Justin Katz

Dictating the World to the Rest of Us

By Justin Katz | August 12, 2007 |

This represents less of a movement than the Jackass movies — albeit mildly less adolescent and significantly less influential — but it is somewhat emblematic of a certain way of thinking: As noted by Bobbie Johnson’s Guardian-related blog, some blogger in California (I think) has taken it upon himself to recategorize books that stores have…

A Greater Toll than You Know

By Justin Katz | August 12, 2007 |

It would seem that our discussion of civil rights and E-ZPass toll booths was not far fetched: Generally mounted inside a vehicle’s windshield behind the rearview mirror, E-ZPass devices communicate with antennas at toll plazas, automatically deducting money from the motorist’s prepaid account. Of the 12 states in the Northeast and Midwest that are part…

An Archival Tete-a-Tete

By Justin Katz | August 12, 2007 |

In the comments to the previous post, Tom W provides a link to his Narragansett Times debate with Bob Walsh, which is still available on RI Policy Analysis as a PDF.

The Problems Go ‘Round and ‘Round

By Justin Katz | August 12, 2007 |

Following up on my (probably poorly stated) previous post, a specific instance of the conversation’s various subthreads is illustrative, beginning with the following, from Thomas: The average teacher salary in RI for 04-05 was $53,473 (I know Frank will say it’s higher, but I don’t think he’s given us figures and a source yet, so…

Toward Fruitful Conversation

By Justin Katz | August 11, 2007 |

I would never gainsay the importance of data and evidence to polemics, nor would I parade the pure primacy of reason, but I can’t help but be amused at the failure of evidentiary debate to advance the discussion concerning Rhode Island’s educational system. As is so often the case, skepticism and credulity appear to find…

Moderate by Moderate Left

By Justin Katz | August 10, 2007 |

The problem with the cult of moderation is that it requires there to be two extremes equidistant from the middle line of wisdom, or else it must define the two opposing groups as the extremes, no matter where they actually lie. To present his — certainly welcome — “compromise” position of sending abortion policy back…

What’s Wrong with RI Education

By Justin Katz | August 9, 2007 |

For anybody who has not already done so, wading through the comment-section discussion appended to my recent post on teachers and education is well worthwhile. Having followed it in progress, myself, I’ve observed a point that apparently needs stressing before such conversations proceed: Unions are not the only problem that requires fixing in Rhode Island’s…

The Faces of Anchor Rising

By Justin Katz | August 9, 2007 |

We’ve been surprised to learn, over the past year or so, how many people don’t entirely get how much of a group project Anchor Rising actually is. If the ventures of one of us bring a particular reader to the page, that writer has seemed to become the “face” of the blog for him or…

Aphorisms in Abundance

By Justin Katz | August 9, 2007 |

Michelle Malkin’s promotion of a book called 50 Rules Kids Won’t Learn in School: Real-World Antidotes to Feel-Good Education has led to quite an extensive collection of aphorisms in her comments section. I’d add three: People don’t have to be equally valuable to be of equal value. Sometimes people are to blame for their own…

The Sound of the Empire’s End

By Justin Katz | August 8, 2007 |

Promising and active young professionals (among others) are fleeing Great Britain: BRITAIN is facing a mass exodus of people looking to escape the crime and grime of modern living. The country’s biggest foreign visa consultancy firm has revealed that applications have soared in the last seven months by 80 per cent to almost 4,000 a…