Midland Valley Trail

[BKDotCom]

Bonus points for anyone who knows what hoi polloi means.  Without looking online, of course.

Uneducated and/or unwashed masses
Twas My HS Chemistry teacher's favorite "word"

[Red Arrow]

Uneducated and/or unwashed masses
Twas My HS Chemistry teacher's favorite "word"

My HS Chemistry teacher's favorite saying was "fair ended in first grade".  I am inclined to agree.

[AquaMan]

Since we're talking HS Chemistry teachers....Mr. Vestal, Central High School.

After we had all learned our chemical symbols he asked us to tell him what this common formula represented: AUH2O (remember, this was the late 60's). None of us could figure it out because we didn't have much political indoctrination yet.

[Red Arrow]

Since we're talking HS Chemistry teachers....Mr. Vestal, Central High School.

After we had all learned our chemical symbols he asked us to tell him what this common formula represented: AUH2O (remember, this was the late 60's). None of us could figure it out because we didn't have much political indoctrination yet.

I believe the second letter in a chemical symbol for an element is supposed to be lower case. Subscripts (for the 2) don't show up too well here.

AuH₂O

[AquaMan]

I believe the second letter in a chemical symbol for an element is supposed to be lower case. Subscripts (for the 2) don't show up too well here.

AuH₂O

Roger that. After we had failed to determine what the compound was he said, "What? You never heard of Goldwater?" It was clever in 1968.

[nathanm]

My HS Chemistry teacher's favorite saying was "fair ended in first grade".  I am inclined to agree.

It is true, but a defeatist statement. What is is not what has to be, it merely is what is.

[Red Arrow]

It is true, but a defeatist statement. What is is not what has to be, it merely is what is.

Your generation vs. mine.  I took it to be a challenge to go get what's yours, not sit back and lament that it wasn't handed out to you.  It was also not intended to turn young minds into criminals.

[nathanm]

not sit back and lament that it wasn't handed out to you.  It was also not intended to turn young minds into criminals.

Yes, RA, the poor folk are just lazy. It's got nothing to do with differences in education, opportunity, familial support, or anything else. They need to get out there and take what's theirs, not sit at home and complain!

[Red Arrow]

Yes, RA, the poor folk are just lazy. It's got nothing to do with differences in education, opportunity, familial support, or anything else. They need to get out there and take what's theirs, not sit at home and complain!

I'm going to get dizzy if you spin this any more than you have already.  The teacher was responding to the kids who said it wasn't fair that they didn't get a good grade.  This particular teacher always said to show your work.  If you did, you got more points that even if you got the right answer but didn't show your work.  The rules were announced before the tests.  Some kids didn't follow directions.  It had NOTHING to do with the parent's economic status.

You can stop accusing me of thinking all poor folk are lazy.  There are some that are.  I had an Uncle that wouldn't even finish hid GED with my parents paying for the courses.  Other people have other issues and I know that it's not always about lazy.

[rdj]

I'm of the belief stupid can be fixed but lazy can't.

[Hoss]

I'm of the belief stupid can be fixed but lazy can't.

I subscribe to Ron White's belief:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL6wbsGx9qw&t=1m56s

[rdj]

I subscribe to Ron White's belief:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL6wbsGx9qw&t=1m56s

Yeah, but how many people are really stupid?  Rather, most are just too lazy to actually learn.  Even those with a true "low IQ" can be trained to be productive members of society.   I'd assert that our society has far more lazy people that waste their intelligence, thus being labeled stupid, than true "stupid" people.

[DowntownDan]

I'm going to get dizzy if you spin this any more than you have already.  The teacher was responding to the kids who said it wasn't fair that they didn't get a good grade.  This particular teacher always said to show your work.  If you did, you got more points that even if you got the right answer but didn't show your work.  The rules were announced before the tests.  Some kids didn't follow directions.  It had NOTHING to do with the parent's economic status.

You can stop accusing me of thinking all poor folk are lazy.  There are some that are.  I had an Uncle that wouldn't even finish hid GED with my parents paying for the courses.  Other people have other issues and I know that it's not always about lazy.

The quote "fair ended in first grade" implies that unfairness is inevitable.  The situation you're describing has nothing to do with fairness.  If you don't follow the rules and don't answer correctly, it's not "unfair" to get a bad grade.  It's a whiny child being whiny if they claim unfairness. 

[Red Arrow]

The quote "fair ended in first grade" implies that unfairness is inevitable.  The situation you're describing has nothing to do with fairness.  If you don't follow the rules and don't answer correctly, it's not "unfair" to get a bad grade.  It's a whiny child being whiny if they claim unfairness. 

As long as we are off topic,  I might as well resign myself to the fact that there are no people unwilling to work around impediments to their success (in anything, not just financial) and that all conditions are due to something being "unfair".

[nathanm]

As long as we are off topic,  I might as well resign myself to the fact that there are no people unwilling to work around impediments to their success (in anything, not just financial) and that all conditions are due to something being "unfair".

You know, it is actually possible that there are some lazy clucks without mental illness and with all the opportunity in the world out there who are destitute only due to their own actions. That, unfortunately, is not the case for most people living in poverty.