On the one hand though, if somebody votes for a candidate solely on the basis that they think the candidate is more likely to win, then that person is an impressionable idiot...
Well...that DOES seem to accurately describe the 'common man' these days in the US.
A president that engages with leaders around the world, actively involves them in decisions, generally works with them as partners....
....and, rather than look out for the interests of the US first, will meekly cowtow to the will of these other 'partners'...and just become one of the many, rather than the country that was different, and got to its power because of that attitude and way of life.
But hey, nothing lasts forever....it was a good run the US had.
Maybe it'll be different the second time around, and he'll actually deliver on the "change" promise, now that he doesn't have to worry about re-election. One can hope.
I shudder to think what he and his administration will do to this country without being constrianed by thoughts of having to be re-elected.
Considering how they've screwed the country completely and have been trying to radically change it from the great country it was this past 4 years, I don't hold much hope for the US coming out of another 4x years of him and his crew.
Oh well.....at least the US had 200+ good years, it was a nice run.
What's in it for the rest of the world if Obama wins?
Lessee...
1. 4 More years of bowing down to other powers in the world, and likely "Apology Tour II: This time we're REALLY Sorry".
2. Dragging the US down to the same socialistic level so many others in the world are mired in....misery loves company you know.
3. Even less of the American "We're #1" groupthink by the country.....so we can just become more meek, less competitive, and just follow the lead of the UN.
4. An even lower level standard of living for the US...meaning we consume less, leaving more oil for China.
5. The US 4 years closer to financial failure...and rebirth as God knows what...I didn't study as far into Saul Alinsky as those in the Obama administration has, but I think this likely is their early goals they are currently in the midst of establishing:
If you don't like it, vote for a higher minimum wage.
Well, that doesn't really address what I said above....I make significantly more than minimum wage...
My bills are proportional to my billing rate....so, unless you think everyone deserves the same annual income, raising the minimum wage doesn't address what I was saying with regard to jury duty.
I'd dare say, in MANY (not all) cases, people that are earning more money, are likely more educated and most on the ball...and you'd want them on juries.
So, if you want everyone to be more happy about doing jury duty, they need to be paid the hourly/daily rate they make at their jobs...while serving on jury duty.
But no, I don't see a kid busing tables at Red Lobster making the same as a civil engineer in normal life, or for jury duty. Each should somehow be paid their current income levels for the time period.
Yes, this is a good point. Should jurors be paid at minimum wage? At average per capita? At their current rate? What about child care? What about job guarantees so you don't get fired while you're on jury duty?
Minimum wage?
How about my working wage?
The pay that people get for flipping burgers, isn't going to pay MY bills at EOM....jury duty shouldn't force you to dip into savings or take vacation days (if it runs longer than time your company may give you annually for jury duty leave)....
Your best bet is to stop your fucking whining, do the damn trial for a day or two, and go home. My companies pay for jury duty so aside from it being a pain in the fucking ass being that we only have one car and the courthouse is 30 miles out in the middle of nowhere, it was better than being at work.
It should be mandatory that all companies pay for entire length of jury duty, and if they did...more people might want to do it.
My company pays for 3x days of jury duty a year...that's it, period.
After that, I'm having to use vacation days...if those run out...well, it is leave without pay.
I'd love to do civic duty, but sure makes it a difficult thing to embrace if a long trial forces me to have to forgo my vacation plans for the year....or at worse case...dip into savings to pay bills.
I didn't go into the details...but no, I don't 'stare' forever...again, with women..the first eye contact, I do let them break it first or react to it by smiling first, etc usually.
With people, I look away, etc as appropriate, but I often catch the eyes again, especially in times when really listening to them, or wanting to appear to be listening and caring what they say...
No absolutes here...but I do use eye contact a LOT when dealing with people, but there are a LOT of nuances with it...
I've had people comment that at times when talking to them, I often make them feel like they were the only person in the room at times....
Empathy, we are part of a social group and we continue to survive as part of that social group. Hence the normal social human brain is hard wired to support the group over individual survival.
AKA: Suckers...
:)
This is, of course, true only if talking in absolutes. If someone is that way all the time...or runs around with shields down most of the time...well, they will get taken advantage of.
Life itself is a competition....you have to think that way to survive and get ahead.
And in the end...well, you are born alone and you die alone....be social where you can, but ultimately, it is really only YOU against the world, and you better have a bit of self preservation and looking out for #1, or you will get run over.
When you get a message from a friend over the internet, do you engage your empathic or your analytic net? Because unless you engage your analytic net, you'll nave no way to tell if it's really your friend contacting you. However, if you leave that on while responding to them, they probably won't be your friend for long.
If the email said anything out of the ordinary...especially something like "I need you to send me some money"....yes, my analytical radar would be up immediately....and I'd give them a phone call to see if this was real...etc.
You have to understand, my close group of friends...while broad...consists of people I've known for WAY over 20-30 years. These are people I would, and do trust with keys to my house....
That isn't easily earned trust either.....but it is there with them now.
The reason it could influence the election: One of the standard voter suppression tactics is to send out false and misleading information to voters about the time and place they can go vote.
Absolutely!!!
And this year, let's broadcast it, to make it clear so no one misses there day to vote!!
Make sure and remind everyone, that this year, in order to accommodate a large voter turn out, and to make sure no one is disenfranchised, that we've split the dates for voting this year!!
Republicans (the challengers) vote first on Tues. Nov. 6th.
Democrats (the incumbents) will vote the next day on Wed. Nov. 7th.
Please make sure everyone knows this and gets it straight.....
If only there was some sort of database out there with all the registered voter's information...
If only the "Feds" had access to such a database...
While I have no doubt that the Feds can get at the voter roles/databases....that is something that is actually kept at the state level. The Feds don't run elections...states do.
Of course, I don't stare indefinitely....with women, they often will avert the initial eye contact first...after that, I look in the eyes, but away too when appropriate.
Too much and you do look like a creep or strange for sure...haha.
And yes, forgot to say...sometimes between the eyes....I vary between that and picking one predominate eye to focus on......
I had a roommate with eyes that focused in different directions, I would usually look at the eye that wasn't looking at me to make him keep shifting his gaze.
I just wish the stupid republicans would stop being turd sandwiches and just make it legal and wrap it into the Tobacco and Alcohol rules.
I don't think it should be illegal either..but you can't just blame the republicans on that.
I mean, Obama had majority in both houses...and never ever TRIED to pass any type of law changing the controlled substance laws in this country...not even an attempt.
I still wonder, why it took a constitutioinal amemdment to ban and allow again alcohol....
Yet...pot was made illegal at the swipe of a pen...?
Actually...get the boob looking out of the way before you approach her....
For building repoire with a girl you're trying to meet....give them eye contact, and usually...have them to be the first one to drop it, dominance thing.
This isn't just with women...in meetings, or when I'm trying to push my agenda, etc...I generally focus my gaze usually directly into their right eye (just pick one, doesn't really matter that much I don't think)...but with that situation or even just friendly ones....it imparts to people that YOU are engaged in them, and interested and listening to them.
Staring at the floor, or something else on them...just doesn't cut it, if you're wanting to truly interact with them, or especially want to exert your influence...I find that doing the right eye contact is a big help.
As someone else pointed out, much of my post...was to illustrate the difference in perception and attitude of those in the US...when a storm like this hits.
There was a LOT of derision, and a a lot of people saying "we shouldn't rebuild New Orleans"...etc.
Much of my post was to point out these attitudes in the past...and how much it can hurt when it happens to *you*....in the NE of the US.
I think it's a Halloween thing, they try to scare us...
Darth Mickey?
But seriously....would have been better to sell it to Seth MacFarlane, he showed a good bit of love for the franchise with his Family Guy send ups of it....
No, but some areas are not very much higher than sea level, and combine that with being surrounded by water (Hudson River, etc) and exposed readily to coastal storms on the Atlantic...you're just asking for things like this to happen.
It isn't like this area has never been hit by a big storm...its just they've been lucky the past few decades, but these type of things cycle.
Slashdot Mirror
Well...that DOES seem to accurately describe the 'common man' these days in the US.
But hey, nothing lasts forever....it was a good run the US had.
Darn it...forgot to spell check..should be constrained
I shudder to think what he and his administration will do to this country without being constrianed by thoughts of having to be re-elected.
Considering how they've screwed the country completely and have been trying to radically change it from the great country it was this past 4 years, I don't hold much hope for the US coming out of another 4x years of him and his crew.
Oh well.....at least the US had 200+ good years, it was a nice run.
Lessee...
1. 4 More years of bowing down to other powers in the world, and likely "Apology Tour II: This time we're REALLY Sorry".
2. Dragging the US down to the same socialistic level so many others in the world are mired in....misery loves company you know.
3. Even less of the American "We're #1" groupthink by the country.....so we can just become more meek, less competitive, and just follow the lead of the UN.
4. An even lower level standard of living for the US...meaning we consume less, leaving more oil for China.
5. The US 4 years closer to financial failure...and rebirth as God knows what...I didn't study as far into Saul Alinsky as those in the Obama administration has, but I think this likely is their early goals they are currently in the midst of establishing:
"Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future. "
Well, that doesn't really address what I said above....I make significantly more than minimum wage...
My bills are proportional to my billing rate....so, unless you think everyone deserves the same annual income, raising the minimum wage doesn't address what I was saying with regard to jury duty.
I'd dare say, in MANY (not all) cases, people that are earning more money, are likely more educated and most on the ball...and you'd want them on juries.
So, if you want everyone to be more happy about doing jury duty, they need to be paid the hourly/daily rate they make at their jobs...while serving on jury duty.
But no, I don't see a kid busing tables at Red Lobster making the same as a civil engineer in normal life, or for jury duty. Each should somehow be paid their current income levels for the time period.
That way, they could know the law better....make more intelligent decisions maybe?
I believe at least around here..the polls open before 6am.
Do what I do...get up early that day...vote and get it over with.
Or, if you live in Chicago...vote early and vote often.
Minimum wage?
How about my working wage?
The pay that people get for flipping burgers, isn't going to pay MY bills at EOM....jury duty shouldn't force you to dip into savings or take vacation days (if it runs longer than time your company may give you annually for jury duty leave)....
It should be mandatory that all companies pay for entire length of jury duty, and if they did...more people might want to do it.
My company pays for 3x days of jury duty a year...that's it, period.
After that, I'm having to use vacation days...if those run out...well, it is leave without pay.
I'd love to do civic duty, but sure makes it a difficult thing to embrace if a long trial forces me to have to forgo my vacation plans for the year....or at worse case...dip into savings to pay bills.
You can't do that if you dodge jury duty....when you're on a jury, you are one of the most powerful people in the US, think of it that way....
I didn't go into the details...but no, I don't 'stare' forever...again, with women..the first eye contact, I do let them break it first or react to it by smiling first, etc usually.
With people, I look away, etc as appropriate, but I often catch the eyes again, especially in times when really listening to them, or wanting to appear to be listening and caring what they say...
No absolutes here...but I do use eye contact a LOT when dealing with people, but there are a LOT of nuances with it...
I've had people comment that at times when talking to them, I often make them feel like they were the only person in the room at times....
AKA: Suckers...
This is, of course, true only if talking in absolutes. If someone is that way all the time...or runs around with shields down most of the time...well, they will get taken advantage of.
Life itself is a competition....you have to think that way to survive and get ahead.
And in the end...well, you are born alone and you die alone....be social where you can, but ultimately, it is really only YOU against the world, and you better have a bit of self preservation and looking out for #1, or you will get run over.
If the email said anything out of the ordinary...especially something like "I need you to send me some money"....yes, my analytical radar would be up immediately....and I'd give them a phone call to see if this was real...etc.
You have to understand, my close group of friends...while broad...consists of people I've known for WAY over 20-30 years. These are people I would, and do trust with keys to my house....
That isn't easily earned trust either.....but it is there with them now.
I trust my friends, and while when I meet someone new, I certainly am hesitant, and looking for trouble when someone new comes into my area....
Do that many people give a shit or have feelings for strangers they happen across / first meetings?
Absolutely!!!
And this year, let's broadcast it, to make it clear so no one misses there day to vote!!
Make sure and remind everyone, that this year, in order to accommodate a large voter turn out, and to make sure no one is disenfranchised, that we've split the dates for voting this year!!
Republicans (the challengers) vote first on Tues. Nov. 6th.
Democrats (the incumbents) will vote the next day on Wed. Nov. 7th.
Please make sure everyone knows this and gets it straight.....
Be Informed!!
While I have no doubt that the Feds can get at the voter roles/databases....that is something that is actually kept at the state level. The Feds don't run elections...states do.
D'oh.....good catch.
Of course, I don't stare indefinitely....with women, they often will avert the initial eye contact first...after that, I look in the eyes, but away too when appropriate.
Too much and you do look like a creep or strange for sure...haha.
And yes, forgot to say...sometimes between the eyes....I vary between that and picking one predominate eye to focus on......
Marty Feldman Jr?
I don't think it should be illegal either..but you can't just blame the republicans on that.
I mean, Obama had majority in both houses...and never ever TRIED to pass any type of law changing the controlled substance laws in this country...not even an attempt.
I still wonder, why it took a constitutioinal amemdment to ban and allow again alcohol....
Yet...pot was made illegal at the swipe of a pen...?
For building repoire with a girl you're trying to meet....give them eye contact, and usually...have them to be the first one to drop it, dominance thing.
This isn't just with women...in meetings, or when I'm trying to push my agenda, etc...I generally focus my gaze usually directly into their right eye (just pick one, doesn't really matter that much I don't think)...but with that situation or even just friendly ones....it imparts to people that YOU are engaged in them, and interested and listening to them.
Staring at the floor, or something else on them...just doesn't cut it, if you're wanting to truly interact with them, or especially want to exert your influence...I find that doing the right eye contact is a big help.
There was a LOT of derision, and a a lot of people saying "we shouldn't rebuild New Orleans"...etc.
Much of my post was to point out these attitudes in the past...and how much it can hurt when it happens to *you*....in the NE of the US.
Darth Mickey?
But seriously....would have been better to sell it to Seth MacFarlane, he showed a good bit of love for the franchise with his Family Guy send ups of it....
No, but some areas are not very much higher than sea level, and combine that with being surrounded by water (Hudson River, etc) and exposed readily to coastal storms on the Atlantic...you're just asking for things like this to happen.
It isn't like this area has never been hit by a big storm...its just they've been lucky the past few decades, but these type of things cycle.