Education

Education is an interesting thing. Yesterday I made French Bread for the first time. I found out what I needed to know from a book.


I know some of you know what a book is, it's where you go just before you try and find an answer by using Google.


I was doing some book keeping and my butt became sore from the ratty old chair we have in the computer room. (side note, we keep the ratty old chair because there are more important things to do than stare wide eyed into the gaping internet) We all know who Oprah is and once and a while I need to flush my tear ducts so today I watched for a few minutes until I uttered, "I hate you Oprah, you make care about American Stuff."

Today was Education Day on Oprah, normally I wouldn't watch her show's take on education ........but Bill Gates was on, so I quit my book keeping watched until I had to walk away and utter those words.

So How are we doing compared to our American Friends. After wiping the tears from my eyes, (I am critical but I do have compassion) I did a little Google Search on educational rankings.

Canada isn't doing to badly at all, I am impressed. Especially after my experience with some of the teachers my daughters had to deal with.


http://www.geographic.org/country_ranks/educational_score_performance_country_ranks_2009_oecd.html


Schools are one thing we have to consider, the other is how we deal at home in a helpful and nurturing manner. "I'll help you but I won't do the work, that's up to you."

Frank Zappa said, "If you want to get laid go to college. If you want to learn go to the Library."

Thanks Brie for the quote, my favourite Librarian.

Scapegoats

This morning while having my second cup of coffee I bounced back and forth from local news and CBC News Network. The thing that always fascinates me is that our national news source loves to run Press Conferences from the US White House. Okay, Okay I know that a lot of what happens in the USA effects our nation and that we are tied to them at the hip economically. I'm not saying that it is a bad thing I find it interesting for a couple of reasons. Number one, Are our own politicians so boring that they don't deserve full coverage of their Press Conferences? (I've watched a few and I may have a real point here.) Number two, Is it due to a lack of real Personality in our Politicians? (The Dynamic Stephen Harper for example.)

We have our issues, just like the Excited States, Forest Fire Season, The Annual Seal Hunt and Dwindling Salmon Stocks, Increasing Salmon Stock, too much Rain, too little Rain and the newest favourite, The Alberta Tar Sands. The Tar Sands and the Seal Hunt are the two big ones that get the World to notice that we are here. I'm not ignoring our countries' commitment to Peace Keeping around the Globe, but I bet most people change the channel when this comes on unless we've lost another soldier. Maybe I'm just getting jaded because of the presentation. I don't like the overly excited American News programmes because they tend to exaggerate the importance of the smallest story.

"This just in, 3 Fire Halls rush to the aide of Mother Cat that has given birth on third floor balcony. Swat teams has cordoned off the area for security. Placement of the Cat on the balcony may be an terrorist plot. Reporter Sky Slag is on the scene with this report."

On the other hand I don't like the Talking Heads, on almost all the Networks because they are just readers and should be paid as readers. I digress and have gone off on my standard rant about media, Sorry Folks. Now for the real subject of this posting.

I admire and respect President Obama. When he was asked this morning about growing animosity towards Islam in the USA, I found his answer very interesting. What he said without actually saying it was that when the general attitude of the nation is negative, the country is still involved in wars brought on by business interests and the banks and financial institutions have finally been exposed for the greedy MF's they are there is only one thing to do. Find a Scapegoat. Sound familiar, think back to the 1930's in Germany for example. Mr. Obama of course couldn't use that reference especially with that southern moron threatening to burn the Koran on September 11. If he did, the shit would not only have hit the fan but every fundamentalist in the States would be reviving racism on multiple levels.

Our own politicos may have been thinking ever since Mr. O has taken office, 'Boy I am glad I'm not in his shoes. He really got handed the shit end of a bunch of sticks. Maybe if we keep quiet our country will keep watching him and we can just quietly go about our business.'

Perhaps I have rambled a bit, but a Scapegoat is a Scapegoat. I have always tried to reject the concept of Scapegoats, why not just stand and tell the truth? "I am a poorly educated lazy facist who wants everything for as little work as possible and will blame anyone I can when they get my way. It can't be my fault I am a(n) (insert country name here)!"

Just a thought.