A rich news day

[mindstalk]

* New constitution in North Korea, dropping 'Communism' and enshrining Kim's role as leader. His father's role as president had been left "eternally vacant" in the 1998 constitution, not clear if that changed.
* In American dynastism, Liz Cheney carries on her father's advocacy of torture and fearmongering, along with not contesting an assertion that Obama isn't American.
* One thing about religions, they often introduce holidays for the poor. Maids in Jakarta get Ramadan off, with rich families having to cope with fetching their own glasses of water. Or check into luxury hotels.
* The standoff in Honduras continues, with the ousted President Zelaya having slipped somehow into the Brazilian embassy. I've been sympathetic to the 'coup', but closing radio stations and cracking down on civil liberties burns that up.
* Why is the Supreme Court hearing half as many cases as it used to?
* State Republicans want to contest a health insurance mandate via amending state constitutions. Unclear on the concepts of the supremacy clause or how health reform can work.

* Logicomix, a comic book about Bertrand Russell and the quest for certainty in mathematics.
* Modern miracles: helping the blind see.
* The new education fad: teaching executive function, aka self-control

Comments

[lyceum-arabica.livejournal.com]

I read through the teaching thing, and I think it relates to part of what I try to do with c241. I figured out at some point that I get the best reaction from people by making everything a game, more of a challenge between them and the material than a "figure out how to do this or get nasty low grade" type thing. You can build skills by social reinforcement and by involving them in situations where they have to hone the skills in order to get things they want, where they challenge themselves. (shrugs) video games do this :-)