Random Thoughts
Monday, December 11, 2006 at 06:20PM Haven't done this for a while. Just jotting down a few observations.
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I dropped my laptop a few weeks ago going through airport security and it has since had a thumbprint-sized dead space on the right hand side of the screen. Here's the thing - why is the black space always exactly where I need to see what is beneath it? Is this a clever plot to make sure I spend $350 for a new LCD panel? (Oh, make that almost $700 to have the local authorized Apple dealer make the repair. Doesn't Apple know I can buy a brand new Dell for $700?)
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It's time to retire the term "thinking outside the box." I cringe when I hear it. If we knew we were in a box, wouldn't we not just try to think outside of it, but actually climb outside it?
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When my daughter came home from school angry because she could not understand the purpose of why she was being forced to learn something (the quadratic equation or the significance of the Hundred Years War, come to mind), this is how I explained school:
School is a sorting mechanism to determine who will play the game society demands we play. School determines who will delay gratification, who will listen to authority without much heavy duty questioning; and who will go along to get along. It's a way for the established power structure to weed out the trouble makers. You can take a chance and choose to be a trouble maker, quit school and do your own thing. And your fate will be either be a multimillionaire or a bitter bum. School is not about teaching and learning facts or skills, but seeing who is willing to forego one's own needs for the greater good of the established social order. Up to you.
Despite the lip service being paid to career education, 21st century learning, NCLB, etc. education is still more about EQ and who chooses to use it. We are truly and greatly afraid of those who do not to conform and education protects us from those scary people.
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Politics is starting to have an impact my pleasure reading. Based on an NPR recommendation, I bought the latest Michael Crichton novel, Next, despite his last novel, State of Fear, reading like a policy statement for the Bush administration on global warming. I had nearly decided never to read another Crichton. I put a Kyle Mills book back in the rack when I saw Rush Limbaugh's positive blurb for it. I was deeply saddened to read that Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt not only got married, but that his wife is a Republican senator. Cussler's last few "adventures" have been really bad (or worse) anyway. He needs to contract his writing out to more skillful contractors.
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Question of the week (so far):
Okay, I KNOW you warn us not to open emails from people we don’t know, and usually, I follow that to the letter. This one made it through my junk filter somehow, and it looks appealing enough to open. I would appreciate your professional opinion on whether or not I dare to click on the attachment.
Bang. Bang. Bang. That is the sound my head makes hitting the wall.
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On a related note, the worst spam subject heading last week was "Double the size of your weenie." Marketing to kindergarteners now? That was the last time I remember referring to a body part as a "weenie."
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Ok, all that is off my chest. I can get on with life. Thanks for listening.
Reader Comments (5)
Doug, you know, when I get old, I want to be just like you <grin>.
We already agree on so much (referring to your other remarks).
running for cover,
Miguel
Your exchange with your daughter reminded me of this clip from Leave it to Beaver.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-60X42U
Blog-itis - the problem of having signed up for too many blogs after listening to a Will Richardson presentation. I really only look at about 2 or 3 of them, now that school has started....but I hate to take them all off my list for fear of being thought of as a blog slacker.
It's just too much to think about during the holidays.