Texsox

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 30, 2015 -> 09:49 PM) It's called passion. I'm passionate about many topics. Forgive me for caring. You express your passions as a troll. Now I personally believe every good forum needs a troll or two. You provide so much entertainment around here. I especially enjoy the times when we agree. Then I take a long look in the mirror and think WTF? Greg and I agree!? I must be wrong! I am even certain you agree with a lot of your positions, others I think you grab a side just to be a contrarian, something else I also enjoy. Having a greg775 around here is great, having dozens would be a disaster.

I'm still not clear why you think Clinton has nothing to offer. Her experiences as a lawyer, politician, and Secretary of State makes her as qualified as the other candidates. Even if you dislike her views, which is a legitimate reason, saying she has nothing to offer seems shallow.

QUOTE (Whitewashed in '05 @ Oct 31, 2015 -> 11:00 AM) http://abc7.com/news/victim-ejected-onto-5...endale/1059279/ This driver lost control of his car and his body was ejected while the car was rolling. He ended up on top of the freeway sign. This is unbelievable. RIP I see a lot of high school aged drivers taking awful chances while driving. They tell me how great of drivers they are. SMH Is it really worth risking your life driving recklessly?

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Oct 31, 2015 -> 11:36 AM) You know what has 9 arms and sucks? I won't be taking advantage of the groupon.

I saw this in my in box. $55 for Tesla, Styx, and Def Leppard, with Def Leppard headlining and that seemed strange to me. I would have thought that Styx would be the headliner. Is that a Chicago-centric view of the bands?

He played some great roles. 96 years old.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Oct 30, 2015 -> 11:27 PM) I'm sitting at 4 stars. I'll take it. And with that, I'm probably immediately getting bumped down to a 2 or 3. But for real, the folks who are at 10+ years have been pretty dedicated to this site. Though a lot of posters have gone away, it's nice to many still around. I don't post a ton, but I'm on here every day. It has been interesting to see so many of us grow up - people getting married, having kids, etc. I was 15 - a sophomore in high school - when I joined SoxTalk. Now I'm 27. It's astonishing to think about how much changes during those years in life. And yet I've been coming to this site almost every day for all of those years. That's a testament to the job Jason has done, as well as the admins/moderators who help run the site. Thinking about the rough times and good times that posters here have gone through is interesting. Looking back at really old threads makes me laugh. More times than not I keep thinking did I really write that?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 30, 2015 -> 10:50 PM) Yeah, basically the teacher didn't have the ability to do it, so he simply called security. I haven't seen anything that talks about what all the teacher had done previously. Where did you find that? I'd like to know how many previous problems the teacher had with this student and her cell phone.

I was speaking a little too broadly in my earlier post. Obviously the cop made mistakes and did not have much experience in dealing with this situation. It is frustrating however to hear people totally blame the cop, teacher, and administrator for not knowing how to deal with this while casting the "student" as a victim. She is a victim because she felt the rules only apply to other kids. I am generally thought of as the "chill, cool teacher, who makes kids laugh". I allow kids to sit where they like, turn in papers late without penalty, resubmit work until they earn the grade they want, snack in class, leave earbuds hanging around their necks instead of putting them away, have their cell phones out, listen to music while they are working, wear hats, etc. What I ask for in return is follow directions and do what I ask of you. One rule I have about cell phones is to ignore them while I am talking. I get very frustrated when I am explaining directions and kids are ignoring me in favor of their phones and when it is time to get started they ask "what are we doing"? So then I have to take time to explain just to them what we are doing. This takes time away from the students who listened. Students love and follow my rules for about ten days or two weeks. Then, since I allow them to have their phones out, they start using them no matter what is happening. So when I ask a kid to please give me his phone and he says "f*** you", I get a little pissed. When I explain that language is disrespectful to everyone around him, he says who the f*** cares. Now if I ignore that and "talk to him after class" kids figure he got to do whatever he wants and there are no consequences. Then my class is the "cool class that you can do whatever you like and all the teacher will do is (laughing) talk to you after class. My rules work for the vast majority of students, this year I imagine of my 180 students about five or ten are problems. However if I allow those five or ten to do whatever they want with only being "talked to after class" it will become fifteen or twenty problems, and by the end of the year I will have lost control of the classrooms. For me to have a "chill atmosphere" in my classroom, I have to make certain the few problem students are kept in check. I could see a situation where I would be calling an administrator or one of our on campus cops to remove a student. I can't just tell a student to leave, they must be escorted to a location where they can be supervised. I also realize that kids come to my classroom with a wide range of problems. They are dealing with stuff that is really unfair to anyone, especially a kid. Adults have let them down. I believe the best thing I can do for them is make certain they earn a high school diploma and the knowledge and skills that go along with that. To make certain they do not do the same thing to their kids, they must be their own fathers and mothers. They need to be held to a higher, not a lower standard. They need the absolute best teaching I can offer. The kids who are born on third base and think they hit a triple will do just fine with mommy and daddy sweeping problems out of the way and offering all the advantages. Teaching those kids who rally against society the most to follow the rules is the best lesson I can offer.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 30, 2015 -> 08:01 AM) Another vote for violent assault on a teenager, I guess. The teenaged girl who was violently attacked by a grown man suffered multiple injuries. She had also just recently been orphaned when her mom died. Tex, what would be more disruptive to your classroom? Asking her to hand over her phone and then saying "we'll talk after class" when she refuses, or stopping instruction to make a huge scene out of it, eventually calling down administration and then the police? The least disruptive is following the classroom procedures, putting away the phone, and participating in class. Wow, get an education. But the student isn't wrong here. The next least disruptive is following the teacher's directions. Wow, get an education. But the student isn't wrong here. The next least disruptive (long term) is following the administrator's directions. Wow, get an education. But the student isn't wrong here. The fourth least disruptive is following the directives from the cop. Wow, get an education. But the student isn't wrong here. But we can't expect a student to follow rules. How dare anyone enforce any rules on kids? Talk after class? And she continues to sit there and use her phone ignoring the lessons? You will eventually lose that classroom and have zero respect from your students. If she doesn't have to follow the rules why should anyone else? What I did in that same situation when the student said, and I am quoting directly, "f*** you, you can't take my phone" (during a test). I let him sit in class. Then the next day I placed all the students into assigned seats, I made them put away all their ear buds, all their hats, and any other infraction I found. After a couple days I went back to my relaxed ways. But the peer pressure is working. But if he does the same thing a couple more times, I'll be writing him up regularly. If he continues to escalate do you really expect me to say "we'll talk after class?" What do you think he will say to me? I'm sorry? LOL

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 28, 2015 -> 05:12 PM) Point to one time where I've done that. I can point to several times where you and others have done that to me. Alpha seemed to be making a lot of excuses for him. If you feel strongly that the cop should have been fired, then I misread you earlier and apologize. Yes, but there's a huge difference in the magnitude of how wrong they were and what their reactions were. She's a child who acted defiant over a cell phone. He's an adult with a badge who attacked a teenage girl. Over and over in cases of police abuse like this, we see the soft excuse of "well, if they weren't...." That she wouldn't hand over her phone or leave the classroom doesn't somehow lessen the awful actions that cop took. What was the appropriate response? Keep asking her nicely? She was refusing to follow school rules and openly ignored three adults. The last resort available was to physically remove her from the classroom. What should have been tried that was not tried? Saying please until the bell rings so she could leave and head to another classroom knowing that she is untouchable? We are raising generation of kids with little regard to society's rules. They feel they are above any rules and laws. They will argue forever that they should be allowed to wear whatever they like, use their cell phones whenever they like, and leave campus whenever they like. They do not need to attend classes, be on time, or do any work. And if their grades suffer the parents are at school complaining that the teacher is being unfair. Currently we are instructed to accept student work whenever they finally turn it in without penalty. We are to grade work based on the content of the work and not when they turn it in. Late work is a behavior problem that needs to be dealt with in the classroom. The trick is there are no consequences behaviorally for late work. So the kids are in charge, but teachers are responsible. And when society does finally follow the rules they complain that everyone else rolls through stop signs so they should too. If you can't catch everyone, then the rules is bad.

http://kfor.com/2015/10/29/mans-post-about...top-goes-viral/

QUOTE (farmteam @ Oct 27, 2015 -> 09:15 PM) I wish we step through a wormhole and see what happened if JFK served a full 8 years followed by 8 for Bobby. No idea what would have happened, but it's a damn safe bet they wouldn't be remembered as fondly as they are now. I think it would have been a mixed bag as always. Some people would have loved them even more, others less. But in the 1960s we did have respect for the Presidency and the dead which has elevated JFK's time in office probably beyond what it truly was.

It's so obvious that I must be missing something that would keep it from happening. Besides it being a one or two year only thing.

QUOTE (kevo880 @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 04:05 PM) What causes people to leave sites like these and never come back? I don't post often, but I have been on soxtalk almost everyday for the last 10 years or so. As a sox fan not in the Chicago area this is easily the best way for me to stay in touch with how other sox fans react to moves the team makes and how the season is going. I love the minor league aspect of the board as well. It's just very weird to me that some members that used to post daily just stop being a part of the message board completely. Usually life gets in the way. New responsibilities. New interests.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 11:58 AM) You mean all the states that passed concealed carry and the repeal of the assault weapons ban? Yes

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 09:08 AM) You're in San Antonio. You may get "winter", but you don't get winter. Last year we had snow and more than a few hard freezes. But I know, it isn't the same as a Chicago winter.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 09:10 AM) Remember, again, the people leading polls prior to the first caucus/primaries almost never win the nomination. We forget this because of the media cycle, but we are still very early in all of this. As candidates suspend their campaigns and free up their delegates to other candidates I believe a different candidate will emerge.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Oct 20, 2015 -> 07:22 PM) And people still think it's a good idea to let the govt handle our entire healthcare system. http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/20/politics/vet...tals/index.html The government is not handling our entire healthcare system. Any while some people may believe that it is a good idea for them to take over every hospital and medical facility in America (like they run the VA), it isn't many people. The government under the ACA is not delivering the care, only providing the economic help for people to actually pay for a portion of their healthcare. With the VA the government is actually running the hospitals. As the system switches over and insurance becomes the norm, we could conceivable abandon the VA system and have the veterans use the same hospitals and health care system as everyone else. The difference between the two is Blue Cross doesn't run hospitals and hospitals are not insurance companies. Same witj the ACA and the VA. Two very different roles.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Oct 25, 2015 -> 07:16 PM) http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gun-deat...article/2574770 Data from the FBI and Pew Research Center show that all gun violence has declined since the Clinton era, though suicides blamed on guns has ticked up. In a new report, Pew said that between 1993 and 2000, the firearm murder rate dropped by almost half, from seven homicides to 3.8 homicides per 100,000 people. It also said that all gun deaths -- murder, suicide, police and accidental -- have dropped 30 percent since 1993. Did they offer a reason why? Perhaps the gun legislation was working?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 25, 2015 -> 03:15 PM) How can you defend the Katy Perry thing? This is a serious matter and she's in Katy Perry mode? Granted that's a Limbaugh-ish thing for me to point out but it is rude of Hillary. I just don't see why the country is so Hillary-crazy. What do you think she is going to accomplish in 8 years? And whether you believe it or not, electing Hillary probably paves the way for 8 years of Chelsea. If Hillary is entitled to be coronated, why not Chelsea after her? America is hooked on the Clintons for some, very odd reason. GIVE ME CHANGE. The leap from Hillary to Chelsea is amazing. Why didn't that apply to Jeb Bush? He's even closer to the office with a resume that is at least on par with other Presidents. Based on Greg Logic we should be having the coronation for Jeb instead of an election. What do you think any President is going to accomplish in 8 years? Our system of checks and balances keeps any one person from doing too much good or bad.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 25, 2015 -> 03:39 PM) I'm sick of thousands of people being butchered because people like you fantasize about how you'll heroically defend yourself in order to make you feel better and more important. And I don't want to have to deal with that because of your fantasy. Heroically defend yourself? You have a very strange definition of heroic and defense. Defending yourself is an instinct, there isn't anything heroic about it. It isn't a fantasy or heroic to raise your arms against someone hitting you. If someone is beating you up it isn't heroic to hit back. It isn't a fantasy to wish you had a stick or a lead pipe. It isn't a fantasy or heroic to try and stop someone from killing you. If someone takes a knife to me I want to be able to defend myself. What are you going to do? Open your arms wide and say stab me? No, you will heroically defend yourself. Unless you have a really strong martyr fantasy then I guess you will allow the person to kill you. After you defend yourself you will feel relieved. If you successfully defend your wife, you may even feel better. I have no clue why you find self defense so repugnant. It is a fantasy to believe that people do not get attacked every day in America. How about this fantasy, you are in trouble and a knight in shining armor, or a cop, will ride in and save you just in time. Your white privilege does allow for this fantasy. The cops will probably rush to defend you. But until they arrive, I want to defend myself. Not out of being heroic, and no fantasy, but out of my natural survival instinct. Maybe it is a fantasy to you to actually defend yourself or someone else. It isn't a fantasy to me to want to save my family if someone attacks.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/texas-guns-on-campus/ This went relatively unnoticed here at soxtalk. Texas is making it easier for college students to protect themselves from crazies with weapons. They also just made it easier for those crazies to bring a gun on campus. One student I spoke with basically called his college campus the worlds largest bar and felt that since guns are not allowed in bars, they shouldn't be on campus either. I also read of a few professors who said they would seek employment in other states. Which is a bot of a hollow threat with faculty jobs so hard to find.

As a cold front blasted through San Antonio and dropping the temps into the 60s from the 90s that we experienced just a couple weeks ago I started thinking about winter. What is on your agenda for the changing of the seasons? As a golf coach it's time to pull out the all weather gear, sweaters, waterproof shoes, etc. I'm building a storage space to keep the plants warm during a freeze. I also need to develop a better system for protecting our in ground plants. My firepit needs a little attention. I decided to pick up some hardwood logs to burn this winter. I have some branches and stuff from the trees in my yard but they really don't burn all that well.

With all the ten year stuff that is being shown, I thought of soxtalk and the members who have been around then. I remember the angst that was September and my thoughts that the team needed to be tested. I remember Rally Crede and most of all the call from Kap when it was finally over and the team was celebrating.