Monday mornin', and I'm anxious to get to work. It was a frustrating weekend. I had nearly no obligations, but the whole weekend slipped away from me. I had about four writing projects to work on, and I only got a start on two of them. I read a bit, but other than that, I'm not sure what happened to the time. Now I'm just eager to be productive again.
Believe it or not, I'm not appalled by this:
The adoption of "well-being" classes at a traditional public school demonstrates the extent to which emotional intelligence, a term coined in 1995 by American psychologists, is fast becoming education orthodoxy in Britain. . . .
To teach pupils how to make friends, resolve squabbles and "manage their anger", it suggests using a quiz called "Guess what I am feeling?", or designing an "emotional barometer" so children can rate the strength of their feelings.
Secondary schools are also being encouraged to put emotional literacy on the timetable this year, with staff focusing on five areas: self-awareness, empathy, managing feelings, self-motivation and social interaction.
I don't think this kind of stuff should be taught in lieu of the educational meat and potatoes (math, history, science, literature, etc.), but if there's time enough in the day, I'm not sure I object. I don't know any details, so I can't form a firm opinion, but if children are taught to spot anger and envy from a distance, before the emotion is out of control and prompting hateful thoughts or harmful action, that's a good thing. If it's a type of Stoicism (or even better, Christian detachment, but I know I'm talking gibberish now), that's a good thing. On the other hand, if it's an "I'm OK You're OK" self-esteem hug-fest and/or a furtherance of the therapeutic society ("We can cure anything with a little counseling and pharmacology"), it's a bad thing.
"I'd like a Big Mac with a Satellite Space Blast Fries and a Red Star Shake. Just bring my change with you when you invade California in 20 years, using our technology:" McDonald's Corp. opened its first drive-through in Beijing on Friday, launching a partnership with a major Chinese oil company to exploit the country's growing taste for both cars and Western fast food.
Why Irish eyes are smiling: Drew Barrymore likes to run naked in Irish wheat fields. There's not a whole lot for me to add.
