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22

May

madlori: I bet you did. Did you estimate what mpg your car is getting?  Did you figure out how many hamburgers you could get for six bucks?  Did you think about how long it would take you to get somewhere given the speed and distance?  Did you plan a meal so all the components would be done at the same time?  Did you encounter anything on sale?  Did you figure out how many groceries you could get for how much money you had? There are about a million other daily, unconscious tasks that use algebra or at least algebraic thinking.  Just because you weren’t writing out an equation or employing variables doesn’t mean you weren’t using the skills that algebra and other math courses taught you. Science and math aren’t important because you’re going to need to know the exact steps of photosynthesis or the quadratic formula.  They’re important because they teach you scientific and mathematical literacy and rational thinking, and that is sorely needed in a world where charlatans and cheats or people with a political or religious agenda can get away with all manner of pseudoscience and bullshit because people don’t have enough scientific literacy or critical thinking skills to accurately weigh the arguments or even discern where they fail logically. So study math and science, and art, and literature, and history, and politics, not because you’re going to need it or it’s going to do something specific for you, but because an uninformed populace is bad for the world.

madlori:

I bet you did.

Did you estimate what mpg your car is getting?  Did you figure out how many hamburgers you could get for six bucks?  Did you think about how long it would take you to get somewhere given the speed and distance?  Did you plan a meal so all the components would be done at the same time?  Did you encounter anything on sale?  Did you figure out how many groceries you could get for how much money you had?

There are about a million other daily, unconscious tasks that use algebra or at least algebraic thinking.  Just because you weren’t writing out an equation or employing variables doesn’t mean you weren’t using the skills that algebra and other math courses taught you.

Science and math aren’t important because you’re going to need to know the exact steps of photosynthesis or the quadratic formula.  They’re important because they teach you scientific and mathematical literacy and rational thinking, and that is sorely needed in a world where charlatans and cheats or people with a political or religious agenda can get away with all manner of pseudoscience and bullshit because people don’t have enough scientific literacy or critical thinking skills to accurately weigh the arguments or even discern where they fail logically.

So study math and science, and art, and literature, and history, and politics, not because you’re going to need it or it’s going to do something specific for you, but because an uninformed populace is bad for the world.

(Source: n3on-nov3mb3rs)

7 hours ago Short URL 7,690 notes

madlori via madlori

Things I love/

David Foster Wallace

tetw:

The Complete (Online) Essays

image

The ultimate David Foster Wallace nonfiction collection, including links to every essay available online.

7 hours ago Short URL 119 notes

tetw via tetw

always reblog/

20

May

1 day ago Short URL 89 notes

i-have-beards via i-have-beards

edwardspoonhands: my-mixed-up-blog: guys there are 108.4 million blogs. 1.1 Billion dollars. Each blog is $10.15. We are not that cheap! I mean look at all this fabulous! I mean the really amazing thing is…that means…if we all paid $10 per blog…/we/ could own Tumblr.  I have $10.

edwardspoonhands:

my-mixed-up-blog:

guys there are 108.4 million blogs. 1.1 Billion dollars. Each blog is $10.15.

We are not that cheap! I mean look at all this fabulous!

I mean the really amazing thing is…that means…if we all paid $10 per blog…/we/ could own Tumblr. 

I have $10.

1 day ago Short URL 3,513 notes

edwardspoonhands via edwardspoonhands

Ten years ago today, I went to a Jason Mraz concert where I probably chain smoked and drank a lot of beer, and then I came home to watch the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I had recorded on VHS, and which I watched alone, my only company the sound of my sobs. 

2 days ago Short URL 7 notes

oldness/where were you/rip anya/

19

May

I think the big mistake in schools is trying to teach children anything, and by using fear as the basic motivation. Fear of getting failing grades, fear of not staying with your class, etc. Interest can produce learning on a scale compared to fear as a nuclear explosion to a firecracker.
Stanley Kubrick (via uni-tea)

PRITCH

(Source: quotes-shape-us)

2 days ago Short URL 1,931 notes

takenbythesky via takenbythesky

18

May

1. There will be several days that you daydream about stepping in front of a city bus. Don’t. It will not be beautiful. It will not be brave. It will be selfish. It will be broken. Your mother will cry.

2. Don’t write for him. Write for you. Write for others like you. Write so the girl that thinks about stepping in front of public transportation doesn’t. Don’t be selfish.

3. When you will yourself to sleep and it doesn’t come- get up. It doesn’t matter that it’s 3 am. There will be other 3 am’s. Take a shower. Take two. Wash him out of your hair. Write a poem. Read the same book you’ve read 202 times again. The 203rd time might tell you something different. Don’t stay in bed- you will think about the bus again.

4. Don’t kiss him because he’s broken. Don’t kiss him because his laughter never reaches his eyes. Don’t try and fix him. Fix yourself first. Be selfish. He can’t save you.

5. Date yourself. Take yourself out to eat. Don’t share your popcorn at the movies with anyone. Stroll around an art museum alone. Fall in love with canvases. Fall in love with yourself.

6. Dress up and wear red lipstick and get drunk with your friends. They’re the ones that will pick you up. Don’t kiss him. Or him. Don’t fall asleep on strange couches with strange boys. When his hand slides up your dress walk away. Hit him. Don’t kiss him. He can’t save you.

7. Get another tattoo. Get five more. Get another hole in your ear. Don’t listen to your dad. You will still be able to get a job. Did you really want to be employed by someone like your father? Haven’t you had enough of judgmental old white men anyway? Get fuck you tattooed in tiny letters on your hip.

8. When you feel the yearning for a new city- start over. Take 200 bucks and a three suitcases. Work anywhere that will have you. Meet strange people and forget your name. Call yourself Ruby. No one will know the difference. Remember to call your mother. Don’t be selfish. Come home when you find yourself in the strangers and the small one bedroom apartment.

9. Don’t whisper evil things into your own ear. Other people are going to shout them at you. Be your own hero. Keep a sword on your key ring.

10. Don’t step in front of a city bus. It will not be beautiful. Live. Stay up all night with a boy that promises you everything and means it. Live. See shitty local bands with a friend. Wear a different band’s t-shirt. No one will care. Live. Have a baby girl with tiny fingers and tiny toes someday. Pour love into her until it’s overflowing. Live. Wake up. Staying in bed all day is not poetic.

Live. Live.

Live.

Do you hear that? It’s me. It’s your life. Wake up.

This is possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read.  (via theglasschild)

4 days ago Short URL 76,177 notes

theglasschild via theglasschild

For nine years, my love for Grey’s Anatomy has survived on the strength of the awesomeness of of Alex Karev. I love him. So hard.

4 days ago Short URL 6 notes

bad boys/i have a type/

17

May

fishingboatproceeds:

Butler has uploaded a video of my commencement address to the class of 2013, which one can’t help but notice…is longer than the 12 minutes I so confidently promised. I sort of quit working the last month and did nothing but write this speech, and I couldn’t even get the time right. (I guess I read a lot faster alone in my basement.)

SORRY!

I’d like to thank everyone who’s shared the speech, especially the Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, Galleycat, and Entertainment Weekly. 

If you’d prefer to read the speech, you can do so here.

5 days ago Short URL 5,002 notes

fishingboatproceeds via fishingboatproceeds

15

May

A Summer at Hogwarts

So, as I’ve complained about it a couple of times, I’ll say again, we have a full summer program at my school so I will be working, and the thought of that is pretty exhausting.

However.

This is the first time since I started working in education ten years ago that I have not been in a panic about what Im going to do about money in the summer. Because I will be working. A lot. At a job that I love. So I’m done complaining.

So I’m plotting ways to make the summer awesome, and today, I got into a very serious discussion with one of my students about the virtues of Snape and the demonizing of all Slytherins and whether or not we should consider things like resourcefulness, ambition, leadership qualities, and cunning as BAD. (They aren’t, but he disagrees.)

I think it would be so fun if we did a Harry Potter book club this summer. And sort the students into houses! And have games! And Harry Potter labs in the science classes. (These are the things I do and think about when I should be doing grades and things. :/

6 days ago Short URL 48 notes

Education/