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Yggdrazil

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  1. Yggdrazil

    Math 55

    By Yggdrazil,

    http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2006/12/6/burden-of-proof-at-1002-am//
    “Ability doesn't exist, and occurs equally in all groups, and anyway justice is more important than patriarchal-racist abstractions. Sexism is clear at Harvard. When an entire class is male, it isn't by accident.”
    Where is Al Sharpton?
    The salient fact from the Harvard Crimson- 45 percent Jewish, 18 percent Asian, and 100 percent male.This does not look like "America"The total lack of females in Math 55 is easy to address. Harvard had already established that there was no difference in mathematical ability by firing a president who thought there might be.Just have no entrance requirements.Harvard should set about making the class thirteen percent black, sixteen percent Hispanic, a tenth of a percent Iroquois, and so on.Eventually a Javanese can appear once a year so it will reflect America's diversity.
    This injustice is non-American.We must sacrifice math on the Cross of Diversity.Math's death cleanses our sin.
  2. Yggdrazil
    For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.-Sun Tsu
    In the last conflict, I believe the the NPO had reached an accommodation with allies and would not enter.
    Since military acumen I have always admired and Doomhouse had achieved that what the above quote mentions, I thought I would post a congratualation post.
    Turned out to be harder than I imagined. Being on a different side of the treaty web and often critical of some of alliances in Doomhouse; being sincere without sounding condescending was difficult.
    Finally I thought I had a post that was adequate and then Doomhouse preemptively strikes throwing the pinnacle of strategic and tactical victory
    overboard for mere victory
    Now they brag about a victory of bigger pixels when the other would have been a legend.
  4. Yggdrazil
    MK, I realize you are not the only guilty party, but I could not avoid the alliteration.
    Aggressor: Due to game mechanics, you cannot declare in anarchy. Thus any alliance with less than 50% offensive wars is no longer an aggressor. Preempted attacks with a defensive purpose is not aggression. If an opponent is marshaling forces and for what ever reason does not have all the " ducks in a row" and you attack first, this is not aggression. That's why there is a word for it called preempted.
    White peace: This means no, nada, zilch terms and you go your way and I go mine without any restrictions. Thus the Karma war had no "white peace" given
    Draconian: Is not open to interpretation nor is it based on perspective; it means exceedingly harsh or very severe. How the terms NPO received can be rationalized as not draconian is one of the great unknown mysteries of all time.
  5. Yggdrazil
    My family forgot to give me the manuals on How Life Works. They probably hocked them for a down payment on a new chevy or further back, perhaps the tomes went overboard on my ancestors maiden voyage to the US. Whatever the reason I failed to receive them.
    Not The Purpose of Life; I understand MHA has that one copyrighted, but tomes with titles such as these: What To Do If You Are Up the Creek Without a Paddle, Fighting Back When You Are Tired of Being Pushed Around, Love --What It Is and How to Survive It and How to Keep Your Head About You When Everyone Else is Losing Theirs.
    They keep swindling us with other faux manuals in the self-help section at the library and book store and, God help us, even broadcast on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
    You say the tomes are missing from your birthright also? You found only an old package labeled Magic Bean Seeds? Do not despair- author Robert A. Heinlein included them in his rousing good yarns. There are over forty waiting on you.
  6. Yggdrazil
    There are certain individuals that have discerned a certain repetition as regards the current political climate to earlier manifestations.
    Others, of a different political flavor, see no similarities.
    Both will defend their position Ad nauseum and of course one of them will be a minority opinion. The majority opinion will then become the correct History and the minority opinion revisionist History. Roles can also reverse when the revisionist become "power brokers" and their outlook becomes the prevalent view.
    Is Truth the middle of these poles or even on the axis.? Will truth ever be known or will the winners always write the History?
    I believe truth will win, if we listen to the dissenters past and present.
  7. Yggdrazil
    I'm from the deep South and we are known for the viciousness of our mosquitoes. Yet,while the Southern mosquito martial powers are well known, they attack only in squads. In Viet Nam they brought in the whole division.
    You would kill one and forty would show up for the funeral.
    I swear one night I saw one shouldering an AK 47, though it might have been hallucination brought on by sleep deprivation.
    Something gnawing at me every night became normalcy, so when I returned to the states, its absence interfered with a good nights sleep for months.
    Thus when asked," Who won the Viet Nam War?" I can answer without fear of contradiction, " The vermin."
  8. Yggdrazil
    Slander boldly, something always sticks from Francis Bacon, De Augmentis Scientiarum (1623).
    Vox perfected this method of response with a new wrinkle;drown a reasoned response with a flood of responses.Since most will not read every response in a thread, the reasoned pearl will be lost in the garbage. Vox's successful usage has influenced others to "take up the mantle" to the detriment of the forums.
  9. Yggdrazil

    Yggdrazil's Corollary

    By Yggdrazil,

    To determine right or wrong, look to the number of posts, it will be proportional to how incorrect the action.
    Derived from:Moynihan's law — "The amount of violations of human rights in a country is always an inverse function of the amount of complaints about human rights violations heard from there.
    The greater the number of complaints being aired, the better protected are human rights in that country." Coined by Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927–2003).
  11. Yggdrazil

    Kobayashi Maru War

    By Yggdrazil,

    This war is a true test of character.Both victor and loser face a no-win scenario.It will test the mettle of all opponents.The victors will have a Pyrrhic victory; the loser at best, all in peace mode modeling their continuation of war after FAN and VOX.
    This is a continuation of Hegemony History. To change this outcome leadership needs a new paradigm.If continuation of expected outcomes continues with repeated results it is time to chart a different course and win the Kobayashi Maru.
  12. Yggdrazil
    Calling someone neutered, due to an analysis of situation awareness,assessing tactical strengths and weaknesses, and deciding the best response is disingenuous at best,stupid at worst.
    The British used it about the Colonial Army and during the Viet Nam conflict it was used about the Viet Minh.
    An axiom of war: Do not expect the enemy to fight your way or to your strength.
  13. Yggdrazil
    Upon encountering a snake in the Area of Operations (AO)...
    Airborne: Lands on and kills the snake.
    USAF O-6 and above: "Get that damned snake off the fairway!"
    Armor: Runs over snake. Never knows it,as well as where the tank and the snake is on the battlefield. Continues directly ahead wondering what all those new buttons in his turret do.
    Army Aviation: Has GPS ten digit grid to snake. Stands off at a range greater than any other weapon system and destroys snake with precision fires at a cost equivalent of one Mercedes 350SEL. Returns to base for fighter management and a "cool one".
    Army Shrink: Attempts to get snake to explain its sexual feelings about its mother.
    Army Chaplain: Tries to get snake to attend services, mend its ways.
    USAF Combat Controllers: Guides snake elsewhere.
    Combat Engineer: Studies snake. Prepares in depth analysis based on obscure 5 series FM about how to defeat snake using counter mobility assets. Complains that maneuver forces don't understand how to properly conduct doctrinal counter-snake operations. (Engineer School tries to hide the fact that M9 ACE proves ineffective against snakes).
    Field Artillery: Kills snake with massive Time On Target barrage with three Forward Artillery Brigades in support. Kills several hundred civilians as unavoidable collateral damage. Mission is considered a success and all participants (i.e., cooks, mechanics and clerks) are awarded Silver Stars.
    Infantry: Snake smells them, leaves area.
    Military Intelligence, G-2: Snake? What snake? Only four of 35 indicators of snake activity are currently active. We assess the potential for snake activity as LOW.
    Judge Advocate General (JAG): Snake declines to bite, citing professional courtesy.
    Force Recon: Follows snake, gets lost.
    USMC Infantry: Kills snake by accident while looking for souvenirs. Local civilians demand removal of all US forces from Area of Operations.
    Army Mech Infantry: Runs over snake, laughs, and looks for more snakes.
    Military Intelligence, S-2: Reports to ground troops that snake is a non-combatant. Six Infantry wounded. MI states that if the ground forces would have read the nesting diagram provided in the 24 page enemy intel report, they would have known the snake was a possible threat.
    Military Police, Criminal Investigation: Handcuffs snake's head to its tail, reads it its Miranda rights, then proceeds to beat snake to a pulp with night stick.
    USAF Missileers: Lays in target coordinates to snake in 20 seconds, but can't receive authorization from National Command Authority to use nuclear weapons.
    Military Police, Field: Snake safely infiltrates rear area of operations.
    Navy SeaBees: Build snake elaborate rec room, complete with secret still.
    Navy SEAL: Expends all ammunition and several grenades, then calls for naval gunfire in failed attempt to kill snake. Snake bites the SEAL, and dies of salt water poisoning. Hollywood makes film in which SEALS kill Muslim extremist snakes.
    Navy, Surface Action Group: Fires off 50 cruise missiles fro several ships, kills snake and makes presentation to Senate Appropriations Committee on how Naval forces are the most cost-effective means of anti-snake force projection.
    Ordnance: IDs snake as having improper scales. Deadline snake and order parts against snake. Parts come in 15 days later but the snake has been upgraded to FMC due to scrounging of parts through improper channels.
    USAF Para-Rescue: Lands on snake upon descending, thereby injuring it, then feverishly works to save the snake's life.
    USAF Pilot, A-10: Has Global Positioning Satellite coordinates to snake. Can't find snake. Returns to base for refuel, crew rest and manicure.
    USAF Pilot, B-52: Pulls ARCLIGHT mission on snake, kills snake and every other living thing within two miles of target.
    USAF Pilot, F-15: Misidentifies snake as enemy Mil-24 Hind helicopter and engages with missiles. Crew chief paints snake kill on aircraft.
    USAF Pilot, F-16: Finds snake, drops two CBU-87 cluster bombs, and misses snake target, but gets direct hit on Embassy 100 KM East of snake due to weather (Too Hot also Too Cold, Was Clear but too overcast, Too dry with Rain, Unlimited ceiling with low cloud cover etc.) Claims that purchasing multimillion dollar, high-tech snake-killing device will enable it in the future to kill all snakes and achieve a revolution in military affairs.
    USAF Pilot, Fighter, Generic: Mis-identifies the snake as a HIND and engages it with missiles. Crew Chief paints snake on airplane.
    USAF Pilot, Transport: Receives call for anti-snake equipment, and delivers two weeks after due date.
    Army Pilot, AH-64 Apache: Unable to locate snake, snakes don't show well on infrared. Infrared only operable in desert AO's without power lines or SAM's.
    Army Pilot, HH-53 Jolly Green Giant: Finds snake on fourth pass after snake builds bonfire, pops smoke, lays out flares to mark Landing Zone. Rotor wash blows snake into fire.
    Joint Security Area (JSA) Korea: Puts on Class B uniform and stares snake down for 40 years. Snake dies of old old age, but son of snake assumes staring contest.
    Army Cavalry Troopers: Shoots near snake to prevent it from crossing FLOT because their mission is "Screen" and Not "Destroy." Put in for Silver Star, but is downgraded to ARCOM w/ "V" Device. Cav is successful in not becoming "Decisively Engaged"
    NTC O/C: Shoots snake with Godgun, tells it to take off its fangs and wait for Medivac. Other Snakes berated in AAR for not knowing their 9-Line Medivac.
    Military Intelligence (Tactical): Puts Rubber Snakes around Snake as "Battle Field Deception." Junior MI Soldier left near to make hissing noises because sound system is deadlined.
    Retired SGM working at CIF: Gives snake a statement of charges for not having the same skin it was issued. Snake goes and kills other snake; Tries to turn in other snakes' skin. Spends 8 hours in CIF parking lot washing skin.
    ROTC Cadet: Cadet dies of Snake Bite after asking Snake how he did at "Advance Camp"
    SFOD-D: Deploys 2 man SR Team to maintain "eyes on" while squadron prepares for deployment. $2.1 M. worth of "Discretionary" funds are used to contract a company to produce a .50 cal subsonic round whose weapon effect closely resembles a mongoose bite. FBI's HRT is deployed to stand around while an Operator shoots the snake with the "Mongoose Round" while wearing an HRT Jacket. SFOD-D Cooks and Clerks expend a total of 1.7 Million Rounds of ammo back at Bragg so that it looks like SFOD-D was never deployed...
    Army or Marine Quartermaster: Encounters snake, then loses contact. Can not identify who owns snake by hand receipts. Orders new snake through supply channels. Request is denied by higher authority; issuing the unit a snake will bring the manager to a zero balance; one snake must remain on hand at all times as per their boss' guidance.
    Ranger: Plays with snake, then eats it.
    USAF Ground Crew: Runs back to truck after sighting snake, then after a half hour, sends lowest ranking airman out to beat snake to death with a set of wheel chocks.
    USMC Band, "The President's Own": Oboe player charms snake into a saxophone case, which is then presented as a gift to former president Bill Clinton.
    Army Band, "Pershing's Own": Snake's head crushed with a mallet by bass drum player. Snakeskin turned into cool sash for drum major.
    Signal, Enlisted: Tries to communicate with snake . . . fails despite repeated attempts. Complains that the snake did not have the correct fill or did not know how to work equipment a child could operate.
    Signal, Officer: Informs the commander that he could easily communicate with the snake using just his voice. Commander insists that he NEEDS to videoconference with the snake, with real-time streaming positional and logistical data on the snake displayed on video screens to either side. Gives Signal Corps $5 Billion to make this happen. SigO abuses the 2 smart people in the corps to make it happen, while everybody else stands around, !@#$%*es, and takes credit. In the end, GTE and several sub-contractors make a few billion dollars, the two smart people get out and go to work for them, and the commander gets what he asked for only in fiber-optic based simulations. The snake dies of old age.
    Staff Judge Advocate (JAG): Swear they saw something like that on the Discovery Channel . . . spend weeks arguing if it was a snake or not.
    Special Forces: Makes contact with snake, ignores all State Department directives and Theater Commander Rules of Engagement by building rapport with snake and winning its heart and mind. Trains it to kill other snakes. Files enormous travel settlement upon return.
    Supply: (NOTICE: Your anti-snake equipment is on backorder.)
    Transportation Corps: "Snake? What snake? We were sleeping in the truck."
    US Congress Representative (D): After initially voting in favor of anti-snake military action, suddenly realizes that the snake can never be defeated. Goes on TV and describes current operations as 'failed' before they begin and the calls the leading herpetologist in the world 'incompetent'. Pleads with snake not to hurt us. Then introduces legislation to re-deploy all military forces to Okinawa where they can more effectively engage snakes, world-wide. Then heads overseas to attempt to negotiate our surrender to the snake. Takes intern for 'support'.
    Embed Main-Stream-Media Reporter: Decides snake is patriotic nationalist agrarian reformer being molested by imperialist U.S. forces, asks snake for directions to nearest bar. If bitten by snake, charges U.S. troops with neglect of duty to protect freedom of the press.
    Public Affairs Officer: "We cannot comment on any snake-related activities, and anyway that would be up to the snake's chain of command to provide comments, if any are applicable. Be sure to check out our website on 'How to handle snakes in your AO' for the current command guidelines on snakes."
    Naval Aviator, Jets: Lobbies Congress for new funds to buy "Snake-seeking ordnance," while pressing the point that blue-water ops are the only effective way to display American might to the snake and have a psychological effect on it. Gets funds, then launches strike. Can't drop on Snake due to targeting pod being "bent." Has to jettison multi-million dollar Anti-Snake Bomb into ocean. Comes back to boat and traps on pitching deck in dead of night while !@#$%*ing about how "Snake gets ten-thousand feet of solid runway to do this $%!T on." Proceeds to blame maintenance chief for bent pod. Chief goes out to jet, pulls tapes, finds that pod was never switched to "ON" position.
  15. Yggdrazil

    Lies and damn lies.

    By Yggdrazil,

    Let me teach you to be a classical statistician. Go any climate site and download a time series picture of the satellite-derived temperature, any will do.
    Now look for a ruler, perhaps the one you used in a math class. Make sure you really like this ruler.
    Place the ruler on the temperature and plot it along the data where it most pleases your eye. Now draw a line on the straight edge.Now erase all the raw data.
    Now if asked if it was colder or warmer and since you have erased the raw data, insist on the scientifically of that line.And if asked,say that according to its sophisticated inner-methodology, you projection for temperature is up or down based on your orientation that pleased you when you made the line.
    Don’t laugh. This analogy is not far off from the truth. The only difference is that statisticians don’t use a ruler to draw their lines—some use a hockey stick (Now you can laugh). Instead, they use the mathematical equivalent of rulers.
    Statisticians are taught that data isn’t data until it is modeled. Those temperatures don’t attain significance until a model can be laid over the top of them. Further, it is their dogma to dismiss the data and talk solely of the model and its properties. They love models!
    Something always forgotten: for any set of data, there are always an infinite number of possible models. Which is the correct one?
    There are models that will say the temperature has gone down, as others will say that it has gone up. The AP statisticians used models most familiar to them; like “moving averages of about 10 years” (moving average is the most used method of replacing actual data with a model in time series); or “trend” models, which are distinct cousins to rulers.
    All of their models are models and should not be trusted until they have proven; using past data to predict present weather. None of the models in the AP study have done so.
  16. Yggdrazil
    In 1993, a new diagnostic definition was introduced in the US;you had AIDS simply on the basis of having a low CD4 cell count. This was done without the presence of HIV being establish at all. This amendment was not followed in Canada. Since 1995, those diagnosed by this definition could be cured just by crossing the 49th parallel; cheaper and without the gross side effects of the medicines now given to AIDS patients.
  17. Yggdrazil
    Cybernations is a game. Forgive me for stating the obvious.
    Like any game there are those that can ruin your enjoyment. I have an Uncle that I refuse to play any game with. He takes any game to seriously. You lose to him and you will not hear the end of it. If he loses, you still won't hear the end of it. You cheated..., he was having a bad day, ...his partner was a dunce, etc. This ruins any enjoyment.
    The other side of the coin are those who ruin the game with lutz. Their attention level is low. Therefore, to liven up the game they become boorish and the destruction of decorum, rules and the game their motivation. In D&D it's the people who will not allow the DM any development of the scenario, unless there are monsters to kill and XP to win and if not catered to they will ruin the scenario with outlandish behavior. I have left games where the DM aware of this kowtowed to these boorish demands and ruined others enjoyment.
    Cybernations has both.
    It seems to me that the anti-hegemony victory has released more of both
  18. Yggdrazil
    GOOD FREND FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEARE TO
    DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE.
    BLEST BE YE MAN YT SPARES THES STONES AND
    CURST BE HE YT MOVES MY BONES
    We are ask to believe the man who requested these words to be place on his tombstone to have written some of the greatest literature of all time.Preposterous!
  19. Yggdrazil
    Oprah Winfrey was involved in a study by a Chicago University professor in which the DNA profiles of the participants indicated where in Africa their ancestors originated. Chris Tucker the actor was also involved plus two other outstanding African-Americans whom I cannot recall at this time.
    Ms. Winfrey was asked where she thought her linage came from. Her answer, "I always heard it was Zulu.". The professor had to tell her there were no Zulu slaves- a historical fact.
    Why is this so? The Zulu were a militant society, brilliant warriors and were even able to take on the British army. Could this have any bearing on the fact that there were no Zulu slaves? The fact is that warrior societies are able to resist evil. No evil has ever ended until warriors took on the task of getting rid of it; and good warriors in your midst guarantee you do not have to live under an evil regime.
  20. Yggdrazil

    Inventing new words

    By Yggdrazil,

    The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
    Here are a few I made up:
    1)Lagoop-A lagoon that is drying up.
    2)manipulatte- a coffee date with a Don Juan
    3)jowle- the sound you make when 1 million joules move through your body
    4)kissmet- a kiss that was meant to be.
    5) mallnourish-teenage anorexia
    6)jacuzzic- adjective descriptive of the faint glow of red after exiting the jacuzzi.
    7)negliglee-male reaction to a negligee
    8)iconoblast-a party for iconoclasts
    Adding a new one:
    9) Simloin- a Vegans future steak choice.
  21. Yggdrazil
    Hugh Thompson, Jr., Lawrence Colburn and Glenn Andreotta recipients of the Soldier's Medal
    These three men who were in a helicopter flying over My Lai on the day of the massacre placing their helicopter between the US soldiers killing civilians to save as many as they could.Those that they saved they helicoptered out of the carnage.They also informed the proper authorities and that is why Lt. Calley was later court- martialed, the only one of many that should have been.
    Glenn Andreotta was killed three days later, the other two survived the war. It was almost criminal that their awards for this valor would be thirty years and that it was only the Soldiers Medal rather than the Medal of Honor.You can not have more honor than putting your life on the line for innocence.
    Below is a list for a roll of dishonor:
    Ernest Medina
    William Calley
    Dennis Conti
    Robert Maples
    Paul Meadlo
    Varnado Simpson
    Harry Stanley
    Some of the above testified that they did not participate but I believe the Talmud that omission is as quilty as commission. Those did nothing to stop the carnage.
  22. Yggdrazil
    Often weather is so rigorously bad that it is noticed by trees all over the world and certain dates seem to glare back at us with their unusual distinctions, the dates are 3195 BC, 1628 BC, 2354 BC, 1159 BC, 207 BC, 44 BC and 540 AD.
    There is no consensus on why these dates recorded from trees were so dismally bad for trees; either it was volcanic activity or the Earth being hit by a comet or meteor that caused the weather to change overnight.
    540 AD the last of these dates is of interest because it had world changing repercussions we live with today.
    The historical record:
    The Praetorian Prefect Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator wrote a letter documenting the conditions. "All of us are observing, as it were, a blue coloured sun; we marvel at bodies which cast no mid-day shadow, and at that strength of intense heat reaching extreme and dull tepidity ... So we have had a winter without storms, spring without mildness, summer without heat ... The seasons have changed by failing to change; and what used to be achieved by mingled rains cannot be gained from dryness only."
    Another historian, Procopius of Caesarea, a Byzantine, wrote, "And it came about during this year that a most dread portent took place. For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during the whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it is accustomed to shed."
    John of Ephesus, a cleric and a historian, wrote, "The sun was dark and its darkness lasted for eighteen months; each day it shone for about four hours; and still this light was only a feeble shadow ... the fruits did not ripen and the wine tasted like sour grapes."
    Something happen that changed the weather drastically with world changing repercussions.
    In the wake of the inexplicable darkness a monster breeds, the bubonic plague. The plague originated in East Africa, where it existed in fleas which lived on the plague-resistant gerbil. When drought (caused by a dust-laden atmosphere) killed off the larger predators, the gerbil was free to expand its range, spreading its plague-infested fleas to the multimammate mouse, who gave them to the ratlike Arvicanthus, who gave them to Rattus rattus, a worldly, sophisticated rodent who visited all of the popular ports of call, carrying the plague fleas with it.
    Its wake would kill one-third of the Roman Empire, four-fifths of Constantinople and its tendrils would even reach China and Britain.
    John of Ephesus documented the plague's progress in AD 541-542 in Constantinople, where city officials gave up trying to count the dead after two hundred thirty thousand: "The city stank with corpses as there were neither litters nor diggers, and corpses were heaped up in the streets ..."
    In The British Isles the Anglo-Saxons who remained isolated from trade did not suffer as much from the plague as the structure in place, which still had trade ties to Rome. Thus the Anglo-Saxons became the ascendant dominate structure in Britain
    On the steppes in Asia another political upheaval was caused by this abrupt weather change- drought. The Avars with their horse-based economy floundered and their vassals the cattle- breeding Turks threw them out. The Avars loaded up their tents and then looked for greener pastures. They eventually settled in Hungary and in cahoots with the Slavs begin to chip away at the Roman Empire.
    And in Yemen, in the 540s, a dam broke. By 550 AD, the great Marib Dam, an engineering marvel of the ancient world, was a complete loss and thousands of people migrated to another oasis on the Arabian Peninsula- Medina. The Arab tribes, weakened by famine, begin to rouse themselves and think of conquest. In 610 AD, a new leader unified them--Muhammad.
  23. Yggdrazil

    Sowing the Wind

    By Yggdrazil,

    "The cultural left has a new tool for enforcing political conformity in schools of education. It is called dispositions theory, and it was set forth five years ago by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education: Future teachers should be judged by their "knowledge, skills, and dispositions." What are "dispositions"? NCATE's prose made clear that they are the beliefs and attitudes that guide a teacher toward a moral stance. That sounds harmless enough, but it opened a door to reject teaching candidates on the basis of thoughts and beliefs. In 2002, NCATE said that an education school may require a commitment to social justice. William Damon, a professor of education at Stanford, wrote last month that education schools "have been given unbounded power over what candidates may think and do, what they may believe and value."
    Of course we want certified teachers, or do we?
    If this continues we will make phophets of Pink Floyd. "Teacher!... leave those kids alone". And I will endorse that concept thouroughly.
  24. Yggdrazil
    Thank whatever destiny placed you in the era when the gap between the rich and poor grows wider. For throughout the history of men and women when the gap widen the poor were better off.
    Show me a time in history when life got worse for the poor when the gap between rich/poor widened [The Rise of Rome, the Christian Era, The Renaissance, the Enlightenment, The Industrial Revolution (for all it's problems), the Postindustrial Revolution, the Information Age]. Show me a time when the gap between rich/poor narrowed where life did not get horribly worse for the poor [The sack of Rome, the Mongol Hordes, the 100 years' War, the 30 years' War, The Credit Mobilier, World War I, The Great Depression]. (The only exception I know of is the Haitian Slave Revolt.)
    Like the late John F. Kennedy said a rising tide lifts all boats.
  25. Yggdrazil

    Mythconception

    By Yggdrazil,

    The Navy's $640 toilet seat:
    You've heard this? The Navy was supposed to have bought a toilet seat for $640 for one of its aircraft. Cartoons by editorial idiots showed the Secretary of Defense with a toilet seat hanging around his neck. You could get one at Home Depot for $9, was the implication, yet the Navy paid $640. Bad old Navy.
    The airplane in question was a PC3 Orion, a Lockheed Electra modified for long flights over the ocean in search of submarines. Such a plane needs a toiler for the substantial crew operating the avionics. You don't put a heavy porcelain toilet in an airplane, perhaps in a wooden shack with a moon on the door. Do the toilets on airliners look like the ones in your home? The "toilet seat" in question was a complex injection-molded device with the plumbing in it, constituting most of the toilet. It was not remotely what one thinks of as a toilet seat.
    I remember that someone went to various makers of complex plastic things and asked for bids. They came in close to what the Navy paid.
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