Journals
Friday,Aug 17 2007, 06:33:26 AMLook out, Rush Limbaugh, here I come...
A GIANT RUSH WARNING: Yours Truthfully, Cliff (Yes, you will drop over some time)
Friday,Aug 17 2007, 06:24:18 AM...like a toilet flushed turd...
Let’s Flush The King of Crap
The Solemn Vow of A Liberal Who Listens to Rush Limbaugh: I will conscientiously refrain from purchasing any item or service advertised on the Rush Limbaugh radio show. By withholding my capital from the sponsors of the King of Crap, the Distorter of Truth, the Perverter of the American Dream, the Assassin of Honest Debate and the Un-American Voice of Hate, I dignify the time I spend listening to The Enemy. Let my buying power speak for me. Join me in this effort to demonstrate just how flawed Rush is in his assertion that almost all of his audience is supportive of his nasty, contemptible rhetoric. An ‘Echo Head’ might feel some joy at lifting his or her coffee to his or her mouth in a Rush cup or wearing a Gitmo T-shirt. I, however, want to puke in the cup and tear the T-shirt. Since I can do neither, I will withhold my dollars from any and all products associated with Rush.
By the way, the space behind his back, where he brags about a half a brain being tied, is empty. I looked and Limbaugh is lying...there is no half a brain back there...which means, since he said, "Half my brain is tied behind my back...", that he has only half a brain. The other half, the half behind his back, must have gotten lost or been eaten by the dog. Join me and take up financial arms against this dishonest, un-American man.
Clifford Latta - Grey Wolf the Drum Maker
greywolfdrums@hotmail.com
www.greywolfdrums.com
Friday,Aug 17 2007, 06:22:12 AMRush, a Double Dare!
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I must admit that being a Rush Limbaugh listener and a liberal Democrat has invigorated my aging brain. When I shout, "You Moron", at the radio that is good for me and stimulates me in many ways. With the Democrats in control I am experiencing a new kind of ‘joy’ as I listen to Rush implode as he stumbles along the cutting edge of stupidity. There are so many glaring instances of blind foolishness and, at times, incomprehensible ignorance that I must wonder if, perhaps, the ludicrous positions often taken by Rush are taken to simply stimulate anger and, thereby, enliven his talk show. Then he will say something or take a stand on an issue and it becomes absolutely clear, to everyone conscious enough to hear, that, as I’ve known for a long time, there is no other half a brain tied behind his back...what you hear is what he is. Can he really hate so much that is good? Can he really be in opposition to so much that is intellectual (pin-headed, according to him)? Oh, he memorizes a lot of information but regurgitates it according to some dismal inner need to support the insupportable. He is, in fact, unwilling to adjust his positions to the increasingly obvious. This morning when he jabbered something about global warming being 100% political I knew it was time to actually send this letter which I’ve been thinking about for years.
In an attempt to force Rush into some sort of intellectual light I submit the following ‘open letter’ to Rush Limbaugh:
"Rush, you endlessly violate the basic laws of survival by not adjusting your professed beliefs and principles to the evidence.
Rush, you lied when you started the rumor that there is another ‘half a brain’ tied behind your back which leaves you with the remaining ‘half a brain’..
Rush, I raise the gauntlet of challenge and slap you across your conservative jowls. To prove you distort the truth and are a liar will be easy...as easy as one, two, three (everyone can hear the sound of a gauntlet on jowls).
Rush, I dare you to meet me on your daily talk show for 15 minutes (more if you will allow it) on any Friday to respond to my questions and comments concerning the proceeding four days of programming. I will ask the questions that millions of listeners want to ask. I will point out to you and your listeners what I believe to be hypocrisy, demagoguery, distortions and lies by you during the proceeding four days. Rush, you will then have the opportunity to persuade me and your listeners that you are not a liar and that you don’t mislead people. Rush, I double-dare you to accept this manly challenge. If you don’t, I will understand. Your fear is predictable for you know, from what I’ve said in this ‘open letter’, that I’m hep to your game...and that if you do accept my challenge your ‘echo heads’ will become aware of a very different ‘you’.
Increasingly, as science and common sense step in your face, your humor is becoming weak, repetitive and a gross over simplification of complicated issues. I find myself feeling sorry for you and, perhaps, even sorrier for those fanatical ‘echo heads’ who struggle to continue endorsing your twisted, myopic view of almost everything. You’ve been on top for a long time and as the ground beneath your feet begins to crumble and you begin to stumble and fumble I wait for the inevitable tumble...
In fact, I sort of like you, Rush; my efforts are not personal but, rather, for the good of our country.
Namaste (though, that’s a tough one).
Sincerely,
Clifford Latta - Grey Wolf the Drum Maker
www.greywolfdrums.com
greywolfdrums@hotmail.co
Friday,Aug 17 2007, 06:20:14 AMAlgerbra - no, no, no, no, and NO!!!
Algebra- Not now, Not ever!
STUDENTS AND OTHER REASONABALE PEOPLE AGAINST ALGEBRA
by Clifford Latta - "Grey Wolf the Drum Maker"
Statement of Fact: After a basic algebra course, compulsory college algebra is without merit and is, in fact, deleterious to the scholastic efforts of many college students.
A student knows whether additional algebra and other advanced mathematics courses will be necessary to pursue a career choice. The student must be allowed to choose math if it fits in with his or her future plans or reject if it doesn’t.
At present, students who will never use algebra, or any other advanced math, are forced to devote huge blocks of meaningful study time to a totally meaningless subject. Not only is this fact blatantly obvious to the students but also to most professors and those students who have proceeded them. Ask any college graduate if they have ever used algebra and, if they aren’t in a scientific field, they will probably say that not only have they not used it, they would be hard pressed to remember even the simplest algebraic equation. They will probably say that the study of college algebra has provided them with no usable skills and that it was a waste of time.
Occasionally someone might say, "Algebra taught me to think logically." I would reply, "Allow me to take a course in Logic, instead of algebra, and I will get an A."
Observation: When students do choose to follow a career into higher mathematics there are generally only two possible doors open to them upon graduation: 1) research and 2) teaching.
The few math majors who successfully pursue their chosen field into research provide an invaluable service, mostly in the art of war (weapons and weapon delivery systems); however, for every researcher there are literally thousands of math majors who move into teaching. There are no math jobs in the business world (computer programs do all that). Research, mostly for the military, and teaching are generally the only careers open to them. The tinniest fraction of math majors have the ability to pursue research so they automatically become high school and college math teachers. It seems to me that the need of the military for research scientists is the underlying force that compels all students to be exposed to higher math and, in turn, leaves the country awash in math majors who must provided with jobs...and teaching is all there is.
It seems unfair to subject hundreds of thousands of capable, hard-working college students to the absolutely meaningless, time-consuming pursuit of learing algebra so that math majors who don’t go into research and don’t secure employment at the junior or high school level can have jobs.
Reasonable Working Proposition: Instead of having a required algebra math sequence, for all students graduating college, let algebra and other higher mathematics programs be electives. The student who is pursing a career that requires a math background will take the necessary courses. To not do so would be to fail. After all, by the time someone is in college, doing college work, listening to college counselors, and making college decisions, it is not unreasonable to believe they will choose wisely.
A student can choose to take math or not take it according to his or her desires and needs. The student choosing to not take math will then have those countless, wasted hours now spent on math to learn communication skills, English, political science, psychology, sociology and other disciplines that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.
Being proficient in math is no longer supposed to be a measure of one’s intellectual capacity and yet many students who are not proficient in math and have made career choices, based at least partly on that awareness, have their GPA seriously diminished by math grades. That translates into lost grants. lost scholarships. lost financial aid and an unfair disadvantage for many students based on the meaningless pursuit of a useless discipline. It is not fair!
Valid Consideration: If learning algebra is an absolute waste of important study time for this writer who is an older, middle class, white male, how much greater must the waste of time be for a struggling young college student who may be having problems learning basic communication skills. The present, useless college algebra sequence might stand between a valuable, intelligent college graduate and a day laborer.
There are students who will not graduate because of algebra. There are students who have had, and are continuing to have, their own self-image seriously damaged by their inherent problems with algebra. There are students who have committed suicide and others who are on the verge of suicide because of math anxiety. Algebra is an ongoing energy, time and self-esteem drain for many students. Hard-working students can not afford to waste their energy and time and they should not be forced to suffer humiliation, anxiety and self-hatred in the meaningless, mindless pursuit of algebra.
This must be changed so future generations of students won’t be subjected to this very narrow-minded, blatantly wrong fiat.
Petition: We petition for our freedom from a meangingless mathematical sequence. We petition for a curriculum which will accurately reflect our scholastic needs. We petition for a reevaluation of the motives that subject students, who will never use algebra in their life times, to the present, utterly meaningless, frivolous and sometimes deleterious required college math sequence.
Statement to all Students: We are not against math, math teachers, or math as a career choice. We are, however, against the present policies that force all students to learn algebra. We know it is of no consequence to many of us now nor will it be in the future.
Math should be fully represented in high school. All students should be exposed to high school algebra. That will allow them to get a feel for it, see if they like it, and see if it might fit in with future plans. When a student gets to college, math should be come a matter of choice. It is our opinion that there should be no math requirements for a liberal arts degree.
To petition for and receive this reasonable change in the present structure of higher education will not be easy. The present policy seems to be written in stone...but it must be changed for it is wrong!
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