I started writing this post almost two months ago, but for some reason, I never got around to posting it until today. The title of this post is part of the title of a book I was then reading. The rest of the title is, How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism.
The authors, Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein provide a detailed account of where this uber-polarization got started and why we are where we are today. They squarely put the blame on the Republicans. What makes the book so powerful is that Ornstein and Mann are two of the top congressional scholars and have made their name by being scrupulously nonpartisan.
Much of what I read, I already knew in general terms, but it's the specifics and the behind the scenes maneuvers that are on one hand interesting and ingenious, but on the other hand depressing, disgusting, and down right alarming.
According the book, it basically started with Newt Gingrich and the Gang of Seven. Newt came up with the idea that the only way Republicans were going to get back into control was to get the general public so disgusted with Congress that they threw out the party in power.
The idea of throwing the American under the bus by ignoring what is best for the country and blocking every move the Democrats made was his brain child. I hadn't realized it started back in the early 90's, but that maneuver was hardly enough. The book goes on to detail Newts exploits, some of which backfired, the actions of those who followed, and what the Democrats did to make things worse. I urge you to read the book for yourself, but I'll offer you one example of interesting and and alarming action.
Not too many people watch CSPAN. If you do watch as the camera pans around the room, you'll notice that just about all of the evening speeches are delivered to an empty room. That's because they are usually mundane and unimportant, given solely for the purpose of getting entered in to the congressional record.
However, the camera work wasn't always thus, and it was this fact that allowed Newt to come up with an ingenious strategy.
When CSPAN first started, in order to prevent political advantages, the rules stated that the camera had to be fixed on the speaker and not pan through the audience.
It occurred to Newt that this safeguard could be turned on its ear. He realized that the American public had no idea the speakers were addressing an empty room and he, along with his colleagues, began giving speeches that attacked the Democrats on all fronts.
Of course CSPAN was not watched by millions of viewers, but those who turned in saw Republicans accusing Democrats of all kinds of improper behavior and callous actions. They waited for some sort of reaction from the Democrats in the room, but had no idea that the room was empty. Not hearing any reaction or rebuttal, people came to their own conclusions about the charges being made.
This went on for months until a good deal of damage was done. By the time the rule was changed to pan the camera around the room, so that viewers could see they were speaking to empty chairs, a great deal of damage was done by the unfounded and unanswered attacks.
This is indicative of many of the actions taken by the Republicans to thwart and forward progress by the administration. Remember, these authors built their reputation as being non-partisan. Read the book and make up your own mind.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Online Communications and Asbestos Suits
While there is a great range in the way the technology delivers the communications, there is one constant, namely the human one. When people first get online, they don't understand that online communication is different from face to face. The impact of the written word doesn't always convey the sentiment or intent of the words. Thus, the internet has its own set of standards know as Netiquette . Each mailing list, discussion forum, or online community has its own special set of rules that fall under the Netiquette umbrella.
The lack of understanding of newbies can lead to all kinds of problems. My view of netiquette is a little like my view of etiquette. I really don't care if you use your salad fork for the main course of if you sit with your elbows on the table. I overlook the little things. On the other hand, I don't want to see you lick soup out of the bowl or pick your nose at the dinner table.
I wager that everyone reading this has, at one time or another seen or been involved in a Flame War. Flame wars can destroy a group or make them stronger, depending on how they are resolved. As I said, I was online in 1980. Getting online then meant you had to be a geek. When you came online you were known as a newbie. It was, and still is wise for a newbie to lurk before posting.
Unfortunately, some people just don't get it. Flame wars broke out shortly after the first modem went online. Sometimes is was because some people don't care, sometimes it was the result of a newbie mistake mistake such as breaching a serious point of netiquette or posting a private message to a public forum. Then again, some people are natural born trolls and love the flames. They are like Internet pyromaniacs.
As an online administrator, I've witnessed 100's flame wars and mediated more than my share. In the early 90's CompuServe and AOL, both closed communities, opened the Internet flood gates by giving thousands of netiquette ignorant newbies access to the Internet. It was the electronic version of Smokey the Bear's worst nightmare. Everywhere you turned another conversation thread would burst into flames.
That same year, I began doing volunteer work for WiredSafety.org and began actively trying to educate others about netiquette and online safety. I was also the leader of a group of folks who created the first Internet online tutorial specifically aimed at teachers and students. While it is considerably, because technology has changed so dramatically, except for one broken link that can be replaced by this one, the section on netiquette remains viable, because it deals with the way people should conduct themselves online.
1) Once you post something, you lose control of it. Whether it is a comment or a picture, anyone receiving it can grab it and do with it as they please
2) Think before you click. If you send a rant about the boss to a co-worker, make sure it is going to your co-worker, not the company mailing list.
3) Never post ANYTHING online that you don't want to read in the New York Times on Monday morning.
That doesn't mean you can't express your opinions about your boss strongly. You can still do so effectively. You might tell you friend your boss is inconsiderate and ill informed rather than calling him a %$%&# idiot. That way, if your private email does make it's way to the boss, instead of getting fired on the spot it might lead to a rational conversation between you and your boss. Or not...
What Percentage of Our Citizens are Subject to British Law
Before, during and since the election, I made a concerted effort to watch videos and read articles from the extreme left all the way to the extreme right. To be clear, my general views are a little left of center. I've heard some very well thought out arguments from the right, but I've also heard some of the most vitriol hate and just plain lunacy coming from that same general direction.
I will listen and discuss issues with ANYONE who takes a rational, reasoned approach to an issue, but there are times when I just have to shake my head in disbelief. I found myself doing that repeatedly in the last few days.
Thirty-eight Republican Congressmen voted to NOT ratify a UN treaty that suggests, without any enforcement provisions, that other countries treat their handicapped the way they are already treated here. Among the cockamamie reason they give is because they are worried they think it will give the UN the power to dictate what is best for our handicapped children.
At first I couldn't believe that they could walk past Bob Dole and ignore the members of their own party who support it, but then I began to understand. What led me to this understanding? Well, first Mitch McConnell filibusters his own rule. In making senate history, by being the first person to ever filibuster his own bill, he used the lamest excuse I have ever seen and I won't even dignify it with details or discussion.
My second reason is a video made by Gabe Zolna of the Western Center for Journalism, one of the right wing publications to which I subscribe to get a better understanding of how people with differing opinions think. As distasteful as it is for me to drive traffic to his video and make money for him, I'll do it for the greater good.
Call me crazy, but I thought we fought the revolutionary war, at least in part, because England considered us their subjects. I think we corrected that misconception. Now you are saying that children born of a father who was born in a country whose population are English subjects, is also an English subject simply because England said so?. So you are saying Obama is an English subject and subject to English law. Wow, I guess we can get rid of an entire generation of people who were born in America, but by your definition, are subject to the laws of another country.
Now I understand how 38 Congressmen felt that a UN Handicap Rights Treaty, that has no enforcement provision, and only suggests the world's handicapped be treated as the are in the US, are worried. Heck with that kind of reasoning, a significant part of the population is subject to the laws of the country of their father's birth.
Now I understand why Mitch McConnell filibusters his own bill. It has nothing to do with the oath of office and EVERYTHING to do with re-election. Are NOT serving their country. They are serving themselves and their party, the public be damned!
True, Congress is not doing their job. They need to start serving their country and doing what is best for the country, not what is best for their re-election or their party. It's "Of the people, by the people, and for the people", not "Of the party, by the party, and for the party"!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Watch Me Get Wired
Fifteen years ago, I had a sleep study done to determine if I had apnea. At that time is was borderline and no action was taken. Over the years, things have not gotten better. I wake each morning feeling more tired than when I went to bed the night before. As a result, my doctor sent me to the Eliot Sleep Evaluation Center, but it wasn't at Elliot hospital. In an effort to make things more comfortable, the sleep center occupies an entire wing of the Hilton Homewood Suites in Manchester.
I arrived about 7:30 and checked out my room. It wasn't five stars, but it was infinitely better than the hospital sleep lab where I had my original test. After settling in, my tech came in, introduced herself, and gave me the run down for the night.
She was very thorough and friendly. She asked what time I went to sleep, and since I usually go to sleep about 11:30, I would be the last one to get wired for the night.
At about 9:30 she came back in and told me I would be getting wired at about 10:30. Shortly after that, I got into my pajamas, hopped into bed, and turned on the Patriots game.
At about 10:45, the techs arrived to wire me up. The process took about 15 minutes, which are condensed in the video below.
After getting wired, they connected me to the equipment, and I settled in to watch the rest of the game. The Pats blew it and it was lights out. Normally, I sleep on my side. Sleeping on my back without wires, presents a problem to me, but with a few dozen wires attached, it raises the challenge to a whole new level. I think it took about an hour for me to finally fall asleep.
At 6:30 AM, I was awaken and unwired (if that's a word). I asked the tech what she could tell me. Of course there won't be any official results until I meet with the doctor next week, but she did tell me that I woke up quite a few times, which depending on how you look at it is good news or bad news. The bad news would be that I do have apnea, but that's also the good news, because it is treatable and I can look forward to more restful nights and some relief.
I showered, went down to the lobby for a very nice breakfast, and headed home. I'll have more news in about a week.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Sometimes You Have to Pay the Piper
In January of 2007, I bought a Dell Dimension E520. Over the years it I have installed and uninstalled literally hundreds of programs. Right now, I have almost 200 programs installed.
I'm constantly upgrading programs and drivers. I've run into conflicts and a wide range of problems. I've used Windows system restore many times, bought system organizes, and spent many hours online with tech support from Dell and other software companies.
In most cases we were able to resolve the issues, but time and my abuse took its toll. As time passed, despite the use of a start-up manage, boot time increased, and about a year ago, little things that I was not able to fix started going wrong. For example, when I went to shut down the computer, I would have to do it twice. Some programs would not launch the first time I double-clicked, or the Firefox process would remain running after closing the browser.
None of these were critical, because I was able to work around each of them. However, I knew it was just a matter of time before I would have a problem that had to be resolved by someone with more expertise than I.
Then last week, it happened. A friend asked me to help him with a video file conversion. I downloaded a product that nailed me with the Babylon Toolbar malware. After researching it, I tried removing it manually, but with the dozens of registry entries I deleted, I may have done some serious damage.
After the repair, I seemed to be back to where I was before the infection with one exception. None of my Adobe Production Suite programs would run. With Dreamweaver being my must used program after Firefox and email, I was in trouble.
The last system organizer I purchased was Advanced System Organizer. It was one of the top rated products and it had more tools than I had expertise. However, I dug into it a bit more, did some registry restoration and optimization, and then started a deep scan for malware.
As the scan progressed, it found 8 infections in the registry and was cranking through the system and program files. It was a long scan. By the time it had scanned about 350,000 files, it has picked up 5 more infections, but when it was approaching 400,000 files, I got the blue screen of death!
At the top of the scan screen there was a number for the Premium tech support number. It was time to bite the bullet and put the computer where it could be handled with a skill set I did not possess.
As it turned out, Advanced System Optimizer uses SmartSupport.com as their next level of tech support. After speaking with them for a while, they gave me two options. The first was a one-time tuneup for $99.95 and the second was $249 annual subscription that provided unlimited tech support and unlimited remote tuneups.
I figured if they could get it up and running again, I could keep it going without much trouble, so I opted for the one-time tuneup. The tech used LogMeIn to conduct the remote session that was expected to take about 2 hours, but I knew the system was really stressed and I expected it to go a bit longer.
I sat in front of the computer and watched the process. I watched as he began cleaning up, checking start-up files, installed file and encountering problems. It was interesting to see how he reacted to some of the problems for which I had invented workarounds. In each case, he came up with his own temporary solution, some more elegant than mine, but others not as slick.
I was impressed with the arsenal of specialized programs he installed and uninstalled to get deep into the bowels of the system. One by one, the problems began to peel away and at about the 2 hour mark, he typed that he was going to restart the system to see if all was well. It wasn't.
As he tested some programs, he got a message that the system could not load the resource DLL. At first we thought it was one program, but as he worked the problem spread to many. As it turned out, resolving this problem took the was a sticky one. Two more system restrore points and and hour and a half passed before he got a clean reboot and test.
He asked if I was satisfied with the work. I told him that I was satisfied the he was competent and that he had worked hard, but I couldn't comment on the quality of the work until I had runs programs and tested things myself. I said I would be happy to provide feedback then. He thanked me, I thanked him, and we ended the session.
I have completed the testing, and in case you hadn't noticed, I'm in the process of providing feedback. Here's what happened when I test the system.
The first thing I noticed is that the system, which had previously taken about five minutes to boot, now took just slightly over three minutes, a significant improvement.
During the boot, the new hardware wizard popped up. If I had been an uneducated user, that would have been a problem, but I figured I could handle that one on my own. For now, I just canceled out and continued. The boot completed successfully and now came the big test, the running of Adobe Production Suite. Sweet! Everything ran fine.
Next, I tried some uploads and downloads. One of the small problems that existed previously was the download process. After downloading, the download window should remain open and allow you to double-click the download to launch it. The problem was that the window cleared immediately after downloading.
The problem was still there, but to be honest, it was the easiest work around and I didn't really expect the tuneup to fix it. Had it done that, I would have been surprised.
Next I tried to upload a file to one of my websites, but when I tried to start WS_FTP Pro, I got the DLL message. Again, had I been an uneducated user, it would have been reason to call back to SmartSupport.com. However, I just uninstalled the program and reinstalled it. That solved the problem.
After more testing, I tried a shut down to see if the problem of having to do it twice had been solved. It had been, but there was a message that important updates would be installed on shutdown. This didn't site right to with me, so I started the system again.
On start-up, I got the new hardware wizard and on shutdown, I got the important update installation message again. For me, both fixes were simple. I just went to the device manager and uninstalled the non-existent hardware, and went to Windows update and downloaded an optional program. Both problems were solved.
So, how satisfied am I? We on a scale of 1 to 10, I would say I'm about an 8, going on 9. I would take off one point for leaving the shut down message, the one DLL issue, and the hardware wizard. (No points off for the download window problem.) And I will reserve one point until I work with the system for a few more days.
The $100 was well spent. I had already put in more hours than they did without having any luck. Truth be told, if I had called them sooner, their job might have been easier.
But what if I had been an uneducated user? Well, that's where companies sometimes get a bad rap. It's hard to say what might have happened. The chances are that if they encountered all three problems right away and called back, SmartSupport.com would have fixed it easily. However, if they had to call back three times, it might have pissed them off.
The bottom line is that an uneducated user would not have gotten their computer into the mess I got mine. To do that took a real pro and to fix it took a real pro.
I'm constantly upgrading programs and drivers. I've run into conflicts and a wide range of problems. I've used Windows system restore many times, bought system organizes, and spent many hours online with tech support from Dell and other software companies.
In most cases we were able to resolve the issues, but time and my abuse took its toll. As time passed, despite the use of a start-up manage, boot time increased, and about a year ago, little things that I was not able to fix started going wrong. For example, when I went to shut down the computer, I would have to do it twice. Some programs would not launch the first time I double-clicked, or the Firefox process would remain running after closing the browser.
None of these were critical, because I was able to work around each of them. However, I knew it was just a matter of time before I would have a problem that had to be resolved by someone with more expertise than I.
Then last week, it happened. A friend asked me to help him with a video file conversion. I downloaded a product that nailed me with the Babylon Toolbar malware. After researching it, I tried removing it manually, but with the dozens of registry entries I deleted, I may have done some serious damage.
After the repair, I seemed to be back to where I was before the infection with one exception. None of my Adobe Production Suite programs would run. With Dreamweaver being my must used program after Firefox and email, I was in trouble.
The last system organizer I purchased was Advanced System Organizer. It was one of the top rated products and it had more tools than I had expertise. However, I dug into it a bit more, did some registry restoration and optimization, and then started a deep scan for malware.
As the scan progressed, it found 8 infections in the registry and was cranking through the system and program files. It was a long scan. By the time it had scanned about 350,000 files, it has picked up 5 more infections, but when it was approaching 400,000 files, I got the blue screen of death!
At the top of the scan screen there was a number for the Premium tech support number. It was time to bite the bullet and put the computer where it could be handled with a skill set I did not possess.
As it turned out, Advanced System Optimizer uses SmartSupport.com as their next level of tech support. After speaking with them for a while, they gave me two options. The first was a one-time tuneup for $99.95 and the second was $249 annual subscription that provided unlimited tech support and unlimited remote tuneups.
I figured if they could get it up and running again, I could keep it going without much trouble, so I opted for the one-time tuneup. The tech used LogMeIn to conduct the remote session that was expected to take about 2 hours, but I knew the system was really stressed and I expected it to go a bit longer.
I sat in front of the computer and watched the process. I watched as he began cleaning up, checking start-up files, installed file and encountering problems. It was interesting to see how he reacted to some of the problems for which I had invented workarounds. In each case, he came up with his own temporary solution, some more elegant than mine, but others not as slick.
I was impressed with the arsenal of specialized programs he installed and uninstalled to get deep into the bowels of the system. One by one, the problems began to peel away and at about the 2 hour mark, he typed that he was going to restart the system to see if all was well. It wasn't.
As he tested some programs, he got a message that the system could not load the resource DLL. At first we thought it was one program, but as he worked the problem spread to many. As it turned out, resolving this problem took the was a sticky one. Two more system restrore points and and hour and a half passed before he got a clean reboot and test.
He asked if I was satisfied with the work. I told him that I was satisfied the he was competent and that he had worked hard, but I couldn't comment on the quality of the work until I had runs programs and tested things myself. I said I would be happy to provide feedback then. He thanked me, I thanked him, and we ended the session.
I have completed the testing, and in case you hadn't noticed, I'm in the process of providing feedback. Here's what happened when I test the system.
The first thing I noticed is that the system, which had previously taken about five minutes to boot, now took just slightly over three minutes, a significant improvement.
During the boot, the new hardware wizard popped up. If I had been an uneducated user, that would have been a problem, but I figured I could handle that one on my own. For now, I just canceled out and continued. The boot completed successfully and now came the big test, the running of Adobe Production Suite. Sweet! Everything ran fine.
Next, I tried some uploads and downloads. One of the small problems that existed previously was the download process. After downloading, the download window should remain open and allow you to double-click the download to launch it. The problem was that the window cleared immediately after downloading.
The problem was still there, but to be honest, it was the easiest work around and I didn't really expect the tuneup to fix it. Had it done that, I would have been surprised.
Next I tried to upload a file to one of my websites, but when I tried to start WS_FTP Pro, I got the DLL message. Again, had I been an uneducated user, it would have been reason to call back to SmartSupport.com. However, I just uninstalled the program and reinstalled it. That solved the problem.
After more testing, I tried a shut down to see if the problem of having to do it twice had been solved. It had been, but there was a message that important updates would be installed on shutdown. This didn't site right to with me, so I started the system again.
On start-up, I got the new hardware wizard and on shutdown, I got the important update installation message again. For me, both fixes were simple. I just went to the device manager and uninstalled the non-existent hardware, and went to Windows update and downloaded an optional program. Both problems were solved.
So, how satisfied am I? We on a scale of 1 to 10, I would say I'm about an 8, going on 9. I would take off one point for leaving the shut down message, the one DLL issue, and the hardware wizard. (No points off for the download window problem.) And I will reserve one point until I work with the system for a few more days.
The $100 was well spent. I had already put in more hours than they did without having any luck. Truth be told, if I had called them sooner, their job might have been easier.
But what if I had been an uneducated user? Well, that's where companies sometimes get a bad rap. It's hard to say what might have happened. The chances are that if they encountered all three problems right away and called back, SmartSupport.com would have fixed it easily. However, if they had to call back three times, it might have pissed them off.
The bottom line is that an uneducated user would not have gotten their computer into the mess I got mine. To do that took a real pro and to fix it took a real pro.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Facebook Doesn't Love Me Any More!
I worked for the last two days to transform my 1962 yearbook from the print version to an online version, However when I posted the link, Facebook did this!
There is nothing abusive on the site and I suspect I have been the victim of Facebook software that didn't like the fact that I have a blog about the animals on our pond. Facebook might think the Sherwood Beavers are something other than what they are.
At any rate, I'm looking into it further with contacts I have with Facebook. The good news is that the problem is strictly a Facebook problem. For for my VHS friends, you can get to the yearbook by clicking on this link.
I'll be posting more about the abuse notice when I learn more.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
A Teacher's Influence
I grew up in Vineland, NJ and just joined a Facebook group of the same name. While I'm waiting to get added to the group, I want to write about one of the first posts I read.
Suzanne Piccone wrote that she had recently seen Gene Agrons a retired biology teacher from VHS. I was surprised and delighted to hear that he was still around, because our 50th reunion is coming up in October. I guess he must have good genes.
Bad pun aside, it does make an appropriate segue to this blog enty. He was my biology teacher, but more than that, he was a role model. I went on to be a biology major in college. I taught science, math, and computers and consulted with schools for for 35+ years. My two years with Mr. A., freshman biology and senior advanced biology, helped set the foundation to my career.
Things that happened in that advanced class and as a result of that class, are as clear today as they were back in the 60's. I want to tell you about three incidents that stand out in my memory.
Let's start with the fact that people say he was a tough teacher. Well he was, but after 35 years of teaching, I can tell you that ALL good teachers are tough. Sure he was tough, but he was good, he taught well, and demanded nothing less than your best.
It was during my freshman year in college that I realized just how tough and how good he was. I attended Temple U. and had biology as my freshman year science. During the first half of the semester, I hardly ever opened a book, something that I have been known to do in the past. It wasn't because I was lazy, even though I've never been accused of being a book hound. I was always a hands on kinda guy. I didn't have to open the book because, everything was already familiar to me from my senior year in high school.
When the midterm exam came around, I aced it while almost 2/3 of the class failed it. That's how good Gene Agrons was. Oh, I forgot to mention, that I never even finished Advanced Biology. I dropped it near the end of the second marking period, but two marking period with Mr. A. was all that was needed to get me through college biology and make a lasting impression on me. I didn't drop it because of anything that Mr. A. did. You can chalk it up to the fact that it was and elective and studying during a grueling senior wrestling season was going to be too much.
Now let me tell you of two other incidents that speak to his character and teaching style. It was just before Xmas break and we were setting up term projects for advanced biology. My project involved studying the genetics of fruit flies. Of course to do that, you need fruit flies.
After everyone had long since departed for places unknown, Mr. A., my lab partner and I stayed late to brew up the medium of Kero syrup and ripe bananas that would be the food on which the fruit flies would grow over the winter break.
We finished up as dark was approaching, putting the last fruit files into the dozens of bottles of medium, and carefully plugging each one with a cotton wad. We turned out the lights and heading home.
When we returned to the lab, apparently I wasn't as careful with one of the cotton wads, because there were literally thousands of fruit flies all over the lab. Unlike some teachers who might have gone ballistic, Mr. A. took it all in stride. I had a LOT of fly catching duty, but it was a wonderful life lesson.
I wasn't a model student, but I wasn't a trouble maker. I can only remember being sent out of class twice. Once was in 9th grade for shooting a rubber band, and the other was in Advanced Biology, because of the text book Mr. A. had chosen for the class. Unlike other text books, I actually read this one, because the author had a sense of humor. For example, once while reading a genetics chart that dealt with the color of feathers in chickens, I noticed that the percentages didn't add up to 100%, but then I noticed the asterisk, with the notation that said, "Numbers have been rounded off to avoid the absurdity of counting fractions of chickens."
It was shortly after reading that item that I got in trouble. I started browsing the book and came across an interesting chart in one of the appendices. As I read it, I began to chuckle and then almost fell out of my seat, laughing uncontrollably. Mr. A. tried to settle me down a few time, but I just couldn't stop. He finally asked me to leave the room and not come back until I collected myself.
About 10 minutes later, I walked back in and with as much control as I could muster, I showed him what had set me off. The appendix was titled Maximum Speed of Land Mammals. Of course it listed animals such as the horse and cheetah, two standards, but it was three other entries that set me off.
Massai warrior in full war garb 20 mph
Rhinoceros 25 mph
Massai warrior in full war garb, being chased by a rhinoceros 26 mph
While not exactly politically correct in today's world, the entry none-th-less reflects something I learned in that class. Just when we think we have reached our limit, along comes a rhino, or teachers like Mr. A., who pushes us to go a little farther.
Thanks, Mr. Agrons!
Suzanne Piccone wrote that she had recently seen Gene Agrons a retired biology teacher from VHS. I was surprised and delighted to hear that he was still around, because our 50th reunion is coming up in October. I guess he must have good genes.
Bad pun aside, it does make an appropriate segue to this blog enty. He was my biology teacher, but more than that, he was a role model. I went on to be a biology major in college. I taught science, math, and computers and consulted with schools for for 35+ years. My two years with Mr. A., freshman biology and senior advanced biology, helped set the foundation to my career.
Things that happened in that advanced class and as a result of that class, are as clear today as they were back in the 60's. I want to tell you about three incidents that stand out in my memory.
Let's start with the fact that people say he was a tough teacher. Well he was, but after 35 years of teaching, I can tell you that ALL good teachers are tough. Sure he was tough, but he was good, he taught well, and demanded nothing less than your best.
It was during my freshman year in college that I realized just how tough and how good he was. I attended Temple U. and had biology as my freshman year science. During the first half of the semester, I hardly ever opened a book, something that I have been known to do in the past. It wasn't because I was lazy, even though I've never been accused of being a book hound. I was always a hands on kinda guy. I didn't have to open the book because, everything was already familiar to me from my senior year in high school.
When the midterm exam came around, I aced it while almost 2/3 of the class failed it. That's how good Gene Agrons was. Oh, I forgot to mention, that I never even finished Advanced Biology. I dropped it near the end of the second marking period, but two marking period with Mr. A. was all that was needed to get me through college biology and make a lasting impression on me. I didn't drop it because of anything that Mr. A. did. You can chalk it up to the fact that it was and elective and studying during a grueling senior wrestling season was going to be too much.
Now let me tell you of two other incidents that speak to his character and teaching style. It was just before Xmas break and we were setting up term projects for advanced biology. My project involved studying the genetics of fruit flies. Of course to do that, you need fruit flies.
After everyone had long since departed for places unknown, Mr. A., my lab partner and I stayed late to brew up the medium of Kero syrup and ripe bananas that would be the food on which the fruit flies would grow over the winter break.
We finished up as dark was approaching, putting the last fruit files into the dozens of bottles of medium, and carefully plugging each one with a cotton wad. We turned out the lights and heading home.
When we returned to the lab, apparently I wasn't as careful with one of the cotton wads, because there were literally thousands of fruit flies all over the lab. Unlike some teachers who might have gone ballistic, Mr. A. took it all in stride. I had a LOT of fly catching duty, but it was a wonderful life lesson.
I wasn't a model student, but I wasn't a trouble maker. I can only remember being sent out of class twice. Once was in 9th grade for shooting a rubber band, and the other was in Advanced Biology, because of the text book Mr. A. had chosen for the class. Unlike other text books, I actually read this one, because the author had a sense of humor. For example, once while reading a genetics chart that dealt with the color of feathers in chickens, I noticed that the percentages didn't add up to 100%, but then I noticed the asterisk, with the notation that said, "Numbers have been rounded off to avoid the absurdity of counting fractions of chickens."
It was shortly after reading that item that I got in trouble. I started browsing the book and came across an interesting chart in one of the appendices. As I read it, I began to chuckle and then almost fell out of my seat, laughing uncontrollably. Mr. A. tried to settle me down a few time, but I just couldn't stop. He finally asked me to leave the room and not come back until I collected myself.
About 10 minutes later, I walked back in and with as much control as I could muster, I showed him what had set me off. The appendix was titled Maximum Speed of Land Mammals. Of course it listed animals such as the horse and cheetah, two standards, but it was three other entries that set me off.
Massai warrior in full war garb 20 mph
Rhinoceros 25 mph
Massai warrior in full war garb, being chased by a rhinoceros 26 mph
While not exactly politically correct in today's world, the entry none-th-less reflects something I learned in that class. Just when we think we have reached our limit, along comes a rhino, or teachers like Mr. A., who pushes us to go a little farther.
Thanks, Mr. Agrons!
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