Adult annoyances: Doctors

Have you ever gone to a doctor's office and been told you need an injection?  Which side do they stand on?  Which arm do they reach for?  Without exception, they assume everyone is right handed and go for the patient's left arm.  Even left handed doctors end up doing it.

I've had times where I was told I needed a shot, then rolled up my right sleeve.

And then the idiot doctor says, "Roll up your sleeve," completely oblivious to the extended right arm.

Child annoyances: Teachers

Left handed children in schools have many problems in getting an education, and being left handed is not one of them.  There are many objects in schools which make life difficult - pens, books, desks, rulers, scissors, etc.  But the single greatest source of frustration for children is the adult in the class, the educated person who is supposed to know better.

The teacher.

Children suffer the most from right handed privilege

Left handed children suffer the most because right handed privilege is unlike any other form of privilege.

When people in other minorities face privilege (adults or children), they can ask for help, band together and take action, or at the least, communicate with each other and find support:

• Women who are harassed or face a glass ceiling in the workplace
• Those who endure racism
• LGBTQ people and homophobia

And so on.  People in these groups can gain support both within families and within communities, or even further afield.  They are large and visible groups, with the knowledge and ability to take action because there are many adults among them, and they can communicate with each other.

For left handed people, it's a different matter.

Left handed adults have very few problems with it.  Aside from possible hiring discrimination (e.g. mechanical devices and machines designed only to be operated with the right hand), it's a non-issue.  Adults have the experience, education and knowledge to adapt, adjust or take legal action.

Left handed children, on the other hand, have massive problems.  Women, ethnic minorities or LGBTQ people who can obtain support from family, teachers and community.  But for left handed children, their own families, teachers and community are most often the source of discrimination and abuse.  The people who should be their support system are most often the source of the problem, and  left handed children have no one they can ask for help.

Without that sense of community,  left handed children lack a support structure, and are isolated.  And because they are young, they lack the experience, knowledge and ability to help themselves.  It really is the same way gay people felt decades ago, as if they're the only one in the world, and everyone is telling them they're wrong.

Often the only left handed person in their families.  If the parents are biased against left handedness because of religion or culture, they will try to force the child to switch hands.

In schools, teachers are almost all left handed and fail to teach left handed children properly.  "Corporal punishment" and verbal abuse still go on, even where it's illegal.  I've seen it first hand, teaching in various Asian countries.

Communities and cultures often perpetuate ignorant and outdated views that left handedness is "evil", "dirty", "stupid" or "awkward", none of which is true.

Parents: If your child is left handed, educate yourself instead of taking it out on your child.  Forcing a child to change hands is a form of child abuse.  Read books.  Become informed and understand that left handedness is as natural as one's gender.

Teachers: Respect the fact that left handedness is natural and does not need to be "changed", that abuse is not acceptable.  Your personal views have no place in the classroom.  You have an obligation to treat that child with respect, and an obligation to do your job and teach that child.  Neglect and passive-aggressive behaviour are as much abuse as violence or insults.

Communities: "Culture" is a choice.  Ignorance is a choice.  Left handedness is natural.

Religions: Keep your views to yourself.   Left handedness is not "evil".

Happy New Year

The Julian Calendar may say December 21st, but to me, this is the start of the New Year.  This is the day of the winter solstice, the day when the Earth is at its perihelion, its closest point to the Sun.

Yes, we are closest to the Sun now.  So why is it winter in the northern hemisphere?  Because the northern half is pointing away from the Sun, thus receiving less heat and light.  It is summer in the southern hemisphere, which is actually warmer than summer in the north.

We are definitely exhibiting a northern bias, aren't we?

Buck the trend.  Start your year on the winter solstice, not eight to ten days after.  Calendars are arbitrary enough, make the starting point of the year meaningful.

The War On Cyclists and Pedestrians: Father arrested for walking to his kids' school

How ludicrous has the US become where parents are NOT allowed to walk to schools and pick up their children?  Or that parents are REQUIRED to have cars in order to do so?

"Just doing his job" is second only to "disorderly conduct" on the list of make-it-up-as-you-go-along police work.  It's not about "laws", it's about demonstrating and exerting authority (read: bullying the populace).

Libertarian clowns are trying to get mileage out of this story, but the real issues are parents having the right to see their own children at any time, and that cars are prioritized over pedestrians.

http://www.wate.com/story/24005228/cumberland-county-parent-releases-video-of-his-arrest-by-a-school-resource-officer

Cumberland County parent outraged by his arrest

A Cumberland County father didn't want to wait in a long line of traffic to pick his kids up from school. That led to a series of encounters last week at South Cumberland Elementary, and now the dad's facing charges.

Lousy-ana school districts

Louisiana?  Lousy-ana is more like it, especially it's "education" system.  Did anyone really believe that "private schools" which inflict ignorant, dogmatic religion upon children would lead to better education?

The "textbooks" those places used weren't your typical creationist drivel.  They were the books which described slavery as "triangular trade", and eradicated any mention of Thomas Jefferson who advocated the separation of cult and state.

Old technology #1: AT-101 Keyboards

I grew up with a typewriter in the house.  I had learnt to type before my family had its first computer...a TI99-4/A (which should tell you how long that has been).

I liked how the keys felt on a typewriter, how it took a lot of force to strike one.  Making a mistake was difficult because you had to put in a lot of effort to hit the key.  When the Apple II and later PCs came into vogue, they had much the same keyboards.  Even the early Macintoshes were that way.

Early computer keyboards weren't just hard to hit, they were hard to break.  They were heavy but well made, and not prone to breaking down or breaking, period.

Feminist Frequency and Tropes vs Women: 3 for 3

The third part of Anita Sarkeesian's "Tropes vs Women" series was released, and like the first two parts, it's brilliant and insightful.  It is also appalling because of the sheer number of examples of sexism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjImnqH_KwM

Equally appalling is that Ms. Sarkeesian needs to block ratings and comments on her videos.  It's not because she is afraid of feedback or disagreement.  On the contrary, unlike certain feminists (not named here), Ms. Sarkeesian is willing to listen to and answer those who disagree with her, and she does not arrogantly assume she has all the answers.

But just because she is willing to listen to reasonable disagreement, it does not means she will be met with reasonable disagreement.

I am not a feminist nor an ally

How often have you heard someone say,

"I'm not a racist, but..."

and then go on to say something outrageously offensive?  I have lost count of how many times.

Everybody is a bigot.  Everybody.  We all have our unjustifiable biases and prejudices, so it is pointless to deny it.