Understand the electoral college (and bitch slap your know-it-all college kid)

Perfecto Mundo

I Made a New Word LXXIV I know President Trump doesn’t have a perfect score when he predicts what’s about to happen, or plies the citizenry with his interpretations of what did happen, so I’d like to hear the details when someone calls him a liar. SCROLL You know the old saying: If the facts are on your side pound the facts, if the law is on your side pound the law; if both are against you, pound the table. These days, concepts that used to be simplistic, rugged and indisputable, like “facts” and “law,” have been yanked back into the realm of things that must be debated endlessly. I think the update we need is something like this: Call out the evidence when the evidence is on your side, and place great weight upon the popular consensus when it agrees with you. If neither is on your side, then yank the trolley off the tracks. Go for chaos, hurl some insults, say a bunch of silly stuff, move the conversation down into the gutter. I was noticing this while discussing something with a #NeverTrump guy, again, on the Hello Kitty of Blogging . I suppose the reason I’m noticing this is because it’s inconveniencing me, and it’s inconveniencing me because I’m actually interested in what they have to say. I know President Trump doesn’t have a perfect score when he predicts what’s about to happen, or plies the citizenry with his interpretations of what did happen, so I’d like to hear the details when someone calls him a liar. And I’m not automatically dismissing it by any means. But, I notice, automatic dismissal is what I run into when I merely ask the question…which seems odd, to say the least. What has happened is these young people now getting to college have no sense of history – of any kind! And this has become a pattern with the #NeverTrump crowd. You ask them to explain themselves, you get static. An innocuous question like “What’s the most egregious lie Donald Trump has ever told?” nets you all this useless conflict, when it seems like you should be able to get back a reasonable answer from which a rational back-and-forth discussion may ensue. Seems they’ve calculated such a thing would not work to their advantage. So based on all I’ve seen, I conclude the following. The new three-point has taken the place of the older one, since we’re living in a post-metaphysical culture now and “facts” are no longer “facts.” But, furthermore, the three-point has become a two-point, since in a post-metaphysical culture, “evidence” doesn’t mean anything either. Two and two make nine, and you’re a towel! They now have been taught to look around them to see defects in America – which is the freest country in the history of the world – and to feel that somehow America is the source of all evil in the universe, and it’s because they’ve never been exposed to the actual evil of the history of humanity… It’s bigger than Trump, or #NeverTrump. It’s swollen to consume everything. Wade on in, ignore any “evidence” and just state your opinion. If you pick up that the popular consensus goes along with that, crow in victory, that’s all the “right” or “correct” you need. You win. If not, then shove the conversation in the dirt. Hurl some insults, which are bound to be recapitulated…and you win again. Or at least, you get a stalemate. Our infatuation with the scam that is higher education, has brought us here. The kids who are currently experiencing, or anticipating, their ivy-league years think of these thoughts they’ll be properly credentialed & permitted to have, as complex compared to the thoughts they’d have if they wore steel-toed work boots. And they’re probably right. But complexity is just one meaningful attribute. An even more meaningful consideration is whether the idea is falsifiable, and so many of these college kids seem to be beginning one year after they end another one, again and again, without pondering anything that’s falsifiable. Nothing testable. And so there’s no “must,” as in — one of my favorite examples — “This bolt head must be 12mm, because it’s too big for my 7/16″ and too small for my 1/2″.” Even when they’re ready to ridicule whoever doesn’t go along — in fact, I would say, especially when they are so ready, and willing — there’s no test, no way to know for sure. And it seems, no one has ever explained to them that if there’s no way to know for sure, there’s no call to denigrate the intelligence or reasoning capacity of someone who disagrees. Or, for that matter, someone who merely asks to know more. Or hesitates to go along. They slept through that lecture. But still want to be taken seriously. And then they layer more nonsense upon the nonsense that was there before, whatever it takes, to avoid losing the argument. Arriving at the right answer has nothing to do with it after awhile. It’s all about winning. And scolding. Related: The Dumbing Down: What has happened is these young people now getting to college have no sense of history – of any kind! No sense of history. No world geography. No sense of the violence and the barbarities of history. So, they think that the whole world has always been like this, a kind of nice, comfortable world where you can go to the store and get orange juice and milk, and you can turn on the water and the hot water comes out. They have no sense whatever of the destruction, of the great civilizations that rose and fell, and so on – and how arrogant people get when they’re in a comfortable civilization. They now have been taught to look around them to see defects in America – which is the freest country in the history of the world – and to feel that somehow America is the source of all evil in the universe, and it’s because they’ve never been exposed to the actual evil of the history of humanity… House of Eratosthenes Continued House of Eratosthenes: Brilliant

Blah Blah; They could care less

A PUBLIC SERVICE Dear (Millennials, Snoflakes of your choice) re: Recommended Reading A handy resource of—oh,say—one trillion documents.

SPEL KAT

What 8th graders knew in 1910 extrapolate I post this 1910 graduation test every 10 years. Nobody here will answer all correctly, but you get the idea.

NBC ALL-STARS PRESENT ...

Dear Mr. President You Nazi Prick The video series, “Dear Mr. President: Letters from the American Children,” opens with a young boy excited about the prospect of a political outsider bridging the disconnect between the Washington establishment and the American people, but things go downhill from there. “When you speak on things that make me feel uncomfortable, or I disagree with, you make me feel small because I know I can’t change it,” one girl remarks.” “Most of my family is black. I’m afraid that you’re going to hurt some of us blacks,” a young boy slowly recites to the camera.” “Some of my friends are really scared about you building a wall, and the travel band [sic], because a lot of their families live in different places,” another young girl says, referencing Trump’s executive order on immigration.” “Just because I’m Mexican doesn’t mean you can build a wall in my country,” an older girl states.” In one video, a young girl tells Trump, “don’t let people have guns.” In the other video, a boy claims that Trump is “attempting to whitewash America.”” Another boy says Trump’s policy on refugees is “unfair,” and the boy after him said there was no need to hate other countries “based on the actions of a single group or organization.” NBC News’ video on YouTube is being heavily downvoted. FACTUAL FACT Media insiders are buzzing that Andy Lack wants NBC to become “the next Fox News” Being a progressive1, however, renders him and ilk incapable of eschewing leftist political propaganda in favor of agit-propping   1 Marxist

one text and one nude?

‘inappropriate’ algebra lesson At least nobody sang California Dreaming

A rite of spring in America

The presidential message that the nation needs By George F. Will Daniels quoted Thomas Edison: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Hall of Fame baseball player Eddie Murray: “Once, after his wrong-field bloop double had scored a winning run, Murray was yelled at by an opposing fan who shouted, ‘You must be the luckiest hitter in baseball.’ To which Murray politely replied, ‘You must not watch batting practice.’ ” Mitch Daniels, former governor of Indiana and current president of Purdue University, knows that no one in the audience is there to hear a commencement speaker. When, however, he addressed his institution’s class of 2016, it heard him distill into a few lapidary paragraphs a stance toward life that illuminates this political season. A rite of spring in America is, Daniels noted, the dispensing of diplomas that are similar in what they announce but dissimilar in what they actually denote. They all pronounce the recipient to be a bachelor of this or a master of that. There is, however, evidence, as abundant as it is depressing, that there are enormous differences between the seriousness of the curriculums students study and the rigor with which their mastery of them is measured: “As employers have come to learn, many diplomas tell little or nothing about the holder’s readiness for work or for life.” This matters, because diplomas often are credentials that are not credible, and because ample studies of happiness demonstrate that the most important predictor of it is, Daniels said, “earned success.” This involves sustained, difficult effort to surmount setbacks. And yet, said Daniels, perhaps the most dangerous of today’s many pernicious ideas is that “life is more or less a lottery. That we are less masters of our fate than corks floating in a sea of luck.” Daniels spoke six days after Barack Obama told Howard University’s class of 2016: “Yes, you’ve worked hard, but you’ve also been lucky. That’s a pet peeve of mine: people who have been successful and don’t realize they’ve been lucky. That God may have blessed them; it wasn’t nothing you did.” [Full Wonderfulness] ASIDE: You can actually earn a college degree in (to name a few ridiculous and stupid 'disciplines' available) CANNABIS CULTIVATION -  Oaksterdam University (CA); COMEDY - Humber College; FERMENTATION SCIENCES -Appalachian State University;  SEXUALITY San Francisco State University: VITICULTURE AND ENOLOGY -Cornell University; DECISION SCIENCES -Indiana University; POPULAR CULTURE - Bowling Green State University; FLORAL MANAGEMENT-Mississippi State University; AUCTIONEERING - Harrisburg Area Community College; FAMILY ENTERPRISE - Stetson University;  BASSOON - The University of Arizona; NANNYING -Sullivan University (KY); PUPPETRY - University of Connecticut [Via MENTAL FLOSS] Let me offer "Black Studies" and "Women Studies" as ideologies not useful for any other reason.

Carlin Saw It

How to Undress

1950 Educational Film "How To Undress In Front Of Your Husband"

There Will Be A Quiz

Socialism Explained For Dummies

A yeomanlike defense of free markets

The caped crusader on education

An educated man will seek truth ...

http://youtu.be/dK2rO7JSmpo This 1955 Life is Worth Living video will, I promise you, resonate.  It's about "Education" Forget the cape and give it at least, oh, about 5 minutes.

Stab me in the liver!

... est quod est

“ "Unplugged," and properly so I can find reasons to excuse the author of the shopping list, but there are none to excuse the cretin in the roll-over.  I'm embarrassed for us as a nation,  as I am for having elected this current government. Twice. The "Caveman" guy titled this collection; "You Might Need To Take A Shower After Viewing These Pictures: People Of Walmart."  Now, I don't generally cotton to the Walmart  People meme, primarily because I despise the the left and their union thugs who are in the business of attacking Walmart and customers because the company won't roll over for them.    But, in this case, OMFG.  I need a shower. ”

COMMON CORE Shortfals +

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Common Core and Sex Porn Shortfalls Skoonj forwarded this April Fool parody from the Big Cheese By chance, our church bulletin yesterday included this insert about "Common Core" requirements in Maryland. As you can see, the state recommends a single math course for each grade up through the 6th grade; culminating with Algebra in the 8th.  By the by, our parish strongly recommends home schooling as a secondary option, and supplies several support programs.  Why am I showing this? If it resonates, you'll know the answer. If this doesn't apply to your set of priorities, perhaps The 5 Parts of Sex Porn Doesn't Prepare You For  will. You're welcome.

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Amazing Math

Gary Larsen                                                                                 NUMBERS Perhaps after seeing yesterday's godawful example of educational malpractice (Common Core Math), the erstwhile vocalist in my band, The Chestnuts, Guy du Francois, sent me this Amazing Mathematics.  Pretty quick into I it I thought satirically, "Oh, another Darwin evolution."  Turns out that was the point, so Darwinists may want to skip this one and avoid the angst, and cut me from thier travel list.  Sigh.   If we must, boys and girls, deviate from tried and true basic math education, here is a damned good example of stuff that works, and would appeal to kid's desire to one-up their parents.  I truly wish Sister Margaret Eleanor had pulled this out of her habit in my way back.  I love it.

Boola Boola

“ We'll roll the score so very high, That you will hear them sigh: Well-a Boola, Boo, Boola, Boola, Boo, Boola, Boo, Boola, Boola, Boola, Boo!   After graduating from Yale (Summa Bin Lauday) in Political Philosophy on Wednesday, I happenstanced  into Professor Craig Wright's course "MUSI 112: Listening to Music."  ....you will become the purveyors of classical music thereafter. You, the intelligentsia of the next generation, will be those that preserve this great treasure of Western culture and it is a great treasure of Western culture.-Professor Craig Wright Just finished my fourth class.  I know for sure that if I was actually sitting in that classroom,  I'd flunk.  Badly. And, given what I perceive to be Prof. Wright's low tolerance for slackers and low lifers, I would probably be caned as well.  So what a joy not having to worry about the minutia; learning what this stuff (♩,♪, and  ♬) does, and just letting things seep in as they will.  Don't get me wrong, I can read music.   Guitar music, and now I'm reading  harmonica.  Your experience may differ of course, but I'm happy being exposed to all this stuff,  with the other Yale intelligentsia.  By the by, that instruction about Yale students being the new intelligentsia has been uttered in more than a few of the Yale lectures I've sat in on.  I mention it only in passing, meaning I don't find it at all "elitist" in the elitist way to remind these kids that they're special, because they are.  Their parents can afford to pay $58,600/ year to send them there, and are likely themselves to have a similar educational background, so yeah.  Elite.   I'm learning the Yale fight song.  Maryland teams blow chunks.  So does Harvard.  Boola Boola. ”

Boola-Boola

Learning Opportunities “ YALE COURSES Each course includes a full set of class lectures produced in high-quality video accompanied by such other course materials as syllabi, suggested readings, exams, and problem sets. The lectures are available as downloadable videos, and an audio-only version is also offered. In addition, searchable transcripts of each lecture are provided. DEPARTMENT COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE PROFESSOR NAME DATE African American Studies AFAM 162 African American History: From Emancipation to the Present Holloway, Jonathan Spring 2010 American Studies AMST 246 Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner Dimock, Wai Chee Fall 2011 Astronomy ASTR 160 Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics Bailyn, Charles Spring 2007 Biomedical Engineering BENG 100 Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering Saltzman, W. Mark Spring 2008 Chemistry CHEM 125a Freshman Organic Chemistry I McBride, J. Michael Fall 2008 Chemistry CHEM 125b Freshman Organic Chemistry II McBride, J. Michael Spring 2011 Classics CLCV 205 Introduction to Ancient Greek History Kagan, Donald Fall 2007 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology EEB 122 Principles of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior Stearns, Stephen C. Spring 2009 Economics ECON 252 Financial Markets (2008) Shiller, Robert J. Spring 2008 Economics ECON 159 Game Theory Polak, Ben Fall 2007 Economics ECON 251 Financial Theory Geanakoplos, John Fall 2009 Economics ECON 252 Financial Markets (2011) Shiller, Robert J. Spring 2011 English ENGL 220 Milton Rogers, John Fall 2007 English ENGL 291 The American Novel Since 1945 Hungerford, Amy Spring 2008 English ENGL 300 Introduction to Theory of Literature Fry, Paul H. Spring 2009 English ENGL 310 Modern Poetry Hammer, Langdon Spring 2007 Environmental Studies EVST 255 Environmental Politics and Law Wargo, John Spring 2010 Geology and Geophysics GG 140 The Atmosphere, the Ocean, and Environmental Change Smith, Ronald B. Fall 2011 History HIST 116 The American Revolution Freeman, Joanne Spring 2010 History HIST 119 The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877 Blight, David W. Spring 2008 History HIST 202 European Civilization, 1648-1945 Merriman, John Fall 2008 History HIST 234 Epidemics in Western Society Since 1600 Snowden, Frank Spring 2010 History HIST 251 Early Modern England: Politics, Religion, and Society under the Tudors and Stuarts Wrightson, Keith E. Fall 2009 History HIST 276 France Since 1871 Merriman, John Fall 2007 History HIST 210 The Early Middle Ages, 284–1000 Freedman, Paul Fall 2011 History of Art HSAR 252 Roman Architecture Kleiner, Diana E. E. Spring 2009 Italian Language and Literature ITAL 310 Dante in Translation Mazzotta, Giuseppe Fall 2008 Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology MCDB 150 Global Problems of Population Growth Wyman, Robert Spring 2009 Music MUSI 112 Listening to Music Wright, Craig Fall 2008 Philosophy PHIL 176 Death Kagan, Shelly Spring 2007 Philosophy PHIL 181 Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature Gendler, Tamar Spring 2011 Physics PHYS 200 Fundamentals of Physics I Shankar, Ramamurti Fall 2006 Physics PHYS 201 Fundamentals of Physics II Shankar, Ramamurti Spring 2010 Political Science PLSC 114 Introduction to Political Philosophy Smith, Steven B. Fall 2006 Political Science PLSC 118 The Moral Foundations of Politics Shapiro, Ian Spring 2010 Political Science PLSC 270 Capitalism: Success, Crisis, and Reform Rae, Douglas W. Fall 2009 Psychology PSYC 110 Introduction to Psychology Bloom, Paul Spring 2007 Psychology PSYC 123 The Psychology, Biology and Politics of Food Brownell, Kelly D. Fall 2008 Religious Studies RLST 145 Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) Hayes, Christine Fall 2006 Religious Studies RLST 152 Introduction to the New Testament History and Literature Martin, Dale B. Spring 2009 Sociology SOCY 151 Foundations of Modern Social Theory Szelényi, Iván Fall 2009 Spanish and Portuguese SPAN 300 Cervantes' Don Quixote González Echevarría, Roberto Fall 2009 A few weeks ago I posted about discovering Spark Notes while searching for St. Augustine's Confessions.  That begat Spark's  wonderful, and quite thorough  cheater notes, which then led to this Yale University class discussion of the same topic (right). which begat the startling discovery that Harvard, Princeton, Stanford,  MIT,  all, to some extent, offer  (free) online education.  If you take these resources, along with the Khan Academy, you see that it is very possible to educate at home—yes, even with the Liberal spin one is likely to get.  What a wonderful way to inoculate your child against the unavoidable, and caustic attacks on our culture than exposing with rebuttal?  You can't do that if they're sleeping in New Haven.  Another surprise for me was that Yale offer courses on Western Civilization at all.  After the school returned the $20 million Bass Grant in 1995, rather than give Eli Bass a thumbs up/down on who taught Western Civ under his grant, I was left with feeling that Yale had simply refused to teach Western Civ at all—a not unreasonable assumption given the school's, by then, known penchant for passing everything through  a Marxist prism.  A lecture series I am now listening too is INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT (HEBREW BIBLE).  It's not a religious, but a cultural examination of the Bible's influence on civilization. Most of the class are male, and I know all too well how distracting a not unattractive,  probably lesbian, but braless instructor can have on us.  It's somewhat of a conundrum this; having impure thoughts while reading the Bible.  But maybe that's just me.  Or, as an alternative, immerse yourself  in this. ”