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rethomas's comments:
on Bomb Plot in Portland
Yeah, I did read it before submitting... several times... Every culture, religion, etc. (my own included) has a responsibility to the rest of the world to ensure it's citizens find a way to coexist... some do better than others, some not, some are still figuring it out.
As to the Turnidges (sp?), they are on trial for murder in their culture, could they have been stopped in advance if the people around had stepped in? Absolutely... a clear miss.
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on Bomb Plot in Portland
If a representative of the Somali community joins the show, please ask them what they are doing to actively police their people/culture.
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on Bomb Plot in Portland
I'm sure entrapment will be argued, but the Fed's have a lot of experience setting up stings... which is one of the reasons I think this was allowed to continue for so long... to obtain airtight evidence and to ensure a crime was clearly committed.
I agree that it may seem "cheap", but there's a second (perhaps longer term) way to look at this... if your average would-be terrorist can't be sure of the people around her, can't be sure that this isn't another sting, then she may be less likely to proceed. It will have little to no effect on the hardcore cadres.
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on All About Gratitude
I'm grateful for:
A tolerant wife; a wicked-smart and healthy son; a helpful mother-in-law; parents who raised me by constantly challenging me to achieve; good neighbors and a fulfilling career.
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on Black Friday
Politics aside... No thanks to BF. My goal this year is to see if I can complete 100% of my holiday shopping online.
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on Math Appeal
I hated math thru high school... that didn't turn around until my first year at university, all it took was one teacher who made math fun and taught in a simple, practical manner for me to unlock the door to advanced math... math has been a joyful challenge ever since. It was then that I realized that the general problem with math wasn't the student, but the teacher.
Most math teachers I've had (thru calculus in hi-school and ~48 units at university) fell into two broad buckets:
1) They didn't know the material and couldn't explain it for toffee.
2) They knew the material well (maybe too well), but couldn't explain it if their life depended on it... these are the ones who would look at me like I was the village idiot because to them the path to the solution was intuitively obvious.
I've had exactly one who was different and without him my career (and life) would have been fundamentally different.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Missoula Floods Revisited
Many cultures include a global flood legend (ex: Genesis, there are others too)... any thoughts on the part of your guests as to whether these catastrophic floods may be the source of these legends (or how they might play into these legends)?
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on A Mighty Wind in Union County
"I like that idea but the anti-government folks would fight it as "socialism'"
All you have to do is label Union County a Survivalist Retreat (Haven, whatever) and start up a militia to get around that concern... ;-)
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Turnidge Trial
" I have never heard any twisted 'shouting of fire' on conservative radio that encourages killing police officers."
Then you must have missed G. Gordon Liddy's advice to shoot low when the police break into your home to take away your guns... at the time (~1995) police body armor didn't cover their manly-bits.
I only bring this up as a number of readers may have missed the "cowboy years" of talk radio.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Turnidge Trial
You make a good point here... I noticed that I became a lot less angry when I stopped listening to talk radio in the mid 90's... from the left or right, it didn't matter, listening to either left me angry as they all seemed intent on polarizing me... I finally got tired of it all and stopped paying attention to virtually all broadcast media (to this day, aversion therapy).
I still don't trust government... but not in the extreme. ;-)
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Turnidge Trial
"In some ways they all have in common a poor science, math and engineering education."
I worry less about an angry uneducated person than an angry educated person... I'd rather face uneducated folk and the bomb they made in their garage than an amplified virus an educated person made in their kitchen with their Easy-Bake Virus kit.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on College For Profit?
"(Calculus, which I seriously doubt I'll Ever use)"
Hi PFE, if you're like me, you probably won't... I too was a non-traditional student a few years ago... I never did find a position in my field, I found something better. Calculus and all the other advanced math I slogged through taught me how to approach, comprehend and solve complex abstract problems. My technical degree was simply a way to get my foot in the door... from there I worked my buns off and followed the path with the best opportunites.
It's not easy, it's hard(!)... but testing ourselves against hard things is how we grow... you're a smart person, you can do it too.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Foot Traffic
My observation of pedestrians is that as long as the light is in their direction they are generally oblivious to traffic (talking to friends, texting, OTP or into their music) and rely on motorists to obey the law for protection.
Having been a pedestrian in a number of foreign countries, where crossing the street can be a test of nerve, I've learned never to trust motorists and treat every crosswalk with the same level of alertness as if I were trying to cross a freeway. My safety is my responsibility, going up against a car I lose every time.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on College For Profit?
I'd like to know how for-profits compare to public and private universities on the following points:
1) The percentage of grads who found positions in their fields.
2) The average time it took for grads to find psoitions in their fields.
3) The average debt-load of grads.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on The Congressional Races
While I can't speak for others, I value responsiveness in my representatives and Senator Wyden is all of that for me.
If there were a single issue to which I'd like to hear a response, it would be as to when we'll repair the recent health-care bill to control costs... we need nationalized health care... the patchwork we have is a miserable compromise for political expediency. If health care is to be a key piece of our national infrastructure then it needs to be put on a not-for-profit basis.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Philosophy of Taxes & Spending
Would it be possible to have one of the guests outline how much of the Federal budget goes to Defense, Entitlements and "everything else"?
Wild Idealism: I'd feel a lot better about paying taxes if I genuinely felt I had some say as to where the money goes... maybe 10-20 options on my tax form to which I could assign percentages... would be an interesting exercise in direct democracy, one arguably more valuable than my vote.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Multnomah County Elections
I like that idea Tom... maybe extend it to an "adopt a taxpayer" theme like we do with overseas troops... have each student write a thank you note to a taxpayer... sure would make me feel less like I'm pouring my earnings into a black hole... could even extend the idea to all receiving entitlements :-)
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Philosophy of Taxes & Spending
I've voted Democrat, Republican and for some other parties if I felt the best represented my interests at the time.
Looking back on my life, I grew up in a Democratic household, became a Republican when I started making decent money and grew frustrated that my personal success only drove the government's hand deeper into my pocket and finally settled as an independent when I finally realized that neither side of the aisle was terribly competent with either taxation or spending. Now I vote based on my income... if increases stay ahead of proposed taxation I'm perfectly willing to share, otherwise not.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Equal Protection for Sexual Minorities?
What I'm saying Penny is that I don't care if you get it on with a 1972 Pinto in your spare time... it's none of my (nor anyone elses) business... but I also don't want to have to listen to you extol it's virtues... the same reason I don't open the door for religious groups when they come knocking.
Second, I think the original comments to this article mentioned something about special protections, hence my comment. That said, I don't believe we need special protections when we're all supposed to have the same protections and rights under the constitution... if they aren't being enforced then let's address that question.
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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on Equal Protection for Sexual Minorities?
As long as an individual isn't proselytizing whatever it is they are or believe in it doesn't matter what they do in private, but I'm against adding yet another group to the growing laundry list of protected groups (or adding another layer of protection).
posted 2 years, 7 months ago
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