What is wrong with this country?

[TurcoLoco]

Maybe this money and time they give is a "drop in the bucket" but each drop helps fill the bucket. I am not defending the money they receive, it IS ridiculous but many, many do give back. That is what is GOOD.

Yeah, the time and especially the $$ they provide is really trivial in amount but I have to agree, it still is something and probably more valuable that they took the time and effort to initiate something, anything. In that regards, my hat is off to those who has helped in one way or another.

I thank PP for posting both of those links to help our schools.

Good links indeed, thanks PP! There is a lot of $$ being wasted in this country, mainly by the government and it angers the hell out of me to see that the same dollar wasted by the military to bring so called 'democracy' to those who neither asked nor wanted it, could have helped provide the supplies needed for a child from a low income family, provide higher salaries for much needed fields in education, healthcare and law enforcement, etc.
As PP mentioned too, how about the families of all the soldiers who lost their wife in the 'Bush' Wars? The survivors of 9-11? Thos who had the "We'll never forget' stickers on their vehicles were the first to move on with their life, thinking buying a rubber wrist band or a sticker (Made in China mainly for profit) made them patriotic or at least helped the survivors in any way?
If they collected 50 million, probably less than half of that amount actually made it to a so called non-profit organization that managed to eat away at least 25% of it due to their overhead and expenses (hint: United Foundation). Bad deeds still outweigh the good deeds and what upsets me most is the people either acknowledge and pretend they care or simply deny the whole thing.

So sick of the world today, may be that is why I am not married nor wanna get married, may be that is why I can't sleep most nights unless I toxicate myself? As soon as I am capable of building my very own space ship, I wanna get out of this planet!

Gizmo I might take you with me so you can keep me occupied with midless arguments about some trivial stuff or try to explain the 10 things that makes you think you are better than me!
With my luck the food supplies will run out before I reach somewhere, so you might come in handy at that point yet again!

Ok, I am sorry, my rant thread gone way off base.
I will no longer post anything. I will keep listening to Morrissey till I turn gay or commit suicide.

LMAO! Thanks for the morning laugh!

[Gizmokid2005]

Gizmo I might take you with me so you can keep me occupied with midless arguments about some trivial stuff or try to explain the 10 things that makes you think you are better than me!
With my luck the food supplies will run out before I reach somewhere, so you might come in handy at that point yet again!

I will be sure to bring extra supplies also. it would be nice to get off this hellacious planet...

[jholland1964]

Well you know ~TL and Giz I am certain that I am old enough to be your Mom and I can say that yes, things are or can be bad but I have made it this far and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. My husband and I went through the Viet Nam War. He received his Draft papers in the mail leaving his house for our wedding! He went to Basic Training two weeks later and was in Viet Nam BEFORE our first anniversary and thankfully came home in one piece just before out second anniversary. Our oldest daughter was born while he was there. Before he went over we survived on $185 a month which paid rent, utilities, gas, car payment, insurance, food... The base we were stationed at had a lousy commissary and px so our shopping was done in "regular" stores, at the end of the month we purchased our food by clipping coupons and turning them in for cash...you could do that "way back then".
What has not changed is the giving of the American People...never count on the government, count on the people. They always come through. Saw a long piece last week on the Katrina clean up....the bulk of rebuilding has been done AND paid for by the private sector, NOT FEMA or any government agency. So this shows when something is needed the American people come through. As the commentator said, "if you want to know what kind of help you can get if YOUR town has a natural disaster look at Mississippi and Louisiana. It is the American people you can count on NOT the government, not FEMA. If you count on them you will just find yourself drowning in paper with nothing to show for it except stress related illness."
Look at Heylinder's Habitat For Humanity Project to show you that. You can ALWAYS count on "We the People".

[Gizmokid2005]

I completely agree, but there is always some ulterior motive behind why the private sector does what they do. It's free advertising....that's all it is. Hence why you hear Sears' name on Extreme Makeover all the time.

The American people as a society have gone down hill, they really have. If people would actually try to work for the stuff that they have instead of freeloading when they don't need to, this country would be in a lot better shape. You know, the people who are on welfare, or WIC, or some other governmentally funded program, yet they have a new car, or cell phones, new this, new that...etc

If we could do something about that, then we would be much better off, not too mention the legislators that we have are retards too....

[/rant]

Sorry for the rant...

And for the record judy...we've been over this age thing already

[jholland1964]

When the report said private sector when referring to the Katrina clean up that didn't mean businesses...it meant people NOT businesses. And it also stated that yes, many businesses had donated goods and services without asking for or receiving recognition or publicity but just because "that is what you do when your fellow man needs help."

[Gizmokid2005]

OH, I know Judy. There was a lot of manpower and donated time/goods from normal people....but it takes something like that for people to give. Something catastrophic, not just normal everyday stuff.

Heck, the last time I tried to be a gentleman and hold the door open, I got my head ripped off for doing so...it's just the whole mindset of the american society.

[PhilliePhan]

I thank PP for posting both of those links to help our schools. Our daughter is one of those underpaid teachers in an elementary school where 75% of the students come from low income households. She herself is a single mother with two children who purchased folders, pens, pencils, paper, erasers, pencil bags, crayons, glue and scissors for her entire class of 29 students just so they could begin the school year with new supplies. Last year for Christmas and at the end of the year, purchased a brand new book for each one of her students because many of them had never owned a book of their own. I am very proud to brag that her class, as a whole, scored the highest in the school on all of the required state and national achievement tests, and all scored at end of the year grade level or above.

Good for her!
At least now I think she can get some sort of a tax credit for the monies she has spent out of pocket for her students. Just a drop in the bucket though....

-- Those achievement tests are awful. That unfunded mandate of "No Child Left Behind" is government BS at its worst.
A few years ago I volunteered some time at a poor inner city high school where very little learning was done outside of the few AP classes. They were losing teachers right and left because they had to "teach to the test" and were judged solely on those test results.
Really tough situation - lots of single parent homes + Huuuge population of Somali immigrants who didn't speak English. How are they supposed to fare on gvmt mandated tests??
No Child Left Behind pumps money into schools that test well, rather than those which don't . . . seems counter-intuitive to me.

I will keep listening to Morrissey till I turn gay or commit suicide.

Too funny!

Hang in there, man. It's gotta get better sometime . . . .Right?

[Gizmokid2005]

You know PP...they say it get's worse before it gets better....but maybe this is the worst??

[PhilliePhan]

You know PP...they say it get's worse before it gets better....but maybe this is the worst??

I do not know..... But I do have a question for you (and the others) - Do you think the rapid advance of technology is helping or hurting things?

Sometimes I long for a simpler time . . . And I ain't that old yet. LOL!

[Mathster]

so, uhm, whats the issue with people making money off of their talents?

How many 20 year olds took some dot com public and made 200 million for it? Sure some lost their tail at the bust. Sure teaching and law enforcement is more important, but anyone can teach or wear a uniform, not everyone has a sports talent.