tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77935632073628985392024-03-16T11:52:59.080-07:00Post Secondary Education BlogStefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-33397598470529757302021-03-19T06:03:00.001-07:002021-03-19T06:03:05.825-07:00How do We Counteract the Marketing of Fear?<p style="text-align: justify;">Don’t buy it. When someone tells you to worry about something, ask if it requires that you subscribe to something that will reduce your paycheck on a monthly basis. I’m not saying that all fears one hears about are unjustified. Clearly, the environment is fucked, global warming is real, and the fascists are out to get us. but these fears are absolutely free of charge. These are, in fact, fears that require you stop buying something. Avoid all fears that include the necessity that you purchase a book, or attend a paid seminar, or send money to an organization that will promptly spend your money on spreading more fear. I will not name these organizations. Some of them are good. Some of them are bad. Some of them do good in the world. Some of them do good only for themselves. That is not my point, to demonize those who move money for their own purposes. What I want to call into question instead is the american fear industry. I believe what is called for is a general strike and boycott by american fear consumers. I suggest that we organize and take to the streets and declare a moratorium on the endless fear broadcasts that are designed to make us buy into their lifestyle of more, and more, and more fear. It’s like heroin, this fear. It stops us dead in our tracks, makes us surrender to authority, keep our head down, not want to cause any trouble. The american way used to be making trouble. The founding fathers, god rest and damn those bourgeois white slave-owning indian killers, were right about one thing: the tree of liberty was never watered by the piss of fear.</p>Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-4651556420684027712018-03-06T05:10:00.000-08:002018-03-06T05:10:45.064-08:00The Canadian Press<div style="text-align: justify;">
A Montreal pooch is about to return home from a shocking, unscheduled, 4,500 kilometre journey that over the last year allowed her to see more of Canada than most Canadians do. In the days and weeks following Pollux’s disappearance, Robitaille said she looked everywhere for the dog and routinely heard of sightings but no firm information. On the day she disappeared from the family backyard, it had been raining. Robitaille suspects she might have hopped into a freight train to get out of the rain. But she said it’s also possible she was picked up by a trucker or a family heading west. Robitaille gave up hope. The mother even went as far as getting a new dog, assuming her three kids would never see Pollux again as the months dragged on. Fast-forward to Canada Day and a shocking phone call from the SPCA branch in Kamloops: a dog with a microchip implanted in her skin and containing Robitaille’s contact information was found in B.C. “I said, ‘Send me pictures,’ because I didn’t believe it,” Robitaille said. “And they sent me a picture and it was her.” Pollux was alive and well, although a bit leaner than before, but otherwise in good health. The Labrador retriever had been named Suki by her saviours in the southern interior city of Kamloops, B.C. She has lived there at least a month after being found about 65 kilometres outside the city, in a rural area. </div>
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Sarah Gerow of the SPCA in Kamloops said Pollux was no worse for wear after a year on the road. “She’s in good health, good body condition so she’s obviously had help along the way,” Gerow said. “It’s amazing, this dog has probably seen more (of Canada) than the average person has.” Pets from out of province are a rarity at the shelter. “We’ve had cases of animals going missing across town, but not across the country,” Gerow said. Without the chip, Gerow and Robitaille agree a reunion would not have been possible. The procedure is simple and can save time in tracking down a pet owner. “Without it there’s no way we would have found Isabelle, given the distance and time that’s passed,” Gerow said in a phone interview. “It’s smaller than a grain of rice and implanted just underneath the skin.” In fact, Robitaille was so sold on the chip that her husband immediately had the family’s new dog, Candy, fitted with a chip, too. “It took a long time for the kids to accept Candy, but they are now so excited to have Pollux back. They’re very, very excited,” Robitaille said. Getting home won’t be nearly as big an ordeal: Pollux will be flying home courtesy SPCA International, who’ll foot the bill. Pollux is expected home late Thursday, or early Friday. “She’s going to be 9 this summer so she’s going to be home for her birthday,” Robitaille said.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-19733592065451478632015-12-18T07:35:00.000-08:002015-12-18T07:35:00.322-08:00Twitter, What a Tweet!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had heard of Twitter before from various people and institutions exclaming, "Follow me / us on Twitter!". I knew the general concept of Twitter, but I never really understood what all the fuss was about. I signed up for an account after attending a workshop (titled The workshop, which FYI was wonderful, informative, and interesting, so I would recommend going if they put one on like it again). One of the speakers at The workshop talked about Twitter and she seemed to be able to pull so much knowledge from it and connect with so many people. I tried to get the hang of it, but I never really understood how to use Twitter to find what I wanted. Maybe because I never thought I was doing anything interesting enough to tweet, or maybe because I did not have anyone following me to care (how sad!). What I did not realize is that twitter can be a way to reach out to fellow educators from around the globe and share information, thoughts, web links, etc. I love that Twitter is a huge social network that we can use to make connections with other people and potentially learn from them. I think that my biggest challenge will be learning how to develop a PLN on Twitter and use it to gain knowledge and information with others. I will continue reading tips about Twitter (I wonder if they have a "Twitter for Dummies" tutorial or book?). Thanks to Sue from NBCC for sending me some links to help me get started. Although I can not claim to be a Twitter expert (not even close, actually) I am going to keep trying and hope to get the hang of it!</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-26464828363750614492015-10-03T07:37:00.000-07:002015-10-03T07:37:00.217-07:00Web 2.0 Assignments<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is hard to believe that we are wrapping up the Web 2.0 assignments. I have had a great experience learning how to use new tools for teaching and beyond! I may not use all of the web 2.0 tools on a regular basis, but most of them I have found quite useful and will use them frequently. I love photo editing. Photoshop is my favorite program, and I can spend hours editing photos. I chose to explore Flickr toys and had fun with a few photos. I think this would be a great tool for students who need to use images for an assignment. It is quick and easy to alter photos and would allow students to add some creativity to their project. I had a bit of an issue with Google Doc's. I have used the program to open and edit existing documents in the past, but this is the first time I attempted to create one. Creating a document in Google Doc's did not go so well for me. I had my entire blog composed and I was unable to save the document or copy the text to paste it into blogger. I had written a few witty comments and good points in the post that I just can not seem to remember when I typed this post. Oh well, maybe I will give Google Docs another go sometime (although I was quite frustrated at the time).</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-31393707113532453072015-09-01T01:11:00.000-07:002015-09-01T01:11:57.610-07:00So Delicious!<div style="text-align: justify;">
After watching tutorials and some good old fashioned trial and error, I am beginning to get a grasp on social bookmarking. After searching a couple different topics using Delicious or Google search, I am on the fence regarding which I prefer. I found searching on Google more useful for topics that may lack popularity (I searched Nuclear Physics in both, and found Google produced the most applicable results). However, when I searched a more popular topic (such as chemotherapy) I found delicious provided a set of more applicable websites like the American Cancer Society than searching on Google. Something I find a bit annoying is that when you click on a link in delicious, that link opens in the current window instead of opening in a new window. So, if you are like me and close the window, you have to open delicious and start your search again. Although this can be fixed by holding the "control" button when clicking the link, I would like if it opened a new window just by clicking. I have found delicious to be very useful, and I like that the sites can be sorted according to tags to help find sites on specific topics. In my opinion, a site like delicious is much more practical than the traditional method of adding favorites on a computer. Having the ability to access your bookmarks from another computer and accessing other peoples lists is a very useful feature. </div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-16100223342325802262015-06-03T06:57:00.000-07:002015-06-03T06:57:00.506-07:00You Tube<div style="text-align: justify;">
I love YouTube. You can find a video on any topic on YouTube. From cooking videos and movie clips to reliving a golden moment, you tube has something to offer everyone. I explored the educational uses of YouTube this past week and discovered a world of possibilities. A video can be so helpful when trying to teach something. Health Science students have to learn many clinical skills and obtaining those skills can be an intimidating experience for new students. Venipuncture is an essential skill that some students struggle with, and I found the following video on You Tube that explains the process in a clear and concise manner. I think that videos like this one could help students build up more confidence in their skills even before practicing on an actual patient. The commenting process on YouTube is brilliant. It benefits the viewer to comment because you may encourage the person who broadcast the video to share other useful videos. I find the "Search options" helpful as you can sort videos based on view count, date added, rating, etc, to help sort through the videos and turn up an optimal search result. I always knew that YouTube had great entertainment value, but I am impressed with the vast amount of educational videos that can also be found. I think that videos (if used correctly) can be invaluable in education to help teach a skill or idea, or to help students refocus in the middle of a long lecture. I will definitely keep exploring YouTube searching for videos that could be useful in clinical teaching. I will leave you with a video that delivers a powerful (and cute) message that is always important to remember in our wonderfully diverse world, we can always find a way to see past our differences and get along!</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-61924448290212402222015-05-11T05:21:00.000-07:002015-05-11T05:21:12.791-07:00Wiki Wiki Wild<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was an interesting week exploring wikis. I must admit that I am still getting the hang of using a wiki site, especially the formatting and linking tools, but I am learning. The video, Wikis in plain english, was very helpful for me in grasping the concept. What makes a wiki unique is that other people can alter the information you have submitted (where a blog is a place for you to record information and thoughts). Although people can comment on your blog, they cannot change the information you have entered. I think a wiki would be useful for an assignment or topic of discussion that involves several people and a blog would be more useful when you want to share information. I think that I would allow students to cite a wiki as a source of academic research as long as the wiki had references listed (such as Wikipedia). I may be a bit skeptical if a student obtained certain information from a personal wiki site that was not backed up by another reference. Having said that, I think some wiki sites (again, such as wikipedia) are quite reliable as many people have an interest in maintaining the validity of the site. </div>
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Out of curiosity, I have entered information that I know to be incorrect on wikipedia, and it was changed back within minutes. I also like the idea of students using wikipedia because it is a good source for information that tends to change. Text books are a great source of information, and can remain valid for years in certain subjects (such as history), however in areas such as patient care a text book can become dated soon after it is released. A site like wikipedia could prove to be a good source of newly changed information. It may be difficult for wikis to enforce policies that prove the validity of the information to the public. It is good to have a reference cited at the end of the wiki so that if a reader is skeptical about any information, they can go to the source and research the subject further. Using a wiki in healthcare education may be quite useful, especially in the diagnostic imaging field. It would be a good place to share images with students and recieve their input on the image. Aside from the use of wiki's in education, I could definitely see myself using a wiki to plan a group vacation or potluck!</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-41823033059536328212015-02-10T06:49:00.000-08:002015-02-10T06:49:00.154-08:00Podcasting<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am amazed at what I am learning every week. I may have known a little bit about each of these Web 2.0 tools, but prior to now I have not taken the time to really understand them. I remember being very interested in podcasting while riding the tube in <a href="http://www.destinatii.info/vacanta/londra/" target="_blank">London</a> and discovering that people were watching TV shows on their mobile devices while commuting to work. Since then, I have used podcasting to keep up on my favorite shows, but did not consider the value podcasting can have in education. One of the links Judy provided us with talked about students creating their own podcasts and feeling motivated to continue with the knowledge that people all over the world have access to their podcast. Asking students to create a podcast about a certain topic may be a great assignment idea. The teacher could easily subscribe to the podcast to ensure they receive any new data. Also, encouraging students to listen/watch and subscribe to an educational podcast (eg Grammar tips or patient care issues). I think that this could help many students learn as they can access the information whenever they wish and they can access it on the go (they could learn patient care practices on their bus ride to school). Upon exploring the Teacher's Podcast (thanks for the link Judy), I discovered that they have created an App for the iPhone that allows you to click and have access to their podcasts! How efficient! Podcasting seems like a much less lonely venture than blogging, maybe I should try creating one.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-29926300953113110862015-01-21T05:43:00.000-08:002015-01-26T06:42:00.589-08:00Biding Time<div style="text-align: justify;">
Senator Roy Blunt. Roy, who would have thought of running into you in the Senate. I see you rode in on the tide of Republicans. I would hope that was the only hope you had for getting elected. I'm used to seeing you work your mischief in the House with your buddy Tom Delay. I never could understand what the people of Missouri saw in you but stranger things have happened there. I consider you one of the Republicans biding time, Democrats also have senators biding time, not too good, not to bad, just drawing a pay check and reaping the perks. I thought you used poor judgment in hooking your wagon to Tom DeLay in the House but it looks like you came out smelling like roses. You went to the Senate and Tom went home to Texas packing a defiant attitude, a bruised ego, and a ruined career. I'm not expecting great things from you in the Senate, neither am I expecting bad, that's the nature of your kind. I would guess you won't be able to work yourself into leadership positions in the Senate like you did in the House, unless you're able to use your time in the House as some kind of tiebreaker in the Senate seniority system. There are a number of fire breathing tea party Republicans pawing the ground and snorting for senior positions. I don't know how well you'd do holding your own against them. Roy, I'm on a search for good in the Republican Party but I don't think I've found it in you. You leave me lukewarm. I'll perhaps catch a glimpse of you from time to time on TV but doubtful as often as I saw you when you served in the House. The senate is probably a good place for you to serve out your time, add to your pension, and call in a few chips.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-35727554211619940232014-12-25T06:12:00.000-08:002014-12-25T06:12:00.361-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-70035767664446725222014-12-17T05:40:00.000-08:002014-12-17T05:40:00.681-08:00Fair Weather Friend<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am a fair weather friend when it comes to politics, to put it bluntly. I love politics and have studied it for many years but there are times when I have to check in my badge and take a break. Have you ever seen a week like we've just had in Washington? Everyday seems to bring more bad news. Add that to the bombing in Boston, the rescue of the women in Cleveland and on and on and it wipes me out. I get overwhelmed. It seems most two term presidents have trouble in their second terms. I hoped this administration would be different but apparently that is not going to be the case. I at least hoped for more time before the big hit. That is apparently not going to happen either. So much for hoping. I'm going to step back a little, read some books on subjects other than politics, and watch the political drama from a distance for the time being. Our children are in Japan so for the next three weeks we'll be going to their home twice a day to care for their four cats. Bob will have cataract surgery on december 20. Company arrives on december 24. Summers seem to bring added activity. I'll still be around. I just need to step back a little to catch my breath. Almost forgot, Marry Christmas!</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-16691716636594980522014-12-10T05:36:00.000-08:002014-12-10T05:36:00.029-08:00Ina Vanba Dariva Honey - 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the things that I do when I get in this phase is go back and read old stuff I wrote, and as usual I can’t recognize my own voice out of any of it. I use bigger words than I think I know. I somehow parse these sentence structures and architectonics of reasoning that upon re-reading cause me to go what? Is that me? I don’t recognize that guy. I feel stupid, preverbal. I’ve been in this state of wordless emotion for so long that I almost feel as if I don’t even know my own language any more. I can’t remember if I know anything, or if I have anything to say, or if I’m good at anything in particular. When I was passing through passport control the officer asked me what I do for a living. (Hello America! Back to the madhouse! I’m from here, plus I’ve been unemployed forever anyway, whose job would I steal?". But instead what I said was, "uh... I’m a writer". Which is pretty much my stock answer. That’s what I told this sort of local wiseman / leader / entrepreneur back in country when he asked me the same question. He pressed for what kind of writing and I said "uh... web content" Meanwhile my american host over there played a funny trick on me I’m still kind of reeling from in which she introduced me to a local important person as a "great poet". He responded to this information by asking me how many books I had published. No matter which country I’m in I still kind of feel like the big joke’s on me. My work is to figure out how to laugh instead of cry. So there you have it friends. Glad to be back. I’ll try to update more frequently in the coming days.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-73478870944210192052014-12-05T05:36:00.000-08:002014-12-05T06:26:46.568-08:00Ina Vanba Dariva Honey<div style="text-align: justify;">
That’s a rock joke. If you are not familiar with rock music of the previous century it may be meaningless to you. And that’s okay (and that’s a reference to sen. Al Franken’s old day job) but I digress. As usual. So where to start, I paid my first visit to the other hemisphere’s so-called "developing world" over the past week and a half. I’m still recalibrating my digestive tract. But it’s given me a lot to think about. One of the things is that there’s nothing romantic or noble about poverty, which I knew already having some experience with it, but seeing where people pay the cost of our lifestyles sort of drives it home. Nobody wants to be poor, really. Unable to get clean water to drink. Treated like shit by obnoxious white tourists. Children dying all around of preventable diseases which are the direct result of arbitrary political factors such as poverty, which is a direct result of capitalism. Y’know, stuff like that. But you also see how normal it is to live a simple life because the majority of people in the world live that way, and the sick, insane way we live over here is really thrown into stark relief. And yet again, a powerful realization of that does not take away a concurrent realization of the beauty of this place, just as noticing the suffering there did nothing to take away from the beauty. America really is beautiful. Not because of anything we did, or did to deserve it.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-43808007379947792102014-10-27T06:10:00.000-07:002014-10-27T06:10:00.493-07:00Save the Economy, Save the Children<div style="text-align: justify;">
Create the 8th Grade year Small Business Practicum to be available to all students in public schools. The first week will be one of general discussion of what is involved in starting and maintaining a business. Students will then brainstorm about what kind of business they want to start. Interspersed are exercises to get everyone to know one another's abilities, skills, strengths, weaknesses, dedication, determination, interactive styles and personality characteristics. The students are then assigned to research possible business options, which might best succeed in their environment, local needs that can be addressed, the resources needed to make their business a success. As the year goes on, the business is formed and maintained. Students are offered ways of locating resources to help them learn what they need to do along the way. A multi-disciplinary advisor group of teachers makes suggestions and are available for consultation and skills training. Local business people are recruited as consultants and to give guest lectures to the class. The students decide how any profits are to be distributed. After the class year, any students who wish to may continue their businesses. </div>
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They are also welcome to give guest lectures and act as advisors to subsequent classes. Any graphic artists who would like to collaborate on my as yet graphic-less "graphic novel"? Without the graphics, it is merely a novelette. Any poetry more performers who would like to perform my poem, "strangling heaven"? Any performance group who would like to perform my piece "Gaea"? Any visionary artists who would like to submit work to Emerging Visions visionary art ezine title: "Jung Heart"? Watch for the next call, expected shortly after the Solstice, for Emerging Visions visionary art working theme title: Jung at Heart hopefully emerging in deepest November (or the early light of December). The working theme title for "Jung at Heart". I find it easier to work the collage with a running theme. They are usually associated with the astrological influence at the time of "emergence" of the issue. Leo rules youth and heart. What I am hoping to get are works relating to fairytales, youth archetypes, playfulness, creativity, childlike wonder, and such. If you have something for the issue, please do send it.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-17722122699965167232014-10-01T06:16:00.000-07:002014-12-05T06:17:58.343-08:00That Feeling<div style="text-align: justify;">
The feeling of approaching autumn fills me with joy. Company is gone until next year, fall items are out in the stores, the weather forecast is for cooler temperatures, daylight arrives later each day and sunset earlier. I do love that feeling. A few days ago I thought I was coming down with something like a cold and went to the medicine chest only to find the aspirin expired in 2012, the Tylenol in 2013, and a dead battery in the thermometer. The battery has been replaced and we decided to buy very small bottles of aspirin and Tylenol. We obviously don't do well with bottles of 500. After reading the All Fingers and Thumbs blog this morning I sighed and said to myself "I know that feeling." It brought a smile to my face.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-65217699325367295482014-09-05T05:54:00.000-07:002014-09-05T05:54:00.023-07:00From Persephone's Journal: The Economy - 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are plenty of people who have no desire to be part of the quest for financial wealth, yet give full value to the social net. Raising children is valuable work. Caring for ill and infirm family and neighbors is valuable work. Organizing and participating in volunteer projects addressing community needs is valuable work. Providing education, art, cultural events is valuable work. Yet it is also legitimate to live, enjoy life as best one can, privately, without fanfare or public obligation. Humankind is so much better served by people pouring energy and intent into their passions than people grudgingly performing jobs out of obligation or desperation. If there is concern about less appetizing but necessary work being done, there are certainly ways to address this: What is unappetizing to some may be interesting or useful in some sense, psychology or other to others. </div>
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This is another advantage of a diverse population, when properly celebrated; Ways can be found to reward, show admiration for, or otherwise make more palatable such tasks; Ways can be found to give over as much as possible of these tasks to technological aid; We can figure out better ways to take care of the needs now served by such tasks. The best incentive, result and means of moving toward this expanded economic model is the unleashing and uplifting of the great gift of human creativity, along with a generally increased zest for life. It doesn't have to happen all at once. If we consciously make efforts in this direction, eventually the tipping point will be reached, the more rational paradigm will take hold. As the benefits become evident, that which is best in us will continue to move forward.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-55307210984182854412014-08-29T05:54:00.000-07:002014-08-29T05:54:23.381-07:00From Persephone's Journal: The Economy<div style="text-align: justify;">
All this talk about "the economy" as if there's a war between capitalist free market and governmental programs, or as if any policy could be one size fits all. People get so caught up in ideologies and competition, putting down viciously any idea defensively seen as contrary to our preset mindset. Well, obviously, not everyone, but enough to be an enormous unnecessary obstacle to real world optimization. What makes more sense to me is a kind of two-tier economy. You've got your basic tier in which everyone gets a piece of the pie covering whatever is deemed to be the basics. This sphere can also include basic infrastructure like public health facilities, public transportation including national roads, highways, turnpikes and such, public safety organizations like emergency and law enforcement, or more rationally peace enforcement. Then there's public education, libraries, art and culture centers and events. </div>
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The second tier would be the free market capitalists to provide the goods and services they do best, consumer goods, luxuries, lifestyle and status markers, specialty niche fillers, fads and fancies and fantasies and innovations. People will want to go beyond the basic and fulfill dreams or create profits because there is more to human satisfaction than basic comforts. We like to shine, be respected, show our stuff. We like to earn credits to win prizes. We like to build our personal empires or be part of exciting or valued projects. We like to work when that work is appreciated and not oppressive. We are not in a position, even in impoverished areas, where we need to live by the creed: If you don't work, you don't eat. We have plenty of potential labor to provide far more than enough for everybody without demanding full participation.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-39603200087646359322014-06-19T05:53:00.000-07:002014-06-19T05:53:36.002-07:00What makes Gyaru?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Every third people keeps telling that fat people can't be gals. Or black people. Or the ugly ones. At the same time the other ones says that you can't be gal without circle lenses, heavy makeup, false lashes, brand clothes big hair or something. Still some people buy their clothes from local stores, have straight hair, no lenses and not much makeup at all and they're gals. Some people have this all but aren't. I'm wondering what makes gyaru. I've allways been thinking that gyaru is a social sommunity as much as it's a style. Maybe the community is even more important. I don't think it's possible to be gyaru outside Japan. You can wear the same kind of clothes or makeup, have own circle etc but it'll never be the same. As much some people want to be gals I think they're just copying the style. They can do it well and look the same as their japanese idols but gyaru is in the attitude and the way you see the life - not in clothes. So, what's gyaru and what's the difference between them and "regular people". Sometimes when I'm looking at the Popteen or Ageha my answer is nothing. When I look at some of the outfits in the magazines and compare them with the ones I see everyday at school I see no difference. Jeans, tartan shirt, hair... Everything looks the same exept makeup. And still I know that none of the guys in my school have never even heard a word gyaru. Is there any matter of being gal in west if you look the same as the other girls who have no idea what gyaru even is?</div>
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What i'm trying to say is that if I see manba in the street I see gal. I think "wau, she's doing a great style". Then I see a blond girl with curled hair next to her. She looks very stylish. She doesn't have circle lenses or strong makeup but I'm pretty sure she's wearing Ank Rouges shirt. I don't know if she's gal or not. Is she just normal stylish girl who has gyaru friend and shirt from gyaru brand? Or is she actually in gyaru? Never knows.But still if I see japanese gal I know that she is gal. Even if she'd wear school uniform or something. What's the point of being gyaru? Why people need to prove that they're gals? Why they can't just be pretty girls with big hair, stylish clothes and nice makeup? Rockers are rockers and punkers are punkers but gals are not gals. It doesn't make any sense. I think the problem is that none of us really don't know what western gyaru is and what it should be alike. We have thousands of opinions and none of us can't tell who's right and who's wrong. We can't tell that 'cause there're no standards for being western gal. My personal opinion is that everyone can do gyaru as a style but there's a big diffenrence between you and the community saying that you you're a gal. You can feel youself gyaru. You can take lots of inspiration from style. You can even wear gyaru brands and gyaru stylish makeup. But in the end it's up to western gyaru community if "you're gyaru or not". Ok this text propably didn't make any sense but I felt that I needed to tell you some my thoughts. I'd love to hear you opinions.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-22094638708997050372014-04-03T07:12:00.000-07:002014-04-03T07:12:00.020-07:00Making our Education Work - 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have to do a radical change in the way we go about the business of education in this country if we want it to transform our nation. We have to make sure our education unlocks the power and potential within the student way beyond just bagging First Class degrees, but to the point where the student sees himself as first adding value to the society before earning money with that degree. We have to encourage students to acquire broader knowledge beyond just what their course is, and even go beyond the traditional career options of their discipline. The most important thing in the world today is that one is providing value in what he/she does, and not about what he/she studied. Gone are those days where an engineering student must be a practicing engineer; the notion is as archaic as the Industrial Age. The solutions can come from random places, and not even what was learned formally in school. What matters most, nay, all that matters is that whatever he is doing is something beneficial to others first... </div>
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Then profitable to himself. As much as I know that the Nigerian business environment is a very tough one, it is not impossible to achieve this. As a matter of fact, the type of solutions that will be created will even take advantage of the business environment. This is where the power of local knowledge comes into play. There will always be problems and challenges requiring solutions. What we need most is problem-solvers; solution-providers; change-workers. We need people who are creating solutions to problems and also to make a living out of it. It is the combination of the two that forms entrepreneurship, be it business or social (non-profit). Most especially, we need these people now if we are to lift ourselves from the economic pit we find ourselves: young people who will be possessed by ideas that they believe will change their world and solve problems and finding ways to achieve it.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-48304454753686127892014-03-26T06:19:00.000-07:002014-03-26T06:19:11.775-07:00Making our Education Work<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the grimmest realities of life in Nigeria is that there are not enough jobs to go round or available. This reality a lot of times is hidden to undergraduates who finish school filled with hope of securing employment immediately, especially from major firms or the Federal Government. But in a country where half a million university graduates are churned out each year and less than 100,000 jobs created annually, that dream comes to reality for only those at the top of their class or in our quite nepotistic world, to those who have connections or are favoured. This isn’t entirely the failure of the economy, but more a failure of our educational systems and societal mind-sets. In Nigeria, we are more concerned with the attainment of degrees and amassing of titles via education rather than truly learning and using that knowledge to provide solutions to contemporary problems. While I was thinking about this scenario, I came across this blog post that captured it excellently. The post described African intellectuals as "lazy scum", which I quite agree with, minus the somewhat harsh description. There is a serious lacuna in our society between being educated and applying that knowledge to add value through creating solutions. The typical Nigerian graduate knows only what he has been taught, and that which he learned more or less by rote memory. It is a classic case of garbage-in, garbage-out. He has no idea of how to use it by himself...<br />
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To solve the problems prevalent in his environment. Unless this gulf is bridged, Nigerian graduates would continue to find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to employment opportunities. This is because the creation of solutions to problems in an environment adds value to that environment, and once value is created and it is in demand, a job has been created. This is the first step to creating entrepreneurs or job creators out of our Nigerian students. It is not so much a function of updating the curricula of our schools to world-class standards, as much as it is of teaching them to use the knowledge learnt in classrooms and workshops and labs, combined with the local knowledge around them to craft solutions to problems. It also requires a paradigm shift in the mind-sets of the students themselves. Like I always tell people, there is always, always something you can do in your immediate environment that can solve a problem, and in the long-run provide you with a job. This mental shift comes with the realization that there aren’t just enough jobs out there, and there might not be one for you unless you create yours. Moreover, the energy that is unlocked within you when you feel like you have the <a href="http://www.news-bite.com/new-plasma-device" target="_blank">Holy Grail of energy</a> to a contemporary problem is much more satisfying than a routine job, even more than one that just requires sitting at a desk all day.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-85494958528076683712014-02-11T06:14:00.000-08:002014-12-05T06:14:42.613-08:00Jest to Fact<div style="text-align: justify;">
For some time now I've been saying in jest that it isn't safe to go to the grocery store anymore because you never knew who you'll brush up against carrying a loaded weapon. I no longer say that in jest, it's now a fact. Yesterday two customers argued in the check out line of a grocery store here. One of the arguing parties took out his gun and shot the other in the leg. Now I ask you, was that smart? Yes the shooter had a licence to carry a concealed weapon. Should he have had such a licence? When will America learn to leave guns at the city limits? As long as guns are allowed on city streets and buildings, law enforcement, emergency rooms, surgeons and funeral homes will have job security.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-31392783813694430062014-01-22T04:35:00.000-08:002014-01-22T04:35:05.337-08:00Dreams are Illustrations from The Book your Soul is Writing about You<div style="text-align: justify;">
I wasn't really sure where I was going exactly, but I had a general sense of the direction I wanted to go. I went up stairs in to a train station, but I should have walked down the hill to the road. I'd been walking around for a long time. A man said something to me, I think he was a teacher or authoritative figure of some sort. It seemed he had a go at me for some reason but I can't remember what he said, except that I snapped. He just didn't get it and he didn't know me. I was wandering, looking for something desperately. Maybe it was something to help my brother. Maybe I was just looking for answers. Either way, I searched aimlessly, knowing that I wouldn't find it. Especially now that I was lost. I felt resigned and defeated. Hopeless. A train was pulled into the station, so I got on it. But when it started, it ended up going in the opposite direction to where I wanted to go. I thought I should probably get off at the next station, then wait for a train in the other direction, so I would be going the right way. I moved down the front of the carriage, closer to the driver. I realised then that the train wasn't on any tracks, in fact it seemed more like a bus - the driver was driving it on roads, through the city. </div>
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He was actually steering it. When we stopped, I told him of my plans and asked him how long it would be until another train came along. I had no idea where I was, so I wasn't relishing the thought that I might have to wait for hours for the next train in the other direction. But he didn't answer me, and I moved to get off, but there were other seats hemming me in, there weren't any aisles. Then I looked around and was stunned and panicked when I realised the train also didn't have any doors or exits. Just long, wide, sealed glass windows and walls. I called out to the driver: "How do I get off?". He seemed to know I wanted to but was still waiting. He told me that I had to stay in my seat, that a mechanical mechanism of some sort would arrive to bodily lift the entire seat out of the train to exit me on to the road. I could only wait, I was trapped after all. It appeared everyone knew this was how the new trains worked, and I felt naive, inexperienced, freaked out. So I waited. And I woke up. Those who have compared our life to a dream were right. We sleeping wake, and waking sleep. Michel de Montaigne, Essays, 1580.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-53879030954268604652014-01-06T06:20:00.000-08:002014-12-05T06:21:03.764-08:00Principle Nixes every Book in the Library for e-readers - 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
Once a book is published it can only disappear if it's burned, all the e-readers need to do is catch a virus or miss an upgrade and it's useless. The entire move seems ridiculous. Instead of a library, the academy is spending nearly $500,000 to create a "learning center", though that is only one of the names in contention for the new space. In place of the stacks, they are spending $42,000 on three large flat-screen TVs that will project data from the Internet and $20,000 on special laptop-friendly study carrels. Where the reference desk was, they are building a $50,000 coffee shop that will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine. This is a prep school so I guess the charge of elitism is a cheap shot, but in this case they deserve it, and I use that term with a focus on being out of touch with reality. I honestly doubt kids are going to curl up with Twilight or even Anna Karenina at a coffee shop with their e-reader.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-68472620654668433622013-11-14T04:00:00.000-08:002014-12-05T06:20:40.590-08:00Principle Nixes every Book in the Library for e-readers<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cushing Academy has all the hallmarks of a New England prep school, with one exception. This year, after having amassed a collection of more than 20,000 books, officials at the pristine campus about 90 minutes west of Boston have decided the 144-year-old school no longer needs a traditional library. The academy’s administrators have decided to discard all their books and have given away half of what stocked their sprawling stacks - the classics, literature, fiction, novels, poetry, history, biographies, tomes on every subject from the humanities to the sciences. The future, they believe, is digital. "When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books", said James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing and chief promoter of the bookless campus. “This isn’t ‘Fahrenheit 451’ (the 1953 Ray Bradbury novel in which books are banned). We’re not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and optimize technology".</div>
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As the folks on engadget say "unless there are only 18 students at Cushing Academy, we're pretty sure the e-reader supply is going to come up short". The book is at the height of information technology, not the bottom, and I will tell you why. The book never needs an upgrade,it is extremely inexpensive making it available to the poorest of the poor and the rich alike, the only energy source required to read it is sunlight, and the only knowledge one needs to attain to decode it's contents is reading. Now, I'm all for technology, especially when you're referring to information that is updated on a daily basis like reference information found in encyclopedias, but that kind of information is not free and requires a subscription. It's also easily controlled or changed depending on who is reviewing and posting the information, the interest groups the information supports or denounces.</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7793563207362898539.post-86765612559802462732013-10-15T05:15:00.000-07:002013-10-15T05:15:05.419-07:00Protecting Us from Our Freedoms: Congress Set to Renew Patriot Act Spy Provisions<div style="text-align: justify;">
As night follows day, you can count on Congress to serve as loyal servants and willing accomplices of our out-of-control National Security State. Last week, in another shameless demonstration of congressional "bipartisanship," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) forged a filthy backroom deal that reauthorizes insidious surveillance provisions of the Patriot Act for an additional four years. "Like clockwork," the ACLU reports, Reid and McConnell "introduced a bill, S. 1038, that will extend the provisions until June 1, 2015." As of this writing, the text of that measure has yet to be published. And, like a faint echo from the past when the Patriot Act was signed into law nearly a decade ago in the wake of the 9/11 provocation and the anthrax attacks, the ACLU tells us that "the Senate begins its debate on Monday with votes possible that same night".</div>
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But why not forego a vote altogether. After all, with the White House "skipping a legal deadline to seek congressional authorization of the military action in Libya" under the War Powers Act, "few on the Hill are objecting," the Associated Press reports. Why not extend congressional "courtesy" to the White House over demands that their illegal spying on Americans continue indefinitely "as long as consultations with Congress continue"? Consensus by congressional Democrats and Republicans over extending the provisions, the World Socialist Web Site reports, "meets the demands of the Obama administration and the Justice Department for a 'clean' extension, that is, one that does not make any concessions to concerns over the infringement of civil liberties, particularly in relation to the authorization to seize the records of libraries and other institutions".</div>
Stefan Moxahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163506392644126278noreply@blogger.com0