For new readers: zzzzz (Pronounced "Quintuple z") is a blog about my thoughts about various stories and sporting events. Most of it is in the Modesto, CA area, but if I see a national story worth talking about, I'll talk about it, too. I also talk about geography and history, because those are my interests.
THINGS AT CHURCH
- On Sunday, November 11, Bethel Assembly will be hosting a turkey dinner at 5:00 P.M.
NEWS
-The Oakdale Joint Unified School District became the first School District in Stanislaus County to break the API barrier of 800 as a district. (from The Oakdale Leader)
I assume that meant that all the schools in the district averaged 800. The elememtary schools generally do the best on these tests. I was told Sierra View Elementary got a 861. I know Fair Oaks scored in the 820's and I believe Oakdale Junior High got 795. I do not know how the other schools did. For those unfamiliar with the schools in the district, there are two more elementary schools: Cloverland and Magnolia; Oakdale High School, East Stanislaus High School (continuation school), Oakdale Charter, and I believe the independent study school, Valley Oak, is included in the measure, too. Personally, I feel standardized tests are a waste of time, but I do not want my personal feelings to take away the accomplishment of the teachers and students. They all did a wonderful job and deserve to be applauded. It is great seeing all this work pay off, and as a product of Oakdale schools, I hope this trend continues to climb over the years.
POLITICS
-President Barack Obama won reelection over former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney.
I would like to say congratulations to President Obama. Now that I've said it, WE'RE SCREWED! I
heard one Democratic analyst say that the president will work more with Republicans in Congress. I doubt that. He wouldn't work with them (and to be fair, the Republicans in turn wouldn't work with him.) I seriously doubt that. He wouldn't compromise with them when reelection was on the line. Why would we start now when he has nothing to lose? It makes no sense to me. If the country is better in four years, I will be the first to apologize. But I doubt I will have to.
-Statehood won the election in Puerto Rico. Now the vote has to go through Congress, but if the Republicans in the House pass it, it will undoubtingly (not sure if it is a word, but it is now) die with Harry Reid and the Senate. (I have more faith in Obama than I do in Reid). It will be interesting to see a new state in my lifetime.
FIFA RANKINGS FOR NOVEMBER (Top 25)
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. Portugal 5. Italy 6. England 7. Netherlands 8. Columbia 9. Russia 10. Croatia 11. Uruguay 12. Greece 13. Brazil 14. Mexico 15. Cote D'Ivoire 16. Switzerland 17. Ecuador 18. France 19. Algeria 20. Belgium 21. Chile 22. Denamrk 23. Sweden 24. Japan 25. Czech Republic (USA jumped to 27)
-Biggest jump: St. Lucia (from 185 to 147)
-Biggest fall: Congo (from 94 to 115)
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Final CCAA Standings
Team Conf W-L Overall W-L
Brookside Christian (Stockton) 5-0 8-2
Big Valley (Modesto) 4-1 5-5
Jim Elliot Christian (Lodi) 3-2 7-3
Stone Ridge Christian (Merced) 2-3 3-7
Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage (San Andreas) 1-4 2-8
Millennium (Tracy) 0-5 1-9
-I was not able to make it to a CCAA game this month, but here were last week's scores:
Brookside Chr. 72- Millennium 0
Jim Elliot Chrisitan 27- Sierra Ridge/ROP 14
Big Valley 22-Stone Ridge Christian 8
-Three CCAA teams made the playoffs this year (all division VI)
Jim Elliot will play Ripon Christian at Modesto Christian
Big Valley will play at Woodland Christian
Brookside Christian has a bye
(I likely will not be able to attend any game this month, either; but I will post scores of all playoff games on the next zzzzz.)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Here is the latest update of the postseason if I had it my way:
(9) Kent St. (MAC) at (8) Rutgers (Big East) winner would play (1) Kansas St. (Big 12)
(12) Arkansas St. (Sun Belt) at (5) Florida St. (ACC) winner would play (4) Georgia (SEC)
(11) Fresno St. (Mountain West) at (6) Louisiana Tech (WAC) winner would play (3) Notre Dame (Independent, Wildcard)
(10) UCF (Conference USA) at (7) Michigan (Big 10) winner would play at (2) Oregon (PAC-12)
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Last week, the college basketball season opened. Three hundred forty-seven teams are playing for one goal...a championship (some of those teams are ineligible because they have not been in division I long enough, therefore that championship would have to come in the CIT). Indiana is the favorite among those in the media, while Kentucky is the defending champions and look as strong as ever. Two teams join division I (Nebraska-Omaha and Northern Kentucky). There have been many teams that have changed conferences this year from both big and small schools. Here is the list...
Belmont (from Atlantic Sun to Ohio Valley)
Butler (from Horizon to Atlantic 10)
Denver (from Sun Belt to WAC)
Fresno St. (from WAC to Mountain West)
Hawai'i (from WAC to Big West)
Longwood (from Independent to Big South)
Missouri (from Big 12 to SEC)
Nevada (from WAC to Mountain West)
North Dakota (from Great West to Big Sky)
Oral Roberts (from Summit to Southland)
Seattle (from Independent to WAC)
Southern Utah (from Summit to Big Sky)
TCU (from Mountain West to Big 12)
Texas A&M (from Big 12 to SEC)
Texas-Arlington (from Southland to WAC)
Texas St. (from Southland to WAC)
UTSA (from Southland to WAC)
VCU (from Colonial to Atlantic 10)
West Virginia (from Big East to Big 12)
Nebraska-Omaha joins the Summit League
Northern Kentucky joins the Atlantic Sun Conference
For some reason, blogger is being a pain again, and it won't let me skip lines. So I am going to end this month's zzzzz here. What missed the cut was: the MLS playoffs, start of the NBA season, my take in the high school state bowls (predicting who would make it), a high school football coach wins career #600, geography, history, GRE word of the month, and toddler gets a ticket. I will see you all next month. (Now that I published it, it is letting me skip lines. I will still end it here.)
Matt Groom 11/7/2012
2 comments:
I read an article in usnews.com, which suggested that Puerto Rico's best chance of gaining statehood lies in the 2014 election. If the Democrats were to regain majority, then, and only then, would they stand a chance of getting passed the House of Representatives.
About politics, I really do hope that our country's leaders can get off of their political bandwagons and LEAD us back into a former era when people could reasonably disagree while still being willing to compromise in order to get things done. I fear that political polarization could become one of our country's worst enemies in the years to come. Furthermore, I also am a little radical in that I feel the need for the two-party system to be traded in in favor of a multi-party system.
Just a could of thoughts.
Other than the multi-party system, I agree with you. If we were to ever go to that, we would have to look at Italy to find out what not to do.
This country is divided more than ever (since the Civil War, at least). Some of that is the fault of our president, but most of it isn't. A lot of it is our reaction to the opposite viewpoints, and this is as much true in our daily lives as much as it is in Congress. Liberals need to stop calling Conservatives "racists" just because they legitimatly disagree with President Obama's policies; and Conservatives need to stop calling Liberals "Un American", "unpatriotic" and "morons" for agreeing with the President. It will take a lot of work from both sides in the next four years.
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