Illiteracy drops; innumeracy reigns supreme

From the Pensinsula. Of course.

Illiteracy in Qatar down by 7.5pc
Web posted at: 9/4/2008 2:25:8
Source ::: The Peninsula

DOHA • Illiteracy in Qatar has come down by 7.5 percent, said Mohamed Yusuf Al Mahmoud, Director of Adult Literacy and Illiteracy Department at the Ministry of Education and High Education.

"The rate of illiteracy in Qatar was 22.3 percent in 1986, and 17.6 percent in 1993, but it reached 13.6 percent in 1997. According to the 2004 statistics, illiteracy rate was 9 percent but this figure is currently less than 7.5 percent," he said.

Go, go, get 'em, get 'em, OOMPH, OOMPH

My church youth group leader died yesterday.

He could be quite a character: loud, rotund, known for wearing garish ties; he painted the youth group room pumpkin orange; he always sang, with great gusto, off-key. He had a lot of obscure traditions, like requiring his volleyball team to jump up and down every time he served, shouting "Go, go, get 'em, get 'em, oomph, oomph."

For all his quirks, Chuck played a huge role in my life. At a time when I was friendless and insecure at school, his youth group was the main place I felt liked and valued. He gave each of us responsibility for leading worship services, and was tolerant when my friends and I did wacky things like plan worship services around Taoist themes. When I was secretary-treasurer of the youth group, he taught me how to write my first check. His summer camp had a profound impact on both my spiritual life and for that matter my social life, introducing me to my first boyfriend. Come to think of it, it was at one of his weekend youth events that I met my husband. He nominated me for a position on the youth advisory board to the city council, and later asked me to come back and be a camp counselor at the summer camp that had meant so much to me in junior high. We are affected in unchartable ways by every person we meet in life, but I am sure I wouldn't be who I am today without Chuck's influence and the opportunities he gave me.

Rest in peace, Chuck. I'm sorry I never said any of that while you were alive.