Guess I struck a note … JB’s people deemed me an “unreasonable and bad faith troll.” @govpritzker.illinois.gov , I was a supporter through COVID. I think you can do good things. You dropped the ball with ISP and Broadview. Bad faith is telling the national media one thing while ISP cracks skulls.

Call it a week early. 2025 can now end, as this holiday message cannot be topped.

One more time … If this were an actual law enforcement action by actual law enforcement officers chasing actual suspected criminals … the 3rd grade tag tactic of “made it to base” does not put a legal end to it. Wonder what happens if you hand them a Monopoly “get out of jail free” card.

One of the most difficult things for teachers to do is to get students to be brave enough to acknowledge and accept mistakes as tools of learning. Besides that, @emilysue.bsky.social , now I have to make this joke this way: @ragerestrepeat.bsky.social , is it not Jumenji? 😉

We are roughly 14 weeks into our school year. I currently have 70 freshmen students in 3 sections (down from the initial 87). They have accumulated just over 1,000 absences from my class. 😳 What is happening in our world that education has become meaningless?

As soon as we can figure out how to convince them there is a way to market, sell, and profit from reduced class sizes, it will happen.

For all the people who think we can cut out teaching “outdated” skills because technology or “kids don’t use it”: THIS is why it matters. e.g., Cursive writing builds pathways in the brain, the ink on the paper is less important. ELA skills build critical thinking and problem solving abilities.

@govpritzker.illinois.gov … which talk show will you be on this weekend to tell the nation how you are protecting residents of Illinois and our rights? 100+ peaceful protestors arrested by ISP, CCSO, and BPD. ZERO violent ICE street gang agents arrested for assaults committed on Illinois streets.

21 more arrests of protestors and faith leaders at Broadview yesterday by ISP, CCSO, and BPD. 4 police officers reportedly injured due to THEIR OWN ACTIONS, not actions of protestors. ZERO arrests of men assaulting Illinois residents in Evanston. @govpritzker.illinois.gov #WhatAreWeDoing?

Timeline cleanse … Over my backyard tonight:

@govpritzker.illinois.gov this is what you are protecting. #WhatAreWeDoing?

Protection for me, not thee. Way to go, Dems. Way to go.

Little Greg’s Operation Midlife Crisis continues to inflict terror on Illinois residents. Is it too soon to chant “Lock him up” to Judge Ellis? @govpritzker.illinois.gov this is what you have ISP protecting while you give soundbites. Withdraw the IL State Police from Broadview. #WhatAreWeDoing?

“ … the anonymous [Federal] representative told a group of faith leaders and activists that ‘There is no more prayer in front of building or inside the building because this is the state and it’s not [of a] religious background.’” What is we brought in Nigerian Christians?

Thank you for this coverage, @readingthepictures.bsky.social Can I repost your photo of the Illinois State Police on here (with credit)? So many people do not know the full story of ISP’s complicity in this.

Moms rock. That’s all. Moms rock.

Week 2 … Thank you for the brief respite from the world, @deardean22.bsky.social !

Illinois continues to illustrate taxation without representation. IL-15’s Trump Republican House Rep Mary Miller is declining to attend Meet the Candidate events. Refuses to work. Refuses to bring money back to IL-15. Refuses to meet with constituents. #EmptyChair #NoShowGOP #AfraidToMeet

“Proposition MM aims to permanently fund the full program by further limiting tax deductions for filers earning over $300,000 a year. About 194,000 Coloradans in that high-income category would pay an average of $486 more in income taxes yearly, according to nonpartisan state fiscal analysts.”

Remembrance …

Typically used in the utility industry, the term blackout is “a complete loss of power.” It takes all of us. Make it happen. Let’s take it back.

@govpritzker.illinois.gov #WhatAreWeDoing?

“[B]y early October, state, county and local law enforcement officers took a larger role in policing the protests … made 68 arrests in connection with Broadview protests…” From Oct. 3 - 28. No arrests of agents committing violence on IL residents. @govpritzker.illinois.gov #WhatAreWeDoing?

Would you rather … help feed a local family in need OR help provide “donations” to the Trump slush fund?

Nothing like marble racing to cleanse the mental palette.

Amazing coverage …

Halloween, English teacher style. Love it.

So … even the Burger King is saying the government of the Wannabe King has no sense, er, cents.

It makes a teacher proud when they got to a protest planning meeting, and a former student is one of the leaders. Just sayin’.

From 1830 to 1850, 4,000 indigenous people died on the Trail of Tears due to the greed of the US government. 60,000 people were declared “not American”, forcefully rounded up, locked up, and displaced. The survivors were forced to new lands they were not born in and did not know. History repeats.

@govpritzker.illinois.gov #WhatAreWeDoing? Lawful execution of a warrant? What are we doing to protect Illinois residents from fascism?

@govpritzker.illinois.gov #WhatAreWeDoing? Batons. Face shields. A tactical line aimed at civilians. This is protection? You are telling the press one thing and then showing your people a different face. How many arrests of violent ICE thugs have been made? How many charges have been filed?

“… a separate lawsuit she has filed against three individuals who contested the books will continue.” The suits against the individuals will be interesting to follow. Per the ALA, 72% of demands to censor books in school/public libraries came from organized movements (not authentic individuals).

This is local law enforcement protecting residents. @govpritzker.illinois.gov #WhatAreWeDoing?

This is the way.

I grew up during the Traffic War on I-74 (just never ending road construction) around Central Illinois in the 80s and 90s. That trauma didn’t leave me with a phobia of orange and white barrels like these cowards have.

Turns out what we thought was a spree of ICEholes shooting Illinois residents in Chicago is actually just a movie production …

Remember, the DHS spokesperson told the Chicago Sun-Times … “patrolling agents felt threatened by approaching vehicles and that the gunfire had been “defensive”.” I say that couldn’t be farther from the truth, but you be the judge: #WhatAreWeDoing? @govpritzker.illinois.gov

Prescient … so prescient …

#WhatAreWeDoing? @govpritzker.illinois.gov [A] spokesperson for [DHS], told the Chicago Sun-Times … patrolling agents felt threatened by approaching vehicles and that the gunfire had been “defensive”. If busy city streets make them feel threatened, maybe they shouldn’t be armed.

Today, one of my freshmen students convinced the rest of the class that Right Twix have more caramel in them, so they are superior to Left Twix. Every time they frustrate me to the brink, they pull a win like this out of nowhere.

Purchasing a copy that will go in my classroom library after I read it … services.publishing.umich.edu/Books/T/Trou...

Today’s civics lesson: A private company stifling free speech on their platform is not illegal. Our government pressuring them to do so is a violation of the First Amendment. Want to boycott? Start with the advertisers on ABC/Disney platforms. Let them know why you are boycotting their products.

3 hours before progress report grades are due (9pm) a student e-mails me and informs me his Chromebook has been broken since the first week of school (4 weeks ago). He wants to make up all the assignments now. (He has a zero in the class. A literal zero.) You can’t make this stuff up.

Texas is becoming Thor to my Hawkeye …

I love the awkward placement of the photo with the text …

Just saw Jaws (again) on an IMAX screen, WOW! Movies were so much better back when they were actually made manually, not digitally created. I know today’s professionals are a different kind of artist, but sitting at a keyboard will never hold a candle to old school filmmaking and problem solving.

Somebody didn’t read the book … The Creature was not abused, he was abandoned. While ignorant to aspects of society, he was very (self) educated. Happy Birthday, Mary Shelley!

I love exposing students to one of the greatest songs of all time …

I had to check out for awhile, and this is the news I come back to? WTF?! I guess it makes for really cool fascist-forward photo ops ... Wanna' f*** with them back? Start aiming laser pointers into the fog.