Einstein's philosophy did not hold the speed of radiation unfettered in vacuo to be "very fast." It assumed this speed to be normal, and all other lesser speeds manifest in physical Universe to be occasioned by local interferences, shunting independent phenomena into local circuit repatternings. (529.24)I tackled the garage again today, with Glenn and LW coaching. The student quarters are dingy by local standards, not Reed College quality to put it mildly. The principal enemy is clutter. As a typical homeowner, I'm saddled with the archeological detritus of middle age, having been married, raised children, turned gray. I treasure a lot of these materials, which span generations and connect many people and events, but that doesn't justify collecting and keeping a whole boat load.
TM got invited to the beach. NC pushed off with Gideon.
A thread on education policy, openly critical of the Obama administration, continued to get my attention. The idea of a "manufactured crisis" is preposterous, given the times, the events we're witnessing. I weigh in with some rant in favor of more domestic international schools, exchange student programs, and tearing down the "Berlin Wall" between computer and mathematics topics at the high school level. I even call on the Russians for help, echoing Ronald Reagan's request to Gorbachev. These are longstanding themes in math teaching circles, with experiments going back to at least the dawn of the personal computer.
Last night, we screened another three videos from the book store, this one about an Air Force pilot and officer, enjoying a leisurely tour flying some big planes in Vietnam, then suddenly having a crisis of conscience over what was being carried out and refusing to support combat operations any further. He reminded me of Ralph McGehee in some ways. The Air Force put him in a mental hospital, which led him to eventually enter the medical profession and find his way to El Salvador to treat victims of the war in Central America. This guy seemed amazingly courageous. He'd also become a Quaker. Dr. Charlie Clemens.
Glenn was kind but stern about getting rid of garbage, old papers etc. LW has her stuff down to one car load. If you're an acquaintance near or in 97214 who could use some children's books, toys, some good clothing, some dishes, other supplies or decorations, I might have what you're looking for, feel free to get in touch. Garage sales are always a possibility.
Through the Wikieducator list and other sources, I'm tracking Google's decision to lift censorship in China by moving to simplified Chinese on the HK servers. I think of these as "events in Cyberia" wherein nations, virtual nations, other nebulous groups, engage in noospheric activities. There's a lot of spying and prying, which may sometimes change the map of how Global University services get delivered.
Using a Fuller Projection may be useful in this context as it reminds us to see extra-nationally as well as nationally. Even if the challenge is to remember the capitals of 50 states, associated with some 50 stars, it makes sense to provide a more global perspective, given the international flavor of this curriculum.
The Dymaxion airocean world map is only one of many devices that could provide man with a total information-integrating medium. We are going to have to find effective ways for all of humanity to see total Earth. Nothing could be more prominent in all the trending of all humanity today than the fact that we are soon to become world man; yet we are greatly frustrated by all our local, static organizations of an obsolete yesterday. (537.34)You'll see how I walk this very talk if you follow my links through edu-sig, where I'm yakking about Rich Data Structures again. In more recent terminology, I'm sharing Supermarket Math, talking about how things work in terms of databases. We also take up TCP/IP in my classes, often screening Warriors of the Net.
Tonight's videos were somewhat horrific. Friends should avoid overdosing on Gothic documentaries. Quaker schools, aspiring Zen centers such as this one, other alternatives to violence programs, need to find a balance between studying the world's ills and working for positive change. To the extent we're able to make headway with disaster relief and healing, we'll be ready to face more challenges. Success stories make a difference. The Berlin Wall came down.
