You just woke up, it’s a chilly Saturday morning, you have nothing to do, nowhere to be and there’s a gentle rainy mist outside, your significant other says, “I’ll get you a coffee, but you have to wait two hours while I drive to the best coffee shop in the next town.” How many of us will wait for that primo java and who will take the leftover instant package collecting dust in the back of the cabinet? Your answer might be able to provide answers about your income level, emotional stability and chances for obesity. Continue reading
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The Absence of Intellectual Debate and Rise of Clickable Outrage in P.C. Culture Hinders Substantive Social Awareness
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me.”
–Old Adage
“The pen is mightier than the sword.”
–Edward Bulwer-Lytton
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
–Old Chinese Proverb
Social justice warriors’ crusade to stop offending everyone offends me. Continue reading
Kanye West: Awards Aren’t the Only Measure of Art (OR Celebrity in the Age of Celebrities)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s, Dennis, had a hard time a few weeks ago when he found himself being rated (very low scores) by women on a group-dating site. Dennis is usually a charming sociopath; he is witty and charismatic before ultimately disappointing any possible paramours by avoiding contact or outrightly disrespecting them. But now, completely overcome by a desire for good ratings, he forgot how to be charming, and was solely focused on his one star rating. Continue reading
1984 and The War on Terror
I went to an all-boys high school. We had four or five female teachers in the whole school and an all male kitchen staff. Those haggard teachers were the most confident ladies ever to give detention. We must have looked at them like the goddesses they were most certainly not. In high school, the two newest editions to the female scope, bluntly put were a short, mousy-looking lady and a pear-shaped black woman with a Halle Berry crop. Needless to say, they became quite popular on our hormone-riddled campus. Continue reading
Like…
“I don’t like him.” It hurt me to hear that; and I was completely unprepared how to stop the feelings from being hurt. The other boy quickly replied (unconvincingly), “I don’t like him either.” I could see from his drooping head that he felt sad. Kids are not nice, they don’t need to pretend they like someone because they work with them, or live near them, or have mutual friends, or need something from them. Kids tell others how they feel, when they feel it. They are filter-less, emotional creatures with terrifyingly simple opinions. Continue reading
School Budget Cuts
The Austin Independent School District is facing a budget shortfall of close to 30 million dollars. How does a school district make up for that size of a cut? What can you cut back on that has not already been sliced apart? Can you make the teacher salary lower than it is? Can you delete books from the curriculum? Can you eliminate libraries, theaters, gymnasiums, athletic fields or special education? Can you raise local taxes? Can you erase jobs and consolidate classrooms? Nobody wants to make these decisions, and yet, here we are. With over 80,000 students spread over 113 campuses and several thousand teachers, there is a huge shift approaching. What can be done to simplify public schools to the tune of 30 million dollars? It’s a number that is hard to imagine. First, imagine a grant of 30 million. Where could it be spent most effectively? Who could benefit from it? There could be better supplies, more field trips, new computers, after school enrichment programs, new uniforms or interesting guest lecturers. There could be a fascinating atmosphere throughout the district. Kids would be challenged in new ways and in new subjects. Now, imagine that grant never came and in fact, the school owed money. I can’t visualize what is going to happen next. I can’t even figure out where they can possibly cut funds. All I know is it will happen and everyone will pay for it. This is one small district in central Texas, is this happening all over America?
William Sabia 