This study is pretty interesting: after controlling for income and parental involvement, there is no difference in the educational achievements of kids in public school versus kids in private school. The only exception? Catholic (specifically Jesuit) education.
I left Catholic school an atheist who loved the philosophy of Catholic education. If I have kids, and decide they ever get to leave my house, I'm sending them to private school. Other ex-Catholics who went to Catholic school (mathgimp, for example), seem to agree.
Yay! Happy weekend! Go Catholic school!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Score one for Catholic Education!
Looking out for Mother Earth
Congratulations to Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for winning the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Gore commented, "We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity." I couldn't have said it better myself.
Hehe
Things I like? Hoax websites (see mathgimp's from a few weeks ago).
Things I love? Ones that sound NSFW, and then have adorable children. Check out: The Happy Endings Foundation here.
What makes it HON worthy? The fact it fooled the BBC.
HON for Gore
Big congratulations to Al Gore on his Nobel Peace Prize!!!
I signed the "Draft Gore" petition this morning. Their website is amazing -- check it out.
This may not reflect the sentiments of other HON readers/authors, so feel free to dissent freely.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Maligning of adorableness
Not one but two faithful HON readers have spoken ill of hedgehogs today. This aggression will not stand. I will allow them to remain anonymous to protect them from backlash from the community, but I would like to remind you of the absolutely adorable British hedgehogs profiled last week on this blog. If you need more proof, follow the jump: 
OMG baby hedgehogs are adorable
Albino hedgehogs are kinda freaky lookin':
If you would like to join my anti-hedgehog maligning league, I will take any and all hedgehog donations.
Brainstorm for me
Some of you just got this email, some didn't. What are your thoughts and ideas? And isn't it nicer to be solicited for ideas instead of money?
Hi, everyone -
I know that it's been an incredibly long time since I've talked to some of you, and I owe everyone individual emails and phone calls. In the mean time, I was hoping that you could help me brainstorm.
I think most of you know that Jack Jenkins, a 17-year-old debater from Westlake High School (where I coached in Austin), was killed in a car accident over the summer. I spent time with his parents this weekend, and I'm soliciting your advice on their behalf. They are in the process of establishing a Debate Opportunity Fund in his name. Their goal is to provide resources for students from the Austin/Central Texas region to compete on the national circuit who would not otherwise have the opportunity to do so. Jack was very involved in the fight to keep Westlake competitive on the national circuit, and I think this is a fantastic way to honor his memory.
His parents asked me if I could spend some time listening to folks and collecting ideas about logistical and strategic possibilities for allocating money from the fund. They'd like to hear from people who run debate teams, know the Austin circuit, and have experience with Urban Debate Leagues. Those of you who have never seen the inside of a debate round are getting this because I like you and think you're smart, and because the Jenkins were also interested in ideas from folks who have spent time in the non-profit and education world.
Obviously there are a few major questions: what the money should be spent on (travel? camp? consultants/coaches?) who the money should be spent on (one school? teams from different schools? more of a UDL/debate collective model?) how should the recipients be chosen (application? nomination? grants given to one school/coach?) At this point, I'm just serving as a clearing house for ideas and suggestions, and then I'm going to present a set of possibilities to the Jenkins before the end of the year.
So what do you think? What could work and what wouldn't? If you had this money to spend, how would you use it? Are there models or programs I should look at? Other folks I should talk to? Anything you can offer, from a quick email list to a phone conversation or a cup of coffee, would be greatly appreciated. If other people come to mind that might be able to offer ideas, please feel free to forward this email as well.
Thanks, and I hope all's well!
Take care,
Kellie
Happy Birthday Handsome!!!!
I am sending out the biggest Happy Birthday wish to the boy I love the most in this world. For the past six years, he has stuck by my side through thick and thin and loves me no matter what I look like in the morning or how much money I make or whether or not I've figured out what I want to do with my life. In my eyes, he's perfect. He is always cheery, he never gets mad at me, and he makes me laugh everytime I look at him. So Happy Birthday to you baby Jasper, my adorably plump puppy, who turns 6 years old today. He's officially the cutest boy in the 1st grade.
And we're back
This should come as a surprise to no one, but I was less than enthused (thused?) to find myself back in Maryland at 1 o'clock this morning, and even less pleased to have to get my ass out of bed for work at 7:30.
But luckily I was graced with a particularly bizarre commute this morning, which reminded me that, in a strange way, I sometimes don't completely hate this place. For starters, there was a large but well groomed man sitting across from me on the metro. He took up most of the row, but was minding his own business, and no one took a second look. Except that he ribbited every time the metro stopped. Imagine Kermit, imagine prince pre-kiss.
When I got to L'Enfant to transfer, the blue line train left just as I was coming down the escalator. Here's the funny thing about the blue and orange line trains in the morning, though -- they come every single minute. It's kind of amazing, and like what would happen if we had a real metro.
No one apparently told that to the woman in the teal suit, who did the following: ran to the train. Grunted in exertion as she tried to pry the doors open. Realized she couldn't. Stomped her feet 8 times. Yelled "why do trains NEVER WAIT FOR ME? IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" and huffed back up the stairs. Only to come back down when the next train came 30 seconds later.
When I got off at work, I was greeted by a few protest groups. I was disappointed by my favorite protesters. I will not name them because I don't want to increase their googleness, but let's say their candidate's name rhymes with "LaDouche." Last I saw the LaDouchians, they were putting on a lovely play outside the metro to symbolize/criticize/analyze... something. There was yelling and heckling and face paint. Today, they were just handing out fliers. Lame! Don't show up if you're not going to play!
The people for Radio Free Alliance were there too, and they gave me bubble gum. And smiled nicely. Ergo, not only do they get a mention, but I will even link to their website. And chew my gum with contentment at consciousness raising well done.
To the organizers of the world: people donate blood if you give them junk food and t-shirts. People come to meetings if you promise them the proverbial punch and pie. And I will write about you on my blog if you give me a present on my way to work.
I have other things to write about throughout the day, but that's the story of my morning commute. Cheers!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Another XKCD great
Hello, everyone -
I can only assume that you're holding your collective breaths in anticipation, wondering whether I managed to make it to Austin after my desperate SOS post from Friday morning. That I did, so you can resume posting again. Sorry I've been gone for a few days -- I've thought about HON often, but I've been revelling in the fact I've managed to temporarily unstick myself from Maryland.
Longer post tomorrow or Wednesday, but for now, XKCD made me giggle today. 
Friday, October 5, 2007
SOS
I know I don't know all of you, faithful readers. But, alas, I have done something...nicht so bright. My flight to Austin is at 6:50 am. And, if you read the blog, or know me, or have half of a pulse, you know that I am very excited about going home.
But, sadly, events have intervened. I did yoga and went swimming. Then, friends came over tonight to wish me well on my 5 day journey. Roommate Sarah and I had deep, fascinating conversations about boys and North Korea. I drank wine so thoughtfully purchased for me by mathgimp. Roommate Sarah (who still doesn't read the damn blog) consumed an entire bottle of wine. Which would be fine, except that my plane departs Baltimore in, oh, 6 hours exactly. And we're supposed to leave the house in 4.5 hours exactly. And we're both in...celebratin' moods. Which means that I am going to miss my plane.
So, loyal HON fans, I don't ask for many favors. But if you're out there, and we're already close enough so that you have my number, and it gets to be 5 am, EST (that's 4 am for you Texans), please call me and get my ass out of bed. The future of my trip depends upon it.
Good night, and good luck.
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