Program Note
[ Posted Thursday, March 24th, 2011 – 12:54 UTC ]
ChrisWeigant.com is currently experiencing intermittent power outages at our server company. We are in the midst of a winter rainstorm, so this may go on for the immediate future. I am going to try to post an article today as normal, but if it doesn't appear, it is likely I am sitting here reading a book with a candle, instead.
Chris,
... reading a book by candle light ... during a rainstorm (just be thankful it ain't snow!) ...
Hmmmm...
Well, I hope it's a book apropos of the circumstances. Consider it a rare chance to sit back, put your feet up and relax.
Hmmmm...
In any event, let us know what book you're reading and if you'd recommend it ... the book or reading by candle light ...
Oh, wait ... you probably can't read this. Unless it's coming through on your BlackBerry ... or is that running out of power, too!?
I'm getting a very strange sense of deja vu ... maybe it's a distinctly California thing.
:)
Plenty worse ways to spend an evening, Chris. Enjoy your night off.
Since this could be construed as an "open thread".... :D I hope CW won't mind if I solicit an opinion from our resident Education expert...
School Choice = Good for Kids, Bad for Unions. Can't Politicians Do the Math?
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/03/25/school-choice-good-kids-bad-unions-politicians-math/
NYpoet...
Your thoughts??
Michale.....
OK, power is on, servers seem to be up, the next storm has not begun (it is lurking just over the horizon), so all seems to be in readiness for this week's FTP ...
Thursday's column, which didn't get written, was going to be based on this article, which has an interesting breakdown of the radioactivity numbers we have been told, and what we perhaps should have (or "need to be") told. It links to a DOE site, which has an interesting slide show with actual overflight data, which can now be seen as sort of a "baseline" by which to judge future reports on radiation. Oh, and I was going to throw in a few Wikipedia references to explain terms like "Rem" and "Sievert"...
So, if you were wondering, that's what I would have written about yesterday if I wasn't worried the power fluctuations/outages was going to fry my computer (and if my servers had been up, as well).
Onward to Friday's column...
-CW
Reading by candlelight? That doesn't sound like such a bad day, Chris.
-David
Random word for the day: agnotology
Random word for the day: agnotology
The study of agnostics???
Michale.....
Michale -
Maybe it's the study of agnots.
Um...
-CW
Agnot??
What is an agnot??
"What is a ute??"
-Fred Gwynne, MY COUSIN VINNY
:D
Michale.....
Agnotology (formerly agnatology) is the study of culturally-induced ignorance or doubt, particularly the publication of inaccurate or misleading scientific data.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnotology
:D
Michale.....
michale,
"school choice," is not really about choice, it's about money. much like "merit pay," it's the kind of thing that works only on paper. as erik kain recently wrote,
"School choice may have some benefits if it’s home-grown and cultivated in an organic fashion by local communities."
however, each community is different, with different strengths, challenges and needs. just like charters, vouchers, standardized testing and "merit pay," when such reforms are mandated at the state or federal level, they become a straitjacket that will hurt more schools and communities than they help.
http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/blog/2010/03/09/americans-already-have-school-choice/
Michale (and David) -
OK, agnotology is actually a pretty useful concept, I have to admit. I'm going to try to introduce this wonderful term slyly into a column, but I can't promise anything.
Heh.
Anyone interested, google "Capitola flood video" to see the storm system I'm talking about, and what it did nearby. We even made the national news over the weekend, on one station at least.
-CW