Here is another essay by Buchanan.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=32195
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
"Dumber Than A Monkey With A Crayon"
Just prior to my graduation from the 8th grade into my first year in high school, I was required to take a placement test to help me decide what classes I should take the following year. The test was composed of several parts, which were supposed to help a school counselor know if I should take honors, college prep, regular, or maybe even remedial level classes. I did very well on all the parts of the exam except the true or false spelling test. This test consisted of 100 words, some spelled correctly and some spelled incorrectly. If the word was spelled correctly, I was to mark "True", and "False" if the word was spelled incorrectly. I remember looking down the list and thinking that all the words looked fine to me.
A few weeks after taking the test I met with a school counselor to learn how I had done. He briefly showed me the high marks and then turned my attention to the spelling test.
"Son," he started, "You only got 40%."
I remember thinking that it seemed a bit low to me, but what did I know. I was just a kid and he was a school counselor.
"That's pretty bad," he added, watching for some type of reaction, such as dialated pupils or sweaty palms. I could tell he had spent many years studying human behavior under stress in order to obtain his position in the school. Not seeing the reaction that I suppose he was expecting he continued, "You probably know, kid, that a monkey could get 50% on this test just by marking all of the answers "True".
Again his subtlety escaped my naive young mind. I didn't even know that monkeys took tests, let alone spelling tests. At this point he became impatient to make an impression on me.
"What I am saying kid," he stressed as the pitch of his voice increased, "is that you are dumber than a monkey with a crayon."
At this point the comparison between me and a hairy monkey finally sank in. I was awe struck. How could he say such a thing to a young impressionable child? He recommended that I take a remedial English class my first year as a high school freshman.
That night I went home and told my parents that I was dumber than a monkey with a crayon. They immediately questioned where I got such an awful idea. When I told them the entire story my loving father took me aside and told me that I was not dumb. Not only that, but he also said that I should sign up for college prep English class in high school. I did as he suggested and not only survived the first year, but also did well in English all four years in high school.
Following high school, I subsequently learned that I have what psychologists refer to as the "engineering gene". Research has shown that most people who possess this gene are poor spellers. However, this experience made a strong impression on my mind and I have always been aware of my limitations in spelling.
Thank goodness for dictionaries and "Spell Check".
A few weeks after taking the test I met with a school counselor to learn how I had done. He briefly showed me the high marks and then turned my attention to the spelling test.
"Son," he started, "You only got 40%."
I remember thinking that it seemed a bit low to me, but what did I know. I was just a kid and he was a school counselor.
"That's pretty bad," he added, watching for some type of reaction, such as dialated pupils or sweaty palms. I could tell he had spent many years studying human behavior under stress in order to obtain his position in the school. Not seeing the reaction that I suppose he was expecting he continued, "You probably know, kid, that a monkey could get 50% on this test just by marking all of the answers "True".
Again his subtlety escaped my naive young mind. I didn't even know that monkeys took tests, let alone spelling tests. At this point he became impatient to make an impression on me.
"What I am saying kid," he stressed as the pitch of his voice increased, "is that you are dumber than a monkey with a crayon."
At this point the comparison between me and a hairy monkey finally sank in. I was awe struck. How could he say such a thing to a young impressionable child? He recommended that I take a remedial English class my first year as a high school freshman.
That night I went home and told my parents that I was dumber than a monkey with a crayon. They immediately questioned where I got such an awful idea. When I told them the entire story my loving father took me aside and told me that I was not dumb. Not only that, but he also said that I should sign up for college prep English class in high school. I did as he suggested and not only survived the first year, but also did well in English all four years in high school.
Following high school, I subsequently learned that I have what psychologists refer to as the "engineering gene". Research has shown that most people who possess this gene are poor spellers. However, this experience made a strong impression on my mind and I have always been aware of my limitations in spelling.
Thank goodness for dictionaries and "Spell Check".
1960's - What Memories!
My good friend Paul just sent me this link to a great website about the 1960's. I remember all these things...how about you? Take a look and enjoy!!!
http://moreoldfortyfives.com/TakeMeBackToTheSixties.htm
http://moreoldfortyfives.com/TakeMeBackToTheSixties.htm
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
We Are Fast Approaching Orwell's 1984
In George Orwell's novel 1984 the government took control of everything. I am sure it didn't happen over night, but it was a gradual change that the people accepted bit by bit, until it was too late.
In the progressive state of California a recent change to the building code requires that all new installations of heating and air-conditioning systems in homes have what is called a PCT (Programmable Communicating Thermostat). It enables the government to control the thermostat that regulates the temperature inside your home. If the government thinks you are setting the temperature too warm in the winter, they can adjust it where they think is appropriate for your needs. Likewise, they can adjust the temperature in the summer if they think you don't need it as cool as you think you do. After all, this is the government we are talking about. They are the ones who know who should run the banks and GM and what kinds of cars we need to buy. They really think they know how to run things better than we do.
Lest you think I am making all of this up, I have included a portion of Section 112 of Title 24 which describes the function of the PCT.
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SECTION 112 – MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR SPACE-CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT
Certification by Manufacturers. Any space-conditioning equipment listed in this section may be installed only if the manufacturer has certified that the equipment complies with all the applicable requirements of this section. Thermostats6. All unitary heating and/or cooling systems including heat pumps that are not controlled by a central energy management control system (EMCS) shall have a Programmable Communicating Thermostat (PCT) that is certified by the manufacturer to the Energy Commission to meet the requirements of Subsections 112(c)(1) and 112(c)(2) below:
1. Setback Capabilities. All PCTs shall have a clock mechanism that allows the building occupant to program the temperature set points for at least four periods within 24 hours. Thermostats for heat pumps shall meet the requirements of Section 112(b).
2. Communicating Capabilities. All PCTs shall be distributed with a non-removable Radio Data System (RDS) communications device that is compatible with the default statewide DR communications system , which can be used by utilities to send price and emergency signals. PCTs shall be capable of receiving and responding to the signals indicating price and emergency events as follows.
A. Price Events. The PCT shall be shipped with default price-event offsets of +4°F for cooling and -4°F for heating enabled; however, customers shall be able to change the offsets and thermostat settings at any time during price events. Upon receiving a price-event signal, the PCT shall adjust the thermostat setpoint by the number of degrees indicated in the offset for the duration specified in the signal of the price event. The PCT shall also be equipped with the capability to allow customers to define setpoints for heating and cooling in response to price signals as an alternative to temperature-offsetting response, as described in Reference Joint Appendix JA5.
B. Emergency Events. Upon receiving an emergency signal, the PCT shall respond to commands contained in the emergency signal, including changing the setpoint by any number of degrees or to a specific temperature setpoint. The PCT shall not allow customer changes to thermostat settings during emergency events.
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http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/who_will_control_your_thermost.html
Monday, June 1, 2009
Human Bottle Launcher
Most of us may remember launching those plastic rockets that you filled with water and then pumped air inside. When you released the rocket, the compressed air inside pushed out the water and the reaction launched the rocket in the opposite direction.
We have used 1 or 2 liter pop bottles to do the same thing. Using PVC pipe we construct a stand as shown in the photo. Fill the bottle 1/3 full of water and quickly turn it upside down on the launcher. Hook up a bicycle pump and pump air into the bottle through the PVC pipe structure. The bottle will release itself from the launcher when pressure overcomes the holding force on the mouth of the bottle. The air inside the bottle forces out the water and the reaction launches the bottle in the opposite direction. It is not uncommon to reach a height of 50 feet with a 2 liter bottle.
I found this short video on the Internet the other day. It shows a young kid being hooked up to what appears to be a system of about twenty 2 liter bottles hooked together on some type of common air/plumbing assembly. The assembly is pumped up as I have described and attached to the kid's back. Somehow, all of the bottles are released simultaneously and the kid is launched out over a body of water, where he is quickly rescued.
I have run through the numbers to see if it is possible to launch the kid into the air. By my first order calculations, it would take more than 50 bottles to lift even a skinny kid off the ground, let alone that far over the water. Therefore I believe this video is fake. But it sure looks impressive. Don't you agree?
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