Saffire

That's an expensive way to burn calories...

The CEO of the American Red Cross makes over $500,000 a year. Donate to one of these charities instead: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1004

Keith Olbermann is just as bad. He can shove it.

I think what Limbaugh was referring to (with the comment about the income tax here going to Haiti) was that the US forgave Haiti's debt. Anyway, I've read some hilarious things about Haiti lately. Some people have been suggesting that if only Haiti's government had better building codes, then the earthquake wouldn't have knocked down so many homes. Think about that for a minute: If we had only written a law, Haitians would have had better homes to live in. This is absolute stupidity. It's like saying, "If only they had a law saying all cars in Haiti should have 700 horsepower! Then the nation would be filled with Lamborghinis!" You can't wish something into existence - it occurs naturally as a result of demand and technological possibility. What Haiti needs is for the French and the US to butt out. And to quit waiting for crackpot politicians to tell the people what to do. Haiti needs free trade, personal defense. and low/no taxes. Every 20 years they've had a violent revolution - it's a sign of a broken culture and widespread mental illness.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1004

Why would people buy anything when they're in so much debt? Why would people save any money when rates are so low? People are stuck between a rock and a hard place because of the government's sheer stupidity on this. REWARD SAVING, LET INTEREST RATES RISE. LET PRICES FALL.

lol Nick, Nick, Nick. Don't you know anything? This is all part of the recovery! It's a slow one, but it's happening!

The other thing I feel a need to mention (because I'm very much into economics) is that money isn't always useful. Here's why: Assuming governments and individuals flood Haiti with cash, each extra unit of money will become worth slightly less than the last unit. It's the law of diminishing returns. This is why it's very important to study the charity you donate to - make sure they aren't just "throwing money" at the problem. There should be food, shelter, clothing, and medical equipment purchased first, then flown into Haiti.

If you choose to donate money to a charity, make sure the money is actually going to the Haitian people. Often non-profits will have a few executives that make six-figure salaries and just forward the money to the government of the nation in question - and government officials are corrupt, and the money won't make it to the individuals that are suffering. http://www.charitynavigator.org/ Go here first. This helps you find the most effective charities!

The "I was just following orders" line doesn't work, pig. You enforce a stupid law at gunpoint, don't be offended when it comes back around to bite you in the rear. I'm so sick of cops being offended when people don't comply. It's sort of like when the US gets huffy about attempted terrorist attacks after declaring a "war on terror". In war, there are casualties on both sides. When the US is involved, it isn't an exception. The CIA and military shouldn't go around patting themselves on the back and calling themselves "heroes" all the time if they aren't willing to take the requisite ass-kicking every now and again. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Nothing hotter than pasty, white Conan O'Brien-skin!

If you search for "tiannamen massacre" on google.cn now it shows pictures of dead bodies and tanks!

Oh Nick, bee-have! If you keep on talking dirty like that, I'm going to have to report you to Ian!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/6962632/America-slides-deeper-into-depression-as-Wall-Street-revels.html Looks like we're gonna need more fake stimulus money to mask the fact homes really aren't worth what the baby-boomers WANT them to be worth!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1242011/DAVID-ROSE-The-mini-ice-age-starts-here.html It's here! The new mini ice age!

McDonald's should be the name of an Irish pub, not a burger joint.

Sally, I can link you to an interview with a psychologist who's interviewed hundreds of obese people, and he says many of them admit they secretly prefer being fat.

Noonsun, ask any graduate student - their "learning" experience involves doing menial tasks for their professors all day long. There are burger flippers, then there are illegal immigrants, and then there are graduate students - who pay money so they can be a maid service. Space Cadet, your situation is no different from any other person's in a western democracy. All governments are the same in this regard. There is no reason intelligent, good-looking, hard-working people shouldn't be able to find a job. Unemployment doesn't happen naturally, that's my point. It's the result of governments creating economic inefficiencies.

double posts galore today.

If there's not, there sure as hell will be after I arrive. ;)

double post

Space Cadet, before you denigrate an entire generation why don't you learn some economics. The entry-level jobs these people normally take don't exist anymore because they are at the low-end of marginal utility. Meaning a 17 year old working the counter at a diner used to make a $100 profit per-month for his employer, so he was a profitable addition to the business. But today, higher payroll and corporate taxes mean only those employees who can make a greater than $300 profit per-month for their employer keep their jobs. All the workers who were only marginally-profitable (less than $300 per month) are losing their jobs. These were positions like late-shift workers, janitors, motel managers, gas station attendants, etc. Basically the government has raised the bar for acceptable employee profitability (marginal utility), and young people can't jump it anymore.

It won't damage "society", it'll damage the sustainability of the welfare state. But I guess for many those two go hand-in-hand. :rolleyes:

As soon as their post-tax CPI drops below America's, which should be in about... 4 years or so. There's a cultural hurdle I have to take into consideration as well, but living among skinny people who value liberty is a definite upgrade over this Lane Bryant sobfest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8446994.stm Summary: Everything is cheaper. Nothing is banned. There isn't more crime. There are more jobs. Young men are productive, rather than destructive. Life is good, more fun.