Posts by David Anderson49

Look, you should probably go see a doctor first. Honestly, those symptoms could be entirely psychological, or maybe they’re just side effects from a vitamin deficiency or some kind of hormonal imbalance—it isn't necessarily just Vitamin B6. A doctor can send you for blood work after they examine you. Here in the States, you can get it covered through Medicare, though you'll end up waiting a bit for the results. Going private is an option if you want them the same day, but man, it gets expensive fast.

So, hey everyone. I'm 40, and back on February 26th, I woke up with these two intense, super short bursts of vertigo—just from getting out of bed, really. After that, things settled down a bit, but ever since, I've been dealing with this constant drowsiness, occasional nausea, and this weird weakness in my head (especially during the first half of the day). I’ve also had some burping, occasional headaches, and later on, this very faint ringing in one ear along with some light pressure. It’s actually started messing with my mental state too. I ended up heading to the hospital after a few days when I realized things weren't improving. My EKG, blood work, and blood pressure were all fine. They sent me to an ENT, where they tested for BPPV, but that came back negative. Hearing tests were okay, too. However, the caloric test was positive (my eyes kept moving after the test) and showed inflammation of the nerve in the middle ear on the left side. Apparently, Vestibular neuritis is considered a benign condition, but man, the symptoms are incredibly unpleasant. What I didn't realize was that it can last much longer than just a couple of weeks, and it can even flare up again after a period of feeling fine. After about six weeks, I woke up one day feeling totally normal, and that lasted for maybe ten days before everything came rushing back, though in a slightly milder form. The stomach nausea isn't as bad now, but I still feel that weakness in my head—though not as intensely. It’s just a really uncomfortable situation. I guess the best way to describe that head weakness is that fuzzy, off feeling you get right before you come down with a flu or a virus. It’s pretty unsettling.
After two months, I went back for a follow-up, and while the tests say I'm technically better, I don't exactly feel like myself yet. Since chronic cases of vestibular neuritis aren't really documented here in the States, I'm just hoping I won't be the first one to deal with it.
With this kind of illness, I think staying calm is vital because it really takes a toll on your psyche—especially for people like us who are already prone to stress and anxiety. I actually went as far as getting an ultrasound on my carotid arteries just to rule out any chance of a stroke.
Apparently, there are eye exercises that are supposed to speed up recovery from VN.
Modern medicine doesn't fully understand the exact cause of vestibular neuritis. From what I've gathered, it might be triggered by stress, a sudden chill, or most commonly, a viral infection—could even be epidemic or seasonal (interestingly, I met someone in my neighborhood with the same diagnosis who is 15 years younger than me).
Has anyone else on this forum gone through the same thing?
If you have, I'm curious how long your recovery took and what your specific symptoms were... Supposedly, only about 5% of people get it again. And from what I hear, older folks (60+) generally take a much longer time to recover from this.

I've got a question for you all. Can stress actually trigger things like stomach nausea—you know, that slight urge to throw up—along with this weird, tingling sensation in the front of my head? And I'm also feeling incredibly drowsy, even if I actually managed to get a decent night's sleep. Is it common for these symptoms to pretty much vanish as the day winds down, maybe starting from the late afternoon onwards?

wanderinggardener12 said:What entertaining little exercises. I’m practically itching to test these out with my own little girl (who's about five and a half). It’s all about practical application, isn't it? After all, what’s the point of any of this if they don't understand how to share strawberries, or whatever else they happen to be enjoying with a friend?

I assume we aren't actually looking for complex equations here. Just hand them some buttons, some beans, maybe some nails or candies along with two dolls and ten minutes of free time. I am convinced that any child of average ability could solve these types of problems, provided they have enough motivation, naturally.

The most endearing tasks are the ones that bypass math entirely in favor of pure logic. For instance, how much older will someone be in five years 🙂?

I remember a kid—a friend of my oldest daughter back in the day—who, at just four years old, could unerringly tell you exactly how many wheels a truck or a semi-trailer had, even if he was only seeing it from the side. He’d answer with total certainty. Yet, if you asked him what 6 times 2 was, he wouldn't have the slightest clue.

Then there was the case of a boy who was stuck in the eighth grade. He struggled with the basics whenever a problem became abstract; the multiplication table was such a nightmare for him that he’d practically break into a sweat trying to figure out 7 times 8. But, interestingly enough, he was an absolute pro at converting dollars to euros (his parents ran a local grocery store where he helped out from time to time).

As for grading in general, I find it largely unnecessary, particularly during those first three grades (and honestly, even later on).
In first grade, I truly believe it can do more harm than good for a child. A single letter grade simply cannot capture the nuances of a child's progress. There are so many other ways to express growth that are far more meaningful.
Well done, you drew that quite nicely. Just add some wheels and then your car might actually drive. (I wonder, what grade would that earn?)
Yes, you answered correctly; March is essentially still a winter month—most of its days fall under winter, even if spring starts creeping in during the second half. (And what grade would that get you?)

The example I used comes straight from an official school textbook... or rather, a workbook. In every single one of those problems, you're expected to write out the calculation or equation first, and then provide the written answer.

Nicholas King said:It isn't idiotic to grade them—it's idiotic to grade them poorly.

If I recall correctly, first grade isn't actually "first grade"—kids at that stage are essentially going through a "pre-school transition year," where they are gradually moved from that kindergarten phase of "just playing all day" into a phase where actual learning begins. Besides, if we had school without any kind of grades, it would just feel like another year of daycare for most children (not all, obviously, but enough of them). And frankly, which of us adults takes our jobs seriously if there isn't some sort of accountability mechanism in place?

What’s truly problematic—aside from the curriculum being fundamentally misaligned—is that those first four years should be about instilling a foundation for how to approach learning... basically ensuring that even if they don't love it, they at least don't grow to hate school. As it stands now, kids are coming out of fourth grade as nothing more than a mindless heap of memorized facts—and quite often, they're functionally illiterate.

I can say with certainty that some of the questions are abnormal (for that age group).

Can you give me a few examples?

Having an engineering degree from MIT isn't a guarantee that someone can explain math to a six-year-old. No, I'm really not joking.

So, I was looking at this little math riddle earlier—you know, the kind that seems simple enough until you actually sit down to chew on it—and it’s kind of driving me a bit crazy. Here’s the setup: Sarah and Claire went out and picked a total of 20 strawberries together. Then, Sarah hands over 2 of her berries to Claire. After that little swap, they both end up with the exact same amount. I guess the question is... how many did Sarah pick originally, and how many did Claire grab? It sounds like one of those brain teasers meant to trip you up, but if you just break it down, it's actually pretty straightforward. If they ended up even after the swap, they must have had 10 each at the finish line. So, working backward from there—since Sarah gave away 2 to get to 10—she must have started with 12. That leaves Claire with 8. Just a little logic puzzle to pass the time, I suppose.

So, we were looking for the full breakdown—you know, the complete equation and the actual solution. Out of about 30 kids in the class, only one girl actually managed to crack the problem... and even then, it wasn't exactly a smooth ride. She didn't get it on the first try, and I guess you could say she needed a little bit of a nudge to get there. Just one out of thirty. It’s honestly kind of wild.

Look, we all know Claire grabbed 8 and Sarah took 12. That part is easy. But what about the actual equation? I’ll be the first to admit—it took me a minute to wrap my head around it... and if it’s giving me this much trouble, I can only imagine how much of a headache this is going to be for the kids.
Look, I’m asking you—please, just... don't go posting stuff like 12 minus 2 or 8 plus 2. Seriously. 😁

Nicholas King said:It isn't idiotic to grade them—it's idiotic to grade them poorly.

If I recall correctly, first grade isn't actually "first grade"—kids at that stage are essentially going through a "pre-school transition year," where they are gradually moved from that kindergarten phase of "just playing all day" into a phase where actual learning begins. Besides, if we had school without any kind of grades, it would just feel like another year of daycare for most children (not all, obviously, but enough of them). And frankly, which of us adults takes our jobs seriously if there isn't some sort of accountability mechanism in place?

What’s truly problematic—aside from the curriculum being fundamentally misaligned—is that those first four years should be about instilling a foundation for how to approach learning... basically ensuring that even if they don't love it, they at least don't grow to hate school. As it stands now, kids are coming out of fourth grade as nothing more than a mindless heap of memorized facts—and quite often, they're functionally illiterate.

I can say with certainty that some of the questions are abnormal (for that age group).

Can you give me a few examples?

Having an engineering degree from MIT isn't a guarantee that someone can explain math to a six-year-old. No, I'm really not joking.

I get where you're coming from. I agree—but that’s not exactly what I meant. What I was trying to get at is that this task just isn't easy for kids their age. It’s a lot to ask, especially for the ones who are a year younger—they're probably struggling way more than people realize, I guess.
By the way, back when I was at university studying math, I had this one professor—this absolute little mathematical kangaroo—who was a complete and utter lunatic. I mean, seriously... he’d hold office hours at 6:00 AM, and we'd be sitting there tackling these massive "atomic" equations at dawn. It wasn't even about learning at that point; it was just pure, unadulterated chaos. Just straight-up madness, I guess.

I honestly think grading kids in first grade is totally counterproductive—it’s pure idiocy, really. I was lucky enough to go to a school modeled after the French system back in the day, where everything in those early years was handled through play and drawing. Even the educational experts say that's the superior way to do it. It feels like we just have this sick obsession with pressure here, which ends up causing kids actual trauma sometimes. At best, they just end up scared and confused. I used to laugh at some of the parents who would drill their little ones to read and write before they even stepped foot in kindergarten. Look, I get wanting them to be educated, but forcing a five-year-old to master literacy before school starts? That’s just insane.
So, here I am, my daughter is seven and she’s already getting grades finalized. One subject is a solid B, but for everything else, it’s hovering between a C and a B-minus... and this is first grade. My experience as a parent has been exhausting; I feel like I'm dealing with an eighth grader instead of a little kid.
And don't even get me started on the rules—apparently, according to the handbook, a teacher isn't allowed to help a student if they don't understand a question. They're supposed to figure it out themselves. Every single question? That's what the teacher told me. To me, it sounds completely nonsensical. No one is asking for the answer to be handed to them; they just want the question to be explained. And some of these questions—mostly math—are so convoluted I swear they were designed by a masochist. I went through a college program where we dealt with heavy-duty math and mechanics, and I can tell you for a fact that some of these problems are just abnormal for that age group. Plus, some kids are a year younger than their peers, yet they're treated exactly the same. There is zero individual approach in our school system.

Another huge issue is how they cram every random bit of information into the curriculum later on instead of letting kids specialize early. For instance, we have young people who can tell you the capital of Papua, but we lack actual skilled professionals.
Our education system is regressing when it should be moving forward.

In a huge number of cases, kids are just a direct reflection of their parents. Period.

So, I was talking to a friend whose wife works with this guy at her office—this absolute big shot over at JPMorgan Chase... honestly, the guy is absolutely loaded. Look, I’m no banking expert—not by a long shot—but if I had his kind of setup, I’d probably be feeling pretty bitter about my own job right now. These guys rake in massive profits and all sorts of shady bonuses they want, and in return, they basically have the government—you know, those corrupt politicians they’ve been greasing for years—right where they want them. They even have a stranglehold on the leadership at the Federal Reserve, which is basically just one giant criminal enterprise at this point... and now, get this, the current coalition is actually trying to pass him off as their go-to "expert." It's unbelievable.

Look, let’s just lay all the cards on the table here:
1) Most of the massive corporations and major banks in the US are foreign-owned. They basically set the tempo, bleeding Americans dry and forcing us into this whole master-servant dynamic where the owners can just do whatever they want with us.
2) More and more Americans are losing their livelihoods, and honestly, our unemployment rates are looking pretty abysmal compared to our neighbors.
3) The government’s social safety net? It’s practically non-existent. The laws are a joke—for example, you’ve got small business owners struggling to stay afloat who end up paying for childcare$33 just because they reported minimum wage, while someone making way less might actually get some help$167 simply because they’re playing by the rules. Basically, a crooked system ends up rewarding the people trying to cheat it.
4) Mortality rates are climbing fast because there’s zero support—or maybe just incredibly weak incentives—for young families, pregnant women, or anyone trying to buy a home. We don't even see basic things like a flexible day off for working moms with two kids, which is totally standard in places like Sweden.
5) Corruption and crime are everywhere, especially when you look at boardrooms and the leadership tiers of the biggest companies and political parties.

So, if you ask me, I’m predicting the US will soon become a place where the quality of life drops down to levels similar to Bulgaria (which, let’s face it, would be a new low for us). You’ll have most Americans stuck doing menial labor, while those who actually have decent jobs either won't get paid enough to survive or will just pack up and leave the country in droves. (By the way, in just the last year, more of my friends have moved abroad than the total number of people who left in the previous five years combined). Of course, there’ll always be a tiny sliver of Americans living like they’re in Switzerland or Sweden, but the gap between them and everyone else is only going to widen—kind of like the extreme wealth disparity you see in Ukraine or Russia.