Out there, somewhere 07-30-2007
When I start a post where I have to state something obvious, I typically hit a brick wall, because it feels kinda stupid to say stuff like:
"Inserting tracking chips into humans is bad pretty much any way you peel it."
Or
"I've noticed that true censorship and erosion of many rights (like having to pass a drug test for a job) come from corporate culture, not so much the government."
So, screw that, and read the article about one company requiring employees to get a microchip inserted in order to have certain security clearances.
Even though I've grudgingly submitted to pee tests when required, I think if a company asked me to get a tracking chip, that'd be a deal-breaker.
10 things i hate about star trek
This one is so true!:
5. Rule by committee.
Here's the difference between Star Trek and the best SF show on TV last year:
Star Trek:
Picard: "Arm photon torpedoes!"
Riker: "Captain! Are you sure that's wise?"
Troi: "Captain! I'm picking up conflicting feelings about this! And, it appears that you're a 'fraidy cat."
Wesley: "Captain, I'm just an annoying punk, but I thought I should say something."
Worf: "Captain, can I push the button? This is giving me a big Klingon warrior chubby."
Giordi: "Captain, I think we should reverse the polarity on them first."
Picard: "I'm so confused. I'm going to go to my stateroom and look pensive."
Firefly:
Captain: "Let's shoot them."
Crewman: "Are you sure that's wise?"
Captain: "Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I'll BEAT YOU WITH until you realize who's in command."
Crewman: "Aye Aye, sir!"
(Recent favorite Bash.org quote.)
#785529
gazz: A bullet may have your name on it, but shrapnel is addressed "to whom it may concern".
Chris Rock is a national treasure. (Language NSFW.)
The big list: Female teachers with students
Most comprehensive account on Internet of women predators on campus
What kind of amazes me about this is the lack of wailing and gnashing of teeth about this in the news. If these were men, there'd be a new special every week.
And why do you suppose so many are dipping their toes into the student pool?
O hai. I fix ur bible now.
Great Ikea ad. It's about time someone did this.
Finally, ain't nothin' gonna break-uh my stride!
3 comments:
Sexual misbehaviour by female highschool teachers: is it possible to pay too much attention to this issue? No way! How could that be?
However, in a country of 300 million people, there will be lots of misbehaviour of all sorts, so I have to wonder whether this is really an epidemic.
The article lists 101 cases of misbehaviour.
Now, how many female high school teachers are there in the US anyways?
{Bogus statistical section begins here}
According the Wikipedia, there are about 80 million students of all sorts in the US. Let's say 25% are are in high school. That's 20 million.
Let's say average class size is 25, and 70 percent of teachers are female. That's 560,000 females.
Obviously we would prefer that there be no sexual misbehaviour among teachers - or among any social group at any time, for that matter - but what level of misbehaviour can we tolerate without going into a social-conservative freakout? One percent? Per whatever the survey period of the article is supposed to be (some cases reach back to the 1990s, but most seem to be within the last couple of years).
Say 1 percent, and assume further that 1 percent of these cases are prosecuted or otherwise come to public notice.
That'd be 56 cases, which, granted, is barely half of the number reported here, but given the bogosity of my methodology, not too much to worry.
To repeat: it's a big country, and lots of bad things are bound to happen (and some of these cases don't strike me as that bad).
BTW, in my high school in the 70s, one of the teachers began socializing with the school slut outside of school hours. He was firmly warned to quit it, but nothing else happened. What would happen today?
Also, a friend of mine dated the school secretary. Allowed, or not?
Oh by the way, since someone has to look into this... About 12 percent of the cases listed involved lesbian relationships. That's a fair bit higher than the proportion of lesbians in the general female population (by a factor of 5 or so), but perhaps teaching attracts lesbians. It's nothing like the disproportion you see in the Catholic sex scandals.
Cool observations anon. I the the secretary is right out, too. Anyone at the school, even the janitor, should avoid students until they are students no more.
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