Jim

Interesting it was the Patriot Act requirements on bank withdraw limits, which he helped pass, that tripped him up. Another GOP pedophile.

Saw a bumper sticker: I support my wife's habit; she's a teacher.

Great little tale.

he was making a joke humor is no longer a legit use of spray This is what happens. You're gone for a bit and they take your name of the memo routing list.

Ummm - since it was a "copy" maybe you could point out the "misquote". Sarcasm is out of style I guess

I think this actually is in the Democrat's platform this year, so you are correct!!

Can I come to your BBQ this weekend then? Likely better fud than mine!!

You're making stuff up again. Check the latest CBO findings: Just the Facts Please Funny thing those facts. And unless you are making more than $218k a year there are no extra taxes due to Obamacare - unless of course you choose not to get health care (and mooch off the rest of us when you get hurt). So no, this claim is a bit Foxy. And just how do propose Obama has shuffled around the so-called deduction limits without Congressional approval. Pull-up man, pull-up. Oh - and the tax rates are automatically adjusted each year to reflect the CPI - but you knew that - right?

Yea - that's easy to do when what is left in your lap is -- an unnecessary and budget-blowing middle east entanglement and, oh yea -- the TARP and such. If you haven't noticed the deficit has actually been going down under Obama. AND - did you notice that the Bushies had that interesting trick of putting the cost of their foreign misadventures "off the budget" I always thought that was quite creative - cause a multi-trillion dollar unnecessary war and added it under the column heading of "doesn't count" in the budget leger. Brilliant!

I always thought tax and spend was better than borrow and spend anyway.

he seems to be missing the basic point, and I'm stumped as to how to make it simpler about 2$ a month is deducted from my paycheck and goes to a state-based organization called WEA-PAC - they use that to pay lobbyists, interview candidates, issue recommendations (political action as commonly understood) - I have no access to that money and limited ability to say what it'll be used for. about 14$ goes to my local union. I have complete access to that money (as a member of our executive board) and can do a great many things with it, non of which involve political action as it would commonly be understand. it funds scholarships, pays officer stipends, buys snacks for rep council meetings, pays for social events, etc. none of that 14$ gets punted up to the state-level. I understand this because I'm simple.

So, to get back to my question - you're saying there is double-entry book-keeping going on - that the union really is not keeping track of the local money and the PAC money separately? Kinda like the Teamsters? Interesting air argument. Any facts to back it up?

Ummm, but there is no mechanism for transferring fees from the local to the state organization - so this marginal cost extension works how?

In my industry we have to hire more and more folks who have immigrated because we have to. I'm not as optimistic as you about our system. I don't know if I'm overly optimistic - but I'm hopeful that the coming generations will gain enough job skills to be gainfully employed and help support the Social Security system as I near and enter into retirement!

I'm sure someone in a restaurant upon hearing my conversation, whispers to their companion - "old fart". Despite the increasing learning challenges I've hired 3 exceedingly bright ecologists over the past year who have excellent field, computer, people, and writing skills. So something good is still going on.

Not to belabor a point - but I didn't say anything about "elite" postings. Let's not turn this into another sprayfest. I'll leave it at this - the inundation of media has indeed changed how we obtain information on climibing/skiing - sometimes this is good - other times it seems folks want a breadcrumb trail. But, IMHO - the "experience sharing" often times feels like less of that and more of "I'm awesome, look what I did" -- The availability of the options for self promotion (see my link to my webpage, etc) are quite endless these days. And you are correct - without that driver this website wouldn't exist. But in the grand scheme of things, besides some revenue streaming, it wouldn't matter much would it?

Interesting that you bring up that subject. And again, my experience is limited to what it is - but the teachers where I volunteer have noticed a shift in the past 10 years. For instance - the mean seems to have shifted regarding the ability to write a coherent 5 page paper in middle school. Sure there were always the tails of the bell curve, but ITO the bell has moved. Today the kids can write a decent paragraph or several - but being able to string together a few big thoughts into a stepwise progression of an essay seems more challenging for them. Maybe Ivan has insights over his tenure.

Everyone has I preference I suppose - I've met plenty of youngsters in the local hills or climbing in Europe and S.A. that I'd give a thumbs up to. Then again, they seemed more interested in actually doing things than reporting about it. To each their own.

I'd say this is one of the largest frustrations for teachers - the constantly moving guidelines. But despite these hurdles the teachers are doing remarkable work - IMO.

Yawn. Having a spouse as a teacher and volunteering about 8 hrs a week in the school with parents, aids, and other volunteers I'd say I have some level of insight into what exactly goes on day-to-day in school. Hack away at the pension and 403b contributions - it is what it is dude. Now - your angry insights into what teachers do every day comes from what exactly. Oh yea - the Foxy channel.

Maybe, or maybe not. Another apparent requirement of today's climber is to post, or it never happened. Frankly, the me, me, me, look at me is a bit tiresome. Oh, and you can see more of me on this link to my blog, my Facebook, twitter, or my Instagram postings. I used to post climbing odds and ends but rarely do now - am I really providing any useful information - who the hell care about some 60 year old guy getting up another moderate Cascade route. I enjoy seeing the put-ups by folks like Freih or Ivan's occasional aid routes (never gonna do that!). But most of the blah, blah, blah, look at what I did this weekend is what it is. Judging someone via their trip posts? Sigh.

After work, home at 6pm, staying up until 1am, driving, lectures, library time, driving, reading, writing, and getting back up for work at 6am--like those of us in the private sector do. Like I did. Again, why do teachers think they are above the rest of us? It's truly an insulated world they have created for themselves. because those times you mentioned are times they are preparing for the next day and grading yesterdays homework. I think FW just likes spinning out these fantasies. The reality - during the walkout yesterday my teacher spouse spent it grading - 10 hrs worth. In school at 7:10 as usual, will not leave until about 8:00 with after school meetings. More of the same

Yea. Another straw dog. Some loser clown who taught for a while who thought the job meant slacking. Good ridence- was likely pushed. Who would go into such a profession and do that? Be bored outbof their skull and bore the kids. Lame, but I'm sure you can get Fox to make it a lead. And somehow you managed to not include my reply - nice editing

This is total bullshit, Jim. You admitted your wife entered the teaching system after coming over from another career. Do you really expect your wife would receive a full pension for slightly more than half tenure? As you know, pensions typically follow a geometric curve that heavily favors the later years. It is safe to assume this too was part of your wife's calculus when she changed careers. Why complain about it now? Will she collect a pension from her former career? Again, if so, your complaint is even more disingenuous. Dude chill. This isn't a complaint. We're happy as larks. You set up the strawmen, we knock 'em down. Maybe you would find more life fulfillment with a new career...............maybe teaching? I'm seeing a pattern here. 1.) Lie about wife's salary and pension. 2.) Lie about the lies. 3.) Use the words "Dude" and "chill" repeatedly to minimize the blush factor. Actually looked into teaching a while back. It turns out that surrounding myself with 2.9 and under folks who push the play button on a VCR five or six times a day was a fantasy I just could not abide. Maybe getting chosen last in kickball all the time just soured you in general. I dunno. The vast majority of teachers I know care about their kids and their responsibilities. Your roundhouse angry generalizations indicate a distinct lack of any experience with teachers. Volunteer for a school year and then tell us about the slackers.

there's a reason conservatives ain't so common amongst teach-tards - the knee-jerk "spare the rod" mantra just don't translate well into public policy at 745 in the a.m. ................while facing young 'ins with only coffee in your system. I make the sign of the cross whenever a teacher's name is mentioned