Texsox

QUOTE (raBBit @ Feb 8, 2016 -> 06:52 PM) I get you, I just think the conceptions of relationships, even if so far removed from the inception of religion, are all based on religious stuff that is engrained in humans by now. If it was socially acceptable and it wouldn't hurt her I would be cheating on my girlfriend all time. I don't for her sake and the reflection it would have on me as a person. Religion makes that reflection negative. Interesting take. I view the same thing as being an efficient biological process which aided evolution. Having a male around to help protect the children seems efficient and allows the human species to increase numbers over other life forms at the time. These human groups predate religion as we know it.

Our current system is designed to make some people very wealthy. The idea is they will employee people. Developing a system that is designed at its core to be the best for the worker is a challenge that so far no one has successfully produced on a large scale over a long time.

Reynosa, Mexico to St. Germain, Wisconsin.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 05:27 PM) In the end though, Cooper has just as much right to rip the fans as the fans do to rip the FO. As a fan, I am not in the least bit offended by Cooper's words. I see nothing wrong with people speaking their minds. Would you pay an employee to insult your customers?

That looks like a well worn cap.

We're here at home with three of our four kids and their +1s and the grandbaby. My brother and sister in law arrived earlier this morning. My mother-in-law will be here shortly. Small gathering. My father-in-law is in rehab from a broken hip. Stressful Christmas. I'll leave you with my Texas Christmas Carol Oh the weather up north is frightful, but hereeeeee it's so delightful, as long as I'm way down here let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

One of my past jobs (circa 2000) was to be on the employer side and "negotiate" and pick a plan. The President / Owner of the company was so fed up with the process that he sent it to me. Ugh, the worst. We wanted to supply a really solid plan but the prices were just crazy. Basically when you calculate the insurance cost that we were paying (again circa 2000) over a 2080 hour work year, we were paying about $4 per hour per employee in health care benefits that employees never really considered. That guy in the warehouse earning $10 per hour was costing us 40% more in health coverage. Then when they needed the insurance they didn't have the $$$$ for the deductible and co-pays so they still wouldn't go to the doctor. Instead of the insurance they could have better used the $500 a month for preventative care and doctor visits. Instead it went to Aetna or whomever we were using.

Hope y'all have a great holiday season, no matter what holiday you celebrate. I'm not saying that because I am afraid of offending someone, I am saying that because a heartfelt wish must be individualized to be sincere.

December is the harshest month for sports

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 09:07 PM) And all the selfless amazing work they do with orphans and homeless people. All the free counseling to battered women, the bereved, and the terminally ill. Countless people around the world, with their own version of God, devote their entire lives to the service of others, asking nothing in return. It's incredible but it doesn't make you sound smart at a party. So ironic that a person claiming to be smart could scoff at the message of God, which is to selflessly help as many people as you possibly can. "But religion starts wars!!" So smart. The human race thanks you for your opinion ? What I try to do is separate the works from the theology. I certainly can understand people questioning or rejecting the theology, but the works that are done are concrete. If fairness all the actions, good and bad need to be accounted for before declaring something good or evil. I believe religion has been a useful concept in our society. Plus religion doesn't kill people, people kill people.

Really not as bad as the Sox and Bears seasons

Percentage dropped to 20

And one more thing. Despite what y'all get here, I am a damn good teacher. I have won several awards for methods in my classroom, my students generally do well based on whatever independent metric we are using. I emphasize thinking skills over everything else. Afterall, in the end that is what they need most when they leave school. I would not be a better teacher if I accepted a position at an expensive private school. Private schools generally pay less than public schools, have lower standards for their teachers, and higher turnover. My wife is a great teacher also. She loves the private school atmosphere based on small class sizes and involved parents. Her students, like mine, receive a quality education.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 10:03 AM) Parental involvement and early education are way more important than the school the kid attends. I felt this as a parent and I still believe it as a teacher. In fact a very good poster and I went to battle over this a few years back and sadly he used it as an excuse to stop posting. YOU are responsible for your child's education until they stop. You may subcontract the authority to teachers at public or private schools, but you maintain the responsibility. I would never say to a parent that I know more about their child or what is best for their child. I know my subject and what I believe is important for the child to learn. You must stay involved.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 04:36 PM) Doesn't make them a charity, at least my definition. Which is an interesting discussion itself - what constitutes a charity? I agree with StrangeSox that part of PP feels like a charity to me because they are providing direct aid to needy people. Food, medical care, clothing, shelter to needy people seem like charitable works. Lobbying, research, public opinion ads, does not.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 04:31 PM) I wouldn't call NRA, PP or even some Environmental groups "charities". They are special interest organizations (NRA and, again, some env groups), or non-profit businesses (PP). The environmental groups are an odd bunch though, as some (Sierra Club chiefly) are almost full-on lobbying organizations, where as others (i.e. Nature Conservancy) are more properly non-profit businesses or charities. DuH. I should stop posting with half my brain engaged. You are correct. Which I guess may be even more of a nod to religion as supporting most charities.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 03:18 PM) I'm not dismissing religion or religious charities but there's an awful lot of secular charity out there that you seem to be discounting. I'm sorry it came off that way. You are correct, there are a lot of secular charities. And some very large ones. Great examples would be the NRA, Cancer Society, environmental groups, Planned Parenthood, etc. But for general aid to individuals and families, religious groups are #1.

No way! So does mine.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 13, 2015 -> 02:45 PM) United way is the largest charity in the country And they support religious organizations because they find them valuable. You are aware that the United Way is just a fundraising organization that in turn sends donations to local agencies? They were created by several groups, including the Boy Scouts, to keep competing groups from fundraising at the same time. Here is a link to an atheist group that suggests not supporting the United Way because they support religious organizations. http://www.msatheists.org/2009/11/before-y...united-way.html you can find others. And from their wiki Again, dismissing religious as bad and not recognizing the good leaves out a lot.

Lots of people here drank beers at the beach this weekend. Including me. Here is the difference, how many were in the water?

Classic winter thread.

My wife teaches at a very expensive private school, I teach at a large public high school. What you get, for better or worse, at private schools are very involved parents and smaller class sizes. There will also be more character education and if that happens to line up with the values you are teaching your child, it is probably a good thing. If you have some specific questions PM me. Keep in mind that people who are unhappy are 100x more likely to post, write reviews, etc. Visit the schools, watch classes, talk with the teachers, ask about their experience and credentials. Also put on your critical thinking cap. One of the charter schools advertises that 100% of their students are accepted to a college. As a class requirement they must apply at the local community college who accepts every student. Boom 100% acceptance. There is another that achieved 100% passing on the state tests. Their entrance requirements pretty much guarantee that happening, they deny admissions to any child who has ever failed a state test. They also purge their rolls right before the state deadlines. So the kids bounce from their schools, we pick them up for a month or two, they fail the state tests, and we look like failures. YMMV

QUOTE (ron883 @ Dec 7, 2015 -> 08:10 AM) It's crazy how much better this world would be without religion. Sheep gonna sheep It would be easy to dismiss any activity that is broadly popular with this logic. What you also miss are all the good deeds that happen because people are bound by a set of beliefs. Food pantries, homeless shelters, clothing drives, etc. The charitable works of religious groups are a huge part of the social safety net in our country. Name a secular agency that is involved in basic human services that are larger than religious groups? I agree we could do without the violent extremist in some religious groups, making a statement that the world would be better off without religion dismisses the good deeds that are done in the name of religion.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 8, 2015 -> 08:56 AM) Go visit a school and watch their Christmas, I mean Winter Season, play. They have colleges with Diversity Departments warning people that even a Christmas tree would be bad form and not 'inclusive'. We have a Christmas themed display. Complete with tree and other symbolic items.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Dec 13, 2015 -> 12:47 PM) Eddie Gaedel was a St.Louis Brown. Not a White Sox. He came back and did promotions for the Sox, he was a Chicago guy, I know it is a stretch . . .