The kids that can advance faster should be allowed to advance faster.

But, but....won't doing that hurt little Johnny/Suzie's self esteem if they see little Nyguen getting promoted ahead of them based on nothing more than sheer ability?!??

[rolls eyes]

It makes sense, but in the US for years now, we seem to be more interested in catering to the lowest common denominator, than trying to promote true talent.

I think for those on the lower end, we should make vocational education something easier for those kids with that type of proficiency to find their way into...

It requires a quite a bit of time in the spring, while preparing the ground and planting, but not much during the rest of the year. But all this work does not have to be your labor. There is an exemption to the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery and indentured servitude: You can still coerce unpaid labor from other people, provided they are your direct descendents, and under the age of 18. You can even use extremely cruel and unusual methods to extract this labor, including turning off the TV, and even unplugging the router, until the tomatoes are picked, sliced, and in the mason jars.

LOL, thank you!!

That, I think, is the best post on Slashdot for the year, the rest of us all might as well pack it up till next year, this one wins hands down!!

:)

To each their own, and it's your money, but it seems steep to me. Then again, ordering something on amazon every 2-3 days already seems borderline compulsive behaviour to me too.

I find that more and more, I buy virtually everything on Amazon. I'm starting to even by food/dry goods.

I find the price is usually cheaper than local, no sales tax...and the 2x day shipping is nice.

I also think it is worth it for the free streaming AND the free ebook a month for my kindle. Not many have mentioned that aspect too yet.

I don't order 2-3 times a week (generally), but I probably come close to averaging over 1 purchase a week with them annually I"m thinking.

You should be free to fuck up, but also free to suffer the extreme consequences for it too.

You don't know that they're poor. There are a lot of middle-class projects, where people have good jobs and pay market-rate rents.

Trust me on this one, I am VERY familiar with the projects here in New Orleans.

These I'm speak of, have NO middle class occupants, they'd be scared stiff to live in these places.

That being said, thankfully, post Katrina, we're slowly tearing these down...making some into mixed income areas, but it takes time to flush these bastions of poverty cycle and crime generators out of our city after being here for so long.

I am also in the Bible belt, and the condoms are out there for anyone to pick up. I believe the biggest issue with contraception is people are embarrassed to buy it because they don't want people to know about their sex life. This leads to either theft, no sex, or pregnancy depending on the individual.

But that's not the same as the OP and other posters saying that contraception isnt' available unless ACA or the like is in place.

It's out there always has been, just a matter of people getting it. I think they mean to say, it only matters if someone else is PAYING for it.

Conflating availability with who is footing the bill.

Are you sure you paid into the unemployment fund? Most self employed do not, even though they think they do. If you did, then you should be eligible for unemployment.

I am 100% positive.

I have an "S" corp, I paid myself salary with the taxes and I paid the employer side of all those taxes too. I filled out the parts for unemployment, state and fed taxes.

I was told all the way through my appeals that sure I'd paid it, but the law said I couldn't get it in the state of LA.

People who are poor don't have the same choices you do.

They're not buying 60" televisions.

I guess you aren't driving by the same projects I am, seeing said 60" TVs through the open doors of the apartments, while they're sitting on the porch.

And as for the rest of it...hey, life is tough.

Were it local-governor-care instead, would that really make you substantially happier? How so?

Because, you could have more of a say in how your state enacts or doesn't enact it.

If you didn't like that state's solution, you could move to one that more closely shares your views on life and how much they want to make you pay for someone else's life.

Unless you were one of the millions of people who have a precondition.

I did/still do.

You are missing the other really important bit, namely that your insurance is no longer tied to your employer. No one should lose health insurance simply because they lost their job.

I don't get this.

I've lost jobs, but never lost insurance. I'd pay COBRA till I either :

1. Found another job with insurance

or

2. Bought a private policy, generally when working through my own company consulting, etc.

There has always been a way to get insurance that wasn't tied to a job.

Socialism is paying for health care even for people who couldn't afford insurance. We do that too. But I happen to think its a good thing, and think healthcare SHOULD be socialized in a civilized society.

I'm still searching the US Constitution where it says that the feds can force me to be my brothers keeper by force.

The biggest problem is that once people have to pay for "routine" visits, they don't go on routine visits.

Well, people have to pay for transportation to get to work, fi they don't, they don't work. That's my problem too? I mean, if they don't try to take responsibility for themselves and their health, that's their problem. People need to save for what they need, rather than sacrifice health and buy 60" televisions.

What happened to people taking responsibility for their lives and answering to the consequences of their actions/inactions?

Where in the US constitution is it mandated that I be my brothers keeper....by force?

If you have to save to go to the doctor, people won't go to the doctor for routine care.

Well, if those people are that fucking stupid, then that's their problem, is it not?

I mean, what's next, if people don't want to save for food, and they start to starve, that's my problem too?

What happened to personal responsibility, and suffering the consequences of your actions (good or bad)?