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Government

Obama Administration Transparency Getting Worse 111

Posted by samzenpus
from the nothing-to-see-here dept.
schwit1 writes "The government's own figures from 99 federal agencies covering six years show that halfway through its second term, the administration has made few meaningful improvements in the way it releases records. In category after category — except for reducing numbers of old requests and a slight increase in how often it waived copying fees — the government's efforts to be more open about its activities last year were their worst since President Barack Obama took office."

Comment: Re:Reality in the USA.... (Score 1) 413

by metlin (#46506859) Attached to: The Poor Neglected Gifted Child

You are nuts if you think the American education system is a factory model. Go to Asia -- you'll realize exactly what "factory styled" education is.

No matter what your interest, you are asked to do hours upon hours of advanced math and science. At every stage, students are culled if they don't get above a threshold set for those subjects these cultures deem valuable (e.g. math).

You wake up early in the morning for tutoring classes *before* your school, and go to tutoring classes *after* school. And oh, you have oodles and oodles of homework (imagine 600 differential equations problems due over the weekend). And the teachers (or the parents) do not hesitate to call you an idiot if you do poorly.

Sure, it sounds great -- but it also has its flaws. People who want to study arts or the humanities are made to feel like idiots, and have to fight the system. You are constantly made to feel that you are less than adequate -- the opposite of what's happening in the US, where everyone is made to feel great. You become very narrow in your skills and worldview, and lack a holistic outlook. You have a lot of academic knowledge, but very little real world knowledge.

No, the US is quite far cry from a factory styled education.

User Journal

Journal: On travel 1

Journal by smitty_one_each
I'm on the road this week, limiting availability. Also, I'd like to forgive those who seem to think that accusing people of lying somehow improves communication. I've engaged in my share of trolling, hyperbole, and general obnoxiousness, but here this: life is too short for deceit.
The intent here is not to sound whiny or hypocritical about anything. There are no debts in any direction. We were always consenting adults. However, life is also too short for dealing with false accusers. Your pe

+ - The Poor Neglected Gifted Child

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes ""Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore," explains The Boston Globe's Amy Crawford in The Poor Neglected Gifted Child, "have national laws requiring that children be screened for giftedness, with top scorers funneled into special programs. China is midway through a 10-year 'National Talent Development Plan' to steer bright young people into science, technology, and other in-demand fields." It seems to be working — America's tech leaders are literally going to Washington with demands for "comprehensive immigration reform that allows for the hiring of the best and brightest". But in the U.S., Crawford laments, "we focus on steering all extra money and attention toward kids who are struggling academically, or even just to the average student" and "risk shortchanging the country in a different way." The problem advocates for the gifted must address, Crawford explains, is to "find ways for us to develop our own native talent without exacerbating inequality." And address it we must. "How many people can become an astrophysicist or a PhD in chemistry?" asks David Lubinski, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University. We really have to look for the best — that's what we do in the Olympics, that's what we do in music, and that's what we need to with intellectual capital.""

Comment: Re: Fuck that (Score 1) 425

I looked around a bit and saw a few citations that back your assertion that "Parents of children born in the U.S. are not allowed to stay here just because their kid is a citizen" Do you know of any firm numbers? Say the number of births in the US with non-citizen parents? Of perhaps more interest to me would be the numbers of deportations of these parents. And are the children returning to the home country of the parent(s) or are they staying in the US and entering various foster care situations?

Comment: Verboten (Score 1) 6

by gmhowell (#46503649) Attached to: Why are these not all banned, then?

Many who oppose homosexual behavior also oppose some of the items on your list, especially vasectomies and tubal ligation. Does the gender reassignment surgery really even need to be addressed in regards to this?

In fact, the only one of interest that you mentioned was intercourse with post-menopausal with. IIRC, this is usually explained as being more or less a gift to the couple for being in a union. There's a bit more to it, but you have to accept the postulation that marriage is a joining of man and woman under God.

You're already carrying the sphere!

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