Samuels Public Library: where the most trifling denizens of FroRo congregate when the other vagabond spots are closed.
Now, I am not one to talk. I consider the library one of the places I can most often be found aside from my home and school. I like the fact that it has free internet, many interesting books, and a great library staff that is both helpful and polite (not like most of the librarians I have come across in my life).
But I am nothing like the rest of the people that come here. I have often described the people who frequent the library as the dregs of FroRo society, and I think today is a day that proves my point unlike any other. Just moments ago, as I walked in, I noticed two things about the current state of the library: 1) that there were a lot of people here and 2) holy shit it smelled like burnt rubber and ass! As I gathered more information about the scene, I realized that these two facts were intimately correlated, as the vast majority of people in here were some of the fattest, most unkempt looking fuckers I have ever laid eyes upon. The typical cast of characters were all here, namely the Waddler, the Quiet Studying Girl (not trifling for the record, but an established regular), Snoring Old Man, and the Beard Brigade, but this time they brought their families and friends it seemed. So many stained, raggedy shirts! So many people queued for access to computers to check their MySpace! So much BODY ODOR.
As a result, I am here blogging from a carrel in the far recesses of the library. Away from all of the malodorous nonsense going on in the main area. I pray that the cloud of evaporated plebian sweat will not reach me before I can do what I need to do and get out of here.
08 December 2008
20 November 2008
sat testing
thoughts on this article in the NYTimes, from an email to a colleague:
I believe that the test needs to play a prominent role in college admissions. As the piece noted, it is a fairly reliable predictor of graduation rate, which is a very telling statistic. It shows how well students were able to adjust to the college curriculum and succeed at the next level. In terms of what to do about the SAT problem, the burden falls upon the schools. I think that schools systems that are serious about getting more of their students to go to 4 year school or community college, and thus improve the communities that they serve, need to incorporate SAT prep into their curricula. One teacher aptly described this as "pulling from the top" instead of "pushing from the bottom", which would describe the narrow focus on just getting kids to pass the SOLs. If schools don't take any measures to make sure that their students are prepared for the SAT, they are relegating themselves to a never-ending cycle of low socioeconomic standing compared to those districts that invest in their students' performance on these tests. Its not enough to put funding into fee waiver programs, just to see those students get 1000s on the test (all three sections combined).
In summary: the test is flawed, yet it is a useful tool right now. I think to do away with it would be folly, but changes are definitely necessary. Now off to my next SAT prep course for these kids...
I believe that the test needs to play a prominent role in college admissions. As the piece noted, it is a fairly reliable predictor of graduation rate, which is a very telling statistic. It shows how well students were able to adjust to the college curriculum and succeed at the next level.
What I worry about with the loosening of standards for SAT scores in admissions is that students are being admitted into schools that they are not fully ready to compete in. For example, with vocabulary and the SAT... the words featured on the test are not so obscure that one would not expect the average college student to be familiar with them. So if we let students into college who lack these words in their vocabulary, we are faced with two options: 1) let these students proceed in classes where it seems like the professors are speaking a foreign language or 2) "dumb down" the expectations of entering first years' vocabulary, thus leading to an overall watering down of the collegiate experience. I'm not saying that having a small vocabulary should be a barrier for students, but if they are genuinely interested in getting a good education, they need to spend the time to learn the language of complex ideas and creative description.
In summary: the test is flawed, yet it is a useful tool right now. I think to do away with it would be folly, but changes are definitely necessary. Now off to my next SAT prep course for these kids...
11 November 2008
veterans day
Veterans Day
So today is Veterans Day, and sadly I am blogging this day after school because Warren County doesn't feel the need to give its students a holiday for what should be one of the most important non-religious holidays of the year. Why is Veterans Day so important, you ask? What makes it more special than, say, Memorial Day or the 4th of July? My answer is fairly simple, its one word, and its:
PEACE.
As most of you probably know, Veterans Day (11 November) is descended from the earlier Armistice Day (which underwent a name change after World War II), which signified the end of fighting on the western front in World War I. The Great War, as it is also known - especially in Europe - was the first modern conflagration Europe had ever experienced, and the first struggle between nations on a truly global scale. Modern warfare, instead of producing the rapid victories as many prognosticators forecasted, actually produced protracted, meaningless, and horribly destructive warfare when new technology was placed in the hands of 19th century-oriented generals. Millions upon millions died of the war and its after-effects. It was truly horrible, scarring, and set the tone for a century where might was too often conflated with right. Not to say that previous centuries hadn't seen their fair share of bloodshed, but the 20th saw it brought about with cold calculation and ruthless efficiency.
But what does this have to do with Veterans Day, and why students should have the day off of school for it?
Here is my thinking:
Too often days that used to have significance in times of or just after great struggle lose their impact to a generation of relatively coddled and insolent youth. In the interests of blog-integrity, I must include myself in this generation. Although our nation is definitely at war, the military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan pale in comparison to the mobilizations this country has gone through in the past. Needless to say, that these are two ongoing conflicts that are not as high on the national conscience as our World Wars, or even Vietnam, a war to which our current situation is too often compared. Point is, students these days really have no idea what it was like to be alive in times of war like this, what kind of sacrifices everyone had to make, the heartache of having a whole generation wiped out or severely crippled due to war. That ignorance isn't all that bad, either: I bet most people who fought in those wars and lived through those times wouldn't wish it on any other generation. Students, and everyone for that matter, should not be totally ignorant of that hardship. They should know and have a somber reminder of all the pain and struggle each and every Veterans Day. Each year it should serve as a reminder of the bravery of those who serve, and of the undesirable nature of war as a means to resolve conflict between nations. Otherwise, Veterans Day becomes an empty "Hallmark Holiday" where people go through the motions while failing to grasp the significance of what the day actually means. If Veterans Day were taken more seriously, and if everyone learned from a young age what it all meant or should mean...
- Would leaders be as eager to engage in war if their people were fully aware of all the hardship and pain that it entails?
- Would those with few educational options be as intrigued by joining the service if they knew fully what being in a battle is like?
- Would we all demand that our veterans be treated with more care from the government that sent them out to fight if we knew better what they have sacrificed?
- Would more peaceful means be sought to resolve differences between all nations?
I usually don't like to be too serious, and I'm afraid that this post lacks most of the snark present in my average post, but I feel pretty strongly about this day and how it is presented to students. Maybe its because I work in a school. Maybe its because I am a history person and am fascinated by how important World War I was to our current history, or maybe even because I am encouraged by the new serious and thoughtful nature that our incoming presidential administration will bring to this country. I really can't tell for sure. What I do know is this: if someday, god willing, I am an old man high school history teacher, I will be sure to take this day to educate my students on how meaningful it truly is.
So today is Veterans Day, and sadly I am blogging this day after school because Warren County doesn't feel the need to give its students a holiday for what should be one of the most important non-religious holidays of the year. Why is Veterans Day so important, you ask? What makes it more special than, say, Memorial Day or the 4th of July? My answer is fairly simple, its one word, and its:
PEACE.
As most of you probably know, Veterans Day (11 November) is descended from the earlier Armistice Day (which underwent a name change after World War II), which signified the end of fighting on the western front in World War I. The Great War, as it is also known - especially in Europe - was the first modern conflagration Europe had ever experienced, and the first struggle between nations on a truly global scale. Modern warfare, instead of producing the rapid victories as many prognosticators forecasted, actually produced protracted, meaningless, and horribly destructive warfare when new technology was placed in the hands of 19th century-oriented generals. Millions upon millions died of the war and its after-effects. It was truly horrible, scarring, and set the tone for a century where might was too often conflated with right. Not to say that previous centuries hadn't seen their fair share of bloodshed, but the 20th saw it brought about with cold calculation and ruthless efficiency.
But what does this have to do with Veterans Day, and why students should have the day off of school for it?
Here is my thinking:
Too often days that used to have significance in times of or just after great struggle lose their impact to a generation of relatively coddled and insolent youth. In the interests of blog-integrity, I must include myself in this generation. Although our nation is definitely at war, the military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan pale in comparison to the mobilizations this country has gone through in the past. Needless to say, that these are two ongoing conflicts that are not as high on the national conscience as our World Wars, or even Vietnam, a war to which our current situation is too often compared. Point is, students these days really have no idea what it was like to be alive in times of war like this, what kind of sacrifices everyone had to make, the heartache of having a whole generation wiped out or severely crippled due to war. That ignorance isn't all that bad, either: I bet most people who fought in those wars and lived through those times wouldn't wish it on any other generation. Students, and everyone for that matter, should not be totally ignorant of that hardship. They should know and have a somber reminder of all the pain and struggle each and every Veterans Day. Each year it should serve as a reminder of the bravery of those who serve, and of the undesirable nature of war as a means to resolve conflict between nations. Otherwise, Veterans Day becomes an empty "Hallmark Holiday" where people go through the motions while failing to grasp the significance of what the day actually means. If Veterans Day were taken more seriously, and if everyone learned from a young age what it all meant or should mean...
- Would leaders be as eager to engage in war if their people were fully aware of all the hardship and pain that it entails?
- Would those with few educational options be as intrigued by joining the service if they knew fully what being in a battle is like?
- Would we all demand that our veterans be treated with more care from the government that sent them out to fight if we knew better what they have sacrificed?
- Would more peaceful means be sought to resolve differences between all nations?
I usually don't like to be too serious, and I'm afraid that this post lacks most of the snark present in my average post, but I feel pretty strongly about this day and how it is presented to students. Maybe its because I work in a school. Maybe its because I am a history person and am fascinated by how important World War I was to our current history, or maybe even because I am encouraged by the new serious and thoughtful nature that our incoming presidential administration will bring to this country. I really can't tell for sure. What I do know is this: if someday, god willing, I am an old man high school history teacher, I will be sure to take this day to educate my students on how meaningful it truly is.
06 November 2008
history
Because I will never tire of watching these clips, and because NBC is my official network:
(I like the NBC graphic declaring Obama to be the next president:)
(I like the overall MSNBC presentation:)
delicious.
(I like the NBC graphic declaring Obama to be the next president:)
(I like the overall MSNBC presentation:)
delicious.
22 October 2008
irony
If you are as confused about this whole pro/real America versus anti/fake America thing as I am, I would like to share a moment of clarity that I just came to.
To be anti-American, if one follows the presumable meaning of Ms. Palin, is to probably be Republican. Republican-voting states are typically referred to as "red-states" in this poll-crazy, electoral vote counting age we are in.
If you would kindly consider the following picture of the 2004 Electoral Map:
This is the same map, but wit
h only the states as of 1864:
And finally, this is a map of the Union (blue) and Confederate (red) states [Kentucky was really a split state, so we are discounting it here for the sake of argument]:
As you can see, there is a lot of similarity here.
Some would call it ironic that the "pro-America" parts of the country, in fact, used to be the most anti-America states! THE ONES WHO TRIED TO FORM THEIR OWN COUNTRY!!!
To be anti-American, if one follows the presumable meaning of Ms. Palin, is to probably be Republican. Republican-voting states are typically referred to as "red-states" in this poll-crazy, electoral vote counting age we are in.
If you would kindly consider the following picture of the 2004 Electoral Map:
This is the same map, but wit
h only the states as of 1864:And finally, this is a map of the Union (blue) and Confederate (red) states [Kentucky was really a split state, so we are discounting it here for the sake of argument]:
As you can see, there is a lot of similarity here.
Some would call it ironic that the "pro-America" parts of the country, in fact, used to be the most anti-America states! THE ONES WHO TRIED TO FORM THEIR OWN COUNTRY!!!
19 October 2008
fifth column
On my way back from Richmond last Thursday, I decided to listen to the Sean Hannity radio show, just to check the pulse of the rabid right. I was treated to several eye-opening points of view and detected the beginning of what I perceived to be a coherent idea building amongst the wingnuts out there in Fox News-watching, Hannity-listening, National Review-reading world:
ACORN, the most famous tree nut of this political season, is responsible for both the collapse of the stock market AND will deliver the election to Barack Obama this November.
... uh what? Come again?
Yes, you read correctly: the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is single-handedly going to turn the country over to Barack Obama come November 4 (through "one of the greatest frauds of voter history in this country" according to Mr. McCain). How could they pull off such a massive campaign to defraud the naation? Well, its easy when you consider that they have already checked "cause the entire sub-prime mortgage crisis" and "plunge the stock market into over 30% loss in a year" off of your to-do list.
My friends (I couldn't help myself), the rabid right is truly reaching into its bag of dastardly tricks here. I mean, when accusations of "pallin' around with terrorists" aren't sticking, and people don't really give a shit if a candidate is Muslim (muslin?) as long as he has some clue of what is going on with the economy, you really have to dig deep to reverse the slide in the polls that your candidate is facing. And thats what brings us to the latest boogeyman of the radical right. Not your typical poor person or welfare queen or lazy minority, no no, its a group of ALL of them put together fighting for their RIGHTS and SOCIAL-ECONOMIC JUSTICE. God forbid!
ECONOMIC PERIL!
By asking the Big Bad Federal Government to step in and force responsible lenders to issue them loans back in 1977, minorities and other poor rabble are responsible for this economic mess we have found ourselves in! Nevermind the mind-bogglingly complex mortgage-backed derivatives and credit-default swaps, ACORN is the modern descendant of this government handout movement that really screwed us!
ELECTION FRAUD!
By mobilizing voter registration drives in record numbers, ACORN has opened the door ballot booth door for Jive Turkeys all around the country. Nevermind that voter registration fraud is not, in fact, voter fraud (there is a step or two in between), these ACORN people are going to deliver the vote to that socialist Obama, and the country will really go down the crapper - presumably farther than it is now.
- end sarcastic rant -
If this formula sounds slightly familiar, you may have been paying attention in history class. Congratulations! If it is less than familiar or you need a refresher after all these years, I'll break it down for you:
The Right is trying to make ACORN and groups like it out to be this nation's very own FIFTH COLUMN. What is a fifth column, you ask? Lets go to the Wiki, which provides a fairly succinct definition:
Here are some historical fifth columns:
Nationalists in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War (original)
Kulaks in Stalinist Russia (purge much?)
Jews in Germany (re: Stab In the Back)
and soon to be added to the list: the vile COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS OF ACORN!!!111
Just you wait for the scapegoating come November 5... its sure to be rich.
ACORN, the most famous tree nut of this political season, is responsible for both the collapse of the stock market AND will deliver the election to Barack Obama this November.
... uh what? Come again?
Yes, you read correctly: the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is single-handedly going to turn the country over to Barack Obama come November 4 (through "one of the greatest frauds of voter history in this country" according to Mr. McCain). How could they pull off such a massive campaign to defraud the naation? Well, its easy when you consider that they have already checked "cause the entire sub-prime mortgage crisis" and "plunge the stock market into over 30% loss in a year" off of your to-do list.
My friends (I couldn't help myself), the rabid right is truly reaching into its bag of dastardly tricks here. I mean, when accusations of "pallin' around with terrorists" aren't sticking, and people don't really give a shit if a candidate is Muslim (muslin?) as long as he has some clue of what is going on with the economy, you really have to dig deep to reverse the slide in the polls that your candidate is facing. And thats what brings us to the latest boogeyman of the radical right. Not your typical poor person or welfare queen or lazy minority, no no, its a group of ALL of them put together fighting for their RIGHTS and SOCIAL-ECONOMIC JUSTICE. God forbid!
ECONOMIC PERIL!
By asking the Big Bad Federal Government to step in and force responsible lenders to issue them loans back in 1977, minorities and other poor rabble are responsible for this economic mess we have found ourselves in! Nevermind the mind-bogglingly complex mortgage-backed derivatives and credit-default swaps, ACORN is the modern descendant of this government handout movement that really screwed us!
ELECTION FRAUD!
By mobilizing voter registration drives in record numbers, ACORN has opened the door ballot booth door for Jive Turkeys all around the country. Nevermind that voter registration fraud is not, in fact, voter fraud (there is a step or two in between), these ACORN people are going to deliver the vote to that socialist Obama, and the country will really go down the crapper - presumably farther than it is now.
- end sarcastic rant -
If this formula sounds slightly familiar, you may have been paying attention in history class. Congratulations! If it is less than familiar or you need a refresher after all these years, I'll break it down for you:
The Right is trying to make ACORN and groups like it out to be this nation's very own FIFTH COLUMN. What is a fifth column, you ask? Lets go to the Wiki, which provides a fairly succinct definition:
A fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group to which it is expected to be loyal, such as a nation.
- and, with my additons -
The term also refers to a subpopulation, such as an ethnic minority (or ACORN and groups like it), which is assumed to have loyalties to countries other than the one in which they reside (they probably live in those anti-America parts of the country), or who support some other nation (anti-America) in war efforts (elections) against the country they live in (the pro-America), the result of dual loyalty (to both pro- and anti-America?).
Here are some historical fifth columns:
Nationalists in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War (original)
Kulaks in Stalinist Russia (purge much?)
Jews in Germany (re: Stab In the Back)
and soon to be added to the list: the vile COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS OF ACORN!!!111
Just you wait for the scapegoating come November 5... its sure to be rich.
18 October 2008
distractions, distractions
Just as it seemed that I was getting to be a somewhat consistent blogger, life got in the way and my activity has dropped yet again. I promise, dear readers, that this was but a momentary lapse in blogging vigilance.
But, I do say, that the reason for the distraction was a noble one.
For the past week, I have been attempting to right my television situation (as previously referenced in "antenna debacle" and casually mentioned in other posts). I will come out and say it now, though:
Bust out the "Mission Accomplished" banner and put it on the battleship: the war is over!
Just today, I mastered my mysterious new technology and thus have access to the channels I need. Now I will be able to watch Monday Night Football, just like every other flag-waving, God-fearing, red-meat-eating American (or 'murican, as Tyler correctly pointed out). I will also be able to watch my beloved New York Football Giants more often (but sadly not Real Madrid CF, because GolTV is a money grubbing network) which should be great.
Do not fear, though. I will be sure to not let my added breadth of tv networks distract me from my blogging duties.
Lengthy post tomorrow on the state of things re: election and possibly football.
But, I do say, that the reason for the distraction was a noble one.
For the past week, I have been attempting to right my television situation (as previously referenced in "antenna debacle" and casually mentioned in other posts). I will come out and say it now, though:
Bust out the "Mission Accomplished" banner and put it on the battleship: the war is over!
Just today, I mastered my mysterious new technology and thus have access to the channels I need. Now I will be able to watch Monday Night Football, just like every other flag-waving, God-fearing, red-meat-eating American (or 'murican, as Tyler correctly pointed out). I will also be able to watch my beloved New York Football Giants more often (but sadly not Real Madrid CF, because GolTV is a money grubbing network) which should be great.
Do not fear, though. I will be sure to not let my added breadth of tv networks distract me from my blogging duties.
Lengthy post tomorrow on the state of things re: election and possibly football.
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