1 day ago: Kai, There have been many lawsuits about a male promoted over a female, a white hired instead of a black and a highly qualified person not being admitted and a person of minimum qualifications getting the slot.
Based on population you should walk into McD's and see 4 white, 3 Mexican, 1 black, 1 asian, 1 native with a half male and half female. I don't see that as either fair or equal just idealistic.
Would it be feasiable to have a % of students accepted to each college based on sex and race. Thus the Law college of any school should be so proportioned. As an example: there are 12 purples that have aced the tests, 6 greens aced it and all the other scores were below acceptable levels. But the law says that only 1 purple and only 1 green can enter the law college and the rest must be by percentage of population. Don't sound fair ... even worse no males applied ... what do you do now?????
I do not see equality as being fair ... one deals only with numbers and percentages and the other asks to do what is right, or percieved to be right.
The reason people resort to calling everything "prejudice" or "racial" is that it works. It has nothing to do with fair or equal. If I come into your resturant and say you are a racist and the word spreads .... true or flase makes no difference ... it is now public info that will harm your reputation, your business and if you are receiving government assistance it may cancel that. So you go to extremes to quell the incident on the spot. I get my way. You did nothing wrong.
The worst possable administrator of any program is the government ... A good idea is beaten up added to and over managed, over funded, over staffed, etc .... All ability to make decisions are taken away from those on the scene and the letter of the law becomes burdensome and obsolete ... yet must be enforced.
In summary these things cannot be legislated. To believe they can be is a fools game.
3 days ago: ZX, Gotta argue about the goberment becoming more involved. The gobbers are the worst businessmen possable. The reason being is that they are not accountable or answerable to anyone. The fed wants to buy up all the acid loans they do it at 4 billion a month ... want to give GM a few billion no problemo ... want to throw some money at green energy with no hope of success as a political payoff, here is the checkbook ....
What got me mad was the comparison of the cost for the operation in a public facility and the cost in a government sponsored facility. Talk about apples and oranges ... my intent here is to express that when a comparison is made it should at least be reasonable. Take all the federal funding away from the tribal hospital and lets do the math again.
They can only take natives ... open hospital have to take all comers at a loss .. by law.
The goberment says we will pay this much period ... the hospitals say we need this much based on the goberment pay scale ... the doctor over charges to get the minimum. What a game.
Obamacare will solve this problem ... I am 70 with no job ... so I will meet the death panel. Guess I should run for office and be exempt like the ones who voted this in ... laws for the peons .... perks for the elite.
4 days ago: Rick, Pat stated it well. The textbook publishers, test writers, and the nest eggers and thier unions have brought the system to its knees and have no intention of revising the system to be effective as it would "cost" them.
I have completed the math of hiring a MBA to run the district, thus aligning it as a business. Principals would be in charge of the academics and the MBA all operations and the business of the district. If done properly a great savings would occur.
However that only address the local factors. The major problem still would exist ... control has went to Washington and the state politicians to decide the fate of education. That is the equivlant of calling your accountant to perform major surgery. The government has proven itself to be the worst administrator of all time.
If we maintain the current path only a monitor will be required in the classroom as all of the options of the teacher have been stripped. Arne Duncan has stated he desires the federal government to develop, print, and distribute all text books and to develop, administer, and grade all tests. The amazing thing is that teachers and educational unions are all falling in line with his desires .... under his socilistic ideals they will all be deminished in position and authority. A local community college has already reduced all adjunct professors and all maintenance and support personnel to 25 hours a week as a counter to the Obamacare requirements. 1600 local people. All other schools and companies will follow suit as the work week according to Obamacare is 30 hours per week.
In summary: Yep it can be done. It would require all of the carpetbaggers to be pushed out of the way. You would have to start by eliminating the cabnet post of Dept of ED and then giving the power back to the states and the states releasing the power back to the local districts ... wow what a concept ... we would be back to .. WE THE PEOPLE.
5 days ago: Yeah they say they are one big family etc ... but where would you cut one to see it bleed. I no more believe that corporations are people than I believe that Obamacare is a tax. If I evaluated every non-profit and found the amount of donations going to the cause was ten time less than what is going into the administrators pockets I would ... given the power ... pull their non=profit ticket.
George ... the rules are made by people who already know how to exploit them. The rules are designed with "favorable" flaws.
Politics have very little to do with "the people".
5 days ago: Abdul, First I think it is great that you have the ability to do either or both. First this is your decision and you must make the final call.
As you started the medical career I am sure you have that passion also ... so you have desires in engineering, computer science, and medicine. The answer to nme is really no that difficult. Finish your medical degree and use your skills in computers and engineering to benefit the ill.
As an example: The iron lung was prior to computers but the knowledge both engineering and medicine was required to construct the device.
Only a doctor could under stand the need for a special tool and how to properly use it in confined space and delicate organs ... but the same doctor could invent the tool having engineering knowledge.
Do you see where I am going with this ... computers, engineering, and medicine are a great marriage. You would so be in demand at a research facility ... high profile and makie a difference .... you bet.
5 days ago: MEJ, If we are going to confess to our errors I am much older and it would take much longer. I have made replies that were "out of tune" and have tasted the "crow".
6 days ago: Aha yes the days of Nirvana, the age of aquarius, camelot, and holding hands singing cunbia. Kinda makes you sad that koolade has replaced the bong. Guess that is progress.
Kinda brings a tear to ones eyes .... the Constitution just keeps getting in the way.
Enough of this I must get back to rowing before I feel the cat-o-nine-tails on me back.
TEDCred score: +88.10 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.
A comment on Conversation: Is equality feasible and is it worth achieving? Subquestion: By your definitions, is equality synonymous with fairness?
Based on population you should walk into McD's and see 4 white, 3 Mexican, 1 black, 1 asian, 1 native with a half male and half female. I don't see that as either fair or equal just idealistic.
Would it be feasiable to have a % of students accepted to each college based on sex and race. Thus the Law college of any school should be so proportioned. As an example: there are 12 purples that have aced the tests, 6 greens aced it and all the other scores were below acceptable levels. But the law says that only 1 purple and only 1 green can enter the law college and the rest must be by percentage of population. Don't sound fair ... even worse no males applied ... what do you do now?????
I do not see equality as being fair ... one deals only with numbers and percentages and the other asks to do what is right, or percieved to be right.
The reason people resort to calling everything "prejudice" or "racial" is that it works. It has nothing to do with fair or equal. If I come into your resturant and say you are a racist and the word spreads .... true or flase makes no difference ... it is now public info that will harm your reputation, your business and if you are receiving government assistance it may cancel that. So you go to extremes to quell the incident on the spot. I get my way. You did nothing wrong.
The worst possable administrator of any program is the government ... A good idea is beaten up added to and over managed, over funded, over staffed, etc .... All ability to make decisions are taken away from those on the scene and the letter of the law becomes burdensome and obsolete ... yet must be enforced.
In summary these things cannot be legislated. To believe they can be is a fools game.
I wish you well. Bob.
A reply on Conversation: Would it be possible to safely drive from Cape Town Africa to Cape Horn Chile, with only one ferry ride across the Bering Strait?
A reply on Conversation: Comparing hospital bills
What got me mad was the comparison of the cost for the operation in a public facility and the cost in a government sponsored facility. Talk about apples and oranges ... my intent here is to express that when a comparison is made it should at least be reasonable. Take all the federal funding away from the tribal hospital and lets do the math again.
They can only take natives ... open hospital have to take all comers at a loss .. by law.
The goberment says we will pay this much period ... the hospitals say we need this much based on the goberment pay scale ... the doctor over charges to get the minimum. What a game.
Obamacare will solve this problem ... I am 70 with no job ... so I will meet the death panel. Guess I should run for office and be exempt like the ones who voted this in ... laws for the peons .... perks for the elite.
Thanks for the reply. Bob.
A comment on Conversation: It seems clear that our current business model is broken. Why can't the basis principles of business be applied to our schools?
I have completed the math of hiring a MBA to run the district, thus aligning it as a business. Principals would be in charge of the academics and the MBA all operations and the business of the district. If done properly a great savings would occur.
However that only address the local factors. The major problem still would exist ... control has went to Washington and the state politicians to decide the fate of education. That is the equivlant of calling your accountant to perform major surgery. The government has proven itself to be the worst administrator of all time.
If we maintain the current path only a monitor will be required in the classroom as all of the options of the teacher have been stripped. Arne Duncan has stated he desires the federal government to develop, print, and distribute all text books and to develop, administer, and grade all tests. The amazing thing is that teachers and educational unions are all falling in line with his desires .... under his socilistic ideals they will all be deminished in position and authority. A local community college has already reduced all adjunct professors and all maintenance and support personnel to 25 hours a week as a counter to the Obamacare requirements. 1600 local people. All other schools and companies will follow suit as the work week according to Obamacare is 30 hours per week.
In summary: Yep it can be done. It would require all of the carpetbaggers to be pushed out of the way. You would have to start by eliminating the cabnet post of Dept of ED and then giving the power back to the states and the states releasing the power back to the local districts ... wow what a concept ... we would be back to .. WE THE PEOPLE.
I wish you well. Bob.
A reply on Conversation: The IRS admits up to targeting groups
George ... the rules are made by people who already know how to exploit them. The rules are designed with "favorable" flaws.
Politics have very little to do with "the people".
See ya George.
A comment on Conversation: Should I go ahead with my decision to quit medical school for engineering?
As you started the medical career I am sure you have that passion also ... so you have desires in engineering, computer science, and medicine. The answer to nme is really no that difficult. Finish your medical degree and use your skills in computers and engineering to benefit the ill.
As an example: The iron lung was prior to computers but the knowledge both engineering and medicine was required to construct the device.
Only a doctor could under stand the need for a special tool and how to properly use it in confined space and delicate organs ... but the same doctor could invent the tool having engineering knowledge.
Do you see where I am going with this ... computers, engineering, and medicine are a great marriage. You would so be in demand at a research facility ... high profile and makie a difference .... you bet.
Good luck. Bob.
A reply on Conversation: DOJ Secretly Obtains Months Of AP Phone Records; AP Condemns 'Unprecedented Intrusion'
Your reply was kind and generous. Thank You. Bob
A reply on Conversation: DOJ Secretly Obtains Months Of AP Phone Records; AP Condemns 'Unprecedented Intrusion'
Thanks. Bob.
A reply on Conversation: Parent teacher conferences and feedback.
Thanks. Bob.
A reply on Conversation: DOJ Secretly Obtains Months Of AP Phone Records; AP Condemns 'Unprecedented Intrusion'
Kinda brings a tear to ones eyes .... the Constitution just keeps getting in the way.
Enough of this I must get back to rowing before I feel the cat-o-nine-tails on me back.