City student passes 3 classes in four years, ranks near top half of class with 0.13 GPA

[crash_davis 23465]

22 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

My neighbor’s kid works 3 jobs since he dropped out of ACC.

Uber

Lyft

and DoorDash

with his expenses for gas, maintenance, tires, and shit on his car, he's probably making $6/hr. 

maybe he's aspiring to be a taxi driver?

[Dennis Taylor 19284]

28 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

The hardest part for me, is that you are right and also, abortion I think is wrong. So in that sense, there isn't a good answer for me morally, in order to form a more perfect union. That's a philosophical issue I struggle with, because no matter your stance on abortion, it is hard to argue with the efficacy in the toolbox to help the crapload of people in this country that should not be parents, not be parents. 

There are other options besides abortion....maybe use a jimmy, or maybe don't be banging anything that moves 

[Lou 264]

If I remember correctly, I had to pass the lower level class before I was allowed to move on, I don't understand this:

His transcripts show he failed Spanish I and Algebra I but was promoted to Spanish II and Algebra II. He also failed English II but was passed on to English III.

[Twizzler 189]

I can't grok this.

Is promotion to algebra II a mistake or policy?

 

[Helobious 9755]

1 hour ago, DonkeyCigars said:

The hardest part for me, is that you are right and also, abortion I think is wrong. So in that sense, there isn't a good answer for me morally, in order to form a more perfect union. That's a philosophical issue I struggle with, because no matter your stance on abortion, it is hard to argue with the efficacy in the toolbox to help the crapload of people in this country that should not be parents, not be parents. 

Roe v Wade was passed nearly 50 years ago. If you look at the statistics of who largely gets abortions you might understand why there’s never really been a serious challenge to it despite all the controversy and talk. 

[Dbeasy 15526]

4 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

Our public education system is the biggest problem we face as a nation, in my opinion.  It may already be too late, but if we don't make major changes soon our nation will certainly come to an ignominious and rapid end. 

It does not matter what you do with a public school if the students themselves and their parents don’t give a shit. This is failure across the board. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Dbeasy

[RPM 26560]

Parent Wakes Up After 4 Years is the correct headline.

[Nivek 17330]

Education starts in the home. Parents who don't give a shit about their kids education will have stupid poor kids. The fact that this mom was "surprised" that her son only passed three classes and then blames the school is the reason why her son is a fucking idiot. Tree, meet the apple spawn at your feet.

When you are within the standard deviation(class rank) and have 0.13 GPA the whole system is fucked. Not just the parent or that kid.

[Steel Shank 9533]

That's one flat bell curve.

[DonkeyCigars 143]

53 minutes ago, Dennis Taylor said:

There are other options besides abortion....maybe use a jimmy, or maybe don't be banging anything that moves 

wishcasting for communities in poverty and bad parents.

[BabaYaga 15532]

At a macro econ level, seems in part an issue on incentives.  There is little to no incentive for kids to get better grades, and no incentive to the teachers to pass them.  You could make the argument of a moral incentive, economic and social; not so much.  

Are there other schools parents could send their kids to?  Probably not.  The districts know this.  Not saying they are intentionally subverting the process, but they are also aware of the limitations of the community as it comes to choices.  

Many states tried incentives tied to scores - which promulgated massive fraud at a deficit of teaching anything other than what was tied to the tests.  So we get rid of that, now what?  Charter schools?  Maybe.

And the teachers?  If you are really kick ass at your job, with all the social and community issues at the school, do yo stay?  Probably not.  Those that can leave, often do.  We see it all the time.  Those that can't...don't.  So you also have the adverse selection issues that arise as well.  With the economic limitations of the district, you are not attracting and keeping top people.....leaving you with a population of teachers that probably can't go anywhere else, even if they wanted to (take the idealistic teacher out of the equation). 

Coupled with a union who's job is protecting teachers, not the children, you have a very tough row to hoe in getting rid of the bad ones.  It's a giant shit sandwich with no easy answers....

 

 

[B00M 6725]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

If I remember correctly, I had to pass the lower level class before I was allowed to move on, I don't understand this:

His transcripts show he failed Spanish I and Algebra I but was promoted to Spanish II and Algebra II. He also failed English II but was passed on to English III.

What are teachers doing this year at typical schools when suddenly half their classes fail due to remote learning? Any of them simply advancing the kids because failing half or more of the school will cause more problems than it will solve? 

Now imagine you're dealing with that situation every year. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by B00M

[Armybrat 41319]

3 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yep.

Dropouts and fuckups have always been there.  Always.  Even in the sunny pleasantville of the 1950s.

Something is making the problem more acute or more visible (or both) today.  Maybe it's higher birth rates or infant survival rates among the poors.  Maybe it's just the news cycle.  

One thing is for sure, though, we do not need any more ditch diggers.

We have bobcats for that.

[DonkeyCigars 143]

59 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

At a macro econ level, seems in part an issue on incentives.  There is little to no incentive for kids to get better grades, and no incentive to the teachers to pass them.  You could make the argument of a moral incentive, economic and social; not so much.  

Are there other schools parents could send their kids to?  Probably not.  The districts know this.  Not saying they are intentionally subverting the process, but they are also aware of the limitations of the community as it comes to choices.  

Many states tried incentives tied to scores - which promulgated massive fraud at a deficit of teaching anything other than what was tied to the tests.  So we get rid of that, now what?  Charter schools?  Maybe.

And the teachers?  If you are really kick ass at your job, with all the social and community issues at the school, do yo stay?  Probably not.  Those that can leave, often do.  We see it all the time.  Those that can't...don't.  So you also have the adverse selection issues that arise as well.  With the economic limitations of the district, you are not attracting and keeping top people.....leaving you with a population of teachers that probably can't go anywhere else, even if they wanted to (take the idealistic teacher out of the equation). 

Coupled with a union who's job is protecting teachers, not the children, you have a very tough row to hoe in getting rid of the bad ones.  It's a giant shit sandwich with no easy answers....

 

 

All of this. Man, what a Frankenstein's monster public schooling has become.

[Fuck Tim Beck 3892]

I say this way too often now days, but Idiocracy wasn't a comedy, it was a documentary. 

[Armybrat 41319]

30 minutes ago, B00M said:

What are teachers doing this year at typical schools when suddenly half their classes fail due to remote learning? Any of them simply advancing the kids because failing half or more of the school will cause more problems than it will solve? 

Now imagine you're dealing with that situation every year. 

The teachers are not making the decision to promote the failures, it is the administrators who are getting their orders from the superintendents who are being pressured by the school boards..... to meet the states’ expectations. 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

4 hours ago, 'stache said:

You realize that a well-funded public education system can address both issues right? Support students that are struggling or who are otherwised troubled, while also pumping out well rounded smart individuals. The problem is we pay teachers and staff like babysitters, some areas (cough..cough..Texas) spend obscene amounts of money on sports instead of curriculum. And for all of you blaming the parents, how can you pretend that all situations are the same? On the one hand, they could be flat out shitty parents in which case we should do whatever it takes to help kids from these troubled homes. The parents could be abusive, in which case we should help the kids from the troubled home. The parents may be physically or mentally incapable of helping in this regard, in which case we should help the kid anyhow. Or the parent may be trying but they have to work 3 jobs just to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, in which case they don't have time or energy to devote fully to the kids education. In each and every one of those scenarios, we need to be helping the kids. We need to pay teachers like professionals, especially those who work with difficult kids from difficult situations. But cloak room cloak room small government, so here we are. 

Don't have kids you cannot afford. One day, if it is legal, I am going to set up a foundation who pays poor women a monthly stipend to get IUDs.

And I don't think Maryland is big on small government tea party types.  At all.

You seem to be critical of Texas.  The data from Urban Institute, which is a liberal think tank, suggests when adjusted for demographics that Texas is a top 5 public education system in the USA.  This is from 2019 using 2017 data.  The previous study from 2015 ranked Texas similarly. They have a pretty cool interactive tool.

https://apps.urban.org/features/naep/

 

[Cheeseweasel 26439]

4 hours ago, Armybrat said:

As I recall, in the UK when school kids reach the age of 15 they take some exams to determine their next stage of education.

The more brainy types will be eligible to take courses to prepare them for college, while the remainder are channeled into trade schools. pretty good system, IMO, but can have available exceptions& choices.

Seems that over the past 50+ years the US system has been to push the flawed concept that everyone should “go to college”, even those who are semiliterate (raises hand). That approach has clearly failed.

Imagine the screeching from the parents who's kids aren't considered "brainy" by the schools...

[Armybrat 41319]

4 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Imagine the screeching from the parents who's kids aren't considered "brainy" by the schools...

That’s why I mentioned “exceptions”..... so the helicopter parents who demanded their ineligible kid be enrolled in college prep classes can watch them flunk out (and then enroll them in the trade courses... where they will eventually learn to make a better living than many of the college fluff majors).

[fattyflattie 4640]

25 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

We have bobcats for that.

I mean I know they aren’t UT, but ditch digging?  Most make pretty hot wives. Eat em up!

[Beau Vine 55824]

Quote

“He's a good kid. He didn't deserve that. Where's the mentors? Where is the help for him? I hate that this is happening to my child,” said an emotional France.

I knew that would be in the article before I opened it.

[Catdaddyhorn 3462]

2 hours ago, Helobious said:

Roe v Wade was passed nearly 50 years ago. If you look at the statistics of who largely gets abortions you might understand why there’s never really been a serious challenge to it despite all the controversy and talk. 

Who gets them?

[ABSR 5357]

2 hours ago, RPM said:

Parent Wakes Up After 4 Years...and rants about being awakened is the correct headline.

Fixed it.

[Beau Vine 55824]

19 minutes ago, Catdaddyhorn said:

Who gets them?

Women.

[ChickenSandwich 9918]

4 hours ago, ABSR said:

"Schools in the United States spend an average of $12,612 per pupil, which is the fifth-highest amount per pupil among the 37 other developed nations in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)." 

The countries with a higher spend are Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway, and Austria....I believe.  This article does not call out any country but Luxembourg as the top so this list is from a different article.

The article actually looks to call out US spending as too low as it points to percentage of GDP to criticize US spending, but the reality is that with the fifth highest spend (public school only) per pupil, throwing more dollars at the problem is not necessarily addressing the underlying issues.

https://educationdata.org/public-education-spending-statistics

 

All of the money means shit if the home is broken. 

[ChickenSandwich 9918]

6 hours ago, Armybrat said:

As I recall, in the UK when school kids reach the age of 15 they take some exams to determine their next stage of education.

The more brainy types will be eligible to take courses to prepare them for college, while the remainder are channeled into trade schools. pretty good system, IMO, but can have available exceptions& choices.

Seems that over the past 50+ years the US system has been to push the flawed concept that everyone should “go to college”, even those who are semiliterate (raises hand). That approach has clearly failed.

Not possible in the US for many obvious reason. Would be immediate outrage (as common sense often causes). 

[ChickenSandwich 9918]

1 hour ago, DonkeyCigars said:

All of this. Man, what a Frankenstein's monster public schooling has become.

Yes, it’s tragic that most of the time the best teachers are not the best paid. Some meritocracy needs to find its way back into the profession. 

[gyroprotagonist 2597]

3 hours ago, Lou said:

If I remember correctly, I had to pass the lower level class before I was allowed to move on, I don't understand this:

His transcripts show he failed Spanish I and Algebra I but was promoted to Spanish II and Algebra II. He also failed English II but was passed on to English III.

this hits close to home.  way back in the day on the 40, I wanted to take Intro to C+ programming as a graduating Sr.  C+ was not available to me as freshman; had to take PASCAL, i think.  Anyway, the stupid EE Dept would not let me take the into class as a Sr, I could only take the next level course Applications Using C+.  I tried to explain you could not apply what you have not learned, but guess who spent the summer reading C+ for dummies and then stumbled around the Applications class next term like a drunk leaving the Aquarium after last call?

Anyway, remove the kid and his failings.  Remove the parent and her failings.  Did the school even come close to fulfilling their obligation to the student or parent (assuming only 1 notification was sent about absences/failing)?  Start there and fix that.  That's step 1.  Does not absolve kid/mom from extreme DGAF, though.

[clapclapclap 9000]

25 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Women.

Source?

[B00M 6725]

1 hour ago, gyroprotagonist said:

Did the school even come close to fulfilling their obligation to the student or parent (assuming only 1 notification was sent about absences/failing)?  

The kid basically never attended school. Do you really believe they only reached out once? Sounds like she couldn't attend the parent teacher conference she's admitting to and never did a single thing to see her kids progress. Did she give the school a bad phone # or was it entered into the auto system incorrectly? ...Did she ever even ask her kid what he was learning? She gets zero benefit of the doubt from me. Total failure as a parent and likely a liar looking for a payday.

 

But in those three years, only one teacher requested a parent conference, which France says never happened. No one from the school told France her son was failing and not going to class.

.......

The district says students received a letter about their academic status this past summer, and records can be accessed through the campus portal. When a student is absent, an automated call is placed to the number on file. The statement also said the school conducted recent home visits and the student’s parent visited the school. France says none of that happened.

Edited March 4, 2021 by B00M
I'm not a teacher and never have been but this is a joke. Take some responsibility for your fucking kid

[ChickenSandwich 9918]

Way back in the day we would change the phone number to home on those blue sheets they gave you when entering middle school. They could never reach your parents or report you absent. Was great. 

[Blotto 23974]

7 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

All this. We're wasting resources trying to educate this way. More emphasis on trade schools. Focus education dollars on those that want educating. The notion that everyone should go to college is ridiculous.

Take it from this guy. No need to delve into young Shank's educational struggles, but time spent in an environment dedicated to teaching  the finer points of laying pipe, and now look at our boy. There's hope people.

[Steel Shank 9533]

16 minutes ago, Blotto said:

Take it from this guy. No need to delve into young Shank's educational struggles, but time spent in an environment dedicated to teaching  the finer points of laying pipe, and now look at our boy. There's hope people.

I get a lot of satisfaction from my work.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4998]

6 hours ago, Dennis Taylor said:

There are other options besides abortion....maybe use a jimmy, or maybe don't be banging anything that moves 

Maybe sex robots are a viable option? Or so I've been told.

[Enchubben 5598]

 

11 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

everyone loses, this story is the snake eyes that craps out the entire group of people huddles around the craps table.

But I had money on the don’t pass......

Also, Baltimore fucks up public service, more news at 10. 

[UT_OB1 2260]

10 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

The hardest part for me, is that you are right and also, abortion I think is wrong. So in that sense, there isn't a good answer for me morally, in order to form a more perfect union. That's a philosophical issue I struggle with, because no matter your stance on abortion, it is hard to argue with the efficacy in the toolbox to help the crapload of people in this country that should not be parents, not be parents. 

I don’t think abortions are right either, but there are answers. Females get birth control shot every 3 months, mandatory to attend school through graduation, starting at whatever is the earliest age it is safe. As soon as we figure out how to make a long term shot work in males, mandatory for them too. Make it free.  Give it on campus if you have to. 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by UT_OB1

[AeroHorn 793]

I could be wrong, but having grown up in India and only reading about these cases since I have lived in nice suburbs with educated parents in the US, I think there is a cultural element that is in some sense American; an inclination to individual expression/rebelling and finding ones own way as opposed to valuing conformance to set values and be part of the rat race found in most other places but particularly Asian countries. India is a very poor country and 90% of the schools neither have the infrastructure nor the teachers that the worst schools in US have. But even a laborer with kids playing in the sewage while he/she works, while illiterate, yearns to send the kids to school without knowing anything about what a school is because he/she wants their kids to learn and knows that learning is an enormously valuable commodity in itself. And those kids if given a chance will apply themselves even though they would be lucky to get in the bottom school of the aforementioned 90%. Tens of millions of college graduates come out with most of them not finding a job, but they in turn will push their kids to learn and the kids know that learning is their job as a kid.

tl,dr: kids and parents have to see that learning is cool. When you know it is cool there are a million options outside school.

[Kyle 207]

This must be #systematicracism. The problem clearly is white, Republican, Christian, straight, non-trans, men run Baltimore schools.

[AngryBevo 20]

59 minutes ago, UT_OB1 said:

I don’t think abortions are right either, but there are answers. Females get birth control shot every 3 months, mandatory to attend school through graduation, starting at whatever is the earliest age it is safe. As soon as we figure out how to make a long term shot work in males, mandatory for them too. Make it free.  Give it on campus if you have to. 

 

People don't even want to wear masks in what world would that ever happen?

 

[Clintonaldo 2613]

Kid is a dipshit but what is going to happen when he is out of school? It’s not a good sign for the community that he isn’t even the worst in the school. Baltimore is about to get even shittier. 

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Didn’t read the article, I’m assuming it’s a sad indictment laying out to bare our collective total failure. And I haven’t read the comments, but I’m assuming it’s the usual DT mouth breathers talking about bootstraps and personal responsibility.

When I think about the notion of educating yourself, fundamentally the inherent belief is that by attaining more knowledge, your life will have more worth. I know that to be the case  because I was born into a situation where a lot of value was placed on my life. There were people around me that constantly reinforced that belief and parents that invested in my worth. As a result, I became educated and more opportunities were presented to me, further increasing my worth as a human being. That was my reality.

Most of you won’t attempt it, but imagine a reality where from the moment you are born, it’s immediately clear your life has no value. It’s completely worthless. Imagine having a parent who knows that to be the case. Someone who can’t even pretend to buy into the notion that their child has any worth, and that by attaining knowledge it will somehow have even more worth. Their reality is that is a complete fucking lie. Why participate in a lie?

Somehow we have to fix that.

Edited March 4, 2021 by DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt
Engrish

[Nice Guy Eddie 13707]

I’ve witnessed examples in my family. As soon as one generation drops out of high school, the next one or two follow the same route. And the generations are only 17-18 years apart. And once drugs are introduced to the parents, they don’t care if the kids go to school or do homework.

I don’t have much hope for the future especially now that we don’t need as much unskilled labor.

[Nivek 17330]

7 hours ago, AeroHorn said:

I could be wrong, but having grown up in India and only reading about these cases since I have lived in nice suburbs with educated parents in the US, I think there is a cultural element that is in some sense American; an inclination to individual expression/rebelling and finding ones own way as opposed to valuing conformance to set values and be part of the rat race found in most other places but particularly Asian countries. India is a very poor country and 90% of the schools neither have the infrastructure nor the teachers that the worst schools in US have. But even a laborer with kids playing in the sewage while he/she works, while illiterate, yearns to send the kids to school without knowing anything about what a school is because he/she wants their kids to learn and knows that learning is an enormously valuable commodity in itself. And those kids if given a chance will apply themselves even though they would be lucky to get in the bottom school of the aforementioned 90%. Tens of millions of college graduates come out with most of them not finding a job, but they in turn will push their kids to learn and the kids know that learning is their job as a kid.

tl,dr: kids and parents have to see that learning is cool. When you know it is cool there are a million options outside school.

It is very complicated situation.  We can all come up with unrealistic simplistic solutions "get a job, study in school, change your values, be like me, be like this person" which does little to actually help.   

[Nice Guy Eddie 13707]

8 hours ago, AeroHorn said:

I could be wrong, but having grown up in India and only reading about these cases since I have lived in nice suburbs with educated parents in the US, I think there is a cultural element that is in some sense American; an inclination to individual expression/rebelling and finding ones own way as opposed to valuing conformance to set values and be part of the rat race found in most other places but particularly Asian countries. India is a very poor country and 90% of the schools neither have the infrastructure nor the teachers that the worst schools in US have. But even a laborer with kids playing in the sewage while he/she works, while illiterate, yearns to send the kids to school without knowing anything about what a school is because he/she wants their kids to learn and knows that learning is an enormously valuable commodity in itself. And those kids if given a chance will apply themselves even though they would be lucky to get in the bottom school of the aforementioned 90%. Tens of millions of college graduates come out with most of them not finding a job, but they in turn will push their kids to learn and the kids know that learning is their job as a kid.

tl,dr: kids and parents have to see that learning is cool. When you know it is cool there are a million options outside school.

 

9 minutes ago, Nivek said:

It is very complicated situation.  We can all come up with unrealistic simplistic solutions "get a job, study in school, change your values, be like me, be like this person" which does little to actually help.   

Education is practically frowned upon by some now. Anti-education movement.

And don't get me wrong, I think there are plenty of problems in our education system especially in regards to the curriculum but it's wrong to consider the entire educational system as elitist.  

[DaggerHorns 3147]

21 hours ago, crash_davis said:

in this case, my post above stands.

 

everyone involved in this story can go to hell.

You’re spot on.

At some point the parents need to realize how responsible they are for the youth in America.

My best friends happens to be a special needs teacher.

I had to fill out and pass an extensive background check for adopting a dog.

You don’t have to do anything to have a child.

[Mole 4338]

3 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Didn’t read the article, I’m assuming it’s a sad indictment laying out to bare our collective total failure. And I haven’t read the comments, but I’m assuming it’s the usual DT mouth breathers talking about bootstraps and personal responsibility.

When I think about the notion of educating yourself, fundamentally the inherent belief is that by attaining more knowledge, your life will have more worth. I know that to be the case  because I was born into a situation where a lot of value was placed on my life. There were people around me that constantly reinforced that belief and parents that invested in my worth. As a result, I became educated and more opportunities were presented to me, further increasing my worth as a human being. That was my reality.

Most of you won’t attempt it, but imagine a reality where from the moment you are born, it’s immediately clear your life has no value. It’s completely worthless. Imagine having a parent who knows that to be the case. Someone who can’t even pretend to buy into the notion that their child has any worth, and that by attaining knowledge it will somehow have even more worth. Their reality is that is a complete fucking lie. Why participate in a lie?

Somehow we have to fix that.

I think this points to the disconnect. It’s easy and somewhat appropriate to come down on the parent and kid for their indifference, but their indifference isn’t irrational. If there’s no clear and apparent benefit to an education, why bother? We all say we value education, but if I didn’t see a clear path to how that education would help me, I probably wouldn’t really value it.

[BabaYaga 15532]

3 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Most of you won’t attempt it, but imagine a reality where from the moment you are born, it’s immediately clear your life has no value. It’s completely worthless. Imagine having a parent who knows that to be the case. Someone who can’t even pretend to buy into the notion that their child has any worth, and that by attaining knowledge it will somehow have even more worth. Their reality is that is a complete fucking lie. Why participate in a lie?

Somehow we have to fix that.

It's oft repeated, but there is no greater disadvantage in life than being born into a broken home.  The statistics bear this out time and time again.  Beyond nationality, race, gender, it is catastrophic to the child and expands the cycle of distress.  

You can argue against federal interventionism such as the promotion of welfare dependency (incentivizing # of dependents) or cultural biases against a 2 parent household and the acceptance of living a "loose" lifestyle wrought with chemicals of all kinds.  Or how the rising percentage of divorces facilitate this as well as household income immediately is ripped in half.  

There is a strong correlation between a 2 parent household and poverty rates.  I think I saw a scary stat that said more than 50% of children post divorce fall below the poverty line.....engendering the cycle to continue.

There are tone of correlations.  Divorce and asset accumulation.  Divorce and cohabitation.  It's a mess that has no clear remedy

[BabaYaga 15532]

23 minutes ago, Mole said:

I think this points to the disconnect. It’s easy and somewhat appropriate to come down on the parent and kid for their indifference, but their indifference isn’t irrational. If there’s no clear and apparent benefit to an education, why bother? We all say we value education, but if I didn’t see a clear path to how that education would help me, I probably wouldn’t really value it.

Yep, back to the incentive argument.  Macro and micro.  

[B00M 6725]

16 minutes ago, Mole said:

If there’s no clear and apparent benefit to an education, why bother? 

Basically boils down to drugs. They see the guy at the top of the drug pyramid roll down the street and want his lifestyle. It's super easy to get your foot in the door before you even have pubes, and naturally, everyone assumes they'll be the boss one day. In reality they make less than minimum wage to end up dead or in jail at a young age. 

[Brisketexan 106618]

23 hours ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

.13 is right in the middle of the Delta pledge class, right where you want to be.

 

 

 

 

Was searching thread to make sure this was posted.  Well done.  You may be removed from double secret probation.