Fundamentals

McCain still thinks the economy is fundamentaly strong. Mark Fiore's animated site has more on this silliness. (tip to Norm)

(photo unattributed)

"Gladwellian"

Now there's a new one! Score one for David Brooks. A lesser columnist would have gone with "Gladwellesque." Pshaw.

Gaming In the Media Center

HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!

That's hilarious. I read this and thought the guy just must be crazy. Better keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't hurt anyone. Then he posted this "research" and I started to get grumpy. A million counter-arguments filled my mind. I began sharpening my blog knives so I could properly cut him to ribbons. Then I read this and realized it must all be a joke. Pretty good satire too!

He gives three reasons for putting video games in school media centers: Individualization of learning, Simulation of authentic experience, and Intellectual complexity.

He's not talking about spending actual money on expensive and soon-obsolete video games at all. He's talking about books. He's cleverly disguised it as a push for wasteful and pointless video games when he really is telling us NOT to do such a stupid and pointless thing. He wants us to quit wasting our time and money on silly and distracting technology and buy more books. They're the perfect thing. What else offers the individualization of learning so well? What else could possibly simulate authentic experience so well (I'm remembering crying for Charlotte in E.B. White's classic right now), and what else offers just the right amount of intellectual complexity?

They almost had me going there for a moment. Now I know what to do. Buy more books!

Sheer Brilliance. Up there with Swift's A Modest Proposal.

Thank you so much for a good laugh Justin Ashworth and Scott McLeod. I'm wiping a tear from my eye in appreciation.

Carnival of Elitist Bastards #3

PZ has the goods up this month. He takes us all to task, including yours truly:

"Teacherninja does quote an exemplary elitist bastard in a defense of intellectualism that calls for more forthright educators, but is disqualified on a technicality. Teacherpirate would have gotten a nod from me, but ninjas are effete sneaky bastards who need to be slapped down more."

His brains have clearly been rum-soaked. The scurvy swine needs to take a look at this definitive pirate/ninja matchup.

That's How I Roll

Don't click this link if bad words offend. (via Jack at Big Contrarian)

Yes, It's My Birthday

Pencils my wife had made up as part of the party favors. Nice. I'm sure they'll find their way all over my school in no time.

The Elitist Menace!

(thanks Norm)

Fighting Five-Year-Olds

21

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

21 doesn't sound like too many, but then I only have eight now and I'd be scared of two of them in a fight. Just because they're cute and little doesn't mean they can't be mean little buggers.

(via Fuse #8)

Ninja Library

(Thanks Fuse #8, BB-Blog, & Savage Chickens.)

This Is Classic

This is going down in history. Here's the follow up. And Kristine was the one with the camera. I can't tell you how completely happy this makes me. I'm going into that damn GRE test with a smile on my face today. You did know, of course, that the fellow in the grey trenchcoat was the former professor of evolutionary biology and holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford, Clinton Richard Dawkins, right? And the silly creationists let him into their "documentary" because they were busy "expelling" PZ Myers.

The sweet sweet irony of it all.

About As Much Spanish as I Know

Yes, I teach Spanish speakers, but no, I don't know much more Spanish than this guy.

This Is Me

Area Eccentric Reads Entire Book

GREENWOOD,IN—"Instead of spending hours on YouTube every night, Mr. Meyer, unlike most healthy males, looks to books for gratification," said one psychologist.

and this:

Skeptic Pitied

FAYETTEVILLE, AR-Craig Schaffner, 46, a Fayetteville-area computer consultant, has earned the pity of friends and acquaintances for his tragic reluctance to embrace the unverifiable, sources reported Monday.

Click on the headlines to read the full hilarity that is me.

Today Will Be Remembered

As the day my daughter discovered...

Disneyland!

Arrrrgh!

Well, at least I got four and a half good years before someone slipped her the info. I knew it was inevitable, but I was hoping for Kindergarten or even first grade.

See, we have Tivo, so she has little exposure to commercials. This is a true blessing, let me tell you. It's the best thing a parent could have. They should come with the baby.

When we watch movies, it's usually on DVD and we just skip right to the film, so even though she sees many Disney films (along with other, more interesting ones), she's never seen the park itself.

Until yesterday. At her preschool the teacher put in an old video of The Aristocats and apparently it had an ad in the beginning because she let me have it this morning.

She was on the potty right before we left for school. She looked up at me and said, "Daddy! Disney has a play park! It's called...Disney Land! Can we go to Disney Land, Daddy? Can we, pleeeese?"

I told her we'd look into it.

Sigh. (She'll love it, but sheesh.)

Ensure No Child Is Left Behind:

Don't Click on This Link...

...if you have even the slightest twinge that The Golden Compass might be harmful in any way. Because we know how bad ideas can be. Or if you just don't have any kind of a sense of humor.

But if you enjoyed the book (or movie), then feel free to click on this link from The Landover Baptist Church entitled: "THE GOLDEN COMPASS Vs. THE HOLY BIBLE!"