Chapter 48: So Long, Pluto

A sad farewell to Pluto, which has been demoted in the planetary realm, relegated to Large-but-Not-Too-Significant-Rock-in-Space.

Furthermore, the mnemonic device for children to remember the order of the planets has been revised to My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos.

Chapter 47.9: Math Yoda

I'm currently reading a book by John Allen Paulos called Innumeracy. It's brilliant. I didn't realize how much I've been looking for an approachable book on mathematics -- approachable not only by those who have no clue about both the importance and the beauty of math, but also those who, like me, consider themselves "numerate." I will go into more detail when I finish the book and add a post on my other blog, The Elephant's Bookshelf, but I think I may be able to satisfy one of my personal life goals of returning to teaching by the age of 40 while also evolving as a writer and editor. Over the next year, I'm going to look into and, if feasible (which is an important question given how I think it should be done) develop a small math tutoring line of work for myself. I'd take on just a few students and help them to understand math the way it should be understood: beautiful, elegant, practical, important. I would hope to instruct students through music, literature, poetry, history, as well as through the techniques students already are aware of. Math should not frighten students. In fact, if they can grasp just a fraction of what I hope to teach, they'll be able to gain confidence in all their studies and become well-rounded students.

Chapter 47.8: And So It Begins

I've been slowly developing a theory. I don't have enough time to fully expound upon it here yet, but in a nutshell, I believe that by 2012, we will see the emergence of a significant third political party in the United States -- a new party evolving out of the moderates of the two major parties. Perhaps its torch bearer will be Joe Lieberman, whose loss in the Connecticut primary for his re-election bid for the U.S. Senate has led to him running as an independent. I believe he'll win, though not by much, perhaps not even by a majority, because there will be several Democrats who follow him and many more Republicans who support him because their candidate is incapable of showing a political pulse much less electability in this contentious off-year election cycle.

But that's not the whole theory. It has become public knowledge now that the new pension reform will enable same-sex couples to pass along wealth as an inheritance. Good for them, I say. While I have some misgivings about what marriage means in their context, I don't doubt same-sex couples love each other and should be allowed to show concern for their partner's future the same way I would with my wife.

So far, the religious right seems ok with this law, because it's a benefit their constituents like, but when someone inevitably turns this into quasi-marriage, the fissures will widen. This country is becoming so diametrically opposed politically that the vacuum in the middle will have to be filled, and it'll be the RINOs and DINOs who do it (R-D In Name Only). A lot still needs to fall into place for this chasm to become noticeable, but I think it's as inevitable as an earthquake in California.