Wait for the Summer - Brought to you by the CSGWs!

[onebloodonelife]

My group got a C in our first paper, which is just sucktastic. Now we have a second one due in a week. Then we have a debate and 3 of my group can't even speak in front of a class.

The group work is worth 40% of my grade...

Oh. That is a bit of a problem then...I'm sure it'll work out though!

It is on why NASA should have a stable minimum amount of money alotted in the national budget, as in the funding can't be cut. I'm bascially arguing that even in the tough times that we are going through now, NASA is a critical and valuable resource for every American and the entire planet as a whole.

You summed it up perfectly.

Interesting! I know that there's been some debate about the importance of NASA in recent years, and I'm sure it'll come up again in the next couple, assuming the economic crisis isn't going away quickly.

 

[Irishteen]

Oh. That is a bit of a problem then...I'm sure it'll work out though!

I hope so too. I'm gonna force my team to put me on the rebuttal for the debate not because I want to but because I'm not letting someone completely destroy our debate only for the last speaker to walk out and sound like an idiot.

Last debate I was on, I opened up and then this girl came out and rebutted everything we said really well and I was standing there just kind of watching our last guy talk and wanting to like strangle him for being useless

I mean as much as I hate talking I always end up being the one who does it most, mostly because I'm better at it than others and would rather say everything than watch everything crash before me by others uselessness.

I think what makes me good is I basically wing everything, I study the bare facts and just get up and talk, without being constantly looking at a screen and just saying the powerpoint slides or relying on notes. I've never even brought notes up with me for speaking, I just talk

 

[love_u2_adam]

 

[Screwtape2]

Interesting! I know that there's been some debate about the importance of NASA in recent years, and I'm sure it'll come up again in the next couple, assuming the economic crisis isn't going away quickly.

I think there is something very human and very American about reaching for the near impossible. The space program can capture the minds and imaginations of people like nothing else. If that isn't worth government investment than I don't know what is.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I hope so too. I'm gonna force my team to put me on the rebuttal for the debate not because I want to but because I'm not letting someone completely destroy our debate only for the last speaker to walk out and sound like an idiot.

Last debate I was on, I opened up and then this girl came out and rebutted everything we said really well and I was standing there just kind of watching our last guy talk and wanting to like strangle him for being useless

I mean as much as I hate talking I always end up being the one who does it most, mostly because I'm better at it than others and would rather say everything than watch everything crash before me by others uselessness.

I think what makes me good is I basically wing everything, I study the bare facts and just get up and talk, without being constantly looking at a screen and just saying the powerpoint slides or relying on notes. I've never even brought notes up with me for speaking, I just talk

That's the best kind of debater though, if you can naturally speak well and convince people of your position, you're golden!



Afternoon Kayla, how's it going?

 

[onebloodonelife]

I think there is something very human and very American about reaching for the near impossible. The space program can capture the minds and imaginations of people like nothing else. If that isn't worth government investment than I don't know what is.

Agreed. Are there currently plans to cut funding?

 

[flybabe]

That one is so underrated.


You should listen to the Mofo (Phunk Phorce Mix):

YouTube - U2-MOFO


The Mysterious Ways (Perfecto Mix)

YouTube - U2 : Mysterious Ways ( Perfecto Mix ) '91


...and one of my top five favorites the Wire (Dub Mix)

YouTube - u2 wire dubmix

OMG Justin,those are awsome,my favorite song is Wire and I have been looking high and low for the remixes of it. I just heard the Mysterious Ways Perfecto mix Yesterday

 

[Screwtape2]

Agreed. Are there currently plans to cut funding?

I don't know yet. I haven't gotten that far.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I don't know yet. I haven't gotten that far.

Makes sense...I'd be interested to know, when you find out.

 

[Irishteen]

I think there is something very human and very American about reaching for the near impossible. The space program can capture the minds and imaginations of people like nothing else. If that isn't worth government investment than I don't know what is.

I think the problem for NASA is that in general travelling to space is pretty much useless, it's more the discovers that can be made by them that make it worth while to give them money. I mean right now NASA can fly people into space but it's more a business as usual thing and there's not much innovation going on as there could be. I think NASA really should be pushing forward more, I mean a manned mission to Mars would no doubt require a lot of new technology and designs which could be very valuable. Then again this is my inner sci-fi geek talking

That's the best kind of debater though, if you can naturally speak well and convince people of your position, you're golden!

All I need now is the ability to trust other people not to screw up




Kayla

 

[Screwtape2]

OMG Justin,those are awsome,my favorite song is Wire and I have been looking high and low for the remixes of it. I just heard the Mysterious Ways Perfecto mix Yesterday

The Wire (Dub Mix) is incredible and I really hope it makes it on to the TUF remaster. Imagine a remastered version of it.

 

[onebloodonelife]

All I need now is the ability to trust other people not to screw up

Not necessarily. I've always been the same way. It's hard for me to entrust other people with doing work that I'm going to be graded on, when I know that I can do a much better job at it. That's why I have issues with group projects when the grade isn't individualized...

 

[Screwtape2]

I think the problem for NASA is that in general travelling to space is pretty much useless, it's more the discovers that can be made by them that make it worth while to give them money. I mean right now NASA can fly people into space but it's more a business as usual thing and there's not much innovation going on as there could be. I think NASA really should be pushing forward more, I mean a manned mission to Mars would no doubt require a lot of new technology and designs which could be very valuable. Then again this is my inner sci-fi geek talking

I agree that they have to push forward more. They do have a planned mission to Mars in the works but it wouldn't be at the earliest until 2020. The advancements that have come from NASA will be a huge part of my paper. I think NASA like any other government agency needs to show the public its use. At this point, it can only be big things.

 

[Irishteen]

Not necessarily. I've always been the same way. It's hard for me to entrust other people with doing work that I'm going to be graded on, when I know that I can do a much better job at it. That's why I have issues with group projects when the grade isn't individualized...

Yeah it's really hard to do it. I mean my group is made up of one girl who's smart, a good writer, decent presenter so I'm okay with her doing work but the others are less great. Not that they're not smart, they're just less all-rounded, meaning that when a project requires us all to do work, it really suffers. One girl is really smart and I love being in her group unless the project requires the entire group to present because she's not good at it...but ask her to research something, or design something and she's amazing at it.

I agree that they have to push forward more. They do have a planned mission to Mars in the works but it wouldn't be at the earliest until 2020. The advancements that have come from NASA will be a huge part of my paper. I think NASA like any other government agency needs to show the public its use. At this point, it can only be big things.

I think I read Mars is 2037, the Moon Base is 2020. I mean seriously? How can you say you'll do something in 30 years?

I think when you're giving a department billions of dollars a year, saying they'll do something in over a decade or more is not appropriate.

I mean in the end we went from first space flight EVER to first manned flight to the moon in 12 years

 

[onebloodonelife]

Yeah it's really hard to do it. I mean my group is made up of one girl who's smart, a good writer, decent presenter so I'm okay with her doing work but the others are less great. Not that they're not smart, they're just less all-rounded, meaning that when a project requires us all to do work, it really suffers. One girl is really smart and I love being in her group unless the project requires the entire group to present because she's not good at it...but ask her to research something, or design something and she's amazing at it.

I know precisely what you mean.

 

[Irishteen]

I know precisely what you mean.

I think when college forces an entire group to do something they really ignore the fact that people have different skills. And when they don't let students pick the groups it gets worse, I mean you could end up with a group of four people who are useless at presenting, or four people who can't write well.

I mean for HRM we had to make groups and I agreed to being in a group with these people, then we were told we had to Debate and all I could think was "oh shit".

 

[Screwtape2]

I think I read Mars is 2037, the Moon Base is 2020. I mean seriously? How can you say you'll do something in 30 years?

I think when you're giving a department billions of dollars a year, saying they'll do something in over a decade or more is not appropriate.

These things take time but we went from Kennedy setting a goal to land on the moon to doing it nine years later, all from scratch. It is when someone is on the clock that technology progresses the most. NASA needs to put on the gas.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I think when college forces an entire group to do something they really ignore the fact that people have different skills. And when they don't let students pick the groups it gets worse, I mean you could end up with a group of four people who are useless at presenting, or four people who can't write well.

I mean for HRM we had to make groups and I agreed to being in a group with these people, then we were told we had to Debate and all I could think was "oh shit".

Exactly. Although, we did group projects more often in high school than we do now in college. I think that's more to do with the time it takes to do presentations in class, which we just don't have most of the time. It's easier to assign essays or exams instead.

I've definitely had those moments when groups are either picked or assigned...

 

[Irishteen]

These things take time but we went from Kennedy setting a goal to land on the moon to doing it nine years, all from scratch. It is when someone is on the clock that technology progresses the most. NASA needs to put on the gas.

I think that's the problem, we went from first flight into space to flying to the moon in 12 years but apparently flying to Mars will take 30 years or a moon base would take over a decade to even start to construct.

In the end you can't help but wonder why is this taking so long?

It reminds me of one of my favourite Sci-Fi books. It starts with the first manned mission to mars and when they arrive the guy gets out of the spacecraft only to find some California college student standing there who greets him with "yo". NASA need to get on their boots and get to Mars before some college students invent something and beat them to it!

 

[Screwtape2]

I think when college forces an entire group to do something they really ignore the fact that people have different skills. And when they don't let students pick the groups it gets worse, I mean you could end up with a group of four people who are useless at presenting, or four people who can't write well.

I despise group projects. I always end up becoming the leader and doing the vast majority of the work and/or pushing people to the brink in trying to get them to do their work.

 

[Irishteen]

Exactly. Although, we did group projects more often in high school than we do now in college. I think that's more to do with the time it takes to do presentations in class, which we just don't have most of the time. It's easier to assign essays or exams instead.

I've definitely had those moments when groups are either picked or assigned...

We do group work a lot because apparently it's important in a business environment to be able to work together in a team. Although me thinks it'd be more important to work within a team that makes sense and isn't randomly chosen but alas college knows best

 

[Screwtape2]

I think that's the problem, we went from first flight into space to flying to the moon in 12 years but apparently flying to Mars will take 30 years or a moon base would take over a decade to even start to construct.

In the end you can't help but wonder why is this taking so long?

It reminds me of one of my favourite Sci-Fi books. It starts with the first manned mission to mars and when they arrive the guy gets out of the spacecraft only to find some California college student standing there who greets him with "yo". NASA need to get on their boots and get to Mars before some college students invent something and beat them to it!

Less than ten years after the moon landing we had space shuttles too. I suspect it is taking so long because of a fear of failure and embarassment. That's part of science though.

It'll be the new space race!

 

[onebloodonelife]

I despise group projects. I always end up becoming the leader and doing the vast majority of the work and/or pushing people to the brink in trying to get them to do their work.

...wavelengths again!

We do group work a lot because apparently it's important in a business environment to be able to work together in a team. Although me thinks it'd be more important to work within a team that makes sense and isn't randomly chosen but alas college knows best

Oh, the bureaucracy that is college! Sometimes I get the feeling that it's all just a game...but one that you don't get many actual prizes from...

 

[Screwtape2]

...wavelengths again!

I remember a group project in high school for Government where the teacher after this presentation told me that I was going to get an amazing grade despite the group. Apparently he could tell that I was visibly on the brink of going insane trying to get everyone to do their work.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I remember a group project in high school for Government where the teacher after this presentation told me that I was going to get an amazing grade despite the group. Apparently he could tell that I was on the brink of going insane trying to get everyone to do their work.

That actually sounds a lot like what happened to me in the social studies classes I took with a particular teacher in high school. He knew that I did a lot more of the work than the others, and I usually got higher grades than them because of it. Can I just take this moment to say how much I DON'T miss my high school?

 

[Screwtape2]

Can I just take this moment to say how much I DON'T miss my high school?

Of course you can! I'll echo it too.

 

[Irishteen]

Less than ten years after the moon landing we had space shuttles too. I suspect it is taking so long because of a fear of failure and embarassment. That's part of science though.

It'll be the new space race!

I think it's the fact that no one can beat NASA to it that drives them to not work hard

I mean if a student in a college developed a faster spaceship, NASA would lose all funding. So unless NASA has a threat to them they won't do anything fast

Oh, the bureaucracy that is college! Sometimes I get the feeling that it's all just a game...but one that you don't get many actual prizes from...

In other words...it's evil

 

[Screwtape2]

I think it's the fact that no one can beat NASA to it that drives them to not work hard

I mean if a student in a college developed a faster spaceship, NASA would lose all funding. So unless NASA has a threat to them they won't do anything fast

I think that's an equally big part of it too.

 

[onebloodonelife]

Of course you can! I'll echo it too.

I honestly don't get why people call high school the best years of your life...my life's gotten nothing but much better since leaving high school.

In other words...it's evil

Pretty much.

Jack Kerouac said it best in The Dharma Bums, I think:

Colleges being nothing but grooming schools for the middle-class non-identity which usually finds its perfect expression on the outskirts of the campus in rows of well-to-do houses with lawns and television sets in each living room with everybody looking at the same thing and thinking the same thing at the same time while the Japhies of the world go prowling in the wilderness to hear the voice crying in the wilderness, to find the ecstasy of the stars, to find the dark mysterious secret of the origin of faceless wonderless crapulous civilization.

 

[Screwtape2]