Olympic chatter will probably dominate conversations for the next two weeks.  By now, most people have formed an opinion on the opening ceremonies.  Its seems that people either loved it or hated it.  There seemed to be very few in the middle.

It looks like Vollmer and Lochte are dominating Team USA.

Poor Phelps isn’t on top of his game, for sure.

 

105 Thoughts to “Open Thread………………………………………………………Monday, July 30”

  1. SlowpokeRodriguez

    And the cool thing is that when those athletes come home with those medals, those symbols of national pride, the IRS-man is gonna be standing right there in the airport to greet them with his hand out. Gotta feed the beast somehow!

    1. They earn money. Don’t WE have to pay taxes on what we earn?

      What to hear a real bitch? People have to pay taxes on unemployment.

  2. SlowpokeRodriguez

    Let me express my full satisfaction with Harry “the commoners stink” Reid’s line of attack on Romney. Especially his use of Senate time and resources to put it out there! You go, Harry! We’re behind you 100 percent!!

    1. So what is Romney hiding? Is he afraid Republicans won’t understand off shore bank accounts?

      the Romneys irritate me bragging about tithing. Their religion dictates that they tithe. It isn’t because they just want to.

  3. Black Velvet Reporter

    GL listed who he feels are fools on the Board of Supervisors. He left off Corey, Jenkins, May and Candland. Is that code for something?

    Its more interesting to observe who isn’t catching hell than to witness who is in this land of intrique.

    So why isn’t the dark master attacking Corey and Jenkins? What’s in it for him?

    1. BVR, Does that mean that Corey, Jenkins, May and Candland have done something he approves of?

      Corey is sure catching if for being little nicky nasty mouth over at Sherwood Forest. It seems the Sheriff has a new name and is about to be strung up.

  4. Pat Herve

    SlowpokeRodriguez :
    And the cool thing is that when those athletes come home with those medals, those symbols of national pride, the IRS-man is gonna be standing right there in the airport to greet them with his hand out. Gotta feed the beast somehow!

    slow – do you think people should be taxed on proceeds from say, the Nobel Prize? When you win Gold, you get $25k – that is what is being taxed. So, Rubio and others wants yet another loop hole in the tax code so that the Olympians do not get taxed. What about other international sporting events? Football – they pay state taxes when they play in other states, etc. The real lame stream media is making a mountain out of this. They made money, they paid taxes – that is the American way.

  5. Lafayette

    SlowpokeRodriguez :

    Moon-howler :Rogue lightning strike on the west end @8:11.Lafayette, did you hear that?

    I believe I heard it too. I looked at the weather maps right away and saw that there was one thunderstorm cell (a little one) growing right near Manassas, and nothing else for miles and miles and miles.

    I was looking out the window and saw it. I try not to look out my front window too often. 🙂

  6. The Sheriff things he has a bounty on his head…well…not his head.

    http://sheriffofnottinghampwc.blogspot.com/

    I howled with laughter.

    It seems the blogs are in raunchy mode thios Friday.

    Run Sheriff!!!! Run!!!! Grab your codpiece and RUN!!!!!!

  7. Lafayette

    Moon-howler :BVR, Does that mean that Corey, Jenkins, May and Candland have done something he approves of?
    Corey is sure catching if for being little nicky nasty mouth over at Sherwood Forest. It seems the Sheriff has a new name and is about to be strung up.

    Funny that he’d be siding with Jenkins. Weren’t him and Riley the ones that stirred up all of the brick controversy. Hmm..As I recall Supervisors Caddigan and Jenkins both had to set their asses straight regarding those bricks. I’ve yet to see any proof one way or the other on the topic.

  8. Need to Know

    @Moon-howler

    Greg omits mention of Corey in his article, but links to the Sheriff’s strong criticism of Corey. Maybe Greg is fed up also, but is giving Corey one last chance.

    1. I have no control over his equivocation. It’s just fairly hypocritical since the other 4 were called fools.

  9. Steve Randolph

    http://www.watermelon.org/

    Spit out the seeds of political angst and enjoy the sweetness of life.

    Today is National Watermelon Day!!

  10. SlowpokeRodriguez

    I’m absolutely not making a judgement on the Olympians paying taxes on their medals. I was simply pointing out that I like the visual! Like I said, you gotta feed the beast somehow! Same with taxing unemployment!

  11. SlowpokeRodriguez

    Pat Herve :
    slow – do you think people should be taxed on proceeds from say, the Nobel Prize?

    I’d be happy if they gave Nobel prizes to people who deserve them!

  12. Need to Know

    @SlowpokeRodriguez

    If you are awarded a Nobel Prize that you did nothing to earn and don’t deserve, should the money not count as a campaign contribution rather than income?

  13. @NTK

    On the other hand, he didn’t nominate himself. Who do you really blame? It can’t be him.

  14. punchak

    @Moon-howler
    Those darned dumb Norwegians!

  15. SlowpokeRodriguez

    Never said he nominated himself. Only because you cant self-nominate, i am sure. Hmm, the Galaxy tab doesnt add my contractions or capitalize my I’s.

  16. Cato the Elder

    SlowpokeRodriguez :
    I’m absolutely not making a judgement on the Olympians paying taxes on their medals. I was simply pointing out that I like the visual! Like I said, you gotta feed the beast somehow! Same with taxing unemployment!

    Well, here’s the thing Pokie. They didn’t win those medals, somebody else made that happen! You see, they swam in public pools, built by civil servants under the watchful eyes of lifeguards paid with taxpayer dollars.

    1. I would say that their parents made that happen if we are going to share credit. Show me an Olympic level performer and I will show you parents who have pretty much given up their lives to advance their child’s talent.

  17. @SlowpokeRodriguez
    Did you get a Galaxy?

    I have the Galaxy phone…I think it is a nexxus. Samsung.

    It gobbles battery.

  18. Where is Kim S? If anyone sees her, please ask her to stop by. She seems on top of elementary curriculum. I want to know if kids are still taught what we used to call “cursive.” If yes, what age are they taught?

    If NO, how are kids taught to sign their name? You can’t print your name for the rest of your life.

  19. Pat Herve

    Cato the Elder :

    SlowpokeRodriguez :
    I’m absolutely not making a judgement on the Olympians paying taxes on their medals. I was simply pointing out that I like the visual! Like I said, you gotta feed the beast somehow! Same with taxing unemployment!

    Well, here’s the thing Pokie. They didn’t win those medals, somebody else made that happen! You see, they swam in public pools, built by civil servants under the watchful eyes of lifeguards paid with taxpayer dollars.

    Cato – you are quoting Mitt Romney (SLC 2002) almost verbatim – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zSWm2qZ8Oc – how true it is, that you need an infrastructure to support ones efforts. It is a shame though, that the media has taken the Obama quote so out of context, and twisted its meaning. It is very similar to the ‘I like firing people quote’ of Mitt Romney – but that is sound bite gotcha journalism employed by the non news talking heads.

  20. Lafayette

    @Moon-howler
    I’ll let Kim know you are looking for answers. I doubt they still teach penmanship, err cursive. If they do they probably only do for a week at best. It’s been awhile since the Queen was at Sudley University, but she was taught the bare minimum. Luckily, the Queen Mum has excellent penmanship and taught her at home.

    1. I believe the princesss here had it but that was then and this is now. I want to also know if there is kepboarding instruction. The prince wouldn’t know if he had it or not…and neither would he. His skills were so bad they said to just buy him a laptop. The gypsy is too young….and it looks like keyboarding might be the way to go there.

      I swear, being able to sign your own name is a dying art. the official top secret county letter is what got me thinking on this subject….one glance and you will see why.

  21. @Moon-howler
    Hi Moon! Sorry it took me so long to check the thread. The VA SOLs require students to write legibly in cursive by the end of 3rd grade (Standard 3.8). Some schools begin teaching cursive earlier than 3rd grade – in fact the SOLs suggest starting the “transition” to cursive in 2nd grade, in standard 2.10, but leave the decision at the discretion of the teacher.

    Unfortunately, that’s the extent of the requirement. There is no requirement that students continue to use cursive in 4th or 5th grades, and, lacking specific direction from the state or county, some teachers require cursive outside of 3rd grade, but most don’t. It’s also not tested on the SOL exams, so how completely cursive is taught varies school by school. I believe the 5th grade writing SOL requests that students print. From what I’ve seen in my children’s school, those teachers who do require cursive in 4th and 5th grades are criticized for being too hard on the children.

    There is no requirement that students learn to sign their names. They have to know how to print their first and last name in Kindergarten, but not sign their names. Again, lacking a specific directive to teach students to sign their names for the state or county, whether an individual teacher requires it or not depends on the teacher.

    There is no requirement that students know their address or phone number, or how to properly write them. This one really surprised me as you’d think kids should know their address and phone number as a basic safety measure.

    The is no requirement that students learn how to properly address a letter or envelope (as in where the name and address of the person you’re sending the letter to should go on the envelope, where your address should go, or where the stamp should go).

    Some individual schools or teachers may teach these topics to their students, but I’ve never seen or heard of it it at the school my children attend.

    1. Thank you for the info, Kim. Sorry I had to send out the all call. The one person I could ask about the cursive/handwriting is exempt because of small muscle issues. I would call it lazy but that isn’t PC.

      Now I am horrified. We waste all this time teaching kids to measure pyramids and cylinders but, we don’t teach them to sign their own names? THIS is my problem with SOL objectives. It used to be when kids were in elementary school, they left 5th grade with a very broad scope of knowledge–not much depth but lots of breadth. Now if all you can do is print and you have no idea how to write a business letter, then somewhere the process if failing. How about an email? Is anyone taught to do that?

      I would say the average teacher doesn’t have time to teach what is required, much less something extra. Is it too much to have the state demand.

      I bet the teachers are seen as mean who require it. Those who require excellence are often perceived much the same way. God forbid that someone be required to be literate. It used to be that being able to read and write and sign you own name were signs of NOT being illiterate.

      My gdaughter had to use it in elementary school but not in middle school but she is a senior in high school now.

  22. @Moon-howler
    Sorry – forgot one part. The 3rd grade standard requires that students be able to write cursive legibly, but not that they be able to read it. I have a child whose cursive is more legible than his print, and he prefers to write in cursive because he can write faster. Most of his classmates can’t read cursive, so he had to do his classwork and homework in print.

    1. @Kim S

      ARRRGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wasn’t that the entire reason behind cursive….it was faster?

      We are quickly moving towards mediocrity and illiteracy.

      Most classmates should be writing in cursive AND reading it. Dear God!!! I am so glad I never have to be around schools.

  23. Clinton S. Long

    @Kim Simons
    I had a roommate in college one time (many years ago) who had never learned cursive since he moved quite often in the cursive learning years. He printed everything (and we didn’t have pc’s in those days).

    We took a course called American Political Science (my favorite course) and the final exam question went like this–

    “It is said that the Constitution had its origins in the Magna Carta. Identify and discuss the history, events and concepts that led from the Magna Carta to the Constitution”

    Needless to say, in the full four hours I filled about 3 blue books. My roommate printed and finished about 5 blue books. He was faster printing than I was writing in cursive. We both got A’s in the class.

    1. but could he sign his name?

      Signing one’s name is what makes us unique…more so than block printing our names.

  24. Lyssa

    Michael Phelps surprises Moon and Bob Costas.

  25. Mitt Romney to come to Manassas

    He’s coming in on a bus to the Harris Pavilion.

    Tickets:

    http://www.mittromney.com/states/virginia/events/join-mitt-manassas-victory-rally

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