Iwritecode

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Mar 3, 2009 -> 11:22 AM) Teachers are one of the most underpaid and overworked professions around. Considering the cars we used to see in the teacher's parking lot, I think this is one of the most over-stated falsehoods ever. The teachers around here start at nearly what I make after 10+ years.

QUOTE (smalls2598 @ Feb 28, 2009 -> 07:57 PM) My girlfriend is a middle school math teacher. She said that if this change happens, she will find a new profession. I've often thought about going into teaching because I'd actually make more money.

QUOTE (Disco72 @ Feb 28, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) I could see a solution where the school year end date goes further into June and starts earlier in August, still providing a 5-6 week break including all of July. Even before added all the snow days my kids will be in school until the first week of June. They started school around the 3rd week of August. I'm told that at one time kids weren't in school until after Labor Day and were out by Memorial Day.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 27, 2009 -> 08:33 AM) What are the overlapping skills and concerns for military service and drinking? Look at military jobs for 18 year olds. Aim this rifle at this target and shoot. I know 13 year olds that can take down a deer. I don't want them drinking. Drive this truck and supplies to this location. I know 15 year olds with driver's licenses, I don't want then drinking. When the drinking age was 18, too many 18-20 year olds were dying for drinking. The number of alcohol related deaths was higher in that age group than any other. It is interesting to suggest that because this law is broken so often, we'll just drop the law. It would pretty much eliminate speed limits in this country. I don't see why we should also take away their right to vote and serve in the military. 18 year olds prove they could handle those responsibilites and did not cause a danger to themselves and others. If 20 year olds caused too many military deaths to their fellow soldiers, I imagine that would change as well. Actually, I don't see why they would even be linked. A 30 year old can also die for his country, but not serve as President. I am kind of shoked so many would take away voting rights from anyone who is not old enough to drink. To me, it just seems odd that at 16 we are legally allowed to drive a 2-ton lump of metal on wheels up to 70 MPH. It would be quite easy to take a life if done irresponsibly. At 18 we are legally allowed to purchase and own firearms. It would be quite easy to take a life if used irresponsibly. But yet we have to wait until 21 because we might drink and drive and kill somebody.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 02:37 PM) yes sir. and there is also the uninsured who are basically getting services for free. Free? Where do I sign up for that? My friend is working 2 jobs to pay off a few thousand dollars worth of medical bills because he had to go to the ER last year. The dumbass forgot to turn in his insurance paperwork when it was due a few months beforehand so he didn't have insurance at the time.

From what I understood of the cartoon, they were saying a monkey wrote the bill. Not Obama.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Feb 22, 2009 -> 01:33 AM) (to say nothing of the people who are losing their jobs and losing their homes as a by-product of all this). What's sad is that those are the people that need the most help and aren't going to get it.

Am I an oddball because I don't eat wings? If I'm eating chicken I'd much rather have leg or a thigh. Or even popcorn chicken or strips.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 12:39 PM) Sure, $250 per week. for 40 at minimum wage. What's your rent? Food bill? Health Insurance? Car payment? Gas? Clothing? How much more than unemployment is that? I don't know but if working for minimum wage > unemployment, that's what I'll take. It's possible that we'll be filling bankrupcty either way because we are barely making it as is. If my income gets cut in half, we're toast.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 12:35 PM) Sure, there are some. Now place yourself in the position of the employer. Do you want to hire someone who may quit tomorrow when a job comes that will actually support their family? Or will you hire the person who has at least a chance of staying with you for a while? Pretty much all minimum wage jobs run the risk of the employee quiting after a day or a week. I don't think there are many people that really make it a goal to work for minimum wage. I worked a second parttime job for 2 years but my orignal plan was only to work there for 6 months. The employer knew it and I was way over-qualified for the job but they hired me anyway. It's not those jobs are hard to fill.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 12:16 PM) I know three people, who have been laid off for over a few months, and none are looking to accept anything close to a minimum wage job. Unless I find something within the next year or two, I'll be taking whatever job I can get, minimum wage or otherwise because I'm certain that I won't be able to support my family on unemployment alone.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 11, 2009 -> 12:08 PM) If they're on a payroll (using a fake/ stolen SS), they're paying taxes. They're also paying all sorts of sales tax. How many laid off engineers from Caterpillar or Motorola are going to work minimum wage jobs as dish washers or apple pickers? The ones that need money and can't find another job making whatever they were making before. I've read plenty of stories about people that were making 6 figures and are now working 2 parttime jobs to make ends meet.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 10, 2009 -> 11:27 AM) These are people looking to walk 300 miles for a minimum wage job at some restaurant or farm. I'm sure there are plenty of people living in this country legally that could use that minimum wage job right about now. Plus, they'd actually pay taxes on the money they made from that job.

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ Feb 7, 2009 -> 11:37 AM) I'm a united way guy, but this year I was going to make a nice donation to my college or high school. We'll what happens with the market. I've always been pretty indifferent to most charities but the United Way really turned me off when they decided to quit giving money to the local community center where I grew up playing baseball in the summertime. My youngest daughter plays there now. They nearly went under because of it.

QUOTE (shipps @ Feb 6, 2009 -> 09:23 AM) I was a young lad and it was my first pair of expensive shoes. I was so proud of these shoes I would look at them all the time. I would make sure not a speck of dirt got on them and if it did I would do the spit wash. I had those shoes except in black. I finally had to throw them away around 2001 or so when the soles literally fell off them. It was a sad day. I've got a pair of boots that I've had since 1996. They look like hell but still fit and they don't have any holes in them.

Mine are done and sent out. I'm just waiting for the direct deposit to hit my account now. I'm getting around $2000 back this year between state and federal. Last year I got back every single dollar I paid in. This year I had to paid a total of $64. The rest is being refunded to me. Mostly because of the $3000 tax credit I get for my kids.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 28, 2009 -> 02:55 PM) I always say I have no problem with people thanking God for, say, blessing them with professional athletic ability or something along those lines. But be consistent with it. If you're going to thank God for the touchdowns you threw or your wins, also be thankful (or be upset, whatever) for the interception you threw in the 4th quarter or the time when you fumbled near your own goal line. Because God has de facto responsibility for those, too. I can just see it... "First of all, I'd like to blame God for this loss today. We would've won the game except when God made me fumble that ball in the 4th quarter with 1:30 left to play."

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 28, 2009 -> 02:17 PM) http://www.peapod.com/ I'm not entirely sure I'd trust something like that anyway. There are many times we don't actually make a list and just kinda wing it. Plus there's a lot of food that we just buy on impulse too because we see a good price or something.

Whenever I see somebody driving behind me and dodging back and forth between two lanes every 3 seconds for no apparent reason I like to get just close enough to the car in the other lane so they can't get past either one of us. If the car in the other lane happens to turn, I'll speed up enough to catch up to another car. If the car actually does get around me I like to wave and congratulate them for being the first to stop when I catch up at the next stoplight.

I hate the whole process of grocery shopping. Sitting down to make a list of the stuff we need. Driving there and spending 2 hours walking around getting all the stuff on the list plus any extra stuff that we happen to see and think it looks good. Unloading the cart onto the moving belt so the cashier can put it into a bag and I get to put it right back into the cart again. Loading all the stuff into the trunk. Unloading all the stuff from the trunk to carry into the house. This is 10X worse in the winter because our shoes are wet and we end up getting the carpet and floor wet walking back and forth. Then later I end up with wet socks. Putting all the stuff away into the pantry/cupboard/fridge.

When you pull into a drive-thru, order one or two things and they give you you're total and tell you to pull around before reading the order back to make sure it's right or even asking if you're done ordering. More and more I've just decided to skip the drive-thru completely because of this.

QUOTE (The Critic @ Jan 26, 2009 -> 01:49 PM) For me, it's spending control. A debit card would make it far too easy for me to overspend on things I want but don't need. If I have to make the committment to take out a check, fill it out, and hand it to someone, I'm much more likely to stop the urge to spend needlessly. I know my self-control limits and I have to work within them. I'm the exact opposite. I only spend money when I really have to. Even when I get a gift card or something I’ll take forever deciding what to use it on. I did spend $5 on a shirt that I didn't really need a week ago or so.

QUOTE (The Critic @ Jan 26, 2009 -> 09:42 AM) No. I refuse. I love to write checks at the grocery store. Love, love, LOVE it. Of course, I do fill everything out in advance so all that has to be entered is the amount. If that takes too long for you, there's always the self-checkout. May I ask why? I very rarely write checks anymore. The only times I write a check is if I can't use my debit/credit card or it's a bill that can't be paid online. I can't tell you how many times I've had a check cashed for the wrong amount because somebody at the bank can't seem to read/type either.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 12:05 PM) shopping at Goodwill and Aldi's I go to those two places all the time. Wal-Mart too.

I could name a ton of stuff but most of it has already been said. Reality TV, the Cubs, beer, myspace, facebook. There are a number of things that I don't hate but am pretty much indifferent too. Nascar Hockey College sports The Beatles Led Zepplin The Godfather Trilogy