2-26-11 (RM, France)
Living abroad has given me the opportunity to discuss US education policy without the fear of angering someone who is sympathetic to or a member of a US teacher's union. One thing is clear from my discussions: US public education is among the worst in the Western and developed world. I'm completely dumbfounded by the level of stupidity exhibited by Americans when foreign people visit the US. For example, a girl last night told me that someone in the United States asked her if France had electricity. In my mind, the problems with our system are as follows.
1) Spending per pupil has significantly increased while performance and test scores have remained stagnant of fallen. Too much money is siphoned off by bureaucrats and administrative hacks and not enough actually reaches the classroom. Poorly aligned school financial incentives are to blame. Also, since when do sports count as an "in-classroom" expenditure. This needs to change.
2) Federalized education programs have politicized lesson plans, distracted from actual education, and have imposed a one-size-fits-all approach to education.
3) A group of self-interested State employees have used political force in order to secure their financial interests and job security at the expense of competition and flexibility within the system.
4) Students are expected to being mastering concepts in soft social sciences before they have mastered the ability to read, write, and do basic math. Instead, they are asked to memorize useless facts at a young age that really have no bearing on their ability to think critically or get a handle on the basic skills truly necessary for furthering their education.
5) Almost all, except for a few, school districts and States refuse to allow experimentation and competition within their education system. Children unfortunate to live in low-income areas are trapped in a failing school system and are legally prevented from seeking out other public schools in the area.
6) Education is not synonymous with public school. This mentality has stifled creativity, innovation, and experimentation in terms of the way we educate our young people. In fact many unionized public school employees actively seek out the force of the State to make home-schooling and private schooling less attractive options for families.
7) Lack of proper nutrition and exercise within public schools. Although this is not a simple solution, it is my belief that children today are severely lacking in the proper nutritional building blocks to improve their early-years brain activity and function. Fatty meats, simple carbs, sugary soda and candy, and a lack of essential fatty acids are pretty much a school lunch recipe for disaster in terms of student performance and overall behavior. In fact, one study conducted in a Federal Prison showed that removing simple carbs and adding lean meats and vegetables helped improve inmate behavior by reducing insulin spikes and mood swings.
8) This goes along with 7 but I think the lack of proper exercise and breaks are hurting our student's ability to focus throughout the day. Kids are not adults, they don't have the attention span of adults, and they need breaks with physical activity.
9) Parents. Although I understand that it is difficult for some working parents to spend adequate time with their children, it is still their responsibility at the end of the day to educate their child. This is called personal responsibility for your family. Far too often, I hear or see parents act as if education is solely the responsibility of the State school. Wrong. Buy some activity books, buy some books to read at night, and spend time with your child. Read to them. Work with them. Instill the value of a higher education in them.
10) Kids themselves. I'm sorry kids but it isn't cool to be stupid. It isn't "selling out" or "betraying your community" when someone strives to be the best in academics. I have first-hand experience in seeing young black students being ridiculed by their peers for "acting white" when they succeed in academics. Since when did wanting to secure your financial future with a better education became a race-based quality? This mentality is just too sick to describe with words. There are other problems with children spending too much time in front trash tv, playing video games, or surfing the web for mindless imagery. Although all of these things are ok in moderation, kids need to experience life outside electronic mediums.
I am tired of the "dumb American" stereotype that persists in many European countries. The hard but obvious truth here is that this stereotype exists for a reason. Please educate yourselves and your children. Kids, please take the initiative to learn and explore things for yourself. It is ok to be curious and to want to pursue knowledge. Now get out there my fellow Americans and prove these Europeans wrong! ;)
Song of the Day: American Idiot by Green Day
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
The age of the twenty-somethings and the purpose of discovery
2-21-11 (RM, France)
A recent WSJ article highlights the fact that many women are getting tired of seeing twenty-something men in what is termed "an extended adolescence" or "pre-adulthood." To this I say, get your cultural conservative values out of my life. It seems the author of this particular article prefers that men act according to an antiquated male gender role.
The joys of living in an economic and politically free society have afforded women the opportunity to shed off traditional marriage and gender roles based on the division of labor within the family unit. Men were defined by their role as the economic breadwinner while women were defined in their role within the household. I, for one, am glad that these cultural institutions have been and are continuing to be challenged.
As a methodological individualist, it is exciting for me to see individual men being able to define themselves based on what brings them personal happiness rather than defining themselves based on a culturally imposed model. It is also culturally interesting to see the phenomenon where men and women are actually starting to seek out mates that share passions, hobbies, and interests. This is a far cry from the days where marriages were arranged or just expected for various social, political, or economic reasons.
Perhaps our generation's new found freedom in terms of gender roles highlights a deeper divide of what generally brings men and women joy in their lives. It is not surprising to me, for instance, that the video game industry is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment on the planet with revenues in the billions. However, rather than complaining about how individuals may differ in what makes them happy, maybe it would just be easier to adopt a live and let live mentality. For example, I will never, ever, not in a million years, care about make-up or clothes. I recognized the fact however, that my previous girlfriend did and would sometimes listen to her talk about how she bought this or that or liked certain colors, etc. I didn't care about the hobby itself, but I was glad that she had found something that brought her some joy. She was nice enough to listen to me sometimes when I wanted to talk about games, sports, or other things that I had interest in. There was a nice balance.
I have been told many times in my life that I take things too seriously, think too much, etc. As of late, I have been really taking this criticism to heart and trying to reverse my outlook on life. One of my reasons for being in Paris is to find a new side of myself that is more able to enjoy the small, fun things in life. I have been going out more, meeting people, dancing, having mindless conversations about random things, and having fun. While I still find discussion and debate a worthy form of entertainment which brings me joy, I have also discovered other things that I am able to incorporate into my life and to help me re-define who I am.
My previous girlfriend once told me that growing up and gaining more responsibility was just part of life, but we choose whether or not to adopt an "adult" mentality. By this I think she meant that many people often lose parts of their lives that bring them joy. It is a great unspoken tragedy I think that most people would prefer to hang on to youthful activities that make them happy but they feel that they would somehow stand out in a negative way. An Abilene Paradox to be sure.
Why should I give up playing video or tabletop games, reading comics and science fiction, listening to punk rock, or anything else just because some person might find it childish? Please. I will wait for someone who loves me for my personality, my interest, and my passions and not because I fit some sociological norm or gender role standard.
A recent WSJ article highlights the fact that many women are getting tired of seeing twenty-something men in what is termed "an extended adolescence" or "pre-adulthood." To this I say, get your cultural conservative values out of my life. It seems the author of this particular article prefers that men act according to an antiquated male gender role.
The joys of living in an economic and politically free society have afforded women the opportunity to shed off traditional marriage and gender roles based on the division of labor within the family unit. Men were defined by their role as the economic breadwinner while women were defined in their role within the household. I, for one, am glad that these cultural institutions have been and are continuing to be challenged.
As a methodological individualist, it is exciting for me to see individual men being able to define themselves based on what brings them personal happiness rather than defining themselves based on a culturally imposed model. It is also culturally interesting to see the phenomenon where men and women are actually starting to seek out mates that share passions, hobbies, and interests. This is a far cry from the days where marriages were arranged or just expected for various social, political, or economic reasons.
Perhaps our generation's new found freedom in terms of gender roles highlights a deeper divide of what generally brings men and women joy in their lives. It is not surprising to me, for instance, that the video game industry is one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment on the planet with revenues in the billions. However, rather than complaining about how individuals may differ in what makes them happy, maybe it would just be easier to adopt a live and let live mentality. For example, I will never, ever, not in a million years, care about make-up or clothes. I recognized the fact however, that my previous girlfriend did and would sometimes listen to her talk about how she bought this or that or liked certain colors, etc. I didn't care about the hobby itself, but I was glad that she had found something that brought her some joy. She was nice enough to listen to me sometimes when I wanted to talk about games, sports, or other things that I had interest in. There was a nice balance.
I have been told many times in my life that I take things too seriously, think too much, etc. As of late, I have been really taking this criticism to heart and trying to reverse my outlook on life. One of my reasons for being in Paris is to find a new side of myself that is more able to enjoy the small, fun things in life. I have been going out more, meeting people, dancing, having mindless conversations about random things, and having fun. While I still find discussion and debate a worthy form of entertainment which brings me joy, I have also discovered other things that I am able to incorporate into my life and to help me re-define who I am.
My previous girlfriend once told me that growing up and gaining more responsibility was just part of life, but we choose whether or not to adopt an "adult" mentality. By this I think she meant that many people often lose parts of their lives that bring them joy. It is a great unspoken tragedy I think that most people would prefer to hang on to youthful activities that make them happy but they feel that they would somehow stand out in a negative way. An Abilene Paradox to be sure.
Why should I give up playing video or tabletop games, reading comics and science fiction, listening to punk rock, or anything else just because some person might find it childish? Please. I will wait for someone who loves me for my personality, my interest, and my passions and not because I fit some sociological norm or gender role standard.
Friday, February 18, 2011
A now from something completely different....
2-18-11 (Paris, France)
I'm getting ready to go to my first live rock concert in Paris. And what better way to see live music than with a beautiful date by my side. I've not heard of the bands, but they all sound like pretty mellow indie rock groups. Shouldn't be too bad of a show, especially live. I'm definitely pining for my old concert-going days in Austin. Also, for some reason, I really miss my blue hair from college. Maybe I just have a spring in my step as of late, as pointed out by some classmates today.
Updates about the concert/date forthcoming...
Song of the evening: Float On by Modest Mouse
Talk about an unexpected evening. No tickets left at the concert, good times at the bar, new friends to be found. Fun times :)
-C-
I'm getting ready to go to my first live rock concert in Paris. And what better way to see live music than with a beautiful date by my side. I've not heard of the bands, but they all sound like pretty mellow indie rock groups. Shouldn't be too bad of a show, especially live. I'm definitely pining for my old concert-going days in Austin. Also, for some reason, I really miss my blue hair from college. Maybe I just have a spring in my step as of late, as pointed out by some classmates today.
Updates about the concert/date forthcoming...
Song of the evening: Float On by Modest Mouse
Talk about an unexpected evening. No tickets left at the concert, good times at the bar, new friends to be found. Fun times :)
-C-
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Loss of a Friend and Mentor
2-17-11
My heart is filled with a great sadness at the passing of a friend and mentor, Mel Penn. Mr. Penn bravely struggled with lung cancer for 16 months before his passing on February 16th, 2011. Although Mel was fighting his own personal battle against cancer, he often acted as a counselor to me when I needed to talk to someone about a person in my life that was also afflicted by cancer. As I knew him, Mel was an extremely generous man with his time spent with me just listening. He was a source of strength and calm when my own life seemed turbulent, especially toward the end of my MBA program. I owe him a debt of gratitude for the prayers he said for me and for the people that I loved. My thoughts are with Mel and his family today. I hope that I can honor his memory by incorporating his kindness into my own life. I will miss you Mel and I will always remember what you did for me in my times of sorrow. You were a great man and deserving of my deepest respect.
A Scottish Farewell (amazing grace on bagpipes)
My heart is filled with a great sadness at the passing of a friend and mentor, Mel Penn. Mr. Penn bravely struggled with lung cancer for 16 months before his passing on February 16th, 2011. Although Mel was fighting his own personal battle against cancer, he often acted as a counselor to me when I needed to talk to someone about a person in my life that was also afflicted by cancer. As I knew him, Mel was an extremely generous man with his time spent with me just listening. He was a source of strength and calm when my own life seemed turbulent, especially toward the end of my MBA program. I owe him a debt of gratitude for the prayers he said for me and for the people that I loved. My thoughts are with Mel and his family today. I hope that I can honor his memory by incorporating his kindness into my own life. I will miss you Mel and I will always remember what you did for me in my times of sorrow. You were a great man and deserving of my deepest respect.
A Scottish Farewell (amazing grace on bagpipes)
 |
| Melvin Penn |
Saturday, February 12, 2011
A Refreshing Evening
1-12/13-11 (Paris, France)
Every now and again you need a moment in your life to refresh the spirit, boost the ego, and just remind you that you are human. Tonight was one of those nights. Thank you Maria for hosting a wonderful birthday party. As luck would have it, the evening went exactly as needed for me. The clubs were scheduled at just the right times for serendipity to show its beautiful blond head.
If I may take a moment to reflect personally, I sometimes feel like I'm just outside of the mainstream enough to put many people off. While some may see this as a negative trait, I have found that it is extremely helpful to be somewhat eccentric because it attracts just the right kind of interesting people. Why waste your life with the mundane when there are so many people out there with logical opinions and minds worth sharing. To be frank, it is just nice to be on an ego trip and feel interesting and attractive.
Song of the night: I've got the World on a String by Frank Sinatra
Every now and again you need a moment in your life to refresh the spirit, boost the ego, and just remind you that you are human. Tonight was one of those nights. Thank you Maria for hosting a wonderful birthday party. As luck would have it, the evening went exactly as needed for me. The clubs were scheduled at just the right times for serendipity to show its beautiful blond head.
If I may take a moment to reflect personally, I sometimes feel like I'm just outside of the mainstream enough to put many people off. While some may see this as a negative trait, I have found that it is extremely helpful to be somewhat eccentric because it attracts just the right kind of interesting people. Why waste your life with the mundane when there are so many people out there with logical opinions and minds worth sharing. To be frank, it is just nice to be on an ego trip and feel interesting and attractive.
Song of the night: I've got the World on a String by Frank Sinatra
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Received an email from the PRESIDENT of the French classical liberal party
2-8-11 (RM, France)
A few days ago I decided to send an email to the general inbox of a political party in France that generally subscribes to classical liberal and libertarian philosophy, basically telling them who I was and that I was looking for politically like-minded friends in Paris. Well... not only did I hear back from someone, I heard back from the president of the party. Here is a sample from the email:
"I have no doubt that your past experiences and even your insights regarding petroleum issues would be very valuable for our young political organization."
I thought that contacting the general email inbox of an organization would be fruitless, but I guess things work out for a reason. Hopefully soon I'll be able to meet some new friends and liberty-minded activists in Paris. I'm interested to see what authors people have been inspired by, especially since I have roots in classical liberalism stemming from the English and Scottish Enlightenment thinkers. I know a few French classical liberals, like Bastiat and Say, but I'm sure there are probably more to learn about. I just hope that they know who Ludwig von Mises is!
Song of the day: Tom Sawyer by Rush
Monday, February 7, 2011
France needs more punk rock, so let's rock this shi....
2-7-11 (RM, France)
I'm feeling quite punkish today so enjoy some classic tunes:
Eve of Destruction (cover version) by The Dickies
Banana Splits by The Dickies
Beat on the Brat by The Ramones
Blitzkrieg Bop by the Ramones
Holiday in Cambodia by The Dead Kennedys
Kill the Poor by The Dead Kennedys
Astro Zombies by The Misfits
Skulls by The Misfit
Faith in God by Bad Religion
Pity by Bad Religion
I'm feeling quite punkish today so enjoy some classic tunes:
Eve of Destruction (cover version) by The Dickies
Banana Splits by The Dickies
Beat on the Brat by The Ramones
Blitzkrieg Bop by the Ramones
Holiday in Cambodia by The Dead Kennedys
Kill the Poor by The Dead Kennedys
Astro Zombies by The Misfits
Skulls by The Misfit
Faith in God by Bad Religion
Pity by Bad Religion
Sunday, February 6, 2011
I've got the too-much-studying-today blues
2-6-11 (RM, France)
So I have been studying pretty much all day since I got back from the comic convention and am now getting to the point where I just don't care anymore. A terrible place to be in for sure! Oh well, this morning was really awesome and I am planning on going to the next convention in July.
Because this morning was so much fun, I decided that I wanted to find some interesting off-the-beaten-path places in Paris to visit while I'm here. I came across the Paris Vampire Museum which has a private dinner for group that includes a meal, a private guided tour of the museum, games, and discussion on vampire lore/myth. I also heard they they do tours and dinners in English. I think this would be a delightfully odd evening event!
Today I also joined a couple Meetup groups in Paris, one for adventuring and one for philosophy discussions in English. I think that these two groups will give me things to do outside of class and give the the opportunity to meet new people while I'm here. My adventure group is holding a Mardi Gras event at O'Sullivans Pub so I'm really excited to try and make a paper mache mask. I've never done this before so I am going to try and work on a mask as soon as possible to have it ready for March. I am going to attempt to make a "Bird Splicer" from the game "Bioshock" but without any of the blood splatter on it.
Anyway, enjoy these pics from the comic convention cosplay event :)
So I have been studying pretty much all day since I got back from the comic convention and am now getting to the point where I just don't care anymore. A terrible place to be in for sure! Oh well, this morning was really awesome and I am planning on going to the next convention in July.
Because this morning was so much fun, I decided that I wanted to find some interesting off-the-beaten-path places in Paris to visit while I'm here. I came across the Paris Vampire Museum which has a private dinner for group that includes a meal, a private guided tour of the museum, games, and discussion on vampire lore/myth. I also heard they they do tours and dinners in English. I think this would be a delightfully odd evening event!
Today I also joined a couple Meetup groups in Paris, one for adventuring and one for philosophy discussions in English. I think that these two groups will give me things to do outside of class and give the the opportunity to meet new people while I'm here. My adventure group is holding a Mardi Gras event at O'Sullivans Pub so I'm really excited to try and make a paper mache mask. I've never done this before so I am going to try and work on a mask as soon as possible to have it ready for March. I am going to attempt to make a "Bird Splicer" from the game "Bioshock" but without any of the blood splatter on it.
Anyway, enjoy these pics from the comic convention cosplay event :)
Found the Best Pub in Paris (on Friday, 2-4-11)
2-6-11 (Paris, France)
On Friday, I was supposed to meet up with the class representative from last year's PEM group. Only a few people confirmed that they were going to join us so I really wasn't keen on the whole thing. Fortunately however, O'Sullivans Pub turned out to be quite a nice place. Also, as luck would have it, the pub was full of Scottish rugby fans wearing kilts. Turns out that Friday nights are rugby watching nights at this pub. Anyway, the beer was great, the company was entertaining, and the night was a success. Wales lost to England in the rugby match, but oh well. Rugby is actually a really fun game to watch because there is constant action and movement. It has all the good parts of American football but non of the start and stop every play nonsense. It is definitely a sport that I could get into. On a side note, I met a guy that helps manage the capital assets of the British Royal Family. He gave me his name and email after we had discussed the American economy and the rise of China and India.
On Friday, I was supposed to meet up with the class representative from last year's PEM group. Only a few people confirmed that they were going to join us so I really wasn't keen on the whole thing. Fortunately however, O'Sullivans Pub turned out to be quite a nice place. Also, as luck would have it, the pub was full of Scottish rugby fans wearing kilts. Turns out that Friday nights are rugby watching nights at this pub. Anyway, the beer was great, the company was entertaining, and the night was a success. Wales lost to England in the rugby match, but oh well. Rugby is actually a really fun game to watch because there is constant action and movement. It has all the good parts of American football but non of the start and stop every play nonsense. It is definitely a sport that I could get into. On a side note, I met a guy that helps manage the capital assets of the British Royal Family. He gave me his name and email after we had discussed the American economy and the rise of China and India.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Most Amazing Japanese Food Night!!!! Ever!!!!
2-2-11 (Paris, France)
Just got back from what is, hands down, the best Japanese food experience of my life. Keisuke (my classmate) really outdid himself with arranging a sampling of delicious Japanese cuisine at a restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe. We started with 3 samples of sashimi (salmon, tuna, and marinaded mackeral) followed by an amazing fried ball of white meat chicken. Next we had 4 pieces of nigiri. What happened next was totally unexpected, Japanese potato dishes. This consisted of Japanese potato salad and a fried mashed potato ball. The potato ball was really impressive because of the crispy outside and mashed potato inside. Finally we had a pork meat soup with snow peas and yellow potatoes. All in all, there was so much food and it was all delicious and wonderful. To top it all off we had a few Japanese beers and some warm sake.
After eating at the restaurant we all (Francois, Valerie, Dave, Anna, Myself, Jay, Kamal, and Keisuke) we back to Keisuke's apartment to drink more beer and sake. Kamal suggested we play a party game called "Mafia" which was pretty darn fun. It was essentially the same game as "phantom" for all my starcraft 2 nerds out there only in real life. Awesome and simple game for a party. Thank you so much to all my friends for such a fantastic evening. Events like these are so much more enjoyable than going to loud music clubs, thank you!
Just got back from what is, hands down, the best Japanese food experience of my life. Keisuke (my classmate) really outdid himself with arranging a sampling of delicious Japanese cuisine at a restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe. We started with 3 samples of sashimi (salmon, tuna, and marinaded mackeral) followed by an amazing fried ball of white meat chicken. Next we had 4 pieces of nigiri. What happened next was totally unexpected, Japanese potato dishes. This consisted of Japanese potato salad and a fried mashed potato ball. The potato ball was really impressive because of the crispy outside and mashed potato inside. Finally we had a pork meat soup with snow peas and yellow potatoes. All in all, there was so much food and it was all delicious and wonderful. To top it all off we had a few Japanese beers and some warm sake.
After eating at the restaurant we all (Francois, Valerie, Dave, Anna, Myself, Jay, Kamal, and Keisuke) we back to Keisuke's apartment to drink more beer and sake. Kamal suggested we play a party game called "Mafia" which was pretty darn fun. It was essentially the same game as "phantom" for all my starcraft 2 nerds out there only in real life. Awesome and simple game for a party. Thank you so much to all my friends for such a fantastic evening. Events like these are so much more enjoyable than going to loud music clubs, thank you!
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