iwasthinking

It being almost time for the newest sports dynasty to win another round, here’s some Super Bowl Highlights you may not see on tv. What a pity.

The Question of the week is up, and week eight has been selected.

I was going to make this a short and snarky: With a guillotine across the throat of anyone suggesting it. Unfortunately, since everyone else is being mute, it’s my duty to stir the pot just a bit.

Censoring starts, and should end at home. It is neither the job, nor the right of government to decide what I can and can’t see, hear, read, or wear. If I choose to get on TV and sing about a sexual encounter I had in an airliner bathroom with two flight attendants, and I happen to have video of it playing, so be it. If you are offended by it, it is your TV you can turn it off. You can change the channel. If someone writes a book that depicts carnal acts involving six men a goat four pints of ice dream and enough leather to upholster a car, you have the right not to read it, you have the right to be offended. You can choose for yourself, and for your minor children, in your home. However, your rights end there. America is not supposed to have thought police, or a Synod of Censors. And yet in all violation of the first amendment there is the FCC.

Some of you recall I joined the Homespun Bloggers recently; they do a weekly Symposium with each participant posting their reply on their own blog. This weeks question is below.

What are my predictions for the Iraqi elections?

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
but the news coverage is so delightful,
let it blow,
let it blow,
let it blow....

... and as proof : Click.

Danke Kevin..

There continue to be stories of hope amid the heartrending aftermath. One story details the survival stories of a few children, and the other discusses a pregnant woman who had clung to a tree for five days, been carried out to sea and then rescued by a passing tuna boat.

The other night I was driving up the highway, about 11pm. As my eyes flicked to the rearview, I realized I recognized the shape of the front end of the car pulling up on my left about eight car lengths back. It was a cruiser, no lights, no siren. It passed me a few seconds later, I was going about seventy. He was going probably about seventy-five or a touch more. The speed limit, fifty.



It’s snowing here in the northeast. I was talking to my mother before I left for work and she was nattering on that I needed to be careful. I reminded her I got my license in a snowstorm, and have driven in bad storms before on numerous occasions. She said, "You’re only seventeen you aren't old enough to have seen a real blizzard". At this point we both started laughing. I said, "Wow progress! When did you add fifteen years to your mental image of my age?"

Please note I do not say "man hunt" because this creature is not. It is slime, the basest confluences of genetic and social depravity.

It is a convicted child molester, and has recently kidnapped the son of the person who had (unknowingly) letting it live with him. The child was found ok, it has escaped. Its name is "Frederic Fretz". And is a known sex offender in Pennsylvania and Arizona. Should you see it, report it to the police.

Please note that Pennsylvania does not have an online sex offender registry, and Arizona does not list it under its birth name. Florida did a much better name and even provides a list of known aliases.

FBI list of state sex offender registries.

The Cunning Linguist has an interesting series on ficticiou substances...
Varifrank has a post on neighbors...
J'Myle talks about the things he wishes he could see today...
The Rant rips out his list of best and worst presidents....
Antitheton meaders around the issue of seperation of church and state....

I'll post when its being less of a PITA.

I'll post when its being less of a PITA.

Blogger is being unpleasant. Some posts when it decides to play nice.

Remember to call your mom kids!

Click.



Thanks Kevin.

Click

Thank you james.

So why am I mentioning this?

I crossed the 100 post mark a couple weeks back. I think i should now post a couple 'best of' links if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

I've just joined the Home Spun Bloggers, make sure you check out all my new friends and tell them i said hi.

Hat tip to Joe of the Moderate Voice, Guest Blogging at Dean's World.

First TCL

Perhaps if we spend more money on things like education and
tools for education (libraries, museums, art, music and culture), we
might get more kids interested in learning on their own. Back in
Illinois, my school took us on field trips to Shedd Aquarium, the Museum
of Science and Industry, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. It got me
interested in learning about things outside of school, and instead of
sitting in class, staring at the chalkboard for 6 hours a day, we got to
watch SCUBA divers feed sharks, and look at rocks that fell from space!
I became extremely interested in geology for a number of years, all
because of trips to museums. In turn, I went to the library to learn
more about xeolinths, lava flows and geologic faults, which nurtured an
interest about natural disasters and the earth in general, which is a
hobby that I still pursue to this day.

I do agree that more hands on and participatory education is needed in
the form of field trips, unfortunately with this you are again running
into a nasty area. America, as I touched on is as much or more a fear
ruled society as it is reason ruled one. The odds of a terrorist attack,
or even ‘ordinary’ accidents are miniscule, yet many if not most schools
have either severely curtailed or eliminated such trip since 9/11.

Now James

Our CO and the Cunning Linguist try very hard to escape the
gravitational pull of this huge planet, this personal experience, but in
the end they, too, crash and burn.

I beg to differ. My driving has got to be the closest thing to wingless
flight one can accomplish, and I’ve not had an accident in oh, hours.

That is the genius of public education in America. We did
have something in common back then, and we still do, no matter what
academic track we were on, no matter what occupational destination we
shared. Not because we came from the same class or race or gender, but
because we were taught—not necessarily by our teachers--to negotiate our
differences by reference to the inheritances we call American history
and literature. (For some of us, yes, by reference to Mathematics, as
well, a universal language, to be sure, but the fissures and
consequences were narrower in that domain.)

While there is something to be said for shared experience in school, and
I do believe to some experience it is needed, it is not the be all end
all of education, not even close. Teaching children the mislabeled
“three r’s” is the responsibility of the education system. Teaching
children to be sociable like providing religious and or personal
philosophical guidance is, and should remain the job of the parents.

The CO and Sidial agree on the need for what we used to call
tracking. "Separate out the kids according to ability, intelligence, and
zeal for learning," as the latter puts it. I wonder. My most boring
moments in high shool came in my "honors" classes, and my most
electrifying moments came after I was kicked out of them, after my
junior year.

Doesn’t this go back to the personal responsibility that you were
preaching about a few paragraphs ago? I reveled in my advanced classes.
I could read on a high school level by fourth grade, and a college level
by sixth. If you failed to learn in the more challenging classes it
presents one of three major problems and their associated subsets:
1) The ‘advanced’ classes were nothing of the sort and only dubbed that
way to stroke the ego’s of parents and some students.
2) You did not appreciate the challenge of the advanced classes and were
content getting “easy A’s” in the mainstream classes.
3) You were on the borderline between ‘average’ and ‘advanced’

Of these problems number three is by far the murkiest, if that is for
the sake of discussion the best answer it immediately raises several
questions: “Could you have done better if you stuck to books and not
sports?”, “Should students be enrolled in ‘advanced’ classes on a course
by course level and not on an all or nothing basis?”, “Were you really
motivated to be there, and did you understand enough of what being a
part of those classes could mean to your future?” the list goes on and
on, and varies quite widely from student to student. I for example
excelled at English, history, and science but struggled with math
classes, my brother was just the opposite, he did wonderful in math and
hated English and history. There are differences including how people
learn: visual, auditory and the other variations, that effect the
outcome of how much people learn more than simple “IQ” explains.

Tom's responce to TCL

The only way to fix this problem is to create a societal
situation where the consequences of having more children than you can
support (from both the male and female prespective, of course) are
unacceptable. How do we do that, you ask? We first warn everyone that
we're about to take some drastic action. Then we give them a chance to
shape up with continued warnings. Then, we follow through with our
drastic action, namely we stop supporting them beyond what we are
already giving away.

This one you are going to need to explain carefully. What kind of
consequences? Not helping the kids? And if so isn’t that punishing the
children at best, and potentially negligent homicide at worst? Taking
the kids away? Sure, our foster care system is a lot better than the
lack of safety net in a lot of countries but its already overburdened.
Further we need to stop the revolving door that some judges and policy
makers have put into place where the birth family is by default the best
place for the all parties concerned. Not to be too crass, but I don’t
give a $@#% about the parents, grandparents or the ninety-some cousins.
They can all fall off the end of the planet. Putting a child back with a
child molester is inexcusable, putting them back with people who have
failed to complete alcohol and drug counseling likewise.

Derek (not quite in order)

The Democrats--well, they're lost. The Republican drift to
the left has pushed Democrats somewhere to the far side of George
McGovern.

Oh Boy is that one for another day...

I am no expert on education. I do, however, have a little
insight into human nature. Those in power tend to consolidate power.
Controlling the system of education is a goal of every despotic regime;
if you lead them while they're young, they'll willingly follow you as
adults.

I’m not a huge fan of government sponsored education, however, it does
have a much better chance of getting people all on the same playing
field than each city block having its own privately run school. Also, if
for no other reason than making sure people are being educated there
needs to be someone saying ‘the standard is here’. I happen to think
that for a lot of things the standard is set to low in the public system.

Some of the friends I admire most teach in public schools,
and our daughter has attended the local schools since kindergarten. I
assure you, though, that we've been very aware of what's been taught,
especially in the early grades. My wife used to volunteer at the school
during the day and was on a first-name basis with the principals of the
elementary and middle school.

It is good to see their are parents who pay attention. I work with a
youth group where half the parents drop their children off and
disappear, i think most of the parents have only met myself or the club
leader oncestyle="font-style:italic;"> and yet they leave their kids there
for 3-4 hours.

J'Myle

That touches on what the answer should be. Schools, above all else,
should attempt to equip our children with the ability to think
critically, with the ability to reason. All else follows. James'
goals—literacy, social mobility, civic discourse—can only be achieved in
schools whose pupils are able to think critically. Solving every problem
on Sidal's laundry list is meaningless if students are still unable to
think for themselves. Find students who can do that, and solving those
problems becomes much easier, because the students will be right there
with you.

Again this goes back to ours being a society of fear. No it is not to
the extent of North Korea, China, or a few other hellholes, but one
where fear is the preferred motivator. There are a lot of parents who
want their parents to learn what to think, not how. I personally have
several very, very good idea’s where this comes from, but I’ll leave
that for later. Where it comes from is important, getting rid of it, is
more important.

...enough cash to keep the student:teacher ratio at no more
than 20:1—twenty-five, tops. A bad teacher with twelve students will
teacher better than a great teacher with fifty-four. If any of you doubt
that for a second, I will give you a tour of my old high school and
prove it.

I think, that if public school alternatives got enough (non financial)
support that this could go a long way towards shrinking class sizes.


And that folks is all i have time for right now, more later.

--
The Casual Observer
Proudly disturbing the web at
http://www.iwt.blogspot.com & http://www.blogspectrum.blogspot.com
"The necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude, and perseverance." Samuel Adams




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January in New England is Mother Nature's way of saying turn your head and cough.

The Nasa Version.


HollyWeird has did their take, now NASA does theirs. Nasa is hoping for a crash and burn, HollyWeird desperately feared one.

NASA is sending a probe into space that will impact with a comet to get us information on its somposition and shape. It's expected to arrive on ID4.

Is HollyWeird infulencing NASA or the other way around...

... my persistant paternalism.

But God damn do i have a good team over at BlogSpectrum.

James has talked about the social and family dynamics involved in education.

Derek wasted no time in jumping in and voicing concerns over government run education.

His Cunningness and Her Pestiness waxed lyrical about the difference a good teacher can make, and addressed over crowding, and how government (local and up) can make things worse.

The supposedly Inappropriate J'Myle made some dead in the black points on localization of education and what it can do.

Tom mounted an attack on government waste and mismanagement of education that would make Alexander look merely ok.

I mentioned various specifics of what i feel needs to be changed, and why feel wholly outshined.

"I believe he is the only one capable of taking us to the safe side of this ocean of conflict," Mohammed Juma

"A people who don't elect their leaders and rulers freely are slaves or even worse,".

The question remains though:

It works so well... that I’ve decided when I run for public office that it will be my strategy, I won't answer issues questions, I won't shake babies and kiss hands, I’ll just whine until people agree to vote for me.

Several weeks ago, I whined at the self described "Attention Whore" The Cunning Linguist, and he decided to join the BlogSpectrum team, again probably just to shut me up. Somehow, the moss and mold bestrewn piece of discarded silly putty I occasionally refer to as my brain managed not to update the team member listing at the time. That's done now, go visit the boy and tell him you'll ravish him with the attention he deserves.


The other person I was whining at this week has also decided to come play at BlogSpectrum. Derek who maintains his own thought repository over at Weapon of Mass Distraction is another of the new righties who caved to my Piteous Whine of Doom I was looking for; hopefully this will inspire Walt & Quilly to remember where the page is. Of course, if any of you want to go remind them feel free.

*Updated to correct my mental flatulence.

(This post will stay at the top saturday, scroll down.)

The Annual Bloggies have opened nominations. In my infinite humility, I suggest that I deserve to be nominated.

Categories i'd have a hope of being voted for include:
Best Blog about Politics.
Best American Blog.
Best Blog of the Year.
Best-Kept-Secret Weblog.
Best New Weblog.

Feel free to nominate me for any or all (especially the second one) of those categories.

While you are there:

There is a category for best group blog.

I think you know which blog to put at the top of your ballot there. I won't even include a link to them anywhere in this post.

I suppose along with your nomination in this category you could include:
The Mod-Blog and Blackfive.

I think I spent about five hours on my post a BlogSpectrum today. Thanks to interruptions, computer crankiness, and the difficulty of finding the right information that's more time than I normally spend on three days of posting. Anyway, my post is now up.

iwasthinking

For those who haven't run across it there is a blog setup with all indepth information on the Tsunami and its after affects, and how to help.

... even if you don't agree with him, the boy can think, and does so.

DaMassPhilosopher


His post is on Social Security reform, something that will probably not exist by the time he gets old enough to retire.

... will have noted that I've updated the links in the sidebar. This was not so that i could practice cutting and pasting.

Mans best friend has earnd the reputation thousands of times. Selvakumar a dog in a small village in India made the count a notch higher. He saved the seven year old Dinakaran from the Tsunami.


To help make sure Selvakur's effort is not in vain, go donate.

While not going as far as the Massachuesetts legal equality of marriage regardless of the gender of the participants, the law going into affect today in California was an important step toward protecting the civil rights of homosexuals. The law is being challenged as a violation to the "intent"of the states Proposition 22 which bans gay marriage. This domestic partnership law does not confer tax benefits but does convey most other rights.

Leave a comment and tell me what language you read this in. I'd love to know.