THE GENERAL ELECTION 2008

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Oh, I think Sowell takes the Iran threat very seriously. Too bad you don't.

I have a major in History, if anyone else is scoring at home.

I've always trouble to understand that.
Can someone please explain in simple words what exactly those 'majors' and 'minors' are?

(I'd thought, tico, you'd studied law?)

Sorry, my bad: I always forget that you study at college what we learn during our time at school there. (At least that's how I interpret the wiki entry.)

I did, Walter. In Law School.

In my undergraduate school ("University") -- before Law School -- I studied many subjects, but had a couple of majors (no minors) ... one of which was History. And so I have a Bachelor's degree in History.

A "major" is basically a concentration of study during one's undergraduate studies -- sort of a specialization or a core curriculum. A "minor" is a lesser concentration of study in a different area.

Thanks, Tico.

(Due to "globalisation", we get or already got those 'undergraduate studies' now here, too. - When I studied 'history', I just and only studied history.)

You do? You're more interesting than I realized. I didn't mention anything about a degree as I didn't see that to be relevent to the discussion at the time. I have read a lot of Thomas Sowell, however, and it considerably expanded my education. He covers some stuff you don't get in the run of the mill college course and he has a wonderful way of cutting through the crap to get to the heart of an issue.

But then we don't expect the run of the mill detractors to actually discuss the ideas within a concept do we. So much easier to make inane insults re the messenger and/or do other ad hominem either overtly or by inference.

Walter, in an American University the requirements for a Bachelor's degree are the equivalent of 4 years of study--ranging between 120 and 130 credit hours--that includes a broad base curriculum including exposure to language, math, science, history, and the arts plus at some point the student must declare at least one major course of study which involves a lot more hours in that subject to complete the major. As most students dont want to be a one-trick-pony, they will choose a second major or one or more minor subjects in a discipline different from their declared major.
Some students can complete their Bachelors Degree in 3 years or less and some might take much longer because of limited time to attend classes or having to repeat classes or dropping out for awhile to work or whatever.

If you complete one major you get one bachelor's degree. If you have dual majors, you get two degrees, etc. You get recognition for a minor degree but you can't graduate with just a minor in a subject.

A master's degree is the next level in one's discipline and generally requires an average of about 36 or so additional credit hours of coursework after the Bachelor's degree.

The PhD is the top degree and can include required coursework and/or can be designed by the University for a specific discipline--it usually requires at least a few years to complete a PhD.

Thanks, Foxfyre.

We had to do such at grammar school - at univeristy, we 'only' study those subjects related to the ... well, stufied subject. (For instance, history includes the major fields of study old [Roman and Greek] history, Medieval history and new/newest history. For the MA you either can choose one additional subject [with an equal examination at the end] or two - what I did [law and poltical sciences].
[Due to the subject, 'social work' includes a broader spectrum of subjects.]

Sorry for the inerruption.

One correction, FF. I dual majored, but only received one undergraduate degree.

Your second major didn't count? Or you didn't finish it?

It counted, and I finished it ... still, just the one Bachelor's degree with a dual major.

From wikipedia ....

No interruption. We sort of slid into the subject courtesy of a member who seemed to have an unusual interest in member credentials. Here undergraduate work in the university is anything between a highschool diploma and the Bachelor's degree. Below that is pre-school (3-4 year olds), Kindergarten (5 year olds), Elementary school, Usually 1st through 6th grade, Middle School 7th through 9th, and Highschool 10th through 12th with some variations depending on states and school districts. Each grade normally requires one year of study.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/meanwhile-in-mccainland-a_b_104949.html

Meanwhile In McCainland... A Whole Lot Of Nothing
Posted June 5, 2008 | 03:14 PM (EST)

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- I live here, in John McCain's roundhouse, in the Maverick's back yard, the home state of the Rupublican Party's presumptive nominee. I signed up at the McCain's website a month or so ago to see how the campaign was gearing up for the general election. I filled out an online form to be contacted for local happenings. I sent an email letting them know that I'd like to know what's happening.

I received a grand total of zero emails in response.

Last Tuesday, Bush and McCain hosted a local fundraiser on the same day that Michelle Obama hosted a local fundraiser. The McCain campaign rented a reception room about a block away from the reception room rented by the Obama campaign. Although the Obama fundraiser was sold out, McCain had to move his to a more "intimate setting" -- with the president of the United States in tow.

I decided that I must be missing something. This is John McCain's home state of thirty years. He must have events happening here, a troupe of highly motivated supporters and organizers throughout the state making battle plans. I thought maybe there was just a problem with the McCain Arizona webteam, a few inept techies failing to send emails to local supporters. Maybe they're relying on old-fashioned phone trees or word of mouth.

So, I went to the McCain website and clicked on State Contact Information. Surprise, surprise. There is no contact information for any office in Arizona. Again, I thought, their webteam must be inept -- I mean, they failed to put any Arizona contact information on the page.

So, I called headquarters, which, by the way, is located in Virginia (a pretty good indicator that McCain is more at home in DC than Arizona).

I pushed #3 for "Interested in Volunteering" and was patched through to a guy named John (not the John, I hoped, but wondering at that point whether in fact his campaign was that pitiful.

I said: "John, what's happening in Arizona?" and John informed me that the McCain campaign does not have state operations up and running yet in Arizona, but they are working on it.

Incredulously, I retorted, "You mean to tell me that there is nothing happening in John McCain's home state?" He sheepishly responded, "Not yet."

I called the Obama headquarters to see what they would say about getting involved in Arizona. After all, they don't have an office here either, and maybe they would give the same answer. Again, I pressed the number for "Interested in Volunteering" (this option is number one for Obama but three for McCain) and was connected to a lady who asked if I had web access and then told me how to go to the Obama website, register, look up events, join local groups, invite my friends, and even post an event of my own. She actually went to the website herself and listed off local groups I might be interested in joining and events I might be interested in attending. This was Tuesday night, election night.

On the Obama side, there was this watch party and that watch party and this voter registration drive and this book club party for Dreams of My Father and 22 other events within 250 miles of my house. Today is Thursday and at 10:30 a.m. there are 25 events scheduled in the same radius.

I thought, this can't be right. John McCain cannot possibly have organized nothing in his home state while Barack Obama has a plethora of events organized by ordinary citizens right here in the Maverick's backyard?

So, I called John McCain's headquarters again, just to confirm. This time I wanted to talk to someone other than John. To my disbelief a woman named Hillary answered the phone. I paused. Hillary, I'm not kidding. I told her that that was ironic, her name and her working with John to elect a Republican president. Clearly piqued, she remarked, "I get that a lot."

I told Hillary that I had just spoken with John (again, not the John) who told me nothing is happening in McCain's home state of Arizona. She confirmed that, indeed, nothing is happening in Arizona with the McCain campaign but that efforts are currently underway to setup a campaign office somewhere in McCain's home state.

She told me to call back in a week or two.

Meantime, I'll keep reporting on the dozens of Obama events.

That's odd. I typed in a generic search and immediately came up with McCain offices with addresses, telephone and fax numbers in Phoenix, Tempe, and Tuscon. Seem like your source didn't do very careful homework Butrfly.

SEE HERE

Complete and utter hogwash. What a maroon. Is this someone you hold in high esteem, Butterflynet?

Real Arizona Republicans are not at a loss to figure out how to volunteer for the McCain campaign. My wife has volunteered for McCain's campaign for months .... and guess what? She goes to one of the McCain campaign offices in Phoenix when she does.

No McCain campaign office in Arizona? Nonsense.

Some info about the educational system in Germany.

Interesting Walter. You're lucky that your federal government doesn't meddle in your schools that much and I suspect kids overall probably get a better education in Germany than kids in public school below University level get here--generally our school system below University level sucks.

President Bush has attempted to remedy that somewhat and in fact No Child Left Behind has forced improvement in some substandard schools and has narrowed the gap between the more privileged and less privileged students, It neverthless has some serious flaw, however, and it needs to be overhauled. So far I haven't seen a whole lot of interest in education expressed by either McCain or Obama so don't know what to expect from either.