The Book That No One Read: June 2015

For all you would-be gardeners: sciophytes are not desert plants. Sciophytes are those plants that are used to growing under trees or in the lee of a mountain and wither in too much sunlight.

Ubiety (n)

If you want to get really technical or literal, Ubiety doesn't exist.

Especially if you already know velocity.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Havelock (n)

Popular hat add-on for gardeners, landscapers, roofers, and anyone else spending lots of time with their backs bent toward the sun.

I love havelocks. Especially when you get them wet, they'll keep you cool for about 10 minutes.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Educational Standards theory

To complete "primary education", students should complete a minimum of 10 necessary 'qualifications' in core disciplines in no particular order of importance:

Physical Science (chemistry, geology, physics, neurology, biology, etc)
Social Science (sociology, anthropology, archaeology, psychology, ecology, animal behavior, ethnology, etc)
Primary Language (reading, writing, critique, culture, etc)
Secondary Language (reading, writing, critique, culture, etc)
Fabrication (painting, sculpture, machining, shop, etc)
Mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, calculus, etc)
Civics (Politics, Civic systems, current events, geography, economics, environmentalism, entrepreneurship, etc)
Philosophy and Knowledge (logic, history, critical thinking, religion, etc)
Physical Education (athletics, sports, movement etc)
Life Skills (home maintenance, domestic skills, cooking, banking, sustainability, etc)
Technology (computers, programming, tools, invention, innovation, etc)
Additional Languages (reading, writing, critique, culture, etc)
Outdoor Education (ecology, outdoor survival, hiking, nature, etc as long as it is taught outdoors)
Culture (music, drama, literature, art, history, etc)
Interest (music, dance, drama... anything; including a second qualification in any interest)

A 'qualification' in this context would consist of 3 serial classes in a subject, showing increasing skill or mastery in that subject.

Students can earn a double qualification (6 classes), but that would not entirely excuse them from studying other disciplines. Based on the old theory that in order to be well-rounded, it is important that citizens have a diverse area of knowledge; not simply a specialization. Thus, students would be incentivized to study broadly, at least to a point. If students would rather specialize in, say 6 subjects a little more (over half of the baseline of 10 subjects), then they would need so show some mastery of those 6 subjects.

For the fun of it, I figured out a draft concept of this:

First Qualification (3 classes total) = +1 full token of "diversity understanding" or some such thing

Second Qualification (6 classes or credits) = +1/3 token of diversity understanding (student would now have 1 1/3 tokens of 10)

Third Qualification (taken a total of 9 classes in a single subject) = +2/3 token (now has 2 tokens)

Specialization (like an associate's degree; 3 more classes = 12 total) = +1 (= 3 tokens)

Additional focus after specialization (15 classes total) = +1/3 (= 3 1/3 tokens)

Sustained focus after specialization (18 classes) = +2/3 (= 4 tokens)

Double Specialization (approximately a Bachelors; 21 classes) = +1 (= 5 tokens)

Additional focus after Double Specialization (24 classes total) = +1/3 (= 5 1/3 tokens)

Sustained focus after specialization (27 classes) = +2/3 (= 6 tokens)

Triple Specialization (approximately a Masters degree; 30 classes) = +1 (= 7 tokens)

Additional focus after Double Specialization (33 classes total) = +1/3 (= 7 1/3 tokens)

Sustained focus after specialization (36 classes) = +2/3 (= 8 tokens)

Quadruple Specialization (approximately a Doctorate; 39 classes) = +1 (=9 total tokens)

And so on.. pattern repeating. Or, in another way to say it:

Single Qualification

Double Qualification

Triple Qualification

Specialization (~Associate)

Additional focus

Sustained focus

Double Specialization (~Bachelors)

Additional focus

Sustained focus

Triple Spcialization (~Masters)

Additional focus

Sustained focus

Quadruple Spcialization (~Doctorate)

3 classes

6 classes

9 classes

12 classes

15 classes

18 classes

21 classes

24 classes

27 classes

30 classes

33 classes

36 classes

39 classes

+1/3

+2/3

+1/3

+2/3

+1/3

+2/3

+1/3

+2/3

1 token

1.3

2 tokens

3.3

4 tokens

5 tokens

5.3

6 tokens

7 tokens

7.3

8 tokens

9 tokens

But even with a Quadruple Specialization, the student would have to achieve a single qualification in 5 more subjects. True that they would earn 14 tokens total. Which is well over 10... but just learning a tiny smattering of one other subject really wouldn't be a diversity of understanding, and thus would not qualify as a "complete primary education". Even a Quadruple Specialization in two subjects (ostensibly earning 18 tokens) would not count as a "complete primary education". It's not diverse. The student would still have to earn a single qualification in 4 more subjects (in total, earning 22 tokens, but who's counting at this point?).

Or, to put it another way:

Single Qualification	Double Qualification	Triple Qualification
3 classes	6 classes	9 classes
+1	+1/3	+2/3
1	1.333333333	2
2	2.666666667	4
3	4	6
4	5.333333333	8
5	6.666666667	10
6	8	12
7	9.333333333	14
8	10.66666667	16
9	12	18
10	13.33333333	20

(White spaces showing a successful "primary education")

So a student would still need to know something about 8 subjects if they earned a double qualification in each, only 6 subjects with a triple qualification, or higher in each. Or a Specialization in one subject (3 total tokens) plus 7 single qualifications in other subjects (7 more tokens), and -- taking one of those qualifications as an 'interest' as defined above -- the student still only has to know something 6 different subjects.

Which areas the student chooses to study shouldn't really be the concern. We need people to know a lot about all of these. Their choice in the matter will ensure that their qualifications and specializations are in something they actually care (at least a little) for. Thus, they will be the better candidate for that subject than someone who's just doing it for a general education requirement. Don't push English, or even physical science, in the requirement venue. Share how in-demand these skill are, how much hiring manager value this or that subject area. But requiring certain subjects just tends to hegemony. And who wants that?

That's certainly not the focus of this theory.

So there's my theory. I like it pretty well.

Any improvements are more than welcome. Can anyone else think of another category of courses?

Outing Template

Hello, --,

On Wednesday, June 20, we will be hiking the Goshawk Trail (Map). This weekend it will already be April! hope that most of you can make it. It should be a good hike, not too difficult, but make sure you take some good shoes and rain gear just in case. The trails may have a bit of mud out there and one never knows when the cold will come back in the mountains.

As was in the announcement, this trail is about 3.2 miles and is mostly gentle slopes. Keep a look out for the local geology and wildlife. We're hoping to see some early wildflowers. Perhaps something nice about climate change, at least in the short term.

There will be a carpool leaving the Arvada area at about 9:30. Bonnie Booth lives out in the Lafayette area and is willing to carpool if anyone else needs a ride to the Dowdy Draw Trailhead, where we'll all meet at 10:00. Contact her soon, there are only 2 real days until we head out. From there, we'll all travel to the Fowler Trailhead and sign in to the Sierra Club Hike. There will be a waiver to sign and I'll give the standard pep-talk.

I suggest everyone bring some snacks. Of course, everyone should have plenty of water. Bring a first aid kit if you have one or have any special medical needs. I will have a basic kit, but it is never bad to have more than one. I will have a map of the area, and a compass, but it is recommended that everyone have basic navigation equipment, method to make a fire, whistles or other simple communication device, a light, some emergency shelter, tools, and good clothing. For this activity, you should have short sleeved clothes for warm weather and plenty of sun block, but prepare for adverse weather. Have a good hat, shoes, and sunglasses, please.

Also, while we are hiking, please follow the Sierra Club Rules:

Leave No Trace

Stay on the trail and durable surfaces. Don't cut switchbacks, don't make new trails
Whatever you bring in, bring out. Dispose of waste and trash responsibly. Don't toilet too close to water.
Leave what is in nature where it belongs.
Minimal use of fire (in this case: none)
Respect the animals. Don't shout at them and don't feed them.
Consider others. When we break, keep the trail clear so others can get through without making new trails.

Also, remember that if you sign out for whatever reason, you cannot sign back in and you will probably disrupt the trip. Someone will try to escort you back to the trailhead.
If you become lost at dusk, we'll wait until dawn to start a search rather than searching through the night. It will be a very uncomfortable night for you (not so applicable - we will not be out that long)
If you Must Leave the Trail for some reason (to tinkle), leave your pack on it in your stead so we know where you are.
Sign the Waiver!

Thanks Again! Remember, the Sierra Club is largely funded by donations, so please consider becoming a Member of the Sierra Club or Donating a little funds for our outings. If you want more information about becoming a Outings Leader, please contact me!

See you on the Trail!

Edward R. Morrison

scholar and activist

primary email: Edward.Morrison@WesternAlum.Org

cell: 720-480-6197 ; routing: 303-578-8339

facebook: Scaea E. Coarnia (scaeascaea@yahoo.com)

twitter: @scaeascaea

google+: Edward R (ScaeaScaea@gmail.com)

Resources:

Sierra Club Handbook

Map

Google Adwords History

March 26 - I requested administrative access to the Colorado Youth Corps Association (it has a typo in the original email: 'Colorado Youth Corps Assocation') Google for Nonprofits account. Current administrators have 14 days to respond before Google reviews the account and transfers ownership.
April 9 - request for administrative access has been approved. Original owners have been "removed from the account and will no longer show as administrators. (typo still present).
April 15 - begin working on Google Grant again. I can manage One Today. I also decide that using this email is probably a bad idea and set up an email strictly to manage Association (CYCA) ads. This email isCYCA.AdManager@gmail.com
April 16 - CYCA.AdManager@gmail.com requests access to Google for Nonprofits. scaeascaea@gmail.comapproves request. (Copied and showing only the CYCA.AdManager@gmail.com emails below; for AdManager, the typo is fixed; for scaeascaea@gmail it is not.)
April 16 - I have problems setting up the account. The link in Google's PDF are outdated (PDF is still posted and should be removed, replaced with the site that is current). Calling Google, I have to cancelCYCA.AdManager@gmail.com access to AdWords account (notification shown below) I re-set up using the link onAd Grant Help - Ad Grant Creation Guide.
April 16 - I do successfully set up an account with CYCA.AdManager@gmail.com though the link at the Creation Guide bypassing billing and begin writing an ad. I leave it be for a bit, realizing that it is probably not yet fully set up.
Late April - After talking with the Executive Director, we decide to put some attention to this advertising opportunity. I go and write some ads, and try to get set up. I realize that I cannot make any ads live. Calling Google, I am told that there is still another account that administers this grant and is approved. But I don't know who it is. Thinking it might be that old original owner who was "removed from the account" in April, I try talking with the past Directors of the Association. No one knows the old account.
May 15 - reply to my questions from Google Adword Support by Jai. Sent in the above part of my Adwords history.
Because of failures mostly on my end, and my inability to locate past Resource Development lead Blaine McFeeley, we are unable to communicate and resolve issues until June 1. But, by the beginning of June, I can now access our Adwords Account through scaeascaea@gmail.com, and can view old ads and make new ones.
However, the account is disabled. Hoping to be able to re-enable this account.
June 15 - call to activate account, sent an email to authorize activations of scaeascaea@gmail.com @ 621-371-8608. Should be active and working tomorrow.

Edward M. Richardson

AmeriCorps DOI/VISTA, Colorado Youth Corps Association

primary email: Edward.Morrison@WesternAlum.Org

phone: 720-480-6197

Fax: 303-239-3933

BLM Colorado State Office

2850 Youngfield Street

Lakewood, Colorado 80215

You must Be the change for change to happen

Joke for June 23

What kind of Pants does Mario wear?

Sing it (decreasing tone):

Denim Denim Denim

Monday, June 22, 2015

Terms of Sexuality

I may be alone in this, but I really like the great "alphabet soup" acronym for sexuality.

I think it's funny.

It is funny to me because it is an open illustration of the absurdity of dividing people along whatever strange and mostly arbitrary boarders people devise for themselves. It is huge, and impossibly unwieldy, and ripe for growing even more. It is no where near complete, and never could be. ItsPronouncedMetroSexual produces a graphic called the Genderbread Man, which shows the infinite number of permutations available. You could be anything. Think of yourself as a little bit womanly, and somewhat manly; like to dress very femininely, but sometimes a little masculinely; have the body parts of a man (maybe sometimes wish you didn't, or maybe just that you also had women parts); be sexually attracted to women, most of the time; yet be romantically attracted to men, most of the time. Or any of those thoughts could have a certain range over the spectrum.

So far, the only acronyms that have made it into the soup that I have found are these:

L - Lesbian

G - Gay

B - Bisexual

T - Transgendered

T - Transsexual

T - Two Spirited

Q - Queer

Q - Questioning

I - Intersex

P - Pansexual

2S - 2 Spirited

A - Asexual

A - Allies

To be clear, this is impossible to use for a movement (I once tried to rearrange them into something like THANQSGIVING, but didn't get very far). Because of the little subdivisions, I don't think it should be used for an equality movement. It's not helpful to continue to subdivide ourselves. But, if we all have a point somewhere in this spectrum, then it ceases to be dividing. It becomes a soup, where we all can be. So I propose adding a few letters, such as:

S - Straight

M - Man

W - Women

B - Boys

G - Girls

and also,

F - Furry

Because they are an amazingly inclusive group.

So now we have the unpronounceable string:

LGBSTTMWQQIP2ABGAF

And we could keep adding to it. Plagarizing the GenderBread man, we could add:

B - Butch

F - femme

A - Androgynous

GN - Gender Neutral

M - MtF Female

M - Metrosexual

I also think the order should not matter one whit. Anytime it's typed, it could be randomized. Make a computer program to make it fast and easy and as a thank you, we can add:

P - Programmer.

Why not? It's not like anyone could tell what the specific letters are for anyway. That's not the point. The point is to make everyone equal. An alphabet soup. Add race in there, ethnicity, social class, wealth status. BAQFIGTMBBS2JIQALFWGFWNGPMHSTBPMAA!

At a certain point, this begins to drift away from the sexuality-inclusion movement, which has a need for unity and progress and the ability to communicate with those who don't understand. The LGBT/Queer/sexuality-inclusion movement (what ever term you want to use) has more distance to travel than race or women's rights at the moment. To be successful, as with all movements, it will take a diversity of approaches to dismantle the cultures of intolerance. Some being very proud and forthright, some being more reserved. Some being linguistic, and some being humorous.

LGBTTTQQIP2AA is too unwieldy to be used in conversation, but it could serve as a dictionary to educated the uneducated.

STAHWNQSBAABMBFIHJGTMBBS2IQALFGFPMGWT! is ridiculous, proudly so, and utterly pointless.

"Queer" can be unifying. Like "Negro", its unutterable cousin, or "Hispanic". But has the danger of creating that 'other word', which could be a long time to overcome.

Together, they have all of their strengths, and also all of their weaknesses. Until someone complains, I'll continue to say: FITBMBJS2AIQWMPTAQGWHSPBALFNGFAMBG! We are all our own soup.

Joke of the day for June 22

Did you hear about the kidnapping at the school!

....it's OK.

He woke up.

A Concern for World Class Customer Service

I am a loyal fan of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. Since moving to a city three years ago, it has been -- nearly exclusively -- the place where I shop. It is small, it is friendly, it has high product standards on everything it carries. It leads the progressive grocery trend; they don't even have trashy carry-out bags. So I don't have to walk a mile between the detergent and the milk; everything is quick and easy to find. The staff has always seemed happy to be working there. My own unsatisfiable moral code gets a bit of a label reading break. I have trusted Natural Grocers to have done much of that work for me. After all, they don't have trashy plastic carry-out bags and carry pasture-based dairy products. If Natural Grocers' carries it, is is likely to be more healthy, and more environmentally sustainable than most of the competition. I still have to work a little on each purchase, but it's not so damnably difficult. I was even proud to have worked there and been involved in healthy food and better business.

Yet I am afraid of some directions Natural Grocers is pursuing.

I believe a good portion of Natural Grocers customers are like me. They like the store because it has an identity very different from even Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Natural Grocers is intimate. Friendly. When I was first hired there, I was amazed by the demands of World Class Customer Service and, to be honest, balked a little. But, the ideal is well placed, and cannot argue with it. The other advertised core values of Natural Grocers are equally important: to be committed to the highest standards in the industry, to nutritional education, to their employees, and to being accessible (being affordable). All of these support our customers, and, in wholistic fashion, each point supports the others and thus supports the business as well.

As with anything good, vigilance is needed to preserve balance because balance is hard. Evil and wrong-headedness are often good ideas taken too far and thrown out of balance. Natural Grocers' recently went public. Which is a dangerous, dangerous thing for a progressive company to do. It's been hard on Google, and it's been hard on Natural Grocers. Public corporations' incessant and increasing demands for sales and money only support one or two of these ideals at a time, and tend to sacrifice of the others. Well before I left, I was able to see the stressful impact of increasing scrutiny on employees and management; which, despite our best efforts, were picked up by customers who would voice their disappointment. Detailed management undermines the sense of trust I first felt when I was hired, and the deflating loyalty of employees -- many of whom had worked there before going public -- was palpable.

Incremental sales became more of an issue as time wore on. Undermining previously genuine interactions with customers. Instead, we were being told more and more to push specific products during every transaction. Like little robot clerks. Because I am also a scientist, I thought it would be a fun experiment and dutifully followed orders to the letter. I told each and every customer about our specific sale (at the time Arnicare and Lutein) and what their benefits are. Predictably, most people (the vast majority) didn't care at all. So surrounded by advertisements in this culture, they didn't even seem to notice. In a day (over 200 customers), I would encounter around 10-15 who were truly annoyed. Because they had heard this before, often from me (how am I supposed to keep track of who I've already told? I see more than 200 people a day); or because they really, really do not want to hear a sales pitch. They come to Natural Grocers in the assumption and expectation that it'll be different here. Selling to them makes them incredibly disappointed, and instantly begins to alienate the customer base.

For that same day, I might sell 2 to 4 products.

Hm.

Granted, this is loose data from one poor salesman, but it is still somewhat suggestive.

I understand that there is a need in this culture to not only remain profitable, but to increase profits. I don't agree, but I wont argue here. I would, however, maintain that in the long run, Natural Grocers must work with the identity they already have. I like that identity. It is why I was first drawn and kept in the store; and it is why many other shoppers go there. Natural Grocers cannot just have higher standards than the competition, that detail is easily overlooked by many patrons. World Class Customer Service, however, is experienced daily and intimately and must remain compromised by mechanical sales techniques. Even if, in the short term, they don't see rising profits. Be patient. That's a virtue.

Natural Grocers may still be ahead of the curve, but it is in dangerous territory. It turned its back on one pillar on day one of it's corporate existence: their employees. This is a business employing and serving the progressive population. They will notice that you are not employee owned. They will notice as "customer service" becomes mechanical; they will notice when "nutritional education" becomes advertising; and they will notice if "highest standards" just becomes green-washing.

So don't let that happen.

Promote the opportunities to work out solutions. To question where the company is going. When I left, there was a depressingly unquestioning attitude present in these stores from baggers and cashiers to general store managers of acceptance. Committed order-taking behavior, no matter the order. This will allow the pillars to erode. Again, vigilance is an imperative part of maintaining an enlightened tract. Essential to any great organization is feedback from all levels of operation. It is a fundamental to Systems Thinking (a very interesting lens of thought, if you are interested). Bees do this very well; the cells of the body do it even better. When it becomes difficult to say 'no', or raise objections, then events like our recent banking crisis evolve (as is illustrated eloquently by Barbara Ehrenreich).

I was warned from questioning, but was not persuaded to remain quiet. I'm bad at that sometimes. In no way am I presuming to know everything, or even have a good understanding of the difficulties and intricacies of business. No one really knows everything about anything.

That is why it is important to consider many points of observation and thought.

When you do that, it will be easier to maintain the moral high road. It is the essence of democracy. Which, though faulty due to human stupidity, might be less faulty than other human systems.

Monstre sacre (n)

Like Bernie Sanders, or Johnny Depp.

Clepe (v)

More English Gibber: means to call or name

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Caparison

In a sense, the siding of your house.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Esoteric (adj)

A strange way to talk. Designed to exclude. Annoying. Obfuscation.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Joke for June 15

Why would a wizard have to go to the doctor?

...if they have a staff infection

Nithing (n)

English Gibber for a cowardly villain. Like Ivo Robotnik, or Scar, or Voldemort.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Joke for June 11

What's Beethoven's favorite fruit?

Ba! Na! Na! Naaa....

Inculcate (v)

A teaching method that tends not to work on the right brained.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Joke for June 10, 2015

The best first joke to add to your collection:

What does Little Caesars' use to cut their pizzas?

....Little Ceasars....

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Catholic (adj)

I never knew that at one time the word catholic meant "diverse" or "universal", broad, eclectic, liberal, diversified....

That certainly isn't what it means today. I suppose that, at one time, it was considered the "universal" way to think. That must be where the term for the faith comes from, but it is still somewhat strange.

Rixation (n)

English Gibber for a fight, argument, or brawl.

Edward M. Richardson

AmeriCorps DOI/VISTA, Colorado Youth Corps Association

primary email: Edward.Morrison@WesternAlum.Org

phone: 720-480-6197

Fax: 303-239-3933

BLM Colorado State Office

2850 Youngfield Street

Lakewood, Colorado 80215

You must Be the change for change to happen

Lessons from Frozen

Frozen obsession was so thick we are still slowly oozing out of it. Children and adults were taken with this aclassical princess tail, and with good reason. It is easy to imagine that you know some people like Elsa or Prince Hans, and you probably do. The relationships are dynamic, realistic, unique. Most people have lived (or will live) through some of these honest interpersonal situations. And on top of that: Fantasy! Fun, fantastic, audacious adventure! Inflicted on these poor, unsuspecting characters. It makes you want to be there.

It is all very romantic. But Frozen is more than just a thrill ride with well developed characters, as if that weren't enough for a successful movie. Beneath the veneer, there are complex themes and humble morals presented clear enough to be understood and without being preachy. Some of this is accessible for children. The most obvious lesson, that love is not just some romantic adventure between some guy and some gal, is overt enough to be subliminally implanted in the cortices of young girls (and boys: everyone likes Tangled) and shape them into wiser people. That lesson was so refreshing and universal the movie stapled itself into the Disney cannon like no movie since The Lion King. What parent can't appreciate that moral? And will allow their children to watch it over and over and over in a hope to build sibling camaraderie?

Hopefully, it plays enough for parents to catch other lessons that are more vague. Such as: don't be so over-protective that your children end up destroying the town and wandering into the mountains to be alone. Don't force your kids to be something their not, lest they never learn how to control their powers and use them constructively. These are lessons Professor Xavier would agree much with, even if his own superhero flicks tend to lack this level of depth.

In reality, no one has such fantastic powers. Instead, we have humble skills and abilities. They can't freeze a hole city, but they have an effect on the world around us just the same. Rather than grow up not understanding how to utilize your strengths, they must be explored and well understood.

This is most important for people who don't fit into the normal groove of live. Those with Autism, Asperger's, Down's, Tourette's, even Dyslexia and ADD. There is not always so much disability with such a diagnosis; and there is often some level of extra ability. Autism, most famously, has a number of savants. With incredible powers and incredible difficulties. Among the thousands or millions of people with autism, few will reach such a level of power; but often there is some sort of skill above what is generally expected of people. Tourette's can be linked with reflexes and good drumming. People with dyslexia often make the best writers, which is awesome. It shows how complicated the real world is.

This is what endears Frozen to me. A subtle celebration of diversity.

Monday, June 8, 2015

The Framing of Our Desolate Political Landscape

In nearly every aspect of our political discourse, there is a tendency toward the inane. It is a sad thing, which should not be so hard to change. There must be some sort of underlying psychological issue which, once more understood, we could rise above.

I got this call the other day:

"Hello! Can I talk to you for a moment, I am not selling anything and will not ask for any personal information. We only have a few survey questions. Your answers will help us."

Well, I am a scientist, so I consented. They didn't even take any personal information and probably didn't even know my phone number, having been auto-dialed in all likelihood. And as a scientist, I find their questions mildly bewildering for all their verbiage, they ask essentially nothing. I didn't know how to answer any of them. And their system was unable to comprehend the answers that I did give.

Question 1: Are you morally opposed to legalized gambling?

Morally? and Legally? Well... that requires a lot more than a yes/no answer. A yes/no answer doesn't begin to tell this researcher anything about my thoughts. They have given out too many variables.

Morally - I think gambling is dubious. I do not have anything against a gambler themselves, but the practice is well understood to be self-destructive and psychologically addictive. Which is unhealthy. Gambling is one of those slippery slopes people should be careful of. And yet it is there feett on that slope, not mine. It is not, in itself, damning. And it can be pursued in a healthy way. Theoretically. But it often leads to unwanted outcomes. Those who provide that slippery slope should probably be ashamed of themselves, and be shunned by a well-meaning citizenry, taking advantage of those less mathematically minded (or misfortunate) than themselves.

However, I do not think it is the government's place to illegalize it. Regulate it a bit, perhaps, provide protection in the interests of its citizens, yes. But that does not mean parenting the citizenry. Nor, necessarily, simplistic tariffs and taxes. It should get a little careful thought.Taxes on gambling income could be directly invested into help and care for those destroyed by gambling.

Question 2: Legalized gambling encourages gambling! or People are responsible for their own decisions and gambling is a good source of state revenue.

Which do I agree with?

First - why are these posited against each other? They are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, all three of these points are rather true; though the last one is a bad idea. There are too many variables and too much being ignored in these little polarizing statements

I am not sure of the effect of legalized gambling. In the whole picture, who could be? Certainly, it would make it easier, on a large scale, to participate in gambling. But people will probably do it regardless. Really, it will make it a lot easier for someone big to bully someone small. That worries me more, and should not be a source of revenue for a government which (ideally) should be helping people. Of the people, for the people, by the people, as our democracy originally decreed. Part of that mission would be a little protection from powerful bullies people cannot protect themselves from.

But as they said, people are ultimately responsible for their own actions, and we can't just blame the casinos or expect government to walk us through life like the over-protective parent of their first-born toddler. A good person will remain firm, resolute, and unwavering in the face of coercion, temptation, brainwashing, and seduction. Those who succumb... well, they get what is coming to them. Survival of the fittest. Never mind that even the Buddha and Jesus acknowledge the power of temptation over their human hearts, there are plenty of people (most people) who don't get addicted to gambling.

Oh, but... perhaps a societal ill is acceptable if the state can profit? Though I would question how they intend to accomplish anything positive by pursuing something negative, I would also like to know what these profits would be used for.

They couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me the answer to that.

At least the first two points are true... but I the last is a bad, bad slope. The wrong thing for government to do. Government is not, and should not, just be a business profiting off of the fates of its people.

Question 3: Would you support legislation allowing increased gambling at Arapaho Race Track?

Well... I am not really a part of this argument anymore. Not being connected in anyway to the racetrack or even Arapaho county. I dunno where the money is going, I don't know what tycoons are for and against it. I don't quite have the requisite arrogance to feel comfortable weighing in at all, especially since all of the nuance in this essay is lost on my interviewer.

And yet, I am expected to. It feels vaguely unfair.

Most issues seem to be framed this way. With belittling buzzwordy choices which are both true. As if they tell anyone anything meaningful other than: "hey There's contention and unrest here! Maybe we can divide people along another superficial issue without approaching the real issues at all!

Hey! Do you want to give the state all your hard EARNED* money!

Hey! The state doesn't need any money. Let it wither and die!

Neither of these points are supportable as they are. The real questions are deeper. Where does this money go? Is it being used wisely? The government does need revenue, if you think there should be a government at all. But the government also needs to be wise in their spending.