Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Twenty Things Obama has got wrong during his presidency

1. Race Relations - His rhetoric and the presence of race-baiters in his administration such as Attorney-General Eric Holder have further inflamed this volatile issue. For a post-racial president Obama has done very little to heal the animosity that exists between the races (I personally believe that there is only one race – the Human Race but the left continues to keep the race construct alive). His handling of the Skip Gates and Trayvon Martin affairs are testament to this. In addition the tainted figures of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are regular visitors to the White House. It is well known that these two characters are regular problem makers (not solvers). Why then does Obama still give them the time of day?

2. Increased the US National Debt with a series of ill-conceived bailout policies and misguided Neo-Keynesian initiatives that has further made the great nation into the largest debtor entity in the history of western civilization. More debt has been built up under Obama than under any other president in US history. In fact the debt now stands at 105% of GDP.

3. Choked the Keystone Pipeline - which would have created much needed jobs in the US, solidified relations with Canada and provided a source of oil independent of the Middle East.

4. Killed several NASA initiatives (Moon , Mars etc)…Nobody is sure what the Administration does these days…This is a great shame as former Democrat Presidents Kennedy and Johnson were at the forefront advocating for NASA.

5. Wasted a large amount of taxpayer dollars on silly environmental initiatives such as Clash for Clunkers and Solyndra that have proved to be dismal failures.

6. Signed an environmental agreement with China which very much favours the latter giving them license to pollute for some time, while placing stronger environmental restrictions on the US.

7. Has promoted a PC culture in the armed forces that stifles criticism of Islam and favours sensitivity training over common sense. This was best seen in the secrecy surrounding the Nidal Malik Jihadist inspired killings. Obama’s relations with the US military have been poor at best. He has dismissed several generals and clashed bitterly with his first three Defence Secretaries: Robert Gates, Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel.

8. Has failed to take a tough enough stance against Iran. His policies have rewarded the Mullahs with the gift of ‘time’ as they continue building up their nuclear enrichment program.

9. Threw a poorly handled and nebulous Obamacare strategy down the throats of the American people in a way that threatens the integrity of American healthcare coverage on many levels.

10. Pushed through an illegal immigrant amnesty directives that jeopardizes the rule of law and rewards those guilty of bypassing the system. His decision to go ahead with the so-called DREAM Act, which has failed repeatedly to pass through Congress, represents a huge slap in the face to those Americans seeking to enter the US legally. It is also doubtful whether the directives will stem the flow of illegal immigration.

11. Released several terrorists in exchange for Army deserter Bowe Berghdahl. Has released other terrorists as well who will no doubt reward the US by continuing their Jihad against the Great Satan.

12. Continues to use John Kerry as a blunt instrument to bash Israel over the head while ignoring Palestinian indiscretions. State Dept has poured much money into Hamas backed regime in Gaza who continue to advocate for the destruction of the State of Israel.

13. Used the IRS to investigate conservative organizations with many of the e-mails associated with this somehow ‘disappearing’.

14. Was caught on Microphone offering the Russians more flexibility on Missile Control. Talk about transparency. Ouch.

15. The Veterans Affair Scandal.

16. Endorsed the disaster known as the Arab Spring that has made the Middle East an even more volatile region than before. Sacrificed US ally, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, but did little to support popular anti-Mullah protests in Iran.

17. Withdrew US troops prematurely from Iraq thereby facilitating the rise of ISIS.

18. Did not provide the necessary support to the US Staff in the Benghazi embassy attack (in fact it seems that neglected several briefings on this issue). His administration also lied to the public about the origins of the attacks blaming it on a cheap anti-Muslim movie while playing down the obvious Jihadist elements behind the killings. Shame on congressional Republicans for not following through with greater vigilance on this national security travesty.

19. Takes credit for US economic success (driven largely by the pro-market ‘Red State’ of Texas) that has occurred despite his actions rather than because of it. Administration continues to downplay the rise in U6 unemployment in the country that has risen during his term of office.

20. Has given a much needed lifeline to the Castros in Cuba who head a regime with a notoriously poor human rights record. Neglects to take Cuba to task for their assistance as torturers/interrogators of US POWs in Vietnam.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

My Personal Ranking of the Most Important Battles of World War Two

1. Stalingrad 2. Battle of Britain 3. Pearl Harbor 4. Atlantic 5. Normandy 6. Moscow 7. Kursk 8. Midway 9. Guadalcanal 10. Leningrad 11. El Alamein 12. Ardennes Bulge 13. Tunis 14. Leyte Gulf 15. Dunkirk 16. Mediterranean 17. Anzio 18. Iwo Jima 19. Okinawa 20. Tobruk 21. Arnhem 22. Coral Sea 23. Phillipines 24. Warsaw 25. Crete 26. Hong Kong 27. Norway 28. Monte Cassino 29. Corregidor 30. Gazala

Obama has a few positives to his credit

Just to show that I am objective here are Ten Things Obama has got right in his presidency 1. Removed the unnecessary restrictions on Stem Cell Research

2. Championed the Drone Strategy for assassination of Taliban Jihadists in Pakistan and Afghanistan (FYI though…The Drone strategy actually started under Bush).

3. Slapped Sony for caving into North Korea on the hacker issue (if indeed that is the full story….only time will tell).

4. Helped Israel (somewhat) access Steel Dome Missile protection system. Also limited his criticism of Israel during the last Gaza debacle.

5. Showed support for the Ukraine against Russian belligerency in the Crimea.

6. Maintained Robert Gates as Secretary of Defence during the crucial withdrawal period from Iraq.

7. Initiated the STEM program which will hopefully catalyze greater interest in science and technology for American students.

8. Obamacare – (on one level…yes) – I do believe that it will help those at the lowest income levels obtain the necessary health care protection that they need.

9. Gave the go ahead for the assassination of Osama Bin Laden

10. Helped rid the world of Muammar Gaddafi…although the alternative may be worse.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Pity Ontario...

The Auditor-General reveals that the Ontario 'Lie'brals have blown over eight billion dollars with not much to show for it. Report seems a bit harsh but even if it were remotely accurate this is still disturbing. I am not sure what is more pathetic? The lack of respect that the Grits have for taxpayer money or the electorate, who keep voting these nimrods back into power.

Twelve Years in........What I have learnt as a science teacher?

1. Students care more about fairness than anything else. This seems to be a very strong human sentiment.

2. Make yourself approachable.

3. Kids don’t stay angry for a long time (unlike adults who can hold grudges for years).

4. Hands-on lab work is important for the learning experience in the sciences.

5. Don’t kill the fun of labs by burying the kids in one lab report after another.

6. Treat your students as human beings. Respect them and they will respect you.

7. Don’t underestimate the power of busy work but it should not be the mainstay of your teaching.

8. Nothing beats a strong explanation.

9. Keep learning as a teacher. Aim to know your subject matter inside out.

10. Encourage questioning but don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know the answer. Don’t BS the kids they are smarter than you think.

11. Set the standards from day one and don’t deviate from them.

12. Frequent mini quizzes ensure consistent learning. Kids may hate the idea initially but will grow to accept them as it ensures continuous learning and less cramming for larger unit tests.

13. Homework allocated must be useful. It has to reinforce the big ideas.

14. Make sure the kids know what the big ideas are. Don’t let them focus on the grains of sands while ignoring the dunes.

15. Movies shown in class must be relevant and if possible entertaining.

16. Use humour when teaching. It makes the kids relaxed and they learn better that way. I am the king of puns (not always good ones either).

17. Have a realistic marking scheme that rewards methodology and thinking even if the final answer is incorrect.

18. Remember that your kids are human beings. Each class is different. Every student is unique. You may be teaching the same course (or subject matter) but your presentation of the material should be adjusted accordingly.

19. Keep challenging yourself to be a better teacher. Never stagnate.

20. Present both sides of a controversial issue when fostering discussion.

21. Make sure that the students are aware of the practical applications of the theory that they are learning.

22. Encourage innovative answers that step outside the framework of the traditional solution.

23. Challenge your students to make connections between the content learnt in one discipline with that of another eg. electric fields in physics can explain ion balances in the human body or Newton’s laws are very useful in kinesiology.

24. Use technology in the classroom but don’t let the technology overwhelm the environment so that the human element is sacrificed.

25. Make sure that you deliver the material to the students in an organized manner. Ask yourself….What misconceptions need to be addressed at each stage of the learning?

26. Hand back tests and assignments as soon as possible. The Kids like that and it will pay dividends as the end.

27. Worksheets are not an outdated learning tool. If they are well crafted in a manner that shows a progression towards high orders of thinking the students will gain from them.

28. Use the internet for teaching resources but modify accordingly. Customize to maximize learning.

29. Don’t let the kids bully you for extra marks on a test. There are occasions where extra marks are warranted but this is not always the case. Be flexible but firm.

30. Student groups must be balanced. Rotate group spokespersons and make sure that the spokesperson keeps the group on track.

31. Listen to the ideas and advice of other teachers even if they are not that practical (you can modify based on your own experience if you see fit).

32. Field Trips should align with the curriculum and just like in-class movies must serve as a vehicle for learning.

33. Build up a vast library of testing resources so that you don’t fall into the trap of recycling tests.

34. Lab Reports must be neatly presented. Make sure the students are aware of the positive impression that neatness conveys.

35. Be creative in your projects. I have had the students build pinball machines, Rube Goldberg devices, toys, bridges, trebuchets/catapults, kaleidoscopes in the past. Other projects have included graphic novels, children stories (focusing on a scientific theme), in-class debates and factory visits. Science Fair projects have their place but need to be well monitored.

36. Encourage your stronger students to write the myriad of interschool competitions available. Kids thrive from the challenge and will surprise you.

37. When speaking to the class. Make the sessions as dynamic as possible, The Socratic two-way method of questioning is powerful but one has to make a conscious effort to allow more voices in the classroom are heard.

38. Offer extra help as often as possible.

39. Make sure that supply teachers have very clear instructions. When you are absent those classes should not transform into a ‘lost’ period.

40. Above all else…Enjoy your teaching. Kids pick up on that and it benefits both them and you.

Sunday, December 07, 2014

Open Letter to Jian Ghomeshi

To Jian

Lets face it the situation is looking bleak right now. Those accusing you of sexual harassment have reached double digit levels and while you are still lagging behind Bill Cosby in this department you need to act fast before the situation really spirals out of control. You have already erred so far with that silly lawsuit now its time to limit the damage. My suggestion is to change your strategy. Throw the ball back at your accusers by charging them with Racism and if that fails pull out the in vogue Islamophobia card. Argue that you are the most successful Iranian-Canadian in media history and that you have set the trend for others to follow. Remember that you broke through a glass ceiling. In a sense you are a trailblazer who has had the rug ripped from below his feet by systemic white racism that masquerades as liberal tolerance, just when you reached the top of your profession (whatever that is). Force the establishment to swallow that (no pun intended). If they don’t cave they will surely buckle, especially in politically correct Canada, where racial intolerance of any kind is regarded as an unspeakable offence.

Is this dishonest? Of course it is…but we are not here to debate morality only to get you out of spending time in prison where you would likely discover first hand what it is to be on the receiving end of unwanted sexual advances. My thinking has much promise. Remember that racism always triumphs sexism in today’s calculus of grievances and the fact that you were an icon of the left should guarantee you some points as well (a big advantage over Bill Cosby who made the mistake a few years ago of uttering opinions which many deem to be conservative and now is seen by the media as being someone who is ‘less black’). OJ Simpson used such a defence, and it worked. Hell.....He got away with two murders. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have made fortunes and gained notoriety playing the race card and the best aspect of all is that if it does fail you don’t have to apologize to anyone afterward. Sharpton never does and he is wrong almost all the time.

Signed A regular citizen trying to make sense of a world fraught with double standards.