"Yes,which is why decent legislations state that you must give employees a certain amount of forewarning, and there are certain remedies, e.g. severance pay."
Wow...dunno where you live where they have these laws, but, every state I've lived in are 'at will' states. Basically aside from reasons illegal to fire/discriminate (color, sex, etc) you can be fired at any time for no reason whatsoever....effective immediately.
Actually, I thought MOST states in the US were 'at will' states.
Travel insurance is popular today because the airlines are run by retards: with the practice of flight overbooking, plus issues with fleet maintenence, the chances of your trip being interrupted are significant. Sure, it might only be an hour, but if you're unucky it could turn into a multi-day event. Travel insurance also offers health coverage for people traveing internationally, something attractive to people who have free national heath care that doesn't travel with them."
Well, years ago...I've traveled to France and England. Over recent years...Mexico and Caribbean...but, of late, I really don't see much a need to travel internationally. There is too much violence and kidnapping in MX...so, I really don't see much need to travel outside the US. There are a TON of places here I still want to see...if I want to get somewhere tropical I do Key West or somewhere else in FL...I live and party in NOLA, and well, there's a ton of other places to go. My insurance follows me around just fine here. And frankly, I prefer to travel on SWA...their track record on flight times and baggage handling is good for me.
I might like to go back to England again some time...and maybe Italy or Holland...but, that's really about it. Maybe Germany for Ocktoberfest...
"don't mind suggesting alternatives. I've spent enough time being the guy everyone calls when their computers don't work."
Hmm...why aren't you instead, the guy that is happy to help them fix their computers when they don't work...for $75/hr??
The only people I give free rides to on computer help are Mom....and maybe the latest girl I'm sleeping with....everyone else pays.
Sure keeps the phone quiet, but, it also makes me $$ from my friends with businesses. I mean, hell, if you are a dentist, you surely don't go around putting crowns on everyone's teeth for free do you??
"They're giving up errors for lent and are trying to get them all out of their system first."
Hmm...well, this year for lent, I'm either going to stop giving up things...
Or...I'm going to quit not drinking.
Will worry about that later, tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, and NOLA is a wonderful place to live this time of year!! I feel so sorry for all my friends around the country, that not only will they not have a cold drink in their hand by 6am...but, will be actually going to work?!?!
Hmm, now, what to drink for morning beverage? Bloody Mary?...Screwdriver?...Beer?.....Bucket of Everclear?
"Someone needs to come out with ECM for the rest of us in this new surveillance world. Jamming cameras isn't hard, but its not cheap sans mass production behind it."
Hmm....guess it is time for us all to just start wearing masks while out.
An effective analog method of defeating cameras. That should work till the ECM stuff becomes more price friendly.
"That's the problem with "business" taxes that aren't on property values. Michigan's reeling too, because the auto makers can basically pick and choose how much "profit" to have in a year. You and I are taxed on Income, with few deductions for "capital" investments (hint YOU can't deduct rent or car payments.."
That's why it is in your best interest to incorporate yourself...and work through your own company on a 1099 basis. That way (like with an S corp) you can basically manipulate your 'salary' you pay yourself, and only be liable for payroll taxes (SSN, medicare) on that portion of your income...and the rest falls through at EOY with none of those taxes on that portion. You also can do all those other write offs.
It is about the only way these days to keep your hard earned money from Uncle Sam..and the state.
"There were no "uninvolved" witnesses, so her insurance paid them for the damages."
Wow..must just be your state.
Anywhere I've lived...if the person with no insurance is at fault...they don't get shit from the other party's insurance, and they get charged by the law for not having insurance on top of all that.
"Let's face it, states are broke and need cash. Either raise traditional taxes (property tax, income tax, etc.) or find other creative ways to grab money from those who actually have some."
Or yet another option (which politicians also seem to forget), is to cut wasteful spending!!
Cut the govt. back to basic services, shed the waste and I think they could drop the need for a lot of tax revenue.
"So why is fire a basic need but health care isn't? Even though fires can spread, so can many diseases, so should the government work to prevent contagious diseases? What about curing those diseases before they can spread?"
Well, I can't buy and manage a fire house.
We already have the NIH to research diseases and the like. I can't do that on my own either.
I CAN, however, save money for daily/annual health care (checkups, go when I get sick), and I can save enough money to pay for insurance...which is used for catastrophic things, like a heart attack....
I don't see a problem here. I don't need the govt. for my normal every day health care.
"Yes, it's a huge improvement over IE6. Tabs alone make it much nicer IMO. Of course, here at work, IE 6 is all that we're allowed to have installed without a signed exception from management and IT."
Hmm...sounds like we need to expand this push to get rid of IE6, into something much larger.
Get rid of Windows?
A nice plus in your case would sound like getting rid of management.
I supposed the ones with sim cards in them could be used with a new card (I've just recently learned about these due to interest in iPhones), but, for other ones like from Sprint and Verizon, you cant' really do much with them, eh?
"The government should provide the basic services that make life relatively safe and stable, so the individual can have a life without having to buy a gun in order to get security, buy a car in order to get transportation, or expending fortunes in health services. Here in Spain, nobody has lost their home because they had to pay a medical bill like in the U.S.."
Due to different cultural views, I would have to respectfully disagree.
I like to own and shoot guns, and while I enjoy law enforement, police are NOT there to prevent crimes, but, to investigate, clean up and hopefully catch the criminals. There is no way they can be everywhere at once, so if someone is breaking into your home, it is up to YOU to defend yourself and your property.
I basically believe in having as little government as possible to provide basic infrastructure...basic services (police, fire, water, schools), to basically give you the basics for life, and then, stop at that and rather than pay more tax money and giving my life decisions to a one size fits all bureaucracy, let me spend my money in my favor, and allow me to put my money away for medical needs (and choose my Dr. and tx), and for my retirement.
I"d rather have the power to decide...not a govt., that is generally slow, strangled by red tape, must ration, and inefficient in pretty much all things it does.
I only want the govt. to do for me the very basic things that I cannot do as an individual. I can't make a road, but, I can save for my own retirement, and my own medical care. I only need catastrophic insurance for something like a heart attack, but, anything less than that...I save for it. Part of living within my means.
It isn't THAT expensive I find....in fact when the Dr. finds out I'm paying, they cut at least 15% off the fees they'd charge insurance.
Don't get me wrong, I like to be nice, helpful and play well with others.
As long as I and those I care for are taken care of.
But, if the chips are down, and it comes to either 'you' or 'me'. I will do what it takes for me to win out. Simple human nature.
"Of course, if all you actually care about is the Benjamins, then all of that is meaningless. But I'd posit that such a mindset is actually terribly regressive - it's a primitive thought pattern barely worthy of your average mammal, nevermind humans. There has to be something more to it."
When it all boils down to basics....we are ALL animals, nothing more. As human animals, we do have the advantage of walking upright, facing each other when we fuck, and use of our opposing thumbs to build tools to fulfill what our minds come up with. But, in the end...it is all just what it takes to survive. I guess with humans, you have to also factor in that today, survival isn't just living minimally, it pretty much means living to a certain level of comfort you desire.
"I wish the world worked that way around me. In Miami, there are guys that spend 8 hours a day, 6 months a year standing on street corners with hand out for a "subsidy" - they certainly look hungry. I got to know a couple of them who worked near my home for over 10 years - they'd summer up north and winter in Miami, they had a well funded recreational substance consumption hobby, most years they'd clear well over $100K in off the books income."
You know...I've heard stories like this. And I gotta say....I'm wanting for a few weekend, to give it a try and just see how much one could collect tax free from handouts.
Hell, if I could make $100K with no record for the tax man...wow...that translates easily to roughly a taxed income of what...$135K or so??
I could look like a bum hours a day for that kinda bread.
"In contrast there are very specific restrictions, for example the applicant must be unemployed through no fault of their own (e.g. they can't have voluntarily quit or have been fired for a specific reason). Another major restriction is that they must have been working for a minimum period of time before their current unemployment (it varies by State but usually 6 months to a year)."
And in the state of Louisiana there is a 'fun' little special law too...that if you are self employed, owning majority share of stock in your company...you cannot collect UI EVEN THOUGH you pay UI taxes.
Yep..that was a fun little discovery. I still cannot get an answer of why I have to pay UI payroll taxes on myself, when I can NEVER collect them.
"I don't have all the specifics, but I thought that the new $75B plan was not going to bail out the people who overextended themselves. I thought it was going to help the people who's homes have lost a lot of value, and now their mortgage is far above the value of the home."
Hmm...well, a couple of things to say here.
First...well, part of not 'over extending yourself' and living within your means necessitates a person having saved enough money to weather bad times, loss of work, etc. Remember that thing called savings? One should not be in a house where they can barely meet the payments and not be able to save money (much of which should have been saved prior to purchase) for that 'rainy day'.
Ok, lets say that they ARE only bailing out people whose homes have decreased in value. What's the problem? Aside from catching some house flippers, having a home decrease in value shouldn't be the end of the world, you DO buy a home to live in for awhile don't you? If your making your payments, you're ok...don't sell it, live there. You haven't lost money till you try to sell the house. I think, however the large question here is...WHY should you get bailed out if your house lost value? Buying a home is just like any other investment, it comes with a risk that value could go up or down. Just like buying stocks in principal, they can go up or down in value based on many variables such as an overly saturated market.
Just because homes for the past few decades have had values steadily rise, doesn't mean that will always be the case. I was looking to buy a couple years or so ago, but, saw the inflated values...and listened on the news to wait, that prices were to soon come down (I don't think anyone knew this much)...so, as a responsible person, I've held off, trying to save...etc. I hope to buy a nice house that I can afford later this year. But low and sell high, like anything else....you should also be in for the 'long haul' whether investing in stock market or a home.
But finally....I think much of it boils down to personal responsibility. I'm sorry...but, I have NO sympathy for someone gullible or so stupid that they didn't read the contracts, and know exactly what they were getting into. Buying a home is not like buying bubble gum, you are signing a lot of papers, and putting a lot on the line there, and any sane person would want to know exactly what they were signing up for, including interest rates (rate, fixed or no)...etc. If you don't know...ask, don't sign, ask what it will mean on rate terms....etc.
No one held a gun to the heads of these people to buy a home on a bad variable rate loan....since when is the the govt's responsibility to bail someone out for being stupid? If someone screws up, well, let them face the consenquences, learn from their mistake...and move on. When did we get away from that paradigm?
"I can't take honor to the store and convert it into food.
Sure you can. If I fulfill my end of an agreement, then my credit worthiness (my honor) allows me to enter into other such agreements (ie a credit card) which can be used to purchase other goods and services on credit (my honor). Therefore, it is intrinsically good for me to be on time with my payments. My continued good behavior allows me to make such 'honor' purchases."
Either you're trolling (successfully) or maybe not from the US or English isn't your first language.
But, you missed the point. At some point...that food, and everything else has to be PAID for with cold hard cash at some point. Credit ( or honor as you alluded to) only carries you so far.When it comes down to it, life is a competitive struggle, and people don't like it when they are working hard, trying to make ends meet, and have to pay for someone else's mistakes/ignorance/laziness.....and they get not only a free ride, but, a free ride on the 'good' persons expense.
The 'honor' thing, sure it has some merit, but, it best relegated to the classroom to be discussed in eastern philosopy 101, but, it has little place in the real world, when you are competing with everyone else for jobs, money and all....while all around you, things are getting more expensive.
Slashdot Mirror
Wow...dunno where you live where they have these laws, but, every state I've lived in are 'at will' states. Basically aside from reasons illegal to fire/discriminate (color, sex, etc) you can be fired at any time for no reason whatsoever....effective immediately.
Actually, I thought MOST states in the US were 'at will' states.
Travel insurance is popular today because the airlines are run by retards: with the practice of flight overbooking, plus issues with fleet maintenence, the chances of your trip being interrupted are significant. Sure, it might only be an hour, but if you're unucky it could turn into a multi-day event. Travel insurance also offers health coverage for people traveing internationally, something attractive to people who have free national heath care that doesn't travel with them."
Well, years ago...I've traveled to France and England. Over recent years...Mexico and Caribbean...but, of late, I really don't see much a need to travel internationally. There is too much violence and kidnapping in MX...so, I really don't see much need to travel outside the US. There are a TON of places here I still want to see...if I want to get somewhere tropical I do Key West or somewhere else in FL...I live and party in NOLA, and well, there's a ton of other places to go. My insurance follows me around just fine here. And frankly, I prefer to travel on SWA...their track record on flight times and baggage handling is good for me.
I might like to go back to England again some time...and maybe Italy or Holland...but, that's really about it. Maybe Germany for Ocktoberfest...
I hear ya!!
Happy Mardi Gras!!
Yeah, but, what else are you supposed to make cheese dip out of???
Hmm...why aren't you instead, the guy that is happy to help them fix their computers when they don't work...for $75/hr??
The only people I give free rides to on computer help are Mom....and maybe the latest girl I'm sleeping with....everyone else pays.
Sure keeps the phone quiet, but, it also makes me $$ from my friends with businesses. I mean, hell, if you are a dentist, you surely don't go around putting crowns on everyone's teeth for free do you??
Hmm...well, this year for lent, I'm either going to stop giving up things...
Or...I'm going to quit not drinking.
Will worry about that later, tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, and NOLA is a wonderful place to live this time of year!! I feel so sorry for all my friends around the country, that not only will they not have a cold drink in their hand by 6am...but, will be actually going to work?!?!
Hmm, now, what to drink for morning beverage? Bloody Mary?...Screwdriver?...Beer?.....Bucket of Everclear?
Is this the right room for an argument?
That blows. I was rooting for Apu in the Simpson's Movie.
Much more compelling performance....
Apu was robbed!!!
Hmm....guess it is time for us all to just start wearing masks while out.
An effective analog method of defeating cameras. That should work till the ECM stuff becomes more price friendly.
Ok..you got me on that one.
What exactly is "travel insurance"??
You have to buy insurance over there before you can travel? For any kind of travel or just out of the country travel?
That's why it is in your best interest to incorporate yourself...and work through your own company on a 1099 basis. That way (like with an S corp) you can basically manipulate your 'salary' you pay yourself, and only be liable for payroll taxes (SSN, medicare) on that portion of your income...and the rest falls through at EOY with none of those taxes on that portion. You also can do all those other write offs.
It is about the only way these days to keep your hard earned money from Uncle Sam..and the state.
Wow..must just be your state.
Anywhere I've lived...if the person with no insurance is at fault...they don't get shit from the other party's insurance, and they get charged by the law for not having insurance on top of all that.
Or yet another option (which politicians also seem to forget), is to cut wasteful spending!!
Cut the govt. back to basic services, shed the waste and I think they could drop the need for a lot of tax revenue.
Well, I can't buy and manage a fire house.
We already have the NIH to research diseases and the like. I can't do that on my own either.
I CAN, however, save money for daily/annual health care (checkups, go when I get sick), and I can save enough money to pay for insurance...which is used for catastrophic things, like a heart attack....
I don't see a problem here. I don't need the govt. for my normal every day health care.
I win??
Hmm...sounds like we need to expand this push to get rid of IE6, into something much larger.
Get rid of Windows? A nice plus in your case would sound like getting rid of management.
I've never known anybody who had one stolen....
I supposed the ones with sim cards in them could be used with a new card (I've just recently learned about these due to interest in iPhones), but, for other ones like from Sprint and Verizon, you cant' really do much with them, eh?
It would appears so:
Memory
* 800MHz DDR2 ECC fully buffered DIMM (FB-DIMM) memory
* Eight FB-DIMM slots support up to 32GB of memory
* 256-bit-wide memory architecture
Due to different cultural views, I would have to respectfully disagree.
I like to own and shoot guns, and while I enjoy law enforement, police are NOT there to prevent crimes, but, to investigate, clean up and hopefully catch the criminals. There is no way they can be everywhere at once, so if someone is breaking into your home, it is up to YOU to defend yourself and your property.
I basically believe in having as little government as possible to provide basic infrastructure...basic services (police, fire, water, schools), to basically give you the basics for life, and then, stop at that and rather than pay more tax money and giving my life decisions to a one size fits all bureaucracy, let me spend my money in my favor, and allow me to put my money away for medical needs (and choose my Dr. and tx), and for my retirement.
I"d rather have the power to decide...not a govt., that is generally slow, strangled by red tape, must ration, and inefficient in pretty much all things it does.
I only want the govt. to do for me the very basic things that I cannot do as an individual. I can't make a road, but, I can save for my own retirement, and my own medical care. I only need catastrophic insurance for something like a heart attack, but, anything less than that...I save for it. Part of living within my means.
It isn't THAT expensive I find....in fact when the Dr. finds out I'm paying, they cut at least 15% off the fees they'd charge insurance.
Ok, let's say you and I go to a grocery store. You only bring in with you, your maxed out, unpaid 'honor' cards. I bring in $200 in cash.
Now acting as honorably as you possibly can...see if you can legally walk out of the store with as many bottles of wine and steaks as I can.
Don't worry...I'm a nice guy....I'll spot you a nice dinner so you don't go hungry after the experiment is over.
As long as I and those I care for are taken care of.
But, if the chips are down, and it comes to either 'you' or 'me'. I will do what it takes for me to win out. Simple human nature.
"Of course, if all you actually care about is the Benjamins, then all of that is meaningless. But I'd posit that such a mindset is actually terribly regressive - it's a primitive thought pattern barely worthy of your average mammal, nevermind humans. There has to be something more to it."
When it all boils down to basics....we are ALL animals, nothing more. As human animals, we do have the advantage of walking upright, facing each other when we fuck, and use of our opposing thumbs to build tools to fulfill what our minds come up with. But, in the end...it is all just what it takes to survive. I guess with humans, you have to also factor in that today, survival isn't just living minimally, it pretty much means living to a certain level of comfort you desire.
You know...I've heard stories like this. And I gotta say....I'm wanting for a few weekend, to give it a try and just see how much one could collect tax free from handouts.
Hell, if I could make $100K with no record for the tax man...wow...that translates easily to roughly a taxed income of what...$135K or so??
I could look like a bum hours a day for that kinda bread.
And in the state of Louisiana there is a 'fun' little special law too...that if you are self employed, owning majority share of stock in your company...you cannot collect UI EVEN THOUGH you pay UI taxes.
Yep..that was a fun little discovery. I still cannot get an answer of why I have to pay UI payroll taxes on myself, when I can NEVER collect them.
Hmm...well, a couple of things to say here.
First...well, part of not 'over extending yourself' and living within your means necessitates a person having saved enough money to weather bad times, loss of work, etc. Remember that thing called savings? One should not be in a house where they can barely meet the payments and not be able to save money (much of which should have been saved prior to purchase) for that 'rainy day'.
Ok, lets say that they ARE only bailing out people whose homes have decreased in value. What's the problem? Aside from catching some house flippers, having a home decrease in value shouldn't be the end of the world, you DO buy a home to live in for awhile don't you? If your making your payments, you're ok...don't sell it, live there. You haven't lost money till you try to sell the house. I think, however the large question here is...WHY should you get bailed out if your house lost value? Buying a home is just like any other investment, it comes with a risk that value could go up or down. Just like buying stocks in principal, they can go up or down in value based on many variables such as an overly saturated market.
Just because homes for the past few decades have had values steadily rise, doesn't mean that will always be the case. I was looking to buy a couple years or so ago, but, saw the inflated values...and listened on the news to wait, that prices were to soon come down (I don't think anyone knew this much)...so, as a responsible person, I've held off, trying to save...etc. I hope to buy a nice house that I can afford later this year. But low and sell high, like anything else....you should also be in for the 'long haul' whether investing in stock market or a home.
But finally....I think much of it boils down to personal responsibility. I'm sorry...but, I have NO sympathy for someone gullible or so stupid that they didn't read the contracts, and know exactly what they were getting into. Buying a home is not like buying bubble gum, you are signing a lot of papers, and putting a lot on the line there, and any sane person would want to know exactly what they were signing up for, including interest rates (rate, fixed or no)...etc. If you don't know...ask, don't sign, ask what it will mean on rate terms....etc.
No one held a gun to the heads of these people to buy a home on a bad variable rate loan....since when is the the govt's responsibility to bail someone out for being stupid? If someone screws up, well, let them face the consenquences, learn from their mistake...and move on. When did we get away from that paradigm?
Sure you can. If I fulfill my end of an agreement, then my credit worthiness (my honor) allows me to enter into other such agreements (ie a credit card) which can be used to purchase other goods and services on credit (my honor). Therefore, it is intrinsically good for me to be on time with my payments. My continued good behavior allows me to make such 'honor' purchases."
Either you're trolling (successfully) or maybe not from the US or English isn't your first language.
But, you missed the point. At some point...that food, and everything else has to be PAID for with cold hard cash at some point. Credit ( or honor as you alluded to) only carries you so far.When it comes down to it, life is a competitive struggle, and people don't like it when they are working hard, trying to make ends meet, and have to pay for someone else's mistakes/ignorance/laziness.....and they get not only a free ride, but, a free ride on the 'good' persons expense.
The 'honor' thing, sure it has some merit, but, it best relegated to the classroom to be discussed in eastern philosopy 101, but, it has little place in the real world, when you are competing with everyone else for jobs, money and all....while all around you, things are getting more expensive.