On 3 Feb 2004 10:10:13 -0800, (basskisser) wrote:

John H wrote in message . ..
On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 20:54:04 -0500, Gene Kearns
wrote:

NEW YORK, NY (AP)...
New York, NY. At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual
later discovered to be a public school teacher was arrested trying to
board a flight while in possession of a ruler, protractor, setsquare,
sliderule, and calculator.

At a morning press conference, Attorney general John Ashcroft said he
believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is
being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a fearsome cult," Ashcroft said. "They desire average
solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a
search of absolute value. They use secret code names like "x" and "y"
and refer to themselves as "unknowns", but we have determined they
belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with
coordinates in every country.

"As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are 3 sides to
every triangle," Ashcroft declared. When asked to comment on the
arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better
weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and
toes."

"I am gratified that our government has given us a sine that it is
intent on protracting us from these math-dogs who are willing to
disintegrate us with calculus disregard. Murky statisticians love to
inflict plane on every sphere of influence," the President said,
adding: "Under the circumferences, we must differentiate their root,
make our point, and draw the line."

President Bush warned, "These weapons of math instruction have the
potential to decimal everything in their math on a scalene never
before seen unless we become exponents of a Higher Power and begin to
factor-in random facts of vertex."

Attorney General Ashcroft said, "As our Great Leader would say, read
my ellipse. Here is one principle he is uncertainty of: though they
continue to multiply, their days are numbered as the hypotenuse
tightens around their necks."

You joke, but the truth shall be worse. Please note:
*********************
The first treatise on algebra was written by Diophantus of Alexandria
in the 3rd century AD. The term derives from the Arabic al-jabr or
literally ``the reunion of broken parts.'' As well as its mathematical
meaning, the word also means the surgical treatment of fractures. It
gained widespread use through the title of a book ilm al-jabr
wa'l-mukabala - the science of restoring what is missing and equating
like with like - written by the mathematician Abu Ja'far Muhammad
(active c.800-847), who subsequently has become know as al-Khwarazmi,
the man of Kwarazm (now Khiva in Uzbekistan).
********************************************
If algebra isn't a terrorist plot, I don't know what is.


Wow, you are REALLY losing it! This spinning to justify BushCo's lies
has really warped your mind.

basskisser, can you tell me just what the hell you're talking about?

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

Does John actually teach? I know he's mentioned he subs in the
Alexandria school system, but my recollection is that he has posted
that
he mainly babysits high school kids, and doesn't teach. Or was it that
he tries to teach some math classes if he is assigned one, but doesn't
try to teach if he is assigned to a non-math class.

I have no idea. Is John lying? Do we need an independent inquiry? :-)


I'm not sure anything about John passes the WGAS test.

Oh come on....he's way better than NOYB. Think of it this way (a strawman -
get ready): Let's say all four of us were at the seaquarium in Baltimore,
drunk as skunks, and you wanted my help throwing either JohnH or NOYB into a
tank full of sharks, just for grins. You can only pick one: Which would you
feed to the sharks?

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 18:23:51 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 17:27:28 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
.. .

If algebra isn't a terrorist plot, I don't know what is.


John H

Is that what you teach, John?

One of the subjects, yes!

John H

Well, you'd better keep the quality level high. Kids are getting uppity
these days. Last year (8th grade), my son and some other honor student thugs
began complaining about their algebra teacher. Stuff like: "If we ask too
many questions, he says to go back to the book. And if we ask for 10 minutes
of help after class, he says he doesn't have time." So, I told him to be
sure he was using some sort of metrics to compare the guy with other
teachers. His response was that they knew what a good teacher was, and this
guy wasn't one of the good ones. I thought about two things: First, my
algebra teacher was hideous, and I did lousy. It hobbled me for years
afterward (except for geometry, because the lady teacher had drop-dead
legs). And, I vote YES on all school budget increases. I'm a customer. I
don't pay for tenured loiterers.

Finally, I said "So...write a polite petition and take it to the principal.
Either that, or I'll get involved and you know I'll get it straightened
out". He consulted with his friends. They made a petition. They began
circulating it in the hall between classes. Within 1/2 hour of that, word
got to the principal. There was a handful of suck-ups who probably
functioned as spies. My son and his girlfriend (who is NOT really his
girlfriend, I am warned) were called to the principal's office for a little
talking-to. Afterward, the girlfriend called her grandma, the recently
retired superintendent of our system. Grandma came right over and there was
apparently a "firm conversation" in the principal's office, according to
anonymous sources (probably a Bad Kid waiting his turn with the principal).

Next day, my son came home and said somebody put all new batteries in the
math teacher. He's really being polite, too. :-)

Some things I've learned:

Most 8th graders, even the *smart* ones taking algebra early, won't
read the book. They need to learn that doing so has benefits.

In my school we have late bus days. Teachers are expected to be there
until the late buses leave. That's an extra 35-45 minutes after the
last class. There are two or three late bus days every week. If a
parent were to call the principal to complain about the lack of after
school help, the help would quickly become available. This assumes
that the teacher really *isn't* busy after school. Some teachers are
also coaches, for example, and really aren't available.

Not all teachers are as dedicated as they could be. Some of them are
sick of fighting a system in which they are at fault for every failure
and parents have no responsibilities whatever in the educational
process.

Glad things worked out for your son. If he has an algebra question
tell him to post it here. I'll help him.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 18:38:36 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

Does John actually teach? I know he's mentioned he subs in the
Alexandria school system, but my recollection is that he has posted that
he mainly babysits high school kids, and doesn't teach. Or was it that
he tries to teach some math classes if he is assigned one, but doesn't
try to teach if he is assigned to a non-math class.

I have no idea. Is John lying? Do we need an independent inquiry? :-)

When I'm subbing math, I teach the lesson planned for the day. When
subbing other subjects, I don't teach unless it happens to be a lesson
with which I'm familiar.

Normally I coordinate with teachers beforehand to determine what I'm
going to do. I want more movies!

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 09:37:23 -0500, John H
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

If algebra isn't a terrorist plot, I don't know what is.

I can introduce you to some eighth grade math students who would
heartily agree with you. ;)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
----------

"I thought I'd just go fishin', but the fish
were not amused. And I caught myself just
wishin' that I was in the fishes shoes. Just
swimmin' in some deep blue water not a care
in my head, watchin' some fool with a line
and a pole hidin' by the riverbed."

Joe Ely, "Back To My Old Molehill" - "Flatlanders,
Wheels of Fortune - 2004"

Doug Kanter wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Doug Kanter wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

Does John actually teach? I know he's mentioned he subs in the
Alexandria school system, but my recollection is that he has posted
that
he mainly babysits high school kids, and doesn't teach. Or was it that
he tries to teach some math classes if he is assigned one, but doesn't
try to teach if he is assigned to a non-math class.

I have no idea. Is John lying? Do we need an independent inquiry? :-)


I'm not sure anything about John passes the WGAS test.

Oh come on....he's way better than NOYB. Think of it this way (a strawman -
get ready): Let's say all four of us were at the seaquarium in Baltimore,
drunk as skunks, and you wanted my help throwing either JohnH or NOYB into a
tank full of sharks, just for grins. You can only pick one: Which would you
feed to the sharks?




Ahhh. This is sort of a Hobson's choice, eh?

I'm pretty much convinced I'd have a great time out fishing with NOYBby,
and even arguing politics with him without either of us taking it so
seriously that we'd sink to John's level. Besides, NOYBby is pretty much
without pretense in his beliefs, and repugnant as I find many of those
beliefs, I think he is intellectually honest about his thoughts and
feelings. And, of course, NOYBby is young and there is hope he'll see
some light.

Ker-ripes...did I just write that?

Yeah. I'd toss John to the sharks. He seems to have fewer and fewer
redeeming qualities.








--
Email sent to is never read.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 09:37:23 -0500, John H
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

If algebra isn't a terrorist plot, I don't know what is.

I can introduce you to some eighth grade math students who would
heartily agree with you. ;)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
----------


I never like numerical algebra much, but I sure liked geometry. I have
no idea why. A couple of years ago, I picked up a couple of books on
boolean algebra, which is really philosophy, I suppose.


--
Email sent to is never read.

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 14:19:49 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:


I never like numerical algebra much, but I sure liked geometry. I have
no idea why. A couple of years ago, I picked up a couple of books on
boolean algebra, which is really philosophy, I suppose.

Hee, hee.

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 18:23:51 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 17:27:28 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
.. .

If algebra isn't a terrorist plot, I don't know what is.


John H

Is that what you teach, John?

One of the subjects, yes!

John H

Well, you'd better keep the quality level high. Kids are getting uppity
these days. Last year (8th grade), my son and some other honor student thugs
began complaining about their algebra teacher. Stuff like: "If we ask too
many questions, he says to go back to the book. And if we ask for 10 minutes
of help after class, he says he doesn't have time." So, I told him to be
sure he was using some sort of metrics to compare the guy with other
teachers. His response was that they knew what a good teacher was, and this
guy wasn't one of the good ones. I thought about two things: First, my
algebra teacher was hideous, and I did lousy. It hobbled me for years
afterward (except for geometry, because the lady teacher had drop-dead
legs). And, I vote YES on all school budget increases. I'm a customer. I
don't pay for tenured loiterers.

Finally, I said "So...write a polite petition and take it to the principal.
Either that, or I'll get involved and you know I'll get it straightened
out". He consulted with his friends. They made a petition. They began
circulating it in the hall between classes. Within 1/2 hour of that, word
got to the principal. There was a handful of suck-ups who probably
functioned as spies. My son and his girlfriend (who is NOT really his
girlfriend, I am warned) were called to the principal's office for a little
talking-to. Afterward, the girlfriend called her grandma, the recently
retired superintendent of our system. Grandma came right over and there was
apparently a "firm conversation" in the principal's office, according to
anonymous sources (probably a Bad Kid waiting his turn with the principal).

Next day, my son came home and said somebody put all new batteries in the
math teacher. He's really being polite, too. :-)

It's even more fun when Grandma is a 35 year veteran of the same
school system, Teacher's Union President and current sitting member of
the Board of Ed. ;)

Of course, it works the other way around too - those poor grandkids
can't get away with anything. :)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
----------

"I thought I'd just go fishin', but the fish
were not amused. And I caught myself just
wishin' that I was in the fishes shoes. Just
swimmin' in some deep blue water not a care
in my head, watchin' some fool with a line
and a pole hidin' by the riverbed."

Joe Ely, "Back To My Old Molehill" - "Flatlanders,
Wheels of Fortune - 2004"

"John H" wrote in message
...

Some things I've learned:

Most 8th graders, even the *smart* ones taking algebra early, won't
read the book. They need to learn that doing so has benefits.

In my school we have late bus days. Teachers are expected to be there
until the late buses leave. That's an extra 35-45 minutes after the
last class. There are two or three late bus days every week. If a
parent were to call the principal to complain about the lack of after
school help, the help would quickly become available. This assumes
that the teacher really *isn't* busy after school. Some teachers are
also coaches, for example, and really aren't available.

Not all teachers are as dedicated as they could be. Some of them are
sick of fighting a system in which they are at fault for every failure
and parents have no responsibilities whatever in the educational
process.

Glad things worked out for your son. If he has an algebra question
tell him to post it here. I'll help him.

John H

Good point about teachers sick of the system. But, I'm an old-fashioned guy.
I think parents are part of the system. Parents who don't participate in
their kids' education should be ground up and used as chum. In the first
week of each new school year, I make sure I've spoken to all his teachers,
to let them know that I'm there. Or here. Or whatever.

What's interesting is trying to figure out why my son does well in school.
We discussed this a few weeks ago, along with a couple of thugs he had over
for dinner. The consensus was "I dunno....got any more root beer?".
Seriously, his crew doesn't compete with one another. And, the parents don't
nag. They seem to think it's a matter of "If you're smart to begin with, why
waste it?" Or, as my son likes to say, "Who wants to be dumb? You could end
up being the president."