Y2HH

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 4, 2012 -> 10:29 AM) Except for the obvious fact that tax revenues as a share of GDP are at or near their lowest levels in 60+ years (that's before Medicare, I note), which completely undermines this statement. I'll even go to Heritage: The deficit is, therefore, at least 1/2 a tax problem. Going from the 14% of GDP collected in taxes in 2010 back to the ~18% ish long term average would cut the annual deficit in half. Goinig slightly above that to acknowledge the fact that we're going to deal with an increase in the retirement rate for the next 30 years would remove it even more. Of course, this is all based on the incorrect assumption that this is a problem. I think it's safe to say that both spending and low taxation is a problem.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Sep 4, 2012 -> 10:14 AM) why do you get to just remove expenditures to make someone look better? can we remove Obama's bailout then as well and compare the numbers? A few things... Don't misconstrue what I'm saying, I'm just pointing out that you're statement is based entirely on a ONE time payment by the previous administration. I take issue with this because you're including a mitigating circumstance to GW's spending, when if GW hadn't spent it, Obama would have had too anyway, and then the "other team" would be saying how much he increased spending, and they'd be doing so unfairly, too. It's a twisting of reality to come to the conclusion YOU want. Base it on any year other than the year TARP was included and the numbers don't hold up. I have no issues with what Obama is spending, he's doing the right thing. In times of trouble, this is exactly what the government is supposed to do. But when times get better, they are supposed to draw back and pay off what they borrowed...not maintain the debt, but pay it off...we just don't bother with this step.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 4, 2012 -> 09:59 AM) 3 points. 1: Something like $80 billion of that interest was paid out to the federal reserve, which pays it back to the treasury. 2: The numbers sound big, but as a fraction of the economy, the interest on the national debt is hanging out close to recent historic lows. (The increase at the end assumes that the government continues running substantial deficits and interest rates increase following the CBO baseline scenario projections. 2011 came in substantially below that projection and 2012 is likely there as well). 3. It's actually $400 billion in interest payments/year right now. 1) But do they actually? And borrowing off of yourself, and charging yourself interest is just about the most bastardized idea of all time. 2) The numbers sound big because they are big. Interest is historically low, so of course the interest on the debt is historically low. But how long will interest payments remain low? Forever? Because that's what it's going to take. 3) That's insane...and it will only get worse.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Sep 4, 2012 -> 10:00 AM) you know, it's funny. i posted an example of WHY democrats support the things they do. I talked about what I think should be done, and instead of any of the GOP'ers present viable alternative options, they just flame away. Why? because they don't actually HAVE alternative options. they just like to yell and scream about communist obama who spent the most of any president ever....oh.... wait... what? he increased spending LESS than any president in the last 60 years? DAMN YOU FACTS!!! This is a ... I'd call it a misrepresentation of reality. A bastardization, if you will. This "increase" is based on adding the one time TARP spending by GW Bush. If you remove that one time TARP, it's just not true. I wish people would stop repeating this, because it's a silly bending of reality. Yes, it's true Obama increased spending LESS than any other president IF -- and ONLY IF -- you INCLUDE the one time TARP payment in the LAST year of GW's reign. If you remove that one time payment, like I said...the numbers fall apart. TL;DR: Stop repeating that. It's a bending of the truth and reality based on adding a one time TARP payment to GW's spending, and only including what GW spent in his final year, not every year preceding it.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 4, 2012 -> 08:00 AM) Any year now! My previous post also applies to you.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 4, 2012 -> 07:49 AM) How many years in a row will you make this prediction? Just wait until the sun expands to a red giant stage, then we'll all be in trouble! It's not a very bold prediction if you'd like to actually stop being ignorant about it. The CBO reported in 2009 we ALREADY pay $187 billion in interest alone. That was in 2009. It's well over 200billion a year just in interest payments now. While 1 trillion is a bit off...is not all that far off.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 31, 2012 -> 12:40 PM) ezra klein on Ryan's "not-very-truthful speech" emphasis mine. maybe this is what will finally wake the media as a whole up from their dumb "he said, she said, both sides!" insistence on "balance" over objectivity. AKA -- I'm fair to MY side because MY side is right, and YOUR side is not. Issue is, they're the SAME side disguised to look like different sides. Obama has been nothing short of 4 more years of GW. I'm somewhat surprised nobody sees it...but that's probably because they don't want too.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 30, 2012 -> 12:05 PM) You ask: why should teachers have more protections than I do, where I can be fired today without notice and without compensation? I ask: why shouldn't you have the same protections that teachers have so that you can't be fired today without notice and without compensation? Because nobody that sucks at their job should have such protections is the answer you seek.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Aug 30, 2012 -> 10:41 AM) Republicans lying??? Is this real life? ^^ sarcasm ^^ You say this as if Democrats don't lie, too. And yes, they lie just as much.

QUOTE (SOXOBAMA @ Aug 30, 2012 -> 10:00 AM) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/f...kusaolp00000009 Republicans are all about lies... Its good to see that even Fox News is calling Ryan a liar Let me fix this for you. All of them are all about lies. It's time to wake up.

QUOTE (kev211 @ Aug 28, 2012 -> 07:39 PM) I'm in the market for a 1TB external hard drive.... Price isn't an issue, any suggestions? To do what, exactly?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Aug 27, 2012 -> 11:09 AM) And after finally ripping my linksys wireless N router out of the wall and smashing it in the street I bit the bullet and bought an airport extreme. This thing better not hang like that piece of s*** did (ive been told it wont) The airport extreme is nice, especially if you have a newer model mac. My iMAC connects wireless N via 3 antennas/channels at the same time, giving it 450mbit. That's pretty fast wireless. ;D

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 26, 2012 -> 12:38 PM) The goal of patents is not to allow a company infinite revenue every time it gets a good idea, it is to allow them a sufficient reward to make the invention effort worth it. Thus, you didn't actually demonstrate what you think you did. Apple has gotten a substantial reward in terms of sales for everything they've brought to the market. The question is...should it be able to use government intervention to make sure that no one else can step into that market? I demonstrated exactly what I think I did. If Samsung wanted to use those patented design ideas, they should have paid a royalty for them, which would have been the sufficient reward making the invention effort worth it. Samsung didn't bother coming up with much of their own, they just took it from everyone else. How does that reward Apple? No different than Apple, who should have paid a royalty to Nokia, and refused to do so, and then lost 600Million dollars to Nokia. If Nokia had some patented ideas that Apple decided to use for free (which they did), that's not giving Nokia the sufficient reward they're entitled too. Just because Apple made billions off of their patented inventions, doesn't mean other companies should be able to steal them for free, too. Which is pretty much exactly what you're saying here.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Aug 26, 2012 -> 02:17 AM) Before I left for a party, I thought it'd be funny if Flowers bit the Mariners in the ass. Seems like it worked out that way. The AJ explosion and Robin argument were epic. I was at the game, and when AJ was ejected and Flowers came out, I said to my wife, I bet Flowers beats them now... Of course, it was just a guess, but it seemed meant to be when it all went down.

QUOTE (zenryan @ Aug 26, 2012 -> 09:25 AM) Only thing bad about his rant is how he kept repeating the same words over and over. I guess when the talentless hack isnt reading from a script, he cant come up with good material. His ego has turned himself into a character. I think you're lost...you should be 8.6 miles north of here. (Edit: Was meant to be green, btw. )

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 25, 2012 -> 08:22 PM) Has Samsungs infringement on Apples patents prevented Apple from getting a suitable reward for their innovations? Quite possibly, yes. Every person that buys a Samsung phone did not buy an Apple phone. Wow...that was pretty easy to demonstrate. Especially considering Samsung walked away from negotiations that would have allowed them to license these design ideas. Patents are a good idea, but the way the American patent system has shifted into patenting broad/general ideas is troubling. That said, and do note, a lot of phones have pinch to zoom, etc...and only Samsung is being sued. Most companies entered a cross licensing agreement with Apple on these patents, and other patents. Apple/Microsoft/Nokia have a complete cross licensing agreement in place now. Also, note that while Apple is the one firing nukes now, they aren't the ones that started the patent wars. People seem to forget the 600 Million Apple lost to Nokia not long ago (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/nokia-likely-netted-600-million-plus-in-apple-patent-settlement/50590). While the media coverage of the very popular Apple brand/lawsuits dominates, let's keep in mind that they're ALL suing each other.

I'm not Hawk hater...as a matter of fact, I love the idea of having a "fan" call our games. I was at the game last night, so I had to see replays in order to see what was going on, but Hawk told the truth, and punishing a broadcaster for telling the truth is stupid. 1) Hawk was right. 2) See 1.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Aug 24, 2012 -> 07:32 PM) I havent followed at all, I know Samsung split with Apple in Korea. Id have to imagine Samsung will appeal. They will, just to prolong it. More often than not, appealing these decisions results in even higher damages...I think this was a terrible decision by Samsung from the get go. They should have just settled with Apple and/or did a cross licensing agreement and paid a small royalty if it came to that. I know this was discussed between Apple and Samsung for years before any of the lawsuits occurred. Apple buys over 3 billion dollars worth of Samsung components every quarter (yes, BILLION)...that's around 12 billion a year in revenue from ONE customer. Since this mess started, Apple...their BIGGEST customer has been looking elsewhere for components. A win or a loss results in a loss for Samsung in this case...which is why I say it was an ill advised choice from the start. They'd have been better off paying Apple a minor royalty instead of not only potentially losing the case (which ended up happening), but losing Apples business. Samsung will be lucky if Apple is still a customer of theirs at all in a year or two, considering how much business they've been giving to LG, Sharp, and other Samsung competitors in place of buying from Samsung in the past year. Even if Samsung somehow wins the appeal, which they probably won't, they're looking at losing upwards of 14 billion dollars worth of revenue a year. This was simply stupid.

Oh, also of note, this kind of thing is just as bad as Obama's campaign basically accusing Romney of killing a woman who had cancer 5 years after her husband was let go at Bain... It's f***ing pathetic. I hate what this countries candidates have been turned into by the media...and by themselves and their s***ty party affiliations. Politics sucks.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 24, 2012 -> 01:52 PM) Mitt Romney's making birther charges and welfare queen attacks. Sweet, a full-on race-baiting campaign. Watched, that video mentioned nothing of welfare queens, and the throwaway joke about a birth certificate? Really? Obama's made jokes such as that one on his own. This is the problem with all of this rhetoric...people can twist it however they want, or take it however they want. Where you see a race-baiting campaign...I just don't. I see two rather craptastic candidates slinging mud back and forth like children. But I guess that's because that's what you want to see.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 24, 2012 -> 11:37 AM) This was covered when the story originally happened. He can be held indefinitely. As a whole, their penal system is a whole hell of a lot better than ours, but that's not exactly a high hurdle to clear. It's sort of similar to "21 years to life," except the default position is parole instead of continued detention. Someone who lives in Sweden that posted the story on another board described it this way: The sentence is 21 years (the maximum possible in Norway) followed by "Forvaring" - periodically reassessed, but indefinite, detention Can be and will be are not necessarily the same.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 24, 2012 -> 08:55 AM) The Republican party just adopted a Personhood amendment into their party platform. They're in completely agreement on abortion. Again, what they adopted or believe is NOT the same as what Akin said, at all.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 24, 2012 -> 08:27 AM) Remember when some dumb woman carved a "B" on her face and claimed she was assaulted by pro-Obama blacks (probably New Black Panthers!)? Both sides! Do you always have to point out that there are dumb asses on the other side, too, as if everyone didn't already know that? Does this somehow justify the existence of them on the side you like or something? I don't understand this mentality.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Aug 23, 2012 -> 10:35 PM) I don't know what else you could see me talking about... Akin said it like a complete dumbass and invented his own version of biology, but aside from that, what he said with regards to abortion and rape is basically part of the GOP platform and has been for as long as I can remember. What Akin said, and what a majority of the GOP (not all of them) believe are completely different things. That's like lumping all Democrats in the same boat as Nancy Pelosi. They're not all the same.