With the bad news that we are being rezoned for West High School, I thought I should look for some positive information about the school. Apparently, the D.A.R.E. program gives the students beer and cigarettes so after a hard day of work I should be able to ask my daughter to pass me a smoke and a brewsky. And before someone asks, why is it bad? I have spent the better part of a decade being involved in Rocky Hill, Bearden Middle, and Bearden High. On one issue, I was on the phone regularly for 3 years including one on one chats with Lindsey to solve the problem. I have a vested interested in the school. And I feel strongly that this upheaval is socio-economic and not about overcrowding.
Category: Health
Knox County School Rezoning
Stupid! Here’s hoping Roy E Mullins, Interim Superintendent’s "interim" is brief. And here’s hoping that our Board of Education has smarts enough to vote down this plan! (See also: Knoxnews report, Cathy’s letter, Cathy’s ire, Knoxviews, and a board of education member doing the right thing.)
Knox County Schools Let’s Me Know Who’s Boss
Rant. You know, it’s the schools that will lead America away from democracy.
How do you measure stress?
I know my stress is up. I am having dizzy spells again and I am out of coffee.
On Programmers – you are one or you aren’t
I started college as a computer science student. I switched to the college of engineering because I knew "electrical engineers make all the money." One of the professors (actually, I think he was a department head) tried to convince me to stay in computers or "at least take one more class" to which I declined and he said, "you’ll be back." True to his word I returned, battered and bruised with a diminished gpa, to the college of liberal arts to study computer science. I asked why out of 500 students he tried to encourage me in such a way. He simply said, "you have a knack for computers." That remains on of the biggest compliments I have received.
I read more frequently articles that reference programmers and non-programmers. I read one that documented my case claiming that early in an intro to computer science course you can separate which students will succeed as programmers and the ones that will never understand.
But the dirty little secret of the software development industry is that this is also true even for people who can program: there’s a vast divide between good developers and mediocre developers. A mediocre developer can program his or her heart out for four years, but that won’t magically transform them into a good developer. And the good developers always seem to have a natural knack for the stuff from the very beginning. [Source]
I don’t have the ego to say I am a great programmer but my work frequently has me altering code done by lesser programmers and, although the teacher in me wants to reach out to them, I have to wonder if they wouldn’t be better served by a career change.
Because self-esteem is important
Have you shown your children the evolution film lately? Campaign For Real Beauty also has interactive quizzes and tools to facilitate communication with your child.
Too many girls develop low self-esteem from hang-ups about looks and, consequently, fail to reach their full potential in later life. So, we’ve created the Dove Self-Esteem Fund as an agent of change to educate and inspire girls on a wider definition of beauty. [Source]
Here are some fantastic examples! The interface is a little slow. You click a picture and it will enlarge then click the large picture to see the original version. Click the pictures showing legs to see how artists remove fat, raise the hips, and shorten dresses. Some are quite dramatic. I found the bike to interesting as I thought the before picture of the child’s dress was fine and do not understand why they felt it needed shortening.
Update: Here’s another filmnow private but not as good as the evolution film.
Update: Some pictures showing the power of makeuporiginal link material missing.
Good Comedy Tonight: “The State of the Union Show”
I know the comedian’s punchline to his best joke has already been leaked: "Your privatized health care system gives you too many benefits" so I thought I would give you some additional background to make the humor even greater.
…most Americans are unaware that the United States is the only country in the developed world that doesn’t already have a fundamentally public–that is, tax-supported–health care system.
That means that the United States has been the unwitting control subject in a 30-year, worldwide experiment comparing the merits of private versus public health care funding…
So, instead of getting on the air tonight and saying that we are spoiled with our lousy health care, shouldn’t Mr. President get on the air and declare that we are going to begin moving toward Universal Health Care?
There are many common arguments for and against universal health care. Those in favor of universal health care often point out that it would provide health care to the people who currently do not have it. Opponents of universal health care often argue that universal healthcare may require higher taxes. These opponents also claim that the absence of a market mechanism may slow innovation in treatment and research, and leads to rationing of care through waiting lists. Both sides of the political spectrum have also looked to more philosophical arguments, debating whether or not people have a fundamental right to have health care provided to them by their government. [Source]
I wonder how the 50 million uninsured Americans are going to respond to the president’s "Gold-plated health care plans".
I wonder if they realize some people have to pay more just to get some basic coverage because they are identified as uninsurable by health insurance companies. [Source]
Hmmm. Canada? I wonder what the education is like up there. Let’s see. Socialized health care. Less infant mortality and longer life at less cost. Legalized marijuana. Oh! I get it. Isn’t Canada where all the hippies went instead of Vietnam? Eh?
Have your PI and understand it too
If you never understood PI then this animation will help you visualize it.
This number is real but irrational, transcendental, and cannot be constructed with compass and straightedge. [Source]
More Online Educational Resources
The Internet is packed with more than just information for your children’s education. The Internet has plenty of free online learning resources for adults too! Berkley web and pod casts.
PETA Wins! The cows are free to go.
Looks like the future of our meat supply could be from labs not farms.
A single cell could theoretically produce enough meat to feed the world’s population for a year. [Source]
This could be a boon to the fast food industry if it meant cheaper meat! But don’t worry. We are at least a decade away before the protests of "that’s not right" come.
The technology to grow a juicy steak, however, is still a decade or so away. No one has yet figured out how to grow blood vessels within tissue. [Source]
The Internet Is Great For Education
This year I have tried to make a better effort of going to the children’s school book’s publisher’s websites and make use of the online tools. They have quizes and tests and aides to enhance the learning. Homeschooler’s have absolutely embraced the web. I often find great sites like Presidents Secret History that make education fun for the children. Don’t forget, you can also rate your children’s teachers.
I am not an Aspie
According to this quiz, I am unlikely to have Asperger’s Syndrome.
Vicodin should be OTC
A couple of Vicodin would save Cathy’s life today. Medicines like Vicodin and Valium should be sold over the counter. Perhaps, like the meth drugs, quantities should simply be traced to watch for abuse. If too many are being sold to a particular person, they can be referred to a doctor. The way we handle health care in this country is pathetic.
I know the wealthy can have as many drugs as they want and even don’t need. I knew a wealthy person that popped Vicodin like House. The poor have to suffer. It’s not right.
How long can you hold stress?
I was thinking about stress while driving around today…btw, for the Knoxvillians, the James White Parkway ramp from I-40E is closed until September of next year…anyhow, I think I have been chronically stressed since 1992. Yup. That’s it.
Santa Isn’t At the North Pole!
Santa Claus actually lives in central London! Here’s sending out a special thank you to a special person across the pond who has spread a some extra Christmas cheer to our children at just the right time! Merry Christmas!
