jcd11235

Right. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing who is properly interpreting and who is misinterpreting the Bible. Everyone believes their personal interpretation to be the correct one. Of course, if there is only one correct interpretation, the mathematical probability of any single person holding that proper interpretation is virtually nil. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I'm not sidestepping anything. You asked if the Constitution was well written, and I gave my opinion, and explained why I held that opinion. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Nope. I'm not joking, nor commenting on the ideals expressed within the document. However, looked at strictly from it's quality as a piece of professional writing, it's not exceptional. It's a nice rough draft, but wouldn't get a very good grade if turned in as a final draft. I will concede that the standards may have been raised a bit with the advent of the backspace/delete key.

I have a ton of anecdotal observations contrary to your view, including personal experience of long periods of uninterrupted sobriety, as well as other people make similar changes. However, the only objective evidence I have is that of all the papers I have written at university, the ones written under the influence of ganga almost universally received A grades, while those written while completely sober almost universally received B grades. I should point out that grading such papers is in itself a very subjective process. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Is the US Constitution well written? Not particularly. There are several misspelled words, and some of the language has become ambiguous as it grows more dated. Nonetheless, it serves its purpose and is very influential in that sense. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

You don't need funks for this one. Just wake from your slumber. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

When you refer to someone as a "druggie," it does not sound like you are referring to a casual user, just as referring to someone as a "drunk" does not imply someone who has the occasional social drink. And, in my opinion, being a "druggie" (coke, heroin, meth, etc. addict) is not exactly a good thing. (And my opinion is not based on hearsay.) You're reading too much into my use of the term druggie. All I meant is one who chooses to use drugs instead of choosing not to use drugs. I did not mean to imply how much or how often. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Try nutmeg instead. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Surely you're joking, Dr. Kallend. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I'm not sure it is so much about bragging, as sharing first hand information. One of the effects of the War On Drugs is that there is not much open discussion about the effects of illegal drugs, except among users. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, in part because of this lack of discussion. Some common myths: Try crack and you will be addicted from the first hit. (In actuality, crack is no more addictive than powder cocaine [second hand info since I've never tried crack --jcd11235].) Heroin is extremely dangerous. (Cutting agents for heroin are dangerous, and often toxic. Shooting up can be dangerous. However, in and of itself, heroin is a relatively safe substance, though highly addictive.) Pot makes people stupid. (Coherent thought processes do not go away when under the influence of cannabis. Thought processes are perhaps changed, but not diminished. Some might argue they are even enhanced slightly.) My point is that people who have first hand information are among the best informed when it comes to drugs. We should learn from the experiences of users, and not ridicule them for sharing that information. Legality notwithstanding, there is nothing inherently wrong with druggies. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I would try to get out of the way of the vehicle. Shooting the driver just leaves a possible runaway vehicle. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Relax. First, I would keep the best trained of our military on active duty. Second, I'm not in charge. I don't really want to "change" anything. I would like to see the right to bear arms clarified to clearly apply to individuals. I would also like it clarified that our primary means of defense be a citizen militia. Personally, I think this is along the same lines as what the Founding Fathers intended, but it is arguably the most debated part of the Constitution, so my opinion is but one of 300,000,000. First, I should clarify. I don't want to eliminate the standing military in its entirety. For example, we have Marines for a reason. We have rapid deployment units for a reason. Sometimes you have to be somewhere else RIGHT NOW. Our military does not need to account for half of the world's military expenditures either. I believe our second amendment does more to deter attacks on American soil than our bloated military does. No one want to go fight an armed populace on foreign soil. However, I recognize that from time to time in the course of a nation's life, there may come times when the nation has to send citizens into harms way in a foreign land. (Sound foreign policy can minimize this risk.) However, a million man army requires only one of every 300 Americans volunteer. If the cause is worthy, the soldiers will be there. Finally, I think people underestimate the strength of a citizen fighting for his home in his homeland. Remember, it was with our militia that we defeated one of the most powerful empires in the world. The most powerful defensive weapon is a man fighting for his home and family. No amount of training or funding is ever going to cause a soldier or militiaman to reach deeper for that last bit of strength to fight on just a bit more. If funding and training were all there was to having a powerful military, we wouldn't be bogged down in Iraq. The funding is there. The training is there. But many of those who are fighting the American occupation fight on, because they fight for their homes and their families. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Correction. There have been 18 crimes committed in the US with .50 cal rifles. Still a small number. (The footnote in the article was labeled 66.) Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Ahem!!! I KNOW I don't have the market cornered when it comes to ideas. What would you do? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Me either. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Without getting into any specific "AFTA," international trade always benefits both nations. Having free trade only with countries with a similar standard of living defeats the purpose of free trade. We are not trying to keep developing nations out of the market. Nor should we try, IMO. I hear lots about how foreigners suck the system dry, but I don't see it. Do you have any studies to support your assertions, or are they anecdote based? If you know of some actual evidence of this, I would love to see it, but I believe that a big deal is being made out of something that happens relatively rarely. The ACLU tend to defend those at the top of slippery slopes. Their role in our society is a valuable one indeed. They defends those who have rights that the majority may not be willing to readily acknowledge. Sometimes I agree with what their defendants stand for, and sometimes I disagree, but I'm glad there is an organization to help look out for those who may be unpopular. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I agree that education needs more in the way of reform than just throwing money at the problem. I don't, however, believe that education is over funded. Our current healthcare system allows us to pay more and get less compared to many other first world nations. The problem is not malpractice lawsuits, either. Our system is fundamentally broken. As Andy908 said, we don't have to copy someone else's system, but it would be foolish not to learn what we can from other systems that appear to work better than our own. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

There is no reason a defense oriented militia could not train to do their jobs. When I was in the military (peacetime) I was part of a rapid deployment unit. We could be anywhere in the world in 24 hrs. We had a little more time in the field than most units. And we wasted a lot of time with busy work. A soldier does not need to be full time to be current in training. Right. That is why I would want people to have a tax free private account in which they can match their SS contributions. It would allow (but not guarantee) a higher return than currently available, since it would be tax free. But it also would not remove the safety net that is already in place for those without the ability to manage their private accounts well. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I'm not sure I follow. I only used IRAs as an example to show that SS matching contributions would be tax free going in and coming out. While I agree this right is already guaranteed, it is difficult to deny that the meaning behind the second amendment is often debated. I understand your concern. I did not mean to imply that employees should only invest in their own company. However, I believe that an effective way to increase productivity is to ensure workers reap the benefits of increased profits (and share the burden of poor performance). If the workers are directly invested in the company, they are directly benefitted by their own increased productivity. I agree completely that investment diversification is a very good strategy. I was making the assumption that part of our revenue is already being used for that purpose. I probably could have stated that more clearly. We do need to pay down, and eventually off, our national debt. If there was a mechanism to cover catastrophic medical costs, or cumulative costs exceeding the balance of a responsibly funded account, such accounts might work well. I would want to avoid the possibility of an 18 year old whose financial future is ruined because he/she had the misfortune of needing far more medical care than that person had accumulated in their medical account. The same problem could also happen to a 55 year old. In the end, I think it would likely be cheaper to simply have a national health care system. Thanks for your comments.

Overall I find your comments to be very thoughtful, with the one item noted above. We need to be able to effectively crush our enemies, whomever they may be. Thanks. I agree that we need to be able to crush our enemies. A national militia would be quite capable of doing so. However, we also need to make sure we don't use our military to create enemies. Our current military (and its political leadership) seems quite adept at creating enemies, which ultimately causes us more problems. The situation we created in Iraq is an example of this. We can blame SH all we want, but the fact is, we played a major role in allowing the Baathists to come to power to begin with. I think we need to heed Washington's and Eisenhower's advice. I do not believe a large standing military is conducive to doing so. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

That's possible. It was a non-zero number with a six digit in there somewhere. I haven't been able to find the actual post, but it was definitely pro-gun literature (or propaganda, depending on your position). Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Someone recently posted something claiming that .50 cal rifles have been used in 66(?) crimes in the history of the nation (which is a tiny proportion, admittedly). Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Here are some of the changes I would support (in no particular order): 1. I support neither privatizing nor eliminating Social Security. I do support workers being allowed to match their Social Security contributions with contributions into a privately controlled investment account. Both the contributions into and the payments from this account would be tax free, like a combination of a traditional and Roth IRA. 2. I would support an amendment to the Constitution (or Constitutional legislation) that both clarifies indivuals' right to keep and bear arms, and that a national citizens' militia comprises the bulk of the nation's military. Our military should be defensive, not offensive. 3. I would support progressive tax breaks for corporations that are partially (or completely) employee owned, the amount of which would be one half of the percentage of the company owned by employees. For example, a company which has employees that own 20 percent of the stock would receive a ten percent discount on their tax bill. 4. I would support an amendment to the Constitution (or Constitutional legislation) that required a balanced budget, with ten percent of revenue being saved for unforeseen emergencies, and ten percent of revenue being invested in such a manner as to help reduce the taxes of future generations without reducing the revenue of the government. If it is not too much to ask of individuals to invest in their own future, it should not be too much to ask of the government to do the same thing. 5. I would support making the top two funding priorities education and healthcare. An educated, healthy population is the most valuable asset any nation can have. Just a few ideas. What changes would you make if you were in charge? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Nice qualifier. Yeah. My mom taught me as a child to be considerate of other people. As I've grown up I've learned to have empathy for people all the way over there in Iraq....and to consider how our actions as a nation affect their lives. Funny. I didn't even consider the "on the people of Iraq" part of my statement to be a qualifier. But I guess it is. linz It is a qualifier for those that believe that Americans are somehow superior to all others due to the mother's location at the time of birth. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

No problem. You might find this interesting. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!