IMGUR

o_herro_internet · 2012-05-25T23:40:36.205878+00:00

Seriously, every time I see the name of a link I think I can fap to, my dick is disappointed today. What the fuck is happening?

hbizzatx · 2012-05-25T20:51:57.999784+00:00

At the risk of sounding crazy, I know the solution - flying cars. Think about it. No matter how many buses we add, no matter how many trains we build, we will never be able to keep up with population growth to make a dent in traffic to be honest. Yes, some people love public transit, and public transit is great if you want to leave and arrive in just the general vicinity of your destination at no particular time. But you are not going to solve traffic problems with tolls or more buses. But flying cars solves it all.

You create a computer guided traffic system that increases your flight altitude the further you travel to cut down on congestion, so that truck traveling from San Antonio to Dallas is high enough to not affect local traffic. You create air "highways" over existing roads to cut down on the amount of people flying over random houses.

Come on, it is 2012, everyone should have a flying car by now!

leeannoneal · 2012-05-25T19:19:37.141759+00:00

I read the article and went ahead and looked at Austin's Energy's Annual Reports for the last three years they published (2007-2010). The $150 million stat is deceptive at best.

Honestly, the issue is NOT parties or giving to charity, caring about those things would be like a cancer patient being worried about their ingrown toenail. If you want to reduce costs in a manner that would help the poor, look at the increase of fuel costs Austin energy has experienced in the past few years, in particular coal costs. That is where our attention should be focused, not a party for an intern. Their largest sponsorship in 2010 was a $90k donation to the Clean Air Force of Texas.

Don't worry, you don't sound evil, but you do sound like your heart is the right place, just from a practical standpoint you are barking up the wrong tree if you really want to make a difference. I would save my energy to rage against the machine to get more spending on renewable resources and just leave the parties and sparse charity donations alone. But if it makes you feel better to rage about the parties and charities as well, by all means, be my guest.

mattjeast · 2012-05-25T16:27:41.142605+00:00

Dial four five nine twenty-two twenty two

leeannoneal · 2012-05-25T16:21:42.165648+00:00

I never said they got ripped off either. I just think that this is normal operating costs for any decent sized organization. Now ask yourself: If you took the costs of these events and spread them across the millions of customers Austin Energy serves, would it even add up to $1 a year? I doubt it. When you run a business, which Austin Energy is essentially, things such as parties to build team unity, and involvement in the community through charity are essential parts of business. I am always looking to champion the cause of the poor, especially since I grew up with a single mother trying to make ends meet myself, but we are barking up the wrong tree here.

xomulaton · 2012-05-25T16:04:52.651253+00:00

That sucks. I hate being in situations like that, but being a tall guy who has to speak in public a lot I have learned a few tricks. When the mic is too short and you can't adjust it, your best bet is to just stand up as straight as possible and speak with more volume. Hopefully the person doing sound can turn up the gain to make up for the distance without causing feedback. But the truth is that the best thing to do before such events is to get a hold of the sound person beforehand and get a special mic.

Banging your head? Well, we have all been there bro, I feel you. You have 5 inches on me so it is worse for you. Actually, you know what I happens that most people can't appreciate? Have you ever had your hair caught in something? I used to get my hair caught on the screws in the roofs of buses, or in the hydraulic hinge things on doors.

jeanpaulfartre · 2012-05-25T13:42:40.269509+00:00

No, but they are just like the US in many ways. The urban centers are largely progressive, smaller towns are more conservative.

zery · 1 day

Yes. It used to be called Mister Sinus, now it is called Master Pancake. I went to Jurassic Park a couple weeks ago and the Notebook a little before that, it was awesome. They are doing Twilight again, I've seen them do Twilight before but it was so funny I am going back again.

jeanpaulfartre · 1 day

No. Lebanon is about 60% Muslim. Here is the religious makeup of Lebanon:

Lebanon's population is estimated to be 59.7% Muslim (27% Sunni; 27% Shia; 5.7% Other (Shia, Sunni, Isma'ilite, Alawite, or Nusayri and non—Muslims with similar beliefs to the Muslim such as Druze, who do not consider themselves to be Muslims), 39% Christian (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syriac Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), and 1.3% other

Also, most countries in the Middle East are fairly diverse. Even within the Muslim community there are huge differences. Not all Arab nations are like Saudi, not even close. If you go on a beach in Egypt you will see tons of women in bikinis. Syria is essentially a secular state, and so was Iraq before the US invaded it.

austex_mike · 1 day

If you like boobs, why not just go over to /r/boobs ?

jeanpaulfartre · 1 day

Here, have an upvote for the poetry of that comment. I am sure your prose would bring a tear of joy to the eye of Shakespeare himself.

jeanpaulfartre · 1 day

Most? I'm sorry I am not Middle Eastern, but I lived there and studied Arabic in Beirut and I can confidently say most countries are NOT like that.

jeanpaulfartre · 1 day

Your comment is shockingly and amusingly contradictory on so many levels.

zery · 1 day

I can't believe I missed that. Fucking awesome.

leeannoneal · 1 day

This is a non-story. Two of the events are catered events in the $30 per person range, perfectly normal. The museum trip was $18 a person, again not extravagant.

If you have ever had to plan an event like this for a large group you would know that these numbers are par for the course for these kinds of events. Sure, the potluck that your community garden group does every year is cheaper, but $30 a person for a catered event is normal.

zery · 1 day

Also, they often have themed food that matches the movie, for example they serve milk when the show a Clockwork Orange.

zery · 1 day

In all honesty, you have no idea what you are missing out on. The Alamo Drafthouse is amazing.

zery · 1 day

You know what is annoying? Spending $20 on food at a theatre and getting too much ice in your drink, some overpriced popcorn and having to wait in line for your overpriced junk.

The Alamo Drafthouse? You spend $20, you get a real meal, that someone delivers straight to you and if you want anything else you just write it on a piece of paper and they bring it to you.

I rarely go to movies anyplace other than the Drafthouse anymore.

BenderTime · 2 days

Agreed. Tim Duncan and Kevin Durant could play each other one on one only so many times.

Asendian · 2 days

You're welcome ;)

mackhole · 2 days

For the lazy - an abattoir is a slaughterhouse.

BenderTime · 2 days

Actually a worse punishment would have been to make him play all 48 minutes for three games considering that Pittman wasn't going to play anyway.

austex_mike

TROPHY CASE

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