Patting the wrists, rolling the eyes.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Spanky
I think Puerto Rico should be admitted. DC I am not so sure about. It is the federal district and was set up as such. When people moved there they knew they were not going to enjoy the priviledges as a member of a state. If people want to live in a state they can always move to Maryland or Virginia.

I don't know that much about Guam, but I am all for Puerto Rico entering the union.

Puerto Rico votes on this somewhat regularly. Last time they voted, they could choose to become a state, a separate entity, maintain status quo, various permutations of the above, or none of the above. None of the above won. Seriously.

"In December 1998, a non-binding plebiscite on status was held in Puerto Rico, but due to the alternatives presented the voters, little in the way of definite conclusions can be drawn. In addition to the normal alternatives, of statehood, commonwealth, and independence, voters were given the alternatives of “None of The Above” and “Free Association.” Because of the confusion on the ballot with definitions of status provided, the “None of The Above” alternative won the majority (50.2%) votes cast. Statehood won the plurality of votes cast for the actual alternatives decisively (46.5%), followed by Independence (2.5%); Free Association (0.2%; and Commonwealth (0.1%). "

http://www.prstatehood.com/issues/index.asp

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I'll talk slower here for ya. What makes you think you "know" that they used school lunches as any basis whatsoever? I'm still having trouble believing you seriously wrote that this was all you needed to know, when I don't even know what you say you know!

I don't see any particular formula, let alone one that shows X*(number of skool lunches per population). All I saw was some weird heading at the top of one of the title bars. But the article itself seems not to mention the gov't cheese and bologna/pupil factor.

ETA rereading the title bar and accompanying note, I think they are merely highlighting that some of the schools on the list have very high proportions of students who receive subsidized lunches while others have very low proportions. I still can't imagine how you get from the article noting these proportions to "knowing" that they are using these proportions as a basis for the rankings.

I know they used the proportion of kids receiving subsidized lunches as one of the factors in their ranking because my wife, being in the education biz, sts, had access to some of the background material on the study.

Occasionally, information comes from more than one source. And not every information source includes all available facts. Something to ponder while you're in the crapper once you've run out of Virginia tourist brochures to choke your chicken over.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Spanky
The problem with Americans is that we are too ethnocentric, which is insane because we are all Mutts. There are no Aryan Americans. Almost all Caucasian Americans have blood from every European nationality running through our veins. I believe the US of A is superior for three reasons. Our political and economic philosophy that led to our current economic and political system, the fact that we are an immigrant nation and the melting pot of different culture and ethnicities. In order to come here you had to have the guts to risk it all and start in a new land. The melting pot produces all sort of variables that make our economy vibrant, flexible and entrepenurial. The problem with with Latin America is they have just had bad governments, but they are peopled by immigrants just like the US. They are also ethnic melting pots just like the US. As Chile proves today (and Argentina and Brazil proved at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries), if you get the right system in place in a Latin American country it can excel. The USA does not have a superior culture. I think admitting Latin American countries to our union would benefit both people. I think by having latin countrys in our union would benefit them because it would force their systems to improve, and it would make our economy more dynamic and diversified.

The mulitple languages would cause some inefficiencies, but Swizerland seems to have that problem figured out, so why couldn't we?

I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment of a Western Hemisphere union, but I felt the need to point out that there is phenomenal racism in Latin America. Costa Rica's unbelievable literacy rate has more to do with killing off the indigenous population than a superior education system. My Texican grandfather's main criteria in finding a mate was "looks gringa but was raised Hispanic (with requisite deference to all things macho)*." Being Mestizo in Mexico doesn't exactly put you on equal footing with the rest of the population.

I'm all for importing Orgasm Day from Brazil, though.

*The traits in the paren didn't pass down, so ya'll will have to look elsewhere if you're interested in a similar woman.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by taxwonk
I know they used the proportion of kids receiving subsidized lunches as one of the factors in their ranking because my wife, being in the education biz, sts, had access to some of the background material on the study.

Occasionally, information comes from more than one source. And not every information source includes all available facts. Something to ponder while you're in the crapper once you've run out of Virginia tourist brochures to choke your chicken over.

Really? Well my sister is in the education biz, and she says your wife is full of shit. Now show me a cite or go back to the hell that you were consigned to by your USNWR 4th tier hellhole!

When you come up with information from a source that is, you know, credible, let alone citable, be sure to come back here, hear now?

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment of a Western Hemisphere union, but I felt the need to point out that there is phenomenal racism in Latin America. Costa Rica's unbelievable literacy rate has more to do with killing off the indigenous population than a superior education system. My Texican grandfather's main criteria in finding a mate was "looks gringa but was raised Hispanic (with requisite deference to all things macho)*." Being Mestizo in Mexico doesn't exactly put you on equal footing with the rest of the population.

I'm all for importing Orgasm Day from Brazil, though.

*The traits in the paren didn't pass down, so ya'll will have to look elsewhere if you're interested in a similar woman.

Brazil is an unbelievably racist country. But my experience is that the whole world is racist. As much as the liberals have tried to screw it up with affirmative action and "diversity" programs the US is by far the most tolerant country in the world. Europe used to try and claim they were more open, but once they got large minority populations their true colors have come out. The true test of toleration comes when a minority group, especially of a different race, reaches five percent of the population. There are many problems with so called political correctness, but one part of it I do appreciate is the fact that it is socially unaceptible to make racist remarks in groups of strangers and we let ethnicities choose how they want to be called. Living overseas, I always got teased for using terms like African American, or Asian instead of Oriental, but the social pressure here makes the atmosphere a lot less toxic. Things were really toxic in France and Japan. Once a certain ethnic group left the room it was open season. And no one thought twice about it. I don't support government censorship, but the social pressure has its benefits no matter how annoying people find it.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
Puerto Rico votes on this somewhat regularly. Last time they voted, they could choose to become a state, a separate entity, maintain status quo, various permutations of the above, or none of the above. None of the above won. Seriously.

"In December 1998, a non-binding plebiscite on status was held in Puerto Rico, but due to the alternatives presented the voters, little in the way of definite conclusions can be drawn. In addition to the normal alternatives, of statehood, commonwealth, and independence, voters were given the alternatives of “None of The Above” and “Free Association.” Because of the confusion on the ballot with definitions of status provided, the “None of The Above” alternative won the majority (50.2%) votes cast. Statehood won the plurality of votes cast for the actual alternatives decisively (46.5%), followed by Independence (2.5%); Free Association (0.2%; and Commonwealth (0.1%). "

http://www.prstatehood.com/issues/index.asp

I think they do this for tax reasons. As a territory they pay less income tax which would be lost if they became a state. I am sure if they had the option of leavin the union or becoming a state they would become a state.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Spanky
I think they do this for tax reasons. As a territory they pay less income tax which would be lost if they became a state. I am sure if they had the option of leavin the union or becoming a state they would become a state.

True--they've never been faced with an in-or-out vote. They prefer the creamy middle.

ETA: BTW, on DC, instead of moving to Maryland, I'd have Maryland move to the district. Virginia got its piece back 160 years ago. Now it's MD's turn. Happy compromise, too. No need for new senators, one new rep. as DC has the pop'n to get about one.

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally posted by Spanky
As much as the liberals have tried to screw it up with affirmative action and "diversity" programs the US is by far the most tolerant country in the world.

You say this having lived in every country in the world? Look to the north, O blanket-statement-making poster. Having lived there and here, I think there's much more tolerance there than here. I never cease to be shocked at the crap I hear here, and that rarely happened there.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by greatwhitenorthchick
You say this having lived in every country in the world? Look to the north, O blanket-statement-making poster. Having lived there and here, I think there's much more tolerance there than here. I never cease to be shocked at the crap I hear here, and that rarely happened there.

Sush, gwinky. Spanky had just solved California's schooling problem. With the annexation of Mexico, we were just gathering some momentum.

Originally posted by Spanky
As much as the liberals have tried to screw it up with affirmative action and "diversity" programs the US is by far the most tolerant country in the world.

Yes, if only we could return to the idyllic land of total tolerance that was the U.S.A. before those meddling liberals poisoned the love and respect we all used to feel for each other. I'm thinking like 1957.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by greatwhitenorthchick
You say this having lived in every country in the world? Look to the north, O blanket-statement-making poster. Having lived there and here, I think there's much more tolerance there than here. I never cease to be shocked at the crap I hear here, and that rarely happened there.

Mebbe, but how do you explain French Canada?

[Spanky]

Originally posted by greatwhitenorthchick
You say this having lived in every country in the world? Look to the north, O blanket-statement-making poster. Having lived there and here, I think there's much more tolerance there than here. I never cease to be shocked at the crap I hear here, and that rarely happened there.

The Canadians do not have any significant group of minorities so it is not fair to compare. They only diversity they have is the fact that people of the same ethnic group speak two different languages. And we all know how well these two groups get along. My experience is that Anglo-Canadians are pretty open about their prejudice against French Canadians and visa versa. You do not see the USA about to split into two countries because of bigotry.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Sorry to have been absent all day. Both club and Spanky seem to be misconstruing what I am saying about education funding. To anyone familiar with what has happened in this state, it is undeniable that public education in California used to be much better, and has suffered as funding has been cut. I'm not saying that spending more money will magically transform things, but it's a prerequisite for real change. There's a staunch conservative on a bus I sometimes take -- always reading National Review and proselytizing with libertarian readings -- and I have talked to him from time to time. His pet issue is education reform, and he says he's completely frustrated because any change involves spending money -- e.g., if you want new curriculum, you need to pay to replace books -- but the GOP insists on blaming the unions for everything and won't spend money, and the Democrats won't hold the unions to anything and insist on spending money. This may be satisfying for partisans, since it lets them blame everything on the other side, but it's frustrating for us parents.

I don't have any particular sympathy for teachers unions, but blaming them is like blaming government contractors for waste in defense spending. They're acting out of self-interest, just like many, many actors in other policy areas. Get over it. Blaming the unions is a useful crutch for failing to have fresh ideas about what should be done.

Improving schools is difficult. Cutting their funding, and preventing localities from taxing themselves to try new things makes it even harder.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Mebbe, but how do you explain French Canada?

My Canadian pals tell Newfie jokes.

But they're really nice about it.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
My Canadian pals tell Newfie jokes.

But they're really nice about it.

The Canadians are an obedient people. they'll do what they're told to do, especially when its an American talking. It makes them great as clients, and makes almost any woman in the Canadian nightclubs available. Their governemnt has told them not to be prejudiced, so they aren't. mostly they're like sheep without the bleating. It was all good until the Terrorists realized the goldmine the great white north provided.