Azalin

I'm seeing a joke about 'schools' here, but I can't quite find the wording.....

this is absolutely correct. it's nice to see someone else saying this for a change. the only things I'd add is that Netflix is another of the companies who doesn't want to be charged for sucking up all that bandwidth, and that it will be interesting to see Google's take on the issue once they have deployed their own ISP infrastructure (they're laying down fiber here in Austin to begin offering their 1G internet service). another part of the proposed net neutrality is to make the internet a utility, giving the federal government regulatory power over it. does anyone think that they wouldn't exercise control over content like they do with television and radio?

what are they going to do with all those fish, anyway? nobody needs that many fish. it's only right that they give up their fair share for the less fortunate in our society.

take a look at the maps linked to the article below. all things considered, I really don't believe the addition of the Keystone pipeline will have much of a negative impact. FWIW I never believe numbers provided by either supporters or detractors in situations like this, but I don't see how building and maintaining the pipeline can hurt us economically. http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Pipelines-Criss-Cross-the-United-States-Why-the-Fuss-Over-Keystone-XL.html

stop stealing Tom's material and hiding behind it. address your claim that we owe the advent of the semiconductor to the government. I'm all ears, bluff-boy.

boom? you ought to do a little research before posting things like that. semiconductors were invented and way into the refinement/development process before any government money came into play, but I am impressed with your tenacious approach to being so consistently and publicly incorrect. statements like this are exactly what I'm talking about.

space exploration, especially a manned mission to Mars, is something on which I would not mind seeing some of my tax dollars spent. this may sound a bit maudlin to say, but it's always seemed to me that humanity's destiny lies somewhere out there. also, as you've already pointed out, we reaped a considerable amount of innovation, both simple and technological, from our competition with Russia to be the first on the moon. there's no reason to think that a push to travel to Mars wouldn't yield a similar benefit. the government didn't 'create' semiconductors.

if they're truly 'professional protestors', then the governor should appeal to their mercenary nature and hire them as counter-protestors....maybe get insurance companies to chip-in on the bill, since there's the potential for so many property damage claims after the poop storm begins. I say that completely tongue-in-cheek,BTW. can they, as a group, be charged with incitement should all hell break loose?

I remember after they burned down all the stores in the area, television reporters interviewing people who couldn't find anywhere to cash their welfare checks, because, well, all the stores had been burned.

likely they use the term 'professionals' to provide them a little wiggle room should things go bad. I think they're too emotionally invested to be considered simply professional protest organizers. by all appearances, they wear this cause like a badge of honor. I have a really hard time envisioning them taking a deal to protest on behalf of 'the system'.

I know. I used to feel much the same way that he seems to, but my beliefs have changed over the years, mainly due to my experiences as I got older. I'm not so much trying to win an argument as I am trying to get wheels turning.

they'll probably take credit for the indictment, and maintain a threatening posture throughout the trial in an attempt to influence that as well.

and how is something like a living wage going to help THAT person any more than the assistance that (again) already exists? and who agreed that kids sleeping in cars, using the back of the seat as a desk, wasn't a rare thing? is that what it's like where you live?

the comments are entertaining as well.

I think the Muslims got him.

I'm not using any labels. pulling a number out of thin air and deciding that's the value of unskilled labor is placing false value on that labor. if anyone can do it, then there's not a lot of skill involved. if you can feed and clothe a family on unskilled wages, then you're going to produce a hell of a lot of unskilled labor, which benefits no one. and it takes more than just hard work - you have to be smart, too. just because someone gets a master's degree in philosophy or art history doesn't entitle them (or qualify them, for that matter) for big earnings. a practical skill that can be learned at any community college or tech school can get anyone an entry level position in almost any field, many of which pay quite well. you appear to look at things from the top-down, looking to find a way to make 'the system' more equitable, where I look from the bottom-up, looking to find a way to make the individual more accountable and responsible. comparing us to other nations, either in current terms or historically, our society has achieved as much as we have not by what's been given to us, but instead by what we've been allowed, or empowered, to do for ourselves. I believe it's a huge mistake to turn away from that philosophy.

most people find themselves struggling to get by at one point or another. that's nothing new. it would be nice if it weren't the case, but it would also be nice if we were all awarded a million dollars upon our birth. there is no way a society, a government, or any other entity can remove strife from our lives. some will have little, some will have a lot, and it will always seem unfair that some have a more difficult time than others. instead of propping them up as victims, claiming that they're being exploited, or advocating an arbitrary dollar figure that they should be given, encourage them to continue their efforts, and to live within their means until they achieve a higher degree of success. and for the record, I tend to agree with you regarding payday loans, but that's a different issue altogether.

sure it does. there are plently of people who have had none of the advantages that you did, who do quite well for themselves. if you don't believe me, then just take a look around. trust me - they're there.

you make my point for me. you admit that despite any advantages you may have had (good genes, good parents, solid middle class home), you worked extremely hard and took risks to obtain the position in life that you now enjoy. all I'm trying to say is that those things - hard work, risks, putting forth effort - work for everyone. some may have more luck early on, others may fail several times before getting there, but that is the key to making a good life for yourself, and it works for everyone.

do you guys remember when the US embraced a similar attitude? ah, but I'm reminiscing for the good old days again.

screw what those other countries do. we don't operate economically by paying some arbitrary amount to people with no freaking skills and proclaiming it a 'living wage'. I don't know about you, but I've always subscribed to a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. if you want to earn more, take some damned responsibility and make yourself worth more. the concept is about as simple as you can get, and guess what - it works. well said. it would be nice if things were always easy, but things just don't always work that way. you do what you need to do, and that's all there is to it. most of us here have no problem with funding a 'safety net' for those that truly need help, but this idea of government-imposed living wages is bullcrap. you completely miss the entire point he was trying to make. he wasn't 'clearly exploited'.....what kind of bubble have you lived in all your life to prevent you from seeing what most people have to go through? you have apparently had everything handed to you, and expect everyone else to receive the same, crying 'oppression' or 'exploitation' whenever they don't. you do AD a disservice by not recognizing the effort he put forth in order to make a good life for himself, and further insult him by implying he was a victim of exploitation by working his @ss off to provide a decent life for his family. 'what's that? brains? oh, you want aisle twelve.' they could make a fortune. but some would call that exploitation.

to be honest, I find the clientele to be more disconcerting than the sales associates. cammo pants with a plaid flannel shirt scream 'you should have gone to Target'.

FTA: "These aren't the "good jobs" in information technology and biotech that civic officials fantasize about, but the people who are really in need simply aren't qualified for the fanciest jobs around. They need regular jobs. And they need enough of them so they can bargain for better wages and working conditions rather than being fearful of returning to the ranks of the unemployed." this is the way it is pretty much everywhere in the US, and has been since before any of us were born. if you want to work in IT, biotech, or any of the other 'fancy jobs', you need training and a willingness to work hard and likely relocate, which I'm guessing many, if not most of the people here, have themselves done. education is available for anyone with a high school diploma, whether at a community college, or at a tech/trade school, most of which offer guaranteed student loans. success requires work. even those 600 sales associate jobs require the candidate to be punctual, dedicated, and have decent diction and communication skills. anyone who takes one of those sales associate jobs that isn't just trying to get a little additional income for their household, should only do so in order to eventually move up to a management position. there are no non-skilled jobs that can be counted on to continually fund a household bread-winner. that's just the way it is. no government program, supplemental or otherwise, will ever change that. entry-level is entry-level, and to expect that to change is idiotic. just because someone punches a clock does not entitle them to some kind of living wage. responsibility to ones' self will always be the key to individual success.

but so far, the network news outlets appear to be in full Sgt Schultz mode.