IntenseDebate - AnatoliN

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Catching some rays · 0 replies · +1 points

Certainly agree with the above points. See more troubles:
- Practically solving the unavoidable problems described in (c) the system will have to switch from one receiver to another, thus if synchronization goes wrong we are going to have a system shooting the highly dangerous ray on the territories between the receivers. I do not even want to think about the situation if the control of this system is seized by terrorists or the military.
- The amount of energy needed to deliver all the system onto the orbit is tremendous. It will never be economical.
- I do not see much sense in the idea altogether - to support all energy needs of the existing population of the whole planet for the whole year it is enough to utilize sun energy that reaches the surface of our planet in less than 1 hour. Why again do we need to go into space to harvest energy?!

Excuse me directness, but I see only one answer - this is a WEAPON.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 1 reply · +2 points

Professional representation representing interests of a group of workers against employers is fine with one simple condition: the enterprise must have a possibility to go bankrupt with all workers being unemployed in result.
This will bring sense to union's behavior, first all, by union members themselves. As long as enterprise can not possibly go under ( = publicly funded, like transit, education, medicine, police, etc) rights of its union must be heavily restricted, this includes "no strikes".
Alternatively, let me as a parent, sue teacher's union for services not delivered (strike, nonperformance) under a contract I have fully paid for in advance.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 1 reply · +1 points

I am not aware of a single teacher being fired, ever. I do not know how teachers in general would react on it. I believe I know what union is going to say if anybody attempts to fire a teacher for nonperformance. It's not going to smell roses.

I do not mind any advocacy, but with a great simplification I believe that:
when I, as a taxpayer, hire government to organize education, which includes hiring and managing teachers, then it's not the teachers who has to set rules and monitor performance. Right now, a translation of public school system into private business would like like employees setting quality procedures, designing technology, monitoring output and giving bonuses to themselves. To me this looks sadly counterproductive.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 1 reply · +1 points

Let me put your idea into a bigger picture:
Government sets eduction requirements, hires teachers to deliver eduction to meet these requirements, gives teachers monopoly for education, collects taxes to fund the process, right? Are you saying that now government should any other criteria but qualification in deciding how much to pay teacher? And even negotiate this matter with teachers?
Can you imagine a similar situation in private business? I can't.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 0 replies · +2 points

I already did to no avail. :(
Articles on the site are good, though.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 2 replies · +1 points

The way teacher substitution is organized allows to bring any teacher for any class at any moment. I would not expect even a highly qualified teacher to be able to perform at such conditions. This is system fault, not teacher's. Any business would have a Plan B, public schools just choose to call a substitute teacher in the evening before class.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 3 replies · +1 points

No way Ontario Teacher's union should be a part of approving a competition to themselves. Eduction is too important to be self regulated. (Same goes for medicine, but this is a different story). Teaching and education should be separated, as manufacturing and quality control.

The only role for which teachers union actually have a right for existence is the in improving quality of public school education through an effective cooperation with public, government and teachers. This may sound general and vague, but this is exactly what unions have to do: create conditions to make teachers work better. Now, imho, union is busy with creating conditions for teachers to live better. Big difference.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 1 reply · +1 points

If I were your student in school budgeting, I suppose I'd know better, but as of now I just do not know and openly say so :)

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - A leader they can beli... · 0 replies · -1 points

Naive scientist, don't you know that whatever science does it always ends up to be a bomb?

As soon as this thing start to lead it will immediately used not for saving fish, but for leading it to the nets. So, if you want to save fish - abandon your research asap and destroy all materials.

13 years ago @ Macleans.ca - Watch and learn, kids · 2 replies · +1 points

This message should be read after the next, but I can't put it there.

I have just found that what I was trying to promote as an amateur, has been already described professionally - http://www.saynotoboredom.com/author.html
Author speaks of issues south of the border, but Canada is heading in the same direction.

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