October 7 Somewhat coincidentally to the meeting I described yesterday, the Channing Murray Foundation surfaced also on WUNA-Main, a listserv (rather a google group) for the dwellers of West Urbana, the better-off part of the town between the campus and downtown Urbana. It was one of the recipients of the funds sent by the federal […]
nice quiet community here Read More »
October 6, 2024 (follow up) Two events happened in Champaign-Urbana over the past couple of week, rhyming and resonating with each other. The first meeting was a lecture and a Q&A at the University YMCA by Dr. Mohammad Darawshe. Dr. Darawshe is a politician (in the past he ran Knesset election campaigns for various Arab
a tale of two meetings Read More »
The plot shows how frequently Google users inquire about “settler colonialism.” Red circles indicate Julys – i.e., summer breaks. The valleys between them are, quite obviously, winter breaks. Homework: interpret why over the last few years even the Spring breaks became discernible.
less surprising time series Read More »
Slogans. Once, a succinct expression of goals or aspirations (“Proletarians of all countries, unite!” or “No Taxation Without Representation”), they became a much more ambiguous affairs lately. Especially when we are talking about a pretty complicated matter, like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Slogans are the key in the battle for the public opinion, an integral part
Germany couldn’t become free while Nazis remained in power. Gaza cannot become free while Hamas remains in power.
The newly convened Urbana School District Facilities Committee, presented as the ultimate decision-making body in the casus Wiley, – an egregious attempt to disband a successful majority-minority elementary school, – had its second meeting on May 9th. A few patterns came into focus, all familiar. One is the administration’s reliance on raw power: the voting
agendas and manipulations Read More »
This happened on November 11 last year. A friend’s kid attending Yankee Ridge Elementary was pulled out of a classroom activity dedicated to Veterans Day and sent to the office to do some unrelated work instead. Why? The voicemail left on the parent’s phone explained that they think the parents don’t want the kid celebrating
antisemitism, inclusive edition Read More »
Champaign’s County clerk’s website lists the candidates for the Urbana School District’s Board of Education as: • Benjamin Baxley – Subdistrict 7• Paul Poulosky – Subdistrict 5• Ravishankar Hasanadka – Subdistrict 2• Citlaly Yuritzi Stanton – Subdistrict 1• Sheri Langendorf – Subdistrict 3• Torionna L. Exum – Subdistrict 6 We see three old names (Ms.
new board, quo vadis? Read More »
I am not sure Rodney Davis deserves a political epitaph. His political career was defined by blandness, so he wouldn’t complain. His time in the Congress served as the rank and file Party soldier, he tried at all cost to avoid any controversy while making sure to create enough inconsequential partisan babble to remain in
on ideological affinities and gratuitous trolling Read More »