jcd11235

I recognize the fact that it would cost hundreds, if not thousands, to process my little .60 worth of taxes, so, being the generous conservative, that I am, I simply redistributed it, as I saw fit.... The govt. owes me a commission, due to saving them all of that money, on bureaucratic processing. I see. So, you acknowledge that you're stealing money from taxpayers. Fair enough. There's much to be said for honesty. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I recently met a kid, who moved in, across the street, and have gotten to know him. His dad is on govt. subsistance, due to medical problems, so the kid, pretty much, has the 'gimme' attitude, ingrained in him. He wanted to borrow my mower, to make some money, but thought that I should lend it to him, for free, since he considers me a friend. I told him that I get 30% of the gross, because it's not a cheap mower.... He has to pay for the gas. I caught him lying about how much money he had made, and told him that he had three choices. Pay me the money, which he owed me, mow my yard or never use my mower, again. Which attitude, do you think, taught him the greatest life lesson? Sure, here's my mower. Go, tear it up, or this is how the real world works, economically? Do you declare as income and pay taxes on your 30% cut, or do you feel that it's okay for those with the capital to subscribe to the "gimme attitude?" Cheating on taxes (which you may well not be doing) is the same as getting a free handout from the government. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Agreed. If the definition of a cell is changed as you describe, then a Velo would be considered a seven cell canopy. As the definition stands currently, I don't see the ambiguity, nor, apparently, do Performance Designs. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

It would probably fun on lots of different drugs (if that's your thing), not just crystal meth. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Lt. Col. Frank Slade: Ooh, but I still smell her. [inhales deeply through nose] Lt. Col. Frank Slade: Women! What can you say? Who made 'em? God must have been a fuckin' genius. The hair... They say the hair is everything, you know. Have you ever buried your nose in a mountain of curls... just wanted to go to sleep forever? Or lips... and when they touched, yours were like... that first swallow of wine... after you just crossed the desert. Tits. Hoo-ah! Big ones, little ones, nipples staring right out at ya, like secret searchlights. Mmm. Legs. I don't care if they're Greek columns... or secondhand Steinways. What's between 'em... passport to heaven. I need a drink. Yes, Mr Sims, there's only two syllables in this whole wide world worth hearing: pussy. Hah! Are you listenin' to me, son? I'm givin' ya pearls here. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Don't the diagonal ribs share line attachments with the vertical ribs at the line attachments? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Cell: The compartment formed by the top and bottom surfaces and two adjacent load bearing ribs. Each cell is usually divided by a non-load bearing rib to form two half cells. Cells are numbered from left-to-right by full-cell number; use left (L) and right (R) to designate the appropriate half cell. The entire compartment” between load bearing ribs is just one cell. Any divisions within this cell are “half cell” or in the case of Velocity 1/3 cell. It is a seven cell with 2 non load bearing ribs in each cell. Sparky Source: PIA TS-100 The diagonal ribs are load bearing ribs, hence 21 cells by the PIA definition. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Hm. Logically, that means that moderates want to give out hand jobs. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

This link starts the song at the beginning. Thanks for showing me how to make a link that starts a video somewhere besides the beginning! Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

A cell is defined as the chamber between load bearing ribs. If you count all of the chambers between the load bearing ribs on a Velocity, you'll get 21. Thus, the Velocity is a 21 cell canopy. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

This paragraph is generally consistent with what I said, except for your assertion of "a new caliphate with Sharia governance," which does not seem to be supported by the linked source[/url]. Was that was something mentioned in the primary source but not the op-ed? His fatwa criticizes the Saudi government (as should anyone who is genuinely concerned with human rights). I'm certainly not going to defend Saudi Arabia's status quo w/r/t human rights. I find it appalling that the USA is so closely allied with the country. Clearly, our motives are also something other than human rights. I noticed in his 1996 fatwa, Bin Laden was especially vocal in his stance against usury. This is consistent with the attacks on WTC and Bin Laden's stance against the USA's use of military and other tools of foreign policy to force capitalism (directly or indirectly) on other nations. Man fabricated laws were put forward permitting what has been forbidden by Allah such as usury (Riba) and other matters. Banks dealing in usury are competing, for lands, with the two Holy Places and declaring war against Allah by disobeying His order {Allah has allowed trading and forbidden usury} (Baqarah; 2:275). All this taking place at the vicinity of the Holy Mosque in the Holy Land! Allah (SWT) stated in His Holy Book a unique promise (that had not been promised to any other sinner) to the Muslims who deals in usury: {O you who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah and relinquish what remains (due) from usury, if you are believers * But if you do (it) not, then be appraised of WAR from Allah and His Apostle} (Baqarah; 2:278-279). This is for the "Muslim" who deals in usury (believing that it is a sin), what is it then to the person who make himself a partner and equal to Allah, legalising (usury and other sins) what has been forbidden by Allah. Despite of all of the above we see the government misled and dragged some of the righteous Ulamah and Da'ees away from the issue of objecting to the greatest of sins and Kufr. (We bemoan this and can only say: "No power and power acquiring except through Allah"). Further, it seems that, according to the fatwa, a primary objective is to persuade the USA's military to leave the Saudi peninsula. The regime is fully responsible for what had been incurred by the country and the nation; however the occupying American enemy is the principle and the main cause of the situation . Therefore efforts should be concentrated on destroying, fighting and killing the enemy until, by the Grace of Allah, it is completely defeated. The time will come -by the Permission of Allah- when you'll perform your decisive role so that the word of Allah will be supreme and the word of the infidels (Kaferoon) will be the inferior. You will hit with iron fist against the aggressors. You'll re-establish the normal course and give the people their rights and carry out your truly Islamic duty. Allah willing, I'll have a separate talk about these issues. My Muslim Brothers (particularly those of the Arab Peninsula): The money you pay to buy American goods will be transformed into bullets and used against our brothers in Palestine and tomorrow (future) against our sons in the land of the two Holy places. By buying these goods we are strengthening their economy while our dispossession and poverty increases. Muslims Brothers of land of the two Holy Places: It is incredible that our country is the world largest buyer of arms from the USA and the area biggest commercial partners of the Americans who are assisting their Zionist brothers in occupying Palestine and in evicting and killing the Muslims there, by providing arms, men and financial supports. To deny these occupiers from the enormous revenues of their trading with our country is a very important help for our Jihad against them. To express our anger and hate to them is a very important moral gesture. By doing so we would have taken part in (the process of ) cleansing our sanctities from the crusaders and the Zionists and forcing them, by the Permission of Allah, to leave disappointed and defeated. Agreed. It's also overly simplistic to believe that a victory on the part of al Qaeda will allow the world "to regress all the way back to a twisted version of 7th century." That belief seems more like left over fear mongering propaganda from the last administration than reality justified by al Qaeda's actions. Their use of technology, for example, has opened a Pandora's Box that will ensure that western culture has an outlet with the populace to (gradually) adopt or to reject as they please). It may not happen as quickly as we would like to see, but then again, it's has taken nearly 150 years to get the US from our Civil War to a black president (and we still have more progress to make w/r/t civil rights). Even if al Qaeda wins their war against the USA, that won't, in itself, mean that they will be able to push their political agenda through to the populace. That will be a much tougher battle for them, especially if they want Muslims to unite together. Which is permitted by the Koran only because it has been done to the Muslim populations, with whom they identify, first. A case could be made that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq contributed to the Bush administration pressuring Greenspan to keep interest rates low (against Greenspan's better judgement), which resulted in increased demand for mortgage backed securities, leading to increased demand for mortgages, ultimately leading to a housing bubble and its subsequent burst. It would be much more difficult (but not necessarily impossible) to make a credible case that the wars were the primary contributing factor. I it was not my intention to imply that human rights were at the forefront of al Qaeda's goals with my post. I don't believe that to be the case. But, I also don't believe that al Qaeda hates us because of our freedom, as has been claimed many times (not necessarily by you). Agreed. It is unfortunate that the USA treated the mujahideen as freedom fighters in the late 70's through early 90's (i.e. during the Carter, Reagan, and G.H.W. Bush administrations), supplying them with funding and training. The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan showed potential and promise for offering real reform in Afghanistan, but since they were socialist and supported by the Soviet Union, the US worked to undermine them. Now we are dealing with the repercussions of that decision to undermine socialism at the expense of human rights. Don't get me wrong, it is a propaganda piece, but that propaganda is also interlaced with facts. OTOH, the rhetoric we've heard from our own government regarding terrorists is also weighted heavily with propaganda. In the end, if one wants primary data regarding the goals of al Qaeda, nothing is better than the words of Bin Laden himself. It seems to be directed primarily at US citizens, and the citizens of our allies, to counter the propaganda of our own government, since the status quo of our foreign policy, which is what al Qaeda wants to see changed, isn't going to change without strong pressure from within, from the people. To be fair, I cut out the strategy aspects of the statement, since you asked about the motivations and goals, not strategy. A strategy related excerpt: All that we have mentioned has made it easy for us to provoke and bait this administration. All that we have to do is to send two Mujahideen to the furthest point East to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qaida, in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses without their achieving for it anything of note other than some benefits for their private companies. This is in addition to our having experience in using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers, as we, alongside the Mujahideen, bled Russia for ten years, until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat. … So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah. That being said, those who say that al-Qaida has won against the administration in the White House or that the administration has lost in this war have not been precise, because when one scrutinizes the results, one cannot say that al-Qaida is the sole factor in achieving those spectacular gains. Rather, the policy of the White House that demands the opening of war fronts to keep busy their various corporations – whether they be working in the field of arms or oil or reconstruction – has helped al-Qaida to achieve these enormous results. And so it has appeared to some analysts and diplomats that the White House and us are playing as one team towards the economic goals of the United States, even if the intentions differ. And it was to these sorts of notions and their like that the British diplomat and others were referring in their lectures at the Royal Institute of International Affairs. (When they pointed out that) for example, al-Qaida spent $500 000 on the event, while America, in the incident and its aftermath, lost – according to the lowest estimate – more than 500 billion dollars. Meaning that every dollar of al-Qaida defeated a million dollars by the permission of Allah, besides the loss of a huge number of jobs. As for the size of the economic deficit, it has reached record astronomical numbers estimated to total more than a trillion dollars. And even more dangerous and bitter for America is that the Mujahideen recently forced Bush to resort to emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is evidence of the success of the blee-until-bankruptcy plan – with Allah's permission. It is true that this shows that al-Qaida has gained, but on the other hand, it shows that the Bush administration has also gained, something of which anyone who looks at the size of the contracts acquired by the shady Bush administration-linked mega-corporations, like Haliburton and its kind, will be convinced. And it all shows that the real loser is...you. It is the American people and their economy. … And it's no secret to you that the thinkers and perceptive ones from among the Americans warned Bush before the war and told him, "All that you want for securing America and removing the weapons of mass destruction – assuming they exist – is available to you, and the nations of the world are with you in the inspections, and it is in the interest of America that it not be thrust into an unjustified war with an unknown outcome." But the darkness of the black gold blurred his vision and insight, and he gave priority to private interests over the public interests of America. So the war went ahead, the death toll rose, the American economy bled, and Bush became embroiled in the swamps of Iraq that threaten his future. It would appear from both the transcript and actions of al Qaeda that they are using the same strategy that we enabled them to use against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. And, in our need for vengeance after the WTC attacks, we fell right into their trap of attritional war. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

What do you think are al Qa'eda's motivations and goals? And on what do you base those conclusions? Primary documents? /Marg I believe the primary goal of al Qaeda is to motivate the USA towards a just foreign policy, one that promotes human rights over capitalist interests wherever the two conflict. They want a US foreign policy that doesn't unfairly support Israel over the rights of Palestinians. They want a US foreign policy that does not justify killing civilians by the USA and their allies while hypocritically denouncing civilian US casualties as victims of terrorism. From an October 2001 interview with Osama Bin Laden, by Tayseer Alouni: BIN LADEN: This battle is not between al Qaeda and the U.S. This is a battle of Muslims against the global crusaders. In the past when al Qaeda fought with the mujahedeen, we were told, "Wow, can you defeat the Soviet Union?" The Soviet Union scared the whole world then. NATO used to tremble of fear of the Soviet Union. Where is that power now? We barely remember it. It broke down into many small states and Russia remained. … Q: How about the killing of innocent civilians? BIN LADEN: The killing of innocent civilians, as America and some intellectuals claim, is really very strange talk. Who said that our children and civilians are not innocent and that shedding their blood is justified? That it is lesser in degree? When we kill their innocents, the entire world from east to west screams at us, and America rallies its allies, agents, and the sons of its agents. Who said that our blood is not blood, but theirs is? Who made this pronouncement? Who has been getting killed in our countries for decades? More than 1 million children, more than 1 million children died in Iraq and others are still dying. Why do we not hear someone screaming or condemning, or even someone's words of consolation or condolence? … BIN LADEN: The men that God helped [attack, on September 11] did not intend to kill babies; they intended to destroy the strongest military power in the world, to attack the Pentagon that houses more than 64,000 employees, a military center that houses the strength and the military intelligence. Q: How about the twin towers? BIN LADEN: The towers are an economic power and not a children's school. Those that were there are men that supported the biggest economic power in the world. They have to review their books. We will do as they do. If they kill our women and our innocent people, we will kill their women and their innocent people until they stop. … BIN LADEN: We swore that America wouldn't live in security until we live it truly in Palestine. This showed the reality of America, which puts Israel's interest above its own people's interest. America won't get out of this crisis until it gets out of the Arabian Peninsula, and until it stops its support of Israel. Like most everyone else, I've heard the rhetoric about al Qaeda attacking the USA because they despise our freedoms. Since actions have been inconsistent with such rhetorical accusations, I've been left with no choice but to dismiss the rhetoric as propaganda. Instead, I've chosen to entertain the possibility that the leaders of al Qaeda have acted, in large part, rationally. It is while entertaining that possibility that I've seen the most probable and consistent cause and effect relationships. From the transcript of a Bin Laden tape from November 1, 2004: Before I begin, I say to you that security is an indispensable pillar of human life and that free men do not forfeit their security, contrary to Bush's claim that we hate freedom. If so, then let him explain to us why we don't strike for example – Sweden? And we know that freedom-haters don't possess defiant spirits like those of the 19 – may Allah have mercy on them. No, we fight because we are free men who don't sleep under oppression. We want to restore freedom to our nation, just as you lay waste to our nation. So shall we lay waste to yours. No-one except a dumb thief plays with the security of others and then makes himself believe he will be secure. Whereas thinking people, when disaster strikes, make it their priority to look for its causes, in order to prevent it happening again. But I am amazed at you. Even though we are in the fourth year after the events of September 11th, Bush is still engaged in distortion, deception and hiding from you the real causes. And thus, the reasons are still there for a repeat of what occurred. So I shall talk to you about the story behind those events and shall tell you truthfully about the moments in which the decision was taken, for you to consider. I say to you, Allah knows that it had never occurred to us to strike the towers. But after it became unbearable and we witnessed the oppression and tyranny of the American/Israeli coalition against our people in Palestine and Lebanon, it came to my mind. The events that affected my soul in a direct way started in 1982 when America permitted the Israelis to invade Lebanon and the American Sixth Fleet helped them in that. This bombardment began and many were killed and injured and others were terrorized and displaced. I couldn't forget those moving scenes, blood and severed limbs, women and children sprawled everywhere. Houses destroyed along with their occupants and high rises demolished over their residents, rockets raining down on our home without mercy. … So I say to you, over 15 000 of our people have been killed and tens of thousands injured, while more than a thousand of you have been killed and more than 10 000 injured. And Bush's hands are stained with the blood of all those killed from both sides, all for the sake of oil and keeping their private companies in business. Be aware that it is the nation who punishes the weak man when he causes the killing of one of its citizens for money, while letting the powerful one get off, when he causes the killing of more than 1000 of its sons, also for money. And the same goes for your allies in Palestine. They terrorize the women and children, and kill and capture the men as they lie sleeping with their families on the mattresses, that you may recall that for every action, there is a reaction. So, I return the question to you: What do you think are al Qaeda's motivations and goals? And on what do you base those conclusions? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

That would indicate (to me) that we disagree about al Qaeda's motivations. Agreed. I believe US foreign policy, post WWII, generally is, also. How many innocent civilians in Afghanistan have been killed due to military actions of the USA? Are those lives somehow inferior to the innocents who died in the WTC attacks? In my opinion, they are not. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Ironically, that's what the Soviet Union was trying to do in the 80's. We enabled the mujahideen (i.e. terrorists) to fight against that effort. We're now dealing with the blowback. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Analytically, reducing their capability, reducing the motivation of tacit and explicit supporters (i.e., effective deterrence), and reducing the vulnerability of US and allies (physical, psychological, and financial) to the point at which al Qa’eda is no longer a strategic threat. Threat = F[C, M, V]. /Marg Thanks for the concise reply. I generally agree, with the caveat that reducing al Qaeda's motivation will require the USA to take steps that coincide with the overall objectives and goal of al Qaeda, producing a win-win (again, sunken costs notwithstanding). Unfortunately, I do not believe the USA will take such steps, making USA defeat and/or a protracted stalemate nearly inevitable. Our leadership (civilian and military) does not seem to have learned well the lessons of history. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers... Also, a quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of beer, a pint of raw ether, and two dozen amyls. Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get into locked a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. The only thing that really worried me was the ether. There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge, and I knew we'd get into that rotten stuff pretty soon. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Do or do not. There is no try. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Marg, what does winning against al Qaeda mean to you? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

So the Biblical scholars mis-translated the Hebrew word for "young woman" into the Greek word for "virgin," which was a pretty easy mistake to make, since there is only a subtle difference in the spelling. But back then it was the "virgin" that caught people's attention. It's not every day a virgin conceives and bears a son. So you keep that for a couple of hundred years, and the next thing you know, you have the Holy Catholic church. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Without medical attention, he'll be contagious longer and infect more people. Thus, he'll cost society more money. See above. Yes, clearly it is the problem, second only to poverty. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Sorry, I should have been more clear. He cannot afford to take a few days off sick. That doesn't imply that he would be unable to see a doctor if he had the extra money to pay for a visit to the doctor's office. So, we have as given (i.e. not subject to debate): He cannot afford medical insurance, due to low income, not wasteful spending. He would see a doctor if he could afford the visit. Since he can't afford the visit, he suffers publicly from a contagious illness for an unnecessarily long duration, exposing others unnecessarily. How does the cost to society from Adam avoiding the medical attention that he can't afford compare to the cost to society if he had simply been able to go see the doctor under a universal healthcare plan? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

A wonderful question... Yes, I do lock my doors (I didn't when I lived on the DZ in ZHills). The reason is simple... It is an easy way to prevent the casual thief. Yes, the pro could easily pick my lock and crack my safe and have a free run of the place provided I am not home. But I think your example is lacking. What harm or who's legal rights do I step on by locking my house? You're doing no harm and violating no rights by locking your house, so far as I can tell. (Likewise, not all gun restrictions violate rights.) I was just using it as another example of a precaution that will work some of the time, even if it doesn't work all of the time. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

You're right. Those actuaries (who worked for insurance companies) that gave the presentations I had to sit through probably knew nothing about how accepting preexisting conditions would affect underwriting and premium costs. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Under the facts as you presented them, the cost to society seems roughly the same, since he's not gonna see a doctor or take off from work. In fact, more, because resources will be depleted insuring a guy who won't utilize it, anyway. You are good at distorting the scenario to avoid answering the question, aren't you? There's no reason to believe that he won't see a doctor if he could afford to pay for the visit. I apologize for not writing a novel in order to enable you to visualize the hypothetical situation. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Just as some posters are in denial about the existence of such impoverished people. On topic, the only practical way to keep premiums from skyrocketing if insurance companies are forced provide coverage to all applicants, regardless of preexisting conditions, is to mandate coverage. Otherwise, an influx of preexisting conditions into the pool of insured persons will lead to increased premiums. This will lead some low risk persons to elect to drop of coverage, further increasing the overall risk of the pool of insured persons. This, in turn, leads to further increasing premiums, which leads to more low risk persons electing to drop coverage, which leads to …. The only practical way to mandate coverage is to subsidize the premiums for those who can't afford to pay them on their own. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!