Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Special Education Week

A Facebook post:

I've been a custodian, groundskeeper, warehouseman, taught it all in K - 6...except Special Ed. That's hard. I did sub for Joyce once, whose post I have forwarded here. (It's Special Education week.) I wonder, from time to time, why we are so supportive of kids in a wheelchair, but so often fear and condemn the learning disabled.

It may shock some, but they're still kids; human children who have a hard time every day. They're not scary and they have it hard enough. They don't need us to make life even harder.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Mommy, He Cheated

From the LATimes. -- Mitt Romney said Wednesday that his loss to President Obama was due in large part to his rival's strategy of giving "gifts" during his first term to three groups that were pivotal in the results of last week's election: African Americans, Latinos and young voters. --

So now we finally know. Romney wasn't pandering to the racist bigots. He is one.

The report continued -- The Republican nominee avoided any recriminations about his team or a second-guessing of their efforts, calling the organization "a very solid team that got along." --

Yes, they were so effective, they lost.

If the GOP cannot face facts, we are all in trouble. For better or for worse, our political system is a two party system. It is not healthy for one of those parties to divorce itself from reality. Much as I feel the urge to take a perverse pleasure in watching the arrogant and self destructive policies of the Radical Republicans drive them to defeat, I care about my country, and know we need two centrist parties to make our government function effectively.

As expected, the moderate Republicans (an endangered species...I wonder if a captive breeding program would promote survival...) see this clearly, while the radicals insist they weren't radical enough. I side with the moderate Republicans.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Secession

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/secession-petition-white-house_n_2116620.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

So you want to resign your US citizenship? I understand. I agree that you should be stripped of your citizenship and be registered as a resident alien. Those of us who love our country are sad that you don't share our patriotism, but we won't force you to be loyal to a nation which you despise. We Americans are tolerant, even of those with whom we disagree.

I am certain that you can find a country that meets your needs. Good luck!

The Second Amendment

From a webpost:

PETITION: Declaration of the 2nd Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms and Intentions to Resist Confiscation of Firearms

Since this right is usually defended by those who lay claim to being originalists, that is, keeping the meaning of the constitution exactly as the founders intended, I am in complete agreement with their cause. There should be no laws whatsoever which restrict the possession of muzzle loading, black powder musketry. Keep a few single shot brass cannons in your yard if you like. All other firearms have no constitutional protection of any kind and can be restricted or totally banned.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Secrets Revealed

Now that the elections are over two revelations have come to light.

1.Speaker Boehner says the American people are demanding compromise and he gets the message. He will continue to make the same rigid and unalterable demands, but he will do so in a nice tone of voice.

2. The secret of Mitt's origins is made public. All previous speculations were wrong! He is not simply a spoiled rich boy who doesn't get it. He is not a robot from the future. The truth is even stranger.

In the 70's, Mattel created a life sized plastic Ken doll for promotional purposes. The doll proved to be more unsettling than expected, so it was stored in a warehouse. There it would still be gathering dust, but for an amazing event. The giant Ken doll was bitten by a radioactive Mormon missionary. This gave it both life and super powers, like the ability to almost be elected President.

Only in America!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Weird Science

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/light-particle-wave-quantum-nonlocality_n_2076011.html

I understood that light was a wave until it was forced by interactions with the rest of reality to become a particle, aka " decoherence". What was sometimes referred to as "wavicles", in which light was both at once, was a possibility which seemed unnecessary. This experiment indicates it is a real condition. Weird!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Nonissue

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/massachusetts-supreme-court-case-against-pledge-of-allegiance_n_2047799.html

--The family, who are secular humanists, claim that the phrase "under God" in the pledge is a violation of the state's constitutional ban on religious discrimination. --

This is one of the most nonsensical, nonissues to ever waste a nation's time. The solution? Stand up and say nothing during the Pledge; say the pledge without the phrase, "Under God"; say it with the phrase included; mouth nonsense syllables under your breath; do whatever you want to do. Theists and atheists both, mind your own damned business!

The Schadenfreude Polka Lyrics

It's the Schadenfreude Polka,
The Schadenfreude Polka
Dance the Schadenfreude Polka,
Ha, ha, ha, ha

You wouldn't listen to me,
I tired and tried to warn you,
But you did it your way,
Ha, ha, ha, ha

You asked for it, you got it
It's everything you wanted
It serves you right to get it
Ha, ha, ha, ha

A Shameful Confession


I am about to admit a disturbing character flaw. Anyone who still maintains an unrealistic view of how kind, tolerant and generally nice I am, should stop reading now. I hate to disillusion you so cruelly.

The Confession: A part of me sincerely hopes that Mitt Romney wins the presidency. Why? Because then I get the awful delight of dancing the Schadenfreude Polka.

Note: Wikipedia defines the term, as: Schadenfreude Listen/ˈʃɑːdənfrɔɪdə is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. This German word is used as a loanword in English and some other ...

So, when you want to declare savage and cold hearted delight at the mess someone has made of his life with really stupid and self destructive behavior, you dance to the cruel, yet beguiling strains of the Schadenfreude Polka.

I try not to indulge myself in this. It is wrong and shameful. It is unChrisitan, unholy, and antisocial. But I do love it, nonetheless. I can't help but feel pleasure when I think of Tojo and his fellow Japanese imperialists wasting away in prison as they watched the Emperor bow to Gen. McArthur. The idea of major Nazis surrendering to the "mongrel" and "racially inferior" American forces...The thought of the Southerners who had demanded a "just and righteous war" against the North and the abolitionists sitting in the burned ruins of their mansions... what pure delight!

More recently, I think of all those who voted for Bush, only to see their homes foreclosed, their jobs evaporate, and their lives smashed by his policies. I say to them, "You asked for it, you got it."

So, while I mostly hope for Obama to win, that dark and savage side of me would really love to dance the Schadenfreude Polka once again.



Thursday, November 1, 2012

From National Geographic


-- One of the largest dinosaurs that ever lived, Tyrannosaurus rex was a fierce carnivore. Scientists believe this powerful predator could eat up to 500 pounds (230 kilograms) of meat in one bite.--

I wonder what that translates into in cheeseburgers?

Let's see, assuming they are quarter pounders...

Meditation and Pain

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cindy-bird/buddhist-meditation-chronic-pain_b_2008696.html

Interesting article. It recalls a method of pain reduction I used years ago when my lower lumbar osteoarthritis was dominating my daily life. It was bad enough that I was forced to wear a brace all day. It ran from just below my hips to under my armpits.

In spite of this, the pain was often severe and disabling. I developed a meditation technique which gave me much relief. I carefully pictured a pleasant, sunny beach. I placed myself near the waves, standing next to an outcrop of sharp, volcanic rock.

I conceived of the rock as the pain. The more severe the pain, the larger and sharper the outcropping. Then I imagined a fog slowly flowing in. As the fog thickened, the outcropping was obscured, bit by bit, and the air temperature dropped. When the outcropping was hidden, and I could tell the ocean was near only by the sound of the waves, the pain was much reduced.

I tried hurrying the process, to make the pain end sooner, but that failed. When I made the fog come in quickly, there was no benefit. I had to reset my image to the sunny, warm and sharp beginning, and slowly let the fog do its work.