Letters

MOOC to you, too

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I’m doing something right now that I’ve never done before, and I’m doing it twice: I’m taking free online classes that instructors are using to augment classes that I’m paying for. The first is from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It’s an app design class for Android phones based on Google’s now defunct Google App Inventor. It’s called MIT App Inventor 2, http://ai2.appinventor.mit. edu, and while TMCC’s structure for getting into the MIT class was a little frustrating at first, MIT’s interface is really easy and intuitive.

App Inventor 2 is an open source, Web-based system that allows people to create Android apps without having to know how to code. Instead of writing code, you just kind of drag around jigsaw puzzle pieces to make your phone do things. I use my laptop to do the design and then send the app to my phone. So far, all I’ve been able to do is make my kitty purr and scribble on photos I’ve taken of my friends, but I’m starting to get the idea.

The other class I’m taking is called Social Media for Journalists, sponsored by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at The University of Texas at Austin (UT). It’s a MOOC, which means Massive Open Online Course, which means everyone’s welcome to this party. Signup is here— https://knightcenter.utexas. edu—although they’re only accepting people for a few more days. Still, for people who like to stretch their brains, and don’t need to pay for the pleasure, there’s a whole world of MOOCs at some really prestigious universities: www.mooc-list.com.

Of course, if you want the certificate of completion, and who wouldn’t, you get to pay for the paper. Reminds me of certain brick and mortar institutions of higher learning.

At any rate, while I’m not very far into either of these classes, I’ve become very aware that the world has significantly advanced since I did my first online tutorial back in the early Oughts. —D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com

Leave the hipsters alone

Re “Attitude Problem?” (Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6):

This letter is regarding Jack Carter’s whining about the Bike Project. I go down to the Reno Bike Project from time to time, looking for parts, advice, and occasionally a little hands-on help. I’ve generally found them to be a pretty helpful bunch of hipster kids. Maybe some of ’em are a little too tragically hip, but ... whatever spins their sealed cranks ... that’s OK. They do, however, have to put up with all kinds of obnoxious riff raff coming in off the street and acting like jerkwads, doing things like demanding that somebody fix their bike for free, immediately.

Park tools makes a just plain dandy jack of all trades multi-tool called the MTB-33 rescue tool. They cost all of about 25 bucks, retail. I’d personally be more than glad to contribute a buck or two to help the kids at RBP take up a fund for Jack to buy one of these, so that he can keep it with him wherever he goes on a bike. Then he can tighten his own damned Allen bolts. The Bike Project is a good community resource that doesn’t need Jack’s bad attitude. Leave those poor little hipster kids alone. They have a hard enough time fitting into their over-tight man-pris and riding around on those sketchy little fixie bikes; they don’t need his attitudinal bovine fecal matter gumming up the works. Chris Rosamond Reno

No. 18 in college prep!

Re “Stop cheerleading” (Editorial, Jan. 16):

I say, stop bashing! The tone of the editorial was to stop complaining or making excuses about the state data that reflects the state is “failing in education” (your words). Using state data good or bad is not relevant to Washoe County when only 15 percent of the population of the state is in this region. To take that data and complain, as you did, that we should just accept it, as apparently the state legislators you quoted did, is adding insult to injury as far as the success of Washoe County School District. You can continue to beat up the superintendent about numbers he has no control over, that being the state’s, or take the time to professionally review the WCSD numbers and then determine if he is just “cheerleading” or being honest in his assessment. A recent report published by the Buckley Education Group compares WCSD to the other 50 states. The report, dated December 2013, showed that the district excelled in several areas; “College Readiness in all Subjects” WCSD ranks 18th in the nation, ahead of Nebraska, California and most other states. On the “ACT test for Math and English” WCSD ranked 18th and 23rd respectively, again ahead of many high performing states like Colorado, Utah and Oregon. Unfortunately, WCSD also ranked low in some key areas such as “Per Student Funding” 50th; Student Teacher Ratio, 49th and “Graduation Rate” 43rd. If we want to focus purely on dollars spent per pupil or class room size then yes, we are failing as a state and a school district. However, if performance is at all considered, then I say, “stop the bashing” and recognize the success of a district that is clearly doing more with less.

Michael Kazmierski Reno

No pressure

Re “America needs to rethink the Middle East” (Let Freedom Ring, Jan. 30):

Regarding Brendan Trainor’s article. Bravo! About time. At last, an honest American view on the Middle East. Please don’t submit to any pressure to stifle him. Ron Allen Reno

Drug war fuels crime

Re “Don’t be a dick, Senator Brower” (Editorial, Jan. 30):

Not only should medical marijuana be made available to patients in need, but adult recreational use should be taxed and regulated. Drug policies modeled after alcohol prohibition have given rise to a youth-oriented black market. Illegal drug dealers don’t ID for age, but they do recruit minors immune to adult sentences. So much for protecting the children.

Throwing more money at the problem is no solution. Attempts to limit the supply of illegal drugs while demand remains constant only increase the profitability of drug trafficking. For addictive drugs like heroin, a spike in street prices leads desperate addicts to increase criminal activity to feed desperate habits. The drug war doesn’t fight crime, it fuels crime.

Taxing and regulating marijuana, the most popular illicit drug, is a cost-effective alternative to never-ending drug war. As long as marijuana distribution is controlled by organized crime, consumers will continue to come into contact with hard drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. This “gateway” is a direct result of marijuana prohibition.

Robert Sharpe Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C.

Why does Sen. Brower hate freedom?

Re “Don’t be a dick, Senator Brower” (Editorial, Jan. 30):

Big Pharma is already losing north of $2 billion a year in lost sales to God’s medicine, the green plant. Somebody has to look for the poor drug companies, so why not Sen. Brower? The other possibility is his ego would be shattered, if he had to admit he was wrong on the issue of medical marijuana.

Some senators like Brower want to continue to stick their nose in my doctor’s office and tell him what is or is not good for me. Brower is obviously neither a lover of liberty nor less government intrusion in the lives of the citizens of Nevada. Howard Wooldridge Adamstown, Maryland

One for the team

Re “America needs to rethink the Middle East” (Let Freedom Ring, Jan. 30):

Excellent essay. Kudos to the RN&R for publishing it. Paul Vandervoort Reno

Hooray for us

Re “Reno News & Review” (The whole thing, Jan. 23):

The Jan. 23 issue was well done.

Reader Dan Archuleta’s observations on saving water as well as weed control had me smiling for some time.

As far as the “smiley face” drones, no matter how we write of them, or describe them, I imagine that even the non-military ones could be weaponized with a small bit of ingenuity, if the nutcase wished. It might be noted that in the recent shootings at the medical centers, the shooter used a common duck hunting shotgun, rather than those “dangerous assault rifles.” It’s the intent of the person, either for good or evil, rather than the item used. Pressure cookers can cook beans, or be converted into a dangerous device, as we learned some months back. The same would apply to drones.

Our country in general needs to quit offering solutions for our problems that “feel good,” or solutions based on emotions. We need solutions that actually work.

As for the editorial “Don’t Panic,” I would criticize one aspect of a well written article—public buildings, hospitals, state offices, etc., are well known as “gun free zones.” I have observed that we never see a “crazy” person attacking a Hells Angel picnic, nor a retired police officers reunion—those fall under the notion that, “the attacker may be crazy, but not stupid.”

Ron Ryder Fallon

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