October is the only month where all four of America’s biggest professional sports leagues are in action. It’s a glorious time, baseball playoffs, basketball and hockey just getting going, and meaningful football on the weekends. But for as much as our communities can rally around our respective teams it’s important to remember that these teams are privately owned business ventures and not community property (well except for the Green Bay Packers). As privately-run ventures, it is the goal of these teams to make money and they often do so at the expense of the very cities that play host to…
Category: Discourse of the Day
Meanwhile in Countries Not Called America- The Kurds
Meanwhile in Countries Not Called America is a place where I normally go out of my way to find issues that are completely independent of the United States. But given the events in Northern Syria over the last few weeks, I feel compelled to break that rule and attempt to explain just how awful a situation the Kurds find themselves in. And while the geopolitics of the situation may be complicated, the morality is not. As always you need to understand the history of the region to properly put all of this into perspective. The Kurds are the…
Meanwhile in Countries Not Called America……The Boris of it All (Or Brexit for Idiots)
As of last week, the United Kingdom has yet another Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. Or as he is more commonly known here in the States: The British version of Donald Trump. In a country of nearly sixty-seven million people, Boris was elected by, *checks notes*, ninety-two thousand one-hundred and fifty-three people or roughly .0013% of the population. Yay democracy!!! Boris’ rise comes on the heels of previous Prime Minister Theresa May’s failure to negotiate a successful Brexit deal. This is of course because Leave campaign and its supporters have what some would call delusional expectations concerning the terms by which…
The Silver Bullet – Curriculum 12
Twelfth Grade: Seniors are for all intents and purposes adults and should be treated as such. They believe that means doing whatever they want. What it really means is holding them accountable for their own choices and education rather than leaning on their parents. You have to give respect to get respect as the saying goes. This is the culmination of everything they’ve worked for and often they can’t wait to get out the door. If you don’t stimulate their curiosity and their passion your not going to get anywhere with this group. Math: Calculus Science: Physics Computer Science: Computer…
The Silver Bullet – Curriculum 11
Eleventh Grade: The penultimate year of education. Students are now taking leadership roles around campus and controlling more of their own educational decisions. This is the best time to teach the lessons that will shape them for the years to come. Math: Trigonometry Science: Chemistry Computer Science: App Design History/Social Science: U.S. History Human Studies: Psychology English: American Literature Foreign Languages: Mandarin, Hindi, or Arabic 1 Music: Music Theory Art: Art History
In Theory: Student-Athletes
It’s that time of year again, summer is coming to a close and the smell of pigskin is in the air. School is back in session and a certain select group of young men and women will be forced to balance the commitment of playing Division-1 athletics with the pressure of pursuing a four-year degree. One of the most unassailable ideas in all of sports is the nobility of the student-athlete and the absolute necessity of maintaining the spirit of amateurism in colligate athletics. But with literally billions of dollars changing hands each year there are those who claim that…
Meanwhile in Countries not called America- India’s Water Crisis
Water. The source of all life and something most of us in the western world take for granted will be there when we need it. But clean water is not something that just happens. It is the result of complex systems engineered to keep us safe from harmful diseases and bacteria that our predecessors on this planet so often fell victim to. It’s not flashy and its certainly not cheap, but water infrastructure is perhaps the most important investment a nation can make. Without it, a country can grind to a halt and risk serious disease and even famine for…
The Silver Bullet – Curriculum 10
Tenth Grade: Tenth grade is a formative year. Now that students have adjusted to high school and know what to expect from the school year its time to dig in and get to work. Math: Statistics Science: Biology Computer Science: AP Computer Science History/Social Science: World History, plus regional specific elective history. Human Studies: Theology English: World Literature Foreign Languages: Spanish IV Music: Music History Art: Visual Arts
Its The Economy Stupid- Public Sector Pensions
Often times in American politics complicated fiscal issues will be boiled down to anecdotal evidence that serve as the most extreme vivid case example of the narrative a particular campaign is trying to push. Whatever policy position your opponent takes is sure to have at least one instance of waste, excess, abuse, or corruption just as whatever policy you support is sure to have some little guy desperately trying to make ends meet while the current system tries to keep them down. These isolated cases are used by ideologues to elicit a specific emotional reaction from voters in order to…
The Silver Bullet – Curriculum 9
Ninth Grade: The final transition year. Ninth graders are so excited to finally be in high school that they often forget it still means they are in school. It’s important to ease into the school year lest they become overwhelmed. Math: Geometry Science: Natural Sciences Computer Science: Advanced Java History/Social Science: Geography Human Studies: Ethics English: Intro to Literature Foreign Languages: Spanish 3 Music: Music Appreciation Art: Art Appreciation