tough times

Mike Cole (mcole who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu)
Fri, 11 Dec 1998 06:40:58 -0800 (PST)

I have been reading people's concerns with current events and the destructive
futures they appear to portend with a lot of sympathy born of daily experience
of a limited sort (of course limited!). My logoff commentary this morning
was the following. It called up recent headlines in US newspapers I sample.

Here is is:


F u cn rd ths y cnt spll

Yesterday the California board of ed passed what amounts to a phonics-only
curriculum up to 3rd grade at which time children are MANDATED to be "fluent
readers"

Sunday two stories.

1. NY Tims mag: George Soros declaring that over-reliance on market mechanisms
undermines the moral authority of society.

2. Several papers: Liberal arts programs in colleges have become the domain of
female students. This is certainly true in the three departments I work in. Communication,
Psychology, and Human Development, here at UCSD.

My response. Critical engagement to provide alternatives and demonstrate their
effectiveness along a variety of socially valued dimensions. Will that save the
world? Of course not. Will it allow me to live with myself? Temporarily.

------
Time to make breakfast.
See ya'll
mike
ps. XMCA tech infrastructure seems to be working. Its a temporary situation to
be appreciated when it occurs.

pps. my quote of the day: "Its good to laugh. Doctors advise you to laugh"
Sholom Alaichem