Question on the frontpage of my newspaper today: " Would you ask your child to walk to school carrying a box of rocks on his back ? "
It seems that the kids' backpacks are getting so heavy that there is a serious risk of back injury. And so if they emerge from high school with rocks in their heads for brains, they will not even qualify for those " backbreaking jobs " waiting for the drop out, the semi-literate, the unskilled.
But the computer revolution and the Internet should make those dull,heavy, often unreadable and panic inspiring 5-10 pound school textbooks things of the
past. They are - let's face it -nothing but money making rackets. Textbook authors and publishers often have hardly a clue about arousing interest in subjects that many people find fascinating.
Most of those formidable Calculus textbooks are the heartless, wretched product of greedy hacks without a creative bone their heads. But they might cost the school kid $75.00 . What a rip off!
The same is true for history, biology, physics, chemistry, and even English Literature texts. As if the very purpose of the texts was to break the spirit -as well as the backs - of students
Substitute for these ridiculous monuments to boredom a half a dozen magazine-like texts and attractive workbooks - used in sequence during
the semester.
Finally, since most teachers -robot like-say the same yawn provoking stuff year after year, REPLACE THEM with more interesting audio and video tapes.
Now and then the slow witted pupil might benefit from the presence of a real live teacher, working as a NON-UNIONIZED ,part time course advisor.
We can -with the help of the Bill Gates inspiration (read his thoughts on education revolution ) - make education in the United States CHEAPER & BETTER.
And get an oppressive load off the kids' backs.
Monday, August 30, 1999
Sunday, August 29, 1999
Patricia Walsh remembered
Patricia Walsh and her fine family lived down the street from us (315 California Ave. in Providence ) at the corner of Virginia and California Avenue. Of course the whole neighborhood was shocked when they read about the pretty young girl - murdered by the drug crazed Antone Costa in Provincetown, on Cape Cod.
I use to play touch football in the street with her brother, Dennis whom I remembered as a lively, joking athletic type. Danny Barclay - now a Providence Police detective - was one of his chums.
Patricia Walsh now and then gave the California Ave. gang a ride in her light blue Volkswagen -which a while back I recognized in a magazine article. She seemed the vivacious type , still with a mild case of adolescent acne.
I think I heard it from Dan that Patrician's parents had turned her bedroom into a shrine - left unchanged for years. And from Dan that Dennis responded to the fiendish murder of his sister with lyrics from the Beatles : " Let it be... let it be.. ! "
I may have bumped into Dennis a few years ago, but I simply was not prepared to discuss the events of 30 years ago.
The Walsh family were members of the St. Paul's Church parish.
I use to play touch football in the street with her brother, Dennis whom I remembered as a lively, joking athletic type. Danny Barclay - now a Providence Police detective - was one of his chums.
Patricia Walsh now and then gave the California Ave. gang a ride in her light blue Volkswagen -which a while back I recognized in a magazine article. She seemed the vivacious type , still with a mild case of adolescent acne.
I think I heard it from Dan that Patrician's parents had turned her bedroom into a shrine - left unchanged for years. And from Dan that Dennis responded to the fiendish murder of his sister with lyrics from the Beatles : " Let it be... let it be.. ! "
I may have bumped into Dennis a few years ago, but I simply was not prepared to discuss the events of 30 years ago.
The Walsh family were members of the St. Paul's Church parish.
Saturday, August 28, 1999
A number of letter writers have praised the Projo Web Site. And it really does have a lot to offer. I found the " archive " especially useful; it has even cleared up family mysteries for me. A old fashioned microfilm search would have been quite tedious.
The quickness of the computer lowers the motivational threshold for doing anything connected with research and personal communication. For example, it is much easier now to write letters to the editor, even though hard copy space is as limited as ever - like downtown real estate !
Now and then there is an editor's note explaining to some frustrated letter writer that the majority of letters - good, bad, smart or silly -cannot be published.
May I suggest that the editor refer them to your Projo Web site feature: "Your Two Cents "? It will only take a few minutes for a cyber visitor to see how "Your Two Cents "works. A lot like a town meeting that can break up into separate discussion groups: Should gays be allowed in the Boy Scouts? Will a drug use confession hurt Lincoln Chafee ? Are we fed up with affirmative action or is it still a tool to fight racial oppression ?
If somebody thinks they have something interesting to say about a topic in the news, why not consider " Your Two Cents " ? I do wish the feature had a spell-checker and editing abilities.
Free Speech in the United States has entered its Golden Age. Let us not pretend that there is a conspiracy to silence anybody.
My brother Steve has likened the Internet to vivacious Italy where government is a joke. But what vitality and energy and creativity and imagination. Who dare give this highly democratic circus oppressive, bureaucratic regulations?
Yes, governments come and go. The brothels -and irrepressible humanity - and remain.
The quickness of the computer lowers the motivational threshold for doing anything connected with research and personal communication. For example, it is much easier now to write letters to the editor, even though hard copy space is as limited as ever - like downtown real estate !
Now and then there is an editor's note explaining to some frustrated letter writer that the majority of letters - good, bad, smart or silly -cannot be published.
May I suggest that the editor refer them to your Projo Web site feature: "Your Two Cents "? It will only take a few minutes for a cyber visitor to see how "Your Two Cents "works. A lot like a town meeting that can break up into separate discussion groups: Should gays be allowed in the Boy Scouts? Will a drug use confession hurt Lincoln Chafee ? Are we fed up with affirmative action or is it still a tool to fight racial oppression ?
If somebody thinks they have something interesting to say about a topic in the news, why not consider " Your Two Cents " ? I do wish the feature had a spell-checker and editing abilities.
Free Speech in the United States has entered its Golden Age. Let us not pretend that there is a conspiracy to silence anybody.
My brother Steve has likened the Internet to vivacious Italy where government is a joke. But what vitality and energy and creativity and imagination. Who dare give this highly democratic circus oppressive, bureaucratic regulations?
Yes, governments come and go. The brothels -and irrepressible humanity - and remain.
Thursday, August 26, 1999
A Nation of Gluttons
The projo.com bulletin board notification of new message. See:
http://www.projo.com/twocents/get/news/777.html
I just read the Dirk Johnson article, " People are snacking everywhere..." ( July 30 )
Fat Americans are getting fatter by the day, by the hour, by the minute! What do I see on the bus while I peruse this article? A plump young lady -who, if slimmer, would be a lot prettier- sucking on a big green tootsie pop( NO EATING ON BUS - says the sign over her head ) .
What was HER problem ? I wondered. Nerves, oppressed by sexism and dead white males, real hunger ?
Indeed everywhere I turn in Kennedy Plaza I observe the frightfully fat. Do they even care ?
Just declare that FAT IS BEAUTIFUL and forget about all self-restraint. Big Brother is weight watching now ?
With all due respect to the good -and omnipresent - name of A Shawn Feinstein, I must say that most of our worthy poor are FAT.
And fat union leaders are forever demanding a greater share of the pie. But most working Americans have more than their share of the pie. Just look at them !
There is indeed an epidemic of obesity in the United States. If all those fat
Americans were forced to work harder for less pay ( less munching ) , then the country would shape up again.
I suspect that the grossly fat lost interest in sex about 50 pounds ago. OBESITY SHOULD BE GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE. Let's legalize no fat divorce !
Oddly enough the prosperous class is rarely even overweight. Here they wisely
avoid conspicuous consumption.
What a horrible life style it is that is centered on junk food and junk TV. We idolize the athletes with great bodies but treat are own bodies as disdainfully as we would treat broken down garbage trucks.
And not even death will put an end to our crazy self-indulgence: According to
the Gallop Polls, most Americans plan to enjoy Pie in the Sky.
I hope our next president is LEAN & MEAN -just to set a good example before the crunch comes.
http://www.projo.com/twocents/get/news/777.html
I just read the Dirk Johnson article, " People are snacking everywhere..." ( July 30 )
Fat Americans are getting fatter by the day, by the hour, by the minute! What do I see on the bus while I peruse this article? A plump young lady -who, if slimmer, would be a lot prettier- sucking on a big green tootsie pop( NO EATING ON BUS - says the sign over her head ) .
What was HER problem ? I wondered. Nerves, oppressed by sexism and dead white males, real hunger ?
Indeed everywhere I turn in Kennedy Plaza I observe the frightfully fat. Do they even care ?
Just declare that FAT IS BEAUTIFUL and forget about all self-restraint. Big Brother is weight watching now ?
With all due respect to the good -and omnipresent - name of A Shawn Feinstein, I must say that most of our worthy poor are FAT.
And fat union leaders are forever demanding a greater share of the pie. But most working Americans have more than their share of the pie. Just look at them !
There is indeed an epidemic of obesity in the United States. If all those fat
Americans were forced to work harder for less pay ( less munching ) , then the country would shape up again.
I suspect that the grossly fat lost interest in sex about 50 pounds ago. OBESITY SHOULD BE GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE. Let's legalize no fat divorce !
Oddly enough the prosperous class is rarely even overweight. Here they wisely
avoid conspicuous consumption.
What a horrible life style it is that is centered on junk food and junk TV. We idolize the athletes with great bodies but treat are own bodies as disdainfully as we would treat broken down garbage trucks.
And not even death will put an end to our crazy self-indulgence: According to
the Gallop Polls, most Americans plan to enjoy Pie in the Sky.
I hope our next president is LEAN & MEAN -just to set a good example before the crunch comes.
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