Everything posted by Larry T. Spider
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This story, about this Alabama pastor...
Can you turn that into something shorter like a haiku?
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Youth Minister's (and other pervs) Thread of Shame
I was going to say the same thing. No way these guys are getting deals if there is strong evidence.
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2024 Property appraisals are out
Lol at 500k being a humblebrag in the Austin area. It’s a 3/2 in the burbs.
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2024 Property appraisals are out
Got my Wilco appraisal. Went from 450k to 500k. Not sure whether to be annoyed that it went up that much or grateful that it’s at least 50k under market value. A pretty similar house just went for 600k.
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What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?
Might just be talking out of my ass here but maybe there’s a middle between backing cops that do heinous shit and getting rid of all police.
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What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?
First, no need to thank me. I quit after 15 years in public education. Currently work for a company that provides exactly the types of specialized classrooms you are talking about to districts. Most districts just don’t have the capacity to meet the increased demand over the years. Waaaaay more kids need these services than even 10 years ago. See the other thread about kids that’s blowing up. The number one reason teachers are leaving is exactly the scenario you outlined. They can’t teach. Number two is dealing with parents in relation to why they can’t teach. Throw in testing score pressure and needing a second job and we are getting a “hell no” from teachers. FWIW, most districts want to do inclusion in a non-disruptive manner where the sped kids have assistants with them. This allows them to take breaks and only be in the class when they are focused and ready to learn. The reality ends up looking like the teacher being a 3 ring circus master all day then fielding parent complaints at the end of the day. The assistants get the shit kicked out of them for $15 an hour so even if the district is trying to hire, they usually can’t. We can go back to self-contained classrooms for those kids, but then we have to pay for it. I recently wrote a proposal that was for fewer than 50 students and the cost was over 2 million a year. Now, we are taking on the toughest kids, many of which would be in a residential treatment facility without us. But most superintendents just aren’t going to write that check unless push comes to shove - ie the state getting involved.
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What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?
Is the Texas GOP’s aversion to forcing them into mental health facilities purely financial? My family is almost all republicans in the Austin area and they are all for it. Now I don’t get into how we are going to pay for it with them….
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What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?
If there is strong evidence of a person committing a crime and they are deemed unfit to stand trial, they should go to a state run mental health facility. They stay there until they can go to trial. Every major city should have at least one. It will be expensive, but that is the cost of not having psychos roaming the streets. There should be youth facilities as well to give these kids the around the clock care that they need. The most mentally ill child I ever worked with was completely incapable (at that time) of safely living in a home environment. She bounced around foster homes until a residential treatment facility in another city could take her in. It took a year of hell, worsening mental health, and a move to a completely new city to get help. Right now they just go to Dell children’s until they are deemed to not be a threat to themself or others then right back home.
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Home Owners, Auto Insurance, and Related Stuff
Ha, just my luck. Well, in that case, who would you call to have them looked at?
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Home Owners, Auto Insurance, and Related Stuff
Double pane, I assume aluminum. It’s ‘99 builder grade stuff. The locks have “GA” on them, which I assume is the manufacturer.
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What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?
We’ll just go to a 4 day week for students because it’s the only way we can convince people to work in these conditions. Yet another one of my customer districts just announced this today. It’s about to be extremely common. Remember when we kept warning about how bad it was for teachers? The resounding response was to quit crying and find another job if you don’t like it. Well, here we are….
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What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?
These issues usually start well before they are running around Austin with a machete on the streets. Typically, they were public school students with a special education label that severely limited consequences for disruptive, or even violent behavior. There are some limits, such as bringing drugs or a weapon on campus but the daily insanity is legally protected. I talk to special education directors at major districts all day for a living. The increase they are seeing in students that fit this profile is disturbing. Districts are not funded to hire a bunch of mental health therapists, and the ones that find the money can’t fill the positions. They are able to get some kids into residential or other treatment facilities but then are on the hook for the cost. I talked to a superintendent in another state that’s paying 100k per kid in some cases. When I was a principal, I shared 1 therapist with 5 other campuses. Regular school counselors are not equipped to deal with this level of need. Private schools aren’t taking these kids with their $10,000 voucher if we go that route. We need a school to treatment facility pipeline instead of the current school to the streets pipeline. The teachers deal with it until it’s the cops turn. It will take funding and changing laws, but the alternative is more people getting stabbed.
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Home Owners, Auto Insurance, and Related Stuff
One of the recent hail storms cracked a couple of side windows on the house. Looking to pay for it out of pocket and not mess with insurance. Any recs on who would take on a small job like that at a fair price? I’m in western Round Rock, just east of Avery Ranch.
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Lake Travis 2024: Countdown To Zero
But then I have to piss a lot and flush the toilet more. Back yard it is!
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Lake Travis 2024: Countdown To Zero
Are there any places to get water data to compare normal usage to things like SXSW week. The hordes aren’t watering lawns but that’s a shitload of extra showers and toilet flushes. I’m sure it doesn’t have any measurable impact but I find it interesting.
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Las Vegas go hard or go home thread
Posted my Caesar’s review a couple of weeks ago but it’s pretty much what everyone here is saying. Outdated. The sad thing is that CET is in so much debt, I doubt it gets a major refresh anytime soon.
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Lake Travis 2024: Countdown To Zero
The reason they don’t leave it at or over 100% full is because the risk of flooding. Usually the ground is saturated so it would take much to generate a lot of runoff into the lake. I do think they have brought it down a little too far in the past though. For most of Austin’s history, floods have been a bigger threat than drought, but it’s time to recalibrate.
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Lake Travis 2024: Countdown To Zero
I think we had one of these threads on TOS and it’s time to fire it up again. Travis is currently at 631 feet, which is 38.1% full. One year ago on this day we were a little over 45% full, so we are in moderately worse shape. It’s stayed pretty flat over the last month, but now come the months with a chance to make a dent in the drought. We’ve seen it get low before, but there are significantly more people drawing from Travis than in years past. It got down to 618 in 2013. Buchanan is at 46.2% full FWIW.
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Las Vegas go hard or go home thread
Went for a short trip last month and stayed at Caesar’s. Gambled there plenty but never stayed there before. Had a room with a good view but overall it was very average and in need of a refresh. Honestly, the service was about as friendly/helpful as a local motel. Ate at Jaleo and China Poblano because I’m a slut for Jose Andres. Also the new Bobby Flay restaurant that replaced Mesa grill - Amalfi. Momofuku for lunch one day. All were good. Checked out Circa. It’s pretty bad ass if you are a sports bettor. Definitely worth the trip DT.
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Landlord pros and cons?
It’s February. “Quit yer bitching”
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Downtown Projects
I was in Jacksonville for work last week. Wide and luxurious lanes over in Florida.
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All Encompassing Investment and Financial Planning Thread for the Surly 99.5%
I was born in 1983 and have always paid attention to the stock market. When I was in high school in the late 90’s, stock investing seemed like and infinite money glitch. One down year in my lifetime and it was only -3% that year. People that were retiring around that time did amazingly well.
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All Encompassing Investment and Financial Planning Thread for the Surly 99.5%
It will depend on commission but I should still be under 240k in 2024. Most of my savings is because I have no kids, no debt, a low mortgage, and a wife that doesn’t spend all my money 😀
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All Encompassing Investment and Financial Planning Thread for the Surly 99.5%
In general special education is very expensive because of the intense labor costs. Some students require a 1 on 1 aide, special transportation, an extended school year, etc. All special ed students require a lower student to teacher ratio, specialized staff, evaluators, and people at admin to handle all of the required documentation. However, it is legally required, which gives districts two choices. Pay up front and do it right (smart choice). OR deal with even more expensive lawsuits, compensatory services, grievances being filed, possibly the state taking over your district/sped department, and the high staff turnover that goes with the above. Additionally, some of the kids with emotional/behavioral issues will turn your campuses into a shit show because their needs aren’t being appropriately addressed. So, to answer your question, most of these districts don’t have the resources but have to find the money anyway. Grants can help for a time but don’t last forever. It’s a rob Peter to pay Paul situation.
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All Encompassing Investment and Financial Planning Thread for the Surly 99.5%
We provide the staff for a couple of reasons. We want to manage the program and we are usually coming into situations where things have been managed poorly. In some cases, the state has gotten involved. Probably more importantly, the districts we work with are really struggling to hire. Finding these specialized people is difficult and we often have to relocate staff to an underserved area. Districts are usually just trying to keep the ship afloat and don’t have the capacity to do this.