…check out the Todd Gross Support Group email list. Hilarious entertainment. Must read stuff. Or so I hear from reliable sources.

I love the “Advanced classes see dip in diversity” in the Boston Globe on December 19 (at least that’s the headline in the web edition).

The gist of the story is that the share of black students in the Advanced Placement Programs in the Boston Public Schools has decreased dramatically since the school district ended is racial quota program in 1997. Back then, 48% of AP students were Black, 20% Asian, 18% white, and 14% Hispanic. This year, the numbers are 29% Asian, 26% white, 25% black, and 19% Hispanic.

Let’s put it in a table:

How that is a “dip in diversity” I have no idea. What it is, is a dramatic reduction of the share of black students, while all other races are significantly better represented than they were 10 years ago.

This suggets that the Globe’s definition of diversity is “black” or “not white.” That’s a bizarre, if unsurprising, definition.

But the Globe’s beef isn’t really about diversity, but this:

”It’s not a true picture of what the city is,” said [Hennigan Elementary School Physics teacher Maureen] Costa, who presides over a majority white and Asian fourth-grade accelerated class in a school that is 85 percent black and Hispanic.

The “true picture” of Boston is that its school system is about three-quarters black and Latino (the city’s overall population is about 40% black and Latino).

What brings about the demographic imbalance between school enrollment and AP enrollment is that the AP students are selected based on standardized-test score.

However, there just isn’t much Boston can do about the many Asian and white students in AP programs. Courts have ruled racial quotas unconstitutional, and black and Hispanic test-scores aren’t likely to perk up anytime soon. The upside with the demographic imbalance in AP programs is, presumably, that is makes Boston’s heavily non-white schools more attractive to whites than it otherwise would be.

One ratio that the article didn’t mention is the distribution of AP students by sex. I’m guessing that there’s a significant surplus of girls in the AP programs.

Check out this story in the L.A. Times about how civilians try to show individual soldiers support through spontaneous gestures, big and small:

Many Americans have conflicted feelings about the Iraq war, but not about the warriors. The gestures of gratitude and generosity that occur with regularity at Peggy Sue’s — across Interstate 15 from Ft. Irwin, a military desert training site — have become commonplace across the United States.

A spontaneous standing ovation for a group of soldiers at Los Angeles International Airport. Three $20 bills passed to a serviceman and his family in a grocery store in Georgia. A first-class seat given up to a servicewoman on a plane out of Chicago.

These bursts of goodwill have little to do with the holiday season or with political sentiments about the war. In contrast to the hostile stares that greeted many Vietnam veterans 40 years ago, today’s soldiers are being treated as heroes throughout the year, in red states and blue, by peace activists and gung-ho supporters of the Iraq mission. The gestures are often spontaneous, affiliated with no association or cause, and credit is seldom claimed.

You probably have to be close to totally freaking ignorant of the world around you to be in favor of unlimited immigration, so I’m not at all surprised that one of the ranking members of what I call Sweden’s Lunatic Right would write something as blitheringly stupid as this:

There are people who criticise the consumerism of Christmas celebrations nowadays. Personally, I think that apart from having a relaxing time with your family, that is the best part of it. It implies that Christmas today really is a celebration of human achievement, development and free choice. For most people, the parts of Christianity in it have become mere decorations. So in everything but the name, it is Capitalmas and not Christmas. And I hope you have a very happy few days just the way you want them to be!

Yes, for most Swedes the whole J-baby thing is an afterthought, but, how can I best put this, MOST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AREN’T LIKE SWEDES.

This, that is.

If the lips of an Islamic Studies professor are moving, you’re probably hearing lies. The DHS hasn’t watch-listed Mao Tse-Tung’s “Little Red Book” and DHS agents didn’t pay his student a visit. It’s all just another lie delivered to you from the Marxist-multiculturalist nuthouse that is American academia.

The best thing about the incident is that it revealed that Senator Ted Kennedy’s handlers can’t tell Mao from Marx (Teddy’s 20-something handler: “Mao, doesn’t he mean Yao?”).

(Yeah, it’s a disingenuous headline since I already had zero trust in the above-mentioned Marxist-multiculturalist nuthouse)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Who Would Johnny Desert?

Boston Red Sox, that’s who.

I accept that player-fans relations are more cool-headed here than on the other side of the Atlantic. Here, Johnny won’t have to deal with slashed tires every time he enters New England. He won’t need a 20 strong security detail when he plays in Boston. Waiters won’t spill soup on him in restaurants.

And that’s good. I think.

But will he feel the wrath at all? When he comes to Fenway Park next year in those hideous pinstripes that Satan likes so much, will he constantly be booed? Will he have the most vile and obscene vulgarities yelled at him for entire games? Will the Red Sox play clips of Judas from every movie ever made about Jesus on the video screen when the Yankees are in town?

Or will the Red Sox Nation just pussy out and greet him with standing ovations, as a recognition of what he did for the franchise in 2004 or some total nonsense like that?

Thomas Oliphant is so boring that I almost never read his pieces, but this time the headline prompted me to click away for a closer look. “An insidious culture of surveillance” made me think Boston’s surveillance cameras, which I detest. Strongly.

However, Oliphant’s piece wasn’t about cameras in Boston but rather President George W. Bush’s general awfulness (how could I not have seen that coming?). I can’t recall Oliphant protesting the BPD monitoring Hubizens 24/7, although perhaps he did and I missed it, but considering how rabidly he opposes the federal government eavesdropping on potential Muslim terrorists, one might expect him to be even more up in arms over Kathy’s Neversleeping Eyes, yet I doubt he gives a crap. Bashing the Prez is ALL that matters Oliphant.

Shades of 2001? You betcha! The New England Patriots may finally have kicked in that high-gear that coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick equip their championship teams with. While destroying the pathetic Buffalo Bills 35-7 wasn’t that big of a deal - although it was a promising sign - destroying play-off contenders Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-0 is big deal-ish. The Bucs offense was helpless against New England’s defense, and Tampa’s defense could only handle the Tom Brady Show for so long.

I’m not saying the Patriots are heading towards a three-peat, but at least they’ve stopped sleepwalking their way through a tough schedule and an easy division.

What I liked the most about yesterday was that Vince Wilfork really did stuff the run and Rosevelt Colvin really did pressure the quarterback. Tedy Bruschi laid waste to everything in his path. Guys doing what they are supposed to do. That’s what makes championship teams.