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The Case for Open Education in Higher Learning

I was recently discussing the issue of the Oakland University strike with someone. While the pay and benefits are obviously big factors in collective bargaining agreements, something else came up. One of his talking points for supporting the strike, well, stuck me. He was the notion of intellectual property in the classrooms and who it actually belongs to: do the lessons belong to the professors or the University.

Well, he wasn’t the least bit pleased about the idea of putting lessons online for people to see. He didn’t think it fair that “some kid in Oklahoma” could view the lessons and “learn for free”. Realistically, if schools like Yale, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, etc. all do this and see no threat, than Oakland University has absolutely no argument and no reason to be threatened. Lets take a look at why.
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Extreme Makeover: Depot Edition

***NOTE***
To all that are finding this page through a link, there is an update on what’s happened with more information and insight here. So once you’re done, check it out.
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There’s something brewing over at the Michigan Central Station train depot in southwest Detroit. The depot sits as a gateway in between Corktown and Mexicantown. While Mexicantown is picking up somewhat, Corktown is still experiencing the economic hit of the Tiger Stadium loss when the team moved to Comerica Park in 2000. The station is one of the first things you notice when you cross the Ambassador Bridge from Canada into the United States, and there’s no question that while it’s an architectural masterpiece, it remains a tremendous eye sore and a black mark for the city.

On April 7th, the City of Detroit decided it was time for the building to come down, and entirely too many people disagree with that decision. So with the help of Wayne State student John Mohyi, state Senator Cameron Brown, Dan Stamper and the Detroit International Bridge Company (who owns not just the Ambassador bridge but the Train Station as well), an effort was put underway to try and find a use for this iconic relic of Detroit’s past.

Numerous times since Amtrak moved out in the late 1980s, there have been proposed solutions for what to do with the building.

• Before the Casinos opened in Detroit (Greektown, the MGM Grand, and Motor City Casino), MCS was a possible location for a casino / hotel.
• There were talks of it being an IT hub for the massive cables that connect the internet between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit.
• The Kwame Kilpatrick Administration pitched the idea of using it as a police headquarters or FBI regional hub for the area.

All of these project ideas and more have fallen through, and the depot sits idle, with the exception of the urban exploration and the occasional movie shoot (such as the first Transformers film) or photo op. The razor wire around the front perimeter does little to deter visitors, and the cement rises up ever so as if to dare people to try and jump over it. This all despite the fact that the back of the building is completely and entirely wide open.
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My first 4th of July with a Foreign Car

On my way home from work on Tuesday, I was most disturbed when my 1988 Chevrolet Caprice just turned itself off in the middle of traffic. Such things are most unusual, and as such I figured that the car had merely stalled out and that I should just try to revive it. So I turned the vehicle on where she started right up. I then revved the engine a little bit and I was back on the road…only to have the car stop again a few blocks later. I’m able to steer the car over to the side of the road…where it no longer starts. I hear only a tick tick tick from the starter and that’s it. Upon calling my Dad to come check it out, we realize that a massive oil leak that sprung up from who knows where under the engine. The engine, of course, did not care for this any much and simply decided “You know what, I’ve had more than enough of this tomfoolery” and promptly right then and there decided to end it’s life. The small block 305 seized up right there, and that was that.

Left me by the side of the road waiting for Nick’s Towing to show up, I tried to keep my cool and not become completely irate. I think I did a fantastic job, but that’s just me. Mark this down as the single most frustrating week of my life between everything that’s happened.

My 1988 Chevy Caprice...in it's former glory

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The “Up In Smoke” Version of Obama’s Tobacco Bill

Just what we need: More government control over another aspect of our lives. As a former smoker (still a hookah smoker), I can tell you up front that this bill is a complete joke and abuse of power.

How you ask? Well lets just look at the “findings” by congress right from the bill itself.

1) The use of tobacco products by the Nation’s children is a pediatric disease of considerable proportions that results in new generations of tobacco-dependent children and adults.

That’s all well and good. However Childhood Obesity (up to 33% of kids) is much more rampant than the number of high school seniors that smoke (up to 24%). Not to mention that studies are showing that teens are smoking at substantially lesser rates than in years past, and this figure continues to fall yearly. Other problems facing kids, such as childhood obesity, all the nonsense on the television and in the media, and the glorification of anti-culture culture is on the rise, and much more dangerous.
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Back to Square One

So in 3 days of canvassing for Clean Water Action I’ve threatened to have the police called on me in Mount Clemens, Been picked up by the police in Wixom, and fell and screwed up my knee in Shelby Township. I’m done with this stuff. Combine that with the fact that after nightfall NOBODY wants anyone who looks like me knocking at their door. Which I can understand, I look like “that guy” that they always show on the news who is pretending to be a building inspector, meter reader, etc. who then proceeds to hold you up at gunpoint and rob you blind. So needless to say, the job just is not a good fit for me, plain and simple. So I’m back to square one, time to start looking again for employment. Probably better this way, as not all of their issues I agree with and could never see myself campaigning on global warming (I much rather prefer Simon Que’s take on the matter, which you can read over at Lew Rockwell). Maybe I’ll wait till after Monday when I talk to my doctor again and see what the deal is with my damn knee before I make any decisions.

Who knows where I’ll end up. But it should be interesting. I’m also going to get the rest of the pages on this blog/site up and running. There’s been nothing on here for too long now, it’s getting ridiculous I know. So I’ll get it all taken care of.

It’s also come as quite a surprise to my how controversial my hair has become.  When you have short hair, people don’t ever say to you “You should grow it out”even if they like long hair. But if they don’t like long hair, when it’s long they all tell you to cut it. I only bring it up because I did one of those stupid MySpace bulletins that was a Valentine app, and this seems to be the consistent message: If you have short hair, people don’t tell you they hate it if they do. But if you have long hair, you will get hell for not cutting it. Well, not hell as much as harassment. But still, very weird.

In other news, Jenn’s taking me to Flogging Molly next Month. I’m super stoked, last year’s show was such a blast.Maybe this year one of us standing outside will have a camera that actually works. They have a new album dropping in March which I’ve been listening to quite a bit of lately. It’s called “Float“, and the title track is just awesome, it’s such a good song. The rest of the album is pretty good too. It’ll be great to hear some new material (hopefully) at the show. I’ve decided that I don’t care if I can’t fully walk by then, I’m going into the pit and will be pushing my way to the front regardless. I’m well used to standing on my feet for hours on end, so I’m not too worried about how it’ll all end up. As long as I can still walk at the end of the night, it’s all good

Speaking of concerts and new albums, I sincerely hope Counting Crows keep touring as their new album “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” is dropping 3 weeks after Flogging Molly’s. To make things juicier, 3 tracks have already been released for download through the internet (MySpace, their website, etc). I doubt they’ll release more with the album right around the corner. If the rest of the album is half as good as the first 3 tracks has been, then I’ll definitely be one of their best. From what I’ve heard thus far, it sounds like it would chronically fit in between August and Recovering. I’m sure Gil Norton (who produced Recovering the Satellites and half of the new album) had something to do with all of that. On a more personal note, how Adam describes the album is “…it’s about a flood of sin and liquor and dissolution and insanity and it’s about trying to rebuild the life you wrecked in the wake of that flood. It’s about the way it feels.” Sounds entirely too much like my life over the past year or so. Liquor, sin, and regret. Que sera sera I suppose.