I think China and India understand the principles of economics, and I don't think heart surgery costs $200,000 here because Johnny Can't Read. I think it's more akin to wondering why an apartment in my town costs $250/mo. and for a drop in quality, $1,200 just 200 miles away. It's exchange.
Remember, many of the specialists -- in medicine, engineering, and many other disciplines -- in foreign countries are getting their educations here, then hopping a plane home. But short of making sure they're required to work here once they get out of school, which is as draconian as it is silly, I don't find change foreseeable.
All the same, you're correct in stating that we have to put more into education. It is the task of our generation to subsidize with not only our checkbooks, but with our dispositions, an American renaissance in science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, agriculture, and the arts. But it won't show up by itself.
I have a question. I have a number of small systems of varying specifications (all x86) and I'd love to be in on stress-testing 5.x; I'd love to have been in on testing all the BETAS. But my daily operations in FreeBSD are limited to working in Gnome or XFCE under a few IDEs, compiling ports, doing some maintenance work on servers, playing games, reading Slashdot, etc., none of which I find particularly stressful to the system. If it was, I would be inclined to believe it was a port problem, not a system problem.
What is the best way to stress test FreeBSD that will put it through its paces?
I understand this is probably a good way to get people out of the office/classroom while educating about atmospheric science -- sort of like a solar eclipse -- but why on earth counting contrails? Is there a specific reason to be counting them?
It told me I should vote for the candidate that raises the upper limit on MySQL connections. Where do those other two Skull n' Bones boys stand on slashdotting?
VOTE MYSQL_CONNECT IN 2004!!!! LET FREEDOM RING!!!
I agree. Frankly, expecting a little bit less in terms of proposals and more in terms of votes would go a long way -- I prefer as many laws to keep water coming out of my faucet as needed, and no more. (Not to mention that bill-making efficiency is abundant when wanted and completely absent when political; I don't think more voices in the room could be a bad thing.)
However, it's not like we have 435 people working together anyway; most work is done in committee, where I don't think increasing the size by 20 persons could hurt. Increasing the number of reps in the interest of fairness, with an expense being a limitation of power, is I think, a fair trade. Not only would you find elections becoming more fair financially, as there would be more local contribution to the candidate and less need to support a candidate who can't vote in your interest (this could go the other way, also, since more people need media time, more people need exorbitant contributions). You might also find more third-party candidates spring up, as people realize they (candidates) have more of a chance than before.
I think one very effective way to reduce the effects of gerrymandering, and other seeming corruption, is an increase in the size of representatives in the House, which was locked at 433 in 1911 (with provisions for the allowance of representatives for New Mexico and Arizona, when they became states). With the admittance of Alaska and Hawaii, it was temporarily raised to 467. After the 1960 census, it dropped to 435 again.
If the 2000 census is correct, we have around 294 million people in the United States. This makes for a ratio of one representative : 675,862 constituents. In 1910, the ratio was about 1 : 200,000.
I don't foresee the population of the United States coming down any time soon, which is all the reason you need to see that this issue is only becoming more important, not less -- having a veritable Senator for your district who cannot be voted out and is distant from your needs breeds apathy and alienation.
While many people I've talked to think that the number of representatives is fixed by the Constitution, it isn't -- it was fixed by Congress, and Congress can unfix it as well.
Observe what Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution has to say on the subject:
"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three."
So apparently, they thought 30,000 : 1 was a bit of a low ratio to be sensible. By that count, we'd have 9,800 representatives. But having only 1,200 reps would mean having a ratio of 1 : 245,000; more than halfing the current 1 : almost 700,000 ratio.
There are obviously logistical problems, like voting, space, offices, and so on. Also, it would significantly limit the amount of power reps currently have, which I can see as a good thing and a bad thing. But in a day where it seems nobody doesn't have a lawyer, why would it be so crazy to think that everyone should know their representative?
My comment was specific to instruction within the classroom. Outside the classroom there's quite a bit you can do, inside, a kid with the big books or magnifiers can get singled out, and as I said, a child singled out for their instructional accomodation will sometimes decline to use it at all. This varies depending on the social atmosphere of the school.
Geography is a visual subject like math or English or any other subject is, like you said. The equations and symbols and words matter, but what's more important is what those equations and symbols and words mean rather than what's happening on paper. But if we say deaf children will have an overly difficult time in music class, it puts the burden on the child to perform up to the standards of the majority. But in inclusionary classrooms, you want to ask not what the child can or can't do, but what they can bring to the table. In this case, geography is more than about rivers and lakes and mountains -- perhaps the teacher, with him, can focus on the human geographic aspect, or use that aspect to help him learn the subject material. But Braille is a big step. We're talking about a completely different language here.
There isn't any shame in being visually impaired, and I know that because as my original post said, my mother or brother are both visually impaired, as to some extent, am I. But 12 year olds don't know that, and we're not trying to hide it, but we are trying to make less of a distinction between him and the other students.
Say you have a child with cerebral palsy. To get from class to class, he could use a motorized wheelchair. Or, his teachers could pick him up and carry him from class to class, while the principal clears the halls with a bright orange megaphone. Now, the kid is having problems with walking. Walking is a very physical subject. And nobody is pretending the kid can't walk, or trying to hide it.
But: does the megaphone help the kid get to class better than the wheelchair? No, he gets to class either way.
Does it make him different from the other kids who, because of the treatment, may ostracize him? Probably. It's needlessly highlighting his difference, and that's a greater crime than trying to hide it. That's what I meant.
In this case, there are plenty of things INSIDE the classroom that can happen that will measurably improve learning without bringing active attention to his disability. No offense, but Braille is not one of them; that's like being given textbooks in French because you have dyslexia. He probably already has big books, which for text will suffice; graphics will probably require some creative learning.
Outside the classroom, relief maps, among other things, as I suggested in the original post, are a good idea. For children with disabilities, the road to educational success really only starts in the school, and there are many more things one can do at home, like break out a giant topo map made of playdoh, like I did when I was little.:)
Absolutely, mod parent up! The big problem with "resorting" to braille or VR displays and so many of the solutions others have suggested -- is psychological; it's something that makes the kid different from other kids. And he is, but there's no reason to highlight it needlessly.
There is a very careful balance to be had in educational accomodation that many don't understand: in theory "you can help a child hard of hearing by yelling louder at him" -- but if he's embarassed for his challenge, if he's singled out, he won't use the accomodation.
My brother, in junior high, got poor grades for the first quarter, and being an incredibly bright kid, nobody knew why, until we realized his "big books" were staying at home. During class, when the teacher asked to get out the textbooks, he brought out the normal-sized one, which of course he couldn't read. He was embarassed at having to carry an 11x14-size collection of schoolbook chapters around with text sizes ripped from "Spot Goes To School".
I think brightly projected transparencies would be an ideal way to display maps without bringing attention in school to his disability.
Why would you think this would cheapen the kid's plight? Telling him he can't do something with kids his age because of a disability and that he should put his life on hold until something with a time-to-market of 20 years shows up?
Yes, sarcasm. With all due respect, I understand your position, but it's a cop-out answer.
There are certain things kids with disabilities can't do, obviously. A kid with paralysis of the lower body can't run track. But the point is to show these kids what they can do, not what they can't. He may not be able to run track, but if he wants to be near the sport, there are plenty of wheelchair track clubs he can participate in. Instead of telling the kid, "wait until we develop artificial legs", let's tell him we have the best people in the room, and until then there are plenty of other opportunities and ways he can participate in life just like non-handicapped people.
A kid with vision disability can participate with his classmates in geography, but he might need some help. Help which, I should note, is required by law and for good reason. People with disabilities aren't invalids, but may require accomodation.
It's worth noting that social studies probably isn't an 'elective' for him in junior high.
I feel for your coworker's predicament. My mother and brother have had a total of about fifteen surgeries between them to correct vision problems mostly stemming from retinas that have a tendency to detach, and complicatons thereof. The condition has many of the symptoms of a connective tissue disorder called Stichler-Sachs, but not all. In many cases, it boils down to a combination of the aforementioned, and a nearsightedness that puts a strain on the eye from its length. I got away with one surgery twenty years ago, while my mom and brother have basic vision of shapes and/or colors (with no semblance of stability in sight).
Regardless, I've been through much of this before. First off, make sure his school is accomodating with a IEP (individualized education program)/504 setup. There are many things you can do, but without help from the school, it's won't help. Many accomodations can be made "behind the scenes" and without making the child self-conscious. There are some things that the child can't totally hide, and in this case a sense of humor is particularly helpful.
Many times, the school can obtain (at the school's expense) extra-large versions of books, graphics, diagrams and the like. I know when I was a kid, we had a few raised (molded) topographical maps (? somebody help me out, I can't think of what the right description is) sitting around. I know they also have globes, but they may not be as "high-resolution" if he's studying, say, state geography. They're also not that difficult to make, which can be a family project. The point is to cover all the bases by connecting knowledge with touch and what little sight he may have: think teaching art via texture and collage and sculpture as opposed to traditional "visibles".
In this case, geography may require a rewritten or oral test for the child. Since he had to learn it differently, it may have to be tested differently. YMMV based on what the parents and educator think is best.
Many different ideas can fun or degrading, depending on how severe the disability is; that's true of many accomodations, so it's important to be sensitive to the child's attitude, especially at this age, and moreso in a few years.
Whatever your suggestion and the parents' decision, it won't be a quick fix; this is a long road. I know from experience, however, that with a lot of support, it's definitely doable. I wish you the best of luck. (I will gladly answer questions if you e-mail or reply to this post.)
..It sounds the heads at Squeenix are at least aware of the situation, though they seem to be passing the buck, which is kinda messed up. Last I heard, PlayOnline uses Port 25 to connect to a network (the same one that mail clients use), and that Optimum closed it off, for some reason. In any case, I wish you luck, and I wish there was something I could do besides this.
There is no chance that I could care less about this story. But it seems like a lot of people are clueless.
1. PlayOnline is thoroughly stupid for using port 25 to connect to the network. Though shalt not retain ports under 1000, and well-known ones at that.
2. Optimum Online is doing something mostly responsible, which is blocking port 25 to help stop the spread of spam using its broadband lines.
3. Choo choo, it's the clue train, making stops at the following common sense conclusions.
- Playonline, fix your stupid-ass software. - Optimum, do what you do. - FFXI players, use this time to reintroduce yourself to the great outdoors.
I have the honor of living in the district of Rep.RickBoucher
It feels odd to have to feel "lucky" that my congressional representative's The Real Thing. Frankly, I don't like guys that run for congress because they think it's a good gig.
Your point is correct, but I wouldn't necessarily say that people in the middle of nowhere wouldn't benefit or want it.
For example, I live in the New River Valley (Virginia), where the entire place is practically nowhere. However, we're expected to grow immensely within the next 10 years because of, among other things: suburban sprawl, low cost of living, cheap real estate, and so on. While the town I live in has a poverty rate of 43% (!) as of the 2000 census, the population is split between poor farmers and businesses attracted by nearby Virginia Tech, which has been very active in the past few years in advertising "you could be home by now" for business because of the aforementioned reasons, as well as the proximity to a Top 30 research institution.
In this case, wireless has popped up all over in the past year because our town council is smart and realizes that if we want to attract business, we should offer business perks comparable to that in a larger area. Similarly, it gets the townfolk out and about and spending money because whereas they might not be able to get DSL at home, they *can* get wireless anywhere downtown. It also costs less in terms of coverage area, despite the startup costs taking a bigger chunk of available funds. Several years ago, towns in the area decided to pay for an assload of fiber, most notably Blacksburg, where VT is located. By doing this they lessened the cost for private owners to roll out wireless, among other connectivity, around here.
The point is, I think there's an even bigger incentive for smaller areas to roll out wireless, or at least the connectivity to make it happen. In a large area, a greater percentage of persons will have broadband, or even Internet access in general, so the argument could be made that wireless is a benefit mostly only for visitors. But in a small town, it can benefit the entire community with a much bigger payoff.
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles Science in a half-shell Turtle power
They're the world's most traveled science team (We're really hip!) They're scientists in a half-shell and they're green (Hey - get a grip!) When your migratory measurement is lax This Turtle girl won't cut you no slack
The Government of Montserrat taught them her to be science teens Sara leads, Shellby does machines (That's a fact, Jack!) Timber is cool but crude (Gimme a break!) Fluffy is a party dude (Party!)
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles Science in a half-shell Turtle power
Use of the term 'hacker' here is a misnomer. Would I hire someone who has a broad technical ability and excels in why things do and don't work? Absolutely. But allow me to go on a little old-man rant here (and hell, I'm in my 20s): viruses these days aren't what they used to be.
In the 1980s-1990s, you could pick up a copy of 2600 and read the code for a relatively complicated polymorphing boot sector virus -- complicated because it took a good knowledge of assembler, specific system calls, the boot process on a PC, etc., among other things. With a few tweaks, it would be slow-incubating, but deadly.
The internet has changed the way we deal with security, because no longer is the question "How clever is the virus?" so much as it is "How cautious is the user?" Example: the "Microsoft Office 2004 Beta" for Mac appeared on P2P networks a few months ago. When run, it deleted the contents of your user folder. Devastating, yes, but nothing I couldn't do myself without programming knowledge. So the 'virus' wasn't clever, tricky, or even unique in function, except for the method of delivery, which was social in nature -- not technical.
The same applies to security holes in your OS. Whether the hole should be patched is another discussion, but taking the obvious routes through those holes to bring down computers isn't particularly noteworthy. If everyone at my office has VNC installed without a password, and I go delete their My Documents folder at noon today, am I a hacker? No. I'm just a prick.
So when you ask, "would I hire a hacker?" Yes.
But when you ask, "would I hire someone who creates/uses something annoying and not that special; requiring a moderate level of programming skill if at all; that relies on the user to activate it or a major security flaw in the OS?" Absolutely not. These kids' salaries should be going to sociologists who can better analyze group behavior, and real coders, not scr1pt k1dd13z.
The library of "things to ponder on while stoned" just got bigger.
Stoned 1: Dude, what if we're *in* the computer. Phil Undergrad: No dude, wait.. what if we're in the computer that's actually the Matrix! Sober Guy: What if we're in the Matrix and we're playing a game that's *another* matrix. Stoned 1: Whoa. Phil: I need Fritos. Stoned 2: Dude, don't turn off the PS2!! You'll kill everyone!
The reason freedom of the press is so important is that they serve as the town criers for the people. "Making sure the Enquirer can write whatever it wants is the only way I can be sure the New York Times is writing whatever it wants."
The first thing you learn in Social Studies is the concept of bias. Bias is in some ways, unavoidable, and in others desirable, because it allows you to see what viewpoints people are coming from. We know the Washington Post is liberal, we know the Washington Times is conservative, and that there are plenty of people who would disagree with either of those claims. And a newspaper is only so many pages long, and some things get cut. Is it political? Much of the time, yes. But only because 'politics' is a better synonym for beliefs, those oh-so-irrational parts of the human experience that can easily trump the logical parts of us. And if I publish one thing and somebody disagrees, they'll publish another. The press isn't there to tell us what is True and Right, they are there to report on What Is Happening so we can make Our Own Decisions About the World. Whether this means I have to pick up a few papers instead of just one is an exercise for the reader.
As an example, a few months ago when ABC (I think?) decided to read the names of the young men and women who had been killed in Iraq, some stations refused to cover it. Not because they didn't think those people had died, but because it was believed there were motives beyond respect for the dead that had come into play. Whether there were matters less -- so much as the perception of those who decided to air or not to air it because they believed there were other motives. We see the same thing in the climate debate -- we see things reported or not reported about greenhouse gases because they believe the other side is 'junk science'. And in some ways, the bias is desirable; that way I know if I pick up the Post and the Times, I get both sides of the argument and not just what the editors think is right.
The late Martha Gellhorn, who spent half a century reporting on war and politicians - and observing journalists, too -- eventually lost her faith that journalism could, by itself, change the world.
It can't. It requires people to be informed about their situation to do something about it.
And guess what? That's the way it's supposed to work; God Bless America. True journalism is absolutely essential to a democracy; voters must be informed to make informed decisions. And I can't imagine a situation where everybody reported the same stories in the same way being anything but very accurate, or very censored. There is no middle ground.
Mini-box make some neato little ITX boxes which you could hook up to any number of storage solutions. Past that, I've had good success with Mini-ITX boards. I get the cases from Web-tronics, as the MITX ones are very, very expensive -- they're meant to make your MITX look like a CD player, pretty much, and I can do more without having to worry about cosmetics. MiniBox (above) sells snap-in MITX power supplies ranging from 60w to 200w. For the extra cool factor, use a Xenarc display or use something 'headless', e.g., LCDProc and Crystalfontz. (As I remember, the MiniBoxes come with their own little displays.)
Thank YOU, us-elections.com
on
Mock World Vote
·
· Score: 2, Funny
This website brought new light to the many third parties we have in this country. I, for one, will be voting for Charles Jay, boxing promoter, and Marilyn Chambers, porn star, for the next President and Vice President of the United States.
The donation was made by one Sidney Frank, whose importation popularization of drinks we were fond of in college (and still are) made him lots of cash.
It's a good day to be a college dropout, apparently.
It makes me a little proud to think that you can still work hard and with a little luck have your name on a building, regardless of things like educational status or initial wealth. This applies more to Sidney, I suppose, than Bill. (Now, the fact that it was a half-stolen, poorly written OS and liquor sales to college kids is quite another thing, and I'm sure everybody's going to remember that in replies to this post. Have fun!)
This has worked for me many times before, and I can vouch for it, but the obvious disclaimer is that there are a number of reasons why it's a bad idea, as I'm sure any replies to the post will inevitably explain. But it's worked for me before.
Power down all your machines and unplug them. Set up adequate ventilation (I use several cheap desk fans). Wipe down your hardware with rubbing alcohol using a lint-free cloth or a few old t-shirts; don't worry about your own, buy a big bag of them at Goodwill.
When you get tired of that, or you pass out from the fumes, just pour it in. Yes, I'm serious, you'll want to trickle it over the green hardware and get everything generally soaking. (Not the power supply or hard drive, just PCBs and the like. This is already a dumbass idea, so you don't want to be much more stupid about it.) Then leave, otherwise you'll probably pass out.
I discovered this trick while given the task of cleaning a friend's laptop. He smokes, a lot, and had quit and didn't want the smell. He also had sticky keys from God knows what, so I honestly just said "fuck it" and turned the laptop on its side, open, and poured rubbing alcohol into the ports, taking care not to let it get near the screen, which rubbing alcohol can damage. Using a lot of it allows the liquid to remove dust as it flows by. The excess flowed out the other side and into a few paper towels.
Rubbing alcohol is a great solvent and evaporates quickly, so the ventilation is more for the computers, not you. Make sure the insides are aired out before powering up, or you may find yourself battling a quick-burning alcohol fire.
Slashdot Mirror
Then feel free to throw some R&D money in the pot, eh?
(braces for flying vegetables)
I think China and India understand the principles of economics, and I don't think heart surgery costs $200,000 here because Johnny Can't Read. I think it's more akin to wondering why an apartment in my town costs $250/mo. and for a drop in quality, $1,200 just 200 miles away. It's exchange.
Remember, many of the specialists -- in medicine, engineering, and many other disciplines -- in foreign countries are getting their educations here, then hopping a plane home. But short of making sure they're required to work here once they get out of school, which is as draconian as it is silly, I don't find change foreseeable.
All the same, you're correct in stating that we have to put more into education. It is the task of our generation to subsidize with not only our checkbooks, but with our dispositions, an American renaissance in science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, agriculture, and the arts. But it won't show up by itself.
I have a question. I have a number of small systems of varying specifications (all x86) and I'd love to be in on stress-testing 5.x; I'd love to have been in on testing all the BETAS. But my daily operations in FreeBSD are limited to working in Gnome or XFCE under a few IDEs, compiling ports, doing some maintenance work on servers, playing games, reading Slashdot, etc., none of which I find particularly stressful to the system. If it was, I would be inclined to believe it was a port problem, not a system problem.
What is the best way to stress test FreeBSD that will put it through its paces?
I understand this is probably a good way to get people out of the office/classroom while educating about atmospheric science -- sort of like a solar eclipse -- but why on earth counting contrails? Is there a specific reason to be counting them?
It told me I should vote for the candidate that raises the upper limit on MySQL connections. Where do those other two Skull n' Bones boys stand on slashdotting?
VOTE MYSQL_CONNECT IN 2004!!!! LET FREEDOM RING!!!
I agree. Frankly, expecting a little bit less in terms of proposals and more in terms of votes would go a long way -- I prefer as many laws to keep water coming out of my faucet as needed, and no more. (Not to mention that bill-making efficiency is abundant when wanted and completely absent when political; I don't think more voices in the room could be a bad thing.)
However, it's not like we have 435 people working together anyway; most work is done in committee, where I don't think increasing the size by 20 persons could hurt. Increasing the number of reps in the interest of fairness, with an expense being a limitation of power, is I think, a fair trade. Not only would you find elections becoming more fair financially, as there would be more local contribution to the candidate and less need to support a candidate who can't vote in your interest (this could go the other way, also, since more people need media time, more people need exorbitant contributions). You might also find more third-party candidates spring up, as people realize they (candidates) have more of a chance than before.
I think one very effective way to reduce the effects of gerrymandering, and other seeming corruption, is an increase in the size of representatives in the House, which was locked at 433 in 1911 (with provisions for the allowance of representatives for New Mexico and Arizona, when they became states). With the admittance of Alaska and Hawaii, it was temporarily raised to 467. After the 1960 census, it dropped to 435 again.
If the 2000 census is correct, we have around 294 million people in the United States. This makes for a ratio of one representative : 675,862 constituents. In 1910, the ratio was about 1 : 200,000.
I don't foresee the population of the United States coming down any time soon, which is all the reason you need to see that this issue is only becoming more important, not less -- having a veritable Senator for your district who cannot be voted out and is distant from your needs breeds apathy and alienation.
While many people I've talked to think that the number of representatives is fixed by the Constitution, it isn't -- it was fixed by Congress, and Congress can unfix it as well.
Observe what Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution has to say on the subject:
"Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three."
So apparently, they thought 30,000 : 1 was a bit of a low ratio to be sensible. By that count, we'd have 9,800 representatives. But having only 1,200 reps would mean having a ratio of 1 : 245,000; more than halfing the current 1 : almost 700,000 ratio.
There are obviously logistical problems, like voting, space, offices, and so on. Also, it would significantly limit the amount of power reps currently have, which I can see as a good thing and a bad thing. But in a day where it seems nobody doesn't have a lawyer, why would it be so crazy to think that everyone should know their representative?
Really makes you wonder what kind of STDs you can get from corporations.
STDs are bad, but I'd hate to have Chronic Inflammation of Negligence.
Fair point indeed!
:)
My comment was specific to instruction within the classroom. Outside the classroom there's quite a bit you can do, inside, a kid with the big books or magnifiers can get singled out, and as I said, a child singled out for their instructional accomodation will sometimes decline to use it at all. This varies depending on the social atmosphere of the school.
Geography is a visual subject like math or English or any other subject is, like you said. The equations and symbols and words matter, but what's more important is what those equations and symbols and words mean rather than what's happening on paper. But if we say deaf children will have an overly difficult time in music class, it puts the burden on the child to perform up to the standards of the majority. But in inclusionary classrooms, you want to ask not what the child can or can't do, but what they can bring to the table. In this case, geography is more than about rivers and lakes and mountains -- perhaps the teacher, with him, can focus on the human geographic aspect, or use that aspect to help him learn the subject material. But Braille is a big step. We're talking about a completely different language here.
There isn't any shame in being visually impaired, and I know that because as my original post said, my mother or brother are both visually impaired, as to some extent, am I. But 12 year olds don't know that, and we're not trying to hide it, but we are trying to make less of a distinction between him and the other students.
Say you have a child with cerebral palsy. To get from class to class, he could use a motorized wheelchair. Or, his teachers could pick him up and carry him from class to class, while the principal clears the halls with a bright orange megaphone. Now, the kid is having problems with walking. Walking is a very physical subject. And nobody is pretending the kid can't walk, or trying to hide it.
But: does the megaphone help the kid get to class better than the wheelchair? No, he gets to class either way.
Does it make him different from the other kids who, because of the treatment, may ostracize him? Probably. It's needlessly highlighting his difference, and that's a greater crime than trying to hide it. That's what I meant.
In this case, there are plenty of things INSIDE the classroom that can happen that will measurably improve learning without bringing active attention to his disability. No offense, but Braille is not one of them; that's like being given textbooks in French because you have dyslexia. He probably already has big books, which for text will suffice; graphics will probably require some creative learning.
Outside the classroom, relief maps, among other things, as I suggested in the original post, are a good idea. For children with disabilities, the road to educational success really only starts in the school, and there are many more things one can do at home, like break out a giant topo map made of playdoh, like I did when I was little.
Absolutely, mod parent up! The big problem with "resorting" to braille or VR displays and so many of the solutions others have suggested -- is psychological; it's something that makes the kid different from other kids. And he is, but there's no reason to highlight it needlessly.
There is a very careful balance to be had in educational accomodation that many don't understand: in theory "you can help a child hard of hearing by yelling louder at him" -- but if he's embarassed for his challenge, if he's singled out, he won't use the accomodation.
My brother, in junior high, got poor grades for the first quarter, and being an incredibly bright kid, nobody knew why, until we realized his "big books" were staying at home. During class, when the teacher asked to get out the textbooks, he brought out the normal-sized one, which of course he couldn't read. He was embarassed at having to carry an 11x14-size collection of schoolbook chapters around with text sizes ripped from "Spot Goes To School".
I think brightly projected transparencies would be an ideal way to display maps without bringing attention in school to his disability.
Why would you think this would cheapen the kid's plight? Telling him he can't do something with kids his age because of a disability and that he should put his life on hold until something with a time-to-market of 20 years shows up?
Yes, sarcasm. With all due respect, I understand your position, but it's a cop-out answer.
There are certain things kids with disabilities can't do, obviously. A kid with paralysis of the lower body can't run track. But the point is to show these kids what they can do, not what they can't. He may not be able to run track, but if he wants to be near the sport, there are plenty of wheelchair track clubs he can participate in. Instead of telling the kid, "wait until we develop artificial legs", let's tell him we have the best people in the room, and until then there are plenty of other opportunities and ways he can participate in life just like non-handicapped people.
A kid with vision disability can participate with his classmates in geography, but he might need some help. Help which, I should note, is required by law and for good reason. People with disabilities aren't invalids, but may require accomodation.
It's worth noting that social studies probably isn't an 'elective' for him in junior high.
I feel for your coworker's predicament. My mother and brother have had a total of about fifteen surgeries between them to correct vision problems mostly stemming from retinas that have a tendency to detach, and complicatons thereof. The condition has many of the symptoms of a connective tissue disorder called Stichler-Sachs, but not all. In many cases, it boils down to a combination of the aforementioned, and a nearsightedness that puts a strain on the eye from its length. I got away with one surgery twenty years ago, while my mom and brother have basic vision of shapes and/or colors (with no semblance of stability in sight).
Regardless, I've been through much of this before. First off, make sure his school is accomodating with a IEP (individualized education program)/504 setup. There are many things you can do, but without help from the school, it's won't help. Many accomodations can be made "behind the scenes" and without making the child self-conscious. There are some things that the child can't totally hide, and in this case a sense of humor is particularly helpful.
Many times, the school can obtain (at the school's expense) extra-large versions of books, graphics, diagrams and the like. I know when I was a kid, we had a few raised (molded) topographical maps (? somebody help me out, I can't think of what the right description is) sitting around. I know they also have globes, but they may not be as "high-resolution" if he's studying, say, state geography. They're also not that difficult to make, which can be a family project. The point is to cover all the bases by connecting knowledge with touch and what little sight he may have: think teaching art via texture and collage and sculpture as opposed to traditional "visibles".
In this case, geography may require a rewritten or oral test for the child. Since he had to learn it differently, it may have to be tested differently. YMMV based on what the parents and educator think is best.
Many different ideas can fun or degrading, depending on how severe the disability is; that's true of many accomodations, so it's important to be sensitive to the child's attitude, especially at this age, and moreso in a few years.
Whatever your suggestion and the parents' decision, it won't be a quick fix; this is a long road. I know from experience, however, that with a lot of support, it's definitely doable. I wish you the best of luck. (I will gladly answer questions if you e-mail or reply to this post.)
..It sounds the heads at Squeenix are at least aware of the situation, though they seem to be passing the buck, which is kinda messed up. Last I heard, PlayOnline uses Port 25 to connect to a network (the same one that mail clients use), and that Optimum closed it off, for some reason. In any case, I wish you luck, and I wish there was something I could do besides this.
There is no chance that I could care less about this story. But it seems like a lot of people are clueless.
1. PlayOnline is thoroughly stupid for using port 25 to connect to the network. Though shalt not retain ports under 1000, and well-known ones at that.
2. Optimum Online is doing something mostly responsible, which is blocking port 25 to help stop the spread of spam using its broadband lines.
3. Choo choo, it's the clue train, making stops at the following common sense conclusions.
- Playonline, fix your stupid-ass software.
- Optimum, do what you do.
- FFXI players, use this time to reintroduce yourself to the great outdoors.
I have the honor of living in the district of Rep. Rick Boucher
It feels odd to have to feel "lucky" that my congressional representative's The Real Thing. Frankly, I don't like guys that run for congress because they think it's a good gig.
Your point is correct, but I wouldn't necessarily say that people in the middle of nowhere wouldn't benefit or want it.
For example, I live in the New River Valley (Virginia), where the entire place is practically nowhere. However, we're expected to grow immensely within the next 10 years because of, among other things: suburban sprawl, low cost of living, cheap real estate, and so on. While the town I live in has a poverty rate of 43% (!) as of the 2000 census, the population is split between poor farmers and businesses attracted by nearby Virginia Tech, which has been very active in the past few years in advertising "you could be home by now" for business because of the aforementioned reasons, as well as the proximity to a Top 30 research institution.
In this case, wireless has popped up all over in the past year because our town council is smart and realizes that if we want to attract business, we should offer business perks comparable to that in a larger area. Similarly, it gets the townfolk out and about and spending money because whereas they might not be able to get DSL at home, they *can* get wireless anywhere downtown. It also costs less in terms of coverage area, despite the startup costs taking a bigger chunk of available funds. Several years ago, towns in the area decided to pay for an assload of fiber, most notably Blacksburg, where VT is located. By doing this they lessened the cost for private owners to roll out wireless, among other connectivity, around here.
The point is, I think there's an even bigger incentive for smaller areas to roll out wireless, or at least the connectivity to make it happen. In a large area, a greater percentage of persons will have broadband, or even Internet access in general, so the argument could be made that wireless is a benefit mostly only for visitors. But in a small town, it can benefit the entire community with a much bigger payoff.
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
Science in a half-shell
Turtle power
They're the world's most traveled science team (We're really hip!)
They're scientists in a half-shell and they're green (Hey - get a grip!)
When your migratory measurement is lax
This Turtle girl won't cut you no slack
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
The Government of Montserrat taught them her to be science teens
Sara leads, Shellby does machines (That's a fact, Jack!)
Timber is cool but crude (Gimme a break!)
Fluffy is a party dude (Party!)
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
Wireless Migrating Ninja Turtles
Science in a half-shell
Turtle power
I should be shot.
To answer the posts that will inevitably ensue: yes, they do, and we knew you were gonna make the joke way before you thought it was funny.
Use of the term 'hacker' here is a misnomer. Would I hire someone who has a broad technical ability and excels in why things do and don't work? Absolutely. But allow me to go on a little old-man rant here (and hell, I'm in my 20s): viruses these days aren't what they used to be.
In the 1980s-1990s, you could pick up a copy of 2600 and read the code for a relatively complicated polymorphing boot sector virus -- complicated because it took a good knowledge of assembler, specific system calls, the boot process on a PC, etc., among other things. With a few tweaks, it would be slow-incubating, but deadly.
The internet has changed the way we deal with security, because no longer is the question "How clever is the virus?" so much as it is "How cautious is the user?" Example: the "Microsoft Office 2004 Beta" for Mac appeared on P2P networks a few months ago. When run, it deleted the contents of your user folder. Devastating, yes, but nothing I couldn't do myself without programming knowledge. So the 'virus' wasn't clever, tricky, or even unique in function, except for the method of delivery, which was social in nature -- not technical.
The same applies to security holes in your OS. Whether the hole should be patched is another discussion, but taking the obvious routes through those holes to bring down computers isn't particularly noteworthy. If everyone at my office has VNC installed without a password, and I go delete their My Documents folder at noon today, am I a hacker? No. I'm just a prick.
So when you ask, "would I hire a hacker?" Yes.
But when you ask, "would I hire someone who creates/uses something annoying and not that special; requiring a moderate level of programming skill if at all; that relies on the user to activate it or a major security flaw in the OS?" Absolutely not. These kids' salaries should be going to sociologists who can better analyze group behavior, and real coders, not scr1pt k1dd13z.
The library of "things to ponder on while stoned" just got bigger.
Stoned 1: Dude, what if we're *in* the computer.
Phil Undergrad: No dude, wait.. what if we're in the computer that's actually the Matrix!
Sober Guy: What if we're in the Matrix and we're playing a game that's *another* matrix.
Stoned 1: Whoa.
Phil: I need Fritos.
Stoned 2: Dude, don't turn off the PS2!! You'll kill everyone!
..I'm relieved at the fact that we can get people into the chair more quickly. Texas prisons are going to have a line out the door!
(Seriously, though, the right to a fair and speedy trial should be helped by this. Not a troll.)
The reason freedom of the press is so important is that they serve as the town criers for the people. "Making sure the Enquirer can write whatever it wants is the only way I can be sure the New York Times is writing whatever it wants."
The first thing you learn in Social Studies is the concept of bias. Bias is in some ways, unavoidable, and in others desirable, because it allows you to see what viewpoints people are coming from. We know the Washington Post is liberal, we know the Washington Times is conservative, and that there are plenty of people who would disagree with either of those claims. And a newspaper is only so many pages long, and some things get cut. Is it political? Much of the time, yes. But only because 'politics' is a better synonym for beliefs, those oh-so-irrational parts of the human experience that can easily trump the logical parts of us. And if I publish one thing and somebody disagrees, they'll publish another. The press isn't there to tell us what is True and Right, they are there to report on What Is Happening so we can make Our Own Decisions About the World. Whether this means I have to pick up a few papers instead of just one is an exercise for the reader.
As an example, a few months ago when ABC (I think?) decided to read the names of the young men and women who had been killed in Iraq, some stations refused to cover it. Not because they didn't think those people had died, but because it was believed there were motives beyond respect for the dead that had come into play. Whether there were matters less -- so much as the perception of those who decided to air or not to air it because they believed there were other motives. We see the same thing in the climate debate -- we see things reported or not reported about greenhouse gases because they believe the other side is 'junk science'. And in some ways, the bias is desirable; that way I know if I pick up the Post and the Times, I get both sides of the argument and not just what the editors think is right.
The late Martha Gellhorn, who spent half a century reporting on war and politicians - and observing journalists, too -- eventually lost her faith that journalism could, by itself, change the world.
It can't. It requires people to be informed about their situation to do something about it.
And guess what? That's the way it's supposed to work; God Bless America. True journalism is absolutely essential to a democracy; voters must be informed to make informed decisions. And I can't imagine a situation where everybody reported the same stories in the same way being anything but very accurate, or very censored. There is no middle ground.
Mini-box make some neato little ITX boxes which you could hook up to any number of storage solutions. Past that, I've had good success with Mini-ITX boards. I get the cases from Web-tronics, as the MITX ones are very, very expensive -- they're meant to make your MITX look like a CD player, pretty much, and I can do more without having to worry about cosmetics. MiniBox (above) sells snap-in MITX power supplies ranging from 60w to 200w. For the extra cool factor, use a Xenarc display or use something 'headless', e.g., LCDProc and Crystalfontz. (As I remember, the MiniBoxes come with their own little displays.)
This website brought new light to the many third parties we have in this country. I, for one, will be voting for Charles Jay, boxing promoter, and Marilyn Chambers, porn star, for the next President and Vice President of the United States.
God bless democracy.
The donation was made by one Sidney Frank, whose importation popularization of drinks we were fond of in college (and still are) made him lots of cash.
It's a good day to be a college dropout, apparently.
It makes me a little proud to think that you can still work hard and with a little luck have your name on a building, regardless of things like educational status or initial wealth. This applies more to Sidney, I suppose, than Bill. (Now, the fact that it was a half-stolen, poorly written OS and liquor sales to college kids is quite another thing, and I'm sure everybody's going to remember that in replies to this post. Have fun!)
This has worked for me many times before, and I can vouch for it, but the obvious disclaimer is that there are a number of reasons why it's a bad idea, as I'm sure any replies to the post will inevitably explain. But it's worked for me before.
Power down all your machines and unplug them. Set up adequate ventilation (I use several cheap desk fans). Wipe down your hardware with rubbing alcohol using a lint-free cloth or a few old t-shirts; don't worry about your own, buy a big bag of them at Goodwill.
When you get tired of that, or you pass out from the fumes, just pour it in. Yes, I'm serious, you'll want to trickle it over the green hardware and get everything generally soaking. (Not the power supply or hard drive, just PCBs and the like. This is already a dumbass idea, so you don't want to be much more stupid about it.) Then leave, otherwise you'll probably pass out.
I discovered this trick while given the task of cleaning a friend's laptop. He smokes, a lot, and had quit and didn't want the smell. He also had sticky keys from God knows what, so I honestly just said "fuck it" and turned the laptop on its side, open, and poured rubbing alcohol into the ports, taking care not to let it get near the screen, which rubbing alcohol can damage. Using a lot of it allows the liquid to remove dust as it flows by. The excess flowed out the other side and into a few paper towels.
Rubbing alcohol is a great solvent and evaporates quickly, so the ventilation is more for the computers, not you. Make sure the insides are aired out before powering up, or you may find yourself battling a quick-burning alcohol fire.
Have fun!