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Poll
While I was at college I:
Drank lots of beer and got a young girl pregnant. 8%
Drank lots of beer, smoked pot and got a young girl pregnant 0%
Drank lots of beer, smoked pot, skipped class and got a young girl pregnant 9%
Drank lots of beer, smoked pot, skipped class, crashed my father's car and got a young girl pregnant 1%
Drank lots of beer, smoked pot, skipped class, crashed my father's car, sold drugs and got a young girl pregnant 1%
Drank lots of beer, smoked pot, skipped class, crashed my father's car, sold drugs, went to rock concerts and got a young girl pregnant 9%
Drank lots of beer, smoked pot, skipped class, crashed my father's car, sold drugs, went to rock concerts, hazed freshmen and got a young girl pregnant 53%
Had an abortion. 14%

Votes: 155

 My Children Will Not Be Attending College

 Author:  Topic:  Posted:
Jan 21, 2002
 Comments:
Like most American parents, I have been diligently saving for my childrens' education since the day when each was born. Believing, as we are told, that a college education is not merely desirable, but actually necessary for the betterment of my offspring, I knew I was doing the only responsible thing a parent could do. With six wonderful children, it was not unreasonable, I felt, to expect to be the only family in town to give rise to a lawyer, a doctor, a quarterback, an elementary school teacher, a cheerleader and a nurse.

Over the past few years, however, my dreams of academic success have begun to look a more than a little naive. A growing disapproval of the manner in which our college educated young present themselves began a process of disillusionment which ended with my decision to refuse my eldest the "advantage" of college this coming Fall. The events that brought this situation to a head occurred last Thanksgiving, when my neighbour's daughter, Blair, returned home for the first time since she had left to attend MIT that year.

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T Reginald Gibbons

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America's Death Machines

I remember watching Blair grow up alongside my own children. Though older than them all, she was a fine playmate for my girls, and since her parents are quite devout, I had no qualms about her giving my children any strange ideas. I remember a freckled and knee-skinned eight year old, riding bikes with my eldest daughter on our avenue beneath the sycamores in their Springtime glory. I watched her as she went through her awkward teenage years, uncertain and confused. The proudest memory we have of her is as a young woman, freshly home from finishing school, before she was sent off to receive a higher education. I had my qualms about her parents' decision to allow her to attend MIT, a notoriously secular university, but these were settled when some brief investigation revealed that MIT was considered to be even more conformist than Berkeley. So, it was with a proud smile and a merry wave that my family watched young Blair leave our town to seek her destiny in the halls of academe. Little did we realise that the girl who would return to us would not be the same radiant young woman whose memory we had cherished.

It wasn't until Thanksgiving dinner, which our families traditionally eat together, that I met young Blair again. The aggrieved expression on her father, Miles' face was all the first hint that this would not be the joyful reunion we had expected. Minutes later, Blair was coaxed downstairs by her mother. The sight of her left us all quite taken aback. Gone was the long, strawberry-blonde hair that had made her the envy and delight of all her peers. It had been cropped to barely shoulder length and dyed fiercely black. Her once radiant skin was now sickly pale, giving the impression, I felt, of a subterranean lifestyle. She dressed in the anti-social style of a militant nonconformist; in purple boots, grey army-style pants and a heavy, drab wool sweater.

Throughout dinner, young Blair was a sullen presence at the table, casting a pall on what should have been a convivial evening. She was monosyllabic in her replies to questions about college. Her face was constantly downturned, as though she wanted to pretend there was nobody else present at the table. When I asked her about the boys she had met at college, and if she was having finding any good husband material, she finally looked up, only to give me the most angry, hurt stare I have ever had from a young woman. The whites of her eyes were very red, as though she had been crying for hours, and her lip trembled, as if she were on the verge of saying something, but she obviously thought better of it, and returned to resolutely studying her dinner plate. It was then that I realised that something terrible had happened to her at college, most likely at the hands of heartless college men.

How could a few months of college change a person so completely? As much as it hurt me, I knew that I could not allow the drastically altered attitudes of young Blair to affect my family. I would not allow my children to be so irrevocably damaged. With heartfelt apologies to Miles, I told my children that they were not allowed to see Blair ever again. The strident complaints of my three daughters told me I had made the correct decision. Already they had begun to be drawn to her attitude of teenage rebellion. It felt good to know that I had acted in time to save them.

Of course, I was shaken enough by the events of Thanksgiving to begin reassessing the pros and cons of a college education for my children. The misgivings I had been feeling over the past few years now seemed more well-grounded, while the benefits of college had taken on the aspect of wishful thinking. Was it really worth the risk, to send my children away, to pay tens of thousands for an education that they might not even get?

Americans have not always harboured college ambitions for their progeny. Until the 1960s, it was not common to meet college graduates. Even though the GI benefits program provides for college education for returning soldiers, most of those who survived WW2 did not exercise those particular benefits. College ambition was simply not part of the American culture, until the Sixties.

It was thanks to the Vietnam war that college became the expected continuation of a middle class child's life. With the new SAT program opening possibilities that had once been restricted to the children of privileged families, more students took it upon themselves to seek acceptance in tertiary institutions. Coupled with the fact that college entry delayed the draft for as long as the child was at college, it is easy to see why America in the Sixties saw such a massive rise in college applications. A rise so unexpected and so large that the nation was forced to almost bankrupt itself to build state colleges to accept the middle class children fleeing the war.

What did this leave us with? A well educated middle class? Alas, no. The result of the boom in education has been a tide of smug, mistaught state college graduates, who consider themselves to be the example of the modern intellectual, despite having spent their entire three years at college indulging their basest appetites and avoiding any form of learning. Not that avoiding learning is difficult in America's state colleges. These institutions have never been known for their high academic standards.After the war ended, the college system's primary function -- to provide a shelter from the draft -- ceased. Even so, the state colleges have remained little more than degree mills and pretentious sleep-away schools for spoiled middle American teenagers who want to delay growing up for a few more years.

As the college graduates of those turbulent years raise their own children to college age, they of course look back on their college years as the best time of their lives. Having based much of their self-esteem on their all-but-worthless degrees, they naturally see college as the logical next step for their children, and encourage them to attend whatever liberal arts course they feel like. No doubt, they imagine college will transform their child into the next Susan Sontag or P. J. O'Rourke. Of course, they have forgotten that their presence at college was not for the sake of education, but was born of the cowardice that bought our nation its first ever military defeat.

It is this misapprehension about the purpose of education that has sustained our college system through the last three decades, however, as the nineties drew to a close, the tide of children born of parents who had attended college in the Sixties began to dry up. America's colleges and even our most revered universities have begun to feel the squeeze, as too many institutions compete for too few students. It is this highly competitive environment that has caused some of our most respected institutions to start selling degrees.

It was not long after I first began using the internet that I received my first offer of a college degree for no more than twenty dollars. Apparently, this practice has become common among educational institutions, and the only difference now between a Harvard degree and one from a degree mill such as Carnegie-Mellon is the price you pay. A depressing state of affairs, offering no plausible benefits to my children. I will not have my flesh and blood participate in this hypocrisy.

And what of the supposed benefits of education? While the dreams of success that draw hundreds of thousands to college may be compelling, the facts are not so attractive. Most college graduates don't amount to much more than a mediocre success in the real world. On the other hand, we are always hearing tales of people such as Bill Gates who did not attend college -- or sometimes even finish high school -- achieving incredible wealth and fame.

The educational institutions of America have little to offer but disillusionment and corruption. While a properly educated elite is necessary for society to function well, the state college system has done little to advance the education of our leaders, and much to undermine not only knowledge and truth in these United States, but also the prestige that education brings. Offering literally hundreds of soft option courses such as psychology and astrophysics, the modern American student has become renowned not for learning, but for indolence and immaturity. Even the SAT examination -- the basis of college entry -- has been "updated" to be composed almost entirely of multiple choice questions, so easily guessed that cheating (not to mention learning) is almost pointless. American revolving door colleges are quite clearly making a mockery of our nation's proud heritage.

In our modern colleges, children are turned against their parents, and taught to hate society. Loving and respectful young men and women are returned to their parents hateful and withdrawn. So-called sexual "liberation" (really a euphemism for institutionalized rape) abounds within college dormitories, and no effort is made to control underage drinking and drug abuse. I shiver at the thought of what might befall poor Blair when she returns to college. When we see her again I worry that she will have become addicted to narcotics such as marijuana, heroin or smack. I cannot allow my children to fall into the same trap.

Since the illusion of college has been so effectively shattered for me, I have revised my expectations for my children. None will attend college, but instead, they will find jobs in the industries that made America great. The industries upon which our nation was built. I will be proud to be the first father in my town to count among my children an auto-worker, a soldier, a steel miner, a secretary, a beautician and a waitress. These are noble and honest trades, despite their unglamorous image.

If I were a more powerful man, I would do more. I would call for the dismantling of the state college system. I would demand a drastic reduction in our government's education budget. I would fight tooth and nail to keep our nation's children out of college. I am, however, no more than a humble father of six, and I can only try to protect what is my own.

T Reginald Gibbons is a pseudonym. No matter what you think, you do not have his email address or phone number.


You are right to be wary of MIT (5.00 / 2) (#13)
by Adam Rightmann on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 07:27:11 AM PST
It's a hotbed of Communism and secular humanistic values. Any university that allows an unredeemed communist like Richard M. Stalinman to sleep in the offices and preach the destruction of the corporate state (while accepting billions from said corporate state) without censure is dangerously ubalanced and hypocritical.

But there are several good universities and colleges you can consider; Notre Dame, Boston College, Catholic University, Georgetown and Loyola all have splendid programs in place for raising a Godly child.


A. Rightmann

Caveat (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by hauntedattics on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 08:03:46 AM PST
Mr. Rightmann, you are right, of course. However, I live 2 miles from the Boston College campus and have to admit that I have occasionally seen undergraduates there behaving in a way that is less than Godly. Maybe they should increase the number of required Religion and Theology courses.

Oh, and Mr. Gibbons, one of my colleagues is a recent MIT grad but did somehow manage to become a fine, upstanding citizen and member of society. So the outlook may not be as bleak as you think.



ROTC (5.00 / 2) (#17)
by doofus on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 09:17:43 AM PST
However, I live 2 miles from the Boston College campus and have to admit that I have occasionally seen undergraduates there behaving in a way that is less than Godly. Maybe they should increase the number of required Religion and Theology courses.

In addition, I am quite sure 4 years of ROTC (preferably Army, Navy or Marine Corps, but Air Force would be acceptable in a pinch) and then another 4 years of serving their country proudly would straighten them up.


 
Well, now that you mention it (5.00 / 1) (#23)
by Adam Rightmann on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 10:53:13 AM PST
The wife and I did spend a few days in Boston very near to Boston College, in the Howard Johnson's near Fenway Park. It was in October of perhaps 1998, The White Sox has been out of the pennant races a few weeks earlier, and rooms were cheap. This was the year that Matthew Sheppard had been killed, a shame, for he did to have the chance to repent of his sins before being murdered (I recall this for we were walking down Massachusetts Ave in neighboring Cambridge, and inadvertantly walked through the MIT campus and into a Matthew Sheppard memorial service, which we respectfully joined, with genuine regret I might add). Anyhow, we attempted to have breakfast at the International House of Pancakes near the BC subway entrance, only to flee the place after finding straw papers in the coffee. Those undergraduate hijinks, I do hope those children mature. We settled for a Bruegger's across the street, I'm sure you know the one we're talking about.


A. Rightmann

I think... (5.00 / 1) (#39)
by hauntedattics on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 06:13:51 AM PST
you are thinking of BU, or Boston University, which is very close to Fenway (and across the river from MIT). There is a difference - BU tends to attract spoiled, whiny rich kids who want to get an 'education' while living 'in the city.' Despite its name, BC is located a few miles west of Boston and tends to attract more serious and interesting students. Some of its alumni I am proud to call my friends.

However, as I said in my previous post, many BC students are not always serious and interesting, depending on the hour and day you observe them.




You are right, I was confusing BC and BU (5.00 / 1) (#40)
by Adam Rightmann on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 07:38:37 AM PST
Which explains why we did not see a football stadium in that area.


A. Rightmann

 
Ware the heathen! (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by Jon Erikson on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 09:03:23 AM PST
Listen not to his cultish lies!

No, as a decent Christian and proud USian the only possible choice of college is Bob Jones University, perhaps the last place of education in USia that recognises and indeed cherishes the Love of our Lord. I myself was educated there, and learnt the fine Christian values of tolerance, dignity and morality that has made me the man I am today.


Jon Erikson
Senior consultant, NPO Technologies


 
Loyola!? HA!! (1.00 / 1) (#55)
by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 05:43:21 PM PST
Some of the best sluts I know are from Loyola.
Better luck nexyt timw


 
Don't send your kids to my school (none / 0) (#100)
by Anonymous Reader on Thu May 23rd, 2002 at 03:45:57 PM PST
Adam Rightmann:
It's a free world. The USA was born because of people who didn't like the things around them. Your comments are nothing more than racist, classist, ignorant beliefs of a man brainwashed by the catholic church and a lacking concept of the world asround him. Grow up.

TRG:
Dont send your freak kids to my school (Catholic University). Jesus christ - you're a nut job and Im sure your children are just as bad. You have to let go of your kids sometime and let them grow up on their own.

PS: Notre Dame, Boston College, Catholic University, Georgetown and Loyola are all breeding grounds for whores and drinking problems for you dumb church freaks. Your kids will get here - interact with other kids - and actually develop a social awarnes! Oh no! Most of which leads to freshman turning into whores and alocholics.


 
Might I ask... (1.00 / 1) (#15)
by budlite on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 08:09:42 AM PST
...What do you plan for them instead?

What's the problem with your kids going off and becoming their own people? College (or University as we Brits call it) is probably the best place for a person to go to form their own ideas about who they want to be rather than having them forced on them by people who just want to see only their own views expounded by others.

Conformity isn't the only way of life.


Well Said (1.00 / 1) (#16)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 08:28:09 AM PST
<i>Conformity isn't the only way of life.</i><br>
Very well said.


 
what? (5.00 / 2) (#22)
by nathan on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 10:23:00 AM PST
College (or University as we Brits call it) is probably the best place for a person to go to form their own ideas about who they want to be...

That's funny, most undergrads seem to spend their time on panty raids, stein hoists, music theft, hair dyeing, and recreational STD-swapping. I should have guessed it was all a cover for rigorous philosophical and religious development. Who'd have thought that the best way to acquire an education was to go to an overgrown summer camp for four years? Such luminaries as Shakespeare and Einstein seem to have managed despite lacking that competitive advantage. (Before you get on your high horse, Einstein did not attend a "university," he attended a "technical institute.")

Mr. Gibbons' point is well taken. I hold an honours degree from a nationally-ranked American school, and I can confidently say that most of my classes were the next thing to useless. I would have been better off just reading books on my own (not that I didn't do that anyway.) My only fond memories are of one old philosophy professor who made us read the Greek classics closely, quickly, and sceptically. The other classes were trendy, windy, tedious, and tendentiously contrived.

Universities ought to teach people to think, but they've failed to do so for at least thirty years.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

I'm confused (1.00 / 1) (#24)
by budlite on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 01:01:17 PM PST
Are you referring to US colleges or UK universities in your first paragraph? If it's UK universities I'll say right now that what you say is a result of rather poor observation of the majority of students.

Otherwise I'll admit that I can't really speak the case for US colleges, not having attended one (or indeed been outside Europe).


Allow me to explain (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by error27 on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 02:44:18 PM PST
The first paragraph was a quote from the parent comment, hence the italics.

The rest of the post was meant to refute the first paragraph because unless getting drunk is the same thing as forming ideas, few students form anything even vaguely resembling ideas while attending university.




Agree... (1.00 / 1) (#37)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 05:32:41 AM PST
As a first year university student, I totally agree... I'm not learning a thing which will be useful outside of University, whether living life in general or whatever corporate meatgrinder I end up in at a crap "graduate" position.

Messing with Linux for 6 months and reading Bugtraq will prepare you better for IT industry work (poking buttons like the monkey you are) than 3 years on the average compsci degree (useless theoretical paper-pushing).

However, never one to pass up an opportunity in life, three years of subsidised drinking, sex, and shopping in a veritable drugs supermarket was too much to pass up. Ha!


Subsidised? (1.00 / 1) (#41)
by budlite on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 08:26:45 AM PST
Naah. It's not. It's an exercise in getting in debt big time. Thankfully through planning I've managed to stay in the black but most other people I know are well into their overdrafts.


 
quick question (5.00 / 1) (#45)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 07:45:55 PM PST
Messing with Linux for 6 months and reading Bugtraq will prepare you better for IT industry work

Wouldnt it be wiser to mess with OS that is used in the IT industry? I believe the only place Linux is used is on 0.24% of all desktops.


Not necessarily... (1.00 / 1) (#51)
by budlite on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 07:45:44 AM PST
I believe it's wiser to get at least a grounding in as many OS's as possible, simply because a particular OS is the industry standard doesn't mean I'm going to end up somewhere that exclusively uses that OS in the future.

Plus there's the fun element of it. I enjoy using computers. I also enjoy experimenting with new software, and if that software happens to be an OS then I'll generally give it a shot. Linux is fun to play around with. The fact that it isn't quite up to the standards of Windows in terms of user-friendlyness just makes it all the more enjoyable to use, it's fun creating your own tools to make life that little bit easier and they're more satisfying to use because thry do exactly what YOU want. If a free program you use doesn't do exactly what you want then you're generally free to modify it (licenses permitting) to suit your needs.

I notice you only chose to mention that Linux isn't often used on the desktop to make your weak point. One of Linux's best uses is as a server OS, and it's no secret that a significant percentage of web servers and even critical back-end servers run Linux. I've certainly don't know of any educational institutes that don't use Linux or a Unix variant somewhere in the computer system.


 
Satire or sad? (1.00 / 1) (#18)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 09:18:51 AM PST
I can't quite make up my mind if this is an excellent piece of satire or the product of a very sad conformist seeing someone make up their own mind.


Very good (5.00 / 4) (#19)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 09:22:55 AM PST
I see you haven't attended college either.


 
Small correction (1.00 / 1) (#20)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 10:07:21 AM PST
In the War of 1812 the British burned Washington DC. I believe that was the first conflict we ever lost, not Vietnam. The Alamo might also have bearing here.

As for your children's education, how can you forget Bob Jones University. Granted they have recently relaxed their Interracial Dating Policy, however that was just to help George Bush get the mandate he deserved. The odds of having to deal with minorites would be less at Bob Jones than as a steel worker, or a beautician.

Just food for thought.



LostBoy
jim


And that's why we have a Queen (5.00 / 3) (#21)
by Adam Rightmann on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 10:21:53 AM PST
In the War of 1812 the British burned Washington DC. I believe that was the first conflict we ever lost, not Vietnam. The Alamo might also have bearing here.

Please good sir, post your alma mater so that we know enough not to send our progeny there. If the US lost the War of 1812, why did we stay independent? You may be able to make the case that the war was a draw, but in the end, the revolting colonies stayed free, and that sounds like a win to me.

If you are talking about the first battle the US was lost, I'm sure there were many in the Revolutionary War.

As far as the Alamo goes, I don't believe Texas was a part of the union at the time, so or course the US was not officially involved.

I would not recommend Bob Jobs University to my worst enemy; the pain of eternal torment for persecuting Catholics (to a degree unseen since Henry the 8th) will surely fall even on the meekest undergraduate.


A. Rightmann

That's why Canada do not have a president (1.00 / 1) (#25)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 01:23:23 PM PST
The US indeed lost that war.
1809 : James Madison elected president.
1810 : Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun are congressmen.
All those men believed that America, from the gulf of Mexico to the North Pole has to be under the Stars ans Stripes. They are known as the war hawks. Interested by the rich land, thinking that there was not such people as Canadians, except the french speaking inhabitants willing to be freed from Great Britain, as everybody else in the north, and Great Britain being at war with France at that very moment, convinced the Congress to declare war on Great Britain.
They were very surprised when they discovered that the Canadians, French or not, didn't want to be freed at all.

See here : http://members.tripod.com/~war1812/



Idiot (5.00 / 1) (#26)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 01:38:12 PM PST
The US did not lose the war of 1812. Of course we didn't outright win it either. The British ended the campaign simply because it was costing too much money and resources that were needed against the war with France. The only major battle that the US did win in the war of 1812 was the battle of New Orleans (a victory that would propel Andrew Jackson to near godly status), which actually took place after the war was officially over but do to slow communications took place anyway.


I may be (1.00 / 1) (#27)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 01:47:48 PM PST
An idiot. It is very stupid to think there must be a loser and a winner in a war. But, since the US declared war to free Canada, and assimilate it, a goal they didn't achieve at all, and since the war ended, because Great Britain, too busy in Europe, said so, pardon me, my dear and very polite Sir, if I consider that The US lost that war.
(By the way, New Orleans, the British knew about the peace)


You're no idiot (5.00 / 1) (#28)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 01:58:49 PM PST
In 1814 we took a little trip, down the Mississippi to the town of New Orleans. If it hadn't been for that 'gator, we would have lost the war.


LEARN YOUR HISTORY (1.00 / 1) (#32)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 05:22:09 PM PST
I suggest you retake history. In the war of 1812 the Canadian infantry took a walk down to your nations capital and burned the whitehouse ot the ground. It should be Chicago Ontario however the Americans bitched and whined until we decided to give your piece of shit land back


Haha... why don't YOU learn YOUR history? (none / 0) (#74)
by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 30th, 2002 at 06:25:18 PM PST
The Brits made a naval assault up the Potomac. Not a Canadian over-land assault. And no, we did not lose that war. We reaffirmed our independence from Britain. If we had lost that war, you'd be singing God Bless the King right now.

And no, Canada doesn't have a President. It has a Prime Minister. Since Britain has a PM instead of a President, does that make it a puppet state or whatever?


 
Public U.? (5.00 / 1) (#30)
by First Incision on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 03:54:16 PM PST
Why this constant complaining about public Universities? The obvious solution is to have your children attend a private, Christian University.

At places such as these, you will find an administration attempting to set up a moral institution. This includes such things as separate dorms for men and women and filtered internet access.

Don't underestimate the power of peer pressure. Why are sex and alcoholism not rampant on Samford U.'s campus (my Alma Mater)? It is not because of the efforts by the administration (although these efforsts factor in.) The students are kept in line by the students themselves. The few times I tried to drink alcohol with friends from Samford, I was made to feel very self-conscious and uncomfortable. If it was found out that a couple was fornicating, they could expect several friends armed with bibles to try and help them through their temptation.

I have had several friends transfer away from Samford to a cheaper public school. They usually come back, because they realize just how godless these schools are.

I highly reccommend a private Christian college to anyone who wants to learn without being corrupted.
_
_
Do you suffer from late-night hacking? Ask your doctor about Protonix.

wha? (none / 0) (#84)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Feb 10th, 2002 at 02:53:42 PM PST
filter internet access? who needs that? plus you can get around anything if you want to bad enough.


 
College and cowardice (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by Anonymous Coward on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 04:25:29 PM PST
their presence at college was not for the sake of education, but was born of the cowardice that bought our nation its first ever military defeat.

As a coward, I must speak out against the knee-jerk pejorative use of this epithet in your provocative article. You hide behind a pseudonym yet you demean the cowardice of others. Of course you are right to hide your identity in a world where college students and other hooligans would likely be ordering pizza for you or otherwise wasting their lives in acts of destruction toward your person. But you correctly take the coward's way out and deny them that opportunity, and as a coward, I salute you.


-- Support the home page homeless.

 
I have a question. (5.00 / 1) (#33)
by elenchos on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 05:43:07 PM PST
I am constantly seeing posts saying that most or even all of the courses the poster took in college were useless. I see this everywhere, although I think I see it a little more on Slashdot and K5 than on, say, Plastic or the MSN boards. It makes me wonder.

Just when did you figure out that these courses were useless? You would think that a useless course would be easy to recognize at the time that you were taking it. You would think that the person taking the course would at least begin to suspect somethign was amiss, if not during the first useless course, then maybe after the second or third one. Wouldn't you think?

But no. It seems that lots of people go and get whole degrees, taking forty or more of these useless courses, at a cost of $300 to $1500 or even more per course. And around $80 for books, if you're lucky. Often it's more like $150. But whatever, its not chicken feed. It's a lot of money to blow on something useless, and then there's all the time and effort involoved. Do I need to go into detail?

So what is up with that? You're telling me you're smart enough to realize that college was a big waste of time and money, but you weren't smart enough to go and spend your time and money on something that is worthwhile? Seems like only an idiot would waste all that. And if you're an idiot, what does that say aobut your ability to judge the value of college? If you're an idiot, would any college course be any use to you?

It seems like no matter how you try to work it out, it ends up as a paradox.

For myself, I've spend a fortune on college and put more of my time and effort into that than anything else in my life, and don't regret it at all. I plan to spend more on it in the future, in fact. Smart or dumb?


I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill


the answer (5.00 / 1) (#34)
by nathan on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 06:01:41 PM PST
I don't know about you, elenchos, but I went to college because my parents wanted me to, and to have hot and cold running chicks, in that order.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

Wow. (5.00 / 1) (#38)
by hauntedattics on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 06:03:14 AM PST
Ya know, I went to college because my parents wanted me to, and to score some hot guys. Cold guys weren't really on my menu back then, and still aren't.



 
rebuttal (none / 0) (#87)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Feb 17th, 2002 at 08:06:55 PM PST
I think college is pretty useless too, but I need it to get a better job.. am I going to get a good job with no education and only menial jobs on my resume? I don't think so.

It's just like the emperor's new clothes.


 
Not to mention... (2.00 / 1) (#35)
by Dr William King on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 10:17:43 PM PST
Not to mention that the liberal-minded culture of the sixties contributed ironically to the ridiculization of our valued liberal profession.

Now lawyers, nurses, cheerleaders and quarterbacks aside are portrayed in pornographic photographies and or films as what I called in my research : �The sexual American dream�.

It is disgusting to blame with pornography well-potent christian men and women who contribute to the evolution of our capitalist system, making it a far more free and friendly place every day.

<STRONG>Dr. William King</STRONG>


just to be clear (2.00 / 1) (#36)
by Dr William King on Mon Jan 21st, 2002 at 10:27:18 PM PST
Of course my friends the STRONGs were intended to be seen like that... and let'S not start an argument about religion and traditional values here like we could.


 
Aren't you the guy who posted the.... (3.00 / 2) (#43)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 05:44:08 PM PST
'Is your son a computer Hacker' article?
I thought I recognized your style, you paranoid and delusional 'so right-winged-you-fell-off-the-airplane' bastard. Yes, state colleges are for idiots, but places like Harvard etc. are still highly respectable. You can only get these idiotic $20 Diplomas from state colleges, not any college you want. I think someone should set up a fund for your children, and a petition that you be removed from society because you are a menace to it. How could you FORCE your children into lower-class jobs (no insult to any who may hold the positions named)???
Furthermore, in you're tale of the self made man, i noticed that you specifically mentioned Bill Gates, meaning you are a hypocryte. By your definition in your 'Is Your Son a Computer Hacker?' article, Bill Gates is a terrible hacker. Please do everybody a favor by never going on your newly found, "internet" and go back to the log cabin from whense you came


total jerk (5.00 / 1) (#44)
by nathan on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 05:53:14 PM PST
lower-class jobs (no insult to any who may hold the positions named)

A bit late for that, chum.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
I love my children (5.00 / 1) (#48)
by T Reginald Gibbons on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 12:05:17 AM PST
Perhaps you don't understand a father's love for his child. I can only assume that your father did not love you as openly as I love my sons and daughters.

I also understand that my children are just that: children. They are impressionable. It is wrong to expect seventeen year old children to make life-changing decisions, such as what to do for a career. This is not something that can be taken lightly. I make these decisions for my children, to give them the benefit of my years of experience. Only I can make the right choices for them. If I didn't, they might follow some fad or trend they've heard of, and end up pursuing a meaningless career in a dehumanized field like computers.


I largely agree with you but (1.00 / 1) (#49)
by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 06:59:14 AM PST
your children do need a career. I'm currently seeking assistance to exploit a parallel universe. Perhaps your eldest may like to try an internship in this exciting enterprise. Reply here.


 
I agree with the "total jerk" up to a po (1.00 / 1) (#52)
by budlite on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 07:57:13 AM PST
I'm not going to deny that you love your children, but you seem to be doing your best to force them into roles in life that YOU want for them, not what THEY want. I think you should let them make their own decisions. They know what they're interested in doing for a living, and while they may not know EXACTLY the career they want to take up, they should at least be given the opportunity to become educated to allow them to take up a position in their chosen field.

It's your duty as a parent to GUIDE them, not force them into some mould you think is fitting. Let them make their own decisions. Ultimately it's their life, not yours. Let them live it how they want to.


P.S. Your son isn't a computer hacker, and if that article wasn't a parody then I can safely say that your knowledge of computers is well below the level that qualifies you to make such a post. I'm not trying to start an argument here, but I felt that needed to be said.


 
or not (none / 0) (#79)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Feb 2nd, 2002 at 05:28:10 PM PST
You are sadly mistaken, you have NO control over your children, they can do WHAT they want and you cannot do ANYTHING ABOUT IT


 
17 year olds are not children (none / 0) (#81)
by goblin on Tue Feb 5th, 2002 at 09:47:13 PM PST
while we might treat 17-or-so-olds as children in this day and age, that is a perspective based on a culture that allows a little more irresponsablity of its younger members than has been the historical norm, and a high average life span. while we might define those of, say 20+ as adults, for most of the worlds history the eldest majority of the global population (the adults) was generally no older than their 20's. by that standard 17-year-olds are most certaintly not children. while i concede that the 17's of our society are not as well equiped for responsablity as their historic predessecors in terms of upbringing (not a comment on anyones parenting, its a logical and hard to avoid consequence of living in such a wealthy nation as the u.s.)those historic 17 year olds pretty much had to either learn from themselves or others who would only have attained a similar age. from this the conclusion can only be that a person of 17 years is more than capable of making many of their own decisions, far more than you are allowing your children


 
Question... (none / 0) (#82)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Feb 8th, 2002 at 02:22:23 PM PST
After reading the computer hacker and laughing out loud for 45 minutes giving the link to all my friends, I must ask...
Do your children hate you?


 
Your child (none / 0) (#85)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Feb 12th, 2002 at 03:04:50 PM PST
WOW! Making decisions for your seventeen year old "child" LOL! I'm sorry, but by the time your child is seventeen, he/she has already made many "life-changing decisions!" Drugs, HACKING, etc. You cannot make a decision like what your child wants to do as a career for them. And for your information, the computer field is one of the greatest fields you can enter in this day in age. You are obviously a overprotecting father that doesn't know jack Sh*t about kids and what they need. You realize that if you sit around your seventeen year old "child" very long, they aren't going to have a thing called Stree-smarts! I'm sure that you love your kids and you want to protect them and care for them for the rest of your life, but you must realize that your "child" is only a year or less from being an ADULT! Yes, renting pornos, going to strip clubs, if you didn't mention that your child was 17, I would have thought you were talking about a kid who is 5 years old! You may want to reconsider what the hell you think "hacking" is because your obviously wrong there when I read your other post. LOL, there are over 4500 posts replying to how INACCURATE your information is. AMD=hacker processor?

New ISP besides AOL? AOL SUCKS BAD...better question is who doesn't want to get rid of AOL!

Hacking will land you in jail, etc....NO...hacking will actually land you a job if your good at it. You can help defend from other attacks! Hacking is not illegal unless you break into sites, if your using hacking for your own personal use, on your computer, simply to learn more about computers, THAT'S NOT HACKING!

Quake=haxor game...LOL LOL....hold on, one more LOL.....Quake is a game....hear that, GAME....not hacker meeting place! LOL

New Video Card means son is hacker.....NO...hacking has nothing to do with your video card LOL

Well, your simply a over protecting father. You can't change that. You love your children. Which most parents do. You also mentioned that you were the greatest family in America, but I wont get into that. However, let your kid be a kid, for christ sakes, one of them is only a year from being an adult and they most likely dont know what alcohol is, sneaking out of the house, etc. Your kids are more likely to be killed on the streets or doing illegal things because of you being to overprotecting. Your NOT, I repeat, NOT a "model parent!" No model parent would keep their kids from growing up even when they are 17! I wish your children good luck in the future and I hope they get a life before you take it from them, then again, that's already happened :) Peace...


 
you moron (none / 0) (#99)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat May 11th, 2002 at 11:39:39 PM PST
HAHA, 17 year olds are not children, a youth from ages 14 or lower is possibly a child. But at 7 years old i vowed myself to strive towards the accomplishment of getting into such a prestigise college as MIT.

You are a fool, now go back to the mountains, build yourself a cabin, and please... never come back to society


 
thankyou (1.00 / 1) (#56)
by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 08:29:21 PM PST
thankyou for giving me a ray of hope for a free america amongst the very real signs that the citizens of america are becoming fools interested only in their social status. Are you from america? if so, you are the only american i have come across that has an independant opinion. i congratulate you, and i sincerely hope america does not fall back into a brainwashed society. As for the facist who wrote the column, let your children have opinions and encourage them to break through the shell of ignorance and steriotypical values.


 
The truth Behind the huge article (none / 0) (#86)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Feb 12th, 2002 at 09:56:33 PM PST
This is done out of the kinddness of my heart.

This person who posts these Articles which get everyone so pissed off is just messing with your heads. He has concealed his identity reasonably well on the "internet". Now for those of you who have read the "Is your son a computer hacker" article you should have made note that if in fact a person that stupid did exsist they would by no means be able to conceal themselves let alone spell some of the words in the article. You can decide for yourselves what you think of this person. I believe it's a rather clever hoax and also would like to give credit to the person writing them for having way more free time than I do:)


 
I agree (none / 0) (#101)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue May 28th, 2002 at 07:03:21 AM PST
word
this guy is retarded and deeply philistine


 
possession (5.00 / 2) (#46)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 09:32:21 PM PST
You're right about these insidious 'college' places. Your children might learn something there -- perhaps even enough to make their own decisions. You must do all that is in your power to prevent this. I think you should take that final step, and leash them (or just tie them up in the basement) to prevent them from getting away from you.

I followed the link in your article for 'lawyer'. Of all the links you could have used for lawyer I think this one is quite telling. On the third page of that article, I found the following quote: "The pleasure in the constant domination over another person is the very essence of the sadistic drive."

I was being sarcastic with the 'tie them up' remark, but I wonder now, would that really be a stretch for you? It's fairly obvious that you've crossed the line between protection and possession, mr gibbons.

-iconoclast


 
The humble opinion from the campus (1.00 / 1) (#47)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 10:53:06 PM PST
Mr. Gibbons -

You make some interesting points. Our society is more open about some things, and it makes you, as well as many parents of children they hope will become "good upstanding citizens," nervous.

First, allow me to address your view of the modern college. You seem to understand that every kind of person exists on the typical college campus. What you seem to fail to comprehend is that this includes the "good upstanding citizens" that you want your kids to keep company with. I attend a small, private college in the South. And while our student body consists of only 5000 undergraduates, I have many friends who have a) not touched alcohol, b) have not had sex or even thought about it, and c) attend church/synagogue/mosque/whatever on a regular basis. My roommate attends Bible study sessions three or more times a week. There are organizations on campus devoted to religious practice, to community service, and other such "virtuous" activities.

You are wrong to think that we collegians are all depraved animals. We're not. Some of us are good people.

That having been said, there are the "deviants" that you may want to "protect" your children against. Here, you just have to trust your children. What happened to Blair happens a lot to children whose curiosity about other value systems and other views of the world are stringently repressed, and who come from sheltered lives where the know not about the existence of what you refer to as "nonconformists."

I hope you have educated your children about that in which you do not want them to engage. If you haven't, they are in the group ripest to deviate from the path that you have set for them.

You have already made a dangerous error by isolating your children from Blair. You have invoked what I refer to as the Bernard Effect, one of the most powerful sociological phenomena that I have observed. It is the allure of the forbidden; things that are unilaterally disallowed by some sort of authority figure immediately become irresistibly appealing. It is named for St. Bernard, who went around in the 12th (I think) century and called playing cards the Devil's work - popularizing playing cards in the process. Reverse this: don't disallow anything, but educate well on what is good, what is bad, and why.

You must face this fact: your children are going to have to go out into the world eventually. Are you going to sacrifice their opportunity for success by denying them the benefits that come from a college education? Or are you going to keep up your futile attempts to shelter your children from the real world, only to have it mercilessly crush your shelter later on? Is that love?

"Don't lock up something that you wanted to see fly." - Chris Cornell. How are your children going to become "good upstanding citizens" if you don't even let them become citizens?

Of course, I don't have children of my own. I speak only from the experience of having been one somewhat recently. Believe me, forbidding something is the worst way of going about preventing it. There is something in the youthful mindset that rebels against that. Short of a strategic lobotomy, you're not going to change that nature.

I want to make one more point. So your child goes out into the world and falls short of your expectations. Would you be able to accept it if your children developed opinions that differ from your own? Chances are that they already have. And finally, what is the problem with that? We are all different. Trying to raise someone who thinks exactly the same as you, acts exactly the same as you, and believes exactly the same as you is ridiculous. The most a parent can do is to help them grow, to develop their own opinions, and to make sure that they have good intentions when the world is unleashed upon them.

What can you do to make sure your children don't go "astray"? Well, you can pray. Or you can open your own mind... maybe that which you see as "astray" really isn't that far off the beaten path after all.


 
Cowardice (5.00 / 1) (#50)
by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 06:47:53 AM PST
Quite right on the cowardice. Its about time we instated National Service. In fact, surely you're missing the point here, before your children can go to grow as true individuals working in the nation's industries, you should first press them into the service of the Nation.
The only way to put moral backbone into them and create truly fulfilled and happy citizens is to put your children in the front line of the fight against terrorism, and sign them up for their Army service. Only then will they have the perspective required to make a contribution to our great democracy. These college liberals shouldn't be allowed to pass comment until they too have taken up arms to defend our freedom.


wrong (none / 0) (#108)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jul 15th, 2002 at 03:33:21 AM PST
why do you say that people must take up arms to defend your national freedom? isn't it just as good to help keep the industries working smoothly so that people do not starve, or lack basic equipment? i would have thought that is as noble a cause as being in the military. why do you call the people who you call upon for all of your basic services cowards? i think that that is really quite a horrible thing to say.


 
You say that you love your children? (1.00 / 1) (#53)
by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 03:54:25 PM PST
Please, Reggie, dont lie.

First off, you say you show your love by making all the decisions for your children and not letting them go to college. And then you tell some person you have most likely never met that their parents obviously didnt show them their love as openly as you do? How exactly in the blue hell do you know anything about this person, except that they disagree with you? Nothing at all.

You're going to tell your children to work in steel mills? A slightly amusing thought enters my mind, Reggie. A thought that, perhaps, T Reginald Gibbons is a 15 year old with raging hormones who is a general smartass who likes to piss people off.

So is this true, Reggie? No parent would want their children to honestly work in a steel mill, or at a McDonald's, or some half-assed "beauty" parlor as you suggest.

Eventually your "children" need to make their own decisions. Its called part of growing up. Let them choose a college, let them go, and if they get into trouble, as long as its not life-threatening or they are being beaten or raped or something, let them take a little heat before bailing them out. It will be a "learning experience."

My own children had their careers mapped out when they were in their late 20s, when most people make their career choices. My son decided he wanted to write, so he worked until he was 32 and went back to college, got a degree in journalism, and now is happily working for a comfortable wage at some paper in Kansas, last I heard. My daughter decided to do something in engineering, she went back to college at 27, got her degree, and now is working for a construction company in San Francisco, making a very comfortable wage.

Im proud of my children, and Im proud that when they got into trouble the first time at the adolescent age, I let them take the fall. When the dust settled (not there was that much dust), they were all fine, and I, although I looked diligently for trouble, never found any.

Once they hit 18, Reggie, they choose for themselves. If they have the money to go to college and want to go, they do.

So, Reggie, how's that XBox? I hear its pretty popular among you 15 year olds.


Snob. (5.00 / 2) (#54)
by hauntedattics on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 04:36:53 PM PST
No parent would want their children to honestly work in a steel mill, or at a McDonald's, or some half-assed "beauty" parlor as you suggest.

Yeah, you're right. I'd much rather that my kids were drug dealers, or drug users, or globalization protesters smashing up Niketowns around the world, or Kenneth Lay.

My hairdresser is a lovely person, with a great sense of humor and an engaging personality. She provides me an invaluable service based on several years of training, makes a nice salary and lives in a comfortable apartment with an adoring and attentive boyfriend. What parent wouldn't be happy to see his/her daughter in that situation?

I could continue by describing the courteous, professional electrician who came to my house today, or the countless steel and auto workers out there who probably make more money than you do, but I think you get my point. Just because you don't think these jobs are worth anything, doesn't mean they aren't. Stop crapping all over those who work hard everyday and support the economy, but somehow don't measure up to your standards because their jobs aren't 'glamorous' enough for you.




 
You're obviously a terrible father (none / 0) (#57)
by T Reginald Gibbons on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 12:30:20 AM PST
Maybe if you'd told them what to do, when they were young, they wouldn't have wasted ten years in jobs they obviously didn't want, only to end up at companies whose names you can't remember. So I don't think I need any more fathering tips from you.



BUT (none / 0) (#58)
by budlite on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 05:56:14 AM PST
How do you know whether your kids want to do what you've got planned for them? In all likelihood, they don't. Let them do what THEY want. If they end up in a LEGITIMATE career which might not be what you wanted them you should still be proud of them for getting where they want to be.

As I've already said, it's their life, and you can't and shouldn't make them live it exactly how you want them to.


The source of disagreement (none / 0) (#59)
by T Reginald Gibbons on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 07:03:36 AM PST
You and those like you are labouring under the misapprehension that people are able to determine for themselves, the path they should take in life. This is an extremely conceited argument to make, and trivially refutable. For most people, there is at least one other person in the world who would do a better job at making life decisions than they would themselves. This is especially true of children. If you weren't so hung up on false ideas of personal freedom, you would happily concede this point.


No (none / 0) (#60)
by budlite on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 09:38:46 AM PST
but I won't concede. Teenagers are more mature than you might think.

If they don't like what you decide for them, then it's pretty much a guarantee that you're going to have problems with the parent/offspring relationship in the future.


Huh? (none / 0) (#64)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Jan 26th, 2002 at 04:29:32 PM PST
But, Reggie, obviously YOU have all the answers, obviously only YOU are smart enough to tell everyone else what to do. Feed me another dumbass.


open wide... (5.00 / 1) (#65)
by nathan on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 09:11:40 AM PST
I didn't know we had an ouroboros posting here, but anyway.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
OH MY GOD!!! (none / 0) (#109)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jul 15th, 2002 at 03:46:59 AM PST
What the hell? Are you saying that not one single person at the age of 18 has any brains? I am shocked and offended! I am 15 years old, and yet I believe that I would make a better father than you. Why? Because you are the most incredibly conceited person I have ever heard from! How can you say that my entire age group cannot make a mature, informed decision about their carrer? My father made a decision as soon as he left high school, and he followed that right through. Now he is working for a very comfortable wage in QANTAS (Australia's main airline) and is bringing me up to be a sensible, mature young man, AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO TELL HIM THAT HE WAS WRONG TO MAKE HIS OWN CHOICE? You sicken me.


 
Yeah... (none / 0) (#83)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Feb 8th, 2002 at 02:26:00 PM PST
Yeah you do need father tips from just about anybody. Watch a video or something, although reading some of your articles you probably haven't grasped the concept of VHS.


 
how dare you... (none / 0) (#88)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Mar 22nd, 2002 at 09:58:16 AM PST
Tell others about how to handle their children, when you post shite like this: http://sjeemz.nl/tmp/hacker.html


 
T Reginald Gibbons (none / 0) (#93)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Apr 15th, 2002 at 07:10:35 AM PST
You are an idiot. Dont be so gay and get a life.


 
monster (none / 0) (#61)
by nathan on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 10:33:20 AM PST
If they have the money to go to college and want to go, they do.

How kind of you to apply devil-take-the-hindmost capitalism to your kids. You're a prince.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
Strange, horrible man, this is. (none / 0) (#62)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 12:01:50 PM PST
I cannot help but wonder how this man would feel if his parents had made all of his decisions for him, and his parents were, say, zoroastrians.


 
Holy Moly (none / 0) (#63)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 05:48:59 PM PST
::cracking up::

The comments are Almost funnier than the Article.


no kidding! (none / 0) (#95)
by Ilya Blacklocust on Tue Apr 23rd, 2002 at 06:45:17 PM PST
This is one of the funniest things I've found on the net in a while. You read the one about computer hackers? The slew of angry replies....


 
Thoughts and Curiousities (none / 0) (#66)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 09:49:07 AM PST
I have to first say that I worry about people whom think the way this Gentlemen has. First, I would like to say that a person has a right to choose whether or not he/she would get involved in those specific activities such as sex, drugs, and alcohol. If a parent hasn't taught them better to begin with then what do you expect. Second of all, why knock universities. Its not the universities that are causing this. Drop educational funding, I'm sorry, but I am one of the unfortunate people to not have college on a silver platter for me and I will be paying back all of my loans when I finish. I will be graduating from the Univerisity of Minnesota with my Electrical Engineering degree in a year. I am happily engaged and I couldn't ask for anything more in my life. To see a father judge his own children characters to a neighbors is completely wrong. Who knows, one of them could have been the next Einstein for all we know. A parent can instruct for only so long before their children grow up and can make judgements for themselves. At that point in time, a parent can only make suggestions and offer assistance when requested. I would say more, but I think I have said enough


eh? (none / 0) (#67)
by nathan on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 11:21:41 AM PST
First, I would like to say that a person has a right to choose whether or not he/she would get involved in those specific activities such as sex, drugs, and alcohol.

I thought rights were more along the lines of "free speech" or "security of the person."

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

Personal vs Law (none / 0) (#68)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 12:11:18 PM PST
Looking at my first statement I might have been a little vague on the definiton of rights. You have the Law which you stated previously then you have what I would call a self right. Now drugs and alcohol can be picked up anywhere. Everyone knows this. No matter age, race, or sex. My previous statement for rights was for self rights. A person has a right to choose what they want to do with there life. Sometimes it is right, sometimes it is wrong. That is what I was referring to.


I still don't get it (none / 0) (#69)
by nathan on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 12:33:50 PM PST
drugs and alcohol can be picked up anywhere

I devoutly hope not.

A person has a right to choose what they want to do with there [sic] life

So parents should just let their kids go nuts? Isn't that a dereliction of responsibility? I agree with the principle of the individual's personal responsibility, but parents mustn't use it as an excuse to neglect the parental role.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

Responsibilities (none / 0) (#70)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 12:56:15 PM PST
A parents responsiblity should not be pushed under the rug. I agree, but once a child graduates from high school then that is where the gray area comes in. Should you be or should you not be responsible for your child. Help them decide, yes : Make the decision for them, no. The major responsibility for parents are while their children are growing up and are at home. When a young adult decides to go to college, then that is his or her decision. Once in college, they have to live their own life, their parents aren't going to be able to make decisions for them.


 
To quote Jim Carrey, whom you probably hate... (none / 0) (#75)
by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 30th, 2002 at 06:52:39 PM PST
'Wrong-o.'

First of all, minirant time. I bet that because I choose to use single quotes instead of double quotes, I'm a teenage rebellion lover, right? It's part of my individuality loving rebellion, yes?

Onto the rest of the stuff. Your rights, as guaranteed by law, are that you have free speech, the right to have weapons, not have soldiers quartered in your house, unreasonable searches , the right to not speak to the point of self-incrimination, a speedy trial, the right to sue for anything over 20 dollars, and here come the last two, the important ones- All powers not vested in the federal government are vested in the state; all powers not vested in the state are vested in the citizen. That means that I or anyone else has the right to do what ever they want in terms of alcohol, sex, drugs, etc. And in spite of what you think, Jesus drank alcohol daily. So, guess what? It ain't a sin.


one man's wit is another's invective (none / 0) (#77)
by nathan on Wed Jan 30th, 2002 at 08:19:24 PM PST
I bet that because I choose to use single quotes instead of double quotes, I'm a teenage rebellion lover, right?

You're in conformance with British orthography in so doing.

While I don't feel equipped to debate American constitutional law with you, you Yankocentrist, as I am neither American nor a resident of the USA, I will say that the strong deconstructionist stance is no more legitimate than the Supreme Court interprets it to be. You may consider yourself "morally right" and thus superior to the S C, but the S C retains the right to interpret the law; in other words, the law is practice and implementation as much as it is theory, and the validity of theory is ascertained through practice.

Obviously, you've failed to become familiar with my opinions. I say that because I have several posts current discussing the merits of various brands of vodka. Despite your lack of familiarity with my opinions, you've obviously assumed I'm sort of right-wing, state-capitalist Amurrican "Christian," which I certainly am not.

All I meant by the parent post to this series is that "freedom to smoke pot and look at pr0n" is not a human right. Sorry if this harshed you all out, d00d.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
Re:My Children Will Not Be Attending College (none / 0) (#71)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 08:16:37 PM PST
Is this for real? I mean are you just having a laugh here or are you generally a real moron? If this is for real and you are a moron then i feel REALLY sorry for your poor kids i really do... Your kids will not thank you for that when they "grow up" and if i were them i'd probably murder you or something so i'd be carefull if i were u!! Don't you think maybe they can make their own decissions? maybe that has something to do with why teenagers rebel.. you know to make their own decissions instead of this conformist follow me leader shit BS given by some arogant stuck up middle class prick who thinks they're better than everyone else because they dress smart and have thanks giving dinners and dont beleive sience because it strays from your religous ideals which you live by harmoneously each day pressing this shit into your kids minds too in the hope that it will scare them into following your ways? and for what???? Because you beleive that fun should only be had at reasonable volumes without running round half naked wearing latex boots and a thong? well tell me why that is really so wrong and why society sees these things as taboo? bet ur one of these people who thinks that nudists should be aressted!! If you don't agree with this then i'll get you a spoon so u can eat my ass!!!!


 
Re:My Children Will Not Be Attending College (none / 0) (#72)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Jan 27th, 2002 at 08:23:57 PM PST
Infact i think the main reason you don't want them to goto colledge is because away from you they might actually be able to think for them selves!!! I know why don't you buy them a radio leash so like even when their 60 you can make sure they're doing as daddy says and not browsing porn on the internet!


 
Take photos (none / 0) (#73)
by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 30th, 2002 at 06:24:45 PM PST
I'd recommend you start making a photo album of your children now, because once they make a living on their own you won't be seeing them again.


HAHA (none / 0) (#98)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat May 11th, 2002 at 11:35:50 PM PST
HAHAHA, so true, and i'm glad someone said this


 
I figured it out... (none / 0) (#76)
by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 30th, 2002 at 06:59:46 PM PST
(This is not a troll)

You're a Quaker Nazi.

Seriously. Let us review. You believe that anything deviating from the norm is evil. Just like anything other than a blonde haired blue eyed person. You believe that all people are inferior to you, and that since you are elder, you should be choosing their careers, etc. Just like the Nazis did. You take halfassed information, propogate it, and pretend that it is correct (namely, your IYSaCH? article). 90% of the information provided in your article is wrong. Just like the fascist Nazis. The only difference between you and Hitler is that he had the means to commit his mass genocide. And he didn't try to use the Bible to make excuses.

Go away, Nazi.


Quakers (none / 0) (#78)
by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 31st, 2002 at 05:41:26 PM PST
Characterizing this bigot as a Quaker is an insult to Quakers everywhere. The Society of Friends has started several colleges. Also, despite their regulations, Quakerism stands for liberty not tyranny.


 
Oh dear!! (none / 0) (#80)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Feb 3rd, 2002 at 03:51:00 AM PST
Having read your other articles it is clear that you are joking. I feel for the idiots who have posted serious replies. Anyone see the film 'Virgin Suicides'. I hope all your children live long enough to make up their own minds...


 
your article... (none / 0) (#89)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Mar 25th, 2002 at 07:39:13 PM PST
man, i hope all of your kids turn out to be hackers who are addicted to pot.....i would take the time to respond to your close-minded viewpoints, but Quake is calling me to learn how to hack and use guns....haha


How very interesting... (none / 0) (#90)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Mar 26th, 2002 at 09:46:25 PM PST
Choosing jobs for your children with your years of knoledge as an uneducated paranoid.

I'm sorry to bring up the OTHER article, but, most of that hacker software you mentioned, is not hacker software. It's just programs that BASICLY make websites look better.

As for your idea that college made the Blair Witch a goth, if there were any truth to that, a lot more people would be goths, would they not?

Oh, and goths don't bite, so why are you so scared?

At any rate. Learn to look into stuff before you pass judgement. It would help the world a great deal.

Oh, and Quake's just a game... it may help with shooting skills, but people don't talk about hacking on it. Unless you mean hacking the game. If THAT'S what you read, they were just trying to get better guns in the game. Not hurt anyone's computer. *laughs*


 
Ok you people obviously arnt very bright (none / 0) (#91)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Apr 14th, 2002 at 08:18:14 PM PST
UNDERSTAND, education is not forced upon, its is gained by free will. You people are biest, prejudice and facist. MIT is one of the nation's finest colleges, how your neighbor's daughter was even considered blows my mind in the first place, nonetheless, she became what she is by her own choice. Her problems are caused by heart break, something NO PARENT is able to prevent. College is a wonderful thing that leads people to higher education, BUT ONLY IF YOU DESIRE IT. On every college campus, there are the stoners and the studious students. Blaire has chosen her own path, it is not because of college. Bill Gates got into Harvard but after around one year, he dropped out. There are not many geniuses in the world, and none of those geniuses are present on this website. America lost the war to vietnam because the vietmanese were trained soldiers willing to die for honor. Also, the american soldiers were tired from the long trip there. With parents like yourself, any child would love to hate you. Your OPINIONS are WRONG, and can easily be disproved. You have not been to college, you have not attended college nor desired to be something better than the complete moronic bastard you are today.


 
Americans (none / 0) (#92)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Apr 14th, 2002 at 08:30:32 PM PST
I have come to the obvious solution that: Americans, for the most part, are stupid, idotic, self-rightious, bastards. Those of you who oppose this idoit, i congragulate you for you are not nearly as dumb as this baffoon. Those of you who agree, your the reason Bush is president, I hope your happy. God they just get dumber by the generation...


 
sweet (none / 0) (#94)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Apr 19th, 2002 at 12:43:54 AM PST
I've not read such a concetrated junk'n'lies in months.

1. Linus Torvalds - university professor from Sweden

2. Linux is legal - your very American IBM invested about a billion USD into it last year

3. no comment on AMD related bullshit, but I think that AMD lawyers would love it :-)

4. Children having fun win Micro$oft Word, hahaha

Your son is no hacker, he just tried to be more computer literate than you.

PS.: thank you for the great laugh anyway

(Now I expect attacks on my broken English, if so show me your ... (any NonEnglish) :-))))




You lam0r (none / 0) (#114)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Aug 25th, 2002 at 10:12:55 AM PST
Mr Gibbons, you are a TWAT, the only thing wrong with your son is that he's got a complete bell-end for a father.
I'm sure you've heard all i'm gonna say before but i'm gonna drum it into you one more time cos i think you're a bit to thick to get it the first time.

The top 10 Signs that your dad is a Twat!

1, AOL is shit, the only reason people want to change from aol is because it's unreliable, uses bandwidth doing nothing (look up bandwidth in a dictionary) and generally ruins any experience on the net.
2, Comet cursor is a shitty mouse cursor program, bonzi buddy = crap monkey that appears on the screen and every copy of windows now comes with flash (it's the program that makes cool animations work) you twat.
3, A new graphics card cannot be used to hack, it's used to play games and AMD is the 2nd biggest microprocessor maker in the world (they makes better chips than intel), again you are a twat!
4, Most of the books you've quoted are useful manuals to program, which is not hacking. Again you've made a twat out of yourself!
5, DoS, (Denial of Service), does not in any way involve using DOS (the command prompt) on another computer. I can tell that you're making this up now, so once more you've proved to be a twat!
6,QUAKE! quake is a game, it's too bad that if you play it you're gonna run off and gun someone down but I can assure you NOBODY else will, plus if you would do this then you are a twat!
7, I think your describing PUBERTY (It's in the dictionary too) twat!
8, Linux = A very stable operating system that is available free cos it's open source and it's better than windows which is why most web servers run on linux/unix. Telnet comes with windows and wasnt created by hackers and i dont know what mp3 program you use but it's gotta have pretty long arms to be able to reach the stereo.
9, This is called Puberty again
10, I think your son is a faliure just for the pure reason that he's related to you, if you give him up for adoption and hope he forgets all about you (probably not too hard) then he'll probably do really well.


 
HAHAHA, yoru all fools (none / 0) (#96)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat May 11th, 2002 at 11:24:53 PM PST



 
...? Ignorance (none / 0) (#97)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat May 11th, 2002 at 11:34:28 PM PST
You, are the most ignorant person i have ever come across in my entire life. To not allow your children access to a higher education such as college is simply ignorant. Your morals and facts are all completely wrong. Do you think there are CEOs or Executives that didn't go to college? Do you even think there are that many people who make over $45,000 that didn't attend college? If you do, then your are not only ignorant, but utterly stupid.

I feel so very sorry for your 6 children, that they are to live their lives and not ever succed at something great, none the less ever have this chance at all. You, i must say, are the most horrible father that i have ever known. For not "listening" to your children, but assuming that you know more about todays generation than they do. You must respect the fact that they may have more knowledge on this subject than you do.

And the only thing you are doing by restricting them, is making them break more rules. My father was the perfect father. He only restricted me to things that were important, such as curfue. Not computer time, or education.

This is complete nonsense, i hope you burn in hell for ruin the lives of 6 innocent souls.


 
Save your children..... (none / 0) (#102)
by The Truth on Thu Jun 6th, 2002 at 10:55:50 PM PST
What is wrong with you? I am honestly amazed that after all of you other insane ramblings your computer has not been hacked.

I have dabbled in psychology, and that young ladies problems are probably caused by her parents. They most likely never allowed her freedom or much fun, and when she got it she had no clue how to use it. This is going to happen to your children, when they get out into the real world. IF YOU DON'T ALLOW THEM FREEDOM SOON THEN ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BECOME HORID ADULTS!

Take some of these peoples advice! I have known children like yours and they turn out worse than Blair did! Save your poor children before you destroy their life!


 
Total Agreement (none / 0) (#103)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jun 18th, 2002 at 08:30:48 AM PST
My children will also not be going to college. I have read numerous articles about the widespread use of something called "X" in dormitories and on college campuses. This "X" causes brain damage, cancer, transmissions of sexually transmitted diseases, and bad breath. Drinking of alcohol often occurs in classrooms in college and is even encouraged by college professors, who provide students with alcohol in the classroom on a regular basis. Also I have heard that public sex and orgies are a regular occurence on 99% of college campuses, usually in an area called "the Quad". So my children will never, ever set foot on a college campus.


idiocy is spreading... (none / 0) (#110)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jul 15th, 2002 at 04:00:38 AM PST
you, like mr t reginald gibbons, have just made about 1000 mistakes there. your 'x' is probably just rumour. professors do not encourage alchoholism. public sex and orgies. hmmm. nope. can't say that i have ever heard of any of those occuring, because a) the university staff would stop anything like that, at least in public. b) any university that fails to prevent these occurences or that condones them would soon get shut down, and c) because the quad is an area of concrete or wood, used for physical exercise, and its just so hard to have sex on a hard surface. it just feels really uncomfortable. you, im afraid, are evidence supporting the theory that "hydrogen and stupidity are the two most common things in the universe"


 
I Concur Totally With Your Assessment (none / 0) (#112)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jul 16th, 2002 at 10:23:34 AM PST
I am a former college student, and I can assure you all the things you say are true. The activities going on at so called universities today is absolutely shocking. I was approached by drug dealers on a daily basis offering me free samples of marijuana and cocaine. When I reported this activity to campus police, they told me they could do nothing about it, as the university used drug dealers to boost funds. Public displays of sex, unfortunately, were a very common occurance there. There were dirty syringes laying all around the area that these horrid displays were taking place. I can only hope that maybe some of the participants were diabetics and injecting insulin instead of heroin.


 
You are a DICK! (none / 0) (#104)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jun 18th, 2002 at 11:45:22 AM PST
That is all.


 
Please let it be a joke (none / 0) (#105)
by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jun 21st, 2002 at 10:03:25 PM PST
Dear Sir,

Please, PLEASE tell me that your postings are all jokes, as hypothesized by a post several postings ago. I have too much faith in humanity to believe that anyone SO MONRONIC could possibly be computer literate. Or, for that matter, literate period.

First, let us address the article at hand. The benefits of college. Let us start with the financial aspect. With entry level jobs, an applicant with a university diploma can expect to earn 5-8 thousand dollars more per year than an individual with a high school diploma. This is as an ENTRY LEVEL JOB. As the jobs grow more complicated (and thus more profitable), a university diploma is quite often a prerequisite to get the job at all. IF you are being serious, you are shutting your children off from economic independence - which, might I add, makes your already unlikely support from them in your old age even more unlikely.

Second, the article that introduced me to you, the infamous "Computer Hacker" article. To be frank, I have never, in all my life, seen a greater example of idiocy - provided that it was a serious posting. If it was, instead, a piece of satire, I congratulate you on an excellent piece of work, and you've no doubt got all the responses that you could have hoped for. However, if it was a serious posting, I fear for you, your children, and anyone you've ever come in contact with. You are a misinformed busybody, and that is, I believe, the nicest thing I can call you.

Not only do you make unfair generalizations and stereotypes, but you either make facts up or believe the most blatant lies I've ever heard. Allow me to list a few of my favourites.

AMD Processors being inferior - if you've missed the computer hardware battle in the last year, they are the principal competitor to Intel - and their chips briefly SURPASSED Intel's in processor speed. Further, to have individual processors transmit their identity over the internet would be a breach of consumer privacy - neither Intel nor AMC's processors do that.

Also, it is unusually difficult for untrained third world children to assemble circuitry only a few microns wide in unairconditioned sweatshops. Just think about it.

I suspect I'm running out of space, so I will merely mention the one thing that annoyed me the most. Satire or not, the attack on the authors that you mention in "Hacker Manuals" is unforgivable - particularly William Gibson's "Neuromancer". William Gibson is widely acknowledged as the father of modern science fiction. Furthermore, "Neuromancer" - a work of science FICTION - is a good story, and paved the way for stories to come: it even coined the term "cyberspace".

I could go on about "Microserfs", an amusing novel about the lives of a few Microsoft employees - but I really can't bring myself to care that much.

My dear Mr. Gibbons. Again, I pray that this is a joke. If it is a satire, I salute you in your compositional skills - you maintained the persona of a domineering, gullible, worthless, fascist, right-winged, misinformed, hypocritical, idiotic, brain-dead father who is a detriment to his family and society in general throughout your work.

I sincerely hope you read this - and please, if it is a joke, tell those of us who have some faith left that no one as dumb as you are could have survived past childhood.

J


 
Trapped? (none / 0) (#106)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jul 1st, 2002 at 02:58:09 PM PST
Whenever I read one of your articles, I feel trapped in a world where nothing an established institution can do is possibly good.


Ahem (none / 0) (#107)
by Anonymous Reader on Sat Jul 6th, 2002 at 03:48:58 AM PST
Hello T. Reginald Gibbons or whoever you are. Could you please email me as I wish to discuss some very important matters with you concerning your son's supposed "hacking". Please, this is very important and I am NOT a con-artist.

My name is Z. Bailey and I am a Computer Communictaions Technician.

I responded to your article on the matter but it appears that it is no-longer looked at much.

Once again, please email me

Sincerely, Z. Bailey

PS: My e-mail address is

Zach_Bailey@email.com

I look foward to hearing from you.


 
What is your problem? (none / 0) (#111)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jul 16th, 2002 at 01:38:22 AM PST
Why do you object to porn? Because it shows people who obviously enjoy sexual freedom?


 
wanker (none / 0) (#113)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jul 29th, 2002 at 05:45:34 AM PST
u r a complete wanker i hope u die and what kinda name is reginal? i recon ur kids r ganna end up killin u cos u r such a complete wanker, i hope u die VERY soon for ur kids sake, or r u just some lonely 40 year old tryin to get attention?


 
oh this is beautiful (none / 0) (#115)
by Anonymous Reader on Sun Sep 8th, 2002 at 01:19:30 PM PST
not to be disrespectful to such a brilliant man, but if i had a million dollars, i would spend every cent of it to see u locked up forever and ur kids put in a real family, my dad doesnt control every aspect of my life, and im a very happy teen, ur problem is, when ur kids have never had a childhood, they will never know any fun, they will grow up to be repressed alchoholics, u may think ur kids love u, but ill bet u a million dollars they always talk shit about u to their friends and they probly hate u for being such a huge jerk, oh no college for u son, ur going to lead a wonderful life as the assistant manager at taco bell!


 

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