I like humor, intellectual conversation, travel, meeting new people and making new friends, taking tons of pictures (both SLR and digital) of sunsets, beautifull buildings, people ann cool nature scenes. I have very beautiful wife and two reasonably lazy kids, large (4000 s/f) 3-story new house, stable and rewarding job. Fortunately do not own stocks (I invest in real estate which works much better for me). Like hiking, downhill skiing, surfing (alone if risky or with family if not too much). Want to try parasailing or motorsaling in near future (my wife has some concern about it, but I think it is not more risky than mountain hiking).

Essentially those are same activities I liked and were involved in Russia. There I also did a lot of biking, especially before I bought my first car at age 26.

Because I teach in college, I hove some concern about of level of education in US. And I see the problem "from inside". The thing is that unlike russia, US colleges are commercial enterprizes - they strongly oriented toward student's wallet. So, if teacher is too demanding, enrollment in his class drops. So, natural selection favors "easy on students" professor and basic classes. Thus the problem.

Intersesting that "hard core" classes (math, physics, chem, bio, programming) as well as grad schools are becoming more and more foreign student dominating. American students take more English, arts, philisophy, history and other easy classes and rarely make it to grad schools. Best jobs ofteen go to better educated immigrants or recent foreign graduates of US universities.

I think, this is where my concern is. Why country with good economy and good democracy is somewhere between 20 and 30 among other nations in education - behind all Europe and half Asia? Those are official numbers from US department of education and independent organizations which I already cited (but can post them again if someone is interested).

May be it make sense to adjust "freedom of education" a little before the country became "education-free"?

• Negativity vs constructive criticism - harvey1 - November 4, 2001 - 19:16 UTC
  • Hm, I try to elevate level of US education, not to tear it down. - alexander - November 4, 2001 - 21:51 UTC
    • Alex,... you must be on the "Top ten... - smartguy - November 5, 2001 - 03:10 UTC
      • No reason to be too concerned - harvey1 - November 5, 2001 - 04:48 UTC
        • Harvey, do you know US immigration policy? - alexander - November 5, 2001 - 06:39 UTC
          • That's true, but - harvey1 - November 5, 2001 - 13:36 UTC
            • Some humor. - alexander - November 5, 2001 - 17:30 UTC
              • LOL... no doubt! (nt) - harvey1 - November 5, 2001 - 17:39 UTC
      • Dumbth - luis_hamburgh - November 5, 2001 - 23:40 UTC