Question of the day: How much do teachers affect a student's love for a subject?

Tonight I was talking to a student who said, "I hate xxxx class because the teacher is clearly here just for the paycheck."

I often wonder how much a teacher affects a student's attitude towards a subject.  I was bound for political science and/or economics when I came to Coe.  Unfortunately, the political science profs left a lot to be desired.  And I loved my econ classes.  What if the reverse had been true?  Would I have graduated a poli-sci major and not econ?  Wow, how different my life would be.

Who played who?

(This post is a follow-up on the New York Times article where Secretary of State Clinton assured President Obama that the UAE would commit its air force to the Libya no fly zone.)

As I wrote earlier, Hillary's assurances to Pres. Obama that UAE would send it's airplanes to Libya was the tipping point for the President.  Now the UAE is saying it won't send planes.

That leads to my questions of the day:  Did the UAE play Hillary and convince her they were going to send planes while they never had any intention of doing so?  Did the UAE do it because they knew that a war in Libya would distract the world from what is going on Bahrain?  Both are possible.  

But I wonder... Hillary was meeting with UAE foreign minister in Paris.  I wonder if she said something like this, "President Obama is reluctant. He might be persuaded if I could tell him that an Arab country would participate. He's a basketball fan.  If I can tell him that an Arab country has 'skin in the game' he might just go along."  

And with that Hillary received a wink, "Yes, Madam Secretary, we will support the no-fly zone."  

I'm not one for conspiracies but this sounds scarily plausible. 

Kidney beans in a green bean casserole?

I consider green bean casserole a staple of Thanksgiving - below turkey but above yams. The guest bringing green bean casserole brought 3 bean salad and, basically, 3 bean cooked casserole.

Do we do things so differently in Iowa? In Iowa, green bean casserole has, you know, green beans.

Byzantine

My friend Robby gave me the book Truman on audio before I left the US. Now that I finally have IPhone I was able to listen to while during commutes. There's one line I simply didn't understand. In the run-up to the 1944 Democratic convention there was a movement to dump Vice President (and Iowa boy) Henry Wallace. Of the names being considered Truman made it clear he didn't want the position and Roosevelt gave no indication where he was leaning... and kept putting off any comment.

Author David McCullough wrote that Roosevelt chose Truman in a "Byzantine manner." Huh?

The closest definition I could find is this:

"...characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, esp. for gaining political power or favor..."

That still doesn't really tell me what byzantine means. Is it good, bad, or just very political? Roosevelt was president so it wasn't him seeking power and McCullough argues that nobody wanted the Vice Presidency less than Truman. Please give me your interpretation.

Question of the day: DOA

Can Iowa can up with a better acronym for helping the elderly than DOA? In Iowa DOA stands for Department Of Aging. Department Of Elderly Affairs would be better. DOEA would be just a bit better than Dead On Arrival.

Ukraine - Day 7: Andrew

On the train trip from Lviv to Kiev we met Andrew. He's a lawyer who had a case the next day in Kiev. Ann and I joined him for breakfast. It was great to talk to a native Ukrainian with excellent English.

In reading up before the trip I learned that Ukraine is a somewhat divided nation with the east looking to Moscow and speaking Russian, while the western part of Ukraine speaks Ukrainian and looks to Europe. Andrew epitomizes the western Ukrainian perspective: Learning English from American TV shows and getting excited with his friends a decade ago when they learned McDonald's was coming to town.

There were many interesting things we learned but one has stuck with me: Children live at home until married... and sometimes even after marriage. Housing is so expensive that it is simply not reasonable to live together before marriage. He recounted a story of a couple that moved in together. They were together six months before their parents admitted to neighbors and relatives that they were not still living at home.

While I laughed that off and said, "That's not the way it is in the US..." I paused and thought, "But that's the way it used to be in the US."

Which leads me to the question of the day: When did it become a no-big-deal for a couple to move in together unmarried?

Question of the day

Why do streets in Iowa buckle under the heat?

Years ago I was driving east on Collins in the right lane in front of Applebee's when a spot in the left lane just ahead of me exploded. It scared the hell out of me.

The Gazette has had stories about asphalt roads in CR buckling under the heat.

I am now living in a city where the low temperature is 85. The highs are 110+. There are no signs of any road wear due to the heat.

Is the problem in Iowa that the 95 degrees days come after a winter where we hit 30 below? Is our asphalt and concrete different?

Question of the day

How much cologne must a student wear for his test to carry the scent ten hours later?

At least it was a good cologne. (No Stetson for the Emiraties!)

Back to grading...

Question of the day

If you use the word "skank" is it an adjective or a noun?

Which sentence is correct?
"He brought home a skank."
"He brought home a skank date."

Or should it be "skanky date"?

I'm so confused.

Bring back schoolhouse rock. I need another lesson.

Religion and pyramid marketing schemes

Raise your hand if you been suckered into going to a Quixtar meeting. If the name is not familiar to you the old name may be: Amway.

I have both hands up.

They spread the true believers around the room. I had the misfortune of sitting next to one. He'd clap and cheer. It had the feel of a religious ceremony and as it turns out, it basically is a religious ceremony. They don't tell you upfront that they are Bible beaters but once you get sucked in you learn all about it.

The idea is that rather than buying from Wal-mart you buy everything - from toilet paper to ketchup - from Quixtar. "You can shop in your underwear! And the best part is every month Quixtar sends you a check!"

Now, before you sign up there are a few problems. The toilet paper is like sand paper and the ketchup is worse than any generic you'll find. (That's from two people who broke away from the cult.)

You also don't save any money. As for the checks, you only get money if you can get others to sign up under you. Convince your friends that they should eat nasty ketchup. And here's the great kicker: If a friend or family member refuses to sign up you are told to break the connection. After all, they are slowing you down. A friend of mine lost his best friend to Quixtar. His best friend was the male slut of Coe and now he's married with children and carrying the Bible to Quixtar revival meetings.

Strange world.

Anyhow, I wrote all of this because yet another Bible beater is trying to recruit for a pyramid called 5linx. I've never heard of it.

My question of the day: Why does "multi-level marketing" and religion go together?

Question of the day

How are you supposed to react when a friend tells you he is spending the weekend with a married woman and is taking along two little blue pills to make it a great time?

He went on to say that he only needs a half to get the job done.

For a rare moment in my life I was at a loss for words.

Question of the day

What is the name for this decade?

It's 2009 and we still haven't named our decade. Will we have to wait for an oldies station to say, "Playing the greatest hits from the 80's, 90's and ________"?

Technically, I think, it the "oughts" but I haven't heard anyone refer to it that way.

Question of the day

Why do ethnic restaurants in America Iowa feel the need to westernize their food?

In response to an earlier question about Lebanese restaurants in Cedar Rapids, Peachie reports there is one but the food is bland and over priced. I would not call the Lebanese food here bland. While the average Iowan wouldn't have any idea what lebnah, moutabal, or babaganoush is, if the menu had descriptions and pictures I think there are plenty willing to take the plunge.

Twenty years ago I volunteered for Dukakis. His office was, appropriately, next to the Vernon Inn - Cedar Rapids' Greek restaurant. I ate at the Vernon Inn many times and liked the food. Then a Coe grad moved to Chicago and when I'd visit we'd go to the Greek area of Chicago. The food was very different. As I have returned to the Vernon Inn I realized that they simply toned down the Greek flavors.

Why, I ask you, WHY?

Question of the day - Mortgages

Will America view Obama's foreclosure plan as "rewarding those who acted irresponsibly" or a "necessary fix" to stop the bottom from falling out in house value?

I'll weigh in tomorrow.  For now I'm curious what you think.

Question of the day

Why is it the people who talk about being "caring" and "empathetic" are usually the least caring and empathetic?