The Conversation

ConBlog temporarily down

2005-01-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

The KUOW management is trying to decide whether they want staff members to do blogs.

What do you want your lawmakers to do?

2005-01-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

We hear from Washington State Republican and Democratic leaders in the State House and Senate, labor, business and education leaders, and listeners.

Rico I would like to see the end of commercial crabbing in Puget Sound (not the Pacific but just the Sound).

Gary (Minton) Recent report says about 22% of state budget used for Medicaid. A large fraction of this is used by seniors in nursing homes. The report states there are many seniors who are hiding assets, and who need not be using state support given these assets (we are not talking about their homes but liquid assets such as stocks and bonds). Meanwhile, health care is being denied impoverished children. What will the legislature do about this.

Not enough HDTV for your fancy new tv?

2005-01-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

Put art on it.

Don't trust the media! Part 1

2005-01-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

Chicago Sun-Times publishes 2003 stock tables.

How do I help tsunami victims?

2005-01-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

This site describes all the groups providing help and links to their web sites.

I'd rather not read this first thing in the morning.

2005-01-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

The Cascadia fault, a 600-mile-long collision between two chunks of the earth's crust off the Pacific Northwest coast, has been quiet for a long time, and that is not a comforting fact.

Why speak a foreign language?

2005-01-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

No one could think of a reason not to.

Foreign words with no English equivalent

2005-01-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

Wesley From Taiwanese Mandarin. Ma Ma Hoo Hoo Literally means "Horse Horse, Tiger Tiger". It means your opinion of something is below average or "ok" in a less than ideal way.

Tara Seattle I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Solomon Islands for two years and learned to speak Solomon Islands pidgin English. My favorite pidgin phrase that doesn't really translate is "mi les" (pronounced "me laze"). Its origin is roughly to be lazy, but to be lazy for a specific thing. For example, if someone asks if you like a certain food, "mi les" means you don't really like it, but not strongly enough to hate it. Or perhaps if someone asks if you'd like to go somewhere, "mi les" means you don't really feel like it.
Perhaps a good slang translation would be "I'm not into it".

Steve & Marla Wallingford, Seattle … a favorite word to share that's as handy for us here in Seattle as in the cold, dark rainy winters of the Netherlands where it comes from: gezellig (pronounced kind of similar to "challah" bread). It means something akin to cozy-togetherness....a state of being together with friends in a nice cozy spot. Wishing you and your listeners a gezellig New Year!

Matt Woodinville I think that understanding a foreign language allows insight into culture, but more importantly into the way that people form ideas and opinions. Mandarin (like other Chinese dialects) is mono-syllabic (each syllable is a discreet word or concept). They can be joined together to make more complex words, so “QiChi” (pronounced Chi – Chur) means car, but is literally “go-fast”. I think this sort of joining of new ideas is emblematic of asian culture (accepting new things, adopting new concepts, etc).
Anyway, here’s a joke that I enjoy telling to my friends in asia.
If you speak three languages, we say you are tri-lingual
If you speak two languages, we call you Bi-lingual,
But if you only speak one language, you must be an American!

Jeff BBC Article about 'Ilunga', judged the most untranslatable word... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3830521.stm
Two other words that I've recently encountered along the same lines:
1. attaccabottoni - (Italy) a bore who buttonholes people and tells sad, pointless stories.
2. mamihlapinatapei - (Tierra Del Fuego) looking into each other's eyes, each hoping the other will initiate what both want to do but neither chooses to commence.

Howard Seattle The German word "Umstandskraemer" describes a person who is always looking for problems where there don't seem to be any. It is more descriptive than our "nitpicker", more like "noodge, which I think is originally Yiddish.

Gwendolyn In German, the word famously untranslatable word "Gemuetlichkeit" (ge-MOOT-lich-keit) is translated in dictionaries as "coziness", "snugness", or "sociability". This doesn't even come close to the meaning of the word as I, a native English speaker, understand it. I would also add to that "laid-back, carefree atmosphere", or "the indescribable feeling you get while sitting in a beer garden with a large mug of crisp beer and some good friends on a warm August afternoon under the shade of an enormous chestnut tree". Germans are proud to have this word, as well they should be.

Rats as big as raccoons!

2005-01-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

Florida Keys fright. African Gambian Pouch rats.

Your 2004!

2004-12-30T14:02:00.001-08:00

Why rely on what the pundits say about the past year? We've all got our own lives.

Mike 2004 Started with my car dying. An ex-girlfriend came to me from her abusive husband and then went back. My cousin's husband of 25 years died of Lukemia. I lost a bid on a great house because the company I worked for closed their doors for good and I was out of a job.
I received a pinched nerve in my neck that was very painful and debilitating. One of my mentors that I've known for 20 years died of cancer. I won first place in a national art contest for my sketchbook. I got a brand new Scion TC that is the best car I've owned. The worst presidential election result ever. I'm glad 2004 is over. I hope and pray that 2005 will be better.

Zoe The love of my life and I were able to be legally married, in the brief span of allowed time in Portland. We were validated by our family in a wonderful celebration, in which even my grandparents came to be with us. I felt my heart settle in my chest and my blood running more fluidly in my veins for after 10 years of loving my wife, our love was concecrated at last. For this we are so grateful.

John I'll remember 2004 ...for the five weeks I spent at UW Medical Center getting a blood stem cell transplant. The docs and nurses there and at SCCA (seattle cancer care affiliate) were all great, not just because they saved my life but they made a difficult time seem easy. Send them my love. I'm sitting here and I can say 'Happy New Year!' and my recent 6 month evaluation came back clear and cancer free. I can't complain. It changed my life and I'm getting into a whole new line of much more fulfilling work, and better for the community too.

2004 Poems and Haukus

incognito

This year began with a snow
That trapped me with no where to go.
Being stuck with a boy from my work,
I discovered he wasn’t a jerk
And finally decided to stop saying no.

Sandra I was single for over 25 years and got married this year.

Got married this year
Gone Twenty five years single
must communicate

Anonmyous

21 years done
Sedona becomes a home
I'm eddying out.

Michelle, Redmond

Baseball a plenty
First Passport, trip to England
Five Spot Proposal

Janet, North Ballard

The bad:
Parted from the love of my life
My dog died
Diagnosed with a benign tumor
The heartbreak of the election

The Good:
Studies are going well
Surgery to remove my tumor went well
I am getting my life back

Holding hope for 2005

Carsten

Explosions profound
Murky seasons abound-
O' Discordia!

Carl

sick and wondering
will new liver come
wife is there like spring

The best damn year in review column.

2004-12-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

From Rick Anderson at the Seattle Weekly.

No blush!

2004-12-29T15:02:00.000-08:00

You're Fired!

Property rights versus Growth Management

2004-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

Two issues this week in the never ending dispute which afflicts every high growth area, like Western Washington, where grunge may be gone, but property values just keep going up and up and up....

Alex
http://www.ij.org/private_property/connecticut/12_9_04pr.html

more links

King County Council Adopts Updates to Critical Areas, Clearing & Grading, and Stormwater Ordinances, King County http://www.metrokc.gov/ddes/cao/
Locke sanctions Snohomish county for allowing car dealership to expand http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/04/12/29/100loc_sanctions.cfm
State Planning and Growth Management Database: Washington http://www.urbanfutures.org/state.cfm?state=Washington
http://www.researchcouncil.org/Briefs/2002/PB02-9/Reviewing_Growth_Management.htm
Reviewing Growth Management Washington Research Council http://www.researchcouncil.org/Briefs/2002/PB02-9/Reviewing_Growth_Management.htm

Lowlights of 2004

2004-12-28T14:32:00.000-08:00

Memo to self - don't the leave the car unlocked while streaking through Denny's.

Ecstasy for terminal cancer patients?

2004-12-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

It seems they're about to try it for despondent people who are having difficulty talking about it. Can club drugs be the answer?

Workplace bullying

2004-12-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

We asked if anyone had been bullied in the workplace and got an earful. Washington State may join four others in laws requiring to businesses to have policies discouraging bullying.

Scott The invention of the concept of ‘Workplace Bullying’ seems like someone has way too much time on their hands.... Being a supervisor of a department of more than 40 employees, I am very conscious of any situation where either I or one of my staff may be perceived as being aggressive, threatening, intimidating or simply not showing others respect. I feel compelled to take swift and decisive action when any employee is uncomfortable with any interaction here at my store. Additionally I have modified my management style so as to minimize any exposure I would create when disciplining, counseling, or coaching an employee. I feel that the RCWs that exist right now may be tilted towards the employee a little too much, but that they are built that way (and necessarily so) to get employers’ attention and effect culture change. Adding new legislation and definitions to include ‘bullying’ would only feed the needs of lawyers and legislators and do little to improve conditions for anyone. If they are brought to fruition, it will be just one more reason businesses will downgrade Washington State when looking for places to set up shop. The current laws are more than adequate and will serve any employee that understands their rights very, very well. Rather than new legislation, and the bureaucracy that would surely sprout from it, we should dedicate any funding that would be required to an education campaign for both employers and employees on the current laws already on the books. I have to believe that would do much more than putting into action another law most people will never know about.

Laura I own a small company with 9 employees. One (female) 20-year-old new hire started bullying a co-worker (also female) about three months after she was hired. The co-worker came to me with complaints about this new hire, with some specific examples of the problem behaviors. We spoke to the new hire about her behavior, and she started being more sneaky but did not change, so we fired her. I still have not figured out her motive, but we did not and will not tollerate that behavior at our company.
We did not need a law, or even a written policy; we just saw something wrong and delt with it. I don't know if a law will be a good idea or not; as an employer we have all kinds of red tape all ready. I am rather hesitant to accept this as a law. As a fair and reasonable employer, from my point of view a law is not necessary. It is too bad that our world is such that laws are needed to regulate behavior that should just be common sense, courtesy, and consideration.

Vince work place bullying? please. this is the political correctness agenda run off to its silly extremes. we all experience bullying. usually in about 3rd grade, on the playground. and we all (need to) learn to deal with it. it's called growing up. will you also do a show on wimps in the workplace?

anonymous: The caller who said that people just need to speak up for themselves are not considering the people who desperately need the job that they have. It’s not easy to speak out if you’re afraid that you’ll lose your job for doing so and he’s living in a fantasy land if he thinks just bringing it up will take care of the problem. It’s much more complicated than that.

Steve I prefer the word "Mobbing" to describe bullying in the work place. The bully boss is very rarely alone in any form of attack on workers. In the academic, governmental, or not-for-profit sector bullying and/or emotional intimidation is rampant. The book "Mobbing: emotional abuse in the workplace" may be one of the best resources available on this issue.

Dave in Lynnwood "Carrot and the stick"; "good cop / bad cop", are well-known motivational axioms. As an IT project manager of 25 years, I learned to make a point of maximizing the carrot and minimizing the stick. My team knew the stick was always there, and the few times I felt the need to wield it, it had a lot more impact. My experience is that those in a supervisory capacity that use the stick too much get a good short-term response, but its effectiveness burns out quickly, leaving rancor, divisiveness, and low morale in its wake.

Melissa in Beacon Hill Your definition of a bully boss fits my old boss perfectly. As a new
employee at a local biotech company, things seemed fine for the first few months. While firm, my new boss seemed fair. Once I got engaged, things changed drastically. This person found every mistake I made an opportunity to humiliate and belittle me. Examples include: yelling at me in front of co-workers, refusing requests for vacation time, and putting me through probation periods. As time wore on, I started having physical symptoms, including disrupted sleep and an ulcer. What's worse, no matter what I said to the human resources dept., nothing was done. I finally started interviewing for other jobs, and now am working for a wonderful person who
is actually capable of communication and respectful management. Thanks for addressing this important topic!

Should Dino throw in the towl?

2004-12-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

Our interminable governor's election race continues. Today we asked if Republican Dino Rossi (won the election and the first recount) should concede to Democrat Christine Gregoire (won the second recount) or fight on in the courts. Aside from those alternatives listeners suggested flipping a coin or splitting the term, each serving two years.

Dan We can do it like the we did the witches back in the day. We light them both on fire, and the one that comes out alive is the TRUE governor of Washington.

Bob, Seattle I voted for Gregoire. But as I see it, Rossi has the legal right to pursue the election as far as the law allows. Given the closeness of the election he has the incentive to do so. Once the legal questions have been taken as far as they can go, one candidate or the other should concede.

Michael I believe that both candidates should use every legal means they can. All this legal action of the close election means that the system is working and will work itself out. However, I believe that without a runoff we will never truly know who got the most votes.

Syl, Central Area What are the reasons that the Republicans allege that some votes were unfairly rejected? When the Dems were alleging the same we knew many specific details. We don't know the details upon which the Repubs. allege that votes were illegally or unfairly rejected. Can you tell us this?

George What I'm surprised about is the lack of interest in WHY we have an election this close. I've heard that this is the closest election in American history, certainly Wa. history. What are the political forces that lead to a state so closely divided?

Virgil Regardless of who our next governor is, let us not forget that Ron Sims is responsible for the mess. Had he urged his primary (democratic) voters to switch their support to Chris G. after she beat the pants off him, the present situation would not exist.

Mia Seattle I'm a high school senior watching this election closely. I couldn't vote, but I supported Rossi. The first count was not good enough, and neither is the second count. The margins are to small to declare a winner. I know it takes more time and money, but I believe we owe it to ourselves to make sure all the votes are counted. Why settle?

jeff seattle I don't think, as a recent caller suggested that you stop counting votes simply because there's a clock that runs out -- that only build in an incentive for people who would twist the outcome to stall. If the Republicans can find votes parallel to the King County votes -- votes that were proper in every legal requirement but overlooked or misfiled -- in King or other counties, we should *mandate* they, and all such votes (not cherry-picked or on an uneven county-by-county standard) be counted.

Will we get a governor for Christmas?

2004-12-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

Washington State is still waiting to find out who the next governor will be. Is the drawn out process of recount, re-recount, and court challenges a fiasco? Or is the process just working itself out.

Amy What do these continuous legal challenges teach our children? That if they yell loud enough for long enough they will eventually get their way? That if we don't like the hand life deals us we should go to court? What ever happened to shaking your opponent's hand, offering congratulations, and bowing out gracefully?

Ron A revote is the only reasonable option. The fact is all human designed systems will have a margin of error the question is only weather or not we recognize that accuracy rate. Given the extremely close margin in this vote, we must revote and allow our citizens to decide the issue
knowing what they know now.
Frankly we ought to both admit the error rate of our election system and work to minimize it by treating our votes with the same sanctity we give to our dollars.

V. Hi Ross:
While it's rather unfortunate that some King County ballots got left out, it is remarkable how efficient and precise the counting has been over all. A 1000-vote error out of a million votes is
0.1%. According to this report, http://www.hss.caltech.edu/~voting/CalTech_MIT_Report_Version2.pdf the average error rates in 2000 were:
1.3 % - paper vballots
1.7% - lever machines
1.2% - optical scanning
1.6% - touch screen
2.0% - hand count
As you can see we are doing exceptionally well. I think this election exposes the flaws in a winner-take-all system. Maybe the winner could be governor for the first 2 years and the runner-up the following 2 years. That would be fair to all the voters.

Barbara Tacoma I wish you would have given more time to Allen towards the end of your program to express his more rational views rather than fritter it all away on the ill-conceived views from that shrill, rabid "Charlie," who spewed his Ann Coulteresque nonsense nonstop. When I talk to people of other political beliefs, I do my best to show respect and not get into namecalling and trash talk, ala Rush Limbaugh. But there is a certain breed of Republican who thinks it's just fine to engage in this sort of political putdown. What's even more appalling is that half the time they rely on stereotypes that don't necessarily hold any basis in reality. A case in point: "Charlie" made an erroneous illusion to Republicans using banks and Democrats using "casinos," apparently in an attempt to belittle Democrats and to imply that they are financially irresponsible. According to Bankrate.com, Democrats in general exhibit more financially responsible behavior than Republicans. Here's the paragraph and the URL: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/financial-literacy2004/whos-literate.asp

3rd Annual Holiday Song Show!

2004-12-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

Today we held our 3rd annual Holiday Song Show. We got a lot of positive feedback on the show, but one song was especially beloved. It's called "Blue Balls" and you can hear it here.

You can also hear the rest of the songs we got, including the truly amazing "Christmas in Mordor".

And here's one song that we got that we couldn't include, but should get an
honorable mention nonetheless.

It's never too late to start submitting your original holiday songs for next year, either. You can email us lyrics or mp3s to us, or drop submissions (CD is preferred, or sheet music or lyrics) in the mail to:

The Conversation Holiday Music Show
4518 University Way NE, Suite 310
Seattle, WA 98105

Next year, we'd love to include mash-ups. Don't know what a mash-up is? Check out this article , or go here to listen to some mash-ups of rap artist Jay-Z and rock band Weezer.

Tired of only voting for only one candidate?

2004-12-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

Then maybe you'd like Instant Runoff Voting. Or maybe you'd like another method of multiple choice voting called Condorcet. Confused by it all? Perhaps Scientific American can straighten it out for you. Or you'll find your answers here. I still think it's a little confusing. But some have no sympathy for the likes of me.

Drew If you cannot figure out how instant runoff voting works, and are confused by it, good! You probably shouldn't be voting if you're that dumb.

Cheri Where can I sign the IRV petition? Here.

Joe Is it any wonder the Republican party, the party that is reknown for being the party of the wealthy minority, is against a fairer way of voting? Could they be anymore transparent?

Tel Sammamish, WA I think IRV would be pretty great. It would encourage a much greater diversity of ideas in our political process by increasing the impact of small parties, though I don’t think it would immediately get small party candidates elected. Democrats and Republicans don’t like it because it would force them to recognize as legitimate points of view that are outside the small political spectrum that they occupy instead of, as is the current norm, disregarding them or villainizing small party candidates for “stealing” votes. Debate, including political debate, is enriched by a greater variety of ideas.
PS Toby Nixon, the State Representative for the 45th Legislative District supports I-318 and he’s a Republican.

What should the Democrats do next?

2004-12-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

We got lots of ideas. Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, co-chair of the Kerry Campaign on Washington State, said that Michael Moore provided much ammunition for Republicans to use against Kerry. That didn't go done very well with Beverly from Seattle.

Congressman Smith: With all due respect, I greatly resent your scapegoating of Michael Moore and MoveOn for the loss that John Kerry ultimately needs to take responsibility for. MoveOn raised millions and millions of dollars for the Kerry Campaign and sent thousands of volunteers and paid staff into the field. Without MoveOn and other 527's, Kerry's numbers wouldn't have been as high as they were. Again, Michael Moore was not the problem. A strong Democratic message would have trumped and triumphed over everything.

Should parents listen in on their kids phone calls?

2004-12-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

Turns out it's illegal in Washington State. Some parents are outraged and want to be exempt from privacy laws that prohibit eavesdropping on their kids phone calls. A state senator says she'll introduce a law to allow parents to listen in to their kids calls until they turn 18. That could be problematic.

Tom It takes at least two people to have a telephone conversation. Rep. Roach's justification for this invasion of privacy only applies if the conversation is between two of the parent's under-age children. Otherwise the parent is eavesdropping on someone who is not their own child.

PLEASE DON'T USE MY NAME - MY (ADULT) CHILD MAY BE LISTENING!
When my kids were teenagers, I regularly listened to their phone conversations when I had reason to think they might be involved in dangerous activities, i.e. running away from home, meeting friends in the middle of the night, alcohol/drug use, activity with and abetting the neo-Nazis. Also, I read my child's diary from time to time when I was concerned about suicidal ideation and found photos of her with a gun in front of a Nazi flag. They never seemed to know, although the one who WAS involved in very dangerous activities probably suspected it.

Christopher It's a parents duty to be involved.....and if necessary SNOOP.....have one phone centrally located.......that's the only phone they can use.........solves all those problems.

Jarod Gifu City, Japan (formerly Seattle) I can't believe these parents who give their kids no privacy at home. I am 24 now, so it wasn't too long ago that I was at home. My mother taught me that listening on private phone calls was never ok. It is an invasion of privacy in any case. Kids deserve a little privacy at home. They might occasionally get into trouble, but it's important for them to learn to be responsible for their own lives and make wise decisions.

Simone in Seattle. When I was 16, I had a friend who’s parents were very strict and they snooped and accused her constantly of all these horrible things that she was innocent of. She was so fe up by all of this at one point that she just decided she might as well do some bad things, since she was being punished for them anyway. This kind of behaviour definitely works against the parents and the entire relationship.

Sarah As a 25-year old, my perspective is part-way between that of a child and that of a parent. On this issue, however, my thoughts are clear: a parent should never eavesdrop on a child's phone conversation. If my parents had done so, I would have distanced myself emotionally as far as possible from them. I would have closed the doors of communication and felt that my trust had been betrayed. When I become a parent someday, I will try to remember how important it was as a young person to have privacy and trust. I will never listen-in on my children's conversations; candid, open discussion among parents and children is the only way to go.

Ron Frankly this is an issue of parenting and the law should take a pass on it. Making the philosophical choices of parents a matter of law only makes sense in those cases of physical abuse that we can almost all agree upon... As a parent I can only barely imagine a set of circumstances that would inspire me to such tactics but even then I'd be more honest with myself than your callers have been. It's not about "protecting the child," it
is about protecting the parent's state of mind.

Philomena We have raised four children. We have never listened in on their telephone conversations, opened their mail or checked their computers for their email or what they have downloaded. How can you teach children to respect others privacy if you are invading theirs?

Meltdown

2004-12-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today we aired a program which asked Would You Like to Live to be 100? The first time we tried to do the show was last summer and our phone lines went down ten minutes in. That's fatal for a call in show so we had to bail and run a back-up show.
We still liked the idea but news kept bumping it back. But when we went on the air today, December 13th, it was deja vu from a technical standpoint. Our Audiovault system crashed so all our prerecorded interviews, thematic music, and taped calls to The Conversation feedback line vanished. Our second computer in the talk show studio froze. No phone calls were coming in and I feared the lines were broken again. I dog paddled for 10 minutes until calls began to come in and it turned out pretty well. Great stories from family members of centenarians.
Here is some of what did not make it on the air.

Judy This is a very interesting topic and something I had not thought a lot about until recently. My maternal grandmother was someone I loved and admired all my life. She was tough and independent. At 94 she was bright and alert, fun to talk to and in reasonably good physical condition. She had done a very good job of planning for her later years financially. The last time I visited with her, we were talking about another relative who had just had his 100th birthday. I flippantly said, I want to live to be 100. I was surprised when she said, no you don't. All your friends are dead and many of your relatives. Even though she stayed very interested in the world around her and the lives and activities of her children and grandchildren, I could tell she was tiring. She died shortly after this conversation. It has made me consider what would make me want to live that long. I am not sure I have an answer yet.

Hi, my name's Lisa. I'm a 35-year-old African-American woman whose maternal grandfather lived to be 95. I've had a lot of privileges that most people my age, sex and color will never have, and I'm grateful. But I'm not sure I'd want to live to 100. The way I usually put it, "black people are at the highest risk of dying from practically everything -- higher than everyone except Native Americans." On my father's side, I have a big risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses. And the thought of taking all those pills, for decades, *plus* probably having to fight harder with a doctor to be taken seriously because I'm a woman and black, sounds like a nightmare.

Anonymous I find it interesting that no one has brought up how much youth is worshipped in our culture, not simply living a long life. While I believe that elderly individuals gain an amazing sense of wisdom from sticking around so long, I don't think living to one hundred would be as great as it's cracked up to be simply because everyone would be treating me like I'm mentally incompetent for the last thirty or so years of my life. I was born in 1983, I just hope that in 2083 things culturally are a little more equal if I'm still around.

Why do Americans stink at math?

2004-12-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

A new study shows 15 year old Americans near the bottom in test results. Why do we stink at math? We heard lots of theories that we couldn't get on the air.

Ken Over the weekend I overheard an 8 or 9 year old girl ask her parents what ½ of $1.50. After about 2 full minutes of prompting and questions, such as how many quarters make up $1.50, the girl came up with an answer. I thought it was pretty scary.

Adam Is there a relationship between the fact that we're testing poorly in math relative to other developed nations, and we work longer and harder hours than even China and Japan. Is there something in our culture that leads us to value working harder instead of smarter? We certainly are a culture enamoured of displays of brute force, which fits that pattern.

Andy My brother is a King County police officer with a BA in math. Recently he pulled over a carload of teenagers for suspected DUI. When he realized the driver was not DUI he said:
"I'm going to give you a math problem. If you get the right answer I'll let you go. 3x=6, solve for x." Driver answers: "2". "And here you thought you'd never use algebra, you're free to go!"

Greg Hi Ross – I often hear about large percentages of freshmen at 4-year universities needing to take remedial math classes to learn subjects that should have been taught in high school. What would happen if 4-year universities (especially stated funded schools) were required to NOT offer these courses? Wouldn’t making students who are not prepared for 4-year universities attend community college first then transfer open up more slots for transfer students in our universities and motivate high school students who really want to attend university actually study harder in high school?

Karen Hi Ross, Just listening to the show & the interview with the Harvard math prof, I've got to tell you that if I was in a class being taught by someone who bored me to tears, as this Harvard prof has, I'd check out & not learn a thing. I don't mean this disrespectfully, it's a fact. I had a prof in college, calculus, who spoke very similarly--I flunked the class. I re-took the same class in the summer 8 week session, aced the class & even tutored a old high school friend, our prof over the summer was a colorful, exciting, innovative guy from the Congo.

Eric "When was the last time you used math?" is an irrelevent question as a justification for teaching mathematics. One of the purposes of learning math is to learn how to think; to learn abstract concepts, to learn logic. I have my bachelor's degree in mathematics; I probably never directly used even 5% of the specific math techniques and concepts once I left college. But I developed thinking skills that I use every day.

Diane I taught at a private high school in Washington, and my students were passed on after I failed them. I taught 15-17 year olds that were not prepared for the upper level math high school math courses. I feel my students were not held accountable to learn the material, the administration held a “this is the best they can do” attitude and passed them along.
As parents, my husband and I are researching kindergartens/elementary schools and the math curriculum is so weak. It’s all “touchy-feely” math and the basics, required to succeed in all math courses, are not emphasized. Parents want their kids to learn foreign languages in the elementary schools more than they want a strong math program. Thus, the situation we have today. It is a huge disservice to our kids.

Stephen I was riding home from work -- I'm a kindergarten teacher in a small town near Seattle -- and had to stop at the local library to e-mail my perspective on the widespread failure of math education in the United States. I believe the root cause of consistently dropping math scores on standardized tests can be traced to the incredibly abstract content and alienated form of math instruction. Mathematics as it is widely taught has little to no connection to students' everyday lives. Furthermore, in primary grades, math largely consists of the most boring, rote exercises you could imagine (and probably experienced as a child). The key to inspiring and useful math education, I believe, is to emphasize mathematical thinking -- critical problem solving strategies, etc. -- that are more creative, open-ended, and empowering... In order for math to be taken seriously (as it should be) its relevancy must be experienced and understood by students, not just taken on the good authority of well-intentioned but ultimately misguided educators.

monique i am 22 and as an immigrant, i have had experience with both the chinese school system and the american school system. though i immigrated to the US in middle school, i remembered not having any math homework because i had already been taught all of this "new" material and finished it DURING the class period. this was in Gr. 6.
i remembered being shocked at the lack of advancement considering my family kept telling me that America is a better place to live and learn.
i am not necessarily advocating the chinese school system since i have many memories of myself crying over strict teachers and disappointed parents over the 2% i missed to getting a perfect 100% on a test. it seems parents here in the US, are extremely lenient on how their kids do in school. having asian parents is difficult in regards to academics to say the least, but know i understand why they had to be so hard on me.

More on injured nurses

2004-12-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Ross Reynolds,
Thank you for reading my e-mail on the air during your program on the nursing shortage. I belong to an organization of work injured nurses that is world wide. www.wingusa.org I will have the privilege to take my situation to the legislators in Olympia at the first of the year to try to get more information and possibly solutions for this problem. It meant a lot to hear you talk about this and I had friends call that heard it on the radio. Thanks again. Sincerely, Dora L. Whittaker RN

Why is there a nursing shortage?

2004-12-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

We learned partly because of a shortage of space in nursing school, lack of respect. But also because many nurses feel like they're ruining their bodies.

Lynn Thanks so much for that show. I am an aide at a large hospital in Snohomish county and am going through nursing school right now. I think you really hit a hot spot about our shortage when you brought up the physicality of the job. I talk to nurses at work who have said they make department job choices (ICU vs. OR..) based on how much they anticipate their body will hurt at the end of a work day. I am 1 of 3 aides on a floor of 32 patients. I have about 10-11 patients/day. I know that if I only had 6-7 patients that I would be able to keep an eye on the people who may fall out of bed, turn my patients regularly, walk and bathe them as scheduled. With 10-11 patients it becomes impossible to get the job done safely and thoroughly. I think the nurses are also dealing with this since they have to take up my slack when I am so busy. A nurses time could be better spent managing the care of 4-5 of his/her patients if they had more help with the physical nature of the job. They may enjoy it for 15-20 years instead of burning out at 8-10 years. Bottom line nurses need more aides if they are expected to have an increase in their patient load. Nurses need more help as we have found new ways to keep the extremely sick patient alive all that much longer.

A Tunnel for a Viaduct

2004-12-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Seattle's 51 year old viaduct is expected to collapse if we're hit by another earthquake. Today we talked about Mayor Greg Nickel's proposal to build a tunnel to replace it. You can hear it here. While many saw the advantage of removing an eyesore from the Seattle waterfront, others were reluctant to part with the eye-popping view for commuters gazing off across Elliot Bay with the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Along with learning about the mighty gribble, we received these messages which didn't make it to the air.

Ryan I'm appalled to hear that people think the view from a car is more
important than the view from the waterfront and the people enjoying it.
While it is a nice view it lasts for less than 2 minutes and most
people are just going to work. I don't think there are many people
driving that way just for that quick view. The viaduct is an eyesore
for our waterfront.

Tom Has planning for the tunnel accounted for the possibility of global warming-induced flooding?

In response to questions about the cost estimates -
Linda Mullen, Washington State Department Of Transportation Communications Director wrote - WSDOT has conducted a disciplined cost estimating process that includes up front risk analysis (and management) and adjusts costs for inflation. The existing estimates assume construction would begin as soon as 2008. WSDOT has received national attention for this method and its improvement over standard cost estimating practices.

Mary Seattle I'm curious if the mayor's office has released data on how many additional people will be drawn to the waterfront everyday as a result of removing the viaduct? I'm one of the 110,000 cars that drives on the viaduct everyday as part of my commute, as I live north of downtown and work in South Seattle. But I'd like to remind the mayor's office that it's not "110,000 vehicles" every day, it's at least 110,000 people - many of whom are citizens and voters who live in Seattle neighborhoods, and who choose to enjoy that world class view every day. Driving down I-5 through the center of the city is completely anonymous - you could be driving through any city anywhere. But the viaduct is a uniquely Seattle experience.

The trouble is gribbles

2004-12-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Seattle's seawall is collapsing because of underwater wood lice called gribbles infesting the wooden support timbers.

A great link

2004-12-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

If you're thinking about art that changed people's lives, check out NPR's Intersections series, particularly the stories on Bill Frisell (by our own Marcie Sillman) and Timbaland. It's really interesting to hear about which artists opened their eyes and made them want to pursue music.

The Conversation's (not so) New Producer

2004-12-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

After a nationwide search and 140 applicants we found our new producer about 40 feet away from The Conversation pod. Jeannie Yandel joined the show this Fall from producing for Weekday and Morning Edition. Previously she worked as a producer for Rewind, our NPR nationally syndicated news/satire program. She'll tell you more here. But she was too shy to tell you about the great story telling series she curates at various Seattle venues call A Guide to Visitors. She's smart and funny and she's really making the show go!

What Art Changed Your Life?

2004-12-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

We heard everything from Johnny Cash to Pretty in Pink. We thought the show worked best when we got people to be very specific about the art and how it moved them. If we do it again we'd like to include more music. Here are a few e-mails.

Norman I was allowed only one book in bootcamp in 1966, so I tore a cover off the bible and wrapped it around E.Hhemmingway's "Big Two Hearted River". I carried it all through two tours in Viet Nam and used it as a special place to go away from the crazyness around me.

Julian At the museum of fine art [Boston], I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to stand not five inches from the ‘The anatomy lesson’ by Rembrandt, and it was breathtaking. The sheer SIZE of the painting was unexpected. It was huge. And when you are that close to a masterwork, you can see the brush strokes, and the finer details that are lost in picture reproductions or video. There is no explaining the sensation of realizing that the faces of the doctors are an amalgam of the faces of the men who ‘star’ in the painting, because the real life doctors who posed for the painting squabbled about who would be in the foreground. Also, it can plainly be seen that the corpse they are dissecting on the slab is Rembrandt himself.

Stephanie Queen Anne Good topic for this week!
I was 19 in Paris visiting friends. We of course visited the Louvre, and made sure to stop by the famous Mona Lisa. I was not impressed. It had in my experience been so extremely hyped that the real thing failed to inspire. After moving past the mob that seemingly was ignoring everything else in that particular gallery, I walked around the corner and was stunned by a statue at the top of a broad staircase...the Nike Samothrace. The drapery of the dress and the detail of the outstretched wings made it appear to move. There was not another soul nearby and if it was not missing its head, I believe it truly would have been a vision, rather than a figure carved stone. Since then I have had an increased interest in the Classical world, and even studied Greek and Latin in college where the art of that period continues to inspire me.

Elizabeth the movie, pee wee's big adventure, was and still is the best piece of art i've ever seen/heard. it always reminds me how you can be your own comdian and audience. it is also visually and musically compelling. good for introverted kids who tend to think too seriously.

Janetmarie from Poulsbo You have depressed me this afternoon with your conversation. I even have a Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Art -- art, music, theater, dance, writing -- and I can't think of one piece that has changed my life. My life is always awestruck by all art, even my own. Still multitasking!

John When I was thirteen, a professional opera company came to my home town in Alaska for a production of “The Marriage of Figaro.” Foggy conditions meant that while the actors and director arrived, the plane with their costumes and set didn’t. The director came out, explained the situation, then set up each scene for us by describing what we would have seen if the set pieces were present. I particularly remember a night time scene where instead of lanterns the actors were using flashlights. Something about the experience clearly excited the company and for me the music, while beautiful, became secondary to the astonishing theatricality of the show, where we as audience members were called upon to invest the stage with the power of our own imaginations.
Twenty-six years later, I have a career in theatre where I’m fortunate enough to have my life changed and enriched by art on a regular basis. As much as I enjoy directing and writing, I believe the initial impetus to create theatre came from that epiphany long ago, that theatre’s power comes as much from its spectators as from its artists.

Barry I saw "Last Year at Marienbad" in a college film class in the 80s. I was the only student, I think, who was mesmerized. Everyone else was annoyed, bored, or confused. It is a confusing movie--at first--but after viewing it a second time I knew exactly what Alain Resnais was trying to do: show how human memory alters events to protect or persuade. Of course, that summary
is up for debate, which is the beauty of the film. One can argue its intent in a hundred different ways. And I could watch it a hundred times to try to figure it out. Truly one film that had a huge impact on my life.

Working Off the Clock

2004-12-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

We had a lively discussion which you can listen to here http://kuow.org/theconversation.asp?Archive=12-02 and this response which came in too late to read on the air.

I'm a public defender here in Seattle. Salaries in this area of law are so low, that I could make more by managing a fast food joint, or a Starbucks, and probably have more fun. Sure my work is meaningful, but I need a life, too!!! Benefits are also not what they used to be -- at thirty hours a week I am required to pay several hundred dollars a month for medical and dental insurance for myself and my kids. Starbucks or UPS would pay ALL my benefits, if I was employed there more than half time. This leaves me netting about 2,400 a month -- little enough to qualify for various public subsidies!!! . What's the connection with working off the clock? Well, my profession and many others have maintained very high professional standards, as well as requirements for continuing education. I must follow a code of ethics. I must maintain a license.... I suspect, if we look around us, we will see that over the past thirty years, professionals of all ilks -- lawyers, accountants, teachers, beauticians -- are putting in longer and longer hours, are required to do more and more to obtain and maintain credentials, are held to higher and higher standards of professional accountability, while our real incomes continue to shrink in comparision to what our parents were earning, in real dollars, a few decades ago. We are all expected to work off the clock if it's necessary to do the job right. The senior discount no longer makes sense -- the baby boomers and their parents have way more money and benefits than we in our twenties or thirties will ever enjoy, given the present state of affairs. And they were working fewer hours. I suppose it's one more aspect of what NPR recently referred to as our "increasingly hourglass economy." Frankly, I wonder about the social and emotional whiplash which must sooner or later result as the squeeze continues on our time and our wallets... I, like many, am beginning to feel a great sadness for this nation and its middle class, and great resentment when I compare myself to my peers in Europe or Australia, who I hear have medical, dental, daycare and other benefits far outstripping mine, as well as a shorter work week and longer vacation. Our quality of life is going down the toilet.
Marie in Shoreline

The Howard Stern Factor

2004-06-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

Stern has been waging a wicked campaign against George Bush. this "Stern Gang" of swing voters makes up 4 percent of the likely voters this year, nearly as large as the entire Hispanic vote in 2000.. Fun fact - Howard Stern listeners are three times as likely to go to church as non-listeners.

What political polarization?

2004-06-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

The conventional wisdom is that we're sharply divided between blue and red states. Alan Wolfe says not so much.

Michael Moore, Hate America First

2004-06-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

The convervatives best line of attack against Michael Moore. Is this stuff in context?

Alibi Club

2004-06-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

Would provide an alibi for a stranger who contacted you via cell phone text messaging?

More Meanings of Life

2004-06-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

We loved way callers on today's program each took the topic in a different direction. Here's some of what didn't make it on the air.

Multiple Conversationalists
...from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy The meaning of life is...42.

Shashi
I am surprised at how many people are concentrating on the topic to mean mainly human life. It seems very obvious to me that there is no purpose to life than to just BE.

Robyn Seattle
Since I could form abstract thought I have been cursed with a constant search for the meaning of life...I can't seem to get through a single day without pondering this question. While it astounds me that other people go years or lifetimes without seeking the answer, I am somehow envious of them…

James
For me, the meaning of life is contentment. To be satisfied with who and where I am in life, yet, to continue to have goals to achieve since the striving for goals is part of what I see as “content”.

Hugh
The meaning of life is to contemplate this very question.

Ahmad
To me the meaning of life comes from Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he slept on a floor mat & woke up with the markings of the mat on his face. His companions wondered if they should've taken better care of the prophet. He replied that life is like resting under a shade of a tree and when you are rested you move on.

Ron - This quote is from Kathleen Dean Moore, a fabulous philosopher and teacher at Oregon State University -
"Last week a student who had studied metaphysics and epistemology and Soren Kierkegaard, the student who read Immanuel Kant and brought fresh fruit to class, killed herself with a single gunshot to the head, sitting at home, at the kitchen table. She left no note, no explanation, and no one can make any sense of it. Her professors lean heavily against the classroom walls and cannot speak. We realize too late that we never taught our students what ducks know without knowing, that "we must love life before loving its meaning," as Dostoevski told us. We must love life, and some meaning may grow from that love. But "if love of life disappears, no meaning can console us."

Joe a Seattle native living in Tacoma
In the mid 90's I was working at a coffee shop in San Francisco. At the time I was doing some freelance writing, and wanted to do something about the meaning of life.
On a slow evening shift at the cafe I decided I'd get started. So when I took my break and sat down next to Mary, an old regular who was always real friendly and had great spirit. She always had a twinkle in her eye.
I explained to her my little project, and asked her what she thought the meaning of life was.
Mary was in her 80s. She had lived through the Dust Bowl of the 30's and migrated to California, like the Joads in the grapes of wrath, to work farms in northern CA. I figured she might have a thought or two.
So when I asked her, she just looked at me and said: "Well, I think we've just got to make the most of it while we're here."
My writing project ended right there. (Thank you Mary)

Conversation Producer Heather Dahl moves on! boo-hooo!

2004-06-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Her mother told her she would be at this job for two years. She had her second anniversary last week. Tuesday she told me she had accepted a new position as Managing Editor at the Capitol Bureau, a public radio news service on the other Washington. She'll be the youngest Managing Editor in the city.

What sad/glad news! We were so lucky to have someone with such incredible experience (Jim Lehrer NewsHour, NPR, CSPAN, Senate staff member). I'm going to miss her. She's been a great colleague, smart, organized, creative, daring. She made The Conversation. We'll be listening for her reports beginning in August.

Michael Moore pummeled

2004-06-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Christopher Hitchens savages the left's clown prince and his new film "To describe this film as dishonest and demagogic would almost be to promote those terms to the level of respectability." Ouch!