Texsox

I am not certain where I stand on this http://newsblaze.com/story/20100629112611z...b/topstory.html basically, without hard evidence several groups have sued BP to stop burning the oil until it can be determined that sea turtles (endangered) are safe. I spend some time ewach summer volunteering at Sea Turtle Inc and am sympathetic to their mission and the plight of sea turtles, but I'm not certain if stopping the burning isn't ultimately better than not burning.

QUOTE (Special K @ Jul 1, 2010 -> 09:42 AM) I don't know, I think he had some potential..... To be the worst left-handed reliever in Sox history nicely played sir

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 1, 2010 -> 08:33 PM) Do you understand what insurance is (or, what it's supposed to be?) Tell me what any risk based anything "for profits" helps anything, anywhere? That's pretty much the lib mindset now. Kap, slow down, let's toss aside the predictable path and see where this leads. I do understand risk based insurance, are you understanding the difference between having your car repaired after an accident, replacing your home after a fire, and trying to figure out why you are fatigued, or why you are getting those headaches? Health insurance doesn't function like other types of risk. You insure your home for $X and if it is destroyed you receive $X. Health insurance is very different. The insurance company doesn't have to authorize tests to determine if your car's door was smashed in? They can see it. Not so with some health problems. That leads to a natural conflict between authorizing what is necessary to properly diagnose the problem versus profits. I don't think it is a lib mindset to see the conflict. They lose when you require treatment. The less treatment they can get you to accept, the better for them. That seems at odds to you receiving the best health care.

Interesting night. Water was rising in my backyard and about the time I would be cursing myself for not getting a few sandbags it would drain. I am at the top of a slight rise and water flowed nicely down my street and away from my garage and front door. I will probably make a landscapping change or two before the next storm.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 27, 2010 -> 07:52 AM) For the last two years, of course, considering that he's done everything wrong that he could have. Just like you predicted when he was elected!

It would be interesting to know where the largest volume neighborhood stores are. Forget the ones at major tourist destinations, but the neighborhood "my McDs".

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 30, 2010 -> 07:01 PM) That's not how it works, but ok. Tell me how your insurance company's requirement for profits helps your health care?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 1, 2010 -> 08:52 AM) Also worth noting...California's budgetary state right now is an epic disaster, and as such, the textbook purchases of its schools have been drastically curtailed since the housing bubble burst Making Texas Republicans even bigger customers.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 1, 2010 -> 08:53 AM) With a McDonalds though, it's a decent proxy. They take steps to make sure their franchises don't overgrow demand, like occasionally shuttering stores. There's also a ridiculously high startup franchise fee in the way also (5+ years ago it was >$1 million per store franchise fee). Wouldn't most people with a million dollars think twice before committing those resources in a poor neighborhood? It seems like a risk reward formula. Higher risk with higher potential rewards has a store in a poor neighborhood without competition. Lower risk, with lower rewards, operating in a middle class neighborhood.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 30, 2010 -> 07:05 PM) When, 10 years ago when the last set of books were written? 20 years ago? Now? The answer is yes to all, unfortunately. Like in most businesses the largest customers influence the product the most. So the history books, for example, that will be used nationwide will be heavily influenced by Texas and California standards. On a sidenote to the sidenote, my district just receivedthe highest award from the state for financial responsibility. I'm not certain how valid of an award it is, but it does seem kind of cool. We are regarded as one of the best districts in the area, maybe this kind of confirms it.

And the fast food is a result of economics. People with a couple dollars versus people with ten dollars at meal time.

We missed the obvious, it's the lack of Walmart Superstores and fresh produce . . .

The stereotypes of granola eating, bicycle riding liberal versus fat cat, cigar smoking, Hummer driving, conservative may be loosly grounded in some small bit of reality.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 30, 2010 -> 09:42 AM) There's also the definition of an "assault weapon". Typically, it's a gun that looks scary but has the same or less lethal force than a rifle used for hunting. That, and they're rarely used in crimes, anyway. Labels are dangerous.

I rarely watch the show, but he has carved a name for himself in media history.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 30, 2010 -> 09:33 AM) I actually completely agree with this. I'm really middle of the road on this issue. I never want my right to own a gun taken away, but I'm also willing to accept that we live in a democracy and if a local rule was in place it's my choice to be there. And on the topic of assault weapons, I can't think of one legitimate reason for those to be accessible to anyone not in the military. I agree. The problem with banning a certain type of firearm is defining what is, and what is not, defined. Plus at some point, you pull the trigger and something potentially lethal flies out. Doesn't really matter if it is an assault weapon, something that looks like an assault weapon, or a simple remington .22

I guess we're limiting this to players. I remember Kenny Williams holding a little press conference circa 2002 and most were hoping he was announcing his resignation. Instead he announced he just saved a bunch of money on his car insurance or some such nonsense. And I guess Jerry Manual is just too easy after he won Manager of the Year.

My son has been riding a Trek for a couple years now and really loves it. It was one of their more entry level models, I believe he paid somewhere just over $1,000 a couple years ago. I'm wishing I had a road bike, I have a Cannondale mountain bike I love, but it is rather limited to where it fits best down here.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 30, 2010 -> 09:06 AM) Don't worry Tex, in a few months, the only history version you'll be allowed to print is the one approved by the Republican Party of Texas. Not exactly, but you are close. They prescribe the minimum that will be covered. And it is embarrassing how political ideology drove the committee.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 30, 2010 -> 09:17 AM) Like the Assault weapons ban? Yeah, that worked out great for everyone. Anyway, ignoring the politics of the matter for a moment, strategically, I actually feel this is one issue that is best controlled locally, because it strikes me that Chicago ought to have different gun laws than western Wyoming, for example. I usually favor as local control as practical.

If the media is somewhere near down the middle centralist, they will appear conservative to liberals and liberal to conservatives. Hmm . . .

So no one has figured out how your insurance company's requirement to produce a profit results in better health care for you? I wasn't able to figure that out either. Currently insurance companies control what your Doctor, hospital, etc are being paid. Do you believe if your insurance negotiates lower reimbursment rates (increasing their profits) it will cause you to receive better or worse care? If Humana (to pick on one) pays a Doctor $25 per office visit, do you think he's thinking, hey if I offer superior services they will increase what I am getting paid? Or is he thinking, I'm only getting $25 for this patient, but $32 for that one, if I spend less time with the $25 patient I can increase my profitability? After all, profits drive innovation and better care.

For overall crime rates, my hypothosis would be less guns equals less gun crimes. So I'm not certain that the ban would have no affect on gun crimes.

While I'm not certain we want to go down the atomic bomb path I will say that the ban on nuclear weapons keeps most countries from helping their allies develop and produce those weapons. Without a ban, you know the Soviets for example would have been further tempted to help out an ally. The UN, as little as the do, at least can offer a legit, recognized, forum to ban countries together against those developmental issues.

I love how we go from Asian Carp to school reform At least in the 8th grade Texas' TAKS test for History there is an emphasis on analysing information and drawing conclusions. The students are looking at maps, political cartoon, cause and effect and being asked for information. While not perfect, it is not as bad as it is widely perceived to be. The scope and sequence we follow is closly tied to the test, anything else would be unfair. Teaching X and testing for Y doesn't make sense. So "teaching to the test" makes for a better slogan than real criticism. We all had college profs that lectured on one thing and tested another, and we intuitivly knew that was unfair. What you loose by having this standard end of year testing is variation from classroom to classroom. Every 8th grade History teacher in Texas covers pretty much the same material. While I would like to spend more time on the roll of Spanish explorers and Mexican influences (which is a big part of our local heritage) I really can't. There just isn't enough time. Sadly for students around the state and around the country, they will learn that America was started in 1607 at Jamestown or 1620 at Plymouth Rock. We have a sort of civil religion about our country's creation. Each November we retell this creation myth about Indians and our Pilgrams Fathers, leaving out the stealing, infliction of disease, etc. So as a final thought, do you want the thousands of 8th grade US History teachers each teaching a slightly different version, or radically different version, or one cohesive, approved by the state, version? Do you want kids to pass Texsox's US History or Texas' US History?