Mrs Whiggins

Whenever I get spend too much time ruminating about it, I remember that for awhile in our recent history, we had a leader who was nerdy enough to role model how to embrace that and not be afraid or too cool to show it by doing stuff like this....

When the events of the fateful night occurred, Rittenhouse was 17 and as far as I know was already having difficulty with school and never completed his hs education. That closes a lot of doors even if one is carrying all the baggage and notoriety that Kyle has. His parents had split up and I don't know if anyone was giving him sound advice or if he would've even listened to it considering all the other voices whispering in his ear. I don't feel sorry for him, he's entered that George Zimmerman zone which has the effect of trying to reconcile one's psyche with past events while living in the present and society is going to forever place the two (past and present) together because that is the way it works. The difference between Rittenhouse and say, Zimmerman, is that Rittenhouse is barely 21 and has a lot of years left. Therapy, testing for a learning disorder, and completing his GED would go a long way in rehabbing his life (as opposed to hanging out with guns and guys who play soldier). I doubt he ever will.

This scenario was along the lines of what I would imagine; random locales that have violence break out, not unlike what we have domestically already with the large numbers of unregulated firearms that wind up in the hands of angry people (mostly male, often mentally ill). As was pointed out, Trump is older than most despot wanna-be types but Michael Flynn and the rest are under 65 and more than happy to take up the mantle if given the opportunity. Dust off your anti-fascist songs by the American greats (like @cactusflinthead provided) or if you want some from the old days, there's always this one: I haven't a drop of Italian blood in my ancestry, but I can cook up a marvelous pasta dinner and feed the partisans. Win or lose, the struggle will continue. It always does as long as there is power and those who seek it.

Perhaps a parrot would be useful. A parrot could talk to you while you dig.

Definitely. But that's guidance I follow with every illness. Fluids really do help the body recover.

I'm thinking of floating a new conspiracy theory that Peter Thiel secretly persuaded Elon to be the first recipient of that brain implant and has been the marionettist behind the keyboard and strings making more and more outlandish statements in an effort to hasten his vision of a Middle Class Mordor. Can't quite figure out the grift angle though. Needs to be workshopped.

So, lab results in and not e.coli but cryptosporidium and the lettuce was the likely culprit. Ugh. But glad to know it wasn't something more serious. We wash our lettuce but will now be extra cautious about just how vigorous we do so. Will continue to eat healthy and exercise and I guess the extra weight loss will go down in the books as not a bad thing but I wouldn't recommend an intestinal parasite as the way to go about it.

Store brand white is around 2 bucks a loaf. We buy frozen loaves so I can bake it as needed. That's about 6 bucks for 5 loaves. We have no allergies or other dietary restrictions other than I try and keep sugar to a minimum. We're lucky in that we have a decent health plan, but when I got really really sick it was difficult. Life comes at you with unexpected curve balls even when families have something set by, even when they save, even when they aren't extravagant at the grocery store or with anything else. It just does. So I feel for families who haven't had that reserve through no fault of their own. Compassion goes a long way and so does kindness. The emotional expenditure for compassion is actually much healthier in the long run than that of being an asshole, but the learning curve is...apparently steep.

Something tells me 2024 is going to be a tough year. Lot of legends are going to be on these pages.

Exactly. UT-RGV is already doing well. The only reason I can think of for A&M spending the money they've put into McAllen is if it's in a field of study/emphasis that UT-RGV doesn't serve already. If that is the case, then I retract my comments because the two schools can complement each other to serve student needs. Sorry for going off on a derail of the thread. Back to UT-Austin.

Force 10 From Navarone. I'm a fan of ensemble casts and he could hold his own.

Apparently Travis shouldn't be underestimated either; NY Post & NY Times both with articles. Two quotes below.

Just for kicks, I pulled some data from Harvard (2021 so not direct comp to this year) and here's their applied, admitted, enrolled: 57,786 2,318 1951

Pit stop on the way to one of several state parks? We didn't go that way since we were further north but Pedernales Falls is a great place to hike around.

No doubt--with the second largest population in the States, it will never disappear unless some sort of educational crisis occurred and I'd hate to see that. For all the grief higher ed gets, it's of benefit to society and the world. A&M opened up that campus adjacent to their main one (because they've got lots of space that UT doesn't) so that students can attend classes at Blinn and then go over to the other campus near A&M to get a degree from A&M Commerce or some other qualifying school. I expect it is so the students that want to mingle with the regular A&M aesthetics can do so with sports passes etc. I have no idea how popular the alternative campus option is. The pull of the mothership may be strong for some. I do know a friend of one of my children went to play at a system school on on athletic scholarship and then decided to finish out at that campus because the drive home was shorter (had a girlfriend) and seemed to be okay with it. So, I agree. Everyone wants the OG and that is not going to go away. But UT has done an amazing job with UTD and if they can keep that momentum going in a positive direction it may pay off. I know there are people on here with careers in higher ed that would assuredly have more insight than my totally guessing observations.

You're also correct in that Austin is always going to be the nationally ranked premier shining beacon on the hill. But it cannot support the numbers. It just cannot. However, if the Lege and the system leaders (for the various systems) would set aside some personal agendas and grievances (straight face here), shoring up specific programs at specific schools might alleviate some of the problem. For example, why is A&M so dogged about pouring money into the McAllen campus (2018) when there are already schools in the area, including UT-RGV (not too far away) and South Texas College (in town). Those funds might be better spent elsewhere.

I don't know much about it either, but the process does have several conditions that can create potential explosions. I'm guessing that they've taken preventative measures to avoid that but I'm just guessing... Safety first!

That Guaifenesin is great when I've got lung issues.

FWIW, it's important to remember that the terms 'dual credit' and 'Advanced Placement' are not interchangeable. AP credits do not have to be used if the student wishes. My two oldest used some and not others. For example, the oldest elected to not use AP credit for all the calc due to wanting to have a course with 'familiarity' and for the refresher (Chem major). For the CAP requirement at UT, I'm not sure that any AP work counts towards the 30 hours?(check their FAQ if they have one). I think that is applied after the transfer to Austin. Have no idea about actual dual credit hs coursework but I expect that to be the deal breaker because of the way dual credit works (slightly different than AP). Your youngest is to be commended for taking the more academically challenging path. It shows diligence, ambition, intelligence, and dedication to their studies. All qualities that aid in student success in higher education. There are still many doors open and paths available. It may seem a disappointment to your student now, but chin up and onward.

it's a bit of a shame that unis figured out this was a cash cow and tightened up the rules on residency. Back in the day when one could obtain a DL, voter registration, and a part time job after a certain time had passed it was actually a potential benefit to the State--the reason being that students who went to that trouble often ended up staying in state permanently and contributed to the work force and paid taxes, etc. Overall not sure that the data support that any longer because those avenues are gone. As long as a certain % of state taxes subsidize tuition, I can see an institution's argument because of the investment, but somewhere back when the tuition deregulation discussions were happening, it's too bad that of all the agendas, not one truly discussed positive outcomes when investing in the citizenry. So yeah. Sucks.

I'm an advocate for the top % rules. Is it great? No, but without it, this uni plus A&M could easily become taxpayer supported SMU type universities if it were eliminated. So many students from wealthy suburbs that have access to quality education, opportunities, academic support outside the classroom (test prep, etc) and honestly, family wealth IS undeniably one of the biggest predictors of success in college. The idea that taxpayer supported state universities were to educate their young citizens who would then go on to be productive leaders and taxpayers was a noble one from the beginning, but looking back at how access to that was restricted, at least the current system attempts to address that. Students from certain backgrounds often have the means and the ability to obtain higher education anywhere, even out of state or private. Less so for other students. As has been mentioned multiple times, the State and citizenry kicked the can down the road for elevating other system schools to alleviate the stresses placed upon the "Flagship" campuses to the tune of 63K+ applieds to UT-Aus in 2023. 19K were admitted and of those, I think around 9K ish were enrolled. Realistically a student from anywhere in the state who qualifies can apply and be admitted via this rule. Is that so bad? Sure it's a numbers game and not all of those students will attend. Some have grand opportunities elsewhere, some flat out cannot afford it, some are tied to their locality and the distance to Austin too far, some know the chasm is too wide for success. For 2023, 64% of enrolled students were top 10% qualifiers. Of the current undergraduate population on campus, over 9,000 students are first generation. May they go forth and change the world.

Relax. A university education, especially at UT, is designed to provide a student with whatever life presents. I cannot express this enough. I understand your point, but the talk about 'useless' degrees is counterproductive. But enough about that. IIRC, the UT Advertising program is ranked nationally and if you examine the course requirements (degree plan) it requires courses in a wide breadth of areas. It also requires business courses, including some marketing courses I *think*. Again, the skills learned in college (or learned previously and honed in college) are not just about acquiring breadth and depth of knowledge, but how to think and then think some more and assess what exactly one learned throughout that experience. Alas, our underdeveloped brains and maturity often mean we don't appreciate those learning experiences until far after we leave. You know this, but it bears repeating. If he's excited about it, that is a huge hurdle right there. As an aside, I have neighbors from that 'other' school and they also talk about 'useless' degrees. Never mind that a high percentage of students who major and then graduate with degrees in engineering end up in another field (like one of my neighbors). Finding a degree plan that is flexible and well rounded can serve students who think they want to go down one path and suddenly find themselves lost and uninterested. Best of luck to your student!

He's not alone in that behavior. Sad.

Think of it as a safe space? Austin is weird. San Antonio is 'ethnic,' and DS is 71% white?