3.26.2009
3.25.2009
no FAFSA for me
deadline be damned! I have no intention of attending school for the foreseeable future so, for the time being, the FAFSA has FAFSA-shayed out of my life.
This reminds me of a string of articles I read recently regarding the "difficulty" of filling out the FAFSA. Folks were upset because they found the FAFSA confusing and subsequently a barrier to their supposed-right to attend college. The article went on to note, somewhat critically, the new appearance of an industry of FAFSA-assistants who help families "optimize" their FAFSA forms for a fee.
The whole thing supports my view that some people just don't belong in college. The FAFSA is not difficult. It's a simple exercise in checking yes or no and transferring numbers from one document to another. I admit it can be intimidating; especially for a family encountering it for the first time who is relying on it to provide funds. But it's not hard. It's not.
Maybe it should be harder. It's obviously not stopping more and more people from attending college and driving demand and price up for everyone. I know we should encourage as many people to attend college as we can and that more education is good and yada yada yada (in fact I'm a big fan of education, but more on that in a minute). But most likely, these people struggling with the FAFSA form are not going to have the most illustrious college career anyway (i.e., they won't be able to hack it and will never graduate; and since FAFSA doesn't cover nearly all college costs they may not get a degree but they will get a loan burden!).
And so what to do? Teach these kids. Anyone graduating from high school who finds the FAFSA difficult does not have the bare minimum of skills we should be requiring our high schools to provide. And I don't put the burden squarely on the high schools - what can realistically be expected to do with students who can barely read and write; the burden belongs to the entire educational system.
the end.
This reminds me of a string of articles I read recently regarding the "difficulty" of filling out the FAFSA. Folks were upset because they found the FAFSA confusing and subsequently a barrier to their supposed-right to attend college. The article went on to note, somewhat critically, the new appearance of an industry of FAFSA-assistants who help families "optimize" their FAFSA forms for a fee.
The whole thing supports my view that some people just don't belong in college. The FAFSA is not difficult. It's a simple exercise in checking yes or no and transferring numbers from one document to another. I admit it can be intimidating; especially for a family encountering it for the first time who is relying on it to provide funds. But it's not hard. It's not.
Maybe it should be harder. It's obviously not stopping more and more people from attending college and driving demand and price up for everyone. I know we should encourage as many people to attend college as we can and that more education is good and yada yada yada (in fact I'm a big fan of education, but more on that in a minute). But most likely, these people struggling with the FAFSA form are not going to have the most illustrious college career anyway (i.e., they won't be able to hack it and will never graduate; and since FAFSA doesn't cover nearly all college costs they may not get a degree but they will get a loan burden!).
And so what to do? Teach these kids. Anyone graduating from high school who finds the FAFSA difficult does not have the bare minimum of skills we should be requiring our high schools to provide. And I don't put the burden squarely on the high schools - what can realistically be expected to do with students who can barely read and write; the burden belongs to the entire educational system.
the end.
3.24.2009
secret secret death set set
For posterity's sake - the show we stumbled upon while only innocently seeking some rad 15 year-old baby-yeast pizza or whatever. I knew something was up when I saw the drummer from the Death Set come and casually sit down at the table across from us. WTN.
A great tour and at multiple points in the evening I just wanted to say laterz to work and school and just follow these guys around for the duration.
ninjasonik - tight pants
death set - intermission
.
Argh. I'd post more but the JOOSE has gone to my head and may never come out.
A great tour and at multiple points in the evening I just wanted to say laterz to work and school and just follow these guys around for the duration.
ninjasonik - tight pants
death set - intermission
.
Argh. I'd post more but the JOOSE has gone to my head and may never come out.
3.23.2009
sueno sueno
I had a dream -
I was talking to an alien; named Ozy, I think. He appeared to be a shadow in the form of the human with some glowing light behind him. He asked me if I believed in him. There was a kind of religious subtext to the whole encounter.
I also remember another part of the dream where I was walking down the sidewalk and some guy pushed me off the curb. I tried to get back on the sidewalk but he pushed me down with his leg. Pretty upset now, I tried again and waited for his leg; grabbed his leg and pulled him into the street. I punched him a few times as he rather ineffectively tried to defend himself. His friend up on the sidewalk seemed pretty disappointed in him.
I was talking to an alien; named Ozy, I think. He appeared to be a shadow in the form of the human with some glowing light behind him. He asked me if I believed in him. There was a kind of religious subtext to the whole encounter.
I also remember another part of the dream where I was walking down the sidewalk and some guy pushed me off the curb. I tried to get back on the sidewalk but he pushed me down with his leg. Pretty upset now, I tried again and waited for his leg; grabbed his leg and pulled him into the street. I punched him a few times as he rather ineffectively tried to defend himself. His friend up on the sidewalk seemed pretty disappointed in him.
3.13.2009
present self vs. future self -or- grizzly bear vs. great white shark
interesting little article that reminded me of a topic i've been meaning to discuss.
So, I'm all for living in the present, but I'm afraid it can be much to the detriment of the future self, immediate or otherwise. In fact, it's more likely to be at the detriment of the immediate future self. Even if you're living each day like it's your last, you're still likely to wake up tomorrow. And if you've lived the previous day like your last you're likely not in the best of positions; instead of doing your homework or workwork, you went to the cheesecake factory and some had some pink lemonade. good job.
And present-living-fun-loving you, in addition to screwing tomorrow-you, you're screwing over retirement-you; assuming you even get to retire. Remember, retirement is reserved for folks who have been able to hold down a job. And present-fun-loving-you dropped out of school/got fired to pursue butterfly catching and blowing bubbles. You have no education and no employment.
But maybe it isn't all so bad. Maybe this is the way we're meant to live. Drifting like hobos from flower to flower. Or maybe you can land an awesome job that you happily do over anything else in the world (e.g., video game tester, beer tester, uhh... butterfly catcher?, leave your own examples in the comments!). I suspect however, that having the obligation to do even the funnest of things changes it just slightly; leaves it exposed to being usurped by something else that's almost as fun that you could be doing if you didn't have this damn job...
So... fuck the ever-fleeting present self? Screw future-you?
So, I'm all for living in the present, but I'm afraid it can be much to the detriment of the future self, immediate or otherwise. In fact, it's more likely to be at the detriment of the immediate future self. Even if you're living each day like it's your last, you're still likely to wake up tomorrow. And if you've lived the previous day like your last you're likely not in the best of positions; instead of doing your homework or workwork, you went to the cheesecake factory and some had some pink lemonade. good job.
And present-living-fun-loving you, in addition to screwing tomorrow-you, you're screwing over retirement-you; assuming you even get to retire. Remember, retirement is reserved for folks who have been able to hold down a job. And present-fun-loving-you dropped out of school/got fired to pursue butterfly catching and blowing bubbles. You have no education and no employment.
But maybe it isn't all so bad. Maybe this is the way we're meant to live. Drifting like hobos from flower to flower. Or maybe you can land an awesome job that you happily do over anything else in the world (e.g., video game tester, beer tester, uhh... butterfly catcher?, leave your own examples in the comments!). I suspect however, that having the obligation to do even the funnest of things changes it just slightly; leaves it exposed to being usurped by something else that's almost as fun that you could be doing if you didn't have this damn job...
So... fuck the ever-fleeting present self? Screw future-you?
3.12.2009
codename: celestial
umm... i'm not sure how i feel about this, but i feel like the afterlife (at least, my afterlife) will sound like the olivia tremor control.
3.10.2009
terremoto tuesdays
Umm... I can't wait till spring break. Umm... I am not a grownup -alternatively- I don't care so much about things society has conditioned me to think that grownups care about.
3.09.2009
3.05.2009
3.04.2009
welgal wednesdays
Texas Rules of Evidence - RULE 405. METHODS OF PROVING CHARACTER
(a) Reputation or Opinion.
In all cases in which evidence of a person's character or character trait is admissible, proof may be made by testimony as to reputation or by testimony in the form of an opinion. In a criminal case, to be qualified to testify at the guilt stage of trial concerning the character or character trait of an accused, a witness must have been familiar with the reputation, or with the underlying facts or information upon which the opinion is based, prior to the day of the offense.
- good to know? ignorance is bliss? reputation-cultivators rejoice?
- let's get introspective! -
so... i sense an opportunity to pawn my anonymity-inclined nature off, once again, on the law. I supposedly learned this rule back in the day and maybe, subconsciously, i've been applying it to keep myself clear; i mean, seriously, what kind of opinion will one have formed perusing this (and previous-iterations of) bloggo?
but i can't shake the anonymity so easily. fact of the matter is i've been embracing anonymity (and it's reincarnative-properties) for at least 6 years now (see "bore" back in 2003).
so what's the what? anonymity obviously rocks b/c you can do whatever you want. freedom to make mistakes and learn from them, without being too bogged down by the results. but, there's a rub, a tension, if you're constantly forgetting/erasing the past, even if you are producing a set of principles culled from said past, your principles may lose their substance/foundation that is based in the context of the past. (e.g., "don't wear the white pants" works great as a general rule until you forgot what happened the last time you wore the white pants and you're like, "hmm, why don't i wear these white pants anymore? oh yeah, i've got some rule about it, but why the rule... hmm, can't remember... this is stupid, let's get those pants on") and, destined, we are, to fall into the same white-pants-trap.
So what? Remember everything can be a pain in the ass, but forgetting everything sucks too. Like everything else, the middle way is best - remember your context clues, principle bullet points, why you do/don't do the stuff you do/don't do.
Anyhow, take this! pinche reputation.
a place to bury strangers - my weakness
jean on jean - tonight
cam'ron - i hate my job
(a) Reputation or Opinion.
In all cases in which evidence of a person's character or character trait is admissible, proof may be made by testimony as to reputation or by testimony in the form of an opinion. In a criminal case, to be qualified to testify at the guilt stage of trial concerning the character or character trait of an accused, a witness must have been familiar with the reputation, or with the underlying facts or information upon which the opinion is based, prior to the day of the offense.
- good to know? ignorance is bliss? reputation-cultivators rejoice?
- let's get introspective! -
so... i sense an opportunity to pawn my anonymity-inclined nature off, once again, on the law. I supposedly learned this rule back in the day and maybe, subconsciously, i've been applying it to keep myself clear; i mean, seriously, what kind of opinion will one have formed perusing this (and previous-iterations of) bloggo?
but i can't shake the anonymity so easily. fact of the matter is i've been embracing anonymity (and it's reincarnative-properties) for at least 6 years now (see "bore" back in 2003).
so what's the what? anonymity obviously rocks b/c you can do whatever you want. freedom to make mistakes and learn from them, without being too bogged down by the results. but, there's a rub, a tension, if you're constantly forgetting/erasing the past, even if you are producing a set of principles culled from said past, your principles may lose their substance/foundation that is based in the context of the past. (e.g., "don't wear the white pants" works great as a general rule until you forgot what happened the last time you wore the white pants and you're like, "hmm, why don't i wear these white pants anymore? oh yeah, i've got some rule about it, but why the rule... hmm, can't remember... this is stupid, let's get those pants on") and, destined, we are, to fall into the same white-pants-trap.
So what? Remember everything can be a pain in the ass, but forgetting everything sucks too. Like everything else, the middle way is best - remember your context clues, principle bullet points, why you do/don't do the stuff you do/don't do.
Anyhow, take this! pinche reputation.
a place to bury strangers - my weakness
jean on jean - tonight
cam'ron - i hate my job
3.03.2009
three-fer-tuesday
Three performances - Only one picture of a lil wayne complete with flaming arm of doom.
lil wayne - yeahhh
the walkmen - four provinces
the mae shi - r u professional
p.s. - you're welcome
lil wayne - yeahhh
the walkmen - four provinces
the mae shi - r u professional
p.s. - you're welcome
3.02.2009
stroke of midnight moribund mondays
And as he smiled, worms worked their way towards the dark from between the gaps in his teeth. His decaying hand reached closer, drawing slowly near.
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