=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= = F.U.C.K. - Fucked Up College Kids - Born Jan. 24th, 1993 - F.U.C.K. = =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Mind as a Muscle -------------------- I'm not a Fucked Up College Kid, I am a Fucked Up College Professor (FUCP). I am amazed, bewildered and outraged at the complete lack of experience my students, and the populace from which they come, have in the area of critical thinking. Here are two sample test questions from a recent exam: How fast is a memory chip labeled MB-81256-10? What would you plug into a high-density DB-15 connector on the back of a PC? The answers are, respectively, 100 nanoseconds and a VGA monitor. One of my students answered "motherboard" to the first question and "yes" to the second. Not only did this student not know the answer to the question, he did not even attempt to answer the question using correct english syntax. A "How fast..." query obviously can not be answered with "motherboard." A "What would..." query is obviously not going to be satisfied with a "yes" answer. I was at a friend's house some time ago and his (adult) sister called him on the telephone to ask him what 1 and 1/3 cups minus 2/3 cups was. Was this beyond her mental capabilities? No, she is a person of at least average intelligence. The simple fact is that she is out of practice in the art of thinking. She is suffering from nothing other than laziness. I edit the alt.2600 FAQ on Usenet and frequent that newsgroup regularly. I constantly answer questions that could be answered by either a minor dose of common sense or a few moments of experimentation. People constantly ask for pointers to files they could find themselves in less than 10 minutes of searching. Freqently, people ask for help using programs described in the Unix online manual pages. Occasionally, I will quote man pages directly in response. These people are not "challenged" in any way, they are simply avoiding the process of thoughtful research. Have you ever gone out to dinner with someone who is unable to determine how much to tip the waitperson? Is determining 15% of the bill an incredible feat of mathematics? No, it is simply that many (if not most) people are too lazy to force themselves to think the problem through. Drop the rightmost digit of the bill (convert 46.42 to 4.64)and add half of that number to itself (add 2.32 and 4.64). Your sum, and your tip, is 6.96. Round up to $7.00 and continue on with your life. All of these instances reflect one fact: The mind is a muscle. If you use it regularly, it will be strong and healthy. If you let it atrophy, it will shrivel up into uselessness. Even the dumbest of college athletes realizes that if he does not work out and excercise his body, it will not perform for him when he needs it to. And yet we restrict our minds to a life of idleness, separated from the mental exercise which would make them strong. Next time you find yourself sitting back on your couch, watching Beavis & Butthead and eating Twinkies(tm), consider getting your lazy ass up and finding some constructive excercise for your body and your mind. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= = Questions, Comments, Bitches, Ideas, Rants, Death Threats, etc etc... = = Internet : jericho@netcom.com (Mail is welcomed) = =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= = Chemical Persuasion 203.324.0894 Celestial Woodlands 214.252.6455 = = Ionic Destruction 215.722.0570 Hacker's Haven 303.343.4053 = = E.L.F. (NUP) 314.272.3426 Misery 318.625.4532 = = Dungeon Sys. Inc. 410.263.2258 Psykodelik Images 407.834.4576 = = Paradise Lost 414.476.3181 (Your Board Here!@#$!) = = Digital Fallout 516.378.6640 Bad Trip 615-870-8805 = = Plan 9 716.881.3663 Deadly Intoxication 801.553.8644 = = Purple Hell 806.791.0747 Logikal Nonsence XXX.XXX.XXXX = = PuRe EViL (NUP) 905.XXX.XXXX The Keg 914.234.9674 = = =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= = Files through Anonymous FTP: FTP.NETCOM.COM - cd /pub/il/illusion/fuck = = FTP.FC.NET - cd /pub/deadkat/misc/fuck = = FTP.WINTERNET.COM - cd /users/craigb/fuck = = http://www.ora.com:8080/johnl/e-zine-list/zines/fuck.html = =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=