Teachers strive to "make the lesson come alive" in a classroom setting.
I fondly remember working on a diorama of Washington crossing the Delaware and creating my very own spurting volcano. The very best "lesson come alive" was when my Physics class all joined hands while Mr Davis revved up the static electricity generator. Every hair on 25 heads stood at attention when we got that electrical shock and we looked like a reunion of Rod Stewart and Bride of Frankenstein impersonators.
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, a Virginia 4th grade teacher had her class do something equally hair-raising. She ordered black and mixed race students to one side of the room. White students then took turns bidding on their classmates in a mock "slave auction". Parents complained (hard to believe) and the school principal wrote a letter to them stating that the teacher "had gone too far" (Do you think?).
Let's not limit ourselves to American History in making "lessons come alive". When the Mongols conquered a particularly obstreperous Russian village back in the thirteenth century, the Khan marched its inhabitants past a wagon wheel. All those taller than the wheel were beheaded. "OK, World History class. Line up alongside the window. Can you see over the sill? Too bad, here comes the sword."
Lessons could also come alive in science class. "Solar eclipses occur only when the moon is between the Earth and the Sun. Lunar eclipses occur only when the Earth is between the Sun and the moon. What does that tell us? Johnny? You say that the Earth revolves around the Sun and the moon revolves around the Earth? Wrong answer! The Church tell us that everything revolves around the Earth. Obviously, you are one of those smart guy heretics. Repent or be burned at the stake."
"Lessons come alive" teaches us that being black, being tall, or being an intelligent observer results in slavery, beheading, or a fiery death. Maybe we should stick to non-lively lessons.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Throw Out Those Khakis
Fashion arbiters of workplace attire are all atwitter after yesterday's Masters Golf Tournament. Throw out those khakis! It's white pants and a pastel shirt for the cubicle in 2011.
Office attire for men was stuck in a white-on-white shirt with conservative tie, navy blue or gray dress pants rut through the 60s. It took a turn toward "Look at me. I'm funky" in the polyester shirt, wide tie, bell-bottom 70s. Even the top execs rebelled against Brooks Brothers with the Lee Iacocca white collar on colored dress shirt look. It was definitely an era of Fashion Rebellion.
The Reagan 80s put a stop to that. Greed is good, but only if you wear a conservative suit. The Regis Philbin shiny monochromatic shirt and tie had a brief run in those sweet corner offices, but only lasted as long as the prime-time run of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".
With the 90s came Casual Fridays which led to Casual Summers and finally grew into Corporate Casual all the time. The accepted look for men was khakis and a golf shirt, preferably one with a logo from a course that wouldn't allow the wearer on its hallowed grounds. "Wow, Kevin. What is Augusta National / St Andrews / Pebble Beach really like?" is a great ice-breaker at those monthly budget status meetings.
The Corporate Casual look has remained stagnant for over 20 years now. Two young Australians changed all that yesterday. Jason Day and Adam Scott fell a stroke short of winning the Masters, but their white pants revolutionized golf course and therefore cubicle attire. Adam Scott pushed the envelope by wearing a matching white golf shirt leading to kids asking, "Dad, what is the ice cream guy doing with a golf club in his hand?" Surely, corporate casual officeworkers will soon resemble hospital staff in white pants and colorful tops.
It's the next step in the constant evolution of office wear. Get with it, Dockers.
Office attire for men was stuck in a white-on-white shirt with conservative tie, navy blue or gray dress pants rut through the 60s. It took a turn toward "Look at me. I'm funky" in the polyester shirt, wide tie, bell-bottom 70s. Even the top execs rebelled against Brooks Brothers with the Lee Iacocca white collar on colored dress shirt look. It was definitely an era of Fashion Rebellion.
The Reagan 80s put a stop to that. Greed is good, but only if you wear a conservative suit. The Regis Philbin shiny monochromatic shirt and tie had a brief run in those sweet corner offices, but only lasted as long as the prime-time run of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".
With the 90s came Casual Fridays which led to Casual Summers and finally grew into Corporate Casual all the time. The accepted look for men was khakis and a golf shirt, preferably one with a logo from a course that wouldn't allow the wearer on its hallowed grounds. "Wow, Kevin. What is Augusta National / St Andrews / Pebble Beach really like?" is a great ice-breaker at those monthly budget status meetings.
The Corporate Casual look has remained stagnant for over 20 years now. Two young Australians changed all that yesterday. Jason Day and Adam Scott fell a stroke short of winning the Masters, but their white pants revolutionized golf course and therefore cubicle attire. Adam Scott pushed the envelope by wearing a matching white golf shirt leading to kids asking, "Dad, what is the ice cream guy doing with a golf club in his hand?" Surely, corporate casual officeworkers will soon resemble hospital staff in white pants and colorful tops.
It's the next step in the constant evolution of office wear. Get with it, Dockers.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee
PBS showed Ken Burns' "The Civil War" this week. I learn something new every time I see it.
After the war when he was president of Washington College in Virginia, Robert E. Lee was asked if he had any regrets. One would expect him to recall some old battle or even that he chose the South over the North, but Lee replied, "I regret obtaining a military education." The narrator noted that when Lee marched with undergraduates during various collegiate ceremonies, he made a point of being out of step. All this from the greatest soldier that America ever produced, the only man to make it through West Point without ever receiving a demerit, a hero of the Mexican War, the man who rejuvenated West Point as its Superintendent, the general who nearly won the war despite being outmanned and outgunned. Maybe Lee was being tongue in cheek, the jokester college president. Or maybe he was saying that a liberal arts education, studying both sides to an argument, and being out of step with the crowd makes better citizens than single-minded devotion to a cause.
A military education,on the other hand, teaches that accomplishing "the mission" is paramount. There will be some collateral damage, but the ends justify the means.
I wonder what Robert E. Lee would think of the current Federal budgetary impasse. "The mission" is to bring expenditures in line with receipts. The "military" procedure is to severely cut the budget (especially those programs you don't like in the first place) and if the government has to shut down and our soldiers overseas don't get paid on time, so be it. General Robert E. Lee might go along with that. But College President Robert E. Lee might take a more reasoned approach, thoroughly analyze the situation and maybe come up with an "out of step" solution.
After the war when he was president of Washington College in Virginia, Robert E. Lee was asked if he had any regrets. One would expect him to recall some old battle or even that he chose the South over the North, but Lee replied, "I regret obtaining a military education." The narrator noted that when Lee marched with undergraduates during various collegiate ceremonies, he made a point of being out of step. All this from the greatest soldier that America ever produced, the only man to make it through West Point without ever receiving a demerit, a hero of the Mexican War, the man who rejuvenated West Point as its Superintendent, the general who nearly won the war despite being outmanned and outgunned. Maybe Lee was being tongue in cheek, the jokester college president. Or maybe he was saying that a liberal arts education, studying both sides to an argument, and being out of step with the crowd makes better citizens than single-minded devotion to a cause.
A military education,on the other hand, teaches that accomplishing "the mission" is paramount. There will be some collateral damage, but the ends justify the means.
I wonder what Robert E. Lee would think of the current Federal budgetary impasse. "The mission" is to bring expenditures in line with receipts. The "military" procedure is to severely cut the budget (especially those programs you don't like in the first place) and if the government has to shut down and our soldiers overseas don't get paid on time, so be it. General Robert E. Lee might go along with that. But College President Robert E. Lee might take a more reasoned approach, thoroughly analyze the situation and maybe come up with an "out of step" solution.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Packing Heat
In a recent Letter to the Editor, Jerry Guerriere recommends that our local colleges allow, even encourage, faculty and students to carry concealed weapons. The state of Pennsylvania allows us to "pack heat", yet Lafayette, Lehigh, and NCACC all have signs stating "No Firearms". This is a bad idea, according to Jerry. He writes, "If you were a bad guy and were going to rob a house, would you go to the one with an alarm company sign or to the house without an alarm (welcome mat)? We don't need our future leaders, doctors, engineers, etc to be sitting ducks. We should write to the schools and tell them to change their rules. The state of Pennsylvania's laws are not keeping students and faculty from arming themselves. It is the school administration that is inviting the bad guys in."
Right on, Jerry! In fact, this could be a boon to our cash-strapped institutions of higher learning. The College Book Store is a great profit center for them already. Students and faculty are a captive market for those over-priced text books, and that's not the only item that keeps the Book Store cash registers ringing. As a freshman engineering student back in 1965, I paid $35 at the Lafayette College Store for an "approved" drafting set that I found for $15 back home during Thanksgiving.
If Lafayette, Lehigh, and NCACC "approve" a particular Glock pistol, mark it up by 100%, and sell it in the College Store, they will not only keep the bad guys at bay, but they will fill their coffers. This is a true win - win. There might be a hail of gunfire as Lafayette and Lehigh students clash for those precious goal posts after the big game, but it's a small price to pay. After all, the true purpose of college is to prepare undergrads for the Real World. Since the Real World allows them to pack heat, let's prepare "our future leaders, doctors, engineers, etc". for the boardroom, operating room, or engineering office with some collegiate firearm experience.
Right on, Jerry! In fact, this could be a boon to our cash-strapped institutions of higher learning. The College Book Store is a great profit center for them already. Students and faculty are a captive market for those over-priced text books, and that's not the only item that keeps the Book Store cash registers ringing. As a freshman engineering student back in 1965, I paid $35 at the Lafayette College Store for an "approved" drafting set that I found for $15 back home during Thanksgiving.
If Lafayette, Lehigh, and NCACC "approve" a particular Glock pistol, mark it up by 100%, and sell it in the College Store, they will not only keep the bad guys at bay, but they will fill their coffers. This is a true win - win. There might be a hail of gunfire as Lafayette and Lehigh students clash for those precious goal posts after the big game, but it's a small price to pay. After all, the true purpose of college is to prepare undergrads for the Real World. Since the Real World allows them to pack heat, let's prepare "our future leaders, doctors, engineers, etc". for the boardroom, operating room, or engineering office with some collegiate firearm experience.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Un - Bearable
New Jersey has contributed in both good ways and bad to the quality of life in the Lehigh Valley. The Garden State provided us with thin crust pizza and the musical stylings of Frankie Valli and Jon Bon Jovi. That's good. It also sent hordes of new residents across the Delaware River seeking lower taxes and more affordable housing. That's tolerable. Unfortunately, they brought their aggressive driving habits with them. That's bad.
Now there's another looming threat from the East. Sussex County, NJ "has more bears than anywhere in North America" according to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife. Expanding their range, these Garden State bruins "may be the bears that people in Easton and Bethlehem report next spring". Worse yet, Fish and Wildlife views bears "as native species with the right to be here. So, if they do not cause serious problems, they are left alone".
First, the Garden State ruined our TV viewing with Snooki, "The Situation" and the rest of the Jersey Shore bunch. Now, they assault our pristine woodlands with out-of-state bears undoubtedly featuring poofy hairstyles, out-of-control drinking, and odd accents. Enough is enough!
Let's attack this problem in true Pennsylvania fashion. That "native species with the right to be here" line really means that New Jersey has no bear hunting season. Well, we have one in the Keystone State and we are not afraid to take on these Invaders from the East. Pennsylvanians have a proud history of taking up arms against invaders. We sent Robert E. Lee packing back in 1863.
We need a year-round bear hunting season. The crack of Pennsylvania gunfire 24 / 7 / 365 will keep those New Jersey bruins on their side of the Delaware. It might also keep some of those crazy Jersey drivers from passing on the right. We Pennsylvanians have a right to drive 45 mph in the passing lane if we want!
Now there's another looming threat from the East. Sussex County, NJ "has more bears than anywhere in North America" according to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife. Expanding their range, these Garden State bruins "may be the bears that people in Easton and Bethlehem report next spring". Worse yet, Fish and Wildlife views bears "as native species with the right to be here. So, if they do not cause serious problems, they are left alone".
First, the Garden State ruined our TV viewing with Snooki, "The Situation" and the rest of the Jersey Shore bunch. Now, they assault our pristine woodlands with out-of-state bears undoubtedly featuring poofy hairstyles, out-of-control drinking, and odd accents. Enough is enough!
Let's attack this problem in true Pennsylvania fashion. That "native species with the right to be here" line really means that New Jersey has no bear hunting season. Well, we have one in the Keystone State and we are not afraid to take on these Invaders from the East. Pennsylvanians have a proud history of taking up arms against invaders. We sent Robert E. Lee packing back in 1863.
We need a year-round bear hunting season. The crack of Pennsylvania gunfire 24 / 7 / 365 will keep those New Jersey bruins on their side of the Delaware. It might also keep some of those crazy Jersey drivers from passing on the right. We Pennsylvanians have a right to drive 45 mph in the passing lane if we want!
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Evil Scarecrow Bunny
It takes a lot to freak out the family dog. Thunder, the vacuum cleaner, and the fact that his food bowl once again magically filled itself (Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain carrying the kibble) get him excited, but a total canine freak out is a rare occurence.
He experienced one yesterday during our morning walk. It began with the standard sniffing (That husky from up the street peed on this telephone pole, so I must do the same) and searching for chaseable squirrels. Then we encountered something inordinately evil. A neighbor had erected a Rabbit Scarecrow. It stood about six feet high, wore a flowery dress, had a bunny face, and was topped with an Easter Bonnet. Its arms extended parallel to the ground, crucifix-like, and had straw poking out the ends.
The dog freaked out. "OMG, this giant bunny will avenge all the evil I have visited upon his brethren! I must bolt back to my safe spot behind the couch, cower, and whimper."
I freaked out. It brought back memories of the shower scene in "Psycho". I envisioned a knife-wielding anthropomorphic rabbit bursting through the shower curtain to stab me. I pondered racing back to my safe spot cowering under the bed.
Why do I have this fear of human-sized rabbits? It goes back to my first visit to the Easter Bunny. My earlier visit to Santa Claus had gone extremely well. The Jolly Old Elf had come through with the Hopalong Cassidy gunset that I requested. I had a long list of candy requests for the EB. When I sat on his lap I peered into his face and saw that HIS HEAD WASN'T REAL! It was a fine wire mesh with eyes, etc painted on and inside his head was a person. The Easter Bunny had eaten this person and I was probably next! I screamed and bolted for the exit.
I buried the trauma of that day deep in my subconscious until it finally reappeared sixty years later at the sight of the Evil Scarecrow Bunny. Did my panic transfer to my faithful canine companion or did he re-visit his own puppyhood trauma?
We are taking a different route for our walks until Easter is past.
He experienced one yesterday during our morning walk. It began with the standard sniffing (That husky from up the street peed on this telephone pole, so I must do the same) and searching for chaseable squirrels. Then we encountered something inordinately evil. A neighbor had erected a Rabbit Scarecrow. It stood about six feet high, wore a flowery dress, had a bunny face, and was topped with an Easter Bonnet. Its arms extended parallel to the ground, crucifix-like, and had straw poking out the ends.
The dog freaked out. "OMG, this giant bunny will avenge all the evil I have visited upon his brethren! I must bolt back to my safe spot behind the couch, cower, and whimper."
I freaked out. It brought back memories of the shower scene in "Psycho". I envisioned a knife-wielding anthropomorphic rabbit bursting through the shower curtain to stab me. I pondered racing back to my safe spot cowering under the bed.
Why do I have this fear of human-sized rabbits? It goes back to my first visit to the Easter Bunny. My earlier visit to Santa Claus had gone extremely well. The Jolly Old Elf had come through with the Hopalong Cassidy gunset that I requested. I had a long list of candy requests for the EB. When I sat on his lap I peered into his face and saw that HIS HEAD WASN'T REAL! It was a fine wire mesh with eyes, etc painted on and inside his head was a person. The Easter Bunny had eaten this person and I was probably next! I screamed and bolted for the exit.
I buried the trauma of that day deep in my subconscious until it finally reappeared sixty years later at the sight of the Evil Scarecrow Bunny. Did my panic transfer to my faithful canine companion or did he re-visit his own puppyhood trauma?
We are taking a different route for our walks until Easter is past.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Poisson d'Avril
Maybe it is because today is April Fools Day.
The Today Show had a segment this morning on compensation for hedge fund managers. The top 20 guys hauled in a total of $22.5 billion last year. That is their personal compensation, not the profits that they achieved for their firms. The highest-paid guy made more than $5 billion by playing the gold market. The segment showed their 30,000 SF homes in the Hamptons, their vacation homes, exotic vehicles, etc.
Fortunately, Congress chose not to increase their taxes from 35% to 38% because we can't overburden our "job creators". These hedge fund managers must employ a small army of willing workers to keep their estates and vehicles up to snuff.
The Today Show correspondent assured us that hedge funds are a crucial part of the capitalist system though it doesn't appear that they actually produce anything other than profits for themselves.
Meanwhile some poor soldier slogs through the mud in Afghanistan or Iraq to preserve and protect the American Way. Too bad that the people laying their lives on the line don't get the benefits. I guess it's April Fools on us.
The Today Show had a segment this morning on compensation for hedge fund managers. The top 20 guys hauled in a total of $22.5 billion last year. That is their personal compensation, not the profits that they achieved for their firms. The highest-paid guy made more than $5 billion by playing the gold market. The segment showed their 30,000 SF homes in the Hamptons, their vacation homes, exotic vehicles, etc.
Fortunately, Congress chose not to increase their taxes from 35% to 38% because we can't overburden our "job creators". These hedge fund managers must employ a small army of willing workers to keep their estates and vehicles up to snuff.
The Today Show correspondent assured us that hedge funds are a crucial part of the capitalist system though it doesn't appear that they actually produce anything other than profits for themselves.
Meanwhile some poor soldier slogs through the mud in Afghanistan or Iraq to preserve and protect the American Way. Too bad that the people laying their lives on the line don't get the benefits. I guess it's April Fools on us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)