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slakr007's comments:
on Future of Public Higher Ed
1-2% of their income for the rest of their lives?
That's a great idea! I will do even better, though. I am willing to pay 13%. Yep, 13%. And, even better, I already do because I am two tax brackets higher than the average person that funded my education.
And you know what, I work hard too. Do not talk down to people with degrees because you think they "played" through school and do not "work hard" after graduating.
My job may be different than your's, but don't act like you are a better person because you didn't "play" through school.
If medical science ever changes your life or the life of someone close to you, think of me, the contributions that I, engineers like me, and the companies we work for have made to medical science. ...and remember that we all pay a crap load more in taxes now.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on Future of Public Higher Ed
This entire system rests on the backs of working people, many of whom may not even have the need of a university education.
No, that's quite wrong. I will admit that I went to school on a publicly funded scholarship, but I pay that back through a higher tax bracket. And that's why I am perfectly fine with not only taxes, but a graduated tax scale as well.
Oh, and stop using the loaded phrase "working person" as if not having a degree makes you a better person.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on Future of Public Higher Ed
How would you measure that?
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on Future of Public Higher Ed
If primary and secondary education is a right, how is a university education not a right?
I certainly would not mind seeing college sports go away, but getting rid of everything "not directly related to a degree program" is not as simple as it seems. I have no problem providing pools and gyms for students. Also, remember that a lot of amenities and activities are funded, at least in part, by fees paid by students.
While you might not see any value in Sociology, English, History, or Art degrees, I do...and I am an engineer. What I think you are really want is for our society to stop requiring such degrees for relatively basic jobs (I used a Gap store manager as an example).
That requires strengthening primary and secondary education so that universities no longer have to deal with students that are there simply because the bachelor degree is the new high school diploma.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on Future of Public Higher Ed
I am not sure anyone does guarantee a college education.
You are right, though, if you just hand out degrees, you will need a bachelors to work at McDonalds. And, that is happening to some degree now because primary and secondary education, on average, is not strong enough to meet the requirements for some relatively basic jobs.
Ideally, primary and secondary education would be strong enough to educate people well enough to live comfortable, productive lives thereby reducing the load on universities since people no longer have to get a Sociology degree to be managers at Gap.
From there, I would just make public universities free (save maybe activity fees, housing, etc.).
I have nothing but respect for people that work and earn a degree, but why should you have to do that? Think about how much more challenging you could make, say, an engineering degree if you didn't have to work around students that have to work to pay for their education. You could probably produce students with bachelors degrees comparable to masters degrees.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on The Inner Lives of Boys
I am not going to take offense to you accusing my mother of domestic violence. Instead, I am just going to let it slide knowing that you have a very incomplete understanding of my upbringing.
It should suffice to say that she and my father were incredibly nurturing, supportive, loving, and just exuded positive reinforcement. Without their support, I would be the person I am today...a person of which I and they are proud.
Just for the record, I said know she would slap me for disrespecting her. I cannot remember the last time she did. That level of punishment was few and far between.
Just this past weekend I watched a mother in Target try to use "positive reinforcement" to stop her 4-6 year old son from screaming some incredibly nasty things at her. Considering I could hear the kid screaming at her throughout the store for the entire hour I was there, I would call that ineffective.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on The Inner Lives of Boys
Not that simply beating your children is OK, but I have actually seen exactly the opposite. More and more, I see parents trying to reason with their very young children.
For instance, even today (I am 30), if I were to show my mother ANY disrespect...OR, and this even more import, show ANYONE ELSE disrespect...she would think nothing of slapping me hard across the face in public. That was true 10 years ago, it was true 20 years ago, and true 30 years ago.
Punishment was always swift, but it was also ALWAYS fair and consistent. A slap and two weeks without TV, Nintendo, computer, etc. Period. Two weeks to the hour, every time. I was never let off early.
What I see now are kids screaming and yelling at their parents in restaurants, stores, etc. while the parents try to ASK them to calm down.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on The Inner Lives of Boys
Oops, all of my point references are off by 1 after Point 4.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on The Inner Lives of Boys
If you take away pornography and guns, I will have nothing to do on Saturday night.
Seriously, though, pornography can be a very valuable part, in many different ways, of very strong, healthy relationships.
I can't argue that society would be better off without guns, but getting rid of them is never going to happen. Guns are facilitators anyway, they are not the actual problem.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on The Inner Lives of Boys
Yes, the Jessica Lynch thing was very telling about our society. Not only are women more valuable than men, white women are more valuable than black women.
Does anybody remember Shoshana Johnson?
Honestly, though, I think the backlash against boys/men in media and business is more overcompensation than anything.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on The Inner Lives of Boys
Point 1: The "society is rotting" thing is unsubstantiated. There was no past "golden age" when society was perfect. In fact, overall, every new day is an improvement in human history.
Points 2 & 3: Agreed, but, as you say, that does not apply just to boys.
Point 4: Causation does not directly follow correlation. It is equally plausible that already violent children are attracted to violent movies/games as it is that violent movies/games instill violence in children. Further, I would argue that violent movies/games provide safe outlets for violent children.
Points 5 & 6: This has always been true, but I would say to a much much lesser extent these days.
Point 7: Goes with points 2 & 3.
Point 8: I would be willing bet this is more true for girls, honestly.
Point 9: Firearms are less available today than they ever have been in history. Besides, aggression is a aggression, it will be expressed regardless of the availability of firearms. Go after the aggression, not firearms.
Point 10: This is pretty lazy. Women have more status and respect than they ever have in history despite freely and widely available pornography.
Point 11: Maybe, but some studies are showing that boys/men have a greater desire now than ever to "nest".
Point 12: This has always been true.
posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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on Cuts to Corrections
@ DeniseW
Hey! It worked out OK for Australia; they are a world power now!
I'm kidding.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on Cuts to Corrections
I guess I am too late with this, but it seems to mostly contradict the CVU's claims.
[http://www.das.state.or.us/DAS/OEA/docs/prison/index_crime_oregon.pdf]
Page 7 shows Oregon's violent crime rate as much less than the national rate and shows an overall decreasing trend. There was an increase between '75 and '79, a huge dip between '79 and '82, an increase between '82 and '85, a steady decrease through the mid-80's and mid-90's, and finally a massive drop from '95-'01.
The increases in the late 70's and early 80's are nowhere near the 700% claim by the CVU.
Further, focusing on localized increases/decreases is disingenuous when the overall trend is much lower than the national trend and (like the national trend) showing an amazing overall decline.
The rest of the statistics in the report and encouraging as well. All of them show overall declines in crime. And, I doubt very seriously you could attribute any of that to one specific thing, let alone to an increase in incarceration.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on Cuts to Corrections
Agreed. We added a similar requirement to the Florida constitution. Any proposed amendment to the Florida constitution has to include a financial impact statement, prepared by an independent group within the state government, on the ballot itself.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on Cuts to Corrections
Steve Doell asked: "What's the problem with increasing the budget by $2B?"
The problem is: it is a never ending cycle that perpetually increases costs and does not solve the problem.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on Cuts to Corrections
Steve Doell assumes that prisons serve the public good.
More and more research shows that they do not. People imprisoned for non-violent crimes are more likely to commit a violent crime after being released. In other words, prison tends to instill violence rather than rehabilitate. How is that useful?
I would also like to know the source of his 700% increase statistic. The FBI considered a 2.5% increase in 2005 a "surge". I would like to know how the FBI would describe a 700% increase.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on Cuts to Corrections
Budget cuts to prisons first imply that potentially violent and recidivist criminals will be released back into the relatively low-crime environment of today
Not necessarily. In 2007, arrests for just marijuana possession alone (no violence involved, simply possession) outnumbered the arrests for all violent crimes by a slightly less than 300,000 (872,720 vs. 597,447).
I am totally fine with releasing 872,720 people who are in jail for simply possessing marijuana. That's just expensive and serves no purpose.
[http://www.drugwarfacts.org/]
The cure remains the elimination of the causes of fear, ignorance, poverty and suffering. Education and opportunity are necessary for the development of a worthy society.
Agreed 100%. This is why Thomas Jefferson was an outspoken advocate of public education and why I support it very strongly.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on The Curse of the Good Girl
I hate religion as much as the next guy, but I would make the argument that religion is just a tool for oppression. You can't blame religion for oppression anymore than you can blame a gun for killing someone. However, religion, like a gun, just makes it so easy.
Now that I just made that statement, I find it interesting that I have the Old & New Testaments and the Qur'an on my bookshelf, and collectable assault rifles and handguns in a safe Yet, I do not really believe in either. It's like my own little collection of the worst parts of humanity.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on The Curse of the Good Girl
@ Daniel L
Well, I have to admit that I am just going by the summary. For some reason, I cannot listen to the live stream today.
"Myopic" may have been strong, but something about the summary just did not jive with me. I guess a more accurate way to put it is that it felt like we were approaching the discussion as a one-sided problem, i.e. it is a womens' issue...period.
But, again, I cannot listen to the live stream. I am sure the actual discussion is much better.
I second your suggestion too, by the way.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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on The Curse of the Good Girl
...and it is perpetuated by the women I know more than the men I know.
My girlfriend and I had a similar discussion after the whole "scandal" with Lizzi Miller's photo in Glamour magazine. The interesting part of the hour BBC's "World Have Your Say" spent discussing it was that almost all of the vitriol and ire came from women. Men were mostly apathetic but, in many cases, supportive of the model.
I discussed this with my girlfriend, and we agreed that, while it may have been male dominance in the past, women have reached some critical mass and they are now in a chain reaction fueled by their own television, magazine, and fashion industries. Fashion and conformity is now a competition among women that has very little to do with attracting a mate.
Seriousness aside, I joked with her that it was actually a brilliant move by men. Now, we get the benefits of women striving to be perfect while also getting the benefits of being the good guys that are supportive and nurturing.
posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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