Gyroscopic Investing

From the Slack chatter on the companies that I'm associated with, all of the parents are dealing with tech issues getting their grade school kids back "in school". Most of the folks I interact with are pretty tech savvy and they become the default parents that have to diagnose and fix whatever the hell is going wrong with the school or home-side hardware/software/comms issues.

Today, in particular has been full of "I'll be off-line today while I provide tech support for my kid's school..." sort of comments.

Is there any chance in hell that the kids in non-techy communities are going to get any sort of education?

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:24 pmIs there any chance in hell that the kids in non-techy communities are going to get any sort of education?

Not only no, but I'm pretty dubious about the "education" that kids who DO successfully get online are receiving.

One of my coworkers told me that some local schools' Zoom sessions recently got hacked by people going on racist diatribes and playing porn I'm sure the kids could tune out the offensive stuff and focus on the free sex-ed class.

More gossip from the Salem, OR super savvy tech workers. The school provided Chrome books that didn't work today, so the parents swapped out some old Windows notebooks to get their kids online. Who doesn't have some old notebooks in the closet?

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 9:18 pm More gossip from the Salem, OR super savvy tech workers. The school provided Chrome books that didn't work today, so the parents swapped out some old Windows notebooks to get their kids online. Who doesn't have some old notebooks in the closet?

Do you think it could have been the video format? Chromebooks can't play some of them, but I think all porn uses ones that play on chromebooks.

Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:19 pm

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 9:18 pm More gossip from the Salem, OR super savvy tech workers. The school provided Chrome books that didn't work today, so the parents swapped out some old Windows notebooks to get their kids online. Who doesn't have some old notebooks in the closet?

Do you think it could have been the video format? Chromebooks can't play some of them, but I think all porn uses ones that play on chromebooks.

Requires more research.

Well it appears that I may have to just withdraw my high-functioning autistic son from public school. This year (5th grade) has been a nightmare. Everything he liked about school and got him motivated to go each morning last year has now been eradicated in the name of protection.

He has to wear a mask all day, no exceptions. Including recess and gym. Gym is no more playing games, it is only running laps around the school, masked, distanced from other kids. Recess is masked and kids are not allowed to touch other kids whatsoever. Teachers stand around yelling at kids to put their masks back on and keep your distance from everyone.

They do not have lunch in the lunchroom anymore. They sit alone at their desks eating lunch, distanced from anyone and everyone. In fact they do not leave the classroom hardly at all. Even though they are masked and distanced, their desks are all surrounded by plexiglass.

All of their work is done on computer. No more art or writing. No books. No paper. No projects. No checking out books from the library. They might have germs on them you know. Students are essentially doing the exact same work on the computer that virtual students are doing. They are just doing it in school. According to his teacher, this is because if they need to shut down at a moment's notice, the kids can just transaction back to virtual learning with no interruptions.

If I felt like this was going to end soon I might have him fight thru it. But I don't think it is ending and I just cannot go along with it any longer. I have no idea what I am going to do

Ah, details/context to your other thread.

It really sucks for the kids for sure and I feel bad for them being taken out of their normal routine. I work with youth and it was sad to see the traditions of graduation be totally thrown out the window last spring. ON the other hand...50% of your city isn't dead now from something far worse, Dad hasn't been drafted for WW2 and we have a more mild form of economics where if you lose your job at least you will be able to get something to eat.

Kids having to wear masks at schools is a first world problem...and I do think this is the perspective Americans should have.

Hang in there...this too shall pass. We humans are resilient and so are you. It sounds cheesy, but things like gratitude, counting what you have vs. what you don't have, trying to see larger meaning and finding life lessons in what you are experiencing really does help. If you are religious, prayer is a good thing. It works.

Kbg wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:27 am Ah, details/context to your other thread.

It really sucks for the kids for sure and I feel bad for them being taken out of their normal routine. I work with youth and it was sad to see the traditions of graduation be totally thrown out the window last spring. ON the other hand...50% of your city isn't dead now from something far worse, Dad hasn't been drafted for WW2 and we have a more mild form of economics where if you lose your job at least you will be able to get something to eat.

Kids having to wear masks at schools is a first world problem...and I do think this is the perspective Americans should have.

Hang in there...this too shall pass. We humans are resilient and so are you. It sounds cheesy, but things like gratitude, counting what you have vs. what you don't have, trying to see larger meaning and finding life lessons in what you are experiencing really does help. If you are religious, prayer is a good thing. It works.

Thank you

doodle wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:42 am

Kbg wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:27 am Ah, details/context to your other thread.

It really sucks for the kids for sure and I feel bad for them being taken out of their normal routine. I work with youth and it was sad to see the traditions of graduation be totally thrown out the window last spring. ON the other hand...50% of your city isn't dead now from something far worse, Dad hasn't been drafted for WW2 and we have a more mild form of economics where if you lose your job at least you will be able to get something to eat.

Kids having to wear masks at schools is a first world problem...and I do think this is the perspective Americans should have.

Hang in there...this too shall pass. We humans are resilient and so are you. It sounds cheesy, but things like gratitude, counting what you have vs. what you don't have, trying to see larger meaning and finding life lessons in what you are experiencing really does help. If you are religious, prayer is a good thing. It works.

Thank you

Agree. Great post by kbg.

Kbg wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:27 am Ah, details/context to your other thread.

It really sucks for the kids for sure and I feel bad for them being taken out of their normal routine. I work with youth and it was sad to see the traditions of graduation be totally thrown out the window last spring. ON the other hand...50% of your city isn't dead now from something far worse, Dad hasn't been drafted for WW2 and we have a more mild form of economics where if you lose your job at least you will be able to get something to eat.

Kids having to wear masks at schools is a first world problem...and I do think this is the perspective Americans should have.

Hang in there...this too shall pass. We humans are resilient and so are you. It sounds cheesy, but things like gratitude, counting what you have vs. what you don't have, trying to see larger meaning and finding life lessons in what you are experiencing really does help. If you are religious, prayer is a good thing. It works.

For someone with 50 years of life experience it is somewhat easier to take this perspective. How you explain to an 11 year old (an autistic one at that) why he has to wear a mask when he is outside jogging in the heat with nobody within 20 feet of him? To him this is a form of torture and I as his father am allowing it or condoning it. I doubt a story about World War 2 struggles will alleviate those feelings. I am fighting a day to day war on getting him to go to school at all and not melt down on a daily basis from the stress.

tomfoolery wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:48 pm

jalanlong wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:02 pm How you explain to an 11 year old (an autistic one at that) why he has to wear a mask when he is outside jogging in the heat with nobody within 20 feet of him?

I’m a 40 year old with a degree in natural science and a healthcare background and work in healthcare and no one has been able to explain the answer to me to my satisfaction.

Just tell him the truth, the world is full of oppressors and tyranny. Freedom isn’t free. Someone always will want to tell him what they want him to do for no other reason than to make him more willing to do more things they want in the future.

It’s a common tactic of influence psychology. Get potential customers to make small gestures and bigger ones become easier. Just the tip.

Always a good tactic.

Reminds me of 1 Peter 3:13 (ESV) "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil."

Mountaineer wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:17 pm

tomfoolery wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:48 pm

jalanlong wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:02 pm How you explain to an 11 year old (an autistic one at that) why he has to wear a mask when he is outside jogging in the heat with nobody within 20 feet of him?

I’m a 40 year old with a degree in natural science and a healthcare background and work in healthcare and no one has been able to explain the answer to me to my satisfaction.

Just tell him the truth, the world is full of oppressors and tyranny. Freedom isn’t free. Someone always will want to tell him what they want him to do for no other reason than to make him more willing to do more things they want in the future.

It’s a common tactic of influence psychology. Get potential customers to make small gestures and bigger ones become easier. Just the tip.

Always a good tactic.

Reminds me of 1 Peter 3:13 (ESV) "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil."

I would love to. His grandmother already has. And you can imagine how well that has gone over in public school when those comments come out of his mouth (in his garbled translation of what he thinks he heard us say)!

"Timmy, put on your mask, we must flatten the curve."
"My dad said you're teary eyes."
"What?"
"You're an operator of teary eyes."
"Timmy, I literally can't even. The mask, now!"
"We're a librarian family, like Pope Ron Paul"
"Timmy, I don't give a fuck what your crazy dad thinks, he's a racist."
"MY GRANDMA HATES YOU"
"..."
"MY GRANDMA SAYS-"
"That's enough, Timmy! 30 extra laps at yard time!"

jalanlong wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:24 pm

Mountaineer wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:17 pm

tomfoolery wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:48 pm

jalanlong wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:02 pm How you explain to an 11 year old (an autistic one at that) why he has to wear a mask when he is outside jogging in the heat with nobody within 20 feet of him?

I’m a 40 year old with a degree in natural science and a healthcare background and work in healthcare and no one has been able to explain the answer to me to my satisfaction.

Just tell him the truth, the world is full of oppressors and tyranny. Freedom isn’t free. Someone always will want to tell him what they want him to do for no other reason than to make him more willing to do more things they want in the future.

It’s a common tactic of influence psychology. Get potential customers to make small gestures and bigger ones become easier. Just the tip.

Always a good tactic.

Reminds me of 1 Peter 3:13 (ESV) "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil."

I would love to. His grandmother already has. And you can imagine how well that has gone over in public school when those comments come out of his mouth (in his garbled translation of what he thinks he heard us say)!

I'm sorry. Sad situation all around. Just yuck! There is so much "non-love" of neighbor going around these days. Prayers for peace and comfort ascending for your son and the rest of your family. I hope you soon figure out a satisfactory solution.

This week, Matt Meyer did what many parents long to do. He dropped off his kid at school. That’s unusual in Berkeley, California, where he lives, because the schools there have been closed for a year, and the teachers’ union adamantly opposes their reopening. Parents like Mr. Meyer who can afford private schools, which are mostly open, send their kids there. His child has been there since last June. So he dropped off his child and drove off to his job.

His job is head of the Berkeley teachers’ union. His main task there is to keep the public schools closed for everyone else.
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Lowell