Tech Note: New Category/Tag Indexes, Featured Pages Tooltips

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A few new (or recently added) features to which I’d like to draw your attention:

  • Hovering over the category for an article, or any of its tags, pops up a tooltip listing the last five articles in that category or tag. The new feature: clicking on the category or tag now takes you to an index page for all articles with that category/tag. The index pages all have a ‘Show More Articles’ button at the bottom, allowing you to load 10 more articles in that category/tag.
  • New feature: hovering over the title of an LGF Page in the ‘Featured’ or ‘Recent’ sections now pops up a tooltip showing a plain text excerpt of that article.
  • Feature change: the maximum size for a user icon has been increased from 32K to 100K. (See Account Settings.)

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99 comments
1 PhillyPretzel  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:07:46pm

Thank you Charles for making this weblog one of the coolest places on the internet.

2 wrenchwench  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:09:41pm

I can’t keep up.

3 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:09:57pm

100K icon? That’ll make it easier. Thanks.

4 Usually refered to as anyways  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:25:02pm

Charles,

Are you aware that when browsing articles when not logged in we are not seeing the ‘New Comments’ count?

5 ProBosniaLiberal  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:25:19pm

I’ve made up my mind about wanting to go back to Oklahoma.

I have also made up my mind that I will be giving a parting shot to someone who I thought was a close friend who upped and abandoned me when I began to implode late June last year.

That person will the one who gets vented at for the last 1+ year of hell.

6 austin_blue  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:25:25pm

Well, that took 13 seconds. Broncos up 28-21.

Oh, and thanks for the updates, Charles.

7 Usually refered to as anyways  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:27:34pm

re: #5 ProBosniaLiberal

I’ve made up my mind about wanting to go back to Oklahoma.

I have also made up my mind that I will be giving a parting shot to someone who I thought was a close friend who upped and abandoned me when I began to implode late June last year.

That person will the one who gets vented at for the last 1+ of hell.

Who would that help?

8 ProBosniaLiberal  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:29:17pm

re: #7 Usually refered to as anyways

Me. A portion of the pent up anger will be let off. I’ll be able to put this behind me.

That person did teach me a lesson though. I am on my own emotionally.

9 Sionainn  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:34:25pm

re: #5 ProBosniaLiberal

I’ve made up my mind about wanting to go back to Oklahoma.

I have also made up my mind that I will be giving a parting shot to someone who I thought was a close friend who upped and abandoned me when I began to implode late June last year.

That person will the one who gets vented at for the last 1+ year of hell.

Why bother?

10 Usually refered to as anyways  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:36:22pm

re: #8 ProBosniaLiberal

Me. A portion of the pent up anger will be let off. I’ll be able to put this behind me.

You need to find better ways than dealing with aggression than confrontation.

Just my view…

11 Sionainn  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:39:37pm

re: #8 ProBosniaLiberal

Me. A portion of the pent up anger will be let off. I’ll be able to put this behind me.

That person did teach me a lesson though. I am on my own emotionally.

I’ve personally found that it doesn’t really let me put anything behind me…more like getting more pissed off because the person doesn’t appear to be bothered at all by the confrontation. I’ve found that it’s simply best to write them off and move on. It takes so much energy to carry that much anger towards someone. It’s not healthy and I refuse to let that stuff mess up my life. The anger isn’t hurting anyone except for me and I like myself enough that I won’t do that to myself (and my family because then they get to deal with an unhappy me).

12 Lidane  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 3:54:52pm

re: #6 austin_blue

Well, that took 13 seconds. Broncos up 28-21.

Crazy game.

13 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:02:03pm

Lubeman fumbled.

14 Charles Johnson  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:02:55pm

re: #4 Usually refered to as anyways

Charles,

Are you aware that when browsing articles when not logged in we are not seeing the ‘New Comments’ count?

Yep, that’s one of the features that’s only active when you’re signed in.

15 wrenchwench  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:05:24pm

I’m afraid I know the kid who died in this report:

A 12 year old was accidentally shot and killed by his cousin in Calhoun County Tuesday, according to investigators. The sheriff says it’s a tragic accident that leaves two families are devastated.

Tuesday afternoon turned tragic for two families in Calhoun County after an accidental shooting involving two 12 year old cousins at a residence on Macon Johnson Drive.

“I don’t think this child again had any intent other than to show off his Christmas present,” said Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson.

That present was a 20 gauge shotgun.

“The person who lived there, that cousin, had gone into the home to get the shotgun that he had gotten at

Christmas. After he brought it back out the other boy was on the trampoline there on the yard and he was going to show him the shotgun. At some point during that interaction the shotgun was discharged and it struck the boy on the trampoline in the chest which of course ultimately led to the loss of his life,” said Amerson.

[…]

A friend of mine came in a few hours ago and told me a local man’s son died in an accident with a gun, and he couldn’t remember where it happened, but it was wherever the mom moved to after their divorce several years ago. I sold them a bike for this, their oldest, and a couple of their subsequent kids. I saw the kid play drums with his dad’s band several times (just for one song) starting when he was six.

I can’t imagine how devastating this is for everyone, especially the other 12 year old.

16 Usually refered to as anyways  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:06:25pm

re: #14 Charles Johnson

Yep, that’s one of the features that’s only active when you’re signed in.

Thanks Charles, just checking.

17 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:06:46pm

Cool…got a nice big pic on my profile now.

18 HoosierHoops  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:10:44pm

test

19 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:11:11pm

28-28

20 austin_blue  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:12:43pm

re: #19 darthstar

28-28

I’d say it’s 28-28 going into the fourth, but the Ravens have to kick off w/ 20 seconds left!

21 HoosierHoops  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:14:51pm

re: #20 austin_blue

I’d say it’s 28-28 going into the fourth, but the Ravens have to kick off w/ 20 seconds left!

I’m going crazy! If this is a sign of things coming then we are in for a wild weekend.

22 Charles Johnson  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:15:51pm

Family of Aaron Swartz Condemns MIT and States Attorney for His Suicide.

This is a terrible tragedy. Aaron Swartz was a brilliant guy - a huge loss for the Internet on so many levels. The story of the investigation into his so-called “hacking” at MIT just stinks. Such a shame.

24 Charles Johnson  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:18:48pm

re: #15 wrenchwench

Wow. So sorry to hear that. My sympathies.

25 austin_blue  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:19:17pm

re: #22 Charles Johnson

Family of Aaron Swartz Condemns MIT and States Attorney for His Suicide.

This is a terrible tragedy. Aaron Swartz was a brilliant guy - a huge loss for the Internet on so many levels. The story of the investigation into his so-called “hacking” at MIT just stinks. Such a shame.

Didn’t he code Reddit?

26 austin_blue  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:23:36pm

Alert! The Ravens finally tackled Trendin Holliday!

27 TedStriker  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:29:17pm

re: #25 austin_blue

Didn’t he code Reddit?

Co-founder.

He also helped to create RSS.

28 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:29:49pm

Trying to swim upstream is always hard:


Online communication biases upon the public perception of science

[…]

The more newsworthy part of this essay is a reference to the effects of online comments after articles about science and technology topics. Brossard and Scheufele refer to a recent conference that covered this topic, and the results of a study in which subjects were exposed to the same story but with different types of comment sections:

Disturbingly, readers’ interpretations of potential risks associated with the technology described in the news article differed significantly depending only on the tone of the manipulated reader comments posted with the story. Exposure to uncivil comments (which included name calling and other non–content-specific expressions of incivility) polarized the views among proponents and opponents of the technology with respect to its potential risks. In other words, just the tone of the comments following balanced science stories in Web 2.0 environments can significantly alter how audiences think about the technology itself.

Anyone who reads comments sections following news articles surely will have noticed the rotten wealth of trolls and other idiots who inhabit such forums. I thought about Brossard and Scheufele’s piece again today when I read a post by Dan Conover at Xark: “Why I shut down comments”. The post reflects on how blog communities have changed since the early days of blogging in 2005. This timeframe has coincided with the growth of social media of other types, such as Facebook and Twitter, which have given many people a closed community for sharing comments and perspectives with like-minded folks. Conover observes that the trolls and spam are more persistent, causing a rapid degradation of the value of comment sections of many blogs.

[…]

Comments on professional news websites are almost always useless, misguided, or malevolent. Combine this with Brossard and Scheufele’s claim that the tone of comment sections affects readers’ comprehension of science and technology stories, and I propose a hypothesis: Professional news websites may be the worst way to communicate science, because their comment policies undercut science comprehension.

All one has to do is read the comments at a story on CNN, Yahoo, or any of a number of other outlets, to see this kind of stuff.

29 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:31:57pm

The Broncos’ twelfth man is wearing black and white.

30 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:32:44pm

Denver TD.

31 Lidane  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:32:52pm

34-28. WTF.

32 austin_blue  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:33:30pm
33 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:34:14pm

re: #32 austin_blue

Huhn.

[Link: religion.blogs.cnn.com…]

Really is nice to see how they value their employees.

34 Political Atheist  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:35:07pm

re: #21 HoosierHoops
Hi Hoops? How is the new year treating ya?
Hmm, which might be the better new avatar? Just put up a larger version of the one I have had for a couple years but what of these?

Image: LocalLizard.jpg

Image: Avatar_sunset.jpg

35 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:35:59pm

The the Tolkien estate has been successful in forcing science organizations from using the term “hobbit”, that’s not stopped the popular press:


New Fossils Help Bring Hobbit Humans to Life

New bones attributed to Homo floresiensis — aka the “Hobbit Human” — along with other recent findings, are helping to reveal what members of this species looked like, how they behaved, and their origins.

The latest findings, described in a Journal of Human Evolution paper, are wrist bones unearthed on the Indonesian island of Flores. Since they are nearly identical to other such bones for the Hobbit found at the site, they refute claims that H. floresiensis never existed.

[…]

New wrist bones of Homo floresiensis from Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia)

The carpals from the Homo floresiensis type specimen (LB1) lack features that compose the shared, derived complex of the radial side of the wrist in Neandertals and modern humans. This paper comprises a description and three-dimensional morphometric analysis of new carpals from at least one other individual at Liang Bua attributed to H. floresiensis: a right capitate and two hamates. The new capitate is smaller than that of LB1 but is nearly identical in morphology. As with capitates from extant apes, species of Australopithecus, and LB1, the newly described capitate displays a deeply-excavated nonarticular area along its radial aspect, a scaphoid facet that extends into a J-hook articulation on the neck, and a more radially-oriented second metacarpal facet; it also lacks an enlarged palmarly-positioned trapezoid facet. Because there is no accommodation for the derived, palmarly blocky trapezoid that characterizes Homo sapiens and Neandertals, this individual most likely had a plesiomorphically wedge-shaped trapezoid (like LB1). Morphometric analyses confirm the close similarity of the new capitate and that of LB1, and are consistent with previous findings of an overall primitive articular geometry. In general, hamate morphology is more conserved across hominins, and the H. floresiensis specimens fall at the far edge of the range of variation for H. sapiens in a number of metrics. However, the hamate of H. floresiensis is exceptionally small and exhibits a relatively long, stout hamulus lacking the oval-shaped cross-section characteristic of human and Neandertal hamuli (variably present in australopiths). Documentation of a second individual with primitive carpal anatomy from Liang Bua, along with further analysis of trapezoid scaling relative to the capitate in LB1, refutes claims that the wrist of the type specimen represents a modern human with pathology. In total, the carpal anatomy of H. floresiensis supports the hypothesis that the lineage leading to the evolution of this species originated prior to the cladogenetic event that gave rise to modern humans and Neandertals.

“Hobbits”, hmm…. next thing you know they’ll discover dragons.

36 HoosierHoops  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:38:41pm

re: #34 Political Atheist

Hi Hoops? How is the new year treating ya?
Hmm, which might be the better new avatar? Just put up a larger version of the one I have had for a couple years but what of these?

Image: LocalLizard.jpg

Image: Avatar_sunset.jpg

Wow the sunset is awesome..I’d use it. Life is good. I wish you and you’re lovely wife a great new year and many blessings.

37 Political Atheist  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:39:52pm

re: #36 HoosierHoops


Thanks. D_L says Hi and best to you too. The Liz was tempting but seems to not show great in the small size next to my nic.

38 efuseakay  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:44:42pm

re: #33 HappyWarrior

Really is nice to see how they value their employees.

The thing is, you have to pretty much be of like-mind to work for them. Yes. I know there are exceptions, but for the most part, you have to be in lock-step with the way the owners think.

39 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:45:41pm
40 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:46:34pm

re: #39 darthstar

[Embedded content]

God she’s stupid. What does she think AR15’s are designed for?

41 efuseakay  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:47:07pm

In all my years of owning guns, I never felt the need to own an AR-15. If I need 30 shots to hit my target, I have no business owning a gun in the first place.

42 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:49:22pm

One more from John Hawks, as he takes on the overly simplistic thinking of the popular press:


Our future shrinking population

Jeff Wise in Slate has an essay about “World population may actually start declining, not exploding”.

A somewhat more arcane milestone, meanwhile, generated no media coverage at all: It took humankind 13 years to add its 7 billionth. That’s longer than the 12 years it took to add the 6 billionth—the first time in human history that interval had grown. (The 2 billionth, 3 billionth, 4 billionth, and 5 billionth took 123, 33, 14, and 13 years, respectively.) In other words, the rate of global population growth has slowed. And it’s expected to keep slowing. Indeed, according to experts’ best estimates, the total population of Earth will stop growing within the lifespan of people alive today.

[…]

That might sound like an outrageous claim, but it comes down to simple math. According to a 2008 IIASA report, if the world stabilizes at a total fertility rate of 1.5—where Europe is today—then by 2200 the global population will fall to half of what it is today. By 2300, it’ll barely scratch 1 billion. (The authors of the report tell me that in the years since the initial publication, some details have changed—Europe’s population is falling faster than was previously anticipated, while Africa’s birthrate is declining more slowly—but the overall outlook is the same.) Extend the trend line, and within a few dozen generations you’re talking about a global population small enough to fit in a nursing home.

Notice how so many people who comment on the global population assume that human growth is a homogeneous process? That is, they understand that nations presently have different rates of growth, but conceive of them as being at different places in a process of Westernization. They treat the nations themselves as homogeneous entities.

That’s not the right way to think about the future. […]

Wise is trying to extrapolate current trends, homogenize them across different cultures, to get to his idea that human population will significantly decrease in the future. But as prof. Hawks points out, that’s not the way populations work.

Wise is also wrong with his claim that “the first time in human history that interval had grown” regarding adding a fix quantity of humans (in this case he used 1 billion). Population reductions have happened in the past, leading to great uncertainty in estimating population over differing periods. It’s best just to say that what is happening now, rather than guess at what happened in the past.

43 Killgore Trout  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:50:12pm

Center for American Progress delivers their gun control wish list to the White house
Sweeping new gun laws proposed by influential liberal think tank

CAP’s proposals — which include requiring universal background checks, banning military-grade assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips and modernizing data systems to track gun sales and enforce existing laws — are all but certain to face stiff opposition from the National Rifle Association and its many allies in Congress.

One of CAP’s suggestions to toughen federal regulation of gun sales is to make the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is currently an agency within the Department of Justice, a unit of the FBI. CAP says absorbing the ATF into the FBI would better empower the ATF to combat gun crime and illegal trafficking.

CAP’s top recommendation is to require criminal background checks for all gun sales, closing loopholes that currently enables an estimated 40 percent of sales to occur without any questions asked. The organization also wants to add convicted stalkers and suspected terrorists to the list of those barred from purchasing firearms.

44 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:50:21pm

Looks like Denver will win.

45 Vicious Babushka  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:50:27pm

re: #40 HappyWarrior

God she’s stupid. What does she think AR15’s are designed for?

The gun nuts have now grabbed on to a report that Lanza left the AR-15 in his car while he used the Bushmaster, therefore AR-15’s are “harmless.” Face-palming FAIL.

46 Lidane  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:50:33pm

re: #39 darthstar

My brain just protested at the derp in her tweet.

What the fuck does she think an AR-15 is for? Shooting at beer cans?

47 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:51:46pm

re: #43 Killgore Trout

And WaPo tries to maximize the heat they generate by wording the title as they did.

48 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:53:06pm

You’re an idiot if you think guns aren’t dangerous. They’re meant to be dangerous because they’re you know guns.

49 Political Atheist  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:53:19pm

re: #41 efuseakay

In all my years of owning guns, I never felt the need to own an AR-15. If I need 30 shots to hit my target, I have no business owning a gun in the first place.

I’ll admit one temptation, and that was to get one for a really demanding target shooting sport. It’s called 3 gun practical. One other sport is military service rifle competition. Some of those guys use the AR, some the old M1.
But these sports are enjoyed by a small % of gun owners. Most never compete. Maybe 100,000 people do target speed shooting.

50 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:55:49pm
51 Killgore Trout  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:55:58pm

re: #47 freetoken

And WaPo tries to maximize the heat they generate by wording the title as they did.

I’m not a fan of CAP but I really don’t see much “sweeping” about the proposals. I’m not sure they’ll be effective, I seriously doubt they’ll pass, but there’s not much there for me to object to.

52 Targetpractice  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:57:44pm

re: #43 Killgore Trout

Center for American Progress delivers their gun control wish list to the White house
Sweeping new gun laws proposed by influential liberal think tank

Besides the bans, the rest should be pretty common sense. If one supports background checks for dealer sales, why not private sales? And what is the argument against modernizing the background checks system besides the NRA’s delusion that anything gun control related is leading to imaginary Hitler?

53 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:57:45pm

Comment right now at the top of the list on that WaPo article:

lutonmoore
4:50 PM PST
“We voted to limit the further harm of brain dead Republican economic policies.”

You poor thing. You’re probably all for a trillion-dollar coin to be minted by the Treasury, right? Y’all have a good evening. I want to read about the Title IX housing voucher riots in Detroit today…

Oh, and on that platinum coin thing:

Treasury: Trillion-dollar coin would not be legal

My take on the WaPo these days is that they’ve figured out that they deserve a share of the money the idiot Fox fans have too. The headline writers at WaPo, and the editorial board, is getting far to vested in the ball game of “librul” vs conservative.

54 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 4:59:45pm

re: #51 Killgore Trout

Well, I’m quite suspicious of the headline writer and the author. Those are hardly “sweeping” proposals, and whatever CAP is, it does not speak for the rather diverse group of Obama “supporters”, or “base”.

55 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:00:21pm

Touchdown Ravens.

56 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:00:50pm

Holy shit. What a game.

57 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:01:49pm

re: #56 HappyWarrior

Holy shit. What a game.

What a pass.

58 austin_blue  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:02:03pm

Oh. My. Gaw.

59 PhillyPretzel  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:02:11pm

I just posted a page on Aaron Swartz. [Link: littlegreenfootballs.com…]

60 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:02:48pm

re: #57 darthstar

What a pass.

Yeah I’ll tip my hat to Flacco today.

61 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:04:39pm

Lubehands takes a knee with 31 seconds and two time outs to burn. WTF?

62 HoosierHoops  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:04:54pm

re: #60 HappyWarrior

Yeah I’ll tip my hat to Flacco today.

This game is killing me…

63 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:05:29pm

re: #62 HoosierHoops

This game is killing me…

I know. I hate the Ravens, division rival and all.

64 blueraven  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:06:39pm

re: #43 Killgore Trout

Center for American Progress delivers their gun control wish list to the White house
Sweeping new gun laws proposed by influential liberal think tank

All seem reasonable to me.

65 Targetpractice  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:10:00pm

re: #53 freetoken

Comment right now at the top of the list on that WaPo article:

Oh, and on that platinum coin thing:

Treasury: Trillion-dollar coin would not be legal

My take on the WaPo these days is that they’ve figured out that they deserve a share of the money the idiot Fox fans have too. The headline writers at WaPo, and the editorial board, is getting far to vested in the ball game of “librul” vs conservative.

Josh Marshall pretty nicely wrapped up the whole platinum coin thing, namely that it would not only make Obama look bad by giving the GOP “proof” that he’s trying to bypass them in order to continue spending, but it would also too easily allow the GOP off the hook of a potential default. It makes declarations not to negotiate on the debt limit useless if you’ve got an “out” to utilize in the event that the other side calls your bluff.

66 Political Atheist  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:10:32pm

re: #54 freetoken
The gun owning community will regard national regs as “sweeping” as in all 50 states. And *sigh* the headlines are going to stay lurid on this topic no matter who or what is up.

67 CuriousLurker  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:16:52pm

re: #15 wrenchwench

I’m afraid I know the kid who died in this report:

A friend of mine came in a few hours ago and told me a local man’s son died in an accident with a gun, and he couldn’t remember where it happened, but it was wherever the mom moved to after their divorce several years ago. I sold them a bike for this, their oldest, and a couple of their subsequent kids. I saw the kid play drums with his dad’s band several times (just for one song) starting when he was six.

I can’t imagine how devastating this is for everyone, especially the other 12 year old.

So sorry to hear about this. {{wrenchwench}}

68 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:17:20pm

Non-creationist Christian writer John McGrath notes:

The Sinister Tentacles of Young-Earth Creationism

[…]

But when it comes to wrapping someone in tentacles that keep them from seeing and hearing the truth when they encounter it, that is precisely what Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis do!

Any educator will tell you just how resistant students in classes can be if they have been indoctrinated with the falsehoods that Ham and others like him peddle about the Bible and the natural world.

[…]

And on that note:

Families try out ‘virtual’ public schools

Worried about exposure to foul language, immodest dress, peer pressure and other inappropriate behavior, Susan Brown didn’t want her two daughters attending public schools — even though she’s a substitute teacher in a public school in Minnesota.

Brown initially home-schooled her daughters until a friend told her about the Minnesota Virtual Academy, an online public school that is fully accredited. She liked the curriculum and preferred how the school provided supplies.
“You can’t give your kids an effective moral and religious upbringing if you only see them a couple of hours a day,” said Brown, a Catholic whose daughters, in the 10th and 12th grade, started virtual school in the second and fourth grade.

Since Florida became the first state to try virtual public schools in 1996, they have grown dramatically, some of it due to religious families. Like home-schooling parents, parents of virtual public school students like having their children home so they can integrate religion and values into the school day.

In the 2011-2012 school year, 275,000 students were enrolled in online K-12 programs, up from 50,000 a decade ago, according to “Keeping Pace with Online and Blended Learning: A Guide to Policy and Practice 2012,” a report from the Colorado-based Evergreen Education Group.

[…]


These schools generally cater to students who have had problems succeeding in traditional school environments, but also attract students who need extra flexibility to devote several hours a day to athletics, music, art or other pursuits.
That flexibility also attracts families of faith who want their children to be able to attend daytime prayer services or be involved with other religious activities.


[…]


The largest virtual school operator is K12 in Herndon, Va., followed by Baltimore-based Connections Education, which was recently acquired by Pearson, the British textbook publisher. The rest of the industry consists of smaller operators and some nonprofit virtual schools.

While virtual school providers develop secular curriculums, religious parents can interject religious views into courses.

When her daughters’ history course came to the Protestant Reformation, Brown said she gave the lesson a “Catholic slant.”

“I wasn’t bashing Martin Luther, but just saying, this is how we do it, and this is how they do it, and why,” Brown said.

On chapters involving evolution, some religion parents stress that evolution is a theory, and also raise creationism.

[…]

Is this the future of “public” education? An online service paid for by tax dollars, that parents then use, but add to or take away from as they see fit to teach their religion?

69 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:19:49pm

I can imagine how some parents will teach American History….

“Now there came a time when Satan tried to destroy America, and he sent his atheist Muslim servant B. Obama to crush us… “

70 Targetpractice  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:23:23pm

re: #69 freetoken

I can imagine how some parents will teach American History….

They’ll speak his name in the same hushed, dark tones they do of Clinton and Carter. And Bush Sr on those days when they get reminded of how they lost ‘92.

71 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:24:12pm

re: #70 Targetpractice

They’ll speak his name in the same hushed, dark tones they do of Clinton and Carter. And Bush Sr on those days when they get reminded of how they lost ‘92.

As they do with Valde… Vald… Val… aw, you know who.

72 Dancing along the light of day  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:35:48pm

re: #15 wrenchwench

((Wench))

73 freetoken  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:39:18pm

Here’s a headline the oil-addicted wingnuts aren’t trumpeting:

Bakken Oil Output Fell in November for First Time in 18 Months

Oil output from North Dakota’s portion of the Bakken shale formation slipped in November for the first time in 20 months after producers began pulling rigs out of the state.

[…]

What the magickal-thinking wingnuts refuse to accept: economics.

Petroleum production in ND only happens because oil product prices are high enough to entice drillers to do the expensive type of drilling needed in the Bakken formation.

When you don’t want to pay high prices, the drillers stop drilling. And the production from wells in ND decrease rapidly after they’re open.

74 Targetpractice  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:41:35pm

re: #73 freetoken

Here’s a headline the oil-addicted wingnuts aren’t trumpeting:

Bakken Oil Output Fell in November for First Time in 18 Months

What the magickal-thinking wingnuts refuse to accept: economics.

Petroleum production in ND only happens because oil product prices are high enough to entice drillers to do the expensive type of drilling needed in the Bakken formation.

When you don’t want to pay high prices, the drillers stop drilling. And the production from wells in ND decrease rapidly after they’re open.

What always amuses me is the ones who swear up and down that oil shale is what we should be heavily investing in, because the oil companies have conned them into believing they can have $60/bbl oil flowing in under a decade. This, of course, is the same sort of con game they’ve been playing since the 80s.

75 Interesting Times  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:44:29pm

re: #73 freetoken

Glad you brought this up, because I wondered what your thoughts would be on this:

US oil production ‘to jump by a quarter by 2014’

US oil production will jump by a quarter by 2014 to its highest level in 26 years, figures suggest.

“Total oil production is about to rise,” Fatih Birol, chief economist at the IEA, told the BBC.

“We estimate total oil production to reach about 100 million barrels a day, about 20 million higher than today.

“This growth comes from unconventional [shale] oil.”

The discovery of shale oil means global oil production will not peak in the next 20 years, Mr Birol added.

Of course I get the feeling a whole pile of stuff was left out, but I can’t fisk these kinds of things like you can.

76 darthstar  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:48:04pm

Lubehands lost

77 CuriousLurker  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:52:37pm

Great new features, Charles. I especially like the ability to preview an excerpt of a Page without having to click through—that’s a real time saver when trying to decide what to read first. Thanks for all your hard work.

78 Interesting Times  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:55:19pm

re: #77 CuriousLurker

Great new features, Charles. I especially like the ability to preview an excerpt of a Page without having to click through

…also a good way to see what a page is about without giving views to potential trollers ;)

79 HappyWarrior  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:55:20pm

re: #76 darthstar

Lubehands lost

Looks like another AFC championship game where I have to root for an earthquake heh. What a chokejob though by the Broncos.

80 CuriousLurker  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 5:59:35pm

re: #78 Interesting Times

…also a good way to see what a page is about without giving views to potential trollers ;)

Excellent point. I hadn’t even thought of that.

81 Gus  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:00:07pm

Hey. Need some help. Try loading Liveleak please.

[Link: www.liveleak.com…]

Ever since yesterday it’s been taking me a long time for the page to load.

Thanks.

82 sattv4u2  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:13:14pm

re: #81 Gus

Hey. Need some help. Try loading Liveleak please.

[Link: www.liveleak.com…]

Ever since yesterday it’s been taking me a long time for the page to load.

Thanks.

Not that it helps you,, but it loaded within two seconds after clicking your link

Sowwyyy

83 Gus  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:19:00pm

re: #82 sattv4u2

Not that it helps you,, but it loaded within two seconds after clicking your link

Sowwyyy

Thanks. Tried it on MSIE and it loads. Just re-installed Firefox and it’s still not working so it’s probably something to do with Firefox 18.

84 sattv4u2  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:19:48pm

re: #83 Gus

Thanks. Tried it on MSIE and it loads. Just re-installed Firefox and it’s still not working so it’s probably something to do with Firefox 18.

I’m using Firefox (no idea what #)

85 Gus  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:20:30pm

re: #84 sattv4u2

I’m using Firefox (no idea what #)

Help. About Firefox.

Of course that might update your Firefox.

86 sattv4u2  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:21:58pm

re: #85 Gus

Help. About Firefox.

Of course that might update your Firefox.

Thanks

17.0.1

It does give me the option to update

I’m thinking ,, NOT

87 Dark_Falcon  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:23:00pm

re: #76 darthstar

Lubehands lost

Is there something in your mind that compels you to say jerkish things like that?

88 Gus  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:23:55pm

re: #86 sattv4u2

Thanks

17.0.1

It does give me the option to update

I’m thinking ,, NOT

I’m guessing it was the 18.0 update which happened right before I noticed this.

89 Gus  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:24:52pm

biab

90 Dark_Falcon  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:26:21pm

re: #88 Gus

I’m guessing it was the 18.0 update which happened right before I noticed this.

I’m on 18.0 right now as well.

91 Gus  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:29:23pm

re: #90 Dark_Falcon

I’m on 18.0 right now as well.

You try connecting to Liveleak?

I just tried MSIE again and it was slow. Might be my freaking ISP or something.

92 sattv4u2  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:31:37pm

re: #87 Dark_Falcon

Is there something in your mind that compels you to say jerkish things like that?

Shock value
If nobody is shocked, (or shows shock) there’s no value

93 b_sharp  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:33:54pm

re: #91 Gus

You try connecting to Liveleak?

I just tried MSIE again and it was slow. Might be my freaking ISP or something.

Freaking ISPs can be a freakin’ pain.
I drove 150 Kms out today to install a server, then fought for 3 hours trying to get the system configured just to find out their ISP was screwing with a new subnet and DNS setup.

94 sattv4u2  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:37:11pm

re: #93 b_sharp

Freaking ISPs can be a freakin’ pain.
I drove 150 Kms out today to install a server, then fought for 3 hours trying to get the system configured just to find out their ISP was screwing with a new subnet and DNS setup.

{DOH}

You could have had a V8!!!
/

95 Gus  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 6:38:45pm

re: #93 b_sharp

Freaking ISPs can be a freakin’ pain.
I drove 150 Kms out today to install a server, then fought for 3 hours trying to get the system configured just to find out their ISP was screwing with a new subnet and DNS setup.

Started yesterday. After 5 minutes I gave up. Decided to wait until today. Same thing. Loading now and will see what happens with a video playing. Ran Spybot, Malwarebytes and Kaspersky. Nada.

96 KiTA  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 7:16:56pm

Any chance for RSS support? I’d like to get LGF’s main page, maybe the Featured Pages section, in Google Currents, but without at least RSS support, that’s not happening.

Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, and Talking Points Memo all have Currents pages, so I’m presuming it’s RSS or somesuch, but… Maybe it’s some other syndication method?

A demonstration of Google Currents is here:

(Can you tell I just bought my first tablet? ;) )

97 KiTA  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 8:08:08pm

re: #81 Gus

Hey. Need some help. Try loading Liveleak please.

[Link: www.liveleak.com…]

Ever since yesterday it’s been taking me a long time for the page to load.

Thanks.

Mine is stuck on “Waiting for edge.liveleak.com.” Google Chrome here.

98 wrenchwench  Sat, Jan 12, 2013 9:05:02pm

re: #15 wrenchwench

I’m afraid I know the kid who died in this report:

A friend of mine came in a few hours ago and told me a local man’s son died in an accident with a gun, and he couldn’t remember where it happened, but it was wherever the mom moved to after their divorce several years ago. I sold them a bike for this, their oldest, and a couple of their subsequent kids. I saw the kid play drums with his dad’s band several times (just for one song) starting when he was six.

I can’t imagine how devastating this is for everyone, especially the other 12 year old.

They released the names in that case: that’s not the one with the local connection. Don’t go googling for shootings of kids. Too depressing. They’re all over.

99 efuseakay  Sun, Jan 13, 2013 12:55:33am

re: #49 Political Atheist

I’ll admit one temptation, and that was to get one for a really demanding target shooting sport. It’s called 3 gun practical. One other sport is military service rifle competition. Some of those guys use the AR, some the old M1.
But these sports are enjoyed by a small % of gun owners. Most never compete. Maybe 100,000 people do target speed shooting.

Or the Knob Creek night shoot… YouTube that. Looks like so much fun. But lets be honest here. 99% of ARs will never be used there.


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