I feel so bad for this woman and can completely understand her pain, and more than sympathize with her. The justice system can never really repair the damage these criminals have caused in their victims' lives, as well as their own families.
If there was any time better than now to take a deep dark look at what we are doing with our penal/judicial system, its now.
I realize she's just speaking out of pain, and I respect that (heaven knows that if I were in her shoes, I'd be saying a whole lot worse, and probably be plotting to kill the suspect myself), but I just wanted to point out that many local jails now do charge prisoners a daily fee - about $10 most places - for their food and lodging. Not that that at all helps the horrible situation this family is in - just being servicey.
My sister and I basically grew up in my dad's lab-- we played with the lab animals and did "experiments" with water and petri dishes and beakers. Our pets were lab mice. No joke.
Best way to get kids interested in science (or anything, really): emphasize the gross stuff. Like this bug, that makes a protective covering for itself out of its own poo!!
@MIXED: The only Rhodes scholar I've ever met had an adorable burnout hippy boyfriend who was more interested in camping than studying. She detested Oxford and didn't finish her degree.
@eibhinn: It's got to be bittersweet winning an amazing, prestigious award and getting an incredible opportunity... all tied to a guy who was a bigot, colonialist zealot who thought white Brits should rule the world (and especially diamond-rich South Africa – Rhodes was co-founder of DeBeers).
I am so pumped that our President takes science seriously. It's about damn time. Attending a science fair at the White House would have been the highlight of my school career!
I can't imagine having to reconcile Justice and justice for one you've lost. I don't care how much someone wants to wax poetic about the law/system and how government guarantees human treatment of all its citizens (which it doesn't really anyhow), that will be of little solace to someone in Lockhart-Davis' position.
@Penny: Yes. I once had this conversation with my dad. He said that if someone murdered me, he would want them to get the death penalty. I argued with him that he doesn't support the death penalty, doesn't believe the state should kill etc etc.
He just said: "There's a reason fathers of murdered children aren't allowed in sentencing hearings."
They recruited me; heavily recruited me. And I made the mistake of visiting the school. They harassed me for 3 months with constant calls/ letters--even after I told them I had accepted elsewhere. It took my dad getting on the phone and in his best commanding officer voice, telling them to fuck off before they stopped.
I'm sure some women have a fine experience there-- the women I talked to did not recommend it.
@curiousgeorgiana: A sister of a friend of mine went there and had a really awful time. Last I heard she was spending her sophomore year abroad at a military academy in France just to get away.
@daradoodle: I dealt with my share of sexist attitudes in NROTC. But those individuals were exceptions to the general rule. Not to mention guys would get slammed pretty hard by superior officers if they caught wind of comments etc. or witnessed any harassment.
It seems to be a culture at VMI, and I'm shocked that women survive it. Good for your friend for getting a break!
@curiousgeorgiana: Yeah, I read a bunch about the school for a class (we were focusing on military academies for a couple of weeks), and I have to say, I don't really understand why a woman would choose to go there, knowing what I found out. It seems as though the culture is almost a reaction (a very bitter, nasty one) to being forced to admit women, and its just scary.
@curiousgeorgiana: Many women from my university, Mary Baldwin College, are and were in the military program hosted on our campus, the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership. VWIL is the only all-female cadet corps in the world, but we're a small school (around 900 students, with about 150 in VWIL at any time) and couldn't offer all of the officer training on campus. Upperclassmen would go down to VMI (about half an hour) and be part of their training; my friends who did so said it was horrible and sexist.
"They caused, allowed and permitted condoms to be distributed by school personnel to the students, many of which were opened during the school lunch period and thrown on the floor"
I'm sorry this lady fell and all, but I have a sneaky suspicion that she's just annoyed at students having had some real sex education at school.
@Ailatan: When I read that a teacher had "slipped on a condom", I thought maybe it had gotten a little too real. Hooray for linguistic ambiguity and its many amusements!
@Ailatan: That's what I first thought, and I hope I'm just a damnable cynic, but I honestly thought it was a ruse to ban sex ed and the condom handouts.
@Ailatan: How the F do you not see garbage on the floor? How do you slip on a used condom? It's not like those things need a decoder pen- they're not made invisible. Maybe her arms were full of promise keeper pamphlets.
@Ailatan: I'm afraid of the consequences this could have on the sex education of NYC students. Could the BofE then argue that they can't hand out condoms because they don't want this lawsuit to happen again?
@Ailatan: Agree. A normal person would just be embarrassed she slipped. She wouldn't go to the media to try to disgrace the school for passing out condoms.
Up front, I live in Australia, where tipping is not mandatory or expected (although it is becoming more common) and I have to confess I find the idea of compulsory tipping puzzling.
I'm happy to leave a tip if I've received good service. Having worked in the industry I can appreciate that waiting can be a thankless, unpleasant, poorly paid job sometimes.
However, I do not think that anybody should be obliged to pay a gratuity if they have received poor service or their dining experience was less than satisfactory.
@amazoncowgirl: I without a doubt agree with you. I find tipping a ridiculous practice. All it does is allow the business to pay the servers less and because people know they make no money, tipping really isn't an option. I would much rather have my meal cost three more dollars and not have to tip.
I also dislike how an amazing server at a cheaper restaurant gets a much smaller tip (even if a high percentage) than a mediocre waiter at an expensive place.
Anecdotally though, I have eaten in Australia and gotten rather lousy service and the girls I was staying with told me that is typical. At which point I am okay with giving a tip for those who are great.
@Elaken: I've received some very ordinary service here in Australia as well, but I've also received some very good service. And like you, I am happy to tip those who provide good service, although I would be offended if I was told I HAD to tip anybody good or bad.
I also think expectations of good service are different culturely. We Australians can be considered a bit too laid back or informal to people from other countries. Please be aware that I'm not trying to justify poor service with this observation, and I'm sorry that you had a bad experience.
@amazoncowgirl: It is good to get other people's opinions especially since I was there such a limited time. And you are right, what is good service is very cultural. It wasn't horrendous or anything, just I am use to having the waiter come by frequently so you can get water refills and the like.
I always run into problems when traveling though. I have gone to places where the custom is not to tip but they know you are an American and thus actually do expect the tip because know that is what we do culturally.
But in Japan, the service is incredible and you just might get chased down if you leave a tip - so they can give back the money you left behind.
It would all be so much easier if tipping was only for really good service and everyone got a decent wage.
@amazoncowgirl: In America, you tip because servers are paid $2.50/hr and they make it up in tips, depending on the place, $30-$200 a night. (A pub? $30-60.) They are paid lik that BECAUSE of tips. Tips are mandatory on large groups because itis human nature that the large the group, the more inconsiderate a mass of people will be; also, large groups are more work than small groups so it's only fair the servers get paid more. Usually the tip is included on the bill and you don't worry about the tip unless you want to tip more.
Also, in many restaurants, the waitresses don't keep all the tips. They "tip out" a portion of their tips to others such as busboys and hostesses.
@Elaken: Well, yeah. But my boss in the US doesn't want to pay a decent wage. And so, when I can, I grat on large parties. But I always try to serve well enough that you want to leave me more than the gratuity.
Food service sucks. Most servers aren't out to get you through autograt or anything else. Please remember that in the US and Canada, your server's wage isn't included in the price of your drinks or meal, so tip accordingly.
@DainCurst: That's why I would never tip less than 10% and that has to be very incredibly bad service. I think it is just considered part of the meal and there really isn't an option. It is just one of those systems that will always bother me.
All white people need to be deported! McVeigh was white! The guy who killed an innocent doctor was a white Christian!*
Oh wait, whaddya mean that's not acceptable and that it's their country?
Oh really?
This is why hate crimes carry a heavier punishment. More so than attacking a person's body, you're attacking their very right to exist while believing yourself to be unquestionably entitled to do so.
*Note, I consider myself to be a Christian (as in, believing in and trying to follow Christ's teachings) and as such, I believe that I am supposed to love humanity regardless of whatever differences we all have.
Why the fuck would any guy want to numb his penis? It's pretty simple. If you pop too soon you do things that your partner enjoys until you're ready to go again. Not that I have any expertise in this area. Really! I heard it from a friend! I'll go hide now.
@token_illiterate_commenter: They have numbing creams on the market right now. I was waiting to pick up a prescription at Walgreens and the line happened to be in the "family planning" aisle, where I spotted a tube of something called (no joke) Man-Delay. It had a tiger on the package and everything. I read the label and it is basically Anbesol diluted to numb the penis. I giggled like a fool for a very long time after seeing it.
@SheelaNaGig: I thought I'd heard of products like that, but a guy would have to have a serious problem to use something like that. Most guys bitch about losing sensation with a condom, how much fun could a numb penis be? On the other hand, a tiger!
11/24/09
If there was any time better than now to take a deep dark look at what we are doing with our penal/judicial system, its now.
11/24/09
11/24/09
Best way to get kids interested in science (or anything, really): emphasize the gross stuff. Like this bug, that makes a protective covering for itself out of its own poo!!
[www.livescience.com]
11/23/09
//congrats to both of them, what an achievement!
11/23/09
Awesome for them. Hooray!!!
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
#tips
11/23/09
#tips
11/23/09
11/23/09
My first thought: "Yay, we're getting there!"
Second thought: "It's 2009, and I'm cheering that most-equal area is down 7.8 percent?"
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
He just said: "There's a reason fathers of murdered children aren't allowed in sentencing hearings."
11/23/09
They recruited me; heavily recruited me. And I made the mistake of visiting the school. They harassed me for 3 months with constant calls/ letters--even after I told them I had accepted elsewhere. It took my dad getting on the phone and in his best commanding officer voice, telling them to fuck off before they stopped.
I'm sure some women have a fine experience there-- the women I talked to did not recommend it.
11/23/09
11/23/09
It seems to be a culture at VMI, and I'm shocked that women survive it. Good for your friend for getting a break!
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
I'm sorry this lady fell and all, but I have a sneaky suspicion that she's just annoyed at students having had some real sex education at school.
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
I blame the system!
11/23/09
Won't someone think of the children??!! [that these children won't be having because they're being given condoms in school]
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/24/09
11/25/09
11/25/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
Never mind kids having unprotected sex, because we have to worry about the real menace: SLIPPAGE.
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
I'm happy to leave a tip if I've received good service. Having worked in the industry I can appreciate that waiting can be a thankless, unpleasant, poorly paid job sometimes.
However, I do not think that anybody should be obliged to pay a gratuity if they have received poor service or their dining experience was less than satisfactory.
11/19/09
I also dislike how an amazing server at a cheaper restaurant gets a much smaller tip (even if a high percentage) than a mediocre waiter at an expensive place.
Anecdotally though, I have eaten in Australia and gotten rather lousy service and the girls I was staying with told me that is typical. At which point I am okay with giving a tip for those who are great.
11/19/09
I also think expectations of good service are different culturely. We Australians can be considered a bit too laid back or informal to people from other countries. Please be aware that I'm not trying to justify poor service with this observation, and I'm sorry that you had a bad experience.
11/19/09
I always run into problems when traveling though. I have gone to places where the custom is not to tip but they know you are an American and thus actually do expect the tip because know that is what we do culturally.
But in Japan, the service is incredible and you just might get chased down if you leave a tip - so they can give back the money you left behind.
It would all be so much easier if tipping was only for really good service and everyone got a decent wage.
11/19/09
Also, in many restaurants, the waitresses don't keep all the tips. They "tip out" a portion of their tips to others such as busboys and hostesses.
11/20/09
Food service sucks. Most servers aren't out to get you through autograt or anything else. Please remember that in the US and Canada, your server's wage isn't included in the price of your drinks or meal, so tip accordingly.
11/20/09
11/19/09
Oh wait, whaddya mean that's not acceptable and that it's their country?
Oh really?
This is why hate crimes carry a heavier punishment. More so than attacking a person's body, you're attacking their very right to exist while believing yourself to be unquestionably entitled to do so.
*Note, I consider myself to be a Christian (as in, believing in and trying to follow Christ's teachings) and as such, I believe that I am supposed to love humanity regardless of whatever differences we all have.
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09