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Florida’s Python Problem—and Hunt

I’m thoroughly convinced that whenever I encounter weird news online the story will take place in Florida, and the following is no exception. Given the encroachment of Burmese pythons in Florida, the state has responded as only Floridians could:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced that it will hold a month-long competition starting January 12, 2013, “to see who can harvest the longest and the most Burmese pythons” from designated public lands in southern Florida. The goal is to raise awareness about the threat this invasive species poses to the Everglades ecosystem, and to generate “additional information on the python population in south Florida and enhance our research and management efforts.” Python hunting permit holders, as well as members of the general public, are invited to compete for the cash prizes of $1500 for the most pythons killed and $1000 for the longest python killed.

Don’t worry, though. Participants will have to watch a 30 minute online preparation course before they head out into swamps full of pythons and native venomous snakes.

Oh, Florida.

December 13, 2012/by dpogreba

Should the U.S. Follow France’s Lead and End Homework?

Daily Wisdom

According to Louis Menand, France is the place to go if you don’t enjoy doing your homework:

Here is something you probably didn’t know about France: its President has the power to abolish homework. In a recent speech at the Sorbonne, François Hollande announced his intention to do this for all primary- and middle-school students.

Does that mean we should follow President François Hollande’s lead? Not so fast:

According to the leading authority in the field, Harris Cooper, of Duke University, homework correlates positively—although the effect is not large—with success in school. Professor Cooper says that this is more true in middle school and high school than in primary school, since younger children get distracted more easily. He also thinks that there is such a thing as homework overload—he recommends no more than ten minutes per grade a night. But his conclusion that homework matters is based on a synthesis of forty years’ worth of research.

So keep writing those essays!

December 12, 2012/by dpogreba

What Are the 88 Most Important Books that Shaped America?

Daily Wisdom

I’m not exactly sure why they chose 88 books, but the Library of Congress has generated a list of the 88 Books That Shaped America:

“This list of ‘Books That Shaped America’ is a starting point. It is not a register of the ‘best’ American books–although many of them fit that description. Rather, the list is intended to spark a national conversation on books written by Americans that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this initial list or not,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “We hope people will view the list and then nominate other titles. Finally, we hope people will choose to read and discuss some of the books on this list, reflecting our nation’s unique and extraordinary literary heritage, which the Library of Congress makes available to the world.”

It’s certainly an interesting list, but can anyone really trust list of the most important American books that doesn’t include Emerson?

December 11, 2012/by dpogreba

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