livendive

It's very simple: concerned adjective 1. interested or affected 2. troubled or anxious 3. having a connection or involvement; participating One can show an interest in someone without being troubled or anxious about them. Who said anyting about be anxious or troubled? In January he said he was concerned, that we had to bolster the safety net, and two weeks later he said he wasn't concerned, the safety net is fine. What amazing changes happened in those two weeks to cause him to be less "interested"? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

It sounds like you don't consider your car or pantry to be particularly vulnerable, so why would you be concerned about them? Now if your car was struggling to start, constantly burning blue smoke, and your next meal was top ramen, maybe you'd be a bit more concerned. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

There's absolutely nothing in our record to indicate we'll do better elsewhere, but that's how parasites work. The trick is making this host last long enough for us to move to another, and right now, we don't seem to be on pace for that. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

But hey, not to worry, gov't employees will get a small pay raise... Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will propose a 0.5 percent pay increase for civilian federal employees in his fiscal 2013 budget, according to an administration official. I work for a contractor to the government. Our pay has been frozen three of the past four years and my multi-contractor project has reduced its staff by nearly 60% (I'm the only surviving member of the work group I've been in the last 3 years). My commute has changed from 12 miles daily to 72 miles in order to reduce office costs. If the raise is only 0.5%, I really don't care whether I get it, but either way, it's not like we're just riding the gravy train express, getting fat on your taxes. There are real people at the end of those budgets, trying to do more work, for less money, with fewer resources. I'm not going to get too worked up over the military having to shoulder a 1.5% budget cut. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

IIRC, the text translates to "be fruitful and multiply" - not exponentiate. I think that item justifies the use of a banner saying "Mission Accomplished!" It's gonna be fun trying to feed everyone when we run out of petroleum (and other finite resources). Whether it is warm or cold while you starve to death is a secondary consideration. When greater than 80% of the global population subscribes to one religion or another, and all religions seem to believe in using sex as a weapon, by trying to out-breed competing belief systems, well, climate change is honestly just a much easier sell. When the churches tell people to go forth and have more sex, and you says less sex, more condoms, well guess who's gonna win. Throw in the evolutionary compulsion to live longer through offspring, and yeah, there go the brakes on this train. We are fundamentally a parasite on this planet. The question is whether our space expansion technology can develop before our population expansion wipes us out. Those who call for conservation of natural resources, reduction of environmental degradation, and slowing of our exponential breeding aren't actually trying to stop those things, they're just trying to give the scientists a few more years to work their magic and save our species. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

What he said. This thread was doing just fine till JohnRich introduced the negative slant. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

In your opinion, what is the vastly more important problem (or disease for which climate change is a symptom) on which forward thinking folks ought to be focused? Population growth? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Safer? You just gave me something else to be afraid of! Here I was, content in the knowledge that I can outrun a pack of zombies, and now I need to worry they might learn to text the undead blocks ahead of me?! ,,|,, Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Can't quite grasp the concept of "stop, drop, and roll" Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

None during the jump. 1 or 2 who rather abruptly laid down in the landing area before walking in. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

That sounds like a good reason for a drink. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I understand the concept you're describing, but disagree. For one thing, the investment you're talking about (a machine shop, machinery, shop, etc) ignores a fundamental concept...where you describe it taking 16ish years to recoup money, you're ignoring the ownership aspect. The investors stake in that company did not vaporize when he put money into it. The real estate, improvements, machinery, contracts, IP, etc are simply a less liquid version of the savings account he could have kept that cash in. After 16ish years, he'll have all his money back PLUS the ownership stake in all company assets. Do I have a problem with this? Not at all. Here's my rub. The government has decided that making money is the triggering event on which they'll collect taxes for whatever services they provide. For the most part, it doesn't matter the means by which that money is made. One can collect unemployment, serve in the military, perform abortions, deliver meals to hospice patients, provide investment advice, or take their clothes off at a strip club...all of these are taxed at the same rate. However there are a couple HUGE exceptions to this...if the means is an investment by the wealthy, or the corporation is a church, well those lobbies have enough pull to get special treatment. Should risk be a determining factor? Do tandem instructors and commercial fisherman pay a lower rate? What about chronic gamblers? I understand that certain segments of our society have successfully lobbied for favorable tax legislation. I disagree that they are deserving of such treatments. If risk, moral "goodness", or impact on the economy should be taken into account, then let's get some deductions for social service providers, loggers, and investment advisors. Or better, we can just say money made is money taxed, good things should be their own reward. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

This. I don't begrudge Romney at all. He makes big bucks and pays what he has to. My problem is with a tax code that says I should pay double his tax rate when I make 0.5% of his income. The upper reaches of our economic ladder should pay at least the same rate as us working middle class fools, and honestly they could afford to dig a bit deeper than those of us who have to actually save/budget for things like transportation, home repairs, medical bills, etc. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

One who told me so, another who didn't say so but I strongly suspect did, and a third told me she nearly did, but not quite. Each of them in the 35-45 age range. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Preposterous! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Got something to contribute to the conversation, or was the slam on rush the only thing you had? It wasn't a slam on Rush so much as the entirely common practice by many Speaker's Corner contributors of using volume as a substitute for content. As for my thoughts, the correlation goes both ways, so my degree in environmental quality precludes substantive discussion on the matter here. Plus, the partisan nature of the denizens here would likely brand my thoughts as biased anyhow. Suffice it to say I'm in favor of increased controls on SO2/NOx emissions, especially from the energy sector, most notably coal-fired utitlites. Their arguments are almost always of the "but it's too hard" variety...an excuse I quit buying in junior high, and their recent "Clean Coal" ad campaign makes my skin itch, like it's been too long since my last shower. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I'm no longer contracting other instructors, however the distinction in my mind was always the details of their work schedule. I'd ask them when they'd be available and schedule work accordingly. I'd also encourage and sometimes help them find work elsewhere when I didn't have enough. My requirements related to the manner in which they did their work were pretty minimal...follow the BSRs and/or standard industry practices, don't hurt anyone, and don't be a retard. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Have I ever mentioned how much I love the negative correlation between an environmental science background and opposition to the EPA? It's so cute, I just wanna put it in my pocket. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Rick Perry called, he'd like to be reminded which three government agencies he's adamant about eliminating. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Possibly, but I'm not completely convinced yet. He's certainly showing better than he has in the past, albeit with some unfortunate compromises. It's too bad. Romney does at least seem sane and smart enough to warrant my consideration, but I consider him a long shot at best for my vote. I can assure you that Paul would stand a MUCH better chance at getting me to vote Republican this time around. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I don't particularly enjoy gutter journalism, However, I enjoy it when a bigot gets his feewings hurt by the very people he so openly despises and insults. For once, someone gets exactly what he deserves, and I really like that. And judging from the effort he made to make the insult made to him disappear it really bugs him. This. He used his highly public role to insult an entire group of people in a pretty disgusting manner, and the payback is pretty public, quite disgusting insult. He bought and payed for this himself, karma wins for a change. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Devil's advocate mode, as I'm unaware of the details on this issue, but don't people also pay for first aid/CPR certifications? How is this different? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I really don't think the 2 are getting votes from the same demographics at all... I'd even guess that there's probably zero cross over. Romney and Paul would probably split the bible thumpers, but the "not-Mitt" and tea party minded folks would break decidedly for Paul. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

His problem wasn't running for office, it was comparing homosexuality to bestiality and pedophilia and in so doing, insulting a renowned homosexual personality (whom I'd consider better educated and more entertaining than, say, the crying crazy dude on the republican side, whatever his name is). Santorum probably shouldn't have done that. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Looks like Santorum, whose religous demographic will do him well in the Bible Belt but is unlikely to carry the Northeast or the West. Unfortunately he'll probably hang around just long enough to sink Paul. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)