Sweaty Penny posted:

When I looked up the figures, Chicago had 291 murders in the first seven months of 2008, while at least 5922 people were killed in Iraq during that time (sources: Chicago Tribune and Iraq Body Count). The 221 number was American soldiers killed in Iraq during the first seven months of the year, so the original email author doesn't count non-American soldiers in Iraq as deaths.

angrytech posted:

Wait... Code Pink? Really?

ShiftyEyedRaccoon posted:

Found this one on Facebook this morning:


I pointed out that was making a number of bad assumptions including:

1.) That the companies would use the money they saved to hire new workers.

2.) That they would hire workers at anywhere near $70,000 per year

3.) That all the cost of regulations is shifted onto households.

4.) That the report is any way accurate (I only read the page he referenced).


He just deleted my response without comment, though. Do I get points for trying?

Facebook Co-worker posted:

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods --merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse ...t...hat, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? (Even most Hallmark products are made in China.) Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificate from your local American hair salon or barber? Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

XyloJW posted:

Honestly, if possible, support local restaurants. Mom & pop restaurants can be a fun experience, add to your local culture, and any proceeds they have are going to be spent in your town, which leads to more tax revenue for your town, which means your town has better facilities. I live in a town with a 'protected' downtown, where only local restaurants can be run (they don't allow chains). Because of that, it's become a thriving center for local art and culture, with frequent festivals and awesome experiences. We even have locally-owned fast-food.

Sarion posted:

We eat at locally owned places too, but most of ours are garbage, unless you have a thing for overcooked, greasy southern food. But my point was that chains, franchise or not, still employee a lot of local people. Its not like TGIF is going to outsource their wait or cook staff to India.

the yellow dart posted:

You are not looking very hard if that is all you can find in NOVA. If you even bother going to Annandale you'll find a million good Korean restaurants, and the rest of the area has more than enough local flavor. My experience is primarily with Springfield though, ymmv.

the yellow dart posted:

I believe where I come from we call that the boonies

BrotherAdso posted:

Yeah, unless you're right near Dumfries or something that's kinda the middle of nowhere. Springfield/Alexandria/ArlingtonFalls Church are pretty diverse and localized as far as small markets/local food and businesses goes. You do have to get away from the interstate exits and/or the big state routes to find them sometimes, though.

My Aunt posted:

A MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI , JACKSON , MS ...


SITUATION...
While driving on a rural end of the roadway on Thursday morning, I saw
an infant car seat on the side of the road with a blanket draped over it.
For whatever reason, I did not stop, even though I had all kinds of
thoughts running through my head. But when I got to my destination, I
called the Canton PD and they were going to check it out. But, this is
what the Police advised even before they went out there to check....

"There are several things to be aware of ... gangs and thieves are now
plotting different ways to get a person (mostly women) to stop their
vehicle and get out of the car.

"There is a gang initiation reported by the local Police Department
where gangs are placing a car seat by the road...with a fake baby in
it...waiting for a woman, of course, to stop and check on the abandoned
baby.

"Note that the location of this car seat is usually beside a wooded or
grassy (field) area and the person -- woman -- will be dragged into the
woods, beaten and raped, and usually left for dead. If it's a man,
they're usually beaten and robbed and maybe left for dead, too.

DO NOT STOP FOR ANY REASON!!! DIAL 9-1-1 AND REPORT WHAT YOU SAW, BUT DON 'T EVEN SLOW DOWN.

"IF YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND EGGS ARE THROWN AT YOUR WINDSHIELD, DO
NOT STOP TO CHECK THE CAR, DO NOT OPERATE THE WIPER AND DO NOT SPRAY ANY
WATER BECAUSE EGGS MIX ED WITH WATER BECOME MILKY AND BLOCK YOUR VISION UP TO 92.5%, AND YOU ARE THEN FORC ED TO STOP BESIDE THE ROAD AND BECOME A VICTIM OF THESE CRIMINALS.

THIS IS A NEW TECHNIQUE US ED BY GANGS, SO PLEASE INFORM YOUR FRIENDS
AND RELATIVES.

THESE ARE DESPERATE TIMES AND THESE ARE UNSAVORY INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL
TAKE DESPERATE MEASURES TO GET WHAT THEY WANT."

Please talk to your loved ones about this. This is a new tactic used. Please be safe.

Get started NOW -- SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND LOV ED ONES
TO BE CAREFUL AND AWARE OF EVERYTHING AROUND THEM SO AS NOT TO BECOME A VICTIM.

WARNING # 2



Some knew about the red light on cars, but not the 112.
It was about 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend. An UNMARK ED police car pulled up behind her and put his lights on. Lauren's parents have always told her never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather to wait until they get to a gas station, etc.

Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly called112 on her cell phone to tell the police dispatcher that she would not pull over right away. She proceeded to tell the dispatcher that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing red light on his rooftop behind her. The dispatcher checked to see if there were police cars where she was and there weren't, and he told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back up already on the way.

Ten minutes later 4 cop cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground. The man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.

I never knew about the 112 Cell Phone feature, but especially for a woman alone in a car, you should not pull over for an unmarked car. Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a safe place.


*Speaking to a service representative at Bell Mobility confirmed that 112 was a direct link to State trooper info. So, now it's your turn to let your friends know about 112.

You may want to send this to every woman (and man) you know; it may save a life.

This applies to ALL 50 states

PLEASE PASS ALONG TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY, IT CAN SAVE A LIFE....

The College Conservative posted:

My Time at Walmart: Why We Need Serious Welfare Reform
December 13, 2011 By crousselle 1,780 Comments

During the 2010 and 2011 summers, I was a cashier at Wal-Mart #1788 in Scarborough, Maine. I spent hours upon hours toiling away at a register, scanning, bagging, and dealing with questionable clientele. These were all expected parts of the job, and I was okay with it. What I didn’t expect to be part of my job at Wal-Mart was to witness massive amounts of welfare fraud and abuse. I did laugh at the bell pepper one though, is the author trying to imply that bell peppers are something other than food?

I understand that sometimes, people are destitute. They need help, and they accept help from the state in order to feed their families. This is fine. It happens. I’m not against temporary aid helping those who truly need it. What I saw at Wal-Mart, however, was not temporary aid. I witnessed generations of families all relying on the state to buy food and other items. I literally witnessed small children asking their mothers if they could borrow their EBT cards. I once had a man show me his welfare card for an ID to buy alcohol. The man was from Massachusetts. Governor Michael Dukakis’ signature was on his welfare card. Dukakis’ last gubernatorial term ended in January of 1991. I was born in June of 1991. The man had been on welfare my entire life. That’s not how welfare was intended, but sadly, it is what it has become.

Other things witnessed while working as a cashier included:

a) People ignoring me on their iPhones while the state paid for their food. (For those of you keeping score at home, an iPhone is at least $200, and requires a data package of at least $25 a month. If a person can spend $25+ a month so they can watch YouTube 24/7, I don’t see why they can’t spend that money on food.)

b) People using TANF (EBT Cash) money to buy such necessities such as earrings, kitkat bars, beer, WWE figurines, and, my personal favorite, a slip n’ slide. TANF money does not have restrictions like food stamps on what can be bought with it.

c) Extravagant purchases made with food stamps; including, but not limited to: steaks, lobsters, and giant birthday cakes.

d) A man who ran a hotdog stand on the pier in Portland, Maine used to come through my line. He would always discuss his hotdog stand and encourage me to “come visit him for lunch some day.” What would he buy? Hotdogs, buns, mustard, ketchup, etc. How would he pay for it? Food stamps. Either that man really likes hotdogs, or the state is paying for his business. Not okay.

The thing that disturbed me more than simple cases of fraud/abuse was the entitled nature of many of my customers. One time, a package of bell peppers did not ring up as food in the computer. After the woman swiped her EBT card, it showed a balance that equaled the cost of the peppers. The woman asked what the charge was, and a quick glance at the register screen showed that the peppers did not ring up as food. (Food items had the letter ‘F’ next to their description.) The woman immediately began yelling at me, saying that, “It’s food! You eat it!”

This wasn’t the only time things like this happened: if a person’s EBT balance was less than they thought it would be, or if their cards were declined, it was somehow my fault. I understand the situation is stressful, but a person should be knowledgeable about how much money is in their account prior to going grocery shopping. EBT totals are printed on receipts, and every cell phone has a calculator function. There’s no excuse, and there’s no reason to yell at the cashier for it.

The worst thing I ever saw at Wal-Mart Scarborough was two women and their children. These women each had multiple carts full of items, and each began loading them at the same time (this should have been a tip-off to their intelligence levels). The first woman, henceforth known as Welfare Queen #1, paid for about $400 worth of food with food stamps. The majority of her food was void of any nutritional value. She then pulled out an entire month’s worth of WIC (Women, Infants, and Children program) checks. I do not mind people paying with WIC, but the woman had virtually none of the correct items. WIC gives each participating mother a book containing actual images of items for which a person can and cannot redeem the voucher. This woman literally failed at image comprehension.

After redeeming 10+ WIC checks, Welfare Queen #1 had me adjust the prices of several items she was buying (Wal-Mart’s policy is to just adjust the price of the item without question if it’s within a dollar or two). She then pulled out a vacuum cleaner, and informed me that the cost of the vacuum was $3.48 because, “that’s what it’s labeled as.” The vacuum cleaner was next to a stack of crates that were $3.48. Somehow, every other customer was able to discern that the vacuum cleaner was not $3.48, but Welfare Queen #1 and her friend Welfare Queen #2 were fooled. Welfare Queen #2 informed me that she used to work for Wal-Mart, and that the “laws of Wal-Mart legally said” that I would have to sell her the vacuum for $3.48. After contacting my manager, who went off to find the proper vacuum price, Welfare Queen #1 remarked that it must be tough to stand on a mat all day and be a cashier. I looked at her, smiled, shrugged, and said, “Well, it’s a job.” She was speechless. After they finally admitted defeat, (not before Welfare Queen #2 realizing she didn’t have enough money to buy all of the food she had picked out, resulting in the waste of about $200 worth of products) the two women left about an hour and a half after they arrived at my register. The next man in line said that the two women reminded him of buying steel drums and cement. I said I was reminded why I vote Republican.

Maine has a problem with welfare spending. Maine has some of the highest rates in the nation for food stamp enrollment, Medicaid, and TANF. Nearly 30% of the state is on some form of welfare. Maine is the only state in the nation to rank in the top two for all three categories. This is peculiar, as Maine’s poverty rate isn’t even close to being the highest in the nation. The system in Maine is far easier to get into than in other states, and it encourages dependency. When a person makes over the limit for benefits, they lose all benefits completely. There is no time limit and no motivation to actually get back to work. Furthermore, spending on welfare has increased dramatically, but there has been no reduction of the poverty rate. Something is going terribly wrong, and the things I saw at work were indicators of a much larger problem. Something must change before the state runs out of money funding welfare programs.

Enjoy posted:

Perfectly rational behaviour. Conservatives simply derive more utility from annoying liberals than from having functioning lights.

Facebook friend posted:

I feel like I've said most of this stuff myself already. But at least if this list is coming from a teacher, it should lend some more credibility to it than me saying it.

Lies my union told me posted:

Thank you for the overwhelming response to last week’s newsletter. I feel like it’s time to address some of the repeated comments I hear when talking with people about the teachers’ unions. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many who agree with my opinions; however, I find that those who disagree with me give me the same five talking-points, over and over. Those tiresome talking-points (and my response to them) will be the focus of this week’s newsletter.

Here we go!

Without unions, teachers would be paid $10 an hour.

Not sure where this came from, but to think that teachers would make $10 per hour is ridiculous. Think about this for a moment: If districts offer teachers a poor salary then good teachers will not work in that district. If good teachers do not teach in that district then the schools will perform poorly. If schools fail then taxpayers and businesses will not want to remain in that town. The low-pay hypothesis is just another scare tactic from the union. Simply look up the salaries of teachers who work in right-to-work states. They make a lot more than $10 per hour.

Without unions, teachers would have poor working conditions.

If teachers have poor working conditions then students have poor learning conditions. Do you honestly believe parents would tolerate that? What about the failing schools that DO have poor learning and working conditions? What are the unions doing with their millions of dollars to help those schools and their students? Again, another scare-tactic by the unions to justify the millions they extort from their members every year. Have you heard anything about teachers’ unions fighting for nicer buildings? Better school supplies? Nicer desks and chairs for students? Huh. Me neither.

Charter schools/choice schools take money away from public education.

Ya, they do. State per-pupil grant money follows the student to the choice school and comes from the local public school budget. If a public school has one less child to educate, why should they still receive money for that child? I am wondering if the problem unions have with charter/choice schools is that they are filled with teachers who do not pay union dues. Let’s be honest: If we were doing a stellar job in our schools we might have a moral leg to stand on, but we are not and it is time to allow children and parents a choice to attend any school that may offer a better education. Why should children be forced to stay in a failing school just because it keeps money in the unions’ pocket? I don’t think it’s the job of the taxpayer to keep the teachers’ union in business.

Scott Walker never said that he would “strip collective bargaining rights.”

Yes he did and the union knows it. The chart below was in the WEAC newsletter AND on its website PRIOR to Gov. Walker ever taking office. They knew exactly what was coming down the pike and they chose not to listen.
Let’s not mince words here, WEAC. You are trying to say that this recall is about “rights,” but you and I both know that it is about the line in Act 10 that states public employees now have a choice to join the union or not. Imagine that? A choice! Please, enough with the “we did not know” and “Walker lied” nonsense. Walker told everyone how he was going to take on the union stranglehold in this state; why do you think I voted for him? Just as an FYI, collective bargaining is a “privilege” and not a “human right.” There is nothing in the constitution that guarantees rights to collectively bargain against the taxpayers.

Teachers who do not like the unions should stop reaping the benefits from collective bargaining and go work for a private school.

Hmmm, this is probably my favorite response from union supporters. First, I don’t want the union collectively bargaining for me. Allow me to be paid based on my merits. If I don’t do a good job then I should not be paid as much as someone who does, and if I do a great job, I should be rewarded for it. Why should I have to go teach in a private school? Although private schools are a great choice for students, parents and educators, do you really think that the only good teachers in a school are the ones that toe the union line? I went to school to be an English teacher. I do not remember ever taking a course titled “being a good union soldier.” Maybe, instead of telling me to “go away,” the union should do a better job convincing us that it brings something worthwhile to the table. Maybe they need to work harder to make sure teachers like me do not get fed up and start writing newsletters to expose their destruction of public education. I should be allowed to work in any school where I am valued and do what is right for students.

There you have it. I tried to be as short and sweet as possible to keep your reading time down to a minimum. Hopefully, I have shared some counter talking-points that we can use to help keep the focus of education where it belongs: On the kids!

Please feel free to contact me with ideas, people to add to my list or any other feedback. Join my Facebook page here.

Kristi Lacroix
Kenosha teacher
Forced WEAC fee payer

Nth Doctor posted:

I'm loving shocked that something approaching actual dialogue happened, and didn't end with ad hominems against each other.

De Nomolos posted:

Sarion posted:

Much more surprising is when someone from the AEI writes an opinion piece about why Conservatives should embrace Obamacare.

the article posted:

Social conservatives’ hostility to the health care act is a natural corollary to their broader agenda of controlling women’s bodies. These are not the objections of traditional “conservatives,” but of agitators for prying, invasive government — the very things they project, erroneously, onto the workings of the president’s plan. Decrying the legislation for interfering in the doctor-patient relationship, while seeking to pass grossly intrusive laws involving the OB-GYN-patient relationship, is one of the more bizarre disconnects in American politics.

quote:

."I have to say something and I don't care what people may think about it because no matter how you slice it, it's just wrong. Before the attacks on Libya, American citizens begged for added security. Denied. During the attack they begged for salvation. Denied. The president now has the blood of four innocent Americans on his hands and what did he do? Denied he knew about it and partied with Beyonce. Meanwhile, the ambassador was being beaten to death and dragged through the streets like an animal. They begged for help, and our government turned away. Families have been changed forever. This is THE single most sad and disgraceful thing. I am ashamed of my president."-Katie Garbarino

Boondock Saint posted:

As a fellow gun owner, you handled that poo poo far better than I would have. Is that guy normally that obtuse about things?

Sarion posted:

Plus, it seems like arming everyone would lead to escalation. Everybody's got a gun, so body armor becomes more common. And if I want to rob a store, I'm going to make sure there's three or four of us. Two carry out the robbery, and the other to walk the store like a customer and watch for would-be heroes.

And god forbid you're the unlucky cop to show up at a shooting to find five people with guns and have to sort out who is good and who is bad.

Grem posted:

Idiot coworker. Dear God, help me destroy these useless comparisons.

gently caress it, I just unsubscribed, I can't even begin to parse what points he's trying to make.

karthun posted:

Too bad the only regulation that anyone is interested in is on bayonet lugs, flash suppressors, pistol grips, detachable magazines, under-barrel mounts and collapsible stocks.

karthun posted:

A 6 inch minimum barrel length for pistols would do far more to end gun violence then a new AWB. And I think you could get it through the NRA if you were to reopen up the NFA registry.

Knight posted:

Someday I hope we can track chain-letters and forwarded nonsense and see where it was shared, where it was altered, and where it originated, because I think those would be incredibly interesting data points. Are there people who edit every chain letter they come across, to keep them current or make them more likely to be shared? Is there a cabal of seventy-year old men pumping these out by committee? Or is it just one mentally-ill person who writes them in a drug-induced frenzy and loses all knowledge of them after they hit the SEND button? Why do they intentionally attach celebrity or academic's names to them, when it is not only untrue, but there is no clear connection between the person and those issues?

The world may never know...

CowHammer posted:

Got this posted by a relative:

http://www.personhoodinitiative.com/ectopic-personhood.html

Hey, you might survive an ectopic pregnancy! Guess that settles it. _{Yes, it will almost certainly rupture and if you don't get to a hospital immediately, you will die. Also, if you do survive, you will be unlikely to ever be able to carry again and if you had aborted it, that wouldn't be an issue. Oh and if it somehow manages to make it to 28 weeks without rupturing your tubes, it has a mortality rate of around 50% within the first week. Good luck!}

facebook youth pastor posted:

I just find it funny that mentioning the fact that one might be praying for another is politically incorrect until something catastrophic and tragic happens, then everyone wants to turn to prayer... If we would submerge our lives in prayer, yes bad things will continue to happen, but just maybe God would begin again to show mercy on us as people and to our nation. Look, say what you want but if you can't see the fact that the more corrupt and jacked up our country gets and all the sudden we are experiencing historical rise in devastating natural disasters, if you can't put the two together, quoting a man from back in the day, "I pity the fool." People better wake up, everyone always wants to say, where is God in these situations and blame Him for what they feel is His absence. My question is where are you, where you at that God owes so much to you and yours? That's the beauty of it though. He owes us nothing, He paid a price we can't pay back. We owe Him yet He still meets us where we're at and loves us for who we are. All he wants is a relationship with us, some communication. So where you at? Bump the legalism and just call on God in the name of His Son Jesus and find out first hand what He's capable of. "Not a sermon, just a thought."

RagnarokAngel posted:

Yeah conservatives actually really hate bailouts too and believe in complete free market darwinism, so you won't get far with that angle. Particularly since OBUMMER is the one who handed them out.

Ferroque posted:

Holy hell I honestly don't even know if we speak the same language. Discussion about some Putin quote about "lack of culture and primitive ways" of minorities turned into this.

code:

And the best get fabulously rich- by right- by justice- for the good of us all.

seiferguy posted:

A friend of mine in his 50s just posted this entitlement hit piece against millenials:

http://www.waitbutwhy.com/2013/09/why-generation-y-yuppies-are-unhappy.html?m=1

Long story short: we aren't special and we're entitled pricks who need to man up, or something.

Comment from the article posted:

Yes, well, that may all be true. But the other really REALLY relevant thing about Gypsies vs. Boomers vs. the Greatest Gen is the job market, and the economy, and the price of education.

Let's say Lucy decides she'll try a lawn without flowers in someplace like Cleveland and see where it gets her. Okay.

Back when her parents and grandparents were growing up, you could go to a public college for the equivalent of $3000-$5000 in 2013 dollars per year, and get a degree and be more or less guaranteed a white-collar job with health insurance. If you couldn't cut college, well, a lot of people could still find a blue collar job in a strong manufacturing industry like steel or automobiles. Cleveland had lots of steel and automobile jobs, great! And labor unions were pretty strong in those industries, so you still had health insurance, and in fact, you probably made the equivalent of $50,000 or $60,000 in 2013 dollars annually.

... and really, do I have to go any farther with this? A college education for $10,000-$20,000 total. Not per year. Not per semester. TOTAL. A blue-collar job in heavy industry that bring home $50,000 annually, and has health insurance and retirement. That was 1985. Do I really have to spell out how that's different from 2013, and how that could be impacting Lucy's current happiness quotient, regardless of her expectations or upbringing?