A heron on the Tennessee River, at repose. Yesterday 2:30 PM EST.
A guy wearing a Harley-Davidson t-shirt came to the point to practice his bagpipe. "Amazing Grace" and "Scotland the Brave."
The heron didn't mind.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Heron By the Water
A heron on the Tennessee River, at repose. Yesterday 2:30 PM EST.
A guy wearing a Harley-Davidson t-shirt came to the point to practice his bagpipe. "Amazing Grace" and "Scotland the Brave."
The heron didn't mind.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Professor Shoots Self in Foot
We were treated this week to a too often common happening: some professor shooting off his mouth. Professor Jonathan Gruber of MIT, claim your prize.
It's not that often that professors literally shoot themselves in the foot.
The Idaho state legislature recently passed a law allowing professors to carry guns on campus. This was going to happen sooner or later.
The Idaho State Journal that reported that a professor while teaching a chemistry class, when he got shot in the foot.
Pocatello Police Lieutenant Paul Manning said that the instructor was carrying a pistol in his pocket that went off unexpectedly. The injured man was taken to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello.
ISU president Arthur Vailas called the accident "unfortunate."
"I'm sure the incident was scary and embarrassing," he told the State Journal.
Perhaps the professor needs to take a firearms safety course. Or keep his in the closet. However, errant feet are now placed on notice in Pocatello. Will some misguided souls bring guns to screenings of Happy Feet?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/05/idaho-professor-shoots-himself-in-foot-two-months-after-state-legalizes-guns-on-campuses/
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Another Piece of My Heart, Baby
The United States Postal Service came up with a winner recently with a Janis Joplin forever stamp available in panes of 16. It's done with 1960's psychedelic-style ornate letter like might have appeared on a poster. At last, there's a positive recognition of the counterculture of the 1960's. Get a few panes and use them for personal mail.
Here's Janis Joplin (1943-1970) performing "Piece of My Heart":
Here's Janis Joplin (1943-1970) performing "Piece of My Heart":
Friday, October 24, 2014
Knaves, Fools, Douchebags, and Dingbats
Well, it's close to another election again; and I have the same sterile choices that the two major parties offer. It's a dismal choice between the Democrat knaves, fools, and douchebags and the Republican knaves, fools, and douchebags. I'd rather vote for my dog.
Bad words.
That's why I'm voting for third party candidates, if any are there. And I know, dammit, that they're not likely to win. But don't give me that bull hockey about throwing my vote away. I'm voting third party because it's the only way I have of flipping both the Republicans and Democrats the bird! They both can perform coprophagic behavior, for all I care!
I'm afraid that part of our national problem is our being wedded to a two party system. While there's a dime's worth of difference between the two, unlike the late, unlamented George Wallace claimed, neither alternative is attractive.
AS a matter of fact, I'd rather vote for a loony than a Democrat or a Republican. Honest craziness does have its appeal.
And I'm voting against all of those damned amendments!
Bad words.
That's why I'm voting for third party candidates, if any are there. And I know, dammit, that they're not likely to win. But don't give me that bull hockey about throwing my vote away. I'm voting third party because it's the only way I have of flipping both the Republicans and Democrats the bird! They both can perform coprophagic behavior, for all I care!
I'm afraid that part of our national problem is our being wedded to a two party system. While there's a dime's worth of difference between the two, unlike the late, unlamented George Wallace claimed, neither alternative is attractive.
AS a matter of fact, I'd rather vote for a loony than a Democrat or a Republican. Honest craziness does have its appeal.
And I'm voting against all of those damned amendments!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Relaxed Pink
There's a recent article in Slate regarding the University of Iowa's visiting team dressing room being colored pink. Apparently a law professor there related it to sex discrimination and a put-down of visiting teams.
If the latter was intended, it would seem to be counterproductive. After all, it's not good gamesmanship to rile your opponent before the game!
The rationale for this color scheme was that pink would have a calming, relaxing effect on the opposition, apparently. Apparently, rooms that were painted a mixture of a gallon of white interior paint and a pint of semi-gloss red yielded a particular shade of pink that Alexander Schauss proposed to try, and a pair of naval officers who directed the Navel Corrections Institute in Seattle subsequently found, to have a calming effect on inmates.
It is known generally as Baker-Miller pink; or informally, drunk tank pink.
Whether rooms colored with this shade of pink do have a calming effect on those within is certainly something that deserves empirical research.
If the latter was intended, it would seem to be counterproductive. After all, it's not good gamesmanship to rile your opponent before the game!
The rationale for this color scheme was that pink would have a calming, relaxing effect on the opposition, apparently. Apparently, rooms that were painted a mixture of a gallon of white interior paint and a pint of semi-gloss red yielded a particular shade of pink that Alexander Schauss proposed to try, and a pair of naval officers who directed the Navel Corrections Institute in Seattle subsequently found, to have a calming effect on inmates.
It is known generally as Baker-Miller pink; or informally, drunk tank pink.
Whether rooms colored with this shade of pink do have a calming effect on those within is certainly something that deserves empirical research.
 |
| Baker-Miller pink |
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
The Creeping Encroachment of Schools' Authority
In my opinion, the recent story of the Muscle Shoals High School student who had "disruptive" red hair being sent home and told to dial it down a bit is part of what seems to be an increased sense of self-importance and control that schools are assuming over the students' and teachers' lives. I am so sympathetic with the unfortunate, put-upon girl.
In recent years, some public schools are even going in for school uniforms. Now I had to wear one while going to a Catholic school; and it sucked. So did having to polish the brass buckle of the khaki web belt. I prefer jeans; as a matter of fact, I wish I could have worn them while teaching on the university level!
The local Florence, Alabama schools had a dress code which included a prohibition on shirts with legible writing involving off-color or beer ads and hoodies, even though the message was nonthreatening and inoffensive. As a matter of fact, some students were sent home for wearing t-shirts praising the head of the school board! Geesh! Humor-challenged administrators!
Another example comes from Alaska in the Frederick v. Morse case. Some high school students held up a sign at an off-campus event involving the passing of the Olympic torch bearing the message "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and their school disciplined them by suspending them for ten days! The school did so despite the fact that the parade in question was an ordinary public event and not one sponsored by the school. Unlike an earlier student rights case, the Tinker v. Des Moines case, the Supremes backtracked on student rights. Apparently, there was a built-in judgment that quality of the content makes a difference. Okay, protesting a war is serious stuff, unlike a satirical or humorous message that seems silly. But isn't that beside the point?
Teachers' rights as citizens have been also abridged by their employees (the schools). For example, a teacher was summarily fired because she posed for an "Eye Candy" modeling magazine [as it styled itself]; and another for serving as a bikini crew member on a charter vessel during weekends. Would some rigid principal also fire one for discovering her arete in a roller derby or as a stand-up comedian?
These sorts of thing can stack up in the long run. Singly, they might seem small-scale; but together they can result in an augmentation of school system authority at the expense of students and teachers. Do we really want school boards or principals to have such dictatorial authority? I've never seen academic administrators who could manage as philosopher-kings.
There's another aspect. As a former low-level college administrator (an academic department chair), I have learned that one should avoid looking dumb, petty, or silly. Sometimes you're called on to act that way by your bosses; but then it just sucks all over. Still, turning a blind eye and being an absent-minded professor can be an adaptive strategy.
In recent years, some public schools are even going in for school uniforms. Now I had to wear one while going to a Catholic school; and it sucked. So did having to polish the brass buckle of the khaki web belt. I prefer jeans; as a matter of fact, I wish I could have worn them while teaching on the university level!
The local Florence, Alabama schools had a dress code which included a prohibition on shirts with legible writing involving off-color or beer ads and hoodies, even though the message was nonthreatening and inoffensive. As a matter of fact, some students were sent home for wearing t-shirts praising the head of the school board! Geesh! Humor-challenged administrators!
Another example comes from Alaska in the Frederick v. Morse case. Some high school students held up a sign at an off-campus event involving the passing of the Olympic torch bearing the message "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and their school disciplined them by suspending them for ten days! The school did so despite the fact that the parade in question was an ordinary public event and not one sponsored by the school. Unlike an earlier student rights case, the Tinker v. Des Moines case, the Supremes backtracked on student rights. Apparently, there was a built-in judgment that quality of the content makes a difference. Okay, protesting a war is serious stuff, unlike a satirical or humorous message that seems silly. But isn't that beside the point?
Teachers' rights as citizens have been also abridged by their employees (the schools). For example, a teacher was summarily fired because she posed for an "Eye Candy" modeling magazine [as it styled itself]; and another for serving as a bikini crew member on a charter vessel during weekends. Would some rigid principal also fire one for discovering her arete in a roller derby or as a stand-up comedian?
These sorts of thing can stack up in the long run. Singly, they might seem small-scale; but together they can result in an augmentation of school system authority at the expense of students and teachers. Do we really want school boards or principals to have such dictatorial authority? I've never seen academic administrators who could manage as philosopher-kings.
There's another aspect. As a former low-level college administrator (an academic department chair), I have learned that one should avoid looking dumb, petty, or silly. Sometimes you're called on to act that way by your bosses; but then it just sucks all over. Still, turning a blind eye and being an absent-minded professor can be an adaptive strategy.
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