On my way out-but wanted to tell David--I taught back in the 90's while I was getting my Masters..as a returning student, I was also friends with many professors.

The BIGGEST challenges?

1. Unprepared students-not prepared for college level courses, most of our students required 2 years of "labs" in basic reading & math skills before they could even start.

2. Attention Span-whether from video games, AD(H)D medications, anti-depressants....half my students showed up in class acting like zombies, almost literally, from meds they took.

e

Michael like to point out that no government worker is as good as a private sector worker. I think he must have never called Blue Cross/Blue Shield to question an Explanation of Benefits. Medicare workers are much better.

Wishing you the best in the Great Debate in Chicago!

When the Chamber of Commerce was called out recently for using contributions from foreign affiliates for U.S. political campaigns, its denials were fierce. But, of course the Chamber is using money from foreign affiliates to fund its political mission, and you can be sure that mission isn’t to help workers. The Chamber’s foreign affiliates, called AmChams, aren’t American companies doing business in foreign companies, like the Chamber wants us to believe. AmCham in China is comprised of Chinese firms like Northern Light Venture Capital, AmCham in Russia includes state run banks and AmCham in Abu Dhabi is mainly state-run oil companies. What do these AmChams do? A big part of their work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is to convince U.S. businesses to send even more jobs overseas. A recent seminar in Jacksonsville, Florida had local businesses meeting with Chinese government officials and U.S. Chamber leaders, to learn all about how to offshore even more jobs. And the U.S. Chamber is getting a lot of foreign donations to the political account it’s using to attack candidates that support issues like financial reform and an end to tax breaks for corporations that move jobs overseas. According to Think Progress, more than 80 foreign firms have contributed at least $885,000 so far to the Chamber’s political program. And a Campaign Money Watch report found that more than 1.4 million jobs were offshored since 1994 in the nine states in which the U.S. Chamber of Commerce currently is spending significant money. Check out the foreign-owned companies that give money in U.S. political races. T-Mobile USA comes in at more than $310,000. So one last note about money: when you hear that right-wing talker Glenn Beck tells his radio audience to donate hard-earned dollars to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, think about where that money’s going. It’s not going to support jobs in the U.S. or protections for workers and consumers. It’s going right into the pockets of executives who want to send your job overseas.
This is the link to the chart of PAC $ given to Chamber:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1350/5102362471_1e16e8dff1_o.jpg

Election Issue: Why are we at war with Afghanistan? We are told it is because the folks (a bunch of "crazies", as Thom puts it) from there attacked us. This week a new video was posted to the net. Anyone who thinks a bunch of crazies flying airplanes brought down the buildings will have no doubts after seeing this video. Game, Set, Match. Look for the you tube video link:

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread623743/pg1

Your comment made after the break reminded me of an old saying: "You spot it you got it." I am flabergasted at the reasoning of the right. They have no idea how silly they sound in their convoluted rants. Unfortunately, we live in silly times and that is what society identifies with.

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Katie Couric, reporting on the woman whose head wad steped on in Kentucky, reported last night that she was hurt seriously. Apparently CBS is a subsiderary of FOX since the Dan Rather debaacle.

I think your show is the best thing since sliced bread. Keep it up.

Fr. Tom†
Prison Missioner for the Diocese of Florida & Assistant Chaplain @ Baker Correctional Work Camp

Thom,

Interesting note on the WWI German debt; Germany just made the final payment this year!

N

The 14th Amendment contains a trap for those who would tinker with the current stare decisis about the meaning of US "jurisdiction" with respect to citizenship.

While the US has in recent years been hostile to the concept of "universal jurisdiction", it at the same time claims "extraterritorial jurisdiction" over any person, from any nation, who commits a crime against a US citizen anywhere in the world. That means that the US effectively claims criminal jurisdiction over all of humanity ... which if 14th Amendment stare decisis is abandoned could mean everybody in the world is an American Citizen under the 14th Amendment.

Let's all remember when you refer to Citizens United that is a brain wash. It is citizens un-united or reclassified and the ruling itself, nor the fact that the case was presented was not a mistake. The ruling class on both sides of the privately traded political spectrum have made their intentions clear.

The current court makes a mockery of justice. I believe three of the right wing appointees are from the two Bush presidents. On purpose, these bad men stacked the court with very intelligent deluded justices. Just because your brain is intelligent does not mean you will make good, fair decisions. It just means your brain works well. Who could deny that some of the worst characters in history were probably quite intelligent. Shame on George Herbert Walker Bush, and his son George Walker Bush. Both are complicit in creating the Supreme Court we have today.

Chris Hedges | The World Liberal Opportunists Made
Chris Hedges, Truthdig
Chris Hedges begins: "The lunatic fringe of the Republican Party, which looks set to make sweeping gains in the midterm elections, is the direct result of a collapse of liberalism."
READ MORE

"Liberals decry, for example, the refusal of the Democratic Party to restore habeas corpus or halt the looting of the U.S. Treasury on behalf of Wall Street speculators, but continue to support a president who cravenly serves the interests of the corporate state. "