Category Archives: News

Best Quotes of the Week – March 12, 2022

“Division superintendents disagree with your assumption that discriminatory and divisive concepts have become widespread in Virginia school divisions.”

Howard Kiser, executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, in a letter to Jillian Balow, the state superintendent of schools, regarding Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s “tip line” set up to let parents complain about teachers and principals

All 133 Virginia public school division superintendents have urged Youngkin to scrap the “tip line” and have asked him to stop his campaign against the teaching of “divisive” content in schools.

The superintendents were reacting to a report Balow issued last month aimed at fulfilling promises Youngkin made during his campaign last year to end the teaching of critical race theory (CRT), an academic framework for studying systemic racism.  The concept had never been on the Virginia’s curriculum, but the first executive order Youngkin issued within hours of being inaugurated January 15 was aimed at banning CRT.  He later announced the establishment of the tip line for parents to tell the state about teachers or principals exposing students to materials deemed objectionable.

“Republicans are anxious — very anxious indeed — to tell us that Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn doesn’t speak for his fellow Republicans.  Sen. Lindsey Graham rushed to the microphone to assure us that Cawthorn is an outlier ‘in the largest sense possible on our side.’”

Charlie Sykes, regarding Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s denouncement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a column for The Bulwark

Sykes added, “This is also important to remember: Until about five minutes ago, Cawthorn’s remarks were more or less basic talking points among the MAGA right — and not just talking points, but holy script. His attitude is deeply embedded in the right’s DNA. So, it’s easy to imagine Cawthorn today, looking around at his GOP critics and asking: Dude, what do you mean ‘outlier?’ I’m just saying what we’ve all been saying for years now! He’d have a point.”

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Word of the Week – March 5, 2022

Aporia

Noun

Latin, 16th century

An irresolvable internal contradiction or logical disjunction in a text, argument, or theory. (Rhetoric) the expression of doubt.  Stems from ​​late Latin via the Greek “aporos,” meaning “impassable”: “a-” means “without,” and “poros” means “passage.”

Example: The aporia in our office led to a complete restructuring of staff.

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Video of the Week – Match 5, 2022

Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis demanding high school students remove their face masks:

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Tweet of the Week – Match 5, 2022

Sen. Lindsey Graham

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Political Cartoon of the Week – March 5, 2022

Khalil Bendib

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Most Hypocritical Quote of the Week – March 5, 2022

“You know, it’s such an awful thing to say. We hesitated to play that, even – it’s very common, you hear it every day. The question is: Why are they saying that? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Tucker Carlson, after playing a news clip of U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell saying he and other Republicans were on Putin’s side

This is a contrast to Carlson’s previous statements about Putin.  During his February 22 broadcast, he declared: “The point here is to defend democracy. Not that Ukraine is a democracy. It’s not a democracy. Ukraine’s president has arrested his main political opponent, he has shut down newspapers and television stations that have dared to criticize him. So in American terms, you would call Ukraine a tyranny. But Joe Biden likes Ukraine, so Putin bad, war good.”

Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Russian media outlets have been sharing news clips of conservative American political and media figures speaking positively about Putin.

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Worst Quote of the Week – March 5, 2022

“Can we give a round of applause for Russia?”

Nick Fuentes, podcaster and admitted White nationalist, during the 2022 America First Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida

Fuentes has previously praised Putin, along with other political extremists, such as Benito Mussolini.

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Best Quote of the Week – March 5, 2022

“Despite the incredible heroism of Ukraine’s people, it’s still more likely than not that the Russian flag will eventually be planted amid the rubble of Kyiv and Kharkiv. But even if that happens, the Russian Federation will be left weaker and poorer than it was before the invasion. Conquest doesn’t pay.”

Paul Krugman, commenting on the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

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March 2022 Literary Calendar

Events in the month of March for writers and readers:

  • National Reading Month
  • Small Press Month
  • March 2 Read Across America Day | Dr. Seuss’s birthday
  • March 3 World Book Day in the UK and Ireland
  • March 4 National Grammar Day
  • March 6-12 Read an E-book Week | Return Borrowed Books Week
  • March 16 Freedom of Information Day
  • March 20 World Storytelling Day
  • March 21 World Poetry Day
  • March 26 Robert Frost’s birthday
  • March 30 Pencil Day

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Word of the Week – February 26, 2022

Compendious

Adjective

French, 14th century

Containing or presenting the essential facts of something in a comprehensive but concise way.

It stems from the Old French “compendieux,” from the Latin “compendiosus,” which means “advantageous, brief.”

Example: My compendious speech on the evolution of canines impressed my fellow Toastmasters.

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