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QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 09:41 PM) I know you think you are being smart there, but just how do people who go to Sox games or the museums or a play 'moochers'? If anything the city should be welcoming those dollars into their economy, not actively f***ing people who decide to visit. Several million at Sox/Cubs/bears/Bulls games? Museum attendance has to be high, and I bet more than half from out of the city. Again, how are they moochers? The parks were either privately built or with STATE funds. I'm talking about the cigarette tax. But "actively f***ing" tourists over, is ridiculous. I doubt the amount will be large enough to prevent people from going to any of those things. Gas prices would make a bigger difference. White sox pricing would make a bigger difference. Chicago already reached the property tax threshold and has 10% sales tax, the money has to come from somewhere.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 08:21 PM) Yet they're old enough to teach about not talking to strangers... The school also doesn't allow strangers to walk in to the school. Are they infringing on the kids rights there too?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 07:49 PM) They are doing it the only way it can be done in a controlled manner that doesn't make the schools infinitely worse - by opening charter schools a few at a time. If you did a complete meltdown on the existing structure and tried to get an entirely charter system up and running, it would take years to get all the kids back into normal schooling. That destroys educations, a lot of them, and I would not be OK with that. Not the same - completely different school administration (both in staff as well as rules/procedures/curriculums). Well I don't know why they would clean house completely, but yes finding 60k relevant people to take over would be quite difficult.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 07:48 PM) I think it's more important to teach kids to be careful and watch out for themselves rather than to teach them that the world will watch out for them. They aren't going to be able to walk into any grocery store, restaurant, lunchroom, house, etc... and tell everyone there "Hey I'm allergic to ______ so nobody else here can have it." We are talking about 1st-3rd graders in school. These existential lessons tend to get lost when the child gets sent to the hospital.

I just bought borderlands so I can discuss with you guys. Please don't switch topics before then.

People can die from peanut allergies, dairy allergies just give you a stomach ache. Kids can accidentally put things in their mouths, i've seen it! I don't see a problem with removing peanuts from their lunches. That's not really a grave injustice any more than not allowing kids to bring knives to school.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 06:19 PM) The day after Chipotle is not pleasant for me. And it's crazy over-priced. Give me a burrito from a cheap, dirty mexican place anytime of the week. I prefer enchiladas from mexican places, the quality of meat at chipotle is typically better. But in the loop, more likely to see a chipotle than a la pasadita.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 04:02 PM) I think his point was that instead of giving kids with nut allergies something different than peanut butter, schools have decided to just not give peanut butter to anyone so that the kids with the allergy don't feel left out or different. Just a small nitpick but I think they got rid of peanut butter and peanut products because they could so easily contaminate other foods. Using the same knife, used to be on the counter, etc.

I don't understand why chickfila is possilbe. I think wendy's chicken things kick it's ass in every way possible. But I don't eat fast food much anymore beside chipotle, God's gift to man.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 20, 2012 -> 02:52 PM) You have to interview, hire and train about 50,000 people. And no, they won't all be from the public schools that have jobs now. That process alone will take months upon months or more. You have to build and/or fix facilities - maybe only a few, or a lot, depending on what public facilities you can operate in. You have to go through long certification processes with the state and feds, like all schools do. You have to have companies with enough staff to handle managing the charters and administrations of these schools, which right now they don't have, and it may take a long time to get. You have to set up school boards, and have public review periods for many charter school elements, including their curriculum. You will have to fight the unions legally, and that will be a long, drawn out, and expensive mess. You have to set up the financial arrangements for funding, contracts, and all that other fun legal crap, which again, seems easy on the surface, but in reality ends up taking forever while the lawyers tear it apart. You have to make wholesale changes in the CPS administration, and take on large charges to get out from under current obligations. You have to have the laws changed, at the state level and in city ordinances, which means getting the backing of the state legislature (both chambers), the governor, the city council and the mayor (there are rules in place about public education and city-provided schools that have huge monetary impacts, and they need to change if you do this). The list goes on, but seriously... tell me with a straight face you think that could be done in a couple months. I don't know if it would be that hard, basically the real question is "what if we disbanded the Chicago Teachers Union". It would essentially be the same thing. But I still think the entire process would take at least a year.

That's probably a pretty small number of people he's "f***ing" over. But it is fairly regressive. You should applaud that, no? The moochers being forced to pay?

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Sep 19, 2012 -> 05:44 PM) I don't agree with what he said about the teachers not caring about the kids learning at all...but I also believe that if they had gotten raises, they never would have went on strike for the other things, because they weren't the important factors of the strike...they were simply used as additional bargaining chips. Right, I"m on the same page with you. I know enough teachers to know that they care dearly about their kids, and frankly they are good teachers! But, the reason they started the strike, it's fair to say at this point, was exclusively about their benefits and salary. They may care about those things, but they weren't striking over those things.

All remember to register. It's getting close to the deadline for this election.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 19, 2012 -> 05:05 PM) That was a big part of it of course, yes. I don't think anyone has said otherwise. But looking at the facts of all the things they were contesting, I think it is clear they wanted more than just that. People would love it to be simple, though. I'm responding to all of those "YOU NEED TO EDUCATE YOURSELF" pictures that were going around, that made it seem like the teachers were standing up to the city over condiitons in the classroom. What were they most willing to concede on? Classroom conditions. It says a lot.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 19, 2012 -> 03:32 PM) The CTU did specifically ask for class size limits, and CPS was saying they could not do that. I am not sure who won out there, have you read the entire contract? NPR reported this morning that those conditions were not met. And considering the strike is over, I think it's fair to say that the teachers in front of the TVs who said they were striking because of class conditions, were really just saying that because they knew it was their most sympathetic point. But clearly they were striking for their pay packages and evaluations.

I think there are a lot of good things in here for teacher evaluation, and chicago will continue it's climb in educating it's students. But notice how the strike ended despite there still being overcrowded classrooms and other outcomes "for the kids". Those were red herrings.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Sep 18, 2012 -> 10:47 PM) http://opensignal.com/ Well that's that. Thanks!

Chicago-livers: How would you rate Sprint in terms of chicago coverage. I know we've asked this before but I couldn't find it on the googlesearch of soxtalk. I live in Logan Square, and have a great deal on AT&T. However, I never get service in my house, so I need to switch. I would be more inclined to Sprint, but if they don't have a good reputation then Verizon it is.

I wonder what the pct was of people that started gates. That was the shortest notice I've ever seen. I think most of the notes on it went out after kickoff.

What is your point caulfield? Just because you have an average wage in KC where housing is probably 40% cheaper than chicago, doesn't mean chicago teachers don't earn enough after having 15 years of money being poured into their salary and pensions that we couldn't afford. Now they can't handle 4 years of not getting a substantial wage.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 16, 2012 -> 10:53 PM) Meanwhile, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, which is totally, definitely NOT about Scientology (and wouldya stop asking?!), grossed a stunning $729,745 from just 5 theaters, which gave the film a per theater average of $145,949 — the best opening weekend average for a live-action film of all time. The Master‘s phenomenal per theater average outshadows Moonrise Kingdom, which broke the same record earlier this year. (*Note: Kevin Smith’s Red State technically holds this record, as it grossed $204,230 from 1 theater in its 2011 debut, yet that film’s bow was more of a special event — tickets cost $40 and Kevin Smith was present, so it’s not a totally fair comparison.) The Weinstein Co., who declined to provide budget information for the film, says The Master will expand into at least 135 markets next weekend — about 600-800 theaters. www.ew.com As it comes out, those more on top of it than me, could you broadcast when the music box will do a 70 mm showing again?

I had a truly horrendous week. McFadden and AP while I benche Ben Tate, Reversal of last week. Gates with an impossibly late game time decision. f*** tony romo. f*** Chris Johnson.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Sep 14, 2012 -> 01:22 PM) I have a 4½ year old son and a 3 year old daughter. To date, any overnight trips that we've taken have involved staying at the homes of family members. We're thinking that in March, for my wife & son's Spring Break, we'd like to venture out into full family vacation mode. We think that Chicago might be a good place to go because it's not too far of a drive and we know of plenty of things to do that the kids will like. The one thing I need help with is that for a 3-5 day trip with small kids, I'd much rather get some kind of condo/townhome rental rather than a hotel. It helps save money on meals, and it also helps to have a little bit more space for days when the weather is bad or we're really worn out and want to spend some time inside without feeling cramped. Anybody know of any places in the Chicago area that do this? airbnb

This has come up before, but, a cool graph from a cool company:

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 12, 2012 -> 07:06 PM) They also lacked any sort of national support. But no, I don't think one recall election puts an end to the idea that unions a good base support for progressive politics. Recall elections are rare, usually unsuccessful and widely disliked. LOL