[AGL] X-box?

[Wayne Johnson]

Honor and I talked with a local teacher whilst standing in line the other 
night for Harry Potter.  Part of this (sad) conversation was the revelation 
that his (high school level) kids....can not take notes, can not follow an 
"oral" argument and can only take notes if they are "bulletized" a la Power 
Point.  He assigns this horrid situation to a (young) lifetime of ......game 
playing.

I would argue that the Japanese are re-fighting WW2 and they are winning. 
What could be more subtle than undermining American education by gradually 
de-corticating our children?  Ok. It  IS a really good thing for the 
Military that there are kids who are truly skilled at "computer warfare."

What a great century to look forward to, eh?  Mindless, GOP robot-kids, 
endlessly acquiring and killing "targets" (read: Iranians, Iraqi, Russians, 
Bulgarians, Canadians, whatever) while they sip methadrine laced Jolt and 
consume endless mountains of cheap pizza.   Even Orwell never conjured up a 
fantasy as totally dismal as this.

Oh, I have a great idea:  Let us raise taxes, encourage truly smart people 
to enter the teaching profession, make Education the number One Priority, 
raise our "standards" to those as high as, say, Nigeria or Kenya and NOT 
become the Argentina/Guatamala of the 21st Century.  Er.  Outside of bunkers 
in West VA and Colorado, that is.

cheers.

wgJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Eisenstadt" <michaele at hotpop.com>
To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s" 
<austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: [AGL] X-box?


> Wayne wrote:
>
>> What is an X-box and why do people "have" to have one?
>
> It is a kind of computer optimized for playing games,
> using a handheld device to direct the action. Like
> the lost teenagers in a game arcade feeding quarters
> into the games except you do it at home, saving lots
> of quarters. But you have to buy the box and the
> software for the various games.
>
> I am doing a version of this at home with Flight
> Simulation. I assembled a computer for this. Pricey!
> Luckily the software was only $10. The difference is less
> noise, unless I turn up the audio which supplies engine
> noise and instructions over the "radio" from the control
> tower. More realism than fighting ogres. About the same
> degree of virtual realism as playing pimps and 'ho's in
> the 'hood.
>
> At this point I am flying and crashing the Cessna. It
> will take years to learn how to fly an airliner.
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Wayne Johnson
> To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s
> Cc: Remembrances of Austin Ghetto
> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 8:46 AM
> Subject: [AGL] X-box?
>
>
> What is an X-box and why do people "have" to have one?
>
> wgJ