TurkeyChew

Here is an interesting read about how people consistently overestimate the size of minority groups in the US. https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2022/03/15/americans-misestimate-small-subgroups-population

IMO the Russia/Ukraine war and his Putin stuff has sunk him, but prior to that, I would have said maybe as well.

You said it better than I could say it as I think the only reason this is even a thing is because it is an attempt to show that "see? Democrats play politics too!". We all know that hypocrisy is a must-have for any politician, but this is an attempt to try and call-out hypocrisy by hypocrites which is largely why this topic completely bores me.

Okay I think I see your point now. Sorry for my lack of a grasp earlier. I agree that making making a subject verboten is not likely to work and is unhealthy, usually. Your sex education example now makes sense. Kids will rebel or act out or find other ways to satiate their curiosity. I think sex education is in a whole different bucket than politics, however. For me, I would say that engaging children/young teens in politics is more akin to alcohol and drugs. These are superfluous and unnecessary parts of culture and environments and lifestyles that are surrounding your children and families (or not) depending on your beliefs and environments. That said, I could see you taking an active approach to political conversations with your kids like you would with booze and drugs. You have some parents who let their kids "experiment" in their homes in a safe, controlled environment to scratch the curiosity bug. Others think that is inappropriate. I think both are right, depending on their children's personalities and the core family beliefs. And yes, I think politics (as we define the conversation in 2022 and engage and identify) are just as unhealthy and toxic to the kid/teen brain as something like porn. Both things I want my developing children to avoid as their brains are growing and as they spend their finite time and energy on priorities to make a life that give them the privilege later in life of raising children in whichever way they think fit. This is why, even when the politics match my own, I make it clear that I don't want them engaging in political jokes or discourse (e.g. aforementioned trolling the class with "Sleepy Joe Biden" as a user handle on their math login, etc. as there are tons of other examples) because they don't know what they are talking about and haven't earned the right to have a political opinion, which is by my design because I'm doing what I think is best for them and their long-term success and mental health.

I walked the West Mall everyday for 4.5 years and I have no idea what this "shanty" you guys are talking about is.

Why are you conflating sex ed with politics? I simply said it's beyond strange to me that kids are political creatures today because my experience as a young man in middle school was nobody gave a crap about politics and if you did, you were a weirdo nerd who nobody wanted to be around. Now all the kids are fueled with political talking points and espousing the latest memes and funny nicknames in a classroom or playground setting. Blows my mind and makes me think we as a society are growing more political (bad thing, IMO) and having kids as child foot soldiers for your politics, on both sides, (bad thing, IMO) is unhealthy. No middle schooler in my sphere of influence has the lived experience to have anything more than the most general and vague political opinion; so general and vague as to be not worth vocalizing or repeating. Sex education is a whole 'nother ball of wax. It should be appropriately taught and discussed and has been in my household with pre-pubescent and pubescent sexual beings. Just because I don't want my children tainted and distracted with the foolishness that is American Politics today, doesn't mean I don't want them sufficiently educated and aware of sex health and expectations.

You know what they say about assuming...

I understand where you are coming from and can see your point and I appreciate the tact you've taken-- it's just not for me or mine. In the political climate we live in, I want my children to 100% focus on everything BUT politics because I think being in elementary and middle school and concerning yourself with such punditry (because that's all it is at that age for my children and their peers described above) is a complete distraction and waste of time, energy and mental effort compared to just about anything else they could be doing in school or at home. They can have political opinions when they are older, and I don't give a crap what they are, but while they are on my payroll I'm going to try and get them to not waste time with foolishness when there is development work to be done. Besides, arguing about stupid politics and wasting time is what guys like Brisket and I get paid handsomely to do online.

Oh not the pervert stuff; I mean allegedly he can still throw the oblong ball and run good with it, right? Has anyone seen him do anything athletic in months or years? Is he staying in shape and working out privately with his own investment and money?

I HATE politics in the classroom and it goes both ways. My children go to a Christian based private school and I had to nip the political talk in the bud very early on. It was actually a shock to find out that children were talking about politics so early in life-- I certainly wasn't in elementary school. I think I didn't even know what I believed (or thought I believe, as those beliefs have evolved and changed) until high school if even then. Kids these days are sending memes and videos to their friends via text or discord and naming their user names "Sleepy Joe Biden Needs Coffee" (I literally saw a kid in my son's class do that) on their Virtual math programs and zooms and what not and I'm guessing just repeating partisan junk they are hearing from their parents, but goodnight-- what happened to not talking about politics in mixed company and in front of children, because it is rude and vulgar? And yes, I know, I'm sure my children engage in some political conversation when I'm not there, but they know I won't tolerate them taking any political positions or positing because as I've told them, they don't know what the heck they are talking about and don't know their head from their elbows politically at their age and should just shut their mouths until they have some knowledge and experience.

This. I'm shocked at what 6th street looks like just in foot traffic. The only foot traffic used to be just bar to bar and bar crawling or parking lot pimping outside of Logan's or Copper Tank at 2:00am. This is gross and reminds me why New Austin is ew and do not want. Edit to add: I think I saw Mooseknuckle in that video. Is that the longest tenured bar on dirty 6th or is Aquarium and The Library still around?

allegedly, still, right?

This.

The narcissism is extreme here, and he has a bunch of family and friends that are enabling it. I hope all this leads to an even worse conviction and longer/worse consequences.

Sometimes I spell my name with G….and an I! Probably my favorite Jerry scene because his cackle at the end is so authentic.

You gave your perspective and it's definitely appreciated. Root cause and how to fix for the future generations, etc. is important. But that's not answering the topical question that has bubbled up that we as a society need to answer: What do we do about this girl today? Should she be allowed to do what she's doing and wants to continue to do, athletically? Is it a matter of "tough crap, 99% of the time the trans community gets the raw end of the deal and in this 1% of the time we benefit on something so you (the girls swimming against Lia) should grin and bear it"?

NCAA got dragged on twitter after a woman posted their gym which was inferior to the mens, almost a year to the date today, at the NCAAW tourney. This year, they are getting equal swag, equal hotel/gyms, and NCAA is using the term "March Madness" for their tourney this year as well (never had done before). I think with enough pressure, the NCAA will have to do something-- as impossible as that might be (as Brisket points out, there are no good or easy solutions here). That said, Swimming does not equal Basketball in the realm of "give a crap" in today's attention economy.

It's hard to discern troph's point (or points?) in her posts because I think it's such a sensitive and personal topic, but did she say even she agrees that this is a travesty to competition? If so, obviously something in the system is broken and you have nearly unanimous agreement on the unfairness of it all. I would expect NCAA to have to do something.

Finally saw this, despite everyone saying it sucks, and well. Y’all were right.

Soaring! That was a cool ride.

When Dirty Martin’s gets shut down was when I told myself New-Old Austin (1980-2000) is dead. I hope to have one last sissy burger.

You gotta mulch!

The lethality of Fent is an absolute game changer when it comes to illegal drugs, IMO. If you have kids there is a worry that a previously “low risk” one time bad decision of doing coke at a party could now be a high risk death. It’s scary and as others have said it’s a different world than the drugs that were coming in the 80’s. This story is sad all around, but even worse for the 2 kids who OD trying to help their buddies.

It’s Anytown, USA.

What will the office pedantics do when we strip them of their superiority and it’s no longer relevant to accurately write out meeting time requests and confirmations as 3p CST v 3p CDT