HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: curt@ekhadafi.austin.ibm.com (Curt Finch 903 2F021 curt@aixwiz.austin.ibm.com 512-838-2806)
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Mo. Program Offers Alternative Schooling
Date: 10 Nov 92 20:21:19 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: IBM AWD, Austin


                   =====  A LOCAL LOOK  =====

*5   IMANI:  PROGRAM DRAWS ON STUDENTS' FAITH
     The Imani program at Normandy H.S. in Mo. offers alternative
schooling to students failing regular academic classes (Koenig,
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH).  The program is offered to failing
freshmen and sophomores.  "Imani fits because the kids need faith
in themselves that they can succeed, faith in school and faith in
the people around them," said social studies teacher Terri
Sheldon.  Imani is the Swahili word for faith.
     Students in the program attend classes from 2:30 p.m. to
6:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.  Imani has four teachers and
a counselor and each class has no more than 15 students.
Students are taught English, math, social studies and science in
creative and innovative ways, the DISPATCH reports.
     Parents are an integral part of Imani's success.  They meet
with teachers on Fridays, when students have the day off.  They
also receive written progress reports every two weeks.
     The goal for most Imani students is to return to classes at
Normandy H.S.  Student improvement is measured by attitude, not
grades, writes the newspaper.  This fall, approximately 20 of
last year's Imani students returned to day classes.  Imani
students laud the program for many reasons:  care and respect
from the teachers; small class size; peer support; "amazing"
field trips; and no class on Fridays, reports the DISPATCH
(11/9).

-- 
--
curt@aixwiz.austin.ibm.com (Curt L. Finch) | AIX NFS/NIS Field Quality 
My views are unrelated to those of IBM     |        Austin, TX
- FICA isn't a retirement plan. Your money's already spent. You'll get zilch.-
Newsgroups: tx.politics
From: hari@NeoSoft.com (Doug Andersen)
Subject: Re: Protectionism and Japan
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900
Distribution: usa,tx
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1992 06:07:24 GMT

In article <1992Nov3.195419.5171@mksol.dseg.ti.com>, mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
> Not to anything like the same degree.  This is like saying that
> because a child takes a cookie without asking, it's ok for the guy
> next door to rob banks.
 
Clearly it varies widely from industry to industry.  It pretty much ranges
from no protection to very heavy government protection.
 
> As opposed to trying to operate below costs against a subsidized
> competitor.  Yes, there is a certain amount of stupid decisionmaking
> in this process, as well, but that doesn't make the principle of
> requiring foreign competitors to compete on an even footing wrong.
 
Well, there's "costs" and there are "costs".  It's amazing that Japanese
companies are able to produce lower-cost products, even if the factories
are in the US and use US workers.  More than often "below cost" means
"below the costs of what the US companies estimates the costs are".
-- 
Doug Andersen
hari@Sugar.NeoSoft.com
Newsgroups: tx.politics
From: johniac@austin.ibm.com (John Iacoletti/100000)
Subject: Re: Bush Vetoes Stupid Education Reform Bill
Date: Mon, 09 Nov 92 18:40:38 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: IBM Advanced Workstations and Systems, Austin, TX
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Joe Mullally (rocky@NeoSoft.com) wrote:
: I do have a qualm with your claim that that an atheist
: doesn't deny the existence of the Christian God, though. It would seem
: he/she has but three choices: to believe, to deny, or to not know.

Why do you never hear of Santa Claus agnostics or Easter Bunny agnostics, or
pink and purple polka dotted unicorn agnostics?  Agnostics tend to give 
special credence to the Christian deity as a concept that is worth reserving
judgement on (some say they take this position just in case "God" is listening).
Atheists tend to put the Christian god in the same bucket as the thousands of
other gods and Santa Claus and everything else which has no evidence.  You
are correct in pointing out that people who call themselves atheists may take
the "Christian God does not exist" position.  I think that's a position of
faith, and I would challenge them to justify it.  The problem with all
descriptive labels is that you have to be careful not to assume too much into
them.

: 	And, I do think atheists have faith that their religious
: convictions are correct, or they'd be agnostics. Break down the word
: atheist. Perhaps I should recant allowing atheists self-definition.

A-theism:  without theism

A-gnosticism: without gnosticism (ie. without knowledge)

Many agnostics will tell you that it is unknowable whether YHWH exists or not.

Many atheists will tell you that it is possible to know that YHWH exists, if
he would unambiguously make his presence known.  Atheists don't devote much
effort to find such evidence, but would certainly consider it if such evidence
were available.

--
John Iacoletti       IBM AWS Austin       Internet: johniac@austin.ibm.com
        My opinions do not reflect the views of the IBM Corporation
    "Egad, a base tone denotes a bad age" -- TMBG   "I Palidrome I"
Newsgroups: tx.politics
From: johniac@austin.ibm.com (John Iacoletti/100000)
Subject: Re: Football Failures at Bowie Force end of Season
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 92 00:03:22 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: IBM Advanced Workstations and Systems, Austin, TX
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

fred j mccall 575-3539 (mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com) wrote:
: You've made the claim that "no pass - no play" is bad.  You haven't
: yet shown that it is.

I'm not saying it's bad.  I'm saying it's irrelevant.

: Horseshit.  There's no reason a football player can't be a good
: citizen.  There is EVERY reason to believe that someone who ONLY knows
: how to play football probably will be a bad and unproductive citizen.
: What is the logic of everyone paying for education if it doesn't make
: them better citizens, John?

I get a little worried about this "good citizen" standard of yours.  Sounds
a little 1984-ish to me.  Just because Fred McCall doesn't like football, 
it doesn't mean that football players don't contribute to society.  And anyway,
if someone isn't "productive" (whatever that means -- presumably someone who
builds devices that kill people is "productive"), that's his business.  He
doesn't owe his "productivity" to anyone else.  I'm curious.  In your opinion,
what is your definition of a "good citizen"?

: >Are you saying that the purpose of the educational system in this country 
: >should be to act as farm clubs for ANY public or private employer?

: No.

Then why is it relevant what somebody's "odds" are at getting a job in his
chosen field?

: More horseshit.  John, those people serving meals in restaurants can
: generally do basic arithmetic and read, believe it or not.  So can the
: typical mechanic.

Believe it or not, people learn how to read and do basic arithmetic in 
elementary school.  If they don't, then "no pass-no play" in high school isn't 
going to make a damn bit of difference.  It's too little and too late.

But it's a lot easier to blame football for all of the world's problems than
to think.

--
John Iacoletti       IBM AWS Austin       Internet: johniac@austin.ibm.com
        My opinions do not reflect the views of the IBM Corporation
"When you're following an angel, does it mean you have to throw your body off a 
 building?" -- TMBG
From: tom@europa.lonestar.org (Tom Kimball)
Subject: Re: Clinton has won...watch your pocket!
Organization: Moria Mining Guild (BBS) -- Dallas, Texas, USA
Distribution: tx
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 06:22:20 GMT

In article <21814@rpp386.lonestar.org> jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) writes:
>Ah, the folly of taxing the rich.  The rich are the last people
>you can get your little tax grubbing, class envy, wealth redistributing,
>socialist fingers on.

"Only the little people pay taxes".  Where have we heard that one before?  


>The seeds of a record '93 deficit have now been sewn.  By '94 when

Thank you, George Bush and Ronald Reagan, for getting us into deep deep voodoo.


>everyone has re-learned how to play the tax shelter game (and I have a
>few in mind that will never be illegal), we should see a deficit out
>of the Clinton administration that makes the $292B '92 deficit look
>tiny.

There is no way he could tripple the average budget deficit in 4 years like 
the Republicans did.  I remember the Republicans rightly criticizing those 
horrible $50 billion deficits of the Carter years.

-- 
Tom Kimball  			tom@europa.lerctr.org    
tom@europa.lonestar.org		tom%europa@egsner.cirr.com
From: chris@cpvax.cpses.tu.com
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Texas Legislature Monitoring
Date: 12 Nov 92 13:30:33 CST
Organization: Texas Utilities, Glen Rose TX 

Howdy, I'm new to this newsgroup and have enjoyed the lively discussion of
the several topics that are floating around. I have a question that maybe 
someone can answer here. I would like to follow closely the workings of
the 1993 Texas Legislature. Is there an electronic form of monitoring the
day to day status of bills and committee work?
 
Thanks in advance for any direction you can give me.
Newsgroups: tx.politics
From: johniac@austin.ibm.com (John Iacoletti/100000)
Subject: Re: Football Failures at Bowie Force end of Season
Date: Mon, 09 Nov 92 22:53:57 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: IBM Advanced Workstations and Systems, Austin, TX
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

fred j mccall 575-3539 (mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com) wrote:
: In <1992Nov06.234107.27197@watson.ibm.com> johniac@austin.ibm.com (John Iacoletti/100000) writes:
: >The solution to this is to raise the standards and not graduate them.
: 
: Correct, but most schools can't or won't do that to a football star
: (apparently thinking the way you are).

It seems to me that if a school would let their standards slide for a "football
star", they would also let "no pass-no play" slide as well.  So what is gained?

: >The solution to this is to have different levels of classes for the slow
: >learners and the fast learners.
: 
: Correct AGAIN (see, you can do it if you put your mind to it and stop
: knee-jerk disagreeing with things just because *I* happen to be the
: one to post them).

You know better than that.  I agree with you at least 10% of the time :-)

: However, what kind of classes do you put in place
: for NO learners so that they can continue to play football?

The same classes that you put in place for "NO learners" who DON'T play football
of course.

: Sure it does.  That's why they came up with No Pass - No Play in the
: first place.  They looked at the numbers and noted that as a group,
: football players had a predominant percentage of the folks who just
: weren't making it academically.

I don't believe this.  I think it was more likely done for a punitive effect.
The problem with negative reinforcement is that it rarely has the effect that
you want it to.

This brings up a good question.  Has "no pass-no play" been shown to have a 
positive effect on grades or standardized tests?  I honestly don't know the 
answer to that.

: Oh, hogwash, John.  Every journey starts with a single step, and you
: can't clean up a mess without picking up that first piece of trash.
: Allowing (and paying for) participation in EXTRA-CURRICULAR activities
: by those who are failing the CURRICULAR activities is like rewarding
: someone for failing.

Only if you consider extra-curricular activities to be rewards.  I don't.

: Where's all that libertarian motivation in the
: free market and such they[sic] you like so much in your reasoning on this
: one? 

You have a strange definition of liberty if you think this is it.

: Fine, I'll make a counter proprosition for you.  Simply eliminate all
: extra-curricular activities for everyone.  If they want them, they can
: do them on their own time, their own money, and find their own
: facilities.  You like that 'solution' better?  I don't,

Of course you don't -- because then you wouldn't be able to use it as a 
bargaining chip in your "motivational experiment".

--
John Iacoletti       IBM AWS Austin       Internet: johniac@austin.ibm.com
        My opinions do not reflect the views of the IBM Corporation
    "Egad, a base tone denotes a bad age" -- TMBG   "I Palindrome I"
From: mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539)
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Re: Term Limits
Date: 12 Nov 92 14:25:14 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: Texas Instruments Inc

In <BxGLoD.Ho3@NeoSoft.com> hari@NeoSoft.com (Doug Andersen) writes:

>In article <1992Nov6.144030.28561@mksol.dseg.ti.com>, mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
>> The problem is that incumbants have an INCREDIBLE advantage in most
>> cases; in name recognition if nothing else.  People obviously thought
> 
>How is name recognition an advantage if people want to get rid of
>incumbents?  If people can easily figure out who the incumbent is, they
>should have no problem throwing them out of office.  I think this is one
>of those things that people like in theory, but not in practice.  Kind of
>like deficit reduction.

Because the incumbant they REALLY want to get rid of IS THE OTHER
GUY'S.  They want to keep theirs, so that they can keep the power that
seniority buys within the system.  Plus, there is a certain advantage
ot 'product recognition' in this sort of thing.

> 
>> that term limits on the Presidency were a good thing.  Why not impose
>> them elsewhere, as well?  When this country was started, Congress
>> wasn't pictured as being a nest for professional politicians.  Give
>> them a maximum of two and a half terms in EACH job -- Assuming they
>> get all the way to the Presidency, this gives them 32 years in
>> government service (4+12+8+8).  That's more than long enough.  If we
>> forced turnover, perhaps Congress would be a bit more in touch with
>> reality. 
> 
>Again, the whole point is that people already have an option to get rid of
>career politicians.  And almost across-the-board they've re-elected these
>incumbents.

Yes, but under the current system that is only to be expected.  After
all, who has the most money and the ability to get press coverage,
distribute largesse, etc.?  The problem is that the current system is
BROKEN.  Term limits is one reasonable way of trying to fix it.

-- 
"Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live
 in the real world."   -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me.
From: cwinemil@keys.lonestar.org (Chris Winemiller)
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Re: Clinton has won...watch your pocket!
Date: 6 Nov 92 13:49:33 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: None

mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:

> In <mPVPTB1w165w@keys.lonestar.org> cwinemil@keys.lonestar.org
> (Chris Winemiller) writes:
> 
> >Well, Clinton has won.  Time to move more of my salary into the 401k;
> >hopefully, after Clinton gets in and raises my taxes (as he surely
> >will), I'll end up paying no more than I currently do.
> 
> Once again, I'm curious.  Do you make over $200k?  If not, why are you
> so sure of what you claim is 'going to surely happen'?

Because I believe the figures others have stated in which he will be
taxing incomes down to the ~$40,000 level in order to fund his spending
frenzy.

I'll be curious to see if former Carter administration personnel pop
up in Clinton's administration.  (Such was implied on one of the news
shows last night.)  If so, God help us.

> [You talk like George Bush never raised your taxes.]

Of course he did, and I was furious.  I would have voted against him
this time, but the alternatives were even worse.

Chris

-- 
Chris Winemiller         Internet: cwinemil@keys.lonestar.org
                         UUCP    : texsun!letni!keys!cwinemil
From: miller@hmsp04.wg3.waii.com (Griff Miller X7114)
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Re: What, Me Vote?
Date: 12 Nov 92 20:01:06 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: Western Geo. - Div of Western Atlas Intn'l Inc., Houston, TX

In article <1992Nov11.145949.27221@mksol.dseg.ti.com> mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
>
>That is a bad thing, because it doesn't take human nature into
>account.  It's like the old 'drug education' they used to give, where
>drugs were the ultimate evil.  Except when people tried them and
>weren't struck by lightning, that immediately invalidated EVERYTHING
>they'd been told about drugs, as far as they were concerned.  So even
>in the places where the dangers they were told about were true, they
>no longer believed what they were told.  And of course, drug use
>skyrocketed. 

I agree that it's silly to try to teach people to not use drugs and 
give "because" as the reason. It wouldn't be very effective, partially for 
the reasons you stated. On the other hand, I think we still need to be
teaching people not even to try illegal drugs in the first place (which is
what I've always thought "Just Say NO" means) because they can lead to
serious addiction and/or death.

>Sure you do.  Now then, shall we find out at what age everyone in this
>group lost their virginity and whether they are still with that
>person?  

No, because it wouldn't serve any purpose. I'd be willing to bet that most
of the people in this group lost their virginity before they'd ever heard of
AIDS.

>Sure, if you do all that you do a lot toward eliminating the
>risk of things like AIDS; the unrealistic part is that MOST PEOPLE
>WON'T DO THAT.  Every try to convince a 16-18 year old boy that he
>SHOULDN'T try to have sex?  Good luck.  :-)

Actually, it's entirely possible, and not at all improbable. Besides, your
chances of success are greater nowadays since you can add AIDS to your list
of reasons not to.
--
Griff Miller - miller@monarch.wg3.waii.com
My opinions are mine, not Western's.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but 
fools despise wisdom and discipline."   - Proverbs 1:7 
Newsgroups: tx.politics
From: manacsa@l13ff.jsc.nasa.gov (Gerry Manacsa)
Subject: Re: CSPAN Voter Manipulation
Organization: Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Co.
Distribution: tx
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1992 23:10:26 GMT

In article <1992Nov3.213604.16996@ncmicro.lonestar.org>, ltf@ncmicro.lonestar.org (Lance Franklin) writes:
> 
> In article <NmikTB1w165w@unkaphaed.UUCP> dsterner@unkaphaed.UUCP (Don Sterner) writes:
> }CSPAN is tax-supported and should cover all possible political events 
> }completely and in an unbiased manner. Although the press has obviously 
> }been heavily biased against Perot, this is the most blatant case of 
> }manipulatio I've seen so far - ranks above the 60 Minutes episode, in my 
> }opinion.
> 
> I was under the impression that CSPAN was funded by funds from all the
> cable companies that carry CSPAN, not by taxpayers.  Have I been 
> misinformed?
> 

You are absolutely right.  C-SPAN is NOT federally funded.  It's completely 
paid for by cable companies and, indirectly, cable subscribers.

Xref: sparky tx.politics:7183 austin.politics:254
From: swisher@cs.utexas.edu (Janet M. Swisher)
Newsgroups: tx.politics,austin.politics
Subject: Election Reform vs. Term Limits
Date: 11 Nov 1992 01:43:36 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
Distribution: tx
NNTP-Posting-Host: boogie.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Nov9.195151.25000@awdprime.austin.ibm.com> (Curt Finch
903 2F021 curt@aixwiz.austin.ibm.com 512-838-2806) writes:

>reaper@wixer.cactus.org (Keath Milligan) writes:
>>Term limit legislation is a gimmick designed to remove a few, specific
>>congressmen that have (perhaps rightfully so) made a lot of enemies.

>Does this mean that it's also a gimmick for the presidency and should
>be revoked there?

Well, we got by without it for 150-odd years.  When FDR kept getting
re-elected, some folks realized that somebody (possibly FDR) might
consolidate enough power to become President-and-Dictator-for-Life.
(Would FDR have run again if he hadn't died?  The term limit didn't
apply to him.)  I think that's much less of a danger with elected
officials who are *not* personally, administratively, in charge of the
whole country.

>I disagree.  Incumbents are like royalty now.  They win not because
>they're doing a good job, but because of name recognition and all the
>free mailings they get at taxpayer expense.

So what we need is campaign reform and campaign finance reform.  A few
ideas:

Take the franking privilege away from the legislators and give it to
non-partisan reporting groups such as the League of Women Voters (an
example -- if you want to flame the LWV, start another thread).  They
would report on legislation passed in non-biased terms (as much as
possible) and on how the legislator voted, making note of bills s/he
introduced or sponsored.  I envision these groups as acting something
like the Citizens' Utility Boards that work in many areas.

Establish a campaign fund-raising "season" for each election.
Candidates would not be allowed to raise funds until the season
opened.  All funds not spent by the end of the election would be
turned over to the Treasury.  This would eliminate the problem of
legislators who spend their whole term fundraising and roll over their
war chest from one election to the next.

Limit big-money contributions to parties as well as candidates.
Limits on contributions to candidates mean almost nothing after the
primaries, since the nominees get most of their money from the party.
Did you know that in this election, Atlantic Richfield gave $400,000
to the Republicans, and $600,000 to the Democrats?  They don't care
who wins; they just want to have chips to call in when they come
around asking for oil-drilling rights in Alaska.

>The quickest easiest way to fix all this is to pass term limits.

Should we be looking for the "quickest, easiest way", or should we be
looking for the *right* way?  I'm not saying I necessarily have it,
but I think that's what we should be trying to determine.  Then we can
come to a compromise on what's practical.

-- 
Don't take life so serious ... it ain't *no how* permanent. -- Porkypine.