And houses used to be 60% more valuable than they were after the market crashed. And Apple used to be $700 and now is selling at 436. And...
Your analysis is lacking any depth.Where you saying gold was a bad investment when it was under 700 two years ago? Saying gold is a bad investment and pointing to Fox News is pure hyperbole, designed to illicit emotional responses.Gold is an investment, good at times, poor at other times. It is not a scam anymore than AAPL is a scam.
On the other hand, it is perfect for investors like me. Keep up the work, and I'll continue to bet against people like yourself.
Gold is and always will be a solid hedge against inflation. Of course, it doesn't hurt that you tossed in "Fox News" to get all your liberal friends panties in a wad. And when Obama's monetary policy lead to rampant inflation... well you will not look so smart.
People will do what they want. Technology won't stop them. Won't help in stopping them. Sociological problems are not "social" problems. They are people's socialization issues. Kids will skip school, nothing you can do to stop them. They skip school if you have RFID and Cameras everywhere. All that money wasted because people don't understand the problem, and think Technology is a panacea to every known social problem we have.
I have a phrase I use when discussing these kinds of issues with our staff (I work at a school District)
"You cannot fix sociological problems with technology. You can only mask them."
Technology doesn't solve the problems people want them to solve. It only offers mitigation. As long as you understand, you're not solving things, you will do fine. If you think you will solve the deeper problems with technology, you're going to be rudely surprised by the ineffective nature of technology.
And that is where the issue lies. Too many PHBs not understanding reality.
As for the Turbines.. it isn't the number, it is they type of bird being killed. Killing a thousand sparrows isn't the same as killing one Bird of Prey that is endangered or threatened as a species.
There are environmentalists that are opposing the mine in California. And if you know anything about California, you know the environmentalists get just about everything they want.
Dams do block rivers, that is what they are designed to do. Salmon can't spawn if there is a dam, unless they make extraordinary efforts to bypass them with a fish ladder. And environmentalists don't like Fish ladders.
Hydro dams are great, but idiot liberals won't let people build any more of them without protesting about some bug or slug that is "endangered". They do have zero carbon footprint (except in building them), but good luck building more without having the other "environmentalists" try to stop it. See California "Auburn dam" as a fine example of this.
There is very little, if any, "green" Electricity. Dams block rivers, Nuclear is bad, Coal is bad, Gas/petrol is bad, wind kills birds that would shut down any other industry, solar has lots of toxic metals that need to be stripped mined....
As far as I'm can tell most of those promoting "green" electricity are the same people saying "no" to all forms of generating that energy. But hey, it looks good on paper!
First off, Strawman. Second, she does "work" for a living, even after being wealthy by her rich parents/grandparents etc.
THIRD, why do you care about how wealthy Paris Hilton is. What is it any of your business? Would you like it if a poor Delhi looked at you with envy because your parents were born in the US while they were born poor in the streets and point at you saying "YOU ARE THE 1%"? You know you are in the 1%... right?
Envy is such an ugly color. I don't envy Paris Hilton's wealth. I WANT to be wealthy like her, and my kids to be wealthy like her. Fuck you if you think wealth is wrong, seeing that you are "wealthy" compared to 99% of the world . So, whatever disdain you express, only makes you self loathing or hypocrite.
Better than being extorted by thugs to give up hard earned wealth to people too lazy to work for it.
Life isn't fair. Get over it. Trying to make it "fair" is not "fair" in and of itself. If you do no have the rights to the fruit of your own labor, you live in a totalitarian serf society. Which is exactly what you're advocating, you just don't realize it.
Actually, the "right wing" nut jobs I know, are paranoid as the OWS crowd is. Pointing to the Right Wingers is probably not a good idea except in your twisted view of the world.
And being an accused "Right wing" nut job myself, I can assure you, that I have HUGE problems with this kind of monitoring of citizens. The problem, as I see it, isn't the "Right wing nutjobs" or the "leftwing nut jobs" it is those people in the middle that want a functioning society with the least amount of hassles who see expired license plates and pulling people for stolen (but returned) cars as acceptable exchange of liberty for security.
The problem is, the Leftwing and Righwing Nut jobs won't get together on subjects like this until it is too late. So, in summary, stop targeting people that might actually be on your side with broad strokes of the paint brush. I'll join you in protesting the police state we're in.
As a side note, did you protest against the shutting down of Boston via martial law during the man hunt for single wounded man? Or how about Big Bear Lake when the cop went on a shooting spree? We live in a police state, but that is what people want.They want big government to take care of them.
"Getting extra charges tacked on for exercising your right to a trial is no more just than getting extra attention from the IRS for exercising your right to criticize the government."
Except for one little detail. One was optional, the other was not. IRS Scandal was not at the option of those being scandalized by the IRS, while this one was. He had a chance to go to trial, he chose against it.
By that token, everything the government does is "Extortion". Taxes included. In other words, you're opposed to this form or extortion, but probably happy about others. Or are you an Anarchist?
Being an "Artist" doesn't take much. And "Artists" are dime a dozen. If you can't make a living being an "Artist" then perhaps you're like every other "Artist" out there. Get over it. Basic Supply / Demand curve applies. I've heard of Radiohead, but I couldn't tell you the title of one song. Are they good or just like every other band in their class, I wouldn't know.
My daughter, is fairly talented artist, but not commercially viable. She is not spectacular or exceptional, but I love her work (bias). But she has no illusions that she will get rich doing her craft, as there are at least a dozen or two other artists in my small town that are at least equal to her in capabilities(styles aside), there just isn't a demand for two dozen (or so) artists' work.
Obama's culpability isn't in starting it. His is distinct, in that he campaigned against these kinds of things, and has done the exact opposite, expanded each and every one of GWB's programs. If you thought GWB was evil, then what are you thinking about Obama?
And please, do not justify bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior. Do not even distract from what is going on by saying "it isn't Obama's fault", when he's had five years to end this and he has only expanded it. It is just as much Obama's fault as it is GWB, Clinton, GHWB, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy....
EACH has built on the previous, without exception. -- why I am a Libertarian
Take a look at the first ten in the US Constitution, especially #10
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Seems fairly limiting. However plenty of people have found wiggle room elsewhere, mostly in the "commerce" clause.
In the modern world, "secure in their papers" doesn't mean anything, almost all communication is not via "papers", but rather are digital substitutes (sic) for paper. We are no longer secure in our papers, when we cannot trust that our effects are ours, if we happen to store them in an online vault.
What is worse, is that while we are unable to keep secrets from government, government feels perfectly fine trying to keep secrets from "we the people" that supposedly form it.
Wealthy people can afford to avoid taxes, like sales taxes. In California, we have a fairly high sales tax, which has driven much of the commerce outside the state, and online. People shop online for everything simply to avoid paying almost 8% in taxes when they spend money.
Guess what else happens, businesses close, people lose their jobs. And liberals are dumbfounded why.
Taxes are a necessary evil, not a way to raise funds to correct the evils people see in society. IF you want to fix the evils in society, tax them. They will disappear, and you won't have to spend a dime of tax payer's money. My example, Cigarettes. Taxed in to oblivion, to the point where it is too damn expensive to smoke, and it disappears. Slowly, over time.
Wanna fix the "drug" problem and end the "drug war", legalize and tax drugs. We'll have all the money in the world to do whatever you want. Sin taxes can fund all the glorious projects we want, while reducing or eliminating the actual problems.
All taxes are regressive. Once we figure that out, then we can move forward with sane taxing policy. As long as people fail to realize taxes are regressive, and have a ton of unintended consequences, there will be stupid politicians suggesting more taxes for everyone as a way to solve societal problems with ineffective government programs.
Slashdot Mirror
Sorry, gold was under 800 two years ago, typo.
And houses used to be 60% more valuable than they were after the market crashed. And Apple used to be $700 and now is selling at 436. And ...
Your analysis is lacking any depth.Where you saying gold was a bad investment when it was under 700 two years ago? Saying gold is a bad investment and pointing to Fox News is pure hyperbole, designed to illicit emotional responses.Gold is an investment, good at times, poor at other times. It is not a scam anymore than AAPL is a scam.
On the other hand, it is perfect for investors like me. Keep up the work, and I'll continue to bet against people like yourself.
Gold is and always will be a solid hedge against inflation. Of course, it doesn't hurt that you tossed in "Fox News" to get all your liberal friends panties in a wad. And when Obama's monetary policy lead to rampant inflation ... well you will not look so smart.
Never underestimate the power of greed to suspend normal thinking processes.
You have never experienced OpenOffice until you have used it in the original Klingon!
"or at least, ameliorates" = " You can only mask them"
Yup, so you agree
People will do what they want. Technology won't stop them. Won't help in stopping them. Sociological problems are not "social" problems. They are people's socialization issues. Kids will skip school, nothing you can do to stop them. They skip school if you have RFID and Cameras everywhere. All that money wasted because people don't understand the problem, and think Technology is a panacea to every known social problem we have.
I have a phrase I use when discussing these kinds of issues with our staff (I work at a school District)
"You cannot fix sociological problems with technology. You can only mask them."
Technology doesn't solve the problems people want them to solve. It only offers mitigation. As long as you understand, you're not solving things, you will do fine. If you think you will solve the deeper problems with technology, you're going to be rudely surprised by the ineffective nature of technology.
And that is where the issue lies. Too many PHBs not understanding reality.
As for the Turbines .. it isn't the number, it is they type of bird being killed. Killing a thousand sparrows isn't the same as killing one Bird of Prey that is endangered or threatened as a species.
http://saveourseashore.org/?p=1801
There are environmentalists that are opposing the mine in California. And if you know anything about California, you know the environmentalists get just about everything they want.
Dams do block rivers, that is what they are designed to do. Salmon can't spawn if there is a dam, unless they make extraordinary efforts to bypass them with a fish ladder. And environmentalists don't like Fish ladders.
Hydro dams are great, but idiot liberals won't let people build any more of them without protesting about some bug or slug that is "endangered". They do have zero carbon footprint (except in building them), but good luck building more without having the other "environmentalists" try to stop it. See California "Auburn dam" as a fine example of this.
There is very little, if any, "green" Electricity. Dams block rivers, Nuclear is bad, Coal is bad, Gas/petrol is bad, wind kills birds that would shut down any other industry, solar has lots of toxic metals that need to be stripped mined ....
As far as I'm can tell most of those promoting "green" electricity are the same people saying "no" to all forms of generating that energy. But hey, it looks good on paper!
First off, Strawman. Second, she does "work" for a living, even after being wealthy by her rich parents/grandparents etc.
THIRD, why do you care about how wealthy Paris Hilton is. What is it any of your business? Would you like it if a poor Delhi looked at you with envy because your parents were born in the US while they were born poor in the streets and point at you saying "YOU ARE THE 1%"? You know you are in the 1% ... right?
Envy is such an ugly color. I don't envy Paris Hilton's wealth. I WANT to be wealthy like her, and my kids to be wealthy like her. Fuck you if you think wealth is wrong, seeing that you are "wealthy" compared to 99% of the world . So, whatever disdain you express, only makes you self loathing or hypocrite.
Better than being extorted by thugs to give up hard earned wealth to people too lazy to work for it.
Life isn't fair. Get over it. Trying to make it "fair" is not "fair" in and of itself. If you do no have the rights to the fruit of your own labor, you live in a totalitarian serf society. Which is exactly what you're advocating, you just don't realize it.
The difference is that we had a constitution
FTFY
Actually, the "right wing" nut jobs I know, are paranoid as the OWS crowd is. Pointing to the Right Wingers is probably not a good idea except in your twisted view of the world.
And being an accused "Right wing" nut job myself, I can assure you, that I have HUGE problems with this kind of monitoring of citizens. The problem, as I see it, isn't the "Right wing nutjobs" or the "leftwing nut jobs" it is those people in the middle that want a functioning society with the least amount of hassles who see expired license plates and pulling people for stolen (but returned) cars as acceptable exchange of liberty for security.
The problem is, the Leftwing and Righwing Nut jobs won't get together on subjects like this until it is too late. So, in summary, stop targeting people that might actually be on your side with broad strokes of the paint brush. I'll join you in protesting the police state we're in.
As a side note, did you protest against the shutting down of Boston via martial law during the man hunt for single wounded man? Or how about Big Bear Lake when the cop went on a shooting spree? We live in a police state, but that is what people want.They want big government to take care of them.
"Getting extra charges tacked on for exercising your right to a trial is no more just than getting extra attention from the IRS for exercising your right to criticize the government."
Except for one little detail. One was optional, the other was not. IRS Scandal was not at the option of those being scandalized by the IRS, while this one was. He had a chance to go to trial, he chose against it.
By that token, everything the government does is "Extortion". Taxes included. In other words, you're opposed to this form or extortion, but probably happy about others. Or are you an Anarchist?
How is this informative?
He pleaded guilty
There was no trial, he plead guilty, probably part of a plea bargain. He wasn't deprived of anything. Pleading guilty avoids certain un-pleasantries.
Being an "Artist" doesn't take much. And "Artists" are dime a dozen. If you can't make a living being an "Artist" then perhaps you're like every other "Artist" out there. Get over it. Basic Supply / Demand curve applies. I've heard of Radiohead, but I couldn't tell you the title of one song. Are they good or just like every other band in their class, I wouldn't know.
My daughter, is fairly talented artist, but not commercially viable. She is not spectacular or exceptional, but I love her work (bias). But she has no illusions that she will get rich doing her craft, as there are at least a dozen or two other artists in my small town that are at least equal to her in capabilities(styles aside), there just isn't a demand for two dozen (or so) artists' work.
Security through irrelevance? Sounds like a great idea!
Obama's culpability isn't in starting it. His is distinct, in that he campaigned against these kinds of things, and has done the exact opposite, expanded each and every one of GWB's programs. If you thought GWB was evil, then what are you thinking about Obama?
And please, do not justify bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior. Do not even distract from what is going on by saying "it isn't Obama's fault", when he's had five years to end this and he has only expanded it. It is just as much Obama's fault as it is GWB, Clinton, GHWB, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy ....
EACH has built on the previous, without exception. -- why I am a Libertarian
Take a look at the first ten in the US Constitution, especially #10
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Seems fairly limiting. However plenty of people have found wiggle room elsewhere, mostly in the "commerce" clause.
In the modern world, "secure in their papers" doesn't mean anything, almost all communication is not via "papers", but rather are digital substitutes (sic) for paper. We are no longer secure in our papers, when we cannot trust that our effects are ours, if we happen to store them in an online vault.
What is worse, is that while we are unable to keep secrets from government, government feels perfectly fine trying to keep secrets from "we the people" that supposedly form it.
Wealthy people can afford to avoid taxes, like sales taxes. In California, we have a fairly high sales tax, which has driven much of the commerce outside the state, and online. People shop online for everything simply to avoid paying almost 8% in taxes when they spend money.
Guess what else happens, businesses close, people lose their jobs. And liberals are dumbfounded why.
Taxes are a necessary evil, not a way to raise funds to correct the evils people see in society. IF you want to fix the evils in society, tax them. They will disappear, and you won't have to spend a dime of tax payer's money. My example, Cigarettes. Taxed in to oblivion, to the point where it is too damn expensive to smoke, and it disappears. Slowly, over time.
Wanna fix the "drug" problem and end the "drug war", legalize and tax drugs. We'll have all the money in the world to do whatever you want. Sin taxes can fund all the glorious projects we want, while reducing or eliminating the actual problems.
All taxes are regressive. Once we figure that out, then we can move forward with sane taxing policy. As long as people fail to realize taxes are regressive, and have a ton of unintended consequences, there will be stupid politicians suggesting more taxes for everyone as a way to solve societal problems with ineffective government programs.