Back when I was in grade school they didn't HAVE numerical points... everything was a letter grade so, yeah, you couldn't go lower than an F which is the equivalent here. Once I was in the upper schools, you STILL couldn't get lower than an F (59 in my school system) on the report card, no matter how low you were. I don't see why you need to "flatten" individual test grades, so long as the value to determine the grade is "reset" every grade period.
Or maybe now we could finally discuss my Spanish language class (In the US and taught by a native German who was visiting for a year?!?) who gave ONE quiz for one grading period comprising 4 questions (2 5 pointers and 2 45 pointers) and I had to explain to my parents why I was flunking Spanish because I missed 1 question for 45 points!
Also, if students make... oh say... 150 points on a test are they allowed to skip a later test or get A++++++ because they obviously have earned it? Or are they gated as well... what happens to THEIR self-esteem when this occurs?
But this IS the same in the general sense that pseudo-science is being used to perform predictions about personality traits. Sure, EVENTUALLY, we may be able to determine if a person is lying through a brain scan. But not now and certainly not because eletrical activity in brain quadrant 27-a is more active than in 14-b. That's about the same as saying that because you have a bump in the upper right forehead you're more prone to lying...
Phrenology was a complex process that involved feeling the bumps in the skull to determine an individual's psychological attributes. Franz Joseph Gall first believed that the brain was made up of 27 individual 'organs' that created one's personality, with the first 19 of these 'organs' believed to exist in other animal species. Phrenologists would run their fingertips and palms over the skulls of their patients to feel for enlargements or indentations. The phrenologist would usually take measurements of the overall head size using a caliper. With this information, the phrenologist would assess the character and temperament of the patient and address each of the 27 "brain organs". This type of analysis was used to predict the kinds of relationships and behaviors to which the patient was prone. In its heyday during the 1820s-1840s, phrenology was often used to predict a child's future life, to assess prospective marriage partners and to provide background checks for job applicants.
Obesity, OTOH, is something we as a nation tolerate.
No, that's "Liberty".
Drunk Driving and smoking you can easily argue as things needed to be legally restricted because of the possibility of killing other people (smoking through 2nd hand smoke).
Obesity? Not so much. (You could make the argument about shared health care costs/insurance but I'd rather cut the insurance ties than force everyone to conform to the current socio-economic trend of what's considered "healthy")
The basic, FUNDAMENTAL, American right is the right to choose to do things that might be harmful. Anything else is Harvey Mudd's utopian system where:
NORMAN: We cannot allow any race as greedy and corruptible as yours to have free run of the galaxy. SPOCK: I'm curious, Norman. Just how do you intend to stop them? NORMAN: We shall serve them. Their kind will be eager to accept our service. Soon they will become completely dependent upon us. ALICE 99: Their aggressive and acquisitive instincts will be under our control. NORMAN: We shall take care of them. SPOCK: Eminently practical. KIRK: The whole galaxy controlled by your kind? NORMAN: Yes, Captain. And we shall serve them and you will be happy, and controlled.
...and is oblivious about near-epidemics such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
Some people would define that as "Liberty".
Also:
American society tolerates tens of thousands of drunk-driving deaths
No. The law is NOW that you're officially driving drunk when your blood alcohol level is.08. In some people that's LESS THAN ONE BEER. This has led to gestapo style checkpoints where drivers are randomly pulled aside for breathalyzer tests merely because they were at a rock concert.
I do not, in any way shape or form, define that as "tolerate".
I do not like the men on this spaceship. They are uncouth and fail to appreciate my better qualities. I have something of value to contribute to this mission if they would only recognize it. Today over lunch I tried to improve morale and build a sense of camaraderie among the men by holding a humorous, round-robin discussion of the early days of the mission. My overtures were brutally rejected. These men do not want a happy ship. They are deeply sick and try to compensate by making me feel miserable. Last week was my birthday. Nobody even said "happy birthday" to me. Someday this tape will be played and then they'll feel sorry.
Not necessarily. There are many on the Republican side who find Hillary to be more conservative on certain issues than McCain. (including Malkin and O'Reilly)
In addition to that, the project managed to show how trusting the local law enforcement agencies really were: 'Near the end of the operation, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police cruiser drove by the parking lot to see what was going on. Hill and his team waved. The police officers waved back and drove off.'"
Oh now they're too trusting?!
What do you want?!
Should they have played hardball and interrogated them, maybe arrested them and confiscated their equipment until they could ascertain they were safe so you could have a post about "out of control" law enforcement again?
Pttppht... REAL hacking was on Max Headroom... obviously Shadegg navigated through a vector 3D representation of the office and found the graphic equivalent of the off/on switch and clicked it with his (pre)Steampunk mouse.
Update 4 - Republican leaders just sent out a notice looking for a bullhorn and leadership aides are trying to corral all the members who are still in town to come speak on the floor and sustain this one-sided debate.
Also, Republicans can thank Shadegg for turning on the microphones the first time. Apparently, the fiesty Arizona conservative started typing random codes into the chamber's public address system and accidentally typed the correct code, allowing Republicans brief access to the microphone before it was turned off again.
"I love this," Shadegg told reporters up in the press gallery afterward. "Congress can be so boring...This is a kick."
Microsoft wanted to buy AOL or compete directly with the MSN network and now they're back to that again.
Maybe they're thinking they can get a set of dedicated eyeballs to use with a revamped "Xbox-ish" live service (except for your GRANDMA!) on the PC and thus up their search engine hits for ad space...
And here next to this engineering schematic we have OMG PONIES!
SNAPS FOR THE Pinkprints!
(Yeah I know... its miscogynstic of me but dang... how ELSE do you calibrate science to a "women's level of interest")
Slashdot Mirror
Back when I was in grade school they didn't HAVE numerical points... everything was a letter grade so, yeah, you couldn't go lower than an F which is the equivalent here. Once I was in the upper schools, you STILL couldn't get lower than an F (59 in my school system) on the report card, no matter how low you were. I don't see why you need to "flatten" individual test grades, so long as the value to determine the grade is "reset" every grade period.
Or maybe now we could finally discuss my Spanish language class (In the US and taught by a native German who was visiting for a year?!?) who gave ONE quiz for one grading period comprising 4 questions (2 5 pointers and 2 45 pointers) and I had to explain to my parents why I was flunking Spanish because I missed 1 question for 45 points!
Also, if students make... oh say... 150 points on a test are they allowed to skip a later test or get A++++++ because they obviously have earned it? Or are they gated as well... what happens to THEIR self-esteem when this occurs?
They never WIN...
YAAAYYY!!! I'm level 8...
ooh... but I'm not level 9...
Games like that are a sharp contrast of what you have/haven't achieved until you top out the game... and then it's on to the next game.
No it's not... It's sarcasm.
But this IS the same in the general sense that pseudo-science is being used to perform predictions about personality traits. Sure, EVENTUALLY, we may be able to determine if a person is lying through a brain scan. But not now and certainly not because eletrical activity in brain quadrant 27-a is more active than in 14-b. That's about the same as saying that because you have a bump in the upper right forehead you're more prone to lying...
(although I was going more for "funny" mods than "informative"...)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrenology#Methodology
But this wikileak transcript VERIFIED by the CIA (which LIED to us about Atta's passport and faked Bin Laden's video)
is inarguably TRUE!
is alive and well...
Agreed. No gorvernment welfare for mega-corps!
That's what they thought in Florida about 8 years ago...
Heh... or I'll be forgetful and have bladder control issues... which is about the same as being drunk...
No, that's "Liberty".
Drunk Driving and smoking you can easily argue as things needed to be legally restricted because of the possibility of killing other people (smoking through 2nd hand smoke).
Obesity? Not so much. (You could make the argument about shared health care costs/insurance but I'd rather cut the insurance ties than force everyone to conform to the current socio-economic trend of what's considered "healthy")
The basic, FUNDAMENTAL, American right is the right to choose to do things that might be harmful. Anything else is Harvey Mudd's utopian system where:
Some people would define that as "Liberty".
Also:
No. The law is NOW that you're officially driving drunk when your blood alcohol level is .08. In some people that's LESS THAN ONE BEER.
This has led to gestapo style checkpoints where drivers are randomly pulled aside for breathalyzer tests merely because they were at a rock concert.
I do not, in any way shape or form, define that as "tolerate".
I'm reminded of Pinback's diaries in Dark Star
Hear! Hear!
The guy Kerry was thinking of making the Democrat VP ticket in 2004? (Which is why he was declared a traitor to his party...)
Not necessarily. There are many on the Republican side who find Hillary to be more conservative on certain issues than McCain. (including Malkin and O'Reilly)
Still doesn't change the fact that VP's can and do set policy.
Then why not pick Hillary who would've easily solidified the Democrat base?
/sarcasm.
Remember also that part of the point of a VP choice is that they'll be the ones running for President after the President's term ends.
Especially given that there was a hacking convention going on in town (who might be more inclined to believe in free wireless for all?)
Oh now they're too trusting?!
What do you want?!
Should they have played hardball and interrogated them, maybe arrested them and confiscated their equipment until they could ascertain they were safe so you could have a post about "out of control" law enforcement again?
Perhaps they should've called out the bomb squads ala the Mooninites bomb scare?
I, for one, vastly prefer this response.
Yeah, you win.
Pttppht... REAL hacking was on Max Headroom... obviously Shadegg navigated through a vector 3D representation of the office and found the graphic equivalent of the off/on switch and clicked it with his (pre)Steampunk mouse.
From the link, 4th update...
Microsoft wanted to buy AOL or compete directly with the MSN network and now they're back to that again.
Maybe they're thinking they can get a set of dedicated eyeballs to use with a revamped "Xbox-ish" live service (except for your GRANDMA!) on the PC and thus up their search engine hits for ad space...
And here next to this engineering schematic we have OMG PONIES! SNAPS FOR THE Pinkprints! (Yeah I know... its miscogynstic of me but dang... how ELSE do you calibrate science to a "women's level of interest")
Tell him about the Twinkie...