Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read what's put in front of them, while boys are harder to control? Is that genetic or societal? Not sure. I never needed motivation to learn to read; in fact, i couldn't *wait* to learn the magic of words as a child. That's a girl's trait, according to the article. At the same time, I loved--and still love--informational books about dinosaurs and outer space (boy's trait). I love storybooks (girl's trait), always read what was put in front of me in school (girl's trait), but really like to do my own thing (boy's trait). I learn most efficiently from discussing broad concepts, open forums, and creative thinking, but managed to obtain an EE degree in a fairly inflexible engineering world that brooked no arguing of the rules. So I'm not sure what it means to say that current curricula favor girls. Are girls lacking in creative thought, self-expression, and more used to be controlled in a inflexible learning program? don't know. What I will say, though, is that the emphasis more and more on passing tests, rote memorization, and narrow teaching systems hurts *all* kids, regardless of gender. I just listened on Wednesday to a really good Public Radio program from the dean of Tufts University about how people learn. He discussed how he was labeled slow as a kid, almost put back a year, and later, told by a college professor he had no ability for psychiatry. Years later, he led the American Psychiatric Association. What he realized was that how he learned didn't work with the rote memorization that was the standard back then. When he was allowed to learn in a freer, more open way, he excelled. And yet here we are, closing schools left and right (four elementary schools to be closed in DeKalb County, GA where I live), putting the burden of more students on fewer teachers, and somehow still expecting teachers and students to be more proficient at taking standardized tests whose efficacy is dubious at best. School not good for boys? I'd say it's not good for anyone right now... * * * * * * *** http://blogs. ajc.com/get- schooled- blog/2010/ 03/17/lots- of-news-on- boys-none- of-it-good/ ?cxntlid= sldr Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. 12:01 am March 17, 2010, by Maureen Downey A new report comparing math and reading skills by gender offers “good news for girls but bad news for boys,” says Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy. The study shows a gender gap in reading with girls taking a decided lead. Released Wednesday, the center’s report on the achievement levels of boys and girls on state reading and math assessments found that boys lag girls in reading in all states across elementary, middle and high schools. “Something is going on in our schools that is holding boys back,” says Jennings. ‘Let me emphasize, we do not want a war of the sexes in education…but we need a broad conversation on how boys can do better in schools.” The study confirms the concerns of many educators who have been sounding an alarm for year over the flagging academic performance of boys and the worrisome male dropout rate. While educators worried 20 years
Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
L, sounds as though you're on the right tack. My niece has always been a high-grade poster, but she was constantly in trouble throughout grade and middle school, because the curriculum simply couldn't hold her attention. When my county began the magnet schools program, my sister put her into one right away. She's still a high scorer, and now supremely focused. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 3:45 AM, L Freeman msles59...@yahoo.com wrote: Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On *Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net* wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.nethttp://mc/compose?to=keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read what's put in front of them, while boys are harder to control? Is that genetic or societal? Not sure. I never needed motivation to learn to read; in fact, i couldn't *wait* to learn the magic of words as a child. That's a girl's trait, according to the article. At the same time, I loved--and still love--informational books about dinosaurs and outer space (boy's trait). I love storybooks (girl's trait), always read what was put in front of me in school (girl's trait), but really like to do my own thing (boy's trait). I learn most efficiently from discussing broad concepts, open forums, and creative thinking, but managed to obtain an EE degree in a fairly inflexible engineering world that brooked no arguing of the rules. So I'm not sure what it means to say that current curricula favor girls. Are girls lacking in creative thought, self-expression, and more used to be controlled in a inflexible learning program? don't know. What I will say, though, is that the emphasis more and more on passing tests, rote memorization, and narrow teaching systems hurts *all* kids, regardless of gender. I just listened on Wednesday to a really good Public Radio program from the dean of Tufts University about how people learn. He discussed how he was labeled slow as a kid, almost put back a year, and later, told by a college professor he had no ability for psychiatry. Years later, he led the American Psychiatric Association. What he realized was that how he learned didn't work with the rote memorization that was the standard back then. When he was allowed to learn in a freer, more open way, he excelled. And yet here we are, closing schools left and right (four elementary schools to be closed in DeKalb County, GA where I live), putting the burden of more students on fewer teachers, and somehow still expecting teachers and students to be more proficient at taking standardized tests whose efficacy is dubious at best. School not good for boys? I'd say it's not good for anyone right now... * * * * * * *** http://blogs. ajc.com/get- schooled- blog/2010/ 03/17/lots- of-news-on- boys-none- of-it-good/ ?cxntlid= sldrhttp://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/03/17/lots-of-news-on-boys-none-of-it-good/?cxntlid=sldr Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. 12:01 am March 17, 2010, by Maureen Downey A new report comparing math and reading skills by gender offers “good news for girls but bad news for boys,” says Jack Jennings, president ofthe Center on Education Policy.http://www.cep-dc.org/The study shows a gender gap in reading with girls taking a decided lead. Released Wednesday, the center’s report on the achievement levels of boys and girls on state reading and math assessments found that boys lag girls in
Re: [scifinoir2] This is not a Test
More than welcome, my friend! On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 3:37 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Ok thanks! On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 12:25 PM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.comwrote: TV, on The Movie Channel, Mr Worf. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 3:13 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.comwrote: Was this on tv or dvd? On Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 7:35 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: I caught This is not a Test starring Hill Harper and Robinne Lee on the Movie Channel last night. It is a tight, taut little psychological thriller about 9/11 conspiracy theorists that gives new meaning to the old adage that even paranoiacs have enemies. Hill Harper, who is given absolutely NOTHING to do on CSI:NY gives a riveting performance as a good man brought low by his rapid descent into apparent dementia. ~rave! Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Stanley Kubrick's Boxes
*Maybe* Peter Jackson or Guillermo del Toro, if they were to foray into SF. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 3:35 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: I think what made him great was the attention to detail on the level that he worked at. One of the really cool things about 2001 was that he consulted actual NASA engineers and computer programmers to work on the film. Most of the minor details like the video communications, and the color HUD displays that were in the film didn't appear until the 1980s. I don't think that Spielberg could work on that level of detail at all. There are very few directors that can. Most are busy just trying to get through points A-Z. I think the guy that shot Children of Men, Alfonzo Cuaron could do it. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 7:00 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.comwrote: No doubt, the man was, in many ways, ahead of those ahead of the curve when it came to filmmaking. Perhaps the greatest tribute to him is that, after he died while shooting A.I. and Spielberg took over, he knew instinctively that he had to veer away from the plans that Kubrick had for the movie, because he knew he wasn't good enough to go there, follow in Kubrick's footsteps.. (At least that's how I interpreted the interview he gave on it.) On Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 10:39 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.comwrote: This is a documentary about the legendary director. Many people know his films, but very few people know that he left behind a huge cache of boxes filled with work, papers, memos, book reviews by screenplay readers, ideas, screen tests etc that were in storage sheds, and all over his mansion. The documentary by Jon Ronson takes a peak at the madness of the genius of the man. The film is strangely compelling, because you can see the obvious madness but at some point I had to agree with his methods. The accumulation of hundreds of roles of film to obtain scenery shots for Eyes wide shut was obsessive compulsive at best, and knocking on the door of insanity quite nicely. There were reasons for this. Kubrick kept boxes of some of the crazy letters, and movies sent to him by some people. One was covered in the film. One cool thing about the film was Ronson discovered a previously unknown documentary that was shot by the daughter of Kubrick while he was directing Full Metal Jacket. The film she shot showed us how so many subtle nuances were added by Kubrick while he was filming. Some were even penciled into the script while he was shooting the film. Overall it is an interesting insight into a slightly under-appreciated genius. -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] shares - Comics Land - 3/18_01
Anyone who DOESN'T have their money on Ash, please call me. I've got some prime oceanfront property you might be interested in, just south of Rapid City... On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 3:40 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: Comics Land - archives duplicates inevitable from newest to oldest ** Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash 2: Nightmare Warriors #2 (Of 6)http://comixland.blogspot.com/2009/07/freddy-vs-jason-vs-ash-2-nightmare_24.html http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Inp2a8e7_-o/SmmUoGc8xbI/DfI/fOdN0jvmdgA/s1600-h/freddy2.jpeg *Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash 2: Nightmare Warriors #2 (Of 6)* CBR | July 22, 2009 | 25 Pages | 10 MB 2007’s Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash was based on the script to a movie that would have tied together the “Freddy Vs. Jason” movie and the “Evil Dead” trilogy (and that alone should be enough to excite, well… anyone), and “Nightmare Warriors” co-writer and comics/movie veteran Jeff Katz provided the script treatment for that original Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash story. http://uploading.com/files/OUUJFGYQ/Freddy_vs_Jason_vs_Ash_-_The_Nightmare_Warriors_02__of_06___2009___noads___Orobo...cbr.html http://depositfiles.com/files/efqug05ks ** Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash 2: Nightmare Warriors #1 (Of 6)http://comixland.blogspot.com/2009/07/freddy-vs-jason-vs-ash-2-nightmare.html http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Inp2a8e7_-o/SmmSE4yDXXI/DeQ/UAD9OjPDYUU/s1600-h/frefyy.jpeg *Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash 2: Nightmare Warriors #1 (Of 6)* CBR | June 24, 2009 | 27 Pages (3 Covers) | 11.4 MB http://depositfiles.com/files/4iopir56z http://uploading.com/files/P9GM6Q0X/Freddy_vs_Jason_vs_Ash_-_The_Nightmare_Warriors_01_of_06_2009_noads_3_covers_Oro...cbr.html ** Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash. Volume 1. Number 4http://comixland.blogspot.com/2008/03/freddy-vs-jason-vs-ash-volume-1-number.html Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash. Volume 1. Number 4 March 2008 | 24 pages | PDF | 10.4MB http://rapidshare.com/files/97780924/Freddy.Vs.Jason.Vs.Ash.Vol.1.No.4.Mar.2008.Comic.eBook-iNTENSiTY.pdf.zip http://depositfiles.com/files/4147592 ** -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] Re: OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
Leslie, Your comment you would think he was a budding serial killer resonates with me. In the aftermath of the Columbine Massacre, there arose several states of hysteria - Wisconsin being one of them. In Milwaukee, several black boys, including my son, were singled out as enemies of the state. Interesting, since all the Columbine murderers were white. These incidents occurred at different schools; one black boy per school. Moreover, all the black boys singled out were honor students (my son had straight As) and not, heretofore, considered disciplinary problems. The vice principal of the school my son attended called me in discuss my son's problem. He told me some white girl in his class was having trouble sleeping and that her parents were concerned. I told him I don't care if that white girl ever sleeps. The VP, who was not white but near white, looked at me like I had slapped him and the little white girl. Bottom line, I let the authorities known that David was my son and they could not have him. The parents of another young man who was singled out at a suburban high school allowed him to be electronically lynched by the media while they complied with their heads down. I say all this to say this: black parents, especially, must be pro-active in protecting the childhood rights of their male children. I have stepped in frequently. Actually, I am 6 feet tall and over 300 pounds, so it usually only took one visit per year to impress upon my son's new teachers what I would and would not tolerate. What is sad is that I had to do it once EVERY year from the time my son entered the first grade. What possibly could make a six year-old black boy an enemy of the state? Regarding Montessori school, my daughter attended a private Montessori school from two until four. One day my four year-old daughter, the apple of my eye and the light of my life, came home and told me that she wasn't black. This came as news to me and her mother. Turns out the only black boy in her class, another 4 year old, was constantly being berated and disciplined. This poor child, who was just a boy and no more rambunctious than the white boys in class, couldn't do nothing right. My daughter, who could always do the math decided that if this bad boy was black and black was bad then she must not be black. Needless to say, my daughter did not return to that school the next year. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, L Freeman msles59...@... wrote: Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM  Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it  good.  Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote:  Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read what's put in front of them, while boys are harder to control? Is that genetic or societal? Not sure.  I never needed motivation to learn to read; in fact, i couldn't *wait* to learn the magic of words as a child. That's a girl's trait, according to the article. At the same time, I loved--and still love--informational books about dinosaurs and outer space (boy's trait). I love storybooks (girl's trait), always read what was put in front of me in school (girl's trait), but really like to do my own thing (boy's trait). I learn most efficiently from discussing broad concepts, open forums, and
[scifinoir2] The Neo-Con Artists Strike Again
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100318/pl_mcclatchy/3455226 State of health care debate: Pundits attack 11-year-old Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a sob story exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a kiddie shield to defend their health care legislation. Marcelas Owens , whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance and died, said Thursday he's taking the attacks from Rush Limbaugh , Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin in stride. My mother always taught me they can have their own opinion but that doesn't mean they are right, Owens, who lives in Seattle , said in an interview. Owens' grandmother, Gina, who watched her daughter die, isn't quite so generous. These are adults, and he is an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother, Gina Owens said. They should be ashamed. http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://theworldebon.blogspot.com
[scifinoir2] Where's my Cloak of Invisibility?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100318/ap_on_sc/us_sci_cloak_of_invisibility Cloak of invisibility takes a step forward By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer Thu Mar 18, 4:05 pm ET WASHINGTON From Grimm's fairy tales to Harry Potter, the cloak of invisibility has played a major role in fiction. Now scientists have taken a small but important new step toward making it reality. Researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology report they were able to cloak a tiny bump in a layer of gold, preventing its detection at nearly visible infrared frequencies. Their cloaking device also worked in three dimensions, while previously developed cloaks worked in two dimensions, lead researcher Tolga Ergin said. The cloak is a structure of crystals with air spaces in between, sort of like a woodpile, that bends light, hiding the bump in the gold later beneath, the researchers reported in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science.
Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
I've heard good things about Montessori schools. The problem, as you say, is that the schools seem to be focused on only one style of teaching. I sat still in school as a kid, as most of us did. But, I also had P.E. for a break, so my mind and body could roam free. I had a lot of classes where discussion was encouraged, and basically started discussion where it wasn't. If I had to sit all day long and just read or be lectured to, but not be able to talk freely? I'd never have made it. The problem is all the things schools need: flexible schedules to accommodate different students' needs...teachers able to teach differently for different students...smaller classes where individual participation is encouraged...less rote teaching. Our schools need to be adaptive and limber, yet we're closing more schools every day, firing more teachers, and even talking about making school days longer. The exact opposite of what kids need. Do you think supplementing with home schooling would help? - Original Message - From: L Freeman msles59...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 3:45:22 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net Subject: Re: [ scifinoir 2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read what's put in front of them, while boys are harder to control? Is that genetic or societal? Not sure. I never needed motivation to learn to read; in fact, i couldn't *wait* to learn the magic of words as a child. That's a girl's trait, according to the article. At the same time, I loved--and still love--informational books about dinosaurs and outer space (boy's trait). I love storybooks (girl's trait), always read what was put in front of me in school (girl's trait), but really like to do my own thing (boy's trait). I learn most efficiently from discussing broad concepts, open forums, and creative thinking, but managed to obtain an EE degree in a fairly inflexible engineering world that brooked no arguing of the rules. So I'm not sure what it means to say that current curricula favor girls. Are girls lacking in creative thought, self-expression, and more used to be controlled in a inflexible learning program? don't know. What I will say, though, is that the emphasis more and more on passing tests, rote memorization, and narrow teaching systems hurts *all* kids, regardless of gender. I just listened on Wednesday to a really good Public Radio program from the dean of Tufts University about how people learn. He discussed how he was labeled slow as a kid, almost put back a year, and later, told by a college professor he had no ability for psychiatry. Years later, he led the American Psychiatric Association. What he realized was that how he learned didn't work with the rote memorization that was the standard back then. When he was allowed to learn in a freer, more open way, he excelled. And yet here we are, closing schools left and right (four elementary schools to be closed in DeKalb County, GA where I live), putting the burden of more students on fewer teachers, and somehow still expecting teachers and students to be more proficient at taking standardized tests whose efficacy is dubious at best. School not good for boys? I'd say it's not good for anyone right now... * *
Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
Same here. I always got good grades, but my parents were always told that I tended to talk to much. Indeed, in high school I had to take VOE (Vocation Office Education), where I learned to type, create business letters, etc. I did well, but the teacher gave me a bad grade in citizenship, and told my dad I talked too much for a business-oriented class. I never got that, and have *never* been able to learn anything--be it differential equations, quantum physics, American history--without a lot of healthy discussion. I have always spoken up in class, I have always talked a lot, I have always thrilled to learn by long conversations about subject matter. I think many people are like that, and, this article aside, i think that applies to girls as well. It still puzzles/troubles me that the overall feeling is that girls are more suited to sit in one place and read quietly, while boys must roam free. The sad thing is that schools are being closed, teachers fired, classes getting larger, and people even talking about extending the school day. None of that is conducive to being adaptable to the differing needs of students. - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 9:54:09 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. L, sounds as though you're on the right tack. My niece has always been a high-grade poster, but she was constantly in trouble throughout grade and middle school, because the curriculum simply couldn't hold her attention. When my county began the magnet schools program, my sister put her into one right away. She's still a high scorer, and now supremely focused. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 3:45 AM, L Freeman msles59...@yahoo.com wrote: Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@comcast.net Subject: Re: [ scifinoir 2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read what's put in front of them, while boys are harder to control? Is that genetic or societal? Not sure. I never needed motivation to learn to read; in fact, i couldn't *wait* to learn the magic of words as a child. That's a girl's trait, according to the article. At the same time, I loved--and still love--informational books about dinosaurs and outer space (boy's trait). I love storybooks (girl's trait), always read what was put in front of me in school (girl's trait), but really like to do my own thing (boy's trait). I learn most efficiently from discussing broad concepts, open forums, and creative thinking, but managed to obtain an EE degree in a fairly inflexible engineering world that brooked no arguing of the rules. So I'm not sure what it means to say that current curricula favor girls. Are girls lacking in creative thought, self-expression, and more used to be controlled in a inflexible learning program? don't know. What I will say, though, is that the emphasis more and more on passing tests, rote memorization, and narrow teaching systems hurts *all* kids, regardless of gender. I just listened on Wednesday to a really good Public Radio program from the dean of Tufts University about how people learn. He discussed how he was labeled slow as a kid, almost put back a year, and later, told by a college professor he had no ability for psychiatry. Years later, he led the American Psychiatric Association. What he
[scifinoir2] Re: OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
I don't know if this is still true but fourteen years ago, when my daughter was enrolled in Montessori school, where the pre-school was laid out in different life modules, the black students would always end up in the kitchen area. This was found to be true at both private and public Montessori schools. The question was whether the black children were channeled into the kitchen area or if the black children self-congregated themselves. I witnessed this at my daughter's Montessori school (where I was paying $5000 a year tuition). I was personally appalled by what I saw but - and this is a big but - the kids were engaged and happy (and they were running that kitchen). So, I didn't make a stink about it. In the long run, I think I made pretty good choices because my straight A daughter has been accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (one of the top 25 universities in America) where she will study economics. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: I've heard good things about Montessori schools. The problem, as you say, is that the schools seem to be focused on only one style of teaching. I sat still in school as a kid, as most of us did. But, I also had P.E. for a break, so my mind and body could roam free. I had a lot of classes where discussion was encouraged, and basically started discussion where it wasn't. If I had to sit all day long and just read or be lectured to, but not be able to talk freely? I'd never have made it. The problem is all the things schools need: flexible schedules to accommodate different students' needs...teachers able to teach differently for different students...smaller classes where individual participation is encouraged...less rote teaching. Our schools need to be adaptive and limber, yet we're closing more schools every day, firing more teachers, and even talking about making school days longer. The exact opposite of what kids need. Do you think supplementing with home schooling would help? - Original Message - From: L Freeman msles59...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 3:45:22 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... Subject: Re: [ scifinoir 2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read what's put in front of them, while boys are harder to control? Is that genetic or societal? Not sure. I never needed motivation to learn to read; in fact, i couldn't *wait* to learn the magic of words as a child. That's a girl's trait, according to the article. At the same time, I loved--and still love--informational books about dinosaurs and outer space (boy's trait). I love storybooks (girl's trait), always read what was put in front of me in school (girl's trait), but really like to do my own thing (boy's trait). I learn most efficiently from discussing broad concepts, open forums, and creative thinking, but managed to obtain an EE degree in a fairly inflexible engineering world that brooked no arguing of the rules. So I'm not sure what it means to say that current curricula favor girls. Are girls lacking in creative thought, self-expression, and more used to be controlled in a inflexible learning program? don't know. What I will
Re: [scifinoir2] Where's my Cloak of Invisibility?
No one wants Martin Baxter to have this technology. Especially neo-cons. Ergo, Martin Baxter MUST HAVE this technology. [?] On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 10:52 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100318/ap_on_sc/us_sci_cloak_of_invisibility Cloak of invisibility takes a step forward By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer – Thu Mar 18, 4:05 pm ET WASHINGTON – From Grimm's fairy tales to Harry Potter, the cloak of invisibility has played a major role in fiction. Now scientists have taken a small but important new step toward making it reality. Researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology report they were able to cloak a tiny bump in a layer of gold, preventing its detection at nearly visible infrared frequencies. Their cloaking device also worked in three dimensions, while previously developed cloaks worked in two dimensions, lead researcher Tolga Ergin said. The cloak is a structure of crystals with air spaces in between, sort of like a woodpile, that bends light, hiding the bump in the gold later beneath, the researchers reported in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science. 1B2.gif
Re: [scifinoir2] The Neo-Con Artists Strike Again
THIS is why Martin Baxter MUST HAVE that technology. Within hours, he would have compromising pictures of these clowns spread across the Internet. Martin (when contemplating Acts of True Evil, must speak of self in third person, for reasons of plausible deniability) On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 10:44 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100318/pl_mcclatchy/3455226 State of health care debate: Pundits attack 11-year-old Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a sob story exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a kiddie shield to defend their health care legislation. Marcelas Owens , whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance and died, said Thursday he's taking the attacks from Rush Limbaugh , Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin in stride. My mother always taught me they can have their own opinion but that doesn't mean they are right, Owens, who lives in Seattle , said in an interview. Owens' grandmother, Gina, who watched her daughter die, isn't quite so generous. These are adults, and he is an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother, Gina Owens said. They should be ashamed. http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://theworldebon.blogspot.com
Re: [scifinoir2] The Neo-Con Artists Strike Again
And, past my rage, allow me to give all honors to the young man, for proving that he IS a MAN in the face of the CHILDREN who would try to marginalize his pain. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 10:44 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100318/pl_mcclatchy/3455226 State of health care debate: Pundits attack 11-year-old Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a sob story exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a kiddie shield to defend their health care legislation. Marcelas Owens , whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance and died, said Thursday he's taking the attacks from Rush Limbaugh , Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin in stride. My mother always taught me they can have their own opinion but that doesn't mean they are right, Owens, who lives in Seattle , said in an interview. Owens' grandmother, Gina, who watched her daughter die, isn't quite so generous. These are adults, and he is an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother, Gina Owens said. They should be ashamed. http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://theworldebon.blogspot.com
Re: [scifinoir2] The Neo-Con Artists Strike Again
This is the kind of crap that makes me sick to my stomach. How do you rationalize a lack of empathy for a kid that lost his mom? They are monsters. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:44 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100318/pl_mcclatchy/3455226 State of health care debate: Pundits attack 11-year-old Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a sob story exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a kiddie shield to defend their health care legislation. Marcelas Owens , whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance and died, said Thursday he's taking the attacks from Rush Limbaugh , Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin in stride. My mother always taught me they can have their own opinion but that doesn't mean they are right, Owens, who lives in Seattle , said in an interview. Owens' grandmother, Gina, who watched her daughter die, isn't quite so generous. These are adults, and he is an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother, Gina Owens said. They should be ashamed. http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://theworldebon.blogspot.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Where's my Cloak of Invisibility?
I can see nothing but bad coming from this. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:52 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100318/ap_on_sc/us_sci_cloak_of_invisibility Cloak of invisibility takes a step forward By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer – Thu Mar 18, 4:05 pm ET WASHINGTON – From Grimm's fairy tales to Harry Potter, the cloak of invisibility has played a major role in fiction. Now scientists have taken a small but important new step toward making it reality. Researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology report they were able to cloak a tiny bump in a layer of gold, preventing its detection at nearly visible infrared frequencies. Their cloaking device also worked in three dimensions, while previously developed cloaks worked in two dimensions, lead researcher Tolga Ergin said. The cloak is a structure of crystals with air spaces in between, sort of like a woodpile, that bends light, hiding the bump in the gold later beneath, the researchers reported in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science. Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
I think the problem for a lot of kids is that if you do not fit into the mold you will be labeled as a bad apple and become an outcast. It is likely to happen quite often with children of color or poor white children. The problem with profiling kids is that they are constantly changing. The kid isn't going to be a problem unless they are socially withdrawn for a number of years and still isn't a problem until the child he or she are killing animals in their backyard. The little white girl has issues at home if she cannot sleep. It has nothing to do with school. She is probably being abused. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:36 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: Leslie, Your comment you would think he was a budding serial killer resonates with me. In the aftermath of the Columbine Massacre, there arose several states of hysteria - Wisconsin being one of them. In Milwaukee, several black boys, including my son, were singled out as enemies of the state. Interesting, since all the Columbine murderers were white. These incidents occurred at different schools; one black boy per school. Moreover, all the black boys singled out were honor students (my son had straight As) and not, heretofore, considered disciplinary problems. The vice principal of the school my son attended called me in discuss my son's problem. He told me some white girl in his class was having trouble sleeping and that her parents were concerned. I told him I don't care if that white girl ever sleeps. The VP, who was not white but near white, looked at me like I had slapped him and the little white girl. Bottom line, I let the authorities known that David was my son and they could not have him. The parents of another young man who was singled out at a suburban high school allowed him to be electronically lynched by the media while they complied with their heads down. I say all this to say this: black parents, especially, must be pro-active in protecting the childhood rights of their male children. I have stepped in frequently. Actually, I am 6 feet tall and over 300 pounds, so it usually only took one visit per year to impress upon my son's new teachers what I would and would not tolerate. What is sad is that I had to do it once EVERY year from the time my son entered the first grade. What possibly could make a six year-old black boy an enemy of the state? Regarding Montessori school, my daughter attended a private Montessori school from two until four. One day my four year-old daughter, the apple of my eye and the light of my life, came home and told me that she wasn't black. This came as news to me and her mother. Turns out the only black boy in her class, another 4 year old, was constantly being berated and disciplined. This poor child, who was just a boy and no more rambunctious than the white boys in class, couldn't do nothing right. My daughter, who could always do the math decided that if this bad boy was black and black was bad then she must not be black. Needless to say, my daughter did not return to that school the next year. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, L Freeman msles59...@... wrote: Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM  Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it  good.  Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote:  Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read
Re: [scifinoir2] Stanley Kubrick's Boxes
Guillermo del Toro I believe could do it. Some of the ideas that he has for movies are pretty over the top visually. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:08 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.comwrote: *Maybe* Peter Jackson or Guillermo del Toro, if they were to foray into SF. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 3:35 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: I think what made him great was the attention to detail on the level that he worked at. One of the really cool things about 2001 was that he consulted actual NASA engineers and computer programmers to work on the film. Most of the minor details like the video communications, and the color HUD displays that were in the film didn't appear until the 1980s. I don't think that Spielberg could work on that level of detail at all. There are very few directors that can. Most are busy just trying to get through points A-Z. I think the guy that shot Children of Men, Alfonzo Cuaron could do it. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 7:00 AM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.comwrote: No doubt, the man was, in many ways, ahead of those ahead of the curve when it came to filmmaking. Perhaps the greatest tribute to him is that, after he died while shooting A.I. and Spielberg took over, he knew instinctively that he had to veer away from the plans that Kubrick had for the movie, because he knew he wasn't good enough to go there, follow in Kubrick's footsteps.. (At least that's how I interpreted the interview he gave on it.) On Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 10:39 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.comwrote: This is a documentary about the legendary director. Many people know his films, but very few people know that he left behind a huge cache of boxes filled with work, papers, memos, book reviews by screenplay readers, ideas, screen tests etc that were in storage sheds, and all over his mansion. The documentary by Jon Ronson takes a peak at the madness of the genius of the man. The film is strangely compelling, because you can see the obvious madness but at some point I had to agree with his methods. The accumulation of hundreds of roles of film to obtain scenery shots for Eyes wide shut was obsessive compulsive at best, and knocking on the door of insanity quite nicely. There were reasons for this. Kubrick kept boxes of some of the crazy letters, and movies sent to him by some people. One was covered in the film. One cool thing about the film was Ronson discovered a previously unknown documentary that was shot by the daughter of Kubrick while he was directing Full Metal Jacket. The film she shot showed us how so many subtle nuances were added by Kubrick while he was filming. Some were even penciled into the script while he was shooting the film. Overall it is an interesting insight into a slightly under-appreciated genius. -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] The Atari Flashback 2!
Sometimes the classic can provide more hours of fun then anything else. --Dax I love mankind--it's people I can't stand. From: Keith Johnson Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2010 12:44 AM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Atari Flashback 2! Ditto! I have my Sega Genesis and my Super Nintendo. When I play games I tend to go to them more than my PS2. I'm a sucker for old-fashioned side scrolling fighting and space games. So for my Genesis I pull out gems like Gunstar Heroes (by a company called Treasure that did another side scroller I love, the space game Thunderforce III). I thrill to a side scrolling fighting series called Streets of Rage (Bare Knuckle in Japan). I *love* a really crude but fun racing series called Road Rash, where one drives a motorcycle in a race in several cities around the world. In the game you get to punch, kick, club, and tase your opponents. Game is full of pixelation and crude sounds, but it's so much fun. And can't forget the original Sonic the Hedgehog! On the SNES, it's Contra III, a great vertical scrolling space game named Space Megaforce, a very simplistic but really fun RPG called Actraiser (childishly simply RPG, but amazing orchestral music), Metroid. And Super Tetris? Man, I can sit for hours getting lost in that game. Several friends of mine keep on me to buy a PS3, but I just haven't found the justification yet. - Original Message - From: Gerald Haynes efhay...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2010 9:03:04 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] The Atari Flashback 2! Wish I could get my hands on a Colecovision. I've still got me original Sega Genesis and play it occasionally. Gerald Haynes http://thesmallfries.com - Calvin Hobbes who? http://dontarrestus.com - Latino based sci-fi comic strip fun From: Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Fri, March 12, 2010 5:51:36 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] The Atari Flashback 2! Another product from the company that refuses to die. :) http://www.atari. com/games/ atari_flashback2 _plus/7800 -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/mahogany_ pleasures_ of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
Whenever I have occasion to ride the city bus, I always laugh ironically at how the black young men inevitably move to the back. I commented to my wife once, my parents fought this battle so these dudes can sit in the back of the bus--but it's because they *choose* to do so. So I get what you're saying. Sometimes it's hard to tell when we're being segregated, or when we're choosing to associate that way. I guess the thing is to make sure our kids have pride in being black, feel they're equal to anyone else of any other race or background, and have the confidence that they can accomplish anything they set out to do. Kudos to your daughter! - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 12:27:59 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. I don't know if this is still true but fourteen years ago, when my daughter was enrolled in Montessori school, where the pre-school was laid out in different life modules, the black students would always end up in the kitchen area. This was found to be true at both private and public Montessori schools. The question was whether the black children were channeled into the kitchen area or if the black children self-congregated themselves. I witnessed this at my daughter's Montessori school (where I was paying $5000 a year tuition). I was personally appalled by what I saw but - and this is a big but - the kids were engaged and happy (and they were running that kitchen). So, I didn't make a stink about it. In the long run, I think I made pretty good choices because my straight A daughter has been accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (one of the top 25 universities in America) where she will study economics. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: I've heard good things about Montessori schools. The problem, as you say, is that the schools seem to be focused on only one style of teaching. I sat still in school as a kid, as most of us did. But, I also had P.E. for a break, so my mind and body could roam free. I had a lot of classes where discussion was encouraged, and basically started discussion where it wasn't. If I had to sit all day long and just read or be lectured to, but not be able to talk freely? I'd never have made it. The problem is all the things schools need: flexible schedules to accommodate different students' needs...teachers able to teach differently for different students...smaller classes where individual participation is encouraged...less rote teaching. Our schools need to be adaptive and limber, yet we're closing more schools every day, firing more teachers, and even talking about making school days longer. The exact opposite of what kids need. Do you think supplementing with home schooling would help? - Original Message - From: L Freeman msles59...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 3:45:22 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: From: Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... Subject: Re: [ scifinoir 2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 1:58 PM, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ comcast.net wrote: Interesting. I'm not well informed on the latest data on how boys and girls learn. I know there's the feeling that boys are more mechanical, mathematically gifted, hands on. Girls are supposed to be more conceptional, dreamy. But things like saying girls read what's put in front of them, while boys are harder to
Re: [scifinoir2] Where's my Cloak of Invisibility?
I see what you mean, Mr Worf. Governments out for themselves, private individuals out for themselves, terrorists -- a madhouse, it would be. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 3:28 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: I can see nothing but bad coming from this. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:52 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100318/ap_on_sc/us_sci_cloak_of_invisibility Cloak of invisibility takes a step forward By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer – Thu Mar 18, 4:05 pm ET WASHINGTON – From Grimm's fairy tales to Harry Potter, the cloak of invisibility has played a major role in fiction. Now scientists have taken a small but important new step toward making it reality. Researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology report they were able to cloak a tiny bump in a layer of gold, preventing its detection at nearly visible infrared frequencies. Their cloaking device also worked in three dimensions, while previously developed cloaks worked in two dimensions, lead researcher Tolga Ergin said. The cloak is a structure of crystals with air spaces in between, sort of like a woodpile, that bends light, hiding the bump in the gold later beneath, the researchers reported in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science. Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
Re: [scifinoir2] The Neo-Con Artists Strike Again
And it's NOT the first time. I can recall three such incidences at health-care town hall meetings. Funny thing? If you call the neo-cons that to their faces, they'll rise up at you with nigh-Biblical indignation. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 3:25 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: This is the kind of crap that makes me sick to my stomach. How do you rationalize a lack of empathy for a kid that lost his mom? They are monsters. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:44 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100318/pl_mcclatchy/3455226 State of health care debate: Pundits attack 11-year-old Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a sob story exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a kiddie shield to defend their health care legislation. Marcelas Owens , whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance and died, said Thursday he's taking the attacks from Rush Limbaugh , Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin in stride. My mother always taught me they can have their own opinion but that doesn't mean they are right, Owens, who lives in Seattle , said in an interview. Owens' grandmother, Gina, who watched her daughter die, isn't quite so generous. These are adults, and he is an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother, Gina Owens said. They should be ashamed. http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://theworldebon.blogspot.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] Re: OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good.
The mystery writer Walter Mosley once said the problem with being black is that sometimes you see racism where it isn't and often times you don't see it where it is. I think about that often. I will pass your well wishes to my daughter. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Keith Johnson keithbjohn...@... wrote: Whenever I have occasion to ride the city bus, I always laugh ironically at how the black young men inevitably move to the back. I commented to my wife once, my parents fought this battle so these dudes can sit in the back of the bus--but it's because they *choose* to do so. So I get what you're saying. Sometimes it's hard to tell when we're being segregated, or when we're choosing to associate that way. I guess the thing is to make sure our kids have pride in being black, feel they're equal to anyone else of any other race or background, and have the confidence that they can accomplish anything they set out to do. Kudos to your daughter! - Original Message - From: Kelwyn ravena...@... To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 12:27:59 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. I don't know if this is still true but fourteen years ago, when my daughter was enrolled in Montessori school, where the pre-school was laid out in different life modules, the black students would always end up in the kitchen area. This was found to be true at both private and public Montessori schools. The question was whether the black children were channeled into the kitchen area or if the black children self-congregated themselves. I witnessed this at my daughter's Montessori school (where I was paying $5000 a year tuition). I was personally appalled by what I saw but - and this is a big but - the kids were engaged and happy (and they were running that kitchen). So, I didn't make a stink about it. In the long run, I think I made pretty good choices because my straight A daughter has been accepted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (one of the top 25 universities in America) where she will study economics. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ wrote: I've heard good things about Montessori schools. The problem, as you say, is that the schools seem to be focused on only one style of teaching. I sat still in school as a kid, as most of us did. But, I also had P.E. for a break, so my mind and body could roam free. I had a lot of classes where discussion was encouraged, and basically started discussion where it wasn't. If I had to sit all day long and just read or be lectured to, but not be able to talk freely? I'd never have made it. The problem is all the things schools need: flexible schedules to accommodate different students' needs...teachers able to teach differently for different students...smaller classes where individual participation is encouraged...less rote teaching. Our schools need to be adaptive and limber, yet we're closing more schools every day, firing more teachers, and even talking about making school days longer. The exact opposite of what kids need. Do you think supplementing with home schooling would help? - Original Message - From: L Freeman msles59130@ To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 3:45:22 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Any suggestions on what to do with schools that don't want to tolerate boys style? My son is doing well academically, with the exception of writing. He HATES sitting still, and cannot organize his desk to save his life or mine,. He has a natural aptitude and excels in math and science. He is 9. As many calls as I have had from the school, you would think he was a budding serial killer. I will likely home-school him next year, or find a good Montessori school. Unless someone else has been thru this before?? --- On Thu, 3/18/10, Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ wrote: From: Keith Johnson KeithBJohnson@ Subject: Re: [ scifinoir 2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 7:06 PM Absolutely.. . - Original Message - From: Martin Baxter martinbaxter7@ gmail.com To: scifino...@yahoogro ups.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 2:49:06 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] OT: Lots of news on boys and school. None of it good. Keith, I started to read the attached story, then stopped when I saw the group attached to it. The Center on Education Policy frequently appears on Faux/Fixed/Fox news. Take whatever they say with a salt mine. On Thu,
Re: [scifinoir2] The Neo-Con Artists Strike Again
It is too easy to hide behind rhetoric than face the truth. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 2:26 PM, Martin Baxter martinbaxt...@gmail.comwrote: And it's NOT the first time. I can recall three such incidences at health-care town hall meetings. Funny thing? If you call the neo-cons that to their faces, they'll rise up at you with nigh-Biblical indignation. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 3:25 PM, Mr. Worf hellomahog...@gmail.com wrote: This is the kind of crap that makes me sick to my stomach. How do you rationalize a lack of empathy for a kid that lost his mom? They are monsters. On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 7:44 AM, Kelwyn ravena...@yahoo.com wrote: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100318/pl_mcclatchy/3455226 State of health care debate: Pundits attack 11-year-old Conservative talk show hosts and columnists have ridiculed an 11-year-old Washington state boy's account of his mother's death as a sob story exploited by the White House and congressional Democrats like a kiddie shield to defend their health care legislation. Marcelas Owens , whose mother got sick, lost her job, lost her health insurance and died, said Thursday he's taking the attacks from Rush Limbaugh , Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin in stride. My mother always taught me they can have their own opinion but that doesn't mean they are right, Owens, who lives in Seattle , said in an interview. Owens' grandmother, Gina, who watched her daughter die, isn't quite so generous. These are adults, and he is an 11-year-old boy who lost his mother, Gina Owens said. They should be ashamed. http://twitter.com/ravenadal http://theworldebon.blogspot.com Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo! Groups Links -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
[scifinoir2] Repo Men bloody but funny
http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Reviews/R/Repo_Men/2010/03/18/13275526.html Repo Men bloody but funny By LIZ BRAUN, QMI Agency Here in the future, you can have any body part replaced with a man-made gizmo. Theres no waiting list and no hoping someone will die for the organ you need to be donated - its all man-made, its all available and its just a matter of paying for it. Ah - paying for it. Theres the rub. Repo Men is a bloody, violent and blackly funny movie about the men who turn up to reclaim your organs if you dont pay the bill. Armed with large knives and sanitary plastic suits to keep the blood off their clothes, these guys taser you, open you up, remove your high-tech heart or liver and take it back to headquarters to collect the bounty. You? You die quietly. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star in Repo Men as a tag team of organ-retrieval specialists. Theres no case too tough for these two, and they spend their working days seeking out those who cant pay the bill and snatching back the debt-causing organ. Neither man flinches at removing anything from anybody, and they trade quips as they go. They have no sympathy. Slice, dice, yank out kidney, move on. Yerghh. Its all in a wildly bloody days work. Then Laws character has an accident at work and requires a heart transplant. Funny thing is, once he has a newfangled organ, he just doesnt have the, well, heart to do his job any more. He cant bring himself to stun people and rip out their unpaid-for organs. Furthermore, he can no more afford payments on his own new heart than fly to the moon, so in a matter of months hes in the same position as his former prey: Running for his life from repo men. For company, hes on the run with a jazz singer (Alicia Braga), a woman who is almost completely man-made. Shes got custom lungs, liver, kidney, knees, you name it. What it takes to bring Repo Men to a close is plenty of running, hiding and fighting, and in scenes that are a bit like Blade Runner if it had been a slasher film. There is so much cartoonish bloodletting here - involving guns, knives, hacksaws, axes, mallets and hammers - that after a while becomes a spurting blur of opening arteries and severed limbs. The movie, which gets really bogged down in unlikely events (such as romance) in the third act, has a nifty ending that makes up for a lot that came before it. Theres no denying, however, that the movie is too long and too short on story. Repo Men is full of bad language, bad behaviour and really over-the-top violence, but it can still make you laugh out loud on several occasions. Its a subversive little outing with a terrific soundtrack and a do-unto-others moral, and it might appeal - just a hunch - to a young male audience. (This film is rated 18A) liz.br...@sunmedia.ca
[scifinoir2] Yahoo! TV Blog: 'Smallville': Predictions...
Wow, a *tenth* season? That is amazing! They've really complicated things now. Clark and Lois have aged so much, it's all but impossible *not* to make him Superman! But there are still important stages missing before he takes that leap. Of course, I'm always yammering about the years of discovery, where Clark journeyed the Earth learning about humanity. That should have happened right after he left high school, but that's been skipped. I was thinking he'd still go on that journey at series' end. So, rather than him marrying Lois at this juncture, I wonder if they'll probably end the series with Clark still going off to find himself. I can see this: major events take place, perhaps Luthor, Doomsday, Zod all attack in the same year. In the ensuing struggles, Chloe dies (that was forshadowed years ago when she said, I'd die rather than reveal your secrets, Clark), Metropolis is devastated, the nascent JL is hit hard, Lana comes back and helps, Lois is injured. Clark realizes his life will never be the same. Perhaps his sorrow, anger, and resolution to improve himself--to be ready for the life he realizes he now *must* embrace--will cause him to leave Smallville/Metropolis to heal and grow, to see the world that Green Arrow is always telling him he must understand in order to lose the naive views he still has of the world. I can see Clark also not telling Lois he's Superman, the events making him more convinced than ever that bringing her fully into his life would only serve to endanger her. So, they break up, she still doesn't know his secret, and he leaves on that journey. Maybe Lois says something like You'll be back one day, and I'll be here waiting, Smallville. Now, since the creators of the show swore the costume would never be worn and he'd never fly, I'm not sure if they'll bend those rules. Perhaps the creators simply met this would never happen *in* the series, but intended to do it at series end. So I'd end it with a sad but resolute Clark turning his back on his home, looking skyward, and finally--finally!--flying toward a world of adventure. I'd still leave the red-and-blue suit out of the picture, though. And to say this for the millionth time, it is a darn shame that DC decided it'd be too confusing to have Tom Welling and Erica Durance play Lois and Clark in the Superman movies. They have the perfect looks, attitudes, and chemistry. They'd make far superiour big screen characters than the weak and bland Routh and Bosworth of Superman Returns. * http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/smallville-predictions-for-the-season-no-one-couldve-predicted--1076 Yahoo! TV Blog Smallville': Predictions for the Season No One Could've Predicted Wow. I mean, just, wow. Smallville has been renewed for another season, the show's tenth. Do you know how few shows get ten seasons in this day and age? Lost is ending after only six; 24 will likely end after eight. But Smallville is harder to kill than Superman himself. We couldn't believe the show came back this year, so we're beyond flabbergasted by this latest renewal. It's obviously impossible to predict anything about this show, but here are our best guesses about next season: A New Name and Costume Now that Clark is regularly going on patrol as the Blur and wearing a kinda-sorta superhero outfit, it's time for him to take that next step. It's possible that they'll come up with a new take on the traditional Super-suit, but we're guessing they'll settle for the classic red-and-blue we all know so well. The Kent Hardly Wait Wedding We've all seen Lois Clark , so we know it's coming. Eventually, Clark is going to tell his secret to the one person you should never tell secrets to — a talkative, fame-hungry reporter with delusions of grandeur. And he's going to tell her because, while lying to the girl you're dating is OK, lying to the girl you've been browbeaten into proposing to is most assuredly not. The Death of Chloe When a series comes to an end, its main characters can come out of things in one of two ways: alive and happy or dead and a hero. And as everyone knows, Chloe Sullivan has no place in established Superman mythology, so expect her to valiantly sacrifice herself, only to be resurrected six months later on a new CW show. The Return of Lex Luthor We're not saying it'll be Michael Rosenbaum — although, really, what's he doing right now? — but Lex Luthor is Superman's greatest foe, so we have to imagine that he'll eventually return in one form or another. Maybe he'll get plastic surgery to repair his burned and possibly blown-up flesh and look like a totally different bald actor. Whatever he looks like, he's going to be a member of... The Legion of Doom Granted, the show can barely get the lion's share of the Justice League on the screen at any given time, but more and more it seems like for
[scifinoir2] OT: Author Details How Some Profited from Financial Meltdown
Here's the link to the NPR Fresh Air interview with the The Blind Side author, whose newest book The Big Short tells how some people anticipated and profited from the financial meltdown. I'm amazed at this guy's writing diversity, but the story here is shocking, for all that we've been in this mess for a couple of years now. To hear how some relative amateurs figured out how badly the system was going to fail is bad enough. To understand that institutions were actually buying and selling insurance against that failure--for as cheaply as 1/10 of one percent on the dollar--is amazing. To hear how these crap bond packages were falsely rated as AAA loans is maddening. And to try to understand again, how none of the people leading these deals anticipated or cared about the absolutely inevitable catastrophe is...impossible. I highly recommend taking the 45 minutes to listen to this interview just to be amazed and disgusted all over again * http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13prgDate=03-16-2010 and here's a written excerpt from the interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124690424 Writer Michael Lewis is the author of Moneyball, Liar's Poker, and The Blind Side, books with vastly different subjects but a common theme: outsiders with innovative ideas who find astonishing success. Lewis' newest book continues that narrative. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine chronicles the 2008 financial collapse through stories of the people who realized what was happening to the U.S. economy while it was happening — and then made vast fortunes by betting against the markets. Everybody [on Wall Street] was working with the same set of facts about subprime mortgage lending — about how subprime mortgage loans were turned into bonds and repackaged and turned into CDOs and so on and so forth, Lewis tells Terry Gross. [And] the vast majority of the people in the markets took those facts and painted one kind of picture with it; it was a very pleasant picture. And a very small handful of people took the same facts and painted a completely different kind of picture with it. [I wanted to find out] 'What is it that enables [the people who bet against the market] to paint that picture?' and 'Why do these people look at the world differently?' Dr. Michael Burry One of the most compelling stories Lewis tells in The Big Short follows a doctor, Michael Burry, who decided to leave his neurology residency after his investment blog attracted attention from money managers across the country. Burry started a hedge fund named Scion Capital, which, Lewis writes, was madly, almost comically successful — even when the Standard Poors index fell. While investigating stocks to invest for his customers, Burry discovered that the bond market was absorbing subprime mortgage loans in incredible volumes. Soon he realized that the millions of dollars of credit swirling around the market were artificially inflated and almost worthless. Burry figured that he could bet against pools of these subprime mortgage loans using an instrument called a credit default swap, essentially insurance on a corporate loan. Burry persuaded the investment banks to create credit default swaps for the subprime mortgage market. As the pools of loans that are underneath these bonds start to default, Lewis says, the investment banks that gambled on the subprime mortgage loans were forced to send Burry money daily as the bonds went bad. Wall Street firms, they were on the other side of the bets. Charles Ledley and Jaime Mai Ledley and Mai were two guys in their early 30s who decided to start their own hedge fund with just over $100,000. They quickly made more than $15 million by betting on financial events that are extremely unlikely to occur — and therefore didn't cost much to bet against. They thought that Wall Street underestimated the likelihood of really unlikely events, Lewis says. So they would buy options to buy stocks at prices far, far away from where the stocks were currently trading. They did this with currencies, they did it with commodities. They scoured the world, essentially looking to make bets on extreme things happening. Soon, Ledley and Mai stumbled into the subprime mortgage market and realized that they could bet against not only the loans but also the financial institutions themselves. They're able to piece together a clear picture of what's going on in a matter of months, Lewis says. They become less interested in the bet than the social implications of what they're learning. They go to the SEC. They go to The Wall Street Journal. They're screaming at the top of their lungs, 'My God, there's fraud in the system.' By betting against subprime mortgages, Ledley and Mai's $15 million investment ballooned to $120 million. Soon, Ledley
