ColRebSez

If you're sitting on unused Marriott Rewards certificates, book your stay by May 16

2013-05-14T11:45:00.000-05:00

I've said for some time that the Marriott Rewards program is one of the best for casual travelers who want to score free lower-end hotel rooms with a minimum number of stays.
The Marriott Megabonus, offered three times a year, offers most members a free-night certificate for each two paid nights. In the past these certificates have been limited to Category 1-4 hotels. So in New Orleans we could get a free room at the Springhill Suites in the Warehouse District, but not at the full Marriott on Canal Street. This suited us just fine.
Earlier this year Marriott announced a pretty massive "devaluation," whereby many of its Cat 4 hotels were moving to Cat 5. This leaves us without an acceptable hotel option in New Orleans, Little Rock, and elsewhere. The silver lining is that the changes don't take effect until May 16 -- that's tomorrow!
So if you're sitting on some of these certificates -- Jinny has five of them -- now would be a good time to book a possible trip. I'm studying the Ole Miss "Away" calendar and trying to think of a good time to visit New Orleans this fall. If you don't book now, your options may be limited.
The "Loyalty Lobby" blog has a good explanation of these changes, along with advice to book rooms one night at a time so one can make changes.
On the good news front, this summer's Megabonus offer for most is for certificates that are good for Cat 1-5 hotels. So we can still earn the certificates and they still have real value, allowing Marriott to retain its status as the top loyalty program for casual travelers, in my view.

MrFrancyPants: We've arrived!

2013-05-13T08:20:00.001-05:00

My nephew, Jesse Hurdle, is spending the summer on the Georgia Tech satellite campus in Metz, France. He claims that he is going to blog about his experience, so I've added his blog to my blog list, at left. I'm not so sure how much I like the name of his blog, but maybe it will grow on me.

MrFrancyPants: We've arrived!: We're waiting at the airport now for our shuttle. I only got about a twenty minute nap on the plane, but it's 8am here so the day is...

After a long wait Ender's Game movie trailer is released; the book is available now

2013-05-11T11:29:00.001-05:00

I've never seen so much excitement over a movie trailer, but the first official trailer for Ender's Game has been released. The actual movie release date is Nov. 1, 2013.
Ender has apparently been aged quite a bit. He's supposed to enter battle school just shy of his eighth birthday. Maybe the movie-makers decided the public couldn't stand to see an 8-year-old child being mistreated.
The movie could be a dud, so by all means read the book. I encouraged Ash to read it in first grade and he cast it aside after finishing two-thirds of it, declaring it "boring." He took it up again in fifth grade and declared it among the best books he's ever read (if not the best).
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, has a Lexile rating of 780, which means it is slightly more difficult reading than The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson) by Rick Riorden (Lexile 740) and easier to read than most of the Harry Potter books. Most John Grisham books come in with a Lexile rating of below 700, so books like Ender's Game are truly written for all ages.
Lucy has steadfastly refused to read Ender's Game, on the grounds that I recommended it. But I don't know of anyone who has read it who did not like it. So read the book so you can join the ranks of those who declare "The book was better," in six months.

I've got more statistics on ACT high scorers. In 2012, only 24 Mississippians made a 35 or 36

2013-05-08T01:18:00.000-05:00

My last blog post was about how eight Oxford High School students earned Star Student status by scoring a 35 or 36 on the ACT test. Normally there is only one STAR Student per school, but the rules stipulate that any student scoring a 35 or 36 with a 93 or higher average is entitled to STAR honors.
I "guesstimated" that such a score would be in the 99.7th percentile or higher. Well, based on last year's scores it's far better. In 2012, 24 out of 28,288 Mississippi graduating seniors posted a best ACT score of 35 or 36. If these statistics hold true for this year, that means that these eight students are in the 99.9th percentile of Mississippi graduates.
Nationally, 5,238 seniors graduated with a score of 35 or 36 on the ACT (which explains why Harvard and Yale are so hard to get in to!). This is out of 1,666,017 seniors reporting. So nationally, a score of 35 or higher places one in only the 99.7th percentile.
It's really amazing. I would guess that you could take the 20th-ranked student from Oxford High School and place him or her randomly in any high school in the state; most times that student would likely end up being the STAR student and perhaps the valedictorian.
I've said that the large Oxford National Merit classes are not an anomaly, but the new normal. Well, having such a large group of students scoring 35 or 36 on the ACT is an anomaly. I don't see another group like this any time soon. Of course, I hope I'm wrong!
As always, good news like this should cause us to ask ourselves questions. Oxford clearly has some of the brightest kids not just in Mississippi, but in the United States. Is the school system doing everything it can to develop this talent, for example, by providing intensive foreign language instruction in the elementary grades, or AP classes starting in eighth grade? If not, why not?
Second, is the city of Oxford prepared to capitalize on the school system's success in order to attract success-oriented parents? The city should plan a major advertising campaign aimed at getting highly successful people to move to Oxford to take advantage of the school system. Nothing breeds success like success. People with smart children are looking for good schools for their kids. Somebody just needs to tell them where the schools are. That's what advertising is for.

Here is a link to the 2012 National ACT score information.

Here is a link to the 2012 Mississippi ACT score information.

Oxford High School sets state record for number of STAR students -- 8 of them

2013-05-07T07:12:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how I missed this story, but the Tupelo Daily Journal reported almost two weeks ago that Oxford High School has set an all-time state record by having eight students who have earned STAR Student status.
The STAR Student program, operated by the Mississippi Economic Council, recognizes the student from each high school with the highest ACT score and an average of at least a 93. However, any student with a 35 or 36 on the ACT is also recognized as a STAR Student. Oxford apparently had eight students with either a 35 or 36 on the ACT test, and thus eight STAR Students.
(Each STAR Student named a STAR Teacher, the teacher who most influenced him or her. One student named Jeffrey Jones, who teaches pre-algebra to sixth-graders at the middle school. Mr. Jones has certainly been one of the most effective teachers my children have had, and I think it's interesting that one of his former students recognized his efforts six years later.)
All eight of this year's STAR Students were among the dozen National Merit Semifinalists that I named back in September, 2012. My understanding is that based on the scores already in and past-year's cutoff scores Oxford is looking at another bumper crop of National Merit Scholars for the 2013-14 school year as well.
Having eight students score 35 or 36 on the ACT is actually a greater accomplishment than having a dozen National Merit Semi-Finalists. In Mississippi, it takes a score in roughly the 98.3rd percentile to earn Semi-Finalist status. On the ACT, the 99th percent starts with a composite score of 33. I would guesstimate that a score of 35 is in the 99.7th percentile or higher. Of course, the test-makes shouldn't force me to "guesstimate" these things, and should instead provide them in their charts.
This is all just further evidence that Oxford has become a magnet for Mississippi's super-bright. The university has grown, and so we have more professor's kids. But lots of others are moving to Oxford in search of schooling for their children as well. And these children tend to be brighter than average; sometimes a lot brighter than average.
I visited Oxford High School earlier this year with my son and left with the impression that students were encouraged to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible. That's what education is supposed to be about. The school district needs to make sure this policy is implemented in all of the Oxford schools.

Oxford Middle School assistant principal Roberson to lead Senatobia High School

2013-05-07T05:55:00.000-05:00

Roberson

Oxford Middle School assistant principal Bradley Roberson has accepted the principal's position at Senatobia High School, reports the Tate County Democrat.

Roberson, a native of North Mississippi, graduated from Ripley High School and has a Masters of Education from the University of Mississippi, along with 13 years of experience in education as a teacher, coach and administrator.

During Roberson's tenure at Oxford, he has been named Teacher of the Year on three occasions and Administrator of the year once.

New Mountain Dew ad draws lots of attention, just the wrong kind

2013-05-02T16:08:00.000-05:00

Mountain Dew has released one of the shortest-lived ad campaigns of all time. In fact, the company is doing everything it can to suppress the ad, including the use of copyright law to keep the ad off Youtube. What I want to know is who within that corporation thought this would be a great ad to sell products.

Mediate.com has an article describing the ad, which features a goat which has apparently sexually or otherwise assaulted a white woman, who is then asked to pick him out of a line-up of black men. If the commercial I've linked to gets taken down Mediate has a copy up that will likely survive fair use challenge.

The ad was the creation of hip-hop artist Tyler the Creator, who supplies the voice of the goat. The black men in the line-up are his band members. Oh, but this commercial did not go over well at all.
There is no need for me to reinvent the wheel here. Read the Mediate article to get the back story on what one university professor is calling the "most racist commercial of all time." What gets my goat is that this is the same company that killed off our beloved Frito Bandito on the grounds that the commercials were "racist." Nothing racist about them, and the pencil erasers were really neat. They get rid of the Frito Bandito and give us this. Sheesh!

UPDATE: As I predicted, Pepsi has used the threat of copyright infringement to pull the link I had off of Liveleak. You can still see the ad by clicking on the Mediate link above. As it is part of a news story, I believe the ad qualifies as fair use and Pepsi will not be able to force them to take the ad down.

Oxford School District orchestra presents Spring 2013 concert

2013-05-02T07:00:00.003-05:00

The Oxford School District Orchestra, under the direction of Melissa Hathorn, held its Spring Concert Tuesday, April 30, 2013. She was assisted by student teacher Tyler Kuntz.
I thought they did an outstanding job. The beginner group, in particular, put in a fine performance. It was far more than just one or two notes played again and again.
Jinny was out of town and so I recorded the concert so she could see our Lucy. I decided to go ahead and record all of the groups. I think it’s really interesting to see the improvement that takes place from year to year, as these videos allow one to do.
I’ve posted five videos. The first is the beginner group. The second is the Middle School's 7th and 8th grade orchestra. The third is the Oxford High School orchestra. The fourth is the high school advanced orchestra. And the final video is the School District orchestra, grades 6-12, playing Skyfall.
Skyfall was a difficult piece. And the orchestra didn't get to practice together as a group very much as the students are at different schools. They did well.
Graduating seniors were recognized at the concert. Kayla Owens was presented with an award recognizing both her hard work and good citizenship in promoting the orchestra program.
Following the concert Ms. Hathorn announced that she had accepted a position in Los Angeles and that Mr. Kuntz would lead the program next year. (Actually Ms. Hathorn said she was going to L.A. Maybe she's going to Lower Alabama!).

Orchestra members

6th Grade and beginner orchestra
Violin I: Jessica Aten, Jonathan Masters, Rebekah Moen, Young Oh, Keelan Case, Calendula Cheng;
Violin II: Will Bunch, John Parker, Landon Parker, Isuru Hewanamma;
Viola: Hope Brown
Cello: Siena Cizdziel, William Hopper Shakevia Thompson, Noel Torma, Jalon Young

7th & 8th Grade Orchestra
Violin I: Tamjeed Azad, Sarah Booth, Madison Hickey, Spencer Huggins, Tony King, Christopher Le;
Violin II: India Austin, Abigail Castro-Rodriguez, Maddison Colston, Ivy Li, Harrison Tann;
Viola: Brian Aten, Ra’Anthony Perry, Jake Riffe;
Cello: Josh Alba, Lucy Hurdle, Neely Mullen
Bass: Zela Kihei, Raina Woolworth

High School Orchestra
Violin I: Yoomin Jo (Concertmistress), Kayla Owens, Lucile Easterbrook, Renee Sullivan-Gonzalez, Steven Le, Boatman Jacobs, Guy Farmer, Maia Payne, Alex Vinson;
Violin II: Cindy Torma, Shreya Mathur, Ethan Holmes, Chamil Jayaratna, Deterrias Pegues, Jasmine Minor, Alexander Minyard, Keyshawn Williams;
Viola: Cheyenne Griffin
Cello: Kashaun Wortham, Kendall Roy, Thita Thamutok;
Bass: Kevin Hill, Tyreq Roberson, Eboni Thomas
Percussion: Sydney Hansen, Connor Vinson, Kim Casissa
Piano: Joonhee Jo

Voters tell Rep. Nunnelee 'right to keep and bear arms' is the issue they care most about

2013-04-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

Rep. Alan Nunnelee just sent me an email asking me to subscribe to his e-newsletter and to identify what national issue is most important to me.
Naturally I chose illegal immigration. After I selected my choice I was allowed to see the choices others had made. And the winner is: "Protecting the 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms," coming in at a whopping 41.59 percent. Ten issues are listed; the next-highest vote-getter was "Ending out of control spending," with 13.27 percent. Also of note is that "Strengthening our armed forces" is rated most important by only 1.77 percent of respondents. Are Mississippians slowly drifting into the Rand Paul camp?
(The above numbers are not static, and will change as each person signs up for the newsletter and casts a vote. So the above graph is merely a snapshot.)
The list is certainly skewed towards Republicans, although anyone from either party who has made it onto Nunnelee's mailing list surely got the survey. And the responses go a long way towards understand why congressmen from rural states simply won't budge on gun control.
I know Rep. Nunnelee is listening to the voters. But is Sen. Wicker?

Lady Liberty 1885 blogger discovered identity of ricin suspect through use of Google, Facebook

2013-04-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

The Lady Liberty 1885 blogger may have discovered the identity of the suspect in the mailing of ricin to Congressman Wicker through the use of Google before the police did.
In a blog post that was written yesterday but not posted until an arrest was made, the blogger tells how she used Google to track down the identity of Elvis impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis through a doctor's website and then Facebook.

Profile photo from
Paul Kevin Curtis' Facebook page

One thing I found interesting is the photo that she took from Curtis' Facebook page showing him next to a bumper sticker on his car which declares him to be a "Christian" and a "Democrat." We've all been hearing speculation that this would be the work of some Republican, but now that the suspect is a Democrat, get ready for the sound of crickets chirping.
The blog post is an interesting read. In reading Lady Liberty's blog I saw that one of her recent posts dealt with the problems of murders being committed by people in need of mental health services. Her views mirror my own. We should not have to wait until a person becomes violent before forcing them into mental health treatment.
I'm adding the Lady Liberty 1885 blog to my blog roll on the left side of this page.

Jackson Jambalaya: HUD wants to bring Section 8 to a home near you

2013-04-17T15:04:00.001-05:00

Jackson Jambalaya: HUD wants to bring Section 8 to a home near you: The Wall Street Journal opined about some HUD social engineering and neighborhoods. Yup, Assistant Secretary and his HUD minions want to make sure your neighbors meet their criteria...

Kingfish at Jackson Jambalaya has an interesting post about how the government is working hard to destroy neighborhoods by forcing cities to rezone upscale neighborhoods for Section 8 housing and by attempting to force landlords to accept Section 8 vouchers, even though by law the program is supposed to be voluntary. Read it all by clicking on the link above.

A study in Memphis found that the city's crime wave in recent years was directly related to the sprinkling of Section 8 residents through the city. The Atlantic had an outstanding article on this, called America's Murder Mystery.

Now the Obama administration wants to host a Murder Mystery Party in your neighborhood!

It's far to early to start playing the blame game for the Boston Marathon bombing.

2013-04-16T13:27:00.002-05:00

There will be time to make political hay, if you will, on the recent tragedy at the Boston Marathon. One of the goals of our political system is to act to stop bad things from happening, and that includes making a bit of political hay out of events like this one.
But I, at least, am going to reserve comment for a while. This isn't to say that no one is to blame. Often people are to blame. But we ought to at least know all the facts before pointing fingers. We ought to stop for just a day or two to mourn the loss of these innocent lives.
I've read some Facebook comments that mention the Boston bombing in opposing gun control. I'm opposed to most federal efforts to seize or track guns, but gun control efforts and the Boston bombing are completely unrelated. It's not productive to suggest otherwise.

British gave highest respect at Reagan funeral but Obama sends his ill-regards

2013-04-16T11:05:00.000-05:00

Two of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century were Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. There's just no question about it, whether you agreed with their politics or not.
When former-president Reagan died, British Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the funeral, as did former prime minister Thatcher, Prince Charles, along with a bevy of current and former world elected officials.
It should be noted that Tony Blair is a socialist. But even though his politics are sharply different in many ways from those of Reagan, he attended the former president's funeral as a sign of respect for the close ties between our countries, made stronger under the Reagan administration.
Sad to say our country lacks such leadership. President Obama has snubbed the British by sending only a few has-been government officials to represent the United States. (Joining Argentina!). The House of Representatives is sending a delegation, but Obama's snub is really a disgrace and a black mark against our nation. This isn't the first time he's shown his disdain for the British. After his election he ordered that a bust of Winston Churchill given to the United States by the British be removed from the White House and returned. He couldn't have the White House sullied with such heroes, I suppose; had to make room for the Che Guevara memorials.
People wonder why people who hate, despise, and detest Obama hate, despise, and detest the man so much. Perhaps the reason is because he is so very hateable, despicable, and detestable.

Circa 1947 Holly High Tiger football team

2013-04-10T18:08:00.001-05:00

I'm dating this as somewhere around the 1947 Holly High Tiger football team. The second player from the left on the back row appears to be John Kennedy, and from his appearance he looks to be a sophomore. He was born in 1931, so add 16 to that and you get 1947. Of course, he was young looking, so this could be 1948 or 1949.
The black man on the left is Nat Brooks, the long time trainer for the team. The coach is identified on the back of the photo as Coach Tutor. The names "Vic," Jack Wittjin, Freeman Garner, and Bobby Carter are written on the back of the photo, but their numbers are not identified.
I will update this if I am given more names.

Circa 1939 Holly High Tiger football team

2013-04-10T17:43:00.000-05:00

Pictured above are members of the 1939 or 1940 Holly High Tiger football team. Presumably the boys in the white uniforms are ninth-graders. This photo was from my Dad's office.
On the front row, sixth from left is Shep Smith. Eighth from left is my father, Sidney Hurdle. On the second row, eighth from left is Blanton Jones.
As always, click on the photo for a bigger copy. I will update this if I am provided with any more names.

News you can use: Paris metro adds new stops

2013-04-10T10:56:00.001-05:00

The Paris Metro has expanded and your old map isn't any good any more.
Lines 4, 8, 12, and 13 have added new terminating metro stops at one or both ends. Since the direction you are going on the metro is determined by the final stop, it's important to know the name of the final stop. For example, to go south on the popular 4 line, you will now go towards Marie de Montrouge instead of Porte d'Orleans.
Chances are almost certain the guidebook metro map you have is out of date, since the new map was only published in February 2013. Here's one you can print and take with you. As always, click on the map to bring up a larger copy.

If lifeguard diversity effort, potential applicants told swimming skills not important

2013-04-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

If you need yet another example of why affirmative action, quotas, and reverse discrimination (all the same in action) are wrong, turn your eyes to the city of Phoenix.
National Public Radio reports that the city was concerned that most of its lifeguards at the city pools were white. So in its efforts to recruit lifeguards, a city officials stresses to potential employees that strong swimming skills are not required for the job. "We will work with you in your swimming abilities," the city's Melissa Boyle said.
One of the reasons for this outreach is that at many pools most of the swimmers are black or Hispanic. The city is concerned that the children might not relate to a white lifeguard.
"The kids in the pool are all either Hispanic or black or whatever, and every lifeguard is white," she says, "and we don't like that. The kids don't relate; there's language issues." I wonder what society would tell a bunch of white kids who refused to cooperate with a black lifeguard simply because he was black.
I can't imagine that there are many black parents who would prefer that their children be watched over by an incompetent black lifeguard instead of a competent white one. Is it so important to have a black-skinned person sitting in the lifeguard chair that we are willing to let children drown?
Here's a passage from the NPR story:

"Honestly, I have a little bit a fear of the water, and I wanted to overcome that fear," says high school junior Jesus Jimenez. He didn't grow up going to pools with his family but likes the idea of lifeguarding.
"It is nice to have the satisfaction of knowing that if somebody is in trouble you can save them at any time," he says.
If he is selected to be a lifeguard, other pool staff will work with him on his swimming skills all summer.

Just think, this program purports to take teen-agers who are afraid of the water and turn them into strong-swimming lifeguards in the space of two or three months. That's what Hope and Change and Baloney is all about.

Snackbar offers a beer and a half-dozen oysters for ten bucks

2013-04-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

I rarely eat oysters these days. They're just too expensive.
Back when I turned 18 and could belly up to the New Orleans oyster bar for a beer and a dozen, my recollection is that a dozen oysters could be had for $3.50 or $4. Today the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans and most similar places sell a half-dozen for around $8.50 and a dozen for $13-14. In restaurants they often for $3 each, or an astronomical $36 per dozen.
Today oysters have names. The waiter will inform the patrons that they have the sumpin-sumpin oyster, the this-n-that oyster, and the King Dan oyster. I belong in the "motor oil's motor oil" camp. Just sell me an oyster.
I just found out about a great little Happy Hour deal that Oxford's Snackbar is offering: Half-a-dozen Gulf oysters plus a beer (or drink or wine) for ten bucks, every day from 4-6 p.m. Not sure if the beer is limited to one of Snackbar's $3.50 domestics or includes the $5 imports as well. I just don't see drinking mixed drinks or wine with oysters, but to each his own.
So if you put a pencil to it, Snackbar's Happy Hour deal beats out the New Orleans prices by a couple of bucks. And it does so with the added cost of transporting the oysters 350 miles. Not too shabby in my book.

No great moral here, just more tales from life at the Poor Farm

2013-04-01T15:55:00.001-05:00

Note: This is the third in a series of blog posts highlighting stories about my father, or stories my father liked to share.

I'm going to share a couple of additional stories about my Dad's time at the Poor Farm. There's no real moral to these stories, and in fact the first one I didn't hear about until a few years ago.
A few years ago a pictorial history book was published featuring photos from the history of Holly Springs and Marshall County, Marshall County: From The Collection of Chesley Thorne Smith. The company that published this book published similar books all over the country. In Holly Springs we were fortunate that they were able to get the late Mrs. Smith to share her photo collection and rememberances of life in the county during the 1900s.
Mrs. Smith's husband, "Gus," was my dad's law partner during the 1950s before he became a circuit judge and later a state supreme court justice (I was working for my Dad in 1977 and stuffed many an envelope on Judge Smith's behalf). Dad was glad to see the photos in Mrs. Smith's book, and was especially glad to see that she had a photo of "Parson Black," who eventually became a resident of the County Home.

Parson Black was a resident of the
County Poor Farm

Dad said Mrs. Smith had some incorrect information in the book, namely that Parson Black had left behind a cigar box with $13,000 in it when he died. He said Mr. Black was mentally ill and under the delusion that he had possessed a great fortune that had been stolen from him; however there was no fortune. On several occasions he would leave the county home in search of his missing fortune.
Sadly, Parson Black went missing one winter day and various people began searching for him. Dad said the search was made easier because he was wearing his shoes backwards, the left shoe on the right foot and vice versa. After two days they found him beside a pond, dead from exposure; I think Dad said he was on the Bryant Place, west of the Poor Farm.

_____________________

Another story my Dad shared a few times was of a resident dying and having to be buried in the Potter's Field. It was a bitter cold day and he and two or three brothers took on themselves the task of performing the burial. Dad said he was 10 or 11 at the time.
He said Pop Hurdle arrived just as they were finishing and they explained what they were doing. Pop asked, "Did you bury him six feet deep?" They all "yessired" in unison.
Pop walked with a cane, and he rammed his cane down in the loose dirt and at about 3.5 to four feet there was a "thunk."
"Dig 'em up boys," was all my grandfather said.

______________________

As I said, there is no moral to these stories. I share them only because it shows that at a very young age my father was having to deal with the business of death and dying. How many 10-, 12-, or 14-year-old boys are out looking for missing people today when there is a chance that they might find a dead body?

And how many teen-age boys are essentially taking it upon themselves to prepare people for burial, dig the grave, put the casket in the grave and then fill it in. Only to have to do it all over again when "Daddy" finds out they didn't bury the body a full six-feet deep?

It's a life that most of us simply cannot know or imagine.

_______________________

Now for a fun story. Some of the brothers -- don't know if Dad was included or not -- were sent out to chop cotton, along with a field hand named Ned.

After they finished my grandfather came to "inspect" the work. He was a kind but temperamental man, and his children tried mightily not to displease him.

He soon found a clump of unchopped weeds. "Ned did that row," one of the boys said.

Another patch of weeds was found. "Ned did that row," another said.

Then my grandfather came upon a cotton plant chopped cleanly in half, which he clearly viewed as a disaster of the highest order. "Ned did that row," they all said in unison.

At which point my grandfather shouted, "Well no wonder Ned can't do a decent job. Y'all are making him do all the work!"

Atlantic article points out the benefits of ability grouping in schools

2013-03-31T17:27:00.000-05:00

The Atlantic has a must-read article about the re-emergence of ability grouping in schools.
Ability grouping is common sense. The one-room schoolhouse of 100 years ago -- which included students of all abilities into a single schoolroom -- was fine when there was no other choice. But dividing students into grades makes far more sense.
Unfortunately, our society doesn't want to fail anyone, so students are age graded instead of ability graded. And in the name of equality ability grouping has been frowned upon in favor of mixed-ability grouping and differentiated instruction.
In the typical fifth- or sixth-grade classroom there will be 10 or 12 years difference in reading ability and perhaps eight years difference in math ability between the brightest and dullest students. The brightest sixth-graders are likely to be reading at the level of the typical college freshman or sophomore. The dullest at the first- or second-grade level. No teacher can adequately teach a group of students with such a mish-mash of abilities.
Differentiated instruction doesn't work any better than the one-room schoolhouse. We needs laws requiring that students be given regular achievement tests and that they be grouped on the basis of their achievement. Studies show that all students learn more when grouped with students of like ability and taught at a level that is slightly more difficult than the material they have already mastered.
We need to worry less about making every student equal and instead attempt to teach every student as much as possible as quickly as possible. If we do this, some students will start earning college credits in the seventh or eighth grade. This will benefit society tremendously.
To quote from the article:

Unfortunately, the efforts and philosophies of otherwise well-meaning individuals have attempted to eliminate the achievement gap by eliminating achievement.

How true! I urge everyone to read this article and to raise this issue with their local school boards. Schools which use differentiated instruction are intentionally depriving America's schoolchildren of a decent education, and depriving our nation of a prosperous future.

What is mercy? It's catching two car thieves and making them house guests

2013-03-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

Note: This is the second in a series of blog posts highlighting stories about my father, or stories my father liked to share.

Some time in the late 1930s -- I think, and the year really doesn't matter so much -- my grandfather walked out of church to an unwelcome discovery. His car was missing.
"Don't worry boys, they won't get far. I'm out of gas," my grandfather told his sons. He then dispatched one son in each direction to search for the missing car.
The car was found quickly enough, I think about seven miles east of town on Highway 78, on the side of the road out of gas. Standing nearby were two runaways from Somerville, Tenn., aged 16 and 17.
I'm not sure how these boys were corralled, but they were, and were brought to my grandfather. And he did what anybody would do under the circumstances: he had the boys over for Sunday dinner.
He told the boys they needed to call their parents, but they pleaded to be allowed to spend the night before making the dreaded phone call. My grandfather relented. The next day they pleaded to again spend one more night. I'm sure my grandfather found some chores for them to do.
On the evening of the second day my grandfather insisted that they call home and arrange to be picked up the next day. He had shown the boys mercy, but it was time for them to face their parents' justice.
When my father told me this story, I couldn't help but think that very few of us today would ever consider bringing teenagers who had just stolen our car home for dinner, much less providing room and board for two days. Today most of us would call the sheriff and insist that the teenagers be prosecuted as adults.
I have no idea how these two teenagers turned out. Perhaps they came to a bad end. But my grandfather's act of mercy cost him nothing. Their crime only cost him a bit of aggravation. And perhaps this act of mercy allowed them to escape jail or a criminal record and have successful lives. My grandfather was willing to forgive a rather grievous sin that most of us simply could not forgive.
I think my father and his siblings learned from my grandfather's acts of mercy. And I think all of us can as well.

Luke 7:40-43
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

The Great Depression, growing up on the county Poor Farm, shaped my father's life

2013-03-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

Note: This is the first in a series of blog posts highlighting stories about my father, or stories my father liked to share.

My father Sidney Hurdle, who died recently, was the sixth of eight children and the last in his family to die. As we first cousins said at his funeral, we've moved to the front row.

I really think to understand my father or any of his siblings you have to understand that he was a child of the Depression in the truest sense. When the Depression hit it was clear to my grandfather that he wasn't going to be able to support a family by farming, and he was lucky to be able to get the job managing the County Home for indigents -- the Poor Farm (or the Poor House).
I was raised hearing tales about life on the Poor Farm, and until the age of 14 or 15 assumed that Dad had lived there because the family was poor. I remember sitting in Shep Smith's cotton office one afternoon with a few older men when I mentioned something about Dad growing up on the Poor Farm. George Buchanan, who always looked over his glasses, pushed them down an extra bit and said, "Son, your grandfather managed the county poor farm."
Of course, I considered this a betrayal of the first order! I had always been told Dad lived on the Poor Farm, only to learn that he was in top management. But when I confronted him with this new revelation he explained that when he lived there he didn't live a lot higher life than the residents. The family usually ate the same food and was surrounded by the same poverty as everyone else.
There were so many stories from the Poor Farm. The times were hard. Even if the family had assets, there truly was no money during the Depression. One oft-told story deals with my grandfather's failure to obtain a $25 loan from the local bank despite having more than $1,000 in county warrants for collateral. These warrants were issued as promise of future payment because the county could not afford to pay my grandfather the 25 cents per day per resident to which he was entitled. Of course, he was expected to continue to feed and clothe the residents at his own expense. Pop Hurdle ended up having to sell the family's best mule to raise the $25. (In 1958 my grandfather "forgave" the bank and again started doing business with them).
My grandfather was born into relative rural affluence in 1891. He was forced to quit school after third grade due to nearsightedness, lest he go blind (or so the doctors said). He was determined not to slip into poverty, even if the boll weevil and economic collapse seemed determined to push him over the edge. He drove himself hard and drove his children almost as hard. It affected all of his children, sometimes not in a good way.
I'll leave my grandmother to another day, save to say that by modern standards it's a miracle that a man with a third-grade education managed to attract a highly intelligent, high-school graduate who became a school teacher (although she taught for only a few years). Dad always said whatever smarts our family has came from this wonderful woman.
Back to the Poor Farm. Dad lived there until just before World War II. I think the family moved into Holly Springs in 1938 or 1939, when Dad would have been 14 or 15. But his time at the Poor Farm had an effect on his entire life. It gave him a great deal of compassion for the poor.
About 15 years ago we were in an attic and came across an old chest that had been bequeathed to my Dad by a resident of the Poor House when he was a child. To be more precise, although the man did not have a will, the chest and a few other small items were his "estate." He wanted my Dad, who was then 10 or 12, to have his chest.
When Dad saw his chest he knelt down and rubbed it, and told me the story about his old Poor Farm friend, an old indigent man. "I was his best friend," he said. "When he died he left me this chest."
The chest was pretty wretched in appearance, and I'm afraid I allowed as much. Dad looked at me, back at the chest, then back at me. "It was all he had."
Of course, I felt rather small and wished I had kept my mouth shut about the appearance of the chest.

Mark 12
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

My father, Sidney L. Hurdle, dies at 89

2013-03-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

Dad in Juneau, Alaska, on a cruise we took as a family thanks to his largesse, in May 2011.

My father, Sidney L. Hurdle, died recently. He was 89. He had been ill for some time and confined to a hospital bed (or the chair next to it) for almost eight months. His mind wasn't all there at the end, but in some matters he remained quite sharp. He was ready for death, and in fact told a caregiver that he didn't think he would be alive for another week when she left for the day. He was correct.
Here was his obituary:

Sidney L. Hurdle died Saturday, March 9, 2013, after a lengthy illness. He was a native and life-long resident of Marshall County. He was a graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of Law. He was a rural land developer, with projects in Mississippi, Ohio, and numerous other states. He was an attorney and once served as attorney for the Marshall County Board of Supervisors. He was a veteran and a member of First Baptist Church of Holly Springs.
Services were 11 a.m. March 11, 2013 at Holly Springs Funeral Home. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery.
He is survived by three sons, Lanier Hurdle, Mike Hurdle, both of Holly Springs and Frank Hurdle of Oxford; six grandchildren, Sidney Lanier “Sy” Hurdle III, Jamie Hurdle Ammerman, Cayce Hurdle, Jesse Hurdle, Albert Sidney “Ash” Hurdle, and Lucy Karr Hurdle; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers were Jonathan Burch, Jason Burch, Joshua Ammerman, Sy Hurdle, Jesse Hurdle and Ash Hurdle.
Memorials may be made to Sidney L. Hurdle charitable fund, c/o Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, 315 Losher St. Suite 1, Hernando, MS, 38632.

There is, of course, so much more to a life than can be told by an obituary. Yet what we put in the paper is what most people want to read.
This being my blog, I'm going to share over the next few days a few stories from my Dad's life. Some of these are stories about him. Some of these are stories that he told us as we were growing up. The good news for you as a reader of this blog are two-fold. First, you don't have to read anything you don't want to! Second, some of the stories have some real entertainment value.
One of my favorite professors at Ole Miss was Jere Hoar, who taught in the journalism school. I know I had him for three classes, but maybe four. There were a few things that he would repeat in every class, one of them being the claim of some sociologist that if "You tell me a family's stories, I can tell you that family's values."
So for the next few weeks I'll share a few of my Dad's stories, and from them you will know a little about his values.

I'd like to hear the news of no one being gang raped in India one day

2013-03-20T16:38:00.000-05:00

To read the news from India lately, rape would seem to be the pastime of a good percentage of the male population. And the general attitude of the authorities is that the women are at least partly to blame.
So when an Australian couple was "foolish" enough to go camping and ended up with the woman gang-raped while her boyfriend was tied up and forced to watch, the official line is that she was partly to blame for going camping and tempting potential rapists.
This isn't to suggest that women shouldn't act prudently. But in India the general consensus seems to be that just by being a woman one is asking to be raped, and is thus partly to blame.
A British tourist recently jumped from her hotel room window because she said the hotel manager and another man were banging on the door demanding to give her an oil massage.
And, of course, there is the case which brought worldwide attention, where a woman was brutally gang raped on a bus while the driver apparently did nothing. And until there was an outcry, law enforcement was bound and determined to do nothing. The woman died.
Few things are more grating on Western ears than Indian music. But I got to thinking that some Indian singer might do a rewrite of this Anne Murray's song from the early 1980s:

Opportunities for racial umbrage must not be missed

2013-03-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

In the Do Not Miss the Opportunity to Take Racial Umbrage department, we have this item, from the BBC.
Don't feel left out; coming soon in modified form from a congressman on our side of the pond. Some time when you least expect it, expect it.