TOPIC: The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

We are going to Bar Harbor.

<br />Acadia is beautiful!  My husband and I went to Bar Harbor for our honeymoon.  We watched the sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain.  It was early fall so it was a bit chilly and foggy but still beautiful <br />

<br /><br />I've never seen the sunrise there but before we were married I made my wife hike/climb to the top on the west side of Cadillac after a 20 mile bike ride.  She still married me after that.  Amazing.<br /><br />Btw, for anyone going to Acadia - stop at Bucksport and ride the Lil' Toot - littletoottours.com/ - my wife's cousin owns the company.

We didn't so much hike to the top of the mountian as the car hiked to the top .  Our skill level in hiking is a bit low for mountain climbing, but we did enjoy several of the easier trails.  <br /><br />Jennifer

According to Stephen King, Maine isn't such a great place! It's a wretched hellhole full of killer clowns and demonic entities....    =D

vampires and aliens, too!<br />

Since all the fun stuff seems to be in Maine, maybe TD should play there.

I don't really get illiteracy. You'd think people would just pick it up from intellectual osmosis. I mean, K-12 is still mandatory in this country, right? You'd think just by being forced to sit in a classroom some stay bosons or positrons of knowledge would leak in and cause a small chain reaction. God knows I didn't exactly try when I was in school but all that useless knowledge leaked in anyway.

<br />I don't really get illiteracy. You'd think people would just pick it up from intellectual osmosis. I mean, K-12 is still mandatory in this country, right? You'd think just by being forced to sit in a classroom some stay bosons or positrons of knowledge would leak in and cause a small chain reaction. God knows I didn't exactly try when I was in school but all that useless knowledge leaked in anyway.<br />

<br /><br />Having seen what happens in Rural America  (shelby county had the highest HS dropout rate in the country, and it's adjacent to Marion ( indianapolis))  many rural folks feel they have limited futures.. if your dad's a farmer.. you'll get the farm in time, and that's what you'll do... reading and writing easliy become secondary to making sure the crops come in.  same thing for the small town factories.<br />plus as my sister found out.. who wants to be the struggling teacher in a class of kids who mainly don't want to learn?<br /><br />not saying folks in small towns are stupid.. they learn what they have to..... I can read and write.. but can't grow an aloe plant.

<br />I mean, K-12 is still mandatory in this country, right?<br />

<br /><br />Ehh... not for everyone.  There are some court cases out there (such as Wisconsin v Yoder) where children aren't required to attend schools beyond a certain point.<br /><br />It all depends on the socioeconomic state/social mores/etcetera of the community as to whether a student will ever personally see the value of higher education, which in turn will affect how literate or illiterate they may turn out to be.

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<br />I don't really get illiteracy. You'd think people would just pick it up from intellectual osmosis. I mean, K-12 is still mandatory in this country, right? You'd think just by being forced to sit in a classroom some stay bosons or positrons of knowledge would leak in and cause a small chain reaction. God knows I didn't exactly try when I was in school but all that useless knowledge leaked in anyway.<br />

<br /><br />Having seen what happens in Rural America  (shelby county had the highest HS dropout rate in the country, and it's adjacent to Marion ( indianapolis))  many rural folks feel they have limited futures.. if your dad's a farmer.. you'll get the farm in time, and that's what you'll do... reading and writing easliy become secondary to making sure the crops come in.  same thing for the small town factories.<br />plus as my sister found out.. who wants to be the struggling teacher in a class of kids who mainly don't want to learn?<br /><br />not saying folks in small towns are stupid.. they learn what they have to..... I can read and write.. but can't grow an aloe plant.<br />

It really is a philosophical more than a legal matter. The opportunity to be educated to a higher level is offered but people have to be willing to grasp it as their choice. If people choose not to aggressively pursue education because they don't think it is worth it to them personally, or they don't see any options for improvement in their lives, it's their choice. That being said, I don't think all opportunities are equal everywhere, in fact I know they aren't, but I can't fix that.

<br />It really is a philosophical more than a legal matter. The opportunity to be educated to a higher level is offered but people have to be willing to grasp it as their choice. If people choose not to aggressively pursue education because they don't think it is worth it to them personally, or they don't see any options for improvement in their lives, it's their choice. That being said, I don't think all opportunities are equal everywhere, in fact I know they aren't, but I can't fix that. <br />

<br /><br />while I agree as to the inequality of available education.....personally I have a far greater issue with those who do not choose to become educated, and then complain that it was the system that failed them.  while it certainly can happen it's far more common that it was a lack of personal responsibility that failed them, and is now producing the "it's not my fault" excuses that are so prevelant.

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<br />It really is a philosophical more than a legal matter. The opportunity to be educated to a higher level is offered but people have to be willing to grasp it as their choice. If people choose not to aggressively pursue education because they don't think it is worth it to them personally, or they don't see any options for improvement in their lives, it's their choice. That being said, I don't think all opportunities are equal everywhere, in fact I know they aren't, but I can't fix that. <br />

<br /><br />while I agree as to the inequality of available education.....personally I have a far greater issue with those who do not choose to become educated, and then complain that it was the system that failed them.  while it certainly can happen it's far more common that it was a lack of personal responsibility that failed them, and is now producing the "it's not my fault" excuses that are so prevelant.<br />

I have no argument with that. My parents were uneducated immigrants and their lessons on the value of education drove me to get a PhD.