Very very busy here in DC - but it's much more enjoyable than teaching high school...lots of free conferences, receptions, dinners (the Saudi defense attache is hosting us tonight)...usually 7 hours of reading/work per day. I'll get up to those places on Cortelyou at the end of the semester, Kens! Hope all you PLUSAs are doing well.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at November 5, 2009 10:35 AM in response to Open Thread

Bloomberg and the Yankees: two examples of the fact that money will get you anything...

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at November 5, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Open Thread

haha snappy, you have to go through metal detectors and they scan your bags to get in!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at October 13, 2009 3:42 PM in response to Open Thread

Etson, CGar - things are going well here. No money but life is good! I'll have some Saudi Champagne (far preferable to Saudi Blue Mocktail) in honor of all you PLUSAs Thursday evening.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at October 13, 2009 3:24 PM in response to Open Thread

Sorry I'll have to miss the End of the World Party, but I have a prior obligation that evening: namely, an alcohol-free reception at the Saudi Embassy here in DC. I've been to one event there already - they have an amazing juice selection! The food is pretty good too.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at October 13, 2009 3:02 PM in response to Open Thread

CH, because the road to hell is (often) paved with good intentions. Actual results are more important. I'd rather have all the Prizes be like Lifetime Achievement awards, rather than endorsements of current politicians.

As for warmongers, if Kissinger can get it, anyone can! Yes, I know he got it for ending the Vietnam War, but his accomplishments were generally quite the opposite of what the prize is intended for.

Back to class!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at October 9, 2009 10:59 AM in response to Open Thread

Hey PLUSAs! I love Obama's foreign policies, but please...couldn't the Nobel Committee wait? Grades (and Nobel Prizes) should be given for results, not intentions.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at October 9, 2009 10:43 AM in response to Open Thread

Hey PLUSAs, second free moment of the afternoon. Things are good, just very busy, and no, Dave, I haven't made it to the beach (or much of anywhere other than classes, library, home, and IKEA, but that's what I signed up for).

I tried to comment under a different name and post a link but something came up saying the first comment has to be moderated. What's that about?

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at September 17, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Open Thread

Wassup PLUSAs?

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at September 17, 2009 2:43 PM in response to Open Thread

It's 10 pm. Do you know where your PLUSAs are?

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 9:59 PM in response to Open Thread

11217, you're drunk from alcohol or reading the OT makes you feel like you're drunk?

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 9:50 PM in response to Open Thread

Not so fast, Kensingtonian!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 9:50 PM in response to Open Thread

Haha Snappy, you want the crown for Lord High Last Commenter too, huh?

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 9:37 PM in response to Open Thread

Oops, didn't mean to say Benson would have a ridiculous comment...legion, maybe (not necessarily for the quality, simply for the repetition of non-original talking points).

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 9:22 PM in response to Open Thread

DH, we may need benson or legion to come in with some ridiculous comment to spur us to the magic 1111!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 8:11 PM in response to Open Thread

There was so much action today I don't even know where to begin to catch up.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 7:44 PM in response to Open Thread

Snappy, take a look at Mr. B's comment on the Mews thread.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 7:28 PM in response to Open Thread

"i live very close to a high school that doesn't appear to serve any neighborhood kids. all the kids come off the subway it seems and all are black. to date, have seen nothing but orderly and happy kids and there's certainly been no crime, or actually, anything bad that has occurred.

i believe that we should have more faith in NYC kids."

Yes, in W'burg there's nothing wrong. EVER. Wine lover, name one thing bad in your area and you'll actually have some credibility on here.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 7:09 PM in response to Sunset Park Finally Getting Its Own High School

Snappy, let's hope it's just the penalty box - remember he got it before and we all posted in his defense. Let's start the Save Rob! campaign tomorrow.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 7:02 PM in response to Open Thread

A close examination of the files reveals that the previous OT record is 657 from Friday, March 13, 2009.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 6:56 PM in response to Open Thread

...and it seems we're screeching to a halt.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 6:47 PM in response to Open Thread

Wow! I mean, I was in that room with jessi for awhile, but this # of posts is amazing!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 6:34 PM in response to Open Thread

44 posts in 18 minutes - 900, here we come!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 5:07 PM in response to Open Thread

"I really don't ghett" - excellent work, Arkady!

bxgrl, no worries about the farewell party, perhaps there will be a return party!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 5:06 PM in response to Open Thread

""I thought ghetto hated The What and didn't mind DIBS."

Wow....so did I. I actually thought ghettopunk...etc. was one of Dave's alternate logins. Clearly I was wrong on that one!"

Perhaps, ENY, but this whole kerfuffle between DIBS and ghetto could be a ruse designed to mislead us and throw us off the scent! (although a cat metaphor would be better)

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 5:03 PM in response to Open Thread

5:00 and still going strong. Is *900* in the cards? If you all want to be really loserish, stick around a few hours and we'll get quadruple digits!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 5:01 PM in response to Open Thread

"I just have this thing about not admitting I'm in pain or I'm frightened of something. Have no clue why."

Bxgrl, it's part of that old school non-whiny pre-self-esteem for-everyone-regardless-of-accomplishment way of thinking! So much better than people these days who need to be insulated (and insulate their kids) from everything. That said, I'm all in favor of novocaine.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 4:59 PM in response to Open Thread

ghetto, apparently you don't follow very closely here. When you get it right, I'll respond to you until then you, who used to be "male" in your profile and now is "female" are a confused mess that has never added anything here.

You were at least sometimes amusing in your third person self.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 27, 2009 4:49 PM

= 800

Congrats, DIBS!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 4:52 PM in response to Open Thread

Now watch this: in the next five minutes or so, there will be about 20 posts that are some variation of:

800!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 4:48 PM in response to Open Thread

Mr. B = Ghetto?

Hmmmm...

THL, I must admit I've had that thought myself. Ghetto only posts to make fun of other posters, so he/she must read it all day long. Of course, it could also be Mrs. B!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 4:47 PM in response to Open Thread

"most of our high schools are serving kids who are not prepared for high school work, and whose social skills are vastly underdeveloped. these schools are the ones you don't send your kids to, and if they are the schools you graduated from, the surrounding neighborhood has changed and so have the schools. think Lafayette HS - formerly a great school, now a violent mess. Or Sheepshead Bay or FDR. Or John Jay, on and on and on.

Sunset Park HS is good for families who formerly had to send their kids far away for school. Whether or not it will be a good school depends on the principal and teachers it employs, and more importantly, on the families who decide to send their kids there. "

After nine years of teaching at one of Brooklyn's best high schools (one which is now in decline), I couldn't have said it better than Brooklynguy.

Rob is correct in one thing: no matter what specialized track they're on, ALL students must take the Regents exam, and Regents-related classes take up about 80% of the school day if not more.

"If you treat ANY kids with respect - like providing a cheerful new building like the Sunset Park school - they usually respond by being respectful themselves."

Key word - USUALLY.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 4:40 PM in response to Sunset Park Finally Getting Its Own High School

432 posts by 1:30 = an all-time record of 768 by 5:00. 800 is in the cards!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 1:32 PM in response to Open Thread

Wow, people, you've had a few good days here! I'm still catching up with Tuesday's OT. Anyway, Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity to serve as Secretary of Education. My first and only act will be to abolish No Child Left Behind, teacher tenure, and then my entire department, but not before awarding myself a salary increase, a few jet aircraft, and a lifetime supply of Guinness and Jameson.

I think DH could procure some hot interns for you!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 27, 2009 1:27 PM in response to Open Thread

Vacuuming here and what's #1 on the debris list? PLUSA GLITTER!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 24, 2009 1:31 PM in response to Open Thread

Hey PLUSAs! Thanks to jb (obvs) and kens and cgar and etson for coming on Saturday. Unfortunately you missed my lurker friend who showed up in the first wave of the party - he asked about some of the, shall we say, well-known personalities on here! Ok, back to packing up...will be in touch soon.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 24, 2009 11:33 AM in response to Open Thread

Wasder, officially it's 9/1, but I go down there Tuesday to start orientation. My apartment's a mess now!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 6:33 PM in response to Open Thread

Wasder, have an excellent time!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 5:39 PM in response to Open Thread

Sorry you won't make it, Snappy - we'll raise our glasses to you!

Swiss chocolate is not overrated.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 5:38 PM in response to Open Thread

DIBS: Yes, I'll troll on by fairly often. I have a feeling the OT will make good reading to decompress during lunch or at the end of the day!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 4:48 PM in response to Open Thread

Bodhi, it's art.

Arkady: Nice, I walked down that street Wednesday. The area reminds me of some of non-brownstone Brooklyn with tree-lined streets and small houses.

IJ: Hope you can make it!

Benson: Enjoy your vacation!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 4:45 PM in response to Open Thread

Arkady - Glover Park, just north of Georgetown. The street I'll be living on is so quiet it makes Brooklyn Heights seem like Williamsburg! Luckily the amenities aren't that far off, but I'll be studying too much to enjoy them.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 4:36 PM in response to Open Thread

"Wait...it's lighter but pouring now. WTF?"

Snappy:

Have you ever seen the rain
Coming down
on a sunny day?

http://tinyurl.com/3b8sfh

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 4:33 PM in response to Open Thread

One final reminder of Sycamore tomorrow at 2 pm and long afterwards, rain or shine...

439 posts - not bad! Keep up the good work, asshats, we still have a shot at 500!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 4:31 PM in response to Open Thread

Ditmas Park - strong winds and pelting rain

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 4:28 PM in response to Open Thread

Biff, your gender-verification job is a lot harder than we thought:

http://tinyurl.com/lxmm3f

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 11:57 AM in response to Open Thread

DIBS, see my 11:19 post.

IJ, your post got cut off.

DH, we had IJ's kamikazes, lechecal's Jameson, my Jameson...those are the ones I remember. I also had three Jamesons on the rocks (which unfortunately had more rocks than Jameson) and two PBRs. At least.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 11:32 AM in response to Open Thread

A belated thanks to M4L for driving me back to JB's place, where I provided lots of amusement.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Open Thread

Benson, from the wikipedia for Roosevelt Island:

Although Roosevelt Island is located directly under the Queensboro Bridge, it is not directly accessible from the bridge itself. A trolley connected passengers from Queens and Manhattan to a stop in the middle of the bridge, where passengers could take an elevator down to the island. The trolley operated from the bridge's opening until April 7, 1957.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 11:19 AM in response to Open Thread

ughhhhhh my head still hurts! DH, thanks for organizing!

Anyway, if you asshats want to keep drinking on Saturday, come to Sycamore in Ditmas Park anytime after 2. We'll be there awhile and if the weather cooperates, we'll be out in the garden.

If you want to do a short self-guided tour of the area beforehand, get off the Q at Church, turn right on Church, left on East 16th, and right on Albemarle. You can then turn left on any of the streets to Cortelyou.

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 21, 2009 11:03 AM in response to Open Thread

Ok - reglazing the bathtub is done. Gotta get away from these fumes (although the effect is sort of like kids getting high off glue). See you all at Pete's!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at August 20, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Open Thread