In a word: Teaching.

I find it to be eminently satisfying to be a part of the moment where a student is struggling with some tough (for them) concept and then the proverbial light clicks on and the understanding flows in. I also feel quite good about how students will return to me after a few years, students that quite often despised me for various reasons (not the least of which is that I made them *GASP* work and held them accountable), and tell me how much they learned in my class and wish that they had other teachers who could get through to them in the same way.

I'm not conceited enough to think that my career is the most emotionally satisfying thing that will occur in my life, or is the most emotionally satisfying thing "EVAH!", but it is definitely a very rewarding choice for me.

Being a resident of California, I am curious as to how we interfered in the politics of Utah approx. 2 years ago. I really have no idea of what you are referring to. Would you please explain?

I do know that the Mormon Church (headquartered in Utah) directly financed a California proposition and a heavy advertising campaign to take away rights of a segment of California's population (Prop. 8), but I am not aware of the reverse situation.

Thank you for the further information.

With Steve.

It doesn't have a proposition number yet, but some of the more pertinent information can be found at http://www.ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2010).

With any luck and enough votes, a short time after November 2, 2010, smoke 'em if you got 'em!

Yeah, I saw that too... That might just be the final reason for me to run Boot Camp or Parallels and get some form of Windows running and have a bit of fun with that.

Side note, and more than slightly off topic, but I would so very much like to see the original 2 X-COM games recreated to run on modern systems. No changes to some real-time-turn-based hybrid bullshit, just pure I take my turn then the computer (or online opponent) takes it's turn with destructible environment features. This would even be a good fit as a console game at this point in tech. With everything else getting remade or rereleased for the sake of nostalgia, why not X-COM?

Admittedly, I didn't read TFA, just the summary, but aren't these the same pictures that were used recently to rediscover and locate the rover that Lord British (Richard Garriot) bought at auction, or are they new, clearer pictures?

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/03/17/2143248/Lord-Britishs-Lost-Lunar-Rover-Found-After-37-Years?art_pos=1

(Tagged: LordBritish)

And you are why I chose to say 80% rather than most or all. Everyone's brain gets wired just a bit differently, but there are some very common archetypes that I see time and again. I'm not sure if 80% not being ready is the actual number I run into, but it feels right. It's a very Truthy number. ;-)

I'm glad to hear that you had at least a little bit of a good experience to balance out something that could have turned you off of math in general at that point.

But, just because you know math, doesn't mean you can teach it...

Or, more importantly, teach it well.

I do agree with your point though. If the multi-subject teachers were themselves stronger in math, there'd be less "math is hard" thoughts floating around. Hell, that exists in all levels. All I or anyone else on my staff has to do to get one Social Studies teacher to leave the teachers' lounge is to start talking about math at all. She flips out and leaves.

THIS is one of the main roots of the problem. Thank you.

I have an answer for you on that, as a teacher who has been teaching Pre-Algebra and Algebra to 7th and 8th graders (12 to 14 years old) for the last 6 years.

Quite simply, somewhere on the order of 80% of students are not cognitively developed for the abstract reasoning that is algebra until just after the onset of puberty. We used to have a 2-year Algebra program stretched over 7th and 8th grade, and I would see a huge jump in comprehension of algebra skills between those two years. Same kids, same teacher. The only difference was time and growth. It was like large swaths of them just flipped a switch over the summer. We are pushing topics either too early or in the wrong ways. I do my best, but I also know of many elementary (K-6) teachers that are truly math-phobic, and the kids pick up on that. Those that have had elementary teachers with less than strong math skills are quite often the ones that are most turned off from math, especially once they start hitting higher-level concepts.

Fun times.

Yeah, about that...

Apple has had multi-button mice for a while now. It was called the Mighty Mouse, but due to copyright issues, that particular mouse is now called the Apple Mouse, and there is now a new BlueTooth mouse with multi-sense and gesture capabilities called the Magic Mouse. Multi-button mice have been standard with Macs since 2005 at least, and are also now built in to the trackpad on all MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

Plus, many Mac gamers have a secondary Windows box for games that didn't make it over. I think you'll find some strong challengers from this side of the companion cube.

Huzzah!

Huzzah!

Huzzah!

I could be wrong (i.e. I haven't checked too closely), but I am pretty sure there is Intel-only software that runs on 10.4. I will have to dig a bit and see if I can find an example, but I'm fairly sure many of the recent game releases (such as WoW and Plants vs. Zombies) can run on 10.4, but still require an intel Mac. My Mini came with an Intel proc, but is currently running 10.4...

{checks PopCap.com for PvZ info}

Yup. 10.4.11 and Intel proc combo required. It could be done. No PowerPC support required.

More importantly, will the sharks and dolphins work together once they have frickin' laser beams?

I, for one, welcome our new technologically advanced aquatic overlords. (pssst... Head for the hills!)