Sports can be a colossal waste of time. Of all the things to spend time on, sports are high on the list of premiere time wasters. Once I started to think more independently (embarrassingly late in life), I pretty much ignored the sports world as I saw it for what it was: entertaining nothingness for the masses. Material for the Sheeple to get worked up over and then argue with each other rather than think about and discuss REAL things.
Well, I still like sports. I really can't escape the lure. No, I don't watch every Yankee game like I used to in the mid to late 1980's. (Alvaro Espinosa was an underrated shortstop if you must know). Watching the Spurs win the NBA title this year was wonderful. They play a great brand of basketball, there is a lot of ball movement, everyone can shoot and move, the team has an obvious plan and no ego. In MLB, I think you're foolish if you don't watch Clayton Kershaw pitch at least once, and you should watch Mike Trout play outfield for the Angels.
The sports reference sites are good to get your stats. I'm a stats person of the old school and I can't imagine what my HS years would have been like if I'd had a site like this. I had to read the stats on the page in the baseball encyclopedia or in Total Baseball. I probably would have failed out of high school - I would have been on stats overload. The other site I go to for sports is Grantland.com. Except for the liberal slant when it comes to anything not sports related (the pop culture is a waste of time as were the comments on the Donald Sterling Afffair), Grantland is an information rich and entertaining place.
The podcasts are well done. What made me do this post is the podcast with Al Michaels and Bill Simmons. This will show you how sports can still be worth your time. Al Michaels has been an announcer for a long time - notice the Old Man Shorts. Simmons is a Serious Fan with an eye for detail, a great memory, and an entertaining writing style. Simmons does the smart thing. The entire last 2/3 of this interview is Simmons simply asking Michaels if he as a story about (fill in the name of a sports star). He lets Al Michaels talk, and the stories are funny, interesting and entertaining. Michaels gives you the inside stuff without being salacious. It is good storytelling in the world of sports, and I have to admit - I still enjoy it immensely. I think you'll enjoy listening to this, especially if you're a sports fan:
Monday, June 30, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Martenson's Updated Crash Course - A Great Learning Experience
There were a few things that completely changed my worldview for the better. These things made me think rationally, clearly, independently and thoroughly. The writings of Theodore Dalrymple and John Taylor Gatto, the campaigns of Ron Paul, the 'Peter Schiff was Right' youtube videos and the works of Gary North and Tom Woods are some of the main sources from what was a serious philosophical change for me from 2005 - 2011.
A video series that put together the absurdity and danger of our monetary system and the FED was called "The Crash Course" by Chris Martenson. It provided a visual link to the things that are never discussed in mainstream circles, and certainly never in school. I had never had such things explained to me as a young person. The Crash Course opened my eyes instantly. I think I watched the whole thing twice upon discovering it.
Martenson's premise is simple: the next 20 years will be nothing like the last 20 years. He focuses on the E's: Economy, Education, Energy and Environment. Recently he released a condensed and updated version of The Crash Course. It will probably me more informative and useful to you than any social studies, civics or economics class you'll have in school. It certainly contains more information and depth than your teacher, who thinks that 'Obama will take care of things' or 'once the Republicans get back in charge things will be better'. People who still think that way should be taught how to escape that limited mindset. The first thing to show them is this quote by Zora Neale Hurston: “Anybody depending on somebody else's gods is depending on a fox not to eat chickens.” The second step is to watch the updated Crash Course:
A video series that put together the absurdity and danger of our monetary system and the FED was called "The Crash Course" by Chris Martenson. It provided a visual link to the things that are never discussed in mainstream circles, and certainly never in school. I had never had such things explained to me as a young person. The Crash Course opened my eyes instantly. I think I watched the whole thing twice upon discovering it.
Martenson's premise is simple: the next 20 years will be nothing like the last 20 years. He focuses on the E's: Economy, Education, Energy and Environment. Recently he released a condensed and updated version of The Crash Course. It will probably me more informative and useful to you than any social studies, civics or economics class you'll have in school. It certainly contains more information and depth than your teacher, who thinks that 'Obama will take care of things' or 'once the Republicans get back in charge things will be better'. People who still think that way should be taught how to escape that limited mindset. The first thing to show them is this quote by Zora Neale Hurston: “Anybody depending on somebody else's gods is depending on a fox not to eat chickens.” The second step is to watch the updated Crash Course:
Friday, June 20, 2014
3 Years In A Downward Spiral In School
As the school year is now just about over, I reflect on the unusually large academic and social gap between the current juniors and this year's freshmen. Two years ago, with the students who are now in 11th grade, I was able to cover all of the literature I planned, as well as quite a bit of secondary material in history, politics and economics. I remember that we often got off track, and I had to make the conversation go back toward the literature that was originally intended.
What prompted this podcast was my discussion with one of my former students who just finished her freshman year in college. I was reminded that, with less time, we did more material with more in depth analysis.
The causes? Ridiculous and meaningless high stakes testing (euphemistically called 'assessments') is one of the causes. A major cause is the current students have much less desire to learn. They are more used to being spoon-fed every thing. I had more discipline issues than ever before these last two years. If things continue to devolve, I'll request 10th grade for the 2015 - 2016 school year. I'm sad to make that statement because I have chosen to work with 9th graders for the past 8 years because they are younger, fresher and more eager. Unfortunately, this seems to be changing.
What prompted this podcast was my discussion with one of my former students who just finished her freshman year in college. I was reminded that, with less time, we did more material with more in depth analysis.
The causes? Ridiculous and meaningless high stakes testing (euphemistically called 'assessments') is one of the causes. A major cause is the current students have much less desire to learn. They are more used to being spoon-fed every thing. I had more discipline issues than ever before these last two years. If things continue to devolve, I'll request 10th grade for the 2015 - 2016 school year. I'm sad to make that statement because I have chosen to work with 9th graders for the past 8 years because they are younger, fresher and more eager. Unfortunately, this seems to be changing.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
We Have Come Full Conspiracy Circle
My high school students here on this site and in the flesh have long known that I abhor the Mainstream Media, that I see it as little more than a constant and clumsy propaganda machine for the State and its actors. There isn't much need for me to 'prove' this point any longer. Newsweek, and its cover article by Kurt Eichenwald, has proven my point for me.
In the article, you will read about how people who believe in conspiracy theories are a clear and present danger. They focus on people who don't want to vaccinate their children, the 9/11 'truth' movement, people who have exposed the UN's Agenda 21, and the people who dislike Common Core.
Let's look closely at two of these points. First, the Common Core should be opposed, and it isn't just 'conspiracy theorists' who oppose it. The woman who was the only academic on the panel for English (and didn't sign off on the standards) now tours the country speaking out against the standards. You can watch her here. The only Math Professor on the panel, who also did not approve of the standards, speaks out against the total inadequacy of the standards. You can watch him here. Are these people trying to destroy America? According to Eichenwald and Newsweek, the answer is yes.
Secondly, the article looks at the 9/11 Truth movement as one of the 'Plots to Destroy America'. This is an interesting one. During the W. Bush administration, the Truth movement was acceptable, trendy, and totally acceptable. It's funny, but the only place you really saw these people made fun of was on Fox News, the network whose job it is in the Fake Left v. Right Debate to make 'Democrats' look bad. Now that the head and party of the regime have changed, the 'Truthers' are fair game. I miss the days when Progressive Heroes like Van Jones and much of Hollywood were part of the movement. Eichenwald, of course, ignores this. Jones, by the way, when his association with the movement was going to cost him personally, asked to have his name removed from the petition. The guy changed his mind. Was he a threat and now he's not? Are these people trying to destroy America?
This puff piece is an example, although a poor one, of attempt to control the narrative. Of course, citizen, you will listen only to the Establishment Narrative, and anything not on that 3x5 card of Acceptable Opinion is a 'conspiracy' and is therefore a 'threat'. Eichenwald should be ashamed. The article lacks any depth, and basically says, 'look, these people are silly and weird, and these conspiracies are stupid'. This is considered reporting. On top of this, Eichenwald uses the Southern Poverty Law Center as a source. This is an organization that is sitting on a $190 million dollar war chest and not only is tax exempt, but hides money in the Cayman Islands!
Not only that, but notice how it is the conspiracy theorist and their theories that are a problem. Not the NSA spying, the PATRIOT Act (renewed and strengthened by this administration), NDAA, endless warfare, endless welfare, the FED and the large banks and corporations rapaciously running the planet. No, it is the people who disagree with the Official Story, they are the threat.
I am constantly amazed that the Elite expect us, the Herd, the Masses, to read this material and just accept it at face value. It is as if they operate as if there is no internet, no movement of information. This article is just one sad example of the death of mainstream media - and now you can see why I will be glad when the whole operation disappears.
By the way, here is the cover of Eichenwald's best book. It's a good one, but pay particular attention to the title. Remember, according to Eichenwald, conspiracies are just silly and stupid:
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Charles Hugh Smith: The Nearly Free University
“G.P.A.’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless. ... We found that they don’t predict anything.” - - Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google — i.e., the guy in charge of hiring for one of the world’s most successful companies
The post secondary education system cannot last. I have read about this on Gary North's site, and he has written a book review about Charles Hugh Smith's The Nearly Free University. You can read the introduction to Smith's book here.
Why can't the current system continue? Because of cost. In the old days, the college degree was a weeding out process - employers would use it as a way to avoid low IQ workers and they'd know that the person could at least start a task, finish it, and deal with boredom. Now, with 'everyone' getting (or deserving if you subscribe to Current Progressive Thought) a college degree, that vetting process doesn't work.
In the interview below, these topics and others are brought up. If you're getting a degree in something, why are you paying huge dollars to pay the Assistant Dean of Supervision, or some other useless bureacratic sinecure $150,000 a year? For what? How does that person help you get your degree? What is he teaching you?
Many people I work with, and students of mine seem to think I am against college. This is not true. I am against going broke - hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt for a degree that you can't use for anything. Americans as a whole now owe more money for student loans than they do for their credit cards. This from a population that has been conditioned in a Pavlovian manner to SPEND when things get tough, or any other reason for that matter. You should count the cost, and analyze the benefits and job market you'll get after you get your degree.
College tuition is way out of line in terms of cost, and Charles Hugh Smith has some good ideas as to avoiding it and becoming successfully educated.
The post secondary education system cannot last. I have read about this on Gary North's site, and he has written a book review about Charles Hugh Smith's The Nearly Free University. You can read the introduction to Smith's book here.
Why can't the current system continue? Because of cost. In the old days, the college degree was a weeding out process - employers would use it as a way to avoid low IQ workers and they'd know that the person could at least start a task, finish it, and deal with boredom. Now, with 'everyone' getting (or deserving if you subscribe to Current Progressive Thought) a college degree, that vetting process doesn't work.
In the interview below, these topics and others are brought up. If you're getting a degree in something, why are you paying huge dollars to pay the Assistant Dean of Supervision, or some other useless bureacratic sinecure $150,000 a year? For what? How does that person help you get your degree? What is he teaching you?
Many people I work with, and students of mine seem to think I am against college. This is not true. I am against going broke - hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt for a degree that you can't use for anything. Americans as a whole now owe more money for student loans than they do for their credit cards. This from a population that has been conditioned in a Pavlovian manner to SPEND when things get tough, or any other reason for that matter. You should count the cost, and analyze the benefits and job market you'll get after you get your degree.
College tuition is way out of line in terms of cost, and Charles Hugh Smith has some good ideas as to avoiding it and becoming successfully educated.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
$227 Million Doesn't Buy What It Used To
Something of a rant here, but any high school student (the people for whom this site is engineered) will instantly recognize what is going on. Especially students from in the schools on the wrong side of the tracks, the bad part of town.
Our school budget passed the last week. When I started, the school budget was out of control - topping out at around $160 million. People where aghast at that figure. That was 12 years ago. Now the budget is $227 million dollars. This is for a school district with a poor academic record, crumbling infrastructure and, in my case, a repair - free zone.
I go into more detail in the podcast, but I have had no heat, no air conditioning, a broken smart-board (since early March), missing blinds and a bell that barely makes any noise. Where there once was a clock is an unsightly hole, and rickety chairs and profanity laden desks populate the room.
Naturally, criticizing public education gets you yelled at - the ad hominem attacks come quickly at rapid fire pace, but you should expect that by now. The Gov't schools are 'good', and their defenders vouch for them, facts be damned. Naturally these are the same people who have the perfect fix for the schools: more money. The irony is off the charts, but it allows them to participate in that most comfortable activity, hand wringing.
Our school budget passed the last week. When I started, the school budget was out of control - topping out at around $160 million. People where aghast at that figure. That was 12 years ago. Now the budget is $227 million dollars. This is for a school district with a poor academic record, crumbling infrastructure and, in my case, a repair - free zone.
I go into more detail in the podcast, but I have had no heat, no air conditioning, a broken smart-board (since early March), missing blinds and a bell that barely makes any noise. Where there once was a clock is an unsightly hole, and rickety chairs and profanity laden desks populate the room.
Naturally, criticizing public education gets you yelled at - the ad hominem attacks come quickly at rapid fire pace, but you should expect that by now. The Gov't schools are 'good', and their defenders vouch for them, facts be damned. Naturally these are the same people who have the perfect fix for the schools: more money. The irony is off the charts, but it allows them to participate in that most comfortable activity, hand wringing.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
High Stakes Testing Gone Crazy
The latest 'trend' (they're all trends, no one seems interested in fixing real problems) in education is "raising the standards" and measuring performance with "data driven instruction".
What that means is that my students, and most public high school students, are buried under at least 3x more exams than normally exist during a school year. Today we had the year end 'summative' exam. This test, which didn't reflect the material from the year, nor much of anything, will be measured against the exam results from the Fall exam. Here's the problem: the conditions of the exam are totally different, the weather was hot today, my students were all kinds of tired and intellectually checked out. Never one to excuse student malfeasance and laziness, I was however sympathetic to what they were feeling. Young people still have a functional BS radar - unlike many adults. They knew they were being turned into guinea pigs in a lab, and they hated it.
This exam, the iReady exam, the SLO exam and the other Common Core time wasters are now becoming the norm. Who gains? Not the students. They realize that they are not the beneficiaries of any of this kabuki dance - you should realize this too. The education corporations are making a killing off of this, mainly through consulting fees, but also in exam generation, both paper and digital forms.
Here's my take on this awful trend:
What that means is that my students, and most public high school students, are buried under at least 3x more exams than normally exist during a school year. Today we had the year end 'summative' exam. This test, which didn't reflect the material from the year, nor much of anything, will be measured against the exam results from the Fall exam. Here's the problem: the conditions of the exam are totally different, the weather was hot today, my students were all kinds of tired and intellectually checked out. Never one to excuse student malfeasance and laziness, I was however sympathetic to what they were feeling. Young people still have a functional BS radar - unlike many adults. They knew they were being turned into guinea pigs in a lab, and they hated it.
This exam, the iReady exam, the SLO exam and the other Common Core time wasters are now becoming the norm. Who gains? Not the students. They realize that they are not the beneficiaries of any of this kabuki dance - you should realize this too. The education corporations are making a killing off of this, mainly through consulting fees, but also in exam generation, both paper and digital forms.
Here's my take on this awful trend:
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