Texsox

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 05:17 PM) Something like that. But honestly, I have seen enough of that crap to last me a lifetime. Unfortunately, there will be more of it. I don't believe there was any crap in the post you replied to. Sorry if you did. Like NSS, I am interested and concerned how we are fighting this war, in part, with private companies. This is the first time I've been aware of it and there are so many angles to explore. Are they recognized as an army, and receive Geneva protections, etc. What are their rules? Are there limits on prosecuting them? And I don't believe our government can enter into a project that will spend hundreds of billions of dollars and not have the financial interests of companies who will benefit come into play. And that is for law makers on both sides of the aisle.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 04:36 PM) Be very careful what you drink in Columbia. Nothing on snopes, I was smelling an urban legend. That's scary

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 04:26 PM) I thought of you as I wrote that. " 'Socrates. . . What is Truth?' . . . 'Socrates. . . What is Beauty?' Not ONCE did anybody say, 'Socrates. . . Hemlock is poisonous!' "

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 05:05 PM) OH OH OH OH BUT THIS IS WHY WHY WHY WHY WE WENT TO WAR! HALLIBURTON! BLACKWATER! DYNCORP! BUSHCO! Kapperbole!

Side bar log for the camp fire, nothing more, nothing less. This is where things get tough for people covering the campaigns. The candidates staff will prepare handouts with the speech, then they try and listen for any deviations. After hearing the same stump speech for the 287th time, they may be paying attention and catch a slip while somone else is just taking the campaign notes for it.

I'm not certain if this comment is pro or con towards Blackwater and the like, but why is anybody running a private business in a war zone? I can't imagine the logistics, even with all the official and no doubt unofficial help they get from our government.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 02:28 PM) John Edwards will make Jimmy Carter a good president. That's all I'll say. And Ford and Nixon as well. Great point.

Are you certain it was Greek? I was thinkning perhaps Democritus, but searching through his famous quotes reveiled nothing. Perhaps Socrates? I wish I had more time to help you but I have to get to a meeting.

Keith Olbermann for those inquiring minds

I don't see the Dems winning the White House with any of their big three. Unless Rudy G. gets nominated. That's the only match up I leave as a toss up or slight edge to the Dems.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 01:33 PM) And what happens when both of those are vetoed? First off, let's see if the GOP can talk some sense and avoid that. Then we'll see if the cooperation can extend a little further and over ride. But this is a step in the right direction. As Dems all we can ask is an honest effort at compromise, and based on what I'm reading, that honest effort has happened.

I wish I shared y'all's optimism that something like this could really happen. It's almost too perfect. We've had independent candidates win, it's how, and why, they would link together. It seems more likely we would have a big enough single issue (environment, immigration, defense, taxes?) that the public would pull them together. Not the more optimistic scenario, but more likely in my book. I'm usually the optimistic, elected officials are good, one here. Y'all are scaring me with the rosy outlook. But I like it. Don't stop thinking about tomorrow As I was going to hit send, I trhought of a way that SS vision could come true with a centralist party. Enough mainstream voters become disallusioned with the Big Two and the left of the right and the right of the left band together and find candidates that share that philosophy.

I love seeing this levelk of compromise. We're all better for it.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 12:44 PM) I think the best possible strategy for a 3rd party wanting to make real inroads, would have priorities something like this: --Solid, simple platform (i.e. small government, socially liberal) - you can't have a 3rd party that is just "not like them" --Start narrow and deep - pick a few Congressional seats that meet specific criteria (record of recent poor representatives, no big candidates lined up, not a big money area), and target those few places to spend all your money, just to get a foot in the door. --Find a few candidates that are known names, and not necessarily nationally - could be local or regionally famous folks, that would garner loyalty That would be great, and easily the best for us, but would the public donate enough money to make them viable? I don't see corporations and special interest groups backing them with enough cash. And to borrow a Watergate era phrase, follow the money. That is one thing I loved about Newt's announcement. Straight to the money. Smart and practical. A combination of your plan and Balta's and a pinch of SS vision and optimism would be awesome.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 12:44 PM) You're right, why would we want to encourage compromise and moderation, when we can have extremism and gridlock! More pork? LMAO. Because watching these guys just doesn't inspire any confidence that it would change.

I wonder if centralist could envoke enough support to actually get elected in high enough numbers. I think a third party needs an almost cult like core and average doesn't necessarily do it, but it would be the best possible world. But then still, Balta's point that they would still need to join together to get anything done is the problem point. So it's a centralist third party needing the outer fringe to help. I still fear a pork fest of the highest calling.

From what I have seen, y'all are correct. Which is both a problem and a cure. Each local United Way is fairly autonomous and run by a volunteer board. Some of the volunteer boards are really hung up on accountability and direct service by UW, they tend to have larger staffs. Others push more back on the organizations to self police, those have fewer admin staff. I guess both have their place, I would guess Kap and I have about the same feeling on that. Fewer direct staff and more money to the charities themselves, perhaps at the expense of some oversight. BTW, most UW admin staff has a personal fund raising goal, in essense they raise their own salary. As far as the direct check off, you are right, you are probably better off donating directly. The way the check off works is it guarantees a certain amount will be donated to that agency, it is not in addition to. So if, for example, Comfort House was budgeted to receive $25,000 in UW funding and you pledge $500 and check off Comfort House, they will not necessarily receive $25,500. But they will receive a guarantee of $500. If enough people check off it makes a difference, but for the most part, the groups were already going to receive more than your check off. The check offs do help in deciding who gets funded, it is a popular vote when applied.

I would love to be the third party that everyone had to come to to get anything passed. Oh how the pork would fly. Far better to fix the existing parties than have a three way split of power where everything would take coalition building.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 08:54 AM) I don't think many of us disagree with Ron Paul. But you just like to see yourself type, anyway. Then I have no idea who you are talking about? I thought it was the rino

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 05:42 PM) Perhaps, I do know that I said that when I was certain the Bears would do the smart thing and downgrade him to #3. EDIT: i had the disclaimer "unless Griese gets injured" on there, which actually takes most of the finality of the statement out of there. anyway, does everyone here realize that Brian Griese has the 17th best career QB rating of all time? just a little number that doesnt mean much but it means something. HoF credentials.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 06:48 AM) What happened to the Republican party, you know, the one that always says there's a place for everyone, until you disagree with them? I think you posted in the wrong thread. Isn't this about Ron Paul?

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 08:06 AM) I am as well. I think the government should be as small as possible, and stay out of our lives.

The troop question was poorly worded. I hope were there in 2013 rebuilding the country after *they* get *their* s*** together. I even see a military base or two. But I would not want field operations, moving neighborhood to neighborhood.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 27, 2007 -> 07:53 AM) You told me that a ton of automotive companies were located on the other side of the border. What is the difference between people on one side of the river and the other? The automotive plants here all make sub assemblies. Plastic molded, radios, seat belts, windshield wipers, electric motors, wiring harnesses, etc. The economic development agencies in the area have pushed hard for an auto plant but so far have come up empty. San Antonio is the closest, IIRC. Keeping all those robots and automated equipment going takes a higher degree of sophistication. Basically this labor market, until recently, has been agriculture based. Lots of field work, packing sheds, etc. The manufacturing was very low skilled, textiles for example, running a sewing machine. To sustain an auto plant you need tool and die workers, journeymen industrial maintenance workers, engineers, and a lot of them. Interestingly the University of Texas - Pan American and the University of Texas Brownsville graduates hundreds of qualified students yearly. (Same with bi-lingual teachers). Then we watch as they accept better paying jobs "up north" with nice sign on bonuses. Tough to keep the homemade talent at home. The Department of Labor, through a H1B grant, provided millions of dollars for training in Industrial Maintenance and Tool and Die through the So Tx Manufacturers Assoc and South Texas College. Basically a company could have any of their employees trained to Journeyman status for free. All they had to do is commit to a wage plan that increases as the students skilled increased. The wage was below what most companies were already paying. We still had a hard time getting students signed up. Companies feared after their employee was "credentialed" they would leave for better paying jobs elsewhere. It was so frustrating. The path that many companies take is moving old, antiquated manufacturing lines to Mexico or across here in the United States. These are more manual type processes that do not demand higher skilled workers. Those are not in operation at an auto plant. And whether they will admit it here or not, companies relocate here to reduce their direct labor costs. So there is pressure to keep salaries low. Probably more than you wanted to know.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 26, 2007 -> 10:41 PM) What is it in Webb Co.? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowest-income...e_United_States 47 Webb $10,759 Interesting that South Dakota has so many. I assume, like here, it is all the agriculture jobs that are really seasonal. Also in Hidalgo we have most of out highest paying jobs across the river in Mexico, and most of our new investments are Mexican Nationals starting businesses here.