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obiwanobiwan (248 D)
26 May 11 UTC
Alternative-To-Evolution Bill Passed...Should Creationism/Intelligent Design Be Taught?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20052007-501465.html

Brought to you by the same fine state behind the "Don't Say Gay" Bill, here "the thrust of the proposed law would elevate creationist theories about human evolution to the same status accorded by most educators to Darwin's research." Good? Bad? Should Creationism/IT be taught?
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Draugnar (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
And they save fewer people's lives as well...
Fasces349 (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
and they wonder why America was ranked 30th out of 34 OECD countries in education... (according to 2009 scores)
dexter morgan (225 D(S))
27 May 11 UTC
@Draugnar, I hope you're right. I see some major battles ahead on this one. Textbooks that "teach the controversy" (in the vein of "Of Pandas and People") will no doubt be mandated under this law and what "objective" means will be debated... and all kinds of ugliness will ensue. Despite this, I am also hopeful for the long run...
dexter morgan (225 D(S))
27 May 11 UTC
"Oh, and the why is because teachers don't have peoples lives in their hands and the teachers in question here are primary and secondary through grade 8, so usually only have bachelors anyhow. It's not like a doctor who has gone through 4 years undergrad plus med school plus potentially more plus internship plus residency... Sorry, but equating a 5th grade teacher to a doctor is truly a bad comparison."

OK, fair enough. How about comparing them to engineers? Engineers get a stamp through a similar process that teachers get a credential. Four years of college, a few years of experience and a test or two. Engineers are not micromanaged by legislation like this - and yet they build bridges and buildings and cars and all kinds of things where people's lives (as well as financial investments) are in the balance. ...and I would debate the thought that teachers don't have people's lives in their hands... they certainly hold much of their futures in their hands.
Draugnar (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
The law doesn't mandate a specific text or that the teacher *must* teach it, just that they are free to. I read the text of the law and it's typical full of loopholes bull from Tennessee.
manganese (100 D)
27 May 11 UTC
Actually, teachers save far more lives than they take.
Draugnar (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
I knew you were going to go there on the futures/lives thing. But I will point out that, regarding engineers, you answrered your own question. Engineers design things with life threatening potential if done wrong. To design a bridge or building, however, does require licensing and an acceptance of potential lawsuits if your design fails and injures or kills someone. Like doctors, engineers of bridges and damns and architects of buildings have a higher level of responsibility and inherent risk involved in their work. So they carry that micromanaging within themselves.

Additionally, the comparison to doctors or engineers isn't fair because you rtypical doctor or engineer is a private sector employee. The teachers here are public sector teachers. This law and most involving teachers beyond licensing doesn't involve private schools and their employees. So, yes, the government can, and does, micromanage their employees. Just as an engineering and design firm may, if they choose, micromanage their engineers and a hospital micromanges it's interns and residents.

Mafialligator (239 D)
27 May 11 UTC
Off topic comment but it this way of looking at things makes being a doctor seem like a Sisyphean task. Keep people alive as best you can. No matter how hard you try, and how good a doctor you are, all of your patients are going to die eventually.
Draugnar (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
It really comes down to where the micromanagement comes from. Public employees are micromanaged by the government (their "employer"). Private by their employers.
Gobba (2209 D(G))
27 May 11 UTC
Should Creationism/IT be taught?
Yes, it the creative writing class.
Draugnar (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
Of course IT should be taught. I have a degree in it and make a living doing it. Oh wait... You mean ID.

Sorry, had to be the smart ass cause this mistake has been made twice in this thread. It's ID. IT is Information Technology. ID is Intelligent Design.
abgemacht (1076 D(G))
27 May 11 UTC
"Engineers are not micromanaged by legislation like this - and yet they build bridges and buildings and cars and all kinds of things where people's lives (as well as financial investments) are in the balance"

WOAH WOAH HOLD ON

I challenge you to build a building with just a BS in Civil Engineering. It isn't going to happen. To build a building, you need the approval of a Professional Engineer who specializes in every part of the building (Electrical, Mechanical, Structural, HVAC, etc). Professional Engineers need about 4 years of working experience plus 2 extremely rigorous exams. And, if a PE fucks up, they are personally responsible; they'll lose their license and likely face charges.

Also, have you ever read building codes? I tried once. The Electrical building codes, for a commercial building, was about 10,000 pages. That's just electrical.
Draugnar (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
Don't forget the inspections by the County Engineer's office at every step of the way...
Darwyn (1601 D)
27 May 11 UTC
I was just doing some Stumbling and happened upon a list of atheist quotes that I thought were fitting...

"With our without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things, but for good people to do evil things, it takes religion."

"Faith means not wanting to know what is true."

"A man is accepted into a church by what he believes, but turned out for what he knows"

"Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned."

"I still say a church steeple with a lightning rod on top shows a lack of confidence."

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false and by rulers as useful."

"Don't pray in my school and I won't think in your church."
Draugnar (0 DX)
27 May 11 UTC
"Faith means not wanting to know what is true."
"A man is accepted into a church by what he believes, but turned out for what he knows"
"Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned."

A more false trio of statement I have never heard...
dexter morgan (225 D(S))
27 May 11 UTC
I'm training to be a teacher after being a professional geologist for 20 years (wherein I worked closely with many engineers) - I know both worlds. Getting in is darn near the same. I have taken 4 exams and an extra year and half of college and unpaid student teaching. I will work a minimum of 2 years with extra responsibilities and tasks (tons of paperwork, projects, and formal observations) before getting my "clear" credential.

Yes, there are consequences in engineering (and doctoring) should you royally and irresponsibly f-up (there is in any field, no?)... but they treat you like adults and don't (not that I've seen) micromanage you from the front end like they do in teaching. Labor is micromanaged. Professions are not. Teaching K-12 is treated like labor in too many ways. My thought as to the reason? It has traditionally been women's work until the last generation or so... it is a remnant of sexism. It is seen as glorified day care by many... when really it is both vitally important and a really hard and constantly demanding job - one that requires incredible management skills (both of time and people) and a thorough command of your subject and a thorough command of language and math and child psychology. It is no walk in the park. Much more demanding than the work I used to do... and at half the pay. But, you know, we're not really professionals.
semck83 (229 D(B))
27 May 11 UTC
@dexter: "Consider in particular that it conflates that fact that certain "scientific subjects, including, but not limited to, biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning, can cause controversy" (i.e. social/philosophical controversy) with actual scientific controversy

Nice catch. That is indeed illogical. One would hope that this meaning of controversy would be left for other classes.


287 replies
Maniac (189 D(B))
26 May 11 UTC
Old men (or women) required
Please join if you are 45 or there abouts
19 replies
Open
JEccles (421 D)
26 May 11 UTC
Tournaments
is there any way that I could get into a tournament? I've been wanting to play in one for a while but I haven't been able to get in one yet.
15 replies
Open
Kautilya (100 D)
27 May 11 UTC
Guys, please just one more player gameID=60027
http://www.webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=60027
2 replies
Open
Carpysmind (1423 D)
26 May 11 UTC
Move Question
if one country has a army in StP and a fleet in BalS while the other has a Armies in Mos and Liv: will BalS>Liv and StP>Mos stop Mos supporting Liv>StP? Is there any way to stop it?
8 replies
Open
Yonni (136 D(S))
27 May 11 UTC
Support question
If you have a fleet in Greece and a fleet in Con, can the fleet in Greece support the F Con - Bulgaria (NC)?

In the support tab you don't seem to need to specify coast.
12 replies
Open
Kautilya (100 D)
27 May 11 UTC
Cricket Diplomacy gameID=60027
Hello fellow gamers, please join my game 'Cricket Diplomacy' which starts in under 4 hours. The game is meant to pay tribute to the cricket diplomacy between India and Pakistan at the recent ICC game in Mohali. The URL is http://www.webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=60027.
0 replies
Open
FatherSnitch (476 D(B))
26 May 11 UTC
Satellite Sentinel Project
Just came across this site via the BBC website:
http://www.satsentinel.org/

What a brilliant idea! Big Brother is watching you, but he's just checking up that you're not engaging in genocide or war crimes.
6 replies
Open
CaptainPrice (100 D)
24 May 11 UTC
The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=55968
This is a request from me and my fellow players to get Oz removed from the game as he continually refuses to ready orders with no other reason than to spite us. Send a reply if you have questions, CaptainPrice.
5 replies
Open
Stukus (2126 D)
22 May 11 UTC
Issue Diplomacy Game Started
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=58701
Just in case anyone wants to watch, it's a team game, but every two years the teams change. Should be fun. Watch if you wanna.
2 replies
Open
baumhaeuer (245 D)
25 May 11 UTC
In speaking of obscure ethnic heritages and lineages...
what percentage of what are you? I'm (roughly--we don't have this exactly on Mom's side) 1/2 German, 1/4 Scottish, 1/8 Irish, and 1/8 English. And for some reason, I always imagine it as a pie chart with German on the right half, Scottish in the upper left quadrant, English sharing a side with Scottish, and Irish sharing a side with German.
94 replies
Open
Octavious (2732 D)
23 May 11 UTC
Barack Obama and the Homeopathic Theory of Ethnic Heritage
It seems if you take someone who is 100% Irish, and dilute the bloodline again and again and again over many generations until the original blood is pretty much undetectable, the result is someone whose Irishness is so powerful it is attracts the votes of Irish Americans from all over the US.
179 replies
Open
Maniac (189 D(B))
26 May 11 UTC
What would you do if.....
....you email a mod and after 4 days there is no response, but you know that if you posted the same info here they would respond before you finish typing?
6 replies
Open
Invictus (240 D)
26 May 11 UTC
Well dammit
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/05/sarah-palin-the-movie.html?cid=hp:mainpromo5

Sarah Palin's had a real movie of herself made which will be shown in Iowa this June. Perhaps I was wrong about her not running.
5 replies
Open
d3stroy3r (622 D)
26 May 11 UTC
Join live game
Live game in 30 minutes, 10 diplomacy points and it's in classic
1 reply
Open
Fasces349 (0 DX)
26 May 11 UTC
Fatal Error on Vdip
anyone else having this issue?
19 replies
Open
goldfinger0303 (3157 DMod)
26 May 11 UTC
Advisor for SoW Gad game needed
Preferably top 50 GR
3 replies
Open
TheFlyingBoat (2743 D)
25 May 11 UTC
Replacement
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=57534#gamePanel

There will be a forced CD soon, so I am looking for a replacement for Russia.
3 replies
Open
ButcherChin (370 D)
25 May 11 UTC
Advice?
I'm a relatively inexperienced player, but I really like the game. I just finished a gunboat (gameID=59815), where I was Russia. I thought I was doing pretty well at the beginning of the game, but I ended up just surviving with 2 SC's. I know my two major mistakes were placing the wrong order in Spring 1905, and the failure of protecting Rumania in Autumn 1906. I was hoping that I could get some advice to help me get better at the game. Thanks!
17 replies
Open
Kautilya (100 D)
26 May 11 UTC
Join my game: gameID=59945
Hi guys, join my quick game ExpressDiplomacy gameID=59945. Game starts in 6 hours. Thanks!

http://www.webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=59945
0 replies
Open
raphtown (151 D)
26 May 11 UTC
Not sure why rome played like this...
Genuine question, in this game: http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=59927 Rome thwarted a pretty obvious attempt to form a stalemate.

Was he merely trying to get payback for past wrongs done to him or was he going for the Diplomacy Points? Are Diplomacy Points valued here to the point that they are more worthwhile than draws?
8 replies
Open
Juiski (119 D)
23 May 11 UTC
VDiplomacy - the better Diplomacy
My friend told me last week about a new diplomacy site http://www.vdiplomacy.com/ its exactly like this one but has dozens of variants (thats for the "V" before Diplomacy). The moment I sae the list of variants i realized that there is absolutely no point in playing this webDiplomacy instead of VDiplomacy. So everyone now go to the site i linked and check it out yourselves. Its awesome!
36 replies
Open
Otto Von Bismark (653 D)
25 May 11 UTC
Classic PHP Retry.
I started a new game http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=59893. Hopefully the same people will join up. It starts in 3 days.
0 replies
Open
Riphen (198 D)
25 May 11 UTC
Guys I am a Moron. It O-fish-al
Here is a post from a greedy turk I got when I didnt comply to his orders.

"You will pay for being a such fucking Moron. WE gave you a shot on getting you 155 D you BLEW IT GL and now this game will take 20-30 days to play because THIS one move."
11 replies
Open
Kochevnik (1160 D)
25 May 11 UTC
Build two fleets in St Pete?
So, the game I'm currently playing in is in a situation where I'd like to have more fleets. I was in the process of ordering my two builds when, quite by accident, I see that building in St Pete north coast and also, during the same build phase, building in St Pete south coast is a valid option (ie I'm allowed to make and save that order).
8 replies
Open
apem8 (1295 D)
25 May 11 UTC
Join live game
Live game in ancient med. Only 40 dippoints and to join go on link
2 replies
Open
jasoncollins (186 D)
24 May 11 UTC
Urgent Pause Request
http://www.webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=57216

This game has 3 hours to go; Russia already missed last phase, and this will make the difference between draw/solo.
11 replies
Open
obiwanobiwan (248 D)
25 May 11 UTC
BREAKING NEWS! RAPTURE BACK ON--WORLD TO END IN OCTOBER THIS TIME!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_us/us_apocalypse_saturday
So warn your families!
Repent for your sins!
And make some bets with Rapture-Believers! ;)
14 replies
Open
obiwanobiwan (248 D)
16 May 11 UTC
This Time On Philosohpy Weekly: What's The Point Of All This Nonsense?
The question everyone asks at one point or another..."Obi, what's the point of this bullshit thread you keep posting and these pedantic, poorly-punctuated posts?" ;) (O n an alliteration kick from my last set of papers.) ;)
But really, what's the point of philosophy? (Taken to mean "thinking about life" and whatever connotation it may carry for you.) And of life?
If there's a point to all this, a goal--what is it? And if not...well, why bother, brother? ;)
181 replies
Open
Andrew Wiggin (157 D)
25 May 11 UTC
Offline NHL 11 Players (xbox)
Online Pass
1 reply
Open
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