h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*is beginning to finally feel very greatful that no customs officer has ever taken any notice of her*

I smuggled some beach sand out of Hawaii once. It was unavoidable; the sand was stuck to my sneakers. Not even Pelee got upset.

I've smuggled:

Too big amounts of alcohol (way back before Sweden became a member of the EU and the alcohol laws were much more restrictive)

Alcohol classified as narcotics (what? I bought it in a minimarket! oh - 90%? ah...)

Huge amounts of Swedish spice mix Citronpeppar (probably being sold at IKEA in the UK by now). The h2g2 researcher who picked it up to deliver it to the researcher who had ordered it asked, when I opened my suitcase, with eyes widening, 'how did you get *that* through customs?

'What customs?'

I usually overpack when I go abroad, and this means I can't pick up much stuff to bring back with me. I don't want to get a hernia carrying heavy bags from the airport back to my house.

When packing for a trip, put all the stuff you *think* you need in a pile.

Take away half.

Take way half again.

Now, take away all the things that you packed 'just in case'.

Done.

A lot depends on the time of year, or the tropicality of the destination. When I went to Maui, I noticed that many of my fellow passengers had hardly any luggage.

Well, thanks to an old Swedish movie, I know what I *need* to pack.

Two giggly females emphasized the 3 P's. Only works in Swedish, I'm afraid...

Pass = Passport
Pengar = Money
Piljetter = Tickets

That's all you really need.

(and it's really spelled biljetter, but they were a bit tipsy at the time)

Going back to the airline thing: how much would I have to pay to get a row removed so that i've got enough leg room? I'm skinny, so no problem with the width of the seats, but they don't realy cater for 36" legs.

On my last flight, I eventually slept with an entire leg in the aisle. When this nearly tripped the stewardess up, she offered me a couple of staff seats so I could stretch out, which was nice. And on the flight out, I was offered the seats at the front of the cabin by the woman at check in, who notice my height (6'7") and figured I'd probably want not to have cramp for seven hours.

D and I ahve both been in the airport with out laptops, and never had a problem. But that's maybe because we've never gone international at the same time? I still think it's weird that they require a photo ID for a 13 year old.

Would a passport count as a photo ID?

It would, if she had one.

The last trip I made across the pond was so hard on my back and hip that I'm determined not to do it again unless I can afford first class where it's easier to move around. I think a mistake I've always made is getting a window seat. I think an aisle seat might have been a bit better. At least I could have just stood up every so often.

I used to prefer window seats, but now I like aisle seats better. At some point, I will insist that any airplanes I ride in stay on the ground all the way to their destinations so I can get out again without having to land.

I thought about putting this in my "stupidity" thread.

A school board in Berkeley California plans to eliminate science lab classes and up to 5 science teachers because of racial academic performance gaps stating that these science classes predominantly benefit the higher achieving whites over blacks and Hispanics.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/education&id=7200914

I'm telling you, the Handicapper General is real!

Seriously!, WTF?!

Hurt the achieving students to have a better balance?

I appreciate the difficulties of trying to increase the grades of minorities in our schools. There are few easy answers (or reliably diagnosed causes, even.). But this helps no one.

Sadly, I don't know if school boards in California can keep all the teachers (of any kind) that they have, because of the terrible economy in that state. This does seem like a public relations nightmare, though, because that local economy is dependent on its proximity to Silicon Valley, which relies heavily on people who have had extensive education in science and technology. China theatens to be the next world superpower in high-end technology. We should be raising our investment in science education. Massachusetts can't do it all, so California has to pull its weight .

What a sad story.

Science is not especially easy to teach, either. Good science and math teachers are coveted by most school districts.

I'm still stunned by their logic. Some kids aren't doing as well as others so take funds from the ones doing well and spend it on those that aren't.

I bet their extracurricular sports teams' budgets aren't being threatened this way.

This being Berkeley, I think all bets are off. I would like to see the people who need more help get more help. What I don't want is for this to take away from others. In any event, what possible favors do they think they would be doing for the students who were struglging with science courses? If anything, they need to spend *more* time on their science studies so that they end up udnerstanding the material.

Paul, you are becoming farsighted - this comes with old age and is easily cured by new reading glasses.
Scrapping courses & sacking teachers saves money and looks good on this year´s balance sheet.
Denying children good education will have effects much later and won´t harm today´s board members´ good standing.
School politics are about politics, not about school.