Zeitgeist movie

[rpg52]

If you have a fast connection and a couple hours, this movie will change the way you look at the world.  While aimed at those living in the US, it's relevant to nearly anyone.  Even if you don't believe it, you will look at social institutions a bit differently.
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/
Every one have a great new year - life is just too short not to enjoy it, at least occasionally, IMHO.   
Ray

[clytle374]

I just killed my monthly bandwidth limit downloading the new Ron Paul DVD to harass my friends(haha and you all too) and family with, looks interesting.

Warning if you start researching this stuff, you'll most likely become a unhinged conspiracy theorist.  You can't prove any of it, but a guy standing over a dead body with a smoking gun is also circumstantial to some degree. 

[rpg52]

As someone has said, just because you aren't paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't after you.   
Ron Paul is an interesting guy - so far to the right he shows up on the left occasionally.
 I read a story once about a guy with a conspiracy expose he wanted to publish (one of the left-wing variety).  No-one would touch it, except a right-wing ex-Air Force general who owned a publishing business.  Despite the fact that the general completely disagreed with the politics of the book, he published it, because no one could tell him what he could or couldn't publish.  One of those true patriots.

[clytle374]

He sure seems to have a bunch of support from the left.  Talking with others in his campaign has made me come to think there is no left and right, just a distraction from what both sides are doing and no one wants. 
Felt real funny at first when I found myself, a conservative, agreeing on politics with a liberal athiest.
 

 

[Doug]

I watched it.

Some of it has been a corner stone of my own belief system and perseptual filter for the world around me for a long long time.

Some of it is realy far fetched.

Its probably better to be a little suspiscious of everything in the mass media, politics and organized religion.

I think its more important to remember I have a mental filter I use to block out things I don't like or want to hear, most people do. And lots of people with lots and lots of money and agendas find ways to manipulate me and my filter. Its as easy as spending billions of dollars on spin doctors to convince me that Coke is the real thing and not just brown sugar water or Colateral damage realy isn't people ....

[sid]

spin doctorings has it.s place// maybe//brown sugar water maybe be coke// but  it is the was it is presented that makes it cost more//if I repaired your microwave and it had a bad fuse and told you it would cost $100.00/ you would think I was crazy... but if  I told you it had a bad inline surge protector and it would only cost $100.00,  that would be a different story/ you would be glad that it was that cheap//or if your dryer had a bad belt and I told you it would cost $140.00, you would think I was crazy// but if i told you that it had a bad drive assembly and it would only cost $140.00// that would be a different story// it is how the customer precieves the value that counts//it works//sid

[rmchambers]

It was an interesting bit of media to be sure.  The stuff about the Fed and the Neocons didn't surprise me a bit - in fact it made what they do a little easier to understand.

All I know is this country is going to hell in a handbasket.  when my kids come home and their math homework is on estimation and they get counted wrong for having the RIGHT answer, the EXACT answer then there's something really bad going on.  I argued the point with the teacher at the last parent teacher night.  "why would you estimate when figuring out the exact number is just as easy?"  "do you want the next batch of civil engineers to build bridges with the load tolerances estimated? would you drive a car over one?"  deer in headlight looks.

I dunno.

Happy new year everyone!

RC

[Doug]

That is a very interesting question.....

In the old days before the pocket japanese brain the measure of a realy good engineeer was the ability to use a slide rule and round figueres as needed to come with good answeres that were close enough to do the job. Your better engineers could round off numbers and do mental gymnastics that resulted in things slightly overbuilt to be on the safe side without being so stupidly over built they were clumsy.

For simple math I would prefer to see people actualy come as close as practical long hand, but its just as important to know how to round off numbers so the errors don't stack thge deck one way or the other.

Calculators have made uses lazy since no one uses tables anymore. Tables force you to understand the logic behind the math. Those Log keys and pie to the impossible to remmeber hqave taken a lot of the real magic of math ( that is the understanding of the problem ) away.

I'm awful in math now, but I still know to trust the accuracy of machines only as good as the people who feed in the numbers ....

[Stan]

I have had so many "discussions" with parents who insist their kids only need the steps to punch in the numbers in their calculators to get the right answer instead of the understanding of how the relationships betweeen the numbers work.  The different algebraic formulas for finding sides and angles of right triangles comes to mind. 
Stan

[rmchambers]

Doug I agree with you that being able to take a WAG at a value and refine it from there is a good skill.  What I'm disappointed by is the kids coming home with a question such as:

John has to hand out awards at the school assembly there are 430 students at the assembly.  The awards come in boxes of 20.  Estimate how many boxes of awards John will need for the assembly.

The way the problem was written and what they've been told about estimation the correct answer worked out to be that 10 students wouldn't get an award (they were on a section about rounding down).

I said,   430 students, 20 awards per box.  21 boxes - 420 awards, not enough, one extra box and have 10 left over.

The teacher said "No, they were estimating to get the least number of boxes" so I said "so you're telling me that you'd rather guess enough boxes and have 10 kids crying because they got nothing than get enough awards and have 10 spare in case of breakage or miscounting of the students?" and she said "yes, that was the exercise" So I had to go into sarcastic mode at that point and said "so which students get stiffed on the awards and who gets to explain why 420 of Johnnie's school mates got awards and Johnny didn't? - I'd like to see you estimate who'd be the least upset about not getting an award"

The "new math" has gotten to the point where they aren't teaching the kids for the purpose of giving them skills they can use, they are teaching them how to pass the standardized testing to comply with the "No Child Left Behind" act that our "I'm all about the education" president pushed on us.

It's not right.

[Doug]

I understand your point....

Thats a realy stupid question to ask a kid anyway and the answere doesn;t make sence to me for the same reason as you.

Almost enough is like a little bit pregenant lol.

And Stan your absolutely right about trig and algebra. If you can master those two skill 80% of all the real figuering in this world makes sence. Add a little calculas to explain how the worlds variables work togehter some statistics ( two things that don;t get enough push in the modern education system ) and everything can be explained.

English too:
We should produce high school gards who can write in technical English. You need to be able and sit down a a type writer and make a proper report or document thats easy to read. Well written doesnt mean flowery it means simple correct and prescise. There's a skill I lack lol.

Ever kid should be able to cook, sew, run simple shop tools, change a tyre, file a tax return, explain how goverment works, know what the capital of Finland is and find it on a map, create a personal budget, understand the law, be phisicaly fit, read and write in a clear English and perhaps even speak another ( I think Latin would be a good thing  since its a root language ) before they get a high school diploma.

The cost of higher learning also needs to come down especialy for the kinds of jobs we need in the future. If you need large numbers of trades people, then maybe thats something that should be almost free as apposed to say making the study of modern dance more afordable

[dieseldave]

   If you want to find out whats really going on when it comes to the global oil situation,go to    www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/   

   This is a real EYEOPENER!

[clytle374]

   If you want to find out whats really going on when it comes to the global oil situation,go to    www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/   

   This is a real EYEOPENER!

That sure ought to drive the last nail in the economy's coffin.   So looks like I'm planting rape seed next spring, figure I should beat the rush.

[rmchambers]

   If you want to find out whats really going on when it comes to the global oil situation,go to    www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/   

   This is a real EYEOPENER!

That sure ought to drive the last nail in the economy's coffin.   So looks like I'm planting rape seed next spring, figure I should beat the rush.

They call it "canola" here in the US.  Rape is bad, negative connotations, not to make light of a horrible thing, but you can't put the sensual back in non-consensual sex.

[Quinnf]

Along those lines, I've been wondering how come they still call the boat you take to get across a stretch of water a ferry.  Seems like somebody's feelings are just waiting to be hurt on that one.     

Quinn