Slashdot Mirror

I think it was someone who clicked on the links and read some of the articles. Just a guess though.

Here's a news article on the 60% tax rate, BTW. Were you to read it, you may be informed. Then perhaps you could understand how being informed and rating an article as "Informative" might somehow connect. Good luck on your journey of understanding.

Microsoft's take on the Genius Bar is the Answers Bar (aka Guru Bar, Windows Bar)

Gurus will be lining up for those vacancies like it was an ATC job at JFK.

What a load of crap, back in 2006 NBC dateline had a bunch of muslims go to a Nascar race and see if they were harassed, guess what they were NOT bothered at all.

Funny, I can't find any record of Dateline actually running that segment. What I do find is a billion news articles about how NASCAR and others like Michelle Malkin got their panties in a twist about it with the typical faux indignation of the bigotted right. I would have expected NASCAR's PR people to be smarter than that, but apparently not.

This sort of idiotic bollocks is what perpetuates the myth that the US is full of racists.

You've picked a strawman. Just because such attacks do happen does not mean that "the US is full of racists" what it does mean is that there are some racists here. Don't pretend that just because your silly strawman is false that no such racist attacks happen at all.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sikh-attacked-in-another-hate-crime-in-new-york/57501-3.html
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09162007/news/regionalnews/muslim_biz_gal_beaten.htm

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07162009/news/regionalnews/dem_health_rx_a_poion_pill_in_ny_179525.htm

My favorite line from the article:

"New York would become the third-most-hostile place for top earners to live under the proposed new surtaxes supported by House Democrats and championed by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)."

LOL, your own Congressman goes up to Capitol Hill and stabs you in the back! Why on earth do you keep voting for that pathetic, ashy-faced nigger who slaps you with job-crushing taxes and then turns around and "forgets" to pay taxes on foreign rental properties that he owns? Do your research, you lazy slobs! It's no wonder you're getting taxed until your eyes are popping out, since you always seem to pull the lever for the same guy regardless of what a pile of shit he is.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06282009/news/regionalnews/nyc_hit_by_nerd_job_rob_176570.htm/

NYC HIT BY NERD JOB ROB

By SUSAN EDELMAN

June 28, 2009 --

It's a geek tragedy

While the city vows to save and create jobs for recession-ravaged New Yorkers,
one of its biggest contractors is importing techies from India, instead of
hiring local computer nerds.

-snip-

"It was a dream come true," said Sunny Amin, 25, who traveled from his Mumbai
home to the Big Apple -- his first US visit.

Amin, who has an engineering degree from a college in Aurangabad, landed his
first job with IBM-India.

-snip-

Finance spokesman Sam Miller defended the contract.

"Our systems are so old that there are not many companies that have the
ability to work on them. IBM does," he said.

Surprisingly, NY City can't find any American's to work on these COBOL systems, but 25 year olds in India have the experience necessary.

Certainly honest negotiation to settle differences is an admirable and laudible goal. But it appears that Obama and Hillary have been, to say the least, snookered on this one. I learned a bit more about this agreement and not only does it reduce the number of actual nuclear warheads, but also appears to greatly reduce the number of delivery platforms. With the exception of ground-based ballistic missile systems, all of the current nuclear delivery systems in the US are critical for conventional operations. Reduction of those systems to the agreed to 500 platforms will have a severe adverse impact our ability to complete the mission in Afghanistan and possibly Iraq as well if things start back-sliding, or to respond if either Iran or North Korea or China or Russia start acting in ways counter to U.S. National Security interests. This then brings the U.S. military into more or less parity with the Russian military in terms of numbers of convential munitions delivery platforms. Ours may be more capable, but the gap is narrowing. So much for honest negotiations; it's pure appeasement.

Of course this might be what Obama had in mind all along... an excuse to trim down the military to fund their increasingly costly domestic programs.

As for Joe Bidden, I guess he didn't get the memo from his boss that the administration was not going to be letting Israel have any sort of green light to deal with Iran.

Of course after I read this (cited above) maybe Obama signing these accords is unadulterated appeasement after all. Who'd have thought it?

Dewy-eyed Bambi is disarming the US, plain and simple. http://www.nypost.com/seven/07072009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/desperate_deal_177977.htm

O is a naive waif. Clear-eyed columnist Ralph Peters knows what he's talking about: http://www.nypost.com/seven/07072009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/desperate_deal_177977.htm

I disagree with your disagreement. If that were true, then why are DVD sales dramatically declining?

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190848-DVD_Backend_Is_Dwindling.php?
http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/11879.html
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12042007/business/dvd_isaster_sales_806649.htm
http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Sales-Decline-Portend-Possible-DVD-Doomsday-2110.html

Meanwhile, digital sales of video content are on the rise:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS148561+29-Aug-2008+BW20080829
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/1621/125/

I'll grant you that online sales of video content is still a developing market. But it is a market that is clearly putting a dent into the traditional distribution model of DVDs.

I think your confusion stems from far too narrow a view of the market. You're looking at Bluray discs and noting that they are failing to dislodge DVDs en masse. The reason is that Bluray is not the future. The market is going a radically different direction with its technology.

This case is because AT&T has been selling ringtones at extortionate prices under the premise that it covers a public performance license, but has never paid those licensing fees for all those ring tones.

So ASCAP should sue AT&T for making available the songs to everyone on the street?

Or maybe... let's see... From http://www.nypost.com/seven/03282008/business/ringtone_sales_fizzling_out_103910.htm

Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), an organization that collects royalties for song writers and publishers, is forecasting that overall ringtone sales in the US will fall 7 percent in 2008 to approximately $510 million.

Let's say it dropped to $480 million, and AT&T sold a fourth of that, i.e. $120 million. Let's say they charge $9.6 per ringtone. That's 12.5 million ring tones.

Under the Thomas-Rasset statutory damage precedent, AT&T should pay ASCAP $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion dollars).

I'm all for! ;)

Praiseworthy? You been watchin' too much Oprah, Willis!

Look, his "philanthropy" is just more oligarchal, social and economic control for an elite agenda.

"They need to be independent of government agencies, which are unable to head off the disaster we all see looming."

Why all the secrecy? "They wanted to speak rich to rich without worrying anything they said would end up in the newspapers, painting them as an alternative world government,"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6350303.ece

He's also a Bilderberger. He wants to turn mosquitoes into flying syringes - to inject folks with agents that serve the "Overpopulation" agenda.

Overpopulation? That's your children, mate. The world can sustain 10,000 ordinary mortals for the same resources that support Gate's own two children.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=7628545&page=1

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30851839/

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05202009/news/regionalnews/worlds_richest_hold_secret_meeting_170193.htm

Watch Goodman on the agenda of the BMGF
http://www.snapbuzz.com/view/video/6051/

That question was probably added because of this guy, which for those that don't want to RTFL, is suing to get his NYC badge and gun back even though he claims to have seen demons running around the squad room. Needless to say they are reluctant to give a cop that sees demons his gun back.

That said reading some of the questions most seem as stupid as the crap they ask you on those little psyche tests at frickin Best Buy. I mean honestly, how many people applying for a job is going to answer yes to "I think it is okay to steal from my employer if I feel I am not being paid well." You would have to be the crown prince of the dumbasses to answer yes to that one. Most of the questions on these "psyche" tests or so easy to guess what the "correct" answer is that I don't understand why they bother, unless it is to get you used to jumping through pointless hoops.

It's a good thing America got rid of slavery, well at least out of sight out of mind. No one hears the whip crack in Walmart, but it's cracking.

Out of sight? Well, I guess so when you're assuming there's a problem.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/fly_on_the_wal_154007.htm?page=0

You got me. Because people only buy quality products.

Over $500 million in ring tone sales

In Georgia, they might as well be the same thing. Recall the fairly recent case of a 17 year old male who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for consensual sex with a 15 year old girl.

Note that the article states that a judge, against the D.A.'s wishes, is trying unsucessfully to get him a lighter deal - 12 months minus time served for "aggrivated child molestation".

Taxis, Concerts, Beer, Non-Diet Soda, Cable TV, Personal Service(gym, manicures, haircuts, etc), clothes, shoes.

The list goes on and on.

I recently read that New York City's entitlements policy, bloated "public service" sector, fiscal irresponsibility and system of governance were key in bringing on the bankruptcy of the 70s.

Could this be a case of the tree not falling far from the apple?

The remedies in the 70s included fiscal conservatism, cutting entitlements, dealing with corruption and going after crime.

Rather than raising taxes to enable business-as-usual to continue unabated, maybe it's time state officials considered wielding the same scalpel used in the past to the body of the state today.

Where there's smoke, there's fire, people. Who really thinks that Obama came to Chigaco a nobody and skyrocketed through the political ranks without getting dirty as hell?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12102008/news/politics/illinois_gov_in_land_of_tinkin_143534.htm

Here's the story. I guess they didn't die though. I remembered it wrong.

From the NY Post:

WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence officials got mired for nearly 10 hours seeking approval to use wiretaps against al Qaeda terrorists suspected of kidnapping Queens soldier Alex Jimenez in Iraq earlier this year, The Post has learned.

Read the rest of the NY Post story. Are you saying everyone involved was lying and your partisan talking-points are right instead?

Do you care which is true and which is false?

While "The One" was blasting NAFTA to gain support, he sought to secretly reassure Canadian government, that he has no plans to change the agreement.

His campaign position's on coal kept changing faster, than any hacker could download...

The lowest income, on which the taxes will be increased.

Fortunately, Joe Biden's foreign policy statements like:

When we kicked -- along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, "Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't know -- if you don't, Hezbollah will control it."

...will confuse any adversary for good...

Actually, the government did force them to give these loans. Ever hear of the "Community Reinvestment Act"? Interestingly, Obama was the lawyer on a case to force Citibank to loan money. There was also the Republican attempt to add oversight to Fannie and Freddy that was blocked by the Democrats.

From 2003:''These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis,'' said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ''The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.''

Not entirely true: the real trick with the "subprime" loans was in 1995, when the ACORN extortion racket (of which Obama was a happily willing participant in an attack-dog role) was set up. The gist of it was that it changed the CRA by halting all growth actions of a bank (mergers, acquisitions, etc) until all CRA-based complaints against them were resolved in the courts.

Enter ACORN (and attack-dog lawyers like Obama), who saw a gold mine, and began shaking down lenders for "donations" and the issuance of more and more "subprime loans" to people who couldn't possibly meet the Three C's (Capacity, Collateral, Consistency) standards for getting a loan. The conversation really does read like a mafia tactic; the lawyers would come in, have a "meeting" with bank officials, and if the officials didn't cooperate, the result was the filing of enough frivolous CRA complaints to throw the bank for a loop till it gave in.

A few links, if I may:
Link 1
Link 2: Obama's name on a frivolous ACORN extortion suit
Link 3: New York Post
Link 4

Now, this isn't enough to cause big problems. What happened a few years later, though, is that Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac (the GSE's who wound up buying a lot of these loans later) figured out a scam: to roll the mortgages into a bundle, sell a "security" based on them under ridiculously optimistic "mark-to-model" prices, and sell them out into the market. And of course, other banks and lending companies wanted to follow suit, and they got their chance to do it in 1999 when the Glass-Steagall reforms were repealed and the major lending institutions were allowed to slide into the market and start issuing all sorts of securities again.

Just one thing is never the problem. It's when you stack them up that they start to grow exponentially, and then you get everything going wrong at once. Think of it kind of like fat people: diet alone can help you gain weight but it can't make you "obese." Lack of exercise, if you eat relatively little, won't do it either.

But if (on the other hand) you're a slob who wolfs down 3500 calories a day and whose only exercise is lifting the TV remote and occasionally dragging your ponderous bulk to the bathroom to expel the inevitable results of eating and drinking into the porcelain throne...

GAGGED IN CANADA

Even if the fish had been registered it wouldn't matter. Voter registration fraud or voter registration errors aren't an issue unless actual voting fraud occurs which is much more difficult. None of the erroneously registered or requested to register individuals are going to actually vote.

First, you can't have voter fraud without registration fraud. And once the vote takes place (ballot dropped in box), there is nothing you can do.

And yes, some of the "erroneously registered" have already voted in Ohio:

The New Yorkers and nine other members from across the country are accused of packing themselves into a modest three-bedroom house in Columbus, waiting 30 days - and then registering, even though the Buckeye State is not their permanent residence.

Under Ohio law, a person who comes to the state for "temporary purposes only," without the intention of making it the "permanent place of abode" is not considered a resident. New permanent residents must live in Ohio 30 days before registering.

Four group members, including two of the New Yorkers, have already cast ballots, and six others requested absentee ballots from the county elections board.

So, I guess now it really is voter fraud and NOT just registration fraud!

I understand Princess the dead gold-fish did not vote, however.

Meanwhile, OUR wonderful governments here can not secure the voting rights against the scammers...

Dead people voting? No computers raising alarms...

You were modded informative? Your post is just hateful garbage

You, luckily for you, are given the right of free speech by the rest of us true American citizens, but I will not stand by and let you spew your garbage and hate

Three things. The right to free speech is not given by anyone - it is an inalienable right. If you're "giving" him the right to free speech, why are you then trying to abridge it? It's not just a figure of speech where you try to correct his view of what happend during the RNC:

And if you were a participant, you deserve to be thrown in jail, or better yet, exiled to a place like Pakistan, Iran, or Syria. Your kind have no place in a free and peaceful democracy.

Another question I have is why exactly you are demonizing the above poster - you have absolutely no evidence that the poster had anything to do with the riots. Are you trying to insinuate that everyone who protested at the RNC or defends protesters is "evil and immensely twisted"? I certainly didn't read the gp say he was for violence.

From the NY Post

10,000 antiwar protesters rallied outside the Republican National Convention yesterday - with calls for peace shattered by violence from a small group of anarchists.

Police said Tuesday they arrested 286 people during Monday's event. Most of the estimated 10,000 people in the march were peaceful, but small groups that police said numbered about 200 broke windows, slashed tires and harassed delegates.

So, even if we're generous with the figures, 1000 people(10%) actually inflicted damage, you want to actually punish 9000 (90%) people in retaliation. Just wow.

Sure... The one I read (admittedly partisan): http://ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=306370789279709 The one I skimmed enough of to see that it backs me up: http://www.nypost.com/seven/02052008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/the_real_scandal_243911.htm?page=0

like voter fraud?

That blurb is from the NY Post which is an admittedly conservative paper, owned by Murdoch - you should provide attribution. It was then regurgitated as fact around the Internets. When a more independent organization picks up the story - AP, Reuters, BBC, etc. - let me know.

Speaking of the AP, it turns out it must not have been that many people, because it's estimated that only 4,000 to 5,000 people voted early in the entire state of Ohio, so much for the widespread fraud that supposedly happened on the last day of "Golden Week."

It's always right wing lies, because the left wingers are the good guys and anyone else is evil, right?

*shakes head*

Of course, it takes more than a single google search to find a result, but here are some references that make sense to me. Could be total crap, but they have a sense of truthiness that makes me think that they are correct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Reinvestment_Act
The CRA apparently strongly encouraged bankers to authorize loans to low and moderate income borrowers.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02052008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/the_real_scandal_243911.htm?page=0
These changes apparently happened under the Clinton administration.

Next time let's not start with the assumption that it's a big lie. The Clintons argue that they take up the cause of the poor and downtrodden, and since the idea of home ownership is a big "american value" wouldn't it be a "good thing" to make those mean, greedy bankers offer loans to everyone, not just those rich fat cats?

Based on this reasoning, just a sniff test tells you that it *might* be true. Next time let's do a sniff test then assume that it may be true and spend 20 minutes googling, okay?

After that, please feel free to claim "right wing lies"

Respectfully,
Anomaly

Firstly: Even the war on drugs?

The "war on drugs" is a bipartisan thing.

Secondly: $40 billion out of a $2.8 trillion budget isn't much of a difference between social security and defense. Do you really think that justifies voting Republican over Democrat or vis versa?

I think, I knocked your argument on its back — that, no, contrary to your jest, "current Republicans" would not "spend all the money on wars". Now you are splitting hairs trying to get back — not realizing, even, the huge amounts spent on "social security" and other rob-rich-to-buy-poor's-votes schemes by the States, who don't have their own defense budgets. Plus, of course, there are charities — they don't spend on Defense, but they do spend on the poor. So, no, once again, "the current Republicans" would not "spend it all on wars" — far more is spent on hand-outs, despite the "current Republicans" being in power for so long.

instead of mucking about the world wasting my money and getting foreigners pissed at me.

Quite evidently, some foreigners were pissed at you on September 10th, 2001... The others got pissed later — out of envy. They can not attempt, what we did, and so they come up with various reasons, why we should not be doing it either. For example, when we are trying to bring just governance to failing states (Iraq, Afghanistan), they blast us for not fixing North Korea, Sudan, and Iran at the same time.

Hell, if I were smart I'd vote for Obama since the easiest way to cut the budget is to pull right out of Iraq

No, actually, that would not help — we both reviewed the Defense spending, and both concluded, that it is a relatively small part of the budget. So, no, the ignobility of pulling out too early would not help the budget much — and is likely to end up costing even more, because he will be gleefully blaming all problems on Bush, while claiming credit for whatever silver linings there may be. Heck, he is already revealed to have tried to stall the withdrawal process to leave more of the glory for himself...

Therefore, if someone is going to make a big difference in spending it will be a Democrat.

Some Democrats are disagreeable, because they are scumbags, however smart (i.e. Clinton). Obama is revolting because he is a Socialist — he wants to increase taxes on the rich (never mind, that they already pay far more than others) so as to be able to buy the votes of the "middle class". If I wanted to live in his "ideal society", I would not have left Soviet Union. I don't want the America of my dreams (which his pastor would "god damn", no less) to be "Changed" even further in the Socialism direction — it was quite a disappointment to find it as it was 16 years ago...

You are right, that the next President is unlikely to undo the existing travesties completely, but Obama is likely to introduce new ones — beginning with the socialized medicine (I did try it, thank you very much). So, to borrow a slogan: No way - no how!

On the other hand, I have no reasons to worry, that McCain and Palin will try to force me to shoot bears, and if my daughter ever needs an abortion, I'm confident, she'll be able to get one, even if the Federal law guaranteeing access to it (a.k.a. "Roe vs. Wade") is overturned.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09022008/news/nationalnews/protest_turns_into_mini_riot_127101.htm

Same thing happened this year. I have no intention of voting for McCain and I'm no supporter of the Republican party but it's obvious that the crackdown wasn't ENTIRELY unwarranted (pun intended).

"If the San Francisco experiment works, no one will have to murder anyone over a parking space," said Donald Shoup, a professor of urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The logic here is just flawed. No one had to murder anyone for a parking space to begin with. So now we have successfully manufactured a problem in order to solve it. I mean last I checked this murder was an isolated incident, we are hardly talking about an epidemic. NYC had 15,095* "felony assaults" last year (basically muggings). That is 41.36 per day assuming muggers work a 7 day work week and take no holidays. I would venture a guess to say that there have been much less than 41.36 "murders for parking spaces" over the entire country.

I do however think that the technology is neat, and would be useful/cost-effective in a tighter area (such as a parking structure as opposed to metered street parking where we are talking maybe 20 spaces per block).

*according to NYPost
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11182007/news/regionalnews/muggings_making_comeback_in_city_738067.htm

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06132008/news/nationalnews/tim_russert_dies_from_apparent_heart_att_115384.htm

Spending on public transportation is just going to be wasted on defending against imaginary threats.

Its only after he is tenured (depends on the school system, could take a year or three) that he is unfireable deadweight for life (or until he gets a student pregnant... and even then I'd give him better than even odds in NYC). Until he gets tenured, he "merely" gets a union and an absolutely byzantine system of grievance protections to keep his lousy carcass in the job.

New York City decides to fire a 5 year veteran (tenured after 3) for gross incompetence. Costs $250k, 2 years.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05272008/news/regionalnews/253g_to_fire_one_teacher_112703.htm

A flow chart of what you need to do to fire a NYC teacher. Warning: PDF. And its big, and I'm not talking file size.

http://oldsite.reason.com/0610/howtofireanincompetentteacher.pdf

Countrywide is having trouble because it is hard to get people to buy houses right now. It's also possible that they got stuck with some loans which they made with the intention of selling immediately but which quickly became unsaleable.

The reason why banks are having trouble is more interesting. Basically banks loaned money to the financial organizations that were buying the mortgages. The mortgages went south, taking the financial organizations that owned them into risk, leaving the banks at risk. Bear Sterns was an example of a financial organization that owned mortgages.

Pension funds should not invest in real estate. Why? Because most people with pensions already own real estate (i.e. their houses). Further, pension funds have limitations on the risk level of securities they own. Finally, unlike banks, pension funds don't loan money. The pension funds chief vulnerability here is to owning a financial organization that goes bankrupt. One example is http://www.nypost.com/seven/03152007/business/mortgage_disaster_in_the_classroom_business_roddy_boyd.htm

Even there, a half way competent management of the fund would have avoided the issue. Why did the pension fund own two million shares? That looks to be about a quarter of the outstanding shares: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=NCBC

His response was rather simple, and silenced me. To this day, I'm still not sure if I agree or not. In some cases, infringing upon one person's right to free speech is creating freedom to enjoy life for another, which is another freedom granted by our bill of rights. (I think the exact terminology is something akin to the right to enjoy your property)... but the point was well taken.
No offense, but his point is nonsense. If I publish a book claming that Islamic Extremism is a threat to Canada, I can get hauled in front of a judge for it. Your professor would have to dance a merry jig in order to explain how the publication of a book seriously impedes another person's "freedom to enjoy life", and I don't consider people disagreeing or even getting offended at each other to be good enough reasons to ignore freedom of speech.

I would agree that there are certain cases were harassment and free speech do collide (the paparazzi, and the Westboro Baptists are two great examples where I agree that the people are being obnoxious enough to impede on other people's liberties), I think hate speech laws in general are a horrendous blow to civil liberties, as we can now arrest people for saying things we don't like -- like a teen saying Scientology is a cult, or writing a book disagreeing with Islamic Extremism.

There are plenty of places on the web for anyone that wants to be better informed about what is happening in Iraq. Just for starters...

Multi-National Force - Iraq website.
          Today's top stories:
          Iraqis Displaced from Homes Now Returning in Droves
          Soccer Stadium Opens with Tourney
          Mahmudiyah Hatchery Receives First Egg Shipment
          Soldiers Distribute Fertilizer to Farmers

The Long War Journal
Michael Totten's web site
Michael Yon's web site (He has just published a new book: Moment of Truth in Iraq )

Some Iraqi bloggers:
Iraq Pundit
Iraq the Model

Some useful news of the war does slip through:
Al Qaeda chief slams Muslims for lack of support
Iraq: After the bombs, the tomatoes
Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics

Wow some scientist are poppin Ritalin like candy...woohooo Step up to the big leagues boys, this is how the real movers and shakers roll !!! http://www.nypost.com/seven/12012006/news/regionalnews/crystal_palace_regionalnews_todd_venezia__erika_martinez_and_stefanie_cohen.htm Your never gonna make it to VP messin with Ritalin, go big or stay home! --SMD

From this article, yes, some of it is in stock. However, it sounds like at least $400 million is NOT paid in stock. Unless you have something that gives more detail.

As far as bankrupcy goes, I haven't found anything to say that's true: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM_Satellite_Radio

A company which at one time OWNED XM went into bancrupcy, but XM itself hasn't, from what I can see.

Regarding Honda / GM backing XM; that's just smart business. Sirius finally has started to do that, but only because they were being killed by XM.

Yes. You act as if you're not causing harm. If your house is broken into, the only reasonable thing to do is assume your life is in danger. What legitimate reason does someone have to break into your house? You act in a threatening way you should expect harm to come to you.

What do you think should happen? Ask them politely to leave? Do you think they break in to throw you a suprise birthday party?

Please, wake up. You're only as safe as YOU make yourself.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2007/12/02/2007-12-02_grandma_killed_and_grandson_stabbed_in_l.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2007/12/02/2007-12-02_grandma_killed_and_grandson_stabbed_in_l.html
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02042007/news/regionalnews/l_i__home_invasion_slaying_regionalnews_frank_ryan______and_c_j__sullivan.htm
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/cops-arrest-suspect-in-attempted-home-invasion/3555644578

-FL

The US gooberment is boiling frogs as we speak...

Because "we the people" not just let it — we demand it to, and vote out people, who are opposed to it...

When the Federal Income Tax was first introduced in 1864, it was only 3%. We are now boiled up 35% (having touched 88% in 1942) and you don't seem to scream.

So, pardon me, if I don't object to Customs Agents copying (not "confiscating") data for examination too much — they've been searching through travelers' material possessions since their "service" was introduced...

We are now facing a very real danger of Ms. Clinton getting elected — because, as analysts say, of support for her among single women, who "desperately need" the "schools, mass transit, childcare", that she promises to deliver them. What those analysts — and everyone else — omit, is that those women want all of these benefits "for free", or, as we know, at somebody else's expense.

In other words, don't accuse the government — it just follows the people's wishes...

Yep, which is why it's not a surprise that Al Qaeda is losing this war. They never should have started it...

See this article: number 5

The title of TFA:

FBI Puts Antiwar Protesters on Criminal Database; Canada Uses It To Ban Protesters From Entry

Whatever the merits of the list, it was not used to persecute these people in the USA. In fact, one hysterical clown from "Code Pink" (the outfit, whose members were denied entry to Canada) was recently allowed rather close to the Secretary of State. She and the other members of the organization were only ejected from the congressional hearing after the confrontation.

The complaints are directed at Canada:

"The Canadian government should certainly not accept this FBI database as the criteria for entering the country."

We allow all sorts of lunacy here in the US, but I don't blame the Canadians for desireing (so to speak) to keep foreign lunatics out of their country.

Incorrect. As a unionized worker it isn't that there are no clear policies - in fact, the policies and procedures are probably specific down to the letter (and largely ignored). The minor punishment is unquestionably in deference to unionized government employees who are virtually immune from punishment - this is why teachers who are accused of improper sexual contact (or buying plants without the principal's permission? wtf?) with one of the students are given full salary to sit in a room and do nothing for years on end as they wait for "review".

* - this was just picked as the first result I got for the search for the price. No need to pay too much attention to the content.