Texsox

Interesting you mentioned schools, I agree that is a key concept. I believe financing schools is the single biggest problem in our education system. Higher property values assure better schools in the neighborhoods that have the resources to send their kids to private schools and hurt the poorer community and schools that need public education the most.

I pray there are more men like him out there. At 15 he was more a man than most guys in their 20s when it comes to taking responsibility. All too many would have cut and run.

^^^^^^^^^^^^ what Jim said.

The more I think about Kap's comment about the US wanting to use Iraq as a Middle East base, I think we will drag our heels for a long time, and keep many troops. Possible 20,000? Possibly more. That may prove to be a good thing. I imagine we should be setting up a nice base and getting comfy.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 04:16 PM) Well than, lets not forget that a local election does not have parties involved. But since I'm from the area where two of those cities are listed (regardless of whether they supported or not) I can tell you that by and large they are republican cities located in a heavily republican county. Which confirms my original assumption that all those cities would be largely GOP, with a well financed city budget for police patrols, most homes having security systems, fences, gates, perhaps some private gated communities. Last I looked the GOP held an adge with higher income families. How about spinning this off the politcs? What factors should be present to make a community safe? Does the local government play a role? Wealth of the city?

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 03:04 PM) Are you smoking something good, there Tex? LOL, nope. I was also thinking what's his name doing sassy in that SNL skit. She's Soxy

Good point about state vs. local. One would have to look at mayoral races. But I ask again, what discussion is there that wouldn't be considered political? The police chief is generally picked by the mayor, sheriffs are elected officials. We look to our government for crime prevention and we know the government is political.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 02:54 PM) Ah yes the gun control arguements. It just amazes me that one side can see a slipperly slope arguement with gun control, but doesn't want to admit the samething when it comes to abortion. I'm not so sure I understand what you are implying. GOP = no abortions, ever -and- no more gun controls than we already have. DEM = abortion on demand -and- more gun controls. I guess I'm one of the twin siders. I believe there should be some restrictions on abortions and some restrictions on guns.

QUOTE(Steff @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 03:54 PM) Not surprising. What other discussion regarding crime would there be that wasn't political in some nature?

thisclosetogether? The Brian Wilson comments inspired me to post this topic. It seems that many people or genius in their fields are also almost insane.

Good point about inspiring other shows.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 09:40 AM) I guess the best way to say it is to talk about the total cost of doing business. Exactly. And how America can balance that and pay a wage that allows the individual to live in some decent housing and have a decent standard of living when 2/3 rds of the world population does not have running water in their homes and would see $2 per hour as a huge step up.

Star Spangled Banner God Bless America America the Beautiful Brandy

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 09:35 AM) Thats why I prefer to look at violent crime when determining how safe a community is. People shoplifting a handbag from Nordstrom doesn't really affect me personally at all. Exactly. Sneak in my back yard and steal my trampoline a dozen times, but don't point a gun at me once.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 09:31 AM) Thats another thing that makes me laugh about people who complain the most about American jobs leaving and the employment practices of certain countries. They are all high and mighty about railing about corporations moving jobs overseas but if you bring all the jobs back here and jack up the price of a standard TV set to 800 bucks and make a DVD player cost 5-600 we'll see how long that lasts. You can't have cheap goods without cheap labor and the sooner people realize its a give and take proposition the better. That is partially correct, but if you go through a modern manufacturing plant, you will see fewer and fewer people. The cost of labor is a much smaller percentage than generations ago. What drives some companies over seas are lax labor laws, easier environmental regulations, toe hold in other markets, looser intellectual property rights, and yes, people willing to work cheaper.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 09:27 AM) And there's nothing there. There are no cultural places in Brick Township. It's a bunch of houses connected to three commercial streets. Brick NJ is a bedroom community of 85,000. Most of the towns in the top 10 are too. Sounds like a great place for breaking and entering . . . BTW, I remember looking at crime stats for McAllen before moving here and being aghast at the number of petty thefts. Then I compared it to cities I lived and found out Vernon Hills had an even higher rate of theft. Schaumburg was equally huge. Northbrook? Same thing. Theft rates off the charts. Then I figured out it was shop lifting at the malls. So it's almost always the information behind the stats and the methodology that determines what the study really tells us. Not some chart and brief synopsis from a reporter.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 09:08 AM) Funny how he could call that so well. Of course his solution of making them pay higher corporate taxes would just open the door a little wider for them to leave. What's that about a blind dog finding an acorn once in a while? It is a very tough issue. What good is manufacturing something in the US that costs more and people won't buy it?

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 09:09 AM) HUH? :rolly Im the king of the Bush Backers and who have I attacked recently over comments about Bush? Instead of SS posting what Bush said over the weekend, he posted that no one had posted what Bus said over the weekend. Attacking the lack of posts, would be a better phrase now that I think about it.

I was also thinking about the GOP being the tough on crime, law and order, capitol punishment, etc.

I remember listening to Jesse Jackson when he was running for President a couple decades ago say (paraphrasing) the threat to American workers is not foreign companies competing here, it is American companies moving their jobs to foreign countries. This was during the foreign car invasion and other "threats" to our workers. It proved to be a very true statement.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 08:54 AM) They are closing a plant in Ontario. Oh wait, you said overseas. This will affect their suppliers as well. The ripple is as scary as the main plant. Everyone in the area is effected. Suppliers, trucking firms, the local restaurant, the bank, the hardware store, and it goes on and on and on Likewise, when they ramp up elsewhere, the ripple is even greater. Add new housing starts and everything moving to the new town. That is why we have many economic development agencies all over here trying to attract (re:steal) businesses from other areas and move them here or to Reynosa, Tamps. Mexico.

Then why are some cities safer than others? I always thought better economics = safer city better economics = GOP voting I was surprised to see the list didn't reflect that.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 08:48 AM) Where'd ya all go for camping? Just around you locally? Yes, we had a few expensive trips the last few months and scaled back. The boys do an annual calendar and one of the requirements is for them to stay within a budget. Of course this was also one of the lightly attended events. Fortunately the weather cooperated. Small drizzles during the day a nice rain at night. Cool temperatures. January we are going spelunking and rappelling. One cave has a squeeze that I may not fit through, and I'm not so certain I want to. Something about getting stuck deep underground leaves me a little uncertain. Rappelling inside a cave sounds cool though.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 08:50 AM) Wow. That's a pretty agnostic statement. I'm guessing Jesus kicks the crap out of the guy

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Nov 21, 2005 -> 08:43 AM) LOL, Martyrdom is based upon the media portrayal of your death in your society. We will never know how Allah determines who are martyrs, but we do know how the crazies will view it, and how they will react. Why worry about the afterlife, when here and now is much more relevant?