[ExI] it's your choice

[Keith Henson]

<spike at rainier66.com> wrote:

> I do take the notion lightly, for I am watching a time when the concept of
race is being stretched beyond recognition.  It used to be pretty simple.
But now, it really isn't.

> For instance...

> We have a system for rating local schools.  It uses test scores, social
factors, all the usual stuff, but it takes into account race.  At two schools
with all the same numbers in every category can raise its rating by claiming
more racial minorities in its demographics.

I wonder what possible reasoning was involved?

> It wasn't that big of a deal
really until Mr. Musk set up his car factory and imported Indians as fast as
he could get them.  Some Indians have very dark skin.  Naturally, they began
to claim to be black,

That list you included as a .jpg did not include "black."  If they are
claiming to be African American, that's serious lying.

> in order to raise the local school's rating, which
dramatically improves real estate values.  I am not kidding: if Mr.
Srinivasa Subramanian comes in claiming to be black, wellllll... he is that.
Who gets to tell him he is not?

This makes no sense.  Is this really happening?

> GreatSchools breaks down student performance into six categories.  I took
this from their site:

I looked at that site.  It's huge but the underlying sampling looks
sparse.  Can you point me to where they raise the status of the school
by having *more* African Americans in it?

> They don't really know what to do when a Pakistani guy shows up speaking
flawless Spanish and claiming to be Hispanic.  They don't really question
it.  Plenty of Vietnamese are claiming to be part Filipino, and they
identify as that.  So. who gets to tell them no?

Who cares?  Your Pakistani example--my guess is that's so rare as to
doubt there is even one person in this category.

> Answer: no one does.  In those cases for sure, the school takes their word
for how they identify, and the school's rating goes up, and real estate
values go up.  All ya hafta do is log on to Zillow.com to see some dramatic
results from creative identity.

If this is true, it would make a rather interesting study.  Do you
have a pointer to any such study?

> The Neanderthal business is controversial.

Not really.  Don't forget that it has been some time since a
Neanderthal genome was sequenced.

> There hasta be a pile of money to be made off it, however.

For sure!

I have talked about this for a long time.  Neanderthals were very
strong and engaged in "close confrontation hunting."  Selected human
surrogates could carry reconstructed zygotes to term.  The first guy
who raised enough of them for a football team will clean up.

However, times change.  The brain damage problems may end American
football before a Neanderthal team could grow up.

Keith