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The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR [1]”.  Today, we look at San Francisco’s plummeting quality of life.

New Florida Law Okays Front Yard Veggie Gardens

On July 1st, a new law will take effect in Florida [2], voiding some local zoning laws. This law recognizes the right of homeowners to grow vegetables on their own property–even their front yards. Hooray!  (Thanks to DSV for sending the link.)

Is Idiocracy Becoming Reality?

Evan Horowitz at NBC: IQ rates are dropping in many developed countries and that doesn’t bode well for humanity [3].

An Affordable Drone for Retreat Security?

Reader SOG suggested a recently-reviewed drone [4], under $150. He says: “An inexpensive drone with pic and cam not tied to a cell phone. These would be great for retreat ops. Sort of a poor man’s RAVEN.”  Here is a an ordering link: HUBSAN H501SS X4 Drone GPS 4 Channel Altitude Mode 5.8GHz Transmitter 6 Axis Gyro 1080P FPV Brushless Quadcopter Mode 2 RTF ( White) [5]

Quality of Life Plummets in S.F.

A hat tip to Peter for sending this: San Francisco’s Quality-of-Life Toll [6]. Here is a snippet:

“San Francisco is the nation’s leader in property crime [7]. Burglary, larceny, shoplifting, and vandalism are included under this ugly umbrella. The rate  of car break-ins is particularly striking: in 2017 over 30,000 reports [8] were filed, and the current average is 51 per day [9]. Other low-level offenses, including drug dealing, street harassment, encampments, indecent exposure, public intoxication, simple assault, and disorderly conduct are also rampant.

Many in law enforcement blame the crime wave on Proposition 47, which in 2014 downgraded possession of illegal narcotics for personal use and theft of anything under $950 in value from felonies to misdemeanors. Anti-incarceration advocates disagree with that argument, but theft is indisputably booming, and narcotics activity is exploding on sidewalks, parks, and playgrounds [10]. When compounded with other troubles for which the city is now infamous (human feces [11], filth, and homelessness, which is up [12] 17 percent since 2017), San Franciscans find themselves surrounded by squalor and disorder.”

CrossFit Quits Facebook and Instagram

CrossFit storms off Facebook and Instagram, citing long list of grievances [13].

The Great Unraveling Begins

The latest essay from the sagacious Charles Hugh Smith: The Great Unraveling Begins: Distraction, Lies, Infighting, Betrayal [14]. Here is a pericope:

“The ruling elites start “fudging” reports (i.e. lies are presented as truths) and promoting narratives to mask their self-aggrandizement and the erosion of the nation/empire under their self-interested rule.

In other words, the elites know the public would resist their leadership if the truth were widely known, so the ruling elites devote tremendous resources to massaging the news to distract the public from reality and reflect positively on their self-serving leadership.
Since the weaknesses of the empire are being hidden, they cannot be addressed, and so rot that could have been fixed early becomes widespread and fatal.”

European MEP Election Results

If anyone is curious:  European elections 2019: When do we find out the results of yesterday’s vote? [15]

A Harrowing Houston Home Invasion

Dog shot trying to protect family during home invasion, police say [16]. Here is a quote:

“A family dog tried to protect her family as gunmen held a father down during a home invasion overnight.

This happened just before 1 a.m. Friday at a home on Sagewick Drive in southeast Houston.

Houston police say four armed intruders broke into the home through the back door which just happened to be unlocked. A father, who was in the kitchen at the time, was held down at gunpoint.

The family were told to stay in their rooms, but the 17-year-old managed to get out through a bedroom window to run for help.”

Purgatory Ski Resort Reopening For Memorial Day Weekend

Colorado’s Purgatory Ski Resort is reopening for skiing on Memorial Day Weekend [17]. They’ve had 8 fresh inches of snow.  Perhaps they should send Al Gore a pair of complimentary lift tickets. Thanks for that Global Warming, Al!

You can send your news tips to JWR [1]. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact [18] form.) Thanks!

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#1 Comment By DKL On May 26, 2019 @ 10:46 am

Quality of Life Plummets in S.F.

They created it, let them live in it. Everyone makes their own decision(s), I never judge their decision(s). But it was their decision, their votes.

Unfortunately, their decisions are putting the rest of the country in danger, one through disease, and two through all the criminal illegals streaming to their city, which then spread out across the country, like here in Florida.

All I can say, is keep your powder dry……and keep plenty of ammo on hand.

#2 Comment By Bruce On May 26, 2019 @ 11:44 am

DRONE

I can attest to the pain in the you know what,cell linked drones are, i am trying to pair the drone parrot 2.0 to one of my phones and it needs more data space, pairing to the phone via drones wifi and creates many issues additionally having download the app via google play or app store which loves to harvest user data. i prefer old school dedicated remotes and even though this parrot 2.0 drone was a gift for me and my son, i may have to part ways with it!

strongly considering the above linked unit.

#3 Comment By GGHD On May 26, 2019 @ 12:03 pm

Many people in San Francisco embrace a hedonistic philosophy of “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
… The SurvivalBlog redoubt region must be a better place to raise kids. … [Who would want their children to walk to school in San Francisco? ~ Or, even play outside on the sidewalk in front of their house?]

A factoid about San Francisco: “In numbers, the mass exodus (from San Francisco) translates into a city (San Francisco) with only 13 percent of its population under 18 years old. By comparison, youth make up 21 percent of the population in New York and 23 percent in Chicago.” SFGate article.

In San Francisco, a ‘starter’ home costs $1,000,000. … Plus, the homes are placed on small lots, with the front door close to the sidewalk. [Or the proper name, = The public toilet/sidewalk.]

The redoubt area may become a stronghold for sanity in the USA.
….. California and San Francisco were largely changed by people moving into California from other places. … When Ike Eisenhower was President, SF also had a Republican Mayor. Plus, Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California twice.

“A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau says ~>44 percent of California residents over the age of five speak a language other than English at home.” ~ 11/4/2015, Los Angeles(dot)CBSlocal.

#4 Comment By ThoDan On May 27, 2019 @ 1:53 pm

Spanish was the mother language of People Living in California for Generations, before AE was spoken there.

Before that, there were a few other languages spoken before the first english Colony was founded on this continent.
Before english Speakers build the first huts, spanish speking People prayed in cathedrals built from Stone by their forefathers

#5 Comment By GGHD On May 27, 2019 @ 2:32 pm

ThoDan, as a generalization Spanish was spoken in California before English. (There were a gazillion Native American [Indian] languages) … But, my comment relates to specifically to ~San Francisco, and then to California, and then to a place to raise children other than San Francisco.

The redoubt region of American could be a better place to raise children or/and have a family, as the traditional values of the ‘free enterprise system’ are still valued. … Plus, a religion of a God in Heaven is still prevalent.

There are some Catholic politicians in California. BUT, they’re NOT very Catholic now days, as California has become a Democratic and ~pro-death for babies, as their choice for the State.

Here’s about the people San Francisco from the Internet about demographics now days.
According to the 2015 census estimates, the ethnic makeup of San Francisco was:

White: 47.2% (non-Hispanic: 41%)
Asian: 34.3%
African Americans: 5.3%
Native Americans: 0.4%
Pacific Islanders: 0.4%
Other: 6.6%
Two or more: 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino of any race: 15.3%

[Taken from WorldPopulationReview]
~ SurvivalBlog is about the ~present situation in America, and ensuring a secure place for yourself, and family first.

The politicians nationwide and in California are working towards a Tower of Babel society, and NOT a unified country around a common language, with common traditional values. … The ~destruction of organized traditional religion is also on the agenda of politicians, that want to destroy America.
**************************************

+Bless your heart, ThoDan; you’re now in my daily Rosary Prayer.

#6 Comment By ThoDan On May 27, 2019 @ 4:47 pm

a common language, common traditional values

You could´ve said the same of the conquered subjects of the kings of assur and Ninive, Assimilation not Integration was their game – to Forget their ancestors language and traditions

AFAIK there was never an official language for the US in the constitution, an Immigrant should make a reasonable effort to learn the language of his new home, but he should never Need to Abandon his mothers tongue

#7 Comment By GGHD On May 27, 2019 @ 5:58 pm

Yours is a common viewpoint today, with an accomodation of so many different languages and value systems in the USA now days. … …. For many people, it seems to be contrary of e pluribus unum ~ out of many one. (USA motto) ~~ The USA seems to be building a Tower of Babel with many languages and many differing core values.

#8 Comment By ThoDan On May 27, 2019 @ 6:48 pm

There is a time proven solution to that

put all to the sword under seventy and hang men and Woman for wearing of the green.

Freedom of faith and conscience were two Things your ancestors fought and died to preserve and bring, two Things i will forever believe i´m in their debt and thankful.

#9 Comment By GGHD On May 27, 2019 @ 7:21 pm

I didn’t say anything implied by last comment, which implies there’s an advocacy of ~death for people that do NOT speak English. … There’s are lots of opportunity to take ~comprehensive English reading courses at Community Colleges in the USA. (low cost)

ThoDan, all of your comments indicate a basic creation of the Tower of Babel within the USA. ~It should NOT be laid upon ThoDan for the creation of a Tower of Babel.

Many of the people in charge of our country have created ~intentional a misunderstanding of our common language (A Tower of Babel of sorts).
For instance, Establishment means one thing and Separation means something entirely different. Separation is NOT a synonym for Establishment.

Also, ‘The right of the people to bear arms’ does NOT mean the right of Government-employees and the limited few favored by the powerful. ~People means a large number of ordinary citizens.

The USA has become so inclusive that the English language is actually several different languages without names. … (1) liberal speak (2) conservative speak (3) religious speak (4) pagan speak ~ etc.

A sentence from my original comment which is quite accurate: ~The redoubt area may become a stronghold for sanity in the USA.~

A famous quote about words and language.
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”

#10 Comment By ThoDan On May 27, 2019 @ 8:21 pm

No you didn´t, all you did was calling For an Act of Proscription like 1746 the english Crown did.

I was hinting at the Massacre of Glencoe, to Connaught or to hell how the english subdued and oppressed the Scottish and Irish.
A man wearing Highland Dress was put in Jail for six month first time after that it was slavery, the government tried to destroy their culture, their Heritage, their clans

What are you calling for?
You didn´t criticize they don´t speak or learn english, you criticized they didn´t speak english in their homes.

What english language do you mean? Winston Churchill wrote in his memoirs how nonunderstandable americans could make the english language to the english.

#11 Comment By GGHD On May 27, 2019 @ 11:36 pm

ThoDan, you seem to be ‘adding things to my comment’ with ideas from somewhere else.
I maintain that, a lack of a common language may also be a sign of lack of cohesion in a society. … I also maintain that a lack of cohesion can be caused by differences in core values.
**********************************************

The examples you use of the split between between England and the American is about the differences in the English spoken, and the respective core values of America and England. [It may seem to be an example of the chaos caused by an ‘different understanding’ of language and values.]

Many of the world’s wars and internal strife is due to differences, in culture, language, religion and core values.
People in the USA once eagerly learned English as a common language. People also tried to adhere to a common value system.
********************************************

The citizenship test is given to people who wish to become citizens of the USA by immigration. = This is part of the test given. =

“The English test has three components: reading, writing, and speaking. Your ability to speak ~.English will be determined by a USCIS Officer during your eligibility interview on Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. For the reading portion, you must read one out of three sentences correctly. For the writing test, you must write one out of three sentences correctly.”

Plus, a core values part to the test is also given. =

“Citizenship is the common thread that connects all Americans. We are a nation bound not by race or religion, but by the shared values of freedom, liberty, and equality.”
[Taken from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ~ website.]
**********************************************************

There are supposedly ‘core values’ and a common language in America. No longer does it seem to be true. The USA is becoming a Tower of Babel society.

When I comment about America today, you respond with comments about ‘England’s treatment’ of its own subjects back in Great Britain, hundreds of years ago. ~ Obviously, there is something being added to my comments.
***************************************************
The observations made about different languages ~>go to a lack of cohesion; a sense of community within a society.
San Francisco is a prime example, of how ~prosperity doesn’t necessary bring about a stable community. [A community means a society where people seek the ‘common good’ for all of its members.]

ThoDan, you and I ~might have a difference of values and a common language, understanding.
I made my remarks about the lack of commonality in a society; = a lack of a common language and common values, generally leads to a break-down in a society.

This is from the ‘about’ page at SurvivalBlog. =
“There are Moral Absolutes. The foundational morality of the civilized world is best summarized in the Ten Commandments. Moral relativism and secular humanism are slippery slopes. The terminal moraine at the base of these slopes is a rubble pile consisting of either despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity. I believe that it takes both faith and friends to survive perilous times. For more background on that, see my Prayer page.”

#12 Comment By ThoDan On May 28, 2019 @ 8:17 pm

You criticized that People didn´t speak English in their home, People Living in a state conquered by the US with force of arms.

You didn´t criticized immigrants not trying to learn english, i choose a neutral and historical example how unjust and depriving of human Rights that is and in which direction this road can lead

The history of both our Peoples has enough examples how cruel and Evil this way can go.
I don´t believe to exist any ethical authority to ask People the US attacked and conquered or enslaved to forsake the tongue of their ancestors not even to expect them to speak english in public Affairs.

If you´d called for emigrants trying to learn english and new citicens must be proficient enough before accepted as such fair enough but not that they should forsake the tongue of their ancestors.

Would it be wrong if they added to these core values other values?

#13 Comment By GGHD On May 29, 2019 @ 3:34 am

I didn’t criticize anyone for ~NOT speaking English in their own home.
Speaking another language is perfectly ~legal in the USA.
What your comment reflects is maybe a lack of commonality, among different people. That was my point about different languages, sometimes separates people.

The USA is turning into another Tower of Babel.

There is also the situation, where an ‘observation about the lack of commonality’ can be viewed as ~criticism by certain people, with certain ~personality types.
Some people see innocent comments as just criticism and/or insults.
[I’ll leave that to a trained psychologist to make a determination, as to when, and how that occurs.]

Also sometimes events in the past can be used to ~hate people ~today.
As an observation, there seems to repeated mentioned of the ‘USA conquering’ ~ referring to something that happened at least 175 years ago.
The usage of such an old event about language discrimination is very peculiar in my opinion. Especially as the even took place in British Isles.

There is ~current language discrimination occurring in Communist China. It seems that might be more relevant.

See Wikipedia for ~Guangzhou Television Cantonese controversy.~
“n July 2010, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Guangzhou Committee, in a written proposal to mayor of Guangzhou Wan Qingliang, suggested increasing Mandarin programming on Guangzhou Television’s main and news channels.
….The proposal sparked widespread controversy, met with fierce criticism in Cantonese-speaking cities including Guangzhou and Hong Kong, which eventually triggered a mass protest in the former city. In a formal response, Guangzhou TV rejected the proposal, citing “historic causes and present demands” as reasons for Cantonese-Mandarin bilingualism.”
…. “Beijing made Mandarin the nation’s sole official language in 1982, leading to bans on other languages at many radio and television stations.”

The situation ~currently in China might be more relevant as many Chinese people are moving to the USA, and a large number speak Mandarin and some English. … Many of the old time American-Chinese speak Cantonese and English.
[After all the article that started our discussion was about the situation in San Francisco.]

“As of 2012, 21.4% of the population in San Francisco was of Chinese descent, and at least 150,000 Chinese American residents The Chinese are the largest Asian American subgroup in San Francisco.”
Wikipedia ~History of Chinese Americans in San Francisco~
****************************************************************************

As an important point: Nowhere did I make suggestion about =
“all you did was calling For an Act of Proscription like 1746 the english Crown did.~ = That is a completely false statement.

#14 Comment By ThoDan On May 29, 2019 @ 1:29 pm

GGHD
3 days ago
The redoubt area may become a stronghold for sanity in the USA.
….. California and San Francisco were largely changed by people moving into California from other places. … When Ike Eisenhower was President, SF also had a Republican Mayor. Plus, Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California twice.
“A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau says ~>44 percent of California residents over the age of five speak a language other than English at home.” ~ 11/4/2015, Los Angeles(dot)CBSlocal.

What was then the meaning of your writing?

I never experienced a lack of communality with other europeans or american soldiers , mostly we spoke english with some i spoke german – we´d enough common values.

What you considered an innocent comments isn`t IMPOV.
What you consider at least 175 years ago, is IMPOV only 175 ago – your Nation is About 200 Years old, Santa Fe 400 Years , the Tribe my People were named after meet the Roman legiones 100 BC.

#15 Comment By GGHD On May 29, 2019 @ 2:31 pm

ThoDan, … I keep telling you. There’s a lack of commonality to society caused by different languages, cultures, religion and core values.

ThoDan, in your comments I consistently see a preoccupation with ~race (which is about ~external differences.) I keep talking about core values.

The point about different language goes towards understanding each other. [As ThoDan pointed out in one of his comments, people seemingly speaking the same language can have difficulty understanding each other.] = That’s the implication of your comment about Churchill.
“What english language do you mean? Winston Churchill wrote in his memoirs how nonunderstandable americans could make the english language to the english.”

The article about San Francisco includes information about how the city is descending into unlivable chaos. The Redoubt region does seem as though it ~may become a stronghold of sanity in the USA.

ThoDan, you also continually seem to focus on the ancient past. … America in many ways is about the present and the future.

The redoubt region does sound like a good place for relocation. … The people behind SurvivalBlog and the sponsors ~deplore racism and hatred. That is part of the appeal of SurvivalBlog.

SurvivalBlog also appeals for Christianity. = It’s about core values and NOT NOT NOT race. [But, throughout the SurvivalBlog articles, the theme is about ALL people of goodwill. = NOT NOT NOT just Christians. ~The Golden Rule is a worldwide precept.
….Wikipedia has an article about ~Golden Rule.
… Wikipedia also has an article that delineates the ~worldwide appeal of Christianity; = all peoples, languages and cultures.
See Wikipedia: ~Christianity by country~

In separate articles, there is an enormous amount of information about people with grievances in the USA. = They always seem to focus on past wrongs [that often happened other people in different countries, and/or long long ago.]

The future is now! It’s now The Day to secure the items recommended on SurvivalBlog.

A truism: = A person can’t take care of anyone else, if that person can’t even take care of themselves. ~ A starving person can’t feed other starving people. A man dying of thirst can’t give water to someone also dying of thirst.
Now is the Day to secure the items recommended on SurvivalBlog.

It’s also the time to ~ ‘Love God above all things; and Love your neighbor as yourself.’

#16 Comment By ThoDan On May 31, 2019 @ 5:02 pm

@GGHD

There is a lack of commonality if a Society lacks a common language and core values, but it´s not necessary they speak only one language and´ve only the same core values.

I´ven´t even thought on race, only on ethical behave against People our forefathers behaved unethical and criminal.
I don´t care if acting unethical is progressive, conservative, future or else, it´s unethical that´s all i care for.

That has Nothing to do with hate of the US only with my Little Knowledge of history how those roads could end
If you´d written About immigrants not learning english i would´ve Nothing to say against it but criticizing People speaking another Language in their homes is IMPOV a fully different Thing.

#17 Comment By SOG On May 26, 2019 @ 12:35 pm

City Life,

I had this conversation with a co worker recently, I had traveled to NYC for work and in the morning saw a mother walking her grade school kid past a homeless guy who was digging in the trash, while i think kids should be aware of the realities of the world, at that age i prefer my kids to be innocent. who wants to expose their families to that. additionally you never know why they are homeless. drugs? violent offender? sexual offender? you literally don’t know why they are in such a position, or what they are capable of especially in major cities where the crazy factor is raised a few levels for even so called normal people due to stress of the city life.

#18 Comment By ThoDan On May 26, 2019 @ 8:05 pm

For some People it´s stress if they don´t live in a City.
Most likely an homeless Person had dealt a bad Hand, played their Cards badly or both in the game of life.

#19 Comment By LargeMarge On May 26, 2019 @ 12:42 pm

re:
Telephone ‘application’ gizmos for appliances

Good grief! We acquired a small kitchen appliance for healthy cooking, a circulating immersion heater called ‘sous vide’. To operate the danged thing required a transfer of an application gizmo from a company in Canada.

It went back. I mentioned this to a chiropractor friend, and he told a similar story concerning an electric three-wheel bicycle for his lady during her recovery from a stroke. It went back, too.

I blame soy.

#20 Comment By wingfootjr On May 26, 2019 @ 12:55 pm

only 2 things can save kalifornia- a 9.99 mag quake lasting 15 minutes or lucifers hammer

#21 Comment By Chris On May 26, 2019 @ 1:22 pm

On the Great Unraveling, by Charles Hugh Smith, I agree, but I’m not convinced it’s new. I suspect it began about 20 years ago.

#22 Comment By Joe On May 26, 2019 @ 1:50 pm

[19]
This bit of propaganda fits well with Charles Hugh Smith’s article. Promising to balance a budget in the future sounds pretty old hat to me. The grand plan of Ontario is so full of holes and lack of actual specifics that it is laughable. Going to balance the budget in 4 years is certainly pie in the sky. Just add 4 more years of deficit spending to the 343 billion they have borrowed and 1/4 percent increase in interest or down grading their bonds and this ship sinks under it’s welfare load. Perhaps they should have spent less time and money spinning this yarn and put the effort and money towards paying their debts. I suggest reading the entire plan as presented so you will recognize it from US politicians speeches and confront them when they try and sell this tripe. I can almost guarantee that you will be rewarded with the same old song and dance card. Lots is of rhetoric and promises of free stuff for all, except for you the tax payer! Proposing vapid solutions for unsolvable problems is a good indication of lunacy, yet snake oil has always been salable to people at carnivals. Time to get very serious about prepping if you haven’t seen the writing on the wall yet, read a few of J.W. Rawles’s books to get educated and motivated, only you can protect your families.

#23 Comment By Al On May 26, 2019 @ 2:40 pm

Re: A Harrowing Houston Home Invasion
Awesome that the dog was able to help, but the door should have been locked and the father armed.

#24 Comment By Buckshot On May 26, 2019 @ 2:42 pm

You do realize that’s Ontario in Canada.

#25 Comment By Joe On May 26, 2019 @ 4:06 pm

Of course I know where Ontario is. But governments are governments and they are a great example of government BS spinners.

#26 Comment By JBH On May 26, 2019 @ 2:44 pm

Re IQ:

I would have liked to see some numbers regarding the claim of IQs dropping and how much. What age groups were being measured? How do different age groups compare?

I also found it interesting that the baseline was readjusted repeatedly to keep the average at 100 through the 20th Century.

If IQs really are dropping I suspect it is at least partially due to our increasingly short attention span, our increasing time spent being socially indoctrinated vice educated in real knowledge and increasingly mindless work.

#27 Comment By GGHD On May 26, 2019 @ 9:15 pm

JBH, there’s plenty of information about, how marijuana use by young people can permanently lower their IQ. … Plus, marijuana use is so ubiquitous across all ages, even the older test-takers may be addlepated during the test. [How well would IQ test takers do if they were all drunk?]

It’s possible to see on YouTube, about ‘Doing Dabs’ and ‘Rolling Blunts’ now days. Our society is quickly headed downhill into hell.
…. [Marijuana is still >illegal in Idaho. … It might be time for parents of young children, to move to Idaho; part of the SurvivalBlog redoubt. Plus, home school your kids, whenever possible.]

#28 Comment By Buckshot On May 26, 2019 @ 4:25 pm

Sorry Joe … I do agree with you.

#29 Comment By Aunt Mary On May 26, 2019 @ 5:57 pm

I work in a learning center at a community college. The biggest problem with education today is that children are not taught or encouraged to think for themselves at the same time they learn to read and write.

In the past we were expected to take in information, retain it to some degree, then give our own conclusions about it in essay form. Today students at our mediocre “accepts all, graduates all” public college go to the Help Desk asking where to complain about a professor to the administration because “he gave all closed book tests and essays.”

On further investigation the professor gave a midterm that included instructions such as “Give three factors that contribute to poverty in the United States and briefly suggest ways to counteract them.”

First, the student didn’t pay attention and try to retain any of the class discussions or homework, assuming he would be able to look up information during an “open book” test. He never thought about what he was learning in relation to real life, just planned on doing enough to get a passing grade rather than master the subject.

After he failed the test, he finally read the chapter which he previously only skimmed in his effort to gather evidence the professor was unfair and should re-grade his test. While many contributing factors to poverty were discussed in the chapter, to his indignation “the answer wasn’t even in there.”

Imagine that: The textbook didn’t fix poverty in America in 30 pages. When I pointed out that he was requested to think about the problems and give his own opinion, he stared at me blankly. “So, what’s the right answer?” He was baffled to hear that his classmates passed the test by remembering several factors and simply stating their own thoughts about how things could be changed. What’s the right answer? Not in a multiple choice bubble or blank to fill in, but in your own demonstration of retained knowledge plus independent thinking.

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind — like that wind blowing between the ears of a child who thinks he’s smart because his transcript shows B’s and C’s, but who can’t form and convey intelligent, informed opinions based on what he’s learned. Google is an assistant, not life’s oracle. Grownups collect information, then find their own answers and form their own convictions. We’re becoming a nation of uninformed children. No wonder our elections are such a fiasco and our country is such a mess.

We owe the next generation more. It’s time to return the concept of applied learning and merit-based graduation to schools. Yes, some kids will fall behind and fail. Those kids need special help and/or special vocational training to have a productive place in society. Giving them that help isn’t the same as lowering the bar so that the least capable students set the standard for receiving a diploma to serve the overriding goal of leaving no one behind. Too many kids are “graduating” with the belief that their education is over, when in truth they have yet to learn anything of importance.

#30 Comment By Wayne On May 26, 2019 @ 6:53 pm

Amen, Mary. I am 67 years old and a product of public education from Baltimore City. At the time I graduated my high school was rated in the top ten high schools in the nation. I went on to graduate from college, first in my family, and ended my forty year career making six figures.
Although I enjoy a comfortable retirement, for the last four years I’ve been a substitute teacher in high schools in York County, Pennsylvania.
Boy what an eye opener. Other than the honors and AP classes the rest of the student body are the folks you just described. They are unable to reason or form an argument. Fasten your seat belts, we’re in for a rough ride.

#31 Comment By ThoDan On May 26, 2019 @ 8:11 pm

Wrong answers or answers who dn´t fit the narrow bracket the teacher considered valid?

#32 Comment By alfie On May 26, 2019 @ 9:53 pm

@ I.Q., true story, happened to me about 25 or so yrs ago. My son was stationed in Germany with the U.S army called home and asked me to find out about him getting a car loan. Okay, well and good, but when I checked on it, I was told that no car loan could be given to him because he was outside the U S proper< which I then informed him. OKay, all said and done. A couple of weeks later, he calls and said that he called the local Credit union and got the loan. oookkkaaayyy. A few months later I receive and call from a young lady double checking information and then at the end, she asked me just where in the U.S.A. was Germany located. Pardon me. Well she did say that she had went HS and graduated from college, where upon I ask if she could remember world history about WW2, and the nazis and Hitler and a few other things. her answer was " Oh Shit " and hung up. I heard later that she had been not fired, but let go from her employment at the CU. So what are these
schools teaching these kids now a days?

#33 Comment By Nathan Hail On May 26, 2019 @ 10:51 pm

The young people who failed to learn while in school will be cannon fodder in the next financial crash or civil/world war. Exactly as planned by the elite.

#34 Comment By This Old Road Dog On May 27, 2019 @ 4:24 pm

[20]

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#35 Comment By TFDM On May 28, 2019 @ 6:20 am

Because both the ocean and atmosphere above it are warmer, there’s increased evaporation (= more humidity in the air). Had the coastal weather been colder, that moisture would precipitate out closer to the seashore and leave locations further inland relatively dry. However, with a warmer atmosphere, that increased humidity makes it further onto the continent before conditions may lead to it condensing and falling, often as snow and the rest as rain. So, yes, a warmer planet may indeed lead to greater snowfalls, further inland than “the good old days”. Simple physics have consequences.