I honestly don't mean to be offensive either, but it sure is easy to sit there across the pond and criticize what Americans, Australians, etc do when you are not an American, you don't live in America, and you don't understand America. Automobiles and driving are a big thing in America; always have been. Here they're not means to an end, they are an end unto themselves. We just like to drive and go fast on our wide ass open highways in our big ass country. People don't "NEED" a lot of the shit they own, but they buy it anyways because they want it and enjoy it.
Electrically-controlled breaks? No way! what happens when a wire is cut? Too dangerous!
OK, I was with you until this part. Electrically-controlled brakes ARE dangerous, and yield pretty much NO advantages over a good hydraulic system.
Oh yeah, as long as I can accelerate off the light to 25 MPH in 1 second flat! Oh, and I might need to go 90 MPH on the freeway too. Oh, and I want to be able to drive 500 miles on on tank of gas. But it's so wrong that it costs me $130 to fill up my tank every day. Someone needs to do something. Oh well, in the end I don't give a damn, I like driving my big, heavy, fast vehicle so I'll just suck it up, pay the higher fuel costs, and go on about my business.
I mean,/just what exactly is the point/ of building a car that does 150-200mph, when the only place you can open up to that kind of speed is on a racetrack??
If you don't understand, then you just don't understand, and there is nothing anyone can say to make you understand.
It's not luck, it's having a set of balls and the willingness to put your foot down. On one of my previous jobs, my manager had the nerve to call me on a Friday night while I was out eating with some friends asking me if I could go home and dial in to work on a customer's site. I (diplomatically) told him that wasn't going to happen. I don't care that it's a major financial institution or how urgent their need is. It's the weekend and I'm off work. My paycheck was not large enough for me to drop what I was doing and go home to work on a weekend. I had a couple coworkers who did not have as much resolve; one of them became physically ill from the workload and stress placed upon him. I felt really bad that my employer abused such great employees, but I sure didn't feel bad about closing my laptop lid and walking out every day at 5 o'clock on the dot.
Now I'm self employed, making less and working more, and loving every minute of it.
I'd agree with this. I remember watching "Alien vs. Predator" at the theater. Looking back, it probably wasn't THAT great of a movie. But the house was packed and everyone was there to have a good time. I remember laughing my ass off at the scene where the Predator grabs one of the Aliens by the tail and is swinging him around, smashing his head into shit etc; people were laughing and yelling, "oh hell YEAH!", "get him", "whoop his ass". I think the presence of this large group of people all laughing and having a good time really had a big impact on how much I enjoyed the movie.
Not anywhere I've gone to school or been in contact with kids in school.
Where's that? Metro Atlanta? Come to rural Alabama, or Mississippi, Tennessee, or anywhere else that has not yet been completely overrun by foreign cultures and Northern immigrants, anywhere that people still talk with a recognizably Southern accent, and you'll see a different picture.
So you want schools to instill a belief system that says violence is the solution to problems?
Oh, please. It's called negative reinforcement. If a student refuses to follow the rules, then he goes out in the hallway, and comes back in a moment later with a sore ass and a renewed sense of respect for the consequences which inevitably follow his actions. The rest of the students, in witnessing this event, are demonstrated that this type of behavior is not tolerated, and as such gain the same benefit without actually having to be paddled themselves. The whole thing is handled in 5 minutes and afterward the class goes on about its business. Simple, effective, and harmless.
I would be furious if I found out a teacher beat my kid.
In recognition that women and effeminate men like yourself might be alarmed by the thought of anyone harming a hair on your little darling's head, pretty much any school will not paddle a kid if his parents send a note desiring otherwise.
You don't see our justice system sentence people to few licks from the paddle,...
Yes, because a better solution is to put them away in jails and prisons for years at taxpayer expense, wherein they a) get beaten and/or raped by the stronger, i.e. "might makes right", or b) have a good ole time hanging out with their criminal buddies and gaining new contacts in the criminal world, further entrenching them in criminal activity, which is now their sole means of getting by in the world since nobody other than McDonalds will hire them with that criminal record. Yep, it looks like the justice system is the paragon of excellence and the example to be followed when it comes to correcting anti-social and criminal behaviorisms.
What they learn though is the problem...violence is an acceptable solution to problems,...
Only metrosexuals and old women do not recognize that violence is indeed an acceptable solution to some problems. When you're in school and that bully keeps picking on you and won't leave you alone, the solution is knock him on his ass in front of everyone, and I guarantee he won't fuck with you any more--AND neither will anyone else. You'll gain the respect of everyone. What's your solution? Telling the teacher on him and crying about how mean he is? Of course you shouldn't resolve every conflict by beating the hell out of somebody. But when the situation demands it, you need to be prepared to use violence to protect yourself and others.
All this is completely beside the point--this discussion is not even *about* violence. It's about a smart ass kid or troublemaker taking a few licks on the ass from a wooden paddle and having a sore ass for a day. It is THE most effective means of negative reinforcement and that is all. This punishment does NOT in any way promote violence, and it's stupid to think that it does. If anything, there is less violence because people grow up with more respect for their fellow man.
Generally if there is a fight around here, it's because some smart ass kid whose parents spoilt him and never whipped him said some shit he shouldn't have said, to the wrong person, and got called out to the park or other semi-secluded place to defend himself. It usually ends up one of two ways; the smart ass kid gets sent home with his ass whupped, having learnt his lesson, or he refuses to show and everyone calls him a pussy and ostracizes him. Either way he thinks twice before running his mouth again and the world is better off for it. The kids who get paddled in school come out of high school squared away, respectful, and never have a problem in life. The kids wh
Speed bumps SUCK. I once knew this stupid woman who used to get angry because people went 10-15 MPH on her road and "OMG THERE R KIDS U MIGHT RUN OVER THEM!!!1" Nevermind that the odds of a kid successfully running out in front of you and getting crushed because you couldn't stop in time at 15 MPH is pretty much zero. So her "solution" to this "problem" was to call the county and have them install not one, but FIVE HUGE speed bumps in this road, right after one another. Good job, now this road is a NIGHTMARE to drive down. Talk about the most teeth-jarring, uncomfortable sensation. If your vehicle sits low to the ground, forget it. I had a friend who lived down this road and I didn't even like to come visit him much because of those stupid speed bumps.
So the point is, speed bumps are RARELY the solution, and when you put them in place you make EVERYONE'S driving experience miserable, not just the intended target.
I'm not sure I understand how Gov't provided education makes private schools charge prohibitively expensive rates.
Me either. Where I live in Gadsden, AL, there are plenty of private schools and there are plenty of kids who attend them. Obviously they are more expensive than public schools, but judging by the number of kids who go to these schools, obviously they are not THAT expensive.
Not sure, but it sounds like you are suggesting corporal punishment?
Yeah, "corporal punishment" is an every day reality of Southern schools, not sure about elsewhere. If you pick fights, don't listen to the teacher, cause trouble, be disrespectful to authority figures, or otherwise show your ass, then you get taken out into the hall or into the vice principals office and get a few licks from the paddle to straighten your ass out. Most kids only have to experience this once to change their ways. The more stubborn ones learn eventually. There's usually at least one or two teachers at a school who are well known and feared for their paddling skills, and it usually only takes the *threat* of getting paddled by one of those fellas to make you think twice about being a pain in the ass.
The deep south doesn't have any more problem with education or health than any other area of the country.
And while we're "looking at the rates there genius, LOL!!1" how about looking at some of the rates the original post listed. #5 in Lynchings? How many lynchings occurred in Alabama last year or even last decade? Maybe one or two? How many gang killings or mob hits occurred in New York City alone last year? Percent below poverty level and income per capita--fascinating, but do these account for the fact that the cost of living in Alabama is amongst the LOWEST in the nation? How about land taxes? I own 90 acres of land here in Alabama, guess how much I paid in taxes last year? As I recall it was in the neighborhood of $250. And as I recall, there was widespread discontent and anger because the taxes went UP significantly from where they USED to be.
I can sit here and go through every single statistic posted and point out the flaws in it, but I shouldn't have to-- I thought you sophisticated, educated, and intelligent Northern and West Coast folks were supposed to know that there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics"? Guess the "46th in Bachelor's Degree Percentage" doesn't mean so damn much after all.
Why don't you actually try visiting and living in Alabama for a while, then come back here and explain to everyone why statistics can be extremely misleading?
I was talking to my friend's dad the other day; he's a county Sheriff in his 60's. Very honorable, upright man. Intelligent, but not what you would call an intellectual. He doesn't know how to use the Internet or what a blog even is; all his news comes from the television and papers. He pretty much represents your every day, common, hard working, honest man. He was telling me that he used to be about as patriotic as one could be, and he loved America, but now he's disgusted by our country and the people who are running it. Try as they might, the Powers That Be(tm) simply can't contain the dissent and anger that is spreading through this nation. When a guy like this sits there and tells you these things, you know that armed revolt is not as far-fetched as it might have once been.
And for those of you who I'm sure will make smart ass remarks like "yeah, I'm sure you can kill an aircraft carrier with your hunting rifle"-- consider how well the "War On Terror" is going in Iraq, with the full might of the U.S. military up against a bunch of rag tag terrorists with no money and no technology. Now imagine that if it were U.S. soldiers fighting and killing everyday U.S. citizens, and see how long it takes before a) people who were undecided now turn against the government, greatly strengthening the rebels' numbers, and b) the soldiers refuse to carry out their orders, even defecting over as well. "The South will rise again" indeed; though a bit different than most who use that phrase would have imagined.
Weighed against the benefits of visiting the USA, I would rather go to just about any other country in the world right now.
You're in luck; I have a complete vacation package to Afghanistan available, and it can be yours for a very reasonable price! Please, step into my office...
FiOS? And just where is this service available? Downtown in large cities? What about the 100+ million people who live in smaller areas? Wake me up when cable (cable *TV* would be a good start) or DSL becomes available at my home in rural Alabama, let alone fiber.
Especially when they take guns and other weapons to school.
I think you missed the point entirely. The point is don't treat your kid like an idiot when he makes simple, harmless mistakes. And of course you should take opportunities on a regular basis to let your child know about behaviors that you do and don't approve of. Stripe his ass when necessary. The point is don't think that negative reinforcement is the answer to most, or even many behaviors.
I just came back from Afghanistan, and over there external drives are the de-facto standard for storing and sharing stuff. A person loans his drive to another guy who copies part or all of it, then passes it along to some other guy, possibly adding stuff to the drive if the owner wants it. I bought a 750 GB drive while I was over there and maxxed it out in a very short time, along with my 160 GB laptop drive. My collection of music and stuff was good before but now it's unbelievable. I have hundreds of movies (many of them good quality rips), TV series (a big thing overseas is watching TV series on DVD or hard drive), and an enormous collection of music. I have enough just from a few transactions to keep me entertained for years to come.
Even if they stop peer-to-peer file sharing apps, who cares? With modern external drives and their huge capacity, sneaker-net works well. Plus they could use IRC, DCC, FTP, same way the internet pirates do, and what can the university do about it?
The only people who give a damn about "killing all bacteria" on their dishes are people with compromised immune systems because they and their mommies spent way too much time worrying about bacteria and disinfecting things. I have an extremely strong immune system that I attribute to picking up and eating things I accidently drop on the ground, not disinfecting anything (ever), refusing to use hand sanitizer, eating without having washed my hands, eating semi-rare steaks and over-easy eggs, and generally NOT doing the things that stupid health freaks do. I almost *NEVER* get sick. I can be around people who are very sick with contagious crap and not catch it, and if I do, my symptoms are much milder and I recover more quickly.
[i]When anything more than the dismal world of blue-collar education requires a university degree, it sure is a necessity.[/i]
I think you need to open your eyes a little. "Dismal world of blue-collar education?" Hardly. A person with a some intelligence, a good work ethic, and the right attitude can have a great life in America, that is a fact, no college education required. I spent six years in the Air National Guard and it opened up so many opportunities for me it was unbelievable. It was extremely valuable experience. I learned about leadership, responsibility, and got a lot of technical experience, all of which companies are looking for.
I got a 9-5 white collar job in the banking industry starting at $40k/year having no university degree whatsoever. Doesn't sound like much but in my state the cost of living is extremely low. $40k/year is well into the middle class. As another example I own 40 acres of forest land which is considered a small plot here, nothing to really brag about, whereas in some places I guess I would be considered extremely rich to have that much land.
I could have stayed at that 9-5 job but I had bigger ambitions, so I interviewed and was offered a job working in Afghanistan doing the same thing I did in the Air Guard, working on satellite communications systems. $140k/year starting salary. I could have taken a nice cushy position far away from danger but instead I chose a position with a lot of travel. I got to be there, and see what was going on in person, not through a TV screen. It was a priceless experience and meanwhile my bank account balance increased by $4200 every two weeks. Now that I'm back home I'm opening my own business building fuel injection systems.
I am not rich now but guess what, I have next to no debt. I would have NO debt and be rich right now, but I have an expensive addiction to building hot rods. It doesn't matter because I am doing great and enjoying life. I go to sleep at 10-11 o'clock and wake up whenever I wake up. (What the hell is an alarm clock?) Get up and lounge around the house a bit, go outside for a walk, tinker with one of my cars, or whatever I feel like doing that day. I'm in great health and I am enjoying my life RIGHT NOW.
Why do people go into debt up to their eyeballs to pay for a 4 year education, get a crummy job, then work for the next 40 years slaving away at this crappy job paying off a mortgage, car loans, student loans, etc, all so they can own their little cookie cutter house that looks identical to everyone else's house on that street, their car that is identical to everyone else's car, their kids that are identical to everyone else's kids, in a city that has too much traffic, too much noise, too much crime, too many problems? And then when they're 65 years old they finally sit around and enjoy living. Never understood that, and my experience in that 9-5 job taught me very quickly that that was not the kind of existence I wanted to live.
America is the land of opportunity, always has been, it's just that most people are drones who are conditioned not to see it.
How is this "informative"? The freakin car was made in 1967. For the math challenged, that is 40 years ago. There isn't a single car that's still on the road from 1967 that is still in perfect running condition after 40 years of use unless it has been maintained religiously. Sounds like his shifter linkage is misadjusted and his engine could use a good tune-up, and perhaps some carburetor work.
And for your information, there are plenty of people still driving and building AMCs. They even make aftermarket aluminum engine blocks for them.
Electronically controlled brakes-- are you retarded? No, not a good idea. Standard hydraulic brakes systems are extremely reliable. The main wear item in them is the rubber brake lines connecting the hard line to calipers, and when one of those fail, the master cylinder and proportioning valve ensure that your brakes still work by diverting fluid to the other parts of the system that are not compromised. Master cylinders can fail too but not commonly and they give plenty of warning before they go out.
WHY would you switch to electronically controlled brakes? What purpose would it serve? Hydraulic systems are well known and reliable, and an electronic braking system would offer no advantages whatsoever.
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I can't understand how people are content with their goddamn SUVs getting 25 or less miles to the gallon.
Because if fuel economy was the only metric people used to judge a vehicle, we'd all be driving 150cc mopeds.
I honestly don't mean to be offensive either, but it sure is easy to sit there across the pond and criticize what Americans, Australians, etc do when you are not an American, you don't live in America, and you don't understand America. Automobiles and driving are a big thing in America; always have been. Here they're not means to an end, they are an end unto themselves. We just like to drive and go fast on our wide ass open highways in our big ass country. People don't "NEED" a lot of the shit they own, but they buy it anyways because they want it and enjoy it.
Electrically-controlled breaks? No way! what happens when a wire is cut? Too dangerous!
OK, I was with you until this part. Electrically-controlled brakes ARE dangerous, and yield pretty much NO advantages over a good hydraulic system.
Oh yeah, as long as I can accelerate off the light to 25 MPH in 1 second flat! Oh, and I might need to go 90 MPH on the freeway too. Oh, and I want to be able to drive 500 miles on on tank of gas. But it's so wrong that it costs me $130 to fill up my tank every day. Someone needs to do something. Oh well, in the end I don't give a damn, I like driving my big, heavy, fast vehicle so I'll just suck it up, pay the higher fuel costs, and go on about my business.
Fixed that for ya.
I mean, /just what exactly is the point/ of building a car that does 150-200mph, when the only place you can open up to that kind of speed is on a racetrack??
If you don't understand, then you just don't understand, and there is nothing anyone can say to make you understand.
It's not luck, it's having a set of balls and the willingness to put your foot down. On one of my previous jobs, my manager had the nerve to call me on a Friday night while I was out eating with some friends asking me if I could go home and dial in to work on a customer's site. I (diplomatically) told him that wasn't going to happen. I don't care that it's a major financial institution or how urgent their need is. It's the weekend and I'm off work. My paycheck was not large enough for me to drop what I was doing and go home to work on a weekend. I had a couple coworkers who did not have as much resolve; one of them became physically ill from the workload and stress placed upon him. I felt really bad that my employer abused such great employees, but I sure didn't feel bad about closing my laptop lid and walking out every day at 5 o'clock on the dot.
Now I'm self employed, making less and working more, and loving every minute of it.
These people weren't born slaves. How did they become one if not because of their own decisions and actions?
I'd agree with this. I remember watching "Alien vs. Predator" at the theater. Looking back, it probably wasn't THAT great of a movie. But the house was packed and everyone was there to have a good time. I remember laughing my ass off at the scene where the Predator grabs one of the Aliens by the tail and is swinging him around, smashing his head into shit etc; people were laughing and yelling, "oh hell YEAH!", "get him", "whoop his ass". I think the presence of this large group of people all laughing and having a good time really had a big impact on how much I enjoyed the movie.
Not anywhere I've gone to school or been in contact with kids in school.
...
Where's that? Metro Atlanta? Come to rural Alabama, or Mississippi, Tennessee, or anywhere else that has not yet been completely overrun by foreign cultures and Northern immigrants, anywhere that people still talk with a recognizably Southern accent, and you'll see a different picture.
So you want schools to instill a belief system that says violence is the solution to problems?
Oh, please. It's called negative reinforcement. If a student refuses to follow the rules, then he goes out in the hallway, and comes back in a moment later with a sore ass and a renewed sense of respect for the consequences which inevitably follow his actions. The rest of the students, in witnessing this event, are demonstrated that this type of behavior is not tolerated, and as such gain the same benefit without actually having to be paddled themselves. The whole thing is handled in 5 minutes and afterward the class goes on about its business. Simple, effective, and harmless.
I would be furious if I found out a teacher beat my kid.
In recognition that women and effeminate men like yourself might be alarmed by the thought of anyone harming a hair on your little darling's head, pretty much any school will not paddle a kid if his parents send a note desiring otherwise.
You don't see our justice system sentence people to few licks from the paddle,
Yes, because a better solution is to put them away in jails and prisons for years at taxpayer expense, wherein they a) get beaten and/or raped by the stronger, i.e. "might makes right", or b) have a good ole time hanging out with their criminal buddies and gaining new contacts in the criminal world, further entrenching them in criminal activity, which is now their sole means of getting by in the world since nobody other than McDonalds will hire them with that criminal record. Yep, it looks like the justice system is the paragon of excellence and the example to be followed when it comes to correcting anti-social and criminal behaviorisms.
What they learn though is the problem...violence is an acceptable solution to problems,...
Only metrosexuals and old women do not recognize that violence is indeed an acceptable solution to some problems. When you're in school and that bully keeps picking on you and won't leave you alone, the solution is knock him on his ass in front of everyone, and I guarantee he won't fuck with you any more--AND neither will anyone else. You'll gain the respect of everyone. What's your solution? Telling the teacher on him and crying about how mean he is? Of course you shouldn't resolve every conflict by beating the hell out of somebody. But when the situation demands it, you need to be prepared to use violence to protect yourself and others.
All this is completely beside the point--this discussion is not even *about* violence. It's about a smart ass kid or troublemaker taking a few licks on the ass from a wooden paddle and having a sore ass for a day. It is THE most effective means of negative reinforcement and that is all. This punishment does NOT in any way promote violence, and it's stupid to think that it does. If anything, there is less violence because people grow up with more respect for their fellow man.
Generally if there is a fight around here, it's because some smart ass kid whose parents spoilt him and never whipped him said some shit he shouldn't have said, to the wrong person, and got called out to the park or other semi-secluded place to defend himself. It usually ends up one of two ways; the smart ass kid gets sent home with his ass whupped, having learnt his lesson, or he refuses to show and everyone calls him a pussy and ostracizes him. Either way he thinks twice before running his mouth again and the world is better off for it. The kids who get paddled in school come out of high school squared away, respectful, and never have a problem in life. The kids wh
Speed bumps SUCK. I once knew this stupid woman who used to get angry because people went 10-15 MPH on her road and "OMG THERE R KIDS U MIGHT RUN OVER THEM!!!1" Nevermind that the odds of a kid successfully running out in front of you and getting crushed because you couldn't stop in time at 15 MPH is pretty much zero. So her "solution" to this "problem" was to call the county and have them install not one, but FIVE HUGE speed bumps in this road, right after one another. Good job, now this road is a NIGHTMARE to drive down. Talk about the most teeth-jarring, uncomfortable sensation. If your vehicle sits low to the ground, forget it. I had a friend who lived down this road and I didn't even like to come visit him much because of those stupid speed bumps.
So the point is, speed bumps are RARELY the solution, and when you put them in place you make EVERYONE'S driving experience miserable, not just the intended target.
I'm not sure I understand how Gov't provided education makes private schools charge prohibitively expensive rates.
Me either. Where I live in Gadsden, AL, there are plenty of private schools and there are plenty of kids who attend them. Obviously they are more expensive than public schools, but judging by the number of kids who go to these schools, obviously they are not THAT expensive.
Not sure, but it sounds like you are suggesting corporal punishment?
Yeah, "corporal punishment" is an every day reality of Southern schools, not sure about elsewhere. If you pick fights, don't listen to the teacher, cause trouble, be disrespectful to authority figures, or otherwise show your ass, then you get taken out into the hall or into the vice principals office and get a few licks from the paddle to straighten your ass out. Most kids only have to experience this once to change their ways. The more stubborn ones learn eventually. There's usually at least one or two teachers at a school who are well known and feared for their paddling skills, and it usually only takes the *threat* of getting paddled by one of those fellas to make you think twice about being a pain in the ass.
The deep south doesn't have any more problem with education or health than any other area of the country.
And while we're "looking at the rates there genius, LOL!!1" how about looking at some of the rates the original post listed. #5 in Lynchings? How many lynchings occurred in Alabama last year or even last decade? Maybe one or two? How many gang killings or mob hits occurred in New York City alone last year? Percent below poverty level and income per capita--fascinating, but do these account for the fact that the cost of living in Alabama is amongst the LOWEST in the nation? How about land taxes? I own 90 acres of land here in Alabama, guess how much I paid in taxes last year? As I recall it was in the neighborhood of $250. And as I recall, there was widespread discontent and anger because the taxes went UP significantly from where they USED to be.
I can sit here and go through every single statistic posted and point out the flaws in it, but I shouldn't have to-- I thought you sophisticated, educated, and intelligent Northern and West Coast folks were supposed to know that there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics"? Guess the "46th in Bachelor's Degree Percentage" doesn't mean so damn much after all.
Why don't you actually try visiting and living in Alabama for a while, then come back here and explain to everyone why statistics can be extremely misleading?
Who is going to rein back those idiots?
Smith & Wesson.
Give it time.
I was talking to my friend's dad the other day; he's a county Sheriff in his 60's. Very honorable, upright man. Intelligent, but not what you would call an intellectual. He doesn't know how to use the Internet or what a blog even is; all his news comes from the television and papers. He pretty much represents your every day, common, hard working, honest man. He was telling me that he used to be about as patriotic as one could be, and he loved America, but now he's disgusted by our country and the people who are running it. Try as they might, the Powers That Be(tm) simply can't contain the dissent and anger that is spreading through this nation. When a guy like this sits there and tells you these things, you know that armed revolt is not as far-fetched as it might have once been.
And for those of you who I'm sure will make smart ass remarks like "yeah, I'm sure you can kill an aircraft carrier with your hunting rifle"-- consider how well the "War On Terror" is going in Iraq, with the full might of the U.S. military up against a bunch of rag tag terrorists with no money and no technology. Now imagine that if it were U.S. soldiers fighting and killing everyday U.S. citizens, and see how long it takes before a) people who were undecided now turn against the government, greatly strengthening the rebels' numbers, and b) the soldiers refuse to carry out their orders, even defecting over as well. "The South will rise again" indeed; though a bit different than most who use that phrase would have imagined.
Weighed against the benefits of visiting the USA, I would rather go to just about any other country in the world right now.
You're in luck; I have a complete vacation package to Afghanistan available, and it can be yours for a very reasonable price! Please, step into my office...
As compared to Apple, a massive old-school defense contractor that's only recently transitioned from nuclear guidance systems to MP3 players.
:(
Did anyone else get the same mental picture...? You, sir, owe me a new laptop.
I wonder how much a high level of dissatisfaction with the U.S. government adds to your terrorist rating?
FiOS? And just where is this service available? Downtown in large cities? What about the 100+ million people who live in smaller areas? Wake me up when cable (cable *TV* would be a good start) or DSL becomes available at my home in rural Alabama, let alone fiber.
Especially when they take guns and other weapons to school.
I think you missed the point entirely. The point is don't treat your kid like an idiot when he makes simple, harmless mistakes. And of course you should take opportunities on a regular basis to let your child know about behaviors that you do and don't approve of. Stripe his ass when necessary. The point is don't think that negative reinforcement is the answer to most, or even many behaviors.
I just came back from Afghanistan, and over there external drives are the de-facto standard for storing and sharing stuff. A person loans his drive to another guy who copies part or all of it, then passes it along to some other guy, possibly adding stuff to the drive if the owner wants it. I bought a 750 GB drive while I was over there and maxxed it out in a very short time, along with my 160 GB laptop drive. My collection of music and stuff was good before but now it's unbelievable. I have hundreds of movies (many of them good quality rips), TV series (a big thing overseas is watching TV series on DVD or hard drive), and an enormous collection of music. I have enough just from a few transactions to keep me entertained for years to come.
Even if they stop peer-to-peer file sharing apps, who cares? With modern external drives and their huge capacity, sneaker-net works well. Plus they could use IRC, DCC, FTP, same way the internet pirates do, and what can the university do about it?
The only people who give a damn about "killing all bacteria" on their dishes are people with compromised immune systems because they and their mommies spent way too much time worrying about bacteria and disinfecting things. I have an extremely strong immune system that I attribute to picking up and eating things I accidently drop on the ground, not disinfecting anything (ever), refusing to use hand sanitizer, eating without having washed my hands, eating semi-rare steaks and over-easy eggs, and generally NOT doing the things that stupid health freaks do. I almost *NEVER* get sick. I can be around people who are very sick with contagious crap and not catch it, and if I do, my symptoms are much milder and I recover more quickly.
[i]When anything more than the dismal world of blue-collar education requires a university degree, it sure is a necessity.[/i]
I think you need to open your eyes a little. "Dismal world of blue-collar education?" Hardly. A person with a some intelligence, a good work ethic, and the right attitude can have a great life in America, that is a fact, no college education required. I spent six years in the Air National Guard and it opened up so many opportunities for me it was unbelievable. It was extremely valuable experience. I learned about leadership, responsibility, and got a lot of technical experience, all of which companies are looking for.
I got a 9-5 white collar job in the banking industry starting at $40k/year having no university degree whatsoever. Doesn't sound like much but in my state the cost of living is extremely low. $40k/year is well into the middle class. As another example I own 40 acres of forest land which is considered a small plot here, nothing to really brag about, whereas in some places I guess I would be considered extremely rich to have that much land.
I could have stayed at that 9-5 job but I had bigger ambitions, so I interviewed and was offered a job working in Afghanistan doing the same thing I did in the Air Guard, working on satellite communications systems. $140k/year starting salary. I could have taken a nice cushy position far away from danger but instead I chose a position with a lot of travel. I got to be there, and see what was going on in person, not through a TV screen. It was a priceless experience and meanwhile my bank account balance increased by $4200 every two weeks. Now that I'm back home I'm opening my own business building fuel injection systems.
I am not rich now but guess what, I have next to no debt. I would have NO debt and be rich right now, but I have an expensive addiction to building hot rods. It doesn't matter because I am doing great and enjoying life. I go to sleep at 10-11 o'clock and wake up whenever I wake up. (What the hell is an alarm clock?) Get up and lounge around the house a bit, go outside for a walk, tinker with one of my cars, or whatever I feel like doing that day. I'm in great health and I am enjoying my life RIGHT NOW.
Why do people go into debt up to their eyeballs to pay for a 4 year education, get a crummy job, then work for the next 40 years slaving away at this crappy job paying off a mortgage, car loans, student loans, etc, all so they can own their little cookie cutter house that looks identical to everyone else's house on that street, their car that is identical to everyone else's car, their kids that are identical to everyone else's kids, in a city that has too much traffic, too much noise, too much crime, too many problems? And then when they're 65 years old they finally sit around and enjoy living. Never understood that, and my experience in that 9-5 job taught me very quickly that that was not the kind of existence I wanted to live.
America is the land of opportunity, always has been, it's just that most people are drones who are conditioned not to see it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Security_Assistance_Force
How is this "informative"? The freakin car was made in 1967. For the math challenged, that is 40 years ago. There isn't a single car that's still on the road from 1967 that is still in perfect running condition after 40 years of use unless it has been maintained religiously. Sounds like his shifter linkage is misadjusted and his engine could use a good tune-up, and perhaps some carburetor work.
And for your information, there are plenty of people still driving and building AMCs. They even make aftermarket aluminum engine blocks for them.
Electronically controlled brakes-- are you retarded? No, not a good idea. Standard hydraulic brakes systems are extremely reliable. The main wear item in them is the rubber brake lines connecting the hard line to calipers, and when one of those fail, the master cylinder and proportioning valve ensure that your brakes still work by diverting fluid to the other parts of the system that are not compromised. Master cylinders can fail too but not commonly and they give plenty of warning before they go out.
WHY would you switch to electronically controlled brakes? What purpose would it serve? Hydraulic systems are well known and reliable, and an electronic braking system would offer no advantages whatsoever.