Things that annoy me (3 Viewers)

[jazzeum]

UT Austin is reinstating mandatory SAT submission with standards and they eliminated DEI considerations. Going back to old school - you earn the admission, there are no participation trophies. Additionally, preference is going to fully resort to Texas residents. I can proudly say, my son, submitted scores, treated it as a competitive admission and got in from out of State. In other words, he earned it, not sure that can be said for a lot of admissions since 2020.

Again, I do agree that College is definitely a big business and that is not only in Sports, it is in academics too. They need a constant annuity of tuition, that is what fuels the engines. The worst offenders are the ones that structure their admissions and graduation rates so that they capture more federal funds.

TD

I ran into that when I applied to UVA. Priority was given to in state residents and I didn’t make the cut. Would have loved to go there but I was pretty happy to get into George Washington.

 

[tdubel]

I ran into that when I applied to UVA. Priority was given to in state residents and I didn’t make the cut. Would have loved to go there but I was pretty happy to get into George Washington.

Brad
Too coincidental! I got on UVA's waitlist due to choosing the business major. At the time, I should have chose Engineering, then transferred, but I was a hard headed teenager (whose mother was a Guidance Counselor and knew better). I had a lot of negatives going - I wasn't a VA resident, I wanted the business school and my SAT's were very good but not excellent). End of day, while disappointed, I could only look into the mirror for the explanation! You win some, you lose some. Also coincidental - my Dad got his EHD from GW. Great school back then. I also considered it but ultimately ended up at MD due to scholarship.

TD

 

[Panzer ace]

Bugs of every kind.

The winter might be brutal but unlike the summer there are no mosquitoes/cicadas when the temps drop below 50.

 

[Combat]

Bugs of every kind.

The winter might be brutal but unlike the summer there are no mosquitoes/cicadas when the temps drop below 50.

Several years ago we had an infestation of "stink bugs." On a warm day, there would be thousands of these awful bugs on the windows like something from a sci fi film. You can't just smash them because they secrete a nasty smelling liquid that also makes a mess. My Dad lives in a rural area in the South. The bugs there are unreal. You can't step off the walk or driveway without getting a tick or "chigger". The mosquitos are relentless. Gnats swarm your head and try to fly in your eyes and ears. They are currently having a once in a 200-year period cicada event where two different versions emerge at the same time.

 

[Combat]

Robert De Niro. Wow. What a fall from grace.

 

[marco55]

Robert De Niro. Wow. What a fall from grace.

What a jerk. Mask on and has to read from a script.He can't talk unless someone writes it down for him. He may be worse than Biden.
Mark

 

[Warrior]

Robert De Niro. Wow. What a fall from grace.

An old man shaking his fist at a cloud, telling everyone to get off his lawn.

 

[tdubel]

What a jerk. Mask on and has to read from a script.He can't talk unless someone writes it down for him. He may be worse than Biden.
Mark

It is a real shame as I really liked him at one time as an actor, still do, but as a human being, what has come out of him in the last many years is awful. I get it, he hates the former President, but it has turned into a real lunacy. I have never understood how people go that crazy over an individual. And if you think about it even further, he lives in a glass house, he has had a brilliant career, made a ton of money and I am sure done many good things in life. Why he is wasting his twilight years like this is beyond me.

 

[Combat]

What a jerk. Mask on and has to read from a script.He can't talk unless someone writes it down for him. He may be worse than Biden.
Mark

Yes, the mask gave me a good laugh. De Niro didn't get the memo that is no longer a thing. Someone waived a magic wand after the election, and they don't report on COVID deaths anymore.

 

[Combat]

The $300 million pier built to deliver aid to Gaza has been abandoned and apparently is falling apart after only a few weeks. The limited supplies delivered were looted. Probably ended up with Hamas to prolong the conflict.

 

[Warrior]

Someone waived a magic wand after the election, and they don't report on COVID deaths anymore.

Yeah; funny that.

Things that make you go Hmmm.............

 

[Combat]

Yeah; funny that.

Things that make you go Hmmm.............

At the end of the day, citizens get the government that they deserve. Voters and juries make these decisions. So here we are in a state of disaster.

 

[tdubel]

At the end of the day, citizens get the government that they deserve. Voters and juries make these decisions. So here we are in a state of disaster.

I have been saying this for the past 4 years - we look and "get" dumber every day as a nation. Not much more to say than that. For the supposedly most advanced and leader of the free world, we are rapidly dissolving into idiocy. I guess no one remembers the All Mighty Roman Empire..............................nuff said, I don't want to inadvertently insult our modern Italian collectors.

TD

 

[Warrior]

For the supposedly most advanced and leader of the free world...................

TD

That ship has sailed, we're no longer the most advanced or leader of anything.

More like a banana republic.

I'm just glad my Dad or any of my uncles, all of whom served in WWII are not alive to see what we've become.

 

[Combat]

That ship has sailed, we're no longer the most advanced or leader of anything.

More like a banana republic.

I'm just glad my Dad or any of my uncles, all of whom served in WWII are not alive to see what we've become.

A ****ing ****show.

Yes, it's a sad day for democracy. We have crossed the Rubicon. The tendency is to blame the politicians and judges, but the citizens have an obligation to hold them accountable and they have failed. We are now a country like Russia or worse. Putin has nothing on what is going on here.

 

[tdubel]

Just to be clear, I am certainly not defending a former President or his actions in my post regarding what is going on in our Country. I should have stated, unfortunately, the seeds of our decline started some time ago. I really believe that we have issues that go far beyond a trial. We have continually taken our eye off the proverbial ball. In flat terms we have an economy that is propped up by 1. consumer debt and 2. government subsidies and 3. our national debt (we just print money whenever we need it. We have neglected our own natural resources with incessant regulation, we are continually pushing new energy tech which is not ready, new ev vehicles, again not ready, i.e. you have better tech in a cell phone then in the car?? We are wasting money and resources on endless political battles (whether that be trials, immigration, regulation, etc etc etc). There are just zero adults in the room anymore. It all adds up to a debacle. I don't think we have a good answer right now. AND the no brainers of defending the free world i.e. Israel, somehow is not a no brainer. I just don't get it.

Long story short, the above are just some of my reasons (I got tired of typing) for why I think, we are turning into a banana republic (In the words of George, very appropriate). I hope someone proves me wrong.
Tom

 

[Combat]

Tom-
I agree with all your points. This country is in a downward spiral for a lot of reasons that go beyond Trump and Biden. The total collapse of the education system, legal system, endless wars, debt, and widespread corruptions among politicians of both parties. What a coincidence that the spouses, children, and relatives of most of these career politicians are multi-millionaires despite having no apparent skills or businesses. How do these career politicians who earn a government salary amass fortunes themselves? On top of all this, we have social media and the drumbeat of partisan cable news throwing fire on the flames. It's a powerful testament to how bad things are when someone like George says he is glad that his father's generation is not around to witness this. I couldn't agree more. My Dad is 84 and worked for the federal government much of his life. He was a moderate Democrat for most of that time. I spoke with him yesterday and he was disgusted and ashamed of what has happened to America. In a functional democracy, the legal and political system would offer a means of redress, but they are now corrupt. It is a sad state of affairs and likely to get much worse. With the widespread changes in the voting laws - here in PA there are almost two months of early voting - there will be no change coming in this election. Forget the polls. Not happening. Any hope that the current wrongs may be righted through the election are wildly optimistic in my opinion. And next up after that is the guy from California.

 

[tdubel]

Tom-
I agree with all your points. This country is in a downward spiral for a lot of reasons that go beyond Trump and Biden. The total collapse of the education system, legal system, endless wars, debt, and widespread corruptions among politicians of both parties. What a coincidence that the spouses, children, and relatives of most of these career politicians are multi-millionaires despite having no apparent skills or businesses. How do these career politicians who earn a government salary amass fortunes themselves? On top of all this, we have social media and the drumbeat of partisan cable news throwing fire on the flames. It's a powerful testament to how bad things are when someone like George says he is glad that his father's generation is not around to witness this. I couldn't agree more. My Dad is 84 and worked for the federal government much of his life. He was a moderate Democrat for most of that time. I spoke with him yesterday and he was disgusted and ashamed of what has happened to America. In a functional democracy, the legal and political system would offer a means of redress, but they are now corrupt. It is a sad state of affairs and likely to get much worse. With the widespread changes in the voting laws - here in PA there are almost two months of early voting - there will be no change coming in this election. Forget the polls. Not happening. Any hope that the current wrongs may be righted through the election are wildly optimistic in my opinion. And next up after that is the guy from California.

Same here, what you said, agree with all of it. My late Father and Grandfather (WW2 Vet) were of the same cut as your Dad. Parties didn't matter as much as a label. People IMO generally voted for the best candidate. Sure there was corruption, but a lot of them were had already made their careers before becoming President, etc. Hard work meant something as well as morals (in most cases, there are a few and there was nepotism also, just not as egregious). Now, we have the proverbial sandbox where it is about money first and "winning" second which leads to more money. Something is odd when your wealthiest people are career politicians in that they have never held a job on their own outside of politics.

TD

 

[Julie]

Hey guys, you can have this thread as long as it is not Political. I know it's an election year, but please refrain.

Thanks,
Julie

 

[Combat]

Any idea why the "Treefrog Chat Lounge" is only displaying four threads? It seems to be shrinking. They seem to be unlimited on other parts of the forum.