sssteverrr's Comments (308)

“Schools can't discipline students? That's news to me. And if the school cannot impact an unruly student the police should be contacted. Seems to me none of the above was done. These parents need to drop this suit and try to grieve with the care of loved ones.”

“Great post! How someone could find fault with your point here is absolutely stunning...”

“Of course the guy, the ex-boyfriend, has to share some of the blame. He could have used a measure of self-control and NOT disseminate it to all of his friend, which was not only a classless thing to do, but also terribly irresponsible.”

“I'm repeating here my response to an earlier poster . . .

No doubt this is a 'behavior has consequences' lesson for all involved and (we can hope) those of us who read about it.

But her mistake does not remove guilt from those who took advantage of circumstances to make it worse.

Say I took Mommy's car without permission and let you borrow it. You turn around and run me over with it. Are you guiltless?”

“She made a mistake and paid for it with her life.. Fair deal?”

“"the guy is to blame for sharing them" Ok, I'll play along. Tell us, exactly who is to blame for him sharing them?

"more vigilant in protecting her" In what manner? These statements are very easy to make, but please give a concrete example of what you believe the parents should have done.”

“Yes, Justice Sotomayer should leave a short curly hair on Thomas's coke can everyday for a year. Way to be Justice Sotomayer”

“Wrong! A person knowingly and wilfully crossing a marked international border absent proper authorization commits a criminal act by so doing and therefore by logical extension, the perpetrator acquires "illegal" immigration status. That American employers lure illegals to risk prosecution and deportation by coming into the United States unlawfully to obtain work is another issue yet to be effectively dealth with but none the less criminal in nature. Do these "undocumented" workers realize that by abandoning the socio-economic and geo-political struggles in their native country they do a great disservice to their countrymen thereby perpetuating the downward spiral in opportunities they might otherwise enjoy in their own home country? Of course they do but it is much easier to run from the problems at home than to deal with them head-on. A pox on the houses of all employers of illegal alien workers.”

“If you enter a country without proper documents, then you have entered the country illegally. At which point your are deemed a illegal immigrant.”

“Sounds about right to me. ;-)”

“Thomas is a Bush Sr. appointed house negro!!”

“It's good. REALLY good.

But I wouldn't say the best really.”

“Agreed that is one of the best burgers I have ever had when I used to eat meat.”

“Tariffs are a tricky deal and I suggest no expertise. However, I agree that some sort of protectionism is long overdue to reinvigorate America industry and jobs. It will take a lot more economic pain for congress to receive the signal, and it may never come.

At some point outsourcing and seeking the cheapest labor market must be offset with tariffs and/or taxes that serve to maintain a national security base - perpetuating a sustaining industry for defense and welfare (employment). We seem to have gone totally off-track in this respect with NAFTA and virtual Chinese assumption of our production in many areas. Making this more problematic, of course, is that foreign entities now control our debt liabilities and thereby can affect our tariff policy.

Exports are also an important element of the economy and protective tariffs can have adverse affects upon business relying upon them, and their employees. So it is a delicate path, made more difficult by the expansive manner in which we have allowed business to move offshore without stern tax disincentives. Yet it seems almost unavoidable that we must address some form of protectionism before we are all left with the option of serving fast food, and eating fast food, as career path and affordable level of cuisine. Otherwise, the effect of globalism is to draw down every economy to a common denominator; and this is what current business and financial trends seem to herald. That is not what America should settle for.”

“IN 2009 US EXPORTS TO CHINA WERE 47 BILLION, IMPORTS 217 BILLION, I'LL TRADE THE 47 FOR THE 217 ANY DAY.

IN 1932 THE US WAS A MAJOR EXPORTER OF MANUFACTURED GOODS, NOT SO MUCH TODAY.

INFLATION IS THE ARTIFICIAL INCREASE IN PRICES DUE TO AN INCREASE IN THE MONEY SUPPLY UNRELATED TO PRODUCTIVITY USUALLY DUE TO CHEAP CREDIT.

IF PRICES RISE BECAUSE AMERICANS ARE EARNING MORE MONEY IT IS NOT INFLATION IT IS CAPITALISM.”

“yes lets inflate our way out!”

“Do that and you won't be able to export a single thing.”

“Oh really?

The Smoot-Hawley tariff of June 1930 was the catalyst that really made the Great Depression great.

It was the largest single increase in taxes on trade during peacetime and precipitated massive retaliation by foreign governments on U.S. products...beginning in 1932 the lowest personal income tax rate was raised to 4% from less than one-half of 1% while the highest rate was raised to 63% from 25%. By the end of January 1934 the price of gold, most of which had been confiscated by the government, was raised to $35 per ounce. In other words, in less than one year the government confiscated as much gold as it could at $20.67 an ounce and then devalued the dollar in terms of gold by almost 60%. That's one helluva tax....”

“Fanned. So many good posts tonight! The mentality of More of Us against Them sure holds for this bunch. And if he is representing his constituents, (but just happens to be a Catholic) isn't that mixing church and state just a tad to have the bishops horning in?”

“I'm with you. Thanks.”

“So you are saying we should go back to the 1800's where women just stay at home and play nice? The military is volunteer only. No one was drafted. Many single mothers gladly join the military for the benefits it has for themselves and their children. Are you saying that right should be taken away due to their gender?”

“You would be amazed at the number of people that have not been on a subway. This is why there is such an irrational fear of mass transit projects in this country.”

“WOW NYT actually gets something right, what a day!!”

“It's all photo-op.”

“Well said.”

“Just fanned you. Well said.”

“I guess hormones and pesticides are better?”

“Organic agriculture can reduce our consumption of fossil fuels, although supply chain inefficiency remains a problem. Also, organic agriculture improves soil nutrients and reduces soil erosion.

Even if the you're not paying for a better product today (which is a legitimate debate), you're paying for a better and more abundant product tomorrow, when the consequences of intensive industrial agriculture combined with increasing fossil fuel scarcity take their toll on food production.

It's hard, with the way our economy works, for consumers to justify such an investment in the future, but it's going to be hard for our economy to continue to function in the long run if we don't.”