The Coffee House

[jcdeboever]

What I don't get about that United Airlines madness... if they ask for volunteers and don't get any, most airlines up the compensation until they have a few takers. So no one wanted the $200 voucher they were offering? Make it $400 or $500 or even $2k - all cheaper in the long run than the terrible PR they are getting with man handling a passenger off the plane. Just a terrible management decision by the gate agents (I believe that is who is in charge in that situation).

It was supposedly $800.

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[EIngerson]

Always love seeing the updates in the National Museum of the Marine Corps.


Museum-1 by Eric Ingerson, on Flickr

Cool shot, Eric.

Man, that is on my bucket list...

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I've been 9 times now. There is something new every time I go. It's unbelievable that it is 100% free.

You were in DC (or Quantico) recently?

Yes, I had a conference last week. I wish I had 5 minutes to myself. LOL

I know how that is. Give me a shout next time.

I sure will! And thanks! Just a hectic trip this time.

 

[Gary A.]

Sharon did her best Gary A impersonation tonight and whipped up a perfectly medium rare prime rib like it was nbd. Grabbed a very quick pic with my daughter's iPhone before we dug in. Vegans, vegetarians, dieters---nothing to see here.

Nice.

 

[Gary A.]

iPhone

About a week ago, Gary received a package from Jon. A custom brew and coffee, roasted by his own hand.

Sunday, Gary brewed his first cup of Jon Coffee. It was Delish. Jon needs to open up a coffee shop. Thank you Jon.

 

[Gary A.]

@ Peg: Today Gary BBQed up some chicken kabobs, chicken smothered in Gary's BBQ sauce and grilled some apples. "Crazy delicious," said Mary Lou.

 

[limr29 2]

Morning, hosers.

I saw something about that. I'm not sure how that would work...I mean,well, because of what you're talking about. It sounds nice in theory but how it would be implemented, I don't quite get... just getting into a school or it being made available is one thing, staying in school is another.

Supposedly the freshman year was always the make it or break it year, so what, will there be way more freshman fall term, then be gone by the end of the semester?? Or are there still grade point averages and whatnot to even get in? I'm not in the loop with high school (thank goodness!! lol).

Oh boy, this makes me glad I'm not in education anymore...

We are an open-enrollment school, so there are no GPA requirements to get in. Anyone who applies is accepted. However, there is a placement exam to see how college-ready someone is, and if there are skill gaps, the student has to take developmental education classes. This is already a hindrance since most dev.ed. classes don't carry any credits but students still have to pay. One of the conditions of the tuition vouchers (it's being called a scholarship) is that the student has 30 credits over the course of the first year. This includes summer and winter sessions, but even so, if 2 or 3 of the classes a student takes doesn't even carry any credits, it will be hard for them to hit that 30-credit requirement.

It'll also be difficult for anyone who may still have to work - just because tuition is free doesn't mean there will be any other financial supports, so it will be easier for traditional students who can stay home and commute, but the students who have to work to support themselves will find it much more difficult to maintain a full-time school schedule for the whole 2 years (the maximum a student can get free tuition in an Associate's program.) Some might end up dropping to part-time, which means they are no longer eligible for the 'scholarship.'

So so so so many variables.

So 900,00 over how many schools? wonder how much impact it would have on individual schools.

It will depend on where those students are located. There are 64 schools across the system. And this program applies to the CUNY schools as well (City University of NY). Some schools will be hit harder than others, for sure. It's hard to say how this will all shake out. I just wish we had more time. I don't know how government AND higher education is expected to move fast enough to make this work smoothly for September.

 

[Gary A.]

On the theoretical side of higher education, Gary likes what New York is doing. In theory, taking the money out of higher education qualification/acceptance. By lowering the financial requirements, New York is on its way to offering college based solely on qualifying per testing ... as opposed to qualifying per testing and the ability to pay.

(In practical terms, money is always a factor, as Leo points out, many students need to earn money as opposed to being a full time student. But this is a giant step towards leveling the higher education acceptance playing field. New York is ahead of California.)

 

[Gary A.]

This makes me angry. Sell your United Airlines stock now... The guy was an old man and doctor. Didn't want to give up his seat for airline workers. So, they forced him off the plane
Twitter

Airline crews have, imo, gotten a bit obnoxious with their power over passengers in recent years. The one where they wouldn't let the young child up to use the bathroom and then gave the mom attitude when the poor thing peed in her seat... and my favorite when they cut short a flight and landed somewhere else to deplane a young family because the mom dared to make a stink that they were playing a racy and violent movie on the overhead screen that she didn't want her young boys to see...

Flying used to be an enjoyable experience. It was pleasant. Now Gary dreads flying, he flies as a last resort. Now, being on a plane is like being in parochial school and all the nuns have rulers.

 

[Derrel]

United Airlines is paying for their misjudgement in a big, big way today!

 

[table1349]

After doing a little research this might actually be a workable solution. The student/student family must be a resident for 1 year, which in New York requires either living there full time or maintaining a domicile in which you must be in New York for 180 days each year. Secondly If you take the money, after graduation/quitting school you have to stay and work in New York for the same amount of years you took the tuition. It is not just a free gift by the state rather it is an incentive to continue education with a responsibility attached to it. This could either be a colossal failure or it could be come a model for other states. I am hoping for the latter.

I know a few years ago the State of Missouri combined college and medical school for instate residents cutting two years off the normal time it took to become a physician. They did not cut any of the necessary classes, rather allowed medical school classes to be counted as credits toward the college degree instead of taking a couple of art classes, government classes, etc. that had noting to do with being a physician. They also had to stay in the State of Missouri and practice for I believe 6 years once they graduated.

 

[table1349]

This makes me angry. Sell your United Airlines stock now... The guy was an old man and doctor. Didn't want to give up his seat for airline workers. So, they forced him off the plane
Twitter

Airline crews have, imo, gotten a bit obnoxious with their power over passengers in recent years. The one where they wouldn't let the young child up to use the bathroom and then gave the mom attitude when the poor thing peed in her seat... and my favorite when they cut short a flight and landed somewhere else to deplane a young family because the mom dared to make a stink that they were playing a racy and violent movie on the overhead screen that she didn't want her young boys to see...

Flying used to be an enjoyable experience. It was pleasant. Now Gary dreads flying, he flies as a last resort. Now, being on a plane is like being in parochial school and all the nuns have rulers.

Yep, we are taking 9 people to Hawaii for 9 days and 8 nights here in a couple of years. If the kids could take enough time off to do so I would much rather take a cruse ship from San Diego to Hawaii and back than fly. As it is we will not be flying United to Hawaii and back.

 

[JonA_CT]

Saw this in social media. People are awesome.

 

[Frankinfuji]

When we fly, we give up all human rights. Jammed in like cattle, searched, scanned, prodded and queued, with no guarantee of arriving on time, or at all.

 

[Gary A.]

When we fly, we give up all human rights. Jammed in like cattle, searched, scanned, prodded and queued, with no guarantee of arriving on time, or at all.

... And it is worse for the luggage.

 

[SquarePeg36 7]

Yep, we are taking 9 people to Hawaii for 9 days and 8 nights here in a couple of years. If the kids could take enough time off to do so I would much rather take a cruse ship from San Diego to Hawaii and back than fly. As it is we will not be flying United to Hawaii and back.

Look into Alaska Air to Hawaii. They fly out of SF, SD, LA, Portland, Seattle... They have a credit card offered through BoA that gives you a $122 companion pass each year ($99 plus fees). The last time we went to Hawaii we used them and had 2 of the companion passes so for 4 of us we paid a total of $2k (so $500 pp) for our airfare which was a great price for rt from Boston to Maui and then Oahu to Boston. We overnighted in Portland on the way there which was a nice way to break up the long trip if you have young ones traveling with you.