Friday Open Thread
Welcome to your Friday open thread. Are we done with elections for a while? I’d like a break! How are you enjoying the new era of political discourse? Do you feel different yet?
The pseudoscientific field of astrology is even more bogus than you knew. The astrological signs are being revised and they will add a lucky 13th sign.
It turns out that astrology has had issues from its inception. (Aside from the fact that it tries to link personality traits with positions of the stars.) Ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, but wanted only 12, so threw out Ophuchicus, the snake holder. Libra didn’t even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.
According to the Minnesota Planetarium Society, here is where the real signs of the Zodiac should fall. Get ready for your world to change forever.
Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
Pisces: March 11-April 18.
Aries: April 18-May 13.
Taurus: May 13-June 21.
Gemini: June 21-July 20.
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17. (Yep, this one is new — read all about the Ophiuchus way of life here)
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.
Yay! I get to stay a Leo! My husband went from a Scorpio to a Libra. Does this mean we’re compatible now?
This next story is a really infuriating story of sexual discrimination. A professor at UC Davis acts completely clueless about how to handle a student’s maternity leave.
As I mentioned, earlier in the week, I received an email from a student at UC Davis. I won’t directly reproduce her email here, but the back story is that she is friends with a veterinary student at the university and, as a result, became privy to a communication sent fro the presidents of the 3rd year students to the rest of the class. The note reads:
Dear Colleagues,
One of our classmates recently gave birth and will be out of class for an unknown period of time. This means she will undoubtedly miss one, or more, or all quizzes in VMD 444. Dr. Feldman is not sure how to handle this and has requested the class give input and vote. He has provided us with 6 options on which to vote and is open to any other ideas you may have. Most likely a CERE poll will be up next week and a voting will close no later than Wednesday. If you have other suggestions please email them to Dan or I ASAP. We will alert you to the opening of voting. Below are listed the options that Dr. Feldman has suggested. Please reserve comment on these options and provide us your opinion on them by voting when the time comes. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
a) automatic A final grade
b) automatic B final grade
c) automatic C final grade
d) graded the same as everyone else: best 6 quiz scores out of a
possible 7 quiz scores (each quiz only given only once in class with
no repeats)
e) just take a % of quiz scores (for example: your classmate takes 4 quizzes, averages 9/10 points = 90% = A)
f) give that student a single final exam at the end of the quarter (however this option is only available to this one student, all others
are graded on the best 6 quiz scores and the % that results)Please let us know if you have other thoughts on how to handle this situation and please keep your eye out for the upcoming vote.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Your Presidents
In response to this woman’s pregnancy, the class has been given the option to choose this woman’s fate including 1) Just giving her an ‘A’ or 2) Giving that careless floozy a ‘C’. If she had earned an ‘A’, why would the ‘B’ or ‘C’ be an option? The arbitrary nature of these options is baffling. I also fail to see how the issues related to this
individual student are of concern to the entire 3rd year class of a
veterinary school.
What’s even more baffling is the Dean’s response to student complaints about the incident.
Thank you very much for your concerns. I certainly do not agree with the manner in which Dr. Feldman dealt with this issue, and can think of many other more suitable ways. However, the issue is much more complex than at first it seems for both the student and the faculty. Within a professional school that has a very intensive and lock-step curriculum, there are many issues to consider in these circumstances.
This is just nutty. All universities have ways of dealing with excused medical absences. Why aren’t they following it? Also, is the professor violating the student’s privacy?
Tags: Open Thread
This is easy… What grade to you automatically give to a person with cancer or has been in a car accident?
I learned a new word today – vomment. I think you’ll all agree it is the best word ever.
Hello. Think I’m stuck in moderation on the Palin thread.
In other news… well, don’t really have any, thank goodness. *waves*
Floods in Austraila
Floods in Sri Lanka
Krakatoa erupted again
Mudslides in Brazil
Food Riots in Tunisia (and the president left the country)
Succession crisis in Ivory Coast
Assasination in Pakistan
25% inflation in Argentina
Bodies piled like cordwood in Mexico
I think I am going to start happy hour with a double.
Elected Officials Flunk Constitution Quiz
AOLNews.com 01/14/2011 Richard Brake
When the Republican House leadership decided to start the 112th Congress with a reading of the U.S. Constitution, the decision raised complaints in some quarters that it was little more than a political stunt. The New York Times even called it a “presumptuous and self-righteous act.”
That might be true, if you could be sure that elected officials actually know something about the Constitution. But it turns out that many don’t.
In fact, elected officials tend to know even less about key provisions of the Constitution than the general public.
-snip-
Included in the adult sample was a small subset of Americans (165 in all) who, when asked, identified themselves as having been “successfully elected to government office at least once in their life” — which can include federal, state or local offices.
Only 49 percent of elected officials could name all three branches of government, compared with 50 percent of the general public.
Only 46 percent knew that Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war — 54 percent of the general public knows that.
Just 15 percent answered correctly that the phrase “wall of separation” appears in Thomas Jefferson’s letters — not in the U.S. Constitution — compared with 19 percent of the general public.
so “Elected Officials” are dumber than average…
“Only 46 percent knew that Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war — 54 percent of the general public knows that.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but i thought congress has the power to authorize the president to declare war.
Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution says “Congress shall have power to … declare War”.