Listening to a call-in show on NPR in the car, and a woman called in to complain about unions not helping to get rid of ‘bad teachers’.

If a defense attorney helps the prosecutor convict the defendant, he/she becomes an ex-attorney. Unions are formed to protect the rights of the members. Hiring and firing are management responsibilities. If a school district can’t get rid of bad teachers, they have bad administrators. Most of the problems with the Chicago school system sound like management problems to me, and the teachers don’t select the administrators. If the administrators are unable to follow the discipline procedure and fire an employee, fire the administrators, don’t complain about the union.

Steve Hynd at the Agonist noticed a report in the Jerusalem Post that said US taxpayers have spent more than Israeli taxpayers on the Israel Defense Force for the past three years. Maybe, if Israeli taxpayers had to pay for the Likud’s aggressive policies, they wouldn’t elect them.

Ayn Rand Paul Ryan has advocated eliminating US foreign aid. I get a feeling that no one has told him that the bulk of all US aid goes to Israel followed by Egypt. He would find himself in serious trouble with AIPAC if he pushes this concept.

Digby noticed that Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput is endorsing the social policy of everyone’s favorite chain-smoking Russian immigrant atheist that are espoused by Ayn Rand Paul Ryan. Maybe someone should explain the implications of his statements on the non-profit status of his diocese. The IRS has rules about such things.

Position: 37.1N 31.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: East-Northeast [060°] near 3 mph [ 6 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Wind Gusts: 65 mph [105 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 275 Miles [445 km].
Minimum central pressure: 990 mb.

Currently about 160 miles [ 255 km] South of Flores in the Azores.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the islands of Flores, Corvo, Faial, Pico, Sao Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira, Sao Miguel, and Santa Maria in the Azores.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

It’ll be double rations of grog all around in the galley as ye throw the pasta and pesto down your gullet for the final day of Pasta Week, on Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Arr…
Belay that! ‘T’would be better done by swilling lambrusco directly from the flask!
Arr…