...In ways many of you don't understand.
Some of you have known me from high school and the girl who couldn't keep her mouth shut about anything, who would talk to anyone and was significantly more popular than it ever occurred to her that she was.
Some of you know the girl from college, freshmen and sophomore year, the one who was shy in a crowd and always worried about what people thought.
Some of you only know who I am now, the reboot to Version 1.0, the person who still has some of the corruptions from Version 2 but the personality of version 1.
You know what? I like this person better. This person is probably slightly less cheery than the girl most of you know, a little more prone to sarcasm of the hurtful kind, a little more likely to take things seriously, but I can respect myself.
I've made my way through two abusive relationships, that tore me up and down, made me be who I never was before, and FINALLY, I've become willing to rely on myself. Embraced my pseduo-geekiness, my nerdiness and my extroversion, not as faults to be quieted, but instead as things that make me special. Things that, like Maggie says, are my little special brand of humor, to make puns of esoteric shows ans musicals just to see if anyone catches it but still be amused by a dumb blonde joke.
I know I probably haven't been the best friend I could to some of you and that is my fault, but I also know that friendship isn't one sided, it isn't being talked at and not responded to. For this I am thankful for my friends, most especially numbers 5, 6 and 7 on my speed dial. Those who not only hang with me but are there for me, even if you can't quite understand the words coming between my tears.
If you don't know who you are, true friends have had poems written about them. Even if I never hear from you again, I will treasure you in the capsule of words which I hoped would hold you.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
English buddies!
HELP!
I need your input on this sonnet for my325 class (ick!) It's
grammatically correct so if you have comments, PLEASE don't say I used
the reflexive improperly.
It's Spenserian (abab bcbc cdcd ee) and below:
She stands at the glass, mien downcast
yet when I gaze above, a smile sits on her lips
and her eyes are lit with joy for me at last,
bringing slow warmth to my fingertips.
Apollo is racing across the sky, illuminating her slips,
seeking the dim echo of her in the window frame,
traveling slowly up her dress to rest upon her hips,
before showing that visage for which he came.
So long ago for her did I seek to aim
and long did I hold her in much regard
until I found her to be previously tame
to the gilded cage so closely barred.
The pluméd bird lives always above
and I ne'er more shall be in love.
It's Spenserian (abab bcbc cdcd ee) and below:
She stands at the glass, mien downcast
yet when I gaze above, a smile sits on her lips
and her eyes are lit with joy for me at last,
bringing slow warmth to my fingertips.
Apollo is racing across the sky, illuminating her slips,
seeking the dim echo of her in the window frame,
traveling slowly up her dress to rest upon her hips,
before showing that visage for which he came.
So long ago for her did I seek to aim
and long did I hold her in much regard
until I found her to be previously tame
to the gilded cage so closely barred.
The pluméd bird lives always above
and I ne'er more shall be in love.
Acceptance to Volition
Congratulations on the acceptance of your work into the Volition's Fall 2008 issue!
*Importantly, we would like you to send us how you want your name to appear in the issue to avoid discrepancies.
Please reply as soon as possible so that we may be able to get the issue printed. It is preferable that you reply by this Sunday, the latest on Monday before noon 11/24/2008.
Volition commends you for your excellent work. We hope that you continue with your great work and consider submitting to future issues.
Lizzy
Co-editor-in-chief
*Importantly, we would like you to send us how you want your name to appear in the issue to avoid discrepancies.
Please reply as soon as possible so that we may be able to get the issue printed. It is preferable that you reply by this Sunday, the latest on Monday before noon 11/24/2008.
Volition commends you for your excellent work. We hope that you continue with your great work and consider submitting to future issues.
Lizzy
Co-editor-in-chief
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Recap from my 21st
My 21st went pretty awesome. About 20 people were there, filtering in and out through the night. We had a nice heavy meal to deal with all the alcohol and then went dancing and then back upstairs when it was too hot and drank some more.
This is what I REMEMBER drinking (shots unless otherwise mentioned):
1 black and tan (pint)
2 screaming orgasms (YUM!)
1 buttery nipple
1 tequila with lime
1 tequila sunrise (about 8 oz, though I really don't know how that worked out)
1 pineapple upside down cake (not doing that again)
1 really nice mead that benn gave me (super yum)
1 sex on a beach
Now, That's all I REMEMBER.
Random thoughts:
I started drinking about 8 stopped drinking at 2 (last call). I had the most awesome waitress, in the world, Teal Dye (swear to god, that's her name, she goes to GMU with me). I have about 4 pictures that Benn took, that I don't remember. I hugged Justin good-bye 4 times. I can walk a straight line in heels, while drunk, and I don't wobble (super-cool). Lauren S is an AMAZING dancer. I impressed everyone with my strong thigh muscles. I wasn't in the dance level when my birthday song (Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz's "Get Low", ty Lauryn) was played. Some of my friends are creepy. Most of my friends are AMAZING!!! Denny's is very yummy when drunk. I say "thank you" WAAAAAYYYY too much after drinking. Leaving the party early, when you're the DD = NOT COOL! I didn't get a hangover, but I did forget my makeup in Lauryn's car. Cigars are good. Absolut is BAD.
This is what I REMEMBER drinking (shots unless otherwise mentioned):
1 black and tan (pint)
2 screaming orgasms (YUM!)
1 buttery nipple
1 tequila with lime
1 tequila sunrise (about 8 oz, though I really don't know how that worked out)
1 pineapple upside down cake (not doing that again)
1 really nice mead that benn gave me (super yum)
1 sex on a beach
Now, That's all I REMEMBER.
Random thoughts:
I started drinking about 8 stopped drinking at 2 (last call). I had the most awesome waitress, in the world, Teal Dye (swear to god, that's her name, she goes to GMU with me). I have about 4 pictures that Benn took, that I don't remember. I hugged Justin good-bye 4 times. I can walk a straight line in heels, while drunk, and I don't wobble (super-cool). Lauren S is an AMAZING dancer. I impressed everyone with my strong thigh muscles. I wasn't in the dance level when my birthday song (Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz's "Get Low", ty Lauryn) was played. Some of my friends are creepy. Most of my friends are AMAZING!!! Denny's is very yummy when drunk. I say "thank you" WAAAAAYYYY too much after drinking. Leaving the party early, when you're the DD = NOT COOL! I didn't get a hangover, but I did forget my makeup in Lauryn's car. Cigars are good. Absolut is BAD.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Weird Dreams
Dream one, last week:
I was with a boy with soft brown hair and warm hazel eyes. He was kind and attentive and just a little mischievous. I had made a long journey to meet him and the room we were in was only one on a long corridor lined with rooms. He was called away and I went exploring, even though he thought me asleep. The last door on the right held a room and through the cracked door, I saw a large table, full of people some I knew, others I didn't, discussing something very serious. I didn't want to disturb them so I closed the door and looked at the one across the way. it was closed but I could hear the boy on the the side and another voice, low enough that I could not make out a single thing about it. When I opened the door, the boy was kneeling at the feet of a woman. I could tell she was important maybe a queen or other royalty but I don't know how. He saw me and when she finished speaking to him he explained that though he loved me he didn't not have a choice when it came to her, if she called him away he would have to go. I said I understood and we returned to our room and slept.
Dream two, this morning:
I was in a small town looking for the law office, but it was always one away from the building i was at. I knew I wasn't supposed to be there because everyone was looking at me and I was dressed strangely. I had a basket which I had set down near a tree and a woman who was my coworker saw some pictures and wanted to know how long I knew I was pregnant and was I going to make an honest woman out of myself. I was 8 or 9 months pregnant with my ex-boyfriend's baby and it already too late to get an abortion but I was terrified that I would be chained to him for the rest of my life.
I was with a boy with soft brown hair and warm hazel eyes. He was kind and attentive and just a little mischievous. I had made a long journey to meet him and the room we were in was only one on a long corridor lined with rooms. He was called away and I went exploring, even though he thought me asleep. The last door on the right held a room and through the cracked door, I saw a large table, full of people some I knew, others I didn't, discussing something very serious. I didn't want to disturb them so I closed the door and looked at the one across the way. it was closed but I could hear the boy on the the side and another voice, low enough that I could not make out a single thing about it. When I opened the door, the boy was kneeling at the feet of a woman. I could tell she was important maybe a queen or other royalty but I don't know how. He saw me and when she finished speaking to him he explained that though he loved me he didn't not have a choice when it came to her, if she called him away he would have to go. I said I understood and we returned to our room and slept.
Dream two, this morning:
I was in a small town looking for the law office, but it was always one away from the building i was at. I knew I wasn't supposed to be there because everyone was looking at me and I was dressed strangely. I had a basket which I had set down near a tree and a woman who was my coworker saw some pictures and wanted to know how long I knew I was pregnant and was I going to make an honest woman out of myself. I was 8 or 9 months pregnant with my ex-boyfriend's baby and it already too late to get an abortion but I was terrified that I would be chained to him for the rest of my life.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Odds vs Probablity in Math
October 13, 2008
If you flipped three pennies, what would be the odds that they all came out the same?
Ok... Odds are different from probability
Probability(x) = (Chances for)/(Total chances)
Odds, on the other hand, are given as: (Chances for) : (Chances against)
So if these are the following solutions:
TTT (000)
TTH (001)
THT (010)
THH (011)
HTT (100)
HTH (101)
HHT (110)
HHH (111)
There are 2/8 solutions that satisfy this. So 1/4 would be the PROBABILITY, but they asked for ODDS which would be 2:6 or 1:3
If you flipped three pennies, what would be the odds that they all came out the same?
Ok... Odds are different from probability
Probability(x) = (Chances for)/(Total chances)
Odds, on the other hand, are given as: (Chances for) : (Chances against)
So if these are the following solutions:
TTT (000)
TTH (001)
THT (010)
THH (011)
HTT (100)
HTH (101)
HHT (110)
HHH (111)
There are 2/8 solutions that satisfy this. So 1/4 would be the PROBABILITY, but they asked for ODDS which would be 2:6 or 1:3
Sunday, October 12, 2008
How to solve the 2 cars math problem
If two cars were faced away from each other back to back, both cars travelled 8 miles forward then made a 90 degree left turn and traveled another 6 miles, how far apart would they be?
Possible answers (as given on question):
� Right next to each other.
� 48km
� 32km
� I'm not sure / Hey, there's no SKIP button
First we must find how far each car went. If the beginning point is (0,0) on a coordinate plane, the the car on the right went to point (8,6) and the car on the left went to point (-8,-6). They for a diagonal line on opposite sides of the plane so option A (Right next to each other is wrong). We want to find the length of the diagonal so we do the following.
a^2 + b^2= c^2 (the Pythagorean theorem)
a= to the distance on the x axis (or 8) and b= to the distance on the y axis (or 6). Remember, you cannot have negative distance, so even though on of the cars is in the negative portion of the plane, it still went positive distance. C= the unknown diagonal length.
a^2 + b^2= c^2
8^2 + 6^2= c^2
64 + 36 = c^2
100 = c^2
sqrt(100)= sqrt(c^2)
10 = c
c= 10
They are 20 miles away from each other. However, the answers are in km so we convert from mi to km.
1 mile is, approximately, 1.6 km so we do the following:
1 mi/1.6 km = 20 mi/ X km, cross multiply
X= 32
So the distance between the two cars is approximately 32 km, or answer C.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
What I told Tony
What he said:
"Hey,
I'm sorry if you're still hurting; I hadn't realized. I know ignorance is no
excuse, but it's all I have. I'm sorry if you've started feeling resentful, or
jealous, or even if it's just hurt. I didn't, and still don't, want to hurt you.
Did something change? I still think of you as a friend, someone who I can talk
to and hang out with. I didn't want to change that at all. Was it something in
specific that I did?
Please, if you've got a grievance with me, let me know.
-Tony"
What I said:
You know, it amazes me that you have such a lack of basic human understanding.
1) No, I didn't intend for shaune to get hurt by it
2) I didn't intend everyone to be able to read it, only those whom I specifically tagged and whom I had previously discussed it
3) I didn't once say she was a whore or anything of the like, all i said was that this was the reason I wasn't jealous
4) you have no idea how much time i spent trying to figure out exactly how she was better than me, and it simply occurred to me that it doesn't matter, she isn't in anyway.
5) I find it a horrible disservice to shaune that when i go out of my way to mention that you have a new gf who is awesome and nice you later say that you don't have a gf.
6) friends TALK to each other and have to trust each other enough to share anything. I don't trust you in the slightest at the moment, you have broken any trust I had and removed any respect for you by your lack a civility and common decency to those around you.
7) I am not responsible for what my friends think or say and if you'd like to know exactly what i said and what was said, I will send a copy to you.
8) I find it appalling that you seem to have absolutely no ability to form and continue an emotional attachment, i fondly hope that you don't hurt shaune the way you did me.
Does that help in anyway?
To sum up, I am angry at your lack of manners and your unwillingness to put any sort of effort into maintaining a relationship. I am amazed at your ability to portray feelings without feeling them and I find you a coward who prefers less direct means of communication than simply telling a person you want to break up, in March when you knew in January.
I'm sorry if you're still hurting; I hadn't realized. I know ignorance is no
excuse, but it's all I have. I'm sorry if you've started feeling resentful, or
jealous, or even if it's just hurt. I didn't, and still don't, want to hurt you.
Did something change? I still think of you as a friend, someone who I can talk
to and hang out with. I didn't want to change that at all. Was it something in
specific that I did?
Please, if you've got a grievance with me, let me know.
-Tony"
What I said:
You know, it amazes me that you have such a lack of basic human understanding.
1) No, I didn't intend for shaune to get hurt by it
2) I didn't intend everyone to be able to read it, only those whom I specifically tagged and whom I had previously discussed it
3) I didn't once say she was a whore or anything of the like, all i said was that this was the reason I wasn't jealous
4) you have no idea how much time i spent trying to figure out exactly how she was better than me, and it simply occurred to me that it doesn't matter, she isn't in anyway.
5) I find it a horrible disservice to shaune that when i go out of my way to mention that you have a new gf who is awesome and nice you later say that you don't have a gf.
6) friends TALK to each other and have to trust each other enough to share anything. I don't trust you in the slightest at the moment, you have broken any trust I had and removed any respect for you by your lack a civility and common decency to those around you.
7) I am not responsible for what my friends think or say and if you'd like to know exactly what i said and what was said, I will send a copy to you.
8) I find it appalling that you seem to have absolutely no ability to form and continue an emotional attachment, i fondly hope that you don't hurt shaune the way you did me.
Does that help in anyway?
To sum up, I am angry at your lack of manners and your unwillingness to put any sort of effort into maintaining a relationship. I am amazed at your ability to portray feelings without feeling them and I find you a coward who prefers less direct means of communication than simply telling a person you want to break up, in March when you knew in January.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Resolution to Roommate Troubles
I ended up getting moved because the dean determined that it was easier to move me tonight and get it resolved than try to move Kristi and end up spending a week playing games. Kristi and her mother accused me of physically threatening Kristi, apparently cleaning is threatening, and while I admit I acted childishly and moved her stuff, that is NOT physically threatening. So neither of us get "in trouble" but I now walk up three flights of stairs to get to my apartment.
Holly, Jason, Jenna and my new RA Darren were kind enough to help me move in, but it still took an hour.
PS. My stomach is killing me and I ended up crying for a few hours cause I was so angry/frustrated/helpless/hurt/disappointed/sad.
Holly, Jason, Jenna and my new RA Darren were kind enough to help me move in, but it still took an hour.
PS. My stomach is killing me and I ended up crying for a few hours cause I was so angry/frustrated/helpless/hurt/disappointed/sad.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Last Night/ This Morning
So I'm up at home for the weekend, but because I was planning on leaving very early in the morning, some problems arose.
You may remember that back in March, my roommate, Kristi, and I were having issues and signed a Roommate Agree. One of the stipulations was that her boyfriend would only come over Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, otherwise, Kristi would ask us in advance.
Last night was Thursday. I'm packing my room and getting the stuff I'm planning on taking with me. I come into the living room to see Kristi and Tim blowing up the air mattress. I say no, and am informed by Kristi that her boyfriend can stay over whenever she wants. She says she's taking it to the RA, Shanay. I grab my copy of the roommate agreement and follow. Shanay agrees with me and says that we need to follow the agreement, so Kristi calls me a "crazy b*tch" and leaves. I thank Shanay for her help and go clean my room to calm down.
I'm getting my shoes on to go buy more trash bags and am closing my door as Kristi comes in and asks, "What are you looking at your f*cking b*tch." Now, I don't respond, I just grab my keys and head over the RA's apt which we were at just a few minutes before. I tell Shanay what happened and find out that Kristi's mother called Shanay and started cursing her out for being on my side.
Ironically, the reason we are going to Shanay is because my building RA, Kevin, was accused of being biased by Kristi. (see a pattern).
Now, I REALLY don't want to go back so Shanay says she'll call the RA on duty, LJ. LJ comes over and we start telling her everything that happened, midway through the retelling, LJ gets a call telling her that the cops are coming to my room for a well being check for Kristi. Apparently, Kristi's Mom called the police asking for a "Well being" check. Which is really just a way to get cops into our apartment on probable cause.
Kristi isn't even there, she and Tim had left.
Kristi comes back.
By this time, I'm back in Shanay's apartment because the RAs and I are trying to figure out why the police are involved.
The police ask Kristi what happened, apparently during her retelling she is cursing so much that the male cop gets irritated and tells her that she needs to stop disrespecting him. The female cop asks me what happened and I tell her.
They consult... and consult.. and decide that Kristi and I are both getting Summons in front of the Dean of Student Judicial Affairs ( the honor council). That's right, by her mom calling the police, this is no longer a housing matter, which could be settled with one of us moving. No, now we go in front of the Dean who is in charge of expelling people. I give them my free will statement, Kristi has left again so they can't get one from her. They get one from the RAs and I am told that I can't go back to the apartment because Kristi might try to make this into a "physical altercation".
So I go into my room and grab a pillow and blanket, tell Holly that I'll call her after the cops have left and proceed to make a bed for myself on Shanay's couch. I call holly and tell her what happened. She moves all the boxes I had packed and ready in the living room back into our room.
I call my Dad to tell him I'll be leaving a little earlier than expected. He ends up calling the ODU police, specifically Officer Evans, the male cop whom I dealt with, and Evans' superior Sgt. Green. Green says that if I feel comfortable enough I can sleep in my room, but that he recommends against it and that if I do, to lock my door.
At 3 am, I get a call from Officer Evans asking me to call him if I see Tim again. I tell him I won't be there this weekend and he says, "Whenever's fine, it doesn't have to be this weekend."
So, I decide that its a bit stupid to try to drive 3 hours on an hour of sleep (I had been planning on leaving at 4 to escape traffic). I call my dad and tell him I'll be leaving around 8. (getting 4 hours of sleep is a little smarter... right?) When I'm leaving, Kristi still hasn't returned and I think what is pissing me off the most is that Kristi's Mom said she was worried about me HITTING Kristi. Now, 1) I don't hit girls, 2) I'm not that stupid, 3) She's been closer to hitting me than I have EVER been to hitting her.
I just figured I should tell you guys what was going on. I didn't really intend it to be this long a post.
You may remember that back in March, my roommate, Kristi, and I were having issues and signed a Roommate Agree. One of the stipulations was that her boyfriend would only come over Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, otherwise, Kristi would ask us in advance.
Last night was Thursday. I'm packing my room and getting the stuff I'm planning on taking with me. I come into the living room to see Kristi and Tim blowing up the air mattress. I say no, and am informed by Kristi that her boyfriend can stay over whenever she wants. She says she's taking it to the RA, Shanay. I grab my copy of the roommate agreement and follow. Shanay agrees with me and says that we need to follow the agreement, so Kristi calls me a "crazy b*tch" and leaves. I thank Shanay for her help and go clean my room to calm down.
I'm getting my shoes on to go buy more trash bags and am closing my door as Kristi comes in and asks, "What are you looking at your f*cking b*tch." Now, I don't respond, I just grab my keys and head over the RA's apt which we were at just a few minutes before. I tell Shanay what happened and find out that Kristi's mother called Shanay and started cursing her out for being on my side.
Ironically, the reason we are going to Shanay is because my building RA, Kevin, was accused of being biased by Kristi. (see a pattern).
Now, I REALLY don't want to go back so Shanay says she'll call the RA on duty, LJ. LJ comes over and we start telling her everything that happened, midway through the retelling, LJ gets a call telling her that the cops are coming to my room for a well being check for Kristi. Apparently, Kristi's Mom called the police asking for a "Well being" check. Which is really just a way to get cops into our apartment on probable cause.
Kristi isn't even there, she and Tim had left.
Kristi comes back.
By this time, I'm back in Shanay's apartment because the RAs and I are trying to figure out why the police are involved.
The police ask Kristi what happened, apparently during her retelling she is cursing so much that the male cop gets irritated and tells her that she needs to stop disrespecting him. The female cop asks me what happened and I tell her.
They consult... and consult.. and decide that Kristi and I are both getting Summons in front of the Dean of Student Judicial Affairs ( the honor council). That's right, by her mom calling the police, this is no longer a housing matter, which could be settled with one of us moving. No, now we go in front of the Dean who is in charge of expelling people. I give them my free will statement, Kristi has left again so they can't get one from her. They get one from the RAs and I am told that I can't go back to the apartment because Kristi might try to make this into a "physical altercation".
So I go into my room and grab a pillow and blanket, tell Holly that I'll call her after the cops have left and proceed to make a bed for myself on Shanay's couch. I call holly and tell her what happened. She moves all the boxes I had packed and ready in the living room back into our room.
I call my Dad to tell him I'll be leaving a little earlier than expected. He ends up calling the ODU police, specifically Officer Evans, the male cop whom I dealt with, and Evans' superior Sgt. Green. Green says that if I feel comfortable enough I can sleep in my room, but that he recommends against it and that if I do, to lock my door.
At 3 am, I get a call from Officer Evans asking me to call him if I see Tim again. I tell him I won't be there this weekend and he says, "Whenever's fine, it doesn't have to be this weekend."
So, I decide that its a bit stupid to try to drive 3 hours on an hour of sleep (I had been planning on leaving at 4 to escape traffic). I call my dad and tell him I'll be leaving around 8. (getting 4 hours of sleep is a little smarter... right?) When I'm leaving, Kristi still hasn't returned and I think what is pissing me off the most is that Kristi's Mom said she was worried about me HITTING Kristi. Now, 1) I don't hit girls, 2) I'm not that stupid, 3) She's been closer to hitting me than I have EVER been to hitting her.
I just figured I should tell you guys what was going on. I didn't really intend it to be this long a post.
Monday, April 14, 2008
In response to Jay's post
That children are allowed calculators in 3rd grade to help them with fractions, is a crime. 8x7 doesn't take a calculator and yet most adults I encounter pull out their cells to figure it out. I think that calculators shouldn't be allowed until high school and not at all in algebra and geometry. When I have kids, I'm home schooling them, because I don't want them to learn math that way. They won't need to memorize, but they should be able to understand that 8x7 is also 4x14 or 2x28 and that 4x14 is 4x15-4 and that 2x 28 is 2x30-2x2.
Not all kids are great at math, but I hate the fact that I went from elementary through high school thinking that I was terrible at math, when instead the teachers didn't understand the math enough to show relations between what we were learning and things we already learned.
If you want to get a math education degree in this state (VA), you have to go through differential equations and while I don't have a problem with that, I do have a problem with the fact that many of Fairfax County's math teachers have degrees in psychology, history, business administration, and astronomy and not even minors in math. In the Fairfax County Public School system, West Springfield high school is by far the worst.
Math needs to stop being treated like one subject, because it's not. Algebra, while helping you in geometry is not the same thing as geometry, just as chemistry will help you with biology but they are not the same subjects. Yet, for some reason, the US does not allow for algebra degrees or geometry degrees in the way they allow for biology and chemistry degrees. When we start talking about theoretical math, algebra is nearly non existent, going from calculus to trig to arithmetic almost immediately, it is for precisely this reason that I say that I study maths and English.
Some may respond that English is not a single subject either and yet it is a single degree in colleges. Except it isn't. There are creative writing degrees, technical writing degrees, linguistics, literature and plain English degrees. Yet, there is no distinction for Math, a math major is a math major with a concentration, minor or specialty. They still graduate with a BS in Math, not in Theoretical Mathematics. Now you may ask,"what about statistical degrees, applied math degrees and business math degrees?" Even at Purdue University, which has all of these curricula, when a person graduates, it is a BS of Math with a concentration or specialty in one of the previous.
I was actually pleased with the US' placement in the PISA this year. In 2003, We were only the 5th worst OECD country, well above Mexico. In 2006, we were, again the 5th worst country, with a score 20points lower than the 2003 assessment and only holding ground because Portugal, Italy and Greece back slid so much. Isn't that great? I mean, at least we didn't lose a rank. 2003 Graph can be found here. 2006 data can be found on pg12 (25th sheet) of the NCES report.
Have fun crying and be sure to look at our fabulous science and problem solving scores as well. Suddenly, I understand why I am the stupidest person in my family and yet significantly more educated than many of my peers.
This will be made public for easy reference.
Cited Works
"Baird" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/baird.shtml]
"Embrey" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/embry.shtml]
"Highlights from PISA 2006" National Center for Educational Statistics. 8 Jan 2008. 14 Apr 2008 [http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008016.pdf].
"Lindsay" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/lindsay.shtml]
"Math vs World" Stop the FCAT. 20 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008 [http://www.stopthefcat.com/math_vs_world.html]
"Murray" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/murray.shtml]
Responses:
Frank wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 04:19 pm
OK, not 100% certain I agree with your premise that "Math needs to stop being treated like one subject, because it's not."
Here's the difference, as I see it. The various mathematical iterations build upon one another. Geometry builds upon and uses concepts taught in algebra, as does trigonometry, calculus, probability and Statistics, etc. Algebra is built upon "lower" (I use that term for lack of a better one ATM) mathematical iterations.
Now, as you pointed out, knowledge of chemistry will usually assist with learning higher biology, but it doesn't build upon that. The bio classes I have taken (admittedly, they were not both fairly basic-level classes) have required little to no knowledge of chemistry. Nor have either of those sciences had much of an impact on my physics classes. This is not to say that they do not have an impact on each other, because I know that they do.
Here's the important part: They do not *build* on each other the way that the mathematical concepts do. If I do not have a firm grasp of Algebra, Trig is gonna kick my butt from here to eternity. I don't have to have as firm a grasp of chemistry to continue my studies of biology.
Now, does math branch out? Certainly! But, even some of the higher branches of mathematical studies have a close relation to each other. And, they still require grounding in the same foundation.
Let me try this tree analogy I've got brewing in me head and see where it goes.
You state above that Biology and chemistry are not the same subjects. Think if them as two trees then, close to each other, and occasionally, the branches become entangled. Those entanglements are where the sciences cross or collide. But they start with different trunks - and only meet in places.
(Throwing Physics in as a third tree is not that far a stretch either.)
But, the various disciplines of mathematics ALSO all start from the same trunk. The person studying advanced geometry and the theoretical mathematician share the same base trunk, just as the environmental biologist and the veterinarian share the same trunk.
Now, here comes the part I may need to don flame-proof armor for. For the record, it is not my intention to denigrate math, math majors, mathematicians of any stripe, math geeks, or asaia.
It would be correctly pointed out that there are "specialist" degrees in each of the "hard" sciences (1) listed above; biochemistry, astrophysics, etc., while none exist for mathematics. Very true.
Now, answer me this: For most, if not all, of the "hard" science specializations, there is a specific field of study and endeavor which their knowledge will be used in. The biochemist may go into pharmaceutical research, while the astrophysicist may go work for NASA, etc.
What does the theoretical mathematician to after graduation, besides teach?
I ask this because a: I honestly don't know and b: it is a common conception (and probably a MISconception) that there is little practical use for theoretical math - that it has little to no impact on the lives of the everyday Joe Blow and his family, so why should it be taken too seriously?
The fact is that at this moment, Mathematics will remain a single field in most "institutions of higher learning" until there is compelling reason for a change. And I'm sorry to admit that so far, I don't see it.
(1) "Hard" Science refers not to the difficulty of the subject matter in question, but rather to the fact that these fields of study generally have more quantifiable, precise, and objective data and methodology. This term is generally used in opposition to "Soft" Sciences, such as Political Science.
Then I wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:04 pm
In the same way the maths build on themselves, so do sciences. "Life science" as taught in the state of va is the introduction of scientific thinking and processes. The basic of biology, chemistry and applied physics and the familiarization thereof. An analogy can be made that arithmetic, algebra and planar geometry are the same introductory processes. Euclidean geometry is not needed for trig. Nor is trig necessary for calculus. trig will certainly help calculus make however. By you're previous statement, where does math place itself on the science tree? Algebra is necessary for chemistry and calculus for physics. That is not to say that either can be done without these maths but the finding of information is impossible otherwise.
Then Frank wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:31 pm
Never argued that the Math tree doesn't intertwine almost incestuously with at least 2 of the three trees mentioned (not so much with Bio, IMHO, but I digress). I am in agreement wholeheartedly.
While euclidean geometry may not be needed for trig, I would argue that algebra is, *and* that arithmetic is required for algebra. Arguing whether or not Trig is required for calculus (maybe not strictly or theoretically, but I would argue it is on a practical level) (1) is not necessarily the point here, either. I think for purposes of the tree analogy, we're in agreement that it is its own tree - I just think the main trunk goes a lot further up before it *really* starts splitting up.
Again, there is, for better or worse, a perception issue that while theoretical math is nice and all, it has little practical application. Not saying I agree with the statement, but it's out there.
Ultimately, the various branches of physics (or bio or chem) are merely subsets of their base science. In that respect, math is no different.
Except that late at night, when studying for a pre-calc test, the numbers on the page will start armign themselves for battle. They use square root signs as catapults, and decimal points for ammunition. "1"s are launched Ballista-like across the page by "3"s, while carats are spread about to slow the advance of the "5"s, who wield "7"s like scythes...
To which Jay wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:30 pm
Assuming "theoretical math" is equivalent to "pure math", Craig's suggestion is one of the prominent ones. Honestly, it would really depend on which branch of math one was in. In more applied math, there are a variety of programming, scientific, and engineering jobs which are relevant right from the bachelors. For the others, unless you got at least an masters, employment would be tricky; but then, it usually is in the sciences (and math is a rational science). Once you have the masters, noneducational opportunities include the aforementioned No Such Agency, other gov't jobs in techy areas, various companies doing comp sci or sci or eng research (IBM, Google, Microsoft, etc), and financial groups.
Honestly, I think that as much as it's true for bio, chem, physics, and geology (what I'd consider the traditional "hard" sciences) that there are nonacademic options, I'd say it was true for math. Admittedly, I say this as a person getting degrees in geology and math, who currently is leaning towards academia, and who plans to go into geology related industry if that doesn't work.
Also, I very much disagree that it is correct to point out that there are no specialist degrees in math. Statistics, Applied/Computational/etc Math, Mathematical Finances, etc plus the more traditional degrees all say you're wrong. The whole point of adding those other degree types is because people who take them are more specialized. And also usually don't know any Topology. Honestly, sometimes it makes me wonder if some of these specializations were created specifically so people could avoid topology. But that's another story.
Then Frank wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:43 pm
(and math is a rational science)
Never argued that one.
Once you have the masters, noneducational opportunities include the aforementioned No Such Agency, other gov't jobs in techy areas, various companies doing comp sci or sci or eng research (IBM, Google, Microsoft, etc), and financial groups.
Which is why I asked the question. As I said, I honestly had no idea what opportunities were available to someone with such a degree.
But that brings up another point. So far as I know, neither of us knows each other from Adam. The other people who have responded to this would (I hope) consider me a reasonably intelligent, educated and informed individual. Certainly more so than what seems to be the majority of America. If I don't know about these facts, how likely is it that *they* know them?
Also, I very much disagree that it is correct to point out that there are no specialist degrees in math.
On this one, I am taking my cue from asaia's original post, where she states the following:
Yet, there is no distinction for Math, a math major is a math major with a concentration, minor or specialty. They still graduate with a BS in Math, not in Theoretical Mathematics. Now you may ask,"what about statistical degrees, applied math degrees and business math degrees?" Even at Purdue University, which has all of these curricula, when a person graduates, it is a BS of Math with a concentration or specialty in one of the previous.
I freely admit I have done little to no research on the subject; I am but taking her statements at face value.
As far as the job market goes, again, without doing any research, I'd venture to guess that there are more jobs out there looking for people in fields of bio, chem and/or physics than in math.
Maybe when job hunting tonight, I'll take a look. Again, I have no idea, I'm just hazarding a guess...
Then Jay wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 06:16 pm
Oh, I agree that most people in America don't know about these job opportunities, or how math enters into so many things. Hell, I know other math majors who don't know about them. While with the other math majors, it comes from lack of effort into planning for their futures, I suspect for many people, it comes from not wanting the math to be important. There is a strong strain of anti-intellectualism in America, and pure math definitely makes one a bit of an intellectual. Since frequently it takes about 30 to 50 years for a pure math idea to really get an application (and even then, it's usually something like Einstein using manifolds, which isn't much of an application from a lot of people's perspectives), it's hard to really understand what they pay off is.
With regards to the specialization, while that's mostly true at the undergraduate level, the same holds for many chem, physics, bio, and math programs. The fact that someone holds an undergraduate degree in bio doesn't usually distinguish between someone who got a genuinely general bio education from a molecular/biochem, an ecology/evolution, or a premed specialization. Some programs make a distinction at the undergraduate level, rather more do at the graduate, though some don't.
With regards to the job stuff: hmm. It would depend on which degrees you restricted it to. However, I'd strongly suspect that at a given degree level, math and physics had similar job numbers. Chem probably has more, especially once graduate degrees are reached. Biology probably has more, but only once graduate degrees are reached, and has a lot more people for the slots, so I'm not sure how that works out. I'm assuming that engineering disciplines heavily leaning towards a particular one of the hard sciences/math are being excluded, because otherwise software engineering, computer science, and systems engineering say you lose.
If you want to get a math education degree in this state (VA), you have to go through differential equations and while I don't have a problem with that, I do have a problem with the fact that many of Fairfax County's math teachers have degrees in psychology, history, business administration, and astronomy and not even minors in math. In the Fairfax County Public School system, West Springfield high school is by far the worst.
Math needs to stop being treated like one subject, because it's not. Algebra, while helping you in geometry is not the same thing as geometry, just as chemistry will help you with biology but they are not the same subjects. Yet, for some reason, the US does not allow for algebra degrees or geometry degrees in the way they allow for biology and chemistry degrees. When we start talking about theoretical math, algebra is nearly non existent, going from calculus to trig to arithmetic almost immediately, it is for precisely this reason that I say that I study maths and English.
Some may respond that English is not a single subject either and yet it is a single degree in colleges. Except it isn't. There are creative writing degrees, technical writing degrees, linguistics, literature and plain English degrees. Yet, there is no distinction for Math, a math major is a math major with a concentration, minor or specialty. They still graduate with a BS in Math, not in Theoretical Mathematics. Now you may ask,"what about statistical degrees, applied math degrees and business math degrees?" Even at Purdue University, which has all of these curricula, when a person graduates, it is a BS of Math with a concentration or specialty in one of the previous.
I was actually pleased with the US' placement in the PISA this year. In 2003, We were only the 5th worst OECD country, well above Mexico. In 2006, we were, again the 5th worst country, with a score 20points lower than the 2003 assessment and only holding ground because Portugal, Italy and Greece back slid so much. Isn't that great? I mean, at least we didn't lose a rank. 2003 Graph can be found here. 2006 data can be found on pg12 (25th sheet) of the NCES report.
Have fun crying and be sure to look at our fabulous science and problem solving scores as well. Suddenly, I understand why I am the stupidest person in my family and yet significantly more educated than many of my peers.
This will be made public for easy reference.
"Baird" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/baird.shtml]
"Embrey" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/embry.shtml]
"Highlights from PISA 2006" National Center for Educational Statistics. 8 Jan 2008. 14 Apr 2008 [http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008016.pdf].
"Lindsay" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/lindsay.shtml]
"Math vs World" Stop the FCAT. 20 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008 [http://www.stopthefcat.com/math_vs_world.html]
"Murray" West Springfield High School. 6 Oct 2007. 14 Apr 2008. [http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/academic/math/staff/murray.shtml]
Responses:
Frank wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 04:19 pm
OK, not 100% certain I agree with your premise that "Math needs to stop being treated like one subject, because it's not."
Here's the difference, as I see it. The various mathematical iterations build upon one another. Geometry builds upon and uses concepts taught in algebra, as does trigonometry, calculus, probability and Statistics, etc. Algebra is built upon "lower" (I use that term for lack of a better one ATM) mathematical iterations.
Now, as you pointed out, knowledge of chemistry will usually assist with learning higher biology, but it doesn't build upon that. The bio classes I have taken (admittedly, they were not both fairly basic-level classes) have required little to no knowledge of chemistry. Nor have either of those sciences had much of an impact on my physics classes. This is not to say that they do not have an impact on each other, because I know that they do.
Here's the important part: They do not *build* on each other the way that the mathematical concepts do. If I do not have a firm grasp of Algebra, Trig is gonna kick my butt from here to eternity. I don't have to have as firm a grasp of chemistry to continue my studies of biology.
Now, does math branch out? Certainly! But, even some of the higher branches of mathematical studies have a close relation to each other. And, they still require grounding in the same foundation.
Let me try this tree analogy I've got brewing in me head and see where it goes.
You state above that Biology and chemistry are not the same subjects. Think if them as two trees then, close to each other, and occasionally, the branches become entangled. Those entanglements are where the sciences cross or collide. But they start with different trunks - and only meet in places.
(Throwing Physics in as a third tree is not that far a stretch either.)
But, the various disciplines of mathematics ALSO all start from the same trunk. The person studying advanced geometry and the theoretical mathematician share the same base trunk, just as the environmental biologist and the veterinarian share the same trunk.
Now, here comes the part I may need to don flame-proof armor for. For the record, it is not my intention to denigrate math, math majors, mathematicians of any stripe, math geeks, or asaia.
It would be correctly pointed out that there are "specialist" degrees in each of the "hard" sciences (1) listed above; biochemistry, astrophysics, etc., while none exist for mathematics. Very true.
Now, answer me this: For most, if not all, of the "hard" science specializations, there is a specific field of study and endeavor which their knowledge will be used in. The biochemist may go into pharmaceutical research, while the astrophysicist may go work for NASA, etc.
What does the theoretical mathematician to after graduation, besides teach?
I ask this because a: I honestly don't know and b: it is a common conception (and probably a MISconception) that there is little practical use for theoretical math - that it has little to no impact on the lives of the everyday Joe Blow and his family, so why should it be taken too seriously?
The fact is that at this moment, Mathematics will remain a single field in most "institutions of higher learning" until there is compelling reason for a change. And I'm sorry to admit that so far, I don't see it.
(1) "Hard" Science refers not to the difficulty of the subject matter in question, but rather to the fact that these fields of study generally have more quantifiable, precise, and objective data and methodology. This term is generally used in opposition to "Soft" Sciences, such as Political Science.
Then I wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:04 pm
In the same way the maths build on themselves, so do sciences. "Life science" as taught in the state of va is the introduction of scientific thinking and processes. The basic of biology, chemistry and applied physics and the familiarization thereof. An analogy can be made that arithmetic, algebra and planar geometry are the same introductory processes. Euclidean geometry is not needed for trig. Nor is trig necessary for calculus. trig will certainly help calculus make however. By you're previous statement, where does math place itself on the science tree? Algebra is necessary for chemistry and calculus for physics. That is not to say that either can be done without these maths but the finding of information is impossible otherwise.
Then Frank wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:31 pm
Never argued that the Math tree doesn't intertwine almost incestuously with at least 2 of the three trees mentioned (not so much with Bio, IMHO, but I digress). I am in agreement wholeheartedly.
While euclidean geometry may not be needed for trig, I would argue that algebra is, *and* that arithmetic is required for algebra. Arguing whether or not Trig is required for calculus (maybe not strictly or theoretically, but I would argue it is on a practical level) (1) is not necessarily the point here, either. I think for purposes of the tree analogy, we're in agreement that it is its own tree - I just think the main trunk goes a lot further up before it *really* starts splitting up.
Again, there is, for better or worse, a perception issue that while theoretical math is nice and all, it has little practical application. Not saying I agree with the statement, but it's out there.
Ultimately, the various branches of physics (or bio or chem) are merely subsets of their base science. In that respect, math is no different.
Except that late at night, when studying for a pre-calc test, the numbers on the page will start armign themselves for battle. They use square root signs as catapults, and decimal points for ammunition. "1"s are launched Ballista-like across the page by "3"s, while carats are spread about to slow the advance of the "5"s, who wield "7"s like scythes...
To which Jay wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:30 pm
Assuming "theoretical math" is equivalent to "pure math", Craig's suggestion is one of the prominent ones. Honestly, it would really depend on which branch of math one was in. In more applied math, there are a variety of programming, scientific, and engineering jobs which are relevant right from the bachelors. For the others, unless you got at least an masters, employment would be tricky; but then, it usually is in the sciences (and math is a rational science). Once you have the masters, noneducational opportunities include the aforementioned No Such Agency, other gov't jobs in techy areas, various companies doing comp sci or sci or eng research (IBM, Google, Microsoft, etc), and financial groups.
Honestly, I think that as much as it's true for bio, chem, physics, and geology (what I'd consider the traditional "hard" sciences) that there are nonacademic options, I'd say it was true for math. Admittedly, I say this as a person getting degrees in geology and math, who currently is leaning towards academia, and who plans to go into geology related industry if that doesn't work.
Also, I very much disagree that it is correct to point out that there are no specialist degrees in math. Statistics, Applied/Computational/etc Math, Mathematical Finances, etc plus the more traditional degrees all say you're wrong. The whole point of adding those other degree types is because people who take them are more specialized. And also usually don't know any Topology. Honestly, sometimes it makes me wonder if some of these specializations were created specifically so people could avoid topology. But that's another story.
Then Frank wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 05:43 pm
(and math is a rational science)
Never argued that one.
Once you have the masters, noneducational opportunities include the aforementioned No Such Agency, other gov't jobs in techy areas, various companies doing comp sci or sci or eng research (IBM, Google, Microsoft, etc), and financial groups.
Which is why I asked the question. As I said, I honestly had no idea what opportunities were available to someone with such a degree.
But that brings up another point. So far as I know, neither of us knows each other from Adam. The other people who have responded to this would (I hope) consider me a reasonably intelligent, educated and informed individual. Certainly more so than what seems to be the majority of America. If I don't know about these facts, how likely is it that *they* know them?
Also, I very much disagree that it is correct to point out that there are no specialist degrees in math.
On this one, I am taking my cue from asaia's original post, where she states the following:
Yet, there is no distinction for Math, a math major is a math major with a concentration, minor or specialty. They still graduate with a BS in Math, not in Theoretical Mathematics. Now you may ask,"what about statistical degrees, applied math degrees and business math degrees?" Even at Purdue University, which has all of these curricula, when a person graduates, it is a BS of Math with a concentration or specialty in one of the previous.
I freely admit I have done little to no research on the subject; I am but taking her statements at face value.
As far as the job market goes, again, without doing any research, I'd venture to guess that there are more jobs out there looking for people in fields of bio, chem and/or physics than in math.
Maybe when job hunting tonight, I'll take a look. Again, I have no idea, I'm just hazarding a guess...
Then Jay wrote:
Apr. 14th, 2008 06:16 pm
Oh, I agree that most people in America don't know about these job opportunities, or how math enters into so many things. Hell, I know other math majors who don't know about them. While with the other math majors, it comes from lack of effort into planning for their futures, I suspect for many people, it comes from not wanting the math to be important. There is a strong strain of anti-intellectualism in America, and pure math definitely makes one a bit of an intellectual. Since frequently it takes about 30 to 50 years for a pure math idea to really get an application (and even then, it's usually something like Einstein using manifolds, which isn't much of an application from a lot of people's perspectives), it's hard to really understand what they pay off is.
With regards to the specialization, while that's mostly true at the undergraduate level, the same holds for many chem, physics, bio, and math programs. The fact that someone holds an undergraduate degree in bio doesn't usually distinguish between someone who got a genuinely general bio education from a molecular/biochem, an ecology/evolution, or a premed specialization. Some programs make a distinction at the undergraduate level, rather more do at the graduate, though some don't.
With regards to the job stuff: hmm. It would depend on which degrees you restricted it to. However, I'd strongly suspect that at a given degree level, math and physics had similar job numbers. Chem probably has more, especially once graduate degrees are reached. Biology probably has more, but only once graduate degrees are reached, and has a lot more people for the slots, so I'm not sure how that works out. I'm assuming that engineering disciplines heavily leaning towards a particular one of the hard sciences/math are being excluded, because otherwise software engineering, computer science, and systems engineering say you lose.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
In Response to B*tch PhD
In Response to B*tch PhD's post.
I have been told by many of my feminist friends that it's my fault that women are unequal in the workplace. I am referring to my wish to be a stay at home mom. I attempt to point out that I was raised by my father, whom, for all intents and purposes, was a stay at home dad. I volunteer, not for women empowerment groups, but for domestic violence, gay rights, transgender rights, historical accuracy, paganism and urban violence groups. When volunteering for domestic violence groups, I almost always focus on men whom have been abused by their partners or women abused by other women. I speak AAVE quite well and fit in with my black friends more seamlessly than with my white ones.
I really have no idea what this white feminism concept is. Perhaps because I don't consider myself a feminist. I am more likely to work for marginalized lifestyle rights than scream that women deserve equal pay. I'd rather raised minimum wage than worry about the glass ceiling I've hit in a number of areas. You're right, I'm a chicken shit because i should be some sort of science major and instead of fighting my way to a mediocre position, I'll tweak a "women's job" to suit me. I'm going to be an english/math major, I'm going to write technical manuals and fix readability issues on websites. I'll let someone else play with glass cutters and get hurt.
Keep in mind, if someone bugs me I don't call the police. I don't worry about someone stalking me or following me home. I'm fully prepared to defend myself, and for the most part won't bother the police with something I can take care of myself. Feminism should stop focusing on making people give women more rights or women "taking rights" and focus more on self reliance. Use acts, not words. If you feel that you don't need man's money to support you, good, then the best thing you can do is support yourself.
Yes, I wish women were paid equally to men, but then, pretty tall people are more likely to be hired than short and marginally attractive, it's a matter of how people's mind think. Men as a rule are taller than women. Men as a rule get paid higher than women. Height and "attractiveness was a stronger correlate of recruiter evaluation of firm specific fit than the objective characteristics of the applicants such as GPA, sex, business experience, major and extracurricular activites." (Dipboye 237) According to Gladwell's book Blink, "Of the tens of millions of American men below 5'6", a grand total of ten--in my sample--have reached the level of CEO, which says that being short is probably as much, or more, of a handicap to corporate success as being a woman or an African-American...Not long ago, researchers went back and analyzed the data from four large research studies, that had followed thousands of people from birth to adulthood, and calculated that when corrected for variables like age and gender and weight, an inch of height is worth $789 a year in salary." The fact that women are shorter and are paid less may be attributed to this, at least partially.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that feminism, to an extent, is an outmoded movement, which needs to be reevaulated before attempting to move forward in any sense, already the repercussions have been more violent than expected, with an increases in spousal abuse, especially in marriages where the women makes more money than the man. Perhaps, the feminist movement will die away, or become more rabid. However, let me point out that nowhere in feminist theory does it say a women MUST have a job, the entire point of feminism was to make it so women COULD have jobs, if they chose, not be badgered into one.
Cited Works
Discrimination at Work: The Psychological and Organizational Bases. Ed. Dipboye, Robert and Colella, Adrienne. Mahwah, NJ: Routledge, 2005.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink. New York, NY: Little Brown, 2005.
I have been told by many of my feminist friends that it's my fault that women are unequal in the workplace. I am referring to my wish to be a stay at home mom. I attempt to point out that I was raised by my father, whom, for all intents and purposes, was a stay at home dad. I volunteer, not for women empowerment groups, but for domestic violence, gay rights, transgender rights, historical accuracy, paganism and urban violence groups. When volunteering for domestic violence groups, I almost always focus on men whom have been abused by their partners or women abused by other women. I speak AAVE quite well and fit in with my black friends more seamlessly than with my white ones.
I really have no idea what this white feminism concept is. Perhaps because I don't consider myself a feminist. I am more likely to work for marginalized lifestyle rights than scream that women deserve equal pay. I'd rather raised minimum wage than worry about the glass ceiling I've hit in a number of areas. You're right, I'm a chicken shit because i should be some sort of science major and instead of fighting my way to a mediocre position, I'll tweak a "women's job" to suit me. I'm going to be an english/math major, I'm going to write technical manuals and fix readability issues on websites. I'll let someone else play with glass cutters and get hurt.
Keep in mind, if someone bugs me I don't call the police. I don't worry about someone stalking me or following me home. I'm fully prepared to defend myself, and for the most part won't bother the police with something I can take care of myself. Feminism should stop focusing on making people give women more rights or women "taking rights" and focus more on self reliance. Use acts, not words. If you feel that you don't need man's money to support you, good, then the best thing you can do is support yourself.
Yes, I wish women were paid equally to men, but then, pretty tall people are more likely to be hired than short and marginally attractive, it's a matter of how people's mind think. Men as a rule are taller than women. Men as a rule get paid higher than women. Height and "attractiveness was a stronger correlate of recruiter evaluation of firm specific fit than the objective characteristics of the applicants such as GPA, sex, business experience, major and extracurricular activites." (Dipboye 237) According to Gladwell's book Blink, "Of the tens of millions of American men below 5'6", a grand total of ten--in my sample--have reached the level of CEO, which says that being short is probably as much, or more, of a handicap to corporate success as being a woman or an African-American...Not long ago, researchers went back and analyzed the data from four large research studies, that had followed thousands of people from birth to adulthood, and calculated that when corrected for variables like age and gender and weight, an inch of height is worth $789 a year in salary." The fact that women are shorter and are paid less may be attributed to this, at least partially.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that feminism, to an extent, is an outmoded movement, which needs to be reevaulated before attempting to move forward in any sense, already the repercussions have been more violent than expected, with an increases in spousal abuse, especially in marriages where the women makes more money than the man. Perhaps, the feminist movement will die away, or become more rabid. However, let me point out that nowhere in feminist theory does it say a women MUST have a job, the entire point of feminism was to make it so women COULD have jobs, if they chose, not be badgered into one.
Cited Works
Discrimination at Work: The Psychological and Organizational Bases. Ed. Dipboye, Robert and Colella, Adrienne. Mahwah, NJ: Routledge, 2005.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink. New York, NY: Little Brown, 2005.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Beach
Today was gorgeous in Norfolk, 75, sunny, just perfect so after everyone got out of their classes, we, Jenna, Kara, Josh, Dan, Joseph, Tom, Sara and I went to the beach. As we got toward va beach city, there was literally a 10 degree drop in five feet. Tom;s birthday was tomorrow and Sara, his gf is on Tuesday so they got a hotel for the weekend. We hung on the beach, buried each other's shoes, watched people run into 40 degree water and basically had an all around good time, headed back and tonight we're hanging out again. Josh and I fell asleep in the back seat of Kara's car. Kara got the cookies I made this morning and its been, basically, an awesome day.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Last Night
Last Night Kristi spoke to the RA in A1, not our RA, another one.
Apparently, I'm making her life uncomfortable and have no right to do so because she's so "joyous."
Apparently, I'm pretending to be nice while I'm making snide remarks to her and her boyfriend by offering them food or a movie.
Apparently, I'm being mean because I found her family motto on an Irish site while looking up my own and told it to her.
Apparently, I'm not allowed to speak to Kristi or be in the same room with her until we go in front of Krystal (the head RA) and the council (whatever the hell that this).
Now, I'm still very confused. Since when is offering food or a movie snide? I went through the entire student and housing manuals and nowhere does it say I did anything wrong, so exactly what council are they speaking of? Was the girl even a bloody RA, because she brought her friend with her, and from experiences with our RA, Kevin, that isn't allowed. So basically, I'm in trouble for reasons I don't understand, after I thought we'd gotten everything figured out on Saturday.
Apparently, I'm making her life uncomfortable and have no right to do so because she's so "joyous."
Apparently, I'm pretending to be nice while I'm making snide remarks to her and her boyfriend by offering them food or a movie.
Apparently, I'm being mean because I found her family motto on an Irish site while looking up my own and told it to her.
Apparently, I'm not allowed to speak to Kristi or be in the same room with her until we go in front of Krystal (the head RA) and the council (whatever the hell that this).
Now, I'm still very confused. Since when is offering food or a movie snide? I went through the entire student and housing manuals and nowhere does it say I did anything wrong, so exactly what council are they speaking of? Was the girl even a bloody RA, because she brought her friend with her, and from experiences with our RA, Kevin, that isn't allowed. So basically, I'm in trouble for reasons I don't understand, after I thought we'd gotten everything figured out on Saturday.
Friday, March 14, 2008
I was happy
I was happy. For once I thought that someone actually loved me. I’m not upset because he didn’t. I upset because I deluded myself into thinking it was real, believing for once, saying those words and meaning them. Most of my confidence was wrapped in the comfort that I was lovable; all my worries in the possibility that I wasn’t. You asked me if I’m happy. The answer is no. I’ve slipped back to being the shut down girl from high school. I thought I had made so much progress, but apparently my house of cards was balanced on a single face and now that it’s gone, I’m back to being what I thought had been destroyed. No amount of gaiety or humor will lighten that. I am back to that cold little girl from high school, back to being a b*tch, back to hurting others before they hurt you. Back to not trusting anyone. In all my futures, I see me alone, no children, no family, nothing that can hurt me. No one can hurt something you love if you don’t love anything.
Monday, February 18, 2008
On Love
What is love? I used to think that it was comfort and affection and interest bundled with compatibility. Is it chemicals, coursing through us inducing us to populate the world, not for looking for quality, for intelligence, for beauty but for mere quantity; bear children until the calcium leeches out of your bones and you crumple in upon yourself? If that love? Are fairy tales just warnings to young girls and boys to not expect much out of the world of cruelty but to still hope for more; because without that hope our species will die? Is that my life? My plans, are the all crumpling in upon calcium leeched bones and flesh which once was taut? Will I wish once again, that I were a child, that I could start over, that I could as myself without worry of other impressions? Will I wonder after I’m married if I made a mistake? Will I ever get married? Will I have children that have my eye or my hair or my wry humor? Will I be godmother and maiden aunt to children whom I can hold but never have? Will my writing comfort me in the night as I cry or will it fuel the hurt and need, making me write more, want more, wish more to be more anything more, more beautiful, more brilliant, more sane, more perfect, more lovable, more deserving. Will I live in the desert alone or will someone share it with me, share my solitude, my hurt, my desire. It is raining. Around me I can hear those in my apartment building moving, humming as they sit at their computers and study, listening to music, practicing guitar. Did part of my die when I was so young I could not understand what was happening. Was the part which died the part which knew how to love, knew how to laugh, knew how to be content, blissful, happy, warm, vibrant, leaving only a commanding presence which I have cultivated. I am only a presence now, a ghost with words pouring through my teeth and lips wishing that rhyme or music or thought would solve my life with a smile set to keep them barred in. Am I a ghost of what could be loved?
First Married
She got married in our grandmother’s dress. I was wearing purple. Something I’d only do for her. She was so happy, I was so jealous. T****, my older smarter, taller, thinner, more beautiful, more brilliant, more everything cousin, was radiant. Smiles and tremors and delight. We were putting on make up and I asked her how she knew she loved him. She said they were a team that were comfortable together mutually dependent and independent at the same time. At fourteen, I felt like the dumpy younger sister who had to be forced to show up and a few years later would have her own wedding; for S***** the witnesses would be a justice of the peace and her best friend as she married the boy we never met. T****’s was everything her mother and our gramma could wish for, extravagant by our family’s standards. Traditional, feminine, and modern and brusque at the same time. We did our own make up, made our own dresses, did everything but write the invitations. Now, six years later, the marriage, upon which I have based all of my hope for true love, is crumbling. What am I supposed to do with the mess? I have no doubt that Tirza will find someone who suits her. She is beautiful and smart and shy and assertive. She is Dr. T**** L***** of the South Carolina L*****s, daughter of the State Archaeologist and a Doctor of Philosophy in psychology. She is perfect. Everything a man can dream of. If she has no chance of happiness than I am even worse off. I who have no skills. I who should have been born in another century. I who have only ever wanted to be married and raising children. What are I, and those like me, to do?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
In Response
'"Many of us tried to make monogamy work," Wagner says. But monogamy, she says, often seemed to throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. Its practitioners would break off "perfectly good relationships" just because of intellectual incompatibility, for example, or because one partner liked ballet and the other liked bowling. Doesn't it make more sense, polys ask, to keep the good parts of a relationship, and find another boyfriend who likes "Swan Lake"?' (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021203072_3.html)
I can understand this articles attempt to explain polyamory in mundane terms, however, it is unrealistic to state that the relationships are based solely on the need to find other intellectual equals. There is a fundamental difference between the actions and beliefs of those engaged in polyamory and those whom practice monogamy. A slight divergence of interests in your partner is the reason many people have friends. It is perfectly possible to have a monogamous relationship and get some intellectual stimulus from your friends. It is even possible to get physical comfort from these relationships and maintain monogamy. Cuddling, hugging and even kissing in some instances for some people, are non sexual. Therefore, the justification that polyamory is needed due to a disconnect between your favorite movie and theirs is completely worthless. I am not making a judgment call on polyamory, just like GLBTQ and religion, just because I don't agree or understand does not make it bad. My issue instead is that practice of justification which this article exemplifies. Do not say that the simple and only reason you are poly is a need to find intellectual equals because it is the worst type of bullshit I have ever heard. Instead state the truth, that you are poly because it is a lifestyle which appeals to you for multiple reasons and on multiple levels. No, it is not just about sex, not it is not just about relationships, and most certainly not, it is not just about finding people whom share your interests.
I apologize if I seem rude, but unfortunately this article appeared, at least to some extent, to be a self-rewarding, inaccurate, piece of tripe which while pretending to attempt understanding instead simply perpetuates the childish beliefs that everyone can have everything they want and it'll all work out. Bull shit.
This response is directed solely at the author of the article and is not intended to personally offend anyone. I am, however, always willing to listen and read your responses.
I can understand this articles attempt to explain polyamory in mundane terms, however, it is unrealistic to state that the relationships are based solely on the need to find other intellectual equals. There is a fundamental difference between the actions and beliefs of those engaged in polyamory and those whom practice monogamy. A slight divergence of interests in your partner is the reason many people have friends. It is perfectly possible to have a monogamous relationship and get some intellectual stimulus from your friends. It is even possible to get physical comfort from these relationships and maintain monogamy. Cuddling, hugging and even kissing in some instances for some people, are non sexual. Therefore, the justification that polyamory is needed due to a disconnect between your favorite movie and theirs is completely worthless. I am not making a judgment call on polyamory, just like GLBTQ and religion, just because I don't agree or understand does not make it bad. My issue instead is that practice of justification which this article exemplifies. Do not say that the simple and only reason you are poly is a need to find intellectual equals because it is the worst type of bullshit I have ever heard. Instead state the truth, that you are poly because it is a lifestyle which appeals to you for multiple reasons and on multiple levels. No, it is not just about sex, not it is not just about relationships, and most certainly not, it is not just about finding people whom share your interests.
I apologize if I seem rude, but unfortunately this article appeared, at least to some extent, to be a self-rewarding, inaccurate, piece of tripe which while pretending to attempt understanding instead simply perpetuates the childish beliefs that everyone can have everything they want and it'll all work out. Bull shit.
This response is directed solely at the author of the article and is not intended to personally offend anyone. I am, however, always willing to listen and read your responses.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Obama Wins Virginia!
Barack Obama rang up three more wins over Hillary Clinton in Democratic presidential primaries tonight in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., pushing his campaign into the lead for the party's nomination.
The sweep of the so-called Potomac primaries marks eight straight wins for the Illinois senator and will give him a firm delegate lead in his competition with Clinton.
Obama, 46, won Virginia's primary with 64 percent of the vote to Clinton's 35 percent, with almost all precincts reporting. He trumped Clinton in nearby Maryland and in the nation's capital of Washington, where he had 76 percent of the vote with about half of the vote in.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Humorous Craigslist Post
from: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/rnr/554904636.html
Reply to: pers-554904636@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-01-28, 6:16PM EST
dana is the best girlfriend ever.
dana is best
Reply to: pers-554904636@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-01-28, 6:16PM EST
dana is the best girlfriend ever.
- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
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