Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[froot loops]

From the Azores ........ not a lot of political discussion goes on in our group we are traveling in but in general Europeans laugh about the idiocy of Brexit a bit more than that of Trump's idiotic pronouncements. But it is, indeed, a base play and, again in general from what I can gather, those from abroad paying attention to US politics can't understand how Americans are so gullible as to believe this liar can be a president capable of acting wisely and in a considered manner.

I tend to agree.

AA, if Trump is "insane" as you assert, and I can agree with you based on his public behavior, inquiring Europrans ask, "why is he still the sitting president?"

IYO, what should I tell them?

Just tell them to watch Fox News for a few days and they'll understand. Lots of people pipe that shit into their veins every night and then they log into facebook, its a negative feedback loop.

[Hannibal]

Another potential parent for the college admissions scandal.

The fencing coach at Harvard was selling his house. Someone bought it for nearly DOUBLE the assessed value. That someone turned out to have a son who got into Harvard right after that as part of the fencing team. (No athletic scholarships in the Ivy League but it's an open secret the admissions standards for 'athletes' are significantly lower than the average student). Rich millionaire never lives in the home and sells it months later for a $350,000 loss.

Millionaire insists there's a very innocent explanation for everything.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...1GK/story.html

It's mind blowing how much these parents are paying for little more than reputation. Which isn't worthless but if your kid can't legitimately get into Harvard then, chances are, he's not going to take away a significantly better education than he would at Toledo or Eastern Michigan. $350,000? Jesus Christ.

[froot loops]

Its a big deal for these parents especially if they are at private schools. Its bragging rights or some facsimile of it. I was at a sports banquet and pretty much the whole conversation at the table was about who's kid is going where. Some people would rather pay full price at a more prestigious school than get a full ride academic scholarship to CMU or Grand Valley,

[UMStan White]

Jeff tell them that the price we pay for freedom of speech is that we have to put up with moronic no-nothing idiots like kapture

[CGVT]

Just quote George Carlin

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[Ghengis Jon]

.....AA, if Trump is "insane" as you assert, and I can agree with you based on his public behavior, inquiring Europrans ask, "why is he still the sitting president?"

IYO, what should I tell them?

Tell them the truth. The American political system put forth the two most reprehensible candidates possible in 2016. One was a power mad, holier-than-thou slimeball (Billary) and one was a buffoonish, egotistical, self proclaimed rapist (Chump). Voters were sick of this re-occurring theme and it boiled over. Of the two, they picked the most unqualified scum as a joke figuring he would never get elected. That sick-and-tired-of-it-all group was large enough that when coupled with the clinically brain dead, it was enough to install the worst possible choice with our counter intuitive electoral process. I would ordinarily say re-assure people that the US will correct its mistake in the upcoming election, but 2016 proved that someone with less societal value than a murderous pedophile can be elected to the Presidency. America has demonstrated that anyone truly has a shot at the highest office in the land.

[Kapture1]

Jeff tell them that the price we pay for freedom of speech is that we have to put up with moronic no-nothing idiots like kapture

[Dr. Strangelove]

It's mind blowing how much these parents are paying for little more than reputation. Which isn't worthless but if your kid can't legitimately get into Harvard then, chances are, he's not going to take away a significantly better education than he would at Toledo or Eastern Michigan. $350,000? Jesus Christ.

Not just reputation but the networking. The high end corporate recruiting that goes on at elite campuses is pretty amazing. Likewise, if you want to clerk in the federal court system or work at one of the more prominent firms in America, you better go to a pretty select list of law schools.

But that shit's pervasive everywhere. Working in the Ohio oil & gas industry for almost a decade now and (at least at the bigger companies) you'd better believe that people that graduated from the same few petroleum engineering or petroleum management programs are in leadership positions everywhere. At least one industry where having names like "Oklahoma", "Texas Tech", or "Oklahoma State" on your degree will open doors for you right away.

Anyways, the nutty people aren't the ones willing to spend $50,000+ a year to send their kid to MIT or Harvard. It's the ones willing to spend the same amount to send them to Indiana Wesleyan or Ashland University (no offense, anybody).

[Dr. Strangelove]

What an instant classic. A true gem! Love muh president. I do like how he's dropping the 'fakenews" pretense and just going with "the press" now.

But for pure entertainment value, I think I prefer this one for the "I love lamp" style randomness and mystery.

[Dr. Strangelove]

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[froot loops]

Not just reputation but the networking. The high end corporate recruiting that goes on at elite campuses is pretty amazing. Likewise, if you want to clerk in the federal court system or work at one of the more prominent firms in America, you better go to a pretty select list of law schools.

But that shit's pervasive everywhere. Working in the Ohio oil & gas industry for almost a decade now and (at least at the bigger companies) you'd better believe that people that graduated from the same few petroleum engineering or petroleum management programs are in leadership positions everywhere. At least one industry where having names like "Oklahoma", "Texas Tech", or "Oklahoma State" on your degree will open doors for you right away.

Anyways, the nutty people aren't the ones willing to spend $50,000+ a year to send their kid to MIT or Harvard. It's the ones willing to spend the same amount to send them to Indiana Wesleyan or Ashland University (no offense, anybody).

This is true about the networking. It doesn't stop at the admissions process either. If you want to get into a sorority or a fraternity, you better have the right zip code.

The people caught up in the scandal don't seem to be in this boat though. The one thing I would say about pulling out the stops to get someone to Harvard when they are not top notch students is it would seem like they would struggle once they got there.

[Kapture1]

why do Democrats talk in a different accent when speeking to black audiences?

[WingsFan]

Seriously using a black accent.... It's called patronizing, did she bring a bucket of Popeyes fried chicken and watermelon with her too? It plays on stereotypes and is evidence of what she really thinks of black people.

[Kapture1]

[Dr. Strangelove]

Longtime South Carolina Senator Fritz Hollings has died. Served for nearly 40 years

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/sen-fritz-hollings-dies-at-97