StrangeSox

I think they'll need a five-hour finale of the creators in a room full of whiteboards to tie all of this together.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 26, 2009 -> 01:12 PM) I'm not sure there is a difference. Its not dictating law, because its not dictating anything - it is a condition of receiving federal block funds, which are not obligated to the states. The federal government can decide on discretionary funding in pretty much any way they choose, as long as they don't run afoul of existing federal law or the Constitution. And there is nothing in the Constitution (I don't believe) that dictates the conditions under which the federal government can dole out those discretionary funds. Now, if the funds were about something obligated to the states - i.e. military assistance, like if Illinois was invaded by Canada - then it would be unconstitutional. If they were allowed to say "We're not giving money if Blago is gov.," what prevents them from saying "We're not giving money if a (Rep or Dem) is gov.?"

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 26, 2009 -> 12:51 PM) Here is the thing. This is a trick used long ago, and the guy who really made it play big was Reagan, under the guise of his favored Block Grants. See, the US government cannot make a state government change things not falling under direct purview of the feds. However, this is not a true forcing of the issue. Its using federal funding to blackmail them. Its slimy, but, its common. This was done all over the place to force the 55 mph speed limit decades ago, and it stood up in court. This will stand up too, I'd imagine. It seems unconstitutional, and maybe it should be illegal, but precedent shows it is neither. The speed limit thing also popped into my mind. I would imagine (hope) that there's a legal distinction between requiring certain statues/ rules governing what the money is intended for (I think they were only withholding Federal highway money) vs. the Federal government not giving a state money because it doesn't like who's in charge.

1. Secular Humanism (100%) 2. Nontheist (93%) 3. Unitarian Universalism (93%) 4. Theravada Buddhism (81%) 5. Liberal Quakers (70%) 6. Neo-Pagan (61%) 7. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (57%) 8. Taoism (47%) 9. Mahayana Buddhism (42%) 10. New Age (41%) 11. Reform Judaism (39%) 12. New Thought (33%) 13. Scientology (33%) 14. Orthodox Quaker (28%) 15. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (27%) 16. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (24%) 17. Sikhism (23%) 18. Baha'i Faith (19%) 19. Jainism (19%) 20. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (16%) 21. Eastern Orthodox (16%) 22. Hinduism (16%) 23. Islam (16%) 24. Orthodox Judaism (16%) 25. Roman Catholic (16%) 26. Seventh Day Adventist (16%) 27. Jehovah's Witness (6%)

For some reason, this guy kept coming to mind...

NBA mayonaisse college football 99% of the time reality TV Anything to do with celebrity gossip or their personal lives CSI, Friends, Family Guy, House, Scrubs Dane Cook Most music on the radio 'Saw' series of movies Game shows

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 09:53 AM) Will be? Well played, sir. Well played.

QUOTE (The Critic @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 10:11 AM) Catsup/ketchup on a hot dog (most of the time ONLY catsup/ketchup)

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 09:03 AM) Is anyone else irritated with the media coverage of the Obama family's fashion statements? I mean, seriously. If you are a fashion network or gossip channel or something, then I get having a special on Michelle Obama's dresses. But if I go to CNN or a major network or newspaper site, I want the news. And long diatribes and discussions of Michelle's dress does not f***ing qualify as news. 24 hour cable news will be the death of journalism in this country.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 10:11 AM) Benjamin Button gets 13 oscar nominations. Heath Ledger gets nominated for best supporting actor. BB just wasn't all that good, imo. A decent movie, sure, but 13 Oscar nominations? I could see Slumdog taking best picture. The ending was ultra-cliche, but the other 99% of the movie was really good.

I don't remember seeing this posted here, but it seems like Lowery's controversial ending to his prayer was a paraphrasing of an older blues song titled "Black, Brown and White" by Big Bill Broonzy. This little song that i'm singin' about, People you know it's true If you're black and gotta work for a living, This is what they will say to you, They says, "if you was white, should be all right, If you was brown, stick around, But as you's black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back" I was in a place one night They was all having fun They was all buyin' beer and wine, But they would not sell me none They said, "if you was white, should be all right, If you was brown, stick around, But if you black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back" Me and a man was workin' side by side This is what it meant They was paying him a dollar an hour, And they was paying me fifty cent They said, "if you was white, 't should be all right, If you was brown, could stick around, But as you black, hmm boy, get back, get back, get back" I went to an employment office, Got a number 'n' i got in line They called everybody's number, But they never did call mine They said, "if you was white, should be all right, If you was brown, could stick around, But as you black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back" I hope when sweet victory, With my plough and hoe Now i want you to tell me brother, What you gonna do about the old jim crow? Now if you was white, should be all right, If you was brown, could stick around, But if you black, whoa brother, get back, get back, get back

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 09:09 AM) Any global warming climate change regualations for the enviro freaks will have a negative impact on the economy. The question is: To what extent will they hurt the economy? Couldn't you say the same about any pollution controls?

Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur also had to repeat their oaths.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 03:25 PM) Standardization is coming via the free market. There are fewer and fewer textbook offerings and of those, Texas and California, via legal requirements, are setting the tone for the rest of the country. This is very true and there was just a round of hearings this week over new science standards. This is important because it seems as if the majority of the board are creationists, and if they change the Texas standards, it could impact what the rest of the country learns about evolution. http://www.star-telegram.com/legislature/story/1152609.html A pro-science blog documenting the situation: http://tfnblog.wordpress.com/ And another showing a clear case of dishonesty: http://scienceblogs.com/tfk/2009/01/how_th..._of_ed_misr.php

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jan 22, 2009 -> 07:28 AM) Interesting. Forced, free labor to jump start a career called internship = good Forced, free labor for the money to attend college called community service = bad /carry on Free? Engineering interns don't work for free!

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 09:26 PM) Loosely translated kap's sig quote is: "The problem with our free market friends is not that they are ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so." That doesn't sound like Ronald Reagan to me. QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 10:04 PM) ugh, what a boring argument peanut. Are you really going to argue classical liberalism for the modern day usage? Exactly. Words change meaning over time and can acquire new meanings. "Liberal" in today's political landscape clearly does not mean Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson classical liberalism. Modern/ Social Liberalism Classical Liberalism Honestly, if you don't know the difference, you are ignorant.

QUOTE (hawksfan61 @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 06:00 PM) Completely agree. I was able to opt out of most humanities/liberal arts courses because I had the credit going in due to AP's, but the ones I did take I would have gladly traded for an internship. Engineering course work, unless you are going in to some sort of research, does not prepare you that well for work in the design/construction industry. Internships are great, but I found that student projects were even better for learning real-world engineering, team work and management skills. I learned a lot about practical engineering on my school's FSAE team. This counted for some general elective courses, too. Some of my humanities classes were useful while some of them were a complete waste of my time and money. The online psych course I took at Joliet Junior College was easier than most high school classes. I have to say that I think most engineers should be required to take more than one English class. I can't tell you how many hours I spent editing lab/ project partners' papers so that they were at least coherent, and its almost as bad with some of the people at my work. Proposals for multi-million dollar contracts get sent out having basic grammar mistakes I learned in high school or earlier. In addition to the MIT courses you can audit (more or less) for free, Standford also offers a similar program online. http://see.stanford.edu/

You can give yourself a free MIT-quality education online: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 12:07 PM) I don't know where you got the impression that I meant art history should be what was pushed. I know. I was just continuing on the point that too many people go to college just for the sake of going to college, not to study anything or learn skills for a career.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 21, 2009 -> 11:37 AM) 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. Sure, but how many people really need to rack up $80k in student loans to get an B.A. in art history?

20/20 (John Stossel) just did a report on the cost of college and whether or not its really worth it for everyone to go. There's a big push in high schools and society in general that absolutely everyone should attend college. Vocational schools are stigmatized. http://abcnews.go.com/2020 -> "College: Worth the Price of Admission?"

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 07:17 PM) LINK Good for that. You don't think that the U.S. wasn't just covering their ass with that statement when they made that treaty? . . . It was ratified by every member of Congress. Not a single Congressman had an objection to that phrase. Many of the founders were enlightenment-age deists, not Christians. The 1st amendment explicitly forbids the bolded part. This country was founded largely on philosophy, not religion. So what? They get excluded based on tradition?

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 11:47 AM) We do. The government does not select or establish an official faith. We are free to worship or not, as we like. The Establishment Clause doesn't just limit the government from specifically choosing an official faith. For instance, creationism isn't allowed in science classrooms (along with the stickers they love to put on Biology books) because of the 1st Amendment. Voluntarily* adding in "so help me god" and having a prayer at the inauguration doesn't violate it in my opinion. That is each President's choice, just as they'd be allowed to keep a Bible on their desk but a judge might not be. *Voluntary in spirit because any politician who didn't would be instantly disliked/ distrusted by a majority of Americans.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 11:31 AM) So what happens now? Does Obama have to go into the office today or does he get the rest of the day off. Lunch and then I believe its right to work.

They really butchered that oath. Off to a great start. QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 11:02 AM) This just hit me like a ton of bricks. My God! Now, do work, Pres. Obama. I smiled when NPR broke into the musical performance to say that George W. Bush was no longer President.