There MAY have been a time when such practices would have been frowned upon. However, the current mode of operation and common business practice is, "Fuck You! Pay me!"

This reminds me of a recent story in which a girl was set on fire at a gas station. She was in the hospital and didn't remove her car from the property and was charged for towing fees etc.

REALLY? Who is not fucking man or woman enough to simply fucking wave charges in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 8:00 PM on June 19, 2012

Wow, it was a submarine-hunting training mission and the radar was turned off to avoid detection by the sub.

It sounds like some serious human error to me. Just as a ship's captain has charts of depths and underwater obstacles, the pilot should have known safe cruising altitude for the area.

Not exactly surprising, but P-3 are still in use by the Navy and still protect our coasts and outlying interests world wide. Being P-3 aircrew is scary... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:09 PM on June 16, 2012

Jeez, what a sad and horrible thing to happen right in the middle of such an awesome and epic post.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 3:46 PM on June 16, 2012

I might be speaking out of school here, but I think the schtick going on with the insults is a play on some American Black Culture...like when I show up at work and the black people are all like..."You skinny chicken legged white fool!" When what they really mean is "Hey SNS, haven't seen you for a few days, come give us some hugs!"

As a very white guy I take it easy on the give and take, but I ALWAYS collect on the hugs. Every time. There can be... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 8:11 PM on June 15, 2012

Thanks for the post it reminds me of how much I miss my "old people" friends.

Years ago I moved into a neighborhood that had mostly old people in it. I met a few and word got out that I was a nice kid who could fix stuff. After a while I was doing pro bono odd jobs for folks, mostly things they would have done themselves a few years earlier. Over the course of a couple of years I'd done a couple of hundred little odd-jobs and almost every time they would... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:50 PM on June 13, 2012

.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:44 AM on June 6, 2012

On a scale of 1-10 of religious sects being cool, I give these folks a solid 9!

They're not suicide bombers. They don't come to my house early Saturday morning harassing me when I have a little hangover. They don't try to pass legislation that would require the rest of us to handle snakes and they don't sneak snake handling into our kids school curriculums.

It is a shame though that every once in a while one of them has to go see Jesus a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:26 PM on June 1, 2012

Just posting to give my thanks to fellow vets and more importantly to those who lost their lives and to the families who lost their loved ones. I like to think of this holiday as honoring the families especially, because they have to live on with their permanent sacrifice and loss.

I'm totally excited about people earning their various patches and insignia...Airborne, Ranger, Special Forces, Diver, Pilot, Search and Rescue etc. Oh, and all the medals and ribbons too.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:03 PM on May 28, 2012

I've been hearing the "part Cherokee" thing all my life and it always sounded more like a disclaimer than something to be proud of. Kinda makes sense now.

Some of my friends are black folks from the deep South and a couple of weeks ago we were all talking and a little racist stuff came up. One of my buddies said, "Take it easy there, sns is white as fuck." The lady who was shooting shit said, "He ain't white, he's from Kentucky!... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:04 PM on May 24, 2012

It's evil because they took profitable companies and rendered them down, destroyed them and all of the employees. There is nothing good about it. It's totally predatory and economy destroying.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 3:11 PM on May 24, 2012

no one would ever, ever loan money to a Bain-owned company. Why not? Don't the lenders get a cut too?
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 3:19 PM on May 24, 2012

Well, MY panties got all in a bunch for minute there.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 3:32 PM on May 24, 2012

Man, in Toby's little introductory narrative he sounds like he's a stoner. That little bit of voice work made the rest almost unwatchable for me. Ugh.

DiCaprio is pretty 2D. There's really not much going on behind his eyes. Sure he can act, but he's nowhere close to being able to tell two stories simultaneously; one with his body and the other with his eyes.

I'll still watch this though, just because I love the story.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 5:12 PM on May 23, 2012

What I've learned from this is that the Spin folks have great taste in music, which they are showing off, but have no idea how to rank guitarists, let alone the TOP 100 of ALL TIME!

Also missing from this list are Doc Watson and Carlos Montoya. Oh yea, and that kid with no arms who can play anything by Pearl Jam and plays Taylor Guitars(tm) exclusively. He's fuckin' good!
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 2:49 PM on May 20, 2012

If anyone produced efficient cars that were affordable to the lower classes in the US, they would sell like hotcakes. It's a shame that the really economical cars are only really available to people who can afford to pay for lots of gas every day and not the folks who are really hampered by fuel costs.

That's why Yugo had a great showing here for a while and why Hyundai is now a major player. They broke into the market with some modesty and people with modest incomes... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 5:16 PM on May 15, 2012

I think you're right, JeffL, but I also think that Mould was the glue that kept shit connected and organized. So there may be a reason for Bob's acting and talking the way he does. Grant may be kinda pissed still, and Bob was certainly a "busy-bossy-bottom", but Bob was really the GUY that made shit happen.

One thing that I'm still not sure about is the SST situation. I was kinda in the scene back then and was at virtually every fucking show and even... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:13 PM on May 11, 2012

Ya know most of that SST catalog is still highly marketable, not just to elder punkers like myself, but when I turn the neighborhood skater kids on to stuff like Black Flag and the Huskers, the next time I see these kids they're wearing Husker and BF t-shirts (mostly home made BARS.) It kinda pisses me off because I'm not sure who's getting the money. Are SST artists still getting residuals for their music and merch?

I don't know. BUT, back then these guys were doing... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 5:31 PM on May 13, 2012

when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage,

I can't even begin to imagine how many gay-hatin' tightey-righties will be totally flummoxed by this.

"Well do I keep hatin' gays or do I support the troops?" Brain asplodes.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:59 PM on May 9, 2012

You did follow the Republican primary right?

C'mon now, that's like trotting out MLK at a Klan rally. What did you think would happen?

Down here in San Diego, possibly the greatest military complex on the planet, we (in the military community) were a bit worried about the repeal of DADT. We shouldn't have bothered with worrying. It was very quickly adopted and standards and practices were immediately changed. Most... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:38 PM on May 9, 2012

.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 3:38 PM on May 9, 2012

Thanks for the post, klang. That reasoning couldn't be stated or issued in any better way than Rev. Barber did. Huge applause and kudos to him.

Having spent quite a bit of time there and having many relatives there, I love N.C. and think that it's a beautiful place. Sadly though, aside from some of the more metropolitan areas, it is still a place divided by racism and bigotry. I don't think that I'm totally wrong in asserting that in many rural areas people are still... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:10 PM on May 8, 2012

This kid was pretty well fucked without his parents help. Uncle Sam and the military abhor two things. Common sense and trying to get out of a deployment.

I imagine that he took that particular assignment because his re-up bonus would be so high and that he would be banking tax-free dollars while in the zone. But then he was left with only three options. Fulfill his contract, suicide or disappear. By then it was too late to ask for help with finance or illness.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:22 PM on May 4, 2012

.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 2:01 PM on May 4, 2012

It's funny reading about Henry's self-love when I'm pretty sure that he's kinda self-loathing. I think that his work post-Black Flag has all been an endeavor to find himself and his voice. If I recall correctly, he spoke alot about being self-aware and becoming incorporated in a meaningful way into the big picture.

If that's the case then Kudos to him, he's doing it and he's working his program...seems to be taking a while, but still, kudos.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:36 PM on May 3, 2012

The existing problem is systemic. When teachers, schools and whole districts are underfunded, ignored, treated generally like 2nd rate dirtbags and they are also under the gun with standardized testing and NCLB which is designed to cause failure...the kids end up being at the bottom of that big shitty dog-pile. The kids face the brunt of that huge failure.

That said, I've seen personally how this approach and understanding can change entire communities. It took almost... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:30 PM on May 1, 2012

wierdo, forgive me for being vague about the who and where, but the political climate in much of Southern California is very much anti-public education. While this story sounds like a great success to us, it's also a great bane to the republican majority around here. I'd hate to be the jerk-off that leads to any kind of retaliation.

Anyway, here's the story. There is one neighborhood here in San Diego that has for decades been the go-to place for drugs and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:26 PM on May 1, 2012

Considering Jesus and religion in general, I should note that it was a total miracle. Pretty much every entity, local, state and federal put everything imaginable in place to thwart those efforts. I'll go on record as saying that most stories of public education failure are a result of bureaucratic involvement. Teachers know how to teach. It's when government gets involved that things fail.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:45 PM on May 1, 2012

So are those bacon-wrapped thing really franken-filets? I tried a couple a year or so ago and it was horrible!
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 3:52 PM on May 1, 2012

We've been doing "trickle down" economics for 30 years at least. We've been supporting big business and big owners/management.

What has that bought for us? Downsizing, benefit reduction or elimination, outsourcing, and LAWS THAT MAKE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CREATE NEW INDUSTRY FROM THE BOTTOM UP! As if my little shit industry is even competitive.

Big business has the market cornered in every way conceivable. They own the government,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:21 PM on April 30, 2012

Hell's Belles: Back in Black. Definitely effin' rockin'!

Nature vs. Nurture is a very interesting quandary here. I wonder how many of these girls had barbies and crap foisted on them with them simply saying, "Fuck that, I'm here to ROCK!"

So much great talent here, thanks for the post!
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:06 PM on April 27, 2012

Someone up-thread mentioned something about Obama being aware of how he could sway public opinion negatively if he came out too strongly on various issues.

I totally agree with that. His work is a very slow process. He can't just start hammering down on various things because the repercussions would be entirely destructive.

I believe in Obama and while I'm disappointed with his incredibly slow progress and some of his decisions, I think that... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:57 PM on April 25, 2012

Thanks for the great post flapjax! I'm a HUGE Bonzo fan and here's why...

1. Bonham's drums EMOTE. He was always more than just a drummer/percussionist/time keeper. He had a way of, while still keeping time, hesitating, and flattening out at points, coming back with a crush of percussion to emphasize phrases, notes, etc. (He knew his trade like few others.)

2. His singular voice. By sound alone he's probably the most recognizable drummer... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:16 PM on April 24, 2012

Hope you don't mind, man. I had to add a Proto Punk tag. These girls were/are awesome and are/were pretty influential! Great stuff!
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:34 PM on April 16, 2012

Yep, this is a great site and I'm glad to see that it's found it's way to the blue!
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 5:28 PM on April 15, 2012

I would have given the kid poor marks too. This essay was part of an exam to help the teacher determine if and what the kid had learned. What did the KID get from the reading? So sadly, as cool as it is that his dad helped, it was just creating noise for the teacher.

Also, I LOVE English teachers!
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 2:39 PM on April 11, 2012

If the kid wrote in his essay about anything his father said to him, then he wasn't writing about his reading and understanding of the text. Simple enough I think.

To be fair, I think I could read anything written by my father and examine it well enough without his input. And that's exactly what I would do anyway, especially in this context.

Of course, on my own personal time, I would ask lots of questions, but that would be for ME and not... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 3:17 PM on April 11, 2012

I'm pretty sure the rear engine is a carry over from the Type I and I've always considered the 911 to be a highly evolved Bug anyway. Sure, scientifically, mid-engine is better, but as a mechanic I prefer having the engine in the REAR.

It's utilitarian, but also provides an awesome view.

*drools at photo...pours some out for Ferdi*

.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:28 PM on April 6, 2012

He was a great guy in real life too. He tried to take my uncle Wayne under his wing a few times, but Wayne would never leave his farm. Earl would still come visit though, way up in a Southern Appalachian holler just to hang out, eat and play music on the porch.

There will be some mournful banjo pickin' here at the ranch tonight.

.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:28 PM on March 28, 2012

Hooray for Mom! It worked! The kid is internet-famous now and I think he's been invited to a talk show already. Way to work the webs.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:25 PM on March 28, 2012

Don't forget about 9/11. For many Americans, that was their very first taste of terrorism. That single event drove hundreds of thousands if not millions towards the right. The republicans were and are the war-hawks who will fight and start wars to defend this country, so people cling to them like children.

There is no intelligence behind it, people are still just scared and are totally willing to sacrifice civil rights for the sake of keeping us "safe".... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 5:42 PM on March 27, 2012

Parkour reminds me of trials riding and street skating. Parkour is obviously a more pure form of street gymnastics, so it's very surprising to me that the many other forms came first.

Maybe it's a need to hide or dismiss our monkeyhood/ness by using vehicles.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 7:11 PM on March 26, 2012

ENJOY!

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the fart-bomb. Enter your buddies cubicle and sit on a fabric covered, foam seated chair. Fart as you rise up so that the chair can absorb the gas like a sponge. The next person to sit there will have an unpleasant surprise as YOUR gas is expelled from beneath them!

Enjoy!
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:09 PM on March 26, 2012

charlie don't surf, I'm having a little laugh at the fact that you didn't post the actual questions, because that would be illegal. Good point too, and I totally agree. At eighth grade level, those questions should be no-brainers. Our first graders have very similar questions but at a lower reading level.

If this wasn't from commondreams.org I'd worry that this was vetted by some sinister Republican with an interest in private/voucher/alternative schools.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:41 PM on March 24, 2012

Yea, we really need a definition of "productivity". Is it units of x produced in the U.S. by American labor? No.

The only hold up is profit margins. I've, unfortunately, been involved in kaizen, Six Sigma etc. and while it's not totally bullshit, it is totally about profit versus workforce maintenance.

It does cost a lot more to employ here in the states, but I personally believe that it's an investment and not a liability.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 5:32 PM on March 19, 2012

What really grabbed me was that this scenario has probably played out on every frontier outpost in history. Guy gets homesick, finds a quiet place to play guitar and shed a tear.

I was really convinced that Ron was going to be found in the Russian sector singing, dancing and drinking vodka...ofcourse they know better than to video document that kind of thing though.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:24 PM on March 19, 2012

FOR the first time since the Depression, the American economy has added virtually no jobs in the private sector over a 10-year period. Haha, NYT article from '09.

So what jobs are people supposed to be moving to?

It's also pretty tragically comic (comically tragic?) that we seem blind sided by this. It's been in the air since Reagan.

My personal take on surviving and even overcoming and having... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 4:22 PM on March 15, 2012

Just thinking out loud, so to speak, if the GOP or various GOP entities, can force this stuff on women, can't we enact a law that forces law makers to undergo a psychological exam to prove that they are not sociopaths before taking office? I'd love to see the results of THAT test.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:31 PM on March 13, 2012

We are stardust, we are golden, we are million year old carbon...

More like billions, eh?
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:58 PM on March 12, 2012

Nobody in government cares at all about the "future" beyond their next election cycle.

Personally, I think I'd be very comfortable, happy and healthy living in a world governed by scientists.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:47 PM on March 12, 2012

Blame the banks and lenders and their predatory business practices for the foreclosures.

This kid really did have a "hustle". She took some junk that was likely going to be tossed and made something of it. Good for her! The economy is rough as hell, many of us are worried about job security and she is giving us just one example of how any one of us can make some extra cash and maybe even start our own business.

That is good stuff.
posted to MetaFilter by snsranch at 6:43 PM on March 9, 2012