I can't resist. West is so very good. Here is more wisdom by Cornel West in his new book, Domocracy Matters:
Page 27 - The dogma of free market fundamentalism has run amok, and the pursuit of profits by any legal (or illegal) means - with little or no public accountability - guides the behavior of the most powerful and influential institutions in our lives: transnational corporations...Their frantic race to the bottom line indeed lifts some boats yet it often pollutes the water and empties out the democratic energies necessary to guide the ship of state....The saturation of market forces and market moralities has indeed corrupted our system all the way up. Our leadership elite have themselves lost faith in the efficacy of adhering to democratic principles in the face of the overwhelming power of those market forces...
Page 29: Teh hallmark of political nihilism is the public appeal to fear and greed, and too much of American politics today has been reduced to such vulgar appeals. Just so, Bush promoted his irresponsible tax cuts by offering the largely chimerical promise of a child-tax rebate, and promoted his repressive Patriot Act by appealing to the fear of terrorism. A political nihilist is one who is not simply intoxicated with the exercise of power but also obsessed with stifling any criticism of that exercise of power. He will use clever arguments to rationalize his will to power and deploy skillful strategies, denying the pain and suffering he may cause, in order to shape the world and control history in light of the pursuit of power.
Page 30-1: ...the hawks in the Bush administration - are not simply conservative elites and right-wing ideologues. More pointedly, they are evangelical nihilists, drunk with power and driven by grand delusions of American domination of the world. And they have been willing to lie and to abuse their control of American power in order to pursue that dominance... [unlike Ronald Reagan, their idol] the new hawks seem to believe that America's might actually determines what is right. In this tradition of thinking, we would't be so powerful if we weren't right, so our might show that we are right...who show no respect for Socratic questioning of their positions and actions. They even characterize such questioning as unpatriotic.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Good news doesn't get wet in the pissing rain
Got some great news from my sister-in-law. Seems like my brother may secure transit to the EU out of Iraq by Monday, and be housed at a US Military base for debriefing by Monday. Then it is a bit of sitting around saturating himself in beer and other unobtainables in Iraq as he waits for the big deployment back to the home base.
Again, hope cannot be dampened by the pissing rain we are having today...which seems like many days in a row now...Let's hope all is well and safe in the next few days in the big kitty litter box we like to call Iraq.
Again, hope cannot be dampened by the pissing rain we are having today...which seems like many days in a row now...Let's hope all is well and safe in the next few days in the big kitty litter box we like to call Iraq.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Which is worse?
Found this lament from some blogger in Canada.
What's the lesser of two evils: Bad blogs, or blogging about bad blogs?
Slice:
Have you seen some of these blogs? Granted, the owners have invested the time (or, in some cases, money) to create a flashy banner, a kick-ass title graphic, and an eye-catching color theme, something I have never been able to get around to myself. So, as each page pops up, you are teased with the unspoken promise of greatness. But what do you get?
Drivel.
End slice:
I say, back at you brother.
Blog on.
What's the lesser of two evils: Bad blogs, or blogging about bad blogs?
Slice:
Have you seen some of these blogs? Granted, the owners have invested the time (or, in some cases, money) to create a flashy banner, a kick-ass title graphic, and an eye-catching color theme, something I have never been able to get around to myself. So, as each page pops up, you are teased with the unspoken promise of greatness. But what do you get?
Drivel.
End slice:
I say, back at you brother.
Blog on.
Let's ban celebrity marriages altogether
Lots of folks are blogging about the latest news: poor Brad and Jennifer, splitting up. Another famous couple, Gavin and Kimberly splitting...yikes, don't these famous folks know how to stay together? Forgedabout banning gay/same sex marriage, how about banning celebrity marriages altogether. They don't work. The real loser in this case are the children, if there are any. In the former, yes. The latter, no.
"Let us not be decieved..."
Cornel West again: page 22 - Let us not be deceived: the great dramatic battle of the twenty-first century is the dismantling of empire and the deepening of democracy. This is as much or more a colossal fight over visions and ideas as a catastrophic struggle over profits and missiles...We live in a propitious yet perilous moment in which it has become fashionable to celebrate the benefits of imperial rule and acceptiable to condone the decline of democratic governance...
End slice:
Okay, I am going to limit my posts from the book in favor of recommending you buy it. It's about 15 bucks or so. Go ahead, support the author.
End slice:
Okay, I am going to limit my posts from the book in favor of recommending you buy it. It's about 15 bucks or so. Go ahead, support the author.
Cornel West wins my vote for President 2008
As a stay-at-home father of two young children, I don't have that much time to read. Thus, I am savoring every word and page of Cornel West's new book (Thank's Rock City for the gift) , Democracy Matters. It is really too bad it wasn't published a year or two ahead of the elections. I am not seeing any media/reviews of the book, but perhaps I missed it. I would put this on a blogger's must read to put your eyes somewhere else besides the monitor for a while.
Here are a few of the more savory thoughts and ideas:
Page 18 - Aggressive militarism is false security - a mere diversion from attending to the necessary domestic policies of compassion that can "heal your wound" (Hosea 5:13). Escalating authoritarianism is a species of injustice that tightens the rope around one's own neck ("for not by force shall man prevail"; 1 Samuel 2:9).
Page 20-21 - The blues is not siply a music to titillate; it is a hard-fought way of life...the ugly terrorist attacks on innocent civilians on 9/11 plunged the whole country into the blues. Never before have Americans of all classes, colors, regions, genders,a nd sexual orientations felt unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence, and hated. Yet to have been designated and treated as a nigger in America for over 350 years has been to feel unsafe, unprotected, subject to random vilence, and hated. The high point of the black response to American terrorism (or niggerization) is found in the compassionate and courageous voice of Emmett Till's motehr, who stepped up to the lectern at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago in 1955 at the funeral of her fourteen-year-old son, after his murder by American terrorists, and said: "I don't have a minute to hate. I'll pursue justice for the rest of my life."
Since 9/11 we have experienced the niggerization of America, and as we struggle against the imperialistic arrogance of the us-versus-them, revenge-driven policies of the Bush administration, we as a blues nation must learn from a blues people how to keep alive our deep democratic energies in dark times rather than resort to the tempting and easier response of militarism and authoritarianism.
Here are a few of the more savory thoughts and ideas:
Page 18 - Aggressive militarism is false security - a mere diversion from attending to the necessary domestic policies of compassion that can "heal your wound" (Hosea 5:13). Escalating authoritarianism is a species of injustice that tightens the rope around one's own neck ("for not by force shall man prevail"; 1 Samuel 2:9).
Page 20-21 - The blues is not siply a music to titillate; it is a hard-fought way of life...the ugly terrorist attacks on innocent civilians on 9/11 plunged the whole country into the blues. Never before have Americans of all classes, colors, regions, genders,a nd sexual orientations felt unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence, and hated. Yet to have been designated and treated as a nigger in America for over 350 years has been to feel unsafe, unprotected, subject to random vilence, and hated. The high point of the black response to American terrorism (or niggerization) is found in the compassionate and courageous voice of Emmett Till's motehr, who stepped up to the lectern at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago in 1955 at the funeral of her fourteen-year-old son, after his murder by American terrorists, and said: "I don't have a minute to hate. I'll pursue justice for the rest of my life."
Since 9/11 we have experienced the niggerization of America, and as we struggle against the imperialistic arrogance of the us-versus-them, revenge-driven policies of the Bush administration, we as a blues nation must learn from a blues people how to keep alive our deep democratic energies in dark times rather than resort to the tempting and easier response of militarism and authoritarianism.
The W Snake, about sneak another rat into his inner sanctum
While Gonzales takes the heat, deservedly, another slippery rat is part way into the inner sanctum of our reigning theocracy.
Slice:
As the principal author of the "no child left behind" policy, I would ask her directly, why are children still being left behind? Another good question would be to ask her how she would assess her response to the disbanning of Affirmative Action in Texas. Also, what is her boots on the ground experience in teaching/educating the children of America?
Slice:
Margaret Spellings, President Bush's nominee to replace Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige, won unanimous confirmation in a vote Thursday by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Her nomination will go to the full Senate for confirmation this month.
Ms. Spellings, the president's domestic-policy adviser, is considered one of his most loyal aides. She has helped shape his education policies since he was governor of Texas. Higher-education groups have generally welcomed her nomination, describing the Houston native as a consensus-builder and experienced policy maker.
end slice:As the principal author of the "no child left behind" policy, I would ask her directly, why are children still being left behind? Another good question would be to ask her how she would assess her response to the disbanning of Affirmative Action in Texas. Also, what is her boots on the ground experience in teaching/educating the children of America?
The once and future Crispy Klansmen
Humm, one too many boasts gets Edgar Ray Killen the trial he has deserved for over 40 years. Question then becomes, how crispy will this man get when the flip the switch on him and perhaps one or two of his other, fellow Christians.
Slice from the NYTimes:
...The sheriff said there would be more arrests in the notorious case, which helped to cement Mississippi's image as a haven of hatred and violence in the 1960's, when black churches, homes and businesses were firebombed and civil rights volunteers were beaten by white mobs. The case was the subject of several books and was dramatized in the 1988 movie "Mississippi Burning."
...But the state never brought murder charges in the case, and it was not until 1999 that the state's attorney general reopened the matter, after The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss., published exposés, including excerpts from a secret interview given to a state archivist by Sam Bowers, the onetime imperial wizard of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, America's most violent white supremacist group in the 1960's.
Slice from the NYTimes:
...The sheriff said there would be more arrests in the notorious case, which helped to cement Mississippi's image as a haven of hatred and violence in the 1960's, when black churches, homes and businesses were firebombed and civil rights volunteers were beaten by white mobs. The case was the subject of several books and was dramatized in the 1988 movie "Mississippi Burning."
...But the state never brought murder charges in the case, and it was not until 1999 that the state's attorney general reopened the matter, after The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss., published exposés, including excerpts from a secret interview given to a state archivist by Sam Bowers, the onetime imperial wizard of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, America's most violent white supremacist group in the 1960's.
In the interview, Mr. Bowers, who was serving a life sentence for ordering the 1966 firebombing in Hattiesburg, Miss., that killed Vernon Dahmer, a prominent civil rights leader, said he had thwarted justice in the killings of Mr. Schwerner, Mr. Goodman and Mr. Chaney.
Mr. Bowers also said in the interview that he did not mind going to jail because a fellow Klansman had gotten away with murder.
End slice:
Perhaps my father is right when he says: "Right-wing Christians are fascists. Live and let live is not their motto, they want to tell you what to do, they want to prevail. They believe that they are correct. No action is too extreme."
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Iraq outlay sinks to new depths as unrecoverable sunk cost
Yahoo news uploaded 11 minutes ago. Nine more GIs no longer get to vote in any up coming elections.
Slice:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A roadside bomb killed seven U.S. soldiers in northwest Baghdad and two Marines were killed in western Iraq on Thursday, the deadliest day for American forces since a suicide attack on a U.S. base last month.
End slice:
Just wondering: At what point do we decide as a country - comprised of god fearing, moral individuals - that it is morally reprehensible and unthinkable that more lives are lost in an already lousy situation?
WMD? Nope.
Ties before the invasion/liberation to Al Queda? Nope.
Lies to get us there? Yup!
Home to terrorists of all stripes now? You bettter believe it!
Ahh, but the vote must go on.
I am starting to sound like a broken record - not like folks today have any sense (or recollection) of what a broken record is - but, again, the ROI for Iraq is simply and outrageously not worth the outlay.
Slice:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A roadside bomb killed seven U.S. soldiers in northwest Baghdad and two Marines were killed in western Iraq on Thursday, the deadliest day for American forces since a suicide attack on a U.S. base last month.
End slice:
Just wondering: At what point do we decide as a country - comprised of god fearing, moral individuals - that it is morally reprehensible and unthinkable that more lives are lost in an already lousy situation?
WMD? Nope.
Ties before the invasion/liberation to Al Queda? Nope.
Lies to get us there? Yup!
Home to terrorists of all stripes now? You bettter believe it!
Ahh, but the vote must go on.
I am starting to sound like a broken record - not like folks today have any sense (or recollection) of what a broken record is - but, again, the ROI for Iraq is simply and outrageously not worth the outlay.
Some cool shots of Mars
These are some very cool shots of Mars. Love the interactive nature of this site.
This one is sponsored by our gov't, which I found via the Ames Research Center.
This one is sponsored by our gov't, which I found via the Ames Research Center.
There is no substitute for hope
Good news on the Iraq front. I just got word from my Mom that my big brother is in the process of figuring out transit home to his wife and family. May not make it back for his son's birthday, but that would be one heck of a gift. Dad, home from the big kitty litter box. Safe.
Let's hope he is playing it safe as the short-timer should.
Let's hope he is playing it safe as the short-timer should.
Perhaps no on else wants to work for W
Gonzales, perhaps, is the only one willing/stupid enough to work for W. He may be a nut, and supportive of torture, but he's Bush's kind of nut, nonetheless. Once again, we are flunking the "Global Test," as we find out that he was one person in favor of no rights for prisoners.
Slice from Daily KOS:
To get around the inconvenience of the Geneva Conventions, the administration twisted the roles of the legal counsels of the White House, the Pentagon and the Justice Department beyond recognition. Once charged with giving unvarnished advice about whether political policies remained within the law, the Bush administration's legal counsels have been turned into the sort of cynical corporate lawyers who figure out how to make something illegal seem kosher - or at least how to minimize the danger of being held to account.
Slice from Daily KOS:
To get around the inconvenience of the Geneva Conventions, the administration twisted the roles of the legal counsels of the White House, the Pentagon and the Justice Department beyond recognition. Once charged with giving unvarnished advice about whether political policies remained within the law, the Bush administration's legal counsels have been turned into the sort of cynical corporate lawyers who figure out how to make something illegal seem kosher - or at least how to minimize the danger of being held to account.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Here's a fun generalization about republican and conservative bloggers
Found this blogger on blogexplosion. Check out the post from today:
Slice:
Ladies and gentlemen I have stumbled upon a disturbing secret. 90% of conservative blogs are actually being written by brain washed monkeys. The monotonous tone of the content, mixed with the weird primal behavior patterns, leave no room for doubt. They all have a strikingly similar, some might say..Robotic, method of discourse and rebuttal. They are all quoting misinformation and faulty facts from the same play book. In an age when Dogs have their own blog and Cat's are being given college degrees online from prestigious universities, it would only follow that the Republican party would use both the power of the internet, and the trainablity of the monkey to accomplish their goals of ruling the world. Here are some of the things that tipped me off:
*They all get agitated when you try to get them off message for five seconds. It's like the computer chip in their brain sends a signal to a strategically implanted wire that then zaps them in the ass.
* The word "liberal" makes them foam at the mouth, bare teeth and squeal.
* When confronted with logic they all start ranting about Hillary Clinton. Even if the topic had nothing to do with Hillary Clinton. You mention the war in Iraq, and for some reason they throw up the Hillary Clinton shield. If you piss them off they will type Hillary Clinton five thousand times and then they will throw their poo at you....
End slice:
You get the idea. I had a good laugh. Enjoy as you click over.
Slice:
Ladies and gentlemen I have stumbled upon a disturbing secret. 90% of conservative blogs are actually being written by brain washed monkeys. The monotonous tone of the content, mixed with the weird primal behavior patterns, leave no room for doubt. They all have a strikingly similar, some might say..Robotic, method of discourse and rebuttal. They are all quoting misinformation and faulty facts from the same play book. In an age when Dogs have their own blog and Cat's are being given college degrees online from prestigious universities, it would only follow that the Republican party would use both the power of the internet, and the trainablity of the monkey to accomplish their goals of ruling the world. Here are some of the things that tipped me off:
*They all get agitated when you try to get them off message for five seconds. It's like the computer chip in their brain sends a signal to a strategically implanted wire that then zaps them in the ass.
* The word "liberal" makes them foam at the mouth, bare teeth and squeal.
* When confronted with logic they all start ranting about Hillary Clinton. Even if the topic had nothing to do with Hillary Clinton. You mention the war in Iraq, and for some reason they throw up the Hillary Clinton shield. If you piss them off they will type Hillary Clinton five thousand times and then they will throw their poo at you....
End slice:
You get the idea. I had a good laugh. Enjoy as you click over.
Finally got it down
After three months shy of three years, I think I finally have this stay-at-home dad thing wired. Both boys went down for about a 2 hour nap this afternoon. Those of you who know understand how challenging getting an almost three year old down for a nap, let alone getting the 9 month old down at the same time. The big win, Daddy gets a nap too! Makes us all around less grumpy.
After naps and a snack, we are going to head on over to visit our friends who had their first daughter on 30 Dec (great tax planning). Named her Daisy. Should be fun as the boys haven't been around newborns much. Also, they are now healthy and shouldn't transmit any germs to the newbie.
Well, off to feed the little one, wake up the older one and then hit the road.
After naps and a snack, we are going to head on over to visit our friends who had their first daughter on 30 Dec (great tax planning). Named her Daisy. Should be fun as the boys haven't been around newborns much. Also, they are now healthy and shouldn't transmit any germs to the newbie.
Well, off to feed the little one, wake up the older one and then hit the road.
Monday, January 03, 2005
From Race to Democracy Matters
I just started reading Cornell West's new tome, Democracy Matters, the sequel to Race Matters. I recomend both books to you even after only reading a few pages of the former:
Slice:
on page 2 - "There is a deeply troubling deterioration of democratic powers in America today. The rise of an ugly imperialism has been aided by an unholy alliance of the plutocratic elites and the Christian Right, and also by a massive disaffection of so many voters who see too little difference between two corrupted parties, with blacks being taken for granted by the Democrats, and with deep disaffection of youth...."
page 3 and going forward....The problems plaguing our democracy are not only ones of disaffection and disillusionment. The greatest threats come in the form of the rise of three dominating, antidemocratic dogmas. These three dogmas, promoted by the most powerful forces in our world, are rendering American democracy vacuous. The first dogma of free-market fundamentalism posits the unregulated and unfettered market as idol and fetish. This glorification of the market has led to a callous corporate-dominated political economy in which business leaders (their wealth and power) are to bw worshipped - even despite the recent scandals - and the moste powerful corporations are delegated magical pwers of salvation rather than relegated to democratic scrutiny concerning both the ethics fo their business practices and their treatment of workers...
Page 5 - The scond prevailing dogma of our time is agressive militarism, of which the new policy of preemptive strike against potential enemies is but an extension...
Page 6 - The third prevailing dogma in this historic moment is escalating authoritarinism. This dogma is rooted in our understandable paranoia toward potential terrorists, our traditional fear of too many liberties, and our deep distrust of one another. The Patriot Act is but the peak of an iceberg that has widened the scope of of this repression of our hard-earned rights and hard -fought liberties...
There are many pearls laced within the slanted and powerful rhetoric (remember, the pen/keypad is mightier than the sword)...but I don't really want to steal West's thunder. Here's just one on page 5: How ironic that in America we've moved so quickly from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Let Freedom Ring!" to "Bling! Bling!" - as if freedom were reducible to simply having material toys, as dictated by free-market fundamentalism."
Like I said, I find this read to be very interesting and powerful and that is only after reading the first chapter. I highly recomend this book to bloggers everywhere, regardless of your position on the state of America today.
West gets my vote for one of the most intelligent thinkers of our time.
Slice:
on page 2 - "There is a deeply troubling deterioration of democratic powers in America today. The rise of an ugly imperialism has been aided by an unholy alliance of the plutocratic elites and the Christian Right, and also by a massive disaffection of so many voters who see too little difference between two corrupted parties, with blacks being taken for granted by the Democrats, and with deep disaffection of youth...."
page 3 and going forward....The problems plaguing our democracy are not only ones of disaffection and disillusionment. The greatest threats come in the form of the rise of three dominating, antidemocratic dogmas. These three dogmas, promoted by the most powerful forces in our world, are rendering American democracy vacuous. The first dogma of free-market fundamentalism posits the unregulated and unfettered market as idol and fetish. This glorification of the market has led to a callous corporate-dominated political economy in which business leaders (their wealth and power) are to bw worshipped - even despite the recent scandals - and the moste powerful corporations are delegated magical pwers of salvation rather than relegated to democratic scrutiny concerning both the ethics fo their business practices and their treatment of workers...
Page 5 - The scond prevailing dogma of our time is agressive militarism, of which the new policy of preemptive strike against potential enemies is but an extension...
Page 6 - The third prevailing dogma in this historic moment is escalating authoritarinism. This dogma is rooted in our understandable paranoia toward potential terrorists, our traditional fear of too many liberties, and our deep distrust of one another. The Patriot Act is but the peak of an iceberg that has widened the scope of of this repression of our hard-earned rights and hard -fought liberties...
There are many pearls laced within the slanted and powerful rhetoric (remember, the pen/keypad is mightier than the sword)...but I don't really want to steal West's thunder. Here's just one on page 5: How ironic that in America we've moved so quickly from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Let Freedom Ring!" to "Bling! Bling!" - as if freedom were reducible to simply having material toys, as dictated by free-market fundamentalism."
Like I said, I find this read to be very interesting and powerful and that is only after reading the first chapter. I highly recomend this book to bloggers everywhere, regardless of your position on the state of America today.
West gets my vote for one of the most intelligent thinkers of our time.
Telling quotes from folks in Iraq
Here's a few of the more tasty quotes that should raise the hackles on your neck a bit from an article in the Economist. I found it on Brad DeLong's blog.
Slice 1:
"Sometimes, they say, they fire on vehicles encroaching with 30 metres, sometimes they fire at 20 metres: 'If anyone gets too close to us we fucking waste them,' says a bullish lieutenant. 'It's kind of a shame, because it means we've killed a lot of innocent people.'"
Slice 2:
...Their [US Troops] contempt for Iraqis is undisguised and dramatically expressed: a soldier, confronted by "jeering schoolchildren," fires canisters of buckshot from his grenade-launcher at them, and marines busting down doors in Ramadi scream at trembling middle-aged women: "Bitch, where's the guns?" Small wonder, ventures the correspondent, that "many Iraqis are probably more scared of American troops than of insurgents."
Slice 3:
...That seems to have been the Bush administration's approach to Iraq. Take the mistakes of Vietnam and repeat them exactly. And at that you can't say they haven't succeeded...
Slice 1:
"Sometimes, they say, they fire on vehicles encroaching with 30 metres, sometimes they fire at 20 metres: 'If anyone gets too close to us we fucking waste them,' says a bullish lieutenant. 'It's kind of a shame, because it means we've killed a lot of innocent people.'"
Slice 2:
...Their [US Troops] contempt for Iraqis is undisguised and dramatically expressed: a soldier, confronted by "jeering schoolchildren," fires canisters of buckshot from his grenade-launcher at them, and marines busting down doors in Ramadi scream at trembling middle-aged women: "Bitch, where's the guns?" Small wonder, ventures the correspondent, that "many Iraqis are probably more scared of American troops than of insurgents."
Slice 3:
...That seems to have been the Bush administration's approach to Iraq. Take the mistakes of Vietnam and repeat them exactly. And at that you can't say they haven't succeeded...
Lifestyles of the Rich and Clueless
I found this article in the Washington Post today as refered by Wonkette.
Slice:
..The first few hours after the disaster seem almost unreal. My brother was worried about his other properties along the coast -- and we were all in a kind of trance. At one point, a helicopter hovered overhead, looking for survivors. "What they don't know is that we are all down here, eating Stilton," cracked one of the Aussies
...Only 12-year-old Jojo, a sports fanatic with a tough-guy persona, seems impervious to the wave of altruism sweeping through the Dobbs family. "The good thing about all this," he told us, as we cut short our vacation, "is that we will be back in Washington for the last Redskins game of the season."
End slice:
I guess the Tsunami wasn't all bad for everyone. ..and for those fortunate ones, there's still football games to be had.
Slice:
..The first few hours after the disaster seem almost unreal. My brother was worried about his other properties along the coast -- and we were all in a kind of trance. At one point, a helicopter hovered overhead, looking for survivors. "What they don't know is that we are all down here, eating Stilton," cracked one of the Aussies
...Only 12-year-old Jojo, a sports fanatic with a tough-guy persona, seems impervious to the wave of altruism sweeping through the Dobbs family. "The good thing about all this," he told us, as we cut short our vacation, "is that we will be back in Washington for the last Redskins game of the season."
End slice:
I guess the Tsunami wasn't all bad for everyone. ..and for those fortunate ones, there's still football games to be had.
Is Privitization of Public Schools the Answer?
Interesting article in the LA Times today.
Slice:
From "leading the nation [California] and the world with a model of a world-class education for everyone," the former Harvard law professor said, the state has settled for "something like 'better than Mississippi.'
End slice.
I think there is a big difference between taking a law school private to privitization across the board for public education. A law school, by definition, works to educate those of whom are already educated. Given the glut of overpaid attorneys, it seems as though, these are the people least likely to be in need of public support asside, perhaps, from their equivalents in Medical Schools and Graduate Business Programs. Perhaps it is time for them to step up and pay the full cost of their educations rather than be subsidized by the masses. However, it would be a mistake to think that privitization of education across the board is a solution to the ills of our systems. The problems are much more complex than simple market economies can solve.
Slice:
From "leading the nation [California] and the world with a model of a world-class education for everyone," the former Harvard law professor said, the state has settled for "something like 'better than Mississippi.'
End slice.
I think there is a big difference between taking a law school private to privitization across the board for public education. A law school, by definition, works to educate those of whom are already educated. Given the glut of overpaid attorneys, it seems as though, these are the people least likely to be in need of public support asside, perhaps, from their equivalents in Medical Schools and Graduate Business Programs. Perhaps it is time for them to step up and pay the full cost of their educations rather than be subsidized by the masses. However, it would be a mistake to think that privitization of education across the board is a solution to the ills of our systems. The problems are much more complex than simple market economies can solve.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Big Wave, Rising Tide
I have seen numerous posts regarding the Tsunami. Finally caught some video clips of the wave/torrent/tide in action. It really was an awesome force of nature.
Those of us living on a coast, hang our heads low and remember those who lost their lives to Neptune. Once again, we are reminded that Nature, stronger than any other force, will occasionally spank us pretty badly.
Anyone who has ever been tossed in the rinse cycle knows how lucky they are to be reading this sentence.
Blog into the new year while you can, friends
Those of us living on a coast, hang our heads low and remember those who lost their lives to Neptune. Once again, we are reminded that Nature, stronger than any other force, will occasionally spank us pretty badly.
Anyone who has ever been tossed in the rinse cycle knows how lucky they are to be reading this sentence.
Blog into the new year while you can, friends
Friday, December 31, 2004
Why does the Wicked Witch have to die to start the journey to Oz?
My son's favorite CD right now is the Wizard of Oz soundtrack. I was thinking after he asked the question, "Why does the house have to land on the Witch?" Okay, sometimes I have good answers for such questions, and other times I am stumped. This time, I couldn't really wrap my mind around a substantial answer, but then it hit on me. My reply is as follows:
"Well, sometimes, bad things happen to bad people, and other times, perhaps they happen to good people. In this case, they actually start the story with the Wicked Witch getting killed by the house landing on her. We don't really know if she deserved it. Perhaps, no one was really nice to her and that is why she was wicked. Even so, maybe we just didn't know her well enough to know that she was really kind. Or perhaps, there was no little boy like yourself asking her to play, 'Excuse me, would you like to play with me please?' Thus, she was never really given an opportunity to be nice. In this case, the author of the story chose to kill off the witch at the begining. Some times people have to die for no real good reason."
...and here is where I get to my point.
"Why, it is a lot like invading a country for no particular reason. Like this situation in Iraq. A lot of people are sacrificing their lives, for the sake of a new begining."
...of course, this is a bit beyond a 2.5 year old kid. But hey, we have several themes laced throughout the Wizard of Oz parable that can actually help to explain to children why we are dropping massive amounts of ordinance on a people who we really don't know, and more importantly, don't know if they were wicked enough to justify their deaths.
...as I have said in the past, the ROI in Iraq is not worth the outlay.
How would you explain such things to a 2.5 or 3 year old?
"Well, sometimes, bad things happen to bad people, and other times, perhaps they happen to good people. In this case, they actually start the story with the Wicked Witch getting killed by the house landing on her. We don't really know if she deserved it. Perhaps, no one was really nice to her and that is why she was wicked. Even so, maybe we just didn't know her well enough to know that she was really kind. Or perhaps, there was no little boy like yourself asking her to play, 'Excuse me, would you like to play with me please?' Thus, she was never really given an opportunity to be nice. In this case, the author of the story chose to kill off the witch at the begining. Some times people have to die for no real good reason."
...and here is where I get to my point.
"Why, it is a lot like invading a country for no particular reason. Like this situation in Iraq. A lot of people are sacrificing their lives, for the sake of a new begining."
...of course, this is a bit beyond a 2.5 year old kid. But hey, we have several themes laced throughout the Wizard of Oz parable that can actually help to explain to children why we are dropping massive amounts of ordinance on a people who we really don't know, and more importantly, don't know if they were wicked enough to justify their deaths.
...as I have said in the past, the ROI in Iraq is not worth the outlay.
How would you explain such things to a 2.5 or 3 year old?
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