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February
Sub-archives
Kwame Brown Must Resign
The revelation that Brown has put the District on the hook for two luxury SUVs costing over $3,700 per month is a betrayal of voters, destroys his credibility to cut DC's budget, and makes him a poster child for Congressional Republicans. The best thing he can do for the City is resign.
While this may be stepping a bit further outside the parenting field than I normally do, it is an issue that affects all DC families. Moreover, what good is a megaphone if you don't use it? To cut to the chase, DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown must resign.
As reported by the Washington Post's Mike Debonis, as Chairman-elect, Brown requested that the City provide him a "Fully Loaded" 2011 Lincoln Navigator L with a black exterior and black interior. A Navigator was procured at a leased cost of $1,769 per month. However, Brown rejected the truck due to its gray interior and lack of a rear entertainment system.
A second Navigator L was then obtained, this one including the rear entertainment system, at a monthly lease cost of $1,963. This one also lacked the required black interior, but did include other options such as a GPS, power moonroof, and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels. The city remained on the hook for the original Navigator, so Brown's leases are now costing taxpayers $3,732 a month. Meanwhile, Brown's purview as Council Chair includes cutting DC's budget to account for a $400 million shortfall.
How I Scooped the Washington Post by More than 3 Years
In June of 2007, I wrote about data contradicting a claim on Michelle Rhee's resume. The Washington Post has just discovered the same data.
On February 8th, Jay Mathews -- Washington Post educational columnist and author of the Post's "Class Struggle" blog -- posted a blog article titled "Michelle Rhee's early test scores challenged." Mathews described how local education blogger G.F. Brandenburg had written an article casting doubt on claims by Michelle Rhee to have dramatically raised test scores of her students at Baltimore's Harlem Park Elementary School. Mathews wrote, "He has found the missing test score data from former D.C. schools chancellor's early years as a classroom teacher, something I did not think was possible." Not only did I know that it was possible, I had unearthed the same data and written about it 3 1/2 years ago.
Avoiding Unexpected Appstore Charges
Children have been making unexpected purchases on their parents' iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. Here's how you can avoid having it happen to you.
Today's Washington Post describes how children have been racking up unexpected charges on their parents' iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. "Over the winter break from school, 8-year-old Madison worked to dress up her simple mushroom home on the iPhone game Smurfs' Village. In doing so, she also amassed a $1,400 bill from Apple." This is not the first time I've seen stories such as this, so I thought I'd provide some suggestions about how to avoid finding yourself with an unwanted bill.
Many apps in Apple's Appstore are offered for free or at low cost. The programs can then be enhanced by "In-App Purchases." Any purchase through an iOS device -- whether through the Appstore, iTunes, or In-App -- requires entering a password. However, most owners don't realize that after entering a password, it is cached for 15 minutes. Therefore, if you enter your password to buy little Johnny a new application and immediately hand him your iOS device, he has a 15 minute window to wreck havoc on your credit card. Here are some tips for avoiding surprise charges:
