Random Stuff

Since I'm tired of banging my head against a wall trying to determine why I can't get this budget to work (we have a fiscal year, a grant year, and academic year timing that require me to shift information all over the bloody place), I've thought I'd take a break to post.

I was going to take a break to attend my daughters field trip to see the snow statues on campus, but it's waaaaayyyyy too windy, so they cancelled.

But, I truly have nothing to say.

I could speculate why people rarely comment on my blog thereby feeding me with interesting things to comment about - but that would just come off as whining.

The other week, I ended up watching the 9/11 West Wing episode. I really wish I'd been watching the series all those years ago. I was so impressed with how the worked this. I know that I will be showing this in my class next semester.

If you haven't seen it, it has two basic story lines. One is the questioning of a White House employee who is suspected of being a terrorist based on his name alone and that it matched an alias for someone suspected of being a terrorist. The second story line is a group of students who get locked in the White House when the building is locked down while they question the employee. They start asking questions about terrorism.

My student tend to look at things very black and white. They tend to trust what they are told without question. They feel strongly that photo identifications make a our airlines safer. They don't understand that part of the reason it was so easy for the terrorist to take the planes on 9/11 was because the Standard Operating Procedure for the pilots was to hand over the plane because prior to then, any hijacking of a plane was to fly it to a country and not into a building.

It's a fun age to teach - I enjoy helping them expand their opinions. But, as many are very conservative and truly believe that Bush is going to stop terrorism by invading Iraq, I'm a bit more jaded and liberal and worry that we have entered a civil war that we really entered without understanding the history of the people.

So, for me to present information, I work hard at making sure I present a balanced opinion - that I have read the opposing viewpoints and help them to also.

Next semester promises to be fun with all the new ideas I have. Just a lot more work! I guess I did have something to say. Thanks for sticking with me. Opinions are always welcome. Especially ones I don't always agree with as I need to understand more.