Posts by GLTirebiter

15

I have decided that the "amatuer status" of Olymic Athletes is bogus.

by james_woods in

i am listening to the "outrage" over how the u.s. basketball team totally swamped the nigerian team.. they are accused of being "professionals" and of "running up the score".. well - here is my observation: none of these athletes are really, truly, "amatuers" - all of them have some kind of sponshorship or support.. so did the ancient greeks - they were essentially government employees of their day.. let's get over it and let the best athletes play the best athletes.. if the u.s. can beat uzbekistan in football, so be it.

if the gdr can beat us in target shooting, so be it.. i agree with no drugs - i agree with no men dressed up as women, but this "amatuer status" thing is bogus - and not a part of the ancient tradition either.. rant over - i leave you to your scheduled programming..

GLTirebiter

The IRS doesn't think they're amateurs. They want to collect income tax on the value of their medals and prize money. It seems that many national Olympic committees pay prize money to medal winners, including the USOC.

76

Do You Like or Dislike Algebra? Why and Why not?

by Scott77 in

july 28, 2012is algebra necessary?by andrew hacker .

a typical american school day finds some six million high school students and two million college freshmen struggling with algebra.

in both high school and college, all too many students are expected to fail.

GLTirebiter

Why are college freshman even taking algebra? For students attending a four-year college, that is remedial work. They should have two years of algebra, one of geometry, and one of trigonometery under their belts before graduating high school. Yes, that means four years of college-prep math. It is shameful that colleges and college students must routinely waste time (and tuition money) doing what should have been done in high school.

Mathematics is part of the curriculum for the same reason that literature, history, economics, laboratory science and social science is required for college-bound students. You need a broad, comprehensive foundation to understand the connections between the branches of knowledge.

The solution to large numbers of students failing algebra is not abandoning rigor in the curriculum. If anything, a general strengthening of academic standards is warranted. Dedicated teachers who refuse to accept the "I can't do it!" alibi prove the point. The late Jaime Escalante (of Stand and Deliver fame) is the best known example, but there others like him. Unfortunately, there are not enough others, nor enough school administrators with the courage to allow those extraordinary teachers to do their best.

72

Do Jehovah's Witnesses feed the starving in third world countries

by Gnosis in

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or do they only help their own members ?.

is there anything in their publications that seems to cast a negative view on feeding the poor ?.

GLTirebiter

First things first..I see that the spanking room is in place!

281

Songs that make you cry

by sooner7nc in

jw
friends

there have been several threads about music the last few days, so i decided to start another.. this song absolutely makes me tear up every time i hear it.. .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq_3byxasmm.

GLTirebiter

A sad country song

31

Good-bye, friends

by BizzyBee in

jw
friends

we bees leave for our trip this afternoon - a river cruise from budapest to the black sea.

everyone on the ship is a tandem cycling couple.

we will visit hungary, serbia, moldav, romania, austria, germany and croatia.. it will be a nice break from politics and the world news since we don't watch much tv on these trips.. hold down the fort - see you in a couple of weeks!.

GLTirebiter

Enjoy the trip!

28

Tour de France: Go Bradley Wiggins!!

by Open mind in

jw
friends

congrats to bradley wiggins and to all the brits on the board!.

i'm rooting for three riders this year.

2 have a very realistic chance.

GLTirebiter

Congratulations to Bradley Wiggins!

Now there's only six days until the Olympic road race. There's not much time for rest and recovery after a long July in France before racing on home ground.

114

FOURTEEN DEAD IN DENVER SHOOTING !

by Phizzy in

more than one gunman seems to be involved in this terrible act.

families were attending mid-night showings of the dark knight movie.. the media should not give publicity tothe names of the perpetrators, they often crave the fame.

give them that fame and others will crave it too.. my thoughts are with the families of all that are affected, a horrific and pointless act that will bring so much pain and sorrow.. edited to say, seems as though it was a lone gunman..