Testing

Here's my letter to Honolulu Advertiser

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Apr/26/op/op10pletters.html

Tests are essential in evaluating students

This in response to Shelli Aiona's letter complaining about high-stakes tests. The letter claimed that testing doesn't truly indicate what the children learned.

That's like saying, "Big games don't truly indicate an athlete's skills." If an athlete doesn't prosper in high school games, chances are he or she won't prosper as a college athlete. If a student doesn't do well on algebra tests, chances are he or she won't do well in calculus.

If we don't have tests, how else are we going to know if the students are really learning?

Pablo Wegesend
Honolulu

The Irony of Free Speech

Andrew Walden on David Horowitz's speech at UH-Manoa

http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?084eaa86-eda8-473c-9dc2-d7c9ec98f6a1

Many of the same campus leftists who had so urgently proclaimed the importance of defending Churchill's right to call some of the 3,000 murdered on 9-11 "Little Eichmanns" came to the Horowitz' event armed with signs reading "No free speech for fascists."

Several attempted to shout down Horowitz' presentation, but were themselves shouted down by an audience determined to hear what Horowitz had to say without interruption.

[skip paragraphs]

In spite of this, Horowitz, described the event as "better than expected" and gave credit to those in the audience who stood up to the "politically correct" would-be censors.

Free speech for Al Quaida sympathizers (ie Ward Churchill) but not for U.S. military sympathizer (ie David Horowitz)?T

hat shows the true face of the Radical Left

Horowitz personal manners

On David Horowitz's visit to University of Hawaii-Manoa last Wednesday.

Even my conservative/libertarian friends said Horowitz needs better people skills. They commented that seasoned politicians are better at it.

1) When Horowitz entered the stage, he was offered a lei. He refused to wear it. In Hawaii, that is considered rude. I knew right then and there that Horowitz gave a bad 1st impression.

Horowitz later said wearing a lei while speaking would make him uncomfortable. He should see the amount of leis at Hawaii school graudations. The graduate gets so much leis from friends & family that it can literally cover his/her face.

And here's Mark Burch on the lei

http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/04/23/426a084ba3349

Horowitz really displayed his true nature when he first walked into the auditorium. One of his group of supporters walked up to him and attempted to give him a lei. Horowitz snubbed this woman and humiliated her in front of the whole audience. His total lack of aloha and sensitivity was a disgrace.

Though Mark Burch is far to the Left, I'd have to agree with him here. Horowitz made a bad 1st impression. People can see that action as a sign of rude-ness and prejudice.

This is why you gotta to be aware of cultural practices when you're in unfamiliar territory. This is especially true when you have very controversial opinions. Horowitz may have good points on academic freedom, but his 1st impression at the speech (not wearing the lei) distracts from any good points he might've raised. It gave others the impression that he was a bigot.

2) On the applauseI mentioned earlier that Horowitz said he didn't like his speech to be interrupted by applause.

That is so stupid.

In fact, applause can be useful to any speaker so that he/she knows what really resonates with the audience.

The speaker can look back and figure out 1) what to leave out in the next speech [stuff the audience ignored/didn't applaud/didn't understand,etc] and 2) what to say again to the next speech [what got the standing ovations]

Let's look at an example of Horowitz's hero President George W. Bush. When President Bush says something that gets a standing ovation, he pauses and admire the applause. Whatever got the loudest applause is what he'll say again in his next speech.

David Horowitz at UH

Last night, conservative activist (and former liberal activist) David Horowitz spoke at the University of Hawaii.

Though it was advertised on Ka Leo ads, the speech didn't get the publicity that Al Quaida sympathizer Ward Churchill got when he came here a few months ago.

At the auditorium, there was a lot of security. Several large guys were in front to protect Horowitz.

When he was being introduced, a woman offered a lei. He took it but didn't wear the lei. A very bad 1st impression. In Hawaii, when offered a lei, you wear it. The audience thought that was rude. In the Q&A session, Horowitz said he was surprised by the offer of a lei and didn't wear it because it would make him uncomfortable.

Horowitz barely begun talking when an old fool yelled "I dont have to listen this" and then left. What an idiot.

Horowitz went on to say that the Left was full of hate. He said that the leftists who refused to fight in Vietnam stayed in college and became tenured radicals who care more about indoctorination than education.

Horowitz mentioned the analogy that you dont go to the doctor to get political rants, and neither do you go to English class to get a political rant. I clapped at the statement (considering my run in with Dr Foltz) but then Horowitz suggest we not interrupt his speech with applause. What an ingrate.

Horowitz mentioned that the head of UH Political Science dept. had an anti-war poster, which Horowitz says intimidates students who might be pro-war.

Horowitz accused the Left of protecting Saddam Hussein (which provoked an audience member to mention that Donald Rumsfeld shook Saddam's hand in 1983), supporting Ayatollah Khomeni of Iran (who killed more people than the overthrown shah) and of ruining the education system of many inner cities.

Horowitz told the audience to be proud of the US, that it liberated Iraq & Afghanistan, and that it put non-whites in positions of power (ie Condi Rice)

After Horowitz's monologue, there was a Q&A session. I was going to ask Horowitz's opinion on the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. However, another person was called on earlier to ask the same question. Horowitz said he doesn't know much about the issue.

During the Q&A session, the hippie leftists were rude. They interrupted Horowitz and those asking questions. This one crazy old lady in the back kept ranting, prompting older conservative attendess to tell her to shut up.

This went on and on.This one old guy in the front was going to ask a question. He was supposed to be the last questioner of the night. Yet the same old lady from the back kept screaming. A security guard went to the old lady but the hippie leftists kept blocking the guard.

Horowitz said he was leaving and walked out. That was a bad move. He should've just let the old man in the front ask his question.

This is all I can remember about the speech for now.

If I have more on it, I'll add on to this post.

Other Horowitz's news:

Horowitz's article on a prof giving an F to a student calling Saddam Hussein a war criminal

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=17621

Other Campus Politics News

A pro-Israeli prof at DePaul University in Chicago got fired. Read more at

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43819

6 years ago in Columbine

6 years ago today in Columbine High School, 15 students were killed in a school shooting.

Here is an excerpt from my commentary from a year ago.

http://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2004_04_01_pablowegesend_archive.html

=============================================================

We all know that the 2 shooters were outcasts who wanted revenge! We still haven't found out whether the murdered victims were the actual bullies, or were they innocent bystanders. Or were the killers so consumed with hate of everything that they didn't give a shit who they killed! No media outlet has bothered to find out!

Of course, if your son or daughter was a victim, you wouldn't want the media to expose that your child was a bully, even if it was true! That's basic parental psychology we're talking about here! Which is probably why the media still haven't investigated if the victims were the actual bullies!

10 years ago in Oklahoma

10 years ago today, the federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed.

Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were found guilty. McVeigh was executed, Nichols is serving a life sentence.

Some say we need to racially profile Arabs to prevent terrorism. The Oklahoma City bombing is proof that Arabs aren't the only ones committing terrorism.

McVeigh is from Buffallo, NY. So what, do we have immigration restriction preventing people from moving state to state? If you answer no, should we have immigration restrictions preventing people to move from one nation to another?

Some blamed conservative talk radio for the Oklahoma City bombing. Nevermind that many of the rescue workers that day were also fans of conservative talk radio.

Around that time, then-President Bill Clinton said you cant love your country if you dont love it's government. I wonder if Clinton will say that to Democrats today.

Girls and $$$$

At Sacred Hearts Academy (the all-girls school in Honolulu), girls are learning money management or as one of the teachers call it - "economic self-defense"

http://starbulletin.com/2005/04/11/news/index1.html

Girls are vulnerable economically because they tend to earn less than their male counterparts, live longer and have lesser retirement plans

Let's not forget that girls really like to have a lot of expensive things like cosmetics, jewelry, flashy clothes, etc. Add it all up - it can lead girls to more economic vulnerability.

"We find that even today, two-thirds of girls in schools, when asked how they're going to support themselves economically, say, 'Well, I'm going to marry well,'" Godfrey said. "At the same time, what we're finding is young men are rebelling and beginning to ask, 'Why should I do that?' What we have emerging is a cultural gap."

And I am one of those young men rebelling against gold-diggers. I am rebelling against paying for everything for a girlfriend. Buying your girlfriend stuff is OK in moderation, but do it 2 much is a sign of weakness. Girls gotta pay their share too.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY - girls who when asked how they're going to support themselves economically, say, 'Well, I'm going to marry well - are putting themselves in A LOT OF DANGER!

Abusive males want their girlfriends 2 be financially dependent on them. How many times a woman is reluctant to leave her abusive lover becuase she is financially dependent on him. She has nowhere to go, she's literally a slave to her abusive boyfriend/husband.

That's why I think it's so silly for the Radical Right to demand that woman stay home and let the man work. That's a recipe for disaster and abuse. Abusive males wouldn't have it any other way!

The Pope

Pope John Paul II has passed away.

He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. He spoke up against communism and other forms of dictatorships. He was loved by millions.

Soon, the search is on for the next pope. I wouldn't be surprised if the next pope is from the Third World. That is where most of the growth of Catholic Church is right now. We might have the 1st non-European pope.

The best editorial on Teri Schiavo

Of all the editorials about the Teri Schiavo controversy, this New York Times editorial said it best.

It talks about the tragedy surrounding Teri Schiavo without attempting to score political points. It humanizes both sides of the debate.

(Because it's too long, I'll just leave you the link to the editorial)

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/01/opinion/01fri1.html?incamp=article_popular_2