- On 14 Jun 2013
in
A Neocon Just Called for a False Flag Attack Against the United States of Americ,
AverageBear said:
Tell me, where do they hide the DieBold-Hurricane machine? Do they keep it in the warehouse in the movie 'Raiders of the Lost Ark?
Listen, for every 'Birther", there's a "9/11 was an inside job" nutball. For every Soros, there's a Koch Bro... Ya can't lose your mind over the flakes on both sides of the isle. I sure don't....
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
What's wrong with Education in America?,
AverageBear said:
Now- there is a catch-22 with spending on education. Everyone says they want good schools, yet time and again I've seen situations where a new tax or a new allocation for schools was proposed and then nothing happens because there is a public outcry over that additional cost. Here's the irony: WHAT is the very first thing that any family with children ask when they start looking to buy a house?
Ed, I understand this, as my town recently went through this battle. I went to the town meetings on this, and asked for a line item breakdown of the funding of the town's education costs. I specifically wanted to know the increase in administration (both headcount, and a % of the budget) compared to the increase of the student population. They wouldn't give me these #'s. When I asked what % of the increased cost that prompted the vote to exempt prop 2 1/2, would go towards administration, they wouldn't give me those #'s either. In pleasant double-speak they asked me to shut up, as they had more important topics to cover.
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
What's wrong with Education in America?,
AverageBear said:
I come from a long line of public school teachers. I'm actually one of the few in my family who didn't become one myself. So I have some wide-ranging and up close observations concerning education in the US in general.
The simple truth is that it isn't about Unions, students per classroom, no child left behind, or any of the other political talking points people bring up continuously. Want to know what it boils down to? Money.
Ed, no way. So do I. Many on both sides of my family (more on my Dad's side) were teachers in the NYC public school system. My Dad's biggest complaint was the unions. He was in the UFT, and yet did enjoy the benefits of membership during his retirement. He could have easily climbed the ranks into Superintendent and up, but he loved to teach, and did it for 40 years. His biggest gripe were the 'paper pushers' who really didn't have a clue on how to teach, what was really important; yet they wielded the most power in dictating to my Dad and others on how to teach. As the decades went by, these 'paper pushers' as a group grew in size, yet the school he taught in didn't get the attention in costs of infrastructure/sports/books/supplies. Plenty of money for the union 'paper pushers', but not for the kids. My Dad made decent $$ and wasn't a spendthrift. His Mom (my grandmother) was a teacher in the Bronx....... Another sad story...My aunt taught in a really crappy part of Queens (Bellrose?).... During the winter there wasn't enough $$ to heat the school (or fix it to hold the heat)... So my Aunt (the ballbuster that she was), told the kids to wear their winter jackets during class picture day; and specifically during the class picture itself. The principle had a shit fit. She told him to fuck off and fix the heat, or she was gonna take it up w/ the Daily News (the heat got fixed that week). Plenty of $$ for the fatcat UFT union assholes/paperpushers that live in Westchester county, CT, etc, but no $$ left to keep the kids warm in the winter so they can learn...... This is why I have a BIG problem w/ public unions.
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
What's wrong with Education in America?,
AverageBear said:
You're still misquoting him. It's the "implementation" (which the Republicans are sabotaging) which will be a trainwreck.
OK, so I'm misquoting. Regardless, do you get the warm and fuzzies when one of the architects of Obamacare mentions "Train Wreck and Obamacare" in the same sentence? The Rebublicans are sabotaging it, because they are trying to stop this, and know this legislature is pure, 100% shit. The unions who lined up in support of this, are screaming bloody murder. Democrats in Congress (and their aids) are openly wondering how they can escape this abortion of a law. Many are retiring just to escape these healthcare rules. ... And answer me this. Why do the supporters of Obamacare ignore CBO report, after CBO report that states Obamacare is gonna cost a shitload of money, estimates that keep rising and rising? eh? This tells me Obama and Pelosi told a ton of lies and twisted a ton of arms for this gigantic failure.
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
What's wrong with Education in America?,
AverageBear said:
What's wrong w/ education? I say unions/administration, cheap $$, and the retarted notion that everyone should go to college.
- UNIONS/ADMINISTRATION... I read somewhere that in the past 10-15 years, college enrollments has gone up 26%. The admin/white collar administrator employed by these colleges/universities has gone up 76%... I'll find the link when I have time...
OK.. I found the link(s).. Very discouraging info indeed......
http://michaelgraham.com/why-college-is-a-ripoff-part-xxii-big-bucks-for-bureaucrats/
......"Over the last 25 years, the universities’ enrollments have collectively grown by 26 percent, while the ranks of full-time administrators have risen 75 percent, not only at private universities but also at some public ones…
During the same 25-year period, tuition at four-year universities nationwide has increased an inflation-adjusted 85 percent, federal figures show......"
....."In all, Massachusetts’ 116 universities and colleges have collectively added almost 51,000 employees in the last 25 years, or eight per working day.
Universities have gone from one full-time employee for every five students during this period to one for every four, and the number of administrators from one for every 47 students to one for every 35, the data show.
“In no other industry would overhead costs be allowed to grow at this rate — executives would lose their jobs,” analysts at the Boston-based financial management firm Bain & Company wrote, in a July white paper, of administrative spending in higher education......"
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
What's wrong with Education in America?,
AverageBear said:
What's wrong?
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!
The sooner we get that shit repealed the better.
Vic, I think this is the first time that I actually agree with you. "No Child" like many laws, have good intentions w/ shitty results that nobody thought about. When Bush signed this into law, many conservatives were annoyed....
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
Where to find value in today's low interest rate environement!,
AverageBear said:
I'd be careful with big oil.
It seems this trend is here to stay.
The younger generation are not 'identifying' with cars that much anymore. It seems owning one isn't a priority as a statement of identity, and a zip car is just as usefulDJS,
Although I'm encouraged that gasoline use is trending down (if your chart holds true), the simple fact is that 1 refined product of 'big oil' does not make up the industry, nor it's complete line of products/services. Looking at your graph, gasoline usage per person has gone down since 1990. The price of 1 share of Chevron (CVX) back in 1990 was under $20. It's now around $120. Throw in re-invested dividends (that have been growing), and you have a compounding juggernaut.
Keep in mind that that big oil is VERY involved w/ the natural gas industry also.
As far as biofuel/algae goes, I'm very interested (and invested) in Solazyme, so I'm familiar w/ that effort. I doubt it will impact the ExxonMobile's of the world, as biofuel production from these companies like SZYM have the lowest profit margins, compared to the other products that Solazyme will make (cosmetics, food products, palm kernel oil, etc)... These guys will be gunning for the high margin stuff first... BTW, in your chart, what's the acronym for "VMT"?
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
What's wrong with Education in America?,
AverageBear said:
Okay, but first tune in to Fox to get all your talking points, okay ? And always remember everything in the government and in your life that you don't like, all started in 2009 and is the fault of Obama. (fricking dimbulb)
--------------------------------------
I always hear this argument and laugh. I never liked bush either, but he was better than the alternative at the time....As a fiscal conservative he was a joke (CHIP, no child left behind, etc)... Obama took those bad fiscal traits and double/triple-downed. He bullied a shit-sandwich called Obamacare down our throats, and now even the Democrat congressmen and aids are gagging. The unions that now realize they are fucked are gagging. Obama-care architect Max Baucas is gagging (and retiring), while calling Obamacare a 'Train Wreck'....
Bush had flaws other than being a fiscal wus. Obama took that one flaw to a new hideous art-form.
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
What's wrong with Education in America?,
AverageBear said:
What's wrong w/ education? I say unions/administration, cheap $$, and the retarted notion that everyone should go to college.
- UNIONS/ADMINISTRATION... I read somewhere that in the past 10-15 years, college enrollments has gone up 26%. The admin/white collar administrator employed by these colleges/universities has gone up 76%... I'll find the link when I have time...
- CHEAP $$$.. Giving out a college loan (much like the housing bubble runup) to anyone w/ a heartbeat. 50+K in debt, BLAMMO, instantly, only to discover that johnny thinks reading and math is hard, moves back home w/ mommy while wearing that 50K of debt like an albatross.
- COLLEGE ISN'T FOR EVERYONE....It's a cultural flaw here in the US. Shit, Germany figured this out a loooong time ago, and has a separate dual-path system to educate its kids: white collar traditional education and blue collar/vocational training. No loss in dignity, and no loafer son living at home w/ 50K of debt.
Time to get back to work, or hit the books.
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
A reason for Democrats to push back on Imireform,
AverageBear said:
I'm wondering why we shun the smart/educated/law-abiding middle class immigrants, and throw out the red carpet for the gov't-tit-sucking 'motivationally challenged' illegal immigrant.
Maybe the smarter/educated immigrant LEGALLY trying to get into this country could lower wages for a middle/upper-middle class worker on average?
Maybe (um, more like certainly) the illegal immigrant instantly becomes a Democrat voter to keep the free gravy train rolling?
Israel's wall is working out pretty well. We can build a fuckin' gargantuan Hoover dam, and put a man on the moon (applauded by the JFK cheerleaders), but only hear crickets when it comes time to put that same effort into a wall to, you know, protect ourselves?
- On 14 Jun 2013
in
Where to find value in today's low interest rate environement!,
AverageBear said:
Truth be told, I'm not a big fan of bonds. I may when I enter retirement. I'm in my mid 40's and in my 'accumulation phase'. I need to see my dividends grow, ALOT; something you DONT get w/ bonds.....
Within the choices of 'dividend growth investment' stocks, Big Oil stocks are a currently a decent value. (COP, XOM, CVX)..... I also like Aflac (AFL).... You may want to consider a triple-net REIT like "O" (5% div) , or a small, big grower like ROIC (4.3% div).... If you want pure income, with little care about divident growth, I like NYCB (7.6% div)....Many of my favorite stocks aren't cheap (WAG, MCD, PM, KO, etc), but always a good idea to keep an eye on them when Mr. Market finds temporary contempt for them.
With the exception of NYCB, (and maybe O and ROIC as slow divvy growers), all of the companies mentioned grow their dividends anywhere from 7 to 15% or more every year. A rock solid, metronome-like consistent dividend grower like Coca Cola (KO), increases its dividend by 10% every year for what, the past 45 years or so? Don't let the lower dividend rate fool you. Think 'Yield on Cost' over time. That KO dividend, if you hold the stock like you should, will double every 7 years. There is a reason why Warren Buffet buys and holds KO 'forever'.
http://www.dividendgrowthinvestor.com/2011/03/coca-cola-ko-dividend-stock-analysis.html
OK, end of DGI rant. Good Luck... ;)
Good Luck...
- On 11 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
I just find this sort of debate a little ironic. So the problem is with any notion or idea with suggesting or implementing some non-invasive guidelines in regards to what kind of food kids should eat? I simply find this interesting that some on the right take issue with this, claiming it as some sort of over-reaching government control when they at the same time seem to have absolutely no problem with large corporations and lobbys who represent them telling them what to do.
Not being able to decide what your own child gets to eat for lunch, is pretty invasive... Kids are being intimidated ( as well as the parents) to eat food they may, or do not want to eat. So that the corporation (hand picked by Michelle Obama) and the workers (ie, union) make money. I think many have taken issue, regardless of their political leanings.....funny how you whitewash this as a "non invasive guidelines" while the school district MUST adhere to these rules, lest they lose funding... See, now the Feds have these school districts by the balls, at the expense of lost freedom of the kids/parents....
- On 11 Jun 2013
in
SOLAZYME - SZYM: Anyone have an opinion on this?,
AverageBear said:
@AverageBear,
This company has been losing money and will be losing money again next year. In my opinion, this is a speculative stock.
That's what start ups do in the beginning...But when all that production comes online in 2014, that's when the fun starts... Then there's the patent portfolio ....
- On 11 Jun 2013
in
SOLAZYME - SZYM: Anyone have an opinion on this?,
AverageBear said:
I agree that BioFuel won't cut it. IIRC, out of the 3 'areas' of products (fuel/chemicals, cosmetics/personal care, food), biofuel has the lowest margins.......I think the foray into Palm Kernel Oil is interesting... It's an interesting company to watch. It seems like it has made good on all of its ramp up production levels on schedule to date.... I'm just jonesing for more info, as the new plants with Bunge, etc get built out...
- On 11 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
And once more, the article above has absolutely nothing to do with Obama, Liberals, Unions, or any of the other over0used cliche's conservatives lean on for their so-called "arguments".
http://michellemalkin.com/2011/02/16/super-nanny-first-lady-of-junk-science-michelle-obama/
http://www.khou.com/news/Candy-Gets-Third-Grader-A-Weeks-Detention-93033319.html
...."“I think it’s stupid to give a kid a week’s worth of detention for a piece of candy,” said Amber Brazda, the girl’s mother. "The whole thing was just ridiculous to me.".....
......"“Whether or not I agree with the guidelines, we have to follow the rules,” he said.
....."Ellis said failing to adhere to the state’s guidelines could put federal funding in jeopardy....."
Edvard, Marcus etal.... Are you still with me?? Reread the above quote... Again.
The state, however, gives each school discretion over how to enforce the policy. Ellis said school officials had decided a stricter punishment was necessary after lesser penalties failed to serve as a deterrent.
....... As we move along to Texas, Edvard still won't accept facts, when spoon-fed the info. I guess just because the MSM doesn't commit acts of journalism, the. problem. just. doesn't. exist. ..... I guess Eddie still has his fingers in his ears yelling LA LA LA LAA!!
Thanks for playing Eddie.
- On 11 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
Still you generalized as if it's something that actually happens in more than 1 in 1000 schools.
Good job !
----------------------------------------------------------
I guess you turn a blind eye to one of the country's top-5 biggest school district of Los Angeles. Compliment accepted!Maybe this was an isolated incident back in 2011, because even when HuffPo cried bullshit, Michelle's cafeteria union gestapo knew better than to continue this ass grab.
BTW, did any of this shit happen when Bush was president? I doubt it.... Or ANY president for that matter. Why did this problem crop up when the Obama's got to the White House? Hmmm? Because Edvard is absolutely confident it ain't the Obama's, but I have a feeling he's clueless as to who it COULD be. Edvard?
- On 11 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
This kid went against Obama, so he is automatically targeted for termination.
..... Or will be targeted by the IRS, and have his Verizon iPhone monitored....
- On 11 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
And once more, the article above has absolutely nothing to do with Obama, Liberals, Unions, or any of the other over0used cliche's conservatives lean on for their so-called "arguments". How this little debate has gone as far as it has is beyond me. This is a non-story that was turned into another:" See? See? its all Obama's fault!"
Ed, who else is causing this recent shift in Federal gov't ability to manipulate and control a school district's cafeteria policy? You are refusing to acknowledge that all of this is happening during Obama's administration. As far as I know, this didn't happen under Bush. (I know it's a bummer you can't try and pin Bush for this one)... Why are you having such a hard time connecting the dots? Chicago school + unions + Michelle's pet project of child/school nutrition = duh....
These changes at the school districts that I mentioned are DIRECTLY coming from Federal mandates. Why are you selectively being blind on this topic? And if you truly don't think Michelle or Barack don't have their hands in this pie, then who do YOU blame? Who do you think is causing this?
- On 10 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
and then when the job's over, sit on your ass at home for a couple months watching Bill O'Reilly until the next job.
Who has time to sit on their ass, I actually picked up another project, I start next week. I'll be coding at night, and drawing two incomes for the next 6 months. Did I spell that right?
5000+ comments since last year? I'd say you have plenty of time to sit on your ass.
...and that leads us to IWOG..... at 12,000+ comments.
- On 10 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
we don't want our gov't telling us it's illegal to bring a home-made lunch to school.
Can you give an example of somewhere that happens ?
I already did, but here it is again, w/ more links... Enjoy.
......"Fernando Dominguez cut the figure of a young revolutionary leader during a recent lunch period at his elementary school.
“Who thinks the lunch is not good enough?” the seventh-grader shouted to his lunch mates in Spanish and English.
Dozens of hands flew in the air and fellow students shouted along: “We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch! We should bring our own lunch!”
Fernando waved his hand over the crowd and asked a visiting reporter: “Do you see the situation?”
At his public school, Little Village Academy on Chicago’s West Side, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home. Unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria.
Principal Elsa Carmona said her intention is to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices......" That's what you call a loss of freedom, at the hands of the Obamas and the Unions that rub their balls. In the city of......wait for it... Chicago! surprise!http://michellemalkin.com/2011/04/11/school-lunches-brought-from-home/
Up next, more proof from **GASP** HuffPo...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/11/chicago-public-school-ban_n_847581.html
....From Chicago to North Carolina...
http://www.veria.com/eating-healthy/north-carolina-school-bans-preschoolers-homemade-lunch
.......""What got me so mad is, number one, don't tell my kid I'm not packing her lunch box properly," the girl's mother told CJ. "I pack her lunchbox according to what she eats. It always consists of a fruit. It never consists of a vegetable. She eats vegetables at home because I have to watch her because she doesn't really care for vegetables."
When the girl came home with her lunch untouched, her mother wanted to know what she ate instead. Three chicken nuggets, the girl answered. Everything else on her cafeteria tray went to waste."
....Then again, the gov't thinks it knows best what to feed your kid than you do...At least in this instance...
Finally, we land in Los Angeles....
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/01/19/lausd-students-roundly-reject-healthier-school-lunch-menu/
..... btw, it's so easy to google 'school ban home lunch'.....
- On 10 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
Exactly my point - if you want to discuss this unrelated nonsense that you made up, start a new thread, present your evidence, and I'll be glad to prove that you're full of shit.
I think the Obama's foray into controlling what kids eat (via union thuggery) is VERY relevent to the thread that the Capn started. i've presented my evidence in the form of an article from the LA Times (a liberal paper at that).... So, instead of calling me names (BTW, I'm not a fan of Rush), care to comment on the evidence I've provided? Care to refute what's going on in the LA school lunch programs?
- On 8 Jun 2013
in
am i right or am i right?,
AverageBear said:
Coriacci, you need to relax. I don't know you that well, but I DO know that many of your replies in threads are waaaay off topic. As the creator/moderator of a thread, he has every right to delete a posting..... I've deleted one of yours IIRC... There a many folks that reply to my threads that I think are vulgar/wrong/unhinged, but even then I won't delete because they are within the topic...However, if I post a specific thread on ohhh I dunno, unfair teacher hiring practices against men in a certain state, and you reply something about the rain forests, guess what? Your comment will get deleted...I see it as a 2-way street. I don't want my replies deleted either...so I stay on topic....
- On 8 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
"Waaaah! Needy students aren't getting any lunch! It's all Obama's fault!"
(Well actually, that student wasn't needy, and he could have had lunch, he just didn't want it)
"Waaaah! There's no school lunch program anymore. The liberals don't care!"
(Actually, the school lunch program is still in place. They have even added free breakfast to it.)
"Oh, well let's just rant about something completely different then."
Homey, it's quite simple. Among other things, we don't want our gov't telling us it's illegal to bring a home-made lunch to school. .. We don't want our gov't telling us how we as parents should feed our kids. Why is this so hard to understand?
Do you want to argue the advantages of the Federal gov't dictating on a local/regional school level how to feed your kid? Do you want to argue the back room deals w/ unions in forcing your kid to eat food that he/she doesn't want to eat.
- On 7 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
Let me fill you in on a little something so you can make some better informed comments in the future: Public schools are controlled by county administrations. Its a state-run type of system. I know this in and out because my Mother just retired after 40+ years of working as a public school teacher. The fact of the matter is that the federal government has little control over individual public school systems.
Ed, All one has to do is 'follow the money'. Michelle, feigning sympathy for schoolchildre is so full of crap. Obamas + unions = taxpayer - freedom + getting fucked....
http://michellemalkin.com/2011/04/11/school-lunches-brought-from-home/
- But I guess you and IWOG would dismiss this journalism as propaganda, simply because the paid-for media doesn't report it. This isn't Rush/Kock Bros/DieBold Hurricane-machine stuff. This story is fact. THis story (and many like it) is real. This shit is happening all over the place. I don't care if your Momma worked in a school for 50 years. You are wrong.
......."Any school that bans homemade lunches also puts more money in the pockets of the district’s food provider, Chartwells-Thompson. The federal government pays the district for each free or reduced-price lunch taken, and the caterer receives a set fee from the district per lunch."
- On 7 Jun 2013
in
The kids can't read and they damn sure can't eat!,
AverageBear said:
Let me fill you in on a little something so you can make some better informed comments in the future: Public schools are controlled by county administrations. Its a state-run type of system. I know this in and out because my Mother just retired after 40+ years of working as a public school teacher. The fact of the matter is that the federal government has little control over individual public school systems.
So rant and rave all ya' want. I am sure we're going to see yet more pointless cute little links that are meant to do the following:
" Oh lookie! I found some random article on the internets that in a lame way somehow "proves" that I am totally right!!" Cuz' its alllll Obama's fault!
Ed, here ya' go....
http://michellemalkin.com/2011/12/21/michelle-obamas-unsavory-school-lunch-flop/
...."The bottom line? Banning homemade lunches means a fatter payday for the school and its food provider."......
According to a weekend report by the Los Angeles Times, the city’s “trailblazing introduction of healthful school lunches has been a flop.” In response to the public hectoring and financial inducement of Mrs. Obama’s federally subsidized anti-obesity campaign, the district dropped chicken nuggets, corn dogs and flavored milk from the menu for “beef jambalaya, vegetable curry, pad Thai, lentil and brown rice cutlets, and quinoa and black-eyed pea salads.”
Sounds delectable in theory. But in practice, the initiative has been what L.A. Unified’s food services director Dennis Barrett plainly concludes is a “disaster.” While the Obama administration has showered the nation’s second-largest school district with nutrition awards, thousands of students voted with their upset tummies and abandoned the program. A forbidden-food black market — stoked not just by students, but also by teachers — is now thriving. Moreover, “(p)rincipals report massive waste, with unopened milk cartons and uneaten entrees being thrown away.”
This despite a massive increase in spending on nutritional improvements — from $2 million to $20 million alone in the last five years on fresh produce.
This despite a nearly half-billion-dollar budget shortfall and 3,000 layoffs earlier this year.
Earlier this spring, L.A. school officials acknowledged that the sprawling district is left with a whopping 21,000 uneaten meals a day, in part because the federal school lunch program “sometimes requires more food to be served than a child wants to eat.” The leftovers will now be donated to nonprofit agencies. But after the recipients hear about students’ reports of moldy noodles, undercooked meat and hard rice, one wonders how much of the “free” food will go down the hatch — or down the drain. Ahhh, savor the flavor of one-size-fits-all mandates.
There’s nothing wrong with encouraging our children to eat healthier, of course. There’s nothing wrong with well-run, locally based and parent-driven efforts. But as I’ve noted before, the federal foodie cops care much less about students’ waistlines than they do about boosting government and public union payrolls.
In a little-noticed announcement several months ago, Obama health officials declared their intention to use school lunch applications to boost government health care rolls. Never mind the privacy concerns of parents.
Big Government programs “for the children” are never about the children. If they were, you wouldn’t see Chicago public school officials banning students from bringing home-packed meals made by their own parents. In April, The Chicago Tribune reported that “unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria.” The bottom line? Banning homemade lunches means a fatter payday for the school and its food provider.