ProfD Posted December 26, 2024 Report Posted December 26, 2024 11 minutes ago, umbrarchist said: Just watch a World War Two movie with fighter planes. Machines designed without electronic computers to do 350 to 400 mph 30 years before the Moon landing. Most changes in cars since Sputnik are only for those psychological reasons. In 1948 less than 1% of American households had televisions. By 1962 it was 90%. The first TV car commercial was broadcast in 1948. The Screwing of the Average Man (1974) by David Hapgood The 1st hot air balloon flight was in 1783. The 1st successful heaving than air flight was in 1903. That's 120 years before man could get off the ground and remain in the air piloting a craft. Humans have accomplished a lot between 1903 and 2024. Interestingly, it's 121 years and counting.
umbrarchist Posted December 26, 2024 Report Posted December 26, 2024 4 hours ago, ProfD said: Many businesses and companies flop and fail with the best accounting firms on the planet handling their accounts. They had to spend money on accounting firms instead of knowing it themselves. Adam Smith wrote "read, write and ACCOUNT" multiple times in Wealth of Nations. I concede READING comes first. Read, WHAT?! It is an absolute Fact that I cannot remember a single book that the nitwit nuns assigned when I was in grammar school. I found and read Star Surgeon by Alan E Nourse when I was 9. Totally blew my mind. Wasn't accounting. This was before Star Trek. But that is how I learned that the Sun was a star and that all of the stars are suns. No adults were telling me anything like that. I was supposed to pay attention to baseball. I didn't mind playing but otherwise it was boring shit. Who gives a damn about what team is in what city. There is lots of free Science Fiction in Project Gutenberg now: The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/20727 Damned If You Don't by Randall Garrett https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/24064 Badge of Infamy by Lester Del Rey https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/19471 Black Man's Burden by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/32390 Space Prison by Tom Godwin https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/22549 Omnilingual by H Beam Piper https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/19445 Cat and Mouse by Ralph Williams https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/24392 The Night of the Trolls by Keith Laumer https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/53132 Star Surgeon by Alan E Nourse https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/18492 The Highest Treason by Randall Garrett https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/24302 Anything You Can Do ... by Randall Garrett https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/24436 Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/18137 Subversive by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/23197 The Servant Problem by Robert F. Young https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/23232 Border, Breed nor Birth by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/30639 Deathworld by Harry Harrison https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/28346 The Status Civilization by Robert Sheckley https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/20919 The Fourth R (1959) by George O. Smith https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/18602 Eight Keys to Eden (1960) by Mark Clifton https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/27595 Ultima Thule by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/30334 Adaptation by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/24749 The Common Man by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/23194
umbrarchist Posted December 27, 2024 Report Posted December 27, 2024 6 hours ago, ProfD said: The 1st hot air balloon flight was in 1783. The 1st successful heaving than air flight was in 1903. That's 120 years before man could get off the ground and remain in the air piloting a craft. Humans have accomplished a lot between 1903 and 2024. Interestingly, it's 121 years and counting. How much horsepower from the gasoline engines in 1783? The P-38 Lightning had two 1600 HP engines with a cruising speed about 220 mph My point was if that was possible in 1940 without computer aided design then why are we expending resources no useless variations in cars rolling along the ground unless the real purpose is to keep the peons running on a treadmill making money for stockholders?
ProfD Posted December 27, 2024 Report Posted December 27, 2024 2 hours ago, umbrarchist said: They had to spend money on accounting firms instead of knowing it themselves. Andrew Carnegie didn't have to know accounting in order to become a wealthy industrialist. He could afford to pay for the services. As a result, he provided accounting jobs to others while he focused on the steel business and other philanthropic endeavors.. 2 hours ago, umbrarchist said: Adam Smith wrote "read, write and ACCOUNT" multiple times in Wealth of Nations. Smith believed the labor force should be *educated* even if they occupied the lowest occupations while serving those benefitted most from the free market (Capitalism). Therein lies a driver to consumerism and debt. 14 minutes ago, umbrarchist said: How much horsepower from the gasoline engines in 1783? Zero. The 1st gas-powered engine wasn't invented until 1861. 14 minutes ago, umbrarchist said: The P-38 Lightning had two 1600 HP engines with a cruising speed about 220 mph The P-38 Lightning was developed by Lockheed in 1937 which was 3 decades after the Wright Brothers took flight in Kitty Hawk. 14 minutes ago, umbrarchist said: My point was if that was possible in 1940 without computer aided design then why are we expending resources no useless variations in cars rolling along the ground unless the real purpose is to keep the peons running on a treadmill making money for stockholders? Technology allows for the refinement of existing designs. Computers have sped up the process. The continued production of vehicles and the stream of ancillary businesses supporting is a major part of the American economy. Wipe out the automobile industry and watch a America plunge into a Depression in more ways than a few.
umbrarchist Posted December 27, 2024 Report Posted December 27, 2024 1 hour ago, ProfD said: Andrew Carnegie didn't have to know accounting in order to become a wealthy industrialist. He could afford to pay for the services. As a result, he provided accounting jobs to others while he focused on the steel business and other philanthropic endeavors.. "Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland. He immigrated to what is now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States with his parents in 1848 at the age of 12. Carnegie started work as a telegrapher. By the 1860s he had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks." Funny how they don't say much about 1848 to 1860s. I find this defense of ignorance about some 700 year old knowledge rather curious. One might think it was difficult like algebra that is required.
ProfD Posted December 27, 2024 Report Posted December 27, 2024 43 minutes ago, umbrarchist said: "Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland. He immigrated to what is now Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States with his parents in 1848 at the age of 12. Carnegie started work as a telegrapher. By the 1860s he had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks." Carnegie was wealthy before he turned 30 years old. Railroad magnate Thomas Scott provided Carnegie with an opportunity that allowed him to *see* the future of industry and he capitalized on it accordingly. 43 minutes ago, umbrarchist said: I find this defense of ignorance about some 700 year old knowledge rather curious. One might think it was difficult like algebra that is required. It's not about defending ignorance. I'm not convinced that knowledge of accounting will make people smarter or more successful. Especially not when so many folks have succeeded and/or made fortunes without such knowledge.
umbrarchist Posted December 27, 2024 Report Posted December 27, 2024 9 minutes ago, ProfD said: It's not about defending ignorance. I'm not convinced that knowledge of accounting will make people smarter or more successful. Especially not when so many folks have succeeded and/or made fortunes without such knowledge. So what does 4 years of English literature in high school do for anybody. Drop a year or two of English Lit and replace it with accounting. Big Deal!
ProfD Posted December 27, 2024 Report Posted December 27, 2024 15 minutes ago, umbrarchist said: So what does 4 years of English literature in high school do for anybody. Drop a year or two of English Lit and replace it with accounting. Big Deal! Sure. Replacing English Lit with Accounting would be fine. Don't know that we would see results any differently from so many folks with advanced knowledge in math, science and accounting already. Americans are willing to *study* anything if the price is *right*.
umbrarchist Posted December 27, 2024 Report Posted December 27, 2024 10 hours ago, ProfD said: Don't know that we would see results any differently from so many folks with advanced knowledge in math, science and accounting already. I communicated with an accountant about that. He said that he did not mind as long as it was not done until after he retired in 6 years. I am not sure how long it has been. More than 3 years. But I do not doubt for a second that if it actually became an issue Professional Accountants would be up in arms against it. The complexity and difficulty for any business under a few million dollars is no big deal.
umbrarchist Posted January 1 Report Posted January 1 (edited) Is this accurate/relevant? https://radicalscholarship.com/2024/02/23/big-lies-of-education-reading-proficiency-and-naep/ Edited January 1 by umbrarchist Add pic
ProfD Posted January 1 Report Posted January 1 13 hours ago, umbrarchist said: Is this accurate/relevant? Irrelevant without context or solution. The majority of Americans are literate to the degree necessary to thrive and survive. Then, considering the POTUS-elect is by his own admission a non-reader, hopefully, his success and achievement will not inspire younger people to stop reading.
Troy Posted January 1 Author Report Posted January 1 Obviously, I believe reading is important -- and not just at the level to survive but to consume and interpret information. I agree with @ProfD @umbrarchist that unless you probe for additional information it is impossible to determine if the graphic you shared is relevant or accurate. I skimmed the linked article as well as the articles it referenced including the New York Times and eventually whet back to the NEAP website. The Radical Scholarship site seems to call into question the legitimacy of the NAEP's "Proficiency" designation. I did not take the time to probe more deeply to determine if I agree with the assessment -- in fact I may not know enough about the subject to form an meaningful opinion. The most relevant thing to me is how this relates to Black people. I pulled this chart from the NEAP website. which says that 83% of Black 4th graders are below proficient. Collectively everyone is down from 2019, which is understandable given the pandemic, but Black people as an ethnic group have the lowest scores. This is associated with poverty, resources, a movement away from the use of Phonics, and increased screen time.
mellypops Posted February 26 Report Posted February 26 On 1/1/2025 at 3:45 AM, umbrarchist said: Is this accurate/relevant? https://radicalscholarship.com/2024/02/23/big-lies-of-education-reading-proficiency-and-naep/ I totally relate to this issue. As a student, I see how difficult it can be to keep up with writing assignments, especially when it feels like the education system isn't providing the necessary support. I know many of us are struggling with these gaps in literacy, and it’s concerning that so many students are graduating without the skills they need. Personally, I’ve had to get help when writing my personal statements and essays, which is why I turn to Personal statement helper and I think it's important for us to find resources that can bridge these gaps. Thanks for sharing. There are some useful information
umbrarchist Posted February 26 Report Posted February 26 2 hours ago, mellypops said: Thanks for sharing. There are some useful information What I find peculiar in all this talk about reading is very little mention of finding out what individual kids might like to read, and the Information Density of the reading material. I accidentally started reading science fiction in 4th grade. I have since had people point out to me that it was written by White Men. But how many Black Americans want to do without technology and how much do Black Americans know about it. Now there is free stuff but I have had TEACHERS tell me that they never heard of Project Gutenberg. The Cosmic Computer https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/20727 Omnilingual by H Beam Piper https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/19445 Star Surgeon by Alan E Nourse https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/18492 Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/18137 The Servant Problem by Robert F. Young https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/23232 Black Man's Burden by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/32390 Border, Breed nor Birth by Mack Reynolds https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/30639 Deathworld by Harry Harrison https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/28346 The Status Civilization by Robert Sheckley https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/20919
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