It's over! Well, actually not yet.

Image from: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/13/minnesota-court-declares-franken-leading-vote-getter-senate-race/

State judges officially declared Al Franken the winner of the highly contested/way too long senate race. However, Norm Colman can appeal the ruling and he says he is going to. So Minnesota probably won't have a second senator in place for a while yet. I'm getting rather tired of the whole thing, it has been a very long, very bitter campaign. I'd think that they would finally decide it has gone on long enough and call it quits. But then again, both Franken and Colman have spent a large amount of money, time, and effort on this seat. If either of them gives up and they are giving up on a senator's salary, cameras and press people, and the chance to help decide in which direction the nation will move. Perhaps those things are too appealing and alluring to give up, and so the battle will continue as long as there is the slightest chance that Colman can win back the seat.

Immortal Four Chaplains Day

Image from: http://www.govst.edu/AboutGSU/t_AboutGSU.aspx?id=14820

On this date in 1943 the United States Army transport DORCHESTER was sunk by a torpedo off the cost of Greenland. Four army chaplains, each of a different religion, on board helped with the evacuation and when there were no more life vests left, they took off their own and gave them to soldiers. Of the 230 men who survived, many were assisted by the four chaplains. However, 700 men died that day, including the four chaplains.

Thus, Governor Pawlenty ordered that the flags be flown at half staff today to honor the four chaplains and all those who died as well as to be "an example of compassion for those of different race or faith."

Image from: http://www.fl4thdistrict.org/TheFourChaplains.html

By the way. . .

Images from: http://senatus.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/minnesota-canvassing-board-meets-for-key-decisions-in-senate-recount/
http://hidates.com/i/6-1.gif

Minnesota still doesn't have its second senator. Today Franken pulled ahead in the recount, not that its final because he's ahead by only a hundred or so votes and the Coleman campaign has challenged hundreds of ballots.

Perhaps it is time to start thinking about flipping a coin?

Legislation for Charter and Online schools

EdVisions Off-Campus High School is a pretty different school from the norm. Actually, it's the only project based, online school in the whole United Sates.

I sort of take the school for granted, because I've been homeschooled so I don't really realize or notice as much as other people how different it is from traditional school. It's interesting to really look at this school once in a while and think, "wow, this is really an amazing school."

The reason I'm thinking of this right now is because the state of Minnesota is projecting a 935 million dollar budget deficit. And the thing that the state spends most money on is education. EdVisions Off-Campus is a charter school, which means it gets its funding from the state and taxes. When the state is in financial trouble, programs are going to be cut and new money saving legislations are going to arrive. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but it does mean that our school might come under scrutiny because it's so different from all the other schools. We are affected by legislations for charter schools, and legislations for online schools.

It's sort of strange all the things that the government has charter or online schools do to make sure they're meeting the standards. It is good to have things like that, because the schools are using tax payer's money so they should be doing a good job, but sometimes it just seems like busy work and it doesn't even help show if the school is actually helping all its students or not.

It's really weird, all these economic problems. It's not like there is less money in the world now. There is still the same amount I think. I don't think all the bills and coins disappeared over night did they?