Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Morning News Round-Up -- 2.18.09: Blog + Romance = Blogmance...

Before we get to the Round-Up, we want to assure readers that our blogmance (blog+romance=blogmance) with San Jose Revealed will not die, no matter where we cross-post. We know you are concerned Revealed, but our blogmance is long-term...unlike Brody and Spencer...as a hat-tip to you San Jose Revealed, you are Rounded-Up first today:

San Jose Revealed yesterday tweaked the Merc.’s Scott Herhold for missing the point of Assistant DA Ben Field’s punishment. (Revealed and Watch Dog are bloggers-in-arms as far as Herhold is concerned...). In addition to the Herhold bashing, yesterday Revealed also:
The blogmance continues...

Now to less important news...

Senator Abel Maldonado may regret how long he’s been toying with his Democratic colleagues (and the Governor and voters). Around midnight last night, Republicans ousted their leader, Senator Dave Cogdill. Sort of a late-night coup d'etat. A visibly upset Maldonado said, “I just can't believe in the middle of the night we would oust our leader." Senators (and Assemblymembers and the Governor and everyone else in the State) face a continued lock-down until some compromise is found. (Our very own) Senator Elaine Alquist is ready saying, "I've got my jammies, they're up in my office right now, and I have my toothbrush and toothpaste." (Perhaps she could go down the hall and grab a blanket from Assemblymember Coto.) Meanwhile, the Governor is set to layoff thousands.

In Morgan Hill’s elementary schools, kids are now given healthy choices for meals. This change has some unexpected benefits, there’s less trash after lunchtime and kids are more excited about lunch. The parents of Shae Urbina (and the aforementioned broccoli-grower/Senator Abel Maldonado) must be proud, their daughter said, “I heart broccoli…it gives me lots of vitamins and helps me stay healthy.” All parents can thank the District’s Director of Student Nutrition Scott McMillan for making the kid friendly changes.

Every recession has seen it and now it’s openly discussed: more men than women are laid off. Terry Bacon, whose husband was laid off from HP after 11 years, said “women are still underpaid.” The Bay Area Mr. Moms might not be helping with the paycheck but it seems their families are happy. Greg Hobbs was laid off during the dot com bust and says becoming a full-time Mr. Mom was good for their family, "With both of us working and three kids at home, we realized there was a void in our family by not having a parent at home, helping get them involved in extracurricular activities." (Perhaps this is the next career for the aforementioned former Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill...)

The Mountain View–Los Altos High School District is considering a “Green” bond to pay for $14 million in solar panels and possibly energy efficient pools. The District is looking at 2010 to put the measure on the ballot – no doubt hoping the economy has stopped pummeling taxpayers by then.

The Merc.’s Ann Killion is in full cycling-mode with the Amgen Tour of California, drenched though she may be. Control freak/super competitor/cycling phenom Lance Armstrong suffered another crash Tuesday, this time with teammate (and Californian) Levi Leipheimer. Killion had the chance to ask Armstrong how he stays motivated on wet, rainy days. Armstrong responded with a smile saying, "I always assume that around the corner, it's going to be sunny and warm." San Jose Inside has some nice photos from the San Jose leg with the wet racers.

San Jose Inside blogger/Santa Clara County Office of Education Trustee Joseph DiSalvo recommends Palo Alto Superintendent Kevin Skelly could learn a few things from pilot/hero Captain Sullenberger. It would seem DiSalvo doesn’t share Skelly’s belief that some Palo Alto kids are handicapped from the start. For more info abo ut Skelly's bone-headed comments, take a look at Palo Alto Weekly's comment section...

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