Is the Wake County school system undergoing "militarization" under the tenure of Superintendent Tony Tata?

That's a charge leveled in this Dec. 16 article by Jason Langberg and Lewis Pitts from the liberal Advocates for Children's Services. The article points to Tata's military career, the requirement of Junior ROTC for the new single-sex leadership academies and Wake's recent involvement in cybersecurity competitions.

The authors start by calling the Occupy Wall Street movement an "education justice movement." The piece charges that public education has "undergone a corporate coup" with the "mega-buck mafia’s buyout of public education."

According to reports, Actress Julianne Moore has been tapped to play former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin in HBO's adaptation of 'Game Change,' a 2010 bestseller by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann about the 2008 presidential campaign.

No word yet on when the movie will begin filming or when it might air. Also a mystery is casting for actors to play Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and John and Elizabeth Edwards.

Moore, who was born in Fayetteville, N.C., most recently starred in "The Kids Are Alright," an Oscar-nominated film about two lesbian mothers whose children seek out a relationship with their sperm-donor dad. She has been nominated for four Academy Awards.

Who do you think HBO should cast in the other roles? We like Dennis Quaid for John Edwards....

Should new Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata continue to appear as a guest on national television news show and be a writer on conservative websites?

As noted in today's article, school board members say that Tata's contract allows him to continue those activities as long as he does it on his own time. Since he's typically in those roles because he's a retired Army brigadier general, he's not supposed to mention he's speaking as Wake's superintendent.

The question, which is splitting along partisan lines on the board, is whether Tata should exercise that right. He's on vacation and didn't indicate to board members one way or the other if he'd continue those activities.

Likely new Wake County Superintendent Anthony Tata comes in with a reputation as being a hard worker both in his day job with D.C. Schools and in his night job as a political commentator.

As noted in today's article, former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee praised Tata and said he's ready and qualified to lead the Wake school system. Rhee singled out Tata's work streamlining D.C.'s school nutrition and purchasing programs during his 18 months as chief operating officer.

"He's not a touchy-feely guy who will hold people's hands" Rhee said. "He's very goal oriented. He was a general so he knows about leadership. He knows how to get the job done."

TLC has released some photos from their upcoming reality show, "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

The show premieres on TLC on November 14th (9pm) and will feature the Palin family doing outdoorsy things in Alaska.

Click the photo if you want to see more.

Here's what you've all been waiting for! The first trailer for TLC's new 8-week reality series, "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

From the clip, it looks like the program will show Palin and her family fishin' and huntin' and sleddin' and four-wheelin' and all that good wholesome stuff. At one point Palin says, ""I'd rather be doing this than in some stuffy old political office. I'd rather be out here being free."

Watch Sarah Palin being free:

Our "Dancing with the Stars" correspondent Lenni G on last night's show:

Last night's show featured the worst jive in the show's eleven seasons, a lost bet which will lead to a hot wax moment on a male dancer's legs, and an appearance by the "Killa from Wasilla."
 
Dancing first were Rick Fox (left) and Cheryl Burke doing the jive. Egads, this dance was soooo fast (and good). The former Laker Guy got props from the judges for being a really tall guy with unusually (for a really tall guy) good dance skills.  Judges' scores - 7's from all three for a total of 21.
 
Florence Henderson and Corky Ballas were next with a quick step.  Have to agree with Carrie Ann that Florence is pretty darn incredible for a 76 year old.  I, for one, really appreciate that this "more mature" woman is really taking the competition seriously.  Judges' scores - 7 from Carrie Ann, 6's from Len and Bruno for a total of 19.

Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol Palin has reportedly signed on for the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars" --  a show which continues to bastardize the definition of the word "star."

According to E! Online, the 19-year-old has agreed to do the reality competition show, which begins on September 20. Also competing, according to E!, David Hasselhoff, Audrina Patridge ("The Hills"),  singer/actress Brandy, and The Situation ("Jersey Shore"). E! reports that Kirstie Alley and "Bachelorette" Ali Fedotowsky are so far not signed to the show.

Bristol Palin (pictured here with former fiance Levi Johnston) has also appeared in the ABC Family drama "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."

The magazine InTouch Weekly reports that Kate Gosselin recently took her gang of eight to Alaska to meet up with former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, all for her TLC reality show "Kate Plus 8."

The magazine says that Palin, Kate, and the kids go camping, and that Palin's father, a science teacher, gives the kids a "hands-on natural history lesson." We hope it's not shooting a wolf or skinning a moose.

The magazine's source does say Palin gives Kate a lesson in how to avoid bears. Too bad she can't go back in time and teach her how to avoid dogs.

Sarah Palin has her own reality show coming soon to TLC, which has been described as being about "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

Bristol Palin will make her acting debut on July 5 in a teen pregnancy-themed episode of ABC Family's drama, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."

Time magazine says it's not so much acting as "standing very still and saying lines," but you can see for yourself.

Click below to watch a clip.