Graham Glass, etc.

TeaParty 07: Patriots Unite!

The Ron Paul Tea Party has just begun and it has already raised about $1m. I'm going to donate several times over the next 24 hours to help the campaign break the existing records. Vive la Constitution!

Berkeley Day Trip

I enjoy taking little mid-week jaunts and today I spent a lovely afternoon in Berkeley. Here are some photos taken with my iPhone:

Waterfall in the Botanical Gardens

The University Clock Tower

Standing by some Saliva DNA at the Science Hall

Unfortunately I didn't notice that the street I parked on was a tow-zone between 4 and 6 pm and my car was towed before I was able to get back to it. Oops!

My new Desktop Background

My latest screen saver is a high-resolution picture of the Rosetta dust lanes. The image and colors are just stunning, proving once again that reality is wonderful.

In Memory of John Lennon

Today is the anniversary of John Lennon's death. He was an incredibly talented person who tried hard to make the world a better place.

His lyrics for Imagine are inspiring:

White Xmas Tree

I just put up a white Xmas tree and kept it minimal; just some colored lights and a few decorations:

Brainstorming Curricula, Part 3

Here's the next set of topics in my curriculum brainstorming session:

• Introduction to Psychology: learn the basics of how a mind works
• Learning: various ways to improve the way you learn
• Teaching: learn how to teach
• Programming: write some simple programs and make a computer do your bidding!
• Weapons: learn how to use some common weapons, including a handgun
• Careers: a survey of various careers and how to plan for them
• Gardening: grow some food and then eat it
• Diplomacy: learn how to achieve your goals through peaceful persuasion
• Mechanics: learn how everyday mechanical things work, including bicycles and cars
• Dance: try a few different kinds of dance
• Journalism: learn how to interview people and write about an event
• Charity: try different ways to help other people
• Collaboration: learn techniques for collaborating with other people
• Creative writing: use your imagination and write something original
• Food: learn about different kinds of foods, their pros and cons, and where they come from. include information about how animals are killed and processed
• Fashion: experiment with different styles and play with various clothes/makeup

I think the list of core topics is getting pretty close to complete now; the next part of this series will include just a few more stragglers.

Ron Paul Blimp

If you want to give the Ron Paul campaign an additional boost, please consider contributing to the Ron Paul Blimp. It's a grassroots effort to rent a Blimp that would fly Ron Paul's name over high-profile events during his campaign. You can bet it would try a lot of media attention. It has already raised over $135K and needs just another $75K to get the Blimp in the air!

Who is Ron Paul? He's the only presidential candidate who believes in the US Constitution as it was originally conceived. He wants to end the war in Iraq, protect personal liberty, lower taxes, and greatly reduce the size and scope of the federal government.

Update: 12/08/07: It's already raised $200K now, so it will be at the Tea Party!

Im in yur yard huntin u down

With thanks to Dark Roasted Blend and apologies to ICanHasCheezburger:

Brainstorming Curricula, Part 2

Here's a list of some of the things that I think should be in a curriculum. I came up with it over lunch today, so it's by no means complete:

• Money: learn how to save, invest, avoid too much credit or debt.
• Happiness: learn what kinds of things typically make people happy and which don't.
• Basic Math: adding, subtraction, multiplication, division
• Reading and Writing: the basics
• Critical Thinking: learn how to separate fact from fiction, design experiments to validate theories, debate topics with others, and understand the difference between correlation and causation
• Games: learn how to play several different kinds of games, including video games, board games and card games. learn useful strategies and challenge other teams around the world
• Sports: learn several different sports including football, tennis, and basketball
• Religion: learn about world belief systems, including atheism. understand their main tenets, their history and their geographic distribution
• Personal Relations: discussion of family relationships, friendships, dating, etc.
• Sex and Love: learn about different kinds of contraceptives, abortion, the consequences of having a child, ways to communicate about sex, how to avoid being pressured, etc.
• Your Body: learn how your body works and how to take care of it, with emphasis on exercise, portion size, daily intake, healthy foods, common ailments
• Self-Defense: learn various techniques for protecting yourself, including martial arts, the use of diplomacy, and simply running away
• Introduction to Technology: an overview of technology past, present and future
• Arts and Crafts: try some arts and crafts such as woodwork, painting, and jewelry making
• Introduction to Science: an overview of science past, present and future plus a discussion of how science works and what scientists do
• Altered States: discussion of altered states of mind induced by meditation, high altitudes, prescription drugs, alcohol and recreational drugs. addiction and treatment. relative risks.
• Politics: an introduction to various political systems, past, present and future. includes a discussion of communism, democracy, federalism and libertarianism
• Music: try several types of instrument, learn to play a simple melody on one and then play a piece together in a small group
• The Universe: a brief overview of the Universe
• History of Earth: an overview of the history of Earth from when it was formed until today. includes topic like continental drift, mass extinctions, and geologic eras
• History of Mankind: a brief overview of the history of Mankind, from nomads to tribes to big cities. includes topics like the formation of countries, wars, inventions
• Trekking: get outdoors and walk through a forest or through the hills, learn orienteering skills including how to use a compass and navigate using landmarks
• Introduction to Foreign Languages: learn a few phrases in several different languages and have a simple conversation with foreign students around the world
• Media: how to create and combine various media types, including audio, photography and video
• Introduction to Computers: learn how to use a keyboard and a few key computer applications, including a browser, an instant messenger, a word processor and a spreadsheet

My guiding philosophy is:

• They should all be taught with an emphasis of actually putting things into practice. In other words, they should all be oriented around hands-on activities.
• Most introduce the student quickly to the big-picture in a particular area. That way, the student can get a feel for what within the big picture takes their fancy. In addition, my own experience is that big-picture presentations can be fascinating and entertaining when done right.
• Many of the subjects are just plain useful in everyday situations.
• I think that learning games, sports and other kinds of playful activities have a large educational benefit. For example, they encourage students to think about strategies, how to form effective teams, and how to think quickly. They're also a lot of fun!
• Rather than avoid or skirt around talking about subjects like drugs and sex, I think it's better to discuss them in an open, calm and considered manner. Fear, ignorance, or bad information about these areas doesn't do anyone any good.
• Remain neutral with regards to any particular ideology.

I look forward to any feedback on the items in this list plus hope to add some more items over the next few weeks. I already have 16 more items on the list - see if you can guess any of them!

Life in the Bay Area

It's a beautiful place to live, even on the gray days....