TomAiello

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Posts posted by TomAiello


  1. Quote

    I went to a pretty exclusive high school. By far, the black and non-christian students were smarter, harder working and more driven than the white christian students.



    I lived in the residential honors dorm my freshman year in college. Since we were a bunch of geeks, one of the girls on my floor went around and collated everyone's SAT scores and high school GPA. On average, the Asian students had the best scores, with the caucasians generally somewhere in the middle and the african-americans at the bottom of the distribution.

    Why was this? Because the program was required to maintain a rough racial balance, so it was easier to get in if you black, and harder if you were asian.

    My anecdotal evidence appears to support exactly the opposite conclusion as yours.
    -- Tom Aiello

    [email protected]
    SnakeRiverBASE.com

  2. Quote

    "the bill sucks, but we're not offering anything either"



    Do you really believe that, or are you just spouting the party line?

    GOP Healthcare Bill.

    I'm really tired of hearing "those guys aren't putting forth any ideas" because it's just a blatant lie.

    Of course, if you want to push that lie, you need to tie up the alternative bill in committee instead of debating it.

    Once again, just to repeat:

    The assertion that the GOP is not putting forth an alternative healthcare plan is a flat out lie. HR 3400 is their alternative.
    -- Tom Aiello

    [email protected]
    SnakeRiverBASE.com

  3. Quote

    For the anti-death penalty advocates, how would you feel if someone cold bloodedly murdered your husband, or wife, or child or other relative or friend?



    I'd be pissed.

    But it sure wouldn't make me trust the government any more.

    Why would the one thing change my opinion about the other?
    -- Tom Aiello

    [email protected]
    SnakeRiverBASE.com

  4. Quote

    What say you, death penalty opponents? Should we spare his life because he might be deemed innocent in the future?



    You're mischaracterizing some people's reasons for opposition to the death penalty.

    I do not trust the government with the power of life and death over the populace. Given that, I do not trust the government to put citizens to death (for any reason).

    I fully believe he's guilty. I think that locking him up somewhere for the remainder of his days is sufficient to remove him from circulation, cheaper (generally) than a death sentence, and most importantly, doesn't give the power of life and death to an institution (the government) that I mistrust deeply.
    -- Tom Aiello

    [email protected]
    SnakeRiverBASE.com

  5. Quote

    Exactly what party was this that this minor child/young adult went to? Was this a high school party or a college party?



    From the news story, it sounds like it was an official (high) school function, taking place on school grounds, with official supervision (most likely provided by the school, if those things are still run the way they were when I was in high school).
    -- Tom Aiello

    [email protected]
    SnakeRiverBASE.com

  6. Quote

    What I was asking is who here (visitors to this thread) believes it is a religion?



    If pressed for a simple "yes" or "no" answer, then I'd say it's a religion.

    With greater latitude to respond, I'd say that determining what is or is not a religion is a matter for the personal consideration of those who believe in that religion. From where I'm sitting, Scientology looks about as silly (or not) as lots of more popular religious groupings.
    -- Tom Aiello

    [email protected]
    SnakeRiverBASE.com

  7. Quote

    Quote

    Looks Like ANY Public Option is DOA YES!!!



    Oh, goody! Hopefully we can lose out on another Olympics, too. Yay!



    Opposing a particular political agenda (for example, a war in a remote part of the world) is _not_ the same as hoping your country fails, contrary to the assertions of whichever side happens to support that agenda.


    Example:

    TA: I think Roe v. Wade was a poor decision, and ought to be overturned.

    BV: I don't think so.

    TA: What, you want America to fail?


    See how ridiculous it is?
    -- Tom Aiello

    [email protected]
    SnakeRiverBASE.com