No matter what position and awards Professor Weinberg holds, the burden falls upon him to correct the errant journalist. To not correct the journalist is merely getting time to air his opinion or bias. To be fair to him, most of his answers are worded more carefully and respectfully than the questions posed to him. However, his stand for the field of physics waned as he gave into the questioning of the journalist.

Where is the glaring flaw in the article by Ms. Azpurua? It was labeled “Physics.” The article had very little to do with the field of Physics. No matter if the Higgs boson particle is or is not found it will have no impact at all scientifically on the origins of the universe. How so?

I shall repeat the definition of the most abused term. “A scientific theory or law represents a hypothesis, or a group of related hypotheses, which has been confirmed through repeated experimental tests.” Experimental tests require observation. The entire scientific method starts with observation. No one was there to observe and record the start of the universe. Hence there can never be a “grand theory or final theory” regarding origins of the universe, our solar system or life on Earth. They are merely unproven hypotheses or models that can never be proven or tested.

To answer Ms. Azpurua’s question of “As we come closer to developing an ultimate theory of the universe, how will this impact religion?” we turn to the topic being discussed.

The discussion was never about Physics. This discussion was purely about Philosophy. How will “an ultimate theory of the universe” impact religion? It will add a new religion to follow. This isn’t science.

Shame on Ms. Azpurua for trying to pass this article off as a newsworthy Physics article, it is a disgrace.

Shame on Professor Weinberg for not correcting this errant journalist, he should be defending the field of science and Physics not promoting a bias.

Shame on the editor of Newsweek for even allowing this schlock to be published, the editor should better check their sources and facts.

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A person can gauge the reliability of a journalist by their grasp of subject material and usage of the English language. After all, they do put their journalistic pieces either in print or film depending on their chosen medium.

Very good measures of how reliable or trustworthy a scientist is in any field minimally are how well they can stick to and maintain basic scientific terms. These basic terms are taught to everyone throughout the world in the Elementary grades often around 4-6^th grade and sometimes as early as 1^st grade. These terms are observation, hypothesis, experiment, data, conclusion, model, theory, validated, falsified, and law. All these are well defined here.

The primary most intentionally or unintentionally misused term is the scientific theory. From the above website it is defined as: “A scientific theory or law represents an hypothesis, or a group of related hypotheses, which has been confirmed through repeated experimental tests.” A journalist can get a pass on botching up the definition due to improper training or research but it should never get past the editor. However, there is absolutely no excuse for a scientist in any field to distort the meaning. If they do, discard their statements as their bias has superseded their science.

In an article by Ana Elena Azpurua of Newsweek titled In Search of the God Particle, both the journalist and the scientist Professor Steven Weinberg come up lacking on the most crucial of terminology tests. So yes, I’m effectively calling them both out on this category.

First up and the most scathing criticism belongs to the journalist. Had the article rotated around the experiment regarding the attempt to find the “elusive particle called the Higgs boson” it would have been fine. But instead Ms. Azpurua makes a poor attempt at doing an illuminating interview regarding science and can barely veil her vitriol to any religion. This can be easily deduced from her chosen questions and some of her opening lines.

Some examples are:

• “The goal is to find signs of an elusive particle called the Higgs boson—also known as the "God particle" because it might ultimately lead to a grand theory of the universe.”
• “As we come closer to developing an ultimate theory of the universe, how will this impact religion?”
• “At some point will it be possible to find proof that God or the Ultimate Designer does not exist?”

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Sometimes in this world things just do not go according to plan. When you want to get a leg up, they tell you to sit your butt down. When you argue about it, they will tell you to just shut your hole.

Well a lady in Germany was the butt of a bad game of switcheroo.

Woman Goes for Leg Operation, Gets New Anus Instead

Thursday, March 20, 2008

A German retiree is taking a hospital to court after she went in for a leg operation and got a new anus instead, the Daily Telegraph is reporting.

The woman woke up to find she had been mixed up with another patient suffering from incontinence who was to have surgery on her sphincter.

The clinic in Hochfranken, Bavaria, has since suspended the surgical team.

Now the woman is planning to sue the hospital. She still needs the leg operation and is searching for another hospital to do it.

We have all heard of malpractice cases of errors on the part of the medical community but this is taking it to an extreme. How on earth can any surgical team make such a minor booboo of giving the wrong patient a new butt hole?

Why am I getting flashbacks of Beavis and Butthead talking about toilet paper and The Great Cornholio? Needless to say, this entire surgery team has won the Are You Thinking? award.

The photo is from here.

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But the worst was when the Principal made an error with the public address system and broad casted her morning announcements to everyone outside which included me. Her main line threw me for a loop. I couldn’t believe a person that ignorant and uneducated was put into a position of guiding the education of hundreds of children.

She had gone on the PA system and declared which student found out the name of the first black Congresswoman in the US Congress. No problem there. Her next line though was “It will truly be a wonderful day when Congress will reflect the population of the USA.” Wow, that’s sad. She didn’t know a few minor details found in the USA Census and the Wisconsin Census.

Before any statement can be made, you need people who are willing to run for those offices. That cannot be quantified. But population figures can be. Also, census numbers for a state do not reflect the other key factor involved and that is the population distribution in the district of a given Senator or Representative whether it be on the State or Federal level. In Wisconsin, 90% of the population is white. The black population is only 6% and most are concentrated in the Milwaukee as are the Asian (2%), Hispanic (4.7%) and others. That makes the highest percentage chance of a Latino female Representative coming from the same district as the Asian and black populations as well as still a large percentage being white.

So if we look at this Principal’s wish on a federal level we would have a Congress that is:

20% High School Drop-Out
25% College Educated
55% High School Grad only

By ethnicity as I refuse to call them races (we are all part of the human race just different shades of skin & hair):

80% White
15% Hispanic
13% Black
4.5% Asian
1% Native American

That is if we choose to ignore details on where the populations are in corresponding districts. Obviously, some identified themselves in multiple categories. We also have to ignore that the vast majority of those in Congress are college educated lawyers so there goes any chance at balance in career distribution too.

With great leaders like these at the helms of schools, no wonder skills in Math, Science and logic suck.

So why do we homeschool? Do I really need to say more?

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The answer to this question comes down to a few basic answers for us. They are as follows: Federal Dept. of Education, Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, West Bend Curriculum Director, and the Principal of our daughter’s Kindergarten school. All four have taken a stance of trying to dictate to the parents versus realizing they are Public Servants whom answer to the parents.

The Federal Department of Education starts off the list as it controls the choices of the remaining three. First, the DoE should not even exist if we were to follow the Constitution of the United States. Second, the DoE is subject to the whims of select special interest groups that do not have the best interests of the children at mind regarding true education. Instead, it is all about control of what the masses are instructed to believe not proven facts.

The Wis. Department of Public Instruction or DPI takes its guidance and sets further detailed standards for the local school districts to follow. Whereas you can count on them a little for resolving some issues, little research is done on sources chosen to listen to for guidance on the curriculum structure. This lack of vigilance in the defense of educating children on proven facts versus what some special interests want taught is the core reason we found this governmental unit wanting. Also, I was licensed under them so I know their operations fairly well.

Next up is the Curriculum Director who thought it was a good idea to give all Kindergarten children regardless of parental consent instruction on the location and name of all of their private parts. After all, they had a study that showed….you know the line. That ended up failing as it outraged many parents. Add in numerous other off-base concepts of what is good to teach children and we had to pull our daughter for the sake of her education. Left to the devices of this crackpot going on the other crackpots’ ideas, my daughter would be a victim of their incompetence.

Lastly, the Principal of the school was fresh out of getting her degree. Somehow she felt she could dictate to all the teachers what they had to teach despite it being very poorly researched. Two incidents showed us what this lady had in mind. The first was a school wide education on the holidays in December. In Kindergarten and the rest of the grades, they dove into the details of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, glossed over Christmas as a day belonging to Santa Claus and materialism as opposed its true origins, and heavily indoctrinated the children into Kwanzaa. My question when I saw this on the future curriculum for the month was – What is Kwanzaa? You can read my post on that.

We pulled her out of the Kwanzaa garbage and the teacher and the Principal tried their utmost to use guilt tactics to change our minds. Teaching the religious holidays of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa but not the true meaning of Christmas is a double standard. There is no using the “separation of church and state” argument on that. Somehow the principal thought it was a good idea to teach the concepts of an ex-convict found guilty of committing rape and torture. In most other countries, that would be banned and the guy would have been executed for the cruel nature of his conduct. Here, the principal wanted to celebrate it.

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The greatest threat to education in the USA is quite possibly political correctness. How so?

To keep it simple and to the point, many teachers, the current push in the public schools, at the federal level with No Child Left Behind, and numerous other ways focus on trying to treat students as if they are all the same. I’ve heard comments from other teachers I’ve worked with who believed there was no such thing as an advanced student or a gifted and talented population. The NCLB requires all students no matter their ability to take standardized tests to use to judge a school. Add in the common push to treat all kids the same and you have a recipe for a problem.

What is the problem? All kids are different. Some are gifted and advance while some will always be cognitively disabled. Now while some schools are trying to tell the parents the rationale for not challenging the advanced students is because of not wanting to hurt the feelings of the slower kids, the children know differently. I asked my daughter, who is now in first grade, about the kids in her Kindergarten public school class. She and all of the other kids knew who was smarter, who was a better athlete, who was a better talker, etc. I remember that all through school as well. I haven’t forgotten my childhood. Kids are people too with thoughts and observations just like the adults. The knowledge and experience bases are different but everything else is the same.

Basically, the adults are fooling themselves into thinking all the kids can be treated the same. Kids are not just some programmable robot. Some will go on to be the foundation of our country. The future of our economy is founded in those children in the areas of chemistry, engineering, computers and other science and technology. But some students / children are wired for other things such as being a mechanic or a janitor. That is where the politically correct drive of treating all the same does the most damage. Everyone is different. All the students are different. Not all are destined for college. While we struggle with this, the Asian education counterparts have long understood and embraced it.

As found here, there appears to be a high drop-out rate in the Asian countries of India and China as compared to the USA. But this is where one has to pause and understand you can’t look at how another country works from how we define things here. China, India, Philippines and many more Asian countries such as Japan require you to test INTO high school. Dropping out would indicate a choice. That would be mostly false. You have to prove you are worthy to get IN high school. Many are delegated to manual labor or other positions.

China has 24 million students who tested into high school. India has 35 million who tested into high school. The USA has 16 million who are required to be in high school. With fewer numbers of students on our side, that means there is far less room for error in our educational system while still keeping a hope of being a competitor in the global economy alive. With political correctness, we have handicapped the effectiveness of our educational systems, our present and future economy, and put the fiscal standing of the USA in the global community at serious risk.

It is said that powerful nations of 200+ yrs in age die from cancers created within. Will our arrogance and political pandering with the future of our children be our undoing?

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There is a 54 minute documentary sponsored by a business man who compared 2 American, 2 Chinese, and 2 Indian high school students who were as equal as possible in all potential ways. The end result was a well put together piece to engage in the topic of how we run our schools and the various differences in priorities foisted on the respective children. The business owner is Bob Compton, a venture capitalist, who has worked with numerous individuals from all three cultures. The name of the documentary is “Two Million Minutes.”

The ABC article written on it tries to be fair with the video of the interview found here. The documentary itself did not attack any set group but set up a comparison for the purpose of generating discussion. The basic premise is we are in a global economy with many players going for a piece of the action. The high school students of today will be the business and industry leaders of tomorrow. In order to remain competitive, the USA needs to step it up.

Generally, I would agree with that premise. We do not have time to experiment with the latest curriculum concept because someone had to create research to justify their grants and a new idea to justify getting a doctorate. Also, we can focus on self-esteem and feelings all some want but the greater part of the world knows you need to suck it up and perform or go home and die. In many countries, there is no time for anxiety issues, depression, therapy sessions with counselors and shrinks. The only thing you have time for is to get to work, generate the money you need to survive or you starve to death.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) ended up responding to the documentary. The rebuttal to that is found here. However, anytime a group representing public education comes out making a statement, great care must be taken lest it serves to shoot them in the foot. Unfortunately, NASSP thought Two Million Minutes targeted their schools and took offense and was off base on a number of their statements. If an education based group is off base on their comments, it does not reflect well on the education they are providing. It was a neutral documentary.

When you read the comments section on the ABC article, you have a full range of opinions. Parents should be more involved in the education of their kids. The parents should be less involved in the education of their kids. Sports are necessary for leadership skills. Sports are not necessary. Socialization skills are more important. Hard science and math skills are more important. Treat all the kids fairly. Accelerate the best as they will be your future leaders. The schools are great and should be left to the “experts.” The schools are broken. The opinions vary extensively.

It all boils down to we need to have a dynamic enough education system to meet the demands of our students’ needs of functioning in a dynamic global economy. Top down structures are notoriously cumbersome and slow to change and rife with politics. The times are changing and our old system has to change with them. The time for politics is over. The time for performance is here. If the education system is broken, then the parents must step up for their children. It is past time to suck it up and perform or go home and wet your diaper.

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It is said that this candidate would be a doctor, a mechanic, a scientist and a warrior but he is all rolled into one. His intellect and power are second to none. But further, he is truly a compassionate and kind individual whose wisdom knows no bounds. This candidate is well listen to him introduce himself.

Welcome to the campaign Optimus Prime. So just what makes Optimus Prime such a strong candidate for being President in these tough times? Let us turn to the issues.

Economy – Far from the failings of mortal men driven my lust of money and power, Optimus needs not these things and he possesses the wisdom and knowledge to produce precisely calculated solutions. This is not a guarantee all will like the solutions, but the best possible outcome is what he will produce.

Freedom - His words say it best. “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.” There is little doubt this would extend to the unborn.

Gun Control – Optimus Prime would make Ted Nugent proud. He fully understands the need to be armed for self-defense and the defense of those who are unable to defend themselves. After all as the photo shows, he’s always packing heat with or without a permit for the hidden variety.

Self-Control – He is the definition of cool under pressure. You would not find him breaking down in tears.

Commander-In-Chief – There is no candidate more qualified to be Commander-in-Chief as this is a position he currently fulfills. Additionally, casualties to our men and women will reduce as his Secret Service Autobots will be able to roll out at a moment’s notice. He is also more than willing to take a bullet for you and me. War is something he knows all too well and he strives to prevent collateral damage and casualties.

Civil Liberties – He is so steadfast in the protection of Civil Liberties he is willing to lay down his life for them.

Political Experience – With an untold number of years of experience, Optimus is in Prime shape to tackle the challenges of taking on the deceptive ones. He knows just what lines to use to lay down the challenge and move in for the final defeat.

He definitely cannot be accused of being too robotic or wooden. To demonstrate his charismatic side and connect with the youth, Optimus Prime has proven he can dance far better than current President George Bush.

There is no question of torn allegiances. He is here to protect and to serve. Patience is a forte and part of the wisdom he has been granted. He knows how to wait in this his home.

So as a picture of the future for all foreign leaders to prepare for and attempt to negotiate with let us look to the future:

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For many people, this election for the next President of the USA is turning out to be a collection of bad choices. It is time for other potential candidates to be reviewed. Perhaps one of these two natural born candidates can be the best option to write-in as the next President of the United States.

Let me introduce the first of two contenders complete with his running mate. Welcome to the stage, The Brain!!

Now The Brain’s credentials are quite impressive even though his physical stature is not that great. He may not look the part of a President but he has the prerequisite intelligence we need in one to lead us into more prosperous times. To demonstrate his mental prowess and his impressive skills at diction, please review the next exhibit.

At the very least, The Brain is a viable candidate for President of the USA in the light that he is honest in speech and in his campaign music that his goal is to take over the world. Honesty in a politician is a rare treat.

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As the debate continues to rage about global warming, some of the most fundamental aspects of any study are being ignored by the greater media (surprise, surprise). One of the leading contenders of global warming has been tagged to be the sun. But there is greater proof that the increase in reported temperatures is truly man-made just not in the manner Al Gore and company would have you believe.

Boiling it all down, it is well known much of the hype is full of hot air. Basic science requires one to follow the data. However, that assumes if the data is accurate. If the data is inaccurate, then it is time to go back to the scientific drawing board and do it over. Especially before we do something foolish as have the Congress make rash decisions and implement fixes to a non-issue.

As is being documented by a number of volunteers, there are 1221 weather stations that gather data used to determine changes in temperature and weather. They have visited 502 sites so far with many more to go on a shoestring budget. To demonstrate their findings, a number of sites have been put up such as Watt’s Up With That? archive, the newer version found here, and Surface Stations which is upgrading due to heavy traffic. The basic standards call for any weather station to meet a set of standard specifications with one of the most important of being 100 feet away asphalt, concrete, buildings, vehicles and the like.

Quite simply, the devil is in the details to use a phrase. If the data collected is in error then contorted even further by politicians and enthusiasts, it all adds up to a much greater problem. Once again it falls to the populace to become educated about real science by itself and keep all of these various interested parties honest. This starts at home with the parents correcting erroneous information pressed on the kids at school.

Oh, minor detail as well. That data shows no warming since 1998 which can be found at most valid scientific sources. Additionally, much of the data cited by Al Gore conveniently has only been done within my lifetime. So to make long term projections out of short term recordings and potentially inaccurate recordings is folly.

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