CULTURE/SOCIETY - 15 Reasons Why Dating A Geek Is Worth It

http://m.tickld.com/x/15-reasons-why-dating-a-geek-is-worth

POLITICS - Freedom Day 2013: The South African dream, still deferred

Perhaps there were too many noble ideals. Perhaps the founding fathers were too romantic about our future and therefore set unrealistic and unachievable goals. Maybe we ran out of good luck, or good leaders, or good faith. What if we were never the miracle nation anyway, but just an average people who attained freedom because the status quo was no longer sustainable? Maybe that’s why we are failing to be what we envisaged we would be 19 years ago? Democracy shaped a united thriving nation, which is now turning on itself. Freedom Day 2013 is a world away from that beautiful day in 1994. By RANJENI MUNUSAMY.

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-04-26-freedom-day-2013-the-south-african-dream-still-deferred/

ENTERTAINMENT - Mister Rogers: An Appreciation

Fred Rogers was one of the most recognizable and reassuring TV personalities ever. NPR's Scott Simon remembers the life and work of Mr. Rogers, who died Thursday at age 74 in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1179531&sc=17&f=

ENTERTAINMENT: 15 Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever

Back when I was in 7th grade I stood up in front of my English class and delivered a tongue-in-cheek, poorly researched presentation on why I thought Mister Rogers should be the next President. I ate up the first few minutes zipping up my cardigan, and putting on some sneakers, and then I proceeded to mock him roundly. It was a riotous success. Fourteen years later, I'm using this post to repent. The following are 15 things everyone should know about Fred Rogers:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/16416/15-reasons-mister-rogers-was-best-neighbor-ever

ENTERTAINMENT: 5 Moments That Prove Mr. Rogers Was the Greatest American

Once in a while, a publication asks who the greatest American of our lifetime is. And while Cracked would never presume to answer that question, we absolutely can. Is it Zombie Teddy Roosevelt? The puppeteer who made Ronald Reagan come alive? Former San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson?

You have to admit he's a frontrunner.
Strong contenders, all, but no. Sit down, neighbor, and hear of a man who did not conquer the world, but did it one better; he reminded us that the world needs unity rather than conquest. He walked among us as a man, although he was a hand-to-God saint. They say the difference between a saint and a psychopath is empathy, and Mr. Fred Rogers had an ocean of it, which makes him either the sanest man in history or the craziest hero we ever had.

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-moments-that-prove-mr.-rogers-was-greatest-american/

HISTORY: Iowa's place in school desegregation

http://www.iptv.org/iowastories/detail.cfm/alexander_clark

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY: New study shows that graphic novels really do help people learn

If there’s one trend we’ve noticed growing over the years its the use of graphic novels as teaching tools—on the must basic level, comics are now recognized as a way to get reluctant readers to get started reading. On a larger level, comics are being used as a general teaching tool. Josh Elder’s Reading with Pictures organization has been promoting this idea and cataloging the use of comics in the classroom. It’s not just the visceral appeal of colorful pictures that puts comics over—some think that the verbal-visual blend is the future of literacy, and comics could potentially be on the forefront of that.

This is an idea that Scott McCloud has talked about forever, but now there’s a study that shows that comics may actually help people retain information BETTER than traditional text books.

http://comicsbeat.com/new-study-shows-that-graphic-novels-really-do-help-people-learn/

HISTORY: 17 Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes You Never Hear

While best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech, King's legacy included much more than that.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/17-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes-you-never-hear

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Win-a-Trip Diary: Seeing the Power of Foreign Aid

http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/win-a-trip-diary-seeing-the-power-of-foreign-aid/

CULTURE/SOCIETY: Skeletons In The Closet

I don't know how true this is, but I found it interesting. It's from my work's newsletter. - OlderMusicGeek

Explaining the ‘skeleton in the closet’

Hundreds of years ago when English physicians wanted to learn about the human body, it was difficult because there were numerous regulations to follow.

Doctors were typically allowed to dissect only one body over the course of their education, and once the dissection had been accomplished, the physicians were reluctant to give up their prized possessions.

But it wasn’t socially acceptable to keep the skeletons, according to Webb Garrison in his book Why You Say It. Consequently, doctors often hid them in a dark corner or closet where they wouldn’t be discovered easily. Eventually the phrase “skeleton in the closet” came to mean hidden evidence of any kind.

CULTURE/SOCIETY, POLITICS and ENTERTAINMENT: Wasteland Of The Free

I guess some won't find this the most appropriate song to play on Independence Day, but what Iris said back in 1996 is still unfortunately very true 12 years later. And if we love our country, we ought to do something about making this song less true. - OlderMusicGeek



Living in the wasteland of the free...
We got preachers dealing in politics and diamond mines
and their speech is growing increasingly unkind
They say they are Christ's disciples
but they don't look like Jesus to me
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got politicians running races on corporate cash
Now don't tell me they don't turn around and kiss them peoples' ass
You may call me old-fashioned
but that don't fit my picture of a true democracy
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got CEO's making two hundred times the workers' pay
but they'll fight like hell against raising the minimum wage
and if you don't like it, mister, they'll ship your job
to some third-world country 'cross the sea
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
where the poor have now become the enemy
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
We got little kids with guns fighting inner city wars
So what do we do, we put these little kids behind prison doors
and we call ourselves the advanced civilization
that sounds like crap to me
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got high-school kids running 'round in Calvin Klein and Guess
who cannot pass a sixth-grade written test
but if you ask them, they can tell you
the name of every crotch on MTV
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We kill for oil, then we throw a party when we win
Some guy refuses to fight, and we call THAT the sin
but he's standing up for what he believes in
and that seems pretty damned American to me
and it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
where the poor have now become the enemy
Let's blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
While we sit gloating in our greatness
justice is sinking to the bottom of the sea
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free



Here's a video that's been done recently to the song...



wastelandofthefree.com, a website inspired by the song
Iris Dement's home page

CULTURE/SOCIETY: A 3-Minute Test That I Used to Give the First Day of Class

I found this with, once again, StumbleUpon. It's a test that I always gave on the first day of class when I was a teacher. There are different variations of this all over the place, internet and hard copy. StumbleUpon picked it up from the website, Books, Cats, Tech. - OlderMusicGeek

Three-minute timed test.

1. Read everything before doing anything.

2. Put your name in the upper left-hand corner of this paper.

3. Circle the word "Name" in sentence two.

4. Draw five small squares in the upper left-hand corner of this
paper.

5. Put an X in each square.

6. Sign your name under the title of this paper.

7. After the title, write "Yes, yes, yes."

8. Put a circle around sentence seven.

9. Put an X in the lower left-hand corner of this paper.

10. Draw a triangle around the X you just put down.

11. On the back of this paper, multiply 703 by 66.

12. Draw a rectangle around the word "paper" in sentence four.

13. Call out your first name when you get to this point in the
test.

14. If you think you have followed directions carefully to this
point, call out "I have."

15. On the reverse side of this paper, add 8950 and 9850.

16. Put a circle around your answer and put a square around the
circle.

17. Count out in your normal speaking voice, from ten to one backward.

18. Punch three small holes in the top of this paper with your pencil.

19. If you are the first person to get this far, call out loudly, "I
am the first person to this point, and I am the leader in following
directions."

20. Underline all even numbers on the side of this page.

21. Put a square around every number written out on this test.

22. Say out loud, "I am nearly finished, I have followed directions."

23. Now that you have finished reading carefully, do only number 2.

A link to a copy of the test I found

HUMOR and CULTURE/SOCIETY: An English Lesson and a Song about Daves

A funny english lesson sent to me by a comedian who's a myspace friend. - OlderMusicGeek



And this one is from my much younger brother's myspace page. - OlderMusicGeek

POLITICS: Two Interesting Jokes

I got these from Ernest T Spoon - OlderMusicGeek

A German soldier was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Poland. One of the courses had a professor who was rumored to be an atheist and was known as a Jewish sympathizer.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the soldier got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The soldier went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the soldier and asked, "What is the matter with you? Why did you do that?" The soldier calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting Germany's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid things and act like a fool. So, He sent me."



A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was a vowed atheist and a member of the ACLU.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his Chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What is the matter with you? Why did you do that?" The Marine calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting America 's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid crap and act like an ass. So, He sent me."

HUMOR and CULTURE/SOCIETY: American History Quiz

Yeah, I still clearing out my emails! This one is from Ernest T Spoon. - OlderMusicGeek

It was the first day of school and a new student named Pedro Martinez entered the fourth grade.

The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some American history. Who said 'Give me Liberty, or give me death?'"

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Pedro, who had his hand up. "Patrick Henry, 1775."

"Very good!" apprised the teacher. "Now, who said, 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth?'"

Again, no response except from Pedro: "Abraham Lincoln, 1863."

The teacher snapped at the class, "Class, you should be ashamed! Pedro, who is new to our country, knows more about its history than you do!"

She heard a loud whisper: "Screw the Mexicans!"

"Who said that?" she demanded.

Pedro put his hand up. "Jim Bowie, 1836."

At that point, a student in the back said, "I'm gonna puke." The teacher glared and asked, "All right! Now, who said that?"

Again, Pedro answered, "George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991."

Now furious, another student yelled, "Oh yeah? Suck this!"

Pedro jumped out of his chair waving his hand and shouting to the teacher, "Bill Clinton to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!"

Now, with almost mob hysteria, teacher said, "You little jerk. If you say anything else, I'll kill you!"

Pedro frantically yelled at the top of his voice, "Gary Condit to Chandra Levy 2001."

The teacher fainted, and as the class gathered around her on the floor, someone said, "Oh, we're in BIG trouble now!"

Pedro whispered, "Saddam Hussein, 2003."

Finally a student threw an eraser at Pedro, someone else shouted "Duck!"

The teacher, just waking, asked "Who said that?"

Pedro responded "Dick Cheney 2006!"