limped to its destruction at the hands of New Labour in 1997, it played a few final cards in a desperate bid to cling on to the political hegemony established in 1979. There was the famous New Labour, New Danger poster, which only served to illustrate that, even with the eyes of an infernal horror from the lowest pits of hell, Tony Blair still looked a more plausible leader than any Tory. Policy-wise, perhaps attempting to recover from the spectacularly minimalist Cones Hotline-style gimmicks, there was to be 'a grammar school in every town', a truly audacious promise to reverse the greatest structural change in English education since the war.
It would be wrong to suggest that grammar schools are written into the DNA of the Conservative party – Margaret Thatcher was the education secretary who closed the most, often at the behest of Tory councils whose voters were suspicious their children weren't going to get into them – but to be in favour of selective schooling, either state- or privately provided, is not a sin in the Tory party, while within Labour it is the Ultimate Heresy. Aside from the NHS, nothing unites a Labour party meeting faster than a denunciation of selective schooling, especially if it is paid for directly by parents, whereas the Tory party is led by the privately educated, and aspirations for selective schools are considered healthy, perhaps even praise-worthy.
Which makes it all the more interesting that the current Conservative government, despite the educational storm and fury of the past four years, has not only made no move to expand grammar schools, but has actually presided over the elimination of numerous private schools, which have entered the state-sector as academies. Though undoubtedly committed to traditional Tory educational values, Michael Gove has explicitly justified himself as seeking these things for the many, not for the few. Much of the upheaval in education has been a result of the education secretary's determination that his curriculum and qualification convictions should be felt by every teenager, not merely by the privileged.
In such an educational environment, in which both the major parties are committed to the provision of excellent non-selective education for all young people, it seems very odd that the Sutton Trust should commit itself so forcefully to a new version of the old assisted places scheme. Yet last week, on the back of research illustrating that privately educated young people have access to higher earnings over the early career, the Trust essentially advocated exactly that: the state should fund needs-blind admissions to leading private schools for the most able pupils.
The idea that the answer to England's educational woes (and they do exist) lies in providing golden tickets to a lucky few is profoundly misguided, and rests on some very faulty assumptions. The first is actually revealed in the report itself: although the earnings premium for private school pupils is trumpeted as being nigh on £200,000, taking account of social background and prior attainment it comes in at just over £60,000, or about £300 extra per month over the early working lifetime (26 to 42). That is not nothing, but it hardly seems enough to justify an outlay of several hundreds of millions on the Open Access plan.
Second, there can be little reason for assuming that the answer to a state/private earnings gap is to have thousands of young people abandon the one system for the other, rather than examining what about the private system causes its products to be more successful. Cristina Iannelli of the University of Edinburgh has recently produced research suggesting that the earnings differentials for pupils attending selective schools are a result of the curriculum on offer. In short, the academic curriculum is not only appropriate but also necessary for all children to have a chance of social mobility. It should not be necessary to send young people to fee-paying schools to deliver such curricula, it should be their right to access it in the schools their parents' taxes pay for.
Open Access is an unnecessary way forward for England's education system. Already, we have in place the tools by which the excellent practice found in many private schools can be shared with the state sector. Already, some state schools match and exceed the success of parts of the private sector. Some private schools are becoming academies, other leading public schools are sponsoring academies. The pioneering London Academy of Excellence in Stratford, where I will be working from September, is supported by Brighton College, Eton, Caterham and others, sharing best practice in both directions. Bridge-building, not lifeboats, should the foundation for stronger links between private schools and the state sector.
On Saturday, Policy Exchange held an excellent conference on the future shape of education policy after the next General Election. It really was a invigorating day. In a previous post, I have argued that those of us who favour on-going educational reform need to ensure that we are airing our differences as much as our agreements, and work to shift the debate onwards away from the more reactionary elements of the educational crowd, and I think PX managed that exceptionally well. In particular, Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston, a former education adviser to President Obama, was inspiring (Tom Bennett–who evidently has nowt but stone for a heart–mocks my rapture at Mike's speech in his post about the event here, but I sense even he'd had his heart melted by the end of the day).
You can watch videos of all three keynote speeches (Johnston's, Michael Gove's and Tristram Hunt's) as well as the panel sessions, following this link. The video it'll bring you to first, though, is the one for the panel I was on (my speech is 19m-25m), about curriculum, assessment and workforce. My speech addressed a phrase Tristram had used earlier in the day: that of a "mature profession". My contention is that teaching is not a mature profession: we lack the conviction in evidence, the ethical clarity and–largely–the responsible leadership to claim ourselves a proper profession; I hope the write more about this in due course.
The others on the panel all made excellent contributions, although if you have time for only one, click to 31m (runs to 39m) and watch Tim Oates – a genuinely wise discourse on how the education research community in England is not giving policy-makers what they need to create excellent policy; turns some key issues on it's head and is well worth the time.
p.s. Tim Oates was also responsible for the finest and most devastating heckle in the history of education policy: when the National Secretary of the Anti-Academies Alliance claimed in the final panel session there were no private schools in Finland, Tim pointed out that this wasn't true, but it was illegal to charge for private schools in Finland, so essentially the country has a voucher system. "Less than 1% of schools," came the disdainful reply. "37% in the Helsinki area," came the devastating response.
Newsnight of the Woeful Countenance
I've written a piece for TES in response to criticisms of my appearance on Newsnight last week. You can find the whole article here: http://news.tes.co.uk/b/opinion/2014/04/28/39-it-is-a-simple-fact-the-far-left-run-the-nut-39.aspx
You can watch the piece that led into the original Newsnight debate here:
And my appearance discussing the piece here:
What are teacher strikes for?
Today is strike day. Many of my colleagues have already made the decision to go on strike and are, I suspect, having a nice lie-in right now. Good for them – it is their right to strike, and they've received a clear strike call from their union.
But I've argued for a long time that the NUT's campaign against, well, everything in education, is going absolutely nowhere, so I am sad that teachers up and down the land are today losing a day's pay purely so their leadership can pose as effective trade unionists, when the reality is they lost this battle long ago. Part of the problem is the sheer lack of imagination displayed by the NUT Exec: another strike? What really? Are there no other campaigning tools you can think of? The world has erupted in single-issue campaigns and even revolutions over the last 20 years, all running with new and different ways of getting messages across, and yet the NUT still thinks "all out" is the right tool for every job,
This kind of thinking, especially from people who will happily chant the mantra that school organisation is "stuck in the mode of the industrial 19th Century", is deeply peculiar, because nothing is more stuck in Britain's faded industrial past than strike action from public sector unions.
In industrial circumstances the threat and meaning of a strike is absolutely crystal clear: we do the work that makes the money; we don't work, there is no money. Private sector employers can find various ways to hold out against this, and ultimately there is always the Mutually Assured Destruction threat ("if there's no money for long enough, they'll be no company and then there's no money forever"), but the cause and effect relationship is obvious.
That is not the case in teaching – there's no profit being made, so the strike is an indirect attack: parents are inconvenienced by the need to keep kids home (and kids obviously lose a day's education). To make this in any way effective as a tactic, the response of the parents is the crucial battleground. In local or individual school strikes, this can be highly effective: headteachers are placed in an extremely awkward position if they have to write home to parents saying that actions they, the Headteacher, has taken, have driven out on strike the teachers that the rest of the year the Head praises to the skies. A personal washing of dirty laundry in public is unpleasant and favours dispute resolution.
None of this applies in the case of a national strike. In the first case, the battle is not between your child's teacher and your child's Headteacher, it is between teacher trade-unions and an elected politician; much more impersonal, and between people much less trusted by the populace at large. The terms of battle are entirely different, the access to (and respect available in) the media are profoundly imbalanced and the audience is not simply parents concerned about their children, but citizens and tax-payers weighing up who is managing the economy well and capable of solving the country's problems. In such a battle, any government–even an unpopular government–can hold out for as long as it is prepared to: after all, it is the teachers who are shutting the schools, not the government. Government looks responsible and sensible so long as it even suggests it it open to talks, the unions look angry and exploitative, especially if, as is the case with this strike, there is a fatal lack of clarity about what it is actually about (although attempts to explain it is about pensions are, as ever, likely to go down like a lead balloon with a populace who couldn't buy for love nor money a pension half as good as that of teachers).
Individual and local strike action can work (whether it is the most effective and sensible tactic is another issue) but it is increasingly obvious that national strike action by teachers is fundamentally flawed: it not only fails to deliver its objectives, but every time it gives government a chance to denounce unions as irresponsible and unrealistic it makes the tool ever less useful in future.
Today thousands of teachers are missing a day's pay, thousands of students are missing a day's school, and thousands of parents are missing a day's work, which is all cases many can ill-afford, and the sum result will be negligible. The vanity and pride of the NUT Exec has led its members into a campaigning cul-de-sac. The vital need for stronger and better professional leadership for teachers has never been clearer.
A few thoughts on #education2015
Last night I attended an event at the Institute of Education in London. Four big names in education politics (Ken Baker, Sally Morgan, Estelle Morris and Jon Coles) discussed what potentially might appear in the major party manifestos for the next general election. In a way, it was a peculiar event: by focussing on all the parties, it inevitably tended towards a broad brush approach, which then tended to consensus, since in the broadest terms, the major political parties obviously agree. Education reform over the past 30 years has always been a cross-party affair: Callaghan's Ruskin speech is as much a forebear of the Education Reform Act as the Black Papers were, and Michael Gove's Blairite heritage is a matter of public record. The big ticket items of education policy–school autonomy, strong accountability, rigorous qualifications–are all agreed by the education policy-makers in the major parties.
Or, at least, they are all agreed upon in contrast to the statist command-and-control agenda which education reform arose to combat. But that view, though it still finds it's friends in parts of the education policy world, is neither dominant nor likely to become so again. The united front of education reformers against their common enemy is in danger of closing down necessary discussion about what does divide them. Last night, for example, funding was barely mentioned, yet there is a very real risk that that FE colleges are going to start going bust inside the next two years: that needs a fix. Some would say that should be answered by a pure free market – send the weak to the wall. Others would point out that the financial architecture underpinning FE, and indeed schools, is presently so full of perverse incentives that there is no guarantee it is the truly weak who will go down. Thorough-going debate about that is essential to ensure that, whoever is in government, the scenarios have at least been considered.
Curriculum was discussed a lot, but mostly in focussing on "creativity", a term which was used abstractly and differently by all the panellists and those in the audience, and with no one getting their teeth into the real debates going on about how, and why, a particular curriculum might be worthwhile in a school. Too many still seem to believe that the content of the National Curriculum is the most important determinant of what happens in schools, rather than how schools (and the trusts or academies they fit may belong to) respond to that document, a response mostly driven by the requirements of the inspection and qualifications frameworks.
On professional development, everyone agreed that "human capital"–please God can that phrase be exiled from debate–is important and that central government fiat is not the way to ensure it is developed. But that doesn't mean government (or potential governments) shouldn't be thinking about who will do these things, and have some idea how they might do them. At the very minimum, politicians cannot announce something is going to happen without a clue how it will be delivered or if it is even possible.
Education policy is running with a surfeit of vision and a deficit of detail, which is ironic given that in all parties the details-people are in charge. The bear pit of the Commons and the media's desire for personal acrimony is breeding arguments over the wrong things (under whom will Jane Austen be taught better is not a sensible debate) and ignoring the things that matter. A debate about how to make INSET days better isn't going to make it into any election manifesto, and education could probably do with some time out of the limelight, but some very boring, very necessary work needs to be done by reformers in all parties, and some arguments need to happen between them, to ensure that the achievements of education reform are not lost in a consensual discussion, which whilst not false is not the whole truth either.
p.s. It was great that IoE organised this event, but the construction of that horrendous building means phone reception is negligible in the concrete basement and the wifi networks were locked, so only about four people out of the much larger audience could live tweet. That was a shame.
Vince Cable has made the mistake of being accidentally correct
I'm not a huge fan of Vince Cable*, but two things strike me about his statement that "teachers know nothing about the world of work". The first relates to general dissatisfaction I have with the nature of a lot of discourse about education, and especially about teachers: hordes of people turned up on Twitter berating Cable for having said it, and saying how mean he was being about teachers. The same thing happens every time Gove, or indeed Tristram Hunt, says anything about teachers: teachers complain they are being disrespected, as though no politician can be permitted to talk about education without first saying how absolutely lovely and hardworking teachers are. This is plainly absurd and a mark of a profession peculiarly uncertain about its status. Do we honestly need to be love-bombed by Westminster's finest every time they speak about our field? Are we so unsure of the value of our work that we need politicians to tell us it is any good? It is a tedious discourse, taking offence when it's probably best left lying where it is (which would, incidentally, have the effect of blunting a significant number of the DfE's media attacks, but that's a different matter). It was abundantly clear that Cable wasn't writing off all teachers as idle shysters who'd managed to bandy access to a blackboard into a lifelong laze in front of the class, so the outrage was utterly unnecessary.
It was also unhelpful, because it obscured a chance to discuss something quite interesting (and this is my second point): Cable is pretty much correct. Cable's point was clearly that teachers are not especially good at preparing their students for the world of work. Not only is this mostly true, I would argue that it is pretty much as it is supposed to be. Between myself and the state, quite a lot of money has been spent training to make me a history teacher. My job is to induct students as best I can into the discipline of
history. That I should necessarily be expected to also acquire to skills of a careers advisor and interview coach seems to me a misallocation of resources: I have one job the state pays me to do, why do I need another one?
This is not to suggest that schools shouldn't take a very large role in careers training, but why expect a profession made up, in the main, of people who pursued academic training in a particular subject to suddenly acquire a profound insight into how to persuade organisations as diverse as Gregg's and GoldmanSachs to give students a job. I've had five jobs since I left university: one I was elected to, and the other four were decided by interviews in schools, three of which involved teacher a demonstration lesson. None of these experiences are even remotely representative of the ways most students will find work. This requires dedicated attention and skills, yet career responsibility in schools remains largely an additional responsibly put on top of a teaching load. Of course, many such teachers do their jobs well, but inevitably most don't have either the time or the space to focus on developing the strength and depth of careers advice, links to the local employment market and quality work discovery and work experiences that are required to make careers training truly effective. Fundamentally, this needs to be a role that belongs to someone full time; at present, the non-teaching full time staff of a school include admins, site supervisors, nurses, EWOs and data managers. In such ways are the things schools find important reflected. Full time careers officers in school are a vital part of improving careers advice.
But a final point, and this is what Cable should really have been criticised for: although schools should be the site of great careers advice, a significant portion of the responsibility should fall on companies (like those led by those Cable was talking to) themselves to build links to schools. That's the message he should carry to them: if you want schools to help you, it's time to help them.
* I'm not a huge fan of any of the Coalition LibDems, notwithstanding that their politics are more congenial to the Labour Party than their Tory colleagues: it will take a long time for the generation sold a pup by the LibDems on tuition fees to trust in politics again. They were probably right to put up fees, but when your only distinctive policy is that you won't, and you make absolutely no effort to defend that policy (as the memoirs of the Coalitions negotiations make clear they didn't) you're engaging in pretty cynical politics.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sermon October 23rd, 2011 - Ministry Videos
Letters to God - October 30th, 2011 - @church-il-mt-carmel-first-christian-church-dscpls
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Former Chelsea public housing chief Michael E. McLaughlin could face little, if any, prison time under Tuesday's plea agreement with federal prosecutors, but he still faces possible criminal prosecution from state Attorney General Martha Coakley, who is conducting an energetic investigation into McLaughlin's allegedly illegal political fund-raising.
McLaughlin pleaded guilty to four felony counts of concealing his inflated salary from federal officials. He has not yet negotiated a plea deal with state investigators that, like the federal deal, would require him to provide evidence against others. However, a person briefed on Coakley's investigation said McLaughlin is already providing information about his relationship with his onetime ally, Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray.


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Casa de la Aguada
Just off Plaza Constitución, this place is also referred to as Casa de la Aduana and Casa Condal, since at different times it served as the customs house and the count's residence.
Just off Plaza Constitución, this place is also referred to as Casa de la Aduana and Casa Condal, since at different times it served as the customs house and the count's residence.
Designed by artist Néstor Martín Fernández de la Torre, and built by his brother Miguel, this mock Canarian village borders the gardens of the Parque Doramas. With a restaurant, central plaza, handicraft shops and children's playground, it is designed as a pleasant bit of escapism in a quasi-traditional Canarian village. Traditional folk music is played here at 11.
This nature park stretches along the east coast for about 10km from Corralejo. It can get breezy here, hence the popularity with windsurfers and kiteboarders. The locals have applied their ingenuity to the sand-sticking-to-the-suntan-lotion problem by erecting little fortresses of loose stones atop shrub-covered sandy knolls to protect sun-worshippers from the wind.
The city's main modern art museum hosts some superb temporary exhibitions, while its permanent collection focuses on 20th-century art from both Canarian and international artists. The galleries are flooded with natural light and housed in a tastefully rejuvenated 18th- century building.
The fastest, but most expensive, boats, running to/from Los Cristianos (Tenerife) three times daily (four on Friday; from €29 one-way, 40 minutes). Also sails to Santa Cruz de la Palma daily except Saturday (daily except Monday from La Palma; from €56 one-way, 1½ hours).
This building is set on two levels around the Patio de los Naranjos, once home to the Inquisition.
In 1843 the Canary Islands' most famous writer, Benito Pérez Galdós, was born in this house in the heart of old Las Palmas. He spent the first 19 years of his life here before moving on to Madrid and literary greatness. The house contains a reconstruction of the author's study, various personal effects and other objects relating to his life.
The city's slick new art exhibition space (which was opened in 2008) has an emphasis on photography, modern art and social documentary. The main exhibition halls are upstairs, while in the downstairs galleries you can watch resident artists at work. When we last visited, the exhibitions focused on child abuse and decay of the human body.
Set in a park just off the coast, Torre del Conde is considered the Canary Islands' most important example of military architecture. Here, Beatriz de Bobadilla, who was the wife of the cruel and ill-fated Hernán Peraza, had to barricade herself in 1488 until help arrived.
Paragliding is quickly gaining momentum here; aficionados come from throughout Europe to take advantage of the island's ideal conditions and easy take-off and landing sites. Arrange for a tandem glide with Palmaclub, who are based inside the Kiosco Playa Morena. Prices are based on how big a cliff (250m or 950m) you choose to throw yourself off.
The municipal gardens are laid out in French style with fountains, pavilions, sculptures and tropical trees, including the rare evergreen soap bark tree (Quillaja saponaria) and several magnificent dragon palm trees.
This bodega is housed in part of a former 17th-century cortijo (farm), which, these days, includes a fine restaurant. It will cost you just €1.50 to taste three wines in the bodega, including the exceptional award-winning muscatel. You can also take a look at the modest, but interesting, museum, complete with historic wine press.
This well-run hotel has an inviting bar and restaurant, with tables in a central patio or rustic stone-clad dining room. Enjoy tapas such as octopus, mussels or anchovies in vinaigrette sauce, or something more substantial such as lamb cutlets or paprika-flavoured sausages.
Close to the botanical gardens, this highly regarded restaurant, inside a glass conservatory–style building, brings the sublime flavours of Spain's Catalonia region to the Canaries.
Located in a former warehouse for salt, this waterfront restaurant sports elegant decor and a terrace on the boardwalk. Push the boat out with one of the fish dishes, including hake served in a crust of salt and cod pil pil (a spicy tomato and chilli sauce). Meat dishes and a couple of vegetarian pasta options are also available, and there's a cheaper lunchtime menu.
Palacio Spínola was built between 1730 and 1780 and passed to the Spínolas, a prominent Lanzarote family, in 1895. Nowadays it serves as both a museum (of sorts) and the official residence of the Canary Islands government.


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More Premier misery for Bradford Moor
6:22pm Monday 29th September 2014
TO SAY that Bradford Moor are finding Premier Division life difficult in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League would be an understatement.
Tree-mendous display by Forrester saves Grass Greener
5:32pm Monday 22nd September 2014
GRASS Greener goalkeeper Duane Forrester was the hero of a thrilling Bradford & District FA Sunday Senior Cup tie against Toller.
Dice rolls against Napoleons as they are knocked out
7:21pm Monday 15th September 2014
THORNTON United have taken a determined step into the second round of the Bradford Sunday Alliance League's GOALS SENIOR CUP.
Premier crew face off in the cup
7:09pm Friday 12th September 2014
THIS weekend will see the first of the GOALS SOCCER-sponsored League Cup ties take place and there are two Bradford Sunday Alliance League all-Premier ties in the first round of the Senior Cup.
Stanningley Albion are Hunt-ing down Bradford Sunday Alliance League Premier Division title
7:44pm Monday 8th September 2014
STANNINGLEY Albion are top of the Bradford Sunday Alliance League PREMIER DIVISION after a 7-1 victory over rock-bottom Bradford Moor.
Adam's four goals are Turn-ing point
7:41pm Monday 1st September 2014
PEEL Park are continuing their chase of Premier Division leaders Stanningley Albion in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League.
Stanningley Albion's Casino win takes them to top of Bradford Sunday Alliance Premier Division
6:44pm Friday 29th August 2014
STANNINGLEY Albion are leading the Bradford Sunday Alliance Premier Division on goal difference after beating newly-promoted Napoleons Casino 3-2 on Thursday.
Turner turns the screw as Peel Park score 14
5:32pm Monday 25th August 2014
PEEL Park head Stanningley Albion on goal difference at the top of the Premier Division after two matches of the new Bradford Sunday Alliance League season.
Wind blows West Bowling no good
5:53pm Monday 18th August 2014
WEST Bowling, pre-season favourites in most people's eyes for the Bradford Sunday Alliance League title, have been beaten in their opening Premier Division match.
Wyke Wanderers quit league
4:55pm Thursday 31st July 2014
Wyke Wanderers have withdrawn from the Bradford Sunday Alliance League.
Buttershaw White Star resign from Bradford Sunday Alliance League
4:12pm Monday 23rd June 2014
BUTTERSHAW White Star, one of the most successful amateur clubs in the Bradford area, have shocked the Bradford Sunday Alliance League by resigning.
Aire Athletic pipped cup finalists Oddfellows Celtic in chase for Division 2A title
5:30pm Monday 26th May 2014
A review of the Bradford Sunday Alliance League's lower echelons has to include mention of the close finishes – and nowhere was this more the case than in Division 2A.
What a season for Buttershaw White Star
5:40pm Monday 19th May 2014
There really is only one place to start when reviewing the past Bradford Sunday Alliance League season, and that is the Premier Division with new champions Buttershaw White Star.
Third time lucky for West Bowling
8:30pm Friday 9th May 2014
West Bowling 2, Buttershaw White Star 1: West Bowling finally broke Buttershaw White Star's title monopoly this season as they beat them in the Bradford & District FA Sunday Senior Cup final.
Buttershaw White Star leave it late to wrap up double
7:40pm Monday 5th May 2014
Two late goals enabled Buttershaw White Star to complete a Bradford Sunday Alliance League double as they denied West Bowling for the second time in a week with a 3-1 victory in the Senior Cup final.
League rivals clash again in Bradford Sunday Alliance League Senior Cup final
7:40pm Friday 2nd May 2014
West Bowling will be out for revenge against Buttershaw White Star when the Bradford Sunday Alliance League rivals clash in the Senior Cup final this weekend (2pm).
Buttershaw White Star seal title
4:00pm Thursday 1st May 2014
Buttershaw White Star were crowned Bradford Sunday Alliance League champions after winning their midweek Premier Division showdown against title rivals West Bowling 2-0.
Bell rings up late cup final decider as Salthorn WMC double up
7:30pm Monday 28th April 2014
Salthorn WMC's new management team of Matthew Scott and Robert Rogerson inspired them to a second trophy of the season as they beat Oddfellows Celtic 2-0 in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League Intermediate Cup final at Manningham Mills.
Hunsworth's slip gives promotion rivals hope
5:30pm Monday 28th April 2014
Hunsworth missed a chance to move within a point of assuring promotion from Division One of the West Riding County Amateur League as they slipped up 3-2 at mid-table Storthes Hall Reserves.
Salthorn and Oddfellows lock horns in final
12:10am Saturday 26th April 2014
The second Bradford Sunday Alliance final takes place tomorrow when the Intermediate Cup final takes centre stage between Division 2B Salthorn WMC and Division 2A Oddfellows Celtic at Manningham Mills (2pm).
Barlow saves the day for Buttershaw White Star in dramatic finale
7:20pm Tuesday 22nd April 2014
The race for the Bradford Sunday Alliance League Premier Division title looks like it could once again go down to the final match of the season as both leaders West Bowling and challengers Buttershaw White Star continued on the victory trail.
Heywood hat-trick in vain as Buttershaw White Star reach cup final
6:40pm Wednesday 16th April 2014
Buttershaw White Star reached their second final of the season when they beat Bradford Sunday Alliance Division 1A side Swaine Green 7-3 in the semi-final of the Bradford & District Sunday Cup at Eccleshill United.
Bradford Sunday Alliance League sets ambitious goal
7:36pm Tuesday 15th April 2014
The Bradford Sunday Alliance League are working towards Charter Standard status.
Queen Hotel edge Amateur Cup final
6:50pm Monday 14th April 2014
Queen Hotel were crowned Amateur Cup champions as they edged a tight contest 2-1 against Eccleshill WMC in the first of the Bradford Sunday Alliance League knockout finals at Manningham Mills.
White Star prove they are a good Side
7:20pm Monday 7th April 2014
Chances were at a premium in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League Premier Division match between Dudley Hill Rangers and Buttershaw White Star.
New dates for District Cup ties
8:15pm Friday 4th April 2014
The postponed midweek Bradford & District FA Sunday Senior Cup tie between Buttershaw White Star and Swaine Green will now be played on Monday, April 14.
Buttershaw White Star keep up hectic pace
7:20pm Monday 31st March 2014
Buttershaw White Star kicked off a frenetic end to the season with a 5-0 romp against Bradford Phoenix in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League Senior Cup semi-finals.
Oddfellows Celtic shock sets up final fling against Salthorn WMC
6:50pm Monday 24th March 2014
Salthorn WMC will tackle Oddfellows Celtic in the Intermediate Cup final after enjoying contrasting last-four wins in the GOALS-sponsored Bradford Sunday Alliance League competition.
Murphy's scores put West in final
6:10pm Friday 21st March 2014
West Bowling are through to the Bradford & District FA Sunday Senior Cup final.
Cup final to be an all-Bradford Sunday Alliance League showdown
7:10pm Monday 17th March 2014
Salthorn WMC will face Queen Hotel in the Bradford & District FA Sunday Cup final after both survived tough last-four clashes.
District Cup final places up for grabs
7:00am Saturday 15th March 2014
Four teams will battle it out for a place in the final of the Bradford & District Cup at Rawdon Meadows tomorrow.
Queen looking to reign in Amateur Cup final
7:40pm Monday 10th March 2014
Queen Hotel and Eccleshill WMC will contest the Amateur Cup final after winning two cracking Bradford Sunday Alliance League last-four clashes.
Super-sub helps Buttershaw White Star march into semi-finals
7:40pm Monday 3rd March 2014
Two missed penalties did not deter Buttershaw White Star as they clinched a West Riding County FA Sunday Cup semi-final berth.
No artificial joy for Bolton Woods
6:30pm Monday 24th February 2014
There was virtually a full league programme of fixtures for the first time this month in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League, with only five scheduled fixtures falling to waterlogged grounds.
Buttershaw White Star are still waiting
7:30pm Friday 21st February 2014
Once again this weekend, Bolton Woods will attempt to play their outstanding West Riding County Sunday Cup tie against former champions Thornhill Lees of the Spen Valley League.
Bolton Woods win an ideal warm-up for cup contest
7:10pm Tuesday 18th February 2014
Nine matches were played in the latest round of Bradford Sunday Alliance League fixtures but many clubs were again left frustrated by waterlogged pitches.
Corker's a cracker for Eccleshill WMC
7:40pm Monday 10th February 2014
Just one match involving Bradford Sunday Alliance League clubs was played at the weekend as more heavy rain caused another wash-out.
Buttershaw White Star await delayed Bolton Woods outcome
6:00pm Friday 7th February 2014
Bolton Woods will have their fingers crossed as they aim to finally play their much-delayed West Riding County FA Sunday Cup tie at past-winners Thornhill Lees this weekend.
West Bowling blown off course by penalty
5:50pm Monday 3rd February 2014
West Bowling bowed out of the West Riding County FA Sunday Cup with a 1-0 quarter-final defeat at home to Leeds side HT Sports.
Big incentive for Bolton Woods in county cup
12:10am Saturday 1st February 2014
Two Bradford Sunday Alliance League clubs are aiming to progress in the West Riding County FA Sunday Cup tomorrow.
Bolton Woods hope to be Thorn in Lees' side
6:25pm Friday 24th January 2014
Bolton Woods visit Thornhill Lees from the Spen Valley area in a much-delayed West Riding County Sunday Cup tie – and they will be hoping their opponents suffer a similar fate to last week, when they went out of the FA Sunday Cup to Fforde Green after extra-time.
Bolton Woods warm up in style
5:30pm Monday 20th January 2014
Sandy Lane were given a lesson in Bradford Sunday Alliance League Premier Division finishing by Bolton Woods, who warmed up in convincing style for next weekend's West Riding County FA Sunday Cup tie at previous winners Thornhill Lees.
Tough test for Allerton in cup tie
7:46pm Friday 17th January 2014
Allerton will start as big underdogs as they face Buttershaw White Star in this weekend's delayed Bradford & District FA Sunday Senior Cup third-round tie.
Referees should be a protected species
4:40pm Monday 13th January 2014
Spare a thought for the referee, one of the least appreciated people involved at any level of football.
Games off at Bradford council pitches
1:05pm Thursday 9th January 2014
All Bradford Council-owned pitches have been made unavailable this weekend due to the amount of rain that has fallen.
West Bowling rescued by three late goals
6:30pm Monday 6th January 2014
The Bradford Sunday Alliance League will definitely have two teams in the West Riding County FA Sunday Cup quarter-finals.
Cawley denied hat-trick as Grass Greener get chop
4:00pm Monday 6th January 2014
Bradford Sunday Alliance League outfit Grass Greener's run to the West Riding County FA Sunday Trophy last 16 ended with a 3-2 home defeat to Wellington Westgate after extra time.
Bradford Sunday Alliance League reveal 'good boys' table
6:30pm Monday 30th December 2013
The league tables show that Buttershaw White Star, West Bowling and Sandy Lane are at the top of the Bradford Sunday Alliance League's Premier Division.
Grass is Greener for United
4:10pm Monday 30th December 2013
There was only one match played in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League yesterday, due to the unavailability of grounds, and Grass Greener United A must have been delighted that their Division 2B game against Second West went ahead.
West Bowling blitz puts Peel Park in their place
5:30pm Monday 23rd December 2013
The bad weather took a grip for the first time this season in the Bradford Sunday Alliance League at the weekend, with a total of 15 matches being washed out.
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SPOTLIGHT: Tattoo Artist & Illustrator Andrew Wilson
Today's spotlight goes to the highly talented up and coming Ontario-based illustrator and tattoo artist Andrew Wilson.
His work easily looks like Pixar-quality digital illustration, except for the fact that he uses ordinary colored pencils on paper. His Daft Punk illustration reached the top of Reddit, and it also caught the attention of the French electronic music duo themselves. Peep more of his work after the jump:


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- Publisher: 2K Games
- Release Date: Sep 18, 2012
- Also On: PC, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 714 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 606 out of 714
Mixed: 43 out of 714
Negative: 65 out of 714
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Feb 9, 2014"Borderlands 2" takes everything that made it's predecessor great and amplifies it by ten. It's a highly polished FPS/RPG hybrid that will absorb you and your friends for many hours. With intense combat, a better and funnier story, insane boss battles, more loot, and tons of other improvements, this game is quite literally the perfect sequel. Any issue you could have had with the original has been addressed here, and whether you are playing by yourself or with your friends this game is sure to provide hours of fun. Some technical issues plague the game, occasionally enemy AI would just break and stand there ignoring everything that was going on, but these occurrences are rare. This is an insanely good and well made game that I highly recommend to any gamer regardless of whether or not they played the first. So come one vault hunters, it's time to grab your guns and get playing. This is one trip to Pandora you don't want to miss.… Expand
Feb 18, 2013Borderlands 2 is a fun game to play in co-op with friends. The game's combat is tight and responsive and genuine strategy is often required to make it through alive. Borderlands 2 also has some funny writing, eliciting chuckles from time to time. That said, the title does suffer from some serious faults. The most prominent one is the fact that the game is woefully repetitive. As good as the combat is, it's hard to maintain interest when you have to fight almost exactly the same fight for hours on end. The world that Borderlands 2 presents is also nowhere near as interesting as some of it's major contemporaries such as Skyrim. Add to that a lackluster plot and it's hard to find motivation to keep playing apart from having shallow, time consuming fun with your friends. The loot aspect also gets old quickly. The 'thousands of guns' thing starts to look less impressive as you find near identical replica after near identical replica clogging up the frequent chests. The last monumental fault is that the game is INSANELY boring if you play it in single player. Don't even try that! Borderlands 2 is a very average title, yet it's ultimately saved from the scrap-pile and bumped up the scorechart by that most wonderful of elements; good friends!… Expand
Feb 19, 2013One of the best co op shooters ever. This game improves on the first in every way. There's more great humor...more claptrap....more narrative, more style, more chaos. It's great to finally see a game company finally bring great co op action back.
Nov 28, 2012I loved the first borderlands and sunk many hours in to it. i didn't get this one till they had a black friday sale on it for $25 because i just didn't have the time to play it and my friends who i would be playing this with online said they just didn't care for it much. so i didn't feel rushed to get it day one even though i really did want to play it. well since my friends arn't playing this i have to play it solo since i refuse to play with people i don't know online. nothing ruins my game experiance more then playing with A-Holes . it wasn't a huge deal to me since i enjoyed playing the first in both co-op and solo mode. Let me say that with in the first few hours some thing about the game just didn't feel right and i still can't put my finger on it exactly but i had a hard time getting in to it. I just kept feeling like going to play some thing els but i kept telling myself its going to get better when i start getting thoose sick guns. Even though the story this time around is much improved from the first one ... which the first ones story kinda sucked. i found myself with in 6 hours in to the game dieng... ALOT! and it pretty much happens around the boss fights. they have made this game so rediculasly hard to play solo its beyond stupid. It makes you wonder what the develpers where even thinking. the first one had such a perfect balance of when you went from solo to co-op it felt just perfect. Borderlands 2 still feels like a good game but just doesn't feel like the great game the first one was even if the single player issue wasn't so nightmarish. i would bump the score up to a 8 if they ever do patch it to fix that issue. for now i just want to quik finish it toss it on the shelf and there it will most likely sit . i have no intrest in the DLC.… Expand
Feb 23, 2013This game is fun as hell. No matter if solo or coop i really enjoy this game when i play it with all the stuff, you can do in this game. The Cel Shading Look of this game really has style and the humour is great.
Sep 27, 2012This might end up being the best game of this generation. It is the cross between rpg and shooter that we dreamed of since we first imagined the cross was possible (I though of it when playing halo 2, back in the day). A perfect game. Endlessly smooth gameplay, with a faster pace than the original. I just don't experience any 'I wanna get through this part because it is boring' moments here. One of the best games I've ever played.… Expand
Dec 30, 2012I do not review a game before completing it. I just finished as a necromancer and it was great. I usually prefer more open worlds like Skyrim for Fallout3 but this was close. The mission areas were more open than any COD game I have played. The weapons were neat and the missions were more than the fetch type you get in Oblivion. I just kept getting this stale feeling while playing this game. I was doing the same shooting tactics with levitating enemies and throwing grenades. This game would of benefited greatly with more magic like in Bioshock and it would of easily jumped it up a few number grades for me. Worth picking up but not at full price. The 25 dollar black friday sales I saw were perfect. Oh also the story and humor... Never played first Borderlands. Claptrap was annoying. Jack was funny at first but got a little bit old after a while. The plot got extremely interesting once you started working with Roland. It just had so many side missions that did not develop the plot and those were mostly completely devoid of the humor found in the main quests. Also I will try to describe this without spoilers. The end of the plot builds you up and then leaves you dropped off like the last Tron movie in 2010.… Expand
May 31, 2013I really like RPG games like this, the game is awesome fun! That's until after you finish the game's campaign of course. After I finished the game (without co-op) I tried to find other games, unfortunately I found no one available, so I basically had nothing to do. Plus, I'm not looking forward to Borderlands 3, mainly 'cause I hate GB now, and the fact the game gets boring for a while, even with friends. But I (might) consider buying/renting the sequel to this game. Not like I'm going to keep it.… Expand
Apr 21, 2014this is one of the best cooperative games I have ever played. the characters are eccentric and memorable and there are so many fun weapons. the art is cool, but I feel like its a little bit too comic booky, where it is almost hard on my eyes, and the world is huge, but feels pretty empty, unlike games like skyrim and fallout, I had no interest exploring the world, so it felt almost pointless for it to be so big.… Expand
Oct 24, 2012I didn't like the original Borderlands game at all. Borderlands 2 is a step up though. I never really liked the cartoony style of the games,and it ruined the experience for me. Some people may like it which is fine,but for me I thought that the characters clash horribly with the environments. That is also why I never really enjoyed Final Fantasy 7. That's just me though and my score does not reflect the art style what so ever because that would be stupid to give a lower score just for that...This time around the game is a lot better than the first one, that is a given, most sequels today are worse but this one is a big improvement. I give this game a 7 because I just couldn't get into it, same as the first one. The game is not a 10, it is not perfect there are better games out there than this that are not perfect either. I give this game a solid 7.… Expand
May 3, 2014borderlands 2.. a game where you know if you enjoy it, it is worth every penny. I enjoyed borderlands 2, just a crap load of things to do, I just finished the main story (did about 90% of the side quests in the game), and clocked in just about 3 days total time played, and I have about 10-12 more side quests to finish! The gameplay itself is a first person shoot em up, it also features a lot of comedic moments that I enjoyed. Leveling up and getting rare loot was satisfying (mainly because it's so hard). However to be honest I felt like the weakest part of this game was the rpg elements, I didn't even touch one skill tree, and it is impossible for a casual gamer to even reach the final tier of just one skill tree (it takes too long, and the game can get repititive to some).. but in the end I was still suprised at the length and quality of the length/gameplay that I'm willing to give it a 9. If you enjoy first person shooters definately take a look at the game.… Expand
Sep 9, 2014This is one of my favorite FPS games, only stays behind Bioshock in my list. Both published by 2K and some of the best FPS games of the last generation!
Borderlands 2 beats Borderlands, the characters, the DLC, the craziness, this game is amazing and can make you spend countless hours playing solo or coop. A lot more fun in coop but still good to play alone, this game has a great story, some plot twists and a lot of hilarious moments and characters (such has Claptrap).
A mix of FPS and RPG and we have Borderlands 2! I can't have enough of this game and decided to make a review since Borderlands The Prequel is coming.… Expand
Sep 21, 2012My muted pessimism that Gearbox wouldn't be able to follow up to their previous effort was, thankfully, dispelled in the first twenty minutes. It's great. Another, more wholesome, helping of what we enjoyed in Borderlands with some new ideas to play with. Not many, mind you, but certainly enough. Stuck for a shooter this fall? Look no further.
Jun 26, 2014I still dig the original more, but what the hell... it's still more Borderlands. Am I right? Sh*t, I forgot you need 150 characters to review stuff. Apparently simplicity isn't welcome here. My bad.
Nov 11, 2012I will admit that after playing the first Borderlands game I was not impressed. It just didn't resonate with me. The landscape wasn't appealing, the characters were boring stereotypes, and the looting got old real fast. Now Borderlands 2 is here, I bought this game simply because there was nothing else in the store that caught my eye, I am glad to tell you that this game is a big improvement over the first. The characters, graphics, variations in landscape, improved storyline, it all ties together nicely and creates a truly fun scenerio for anyone who enjoys shooters and/or RPG's. It also seems to me to be a more complete game. I strongly suggest that everyone give this game a chance, you won't regret it. Claptrap is still an annoying piece of sh*t and thats why I refuse to give the game a perfect 10, otherwise its fantastic.… Expand
Nov 1, 2013Borderlands was one of my favorite games of all time because it was just FUN and was entertaining. It had its own atmosphere that was original. It blended RPG and FPS elements and I found it refreshing and well implemented. Borderlands 2 continues this trend with not tinkering too much with the formula, but adding more to just about everything. The story takes awhile to complete and one of the few games I believe that's worth a $60 price tag. Even if the DLC is half as good as the first game's, there is plenty more to be had for this game. There's more story, which will either resonate in different capacities with different people. I liked the mysteriousness of the first game. I gave it a 9 instead of a 10 because this game isn't radically different and therefore the addictive quality of wanting to beat the game multiple times is not there like it was in the first game.… Expand
Dec 2, 2012Borderlands 2 is everything right with the FPS genre. Everything from the first game was either dramatically improved or slightly improved. Either way, the series is getting way better. The characters, enemies, weapons, shields, etc, still top notch. In many ways Borderlands 2 is the anti COD and MOH. The game has a great sense of humor and a drastically improved story. If you enjoyed the first, go out and get the second. Also, get the season pass for all of the DLC. I know only two of the four planned have come out, but both are really good and add about another 14-20 hours of play.… Expand
Dec 15, 2012This game gave me something the first lacked : storyline. This game is great if you played the first and wanted plot this is the game for you, a drastic improvement over the first. Enjoyable multiplayer and second playthrough is actually really challenging.
Apr 28, 2013Upon playing multiplayer with my brother-in-law, and i loved the unique visuals and feel of the game. At first I thought this game was going to be just another first person shooter, but I had a lot of fun. I just wish the turning was a bit slower or more controlled, because I found myself turning all the way around when I don't want to. But its fun.
Mar 23, 2014Really addictive shooter that has a cool story and great humor ! I laugh out loud a couple of time while playing. I recommend playing it with friends as it's the best coop experience i had in a while.
Nov 18, 2012Borderlands 2 will give you a lasting appeal that is equivalent to 10 modern games, and it's not just because of the huge amount of missions. It's everything else that will bring you back again, and again.
Jan 13, 2013As much as I am trying to enjoy the game, it just seems too weak. The game itself has parts where it just is not challenging at all. I lingered on getting the game, but eventually decided I was going to buy it and try it out, it came to my attention as soon as I got to about Chapter 2 of the game, I lost interest when I noticed it just was not challenging. I would not recommend this game to people lingering on it, only if you're a big Borderlands fan. I played the first one, but this one just seems a little shaky on points.… Expand
Nov 12, 2012Wow. I can't believe this game is so critically acclaimed. After all the hype, I figured I would try it out. What a waste of money that was. I found this game to be boring. Endless fetch quests, boring and cliche story, and annoying characters. I honestly wouldn't recommend buying this game unless you find a game of the year edition in a $10 bargain bin one day, but even then you probably won't have much fun with it.… Expand
Jan 15, 2013You'll love this game for the first few days but after that it gets very boring. The side missions are very repetitive, they consist mainly of "get this for me" or "go kill this guy" and it's what makes it boring. The game does have a great sense of humor though. Some may like it, some may not, but just try it and see for yourself.
May 13, 2013Borderlands 2 fixed, improved and added new stuff in a way that it makes it way better than the 1st Borderlands.
Lots of quest and things to do, levels to reach, weapons and character skins to get. This game will keep you occupied. The downside are its very same quests which can feel like a chore and a pain in the ass, some of them are boring and others are repetitive.
So far, just one of the three DLC's its worth it; Tourge Campaign, the other two are boring and uninteresting as h.ell.… Expand
Apr 1, 2013This game scores 999 out of 1000. I was trying and trying to think of something wrong with the game. Perfect pacing check. Huge world check. Wide room for imagination check. Hilarious check. Then it came to me the title. Borderlands 2? That is the best they could do? How about Beyond Borderlands, The Son, Grandson and Great Nephew of Borderlands or Borderlands Too? That is it, that is the only demerit.… Expand
Oct 29, 2012This game should definetly be a contender for GOTY. Great story and characters, hilarious side missions and Easter eggs and just fun to play. The only reason you shouldn't buy it is if you hate fun.
Jan 11, 2014The story is a very basic means to an end especially with all the silly distracting jokes constantly being thrown around. Gameplay-wise, the main quest is heavily padded with a ton of meaningless side-quests similiar to other open-world games like GTA. Graphics are vibrant and the art style has a pleasant cartoonish quality. Playing with friends online will net you the most fun, but once you have done it all there is little reason to play again.… Expand
Sep 19, 2012Great game, like the 1st. However, I'm in the minority, I guess, about the new UI. I actually find it unnecessarily busy and not as clear as before, and comparing guns is just as awkward. That said, it's absolutely impossible to put down the controller and not want to push through one more level or pop one more bandit's head off. And few games, if any, make leveling and the RPG angle feel so immediate and satisfying. The gameplay and animations are stellar as is the sound and music. You can't go wrong with B2 because it really does have something for everyone.… Expand
Apr 1, 2014The first thing I will say is to STAY AWAY from the dlc's, excluding Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep. They lack a lot of content, and are not worth their price tags. Even the dlc characters are rip-offs, considering how much they suck. Aside from that, this game is literally the definition of fun. You can spend hours upon hours shooting up bad guys with your friends, and never get bored. The game is full of laughs and action, making a game that hits on so many right spots. It took about 26 hours for me to beat the main questline the first time through, but I've played a total of about 200 hours now, after beating it with several characters and playing a bunch of sidequests. Even after those 200 hours, there are dozens of quests that I haven't done.
Pros: - Gameplay (The action is incredibly fun, and is near perfect)
- Characters (Both playable and non playable, the characters in Borderlands 2 have well developed personalities and will make you grin with each witty remark)
- Role-playing (The four classes provide vastly different play styles, which is a great addition to an RPG)
- Story (Surprisingly, Borderlands 2 has a good story that is brought to life with one of gaming's greatest characters, Handsome Jack)
- Content (You can spend dozens of hours playing the game, and still have many unfinished side quests)
- Multiplayer (The online and splitscreen multiplayer has been some of the most fun I've ever had playing a video game)
Cons: - Repetitive (Though there are hundreds of quests, they do become repetitive)
Overall, Borderlands 2 is possibly the most fun game you will ever play. Whether you play alone or with friends, you will not want to put the control down. I won't say it's full of quality due to the repetitive nature of its quests, but it's far better than the majority of games I've played. It's also a very well polished game with only a few bugs every now and then.… Expand
Jan 26, 2014What the original Borderlands did so well has been grabbed and near perfected with this sequel. The comedy may be hit and miss, but it thrives on its shooting and loot grabbing. Many hours of fun will await you in Pandora.
Oct 19, 2012It's a lengthy adventure full of personality, an endless plethora of weapons, and addictive co-op gameplay. Fans of the first game would be foolish to pass up another chance to visit Pandora and plunder the incalculable treasures therein.


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Tulane University combines the very best of a top-tier research university with a strong commitment to high-quality undergraduate education. Small class sizes ensure individual attention from our world-renowned faculty for students at all levels. Hands-on research projects, service-learning projects and internships give real-world experience. Our location in New Orleans, a city that is internationally celebrated for its food, music and architecture, offers students a unique learning environment.
Tulane is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, a select group of the 63 leading research universities in the United States and Canada with "preeminent programs of graduate and professional education and scholarly research." The university also is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a university with "very high research activity." Of more than 4,300 higher educational institutions rated by the foundation, Tulane remains in a prestigious category that includes only 2 percent of universities nationwide.
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 504-865-5000 email@example.com


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Robert (White) Creeley
3,842 words, approx. 13 pages
Robert White Creeley was born in Arlington, Massachusetts, and after the death of his father, he moved at the age of four with his mother and sister to nearby West Acton. His childhood was spent in th...
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Robert (White) Creeley
3,806 words, approx. 13 pages
"None of the so-called Black Mountain Writers wrote in a literally similar manner. That is, Olson's modes of statement are certainly not mine, nor are they Duncan's, nor Denise Levertov's--and so on. ...
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Robert (White) Creeley
10,619 words, approx. 36 pages
For the second half of this century, Robert Creeley's work as an innovative poet has occupied a singular place in postwar American letters. The contributions of Creeley, with Charles Olson, were inst...
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Critical Essay by Warren Tallman
2,342 words, approx. 8 pages
Critical Essay by Warren Tallman Like Henry James' early but decisive 'The Madonna of the Future', [Creeley's 'Three Fate Tales'] are explanatory, illustrativ...
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Critical Essay by Terry R. Bacon
1,972 words, approx. 7 pages
Critical Essay by Terry R. Bacon "I begin where I can and end when I see the whole thing returning." These words, from Robert Creeley's preface to The Gold Diggers …, expre...
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Critical Essay by Leroi Jones
506 words, approx. 2 pages
Critical Essay by Leroi Jones Creeley's book, A Form of Women, is an extreme…. Creeley's poetry is an erosive thing. It has a weather & landscape to it that ought to frighten ...
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Critical Essay by Richard Howard
1,122 words, approx. 4 pages
Critical Essay by Richard Howard Diligent, strong and good are surely the epithets which attach to Robert Creeley's aspiring character …, for this poet shows, in his poetry at least, non...
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Critical Essay by Joel Oppenheimer
301 words, approx. 2 pages
Critical Essay by Joel Oppenheimer The taut, gnomic line that characterized much of [Creeley's] previous work is now gentled, smoothed [in Later]—but just as wondrous in its new form as ...
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Critical Essay by Alan Williamson
526 words, approx. 2 pages
Critical Essay by Alan Williamson ["Later" has much to say] about aging and death; and it comes as a bit of a shock to realize that [its author is] over 50, and [belongs]—since th...
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We're Putting a Roof Over Our Heads
March 10, 2008 by admin
Filed under covington la bank, credit union, FCU Blog, Financial Institution, St Tammany Parish Credit Union
We're putting a roof over our heads … If you're looking to to put a roof over your head, we can help with a new mortgage or refinancing of your current mortgage. Stop by our trailer on site to discuss your loan options. We are at 100 Cherokee Rose Lane, Covington – at the Hwy […]


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Just Inn
JUST INN combines artistic design and convenience into one place and aims at providing the best travel experience to our travelers. Our stylish boutique hostel provides a clean, safe, convenient environment as well as an artistic atmosphere which can add value to your trip. All our rooms are ensuited.
Just a 1 minute walk from MTR station, you can reach our artistic hostel which is centrally located at Tsim Sha Tsui, the centre of Hong Kong. All the attractions and shopping centres are just steps away and you can enjoy yourself from day to night.
Want to know which place to go or where to have meal? Just talk to our staff and we are happy to provide information to make your trip a delightful one.
Enjoy your stay at JUST INN!
A non-smoking Hostel.
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Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
Hostel Facilities & Policies
- 24 hour reception
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Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 3 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
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This is a non-smoking guesthouse.
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By Jenna Bayley-Burke On Apr 17 2009, 7:00 pm
Romance writing is ripe with contests. Entire websites are dedicated to tracking contests and winners. Writers on their way to publication are encouraged to mold their writing into the best version possible before presenting it to editors and agents.
Once a book is published, there are more contests looking to sift through and find the best representation of the industry. These contests are cost prohibitive, so authors need to take into consideration lots of variables — who is judging, what is offered to finalists and winners, how many books need to be shipped, the entry fee, etc.
Like the contests for aspiring authors, most of the contests for published books are judged by writers, some are graded solely by authors, and a few are ranked by industry professionals like booksellers and librarians. For me, comparing who the judges are is like comparing winning the Oscar (judged by peers) to the Golden Globe (voted on by the press). Anytime your work is recognized, it's fantastic.
No matter who is evaluating the novels, a story is being read by someone who might not have read it otherwise. Anyone who volunteers to read for a contest obviously likes romance novels, so if your story wows them, they'll likley find another of your books. And tell their friends about their new find. Finalling is just icing on the cake!
Why do I have contests on the brain? Her Cinderella Complex is a Passionate Plume finalist! There are quite a few Samhain books on the list. Check it out ::
**Jenna Bayley-Burke – Her Cinderella Complex
**Mari Carr – Erotic Research
Paranormal / Time Travel
**Dana Marie Bell – The Wallflower, Halle Pumas Book 1
**Crystal Jordan – Treasured
Jenna Bayley-Burke
19 Comments
Yay, go us!
Don't think so!
Contests are fun and I am an insatiable reader of anything.
i love to read
I read, and read, and read. I am voracious! I am blessed that my daughter is the same way. We share the same tastes so we can move our books from one house to the other. If there are special ones we want to keep, then we buy a second copy for the other person. Hey, works for us!
Love to read. Anything…
Reading is my favorite escape.
Love to read
Shoes look like on the picture, very nice. Size 6 corresponds to the size EU 37. Fast shipped. Thank you.It took almost two months to get this baby shoe, I'm more besotted with both the seller and the quality of the product, the shoe is even more beautiful than the picture, congratulations.
love to read
I love stories either by book or audio.
There are only so many homecoming queens…let's have a cheer for the rest of us.
No homecoming queen for me. Most of the queens I've seen act like snobs. I'll stick to reading my book!
Homecoming was great from what I remember, but the queen was hustling, bustling trying to get votes. Meanwhile I was dancing and enjoying being with my friends.
Homecoming queen is not for me. I'd rather be dancing.
No need to be the Queen. It is wonderful for those who want it, but I'd rather be in hanging in the crowd.
I would have loved to be Homecoming Queen, but I guess I'll just have to read about it
No WAY!!
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Harlingen, Texas, January 16, 2011: This past week the American media told me that my share of the national debt was $45,300. I must add in another $45,300 for my wife for a total and $90,600 our elected representatives have charged to my national credit card without my permission. To make it even worse these same political pirates stole another $226,500 by running up that much credit theft in the name of my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
They have done this to an extended family that buys nothing on credit, meets its financial obligations in a timely manner and pays all required taxes, most of which are in government hands well in advance of the required due dates.
None of us can recall giving anyone permission to lift more than $317,000 from our pocketbooks and it is a certainty we never received 317K worth of benefit when the money was spend. Well, they bailed out AIG...we don't have any of those financial products. They bailed out General Motors. My son and I drive Ford products. They saved Wall Street and some banks. That may have protected the few shares of stock I own and some savings, but all combined are far removed from that 317 K they say we now have an obligation to pay.
Now we have all those forecasts of doom, should Congress fail to raise the national debt ceiling. We will all crash and burn if we don't have the money to pay our debts. Well, I don't recall ever being asked if I wanted our elected leadership to run up such an unfunded tally. From this vantage point it appears the primary purpose behind all this spending by the Washington D. C. gang has only been their self-interest and advancement. They spent decades doing one thing... buying their own reelections with other people's borrowed money.
The debate over raising the debt ceiling is starting to heat up now, but it is a debt our children and grandchildren will be forced to endure. It might be a good time to insist, regardless of party affiliation that your representative and your senators attach something meaningful to any planned bill to increase our national debt. It would be a very good idea to also insist that same legislation required a permanent balanced budget. Along with such legislation, it might be a good idea to write a balanced budget requirement as a Constitutional amendment. That is something that has worked well for the State of Texas, which is admittedly much better off than most of the nation.
There has been a lot of dialog of late about us having a Congress that spent money like a drunken sailor on a Saturday night. I received an email from a friend who was strongly offended by that remark. He said, "I really resent having Congress compared to a drunken sailor. I was a drunken sailor who spent a lot of money on Saturday nights. But there was a big difference between Congress and me. When I ran out of money.... I stopped spending."
Semper Fidelis
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