I read this in a Yahoo news article:

As part of the masquerade, the investigators used the Social Security numbers of the people involved to dupe the phone companies into turning over the records. Although a frequent tactic, the trickery — known as “pretexting” — tests the bounds of California law.

How is pre-texting not fraud?  How is it not identity theft?

If a person says they are someone they are not, then that is fraud!  Plain and simple.  Dictionary.com‘s definition is very straightforward and is consistent with the above conclusion: dictionary.reference.com/search?q=fraud&x=0&y=0 

Is social activism another way to have cold feet?

Brad Pitt: I’ll marry when everyone can – Yahoo! News

Our world faces all sorts of problems.  We have seniors that need money for housing, food, and medical care.  We have people that need money to go to college or get training to get a better job.  We have blighted neighborhoods.  We have public schools that are sub par.  The list goes on and on.

Who do we look to for solutions?  Whose problems are these to solve?  Many people look to government.  Some look to the school board, local medical district, the city government, the county government, the state government, the national government, or even the United Nations.  But who should solve these problems?  What is the role of each of these layers of government?

Often times we hear stories about someone that needs help, and our initial response is, “Why isn’t government doing something for those people?”  We feel like we pay our taxes, and that we are personally unable to help the situation, so we expect the government to do something about it.  But this dynamic creates bigger and bigger government.  I also feel that it creates citizens that no longer view these problems as theirs to solve.

It is my belief that the difference between a democracy and other forms of governments is not just how leaders are selected, but the role that those leaders have.  In a true democracy, we do not elect temporary kings, rather, we as citizens feel the need to solve these problems.

Each level of government should be as little as possible.  The national government should limit itself to international security, international trade, and interstate issues.  The state governments should limit themselves to the narrowest issues.  The same with county and city governments.  The vast majority of problems should be left to individuals to solve.  Individuals that get together to solve these problems.  It is through this that the real responsibility of the individual to solve the problems will be kept in mind.

 

The professor walked into the classroom promptly at 1 PM, the beginning of class.  As he walked across the room to a front row seat on the far end of the classroom, he said, “Mr. Price, I believe you have problem to show us.”

 The previous class, he had asked for volunteers to work problem 1.  I had thought I could work out the solution, but as I went through my notes and tried to think through it on the board, I realized that I needed more time.  The professor had given me two more days to work on it.

 I had a solution worked out the previous night.  I had the proof figured out to several line by line statements.  I began to present my proof.  There were several parts where students had questions.   For 70 minutes I was there working the problem, answering the questions, explaining and re-explaining.  I did not feel nervous.  I did not freeze up.  I was completely focused on the problem, explaining, and answering the questions.  It was very fun!  It was very draining.  But I think I really would like to teach math more. 

Both a fellow student and the professor said I had done a good job.

No notes today.  We just worked problems on the board, and considering the embargo on getting help or helping with regard to those, I don’t want to do anything other than publish the problem.

WordNet – Princeton University Cognitive Science Laboratory

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