Search found 429 matches
- Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:02 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Stimulus
- Replies: 15
- Views: 11803
Re: Obama's Stimulus
i meant that it's the wrong measure to use to judge the state of our economy
- Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:25 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Stimulus
- Replies: 15
- Views: 11803
Re: Obama's Stimulus
see also, this article on GDP fetishism http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2010/HendersonGDP.html and that goodhart's law ("Once a social or economic measure is turned into a target for policy, it will lose any information content that had qualified it to play such a role in the first plac...
- Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:49 am
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Stimulus
- Replies: 15
- Views: 11803
Re: Obama's Stimulus
GDP is useful for some things. it can backfire and be misused tho http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product#Limitations_of_GDP_to_judge_the_health_of_an_economy you mine ore from the ground, you increase GDP you mold that ore into widgets, you increase GDP you dump those widgets in the sea...
- Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:35 am
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Tobacco outlawed check, next up everything unhealthy
- Replies: 23
- Views: 16773
Re: Tobacco outlawed check, next up everything unhealthy
i didn't realize there was someplace you could vote for liberties
certainly some ppl talk about it. but it never happens at any level of govt
certainly some ppl talk about it. but it never happens at any level of govt
- Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:12 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: More educators caught cheating
- Replies: 6
- Views: 6936
Re: More educators caught cheating
cheaters and crappy teachers should be fired. unions should be allowed to defend themselves. maybe the solution is, for now, doing a 'reset'.... busting all the unions hard and fast, wiping the slate clean (mass firings and all that), and then re-institute unions afterward with new ppl in charge? pr...
- Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:09 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Stimulus
- Replies: 15
- Views: 11803
Re: Obama's Stimulus
i don't think GDP matters, at least not in the way ppl think it does
that said, the president, congress, and the supreme court (that is, "govt") AND private sector, finance companies, etc. are all sucking pretty hard when it comes to economic matters
that said, the president, congress, and the supreme court (that is, "govt") AND private sector, finance companies, etc. are all sucking pretty hard when it comes to economic matters
- Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:57 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: debt limit
- Replies: 2
- Views: 5267
debt limit
Section 4 of the 14th Amendment says "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned" "…a modest approach for the Pres...
- Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:23 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Healthcare mystery shoppers? I can save you the money.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 7164
Re: Healthcare mystery shoppers? I can save you the money.
i guess you missed the part where they canceled it. even tho i posted links and everything.
i demand praise for obama canceling this program! demand it!
i demand praise for obama canceling this program! demand it!
- Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:45 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Healthcare mystery shoppers? I can save you the money.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 7164
Re: Healthcare mystery shoppers? I can save you the money.
doctors are turning away private health care ppl too, because some private insurers are more restrictive than medicare/medicaid. and they canceled the mystery shoppers program, even tho some economists believe it's an excellent strategy to improve difficult to assess programs. so let's get some prai...
- Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:16 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Picking Winners and Losers Again
- Replies: 10
- Views: 11359
Re: Picking Winners and Losers Again
if someone went around breaking windows all day, we'd have lots of economic activity replacing them. in fact we could give someone the job of breaking windows, and pay minimum wage, creating not just jobs fixing them, but breaking them as well. GDP would rise from both. if we got more efficient at i...
- Tue Jun 28, 2011 12:40 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: US DOD spends $20B per year on air conditioning
- Replies: 24
- Views: 17890
Re: US DOD spends $20B per year on air conditioning
$20B / 150,000 soldiers in iraq and afghanistan is $130,000 per soldier per year. no wonder we can only afford to pay them $20k, the rest of their pay and benefits go into AC tho seriously, this is the kind of thing i find offensive, with a much larger impact (3-4% of the DOD budget) than most of th...
- Mon Jun 27, 2011 8:38 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: US DOD spends $20B per year on air conditioning
- Replies: 24
- Views: 17890
US DOD spends $20B per year on air conditioning
"The amount the U.S. military spends annually on air conditioning in Iraq and Afghanistan: $20.2 billion. That's more than NASA's budget. It's more than BP has paid so far for damage during the Gulf oil spill. It's what the G-8 has pledged to help foster new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia.&qu...
- Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:41 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Past Recessions and the US Government
- Replies: 5
- Views: 5645
Re: Past Recessions and the US Government
some economists argue that we're in a "great stagnation" because innovation slowed down before the 70s, and from the 70s to the 90s we were coasting on inventions that hadn't yet made it to market, but that now we aren't coming up with anything truly revolutionary to drive economic growth ...
- Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:34 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: death penalty costs $308M per execution in CA
- Replies: 20
- Views: 14344
Re: death penalty costs $308m per execution
i think we should bring back corporal punishment, reserve incarceration for the worst, and carry thru swift execution (<1 year) for the worst of the worst. for the latter two, with very strict proof requirements that should filter out most. and while i'm dreaming, i'd want a complete overhaul of cri...
- Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:49 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: death penalty costs $308M per execution in CA
- Replies: 20
- Views: 14344
Re: death penalty costs $308m per execution
it costs so much to kill because we try so hard to keep them alive. if anything it's a vindication of health care... death row inmates live a really long time. lol
- Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:36 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: death penalty costs $308M per execution in CA
- Replies: 20
- Views: 14344
Re: death penalty costs $308m per execution
"In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years. (Dallas Morning News, March 8, 1992)"
- Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:31 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: can't record a police officer in Illinois and Massachusets
- Replies: 33
- Views: 18628
Re: can't record a police officer in Illinois and Massachuse
he was probably thinking about something like the GoPro, helmet-mountable HD camera that weighs about 6 oz
the big thing holding back ubiquitous recording is battery life
the big thing holding back ubiquitous recording is battery life
- Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:12 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: death penalty costs $308M per execution in CA
- Replies: 20
- Views: 14344
death penalty costs $308M per execution in CA
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-adv-death-penalty-costs-20110620,0,3505671.story "Taxpayers have spent more than $4 billion on capital punishment in California since it was reinstated in 1978, or about $308 million for each of the 13 executions carried out since then, according to a com...
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:45 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
Because it was unfairly used to criticize Bush for 10, going on 11 years. They used to say turnabout's fair play. that's what i thought, "payback" for Bush There's no constitutional debate here. The actions the US is taking against Libya would be considered an act of war if anyone was to ...
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:33 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
it degenerates so quickly around here. i don't understand. why do you really, really, really want ppl to use the word "lie" when talking about this, and no other phrase or word will suffice? i'd rather argue about the constitutionality of his actions with regards to the war powers act, but...
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:07 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
to be clear, i think the word "lie" is much weaker than "against the constitution", so i'm being much more accusatory than you are, even tho i'm not using your foxnews hatemongery phrase-of-the-day board
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:49 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
before he answered the question, bill clinton asked the judge what definition of "sexual relations" he was to use. the teams of lawyers came up with a very particular definition. bill then answered to the definition. what do i call it? "abuse of the war powers act". or maybe &quo...
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:23 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
ooo, if you wanted to do a good attack on it, you should call it this way: Obama is to 'hostilities', as Bush is to 'enemy combatants'
that i could agree with, since it doesn't include the keyword "lie", but it still brings in constitutional issues which are very important
that i could agree with, since it doesn't include the keyword "lie", but it still brings in constitutional issues which are very important
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 7:02 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
i'm wondering why "lie" is the keyword you're looking for. i thought the whole thing was about constitutional powers. what did obama lie about exactly? reading back, you said he lied about "whether we're in 'hostilities' or not", which is the same kind of bullshit definitional ar...
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:36 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
they might look like: * Obama's Libya Defense Makes Bush's Lawyers Look Smart * Kucinich: Impeach Obama over Libya strike * House scolds Obama on Libya * Lawmakers Challenge Obama's Libya Authority * Report: Obama overruled lawyers on Libya air war * Mission: Inscrutable all taken from the first pag...
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:12 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
so it went from "the left doesn't attack obama" to "the left doesn't attack obama enough" and i bet if i pulled out more examples it'd be "not enough of the left attacks obama enough" and if i pulled out still more it'd be "some fringe lunatic over there who looks ...
- Tue Jun 21, 2011 5:31 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
Where is the left? I mean we have a guy here, bombing another country, a country full of what would be minorities in our neck of the woods... and bold face LIEING to us that its not "hostilities" despite having several lawyers at several departments telling him otherwise. Where is your ou...
- Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:43 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: guy robs bank for $1 to get free health care
- Replies: 3
- Views: 5142
guy robs bank for $1 to get free health care
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/bank-58397-richard-hailed.html "Verone says he’s not a political man. But he has a lot to say on the subject of socialized medical care. He suspects he wouldn’t be talking to a reporter through a metal screen wearing an orange jumpsuit if such an option were av...
- Sat Jun 18, 2011 2:07 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
- Replies: 32
- Views: 14839
Re: Obama's Bullshit: War Powers
Teflor Lyorian wrote:I'm confused as to what happened to liberal outrage.
i think you've succeeded in driving everyone away except sarvis
- Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:49 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: 2012 political strategy
- Replies: 16
- Views: 12748
Re: 2012 political strategy
i predict with 90% confidence that obama will receive between 40% and 60% of the popular vote in 2012
- Mon Jun 06, 2011 8:35 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: the debt ceiling vote, does anyone else think this is epic?
- Replies: 83
- Views: 30690
- Thu May 19, 2011 8:36 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Your vaunted public servants seving the public
- Replies: 64
- Views: 19083
Re: Your vaunted public servants seving the public
if someone wrote down the definition of the words "discrimination" and "profiling" and everyone agreed to use those definitions this entire argument would dissolve
right now it's just a crapton of equivocation
right now it's just a crapton of equivocation
- Tue May 17, 2011 2:41 am
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: FMH, there is a fat gene?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1400
Re: FMH, there is a fat gene?
"certain human populations have a mutation on chromosome 2 which eliminates the shutdown in lactase production, making it possible for members of these populations to continue consumption of fresh milk and other dairy products throughout their lives without difficulty. This appears to be an evo...
- Fri May 13, 2011 11:37 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
i'd rather be outraged that 150,000 ppl died yesterday
gives everything else a different perspective imo
gives everything else a different perspective imo
- Fri May 13, 2011 8:15 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
kiryan, as i tried pointing out with my earlier posts, the number '14' was provided without proper context. it was the number of "the city's full-time lifeguards", and the article clearly references other lifeguards not fitting into that category. that's why i was wondering how many there ...
- Fri May 13, 2011 7:37 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
anyone know how many ppl make up a 'battalion' so we could get an idea of how many ppl these guys are managing? only reference i have is to the military where it's 300 to 1300 also curious what the cost of living is in the area these guys are earning their money. like what kind of house they could buy
- Fri May 13, 2011 7:14 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
let me rephrase. what is the maximum amount a lifeguard could be paid and not cause you and kiryan to express disapproval?
- Fri May 13, 2011 7:10 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
what is the maximum amount a lifeguard should ever be paid, including battalion commanders?
- Fri May 13, 2011 6:41 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
Teflor Lyorian wrote:note: not just lifeguards.
could you help me find better numbers? i'd appreciate it. all i can find is stuff like, "Estimates indicate that today, U.S. lifeguards rescue more than an estimated 100,000 persons from drowning annually."
- Fri May 13, 2011 6:33 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
Teflor Lyorian wrote:Still, you haven't refuted that there aren't any lifeguards that aren't pulling 200k in compensation. At all. The link to the park's recruitment website is fine, but that is by no means all of the lifeguards.
we have also failed to prove the nonexistence of Thor, god of thunder
- Fri May 13, 2011 6:30 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
i work slightly over and get an extra $10 of overtime one day. there are 17,266 lifeguards working that year who also did the same, earning an extra $10 each. for that year, "taxpayers could have saved up to $172,668 in overtime". If there were that many lifeguards, you would expect the w...
- Fri May 13, 2011 5:41 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
i work slightly over and get an extra $10 of overtime one day. there are 17,266 lifeguards working that year who also did the same, earning an extra $10 each. for that year, "taxpayers could have saved up to $172,668 in overtime". i work one day for 24 hours (the whole day). i earn $400 th...
- Tue May 03, 2011 5:36 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: A wave of conservatism?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1005
Re: A wave of conservatism
the back and forth looks more like coin flips than a pendulum to me
- Tue May 03, 2011 12:31 pm
- Forum: T2 Ideas Archive
- Topic: New Druid Spell
- Replies: 2
- Views: 25044
Re: New Druid Spell
rangers have natures blessing
- Tue May 03, 2011 12:05 am
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
i doubt it's a linear relationship. and there are probably threshold effects
- Mon May 02, 2011 2:23 am
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
looks like number of job seekers (applicants) per job opening (available positions) for the US labor market in total was around 1.1 in 2000, peaked at 6.1 in 2009 (in the UK, it got up to 10), and is now down to 4.4 as of february. so now i'm curious how many applicants the firefighter jobs had in 2...
- Sun May 01, 2011 4:30 am
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
please cite source for thousands of applications per job opening claim
- Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:26 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Oh those special interests.
- Replies: 127
- Views: 20612
Re: Oh those special interests.
Let me put it this way. Thousands of qualified applicants for every open position. The only conclusion any reasonable person can get from that is the district is offering a windfall salary. If the salary were more reasonable then you wouldn't have so many people fighting for those positions. It's l...
- Fri Apr 29, 2011 12:08 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: Personal Finance Software
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1558
Re: Personal Finance Software
google docs spreadsheets, mint.com
my favorite personal finance site which has more reviews of such tools: get rich slowly
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/ ... -programs/
my favorite personal finance site which has more reviews of such tools: get rich slowly
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/ ... -programs/
- Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:42 pm
- Forum: Current Events & Politics
- Topic: South Carolina Republicans do the right thing...
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1456
Re: South Carolina Republicans do the right thing...
april 12th 2011, as part of my state tax return, as required by law