mcjeff215

Sadgasm.

I tend to think we're becoming more like steelworkers (software engineers, at least).

Back in Black?

No Sh*t. Where the hell did you go to school?

Yeah, I agree. I think the South Park otter episode kind of sums it up, though. If it wasn't religion, it would be something else.

I'm not Captain Christianity by any stretch of the imagination, but that's a gross generalization.

See, I believe marriage is that cut and dry. This isn't to most people. If all life is sacred, then many believe the government should step in and protect the lives of the unborn, just as they would protect you or I with legislation. Why should you be able to "kill" someone just because they're fully dependent on you? By that logic, one can off grandma because she's not wanted? The flip side is to admit that unborn life holds a lesser place? Or perhaps it's more of a question of a parent deciding what to do for their child and making a very, very difficult medical decision? Akin to "go ahead with the transplant or not?" As a Catholic, though, do you believe in penance and absolution of sin? Isn't that a "get out of hell free" card for women that have had abortions? I'm a Catholic myself, do don't take the "Get out of hell free card" comment as an attack. Personally, I have no idea what the hell should be done about it. Quite honestly, I see it either way. It's probably better for it to be legal, though. For reasons outside of the religious circles.

Yeah... I understand that argument, I just think that there are ways to isolate them from society and render them harmless.

Yeah, I hear you. Makes the "pro-life" side look a bit wacky. I really dislike the "pro-life" an "pro-choice" terminology. The "pro-life" term infers that there is also a "pro-death" side. No one is *for* abortion. It sucks regardless of the side one choses. The only thing that I find odd about the debate is how so many "pro-life" people are also in favor of the death penalty. Isn't all human life sacred? I personally find both practices rather barbaric.

Yeah but you guys are in Texas!! Sounds like a great place, though. Ha, that reminds me, too... they had us sign all of these really restrictive non-compete agreements over the last few weeks. Stupid restrictive. The corp. lawyer actually told me, "it's so we can decide what you do and not you." Usually there's some sort of compensation associated with this type of agreement. Cut to the last 10Q. We've added a big asset to the goodwill account. Yup. Employee non-compete. Glad I got something for that. To top it off. If I leave, I don't get paid for my vacation. But the way they've designed the system, I can go in the negative. If my vacation balance is negative when I quit, they dock me! Yup. They owe me nothing if I leave with a balance, but they cut my final check short if I leave negative. Now that I type this out... I guess they *are* pretty ridiculously cheap, eh? $0.50 slots on the coffee machines in the near future, too.

Sorry to hear that... The profitability thing is what bothers me. Not only are we profitable, we're buying other companies, paying executive bonuses and raises (30% or so per), and opening a new building. We're not even close to the red. We're actively and aggressively growing.

I really go out of my way to avoid the "they're just trying to screw us" argument. In my head, it's more of a question of value. At the end of the day, which decision is monetarily correct for shareholders? That's what they're paid to decide. Does it make more sense to squeeze at the benefits level? Or, does the "happy employees are more productive, therefore..." argument hold more water? In this scenario, it seems the decision has been made. It's just to say that we've made a record profit, and then to continue to decimate benefits? Doesn't that effectively say that the workforce isn't going to reap the rewards of a successful organization? As they're blaming the cuts on the economy, I was curious as to whether anyone else is running into the same problem. Cut "because of", but successful "in spite of." Seems that both sides of the mouth are saying different things.

Hey gang... quick question... So, over the past year, the company I work for has decimated our benefits. I pay over $200 every two weeks for myself and my family. No out of network, cut our FSA from 5k to 1k, big deductible, always increasing co-pay. We've dropped POS & HMO and just have some stripped down PPO option now. They're talking about doing away with that next year altogether and just offering a pair of minimal plans. We just sat through a meeting where they told us we're using our benefits too much and have to call nurses first, exercise more (they pulled gym memberships 6 months ago without telling us... we just got bills from the gym, or worse yet, were denied entrance), put off going to the doctor when self service routes are available. They're blaming all of this on the "state of the economy." Sure. But the catch is? We posted a record profit last quarter and beat guidance. This whole thing sounds kind of, well, crappy to me. They're telling us they're trying to keep our benefits competitive with the industry. Now, my question. *Is* this due to the economy? Are all of you experiencing the same problem? I'm a college educated computer engineer with 10 years of experience. This doesn't sound like it's par for the course? Is it? My gut tells me they're using the economy as an excuse.

I had a dog that started to do this and it turned out she had bladder stones. Might be worth getting that checked. Ended up having surgery to remove them. I've a Siberian now that does that once a week or so, usually because I forgot to take her out before bed.

This article is wrong.... this guy isn't a "Dad" at all. Edit... "Mendoza and the child's 23-year-old mother, Desirae Marie Bermudez, were charged with being under the influence of PCP in 2006 and pleaded no contest to child cruelty charges in that case, court records show" Why the hell was the boy even with his biological parents after that one?

Not safe for work at all... but I've found this guy pretty funny as of late... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXYrThC3N3I

Yeah, isn't that ridiculous? Save them the paper, the print cost, and the shipping and they charge more for them? It's even selected as the default option because it's "more convenient". I get them mailed to me as well for the same reason.

I've an old Wild Turkey (the Rare stuff) thing that I keep them all in. It's packed to the top. Concert tickets, boarding passes, you name it.. all in there. Every one of 'em!

Tickets are stupid cheap from what I understand... 600-800 from LAX. Friend of mine in Melbourne just had her 30th. If we had known about it a couple weeks earlier we would have just surprised her.

Awesome... I've got some great friends in the Melbourne 'burbs. Kilsyth/Croydon/Lilydale/Mooroolbark. Bring home a pile of frozen Dim Sims. I haven't found those guys anywhere around here!

My condolences. Congratulations. The woman and I hit 10 years in February. Once we got past about 5, it got easier. Also glad to hear the son-in-law clicks!

That's terrible. A friend of my wife was seriously hurt a week ago due to a teenage girl yapping on her phone. The girl crossed the double yellow and hit her head on. She's had three or four surgeries, lost a 20 week pregnancy, and was just moved out of ICU. The teenager is trying to say a bee flew into her window just before the accident, which is an "Act of God", therefore removing any liability from her. Sounds like someone got a lawyer real quick. Her phone records have been subpoenaed. Georgia does have laws regarding accidents occurring while talking on the phone so I'm fairly confident she'll be charged with something. The worst part about it? This is nothing new. No one thinks about the tons of explosive metal they're in control of. I see it all. Books, crossword puzzles, make-up, telephones. While one can blame the teenager for the accident, you really have to point the finger at the fact that people generally see no harm in driving with so much distraction. Now, there is one good thing that did come of this. She's a teacher at a local high school. Now that all of the students have heard what happened, they've stopped talking while driving. Bringing it close to home has shown them that it really can "happen to them."

I can tell you some stories. I graduated High School in 1997 (Hamburg). Some of the girls coming up were just as bad as the boys. There's really no differentiation. Smoking, hitting the bong, drinking, mouthing off... you name it. It wasn't isolated to either one of the sexes. Fights as well. Middle school is usually harder than high school. It's the transition from childhood to real adolescence. In other words, you still really want to hug your daddy when you get home, but you don't want your friends to know that. You're describing my middle school career. Early high school for that matter. I just about failed everything. I was blowing off classes in 7th and 8th grade. I was a total bastard. They did just about everything to "fix" me. Scared straight programs, NYS mandated alcohol classes, extracurricular activities, you name it. I was quite a bit worse than your average middle school kid. Two things made me get it. Well, three. First, I finally understood I wasn't "special." I couldn't just do whatever it was that I wanted to. After high school, there was no path laid out for me. If I didn't address it, I'd be delivering pizza at 40. Second, there were a couple people in my life that I really just didn't want to disappoint. People other than my parents. And third? Everyone grows out of it. In middle school, everyone laughs when you zing a spitball across the front of the room. In high school? Your peers look at you like you're some kind of freak. All in all, none of what "they" did helped. I had to learn it on my own. I'm still that way and my wife hates it. She'll give me advice all day long, but I won't act on it until I've learned for myself. I guess there's no real advice buried in there, rather a reassurance that even the biggest troublemakers turn out okay. It's really your call. I wouldn't do it myself. I don't know nearly enough about child psychology, education, or subject specifics. I can tell her to read a chapter and write a paper, but I'm kidding myself if I remember the first thing about Chemistry,Martin Luther, or The Reconstruction. I'd get her involved in school music programs, coach her toward the right group of friends, and work with the school to give her the best shot.

I've two kids, one is two and one is just about eight. That's enough experience to know that they really go through some serious phases. It's hard to know what they'll be interested in three months from now, let alone four or five years ahead. You said your daughter is in eighth grade. That's middle school territory. Consider that it's one of the most difficult times for a kid. Also remember that at the end of this school year, she'll (probably?) be going into a new school. She's struggling with finding an identity, fitting in, and pleasing you and other authority figures all at the same time. I don't mean any disrespect, but she's far to young for the "no college" decision. Far to young. When I was in eighth grade, I couldn't wait to be done with school so I could become a punk musician. When I was a junior in high school, I was hunting medical schools. I wound up going the computer science route. My grades were god awful in middle school, simply because I was too young to care about them. Also, remember that any change in the school habit is going to throw her for a loop. She'll miss friends, routines, and the experience. Probably much like moving away, though slightly more frustrating as everyone she's known since around elementary school are still right up the road. Lastly, seriously weigh her chances of success in the music business. Sure, she's great. I'm sure she's probably absolutely wonderful. The problem is, there are a lot of other absolutely wonderful young singers out there. Very very few of them make a living doing it. Quite honestly, I'd put as much focus as I could on the school work and leave the music as a secondary. Statistically speaking, she's going to have to rely on that education more than the musical talent. If she's really into it, she can go forward with a music education, get involved in school orchestra, and really find her niche that way. That gives you more of a symbiotic relationship between the two; one doesn't have to suffer for the other. I hope that helps. If nothing else, it puts my spin on it! (All that said, there's nothing wrong with home schooling at all in my opinion. There are groups you can join to keep the social aspect up and get involved in sports. It's a big decision, though.)

I like that idea. Combat the isolation up front and try to make kids feel wanted. I moved to GA with about 4 months left in my senior year of high school. A student had commited suicide during an economics class at the school I transferred into. All of the carpet in that building was blue, except for that one room, where the brilliant school officials installed light purple. How's that for a daily reminder of what happened? I remember noticing the carpet but I didn't know why it was that way until after I had graduated. A couple years after that, another kid died after being punched by some kid that was bullying him at the same school. The father of the student that commited suicide actually wound up getting a law passed that criminalizes bullying.