L don't know about public schools since I was in a catholic school taught by nuns. In 1st grade we printed but from 2nd grade thru 8th we wrote in cursive. Above the blackboards were alphabet charts, one for each letter showing the correct way to write it both capital and small. Those of a certain age will remember them and the exercises we had to do I fondly remember the yellow letter sized pads we used to practice [cheap yellow pads with large pieces of wood imbedded in them which when you hit one would throw your pencil in a jagged line. We all had little reference books " The Palmer Method of Penmanship" Writing with ink with a pen that you had to dip into an inkwell---well that'a another strory!!!
My kids went to school in Pa [North Penn School District] in the late 50's and 60's and they had a gifted program which they were in. My grandchildren are in the same district and they are/were in the program but it but they changed the name to resources [I think] so as to be politically correct and not disparage the kids not in it.
Here is something to think about. Not sure what car you have or where the camera was in the car but about 25 years ago my trunk was opened and my new set of golf clubs were stolen. The car was parked on Market St in center city Phila. Actually, the trunk lid was up when I returned from dinner with a friend. The cop who took the report said ther were a rash of stolen items from Hondas in the center city area. They found out that at that time Honda only had 6 different key lock sets for their trunks. They thought someone had acquired all 6 and were going around opening any parked Honda's trunk. I went to a locksmith and had the lockset changed to a non Honda one. Since then I always check when purchasing a new car. Only oce did I have to have the lockset changed.
Germany did not loose the war at Stalingrad! They lost the war when Hitler declared war on the United States in Dec. 1941! If he hadn't, FDR would have had a hard time convincing the American Congress and the American public that we should go to war against Germany when we had a war to fight in the Pacific against a country that had made a sneak attack on us at Pearl Harbor.
Didn't one of the Greek philosophers [maybe Plato] once say that democracy is a great form of government until 51% find that they can live out of the pockets/efforts of the other 49% ?? Or words to that effect!
More money in the pockets of the poor and middle class= more spending= more is produced IN CHINA=more jobs with better pay IN CHINA. The only way to generate wealth for most of the population - both legal and illegal is to bring manufacturing jobs back to the USA from China and the rest of Asia!!! Very few gain wealth in an economy of hucksters and service providers.
I resent you calling a man of 75 years old! I'm 78 and don't consider myself old at all, only middle aged. 60 is the new 40!! My wife thinks the same way, she frequently asks me " when are you going to go up"? I'm usuallly with my grandkids when this happens. My reply---never,aging is required but growing up isn't.
When in Paris a few years ago, didn't see try to get Hermes[?] to open a closed store so she could do a little shopping and when refused called it racism?? I think she called the French racist.
Kodak tried to market a printer at a non loss price with the ink selling at a reasonable ,non inflated cost. This never worked and they stopped selling the printer.
I;ve always wondered why there is a Dept of Education!!! Since the Constitution does not deligate control of education to the Federal Government and doesn't prohibit it to the States, it must be in the sole control or by the constitution should be!!! So why a Department in the Federal Government??? What would happen if the states decided that,since the Federal Bureaucracy wants to control everything, let them!!! Get out of education,healh care, building permits and inspection,etc. Just exist for police, firefighting and other public safety functions. You could eliminate most state,county, city employees!!
PopPhoto and all US photo mags have become a volume of advertisers. Photo advice content has become an aside not the purpose of the publication!!! That's why when I go to Barnes and Noble the mags I by are all from England. A little expensive but I get useful info that In can actually use in my photography!!! There is at least one Canadian mag that I also buy.
I yhought the punch was going to be something like "thank tou Mr. President I feel much better now"!
If stories on the internet are to be believed, Homeland security placed orders in 2012 for 1.8 billion rounds of hollow point ammo!! If they have 100,000armed agents, that's about 18,000 rounds apiece!! Why so much? Is our esteemed leader thinking of establishing a national police force ,parallel to the military,that will do the things that the military cannot do by law! Will this be the president's own private army to use whenever decides to call a national emergency?? Is this a way to get around the posse comitas laws first passed in 1878 to prohibit the use of the military as a police force? Also, aren't hollow points[dumdums] prohibited in war by the Geneva Accords?
How would a seriously mentaly ill person get on the list???HEPA law and the medical profession prohibt the release of medical information. Which law would take precedence? I agree that we need judges that enforce existing law. The that weas voted down would not have stopped any of the recent mass murders wiyh possibly the one at Va.Tech. Not sure if the shooters mental condition has been released to any authority.Even if the school knew it could the have released it under current privacy law? It's not just one law, there's a whole series of laws that interface with this problem!
I once took a workshop with Joyce Tenneson and she told us that her fee for a sitting was $10,000.00 which included a 16x20 print. She required a $5000.00 deposit which was nonreturnable. You might not be able to charge that much but your time is valuable. Charge a setting fee and include one print. I charge $100.00 per hour wiyh a 2 1/2 hour minimum.