Spring Schedule

[Theila]

I'm envious. I had to take most of my courses through long distance classes. Our Community College only has the 'main stream' course offerings.

[[Enlightenment]]

Oh my wow, how cool is that! They offered nothing of the sort when I was at college which was only a couple of years ago, and as far as I know they still don't

Finding your Spirit Guide and mentioning Totems has really surprised me, how cool

[truemornings]

Last semester of high school for me, woo hoo! I start on Monday. Here are my classes:

-Current Global Issues
-Senior Government
-Photography
-Dev. Geometry (I'm terrible in math haha)
-Senior English
-Senior Comp

[gweneverewitch]

it wasnt really fair of me to say that because i really know almost nothing about america. i think i would go the democrats though. but i dont know how the american political parties work. i do however imgine they are somewhat similar.

Im from America and took government class for school and i still dont understand how our political parties work or really politics in general. It is very confusing.

[Sobek]

all i know about politics here is around febuary they start putting adds on TV telling you who to vote for and who "is looking out for the working man"

they make a few public appearances saying the same thing, shaking a few hands for the camera. then come to speaches. then sometime in march every Australian 18+ (with the obvious exceptions ofcourse) has to go to the closes vote place where they get bombardered with pamphletts(ironically the greenies and "save the rain forest types seem to throw more at you) for all these people you've never heard of then you go in and get your name marked off and are given more paper which you vote on, a small one for local council election, a bigger on for the district and an even bigger one for the PM and then an even bigger one for the senate. and if you dont go and get your name marked off to vote its like a $50,000 fine.

etc. lol

[gweneverewitch]

all i know about politics here is around febuary they start putting adds on TV telling you who to vote for and who "is looking out for the working man"

they make a few public appearances saying the same thing, shaking a few hands for the camera. then come to speaches. then sometime in march every Australian 18+ (with the obvious exceptions ofcourse) has to go to the closes vote place where they get bombardered with pamphletts(ironically the greenies and "save the rain forest types seem to throw more at you) for all these people you've never heard of then you go in and get your name marked off and are given more paper which you vote on, a small one for local council election, a bigger on for the district and an even bigger one for the PM and then an even bigger one for the senate. and if you dont go and get your name marked off to vote its like a $50,000 fine.

etc. lol

kinda the same thing with the tv spots and interviews and speeches... but we dont get fined if we don't vote. One year i didn't vote cuz i just plain forgot. Damn..you really get fined that much..ouch!!!

[Baratoz]

it wasnt really fair of me to say that because i really know almost nothing about america. i think i would go the democrats though. but i dont know how the american political parties work. i do however imgine they are somewhat similar.

Im from America and took government class for school and i still dont understand how our political parties work or really politics in general. It is very confusing.

The parties boil down to this:

The Republicans are generally a party of white, Christian fundamentalists, bigots and big business. They pass laws that favor those three groups and they are fiscally irresponsible. They do not support equal rights for minorities and actually play on peoples unfounded fears of minorities. They promote issues that favor big business at the expense of the working class and poor.

The Democrats are a mixture of just about every minority group in the country. They also support secularism in public policy, the working class and poor and promote equality for minorities. They have also been proven to be fiscally responsible. Democrats believe in community and a social safety net where Republicans do not.

In my opinion, any person belonging to a minority group or are middle class and lower are complete fools to vote for Republicans.

[Baratoz]

all i know about politics here is around febuary they start putting adds on TV telling you who to vote for and who "is looking out for the working man"

they make a few public appearances saying the same thing, shaking a few hands for the camera. then come to speaches. then sometime in march every Australian 18+ (with the obvious exceptions ofcourse) has to go to the closes vote place where they get bombardered with pamphletts(ironically the greenies and "save the rain forest types seem to throw more at you) for all these people you've never heard of then you go in and get your name marked off and are given more paper which you vote on, a small one for local council election, a bigger on for the district and an even bigger one for the PM and then an even bigger one for the senate. and if you dont go and get your name marked off to vote its like a $50,000 fine.

etc. lol

WOW, that's a big fine. They give you just one day to vote?

[Sobek]

yep, just the one day.

you also get fined the same amount if you arent registered to vote...so if they catch you for both it'd suck

[[cosmo]]

$50,000 thats insane. Sounds like you don't have much of a choice in who you are voting for either. Here in the states we have these so-called social and political issues, abortion, gay rights, racial equality, the federal budget; and while these are legitimate issues that deserve attention and debate the real meaning is lost in the rhetoric while the politicians talk in circles without really saying anything at all. The republicans are all money grubbing, warmonering @$$holes and the dems are all just closet socialists. Thats my opinion and if I'm wrong (I don't really follow politics) then perhaps maybe Baratoz will correct me. Politicians want power and power to their agenda, thats all. But one thing I do find interesting about your post Sobek is the notion that more people probably take an active interest in the political process in your country than if that fine was not imposed. Would I be correct in assuming so? Not that I agree with that. I just kind of find that fascinating, that your government would take such extreme measures to maximize the outcome of the democratic process. Is Australia unique in that respect or are there other countries that impose the same kind of policy on their voters? Pleased to meet you btw.

[[ForestWitch]]

Wow! I find it fascinating that you get fined for not voting, Sobek. I don't know, I think I maybe like that idea ... although I think it's somewhat unreasonable to not allow you any option in case you have some valid reason that you can't vote on Election Day. Here we have the option of voting ahead of time by absentee ballot if we think we won't be able to vote on Election Day (or if we just don't want to have to wait in line for hours.)

I like the idea because I really do get tired of listening to some people gripe about everything that's going on in the state and in the country when I know darn well they don't EVER get out and vote.

I know what you mean about political ads and pamphlets, too. What a waste. The minority of people who do vote here are often not very well informed about the issues for the very good reason that it's frustrating and time-consuming to do all the digging required to find accurate and unbiased information. Lots of people rely on network news broadcasts for all their political information and never realize how inaccurate, incomplete and downright biased that information can be.

In my opinion, any person belonging to a minority group or are middle class and lower are complete fools to vote for Republicans.

Yep, I totally agree, and yet a goodly number of them do! And why? Because it's somehow of vital importance to them to be able to force poor women to have children they don't want and to deny legal rights to same sex couples. Yet, it somehow doesn't bother them that children die every day because they don't have access to affordable health care. Go figure!

[Sobek]

ive never come across another country that kind of forces it's people to vote.

"I think it's somewhat unreasonable to not allow you any option in case you have some valid reason that you can't vote on Election Day."

i probably forget to mention our thingy like that, if your unavailable on the day or are in another location(we have to vote at specific places) we have to submit our voting forms at a post office in advance to the voting day.

im not too sure i like the system though, because most people i know dont like to vote so they go in and tick random boxes or none at all which screws it up really. but i think its like it so people dont really have much ground to complain about the leadership because if majority of the nation chooses it. where as your system of optional vote pretty much says that the submitted votes are real oppinions but then im sure you get a lot of non-voters complaining about leadership

damned if you do, damned if you dont!

nice to meet you too DragonHawk

[WolfWitch]

I am a happy pagan. I just got my local community college 2007 spring schedule in the mail and it lists some interesting personal development classes .

Some class names are:

Fundamentals of Feng Shui
Astrology: Introduction to the basics
Usui Reiki Level one (that one really surprised me)
Meeting your Spirit Guides
Let’s Meditate
What’s your totem?
Journal Writing and Spirituality
Introduction to past life regression
Transitioning Holistically
Introduction to flower essences
Intuitive Energy Healing
An Astrologer’s Guide to relationships

And a few more.

Looks like we got some pagans on the college board! LOL

I plan on taking multiple classes. Not all of them though. It is nice to know that the local college is starting to offer this stuff. This is the first time I have ever seen it listed. I hope it stays.

WOW, What colledge is this and where do I sign? When I was at WKU (Western Kentucky Univ.) we had no such classes. That rocks kiddo.

Oh, I'm stationed in Va. I have been since 2000. The Hampton roads area, ie the main artery of Va. besides Richmond, is basically the town that the 700 club built. It sucks being of alternate faith to the sheepy masses out here.

WW.

[Baratoz]

I pm'd you with the school. It's to far away for you though.

I feel for you being in VA. I only go there when I have too. Maryland is a much better state to live in.