Soxy

And related to the price thing, students think that because they pay this money that they are somehow entitled to good grades. One out of state student where I teach told a colleague that since he paid a higher tuition he should start at a higher base of grade. The entitlement thing is just out of hand.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 01:04 PM) Which, by the way, is a big reason that it costs so much to go to college. Its simple supply and demand. The number of institutions and spots at them is relatively fixed. With more people attempting to go to college, the price point becomes the way of weeding out some people from going. So much so that good students get priced out of top private and public colleges. The price thing will be the death-knell of American higher education. And to bmags, maybe stigmatized is too strong of a word. But if someone told you he was attending Harvard or CoD, would you initially have a higher opinion of one? We, collectively, place high value on baccalaureate institutions and minimize the valuable contributions of 2 year schools and tech schools.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 12:37 PM) I read a study that lower teacher-student ratios are really just important in k-6 levels and not as important in high schools. I believe it was a study in Kansas. I, personally, like the American higher education system. I think it's good we keep such a liberal arts education instead of such specific "trade" schools like you would see in Germany. But liberal arts isn't for everyone. And by stigmatizing trade schools we're denying some people the kind of education they need. I like the European system because there are more choices for students--so they get an education that is useful and beneficial to them. Too many students in this country go to college although they are academically unprepared or intellectually subpar because they feel like they have no other options. Not everyone should go to college, and even fewer people will flourish in a liberal arts setting. I do think that there is beginning to be a much needed switch--for example Stout has made a rather nice transition to a tech school.

There's a graphic on the NYT site showing the geographics of the first family and their ancestors--and they have labeled Mississippi as Missouri. Ooops.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 07:59 PM) The settling and founding of America wasn't a secular event. Puritans, Baptists, Episcopalians, and Church of England members helped found the country. Inaugurations, Courtrooms, many Graduations, Weddings, Funerals, Memorial Services, all have prayer, bibles or God references. America is a Christian-founded country. A couple of things: Episcopalians are part of the Church of England. The Christianity practiced by those who founded this country is virtually unrecognizable from modern Christianity. (Thank goodness.) And Muslims, Hindus, and Jews didn't come to the forefront of American history until after the Christians stopped persecuting their asses (or set immigration quotas which, of course, they also did to their Christian, but non-protestant brethren). Also, what are the major Ethical differences between the Big 5 (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism)? I'll be honest, I was okay with the prayers (except the general crappiness of Warren's) except for the Lord's Prayer. That bothered me, I'm not sure why. But I didn't like it there. It seemed profane (in the true meaning of the word).

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 03:34 PM) I felt it was a pretty awful prayer, too. Especially compared to Lowerys. Why didn't Lowery get the invocation? His was at least not complete blather.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 11:28 AM) I'll tell you what I'd like to see, in terms of education costs... we need to do more about tax shelters for early child care. Its just a reality now that most families have two working parents, and day care is absurdly expensive. Like, more than tuition at most colleges (even private) per year. Its absolutely insane. If its two kids, you are talking about more money than the majority of Americans take home every year. Honestly, something needs to be done about education from birth on up.

I think Clinton was as big of a cheerleader as Reagan. Yes we can make higher education affordable through better grants, scholarships or something. It's completely out of hand.

So, I click on this article about how Obama is going to make science cool again in the NYT. Well, that wasn't what the article was about. It was about how women in science/academia are mostly unmarried and with less children than they would like to have (unlike their male counterparts). Women, the article states, can't have it all. Great. That just made my f***ing day.

When did "elite" become a dirty word? I mean, isn't elite better that mediocre? Wouldn't we rather be an elite nation than a mediocre one? Seriously.

QUOTE (LosMediasBlancas @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 03:29 PM) IIRC, you're a big fan of PS Hoffman too? Have you seen 'The Savages' or 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead'? Both pretty solid. Yeah, I like him. I liked the Savages a lot. Really funny sweet movie (although I admittedly have a bit of a dark sense of humor). The ending was a tad saccarine--but overall I really liked it. I haven't seen Before The Devil Knows You're Dead--it's been on my list for a long time. I liked Doubt too, and I think the movie was a lot more ambiguous (as to the guilt of Father Flynn) because PSH is so good.

QUOTE (LosMediasBlancas @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 02:23 PM) A few of us here were left scratching our heads. I'll say this, it is an ambitious film. Yeah, I went with a big group, and a couple of people were like, um? I think I like it? Others (me) liked it and others hated it. I think it really is just like piece of abstract art. But I also love just about everything Charlie Kaufman.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Jan 12, 2009 -> 05:50 PM) Ya...you betcha (true). The person below me is craving a Dairy Queen Blizzard after all this blizzard talk. True, and very sad becaue there are no DQ's where I live. The person below me is ready for this winter nonsense to be done.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 10:44 AM) I've had that one on my list of movies to see. Is it still in theaters? I live in Bufu nowhere--so it just opened at our art theater. So, for people that live in actual civilization, I don't know. I was so shocked that it hasn't been getting nominated for anything. The performances are also great. One of the weird things about life, I suppose. But if you can see it, do. It's brilliant.

I saw Synecdoche, NY over the weekend. It's Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut (he also wrote the script). It's an odd movie (like most of what he has penned). It's the story of Caden Cotard who is an innovative theater director/very ill/or total hypochondriac. His wife is an artist, who leaves him (with his daughter) to pursue her art in Berlin along with her very sketchy friend. Around the time his wife leaves him Caden meets an eccentric woman (Hazel) who is pretty strong in her pursuit of Caden. Caden wins a genius grant, and decides to stage a huge monumental play about his life. Which is falling apart even more--his second marriage (to an actress in the play) falls apart because he is completely uninvolved and obsessed with all that he has lost in life. He builds a life-size replica of the town where he lives in an old warehouse and begins staging the play (which never actually opens for an audience). Near the end we see Caden interacting with the actor that plays him, Hazel, the actress that plays Hazel. The movie is kind of hard to explain because Kaufman has no real respect for time--because the movie spans probably 20-50 years of Caden's life, the viewer is always kind of in the dark about the timing of these events. Basically it's a movie about life--and how life is sometimes nothing more than a 60 year long death. The closest analogy I can think of for the movie is a Kafka novel (The Trial is briefly discussed) or maybe the Bob Dylan song Tangled Up in Blue. It's an absurd movie that is often confusing and baffling. But it's a really, really, really honest movie. For me it was kind of a like a work of abstract art, and you don't know exactly what it is, but something in it just draws a really visceral reaction. I really like this movie--it's not for everyone. But there's something raw, aching, and true under all the absurdity and I loved that.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jan 5, 2009 -> 10:25 AM) False. Bummer about your summer camp. The person below me is surprised this thread is still going. False. The person below me is excited for Oscar season movies.

I saw Doubt yesterday. I liked it, I think. It's one of those movies that sort of follows you out of the theater. Honestly, it is probably more effective as a play, but still a worthwhile little movie. I was impressed by how ambiguous the movie was. Good thought provoking movie.

Huh, that's interesting. I wonder if there are differences in cervical cancer rates based on region. But presumably, she and Gage have already made the beast with two backs--so him getting the clip now won't reduce her risk.

QUOTE (scenario @ Jan 2, 2009 -> 11:45 AM) There is some research linking sex with uncircumcised men to increased risk for cervical cancer. Might have something to do with it. That is probably only an issue if he has "hygiene" issues. But it sounds spurious. If that is true, then you should see much higher cervical cancer rates in western Europe relative to America. And I doubt that is the case. Or that women married to Jewish guys have the lowest rates of cervical cancer.

QUOTE (MHizzle85 @ Jan 2, 2009 -> 02:25 AM) True...no one could find the box set of "The Wire" The person below me made new years resolutions False. The person below me broke a new years resolution last year.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Jan 2, 2009 -> 02:50 AM) I saw Valkyrie tonight. I thought it was pretty good from an entertainment standpoint. I don't judge movies for their "technical" whatever that some people do, so take that into consideration. Though, it's hard knowing the outcome before the movie can play out b/c, obviously, their attempt to kill Hitler didn't work. Ugh, great, thanks for ruining the ending for me.

It's your body. If you don't want it done or aren't comfortable with it--you shouldn't. How odd. Did you drop any implants or something hints that this might be retribution for? My last year of college I was good friends with a French exchange student who wanted nothing more than to see a clipped one because in Europe very few men do it.

QUOTE (LosMediasBlancas @ Dec 27, 2008 -> 01:03 AM) YEP. It would be impossible for me to give up coffee. I wouldn't even try. Two cups in the morning is the only way I get out of the house. I could probably go two days without beer, but coffee? I wouldn't make it past 11 am. I hear cigarettes are worse, but so many people continue to drink coffee as they try to quit smoking. Seems like you can go longer without a smoke than without coffee. Actually, part of that is because nicotine alters the way that caffeine is metabolized. So, there is a real pharmacological link between the quitting smoking and caffeine intake.

A shawl, box of socks, 30 Rock season 2, How I Met your Mother season 3, dental floss, a dish scrubber, a necklace, couple of bracelets, and a pair of earrings, cash, iTunes gift cards, calender, sewing notions, Lush soaps and gift cards, a couple of prints I wanted, tooth brushes, a computer case, dish towels, perfume, an alaskan nativity set, um, and an orange. I'm spoiled rotten, what can I say?

The top 5 starts off well!