Texsox

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jan 16, 2010 -> 01:54 PM) In high school, our night league (intramural basketball) team's name was the Van Buren Boys. Did you finish 8th?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 17, 2010 -> 08:10 AM) If we're all lucky, Governor Perry will be successful in his secession plans. I hope we use the 1846 map when we do . . .

Golf, tennis, basketball, baseball . . . Surfing, sailing, fishing, camping . . . Washers, corn hole, horseshoes, . . .

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Jan 14, 2010 -> 04:03 PM) The Van Buren Boys Cool, we are just finishing up Andrew Jackson, the first Democrat President and think this will be a great intro to our 8th

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 16, 2010 -> 12:50 PM) Where is the "Tex is bored and looking to stir things up" box? Third set of questions.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 16, 2010 -> 12:50 PM) You mean you violate the rights of people who don't want to be forced to pledge? Dang right we do. We kick 'em out of school if they're Godless commies and do not recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I walk around around and make certain to hear them say every word. I also start the week replaying the school talk by Obama and daily ask the kids what does Obama want you to do today?

Everyday, in schools all across Texas, we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, the Texas Pledge, followed by a moment of silence. The pledge of allegiance to the Texas state flag is "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible." Y'all do that in your states? Damn gummit, feeling proud to be a Texan today.

It's Mark's team. Peavy has a chance to earn that honor for 2011.

I really hope he means it and it isn't Mid Winter PR bull s***. LOL I am so f***ing jaded.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 14, 2010 -> 02:01 PM) Actually it was our government who protected slavery in the constitution. Valid point, but remember slavery predated the Constitution, and sadly there were compromises that were made to get a strong federal government established.

Help, what was the street game Kramer ran into that was named after the president and the street?

My high average for a league was around 180. High game 255, high series (with that game in it) 698. Rolled 12 straight strikes over two games. I wish I hadn't of noticed that.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 14, 2010 -> 11:15 AM) Yep. Government is the only solution. "Government Saves". In some instances, it has to be the government. We are a society of laws. Allowing businesses to look after themselves has led to unsafe working conditions, slavery, and a host of other problems that only government could solve.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 14, 2010 -> 07:30 AM) How many businesses are given cash in exchange for a vote? None. How many businesses are required to post notices of bids in local media outlets, announce bid deadlines, open bids publically, and accept the low bidder?

The Dems attempt, The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy failed miserably. The Republicans basically recreated Reagan and his Teflon Presidency and had it apply to ordinary politicians.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 04:12 PM) Where did you learn how to read? He didn't say it doesn't happen, he said that it happens in government in excess a lot and they get re-elected for it, and when it happens in corporations in excess, people get fired. Of course, in your utopia world of "government is great, corporations are evil", you're going to take examples of corporate corruption and sceam the sky is falling and we need to end the marketplace as it exists. Having spent a fair amount of time at purchasing department desks, what I would call sweetheart deals, stuff the governmnent is not allowed to do, happens all the time and the buyer is rarely fired unless he accepts cash. Non government buyers can, and often do, take someone other than the low bidder. It may be the company they have dealt with on other matters. Lots of reasons, valid, and not so valid. Consolidation of vendor bases have companies knowingly paying more for items to reduce the number of vendors they deal with. Government, for the most part is not allowed to do that. Non government companies do not have to send things out for public bids, they hand it to a buyer and accept his judgement. In non government companies, buyers can and will change specs "on the fly" to complete a purchase, government buyers usually cannot. The reason there are more illegal sweetheart deals in government is non government buyers do not have the same restrictions, therefor, it is normal business and no one pays attention. What is an illegal sweetheart deal for government isn't the same for non government buyers. So any comparison is probably unfair. But you two keep hollerin'

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:53 PM) Reading Dogtown which is based on the TV Show. Gets me teary eyed. Do they play poker? I love that illustration

I've been reading David Rice's Crazy Loco to my History class during our "DEAR" time. DEAR is Drop Everything And Read. The whole school stops at 8:45 and reads for 20 minutes. David is a local author, born here and raised in the town just north. Amazing how quiet they egt when we are reading something about them.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:07 PM) Who is out there to give a corporation a sweetheart deal, Other corporations. Happens all the time. But why is that even important to this conversation?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 08:01 AM) As opposed to governments who give sweetheart deals in exchange for cash? I think there is actually more accountability in the corporate sectors, because at least they have to answer to shareholders. Judging by re-election rates, the government doesn't seem to have that problem. Government giving sweetheart deals was what I was refering to. Since we started talking about private versus public in awarding sweetheart deals, of course it is more common in private. There are no laws to circumvent in private. If company A wants to spend more to order from Company B because the owner is friends with the sales rep, no problem. And when was a publically traded company ever in trouble for their buyers paying more to buy something? The government has to post notices of bids going out, they have to open the buds publically, the winners and losers will see each others bids. The difference is it really is no big deal for the non government buyer. The non government buyer also usually has more flexibility to choose a higher price vendor based on other criteria, qulaity and service for example. One area we have not mentioned is the treatment of employees. Governments for the most part do not violate labor laws. How will it be handled when a company is in violation? Or worse, company that fails, they bid too aggresively and cannot succeed? Again, I think those are growing pains that we have to work through, not reasons to stop privatization.

As far as outsourcing from public to private, as the government does more and more of this, there will be a learning curve. We will make some mistakes and there will be some major successes. The mistakes should not be a reason to stop. Blackwater may have been a mistake, but we fix that and move on. The danger I see is when connected corporations wind up with sweetheart deals.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 12, 2010 -> 01:13 PM) You still don't understand the multiplier effect and how that works, do you? I do, which is why y'all worrying about a bigger government costing you money is confusing. We cut taxes and the government has more money. It multiplies. Why are you and SS worried about a bigger government costing you more money?

I was thinking a few things about this. For this country, it almost seems better if it was much, much worse. Then you get a couple ex Presidents working a fund raiser for you. Just really bad? A few bags of rice, maybe a small up tick in missionaries trying to help. But nothing close to the scale to really help the country.