Texsox

A maid asked for a pay increase. The wife was very upset about this and asked: "Now Maria, why do you want a pay increase?" Maria: "Well Señora, there are three reasons why I want an increase. The first is that I iron better than you." Wife: "Who said you iron better than me?" Maria: "Your husband said so." Wife: "Oh." Maria: "The second reason is that I am a better cook than you." Wife: "Nonsense, who said you were a better cook than me?" Maria: "Your husband did." Wife: "Oh." Maria: "My third reason is that I am a better lover than you." Wife (really furious now): "Did my husband say that as well?" Maria: "No Señora, the gardener did." SHE GOT THE RAISE

QUOTE (Jim Spencer @ May 4, 2008 -> 09:41 PM) Mullet here also I had a flat top with the sides down to my shoulders. Look pretty cool in 1988 A guy with a mullet told you that

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 5, 2008 -> 03:59 PM) Is it worth noting that the government spent about $20 million on a prototype test of the "Virtual Fence" and it flat out didn't work? Any sort of physical barrier, fails when we allow students, tourism, etc. We need a sane workable immigrant worker program tied to jobs, that allows American businesses to hire the workers we need.

So #1 son has $3,500 in a subsidized college loan that will not come due for at least three years, possibly five or six. He also has $6,000 in very liquid assets and I don't mean beer. Minimum I'm suggesting to him he needs a low risk vehicle to park $3,500 until graduation. Ideas? College is basically paid for. He will have some living expenses that his benefactor (me) might not pay for, so he needs to budget for that. He is looking for part time work, but we'll see how that develops.

How much? Quality top soil, or deeper stuff? Clay? Any construction waste tossed in? Why not just build a hill?

The laws the US government are trampling on, not just environmental, is a disgrace to every American who values their rights. Combine that with large campaign contributors receiving special exemptions, makes this a travesty of the tallest order. On the plus side, they are wasting money in my local economy, and fixing an aging levee system that only comes into play during hurricanes.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 5, 2008 -> 01:51 PM) Look up the difference in earning power for a student who finishes HS and one who finishes a 4 year degree. That is a direct result of a college education. Start multiplying those differences times what that person would pay in taxes over a lifetime on that additional income, and times that times the amount of students who would be hurt by a tax on education. I don't think it would even come close. Again, I said if it was shown there was a delta. And I think it should go both ways, there may be some Universities that deserve more of a tax break, or some public services to help them out. We agree there are benefits, I can't believe anyone would debate that point. We both know that future benefits do not pay current bills. If a town is going broke hiring extra cops, widening streets, bigger jails, whatever, ~~and~~ the University is phat in cash, then there needs to be some dialog. Certainly having the local tax base pay for the University doesn't seem totally fair. If they are not spending all the interest, a tax on the retained earnings would encourage them to spend it on education, perhaps more scholarships, etc. I don't think the principle should even be discussed. But the earnings maybe. BTW, I rejected the argument that because the student would be benefiting so much that slightly higher costs to the student would be worth it. Personally, especially attending a historically Hispanic University in a low income area, I know how much the slightest increase hurts. Currently at the University of Texas - Pan American a qualifying student living at home would have zero out of pocket expenses. Raise that even a little, and we'd have kids forced to drop out.

So the argument comes down to: I know the company has a posted policy against insuring these items, I shipped them anyways, and I want the companies policy reversed because it is unfair to me? Am I missing something? UPS and Federal Express seem to have the same policy for their standard shipments. It seems that no carrier actually insures these deliveries. Perhaps teams are able to buy special insurance. I know a number of eBay sellers use private insurance instead of the insurance that the post office provides. It arrives via the USPS, but it is insured through a thrid party. That is the same thing we did at one company I worked for. UPS only insured to $100, above that we bought private insurance for delivery, damage, theft, etc.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 5, 2008 -> 01:34 PM) But this isn't public funding we are talking about. These are PRIVATE donations to a university. Correct, so perhaps that is not the area to look to if it is decided that Universities need to increase their contribution to the tax base. But what portion of their income would not be considered private?

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ May 5, 2008 -> 01:37 PM) I see, you like to keep your candles up the other end, eh? I'm not judging, mind you. I know when I get to be as old as you, I'll probably take whatever I can get too. The gerbil is scared of the dark . . .

QUOTE (lostfan @ May 5, 2008 -> 02:18 PM) As opposed to quickly shot down and slow, or gradually shot down and fast? I saw that after I posted but was too lazy to go back and edit. I figured who reads my posts anyways, half the board has me on ignore.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ May 5, 2008 -> 02:15 PM) No, but right after thinking, I'd like to chew on a candle, I'm sure it would be just the thing. B) Having never chewed on a candle, I did not notice an analogy. Sometime you will have to tell us your candle chewing story

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 5, 2008 -> 01:05 PM) Why does something have to be done about it? Who is it hurting? In theory, it is the same debate that circles when public funding for sports stadiums, entertainment venues, etc. comes up. What are they costing the local communities versus what are they paying. Since we really have no objective evidence it is all a theoretical converstion at this point. I think if a local town or county could show that the University is costing this and is contributing this, and, there is a significant delta between the two, some dialogue should take place. Just like a business may negotiate for tax breaks, and some businesses accept additional taxes, dialogue isn't bad.

So a company has problems with a certain category of items. They decide to not cover those items in case they are lost/stolen/damaged. They add that to their terms of service. Someone ships those items and has a problem. They then follow their rules. Sorry, I find it hard to fault them. They should not have to be liable for any item someone decides to ship, especially if they took steps to protect themselves and notified their customers. You still may have a couple of avenues. I forget the original post. Did you ship this or was someone shipping it to you? I'd ask where you would have seen that information prior to shipping. It would seem unfair if it isn't posted somewhere easy to see. Here are prohibited items. If someone else shipped it to you, why are they not liable? Do they have any proof they really shipped it to you?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 5, 2008 -> 12:41 PM) So then, what is the alternative? Is it simply to allow these endowments to continue growing and locking up funds (in no small part thanks to their tax-advantaged status as it is) that they never spend? Well the purpose of an endowment is to spend the interest not the principle. Trust me, my employer was hurting for funds and more than a few people wanted to "borrow" from the endowment instead of the bank. That was quickly shot down and fast. Perhaps a tax on any retained interest income would be the sane thing to do. Encourage them to spend all of the interest each year, and offer some incentive to support local projects in the community that the local tax base otehrwise would have had to pay. I know my campus also patrols the neighborhoods around the campus. Parking violations are the #1 priority to keep the neighbors happy, but they do have the authority to arrest, write traffic tickets, etc.

First of all, if one kid plays violent video games 8 hours a day and the other reads Ginsberg, these kids are going to be influenced. If a parent tells a kid all day he's stupid, it will have an affect. To say that these games do not have an influence is ignoring decades of scientific research. Humans become desensitized to things. EMTs become accustomed to the smells and sounds of accidents. Soldiers become accustomed to violence and death.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ May 5, 2008 -> 12:40 PM) I work in the video bizness and I notice things that others might not...at the same time, that doesn't mean that it makes that much of a difference. It's a digital signal, and unless, like many others have said, the cable is too long (15ft is the average, but it depends on who makes it and how well it's made, some can make it up to 30 or 60 ft, if made correctly), the difference is going to be in your eye, not the cable. It is also an appreciation thing. I will buy a state of the art TV when my current set goes out. Until then, I am perfectly happy with my 27" Philips and my standard DVD player. I have friends with the latest, they are nice, but I'd rather have the cash right now.

QUOTE (shipps @ May 5, 2008 -> 12:34 PM) My grandfather has the same exact TV setup as I do but he has the cheaper cables,and I swear my picture is better than his on some of the HD channels. Swap cables and see if you notice a difference. People do vary in their sensory abilities. I have a pretty lousy ear, but make up for it by enjoying what is played on commercial radio. I can understand some people having sharper eye sight and noticing a difference.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ May 5, 2008 -> 11:47 AM) Tastes like someone put candlewax into a beer to me. It's all a mater of personal taste, but honey remains the one ingredient that I've never been a big fan of in my beers. Again, it isn't one I would think of right after thinking, I'd like a beer.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 5, 2008 -> 01:04 PM) And the alternative minimum tax was originally created to tax less than 100 families. The Illinois toll road was supposed to become a freeway after the original bonds financing it were retired. The income tax itself was supposed to only tax the richest of the rich. Taxes do not go away, nor do they ever stay only taxing the people they are intended to tax at the time they are instituted. Sorry, I don't buy it. History tells me different. That is the biggest glaring scare in all this. Even a good idea can grow into a problem. I see the danger if we begin chiseling away at the requirements. If, for example the law is written on endowments over $5,000,000,000, we may have only a handful today, but it will undoubtedly grow, or create a lot of endowments that plateau at $4,999,999,999. The chiseling would come in if they start reducing the endowment threshold or increasing the tax. Both are very real possibilities, as SS points out.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 5, 2008 -> 12:54 PM) I don't think he thought out his response. Just wanted to point out that GTA IV has no children in it's world... even though I know you've reached a much broader subject. I just think games should be policed the same way as movies. Perhaps. But maybe not. He was asking who draws the line and where. I'm trying to go step by step. Each one of us will probably hit a line where we know the game went too far. Today, it may be only a small percentage of our society, tomorrow maybe more. But at some point society will draw the line. And some people standing on the other side of the line will call the other group scum. But a line will be drawn.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ May 5, 2008 -> 12:47 PM) No. I don't think there can be. Really? Killing babies with graphic blood? Flying planes into towers? Animated sex with animals? Animated sex with kids? Torture of children, animals? None of those would be banned in your world?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 5, 2008 -> 12:38 PM) No, it's not. Child porn involves the video taping of sexual acts with a minor. GTA IV involves pushing buttons and watching a television. The comparison could not be further off and is ridiculous. Using child porn as an argument in any way against GTA IV is a goddamned joke. Do you believe there could be a video game created that should be banned?

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ May 5, 2008 -> 11:25 AM) So are you comparing video games to child porn? No. You asked who should decide and where the line should be drawn. I was offering some obvious areas that most people agree should be banned, where we do censor. You don't want to go there, and that's fine. Again, we elect people who also appoint people, and we do go there. We draw lines and declare things illegal. I think there could be games that push the boundaries to a point where they should not be available to adults as well. I doubt anyone would argue that any and all games, no matter the topic, should be allowed. So you too would agree there is a line. It's just who draws the line, and where.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ May 5, 2008 -> 10:01 AM) It's the parents job to make sure kids aren't playing the game. Jack Thompson isn't saying that though. He's saying that these games should be banned from the country. Saying that the makers of the game are responsible for murder. He wants everyone to follow his conservative Christian moral code. He's scum. Interesting no mention of tactics in this post.