Breakfast at Edna's (an education on education)

A forensic scientist I am not. However, the following comment to M. Simon's post about the suicide of Michael Scott intrigued me:

Was Scott left-handed?
In my personal experience, I have found that a good way to tell which hand a person favors is simply to watch the person write something. If that isn't possible, then watch him doing things like drinking a beer or drinking coffee. Usually (but not always), left handed people will drink with their left hands, and right-handed people will drink with their right.

I found a fascinating three-part YouTube video showing Michael Scott (with Congressman Danny Davis, our current Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and State Senator Rickey Hendon) at an allegedly illegal meeting held at Edna's Restaurant in Chicago, and he does seem to favor his left hand. In Parts 1 and 2, he holds his coffee cup mostly with his left hand (even though there is someone sitting to his left), and in Part 3 he drives away after pausing to insult and scold the photographer -- at whom he repeatedly points remonstratively and shakes the index finger of his left hand. (Scott is sitting all the way at the back of the table, wearing a white baseball cap.)

By the way, these videos provide an interesting behind-the-scenes look not only at Michael Scott, but at the inside world of Chicago politics -- especially as it pertains to education. A more detailed explanation of the nature of the secret meeting is provided here.

Considering who some of the participants are, they arguably provide a behind-the-scenes look at the inside world of the people who are now governing the country.

A few brief Wiki excerpts about the "Breakfast at Edna's" participants.

  • State Senator Rickey Hendon
  • An October 9, 2008 story in The Washington Post told of substantial tension between Hendon and then colleague Barack Obama, culminating in a physical confrontation in June 2008. Nonetheless, Hendon supported Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
  • Congressman Danny Davis
  • Although Davis was fully promoted as a Democratic candidate, he also ran as a New Party candidate.[16][17][18] Supporting this was New Party's celebration of him as the "first New Party member elected to the U.S. Congress."[19] Although the State of Illinois did not permit fusion voting, New Party advocated fusion voting as a means to promote their party and party agenda and to particularly project New Party ideology into the mainstream Democratic Party.[20] Candidates were referred to as "N[ew]P[arty] Democrats"[20] and were required to sign a contract mandating a "visible and active relationship" with New Party.[21] During this timeframe, New Party was experiencing substantial growth[22] and included in its ranks a young Barack Obama.[16][17][21][23]

    [...]

    Davis expressed interest in being President Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate, and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was expected to appoint Obama's successor in late 2008 before his own major scandal erupted, stated that Davis would "make a great senator."[31] In a December 31, 2008 article published on the website of The New York Times, Davis said that he turned down an offer from representatives of Blagojevich to appoint him to the Senate.[32] Instead, Blagojevich appointed Roland W. Burris.[33]

  • current Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
  • Duncan has extensive experience in educational policy and management, and he was a teacher from 1990 to 1992. In 1992, Duncan became director of the Ariel Education Initiative, a program to enhance educational opportunities for children on Chicago's South Side that was started by John W. Rogers, Jr.. In 1996, along with Rogers, he was part of a network that funded and supported Ariel Community Academy.[13] In 1999, he became Deputy Chief of Staff for former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas.[14] Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed Duncan to serve as CEO of Chicago Public Schools on June 26, 2001.[15]

    Duncan was a fellow in the Leadership Greater Chicago's class of 1995[16], and a member of the Aspen Institute's Henry Crown Fellowship Program, Class of 2002. In May 2003, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Lake Forest College.

    On December 16, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama nominated Duncan for Secretary of Education. Duncan had known Obama for over a decade and played recreational basketball with him, including the day Obama was elected president[17]. Duncan was confirmed by the full Senate on January 20.[18][19]

    The videos are titled "Selling out the community Danny Davis, Ricky Hendon, Michael Scott and Arne Duncan" and described thusly:
    Here is a backroom meeting on the westside of Chicago with some major players..A tip was given regarding this meeting to discuss the closing of Collins High School to turn them into Daley ran Charter Schools public schools on the Westside. We don't know what WAS being discussed but it sure looks shady
    Shady or not, the videos follow in sequence.


    "Selling out the community Danny Davis, Ricky Hendon, Michael Scott and Arne Duncan Part 1of 3"


    "Selling Out the Community Danny Davis, Rickey Hendon, Arne Duncan and Michael Scott Part 2"


    "
    Selling out the community Danny Davis, Ricky Hendon, Arne Duncan and Michael Scott Part 3
    "

    So, while I know it's not conclusive, based on the above videos I think a strong case can be made for Michael Scott being left-handed.

    Beyond that, the videos speak for themselves. I think they provide a fascinating inside glimpse at Chicago politics, although I hope they do not represent a behind-the-scenes look at some of the people who are now governing the country.

    Far be it from me to help shed unwanted light on larger issues.

    posted by Eric on 11.17.09 at 11:59 AM





    TrackBack

    TrackBack URL for this entry:
    http://classicalvalues.com/cgi-bin/pings.cgi/9055






    Comments

    Hm, I don't know many "eight-handed people". Now I'll know how to spot them ;)

    Tom   ·  November 17, 2009 12:18 PM

    It's the third from the right, actually.

    eight-handed guy on internet   ·  November 17, 2009 01:55 PM

    Correction noted, and I apologize for the confusion this has apparently caused.

    Sometimes I hit the wrong key.

    Eric Scheie   ·  November 17, 2009 02:03 PM

    Eric,

    Thanks! And as usual topics I cover with insinuation and innuendo you cover in depth. Fortunately the conclusions (in this case at least) with respect to corruption are similar.

    And yes. They do represent who (some Americans) elected to the Presidency and the crew he brings with him.

    Grafters, grifters, corrupt politicians, and the occasional enforcers to keep the wavering in line. With some communists thrown in for populist rhetoric. "It's FOR the people"

    M. Simon   ·  November 17, 2009 03:07 PM
    M. Simon   ·  November 17, 2009 03:32 PM

    Note the bad spelling of Renaissance in the tags. Obviously a product of the Chicago Public Schools unfamiliar with spell checkers.

    Also note that the author of the quoted piece is associated with the SocialistWorker.org.

    It appears that Chicago is trying to break the teacher's union. That is interesting in and of itself.

    M. Simon   ·  November 17, 2009 03:38 PM

    Blatant violation of the Open Meetings Act. no-brainer. You can't discuss the people's business in a back room. Ask Lisa Madigan's office, they'll clear it up in five minutes.

    Surprised this was not prosecuted. Clearly illegal!

    Oh Bro!   ·  November 25, 2009 08:55 PM

    Stating that Duncan has "extensive experience in educational policy and management" is a joke. He spent a couple of years in a classroom. He then when and spent the money of his friend on a marginally-successful school (that has turned into a money pit). And then he ran CPS into the ground (and set the stage for the highest student homicide rate in the country) before going to work with his b'ball pal, Obama.

    Pat D.   ·  November 25, 2009 10:18 PM

    Post a comment

    You may use basic HTML for formatting.





    Remember Me?

    (you may use HTML tags for style)


    November 2009
    Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7
    8 9 10 11 12 13 14
    15 16 17 18 19 20 21
    22 23 24 25 26 27 28
    29 30          

    ANCIENT (AND MODERN)
    WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR


    Search the Site


    E-mail



    Classics To Go

    Classical Values PDA Link



    Archives



    Recent Entries



    Links



    Site Credits