[eavesdropper]

[quote=walterwhite]so, if you were a kid starting college interested in science and engineering, is there any particular school or area of study that seems particularly attractive nowadays?[/quote]

With the incredible advances in microbiology and genetics, and the advances in computers and instrumentation over the past 30 years (hey, the baby boomers did some things right), there has never been a more exciting and challenging time for a high school kid to be starting a career in the sciences. Here are some of my recommendations:

* Biomedical engineering (including cellular, tissue, genetic, biomechanical, and biopharmaceutical engineering)
http://www.bmes.org/aws/BMES/pt/sp/about

* Medicine, particularly infectious disease, epidemiology, public health

* Informatics (incl. public health informatics, clinical research informatics, and translational bioinformatics)
–The link below is for the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). If you look to the left of the page, you’ll see links to the various areas of informatics.
http://www.amia.org/about-amia/science-informatics

Below is the website for The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which is kind of an umbrella advocacy organization for researchers in the biological and biomedical sciences. The link opens to a page of the professional societies they cover; each of those links should be a good place for you and your kid to gather info on possible career choices.
http://www.faseb.org/Who-We-Are/Constituent-Societies.aspx

If your child has worked hard and has very impressive academic records and SAT results, and money is not a huge problem, have him/her apply to Ivy League or private schools that have strong science reps (e.g., Duke, Johns Hopkins, Stanford). He can probably earn scholarships, and many of these schools are well-endowed and provide a LOT of aid.

If money is a problem, there are many very fine state schools with great science programs (Univ. of Michigan, Ohio State, UNC-Chapel Hill, UCLA, UC Berkley). Very competitive, so grades/record will have to be excellent.

If both money and grades are a problem, try a wide range of state schools, or else send him to a GOOD community college for two years to get the grades up. Keep in mind that, in many of these jobs, postgrad education is a virtual certainty. So there is time to get those grades up after high school if necessary. Plenty of mediocre H.S. students end up in Ivys for their graduate science studies. Also, many graduate science programs carry stipends for teaching that can cover tuition and room/board. So look for schools/career choices that are more likely to offer that.

If your child is not fluent in at least one foreign language (or even if he/she is), I’d recommend language courses in all four years (in all 8 semesters, if possible). Think about the possibility of Chinese. I may get my ass kicked by some, but more and more of the significant research is done overseas, in Europe and in Asia. While our esteemed all-wise congress has sweated over creating a favorable atmosphere for corporations, they’ve basically told science to go to hell by slashing budget after budget for research and education assistance, and by “reforming” education with programs like “No Student Left Behind” that teach students to pass nonchallenging standardized tests rather than teaching them to think. Unless there is a drastic and immediate change in attitude by our congress and our political “leaders”, your child will have to seek a postgraduate job overseas.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=walterwhite]so, if you were a kid starting college interested in science and engineering, is there any particular school or area of study that seems particularly attractive nowadays?[/quote]

With the incredible advances in microbiology and genetics, and the advances in computers and instrumentation over the past 30 years (hey, the baby boomers did some things right), there has never been a more exciting and challenging time for a high school kid to be starting a career in the sciences. Here are some of my recommendations:

* Biomedical engineering (including cellular, tissue, genetic, biomechanical, and biopharmaceutical engineering)
http://www.bmes.org/aws/BMES/pt/sp/about

* Medicine, particularly infectious disease, epidemiology, public health

* Informatics (incl. public health informatics, clinical research informatics, and translational bioinformatics)
–The link below is for the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA). If you look to the left of the page, you’ll see links to the various areas of informatics.
http://www.amia.org/about-amia/science-informatics

Below is the website for The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which is kind of an umbrella advocacy organization for researchers in the biological and biomedical sciences. The link opens to a page of the professional societies they cover; each of those links should be a good place for you and your kid to gather info on possible career choices.
http://www.faseb.org/Who-We-Are/Constituent-Societies.aspx

If your child has worked hard and has very impressive academic records and SAT results, and money is not a huge problem, have him/her apply to Ivy League or private schools that have strong science reps (e.g., Duke, Johns Hopkins, Stanford). He can probably earn scholarships, and many of these schools are well-endowed and provide a LOT of aid.

If money is a problem, there are many very fine state schools with great science programs (Univ. of Michigan, Ohio State, UNC-Chapel Hill, UCLA, UC Berkley). Very competitive, so grades/record will have to be excellent.

If both money and grades are a problem, try a wide range of state schools, or else send him to a GOOD community college for two years to get the grades up. Keep in mind that, in many of these jobs, postgrad education is a virtual certainty. So there is time to get those grades up after high school if necessary. Plenty of mediocre H.S. students end up in Ivys for their graduate science studies. Also, many graduate science programs carry stipends for teaching that can cover tuition and room/board. So look for schools/career choices that are more likely to offer that.

If your child is not fluent in at least one foreign language (or even if he/she is), I’d recommend language courses in all four years (in all 8 semesters, if possible). Think about the possibility of Chinese. I may get my ass kicked by some, but more and more of the significant research is done overseas, in Europe and in Asia. While our esteemed all-wise congress has sweated over creating a favorable atmosphere for corporations, they’ve basically told science to go to hell by slashing budget after budget for research and education assistance, and by “reforming” education with programs like “No Student Left Behind” that teach students to pass nonchallenging standardized tests rather than teaching them to think. Unless there is a drastic and immediate change in attitude by our congress and our political “leaders”, your child will have to seek a postgraduate job overseas.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]
Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.
[/quote] Eaves: I’m going to draft a more thorough response in a minute, but I’m still getting my head around the whole “cream puff” thing. Yeah.[/quote]

Alain, qu’est-ce qui te prend? Why do guys always have to let their testosterone feed their hard-wired insecurities? Does this sound better:

“Je vous en prie, mon énorme sac de merde parfumée!”

My original choice of appellation was guided, not by a compelling need to run you down, but by my personal tastes in sweets. But, in that case, I actually should have written, “Je vous en prie, mon petit chocolat chou à la crème”.

I would never waste a language like French on insults. Besides, I’m sure that you are confident in my abilities to accomplish that quite effectively in English.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]
Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.
[/quote] Eaves: I’m going to draft a more thorough response in a minute, but I’m still getting my head around the whole “cream puff” thing. Yeah.[/quote]

Alain, qu’est-ce qui te prend? Why do guys always have to let their testosterone feed their hard-wired insecurities? Does this sound better:

“Je vous en prie, mon énorme sac de merde parfumée!”

My original choice of appellation was guided, not by a compelling need to run you down, but by my personal tastes in sweets. But, in that case, I actually should have written, “Je vous en prie, mon petit chocolat chou à la crème”.

I would never waste a language like French on insults. Besides, I’m sure that you are confident in my abilities to accomplish that quite effectively in English.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]
Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.
[/quote] Eaves: I’m going to draft a more thorough response in a minute, but I’m still getting my head around the whole “cream puff” thing. Yeah.[/quote]

Alain, qu’est-ce qui te prend? Why do guys always have to let their testosterone feed their hard-wired insecurities? Does this sound better:

“Je vous en prie, mon énorme sac de merde parfumée!”

My original choice of appellation was guided, not by a compelling need to run you down, but by my personal tastes in sweets. But, in that case, I actually should have written, “Je vous en prie, mon petit chocolat chou à la crème”.

I would never waste a language like French on insults. Besides, I’m sure that you are confident in my abilities to accomplish that quite effectively in English.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]
Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.
[/quote] Eaves: I’m going to draft a more thorough response in a minute, but I’m still getting my head around the whole “cream puff” thing. Yeah.[/quote]

Alain, qu’est-ce qui te prend? Why do guys always have to let their testosterone feed their hard-wired insecurities? Does this sound better:

“Je vous en prie, mon énorme sac de merde parfumée!”

My original choice of appellation was guided, not by a compelling need to run you down, but by my personal tastes in sweets. But, in that case, I actually should have written, “Je vous en prie, mon petit chocolat chou à la crème”.

I would never waste a language like French on insults. Besides, I’m sure that you are confident in my abilities to accomplish that quite effectively in English.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]
Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.
[/quote] Eaves: I’m going to draft a more thorough response in a minute, but I’m still getting my head around the whole “cream puff” thing. Yeah.[/quote]

Alain, qu’est-ce qui te prend? Why do guys always have to let their testosterone feed their hard-wired insecurities? Does this sound better:

“Je vous en prie, mon énorme sac de merde parfumée!”

My original choice of appellation was guided, not by a compelling need to run you down, but by my personal tastes in sweets. But, in that case, I actually should have written, “Je vous en prie, mon petit chocolat chou à la crème”.

I would never waste a language like French on insults. Besides, I’m sure that you are confident in my abilities to accomplish that quite effectively in English.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[/quote]

Eaves: Merci pour arrêtez de dénigrer, mon ange doux.

[/quote]

Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] At the risk of TMI, Farrah wasn’t my one and only. Relative to the racier Euro models you mentioned, I’ll confess to a real yen for Claudia Cardinale in the movie “The Professionals”, which also featured Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance and Woody Strode. Don’t know if you’re a Western fan, but its a doozy, and Miss Cardinale did wonderful things to her clothing in that flick. Filmed in the late 1960s, it also has that Vietnam-era anti-hero thing going, so it’d appeal to your counter-culture side. [/quote]

Oooh, you did like them older, didn’t you? Admittedly, the gorgeous Ms. Cardinale could hold her own with the likes of Loren, Bardot, Andress, and other legendary goddesses.

I always went for the older, more earthy types myself. While my friends were drooling over David Cassidy (Ack!! That would have been like kissing my sister) or the Bay City Rollers, I was heavy into Kris Kristofferson (still am, as a matter of fact). I forced myself to sit through the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born” just to catch cheap thrills from a shirtless Kristofferson. Imagine my ecstasy when they released “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea”. KK tasty buffet!

I am a HUGE classic films fan – have been since I was a young kid – and really have no genre preference so long as the movie is good. I’ve never seen “The Professionals” but should make it a point to do so, since it has Burt Lancaster in it. (BTW, he’s the TCM “Summer Under the Stars” star tomorrow, so I won’t be hanging around Piggs between 1:30 & 4 am Thursday: “Seven Days In May” is playing. Awesome!!)

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] Also, and it breaks my heart to do this, but I have to disagree with your take on Texas job creation. Allow me to say that I’m not plumping for the armed and dangerous Gov. Perry, but there is a lot of propaganda flying around right now, and Richard Fisher, head of the Dallas Fed and a Democrat to boot, gave a speech in which he soundly refuted the “McJobs” characterization of the Texas “Miracle”. No, it ain’t a miracle, just solid (and continuing, according to the most recent report) job growth, and I do believe Perry is going to gore (no pun intended) Obama on this point. [/quote]

I will temporarily reserve final judgement on Gov. Perry’s record of jobs creation, but I’m afraid it won’t make any difference in terms of my support. After watching him handle himself on the issue of abstinence education (the video posted by afx), I don’t want this guy anywhere near a position in which he can vote on policy that affects me. Sarah Palin appears intelligent, confident and articulate in her ABC and CBS vice presidential race interviews compared to the Rick Perry in this piece.

The knowledge that millions of supposedly competent people support the two of them for the Presidency makes me want to get very, very drunk until my brain cells are permanently nonfunctional.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[/quote]

Eaves: Merci pour arrêtez de dénigrer, mon ange doux.

[/quote]

Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] At the risk of TMI, Farrah wasn’t my one and only. Relative to the racier Euro models you mentioned, I’ll confess to a real yen for Claudia Cardinale in the movie “The Professionals”, which also featured Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance and Woody Strode. Don’t know if you’re a Western fan, but its a doozy, and Miss Cardinale did wonderful things to her clothing in that flick. Filmed in the late 1960s, it also has that Vietnam-era anti-hero thing going, so it’d appeal to your counter-culture side. [/quote]

Oooh, you did like them older, didn’t you? Admittedly, the gorgeous Ms. Cardinale could hold her own with the likes of Loren, Bardot, Andress, and other legendary goddesses.

I always went for the older, more earthy types myself. While my friends were drooling over David Cassidy (Ack!! That would have been like kissing my sister) or the Bay City Rollers, I was heavy into Kris Kristofferson (still am, as a matter of fact). I forced myself to sit through the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born” just to catch cheap thrills from a shirtless Kristofferson. Imagine my ecstasy when they released “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea”. KK tasty buffet!

I am a HUGE classic films fan – have been since I was a young kid – and really have no genre preference so long as the movie is good. I’ve never seen “The Professionals” but should make it a point to do so, since it has Burt Lancaster in it. (BTW, he’s the TCM “Summer Under the Stars” star tomorrow, so I won’t be hanging around Piggs between 1:30 & 4 am Thursday: “Seven Days In May” is playing. Awesome!!)

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] Also, and it breaks my heart to do this, but I have to disagree with your take on Texas job creation. Allow me to say that I’m not plumping for the armed and dangerous Gov. Perry, but there is a lot of propaganda flying around right now, and Richard Fisher, head of the Dallas Fed and a Democrat to boot, gave a speech in which he soundly refuted the “McJobs” characterization of the Texas “Miracle”. No, it ain’t a miracle, just solid (and continuing, according to the most recent report) job growth, and I do believe Perry is going to gore (no pun intended) Obama on this point. [/quote]

I will temporarily reserve final judgement on Gov. Perry’s record of jobs creation, but I’m afraid it won’t make any difference in terms of my support. After watching him handle himself on the issue of abstinence education (the video posted by afx), I don’t want this guy anywhere near a position in which he can vote on policy that affects me. Sarah Palin appears intelligent, confident and articulate in her ABC and CBS vice presidential race interviews compared to the Rick Perry in this piece.

The knowledge that millions of supposedly competent people support the two of them for the Presidency makes me want to get very, very drunk until my brain cells are permanently nonfunctional.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[/quote]

Eaves: Merci pour arrêtez de dénigrer, mon ange doux.

[/quote]

Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] At the risk of TMI, Farrah wasn’t my one and only. Relative to the racier Euro models you mentioned, I’ll confess to a real yen for Claudia Cardinale in the movie “The Professionals”, which also featured Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance and Woody Strode. Don’t know if you’re a Western fan, but its a doozy, and Miss Cardinale did wonderful things to her clothing in that flick. Filmed in the late 1960s, it also has that Vietnam-era anti-hero thing going, so it’d appeal to your counter-culture side. [/quote]

Oooh, you did like them older, didn’t you? Admittedly, the gorgeous Ms. Cardinale could hold her own with the likes of Loren, Bardot, Andress, and other legendary goddesses.

I always went for the older, more earthy types myself. While my friends were drooling over David Cassidy (Ack!! That would have been like kissing my sister) or the Bay City Rollers, I was heavy into Kris Kristofferson (still am, as a matter of fact). I forced myself to sit through the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born” just to catch cheap thrills from a shirtless Kristofferson. Imagine my ecstasy when they released “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea”. KK tasty buffet!

I am a HUGE classic films fan – have been since I was a young kid – and really have no genre preference so long as the movie is good. I’ve never seen “The Professionals” but should make it a point to do so, since it has Burt Lancaster in it. (BTW, he’s the TCM “Summer Under the Stars” star tomorrow, so I won’t be hanging around Piggs between 1:30 & 4 am Thursday: “Seven Days In May” is playing. Awesome!!)

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] Also, and it breaks my heart to do this, but I have to disagree with your take on Texas job creation. Allow me to say that I’m not plumping for the armed and dangerous Gov. Perry, but there is a lot of propaganda flying around right now, and Richard Fisher, head of the Dallas Fed and a Democrat to boot, gave a speech in which he soundly refuted the “McJobs” characterization of the Texas “Miracle”. No, it ain’t a miracle, just solid (and continuing, according to the most recent report) job growth, and I do believe Perry is going to gore (no pun intended) Obama on this point. [/quote]

I will temporarily reserve final judgement on Gov. Perry’s record of jobs creation, but I’m afraid it won’t make any difference in terms of my support. After watching him handle himself on the issue of abstinence education (the video posted by afx), I don’t want this guy anywhere near a position in which he can vote on policy that affects me. Sarah Palin appears intelligent, confident and articulate in her ABC and CBS vice presidential race interviews compared to the Rick Perry in this piece.

The knowledge that millions of supposedly competent people support the two of them for the Presidency makes me want to get very, very drunk until my brain cells are permanently nonfunctional.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[/quote]

Eaves: Merci pour arrêtez de dénigrer, mon ange doux.

[/quote]

Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] At the risk of TMI, Farrah wasn’t my one and only. Relative to the racier Euro models you mentioned, I’ll confess to a real yen for Claudia Cardinale in the movie “The Professionals”, which also featured Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance and Woody Strode. Don’t know if you’re a Western fan, but its a doozy, and Miss Cardinale did wonderful things to her clothing in that flick. Filmed in the late 1960s, it also has that Vietnam-era anti-hero thing going, so it’d appeal to your counter-culture side. [/quote]

Oooh, you did like them older, didn’t you? Admittedly, the gorgeous Ms. Cardinale could hold her own with the likes of Loren, Bardot, Andress, and other legendary goddesses.

I always went for the older, more earthy types myself. While my friends were drooling over David Cassidy (Ack!! That would have been like kissing my sister) or the Bay City Rollers, I was heavy into Kris Kristofferson (still am, as a matter of fact). I forced myself to sit through the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born” just to catch cheap thrills from a shirtless Kristofferson. Imagine my ecstasy when they released “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea”. KK tasty buffet!

I am a HUGE classic films fan – have been since I was a young kid – and really have no genre preference so long as the movie is good. I’ve never seen “The Professionals” but should make it a point to do so, since it has Burt Lancaster in it. (BTW, he’s the TCM “Summer Under the Stars” star tomorrow, so I won’t be hanging around Piggs between 1:30 & 4 am Thursday: “Seven Days In May” is playing. Awesome!!)

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] Also, and it breaks my heart to do this, but I have to disagree with your take on Texas job creation. Allow me to say that I’m not plumping for the armed and dangerous Gov. Perry, but there is a lot of propaganda flying around right now, and Richard Fisher, head of the Dallas Fed and a Democrat to boot, gave a speech in which he soundly refuted the “McJobs” characterization of the Texas “Miracle”. No, it ain’t a miracle, just solid (and continuing, according to the most recent report) job growth, and I do believe Perry is going to gore (no pun intended) Obama on this point. [/quote]

I will temporarily reserve final judgement on Gov. Perry’s record of jobs creation, but I’m afraid it won’t make any difference in terms of my support. After watching him handle himself on the issue of abstinence education (the video posted by afx), I don’t want this guy anywhere near a position in which he can vote on policy that affects me. Sarah Palin appears intelligent, confident and articulate in her ABC and CBS vice presidential race interviews compared to the Rick Perry in this piece.

The knowledge that millions of supposedly competent people support the two of them for the Presidency makes me want to get very, very drunk until my brain cells are permanently nonfunctional.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper]

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[/quote]

Eaves: Merci pour arrêtez de dénigrer, mon ange doux.

[/quote]

Je vous en prie, mon petit chou à la crème.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] At the risk of TMI, Farrah wasn’t my one and only. Relative to the racier Euro models you mentioned, I’ll confess to a real yen for Claudia Cardinale in the movie “The Professionals”, which also featured Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance and Woody Strode. Don’t know if you’re a Western fan, but its a doozy, and Miss Cardinale did wonderful things to her clothing in that flick. Filmed in the late 1960s, it also has that Vietnam-era anti-hero thing going, so it’d appeal to your counter-culture side. [/quote]

Oooh, you did like them older, didn’t you? Admittedly, the gorgeous Ms. Cardinale could hold her own with the likes of Loren, Bardot, Andress, and other legendary goddesses.

I always went for the older, more earthy types myself. While my friends were drooling over David Cassidy (Ack!! That would have been like kissing my sister) or the Bay City Rollers, I was heavy into Kris Kristofferson (still am, as a matter of fact). I forced myself to sit through the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born” just to catch cheap thrills from a shirtless Kristofferson. Imagine my ecstasy when they released “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea”. KK tasty buffet!

I am a HUGE classic films fan – have been since I was a young kid – and really have no genre preference so long as the movie is good. I’ve never seen “The Professionals” but should make it a point to do so, since it has Burt Lancaster in it. (BTW, he’s the TCM “Summer Under the Stars” star tomorrow, so I won’t be hanging around Piggs between 1:30 & 4 am Thursday: “Seven Days In May” is playing. Awesome!!)

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook] Also, and it breaks my heart to do this, but I have to disagree with your take on Texas job creation. Allow me to say that I’m not plumping for the armed and dangerous Gov. Perry, but there is a lot of propaganda flying around right now, and Richard Fisher, head of the Dallas Fed and a Democrat to boot, gave a speech in which he soundly refuted the “McJobs” characterization of the Texas “Miracle”. No, it ain’t a miracle, just solid (and continuing, according to the most recent report) job growth, and I do believe Perry is going to gore (no pun intended) Obama on this point. [/quote]

I will temporarily reserve final judgement on Gov. Perry’s record of jobs creation, but I’m afraid it won’t make any difference in terms of my support. After watching him handle himself on the issue of abstinence education (the video posted by afx), I don’t want this guy anywhere near a position in which he can vote on policy that affects me. Sarah Palin appears intelligent, confident and articulate in her ABC and CBS vice presidential race interviews compared to the Rick Perry in this piece.

The knowledge that millions of supposedly competent people support the two of them for the Presidency makes me want to get very, very drunk until my brain cells are permanently nonfunctional.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper][quote=Arraya][img_assist|nid=15235|title=..|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=267|height=200]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/13/us-usa-campaign-idUSTRE77C0BW20110813
Michele Bachmann narrowly won the Iowa straw poll of Republicans on Saturday in the first big test of the 2012 presidential campaign, as Texas Governor Rick Perry formally launched a White House bid that could reshape the race.[/quote]

Geez, Arraya, where did you get that photo? Hmmm, looks like Michelle got some skills….

I’m getting mental pictures of Bachmann fans with adolescent histories of using the infamous Farrah Fawcett swimsuit as an aid to self-gratification doing the same with this money shot…..

(someone pleeeasse make them go awaaaay…)[/quote] Eaves: I’m willing to be extremely understanding on a lot of topics, but “hands off” Farrah Fawcett! I HAD that poster and I, er, um, well… I had that poster. [/quote]

Now THAT’S a revelation (not). But I confess to feeling a bit let down, Allan.

It’s not that I object to your adolescent habit of self-abuse with visual aids. In fact, back then, I took perverse adolescent pleasure in knowing that a high school classmate with a totally unrequited crush on me did the same with my yearbook picture (BTW, he’s now my husband).

But I would never have expected someone with your savoir faire to resort to so mundane an inspiration. I would have thought that you performed your five-fingered exercises to the vision of Isabelle Adjani or Julie Christie or Catherine Deneuve. You disappoint me, Allan.

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Say what you will, but the 2012 election is going to be a barnburner! (Little nod to Iowa, there). As wacky as the GOP field is (Huntsman excepted), Obama is going to have his hands full and it’ll be difficult for the Dems to pull out a win (at this point, anyway).[/quote]

I liked Huntsman. Very much, in fact, until they asked him to explain why he had shipped tens of thousands of jobs overseas. He gave this long, rambling answer that, in fact, did not answer the question. He almost immediately segued into the standard, “We need to make the atmosphere in America more corporation-friendly” speech that all Republican candidates spit out. What?! The hundreds of billions that Americans SPEND on the products made and services offered by corporations isn’t enough for the motherfuckers?

Right now, I’m lovin’ Gary Johnson. Any guy that can stand up in a Republican lineup and openly and enthusiastically endorse the legalization of pot and prostitution, defend a woman’s right to choose, and proclaim his belief in the existence of global warming in this political environment gets me wet and happy. I’d lick envelopes for this guy.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Perry is far more formidable than anyone realizes and for one reason: JOBS. Rightly or wrongly (based on the actual facts behind the story), Texas is perceived as a jobs-creation engine. [/quote]

I fear that you are right, Allan. Most Americans have an attention span that will last only through “I created more jobs”. They’ll totally miss the part that reveals that the jobs are almost entirely in the minimum wage and lower category.

Forget how much education and job experience we all have. We need to start looking in the mirror, while practicing the phrase, “Will you have the hot apple pie with that”.

*BTW, forgive the late response on the post. Got a bit backed up as of late.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper][quote=Arraya][img_assist|nid=15235|title=..|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=267|height=200]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/13/us-usa-campaign-idUSTRE77C0BW20110813
Michele Bachmann narrowly won the Iowa straw poll of Republicans on Saturday in the first big test of the 2012 presidential campaign, as Texas Governor Rick Perry formally launched a White House bid that could reshape the race.[/quote]

Geez, Arraya, where did you get that photo? Hmmm, looks like Michelle got some skills….

I’m getting mental pictures of Bachmann fans with adolescent histories of using the infamous Farrah Fawcett swimsuit as an aid to self-gratification doing the same with this money shot…..

(someone pleeeasse make them go awaaaay…)[/quote] Eaves: I’m willing to be extremely understanding on a lot of topics, but “hands off” Farrah Fawcett! I HAD that poster and I, er, um, well… I had that poster. [/quote]

Now THAT’S a revelation (not). But I confess to feeling a bit let down, Allan.

It’s not that I object to your adolescent habit of self-abuse with visual aids. In fact, back then, I took perverse adolescent pleasure in knowing that a high school classmate with a totally unrequited crush on me did the same with my yearbook picture (BTW, he’s now my husband).

But I would never have expected someone with your savoir faire to resort to so mundane an inspiration. I would have thought that you performed your five-fingered exercises to the vision of Isabelle Adjani or Julie Christie or Catherine Deneuve. You disappoint me, Allan.

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Say what you will, but the 2012 election is going to be a barnburner! (Little nod to Iowa, there). As wacky as the GOP field is (Huntsman excepted), Obama is going to have his hands full and it’ll be difficult for the Dems to pull out a win (at this point, anyway).[/quote]

I liked Huntsman. Very much, in fact, until they asked him to explain why he had shipped tens of thousands of jobs overseas. He gave this long, rambling answer that, in fact, did not answer the question. He almost immediately segued into the standard, “We need to make the atmosphere in America more corporation-friendly” speech that all Republican candidates spit out. What?! The hundreds of billions that Americans SPEND on the products made and services offered by corporations isn’t enough for the motherfuckers?

Right now, I’m lovin’ Gary Johnson. Any guy that can stand up in a Republican lineup and openly and enthusiastically endorse the legalization of pot and prostitution, defend a woman’s right to choose, and proclaim his belief in the existence of global warming in this political environment gets me wet and happy. I’d lick envelopes for this guy.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Perry is far more formidable than anyone realizes and for one reason: JOBS. Rightly or wrongly (based on the actual facts behind the story), Texas is perceived as a jobs-creation engine. [/quote]

I fear that you are right, Allan. Most Americans have an attention span that will last only through “I created more jobs”. They’ll totally miss the part that reveals that the jobs are almost entirely in the minimum wage and lower category.

Forget how much education and job experience we all have. We need to start looking in the mirror, while practicing the phrase, “Will you have the hot apple pie with that”.

*BTW, forgive the late response on the post. Got a bit backed up as of late.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=eavesdropper][quote=Arraya][img_assist|nid=15235|title=..|desc=|link=node|align=left|width=267|height=200]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/13/us-usa-campaign-idUSTRE77C0BW20110813
Michele Bachmann narrowly won the Iowa straw poll of Republicans on Saturday in the first big test of the 2012 presidential campaign, as Texas Governor Rick Perry formally launched a White House bid that could reshape the race.[/quote]

Geez, Arraya, where did you get that photo? Hmmm, looks like Michelle got some skills….

I’m getting mental pictures of Bachmann fans with adolescent histories of using the infamous Farrah Fawcett swimsuit as an aid to self-gratification doing the same with this money shot…..

(someone pleeeasse make them go awaaaay…)[/quote] Eaves: I’m willing to be extremely understanding on a lot of topics, but “hands off” Farrah Fawcett! I HAD that poster and I, er, um, well… I had that poster. [/quote]

Now THAT’S a revelation (not). But I confess to feeling a bit let down, Allan.

It’s not that I object to your adolescent habit of self-abuse with visual aids. In fact, back then, I took perverse adolescent pleasure in knowing that a high school classmate with a totally unrequited crush on me did the same with my yearbook picture (BTW, he’s now my husband).

But I would never have expected someone with your savoir faire to resort to so mundane an inspiration. I would have thought that you performed your five-fingered exercises to the vision of Isabelle Adjani or Julie Christie or Catherine Deneuve. You disappoint me, Allan.

Alors, à chacun ses goûts.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]
Say what you will, but the 2012 election is going to be a barnburner! (Little nod to Iowa, there). As wacky as the GOP field is (Huntsman excepted), Obama is going to have his hands full and it’ll be difficult for the Dems to pull out a win (at this point, anyway).[/quote]

I liked Huntsman. Very much, in fact, until they asked him to explain why he had shipped tens of thousands of jobs overseas. He gave this long, rambling answer that, in fact, did not answer the question. He almost immediately segued into the standard, “We need to make the atmosphere in America more corporation-friendly” speech that all Republican candidates spit out. What?! The hundreds of billions that Americans SPEND on the products made and services offered by corporations isn’t enough for the motherfuckers?

Right now, I’m lovin’ Gary Johnson. Any guy that can stand up in a Republican lineup and openly and enthusiastically endorse the legalization of pot and prostitution, defend a woman’s right to choose, and proclaim his belief in the existence of global warming in this political environment gets me wet and happy. I’d lick envelopes for this guy.

[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]Perry is far more formidable than anyone realizes and for one reason: JOBS. Rightly or wrongly (based on the actual facts behind the story), Texas is perceived as a jobs-creation engine. [/quote]

I fear that you are right, Allan. Most Americans have an attention span that will last only through “I created more jobs”. They’ll totally miss the part that reveals that the jobs are almost entirely in the minimum wage and lower category.

Forget how much education and job experience we all have. We need to start looking in the mirror, while practicing the phrase, “Will you have the hot apple pie with that”.

*BTW, forgive the late response on the post. Got a bit backed up as of late.

[Author]

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