Thursday, June 03, 2004

Religiously Voting

Interesting article in USA Today regarding voting patterns of regular church attendees titled “Churchgoing closely tied to voting patterns GOP capitalizes on religion gap; Dems debate what to do."

"Voters who say they go to church every week usually vote for Republicans. Those who go to church less often or not at all tend to vote Democratic."

Sheeple, whether governmental or religious, both want to place individuals under their thumb.

Just another reason, I think, why both government and organized religion need to be marginalized or eliminated.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/03 at 08:19 AM
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Another Slice of Pizza

Yesterday, I noted in a post the recent firing of a Pizza Hut employee for brandishing a gun at a robber wannabe.  The article linked hinted at boycotting of Pizza Hut for this event, something you, as an individual, can participate in, or not.  I will not eat Pizza Hut pizza because I prefer mom and pop providers of pies.  Be that as it may, Rainbough Phillips left a couple of comments to the post of yesterday, and then expanded on those comments in a post at her blog Somewhere Over the Rainbough.

Rainbough notes, from experience and discussions with other individuals, the insurance industry’s hand in the policy of acquiescence to would be robbers, rather than fight or flight.  My main point in linking to the firing article, was to note the continued push for individuals to acquiesce in all circumstances of their life to others, rather than personal responsibility and self protection.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/03 at 04:58 AM
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Now That's A Big Axe

“32-Foot Electric Guitar Created for Discovery Channel Series."

”...The only way to describe the sound is BIG!"

Sweet.

Via Gary Cruse at The Owner’s Manual.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/03 at 04:45 AM
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There's A Lesson in this Excerpt Applicable to Today

“To demand of strength that it should not express itself as strength, that it should not be a desire to overcome, a desire to throw down, a desire to become master, a thirst for enemies and resistances and triumphs, is just as absurd as to demand of weakness that it should express itself as strength.”

Friedrich Nietzsche, Basic Writings of Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals, First Essay, Section 13, pg. 481, Translated and Edited by Walter Kaufmann

Posted by John Venlet on 06/03 at 03:05 AM
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Teach the Children Well

“Orange High graduation remarks plagiarized."

Who did the plagiarizing?

"Orange County school board Chairman Keith Cook plagiarized much of the speech he delivered at Orange High School’s 2004 graduation ceremony.

The speech, which incorporated lessons from the movie “Titanic,” was virtually identical to a 1998 speech given by Donna Shalala, then U.S. secretary of health and human services. Cook did not attribute his remarks, made Friday night at UNC’s Smith Center, to Shalala.

When asked Tuesday by a Herald-Sun reporter where he got his speech, Cook said, “I wrote that."

Oops, got caught.

Via The Obscure Store.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/03 at 02:56 AM
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An Educational Renumeration Lament

In a column for MotherJones.com, Dave Eggers laments teachers needing to take on second jobs to make ends meet, as if the teaching profession is the only profession where individuals need to take on second jobs, and states the following as a comparison statement.

”... We pay orthodontists an average of $350,000, and no one would say that their impact on the lives of kids is greater than a teacher’s..."

A couple of things.  First, the orthodontist is paid by the market, not the state run machine.  The orthodontist is paid by how many smile challenged butts can be run through the dental chairs in the office.  One who worked on my kids, had eight chairs, filled with butts at all times, eight hours per day, and could put a fresh smile challenged butt in the chair every fifteen minutes.  Payment expected at time of service, or, per your orthodontal installment contract.  As for whom has a greater impact on kids lives, look around you, what’s more important, appearance, which can be seen, look at those smiles, or education, which cannot be seen, or measured, until someone opens their mouth and begins spouting off, with a nice smile?

Are teachers under compensated?  Maybe, but they cannot expect to get rich off the public’s nickels.

“Reading, Writing, and Landscaping."

Via Arts & Letters Daily.

Update: There’s always Vegas.  “Crossing the Border Into the Middle Class." No degree required.

"With the food server’s course now under her belt, Ms. Diaz has made an impressive leap in status and income. Busing tables, she made $500 a week, or $25,000 a year, but as a waitress, her wages and tips total about $20 an hour, or $40,000 a year.

Ms. Diaz is doing so well that her husband, Manuel, a burly six-foot construction worker, says he jokingly tells friends: “She’ll be earning so much that I’m going to be able to quit my job and take care of the house. So when she arrives home, there will be steaming food on the table."

Posted by John Venlet on 06/03 at 02:19 AM
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