The today Show is doing a story about a magazine and company that promotes gender segregated vacations....oh wait, it's vacations for women, with no men, I guess that makes it OK.
Why is it that anything organized for men only is suspect, and in fact illegal in many cases, yet anything organized for women only is OK? For instance, it is OK to prohibit men from playing women's sports, but not OK to prohibit women from playing men's sports. It OK to have women only gyms, but not OK to have men only gyms. There are thousands of professional organizations that are women only, but don't even think of organizing one for men only.
Just another example of leftwing hypocrisy.
Why do women go on women only vacations? No surprise, women enjoy being around other women. Well guess what? There are times when men enjoy being around other men!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
There has got to be a better way
I just had my computer fixed, and they had to re-install windows. This wiped everything off my computer. I play an online game called City of Heroes (City of Villians also). This means that even though I reloaded the games from my CDs, I still have to endure hours of downloads (of the expansions and patches) before I can play. We are talking quite literally about days worth of downloads. I started the City of Villians downloads (the newer game and thus much fewer patches and expansions to download) at 7:00 PM last night, and they're still going. Hell I would have paid $10 to get expansion discs to avoid all of this. (the patches and expansions would load much quicker from discs .. less than an hour)
Monday, June 26, 2006
Blogging Community
Many of us find it hard to imagine life without the internet and the world wide web, yet it has only been since the mid 1990's (around ten years) that it has been widely accessible. Its impact has been literally life and world changing.
One of the more recent offshoots has been the growth of the blogosphere. The very earliest blogs began perhaps five or six years ago. Now a full blown international community has grown up around them, linking people from all over the world into what could easily be labeled as tribes. Groups of bloggers coalesce around shared ideas and viewpoints and form a community. Cohesion is provided by links and trackbacks. It is common to find a community of blogs who share the same commentors. One only has to look at the explosive growth of a community like MySpace which is largely inhabited by teenagers today to see the possiblities for the future.
These online relationships often extend into "real life" in the form of conferences and blog meets. I know of at least one marriage that is a result of blogging, and sadly, today the blogging world expereinced its first significant death, that of Acidman. You only have to look at his site, Gut Rumbles, to see the impact that this man's life and death has had on people all over the world. Rob was able to reach a wider audience than he ever could have dreamed of ten years ago, and have a profound effect on the lives of people he could have never met. There are people all over the world tonight grieving for the loss of this man. He was not perfect, he was not a "Great Man", but he was a great man in the way he lived his life and fought to remain true to who he was. Hopefully his writing will be preserved, because it deserves it, both as an example of what blogging is all about, and to preserve the memory of a fine man.
One day sociologists will be studying the tribes and communities we have formed, and mining the archives of internet caches to study the online world we are living in. It's a brave new world we are forging, largely unwittingly.
As for myself, I cannot look at blogging the same again. Rob's death has shown me just how important these online friends are to me.
One of the more recent offshoots has been the growth of the blogosphere. The very earliest blogs began perhaps five or six years ago. Now a full blown international community has grown up around them, linking people from all over the world into what could easily be labeled as tribes. Groups of bloggers coalesce around shared ideas and viewpoints and form a community. Cohesion is provided by links and trackbacks. It is common to find a community of blogs who share the same commentors. One only has to look at the explosive growth of a community like MySpace which is largely inhabited by teenagers today to see the possiblities for the future.
These online relationships often extend into "real life" in the form of conferences and blog meets. I know of at least one marriage that is a result of blogging, and sadly, today the blogging world expereinced its first significant death, that of Acidman. You only have to look at his site, Gut Rumbles, to see the impact that this man's life and death has had on people all over the world. Rob was able to reach a wider audience than he ever could have dreamed of ten years ago, and have a profound effect on the lives of people he could have never met. There are people all over the world tonight grieving for the loss of this man. He was not perfect, he was not a "Great Man", but he was a great man in the way he lived his life and fought to remain true to who he was. Hopefully his writing will be preserved, because it deserves it, both as an example of what blogging is all about, and to preserve the memory of a fine man.
One day sociologists will be studying the tribes and communities we have formed, and mining the archives of internet caches to study the online world we are living in. It's a brave new world we are forging, largely unwittingly.
As for myself, I cannot look at blogging the same again. Rob's death has shown me just how important these online friends are to me.
Acidman R.I.P.
The blogging world suffered a great loss. Rob Smith who blogs at Gut Rumbles (linked on my blog roll) was found dead this morning. This grouchy old man got in on the early wave of blogging, and developed a unique and honest voice. He laid everything out there. He had been going through some bad times, and was honest enough to talk about them.
I never met the man in person, but I am grieving for him anyway. His presence will be greatly missed around the blogosphere.
Update (6/27/06): I've just read the best tribute to Rob yet. It not only perfectly captures the essence of the man, it would have delighted him to read.
I never met the man in person, but I am grieving for him anyway. His presence will be greatly missed around the blogosphere.
Update (6/27/06): I've just read the best tribute to Rob yet. It not only perfectly captures the essence of the man, it would have delighted him to read.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Iron Chef San Bernardino
One of the many trials of bachelor living, especially when you are truly living alone, is cooking. Fast food and food from a can gets tired real quick. But I am making progress. Earlier this month I finally perfected a spaghetti recipe I really like. It produces lots of leftovers also, which is a bonus for bachelors. (this stuff is even better reheated.)
When I woke up this morning, I didn't even really know how to boil an egg. However during the course of the day I not only taught myself how to properly boil an egg, but also how to make an extremely delicious deviled egg.
Look out Morimoto, I'm coming for you..........
When I woke up this morning, I didn't even really know how to boil an egg. However during the course of the day I not only taught myself how to properly boil an egg, but also how to make an extremely delicious deviled egg.
Look out Morimoto, I'm coming for you..........
Friday, June 23, 2006
posting gap
Sorry again folks. Life intervened, and then my computer went down. (and there is a whole story coming about the Geek Squad)
I'll do my best to be more regular.
I'll do my best to be more regular.
Poverty
John Edwards gave a speech this week in which his main point was that the U.S. should eliminate poverty over the next 30 years. Predictably, all the leftwing websites are praising him and endorsing the idea.
Are you kidding me? Doesn't anybody study history anymore?
1) There has always been poor people, and there always will be poor people. Hell, even the Bible recognizes this. People are poor for various reasons, but the primary one is poor decision making. Deciding not to study in school, deciding to do drugs, deciding to have children you cannot support, etc. Other people are poor because they are lazy. Frankly some people are poor because they are mentally deficient. Very few people who are hard working and desire to better themselves are unable to do so.
2) This country currently spends billions every year subsidizing the poor. This includes income tax "refunds" to people who don't pay taxes, and food stamps and cash payments to people who own color TVs and $200 shoes. To anyone who says we aren't doing enough to help the poor I call bullshit.
3) Another "buy the voter" Democrat (LBJ) declared war on poverty nearly 50 years ago. Hundreds of billions of dollars later, we have more poverty than ever. The Democratic party is so set on declaring defeat in all our wars, why haven't they demanded our withdrawal from this one yet?
4) Poverty is an entirely relative thing. The only people who are homeless today in the US are homeless by choice or mental incompetence. (another legacy of the feel good Democrats is the fact we can't institutionalize the mentally incomptent, instead we have to let them beg on the streets and shit on the sidewalks) Even the poorest person today has a better quality of life than 90% of all the people who have ever lived on this planet. We have people with indoor plumbing and running water, electricity, gas, color television, refrigerators, cars and a healthy diet, and they are considered poor. Folks, in my grandparents generation, most middle class people didn't have all of those!
This is just another example of a Democratic leader pandering to his base, people who have abandoned logic and reason for emotions and feelings.
Are you kidding me? Doesn't anybody study history anymore?
1) There has always been poor people, and there always will be poor people. Hell, even the Bible recognizes this. People are poor for various reasons, but the primary one is poor decision making. Deciding not to study in school, deciding to do drugs, deciding to have children you cannot support, etc. Other people are poor because they are lazy. Frankly some people are poor because they are mentally deficient. Very few people who are hard working and desire to better themselves are unable to do so.
2) This country currently spends billions every year subsidizing the poor. This includes income tax "refunds" to people who don't pay taxes, and food stamps and cash payments to people who own color TVs and $200 shoes. To anyone who says we aren't doing enough to help the poor I call bullshit.
3) Another "buy the voter" Democrat (LBJ) declared war on poverty nearly 50 years ago. Hundreds of billions of dollars later, we have more poverty than ever. The Democratic party is so set on declaring defeat in all our wars, why haven't they demanded our withdrawal from this one yet?
4) Poverty is an entirely relative thing. The only people who are homeless today in the US are homeless by choice or mental incompetence. (another legacy of the feel good Democrats is the fact we can't institutionalize the mentally incomptent, instead we have to let them beg on the streets and shit on the sidewalks) Even the poorest person today has a better quality of life than 90% of all the people who have ever lived on this planet. We have people with indoor plumbing and running water, electricity, gas, color television, refrigerators, cars and a healthy diet, and they are considered poor. Folks, in my grandparents generation, most middle class people didn't have all of those!
This is just another example of a Democratic leader pandering to his base, people who have abandoned logic and reason for emotions and feelings.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Retention
I have been told by my principal that he is not going to retain (keep in the same grade for failing grades/test scores) a single student this year. This in a school with over 1,000 students. I have students who have failed every class in the fifth grade, every class in the sixth grade, and every class this year in the seventh and have never been retained. At least two of these students (who I tried to have retained) have not turned in a single assignment in my class all year. What do you think the chances are that they are going to do any work in the 8th grade next year? What are their work habits in high school going to be like? We tell these kids every year that their grades and test scores matter, and every year they see kids like these two go on to the next grade anyway. What message are we sending? At least we need to stop lying to these kids about retaining them. No wonder they get to the 12th grade without passing the exit exam...they don't believe us when we tell them they won't get a diploma. We have been lying to them for 12 years after all.
Until I get a principal who publically commits to retention, I will never again mention retention to a student or parent. I don't understand why my district's parents tolerate this type of behavior.
Please, for the sake of our children, support school choice and vouchers whenever you can......public education is broken and will never fix itself until forced to do so by competition. (and remember I say this as a beleagured public school teacher)
Until I get a principal who publically commits to retention, I will never again mention retention to a student or parent. I don't understand why my district's parents tolerate this type of behavior.
Please, for the sake of our children, support school choice and vouchers whenever you can......public education is broken and will never fix itself until forced to do so by competition. (and remember I say this as a beleagured public school teacher)
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