Attorney generals trying to shut down usenet?

So do animals. When our Rottie was young and a digger/chewer he sometimes had that "Oh s..t!" expression in his eyes when we came home. That plus a tucked tail and you could almost bet you'd find some chewed up piece somewhere.

I guess they'd have to go parallel. ;)

--James

I favor a hybrid approach.

If you already know at least one language you can bootstrap 1000% faster by learning some basic words / symbols / ideas in the new one first, then immersing.

OTOH if you just listen to Chinese broadcasts on the shortwave you'll never learn a darn thing.

Or if you just up and go to Chile, you'll find sentences thunder so quickly by you'll be left dumbstuck at the crossing gawking at the caboose, wondering where all the cars went.

As opposed to Thailand, where with a book's handy jumpstart I could shop within the week, or Italy, where I could make sailors blanch & won the love of a marriageable lass in two.

Study briefly, then immerse. Just being able to delineate the words is a big head start. And, optionally, study some more. Repeat.

Works for me, anyhow.

Sure, kids learn from zero. But it takes them years of someone patiently teaching one-to-one, all day, every day.

Reading's a little different: the kid already knows how to speak the language. One natural step then, is to learn to connect the letters (which are new) with sounds he already knows.

We first learned the components, right? What they did & how to draw them.

And before that, what electricity was, and things it could do (like flow, heat, magnetize, spark, BURN !).

I go at it from both ends. I figure out what I want to do, consider the tools, parts, and techniques available, figure out how it's to be done, identify trouble spots, then forge ahead.

Cheers, James Arthur

You'll have to live there to really learn it. A Chinese girlfriend will help, too, but not for me. I am married ...

It was the same for me in the Netherlands. Had to repeatedly tell people to slow it down some which they gladly did. They weren't used to foreigners wanting to learn the language of such a tiny country.

So did you marry her?

That's the thing, everyone has a different concept. That is why home schooling can be really good.

I've met quite a few orphans who had to grow up without such individual attention and they are all fluent, some in several languages.

Not me. First project: Got grandma's radio, dead. Wrote to the manufacturer and lo and behold they really did send me the schematic. Sat in front of the radio and schematic and began to disect it. Now how does this work? Then I built a signal injector and had at it. Many days later I figured out that the plate transformer for the EL84 final stage tube had croaked. Scrapped one out of an old TV set, roached it in there, somehow, and proudly presented the now working radio to my grandparents. They had already bought a new transistorized set :-(

Sure, it took a long time but I understood the concept of a radio. And that set is still here with us and works, more than 30 years later. Except that the longwave band won't work because that isn't used here in the US.

Yep. I still remember that huge crack in a dresser door that was the result of me being flung against it with full force after discovering that capacitors really do hold energy.

True. Sometimes I study the datasheet of a new part and then sit down and ponder where it might find a profitable use. The first time I did that was when dual-gate FETs came out.

He's talking about a quality-assurance testing program passed under Mr. Bush "No Child Left Behind," NCLB.

Kids are basically sample-tested to make sure they're learning.

Teachers blame NCLB for wrecking the schools. Everything was fine before, you see, so if results are rock-bottom abysmal it can't be their fault...must be the tests. Those slips of paper with the five fill-in bubbles per question, erasing young minds.

So many are gaming the system, teaching nothing BUT the tests. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if they got and shared advance copies.

As above, it's supposed to be a Q.A. sample, and for a very worthy, important goal.

Should we ship electronics unpopulated save for the portions we know Q.A. checks?

a) We expect better from teachers, b) the existence of the test in no way compels or requires cheating. They're simple, basic competence tests. Kids should learn that material normally as part of any competent instruction.

Results are compared between schools. If the tests are flawed, the comparisons make them fair.

c) careers aren't ruined over the results--teachers can't be fired.

No, that's not it. No big incentives, nor can teachers ever really be penalized for poor performance.[1] It's an attempt to assess, then improve schools.

Cheers, James Arthur

BTW, the plural of Attorney General is Attorneys General, not Attorney Generals.

Arizona's "educators" utilize a test they themselves made up...

...Jim Thompson

It wouldn't surprise me a bit to find out you don't know what you are talking about.

QA sample? Where did you get that nonsense? Every student is tested.

OK, I'm convinced. You don't know what you are talking about.

I'm quite sure he doesn't.

Over a few years I just saw him go through exactly the same process I did as a kid learning to read. Not surprising since, in fact, umm, we taught him.

Except I was four, and he's in college.

Wasn't much of a problem before since high school didn't require much reading.

He's up to snuff now.

Cheers, James Arthur

Nah. Youth is wasted on the young, isn't it?

Cheers, James Arthur

As was pointed out by me, 5 days ago...

Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design Subject: Re: Attorney generals trying to shut down usenet? Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:25:25 -0700 Message-ID:

;-)

...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at

"Joel Koltner" wrote in news:qsR6k.191099$ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-03.dc.easynews.com:

Enterprise *auto rental* only hires people who have college degrees. Ridiculous.

James Arthur wrote in news:kMR6k.29$cv5.22@trnddc01:

One "forages" for necessities like food,water,and clothing,but taking TVs and other unnecessary valuables is plain looting. Shoot them on sight.

Well then, set me right.

Are teachers not complaining? I've heard them doing it.

Are teachers not teaching to the tests? I've seen any number on PBS saying they were.

The tests sample the students' knowledge.

Okay, I've gleaned the above from PBS coverage and test-taking kids, not first-hand. By all means, enlighten me.

Best, James Arthur

I consider their service one of the best. I very much appreciate the personalized treatment.

...Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

which has nothing to do with degree of education.

I use them myself.(they are the only one close to my home.)

Exactly. Please, please look at the reading section of this HIGH SCHOOL final test, then explain to me again how it's burdensome, how its impossible standards & crushing expectations are ruining our schools requiring radical changes in instruction, etc.:

1. In paragraph 1, what does the word impoverished mean? A Illiterate B sick C poor D disabled

"Dear Mr. Whitman: I am writing to thank you for allowing Maria..."

1. What is the purpose of this letter? A to request information B to express appreciation C to offer assistance D to clarify objectives

It's perfectly basic, reasonable, ordinary stuff. Cry me a river.

Thanks Jim.

Cheers, James Arthur

Thanks Joseph. I know the graduation rates are controversial. Which is amazing.

They don't even know how many students graduate.

James Arthur