I Speak of Dreams

Political News

Neither of my guys won, both in close races. The presidential race has been conceded, but the numbers aren't in.

Femling got 1.2 votes for every vote for Gunter.

The Blaine County Republican:Democrat ratio was Bush got .67 votes for every vote for Kerry; the Idaho ratio was Bush got 2.25 votes for every vote for Kerry. My, my my.

So the sheriff's race didn't follow the national election at all--Bush (the Republican) was soundly voted out of office in Blaine County, anyway, but Femling (the Republican) was narrowly returned.

Well, keeping the pressure on the Sheriff's office for the issues identified in the campaign is the wave of the future in Blaine county.

Vision Therapy: Disproven Bunk in New Package; Credulous Reporting No Help

When you have a child who seems to be of normal intelligence, and has normal vision and hearing--when they don't do well in school, when the child is unhappy--I know first hand the confusion and despair that can arise in trying to get the kid's achievement in line with her abilities.

There are a plethora of useless and expensive therapies, most of them purporting to be "new" "revolutionary" or  "new to science".   It's a lot easier to find unproven treatments than things that

Parents Establishing Foundations In Memory of Dead Children

At the University of Colorado, all incoming freshmen have to take an alcohol awareness course. Gordie Bailey not only took it, he passed it with a 96% score. Not long after that, he drank himself to death.

At Colorado State University, an alcohol task force was formed in response to Samantha Spady's death. Lt. Governor Jane Norton heads the panel. A few blocks away from where her task force was meeting, a bar was having its weekly promotion: four drinks for the price of one.

Taylor Webster memorial foundation. Taylor died of alcohol poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working to get the message out, telling their stories and providing information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.

Bradley McCue's memorial foundation. On November 5, 1998 Bradley turned 21. turned 21. He celebrated his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died that night of alcohol poisoning.

Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy." The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.

Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation. (1) to educate the public about alcohol poisoning; (2) to identify steps parents and students can take to
prevent such tragedies; (3) eradicate fraternity hazing in any form.

(StopHazing wasn't enough)

Community Colleges

Community Colleges Pushing New Envelopes.

Today they educate 65 percent of the country's allied-health workers, many of them registered nurses, and 80 percent of firefighters and other "first responders."

Their all-God's-children philosophy may well merit the moniker they give themselves, "democracy's colleges," but their lack of selectivity puts them at the bottom of academe's hierarchy.

Today community colleges are seeing enrollment explosions they can barely contain, fueled largely by high-school graduates who can't get into four-year institutions.

Everything Bad is Good For You

Steven Berlin Johnson is making the argument that : Everything Bad Is Good For You:Why Today's Pop Culture Is Making Our Kids Smarter.

It will be a book (advance orders here)--the thesis is that

Gibson on Branding

I think OBL needed a logo moment, though, in terms of the ongoing validity of his global brand, and look what he's been able to pull off, with virtually no outlay: The world's full attention, as both candidates drop everything to respond.

You know who would've completely gotten OBL? Andy Warhol.

(via BoingBoing)

Fearsome Bodice-Ripping Writers

Hullabalooreprints segments of an interview with a published romance writer--yes, those bodice rippers--who was suspected by John Ashcroft's minions of some kind of terrorist activity--had her house raided and her writing in materials confiscated.

Hullaballo says:
It is the lack of common sense that has me so scared for this country --- this underreaction to real threats and the overreaction to non-threats.
Necessary Dissent has the whole interview. ...

Did this happen? I am not 100% convinced, but it could have happend.

Optometry for Learning Disabilities

If your child is having trouble in school, should you first look at his or her eyes?  The answer is yes and no.  The yes part is:  every child should have a thorough vision evaluation--my preference is as part of a whole, well-child workup in a pediatrician or physician's office.  More than just the kind of test you have to pass at the DMV is in order--remember, classroom work involves switching from the page up to the blackboard and back--near and far-term switching, and other visual skills.

The no part is that there is little evidence that  "developmental optometry" or "behavioral optometry" or "vision therapy"  has any long-term beneficial effect on a child's learning disabilities.  While the optometrists' official position is that Vision therapy does not directly treat learning disabilities or dyslexia., the statement then goes on to carve out a place for optometry in the burgeoning, and lucrative, field of learning disabilities.

Forced Rehab Fails

Goodlooking? Check. Good income? Check. Good character?....uhh, no.

Autumn Leaves: November Blog Roundup

Autumn Leaves is a group of blogs written by (and often about) growing older....over 50 or so. I try to do a round-up every fortnight or so.

Well, I try, but the last one was the first week in October. I won't have time again for a while, so...