If you try newspaper wrap and in brown bags: Don't forget that you have to unwrap, check, and rotate them. Any rot - discard entire tomato.

And what ever you do, don't forget where you put a bag- you'll never forget the outcome.

They have to be checked every few days.

cd: The base is no longer there. I'm not sure if the buildings are even being used. There are only a handful of stores downtown. One of the grocery stores closed a few years ago, too.

Rant:Rita
Rant:New Orleans under water again.

Rave: Big extended family gathering starting this pm through the weekend for matriarch's 80th bday. We are cooking tonight's meal. Cousin's son just called to remind folks he was a vegetarian. I am quickly whipping up a mac'n cheese. Another cousin(television journalist) got called to cover Rita. Fortunately, he's on "official vacation". It will mean the world to the birthday girl to have so many of us together for the big 80!

Rave:While I am working every day starting Monday until next Monday, it is in preparation for 2 weeks on the East Coast.

Good thoughts to all and may the folks in the path of Rita survive intact.

Thanks Kureiff...How sad.

Rave: Fodors

mm

Rave: Rita is a 3 ... and people appear to be ready. Thoughts and prayers with those in her path.

Rant or Rave, undecided: Apparently Peter K may have gone over to the dark side ... rumored that his hovering digit is poised to send some to oblivion. Smiling still!

Rave: Sept. 28 approaches. And QM2 provided an upgrade ... oceanview stateroom with full balcony!!! Let the fun begin. To all who aided, thank you!

Ciao to all and a great weekend.

mms...yes, i suppose... good luck to you.
kueriff...it's on my list!

Yeah, P_M!!!! :D I'm doing a happy dance for you too!!!

CAPH, was your daughter able to fly out yet???

Tiff, you are certainly entitled to rant, sweetie!

GoT: What did Katie Couric do?

Rave: People who extend kindness to those in need.

Raves: That Tiff already posted all my rants so that I don't have to. Thank you dear Tiff, I am in complete agreement.

Raves: That there are so many loving and helpful Fodorites. I respect so many of you.

Happy Birthday dear P_M. My wishes to you that this day will a special birthday and may this coming year bring you a job that you will love.

And best wishes SFPam regarding the 80th birthday party. May you all have a joyous time.

Rant: For OWJ and all our teachers throughout our country. You are underpaid and overworked. Please know how most of us so respect the contribution you make to our nation. Blessing to all of you.

Cyber hugs and good wishes to everyone. May you all be safe and have loved ones in your life.

cd: Thanks for you good wishes. I'm keeping very good thoughts for your son and grandson.

jorr, Go Travel - Martha who?

P_M, happy birthday!

We're praying here for everyone in Rita's path.

Rave: Fall in New Mexico - the leaves are starting to turn gold, the State Fair was great, and Dixon's Apples opens tomorrow!

Rant: Laryngitis from allergies.

Lee Ann

OWJ - you would not believe what I have seen in the last three years as a result of NCLB

Your problem? You teach KIDS!!!

Wrong approach (according to the feds). You aren't "highly qualified" because they care about "content". What a joke. Your experience teaching kids with special needs means nothing. You aren't a good teacher (in their opinion) because you aren't a content area endorsed teacher. We've never had enough special ed teachers - and now the government is ensuring we will lose the ones we do have.

This is political, but Reading First was designed to put $$$ in the pockets of long-time Bush friends, the McGraw family. As a supervisor said 3 years ago at a national conference, if this was any industry that folks cared about - other than education - there would be a congressional investigation in a heartbeat.

The Sect. of Educ. walked out of said conference and ordered all federal Dept. of Ed. staff to leave as well.

I do not know who the heck likes NCLB or Reading First - other than the guys in Oregon and Florida running the show for the country. And, by the way, making money in royalties in the process.

Okay, waaayyyy too much ranting. I'm so tired of "No Child Left Untested".

God bless everyone who has arrived safely home before Rita hits and that everyone find safe harbor.

Amen. Good one Starrsville, "No Child Left Untested" - I'm tired of it too. All you hear is "Authentic assessment" - yeah, right. There's nothing authentic about standardized tests. Man, don't get me started.

BIG RAVE: My husband and daughter have both arrived safely at their destinations!

BIG RANT: To further comment on the rants of Starrsville and STW...standardized testing. Do the powers that be not realize that all of our children will be clones if all teachers are forced to teach to tests? Who are these test writers that they have the power to decide what our children will learn? Standardized tests and dress codes ("Please make sure your north meets your south" is her favorite line) seem to be the major concerns of the principal at our local high school. I suspect that this narrow mindedness has a lot to do with why our daughter was drawn to a college that has no tests or grades. She feels strongly that she learns much more when she has to research and write on a topic than by memorizing facts and spewing them out on a test. I suspect she's right. Although I recognize that different kids have different learning styles. But I find it hard to believe that standardized tests help anyone to learn.

And, even in terms of rating a school, do they necessarily tell us that much? Our local school has a large number of students for whom English is not the first language. Our state law requires that they be tested in English after three years in the school system whether they're proficient or not. This tends to drag down the test scores. And, I think, gives a false view of the abilities of the teachers.

Thanks everyone for your prayers and good thoughts for our son and grandson in Houston. I really think they will be ok as I'm watching the news and the eye is 4hrs away but does not look like it will be that dangerous to Houston. As glad as I am about that, someone will have a direct hit......It's just awful
Of course I can't get thru via the phone...

CD--Meant to send you good wishes for your son and GS. Please keep us posted if you can.

To Everyone who has an opinion of NCLB---Thanks for your moral support. As you recognize, it's the biggest BS that I've seen since I graduated college in the late 80s. I've held certifications in 2 states, every review I've ever has been very positive and was nominated as teacher of the year at 2 different schools--yet in the eyes of the gov't not qualified to teach! What a load of cr@p. If I didn't care about my kids, it would be so soo easy to walk away. Now they tell us we can appeal to the state and show the classes & inservices I've taken in various concentrations, but one component of the appeal is showing students who've made progress over 3yrs. I don't keep my data year after year! At the close of every school year, I turn in what I have to and toss the rest. And how would I have data once a kid has left my class? Or what about the kids who have plateaued--that happens with some of the lower functioning students. Again, this law is ridiculous...

And don't get me started on testing...have had numerous kids with IQs in the borderline (and below) Mentally Impaired range or severely LD kids functioning significantly below grade level that I was told MUST test on grade level *and* in the same breath told we need to watch how many kids take the kids w/non standard accommodations (ie reading test aloud)...When test scores came in a consultant came to my class and had the gall to say every kid in my resource class failed the standardized tests....No, duh. Now there's a shocker!!!

Anyway, will shut up now--don't want to aggravate those who recognize my rant is not travel related...

Oh a travel related rave about my
postcard project--THANKS! My kids are connecting the mail they get w/real places in the world. Perhaps they'll get the geog. quest. on the CRCT test right :D

--Sincere thanks from a highly unqualified special ed. teacher in the State of GA


And Godspeed to everyone, especially those in Rita's path.

OWJ, for the government to tell you that you are no longer "highly qualified" after years on the job is a slap in the face. I am so sorry for what is going on. I too work in a highly political environment where decisions are made by people who know nothing about the consequences. It looks good on paper, so they do it without doing the proper research to determine if this is really a good idea. In my case the people affected are adult professionals, so we will deal with it. But in your situation children with special needs are being harmed and that is much worse. Please keep us posted.

On another note, it looks like Houston was spared the brunt of the storm, but I feel very badly for those who were affected. Sending thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area.

Hey P-M--
When did your family arrive?? How's the weather in Austin? Are you doing ok?

I too feel for those on the TX/LA border. Sometimes I wish I had a magic wand and could make everythign right in this world!

Thanks for the words of encouragement. The politicians may not hear me but you all do!
OWJ

They arrived around 10:30am yesterday, making it a 27 hour drive. Normally it's only a 3 hour drive. That drive must have been a living hell, but everyone is OK now.

Here in Austin we thought we would get heavy rain and flooding, but so far we haven't seen a drop. Right now it's a little cloudy so we might get some rain today, but they are no longer forecasting flooding or any type of a bad storm.

Son and GS are just fine this morning!! I am very relieved. They had rain and wind but even kept power except for a brief period of time. Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers.