We take care of our own. We do not allow fellow Americans to die in African jungles of a loathsome disease. We bring them home, care for them, and pray for their recovery.
Voices have been heard saying Ebola is so dangerous that we dare not bring the victims home. To hell with that. America will take care of its own. We will bring them home, care for them, and with God's help, cure them. That's the way America does things.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy. Good Flick
Saw it last night. It's doing well, the Jax was pretty full and it's been playing up here for 3 days already. It's a pure space opera. Think of the first Star Wars. That kinda good. Best flick out of Hollywood this year. The cast are all new names to me.
It's live action (with a fair amount of CGI) rather than a cartoon. We have a handsome hero, a deadly fast samurai chick, a three foot tall raccoon who plans jailbreaks, Grout, a strange half plant half man who doesn't talk much, and a big beefy bruiser with a bald head and a big grudge. Over the course of the movie they go from wanting to kill each other to that good old three musketeers "One for all, all for one" spirit. Lots of combat. Nasty villains. Decent score, old but good pop music from the '90s. There is a plot, the action mostly follows it, I could mostly follow it. It's too complicated to explain here. The good guys win in the end.
You oughta go see it. Take the kids, they will love it.
It's live action (with a fair amount of CGI) rather than a cartoon. We have a handsome hero, a deadly fast samurai chick, a three foot tall raccoon who plans jailbreaks, Grout, a strange half plant half man who doesn't talk much, and a big beefy bruiser with a bald head and a big grudge. Over the course of the movie they go from wanting to kill each other to that good old three musketeers "One for all, all for one" spirit. Lots of combat. Nasty villains. Decent score, old but good pop music from the '90s. There is a plot, the action mostly follows it, I could mostly follow it. It's too complicated to explain here. The good guys win in the end.
You oughta go see it. Take the kids, they will love it.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
The Economist thinks Hamas is winning against Israel
The Economist thinks Hamas is gathering international support every time the MSM show another clip of wounded Gazans being hauled off to hospitals on US TV. They call for Israel to enter into a ceasefire, because it will look good to world (actually European) public opinion. According to the Economist Europe's anti Semitism is rising, and stands about where it did in 1938 (Kristallnacht).
There is probably something to this. Even though the Palestinians have asked for it, time and time again, I cannot feel good about seeing crummy buildings blown to bits, and young people killed and wounded. On the other hand, when Hamas violates a ceasefire only 90 minutes after it begins, it shows how tough it can be. Hamas clearly wants to keep on fighting. We care more about casualties in Gaza than they do.
I fear the best the Israelis can do is clear out some tunnels, blow up some rockets, and take some prisoners. The Israelis ought to have a list of undesirables, Hamas people ought to be on that list, and they ought to be arresting them. I don't think anything will change the minds of the people in Gaza. They want to drive the Jews into the sea. There ain't no compromise in that position. No hardship that the Israelis can lay on Gaza is gonna change those minds.
Bebi's choices seem to be, call it off, or keep on kicking ass. I don't know which choice will be better for Israel. The Economist may think they know it all, but I have my doubts.
There is probably something to this. Even though the Palestinians have asked for it, time and time again, I cannot feel good about seeing crummy buildings blown to bits, and young people killed and wounded. On the other hand, when Hamas violates a ceasefire only 90 minutes after it begins, it shows how tough it can be. Hamas clearly wants to keep on fighting. We care more about casualties in Gaza than they do.
I fear the best the Israelis can do is clear out some tunnels, blow up some rockets, and take some prisoners. The Israelis ought to have a list of undesirables, Hamas people ought to be on that list, and they ought to be arresting them. I don't think anything will change the minds of the people in Gaza. They want to drive the Jews into the sea. There ain't no compromise in that position. No hardship that the Israelis can lay on Gaza is gonna change those minds.
Bebi's choices seem to be, call it off, or keep on kicking ass. I don't know which choice will be better for Israel. The Economist may think they know it all, but I have my doubts.
Congress didn't pass enough laws this year.
So said the newsies on Meet the Press this morning. They thought it was terrible that Congress only passed 143 laws this year. Gridlock was blamed. None of 'em admitted that neither party has the votes to jam it's program thru.
Actually, I like gridlock. Most laws Congress passes do bad things to me. They raise my taxes, they forbid me to do harmless things, they give handouts to corporations, they throw people out of work, they raise prices, and they waste money on boondoggles. Bridges to nowhere, wind farms, resurfacing I93 again. We citizens are better off when Congress doesn't pass more laws.
And, the Republican controlled House has passed all, or most, of the appropriations bills needed to fund the government next year. The Democrat controlled Senate has passed none. This will cause another one of those "continuing resolutions" to keep the government's doors open. "Continuing resolutions" are bad for tax payers. They read "You, government agency, may keep on spending as much as you did last year." Facing a $5 trillion deficit, we ought to be making some cuts somewhere. There ain't no cut in a "continuing resolution" Democrats love that.
Actually, I like gridlock. Most laws Congress passes do bad things to me. They raise my taxes, they forbid me to do harmless things, they give handouts to corporations, they throw people out of work, they raise prices, and they waste money on boondoggles. Bridges to nowhere, wind farms, resurfacing I93 again. We citizens are better off when Congress doesn't pass more laws.
And, the Republican controlled House has passed all, or most, of the appropriations bills needed to fund the government next year. The Democrat controlled Senate has passed none. This will cause another one of those "continuing resolutions" to keep the government's doors open. "Continuing resolutions" are bad for tax payers. They read "You, government agency, may keep on spending as much as you did last year." Facing a $5 trillion deficit, we ought to be making some cuts somewhere. There ain't no cut in a "continuing resolution" Democrats love that.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
The Education Major
Departments of Education exist in the belief that there is some art or science or magic required to teach children, apart from a sound knowledge of the subject being taught. A LOT of students take an Ed major. I still remember registration at U of Delaware years ago. The line to register for Ed courses ran around the gym a couple of times, whereas the lines for everything else (English, history, math, chemistry, physics etc) were only a dozen students or so.
Unfortunately, there is no art or science of teaching. Effective teachers use interpersonal skills, such as leadership, concern for their students, love of their subject, to maintain classroom order and get teaching accomplished. As an example, some of the best teachers I ever had where in the Air Force. We took sergeants right off the flight line and set them down to teach in the Field Training Detachments (FTD). I took a number of FTD courses. Those young sergeants were very good teachers, as good as any I'd ever had. Their classes were all 19 year old airmen, full of energy and short on patience, ready to give the teacher a hard time. No problem, these guys got their student's full attention, they even got them to do their home work, and they came out of the course knowing more than when they entered. No ed courses required.
Should you take an Ed major? It does give you instant access to public school teaching positions. The entire public school hierarchy is composed of Ed majors, they only hand out teacher's certificates to fellow Ed majors. It is possible to break into public school teaching without an Ed major, but it is very hard.
The down side to an Ed major is terminal boredom while in college. The subject matter is zilch, and you have to suffer thru a dozen courses that hash over the same nothingness, over and over. If you can stand the endless drivel, it's easy to ace an Ed course, all you have to do is stay awake in class and take a few notes.
For those who really do want to teach, major in English or history or mathematics. Look for a job in private or parochial schools, they are less infested with Ed majors and are apt to hire you after a successful job interview. After a couple of years teaching you can apply for a public school job (which usually pay better) and they will assume anyone who survived a couple of years of classroom teaching can teach.
Unfortunately, there is no art or science of teaching. Effective teachers use interpersonal skills, such as leadership, concern for their students, love of their subject, to maintain classroom order and get teaching accomplished. As an example, some of the best teachers I ever had where in the Air Force. We took sergeants right off the flight line and set them down to teach in the Field Training Detachments (FTD). I took a number of FTD courses. Those young sergeants were very good teachers, as good as any I'd ever had. Their classes were all 19 year old airmen, full of energy and short on patience, ready to give the teacher a hard time. No problem, these guys got their student's full attention, they even got them to do their home work, and they came out of the course knowing more than when they entered. No ed courses required.
Should you take an Ed major? It does give you instant access to public school teaching positions. The entire public school hierarchy is composed of Ed majors, they only hand out teacher's certificates to fellow Ed majors. It is possible to break into public school teaching without an Ed major, but it is very hard.
The down side to an Ed major is terminal boredom while in college. The subject matter is zilch, and you have to suffer thru a dozen courses that hash over the same nothingness, over and over. If you can stand the endless drivel, it's easy to ace an Ed course, all you have to do is stay awake in class and take a few notes.
For those who really do want to teach, major in English or history or mathematics. Look for a job in private or parochial schools, they are less infested with Ed majors and are apt to hire you after a successful job interview. After a couple of years teaching you can apply for a public school job (which usually pay better) and they will assume anyone who survived a couple of years of classroom teaching can teach.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Slick Willie tells a whopper
And the newsies fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. A bit of elderly video came to light yesterday, where in Bill Clinton says "I could have bagged Osama Bin Laden in Kandahar except it would have caused 300 Afghan casualities."
The "300 casualties" is pure BS. That's might happen if you had USAF carpet bomb the place. Which is the wrong thing to do. You will likely miss him, and you never know if you got him or not. Instead load some infantry into helicopters, fly in, surround the place, and go thru it house by house. The only casualties will be among the locals stupid enough to fire on the Americans. Bring some interpreters, interrogate the locals, and you will get him. In fact that's how we finally did nail him in Pakistan many years later.
The newsies, even Fox, lapped up the "300 casualties" line and never questioned it.
The "300 casualties" is pure BS. That's might happen if you had USAF carpet bomb the place. Which is the wrong thing to do. You will likely miss him, and you never know if you got him or not. Instead load some infantry into helicopters, fly in, surround the place, and go thru it house by house. The only casualties will be among the locals stupid enough to fire on the Americans. Bring some interpreters, interrogate the locals, and you will get him. In fact that's how we finally did nail him in Pakistan many years later.
The newsies, even Fox, lapped up the "300 casualties" line and never questioned it.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Read the Fine Print
The makers of heat 'n eats are beginning to abandon "conventional oven" and make their products microwave only. I now read the fine (frosted) print before I buy a heat 'n eat after I brought home a couple that demanded microwave only. I don't have a microwave, mostly 'cause I lack the counter space for one, so a microwave only heat 'n eat is useless to me.
Then there was the one that ordered me to remove the food from the plastic tray, put it on an oven proof plate of my own for cooking. Which totally destroys one great benefit of heat 'n eats, no dishwashing after dinner. I suppose the maker had been messing the the composition of the plastic tray and feared that his new concoction would not take the heat of the oven. Way back, before microwaves, heat 'n eats came in aluminum trays. After the microwaves came in, they shifted over to plastic trays to avoid blowing up the microwaves.
Then there was the one that ordered me to remove the food from the plastic tray, put it on an oven proof plate of my own for cooking. Which totally destroys one great benefit of heat 'n eats, no dishwashing after dinner. I suppose the maker had been messing the the composition of the plastic tray and feared that his new concoction would not take the heat of the oven. Way back, before microwaves, heat 'n eats came in aluminum trays. After the microwaves came in, they shifted over to plastic trays to avoid blowing up the microwaves.
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