Most people using professional sex services do this to try to fullfil physical needs because they have no better way available to do so, some because of their lonelyness, other because their official relation is now just a sad joke.
"I don't pay women to sleep with me. I pay them to leave afterwards." -Charlie Sheen
You know, it's kind of funny. Many, many years ago, when I first arrived at college, I hung around the computer science building with a lot of other people who were interested in computers.
My second semester, I pledged a fraternity. I never felt the event was so important that I needed to announce it to everybody, but I certainly wasn't hiding it, either. (My fraternity doesn't haze, so it's not like I had to wear a pledge pin 24/7 or anything like that.)
One day in CS, one of my "friends", and I use the quotes for a reason, went off on a tirade about how bad fraternities are. Fine, whatever. But this guy is trying to get me to agree with him. At that point, the conversation went something like:
Me: You're certainly entitled to your own opinions, but just so you know who your audience is, I happen to be in a fraternity, so realize that my opinion is likely to differ from yours. Him: Oh, I don't mean academic frats. Those don't count. Me: Well, that's nice to know, but I am in a social fraternity.
The irony of the situation is that from that day forward, that guy, who was ostensibly my friend, never spoke to me again. Neither did anyone else in that group of people.
It didn't bother me much at the time, since I spent my weekends surrounded by throngs of hot chicks, which was eminently preferable to spending weekends surrounded by hot power supplies and ugly CS chicks, what chicks there were. I was an 18-year-old male, remember. But looking back, I realize that that I made many lifelong friends in my fraternity. I speak to several of them on a regular basis, and the others I catch up with whenever somebody gets married, going back to school for a homecoming game or alumni weekend, etc. Do you really think I'd still be in touch with those guys in CS after all these years, had they not shunned me for being in a fraternity?
Lesson: You are entitled to your opinion about fraternities, but realize that more people are in fraternities than you think. Joining a fraternity probably doesn't mean what you think it means. "Looking down" on someone for being in a fraternity is a little stupid. Also, ask yourself the question, "Do you really 'look down' on someone who was in a fraternity? Or is the feeling that you describe as 'looking down' really better described by the word 'jealousy'?".
P.S. As somebody already pointed out, being in a fraternity is typically less costly than living on your own. My college expenses were probably lower than yours, yet I had all my rent, utilities, phone, (they now have broadband at the house, but not in those days), food (real food, not ramen, prepared by a real cook), beer, etc. included. Buy my friends, indeed.
Thanks for that. I'll just print that out and post it next to my grandmother's computer. That will be right next to the paper I printed out for her that tells the difference between "Phone and Modem options", "Internet Options", and "Network Connections". And the paper that tells the difference between "Keep Source Formatting", "Match Destination Formatting", and "Keep Text Only". And the paper that says...
Or maybe when my grandma asks how to turn her computer off, I really don't feel like explaining the 7-some-odd ways to do it, and I can assure you that she doesn't want to hear it.
If there are 47 people with a say in the shutdown menu, that is obviously not all they are working on. If you were working on 10 different things, how high a priority would the shutdown menu be for you?
Ever since I started work, my usual voicemail message while on vacation is the following: Say I was on vacation until 12/4/06, "This is Bob with Bob's Widgets. I'm on vacation until Monday, December 4. If you need to get ahold of me urgently, please leave a message, and I will return your call on Monday, December 4."
It's appropriate that this question appears following the death of Nobel Prize-winning economist Milt Friedman, one of the founders of the school choice movement.
Oh, c'mon. Don't you think that was just a little misleading? None of what Friedman is known for by economists relates to education policy.
If you read anything by Friedman regarding monetary policy (especially with respect to the Phillips Curve), you'd be wise to listen and listen good. Regarding education policy... well, I'd say Friedman is a little out of his element.
Even in the subsidy example you gave. We actually subsidize both producers and consumers, and for different reasons. Argue pro or against farm subsidies until your lungs bleed, it still doesn't change the fact that his example is totally flawed.
Look, I have a degree in Economics and I have nothing but the utmost respect for Milton Friedman's work in the field. But to say, "blah blah blah Milton Friedman, blah blah blah, Nobel Prize, blah blah blah School Choice" is totally misleading. He has never won any award for his views on education policy. If I said something like, "Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison believes blahdy blah about Monetary Policy", would that not be just as misleading? Toni's a smart lady, and no offense to her, but I don't really care what her thoughts are on Monetary Policy.
Milton Friedman was a brilliant economist. May he rest in peace.
Must be a regional thing. I grew up finding Greatest Common Denominators and Least Common Multiples. It's always sounded funny to me when people say "Least Common Denominator", as well.
Next you're going to try to tell me to say tomahto, eh.
Actually, the US system has some advantages as well. For instance,
In the US, a student who excels in one subject but struggles in another can be in different "tracks" for different subjects (say, taking AP/IB Math while taking regular English). In Germany, that same student might be stuck in Realschule (I believe this is what you referred to as "secretaries school") and have a hard time ever attending University at all. In the US, that same kid would easily go to college.
In the US, you can move between tracks. I mean, can you really tell when a child is in 5th grade whether or not he's going to be a top-performing student? For all students? Some children take a long time to "figure out school". For instance, my sister in law's performance in high school was absolutely abysmal. Her guidance counselor actually advised her not to attend college. In Germany, attending a University would not have been an option. But I kid you not, she graduated college with a 4.0. And yes, a real 4-year college.
In the US public schools, you are exposed to people who are some of the most mind-bogglingly dumb people ever born. No amount of advance preparation can give you a feel for just how stupid these people are. These people comprise about 80% of society, so it's important to get used to them.
Really, I don't believe the US schools are all that bad. They still graduate the smartest, most creative people on the planet, so they must be doing something right. Maybe their secret is not trying to "teach" too much. The best you can do for a truly gifted child is stay out of his way unless he is going to kill himself. A child's natural curiosity is eclipsed only by his natural fearlessness.
The worst part is, at least in my neck of the woods, they provide ridiculous amounts of support to the "special-needs" children, but have absolutely nothing in place for "gifted" or above-average kids.
Truly gifted children actually don't need much in the way of "support" in order to excel. They mostly need you to just get the hell out of the way. Children are naturally curious and learn so furiously you will never believe it.
Look at this kid who built a frickin' Fanrnsworth-Hirsch Fusor in family's basement. Do you really think he would have gotten the same knowledge and experience that his project provided in a High School physics class? Certainly not in any High School physics class I ever attended.
Kids are naturally curious and naturally gravitate toward experimentation (and naturally do not fear death.. that's where adult supervision enters the equation!). Gifted kids have done cool stuff like this since time immemorial. Cool stuff that no school "teacher" could ever hope to teach.
Heh. Great. The sydbarrett74 style of parenting: set rules for child, sit back and wait for child to violate rules, then smack child. Parenting is so simple! Thank you so much for your wise insights, Mr. sydbarrett74.
For fun, why don't you think about what it means to be a friend. Tell me if you think any of those attributes might maybe, just maybe, describe the role of a parent.
"A person you know well and regard with affection and trust". Check.
"One who provides assistance". Check.
"Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth". Check.
"Engage in mutually helping behavior". Check.
A good parent needs to wear many hats. "Authority Figure" is certainly one of them, but "Friend" is often more important. Confounding the matter is that different children need you to assume each parenting role in different concentrations. As well as at different ages for the same child.
You'll understand when you get there. But in the meantime, please feel free to continue offering uninformed and unsolicited parenting advice to those who actually know what they are talking about. It's good for a laugh or two, and who doesn't like to laugh?
There is no one proper way to parent a child. Each child is different and must be treated as an individual.
A good example is a family I know. Parents have had the same home, some careers, same everything since long before having kids. They had 3 boys, and all three have completely different lives now that they are all grown. One stayed close to home and is a chip off the old block, going into the same profession as his father. Another moved to Japan and has been bouncing around Japan and China ever since. And the third is in a mental institution.
The point? What worked for raising you may not work for raising someone else. Children are not little robotic extensions of their parents. Whatever your definition of "real parenting" might be might just drive one of your kids into an institution. You never know.
Nobody wanted to work for $6 an hour and those that did were lazy, late and called in sick a lot.
Did you try hiring high school students? $6/hr for somebody with zero expenses is a princely sum... my first job was as a cashier/host at a crappy restaurant for $5.50/hr, and I couldn't believe how much money I was making! I felt so rich.
Basically, you guys should get out more. It's a huge and interesting world out here, much more so than many imagine.
Why bother? Y'all are just adopting our culture, anyhow. Why should I spend thousands of dollars to go to Europe or some other country to eat McDonalds and watch American TV? I can do that without my car even warming up.
I was trying to help a buddy (black, former gang member, paralyzed from a shooting) find an apartment, and we ran into several quite racist landlords in our Craigslist searches.
It sounds like your buddy has a criminal record. If I'm wrong, please don't sue me.
Anyhow, "criminals", are not a protected class in any jurisdiction I am aware of. I have tenants of all different backgrounds, colors, races, whatever. But there is not a snowball's chance in hell I'd rent to your buddy. The last thing I need is violence in one of my buildings, and this guy clearly is a violence magnet. He's a member of a minimum of two protected classes, and I could and would legally reject him. I'd be professional about it, but..yeah.. no way.
So go ahead and discriminate against druggies slobs and people without jobs all you want. Discrimination isn't illegal unless its based on what is mentioned above.
Be very careful with the advice you give people. That same act you cite also allows states and localities to specify additional protected classes, like, gee, I dunno, Source Of Income? If you live in one of those jurisdictions and refuse to rent to the unemployed, then you are in violation of fair housing.
Check the fair housing laws in your locality! Some places have a list of protected classes a mile long (DC and Massachusetts, that means you) and you don't want to run afoul of fair housing. Expensive mistake.
Newspapers go nuts about anything that looks like it might possibly be a preference because they don't want to be sued. And, yes, despite this Craigslist ruling, they can and have been sued.
Whether or not that ad is actually legal depends on your jurisdiction. "Undergrads", are not a protected class under federal law, but the Fair Housing Act allows localities to add more protected classes. "Student Status" is added by some localities, so in your jurisdiction, it may actually be illegal to discriminate against students in your ad copy. If "Student Status" is not a protected class, then the newspaper was just being a dick to you.
On the flip side, since this is a roommate situation, you are exempted from most sections of the Fair Housing Act.
Well, after getting stunned do you really think you got good control of your legs?
The officer asked him (watch the video and count) 24 times to stand before tasing him a second time. If he really wanted to, he could have taken a break from his profanity-laced tirade to say, "I can't @#$%ing stand up, you @#$%ing @#$% @#$% @#$% !"
I agree that the police used poor judgment in tasing the guy repeatedly, but the guy was intentionally escalating the situation in any way he possibly could manage. The police actually acted according to procedure, it turns out.
My point? People can forget things, even very important items such as IDs.
I agree with this. I'm sure anyone who has gone to college has forgotten his ID at one time or another. But let me ask you these questions:
What would you do if you forgot your ID and were asked to leave a building where ID was required? Personally, I would try to explain the situation and hope for the best. This guy threw a hissy fit at a fellow student.
What would you do if you were informed that if you didn't leave (remember, this is a fellow student he's putting in this position here), the lab attendant actually is required to call the police and have you arrested for trespassing, so please just go home and get your ID? Personally, at that point I'd just leave. I mean, I'd be in the wrong here, and them's the breaks sometimes. This guy threw another hissy fit.
What would you do when the police arrive? Personally, I wouldn't be there anymore, but if I was, I would apologize for the misunderstanding and leave. This guy threw yet another hissy fit.
What would you do when the police try to arrest you for trespassing? Personally, I would comply. This guy tries to bolt.
What would you do when the police again try to arrest you? This guy starts kicking and screaming and grabbing onto desks, computers, anything he can find (according to multiple eyewitnesses) and the grabs one of the cops. (this is where the first tazing happens).
What would you do when the cops ask you (I shit you not... watch the video and count) 24 separate times to get up under threat of a second tasing? Let's say that furthermore, you were rendered unable to stand from the first tasing. Personally, I would say that I'm trying to stand but can't. This guy just continues his profanity-laced tirade without missing a beat, squirming and thrashing the whole time.
Look, my first reaction to reading this story was the same as everybody else's here. Why do the police need to shoot an unarmed student with a taser 5 times? What the heck were they trying to prove? But after reading several eyewitness accounts, this guy picked a fight with the cops and then decided he didn't like the result. He grabbed a cop and then flailed madly when they tried to arrest him. Only then was he tased. The next 4 tasings? It turns out they did comply with department policy. Personally, I don't agree with the department's policy of using tasers for pain-compliance, but the officers did conduct themselves in accordance with procedure.
But the bottom line is this student put himself and everybody around him in a dangerous situation for absolutely no reason. That's right, no reason. The best part of the story is this asshole had his ID on him the entire time, according to one of his friends. Incredible.
Slashdot Mirror
Film at 11.
My second semester, I pledged a fraternity. I never felt the event was so important that I needed to announce it to everybody, but I certainly wasn't hiding it, either. (My fraternity doesn't haze, so it's not like I had to wear a pledge pin 24/7 or anything like that.)
One day in CS, one of my "friends", and I use the quotes for a reason, went off on a tirade about how bad fraternities are. Fine, whatever. But this guy is trying to get me to agree with him. At that point, the conversation went something like:
The irony of the situation is that from that day forward, that guy, who was ostensibly my friend, never spoke to me again. Neither did anyone else in that group of people.It didn't bother me much at the time, since I spent my weekends surrounded by throngs of hot chicks, which was eminently preferable to spending weekends surrounded by hot power supplies and ugly CS chicks, what chicks there were. I was an 18-year-old male, remember. But looking back, I realize that that I made many lifelong friends in my fraternity. I speak to several of them on a regular basis, and the others I catch up with whenever somebody gets married, going back to school for a homecoming game or alumni weekend, etc. Do you really think I'd still be in touch with those guys in CS after all these years, had they not shunned me for being in a fraternity?
Lesson: You are entitled to your opinion about fraternities, but realize that more people are in fraternities than you think. Joining a fraternity probably doesn't mean what you think it means. "Looking down" on someone for being in a fraternity is a little stupid. Also, ask yourself the question, "Do you really 'look down' on someone who was in a fraternity? Or is the feeling that you describe as 'looking down' really better described by the word 'jealousy'?".
P.S. As somebody already pointed out, being in a fraternity is typically less costly than living on your own. My college expenses were probably lower than yours, yet I had all my rent, utilities, phone, (they now have broadband at the house, but not in those days), food (real food, not ramen, prepared by a real cook), beer, etc. included. Buy my friends, indeed.
Or maybe when my grandma asks how to turn her computer off, I really don't feel like explaining the 7-some-odd ways to do it, and I can assure you that she doesn't want to hear it.
Yet another reason nothing got done.
They think he's a righteous dude.
Ever since I started work, my usual voicemail message while on vacation is the following: Say I was on vacation until 12/4/06, "This is Bob with Bob's Widgets. I'm on vacation until Monday, December 4. If you need to get ahold of me urgently, please leave a message, and I will return your call on Monday, December 4."
Let me get this straight. You're actually blaming public school quality on Special Education?
If you read anything by Friedman regarding monetary policy (especially with respect to the Phillips Curve), you'd be wise to listen and listen good. Regarding education policy... well, I'd say Friedman is a little out of his element.
Even in the subsidy example you gave. We actually subsidize both producers and consumers, and for different reasons. Argue pro or against farm subsidies until your lungs bleed, it still doesn't change the fact that his example is totally flawed.
Look, I have a degree in Economics and I have nothing but the utmost respect for Milton Friedman's work in the field. But to say, "blah blah blah Milton Friedman, blah blah blah, Nobel Prize, blah blah blah School Choice" is totally misleading. He has never won any award for his views on education policy. If I said something like, "Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison believes blahdy blah about Monetary Policy", would that not be just as misleading? Toni's a smart lady, and no offense to her, but I don't really care what her thoughts are on Monetary Policy.
Milton Friedman was a brilliant economist. May he rest in peace.
Next you're going to try to tell me to say tomahto, eh.
Care to elaborate? Or didn't your parents teach you how.
Don't forget the baton.
If you still believe that "the square root of -1" is a good definition for "imaginary number", you need to report for remedial math lessons.
- In the US, a student who excels in one subject but struggles in another can be in different "tracks" for different subjects (say, taking AP/IB Math while taking regular English). In Germany, that same student might be stuck in Realschule (I believe this is what you referred to as "secretaries school") and have a hard time ever attending University at all. In the US, that same kid would easily go to college.
- In the US, you can move between tracks. I mean, can you really tell when a child is in 5th grade whether or not he's going to be a top-performing student? For all students? Some children take a long time to "figure out school". For instance, my sister in law's performance in high school was absolutely abysmal. Her guidance counselor actually advised her not to attend college. In Germany, attending a University would not have been an option. But I kid you not, she graduated college with a 4.0. And yes, a real 4-year college.
- In the US public schools, you are exposed to people who are some of the most mind-bogglingly dumb people ever born. No amount of advance preparation can give you a feel for just how stupid these people are. These people comprise about 80% of society, so it's important to get used to them.
Really, I don't believe the US schools are all that bad. They still graduate the smartest, most creative people on the planet, so they must be doing something right. Maybe their secret is not trying to "teach" too much. The best you can do for a truly gifted child is stay out of his way unless he is going to kill himself. A child's natural curiosity is eclipsed only by his natural fearlessness.Look at this kid who built a frickin' Fanrnsworth-Hirsch Fusor in family's basement. Do you really think he would have gotten the same knowledge and experience that his project provided in a High School physics class? Certainly not in any High School physics class I ever attended.
Kids are naturally curious and naturally gravitate toward experimentation (and naturally do not fear death.. that's where adult supervision enters the equation!). Gifted kids have done cool stuff like this since time immemorial. Cool stuff that no school "teacher" could ever hope to teach.
For fun, why don't you think about what it means to be a friend. Tell me if you think any of those attributes might maybe, just maybe, describe the role of a parent.
- "A person you know well and regard with affection and trust". Check.
- "One who provides assistance". Check.
- "Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth". Check.
- "Engage in mutually helping behavior". Check.
A good parent needs to wear many hats. "Authority Figure" is certainly one of them, but "Friend" is often more important. Confounding the matter is that different children need you to assume each parenting role in different concentrations. As well as at different ages for the same child.You'll understand when you get there. But in the meantime, please feel free to continue offering uninformed and unsolicited parenting advice to those who actually know what they are talking about. It's good for a laugh or two, and who doesn't like to laugh?
A good example is a family I know. Parents have had the same home, some careers, same everything since long before having kids. They had 3 boys, and all three have completely different lives now that they are all grown. One stayed close to home and is a chip off the old block, going into the same profession as his father. Another moved to Japan and has been bouncing around Japan and China ever since. And the third is in a mental institution.
The point? What worked for raising you may not work for raising someone else. Children are not little robotic extensions of their parents. Whatever your definition of "real parenting" might be might just drive one of your kids into an institution. You never know.
It's all relative, I guess.
Anyhow, "criminals", are not a protected class in any jurisdiction I am aware of. I have tenants of all different backgrounds, colors, races, whatever. But there is not a snowball's chance in hell I'd rent to your buddy. The last thing I need is violence in one of my buildings, and this guy clearly is a violence magnet. He's a member of a minimum of two protected classes, and I could and would legally reject him. I'd be professional about it, but ..yeah.. no way.
Check the fair housing laws in your locality! Some places have a list of protected classes a mile long (DC and Massachusetts, that means you) and you don't want to run afoul of fair housing. Expensive mistake.
Whether or not that ad is actually legal depends on your jurisdiction. "Undergrads", are not a protected class under federal law, but the Fair Housing Act allows localities to add more protected classes. "Student Status" is added by some localities, so in your jurisdiction, it may actually be illegal to discriminate against students in your ad copy. If "Student Status" is not a protected class, then the newspaper was just being a dick to you.
On the flip side, since this is a roommate situation, you are exempted from most sections of the Fair Housing Act.
IANAL, but I am a Landlord.
There was no discrimination. Everyone in that lab need to show ID after 11pm every 30 minutes. As a senior, I'm guessing he knew that.
I agree that the police used poor judgment in tasing the guy repeatedly, but the guy was intentionally escalating the situation in any way he possibly could manage. The police actually acted according to procedure, it turns out.
- What would you do if you forgot your ID and were asked to leave a building where ID was required? Personally, I would try to explain the situation and hope for the best. This guy threw a hissy fit at a fellow student.
- What would you do if you were informed that if you didn't leave (remember, this is a fellow student he's putting in this position here), the lab attendant actually is required to call the police and have you arrested for trespassing, so please just go home and get your ID? Personally, at that point I'd just leave. I mean, I'd be in the wrong here, and them's the breaks sometimes. This guy threw another hissy fit.
- What would you do when the police arrive? Personally, I wouldn't be there anymore, but if I was, I would apologize for the misunderstanding and leave. This guy threw yet another hissy fit.
- What would you do when the police try to arrest you for trespassing? Personally, I would comply. This guy tries to bolt.
- What would you do when the police again try to arrest you? This guy starts kicking and screaming and grabbing onto desks, computers, anything he can find (according to multiple eyewitnesses) and the grabs one of the cops. (this is where the first tazing happens).
- What would you do when the cops ask you (I shit you not... watch the video and count) 24 separate times to get up under threat of a second tasing? Let's say that furthermore, you were rendered unable to stand from the first tasing. Personally, I would say that I'm trying to stand but can't. This guy just continues his profanity-laced tirade without missing a beat, squirming and thrashing the whole time.
Look, my first reaction to reading this story was the same as everybody else's here. Why do the police need to shoot an unarmed student with a taser 5 times? What the heck were they trying to prove? But after reading several eyewitness accounts, this guy picked a fight with the cops and then decided he didn't like the result. He grabbed a cop and then flailed madly when they tried to arrest him. Only then was he tased. The next 4 tasings? It turns out they did comply with department policy. Personally, I don't agree with the department's policy of using tasers for pain-compliance, but the officers did conduct themselves in accordance with procedure.But the bottom line is this student put himself and everybody around him in a dangerous situation for absolutely no reason. That's right, no reason. The best part of the story is this asshole had his ID on him the entire time, according to one of his friends. Incredible.