Why do I use the word 'scam' so often in these posts on education? Because there are a few issues going on lately that, if they were about sports, or engineering, or airline pilots, would be seen as corrupt scams against the public health and safety.
Philadelphia Phollies
Let's go to Philadelphia first: "It’s a repeat of every year for the Phila school district. As the school year approaches they are shocked to report a massive deficit and beg the State of PA for more funding. The $12,000 per child simply isn’t enough, even though Parochial schools provide ten times the education for $9,000 per child. The district has a slight $80 million deficit this year. Last year they had a $100 million deficit and the mayor proposed a soda tax to fill the gap. It was defeated, so they raised property taxes instead. Mayor Nutter’s name is fitting. He is just another in a long line of Democratic mayors who have ruled Philadelphia since the 1950′s and whose policies of welfare handouts for their voting base paid for by taxing the producers, has resulted in a population decline from 2.1 million in 1950 to 1.5 million today.
$12,000 per year, per child is not enough. To use a favorite word of progressives (that's the current term, isn't it?) this is simply unsustainable. But no matter, abject failure is OK as long as you say "I'm for the children", "it's for the children", "union" and other tired sayings that have worked since the late 1960's. Empirical evidence and statistics don't matter. This is a crime and the children, as always, lose. The employees of the district don't: "For the average teacher earning $68,700 annually, benefit costs pile on an additional $44,100, meaning the average cost of employing a teacher in the system is $112,700."
If this were any other field, there would be real anger at the collapsing bridges, crashing airplanes, bad sports play - but with children in public schools - nothing. Not in the mainstream media or political arena.
Let's Create a Problem Where There is None - NYC
There is a trendy man made 'problem' when it comes to the specialized high schools in NYC. These schools are spectacularly successful, and they churn out literally thousands of literate, capable graduates per year. Our Elite Government Class Overlords think that the admissions process (a merit based exam that has math, reading comprehension and logic) that has worked for decades needs to be changed. Why? The racial makeup of the schools doesn't fit that THEY think it should be. This is an interesting case because the schools over the past 15 years have become predominantly Asian.
This is a problem made our of whole cloth. There are many things wrong with the NYC public school system - these schools are not part of any problem. It is interesting to notice how failing schools in bad neighborhoods garner little discussion, but the merit based schools are have a target on them by the Elites. It is almost as if there is a war against merit.
I am actually having a debate on Facebook about this with people who went to Tech, as I did. It is odd how cavalier they are about changing the requirements now that they've gone through the system. remember, this isn't a problem. Tech, Stuyvesant and Bx Science are success stories. Yet, because a politician feels that the racial makeup "doesn't look like NYC", it should be changed. This is purely illogical and self defeating.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
The Origins of the FED - How it Controls Money and People
The Federal Reserve is the topic you're not supposed to talk about. The FED, the central bank of the United States, took over the country in 1913. Does that sound like hyperbole? Only if you are uninformed and believing only the Organs of the Establishment that promote the myth that the FED is there for the public good.
“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson.” – FDR letter to Colonel Edward House, Nov. 21 1933
“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson.” – FDR letter to Colonel Edward House, Nov. 21 1933
Was FDR a 'conspiracy theorist'? Why did he say that? James Corbett, of the stellar independent news site corbettreport.com explains in this thorough documentary.
From Corbett's site: All our lives we’ve been told that economics is boring. It’s dull. It’s not worth the time it takes to understand it. And all our lives, we’ve been lied to.
War. Poverty. Revolution. They all hinge on economics. And economics all rests on one key concept: money. Money. It is the economic water in which we live our lives. We even call it ‘currency’; it flows around us, carries us in its wake. Drowns those who are not careful. We use it every day in nearly every transaction we conduct. We spend our lives working for it, worrying about it, saving it, spending it, pinching it. It defines our social status. It compromises our morals. People are willing to fight, die and kill for it.
But what is it? Where does it come from? How is it created? Who controls it? It is a remarkable fact that, given its central importance in our lives, not one person in a hundred could answer such basic questions about money as these.
War. Poverty. Revolution. They all hinge on economics. And economics all rests on one key concept: money. Money. It is the economic water in which we live our lives. We even call it ‘currency’; it flows around us, carries us in its wake. Drowns those who are not careful. We use it every day in nearly every transaction we conduct. We spend our lives working for it, worrying about it, saving it, spending it, pinching it. It defines our social status. It compromises our morals. People are willing to fight, die and kill for it.
But what is it? Where does it come from? How is it created? Who controls it? It is a remarkable fact that, given its central importance in our lives, not one person in a hundred could answer such basic questions about money as these.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
How to Spot a Bad, if not Brainless, 'Argument'
Adam Carolla recently explained in an interview that he considers himself a conservative. He talked about wanting the people getting free breakfast in school to realize the principle behind such things, that the USA was founded not on taking money from others to give to someone else, but on working for what you have and being able to keep it.
He was pretty clear on what he meant, and it wasn't that difficult to understand his premise of letting the children know that there are principles involved with daily life.
A commentator on The Young Turks took offense to this. She 'argues' his points. What is fascinating to watch is how she doesn't address his points on the whole, and when she does she uses snark, ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments and ignorance to refute what Mr. Carolla said.
I am not the only one to notice this. I first noticed it during the 08 presidential campaign when Ron Paul would be maligned because of his views - not with logic and reasoning and evidence, but emotion and eye rolling. Rachel Maddow is the queen bee of this tactic, but the woman in this video seems to be gunning for second place in this field. Stefan Molyneux of Freedomain Radio completely destroys this woman's 'arguments'. I can't just type the word arguments because she doesn't make any, as Molyneaux shows you here.
It is a complete intellectual dismantling, and it should move you further away from picking a political 'side', as well as anything associated with leftism.
He was pretty clear on what he meant, and it wasn't that difficult to understand his premise of letting the children know that there are principles involved with daily life.
A commentator on The Young Turks took offense to this. She 'argues' his points. What is fascinating to watch is how she doesn't address his points on the whole, and when she does she uses snark, ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments and ignorance to refute what Mr. Carolla said.
I am not the only one to notice this. I first noticed it during the 08 presidential campaign when Ron Paul would be maligned because of his views - not with logic and reasoning and evidence, but emotion and eye rolling. Rachel Maddow is the queen bee of this tactic, but the woman in this video seems to be gunning for second place in this field. Stefan Molyneux of Freedomain Radio completely destroys this woman's 'arguments'. I can't just type the word arguments because she doesn't make any, as Molyneaux shows you here.
It is a complete intellectual dismantling, and it should move you further away from picking a political 'side', as well as anything associated with leftism.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
David Rudisha - 100 Seconds of the Best Race Ever
Lost in the hype and the media blaze of the 2012 Olympics was the world record set in the 800m run. The 800m run is probably the most difficult race on the track. It is basically a half mile sprint, where for 80% of the time you are without the necessary oxygen to function.
This documentary shows how David Rudisha got to the pinnacle of the sport. What you need to notice is the humble surroundings. The track is dirt. There are no lanes. His coach is an old Irish Catholic missionary. It sounds like some derivative of 'Chariots of Fire' - except it is real. Watch how the bus spews out smoke. Watch the herding of cows and goats. Here, in this part of the world everything is glitz and glamor - seemingly made out of plastic. I was particularly observant of the school setting. The desks are old, the shoes are obviously donated by charities. The walls were dirty and the books worn.
Perhaps more people in "education" should watch this documentary - and pay particular attention to the last 3 minutes, where the coach is asked what the secret is. Of course he says there are no secrets. Unless, of course, work is a secret. Here, where all we hear is "if only we had more money", that premise is blown to bits by this Kenyan and his school, who have no money.
On the track, what did Rudisha do? Anyone with a track background will gape at the splits. His first 400m was a 49.3, and he came back in 50.6 for a 1:40.91.
Here's the 'best race ever' statistic. Last place in the 800m run in London in the 2012 Olympics would have WON the last 3 Olympic 800m races. 8th place ran a 1:43.77. Think about that.
Also think about the 2 Americans who finished 4th and 5th with times of 1:42.8 and 1:42.95. They went home without a medal. Unreal.
Here is the race itself.
Here is how it happened:
This documentary shows how David Rudisha got to the pinnacle of the sport. What you need to notice is the humble surroundings. The track is dirt. There are no lanes. His coach is an old Irish Catholic missionary. It sounds like some derivative of 'Chariots of Fire' - except it is real. Watch how the bus spews out smoke. Watch the herding of cows and goats. Here, in this part of the world everything is glitz and glamor - seemingly made out of plastic. I was particularly observant of the school setting. The desks are old, the shoes are obviously donated by charities. The walls were dirty and the books worn.
Perhaps more people in "education" should watch this documentary - and pay particular attention to the last 3 minutes, where the coach is asked what the secret is. Of course he says there are no secrets. Unless, of course, work is a secret. Here, where all we hear is "if only we had more money", that premise is blown to bits by this Kenyan and his school, who have no money.
On the track, what did Rudisha do? Anyone with a track background will gape at the splits. His first 400m was a 49.3, and he came back in 50.6 for a 1:40.91.
Here's the 'best race ever' statistic. Last place in the 800m run in London in the 2012 Olympics would have WON the last 3 Olympic 800m races. 8th place ran a 1:43.77. Think about that.
Also think about the 2 Americans who finished 4th and 5th with times of 1:42.8 and 1:42.95. They went home without a medal. Unreal.
Here is the race itself.
Here is how it happened:
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