Train and CNA, originally uploaded by D.B. Blas.

Chicago during Thanksgiving 2009. The elevated train passes the CNA building in downtown. I wanted to shoot the building with the tracks in the foreground but as I pressed the shutter a train crawled in front of the building.

An in-depth report on the military build-up on the island of Guam produced by PBS Now is here.

The report is interesting because the U.S. doesn't appear to take into consideration the wishes of the people of the island if in fact they want the build-up.

In Birmingham, England, demonstrators fought each other in a racially charged incident. Article here.

The view from above at Chad & Steph's

Sunset at Chad's

A German choir performs an inspiring version of Robert Pollard's Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory, a song originally recorded by Pollard's band Guided by Voices, on the album Bee Thousand.

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be:

• 57 Asians
• 21 Europeans
• 14 from the Western Hemisphere, both North & South America
• 8 Africans
• 52 would be female
• 48 would be male
• 70 would be non white
• 30 would be white
• 70 would be non-Christian
• 30 would be Christian
• 89 would be heterosexual
• 11 would be homosexual
• 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth; all 6 would be from the United States
• 80 would live in substandard housing
• 70 would be unable to read
• 50 would suffer from malnutrition
• 1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
• 1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
• 1 would own a computer
  

Bill Gates recently told a group of legislators that education is an industry least changed by technology. Gates also said that reducing class sizes isn't as important as placing a highly skilled teacher in every classroom.

Gates heads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a philanthropic organization that spent $4 billion dollars to improve under performing high schools, and to improve graduation rates.

Many of the teachers I've talked to believe smaller class sizes give teachers the opportunity to be better teachers. Yes, Mr. Gates, quality teachers are essential, but to not address yearly budget cuts in education that affects class sizes is like a car mechanic with 150 cars that need fixing, but only has a few tools with which to fix them.

Large class sizes in public education affects students achievement according to practicing professionals with whom I've spoken. The number one reason for this belief is that public school classrooms are diverse with many, many needs, packed into one classroom. Public schools must accept all students. Reducing class sizes allows the one adult in the classroom to meet as many students needs as possible. Meeting student needs allows individual students to learn content, which affords them more success in life, and on high stakes tests.