Jim

The U.S. actually had a leg up on the fledgling solar industry when Carter gave them some decent subsidies to get started and tax incentives. That all cratered when Regean came in and axed that program. The industry then went overseas to China, Germany, and Japan where the government saw the larger picture, the need for alternative energy, and the benefits of expanding manufacturing into new arenas. What a concept.

It was an iteresting talk. You're certainly not going to see a world class athelete in some other area (biking, football, whatever) give a talk for free with an audience of 50. He seems like a decent guy, willing to chit-chat with us mortals. BTW jondavidjr, keep it in spray.

One of the other challenges of public schools is they have to take everyone, as it should be. My wife's classes of 32 (up from last year)has "mainstreamed" Aesberger Syndrome kids, kids with some language challenges, and a range from kids who excell to kids who really struggle. I help tutor these kids and there is no way they can get the attention they need without volunteer help. Private schools pay crap and can say "no thanks" to the problem kids or those with special needs.

Here's some quotes from the charmer. Guy will say anything for ratings, laughing all the way to the bank. It is amazing though that corporate America seems to still love him. Same motivation. 1. I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark. 2. You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed. 3. Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson? 4. Right. So you go into Darfur and you go into South Africa, you get rid of the white government there. You put sanctions on them. You stand behind Nelson Mandela — who was bankrolled by communists for a time, had the support of certain communist leaders. You go to Ethiopia. You do the same thing. 5. Look, let me put it to you this way: the NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it. 6. The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies. 7. They’re 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares? 8. Take that bone out of your nose and call me back(to an African American female caller). 9. I think the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. They’re interested in black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well. I think there’s a little hope invested in McNabb and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he really didn’t deserve. 10. Limbaugh attacks on Obama. Limbaugh has called Obama a ‘halfrican American’ has said that Obama was not black but Arab because Kenya is an Arab region, even though Arabs are less than one percent of Kenya. Since mainstream America has become more accepting of African-Americans, Limbaugh has decided to play against its new racial fears, Arabs and Muslims. Despite the fact Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law school, Limbaugh has called him an ‘affirmative action candidate.’ Limbaugh even has repeatedly played a song on his radio show ‘Barack the Magic Negro’ using an antiquated Jim Crow era term for black a man who many Americans are supporting for president. Way to go Rush.

So after a climb me and my partner are sitting on moraine outside Camp Bridwell watching the scenery after dinner. We notice a woman down at the lake throwing rocks at an iceberg that has floated down near the stream outlet and is stuck. After 15 minutes we had to find out the scoop and go down. We ask what she is doing. Well - she has a 15 yr old bottle of single malt back and the tent and needs ice!

Definately prefer the black flag role.

Just kinda cracks me up, speaking of going hungry and wanting, just kinda as practice, then kicking it back at the condo. And who goes and pays for this pop-physco stuff anyway. Jeeesh. Everyone has to find a way to make money I suppose.

You don't have enough tatoos and lack a fixie. You're a pseudo-hipster.

99% of coders must be smoking crack - at least that's how it seems from the shit I've seen over the years. I'd have to do it to put up with such a mind-numbing job.

How profound. Some well-to-do hipster speaking to the same.

The rangers are pretty paranoid about scammers, rightly so. What I would suggest is typing out a note saying they are your buddies, scanning this with your drivers license at the bottom, make a pdf and sent it to your friend. Seems that would be reasonable proof.

Well, not that bad.

...or your wife, I gather. Why, exactly, did the missus recently depart? While most of your posts are just laughable. This one shows a distnict lack of class. whereas you have no comment about ttk's post which instigated the comment by FW. how even-handed of you Here's the full analysis. FW brings up the kid thing, again, and TV says no thanks, especially to yours. Borderline, yes. The retort: slimy and he knows it.

...or your wife, I gather. Why, exactly, did the missus recently depart? While most of your posts are just laughable. This one shows a distnict lack of class.

Dang, trotting out this perennial photo of the past is the only thing the club can do? Lame. I wonder how many times a day Ichiro wishes he was on a real team.

Better yet - read just about any post by a frequent liberal poster on spray Not getting it. What quote from a poster here did you consider racist? The sarcastic remark about brown people? Have to agree with Ivan here -

Makes you feel as if you tripped and fell down the rabbit hole when the such arguments are put forth. Turn on any talk radio station for a dose of the not so subtle racism, or visit one of the recent tea party rallies.

But after having been up there twice recently I'd say that there are many more objective hazards on the way up to Camp Hazard than the mild walk up to Muir, depending on how you get up there. The hike past Comet Falls and then up the ridge and snow fields is straight forward, going across the Nisqually and the Wilson will put you on steeper terrain and you have to deal with some rock moats and crevasses.

Recent performance by US students in math and science is better than you portray. Not great, but not awful either. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2009/analysis/ We're on par with some countries in Europe, but consistently beat out by Hong Kong, Japan, China, and Taiwan. Do I want to mimic the eastern Asian role - I don't think so, but there is room for improvement. The best predictor of school performance in this country is the percentage of kids in a school that are on the free/reduced lunch program. Work with students, as a teacher or volunteer, and the extreme influence of poverty on academic achievement becomes crystal clear. Is it impossible to be of lower economic status and do well in school? Certainly not. But it does impose quite a barrier. Teachers have the kids 6 hours a day and can't compete with a lousy home environment that doesn't support kids. Rather than putting an emphasis on smoke and mirrors such as NCLB - which adds mandates and no finances for implementation, I'd like to see some real money go into building stronger inner city communities instead of some new Petagon toy research. Just saying.

I imagine that this thread, on such an innocuous subject, will be tame in comparison to the coming health care thread. I don't even think socialism was mentioned here!

In general, I just think the rightwing is pissed that they got trounced in the last election and is willing to go ape-sh** on any issue, no matter how idiotic they look. Still playing the base and desperate to make sure Obama has no success. The party of no has no ideas left. As far as brain-washing kids - they have a much more independent thought process than you give them credit.

My biggest concern about Bushie addressing kids was not that he would infuse them with some right-wing nutjob agenda but that they might similarly slaughter the language.

Not sure how anyone without a lobotomy can argue for deregulation after the recent spectacular crater.

Having just gone through the death of my best friend and climbing buddy for 20 years (brain cancer), I'd have to say that the Hospice folks were among the best health professionals I've ever come across. And they were a godsend to his folks, where he spent the last 6 months of his life.

You're kidding - right? Hopefully my irony meter is not working.