http://www.scribd.com/people/view/16239-sherwin-steffin This a feed for documents on Scribd written by ssteffin 30 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:42:40 GMT Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:42:40 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/2671739/A-Nation-At-Educational-Risk A Nation At (Educational) Risk A number of commentators have come together with independent, but equally alarming articles about the state of American Education as it exists, today. ABC News has run several stories about the current state of American Education. ** *** *** *** *** In this long report by the Department of Education, we see this country slipping further and further behind other nations, with respect to the performance of students in such critical areas as math, reading, and general writing skills. Moreover, the scores achieved on carefully administered standardized tests have dec Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:42:40 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/2671739/A-Nation-At-Educational-Risk http://www.scribd.com/doc/2153816/Transporotek-Prospectus Investment Prospectus Transprotek, LLC February, 2008 *Investment Prospectus Page 2 The Company Transprotek, LLC is a newly formed Nevada based Limited Liability Company. At present opportunity exists for the purchase of 998 Member Units priced at $100.00 per unit. Up to 97 Owner Members may purchase these units, and will receive a Pro Rata share of revenue. Governance of operations, membership, and distribution of revenue are set forth in the attached Operating Agreement. The Investment Decision Those considering investing in The Company should carefully note the distribution structure d Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:57:08 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/2153816/Transporotek-Prospectus http://www.scribd.com/doc/820836/Explain-this-if-you-can It’s illegal to employ Aliens…. Sanctions for Employment of Illegals http://apmp.berkeley.edu/images/stories/LawsandAgencies/irca.emplsanctions.cr s.pdf The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is authorized to conduct investigations to determine whether employers have violated the prohibitions against knowingly employing unauthorized aliens and failing to properly complete, present or retain Employment Eligibility Verification forms (Form I-9) for newly hired individuals. Any person or entity may file a signed complaint alleging a violation of IN Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:28:56 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/820836/Explain-this-if-you-can http://www.scribd.com/doc/238465/Congress-The-Return-of-the-Body-Snatchers In an article published in Townhall.com, the author decries the level of corruption in Congress, and attempts to explain it by a historical change in public funding from being largely controlled by state and local government, to infrastructure project monies now almost totally appropriated by the Federal Government. The Attack of the Body Snatchers In a classic 1956 film, Invasion of he Body Snatchers, normal people were transformed into creatures without feelings, yet, in all other ways, indistinguishable from normal human beings. This transformation occurred after being attacked by alien cre Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:57:53 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/238465/Congress-The-Return-of-the-Body-Snatchers http://www.scribd.com/doc/236560/Support-for-Hillary The Suppo r t f or Hillar y Before suggesting whether there is or is not any difference in support between Democratic and Republican states (presumably as determined from ’04 and or ’06 votes, or Voter Registration Data), it should be noted that any inferences derived are highly unreliable because of the small N, as well as significant variance in when the data was collected. That being said, there are some interesting inferences which might be pursued, with respect to differentiating the strength of support for a Hillary candidacy: 1. Summary Statistics Table shows NSD between means, yet Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:56:15 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/236560/Support-for-Hillary http://www.scribd.com/doc/202067/Driving-a-stake-in-the-heart-of-Conspiracy-Theories What makes conspiracy theories so tiresome is that they lead nowhere. While their construction may provide great pleasure to their authors, even in the unlikely event that they are accurate, because the alleged perpetrators are always presented as the mysterious ,”They,” there is no one to indict, take to trial, and convict. In the seventy years since the “saucer” crashed in the New Mexico Desert, the little grey guys have yet to make a public appearance (except at costume parties and in motion pictures), so it seems safe to say that whether they exist or not has little consequence for Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:54:50 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/202067/Driving-a-stake-in-the-heart-of-Conspiracy-Theories http://www.scribd.com/doc/193920/Whats-wrong-with-American-Education Along with the Iraq war, dealing with immigration, and health care, the poor performance of the institution of American Education is among the most severe of the problems seen facing the nation. Yet, depending on the source, the definition of our unease varies widely. The definition of Education’s failure comes in many forms, largely based on the source from which it originates. The victims (students) of course, have their own definition – school is boring, useless, with its only value one of meeting friends and, for some, participating in sports. Try asking a kid what he learned in school Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:04:23 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/193920/Whats-wrong-with-American-Education http://www.scribd.com/doc/179742/Its-Time-to-Go President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. President, Even in the isolated environment that you have designed for yourself, I am certain you are now aware of the passionate call for your resignation issued by Keith Olbermann on his Countdown show for July 3, 2007. While it is unlikely that you gave much consideration to it (except perhaps amusement at its futility), I am writing to suggest that such an action would very much be in your own self interest, and perhaps serve to forestall some very unpleasant consequences in your future. While not a p Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:03:47 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/179742/Its-Time-to-Go http://www.scribd.com/doc/179738/Its-Time-to-Go Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:32:02 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/179738/Its-Time-to-Go http://www.scribd.com/doc/138920/Timing-is-Everything Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:56:56 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/138920/Timing-is-Everything http://www.scribd.com/doc/104650/A-Cancer-on-the-Face-of-America With the most recent NBC poll showing sixty-eight percent of Americans see the country as moving in the “wrong direction,” this represents a level of pessimism about the nation’s future, seldom, if ever, seen before. While it is true that we are immersed in a war without a discernable end, a President who is incapable of resolving national problems, and a Congress mired in endless argument, the direct effects of this incompetence are relatively unfelt by most citizens. This in no way mitigates seriousness of the problems we face. A Middle East, where peace is a distant dream, an immigrat Sun, 17 Jun 2007 14:10:48 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/104650/A-Cancer-on-the-Face-of-America http://www.scribd.com/doc/98357/Religion-and-the-Dumbing-of-America There is almost universal agreement that the institution of Public Education has been an abject failure in preparing its students to assume the role of critical, mature thinkers as they enter the adult world. The cause(s) for this failure are advanced by as many as those who have chosen to comment upon them. This article suggests one element that has seldom been reflected in the professional literature – the pervasive endorsement by governmental leaders, of religious faith as an explanation for natural phenomena. While at a formal level, we are protected from the intrusion of religion into l Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:18:18 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/98357/Religion-and-the-Dumbing-of-America http://www.scribd.com/doc/93345/My-Resume Sh er wi n A. Stef fin Pasadena, CA 91101 E-mail: info@tptek.com O B JE C TI VE S QUA L IF YI N G B AC KG ROUN D • • Fifteen years experience as an educator, educational researcher, and manager of a university Instructional Development Division Successful founder and CEO of two software publishing companies, with products in the areas of education, business productivity, financial and statistical analysis Five years at Earthlink, the last three as Senior Data Analyst, Call Center Technologies Online tutoring, Instructional Design, Educational Research • SOFT WAR E SKI L L S INTERN ET Sat, 02 Jun 2007 21:28:28 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/93345/My-Resume http://www.scribd.com/doc/91802/Data-Mining-White-Paper Do it Yourself Data Mining A Three Part White Paper By Sherwin A. Steffin May 31, 2007 *Introduction Back in the days when I was founder and CEO of a Macintosh software publishing company (BrainPower, Inc.), I designed a powerful text analysis product, named Ar chiT ext, for the Macintosh platform. An independent contractor was employed for program development. When the company closed in 1990, the program disappeared from public view, but to this day, contains features that I have found in no other free or low-priced program. Unfortunately, the program operates only on obsolete Mac computers Thu, 31 May 2007 23:13:08 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/91802/Data-Mining-White-Paper http://www.scribd.com/doc/65989/Where-Have-All-the-Leaders-Gone November, 2006 was a time of celebration and high hopes. The newly elected Democratic majority would soon wrest control of a hated war from the sole control of a megalomaniacal President, and begin the process of returning our courageous military to their families and loved ones. Beyond the progressive thinking of Congress the country could expect a field of presidential candidates, any of whom could be counted on to bring the dawn of new hope to despondent America. That was then. Today, the country remains mired in a war showing no signs of progress, and in fact has become even more deadly. N Sat, 19 May 2007 18:00:22 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/65989/Where-Have-All-the-Leaders-Gone http://www.scribd.com/doc/65931/PERSONAL-NET-LISTINGS A SCRAPBOOK OF MY LIFE AS RECORDED ON THE IN TERN ET Since my retirement in 2003, I have had very little face-to-face contact with old friends. Instead, I have stayed in touch through email, and recently started writing articles directed at content of interest to me. Any who may want to keep track of what I did with my earlier life, and what I am up to today are invited to peruse this material. The links LINK TYPE AUTHOR LINK NAME LINK DESCRIPTION A Computer Language at the Reviews Logo programming language's A critique of the Logo Programming Language and its author Seymour Papaert 1983 AUTH Sat, 19 May 2007 13:28:36 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/65931/PERSONAL-NET-LISTINGS http://www.scribd.com/doc/65354/SCRAPBOOK-2 A SCRAPBOOK OF MY LIFE AS RECORDED ON THE IN TERN ET Since my retirement in 2003, I have had very little face-to-face contact with old friends. Instead, I have stayed in touch through email, and recently started writing articles directed at content of interest to me. Any who may want to keep track of what I did with my earlier life, and what I am up to today are invited to peruse this material. The links LINK TYPE AUTHOR LINK NAME A Computer Language at the Reviews Logo programming language's Atheists, Take Heart! LINK DESCRIPTION A critique of the Logo Programming Language and its author Sey Fri, 18 May 2007 13:40:39 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/65354/SCRAPBOOK-2 http://www.scribd.com/doc/64070/A-Link-Scrapbook A SCRAPBOOK OF MY LIFE AS RECORDED ON THE IN TERN ET Since my retirement in 2003, I have had very little face-to-face contact with old friends. Instead, I have stayed in touch through email, and recently started writing articles directed at content of interest to me. Any who may want to keep track of what I did with my earlier life, and what I am up to today are invited to peruse this material. The links LINK TYPE AUTHOR LINK NAME A Computer Language at the Reviews Logo programming language's Atheists, Take Heart! LINK DESCRIPTION A critique of the Logo Programming Language and its author Sey Fri, 18 May 2007 02:03:06 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/64070/A-Link-Scrapbook http://www.scribd.com/doc/64004/My-life-on-the-Net A SCRAPBOOK OF MY LIFE AS RECORDED ON THE IN TERN ET Since my retirement in 2003, I have had very little face-to-face contact with old friends. Instead, I have stayed in touch through email, and recently started writing articles directed at content of interest to me. Any who may want to keep track of what I did with my earlier life, and what I am up to today are invited to peruse this material. The links LINK TYPE AUTHOR LINK NAME A Computer Language at the Reviews Logo programming language's Atheists, Take Heart! LINK DESCRIPTION A critique of the Logo Programming Language and its author Sey Thu, 17 May 2007 22:23:37 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/64004/My-life-on-the-Net http://www.scribd.com/doc/53281/Atheists-Take-Heart Perhaps it is the difference between theoretical and applied science, but one gets the sense that a far greater preponderance of astrophysicists, or mathematicians remain advocates of theist positions than, let’s say, the biologist, or statistician Perhaps it is the difference between theoretical and applied science, but one gets the sense that a far greater preponderance of astrophysicists, or mathematicians remain advocates of theist positions than, let’s say the biologist, or statistician. Perhaps if true, the difference rests with the expectation that the applied scientist will develop Mon, 14 May 2007 15:39:12 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/53281/Atheists-Take-Heart http://www.scribd.com/doc/47716/Military-Recruitment-Seduction-of-the-Innocent In a recent article, Titled, Lying and Dying, Missy Comley Beattie suggests that if only military recruiters would fully disclose the lies perpetrated by the Bush Administration, potential recruits would make far more informed decisions, resulting in far fewer additions to the combat forces. This writer holds a quite different view than does Ms. Beattie. There are a number of problems with her proposed solution, making its implementation a forlorn fantasy, impossible to achieve. Army recruiters are first and foremost, true believers. They are career NCOs (NonCommissioned Officers), all with a Tue, 08 May 2007 20:49:57 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/47716/Military-Recruitment-Seduction-of-the-Innocent http://www.scribd.com/doc/46105/Its-All-in-the-Brain It’s All in the Brain Using the Findings of Neuroscience to Assess Political Behavior Author: Sherwin A. Steffin May 5, 2007 *A Personal Note from the Author There is an old saying, the original author of which, I must confess I have been unable to locate or identify. However elusive he or she may remain, the power if this statement is shown by its ubiquitous appearance. A Google Search reveals 151,000 pages where this short statement appears. “Observations are gold; hypotheses, silver; and conclusions, bronze.” This long paper introduces some controversial concepts. Much of what I con Sun, 06 May 2007 21:55:49 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/46105/Its-All-in-the-Brain http://www.scribd.com/doc/38077/Guns-Dont-Kill-Bullets-Do It was inevitable that the advocates from both sides of the gun control issue would creep from the woodwork, even before the full facts of the Virginia Tech are available. Still, the act of a lone, mentally ill killer, provides nothing new to the arguments heard over and over again from both sides. No one disputes the extensive use of firearms in criminal activities ranging from Armed Robbery to Homicide. With all the state and federal statues passed to restrict or prevent the illegal use of firearms, their usage rates have not changed appreciably – certainly not enough to say, “This legis Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:29:44 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/38077/Guns-Dont-Kill-Bullets-Do http://www.scribd.com/doc/38074/Global-warming-v-2-0 Falling for Junk Science - the tale of Global Warming Is it an "Inconvenient" or "Unlikely" Truth? Below are some of the elements that comprise the conjectures of those who advocate taking action to mitigate the damages that are predicted resulting from the presumed warming of the Earth. 1. The global temperature, over the last hundred years, has trended upward, with the actual increases subject to dispute, depending on which “expert” findings are being used. 2. Terrible consequences will result, including a rise in ocean height (ranging in magnitude from 18 inches to 20 feet, depending on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:23:23 GMT http://www.scribd.com/doc/38074/Global-warming-v-2-0