http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=wWwv6kBkcTbYktwbjrJkskjtdhknjqvf
As we encourage many millions of our undereducated offspring, who were never weaned from Huxley's Glass Teat, to attend college, and pour billions of dollars into a "qualification," and despite poor performance in their public institutions, most of our little mediocre progeny, of which we -who are also mediocre- are so proud, with little foresight of how they'll survive, are again forced into the same situation they have just come from and do not make it. Many flush their life savings and financial lifeboats down the drain, and eventually end up in jobs they could have easily done without a Bachelor's degree.
Most college-bound humans, those who are properly ejected from our, according to many reviews, defunct, high school systems, have NO idea who they are or what they want to do with the rest of their tiny, pitiful, wasted, fleeting lives. Few of them I have come across can actually maintain a love relationship, let alone a meaningful JOB.
According to many sources, such as TIME Magazine, the 2009 class is going to be the biggest college-bound class on record, and I would just like to know how many will graduate.
The problem with the college system - especially undergraduate- in my institution, is the general courses incoming freshmen are required to take. Called GEs [general ed], many of these courses are redundant or irrelevant, especially Racism & Sexism in the US (while I did do well in the class, my grade came from previous understanding of society and not necessarily from class material), and some social science courses (one is necessary, instead of two). History courses cover things that are inconsequential to current events: Often the course ends before, at, or soon after WW1, leaving many important developments unexplored. I am not at all arguing that history before WW1 is inconsequential (no it certainly is not!), but if the goal is to turn babes still sucking on the Glass Teat into intelligent human beings who can continue the American tradition, a course devoted to US history, and a course devoted to modern history is required. Science classes are rigorous, but too much attention to facts is paid, so that minimal attention is given to methodology and creative experimentation, leaving students, without any notion of what science is, open to pseudoscience and dishonest PR campaigns from the far-right. Of all GE requirements, the most worthless is Music Appreciation. Most college students are not interested in classical music, and those that are (such as myself) do not wish to take tests on the composers and periods. My rationale for not liking the class is that I listen to contemporary classical music on my own time, and in place of listening to it in class, we should be learning about why the Middle East is having so many problems. Enjoyment or knowledge of classical music is completely inconsequential to one's quality of life, unless a question involving Chopin ends up on Double Jeopardy. But something so trivial should have no place influencing one's academic standing.
As degree inflation takes hold, the struggle for the top saps more and more money, and colleges only make completion more difficult by adding course and credit requirements.
The solution? Many high-end institutions advocate taking a year off, which truly gives potential college students the time to "find themselves" and watch TV. This cuts down on, for those who decide to continue their education, time dawdling and dabbling in a variety of majors, and reducing the time it takes to finish successufully. Also the process might eliminate the competition many underachievers with pushy parents present.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
More Bad Decisions
Curious George and his minions strike again, this time for the WORST decision I have listed in my recent previous posts. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24065416/
The notorious Plum Island biochemical experimental facility on the east coast, which is currently dealing with diseases that only affect animals, is going to be moved. Where are they moving it to? NEAR FARMLAND.
Some think Bush is destroying the government to prove a point, that you can't depend on the gov't, but this decision goes far beyond that: Not only can you not depend onn the gov't, but you can't even depend on the gov't to leave you alone.
Such a move in itself, depending on the voting patterns of agricultural union members, could be an act of bioterrorism. We can expect Congress to do nothing, and our megalomaniac yet idiotic executive to get whatever he wants.
The only voice I hear crying "Death to America!" is yours, Mr Bush. It is you, and the undereducated fundamentalist rabble-rousers who elected you who cause me to so despise this nation, on top of our imperialistic history. Most of us have learned and want to do the right thing, but your stubborn stupidity stands in our way. We know why you went into Iraq, we know why you hate science, we know everything. We know that you, and the people who elected you, such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson, and all of the Republican sycophants at Fox News, hate America [700 Club September 13th, 2001] and can (and did) do more damage to it than Osama bin Laden could dream of. Get out of the White House. Now.
The notorious Plum Island biochemical experimental facility on the east coast, which is currently dealing with diseases that only affect animals, is going to be moved. Where are they moving it to? NEAR FARMLAND.
Some think Bush is destroying the government to prove a point, that you can't depend on the gov't, but this decision goes far beyond that: Not only can you not depend onn the gov't, but you can't even depend on the gov't to leave you alone.
Such a move in itself, depending on the voting patterns of agricultural union members, could be an act of bioterrorism. We can expect Congress to do nothing, and our megalomaniac yet idiotic executive to get whatever he wants.
The only voice I hear crying "Death to America!" is yours, Mr Bush. It is you, and the undereducated fundamentalist rabble-rousers who elected you who cause me to so despise this nation, on top of our imperialistic history. Most of us have learned and want to do the right thing, but your stubborn stupidity stands in our way. We know why you went into Iraq, we know why you hate science, we know everything. We know that you, and the people who elected you, such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson, and all of the Republican sycophants at Fox News, hate America [700 Club September 13th, 2001] and can (and did) do more damage to it than Osama bin Laden could dream of. Get out of the White House. Now.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Survivalism
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/fashion/06survival.html?ei=5124&en=a6b25249a30293e3&ex=1365134400&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink&pagewanted=all
I've been thinking the same thing for a while. I may be that kind of person who can imagine any and every kind of dystopian future, but what happens when it all truly comes right to our doorstep?
With socially-irresponsible corporations dominating government policy, we've been setting ourselves up for a very unpleasant future, and the bell may soon toll.
My mother and I sort of share the same kind of survivalist mindset, except hers is influenced by Discovery shows about natural disasters, whereas I'm influenced by the very real and very close possibility of a cataclysm of a series of political disasters of such magnitude and swiftness as to completely change our lives for the worst for a prolonged period of time. I'm talking about the combined forces of:
Islamic extremism
a. Middle East
b. Radicalization of Muslim populations in Europe
Bush's wars and the destruction of the American Constitution
Energy crisis
Expanding Economic crisis
Environmental crises:
a. Globalization of manual labor and deficient use of the land in farming
b. Climate Change
c. Peak Oil.
Christian Nationalism and End-Times Theology (John Hagee & John McCain: Proposal to Attack Iran to Initiate Second Coming)
The combined consequences of these "bad decisions" will be so large as to potentially cause our civilization to completely collapse. We have not been responsible and the time might soon come to pay.
But there are those of us who are not even indirectly responsible for these things, who know how badly we have been behaving. For us, BE PREPARED: Food, water, emergency supplies, etc. How can we live without society? What do we need in order to be independent of something that no longer exists?
Just know that we cannot depend on our government, as it cannot make responsible decisions.
It has become as such that we need to think for ourselves.
I've been thinking the same thing for a while. I may be that kind of person who can imagine any and every kind of dystopian future, but what happens when it all truly comes right to our doorstep?
With socially-irresponsible corporations dominating government policy, we've been setting ourselves up for a very unpleasant future, and the bell may soon toll.
My mother and I sort of share the same kind of survivalist mindset, except hers is influenced by Discovery shows about natural disasters, whereas I'm influenced by the very real and very close possibility of a cataclysm of a series of political disasters of such magnitude and swiftness as to completely change our lives for the worst for a prolonged period of time. I'm talking about the combined forces of:
Islamic extremism
a. Middle East
b. Radicalization of Muslim populations in Europe
Bush's wars and the destruction of the American Constitution
Energy crisis
Expanding Economic crisis
Environmental crises:
a. Globalization of manual labor and deficient use of the land in farming
b. Climate Change
c. Peak Oil.
Christian Nationalism and End-Times Theology (John Hagee & John McCain: Proposal to Attack Iran to Initiate Second Coming)
The combined consequences of these "bad decisions" will be so large as to potentially cause our civilization to completely collapse. We have not been responsible and the time might soon come to pay.
But there are those of us who are not even indirectly responsible for these things, who know how badly we have been behaving. For us, BE PREPARED: Food, water, emergency supplies, etc. How can we live without society? What do we need in order to be independent of something that no longer exists?
Just know that we cannot depend on our government, as it cannot make responsible decisions.
It has become as such that we need to think for ourselves.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Bad Decisions
In the United States for the past few decades, personal and parental responsibility has taken a back seat to paranoid policies, such as this one:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23928454/ Little Kids Labelled Sexual Harrassers.
WTF? Somewhere in school policy there has been serious confusion in what we do with our kids in the dystopia in which we live. Yes, we have sex on everywhere, and kids get confused (obviously) and maybe mimic behavior on a minor scale, but the solution is not a zero-tolerance policy for 6th graders involving police reports and permanent school records. Somewhere administrators have lost focus and completely missed the point: These 6 year olds have no idea what any of it means.
The solution? Bring both the offended and the offender into the office, and call the parents and tell them to talk to their kids about sex, if the school district doesnt have the brains or the vertebrae to do it themselves. "Oh theyre too young" No they aren't, especially if theyre mimicking adult sexual behavior. Also, a simple "because [we] said so" will not suffice. Kids are not the innocent little people adults like to think they are. They're smart. If you don't give them a reason, they are likely to continue the behavior, and only try not to get caught. In the words of Graham Greene, "Innocence is a kind of insanity"1.
Talk to your kids. Be the responsible parents yours never were.
1. Greene, Graham. The Quiet American.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a lighter note, Creative Labs, if natural selection applies to corporations, should go out of business. Vista drivers for XP- and earlier-generation sound cards have long been defective, and one rogue programmer in the company wrote drivers that worked, and released them independently. Creative Labs asked him to stop releasing the drivers for fear of the source code being leaked, and so he did.
What Creative Labs should have done, but isn't smart enough to do, is release his drivers as property of Creative and settle the matter. As of yet, they have not, and simply decided to leave the defective drivers as they stand. Some view this as a scheme to force the consumers to buy top-of-the-line sound cards, which isn't fair.
Stop buying Creative products until the EOs learn the hard way, and give them what they deserve.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23928454/ Little Kids Labelled Sexual Harrassers.
WTF? Somewhere in school policy there has been serious confusion in what we do with our kids in the dystopia in which we live. Yes, we have sex on everywhere, and kids get confused (obviously) and maybe mimic behavior on a minor scale, but the solution is not a zero-tolerance policy for 6th graders involving police reports and permanent school records. Somewhere administrators have lost focus and completely missed the point: These 6 year olds have no idea what any of it means.
The solution? Bring both the offended and the offender into the office, and call the parents and tell them to talk to their kids about sex, if the school district doesnt have the brains or the vertebrae to do it themselves. "Oh theyre too young" No they aren't, especially if theyre mimicking adult sexual behavior. Also, a simple "because [we] said so" will not suffice. Kids are not the innocent little people adults like to think they are. They're smart. If you don't give them a reason, they are likely to continue the behavior, and only try not to get caught. In the words of Graham Greene, "Innocence is a kind of insanity"1.
Talk to your kids. Be the responsible parents yours never were.
1. Greene, Graham. The Quiet American.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a lighter note, Creative Labs, if natural selection applies to corporations, should go out of business. Vista drivers for XP- and earlier-generation sound cards have long been defective, and one rogue programmer in the company wrote drivers that worked, and released them independently. Creative Labs asked him to stop releasing the drivers for fear of the source code being leaked, and so he did.
What Creative Labs should have done, but isn't smart enough to do, is release his drivers as property of Creative and settle the matter. As of yet, they have not, and simply decided to leave the defective drivers as they stand. Some view this as a scheme to force the consumers to buy top-of-the-line sound cards, which isn't fair.
Stop buying Creative products until the EOs learn the hard way, and give them what they deserve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)