There are army clergy in training for war.
I am not exactly sure why clergy need to expose to danger and it is kinda crazy to proclaim "Love others as thyself" and then either sprinkle enemies with bullets (or run away from it). Well they are there to perform funeral service for the fallen.
I love the "Love others as thyself" part and I have some difficulty with the "God will deliver me to the promise land so let's kill all the enemies" messages.
If the entire country is to sit down for a sermon, the topic should be this, "Look, let's find a way for peace".
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Washington Monument Cracked
Oh wow, earthquake hit the east coast and cracked the : Washington Monument.
When there is a earthquake the first thing I look at is the magnitude, if it is under 7, it probably doesn't do much harm.
Washington has a lot of memorials and the Washington Monument is quite unique...
I do not understand why the monument has to look like that. Perhaps it is a missile in disguise! (Ok, that's probably not the case)
Every American should know this about Washington: he was not the first American president! Sure, Washington was first president under the Constitution, but the Constitution was not the first document that runs the country.
Remember the Article of Confederation? Read about the forgotten presidents before Washington here.
When there is a earthquake the first thing I look at is the magnitude, if it is under 7, it probably doesn't do much harm.
Washington has a lot of memorials and the Washington Monument is quite unique...
I do not understand why the monument has to look like that. Perhaps it is a missile in disguise! (Ok, that's probably not the case)
Every American should know this about Washington: he was not the first American president! Sure, Washington was first president under the Constitution, but the Constitution was not the first document that runs the country.
Remember the Article of Confederation? Read about the forgotten presidents before Washington here.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
3/4 not ready for college
Today's Sun Times headline says,
Three of four state grads not ready for college, ACT scores show.
The article itself focus on science, the Related Documents give you more data in details. Yes, this is quite depressing for Illinois.
But is the ACT really a good predictor of college success?
That science test (when I took it) was merely a reading comprehension kind of test. Does it really measure science knowledge?
ACT Math is very easy. Come on teen, you can do this. I hate the term "college algebra" there is nothing college about it.
The English part is very reasonable. It tests your understanding of grammar rules and it is something you can actually prepare for, unlike crazy antonym test of arcane words you have not seen nor will ever see in the SAT.
How come we have 2 tests for college admission? I vote we whack the SAT and embrace the ACT. SAT scoring was 2*Verbal+Math. That is DISCRIMINATION to math!
Three of four state grads not ready for college, ACT scores show.
The article itself focus on science, the Related Documents give you more data in details. Yes, this is quite depressing for Illinois.
But is the ACT really a good predictor of college success?
That science test (when I took it) was merely a reading comprehension kind of test. Does it really measure science knowledge?
ACT Math is very easy. Come on teen, you can do this. I hate the term "college algebra" there is nothing college about it.
The English part is very reasonable. It tests your understanding of grammar rules and it is something you can actually prepare for, unlike crazy antonym test of arcane words you have not seen nor will ever see in the SAT.
How come we have 2 tests for college admission? I vote we whack the SAT and embrace the ACT. SAT scoring was 2*Verbal+Math. That is DISCRIMINATION to math!
Google honors Fermat
Look, Google honors Fermat and the Fermat's Last Theorem:
It is 410th birthday, I wonder if there is any significance to this number.
Read more here if you like.
Fermat's Last Theorem looks somewhat like the Pythagorean Theorem, but no triangle is involved here. No integers will make this equation work if n>2. xn+yn=zn. Of course n=2 is the Pythagorean Theorem and you know 3-4-5 is a Pythagorean Triple.
People tend not to know anything else with Fermat... he has a lot of significant contributions to Number Theory, which makes people believe he actually had a marvelous proof.
All students interested in math should take Number Theory... and you don't need to know anything about calculus to succeed... Much of Number Theory deal with integers only.
You will then able to explain: why can you determine if a number is divisible by 9 by adding up the digits to see if that is divisible by 9. Example: 6561 is divisible by 9 because 6+5+6+1 = 18 is divisible by 9.
Ok, is someone going to say, so what?
The answer is this: so you know something about the numbers and it is cool to say "congruent modulo".
It is 410th birthday, I wonder if there is any significance to this number.
Read more here if you like.
Fermat's Last Theorem looks somewhat like the Pythagorean Theorem, but no triangle is involved here. No integers will make this equation work if n>2. xn+yn=zn. Of course n=2 is the Pythagorean Theorem and you know 3-4-5 is a Pythagorean Triple.
People tend not to know anything else with Fermat... he has a lot of significant contributions to Number Theory, which makes people believe he actually had a marvelous proof.
All students interested in math should take Number Theory... and you don't need to know anything about calculus to succeed... Much of Number Theory deal with integers only.
You will then able to explain: why can you determine if a number is divisible by 9 by adding up the digits to see if that is divisible by 9. Example: 6561 is divisible by 9 because 6+5+6+1 = 18 is divisible by 9.
Ok, is someone going to say, so what?
The answer is this: so you know something about the numbers and it is cool to say "congruent modulo".
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Raising Boys
Raising Boys is a great book for parents of boys. I listen to James Dobson "Focus On the Family" on the news radio when I commute to work a decade ago. I admire his ability to communicate ideas so effectively through radio and writing.
In this book, he painted a horrible picture describing the hostile environment for boys to grow up. The disappearing father role, feminism, failing school systems, and um, lifestyles different from the traditional family make it difficult to raise boys to become upright men.
The father... is so important for boys. Come on, guys, don't abandon your kids. Statistics paint horrible picture: kids without fathers are likely to be resentful criminals. Even if the fathers don't provide food and shelter, some fathers don't pay enough attention to the boys. There is an account of the author talking to a 50+ year old man, in tears, telling him the story of his father not ever show up in his football games and even if he does, he didn't stay to watch him play. Look dads, pay attention to your kids achievements!
Idiot dads think they'll spoil kids if they give them encouraging words when they win something. WRONG. I WILL tell my son I am proud of him if he accomplishes something, and I WILL show up in his sports events (or chess tournaments) if he is into those.
Look, the family structure is so important. The statistics of the number of single mom/dad families are quite saddening. Yes, there are arguments, but please don't give up taking care of the kids.
Failing school systems bother me. I shake my head whenever I read statistics about dropouts and that kids are so incapable. Some of the teachers are gosh so incapable that they can't even divide fractions. COME ON. The public elementary schools do the same stuff year after year and students still don't know anything.
Dobson believes school can wait, and home schooling is great. He thinks some boys are not capable of sit still and listen until older, and all they can get from schools are ideas that promote feminism and homosexuality agendas and therefore hostile. I beg to differ on this point: I do not think the parents should act dual roles as teachers and kids need to learn how to get along with other kids.
Yes, boys need parents, especially a loving father.
Good fathers already knows this, and most bad fathers probably never read something like this.
You do not need to be a PhD or read volumes to find out how to be a good parent. Your parents probably didn't read a whole lot about parenting either (and yet you turn out to be a reasonably good kid right?) If you grew up correctly, you know what to do. It is instinct.
In this book, he painted a horrible picture describing the hostile environment for boys to grow up. The disappearing father role, feminism, failing school systems, and um, lifestyles different from the traditional family make it difficult to raise boys to become upright men.
The father... is so important for boys. Come on, guys, don't abandon your kids. Statistics paint horrible picture: kids without fathers are likely to be resentful criminals. Even if the fathers don't provide food and shelter, some fathers don't pay enough attention to the boys. There is an account of the author talking to a 50+ year old man, in tears, telling him the story of his father not ever show up in his football games and even if he does, he didn't stay to watch him play. Look dads, pay attention to your kids achievements!
Idiot dads think they'll spoil kids if they give them encouraging words when they win something. WRONG. I WILL tell my son I am proud of him if he accomplishes something, and I WILL show up in his sports events (or chess tournaments) if he is into those.
Look, the family structure is so important. The statistics of the number of single mom/dad families are quite saddening. Yes, there are arguments, but please don't give up taking care of the kids.
Failing school systems bother me. I shake my head whenever I read statistics about dropouts and that kids are so incapable. Some of the teachers are gosh so incapable that they can't even divide fractions. COME ON. The public elementary schools do the same stuff year after year and students still don't know anything.
Dobson believes school can wait, and home schooling is great. He thinks some boys are not capable of sit still and listen until older, and all they can get from schools are ideas that promote feminism and homosexuality agendas and therefore hostile. I beg to differ on this point: I do not think the parents should act dual roles as teachers and kids need to learn how to get along with other kids.
Yes, boys need parents, especially a loving father.
Good fathers already knows this, and most bad fathers probably never read something like this.
You do not need to be a PhD or read volumes to find out how to be a good parent. Your parents probably didn't read a whole lot about parenting either (and yet you turn out to be a reasonably good kid right?) If you grew up correctly, you know what to do. It is instinct.
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