Texsox

QUOTE (SnB @ Feb 27, 2012 -> 03:20 PM) I'm in grad school now and most of my classes do have an e-book option for the textbook. NO ONE uses it. I love my kindle for casual reading, but would find it obnoxious when you're just trying to flip through the pages to find one section to reference. I agree. What needs to happen is for the publishers to develop more of a textbook "app" than just the textbook as a book. Then you have a very compelling reason to switch.

I'll have a go at it again.

I believe the business model will keep the students from ever "owning" the book. Some fee will be added to each student and the schools and the publisher will make money. Most on-campus bookstores have seen a dramatic reduction in their profits and by extension, so too have the universities. For high school and below, the wear and tear on school district owned books is costly. Because those books are provided by the school, they will welcome the switch once they have bought enough e-Reading platforms. And finally, publishers could increase their profits by selling updates, multimedia upgrades, advertising onlinked sites, and probably a dozen more ways we haven't even thought about.

I always find it ammusing that the "seat" for your car, outside on broken glass, is often more expensive than the seat the fan is sitting in.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Feb 27, 2012 -> 08:22 AM) E-books are great, especially for travel. But they are no match to sitting on the couch and holding an actual book in your hand and reading for an hour. I believe you are correct for those people who grew up with actual books. But for this generation, who will grow up with eReaders and perhaps without newspapers, reading bits and bytes from a computer screen will offer that same experience. I still like a book in my hand. The turning of the pages, etc.

But Dunn, it ain't a contract year?

BTW, I finally took public trans to a game this past summer. The only unpleasant part was we parked all the way up in Skokie and late at night, that is a spooky parking garage. It reeked of urine, there were a few people hanging around, and it was just my girlfriend and I. Not comfortable at all. It was nice however to walk onto the train and start heading north without any hassles.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 25, 2012 -> 10:43 AM) Oh nostalgia... Athletes have been cheating at sports since sports began...you just didn't read/hear about it 24/7 like you do now...and the agenda of the media is also clearly different than it was 50 years ago. Steroids jumped to cheating where the umpires and officials had zero chance of catching them. Huge difference IMHO

I always forget how short his ownership stints were. I always loved his attitude.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 26, 2012 -> 08:02 AM) Public transport all the way. They are going to be trying to give away those tuesday night Sox/Royals-Indians-Twins games, yet theyw ant to charge $25 to park in the lot. That fee is beyond ridiculous. $25 to park a car when they have more than ample parking. How else is the team going to pay for Buehrle Johnson?

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 25, 2012 -> 11:43 AM) no, but we'd do just enough to get by. and that's not what you're looking for out of a restaurant server So servers do not have any pride or motivation in doing a good job? They are somehow motivated differently than the millions of other workers in a service industry? That is sad. I guess then if you were hiring people for a non commissioned or tip based job you would not hire a restaurant server because they would not be motivated to do a good job? Do you carry that same attitude to work as an actor?

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 25, 2012 -> 11:25 AM) cha-ching. i'm a good server. i pride myself on that. but if i weren't getting tipped, i wouldn't give a f***. Really? So if you worked as an accountant you wouldn't feel compelled to do a good job? I pray you never become a doctor

Textbooks will be on ereaders in the next ten years. How long it will take to convert all of them, that may take longer.

You walk into a store and buy something you have paid for their employees and yes they feel entitled to that pay. You don't have a choice. If you buy there, you have paid for the service. Go to a fast food place where there is no tipping, if you eat there and the service sucks, guess what? you paid for the s***ty service.

I recently gave a server at a popular chain restaurant a smaller than 10% tip because she was inattentive to my table while bestowing great attention to a larger table. When I finally have to get up and find someone to get my check, that sucks. THe reply was my server was very busy with that other group. To which I said, so she was working and taking care of customers, just not me. It was the first time I can remember tipping below 15% in a long long time. I usually bounce between 15 and 20% unless the tab was small for some reason then I will tip a higher percentage. There is one place in particular where the owners will usually comp my meals, I will always calculate the tip on what the bill should have been, not what it actually was. This guy sounds like a pompous dick. If I was in the group I would have to go back and later and tip the server myself. And, while we are on the subject, I hate the tradition of tipping. Pay the servers a decent wage and leave me out of it.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 03:39 PM) It wouldn't happen, but if it did, I wouldn't be surprised because I really have zero faith in professional sports players anymore. And ain't it sad? Sportsmanship and fair play is so old fashioned, they have been replaced by cheating and taunting.

Will they go the way of dry wash stands and baker's cabinets?

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 10:33 PM) ......doesn't get used very often. This guy is one of my favorites. Which is why he remains a favorite.

I wonder what life is like for the average person living over there. From a distance, and with obviously a poor sample of stories, it seems like hell on earth. I'm also beginning to believe somewhere in that region will be the next location an atomic bomb is exploded.

Every time I see the snip of this title I think of the TV show and a Family Guy episode where Peter wanted the view to continue for three hours. LMAO

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 06:05 PM) My problem with the first step is that this is a perfectly normal situation for boys and girls of that age to be involved in. Once again, what if they are attending that school? What if a senior is dating a sophomore? Are you going to stop the campus police and honestly report to them that these kids are dating, and THEY COULD EVEN BE HAVING SEX!!! Yep, it's tough to be an adult. Kids might not like you. They may think you are mean. You can't look at the situation and think lucky kid. You have to be responsible. And this was an adult who was not attending the school. A defense of well I already reported three others so I thought I didn't have to report anymore won't fly. Plus in the real world I would not often be privy to who people are dating unless it was in the same school. Plus once the campus cop tells me that a 16 year old can date any adult, I wouldn't have to report anymore. If he tells me it is illegal, then I would continue to report all I knew about.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 04:54 PM) You are being ridiculously overdramatic for the sake of your argument. You're citing information that is completely out of context. Finally, go ahead and report it to the police. If they then went to my parents I would hate you as a teacher and think you were meddling in my affairs and masturbating to my pictures and s***. The reporting is very simple. I would ask the on-campus police office to stop by during my conference period and explain what was going on. I have fulfilled my duties. Think about the 17 year old that was in the news last week for having sex with the Bengals adult cheerleader/ teacher. Yeah, the guy was probably having a great time. But if a teacher knew about the relationship and did not report it, they would be fired. This isn't about being cool, this is about being a responsible adult. The student can think what they want. If you are worried about hurting the feelings of a student you should not be responsible for them. You are more concerned about the minor child and what she wants. I am concerned about my legal obligations as a teacher. And you accuse me of being ridiculous? You're the one that seems to be overly concerned about the 16 year old getting laid and wanting it to continue.

Again, you do understand this is my career? This is how I earn a living. When the mom is screaming to the police and press that her daughter was being raped (statutory) by an adult, the school knew about it, and did nothing, I very well could lose my job. Now perhaps losing your job doesn't mean that much to you, but it does to me. If I report and it is legal, no problem. If I do not report and it is legal, again no problem. If I report and it is illegal, again no problem. If I fail to report and it is illegal, I lose. Now look carefully at that list, when do I lose? Why is it ridiculous to follow the training I have received and report if I am uncertain? You are saying it is not abuse, I am not a lawyer. I am trained by the state of Texas to not investigate, to not make legal judgments. I am required by law to report if I suspect abuse. Are you suggesting that statutory rape is not abuse?

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 04:31 PM) You also risk being a crappy teacher and role model to your students, which last I checked, is your job in the first place. Which are two more great reasons why I should report. People who aren't willing to protect kids from abuse should not be teaching. People who ignore potential illegal activities because they don't want to get involved are very poor role models.

You guys want to be attorneys and cops. I want to be a teacher. You guys want to risk your careers. I don't. You guys are experts on the law in Texas when an adult dates a minor. I am not. I risk nothing by reporting. I risk be accused of covering up an illegal relationship. I would say that rape, even statutory rape, would be abuse and I would report it. You guys are willing to bet your careers that you know the law. I am not that confident in my abilities as a lawyer.