Reading is FUNdamental

[Weevil]

For all of you "the media has a left wing slant" folk who think the painting of George W. as a dopey frontman just mouthing the words of the real higher ups (Cheney, Rumsfield et al) was a sneaky trick by Democrats and their pals at the Washington Post, NYT and what have you I suggest you read a book entitled Lords of the Realm by John Helyar. It's a book that concerns the history of labor relations in Baseball and interesting tidbits about George W. aside it is a really good book.

Anyway, the book was published in 1994 which means it was written well before W. entered politics and when I got to the section on Bush's tenure as "owner" of the Rangers I was slightly bemused to discover that the charges his enemies make at him today were being made almost word for word at him before he even bothered heading into office. I won't bore you with most of the details but it ends with the retelling of what the author says was a common conversation in the Rangers front office it was:

"Doesn't he(Bush) realize that he doesn't really run this team?"
"No and don't you dare tell him."

Weird stuff.

 

[morninggirl5]

I thought this was about Reading is FUNdamental.

It's an actual program that gives books to each child in a qualifying school. (A percentage have to be from families below the poverty line.)

Okay, since EBW is kinder and gentler, I'll enjoy the thread for the simple fact that he read a book. More people need to read (even if I don't like their choices in material.)

 

[WriterDom]

Anyway, the book was published in 1994 which means it was written well before W. entered politics and when I got to the section on Bush's tenure as "owner" of the Rangers I was slightly bemused to discover that the charges his enemies make at him today were being made almost word for word at him before he even bothered heading into office. I won't bore you with most of the details but it ends with the retelling of what the author says was a common conversation in the Rangers front office it was:

"Doesn't he(Bush) realize that he doesn't really run this team?"
"No and don't you dare tell him."

Weird stuff.

So what's newsworthy in that? Same thing would be said about 95% of the baseball owners. Owning a baseball team is just a toy for the wealthy. There is George of the Yankees, but with his payroll, the only person who could fuck that team up is Jimmy Carter.

 

[Cheyenne]

Hey, I thought this was going to be about the literacy program "Reading is FUNdamental" from my childhood! Is that program still around? I remember the bookmobile coming to the school playground in the summertime.

Reading is so important, I am trying my best to make sure each niece/nephew falls in love with it as I did when I was a child. Any computer game that gets them to learn to read words, any book they want, it is theirs.

 

[morninggirl5]

After I saw this, I searched and yes RIF is still active. Their web page is http://www.rif.org/ There is a link for RIF alumni to give respsonses and an option to donate.

RIF is funded primarily through our taxes. If I could determine where my taxes were going, I'd earmark it for this and similar programs.

If you aren't familiar with the program, here's a short quote to introduce it.

RIF serves children and families in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. offshore territories in programs that operate in schools, libraries, community centers, child-care centers, Head Start and Even Start centers, hospitals, migrant worker camps, homeless shelters, and detention centers. Today, thanks to public-private partnerships, RIF is the nation's largest children's and family literacy organization.

By the end of 2000, RIF will have placed 200 million books in the hands and homes of America's children.

Cheyenne, you're wonderful. I wish ALL parents considered reading and literacy to be a priority.

 

[Always]

Discounting this thread's original content, yes, reading is both fun and fundamental. And mental too.