Thinking about my sweetheart today, and hoping the week's end is better than her week has been.

You are sire to 77 other vampires, including: LdySaphyre (7036 pints), Liliana (2641 pints), MissV (2610 pints), gilbella (1284 pints), mixedresults (1246 pints), Morgoth (600 pints), Nathanael (370 pints), night_flyer (358 pints), wchmum (306 pints), phenrill (222 pints). Ah, the squad gets bigger and bigger every day. Join us, Won't you?

Zenkey.org - Interesting animal stories. The site was inspired by an accidental cross between a donkey and a zebra.

Hmm... They've got Button Men Online now. Not bad, but I prefer the Cheapass games version. (They're the same guys that make Bitin' Off Hedz(better played with rubber dinosaurs), and Brawl.

Random Scotto Factoid - I like the word cully as a mildly derogatory term. (Like, "ya bastard") -The Dictionary explains 'cully' as being a contracted form of 'cullion', A contemptible fellow; a rascal or "a despicable creature" (from the Italian: coglione). I've also heard that "coglione" is actually a popular term for testicle, which is often used to signify a stupid and gullible person. 'cully' may also have been a gypsy word.

Poltroon is cool, too. Hmm... I didn't know poltroonery was a real word!

Speaking of cullys, Reports show Jeb Bush as education governor he isn't.

The embarrassment for Florida's education system just keeps on coming like the wind-driven waves from Hurricane Isabel.

Earlier this month, The Chronicle of Higher Education, a well-respected publication in academia, had this to say:

"When it comes to governance of its 11 public universities, Florida resembled a banana republic by the end of the 2002-2003 academic year."

A banana republic. Swell.

This week there were two more blows.

The Manhattan Institute, a New York-based think tank, released a study saying Florida ranked 50th in the nation when it comes to graduating students after four years in high school.

That's right. Dead last.

And the state released figures showing that 35,000 students who had expected to enroll in community colleges this fall couldn't because there was not enough money available to pay for the classes they needed.

All of this comes during the fifth year of Gov. Jeb Bush's administration.

You know, Jeb Bush, the education governor, the one who was going to fix the state's schools, the one who handed out billions of dollars in tax breaks while school budgets were stretched to the breaking point.

We're reaping the results of his efforts.

The Manhattan Institute study found that only 56 percent of Florida high school students graduated in 2001.

The numbers were even worse for minority students, with only 47 percent of blacks graduating and only 48 percent of Hispanics.

State officials immediately challenged the study's conclusions, saying it didn't take into account students who earned GEDs.

However, the same standards were used for all of the states so that shouldn't have made a difference.

Besides, even counting GEDs, state officials said the graduation rate was 67.9 percent.

Whoopee.

The problems facing community colleges were exacerbated last May when the Legislature, with the blessing of Bush, sliced $11 million from their budgets.

Because of the resulting budget crunch, not only were 35,000 students turned away this fall, but class sizes had to be increased in many instances.

With the weak economy shedding jobs right and left, many of the students who were left out in the cold were people trying to improve their skills to find new work.

The picture doesn't get any better in Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce released a report this week that found some improvements in student performance, but also found that only 34 percent of last year's graduating seniors were proficient in reading, 54 percent were proficient in writing and 58 percent were proficient in math.

Thank goodness we have an education governor in office.

current mood: Ready For Halloween
current music: Super Karate Monkey Death Car

man, the Alzheimer’s folks are out in force today. 3 calls in the last hour for Miami. I'll be *really* glad when I can train other folks in this part of the gig.

Also, Noticable changes - I cinch my belt 2 loops smaller than when I started watching my meals.

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Water: 0 Veg/Fruit: 0 Milk: 0
Points: 34.8 Adj: 0 Act: 0.0 Rem: -0.8
Bank: 24.4 Adj: 0
Bank Max: 35 Point: 0 Act: 0
Bank Method: Start on Monday
Vitamins: Yes

Breakfast: 11.2 points
2.1: Cereals; TOTAL Corn Flakes 1.3 cup
2.1: Cereals; TOTAL Corn Flakes 1.3 cup
3.5: Goldfish
3.5: Goldfish

Lunch: 4.1 points
0.3: Egg; whole; hard-boiled
0.3: Egg; whole; hard-boiled
0.3: Egg; whole; hard-boiled
3.2: Cranberry-apple juice drink; bottled
0.0: Earl Grey Tea

Dinner: 9.9 points
0.0: Mandarin Orange Spice Tea
1.4: Peas sweet; 1 can; solids & liquids
1.1: Boca burger
1.1: Boca burger
1.1: Boca burger
1.1: Boca burger
0.5: Ketchup
0.1: Mustard; prepared; yellow
3.5: Goldfish

Snack: 9.6 points
0.6: Fruit juice bar; grape
1.0: Dove dark chocolate promise
1.0: Dove dark chocolate promise
3.5: Goldfish
3.5: Goldfish

So, the Autumn Equinox is coming (Sept 23, I think)...Marking the end of summer, and the start of a wonderful season. Shorter Days and longer nights. I wonder how many people have something special planned? There are a lot of special birthdays and anniversaries coming up the end of this month. All the Libra birthdays are rolling in. I can't believe Newt's going to be 4, and my brother is going to be 31. I've known both of them since they were infants. Newt still seems to be a kitten to me, and my brother, well... he still strikes me as a 13 year old, not the numbers the other way 'round.


Vampire Game Hints - (Via the Poltroon Pub on Quail & 85th. Poltroon! Synchronicity!)

The barman says, "Pssst. Travelers Guild 2 is right next to Woe and 30th today. I don't know how much longer it will be there, though."

The barman says, "Pssst. Thieves Guild 1 is right next to Aardvark and 3rd today. I don't know how much longer it will be there, though."

Current Stats - You are sire to 78 other vampires, including: LdySaphyre (7036 pints), Liliana (2632 pints), MissV (2608 pints), gilbella (1283 pints), mixedresults (1246 pints), Morgoth (601 pints), Nathanael (392 pints), night_flyer (358 pints), wchmum (309 pints), Morgane La Fey (251 pints) Join us!

current mood: Still Ready For Halloween
current music: the molecules on the left side my brain vibrating a little bit.