Parents Fight Over Pledging Allegiance In Schools

Parents Fight Over Pledging Allegiance In Schools

Residents are waving the flag in Brookline,,cheap nfl jerseys china, Mass.Breitling watches wholesale, both for — and against — the Pledge of Allegiance.

Courts have ruled that public schools cannot compel students to recite the pledge,Nfl womens jerseys so in Brookline, as elsewhere, the pledge is voluntary.

But critics say there's still pressure on students to conform, and they want the pledge out of the classroom altogether.

A Concern About Peer Pressure

Brookline parent Martin Rosenthal says he is very patriotic. He proudly put his hand on his heart and pledged allegiance to the flag at a recent community event. But, he says, the pledge has no place in the classroom.

"You're asking kids in school to take a loyalty oath in front of their classmates," he says. "I just don't think that's right."

Rosenthal says the pledge has no educational value and even flies in the face of the kind of critical thinking schools should be teaching.Nfl bears jersreys cheap But, he says, he's most bothered by the peer pressure students may feel to recite it.

"It's like if you don't agree with the group, we're gonna ostracize you," he says. "If you don't swear allegiance, you're considered disloyal. That's what I'm getting."

Since he filed his proposal, Rosenthal says he's been assaulted by calls and emails that prove his point — messages like "Go f - - - yourself you socialist pig," and "You liberal a - - - - - - - are ruining this country."

Nadal in US Open health drama, Murray eases on

Nadal in US Open health drama, Murray eases on

Defending champion Rafael Nadal shocked the US Open when he collapsed in an agony of cramps during a news conference while Andy Murray stayed on course for a semi-final clash against the Spaniard.

Nadal, 25, was talking to journalists, two hours after his third round win over close friend David Nalbandian, when he grimaced in pain, screwed up his eyes and slumped in the back of his chair, feeling his right leg.

The world number two, a winner of 10 Grand Slam titles, slipped to the floor while tournament medical staff were summoned.

Scores of reporters and camera crews were ushered out of the packed interview room deep inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

However, after 15 minutes of treatment, Nadal was back on his feet, insisting that the problem was merely cramping.

"It was just cramping in the right leg, in the front and in the back. It was very painful, that's all," said Nadal, who resumed his news conference standing instead of sitting.

A smiling Nadal said the incident will not affect his preparations for his fourth round match against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller, scheduled for Tuesday.

"I will train normally on Monday. It was just a normal cramp that could have happened anywhere, but it's just bad luck that it happened in the press room. Anywhere else, nobody would have noticed."

During his 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 7-5 win over Nalbandian,Nfl bears jersreys cheap played out over 2hr 39mins in heavy, 84 degree-heat (29 degrees centigrade), Nadal also needed treatment on his blistered right foot.

Muller, who reached the last 16 by beating Russia's Igor Kunitsyn 6-1, 6-4, 6-4,Anime toys merchandise distributor famously defeated Nadal at Wimbledon in 2005 before the Spaniard got his All England Club revenge this year.

British fourth seed Andy Murray, the 2008 runner-up, took his career record against Spanish left-hander Feliciano Lopez to six wins in six meetings thanks to an impressive 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory over the 25th seed.

Melbourne readies for Cadel's parade

Melbourne readies for Cadel's parade

Thousands of people are expected to turn out in Melbourne today for a victory parade to celebrate Cadel Evans's historic Tour de France win.police sunglasses wholesale

Evans, who flew into Melbourne yesterday on a flying visit,puma soccer shoes will be joined by junior cyclists for a ride down St Kilda Road from the National Gallery of Victoria before a public reception at Federation Square.

Last month Evans became the first Australian to win cycling's toughest race when he rode into Paris in the yellow jersey.

Greeted by Victorian Premier Ted Bailieu and Federal Sport Minister Mark Arbib at Melbourne airport yesterday, he said his first job in Australia would be to see his family and get a hug from his mum.

But he said he was pleased to be able to bring the yellow jersey home and share his win with Australians.

"I've been working at the Tour de France for the best part of my whole life, and then when it all comes together, to have been supported all this way through and be able to bring the yellow jersey back to Australia, of course I'm proud to do it," he said.cheap new era hatsEvans, who previously finished second in the Tour De France in both 2007 and 2008, says coming so close to victory in the past made this year's win "so much more worthwhile".

"I'm just happy that everyone enjoyed it, everyone enjoyed following it and seeing it," he said.

"It's the culmination of many many years of work for a lot of people."

Mr Arbib is encouraging everyone to come to Federation Square and "welcome our champion home".Spain soccer shirt

Streets around the parade route will be closed and the procession will be broadcast to crowds on big screens.

High taxation

High taxation

Yet with Zhang's former colleagues headhunted to Singapore one after another, where they benefit from much lower income tax, it may only be a question of time before Zhang decides to follow suit.

High taxation in China is one of a number of factors that make Shanghai less attractive to prospective employees than Hong Kong and Singapore, Theleen said. Income tax in Shanghai can be as high as 45 percent, against a 15 percent maximum in Hong Kong and 20 percent in Singapore.

Shanghai authorities have long been considering preferential income tax policies of 25 percent maximum for financial professionals, but only at the very top management levels.

Aside from payment, a city's soft power is equally important if it wants to retain talented people at home, Zhang noted.

"If people are willing to come for money, they would be happy to leave for exactly the same reason. Along with the lower income taxes, Singapore and Hong Kong also provide better education opportunities, medical care system and social infrastructure," Zhang said. "With inflation and housing prices soaring in downtown Shanghai, the city no longer has an edge over other financial centers in terms of living expenses."

Theleen from ChinaVest agreed. "If you try to hire seasoned expatriates, you have to persuade the family. You need to bear in mind the schools, the living facilities, and the air pollution. In this regard, I believe Shanghai has taken proactive steps in building almost 30 international schools, which has a huge impact on attracting senior executives."

'Harry Potter' works box office magic with highest-grossing opening of all time

'Harry Potter' works box office magic with highest-grossing opening

of all time

The eighth "Harry Potter" film flew into theaters this weekend and

cast a spell over fans worldwide, as the final movie about the boy

wizard had the highest-grossing opening of all time at the domestic

and international box office.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" conjured an

unprecedented $168.6 million in the U.S. and Canada in just three

days, whizzing past the $158.4 million record set by 2008's "The

Dark Knight," according to an estimate by distributor Warner Bros.

The movie also had the biggest international debut ever, grossing a

magical $307 million overseas in 59 foreign countries.

The last installment in the massively popular franchise began

breaking box-office records only hours after it opened on Friday —

selling more tickets during post-midnight screenings than any other

movie in history, and then passing the milestone for all-time

highest single-day-gross with $92.1 million. The movie went on to

gross far more than any "Harry Potter" film has on its first

weekend in theaters. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,"

released last November, previously held that record with $125

million in ticket sales upon its debut.

Abroad, the film topped the $236 million opening of "Harry Potter

and the Half-Blood Prince" by 30 percent. Not surprisingly, the

movie performed best in England, where author J.K. Rowling and the

film's major stars are from, collecting $36.6 million. The movie

also raked in a big number of ticket sales in Australia, Germany

and France. It will not open in China until next month.

But just how big can the numbers get? Did the franchise's die-hard

fans all rush out to see the final "Potter" movie on its first

weekend, or will they continue to show up in the coming weeks for

repeat viewings? "Deathly Hallows Part 1" grossed a powerful $955

million worldwide in 2010, and Dan Fellman, president of domestic

distribution for Warner Bros., said he thinks that the last film's

momentum will propel it past the $1 billion mark at the global box

office.

"We had the most successful franchise in the history of the motion

picture business and we had a huge fan base. We also got fantastic

reviews," Fellman said. "That all enables us to expand our

footprint. We are going to be around for a long time."

Those who saw the film did love it

Those who saw the film did love it, giving it an average grade of A, according to market research film CinemaScore. "Deathly Hallows Part 2," also the best-reviewed film of the series, appealed to a broad audience, though the crowd was somewhat more female (54 percent) than male (46 percent). Folks of all ages saw the movie: 28 percent of the crowd was younger than 18, while 20 percent was between the ages of 45 and 49. The film was also the first in the franchise to be released in 3-D, and about 43 percent of the audience watched it in that format.

"Avatar," the highest-grossing film in the history of the box office, grossed $2.8 billion worldwide in 2009 — a record "Deathly Hallows Part 2" likely won't come close to touching. The majority of the audience who saw the James Cameron film watched it in 3-D, but "Potter" fans do not appear to be as eager to purchase a pricier ticket to do the same.

"To expect this 'Potter' movie to do 'Avatar' numbers isn't realistic when none of the other 'Potter' films have done over a billion dollars worldwide," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division for Hollywood.com. "Certainly this is going to be the 'Potter' film that gets over a billion dollars. And only eight films have ever earned over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office."

The final "Potter," Dergarabedian believes, does have a viable shot of becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time, behind "Avatar" and "Titanic," which made $1.8 billion globally in 1997. Unlike those movies, however, "Harry Potter" has a host of ancillary marketing opportunities, including theme parks and video games that will continue to make money for Warner Bros. outside of the film franchise for years to come.

Interestingly, a bulk of the U.S. business for "Deathly Hallows Part 2" came from Salt Lake City. Utah's Megaplex Theaters at Jordan Commons sold more tickets to the final "Potter" film than any other theater in the country with $360,400 in receipts. Theaters in New York and San Francisco followed behind, but the fifth highest-grossing theater was also in Salt Lake.