Teachin' Math in Good Ol' Lincoln NE

The Question of the Day

2008-03-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Why should we have schools? Is it (A) because teachers need jobs, or (B) because young people need to learn things?

Answer: If you work for/belong to/support teachers unions, the correct answer is A. If you think charter schools/private schools/vouchers are worth a shot, the correct answer is B.

Saint Patrick's Day +2

2008-03-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, Saint Patrick's Day was actually last Saturday; Irish bishops, with the approval of the Vatican, moved the feast day of Saint Patrick to the 15th so it would not fall within Holy Week.

The only reason you need to know this is so you can b****-slap anybody who tries to pinch you for not wearing green today. It's not Saint Patrick's Day dang it!

For your entertainment...

Awesome Sauce

2008-03-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

Special Occasion

2008-03-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

As I type, my department chair's student teacher is going over a warm-up an notes with my 8th period Algebra Extended class. I, on the other hand, get to play around on my laptop; thought I'd share a couple things.

Google Reader is awesome.

It's Pi Day!! Did you eat your pi today?

Savage Chickens has been good this week. Peer Pressure. Pi.

Duke lost to North Carolina last Saturday. I think this is why. Check out more Fail Blog while you're at it.

Back Again

2008-02-07T19:42:00.000-08:00

More thoughts on a lot of the reaction I'm seeing/reading re: LB 1141.

As soon as I read about this bill and what it entailed, I sort of knew what to expect as far as the "debate" and "discussion" went. And let me say from the beginning, this is what I expected to find and sure enough found out--for the most part. To be sure, there are still well-reasoned individuals in this world who do not fit the broad strokes I paint below. And let it be known that such people are a breath of fresh air from the closed garage with a running car that most posts, blogs and comments on the internet have become.

You can expect anti-home-schoolers to assume that religious, anti-evolutionary zeal is the only reason parents choose to home-school. You can further expect them to wail about how socially inept all home-schooled students must be. You can expect them to claim examples of kids they know who have been home-schooled, but don't know how to read.

You can expect home-schoolers to decry the teaching of the theory of evolution. You can expect to hear about guns and drugs and sex in schools, and not wanting kids to be exposed to all that. You can expect a very impassioned defense as if anything which could vaguely be construed as questioning the ability of parents to home-school their kids as a personal attack.

You can expect a deluge of logical fallacy. Take your pick: (circumstantial) ad hominem, appeal to authority, appeal to belief, biased sample, etc. To sum it all up, you can expect large numbers of people to showcase their ability to assume that their positions are well-thought out and well-reasoned, when in fact, very little thinking has actually taken place.

Here I go ranting again. But once again, let me say that there are people who don't fit into the categories I've just spelled out. Those are the people that I'll actually listen to, and heaven forbid, I might even retool my thought process because of them.

I think I wrote last night that this debate is not one that should center on, or even include, the pros and cons of public/private/home education. This should center on the merits, intentions, and consequences of the bill as written. I haven't seen a lot of that, and what I have seen is largely mistaken. There's a lot of typing I can save myself by sticking to the bill at hand and not the secondary issue of education.

Perhaps I can get to that tomorrow. Because it's late and I've got to teach in the morning.

Prolonged Silence

2008-02-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, yes. Long time, no post. Chew on some of this.

A new bill is floating around the Nebraska State Legislature, LB 1141. Search for it here. Read more here. Feel free to peruse the comments in the Lincoln Urinal Star article. Lots of opinions. From a quick read, what I gather is that his new bill would require students in unaccredited school situations (read: home-school) to be tested on an annual basis at the parents' expense in order to ensure adequate progress is being made. If not, parents can be required to enroll their students in a public school.

One argument in favor of the bill is that legally speaking, the state of Nebraska, per its constitution, is required to provide education for children ages 5 to 21. Being the responsibility of the state, one would imagine they would like to have some sort of oversight. This seems fairly comparable to all of the state and federally mandated testing associated with, among other legislative tom-foolery, the No Child Left Behind Act. As far as I have seen, that one act constitutes a prime example of what we can call a "paper tiger." No teeth. Regardless of the stipulations, I have not heard one whit about schools being closed, funding being cut, etc., which were provisions of NCLB if standards were not met. Now, while I might have agreed in principle that public schools run on government money should be doing a damn good job to be worth the $8000-$13000 a year it costs them to educate ONE student, I did not then, nor do I now agree that it takes a behemoth of government oversight by means of standardized testing to do so. Here's my take on this whole "responsibility for providing education" bit: isn't having an adequate (yes, I'm saying the state's public schools are adequate) school system in place enough to "provide" for education? If parents decide not to utilize the state-provided educated system, isn't that their loss? (I say loss in that they are still paying taxes for the education system they're not using.) Wouldn't the state's time and attention be better spent on those facets of the system that they are currently responsible for instead of trying to bring more territory under their reign?

Most of how I see the conversation being framed is a same old cat-fight between public schooling and home-schooling. This bill is turning into fodder for home-schoolers and anti-home-schoolers to hash it out once again, making the same recycled arguments about why home-schooling does or does not work. While I can appreciate the debate and the thoughts it brings up, I don't see it as being all that pertinent. This shouldn't turn into a debate about whether or not home-schooling is effective; I have a personal opinion that I'm not going to mention, because it's not important. What is important, what the debate should be about, is whether or not students whose parents have taken them out of the public education system should be required to jump through the same hoops as the public education system.

If I may wax philosophical for a moment and throw a question out there, what's the reason for "educating", and how is that best accomplished by a government entity?

Be Afraid...

2007-11-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

The attack is coming....

First they cut the power.

Then they attack transportation.

We're in serious trouble here.

Alright, more links

2007-11-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

So I kind of passed on the grading. Did some...eating...instead. And caught up on a little bit of news. Apparently there was another Democrat debate tonight, so I caught highlights from The Corner. Here's my favorite.

And on the subject of taxes, this, that, and the other came up yesterday.

Just a quick link...

2007-11-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

...since I should actually be grading some Advanced Algebra tests right now. (For those
unawares, I'm kind of full time at Lincoln High the rest of this semester.)

First reaction--snickering at the name of this guy's blog.

Second reaction--thinking about how nice it would be to teach in India if that's what students are like, you know, as opposed to students here.

Poll Question of the Day/Week/Indeterminate Period of Time

2007-11-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

Which is worse for the Nebraska football team:

a) being 19 point underdogs to Kansas;

b) deserving to be 19 point underdogs to Kansas; or

c) losing by almost twice that spread?

Don't bother responding. We all know the answer to this question.

Bad Logic

2007-10-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

So apparently this past week, every Nebraskan's favorite legislator (the vainglorious windbag that is Ernie Chambers) filed a lawsuit against God. Now the first thing that would typically bother me is that it would be considered news-worthy, but since I hadn't heard anything about it until almost two weeks after it showed up in the Lincoln Urinal Star, it apparently didn't make too many ripples (classic Ernie), and that's no big deal. People file crap like this all the time, such as one Jonathan Lee Riches©, the only difference being that Riches© is an inmate and Chambers is a legislator, so it's pretty hard to make a distinction.

Here's what really bothers me about Chambers' lawsuit: he argues that it's appropriate or legitimate because of another lawsuit which he finds to be inappropriate. Note these paragraphs:

Chambers said Bowen’s lawsuit is inappropriate because the Nebraska Supreme Court has already considered the case and federal courts follow the decisions of state supreme courts on state matters.

“This lawsuit having been filed and being of such questionable merit creates a circumstance where my lawsuit is appropriately filed,” Chambers said. “People might call it frivolous but if they read it they’ll see there are very serious issues I have raised.”

Regardless of the actual merit and the specific details of Bowen's lawsuit, I'm having a hard time understanding why the illegitimacy of one lawsuit would imply the legitimacy of another. Heck, take any example, not just lawsuits. For instance, it would not make sense for Ernie to say, "This extra-marital affair being of such questionable merit creates a circumstance where my extra-marital affair is appropriate," would it? It would seem to me that if the lawsuits were of the same sort (and by that I don't mean "crazy" or "stupid," but dealing with similar legal realms) I could understand the argument that "this lawsuit is relevantly similar to that lawsuit; that lawsuit is legitimate; therefore this lawsuit is legitimate." But that doesn't seem to be Chambers' point at all. Bowen's lawsuit is one of "questionable merit", but Chamber's raises "very serious issues"--why should the comparison even be made?

Whatever the case, I think it is a travesty, a shame and a mockery (a travshamockery, if you will) not only that this lawsuit was filed, nor that it made the paper, but that this man with an apparent non-grip on reason is repeatedly re-elected to the Nebraska Unicameral.

The Answer, and then some

2007-08-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

Spite makes the world go round. Thanks for the guesses; there were some good ones in there.
[Context: at a graduation party, deciding not to eat a piece of cake, since doing so would be a favor to the person who would be overloaded with leftover cake.]

One week down of a two week sub job. I was grading papers at Scooter's last night and felt the need for a nice cold adult beverage. While considering what to say to the kiddos come Monday morning, I had flashes of Dr. Cox from Scrubs. Really looking forward to it.

Lot of cooking last week too. Beef & noodles. Penne with Vodka sauce. (Check for updates, I might put up a picture so my sister knows what it's supposed to look like....) And tonight: homemade red sauce with fresh tomatoes--spicy.

Moved a piano today and in the process of stopping it from rolling down the stairs (or jumping over it to get in a better position to lift from, my memory is a little hazy here) I ended up with a nice bruise directly left of my sternum. I'm looking forward to what it will look like tomorrow.

Should be heading off to bed here, since I've got to work in the morning, and we've got Mojito Monday tomorrow night, so napping potential in the afternoon will be hindered by the errands I'll need to run. By the by, I think we're going to try making a batch from scratch again and see how that turns out.

Buenos Noches.

UPDATE: Here's that pasta sauce. Hot dang.

Hurricane Dean

2007-08-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Track the path of Hurricane Dean.

It was inevitable.

Quiz Time!

2007-08-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

What do all these things have in common?

Money
Love
Gold
God
Oil
Energy
Capitalism
People
Money and Guns
Conspiracy
Laughter
Compassion and Forgiveness
Curiousity
Music

They're all said (at least in searching through the first few pages searching google) to make the world go round. And when the phrase "_____ makes the world go round" passed my lips this afternoon, none of these words filled in that blank. Leave a comment with your guess as to how to complete the phrase. Prizes may or may not be awarded. Answer posted soon.

The End is Near.

2007-08-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Of summer that is. Maybe the world, I don't know on that one. But yep, the summer is definitely coming to a close. On the whole, I'd say it's been a good one (see last post). Looking back at that post, I realized there's no mention of my favorite niece, let alone pictures. Her first birthday is coming up next month--my how the time flies.

Here's a picture I'm calling "Stoner Baby Eating Eggs." Bella really needs to learn what the phrase 'bite off more than you can chew' means. Just keeps on shoving food in. Sadly, when we were all out for my mom's birthday last week, we didn't have a camera with us to take a picture of Bella trying to eat a whole dinner roll. She smashed it up pretty good and got a couple bites off. We did get a little picture on my dad's phone camera, but it's a phone camera (i.e, crappy picture). Sidenote: I gave Isabelle her first taste of bacon that night. :0

This was at a family reunion (mom's side) out in Manawa, IA. This was taken before Isabelle got interested in my nametag and tore that off my shirt. I think I've got a picture of that, too, but couldn't find it here. She's still a little porker, and I have no idea where all of it is going. Some on the floor, yes. But she still eats a LOT.

And that whole thing about the send of the summer: I've already got the first two weeks of the school year scheduled, subbing for a teacher who had a baby this summer. So I go back to work on Monday, for my first paid labor since the end of last May. Whee.

Shmorgasbord

2007-08-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

I: Lappy
The laptop's back in action, but here's a quandry: why should a logic board with a manufacturing defect (i.e., free replacement) last longer than a logic board without a manufacturing defect (i.e, $300 charge)? We're talking like twice as long on the "bad" logic board. 26 months to 14 months; something like that.

II: Mexico
Good trip, very exhausting. My job all week (at least as far as construction goes) was bending rebar into squares and rectangles. It was quite the treat for my mathematical mind. Plus, I wound up with some pretty buff forearms.

I also got to lead devotions/teach out of James 2. Don't mind doing that in front of peers/younger people. It's a bit different when both the church's pastors, plus an elder and a former deacon are there. But I haven't been reprimanded or kicked out of the church yet, so I guess it went OK.

III: Chicago
Spent a few days in the windy city, visiting Durnham and helping the Leverings with their move back to L-Town.

IV: Moving
Just last weekend K-Sheen was wed to the lovely Eloine, while the rest of us around here moved into new places. But not far, just changing apartments to get the right number of bedrooms because Kevin ditched us to get married. Pssht. But we're getting settled, the drip in the fridge should be fixed, the cable dude put in a filter this morning (i.e, no more free cable), and Mojito Monday is back in action.

V: Oak Lake Softball
After losing 7 or 8 games to start the season, Oak Lake went on a three game winning streak in my Mexico/Chicago absence. After my return, I wondered whether or not I should show up for the next game. I did, and we lost. Heartbreaker too; staged a comeback with an eight-run inning, but it didn't take and we lost by one. For those of you counting, 0-8 with Jake, 3-0 without Jake. Hmm. But last Monday, under duress, I went to the next tourney game and we actually won! As in Jake's first softball victory with Oak Lake! But then we lost our second game of the night so the season is over. Recap: With Jake 1-9; without Jake 3-0.

VI: Blogging
Nate-O invited me to post over on a blog he set up. There's a link in the sidebar for it: "God Be Praised. Christ Be Treasured." So I figure my theological musings will show up on GBP, and LMT will be of a more personal nature. You know, life and love and why. That sort of stuff.

That's all I've got for now. Maybe I'll be a little more diligent to keep y'all up to date once my schedule is more regular. Some bran should help.

Back and Gone Again

2007-07-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I figured I would make good on my promise to update when I got back from Mexico. As it turns out my laptop's logic board petered out on me (I figure anyway, the same thing happened 16 months ago) the morning after we got back which prevented me from doing any updating or posting of pictures. As of this writing, I haven't got it back yet (hooray for friends who let you use their computers) and I'm going to Chicago tomorrow, back later on Thursday. Perhaps by then I'll get lappy back and get pictures off my camera and show you a little bit of what Mexico was like.

Happy sidenote: 7 habanas.

Farewell again.

Please stand by...

2007-06-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

for a 10-12 day blog absence. I'll be in Mexico City and Tlanchinol. Pictures upon my return.

Farewell for now, cruel blagoblag.

Recent Pics/Vid

2007-06-25T11:33:00.001-07:00

Lightning storm from back in May. Rained out softball game that night.

Somebody's car. Oh, the shenanigans that occur during wedding receptions.

An apartment hallway. Oh, the shenanigans that occur during honeymoons.

Sunset on Capitol Beach Lake.

My babbling niece. Such a darlin'.

Ambiguity

2007-06-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

One story about violence on Juneteenth.

And another.

I'm baffled by the last couple lines of this second story: the poorly worded quote, and the poor contextual placement of it.

Some people think the violence takes away from the real meaning of Juneteenth.

"I think it should be continued," said Earnestine Rogers. "It shouldn't be stopped because of some youngsters."

It's the second year in a row that violence has broken out at the celebration.

Given the preceding sentence (and I suppose the following sentence as well), what seems to be the most grammatically appropriate antecedent for the pronoun "it" in Earnestine's quote? It seems to me as if "violence" fits best. Try re-reading what she had to say as if "violence" were that antecedent--has a really scary connotation doesn't it? Who is this woman and what's wrong with her?

Behold the importance of context, copy-editing, and choosing unambiguous quotations.

More on Education

2007-06-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Column up today on NRO by Jonah Goldberg that's worth a read.

The Washington Post story he mentions.

And here's the Weekly Standard article he references.

For more fun, here's a pdf from EIAonline ranking states based on the ratio of teachers to administrators (click to enlarge):

And here's one that gives a side-by-side ranking giving per pupil spending and teacher salaries.

Compare/Contrast

2007-06-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

I like math. I like graphs. Here's a graph with some interesting numbers.

There's more info, and more intriguing info, at North Shore Journal. Czech it out.

Speaking of Czechs, I came across a brief little bio on Vaclav Havel (if you don't know the name, read the bio!) this morning. What stood out was a quote about 4/5 of the way down the page, under 2003.

During his farewell address from Prague Castle he urges Czech politicians to always follow their conscience. "It was not to be continually loved by all that we - I in the past and you more recently - were chosen," he says.
"We were elected in the hope that we would do what, according to our knowledge and our convictions, is in the long-term interests of human society as a whole, what is in the interest of the freedom, security, and dignity of all of us, what is in the interest of our life in peace and prosperity."

Note the parts about being chosen, not to be loved; long-term interests; society as a whole; freedom, security, and dignity; etc. Heck that one quote is simply chock full of understanding, wisdom, and creamy political right-ness (not necessarily correctness). My hat is off to Havel.

Education

2007-06-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

I know I've said some things before on the topic of education. Here's a little bit more, thinking in terms of economics.

A recent US Census press release notes that per pupil spending on education is nigh upon $9,000. (That's a national average, I assume Nebraska's would be less, but give it a couple years, it'll get there.) Lest you mistakenly assume that that figure is a sum for all years K-12, it's not. That's per year. So let's say a 5 year old starts kindergarten this year. After 13 years of (let's just assume constant) $9,000 a year education that high school diploma costs a grand total of $117,000 for ONE student. Now we do need to bear in mind that the girth of this (thankfully) isn't just shelled out by the kid's parents--that would be quite a burden for "educating" even one kid, let alone two or three at the same time. But it is paid by every single taxpayer in the state. Your money, my money, (almost) everybody's money.

Anyway, I wanted to think about this economically, in terms of dollars and sense. Yeah, that's right: sense. It seems to me that if we're going to drop over a hundred grand per student in order to get them high school diplomas, it would be good to get something useful out of that investment. I don't want to say that on the whole it's a bad investment. If we can be optimistic about the future, it's not hard to imagine that some kid in high school right now, some kid for whom we're spending thousands of dollars, will be the person who discovers a cure for cancer. In that case, I say money well spent. On the other hand, if we can be realistic, there's going to be the kid (who am I kidding, "the kid"--there's thousands of them) who, whether he drops out or graduates, will end up in prison or on welfare or use your imagination. In that case, I'm looking for a refund.

I guess it's kind of like a mutual fund--having a diversified portfolio. There might be a few bad options, a couple money-losers, in the bunch, but the idea is that there will be some bigger money-makers (getting you bigger returns on the investment) that will outweigh the negative and get you something positive in return. You know, end up in the black.

I would be interested to see a further break down of this. Anybody who is looking to do research in the field of education, here are some questions for you. How can we determine if our investments will be leaving us with a positive outcome? By what means do we calculate the return on our spendings? How many bad investments are we willing to put up with? How can we identify bad investments? Can we get a refund for an investment that fails to materialize? If a student fails a class, should he and/or his parents be responsible to compensate for the money poorly spent?

Let's see, $9000 per year, figure 7 classes both semesters for a total of 14--call it 15 for even division--that's $600 per class. A kid fails, dad writes a check. *sigh* Only in my happiest dreams. Of course that would also be assuming some degree of competence on the part of the teachers (can't go on...must...keep...tongue...in cheek) which we can't always assume.

Do you see where this is going? There are so many problems here it's less funny than Bill Maher, though to be fair he actually tries. Making students take standardized tests doesn't fix it. Having the government get off on withholding funds for under-performing schools doesn't fix it. Woo! It's all been done. And it hasn't helped. We need something drastic that will probably not sit well with a lot of people, whatever that solution may be.

Advertising

2007-05-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Now that sounds like a good time.
You know what else is a good time? ImprovEverywhere.

Matt...did you pull this the last time you and the missus were across the pond?

Sounds a bit dodgy if you ask me. For an alternative, try Jake's Mexican Food Diet.

Ten days in Tlanchinol, Mexico! All the tacos and alambres suizos you can eat!
Just include one glass of local water with each meal.
Tested and approved?

Mazda π

2007-05-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Is this a new special edition Mazda that's coming out?

Hat tip: Tyson.

McCain 1, Obama 0

2007-05-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

For a little background....

And here's a well-stated, well-reasoned crack at what Obama, et al., are really getting at. Good for Andy McCarthy.

On a semi-related note, I'm thinking that this immigration bill nonsense might be the beginning of the end (perhaps the end of the beginning?) for McCain in this election cycle. Time will tell.

On an unrelated note, what am I saying? Time doesn't tell us anything--we find out for ourselves, after a certain amount of time has passed. It's like that phrase "time heals all wounds." The hell it does. Time is just how we measure the healing process--time didn't mend my broken leg, it pretty much did that itself. Time is just how I know how long it took. How did I get started on this?

Do it. I dare you.

2007-05-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Come on, it's even mulitple choice. And do it without google, people. Really.

Disclaimer #1: I'm not sure how poorly you have to do in order to fall into the "Don't Vote" category, nor if it is specific to the questions (i.e. if you ID all the politicians correctly but miss all the actors, will they still say don't vote?).

Disclaimer #2: I think it would be great (and easy) to figure out how many of the shoulds vs. should-nots are registered to vote, how many actually vote, and who they vote for in national elections. Just tack a couple questions onto the quiz, are you registered; R, I, or D; who do you vote for, etc. This might be telling.

If you're bold enough, post a comment and let me know if you'll be at the polls or not.

BTW: A+ b*****s.

Ouch.

2007-05-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

First the "documentary." Then the response. Then the letter. Then the video.

Run, Fred. Run.

Incriminating sidenote: I picked one up in Mexico City last summer. They're good. Props to the Fred for his choice in cigars.

Leadership

2007-05-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Now here's a concept that seems to be lacking in political circles, especially places that rhyme with Squashington DC. Senator Joe Lieberman (probably more conservative that Nebraska's Republican senator-wink) had this to say on the floor of the Senate today:

But, leadership requires sometimes that we defy public opinion if that is what is necessary to do what is right for our country. In fact, at a time like this, we are required to do what each of us believes is right, and that might not be what is popular.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but he is, in my opinion, hitting the nail on the head. The sheep follow the shepherd's lead, not the other way 'round, lest they all wind up wandering off into something stupid or dangerous. Please don't think I'm trying to disparage the typical American voter/poll participant, although I will say that there's quite a bit to be said in that regard (education-cough) and I did find a fun website recently--please, take the test.

Point 1: It seems to be a mark of a leader that one does what is right or what one believes is right even if that means getting people on your bad side (read: losing a re-election campaign). In other words, being a leader means that people have chosen to follow you for a time, but here's the catch, twenty-two style: as soon as you begin to define yourself by that leadership, looking beyond what you believe is right to what you believe your constituency wants, you've relegated yourself to following votes, and nobody's following except you.

Point 2: While I appreciate the representative part of our republic-esque government, I think the popular part presents us with a bit of a quandary.

(Tangent: in a society best summarized by a Queen song, two minutes is too long to wait for a Hot Pocket, the guy driving 2 mph over the speed limit in the left lane is going too slow, and the average person's patience is gone before the end of this tangent or before the waitress can show up, whichever comes first, having "leaders" elected for two, four or six years doesn't jive well. If God-forbid, your opinion changes between polling day and oath of office, you're still stuck with the same elected officials until their time is up, however many unbearable years down the road that may be. Note the sarcasm.)

Popularity these days fluctuates more than Oprah's weight--*rimshot*--and the person who is popular one day might not be as popular the next day. Our impatience has gotten the best of us and we can't bear to put up with the way things are any longer, because we just don't like it, and we shouldn't have to deal with anything we don't like. (Yes, I'm still on that sarcasm thing.)

Random question--is this the byproduct of a state of education that cares more about students' feelings of self-esteem than their ability to use the chain rule to integrate sqrt(1-cos x)? dx?

Anyway, long story elongated, Lieberman's helping me to see a vital flaw in the idea of thinking of our elected officials as leaders. If we try to follow someone who is merely following us, we end up in this cycle that, to anyone on the outside looking in, must look like a dog chasing it's own tail. What we need is to be able to identify those elected officials for whom doing what is right supersedes being an elected official. And don't feed me any of that "I need to get re-elected to do more right" crap. I'm not buying it, and you shouldn't be selling it. What we need are men and women who are willing to sacrifice their careers in politics in order to do what is right. What we need are representatives and senators who are willing to be left twisting in the wind as opposed to floating whichever way it blows. What we need are leaders.

Two-fer

2007-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Two recent posts dealt with immigration and French president-elect Sarkozy. And here's the one-two: "those who do not like France are not obliged to stay." Sarkozy, as quoted in The Economist, April 21, 2007 p 60.

I'm swooning over the theory. What that means and how it is put into practice is another story; but it's still a h3ll of a theory.

Too sexy...

2007-05-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

Right said, Fred. Right said.

Read more. Veracity of these facts is currently disputed. And for what it's worth, read this with a grain of salt:

"Fred is generally playing a version of himself," said producer Mace Neufeld, who has worked with Thompson on five films. "I wouldn't cast him as a Frenchman or a villain."

Not that I'm endorsing someone who isn't even running for president....

...yet. *crosses fingers*

UPDATE:
In order to preserve my unblemished record of staunch heterosexuality, I must make one thing clear. It's the song. That's it.

Sarkozy Wins!

2007-05-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

I don't expect many people to be caring about the recent elections in France. It's not really that high on my list of priorities, but I am glad that Sarkozy won. The main reason that people voted against him (at least as far as I've gathered) is because of his "neoconservatism" (read: smaller government, cutting taxes) and that he was too sympathetic to American interests. As far as I'm concerned that's enough to get me in his camp. If you're interested, you can read more. By the way, don't miss that bit about 84% turnout. I've only one word. Dang.

Beyond that, post-election "celebration" (cough) included this. Although this isn't record setting violence (see the last two paragraphs, and recall the young Muslims rioting in Paris last year), this confirms Sarkozy for me, and here's why: the candidate-of-choice for the sort of people who riot, set cars on fire, and beat on cops--that candidate is exactly who I do NOT want elected. The person who appeals to the element(s) of society whose response to not getting their way involves baseball bats and Molotov cocktails--again, not the person I want in office. Even if I were unaware of Sarkozy's conservative background, the fact that his victory pissed off thugs and hooligans to the point of violence, that's enough to earn him a gold star in my book.

May Day

2007-05-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

What to say concerning the demonstrations of May 1st?

There's this, and that for starters. And there's the day chosen on which to rally/march/demonstrate. Plus the option for students to leave school (last few paragraphs on the page).

Here are some unformed (though I hope not uninformed) thoughts, specifically referring to illegal aliens and their protests.

First, they have chosen to come to the U.S. (on their terms, not ours), in search of a better life. I don't know how to quantify "better" but I don't think it's necessary. They want to be here in the U.S. as opposed to their native land. I don't feel qualified to speak on reasons for such "migration" but suffice it to say there is a reason and that reason (political, economical, educational, etc.) is valid. Second, they have decided that certain laws of the U.S. are not to their liking, specifically as it pertains to immigration (though I won't rule out other realms/ideas)--hence the rallies.

Yet there is some reason they stick around and protest, and I do have a couple thoughts here.
1) We don't go out and kill, beat or arrest people en masse as might happen in other nations. Ah, the good old U S of A--where guarantees of freedom are not just afforded to citizens.
2) The distaste for certain laws/practices here does not outweigh the distaste for certain laws/practices in their homeland--regardless of what is disliked here, it's still better. There might be a rubber band in your soup at the coffee shop, but it's still better than eating out of a dumpster.
3) In the Burger King "Have it Your Way" world, it's easier for those who migrate to get what they want here than it is to get what they want from the governments of the countries from which they originally hail. So the pursuit of a better life is not the life that is provided, but rather a pursuit that becomes demanding.

So my advice to any illegal alien, for each of these three....
1) Enjoy it, and don't go too far. The LA police will arrest you if the protest breaks out onto the freeway, but as long as it's peaceful and you don't start burning effigies of our leaders, you'll probably be just fine and not at risk of your life.
2) Enjoy it and don't take for granted what you've got here. Things could be much worse if, say, you were back where you started from.
3) Enjoy it and don't overstep your bounds. See Number 2. Treat us like a respectable host, and we'll treat you like respectable guests on your path to citizenship.

Disclaimer: I realize that I'm not the most well-versed or intelligible person in this discussion concerning illegal immigration. I realize that the means of legal immigration are difficult and there's a lot of bureaucracy and red tape. I'm just offering some thoughts.

Baby's First...Nut Fry?

2007-05-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

Isabelle isn't ready to eat any meat products yet so she couldn't really enjoy her very first nut fry, at least to the fullest. That's not to say she didn't have fun though. Of course, such a momentous occasion required a few pictures.

Here's Bella and my sister. In the background, wearing the blue hat, is the guy who did all the frying--major props going his way.

Sure, she can't eat any. But she certainly was intrigued.

No, it's not like that. There had only been water in the cup and she was just interested in chewing on something. You know how that goes when they start teething.

Back from Hiatus

2007-04-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

So there I was...pouring myself a glass of high pulp orange juice. My roommate Tyson comments to me, "that calcium-fortified stuff is the shiz-nit. Yeah that's right. I said shiz-nit." Oh Tyson. So white.

I had been planning on getting back on this horse for a little while now, and actually sat down to post last night, but got distracted. By what, I don't recall. The point being, I'm back, baby!

Something that came to mind this evening was the switch of the seasons; the changing of the guard, if you will. That got me thinking about a series of haikus I wrote a while back. Thought I would share that with y'all. I'm not big on titles, so it's just called "Seasons." Hope you enjoy.

Days and nights are cold
As the souls of men are cold
Bleak and without hope

Less light in the days
Darkness consumes the hours
A desolate state

A glimmer is seen
The promise of a future
A word to give hope

The time is coming
As the sowing of the word
Points to the future

And the word goes forth
Growing like a tender shoot
The vine branches out

Now days are long, hot
Men pant from thirst and longing
Waiting to be gone

Sun rise and sun set
Even though the seasons change
Some things never do

The breath in the wind
Cool, refreshing to the soul
Relief from the heat

Workers sent to reap
Set about their task until
Harvest is complete

Trees of red and gold
Scatter riches to the ground
Pave the trodden streets

The promise fulfilled
The glimmer now shines brightly
The hope realized

Fuzzy Math

2006-12-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Here's why everybody needs to know how to do those nasty story problems from high school math class.

If you get it, you get an A. If not, leave a comment and apply for a job at Verizon.

I can't believe myself sometimes...

2006-09-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

It's been like two full weeks already and I haven't even posted a picture of my hairy little niece, Isabel Mary-Alice Hoyt. And from what I hear, she's even cuter in person. Alas, it'll be the end of October or beginning of November before I see the little bugger. Probably for the best--I don't want to start scaring her too soon.

Finally...

2006-09-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

Male Restroom Etiquette

I never thought I'd see the day when this subject would receive the attention it so rightly needs and deserves.

Nuff Said

2006-09-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Too bad it's pink. Eh, what do I care--I'd still wear it.

Two Amazing Things

2006-08-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

First is the theory itself.
Second is the fact that USA today considered it news.

Actually, that second part isn't that amazing.

Not for the faint of heart...

2006-08-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

Little video I ran across about the kind of puppies that aren't much fun. Not that I agree with the idea, but it is an interesting social experiment. The 50 cent chick scares me.

Tongue Twister

2006-08-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

This one goes out to Matt Foral (who first described the game show to me) and to all my Japanese homies. Ouch.

Fork Lift Saftey

2006-08-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

Came across this video (in German--sorry all you Spanish speakers) about a guy named Klaus. For all you fork lift operators out there, pay attention and hopefully you can pick up on some helpful safety tips.

The Muppets

2006-08-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

I remember watching the Muppet Show every now and then when I was growing up, but I don't remember much. Just the "What do you get when you cross and elephant with a rhinocerous?" joke and the two old guys in the Balcony: Statler and Waldorf.
Turns out they've got work as movie critics now. I'd say it's worth a look.

As long as it's not illegal...

2006-07-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

This would sure be a little excitement in your day.

Note the line where it says "while her colleagues ran away." If there are any guys that work there, I kind of feel sorry for them--running away while a woman "man-handles" (pun intended) this thing into submission. I just think that would be embarassing for them.

Beyond that, all I can say is, at least she had it in a container and just didn't slap a mailing label and postage on the side of the thing. That would really be a riot.

22/7

2006-07-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

So I said I'd check back in when I returned from Mexico and here I am. I don't know if I can really describe how I am but hopefully a couple thoughts will begin to paint a picture.

1. It was an exhausting week of work. We were working towards pouring a concrete ceiling for the first floor of this building, and as we were pouring on Thursday, the first quarter of the section collapsed. Not having the strength nor time to clean it all up that afternoon, we had to go back on Friday and Saturday to break out (with pick axes) the remainder of the hardened concrete.
2. My gastrointestinal workings are not quite right. I'm hoping another day or two and I'll be straightened out, but I've been back since Monday night and we're still not on the right track.
3. I'm not sure if there's really anything for me to do for the last week of our STP here.
4. I don't know what's going to be going on when I get back to Lincoln.
5. Conversations that I'd like to have aren't possible right now.

But I want to throw out a couple positives, such as...

1. Cinco Habanos.
2. Looking forward to getting back to Lincoln.
3. Getting to see my sister on the way back.
4. Planning on a trip to Colorado Springs about a week or so after I get back to Lincoln.

And in case it completely passed by without your knowledge, happy Casual Pi Day.

Czeching In

2006-07-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

Been a couple weeks, so if anyone was earnestly desiring an update, here you go.

Good comments from the Bible study workshop.

Good comments from the message on prayer. (although at some point I may have made the comment, "Even though I'm an idiot, the Spirit is not." We'll have to go to the recording and find out.)

Djarum Blacks and theological discussions. If you know, you know. If not, too bad.

Other situations that certain ones of you might be finding out on individual bases.

And I'm leaving for Mexico the day after tomorrow, so I need to get some stuff taken care of. I'll post again when I get back and re-settled. Later y'alls.

LD

2006-06-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, the past week or two of my life has consisted of:
Bible study in Acts--sweetness
Planning a men's weekend retreat, content and all (June 23-24)
Prepping for a workshop on Scripture, specifically on Bible study (June 29)
Brainstorming for a message on Power Through Prayer (July 2)
Prepping to go to Mexico (July 8-17)
Bonhoeffer's Ethics, Pascal's Pensees, and C.S. Lewis' Letters to Malcolm
A little something called "Swashbuckler"
Enforcing the rules--I am the Hammer
A whole bunch of other random jobs/projects/conversations
Wrestling with God through a couple of different situations

All in all it has been an encouraging, enriching summer, and I fail to see how it could not continue as such.

Canes

2006-06-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

In response to a recent comment, here's a little story for y'all.
I wasn't able to follow the whole thing, but tropical storm (read: not hurricane) Alberto danced his way around the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall somewhere around the Tallahasee area, and headed north through Georgia and South Carolina. We got an inch or two of rain on Monday/Tuesday and a little bit of wind but that was about it. I'm pretty sure he got downgraded to a tropical depression but I don't know where. Only one word comes to mind:
disappointment. Maybe Beryl will come closer.
Is it just me or is that something off the periodic table and not a woman's name?

Whether

2006-06-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

I would just like to share something with all y'all, especially those in Lincoln.

I've been keeping an eye on the weather thingy on my google home page. I've got both Lincoln and Jacksonville keyed in. And on each of the past four days (the forecast for the next two as well) the high temperature for the days has been (and is predicted to be) LOWER in Jacksonville than in Lincoln. It makes me....makes me wanna sing.

But I really can't do that in this medium. Sorry.

Please, no sarcastic remarks regarding my poor singing ability.

Jacksonville

2006-05-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

Two words for all of you--frickin', hot. But I figure I'll get used to it soon enough.
I didn't know what day it was until I looked at the date/time on the menu bar of my computer which says Friday. I think it still feels like Thursday, but then I notice that the clock actually says 1:13. It totally does not feel that late, but I guess that's the time change.
The last few days have been somewhat busy getting some things in place for the summer. As to be expected, we've had a couple of snags to work out but for the most part things are going very well. Most of the team leaders are arriving tomorrow (technically today, but we'll say tomorrow because I'm sleeping b/t now and then) so we'll help them get moved in and settled. Take it easy since most of them will have been on the road for a couple of days. Hopefully I'll have some time within the next day or two to haul my car in to get the air conditioner fixed. For those sharp apples in the bunch, put two and two together (or put "ninety-five with humidity" and "car sitting in the sun" together) and see what you get. To quote a friend, "I'm like rotisserie chicken."
More later.

Back Track

2006-05-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Found this today. Reminded me of a previous post and the subsequent comments. Well, specifically just one, and even more specifically the last couple sentences.
Buy the weigh, Jesse, regarding that Shelby Steele article you passed on to me: looks like he's got a new book out that appears intriguing.
Also, I leave for Jacksonville on Tuesday. Just in case anyone wanted to know.

UPDATE:
I leave on Monday. I got a lot to do tomorrow....

Quotes & Haiku

2006-05-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

So I went throught a bunch of stuff in my room today while I was cleaning up to move out for the summer. As random as some of these things might seem, there are stories and memories behind most of them. That's what I appreciate about them, but I hope you get either a laugh or a "Hmmm" out of them. Enjoy.

"The world is my burrito and I can eat it with both hands." -Forrest

"No, not while you're eating your manlove." -Mad-lib

"I want French people to come to Christ but I don't have to like them." -Matt

" I would feel bad about killing somebody in my own Bible study." -David

Without a reason
To live except God's glory
I'm better off dead
-me

"My arms are too caucasian." -Jo

"My (2 words removed) could have knocked out small children." -Jo

What great bitterness
Sipping on the dregs of life
And hating the taste
-me

"It was OK to start with, but then in kept going." -David

"You're using a little kids prayer journal to keep a spades score?!?" -Me
"Actually it was for a Taco Bell order." -Kevvy Crocker

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." -Martin Luther

"If one man says to thee, 'Thou art a donkey,' pay no heed. If two speak thus, purchase a saddle." -Talmud

"The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." -GK Chesterton

"Power corrupts. Knowledge is power. Study hard. Be evil." -Anonymous

"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil." -CS Lewis

"As nothing is more easy than to think, so nothing is more difficult than to think well." -Thomas Traherne

Wish List

2006-05-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

Three Things I wouldn't mind droppin' the flow for:

1. The coolest air freshener I've ever seen.

2. Awesome poster.

3. Interesting looking book.

For Your Amusement

2006-05-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know what to say.
If your a fan of Legos or of Monty Python, check this out.

UPDATE:
Here's another one that's quite a bit longer. Can anybody say Rube Goldberg?

And you know exactly what about economics?

2006-05-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

Check out this exchange between Tim Russert and Energy Secretary Bodman on Meet the Press.

As mentioned in a previous post, I don't know much about economics. I've never even taken a class in it. But at the very least I'm aware of the phenomenon that prices are largely determined by two forces known as supply and demand. I'll admit that the topic comes up in some of the math classes I've taught, but I chalk it up to common sense. If there's a larger supply of resource A, it is intrinsically less valuable (since there's a lot of it). If the supply is running low, it is therefore more valuable and will be worth more.

A great number of people need to get off their high horses and pay for gas. By the way, $3/gallon is not that bad. Around the world prices can be much much worse. If cheap gas is the most important thing to you, it's a quarter a gallon in Venezuela if you'd like to move there.

But I will note with gratitude, that due to these incredibly high prices which have forced Americans to cut their travel and fuel consumption nearly in half, the government is thinking about giving back $100 to many people (I'm not sure if they would be citizens or illegals) who have to pay so dearly for gas. And from what I hear, each check will come with a free tote bag.

And a gratuitous Seinfeld quote from The Pledge Drive:

Kramer: Jerry, where are all the tote bags?

Jerry: I don't know.

Kramer: Well, I'm not leaving the premises without tote bags. I was promised
tote bags and tote bags I shall have.

Gas Prices

2006-04-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo. Gas prices go up. And the only reason why this is the case is, of course, President Bush. (BTW, if you don't know me, read thick, dripping sarcasm into that last sentence.)

Chalking that up to good old-fashioned Bush-hatred, what I really don't understand is the 50% windfall profit tax. This would appear to be the democrats' way of "reaching out to the electorate" by saying: "Since gas prices are going up, we're going to tax the gas companies more."

Let's see if we can make sense of this. Certain left-leaning politicians (and a couple of centrists) want to impose a 50% windfall profit tax on gas companies, thereby making themselves essentially half-partners. This is bloody genius: it's like owning stock without buying into it in the first place-basically stealing stock. Hell, why don't they just impose a new sort of windfall profit tax on Microsoft, Starbucks, etc. (BTW, that $4 mocha costs more than a gallon of gasoline, if you have trouble doing the math.) The government gets to share in the company's profits without the actual act of investing.

Now, I didn't get a degree in business or econ, so correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like that isn't likely to help the problem. I figure investments, alongside of profits, allow companies in any field to improve on what it is they sell/produce. R&D, that sort of thing. You know, come up with more efficient vehicles, better energy sources, yada yada yada. Do a better job at what they do.

It also seems to me that having to pay more in taxes and thereby earning less profit, gas companies would be more likely to raise prices as opposed to lowering them. "Hmm. We aren't pulling in as much profit now that the government it taking half of it. Let's lower prices so our profit will go down even more!" Even assuming that prices don't go up drastically, I'm still going to end up paying just as much. Unless the windfall profit tax that goes to the government somehow gets funneled back to me in the form of a check sent to my home address, nothing has changed except that the government has found a new way to get money from taxpayers. We can just call them consumers now.

But none of this is new. Most of these are from last fall:
Walt Williams.
Thorndike.
Glassman.
Tax Foundation.

Random

2006-04-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

A Poem

Long absence burst forth
The business of love-making
Do not be afraid

Coffee was over
Her whole heart was the subject
Most painful regrets

If you are tempted to interpret anything from the poem don't. If you think it sounds deep and meaningful, disabuse yourself of that notion; it is meaningless except for its haiku form. It's completely comprised of randomly chosen lines (except for syllabic limitations) from Pride and Prejudice (the book, not the movie). Just a random birthday haiku for Cal.

Doing Taxes

Certain whaling captains may be able to claim a charitable deduction for whale hunting expenses. --IRS 2005 1040 Instructions for Schedules A & B, page A-1

I am speechless. I am without speech.

Domestic Violence

I went home on Friday to "see my sister" since she was back in Nebraska from North Carolina. BTW, she's officially out of the army and something like 20 weeks pregnant. Scary Uncle Jake is coming this September. Turns out the real reason I went back to the farm was to help my parents tattoo and tag half their calf population this year (only about 30 of 'em) which they really hadn't done yet. It's nice and easy when the critters are only a day old. Little bit more difficult when they're 2 months old and weigh more than you do. Bruised shins galore.

The Movies

Went to see Thank You For Smoking last night with David & J. Couple weeks ago I had read a review on National Review, I believe. Seemed like an interesting premise. Then I watched the trailer at J's last night. Definitely had to go then. If you get past the vulgarity and the sex (no nudity), it's a hoot. There's just something uniquely American about alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and clubbing baby seals. Really, it's a riot. Probably the most fun I've had at a movie all year.

Seinfeld

2006-04-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Always seems to come to mind. I'm recalling "The Comeback," specifically the phrase, "medieval sexual payola." I don't know what else to make of this. All I can say, shuddering, is eeehhhh.

The Lounge

2006-04-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

So I just spent the last half hour in the "lounge" reminding myself why I'm conservative. I listened to discussions regarding everything from Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan; Bush, elections, and his daughters; state regent issues; etc. At no time whatsoever did I hear anything that remotely sounded like a logical point or argument. Most of it was stolen election, breaking the rules, impeachment for lying, yada yada yada. At various points I wondered about asking about their good friend Bill, but just bit my tongue. So the conclusion I've come to: I'm conservative because no one on the other side of the aisle can convince me that they're left. I mean right.

Who needs math anyway?

2006-04-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ahh, Racism.

I don't even know where to start...

Some kind of security

2006-04-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

From Reuters:

The government says it will encourage firms to hire staff and so reduce high youth unemployment, but unions and students say it undermines job security.

Why would you pretend to care about job security when you have no job?

I'm thinking of Wayne's World...

I don't even own a gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. What am I gonna do... with a gun rack?

What am I gonna do... with job security?

Burn

2006-04-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

News brief from the Scrappleface News Network...

At the box office this weekend, Ice Age 2 clobbered Basic Instinct 2 hauling in $70 million dollars, compared with less than $3 million for the Sharon Stone movie. One film is about a prehistoric creature’s struggle to survive and find love, the other is the animated sequel to the movie Ice Age.

Ahhh, Sweet Freedom

2006-04-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Terrific; terrific. Guess what I'm going to look into buying?

Funny stuff

2006-03-30T23:04:00.000-08:00

I think Blogger messed this up. I am able to post on Jakes blog. I wish I could think of something embarassing to write. Oh wait... I have one: Tyler licked Jake on the face tonight. And Jake liked it!

UPDATE:
I don't know if having somebody else posting on my blog is a good idea. As a correction, no one was actually licked. I (Jake) was in the process of licking Tyler as a method of self-defense. He was trying to smear the cake batter from his face onto mine, and I stuck out my tongue to lick it off so as to repulse Tyler and get his caked-up face away from mine. My tongue was indeed out, but I didn't inhale. I mean lick.

Ahh, Satire...

2006-03-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

American Illegals Marching on Mexico City

More on immigration: 2 Beefs

2006-03-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

Always something good at the Corner.

Beef #1: In accordance with my last post, illegal immigration is illegal. Do I need to expound?

Beef #2: The benefits of living in America are for Americans. (In accordance with the last post, don't get upset if there are house rules already in place. I'm reminded of that Terry Tate commerical, "You can't come in my kitchen, and kick my dog and take a box full of bone bites...")

This is America, I think we pretty much have well-defined borders and laws (see Beef #1). If you want to take advantage of the benefits that are offered for that group, be part of the group. Don't think I'm talking in Borg assimilation language. They actively sought out people to assimilate into themself. I'm just talking about the ones that want to be here and are already here.

I remember somebody at my college graduation saying something about the benefits and yada yada yada confered upon us with our degrees. Those benefits were for the people who earned their degrees, not for all the thousands of other people who happened to be in the Devany Center at the time.

This is a hell of a country and I love it here. But if you want to be a citizen or if you want this to be your country, there's two ways I can approve of it happening. Like I said before, we've got well-defined borders and laws. So it can happen...

1) Through legal means. This is the simple way about it, even though you may have to jump through a number of hoops. As my roommate has often said, "You gotta want it." If you want it bad enough, you'll do what it takes.

2) Through territorial conquest. If you want a small part of this country to be your own, I'm not too fond of giving it up without a fight. Bring it. (I'm an antagonist at heart....)

By the way, don't feel the need to read specific races or countries into this. I'm trying to be general because I have no ill will against any person or group of people that wants to come into this country. I think Mexico is alright; I'm going there this summer. But I'm not going to show up and start expecting benefits of citizenship that are afforded to their citizens under the laws of their land if I'm not included in them. Why? Because I'm not Mexican. I'm small town white boy. If you've got a problem with that, just let me know.

I'm done.

10 Years Ago

2006-03-29T22:15:00.000-08:00

In light of the brouhaha that has descended concerning the topic of illegal immigration, I'd like to quote from Dennis Miller circa 1996. It was a tough cookie, but I managed to find the entire context of these quotes online.
Based upon my suspected audience, I'll state upfront that the other crap on the page (what little I saw of it) was mostly that: crap. Parts of Miller's rant were vulgar as well. All that to say I won't post a link, but if you're dying to know, leave a comment and I can hook you up.

To spare you the gory details, here are the best parts...

"Begrudging someone else's existence just happens to be the most convenient way to validate our own and nowhere are these ego-driven prairie skirmishes more prevalent than the Tigris and Euphrates of immigration--good old America. Now listen, I'm all for legal immigration but I am unequivocally against illegal immigration. You know why? IT'S ILLEGAL!"

"(T)he favor of inclusion deserves the courtesy of assimilation. Make the effort. It's poor party manners to come to live in this country and then have a hissyfit because the parking signs aren't posted in Homong. Don't get uptight because your college is teaching courses on Emerson and Thoreau instead of 17th Century Javanese goat herd poets, and don't take your kid out of school because his third grade classmate colored Easter eggs but didn't conduct any Druid rituals."

"In return for unfettered economic opportunity and no government death squads, try to get along with your stepmotherland and don't be resentful if there's a set of house rules already in place. Go with the flow, pay your taxes, speak the language, garlic is NOT a cologne and, for [pete]'s sake, LEFT LANE FAST, RIGHT LANE SLOW."

Theme song...

2006-03-25T18:32:00.000-08:00

Not having a standard poll for my site, we're just going to do this the old-fashioned way. Leave a comment with your vote.

My theme song (unless I get whole album) should be:

-The Warrior, by Scandal (bang, bang)
-Smooth, by Rob Thomas (with Santana)
-Karma Chameleon, by Culture Club (I'm a man without convictions...)
-Baby I Love Your Way, by Peter Frampton (I got nothing)
-I'm Too Sexy, by Right Said Fred (bear in mind, 2/3 of RSF is bald...)
-Here I Go Again, by Whitesnake (I ain't wastin' no more time)
-Total Eclipse of the Heart, by Bonnie Tyler (Every now and then...)

WooHoo!

2006-03-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

And there was much rejoicing...

Yes, the Tar Heels are out of it; but this kind of makes it all better.

Now this wasn't surprising at all...

2006-03-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you.
People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do.

Your best soda match: Root Beer

Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

And just for reference, I did not take the test multiple times until I got this outcome. I play dirty, but not like that.

Except for the no soul part, I was surprised

2006-03-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

You Are 16% Abnormal

You are at medium risk for being a psychopath. It is somewhat likely that you have no soul.

You are at low risk for having a borderline personality. It is unlikely that you are a chaotic mess.

You are at low risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is unlikely that you are in love with your own reflection.

You are at low risk for having a social phobia. It is unlikely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement.

You are at low risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is unlikely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer.

How Abnormal Are You?

O! Ma ha!

2006-01-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

So I was in O town twice last weekend. On Saturday, I went up with some people to visit some other people. And present one of those people with a two-foot diameter rubber ball with Batman on it. And we ended up playing four-square in his driveway for almost an hour. I hope I never grow too far out of childhood...

On Sunday I drove up with some other people to visit some other people, specifically a friend who's leaving for Japan tomorrow. For like the next two years. Cool.

Beyond that, I'm having a great time with a long term substitute job at Southwest. Two days down, 4 and a half weeks to go. Speaking of which job, I should grade some tests.

That is all.

Good Day for News from the State Legislature

2006-01-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

I picked up a newspaper from the office this morning and two stories caught my eye. There's just something a guy's gotta love about Concealed Carry and Cohibas. At least this guy loves 'em.

Unequal vs Equally Bad

2006-01-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

Looks like Florida's moving against the voucher system for its schools.
John Stossel and Bill Murchison weigh in on the matter.

I tend to agree with both of them. Without trying to disqualify myself from future employment opportunities, I think that the best word to generally describe the state of the education institution in America is "Communism." As long as everything is the same, I guess it doesn't matter if everything is simultaneously good or simultaneously bad. Because the only principle that matters is that there's no difference between anything. Equality rules.

Stepping aside from the sarcasm, I'm looking forward to reading "Capitalism and Freedom" by Milton Friedman (sp?), but I can't find it anywhere in the city libraries. Hmm...

Three Words

2006-01-03T08:48:00.001-08:00

Scary.

Uncle.

Jake.

You figure it out.

Too much time...

2005-12-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

There are some people in this world who have ideas. Often, those ideas never come to fruition, unless the person with the idea has an inordinate amount of free time as well. And a whole bunch of legos; those help too.

Oh yeah. Merry Christmas.

Show me the money...

2005-12-19T10:09:00.000-08:00

"A recently reprinted memoir by Frederick Douglass has footnotes explaining what words like 'arraigned,' 'curried' and 'exculpate' meant, and explaining who Job was. In other words, this man who was born a slave and never went to school educated himself to the point where his words now have to be explained to today's expensively under-educated generation."

-from a column by Thomas Sowell

Work in Progress

2005-12-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking the title is going to be "Not mine, Oh Lord, but Thine"

The life I thought was mine to lose
Was never mine to live
The things I thought I had in life
Were never mine to give
The cross I thought I had to bear
Was not my crux to own
The death I thought I must embrace
Is Christ's and not my own

What then, this phrase, "Take up thy cross"?
What then, "Deny thyself"?
Should this life die once just begun
(Need to write a line here)
I am no dying sacrifice
But one that still must live
For me One has already died
And has my sin forgiv'n

What then, this phrase, "Take up thy cross"?
What then, "Deny thyself"?
Something must die, some part of me:
That thing I call my "Self"
This life's not of my own accord
Each breath solely God-giv'n
The life I live yet in the flesh
I live by faith from heav'n

My life is not that which must die
Lest His death be in vain
It is the "me", the "my", the "mine"
That need to thus be slain
It is not merely saying no
To some things I desire
It means I fling all of these mine's
Upon the flaming pyre

When I survey the wondrous cross
And upon Christ I dwell
HIS praises therefore must be sung
HIS glories I must tell.

Leave a comment; let me know what ya think.

Education (According to Other People)

2005-12-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

No man who worships education has got the best out of education... Without a gentle contempt for education no man's education is complete.
G.K. Chesterton

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
Oscar Wilde

Real education must ultimately be limited to men who insist on knowing, the rest is mere sheep-herding.
Ezra Pound

It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.
Rene Descartes

All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
Sir Walter Scott

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
Mark Twain

Bad Business

2005-12-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Random thought and the gratuitous Seinfeld tie-in...

(Random disclaimer: I'm a teacher. I know many people who are teachers. Certain comments have hopefully been qualified with terms like "often" or "most." I'm not trying to say "always.")

Episode: The Heart Attack
Tor Eckman (the "healer" or "spiritualist") tells George that the problem with the medical institution is that getting people well is bad business. What they're looking for are repeat customers--basically, it's profitable to keep people sick.

The same is true of the tutoring/teaching gig. I can do one of three things:
1. Teach them exactly what they need to know in order to get by.
2. Teach them how to teach themselves.
3. Teach them incorrectly, but do so in a manner such that they think you're being helpful and such that they don't know you're screwing them over.

Now, it stands to reason that the most profitable situation would of course be option number 3. It leaves them in a continual state of necessity. (Fill in your own situation of seeing where this idea blows up, apart from the lying, the deceitfulness, the lying...)

It's necessarily bad business to do number 2. They no longer need the assistance, for they can do it for themselves. No necessity means no demand, supply goes up and price goes down.

That leaves you at number 1. And I'm wondering what other people's thoughts are. Does this extrapolate into the entire educational profession? Through high school though, you're pretty much working with (for the most part) a captive audience, a guaranteed "consumer"--they're going to be there whether they learn anything or not. Which leads either to the "ahh, who cares" reaction or the "alright, guess I'll teach them what I can" reaction.

Teachers and schools are needed as long as the students aren't smarter than their teachers. Therefore it is good business (even if the financial aspect of the model doesn't hold true) if students remain stupid. If students are continually in the need of instruction, it means that instructors are necessary; in other words, keeping students dumbed down continues to affirm the necessity of their teachers, thus stroking the fragile egos and boosting the "self-esteem" of those holding degrees in education who are more and more frequently the "scraping the bottom of the barrel" college graduates.

Second thought for the day: Sometimes, hanging out in the teacher's lounge at lunch makes me want to homeschool if I ever have kids. Make of that what you will.

Spreadin' the Word

2005-10-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I'll figure out how to get this posted on the sidebar, but until then....

MATH TEACHER FOR HIRE!!!!

Fully-Trained, Nebraska-Certificated Math Teacher!

Available for Substitute Teaching Gigs in LPS!
-Not afraid to teach calculus or statistics

Available for Tutoring Gigs!
-Flexible after-school and evening hours
-Flexible compensation methods (typically $25/hour, will work for burritos)

-Testimonials to come??

Send an email to lincoln DOT math DOT teacher AT gmail DOT com or leave a comment w/ contact info.

First Post

2005-10-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

So. I gave in. Not for peer reasons; I just wanted to have a method of spreading the joy of numbers. We'll see where this goes.

My main thought is that you'll be able to find things that have to do with math, Lincoln, or something I found interesting.
Maybe you'll just find one ripping good yarn. Who knows? I sure don't.