Happy Birthday to O6

[Dominic]

I find that most "proper" books are vastly over-rated, and often unreadable. (This applies more, but not exclusively, to children's books.) I can think of a handful of books I read in school, for school, that I liked. Most of them were simply chores. I read them because I had to. I was actually put off books for a few years in middle school, but was reading again by the end of my freshman year of HS.

What amazes me is how little many adults read. I read "The Art of War" when I was 10, (and several times since). The book applies to most any discipline or vocation. I have met many people, including educators, who "know of it", or who have read it and dismiss it. (But, oh, one has to read something by Dennis Lehane.) "The Art of War" is not considered a kids book, but it was one of the more valuable things I have read, ever. "Zoo of the Gods", a book on mythology, was also pretty good. (I likely could not get through it now, but when I was 1o or 11, it was a fine read.)

Dom
-has a "too read" pile that is....shamefully large.

[Onslaught Six]

Yeah. The thing is, on a daily basis, I probably read ten or twenty times more than most material that any actual book can cover, right here on the Internet. Some of it's trash, and some of it's really good stuff, but I'm 'reading' it. And I think there should be more emphasis on that kind of thing in the edumacation system.

Then again, I've got enough crap to worry about without trying to reformat the American education system. I got by, and I read stuff now, so what the hell.

[Dominic]

Reading is a perfect balance between equity, (most people can learn to read in at least one language), and elitism, (few choosing to read, even if they can). While the technologies we use are not perfect, (requiring tremendous infrastructure and resources, or simply being fragile), Reading and writing are effective ways to record, store, distribute and gather information.

Books tend to have more detail/depth than one will find in quick on-line research. But, on-line research is more focused and efficient.

The problem with the US education system is that it lacks both self-selection, (everybody is forced in), and enforcable standards. Families are forced to send kids to school, regardless of the value they place on education. They are not allowed to opt out. Because an education is considered a fundamental right, it is damned near impossible to eject trouble-makers and sluggards. Generally, thinking and learning are not valued by most people. True story: During an *exclusive* lecture series I attended while working at a local school about 4 years back, one of the organizers pointed out that keeping up with things in the world required a tremendous amount of reading. This was presented as an excuse for ignorance. I was considered, and actually was, one of the better read people in the room. At the time, I had just read the comic adaptation for "Revenge of the Sith", and was plotting how I was going to pull off seeing said movie on opening night. I was considered brilliant because I read a newspaper or two every week.

On top of all that, while teaching, we aim low. Rather assuming people can/should read and write at a certain level, we pitch lower-and all but mandate others aim low. I have passing knowledge in a number of fields...and people think I am "smart". I have never sat for an IQ test, but would estimate that I am about average, possibly below average, in terms of processing power. But, I choose to use what I have effectively.

The smartest person I have met in terms of numbers had a 160+. She squandered it. I know somebody else with a 140+, and he uses most of it. Guess who comes across as smarter?


Dom
-notes that both had coke habits.

[onslaught86]

I spent ten years without television reception. I watched a lot of movies, and read a 'lot' of books. I am very, very grateful for this.

[Onslaught Six]

On top of all that, while teaching, we aim low. Rather assuming people can/should read and write at a certain level, we pitch lower-and all but mandate others aim low. I have passing knowledge in a number of fields...and people think I am "smart". I have never sat for an IQ test, but would estimate that I am about average, possibly below average, in terms of processing power. But, I choose to use what I have effectively.

I thought something like that before, but several years ago I took an online IQ test (admittedly not the best thing, but it was just for fun) and got a 142, so.

The smartest person I have met in terms of numbers had a 160+. She squandered it. I know somebody else with a 140+, and he uses most of it. Guess who comes across as smarter?

Dom
-notes that both had coke habits.

Bahahaha. Awesome.

[Dominic]

When I was a kid, I watched a tremendous amount of TF, think ~40 a week.

This started to drop in the early 90s, when I got a Nintendo. In HS, it dropped to ~25 a week, as I got a part-time (and under the table) job, and in my junior year, started studying. The initial cuts were incidental and passive.

By senior year, I was hovering around 20, maybe a bit less. But, I had stopped adding shows, and had almost no reason to watch during prime-time beyond "Star Trek". My reading greatly increased in the mid-90s, largely at no cost to my college and late HS studies. By '99, I was down to maybe 10 hours a week, counting things I watched on video. I also made a point of not adding any new shows unless I accidently discovered, and *really* liked, them.

Since 2001 or so, I have been at 5 hours or less, which when averaged with my 40+ as a kid......


Dom
-knows a guy who averages lessn than an hour a week....

[Onslaught Six]

I have television on as background noise now. It's always on Cartoon Network. I estimate that I actually *watch* maybe two hours of actual content during any given day.

Mind, I'm watching a lot more Internet content now, like a lot of the stuff on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com (because people mocking things is funny) and I'm actually barreling through Dragonball right now (mostly for nostalgia, and because a lot of it's pretty funny on its own.)

I haven't watched primetime TV in, literally, years. The middle-aged women in the office are all about that crap, and it's hilarious to listen to them watch it and also realize how horribly out-of-touch they are with things. I heard a group of them refer to one of the contestants on American Idol as "emu," which is apparently "What the kids call punk now. It's not punk anymore, it's emu."

EDIT: I just forgot, last week I did watch the new Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien a few times, because I think Conan's a funny guy, and to see if I could justify watching this nightly. Unfortunately, it conflicts with my Family Guy (and the second half is usually when I fall asleep) so it's a no-go, but hey.

[Dominic]

Every so often I catch a bit of one of the police shows. It is always fun when the internet is mentioned. For some reason, TV writers are not happy with a medium that takes bread off their table. Remember, there are perverts on line. And, if you go online, the perverts will steal you identity, and do things. To. You.

I can forgive mispronouncing words like emu or emo. (For all you know, the announcers are mispronouncing "emo", and teaching the wrong lessons to the viewers.) What I cannot forgive is a primitive, ignorant outlook in the 21st Century. You may not know how to spell/say "internet" or "emo", but the fear of the unknown, (or even what should objectively be known), is astounding, and infuriating.

"PayPal is dangerous, because it is online. It is not like those safe, solid banks like I know. Nothing computerized there. There is a little man in the ATM that reads my (not at all electronic, magnetic strip), card and passes out money. No remote computers there, no siree....."

"Pitbulls are dangerous because TV says so, and the statistics are in no way skewed by greater of reporting of anything involving the breed. No, they are bad dogs."

"Dogs are dangerous."

"Blacks/Whites/Spanish/Asians/uh...Arabs, yeah Arabs sure, whatever, are meaningfully and morally different at a basic level. Those brain dissections are faked. And, it does not matter that mixed-race kids are biologically stabile and fertile, meaning both parents are of the same species.... They look different, so they are."

"The goverment, (or building security), is watching us...because we are that interesting and important."

I am tempted to ask some of these people if they hang garlic from their windows at night. Seriously.


Dom

[Onslaught Six]

I am tempted to ask some of these people if they hang garlic from their windows at night. Seriously.

I did that for a while, but that's because I like the smell of garlic.

(See? This is what I do when I run out of intelligent things to say. I resort to quoting one line of a good post and responding with a joke. You can almost pinpoint my apathy in the day because it usually coincides with these kind of posts.)

[138 Scourge]

I don't have cable, and I didn't bother with the converter box. My TV is effectively useless now. I mean, I can watch movies on it when I can be bothered.

I don't really care, either. Don't need it, don't want it, wouldn't live with it.