Plants and animals generally have a lifespan long enough to procreate - then they are a waste.
Human animals are pretty well designed to live to age 30 or 40, maybe 50, then they are a waste. Teeth, bones, whatever, are just not designed to last a whole lot longer. Women show this even more than men. They spend the first ten to fifteen years growing into sexual maturity, they spend the next twenty years or so reproducing, then they face the onset of osteoporosis and a multitude of hormonal problems. Nature simply didn't design us to live forever.
Specifically, on topic, not only do we live longer today, but we don't eat the way nature intended. We put sugar in everything, for starters. Corn syrup, mushy processed foods, foods without their natural enzymes, foods with little if any fiber, foods bleached of their primary nutritional content, foods with artificial junk in them, foods filled with useless and possibly detrimental colorings - the list goes on.
Want to beat the problems we have with our teeth? Get closer to nature. Eat your meats fresh and rare. Eat your veggies raw. Don't eat processed foods. Don't eat sugars and corn syrups. DON'T SLURP ON SWEETENED AND FLAVORED DRINKS ALL DAY LONG!! Those damned drinks are probably the single leading cause of dental problems. Drink your 6 to 12 cups of water throughout the day, and MAYBE have a single flavored drink with your meals, whether that be coffee, a soda, or whatever.
In short, we've outsmarted Mother Nature, we outlive our intended lifetimes, and we fail to care for our teeth properly. It's a wonder that we are keeping our teeth for as long as we do!
And, no, I really don't think that we are going to "evolve" better teeth. We will only keep what we have, for so long as we keep outsmarting Mother Nature. If we lose our edge with technology and modern medicine, then we are going to lose our current life spans, and we'll lose our teeth even sooner.
Now - do you want to compare oral problems with other animals? Read the story of the man eating lions, in the story of 'The Spirit and The Ghost'. As I recall, the elder lion had a broken canine, which was extremely painful. Because it hurt so damned bad to bite through the tough hides of almost any animal, he resorted to killing soft skinned people. Apparently, people aren't the tastiest game available to lions, but they are among the easiest to kill. One quick chomp on a leg, and they are down, ready to be killed and consumed at leisure. An entire region was terrorized for months because of a lion's dental problems. The younger lion? I think he just followed the elder lion's lead, or something like that. Maybe he was just lazy.
Animals have dental problems, but we generally don't hear them complaining about their teeth.
"He says he will pay your normal wages if you take some time during your shifts to find a way to make it better."
Accepting wages, on company time, to do a company assigned task, specifically requested by a company representative.
And, let's trash this idea of specialization. If you're a burger flipper, and all you do is spend hours each day flipping burgers, then yeah, you're going to think about ways to improve your job. People think about increasing temperatures, decreasing temperatures, using more grease, using less grease, remixing the spices, using a different bun - it goes on and on. A person who suddenly realizes that tweaking a gadget related to his grill might improve the product and/or require less effort to make the same quality product isn't working outside his field at all. Cooks invent new recipes and new methods of cooking, after all. Geeks might invent new ways to apply heat energy to things, but cooks don't use blow torches and arc welders to cook stuff. Cooks specify, design, and order the tools that work, and it's no great stretch to actually "invent" a new piece of equipment for the kitchen.
I think you defeated your own argument with "He says he will pay your normal wages if you take some time during your shifts to find a way to make it better." At that point, you are accepting compensation to do the manager's thinking for him, and the result of your thinking should "belong" to him.
Housholds - lyme disease - civil war - Germany - research - Vatican - hospitals -
Alright, I gather that openly talking about these issues is dangerous, but FFS, could you maybe make a rational statement from which a guy might draw some conclusions? Which Civil War are you talking about? A German Civil War? A Roman Civil War? Was there a war in the Vatican? Who performed research during a Civil War?
I'm wondering if you have Ass Burger's Disease or something like that.
G.I. Joe never objected to any killing mission that I sent him on. Joe is a good soldier, who obeys orders, and is willing to kill ANYONE who gets in the way.
See - it works! I got my slashdotter doll to post an incomprehensible, opinionated gibberish post that's so fucking ignorant it makes normal slashdotters want to smash their faces into their desks! IT WORKS ETHEL!!
Well, obviously, you don't have to exercise a night watchman. Now, stop giggling, and go get the watchman some more donuts, please. He's due for a coronary, and we've got to help him!;^)
Whatever - I like your ideas too. The last time I looked, almost all of our best, most advanced solar panels were being exported to Europe. You simply can't get cutting-edge solar panels here in the states, because foreign interests have bought up all the production for the foreseeable future. I guess that shows where our priorities lie, in comparison to Europe. We could definitely use a lot more solar panel plants, licensed to produce the latest and greatest incarnations or solar panels - for DOMESTIC USE!
Other renewable energy sources have pretty much failed to prove themselves so far. Ethanol, for instance. Production tends to help keep food prices elevated, among other problems. Ethanol also causes problems with engines - even if those problems are exaggerated.
Nuclear? I've always been a nuclear energy proponent. The disaster in Japan has made me stop to think though. I trust nuclear power, if well planned, well engineered, and well managed. But, someone dropped the ball in Japan! A lot of someones, and apparently some pretty smart someones. Yeah, we need to take another look at nuclear energy, but we need to plan for the most unlikely problems as well. Planting a nuclear plant in high seismic activity areas doesn't seem so smart now.
Outright lying? FFS man - get off your high horse.
We most definitely need a massive change. What we have is wrong, unfair, and benefits only a select few. Don't like my ideas? Offer alternatives. Improve on my idea. Do something constructive.
Attacking me, and calling me names, just shows that you're an ass with no better ideas of his own.
FACT: what we have is totally fucked. How you gonna fix it?
Incidentally - I'm opposed to most of welfare thrown to the poor. I'm not opposed to feeding someone who is unable to earn his own dinner, but our welfare programs are just as broken as our tax code. How else does one explain generations of people sharing the same home, all of them receiving some kind of a government handout? Any rational welfare system would reward any able-bodied persons to get out and earn a living.
I think a flat rate tax would fix a lot of our ills, unless we abandoned our tax system altogether, in favor of a VAT. I'm open to that idea, and I thought I made that clear above.
Now, stop being an ass - I know you're capable of intelligent discussions.
I think you're obfuscating, really. Or, maybe not - there is Citizens United to consider.
Private income and business income is already vastly different, when it comes to taxes. I'm not really proposing much of a change for the average private individual. My income is presently taxed at almost 30%. Let's leave it at that. My paycheck will show 30% withholding for taxes. No deductions. With the remaining income, I can purchase a home, transportation, food, heating, air conditioning, some toys, maybe invest some money in something. Basically, no change.
We are targeting corporations that pay zero taxes here. We eliminate all their special little deductions, loopholes, and hiding holes.
We may very well need an accountant to help them understand what constitutes a "business expense" as opposed to crazy, outlandish deductions.
Paying your personnel is a valid business expense. That gets deducted before paying taxes. Unless, of course, you prefer to eliminate income taxes, and adopt Europe's VAT. In that case, we wouldn't need auditing. Purchasing raw materials is a valid business expense. That gets deducted before paying taxes.
I don't mean to destroy everything ever learned in accounting - I only mean to stop "creative accounting" from burying real net profits under a mountain of bullshit.
I'm a climate change skeptic. I doubt much of the science being touted that "proves" mankind is responsible for climate change. That doesn't mean I don't care.
I want to see space exploration and space colonization turned on, and turned up. Send all my kids into space, where they can waste all the energy they like, and not affect earth's biosphere. I care - really, I care. In a few generations, maybe you can hire some of my kids to place mirrors between the earth and the sun, to deflect some of that excess energy. Maybe they'll beam all that (otherwise wasted) energy to the dark side of the moon, enabling industry to run all "day" long on the moon! Think of it - industrial centers running 24/27.7 on clean solar energy! Everyone wins! Honest to God, I care!
Stop wasting time on climate change, and invest in space. Everyone wins!
WTF? Auditing? Some special auditing made necessary by a flat tax rate?
It's really simple. Let's say the tax rate is set at 25%. My employer still provides the same earnings statement at the end of the year. My income is x, so I multiply x by 25%, and there's my tax due. Auditors? For what, exactly?
Small businesses should actually realize some small benefit. It's the same book keeping all year long. Keep track of expenses, gross revenues, etc. When you get down to the bottom line, "Net Profit" - you just multiply by 25% and send the government whatever is owed - or file a claim for excess taxes paid.
Big business? We'll simplify their book keeping a lot. Yeah, we'll send some auditors, no problem. They're going to need help.
"Sir, this item, "Money transferred to Subsidiary Xenon for expenses incurred". I'm willing to hear that explained, but it's almost certainly not allowed. You can't transfer money to an offshore corporation to avoid paying taxes."
Once that lesson, among others, is hammered into their skulls, all of their book keeping will become simpler.
But, there will be almost no changes in individual and Mom & Pop business records keeping.
I guess a percentage of them (small percentage) will just sit on their laurels, and start spending money. Some heirs to large fortunes do that.
But, I agree with you. These people have spent their entire lives learning to play the money game. If the rules are changed, they will simply adjust the way they play the game. They aren't going anywhere.
We already see a net loss of business in America. I'm not to worried - we don't really need thousands of foreign corporations picking our bones. Let them all depart, and allow local and small businesses to pick up where the corporations have left off.
If the odd corporation actually wants to invest in America, they'll accept the tax structure.
I'd rather have the room mate's compromised computer on the same network, than to use my workplace network. The "IT" guy is clueless. But, he's a relative of one of the bosses, and as a result, he can only move up - not out. Nepotism is alive and well in the business world.
Maybe you meant Colonel Sanders? I've little idea what a kernal is, and prior to the advent of computers, the only kernels I ever messed with was the corn on my plate at dinner. I guess there were other kernels back then, but I just didn't have much to do with any of them. Kernel of truth, maybe?
" Whenever I'm in a queue, there's always a ticket I hold to identify where I am in the queue, "
In the US, we don't get into queues. Instead, we just stand in line. No numbers, please. We depend on our ferocious looks plus the possibility that we might be carrying a concealed weapon to hold our place in line. In some cases, people depend on their super great looks, plus the possibility that they might be carrying a concealed weapon. No other identification is needed, thank you.
As for tracking a person in real life, the proper term is "stalking". Again, the possibility that the subject of the stalker might be carrying a concealed weapon tends to discourage that conduct.
The tax system should have deductions available to small and/or struggling businesses. But, the system is broken, and obviously so, when the most successful businesses routinely pay zero taxes.
The system is so very broken, that I'm willing to see all deductions killed off, and every person, every business in the United States charged a flat rate on income. No more special rates for stocks, bonds, etc. Income is income, no matter the source. Tax it all, with no deduction, no deferrals, nothing.
The ONLY concession I'm willing to make, is to tax net profit, rather than gross profit. But, I want a damned strict accounting of those gross and net profits. Very damned strict. To hell with those licensing schemes mentioned in other posts. And, no, we will not allow any foreign taxes paid to be deducted from taxes due in the US. If you have an office in Ireland, or wherever, you pay your taxes there - and you ALSO pay your taxes here. The offices in Ireland suddenly seem to be cost-ineffective? That's your problem - get rid of the office. That's up to you, though. We have no objections if you continue to piss your money away on some office that never served any purpose other than to cheat us out of taxes.
Dogs work well. But, housing and caring for dogs in a downtown business district can create a lot of headaches, too. Not to mention, that well trained security dogs are expensive, and poorly trained dogs are a liability. Be prepared to spend not less than twelve hours per week with a pair of dogs - time that many businessmen don't have.
In short, I wouldn't recommend dogs to anyone who didn't A: think of it themselves B: actually likes dogs (preferably loves dogs) C: have a close by exercise yard D: have plenty of time to work with the dogs
I'd have to see the mythbuster's attempt to pull the axle out. I've seen the axle of a 3/4 ton Ford pickup pulled halfway out from under the truck. The truck was still operable, barely. It was driven to a close-by garage for repairs. Pulling the axle free of the frame isn't easy, but it isn't impossible either.l
If it were my goal to recklessly pull the axle out from under a vehicle, I'd start with an old, high mileage vehicle, preferably with a lot of rust. If some young, dumb kids have altered the suspension with lift kits, etc, you'll probably find that the axle comes loose a lot easier. Kids often fail to understand how all the parts work together, so they leave out a pin, or fail to align everything properly.
Send mythbusters down south here, to hand their car over to some farm kid. Just tell him that you want him to pull tree stumps out of a field. Kids are geniuses at wrecking stuff!
I've seen a number of "barred windows" in my time. I didn't exactly count them, but roughly 35 or 40% of them can be bypassed with nothing more than a screwdriver and/or small pry bar. Taking some wrought iron, and screwing it into the storefront's facade does NOT constitute "barred windows", IMHO. Maybe for legal purposes, such a setup helps to demonstrate intent and determination, but most of us live in the physical world, subject to the laws of physics. A teenage girl with a bad case of PMS could rip down some of those bars - without any tools!
Good, solid bars that are incorporated sturdily into the building's structure are both time consuming and expensive to install. Unless, of course, the bars were part of the architect's plans. Building a new building with really good security is always easier and cheaper than trying to retrofit.
Decades? How about millenia? You've forgotten the Saint Somebodyorother Catholic Church. Rome advances an otherwise forgotten nobody to sainthood, names a church after him/her, then people flock in to make donation and to have sins forgiven. The church sits back, and waits for a "miraculous" healing to take place, or maybe even instigates such a healing, then yet more people flock in to throw money at the altar.
What's worse, I'm sure that the Catholic Church ripped the idea from some pagan religion, which they then obliterated.
Slashdot Mirror
Well - I ate hundreds of meals in Europe before the ban, and never got sick. Well - Portuguese wine got me sick, that stuff's NASTY!
I'll have to return to Europe and see if I get sick now.
Can I have some funding for my research?
Plants and animals generally have a lifespan long enough to procreate - then they are a waste.
Human animals are pretty well designed to live to age 30 or 40, maybe 50, then they are a waste. Teeth, bones, whatever, are just not designed to last a whole lot longer. Women show this even more than men. They spend the first ten to fifteen years growing into sexual maturity, they spend the next twenty years or so reproducing, then they face the onset of osteoporosis and a multitude of hormonal problems. Nature simply didn't design us to live forever.
Specifically, on topic, not only do we live longer today, but we don't eat the way nature intended. We put sugar in everything, for starters. Corn syrup, mushy processed foods, foods without their natural enzymes, foods with little if any fiber, foods bleached of their primary nutritional content, foods with artificial junk in them, foods filled with useless and possibly detrimental colorings - the list goes on.
Want to beat the problems we have with our teeth? Get closer to nature. Eat your meats fresh and rare. Eat your veggies raw. Don't eat processed foods. Don't eat sugars and corn syrups. DON'T SLURP ON SWEETENED AND FLAVORED DRINKS ALL DAY LONG!! Those damned drinks are probably the single leading cause of dental problems. Drink your 6 to 12 cups of water throughout the day, and MAYBE have a single flavored drink with your meals, whether that be coffee, a soda, or whatever.
In short, we've outsmarted Mother Nature, we outlive our intended lifetimes, and we fail to care for our teeth properly. It's a wonder that we are keeping our teeth for as long as we do!
And, no, I really don't think that we are going to "evolve" better teeth. We will only keep what we have, for so long as we keep outsmarting Mother Nature. If we lose our edge with technology and modern medicine, then we are going to lose our current life spans, and we'll lose our teeth even sooner.
Now - do you want to compare oral problems with other animals? Read the story of the man eating lions, in the story of 'The Spirit and The Ghost'. As I recall, the elder lion had a broken canine, which was extremely painful. Because it hurt so damned bad to bite through the tough hides of almost any animal, he resorted to killing soft skinned people. Apparently, people aren't the tastiest game available to lions, but they are among the easiest to kill. One quick chomp on a leg, and they are down, ready to be killed and consumed at leisure. An entire region was terrorized for months because of a lion's dental problems. The younger lion? I think he just followed the elder lion's lead, or something like that. Maybe he was just lazy.
Animals have dental problems, but we generally don't hear them complaining about their teeth.
"He says he will pay your normal wages if you take some time during your shifts to find a way to make it better."
Accepting wages, on company time, to do a company assigned task, specifically requested by a company representative.
And, let's trash this idea of specialization. If you're a burger flipper, and all you do is spend hours each day flipping burgers, then yeah, you're going to think about ways to improve your job. People think about increasing temperatures, decreasing temperatures, using more grease, using less grease, remixing the spices, using a different bun - it goes on and on. A person who suddenly realizes that tweaking a gadget related to his grill might improve the product and/or require less effort to make the same quality product isn't working outside his field at all. Cooks invent new recipes and new methods of cooking, after all. Geeks might invent new ways to apply heat energy to things, but cooks don't use blow torches and arc welders to cook stuff. Cooks specify, design, and order the tools that work, and it's no great stretch to actually "invent" a new piece of equipment for the kitchen.
I think you defeated your own argument with "He says he will pay your normal wages if you take some time during your shifts to find a way to make it better." At that point, you are accepting compensation to do the manager's thinking for him, and the result of your thinking should "belong" to him.
Housholds - lyme disease - civil war - Germany - research - Vatican - hospitals -
Alright, I gather that openly talking about these issues is dangerous, but FFS, could you maybe make a rational statement from which a guy might draw some conclusions? Which Civil War are you talking about? A German Civil War? A Roman Civil War? Was there a war in the Vatican? Who performed research during a Civil War?
I'm wondering if you have Ass Burger's Disease or something like that.
G.I. Joe never objected to any killing mission that I sent him on. Joe is a good soldier, who obeys orders, and is willing to kill ANYONE who gets in the way.
Let that be a warning, you commie pinko AC!
See - it works! I got my slashdotter doll to post an incomprehensible, opinionated gibberish post that's so fucking ignorant it makes normal slashdotters want to smash their faces into their desks! IT WORKS ETHEL!!
Jesus Christ wasn't an American. Now, stop with the revisionist history bullshit, please.
Well, obviously, you don't have to exercise a night watchman. Now, stop giggling, and go get the watchman some more donuts, please. He's due for a coronary, and we've got to help him! ;^)
LMAO - I'm a troll!
Whatever - I like your ideas too. The last time I looked, almost all of our best, most advanced solar panels were being exported to Europe. You simply can't get cutting-edge solar panels here in the states, because foreign interests have bought up all the production for the foreseeable future. I guess that shows where our priorities lie, in comparison to Europe. We could definitely use a lot more solar panel plants, licensed to produce the latest and greatest incarnations or solar panels - for DOMESTIC USE!
Other renewable energy sources have pretty much failed to prove themselves so far. Ethanol, for instance. Production tends to help keep food prices elevated, among other problems. Ethanol also causes problems with engines - even if those problems are exaggerated.
Nuclear? I've always been a nuclear energy proponent. The disaster in Japan has made me stop to think though. I trust nuclear power, if well planned, well engineered, and well managed. But, someone dropped the ball in Japan! A lot of someones, and apparently some pretty smart someones. Yeah, we need to take another look at nuclear energy, but we need to plan for the most unlikely problems as well. Planting a nuclear plant in high seismic activity areas doesn't seem so smart now.
Outright lying? FFS man - get off your high horse.
We most definitely need a massive change. What we have is wrong, unfair, and benefits only a select few. Don't like my ideas? Offer alternatives. Improve on my idea. Do something constructive.
Attacking me, and calling me names, just shows that you're an ass with no better ideas of his own.
FACT: what we have is totally fucked. How you gonna fix it?
Incidentally - I'm opposed to most of welfare thrown to the poor. I'm not opposed to feeding someone who is unable to earn his own dinner, but our welfare programs are just as broken as our tax code. How else does one explain generations of people sharing the same home, all of them receiving some kind of a government handout? Any rational welfare system would reward any able-bodied persons to get out and earn a living.
I think a flat rate tax would fix a lot of our ills, unless we abandoned our tax system altogether, in favor of a VAT. I'm open to that idea, and I thought I made that clear above.
Now, stop being an ass - I know you're capable of intelligent discussions.
I think you're obfuscating, really. Or, maybe not - there is Citizens United to consider.
Private income and business income is already vastly different, when it comes to taxes. I'm not really proposing much of a change for the average private individual. My income is presently taxed at almost 30%. Let's leave it at that. My paycheck will show 30% withholding for taxes. No deductions. With the remaining income, I can purchase a home, transportation, food, heating, air conditioning, some toys, maybe invest some money in something. Basically, no change.
We are targeting corporations that pay zero taxes here. We eliminate all their special little deductions, loopholes, and hiding holes.
We may very well need an accountant to help them understand what constitutes a "business expense" as opposed to crazy, outlandish deductions.
Paying your personnel is a valid business expense. That gets deducted before paying taxes. Unless, of course, you prefer to eliminate income taxes, and adopt Europe's VAT. In that case, we wouldn't need auditing. Purchasing raw materials is a valid business expense. That gets deducted before paying taxes.
I don't mean to destroy everything ever learned in accounting - I only mean to stop "creative accounting" from burying real net profits under a mountain of bullshit.
I'm a climate change skeptic. I doubt much of the science being touted that "proves" mankind is responsible for climate change. That doesn't mean I don't care.
I want to see space exploration and space colonization turned on, and turned up. Send all my kids into space, where they can waste all the energy they like, and not affect earth's biosphere. I care - really, I care. In a few generations, maybe you can hire some of my kids to place mirrors between the earth and the sun, to deflect some of that excess energy. Maybe they'll beam all that (otherwise wasted) energy to the dark side of the moon, enabling industry to run all "day" long on the moon! Think of it - industrial centers running 24/27.7 on clean solar energy! Everyone wins! Honest to God, I care!
Stop wasting time on climate change, and invest in space. Everyone wins!
WTF? Auditing? Some special auditing made necessary by a flat tax rate?
It's really simple. Let's say the tax rate is set at 25%. My employer still provides the same earnings statement at the end of the year. My income is x, so I multiply x by 25%, and there's my tax due. Auditors? For what, exactly?
Small businesses should actually realize some small benefit. It's the same book keeping all year long. Keep track of expenses, gross revenues, etc. When you get down to the bottom line, "Net Profit" - you just multiply by 25% and send the government whatever is owed - or file a claim for excess taxes paid.
Big business? We'll simplify their book keeping a lot. Yeah, we'll send some auditors, no problem. They're going to need help.
"Sir, this item, "Money transferred to Subsidiary Xenon for expenses incurred". I'm willing to hear that explained, but it's almost certainly not allowed. You can't transfer money to an offshore corporation to avoid paying taxes."
Once that lesson, among others, is hammered into their skulls, all of their book keeping will become simpler.
But, there will be almost no changes in individual and Mom & Pop business records keeping.
What else are they going to do?
I guess a percentage of them (small percentage) will just sit on their laurels, and start spending money. Some heirs to large fortunes do that.
But, I agree with you. These people have spent their entire lives learning to play the money game. If the rules are changed, they will simply adjust the way they play the game. They aren't going anywhere.
We already see a net loss of business in America. I'm not to worried - we don't really need thousands of foreign corporations picking our bones. Let them all depart, and allow local and small businesses to pick up where the corporations have left off.
If the odd corporation actually wants to invest in America, they'll accept the tax structure.
I'd rather have the room mate's compromised computer on the same network, than to use my workplace network. The "IT" guy is clueless. But, he's a relative of one of the bosses, and as a result, he can only move up - not out. Nepotism is alive and well in the business world.
Maybe you meant Colonel Sanders? I've little idea what a kernal is, and prior to the advent of computers, the only kernels I ever messed with was the corn on my plate at dinner. I guess there were other kernels back then, but I just didn't have much to do with any of them. Kernel of truth, maybe?
Which cookies do you "have to accept"? And, which ones must you keep forever?
I accept few cookies, almost none of those infamous ever-cookies, and they are almost universally deleted when I close my browser.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/betterprivacy/ One among several tools that are useful when preventing trackers from tracking you.
" Whenever I'm in a queue, there's always a ticket I hold to identify where I am in the queue, "
In the US, we don't get into queues. Instead, we just stand in line. No numbers, please. We depend on our ferocious looks plus the possibility that we might be carrying a concealed weapon to hold our place in line. In some cases, people depend on their super great looks, plus the possibility that they might be carrying a concealed weapon. No other identification is needed, thank you.
As for tracking a person in real life, the proper term is "stalking". Again, the possibility that the subject of the stalker might be carrying a concealed weapon tends to discourage that conduct.
This is normal - the tax code is broken.
The tax system should have deductions available to small and/or struggling businesses. But, the system is broken, and obviously so, when the most successful businesses routinely pay zero taxes.
The system is so very broken, that I'm willing to see all deductions killed off, and every person, every business in the United States charged a flat rate on income. No more special rates for stocks, bonds, etc. Income is income, no matter the source. Tax it all, with no deduction, no deferrals, nothing.
The ONLY concession I'm willing to make, is to tax net profit, rather than gross profit. But, I want a damned strict accounting of those gross and net profits. Very damned strict. To hell with those licensing schemes mentioned in other posts. And, no, we will not allow any foreign taxes paid to be deducted from taxes due in the US. If you have an office in Ireland, or wherever, you pay your taxes there - and you ALSO pay your taxes here. The offices in Ireland suddenly seem to be cost-ineffective? That's your problem - get rid of the office. That's up to you, though. We have no objections if you continue to piss your money away on some office that never served any purpose other than to cheat us out of taxes.
Dogs work well. But, housing and caring for dogs in a downtown business district can create a lot of headaches, too. Not to mention, that well trained security dogs are expensive, and poorly trained dogs are a liability. Be prepared to spend not less than twelve hours per week with a pair of dogs - time that many businessmen don't have.
In short, I wouldn't recommend dogs to anyone who didn't
A: think of it themselves
B: actually likes dogs (preferably loves dogs)
C: have a close by exercise yard
D: have plenty of time to work with the dogs
I'd have to see the mythbuster's attempt to pull the axle out. I've seen the axle of a 3/4 ton Ford pickup pulled halfway out from under the truck. The truck was still operable, barely. It was driven to a close-by garage for repairs. Pulling the axle free of the frame isn't easy, but it isn't impossible either.l
If it were my goal to recklessly pull the axle out from under a vehicle, I'd start with an old, high mileage vehicle, preferably with a lot of rust. If some young, dumb kids have altered the suspension with lift kits, etc, you'll probably find that the axle comes loose a lot easier. Kids often fail to understand how all the parts work together, so they leave out a pin, or fail to align everything properly.
Send mythbusters down south here, to hand their car over to some farm kid. Just tell him that you want him to pull tree stumps out of a field. Kids are geniuses at wrecking stuff!
I've seen a number of "barred windows" in my time. I didn't exactly count them, but roughly 35 or 40% of them can be bypassed with nothing more than a screwdriver and/or small pry bar. Taking some wrought iron, and screwing it into the storefront's facade does NOT constitute "barred windows", IMHO. Maybe for legal purposes, such a setup helps to demonstrate intent and determination, but most of us live in the physical world, subject to the laws of physics. A teenage girl with a bad case of PMS could rip down some of those bars - without any tools!
Good, solid bars that are incorporated sturdily into the building's structure are both time consuming and expensive to install. Unless, of course, the bars were part of the architect's plans. Building a new building with really good security is always easier and cheaper than trying to retrofit.
Decades? How about millenia? You've forgotten the Saint Somebodyorother Catholic Church. Rome advances an otherwise forgotten nobody to sainthood, names a church after him/her, then people flock in to make donation and to have sins forgiven. The church sits back, and waits for a "miraculous" healing to take place, or maybe even instigates such a healing, then yet more people flock in to throw money at the altar.
What's worse, I'm sure that the Catholic Church ripped the idea from some pagan religion, which they then obliterated.