This gig wasn't organized by the Obama campaign, but by a "virtual event and promotions" company. Do you think Obama's handlers have any idea that he might be ambushed by e-penises?
This gig wasn't organized by the Obama campaign, but by a "virtual event and promotions" company. Do you think Obama's handlers have any idea that he might be ambushed by e-penises?
Reader Comments (64)
Posted: Mar 30th 2007 7:22PM rowd149 said
*Roger Rees
Bullshit. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. I agree, the west has been a target for al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations for years, but attacking Americans in America has, obviously, only bben part of their goal. If it was their MAIN goal, wouldn't they have done the smart thing, and perpetrated dozens of small attacks over a number of years rather than one large, go-for-broke attack that would do nothing but provoke American aggression and cause their enemies to make it even HARDER for attacks to be carried out? That's what I thought.
As for Iraq, there was NOTHING that justified us going over there related to terrorism. al Qaeda, if it is indeed them, only showed up there after we attacked. So why are we there? Oil. Vengeance. We didn't get them the first time, and the coming oil crisis mandated that we start claiming resources now. However, the American people never would have gone for that. So, why are we going there? THE TERRORISTS, OF COURSE. CUZ THERI GUNNA USE THEIR WMDS ON US. Right. No, it's because of the oil deal that just got penned that gives American companies the highest percentage of profits from Iraqi oil. Bush wasn't being arrogant when he got on that carrier and gave a speech under a banner that said "Mission Accomplished." For him, it was.
Bullshit. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. I agree, the west has been a target for al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations for years, but attacking Americans in America has, obviously, only bben part of their goal. If it was their MAIN goal, wouldn't they have done the smart thing, and perpetrated dozens of small attacks over a number of years rather than one large, go-for-broke attack that would do nothing but provoke American aggression and cause their enemies to make it even HARDER for attacks to be carried out? That's what I thought.
As for Iraq, there was NOTHING that justified us going over there related to terrorism. al Qaeda, if it is indeed them, only showed up there after we attacked. So why are we there? Oil. Vengeance. We didn't get them the first time, and the coming oil crisis mandated that we start claiming resources now. However, the American people never would have gone for that. So, why are we going there? THE TERRORISTS, OF COURSE. CUZ THERI GUNNA USE THEIR WMDS ON US. Right. No, it's because of the oil deal that just got penned that gives American companies the highest percentage of profits from Iraqi oil. Bush wasn't being arrogant when he got on that carrier and gave a speech under a banner that said "Mission Accomplished." For him, it was.
Posted: Mar 30th 2007 7:33PM Captain Obvious said
@rowd149
"wouldn't they have done the smart thing"
They're terrorist. Rationality is not their purpose.
Okay, you believe there was nothing to justify us going over there. For the sake of argument, I'll agree that there was no justification. How do we fix the situation?
"wouldn't they have done the smart thing"
They're terrorist. Rationality is not their purpose.
Okay, you believe there was nothing to justify us going over there. For the sake of argument, I'll agree that there was no justification. How do we fix the situation?
Posted: Mar 30th 2007 8:17PM (Unverified) said
It's a pity the future's practically ineveitable.
As a side note, a two party system is farcical...
As a side note, a two party system is farcical...
Posted: Mar 30th 2007 8:09PM (Unverified) said
@sheppy
There is nothing wrong with this country that needs the kind of "fixes" you aim to provide.
You complain that we're ALLOWING companies to outsource, ALLOWING the rich to get richer...welcome to America sheppy! It's called capitalism. It works. We're not supposed to tell companies how to do business or tell people how and what to do with their money. If that's what you want, there are other countries who would be glad to take you in. By all means, go.
Unaffordable healthcare? Who's fault is that? We don't need more government involvement in healthcare, we need less! Why is it that the price of plastic surgery and procedures like Lasik surgery keep coming down in price? Because they're NOT covered by insurance and so there is incentive for doctors to keep lowering their prices so more and more people can afford it. You bring in government control, more than it already is, and there goes every incentive right out the window! Not only will prices remain high, the service will deteriorate and you'll bankrupt the country.
The problem with education isn't the amount of money we spend. Teachers make fine money. The average salary of an LAUSD teacher is $46K...that's with short days, summer's off and extended holiday breaks. If they actually worked a full year like everyone else they'd be making more money. Even looking past salaries, education funding in L.A. is something like $13K per student per year. That's MORE than enough to educate. The problem isn't the money or the teachers, the problem is the lazy and stupid parents who don't push education in the home and the flood of illegals who don't speak english and who suck up the available class time and bring down the averages on test scores.
Your complaint about Katrina is ridiculous. You complain that the government screwed that up miserably yet that's the very same government you want further involved in healthcare, education, etc. Why? So they can screw that up more too? Government sucks at doing anything but the basics of what they've been set out to do. We need less government, not more.
If you want to change welfare, how about getting rid of it? Try and tell me that the welfare reforms pushed through Congress a few years back haven't been a good thing. We heard the cries that people would be dying in the streets and children would be going hungry in mass numbers. Instead, people got off the system, stopped pumping out babies, and they are more fulfilled now then when they were sitting on their butts collecting a check. If people truly need help that's why we have a bazillion charities in this country. The government should not be one of them.
There are plenty of things that can be improved in this country but none of them would be helped by going socialist, as you would have us. If socialism is what you want, go find it somewhere else. That isn't the belief system the U.S. was founded on.
There is nothing wrong with this country that needs the kind of "fixes" you aim to provide.
You complain that we're ALLOWING companies to outsource, ALLOWING the rich to get richer...welcome to America sheppy! It's called capitalism. It works. We're not supposed to tell companies how to do business or tell people how and what to do with their money. If that's what you want, there are other countries who would be glad to take you in. By all means, go.
Unaffordable healthcare? Who's fault is that? We don't need more government involvement in healthcare, we need less! Why is it that the price of plastic surgery and procedures like Lasik surgery keep coming down in price? Because they're NOT covered by insurance and so there is incentive for doctors to keep lowering their prices so more and more people can afford it. You bring in government control, more than it already is, and there goes every incentive right out the window! Not only will prices remain high, the service will deteriorate and you'll bankrupt the country.
The problem with education isn't the amount of money we spend. Teachers make fine money. The average salary of an LAUSD teacher is $46K...that's with short days, summer's off and extended holiday breaks. If they actually worked a full year like everyone else they'd be making more money. Even looking past salaries, education funding in L.A. is something like $13K per student per year. That's MORE than enough to educate. The problem isn't the money or the teachers, the problem is the lazy and stupid parents who don't push education in the home and the flood of illegals who don't speak english and who suck up the available class time and bring down the averages on test scores.
Your complaint about Katrina is ridiculous. You complain that the government screwed that up miserably yet that's the very same government you want further involved in healthcare, education, etc. Why? So they can screw that up more too? Government sucks at doing anything but the basics of what they've been set out to do. We need less government, not more.
If you want to change welfare, how about getting rid of it? Try and tell me that the welfare reforms pushed through Congress a few years back haven't been a good thing. We heard the cries that people would be dying in the streets and children would be going hungry in mass numbers. Instead, people got off the system, stopped pumping out babies, and they are more fulfilled now then when they were sitting on their butts collecting a check. If people truly need help that's why we have a bazillion charities in this country. The government should not be one of them.
There are plenty of things that can be improved in this country but none of them would be helped by going socialist, as you would have us. If socialism is what you want, go find it somewhere else. That isn't the belief system the U.S. was founded on.
Posted: Mar 30th 2007 8:45PM rowd149 said
@Roger Rees
Apparently, neither is ours.
Solution? Well, I guess the easy answer, atleast for the sectarian violence, is to ship all the different religious sects to different parts of the country. :\ Yay, probably not the ETHICAL answer, but it's apparently the only one our country can understand AND bigotted, nepotistic Bush and co. would support. Of course, I'm kidding. There IS no solution that's gonna make everything right. We've screwed up. The deed is done. Let's finish this essay, cut our loses, and turn the damn thing in. Quarter's over.(Can you tell I'm in high school? :) )
@Henry JonesJr
You idiot. Must I go point to point with you too?
*sigh* First of all, teachers spend a LARGE portion of their salary paying for supplies that SHOULD be provided. Those pens, pencils, sheefs of paper, crayons, scissor, etc, etc? Yeah, that's all them. Not to mention that most student holidays, they don't get out (We got out yesterday and today, but my math teacher? Dream on). And after staying an extra 3 hours after school, most teachers have to go home and grade papers. Hundreds, for high school teachers.
The problem with Katrina wasn't that gov't didn't do enough, it's that they didn't do ANYTHING. At all. For 2 days. And yet, we were able to provide aid to victims of the tsunami the next day. Imagine that.
Helping poor people is NOT socialism. It's being a responsible citizen. Or rather government. I don't know where you got this idea that giving a single mother money for food was equivalent to raising your hand in front of a flag with a hammer and sickle, but it's wrong.
If the gov't had to pay for our healthcare, and I mean ALL of it, then do you think the prices would stay high? Not likely, as long as Congress does their job and get their hands out of Big Pharma's pocket.
Capitalism sucks. It makes the poor poorer and the rich richer. Don't believe me, play the card game :P Point is, capitalism WITH REGULATION doesn't suck. The big boys will always push the little kids around if they can and see some sorta victory in it, unless a teacher steps in. A little fighting's okay, but when the losers are living shacks and the winners have 5 houses, each a few dozen thousand sq feet big, there needs to be some changes.
And finally, thank you for providing me with the mark of any good Conservative argument, but, no, I will not leave the country for disagreeing with you. Bastard.
Apparently, neither is ours.
Solution? Well, I guess the easy answer, atleast for the sectarian violence, is to ship all the different religious sects to different parts of the country. :\ Yay, probably not the ETHICAL answer, but it's apparently the only one our country can understand AND bigotted, nepotistic Bush and co. would support. Of course, I'm kidding. There IS no solution that's gonna make everything right. We've screwed up. The deed is done. Let's finish this essay, cut our loses, and turn the damn thing in. Quarter's over.(Can you tell I'm in high school? :) )
@Henry JonesJr
You idiot. Must I go point to point with you too?
*sigh* First of all, teachers spend a LARGE portion of their salary paying for supplies that SHOULD be provided. Those pens, pencils, sheefs of paper, crayons, scissor, etc, etc? Yeah, that's all them. Not to mention that most student holidays, they don't get out (We got out yesterday and today, but my math teacher? Dream on). And after staying an extra 3 hours after school, most teachers have to go home and grade papers. Hundreds, for high school teachers.
The problem with Katrina wasn't that gov't didn't do enough, it's that they didn't do ANYTHING. At all. For 2 days. And yet, we were able to provide aid to victims of the tsunami the next day. Imagine that.
Helping poor people is NOT socialism. It's being a responsible citizen. Or rather government. I don't know where you got this idea that giving a single mother money for food was equivalent to raising your hand in front of a flag with a hammer and sickle, but it's wrong.
If the gov't had to pay for our healthcare, and I mean ALL of it, then do you think the prices would stay high? Not likely, as long as Congress does their job and get their hands out of Big Pharma's pocket.
Capitalism sucks. It makes the poor poorer and the rich richer. Don't believe me, play the card game :P Point is, capitalism WITH REGULATION doesn't suck. The big boys will always push the little kids around if they can and see some sorta victory in it, unless a teacher steps in. A little fighting's okay, but when the losers are living shacks and the winners have 5 houses, each a few dozen thousand sq feet big, there needs to be some changes.
And finally, thank you for providing me with the mark of any good Conservative argument, but, no, I will not leave the country for disagreeing with you. Bastard.
Posted: Mar 30th 2007 9:01PM (Unverified) said
I guess this a break from explaining why buying the wii/ps3/360 is dumbass/brilliant.
Give me someone who can whip the government into shape and have it perform its functions with competence, and they have my vote.
And yes, it can happen. The National Park Service is a good example, in my opinion. Science funding works pretty damn well as well.
Given someone bringing competence, then government can 1) perform the functions where the market doesn't work well- tragedy of the commons issues, etc. and 2) not screw everything up it touches, see the current admin's handling of Katrina, Iraq war, Afghanistan, etc.
Give me someone who can whip the government into shape and have it perform its functions with competence, and they have my vote.
And yes, it can happen. The National Park Service is a good example, in my opinion. Science funding works pretty damn well as well.
Given someone bringing competence, then government can 1) perform the functions where the market doesn't work well- tragedy of the commons issues, etc. and 2) not screw everything up it touches, see the current admin's handling of Katrina, Iraq war, Afghanistan, etc.
Posted: Mar 31st 2007 2:37AM (Unverified) said
I've been reading every argument, and there doesn't seem to be a real silver lining that isn't stained with American blood.
Think about it - connections with big business, a veep who's a corporate CEO, lack of common sense... Dubya's nothing more than a political puppet. And unfortunately, the way the requirements for political office are, kicking him out of office or eliminating him isn't gonna fix the problem, as the strings get attached to a new puppet the next day.
Sorry to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but do you have any idea how much power you GIVE UP becoming president? It's all a facade by big business - especially big oil - to make it appear that the government is doing something effective. The government doesn't have it's hands stuffed in the suits' pockets; it's literally tied to them. And an assassin put down the last guy who tried to play hero in the Oval Office.
There needs to be change, that's true - closing the wealth gap between the upper crust and everyone else, improving education, welfare, and health care, and a cessation to the exploitation of the working class. But the way I see it, the whole political process has decayed from the inside out. We can't rely on the government anymore - the change has to start with us. We need to show the feds and suits - yes, the unions, too - that we are sick and tired of bearing their burden. It's high time the United States of America adhered to the natural cycle of life and death and be subjected to a reincarnation.
Think about it - connections with big business, a veep who's a corporate CEO, lack of common sense... Dubya's nothing more than a political puppet. And unfortunately, the way the requirements for political office are, kicking him out of office or eliminating him isn't gonna fix the problem, as the strings get attached to a new puppet the next day.
Sorry to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but do you have any idea how much power you GIVE UP becoming president? It's all a facade by big business - especially big oil - to make it appear that the government is doing something effective. The government doesn't have it's hands stuffed in the suits' pockets; it's literally tied to them. And an assassin put down the last guy who tried to play hero in the Oval Office.
There needs to be change, that's true - closing the wealth gap between the upper crust and everyone else, improving education, welfare, and health care, and a cessation to the exploitation of the working class. But the way I see it, the whole political process has decayed from the inside out. We can't rely on the government anymore - the change has to start with us. We need to show the feds and suits - yes, the unions, too - that we are sick and tired of bearing their burden. It's high time the United States of America adhered to the natural cycle of life and death and be subjected to a reincarnation.
Posted: Mar 31st 2007 2:12AM (Unverified) said
@rowd49
I don't think I called anyone names but since you've gone there, I don't think you should be calling anyone an idiot since you didn't make a single logical statement in your entire tirade. You, little boy, are the idiot.
First of all, you are only a child. Myself, however, am a parent and I get a list every single year of all the supplies my child needs for the year. I pay for that, not the teacher. If they are buying supplies that's the failure of their school administration, not a signal that I need to fork over more money than I already am. Regardless of whether they get every holiday off, they do get much more time off than the average American. Winter break, spring break, summer vacation, and more. You have to factor that in when figuring out their salary. Don't be a fool.
You missed the point completely about Katrina. How can you sit there and complain about the failure of government to handle basic social services and then turn around and give them even more services to take care of? That's stupid! Leave that stuff to the Red Cross and institutions whose sole purpose is to come to the rescue in disasters. The government should be building roads, policing streets, protecting borders, educating children, etc.
You're a moron if you think the government is paying for healthcare. The government doesn't pay for anything, WE DO. When you're a big boy and start paying taxes you'll realize that nothing is free. "Free healthcare" doesn't exist. Get a job and take an economics class, you have no idea how money works.
Capitalism only sucks for the stupid and lazy...which might explain why you're whining about it. If you make stupid choices in life, if you don't go to school, if you make babies before you're ready, if you sit around and expect people to do things for you, yeah, capitalism sucks. Despite what you claim, there is no better opportunity for the poor than living in America. Compare the "poor" in America to the real poor living in dirt elsewhere. Where else can you more easily go from absolutely nothing to a millionaire, or a billionaire? Yeah, you have to work for it here, nobody's going to give it to you, but it is at least a real possibility for everyone.
I feel sorry for you. You're weak. You have accepted the b.s. that you can't make it in life without government there to pick you up. Grow some balls, learn to take care of yourself and stop being a little bitch.
I don't think I called anyone names but since you've gone there, I don't think you should be calling anyone an idiot since you didn't make a single logical statement in your entire tirade. You, little boy, are the idiot.
First of all, you are only a child. Myself, however, am a parent and I get a list every single year of all the supplies my child needs for the year. I pay for that, not the teacher. If they are buying supplies that's the failure of their school administration, not a signal that I need to fork over more money than I already am. Regardless of whether they get every holiday off, they do get much more time off than the average American. Winter break, spring break, summer vacation, and more. You have to factor that in when figuring out their salary. Don't be a fool.
You missed the point completely about Katrina. How can you sit there and complain about the failure of government to handle basic social services and then turn around and give them even more services to take care of? That's stupid! Leave that stuff to the Red Cross and institutions whose sole purpose is to come to the rescue in disasters. The government should be building roads, policing streets, protecting borders, educating children, etc.
You're a moron if you think the government is paying for healthcare. The government doesn't pay for anything, WE DO. When you're a big boy and start paying taxes you'll realize that nothing is free. "Free healthcare" doesn't exist. Get a job and take an economics class, you have no idea how money works.
Capitalism only sucks for the stupid and lazy...which might explain why you're whining about it. If you make stupid choices in life, if you don't go to school, if you make babies before you're ready, if you sit around and expect people to do things for you, yeah, capitalism sucks. Despite what you claim, there is no better opportunity for the poor than living in America. Compare the "poor" in America to the real poor living in dirt elsewhere. Where else can you more easily go from absolutely nothing to a millionaire, or a billionaire? Yeah, you have to work for it here, nobody's going to give it to you, but it is at least a real possibility for everyone.
I feel sorry for you. You're weak. You have accepted the b.s. that you can't make it in life without government there to pick you up. Grow some balls, learn to take care of yourself and stop being a little bitch.
Posted: Mar 31st 2007 3:36AM (Unverified) said
@HenryJonesJr, the Red Cross is one of the only institutions that's actually stupider and more inept than the U.S. government. I know a guy who volunteered with Red Cross at Katrina, and by "volunteered" I mean he got paid hundreds of dollars to sleep in a nice hotel, eat fancy food, get drunk, drive drunk (get pulled over but the cops let him go because he was with the Red Cross), and then he used the leftover money to buy a Nintendo DS. That's where the donations go anyway.
Posted: Mar 31st 2007 3:42AM Captain Obvious said
@Cero
Ah, the Big Oil argument. I just want to know this - if Big Oil is so all-knowing, all-powerful, and so fully consumed by greed, why haven't they just said "To heck with the Caribou, we're drilling in ANWAR?"
I just want to know. How can they install a puppet president, get their buddies at Haliburton rich in Iraq, destroy South American economies, cause Brokeback Mountain to lose the Oscars to Crash, be responsible for global warming, and yet, despite all this, a few lousy deer-cousins are preventing them from drilling in ANWAR and potentially eliminating our reliance on foreign oil?
Ah, the Big Oil argument. I just want to know this - if Big Oil is so all-knowing, all-powerful, and so fully consumed by greed, why haven't they just said "To heck with the Caribou, we're drilling in ANWAR?"
I just want to know. How can they install a puppet president, get their buddies at Haliburton rich in Iraq, destroy South American economies, cause Brokeback Mountain to lose the Oscars to Crash, be responsible for global warming, and yet, despite all this, a few lousy deer-cousins are preventing them from drilling in ANWAR and potentially eliminating our reliance on foreign oil?
Posted: Mar 31st 2007 3:42AM Captain Obvious said
@Cero
Ah, the Big Oil argument. I just want to know this - if Big Oil is so all-knowing, all-powerful, and so fully consumed by greed, why haven't they just said "To heck with the Caribou, we're drilling in ANWAR?"
I just want to know. How can they install a puppet president, get their buddies at Haliburton rich in Iraq, destroy South American economies, cause Brokeback Mountain to lose the Oscars to Crash, be responsible for global warming, and yet, despite all this, a few lousy deer-cousins are preventing them from drilling in ANWAR and potentially eliminating our reliance on foreign oil?
Ah, the Big Oil argument. I just want to know this - if Big Oil is so all-knowing, all-powerful, and so fully consumed by greed, why haven't they just said "To heck with the Caribou, we're drilling in ANWAR?"
I just want to know. How can they install a puppet president, get their buddies at Haliburton rich in Iraq, destroy South American economies, cause Brokeback Mountain to lose the Oscars to Crash, be responsible for global warming, and yet, despite all this, a few lousy deer-cousins are preventing them from drilling in ANWAR and potentially eliminating our reliance on foreign oil?
Posted: Mar 31st 2007 1:55PM (Unverified) said
Who holds back the electric car?
Who made Steve Gutenberg a star?
Posted: Mar 31st 2007 8:19PM (Unverified) said
Hey rush... erm, HenryJonesJr...
Rather than copying and pasting your entire response before arguing them, I'll simply refer to your paragraphs in numerical order...
1. Fixes I aim to provide? Am I on the ballot? There are many reasons why I would not win a public position. The first one, of course, being that I don't pray/bow to a god that "we the people" somehow feel is a prerequisite for a leader to follow. I'm also an artist and as such, prone to irrational behavior and little quirks so the press would have a field day with me. And finally, I just can't relate to morons like yourself. I don't know how to properly funnel bad news through the "magic lies" machine to make you believe it. Nope, no public office for me.
2. Oh my god, how could I have been sooo ignorant. Yes, this is deifnately America. America where I can aquire an iPod for as cheap as $100 and yet the chinese man assembling the unit for $50 a month has to spend $350 for that exact same unit in his region and he has to live in the facilities 29 days out of 30. This is America where companies are, through the aide of our government, finding ways to steal our retirement funds but HEY, that's capitalism. This is America where Enron was allowed to happen, thousands of people suddenly finding themselves with under 10 years to retirement and $500+ in the hole while the CEOs made billions, but paid back millions as repairations. This is America. Where factories are closing constantly because it's much cheaper to make in India while the people who suddenly find themselves without a paycheck have to now travel 2-3 hours back and forth to their new jobs paying barely under $7 an hour but that's what they have to do because suddenly the new welfare system tells them to go fuck themselves but more on that later. Personally, I feel if you do business in America, you have jobs to give Americans. How many jobs should be proportionate to the amount of business you do. And seriously, let me ask you this question. What kind of logic is it where people below the poverty line pay a higher percentage tax than those making 6 digits is perfectly fair?
3. Umm, do yourself a favor. Take a look around. See that public hospital? It's now a business tied directly to a certain insurance provider. See that ambulance cruising by? That's a $5000 taxi ride. See that lasik center? The fuck does that have to do with anything? The reason why healthcare costs are skyrocketing is because the system IS privatized. Public health care is a joke and to many, a death sentence. The government is allowing these companies to run amok and the constant battles between insurance and health care providers is what's causing not only the increasing costs of treatment, but even the costs of the health insurance. Were you aware that, nowadays, a thing considered preventative surgery is considered inexcusably expensive to health insurance providers? Let's put it this way, you have something wrong with you. It will cost you $2300 to take care of it through preventative surgery. Health Insurance doesn't cover it. But if it's NOT treated, could cause severe problems and yes, even an untimely death. From the Health Insurance companies eyes, you fucking die, they don't have to pay any hospital bills. That's the system you're advocating. Now, I don't know about you but I pay roughly $800 a year for health insurance. Health insurance that equates to me needing to pay a $1500 deductable before they start to pay bills. So, you're talking $800 a year that could easily be added as a tax. And because it would be a government controlled service, it would be one of those things you don't have to worry about if you do get sick and the system, as it stands right now, wouldn't be too much more of an increase.
Hell, you even supposedly have kids. How much are you spending additionally on their health insurance? You telling me that money could not be distributed in much the same way other funds are? Well, when they aren't being rerouted to a war but I digress.
4. So what you're saying in this rant is "fucking dirty mexicans what put our educational system to shame." Okay, here's the deal. You claim the average LA teacher makes $43K a year (and I have to wonder, is that including the salaries of private schools and colleges? Because the average teacher in the St. Louis area makes $32K), okay, that's fair... how much is cost of living in LA? Last time I checked, it was nearly $80K (the main reason why I turned down a job at an effects studio out there). Regardless, $43K sounds below the cost of living.
And, incidently, as a relative TO a teacher, it's amazing how little you actually know while trying to pass it off as fact. It couldn't possibly be the crowded classrooms, outdated material, or even, dare I say it, a complete abandonment of the art programs for the stuff school systems can pull in money on like athletics, could it? Nope, dirty fucking mexicans are to sole cause of our educational problems. Not a system that has been systematically stamping out individual thought in pursuit of factoid spewing machines. Nope, that's not it. Not a system where an music program will be stuck with broken equipment and no support from the faculty because they needed the new football field. Or the fact that the teaching profession has gone from being a noble field to a drastically underpaid and overworked profession. Oh yeah, teachers get "summers off" unless you look into the fact that most schools are opened during the summer. Not to mention I have yet to meet any teacher above the third grade level that ISN'T working 50-60 hours a week grading, creating programs, and general preparing for the 8 hours a day they are "on the job." Most people wake up, go to work, go home, and forget about it. Most teachers get up, prepare lessons, go to work, go home, grade lessons, attend whatever afterschool activity they are supervising, and finally go home for some sleep. Frankly, in my eyes, teachers are the true heroes of our society. From kindergarten to senior year of college, they put up with so much shit, it blows my mind, and only 1 of 100 students truly appreciates what they've done or how much work they do.
5. My complaint about Katrina is ridiculous? When up to five days before the hurricane hit, they were warning of the danger and no one was prepare to provide relief? When public officials in New Orleans were saying "it'll be fine" despite all others saying "run for the fucking hills, folks." No public aide was provided to people who needed help leaving the city and fewer still were even in a position where they could leave? And as it hit, the President and all his men were too busy singing the Doom Song to notice the problem? People were suddenly without food and water, how many died? How much disease was suddenly striking the people in the unbearable heat? And what was the immediate response from the public officials? Go here and wait. That's it, just fucking wait. You damn n*****s don't matter, just fucking wait. How many days did it take before the first sign of relief came? And even then, how many died tragically? But what do we have? Homeland Security. A program that was started to provide preventative measures and disaster relief to the US in a timely matter.
Preventative Measures = Staring blankly at the shiny coin Cheney keeps pulling out of Dubbwas ear.
Disaster Relief = Playing Ping Pong for a few days, wondering why the hell all those stupid television channels keep reporting that "boring news stuff" instead of Spongebob.
Picture this scenario, because it's not false. Huge ass hurricane headed this way. Public Service helps vacate people who cannot evacuate. Within an hour of the hurricane striking, National Guard is deployed to provide disaster relief and rescue all the people trapped in buildings that they can. Evacuations are handled in an orderly fashion, minimal deaths to the public at large. This was Hurricane Charley. But this was in Dubbwa's brothers state, so it mattered.
6. Actually, yeah. I will disagree with you on this one. Because those welfare reforms can actually be attributed to the rise of crime in certain areas. Just google Welfare To Work.
7. Nice, I say there is something wrong with the system, and you say I'm a communists. This is cute, actually. It's the same kind of limited response you see at a Klu Klun Klan rally. It's soo cute in that "dis be our damn cuntry, ya fucka" ranting way. How about this, you open your fucking mind and realize someone can still love a country without constantly sucking a big old red painted dick saying "yum yum, ain't nothing wrong with this system at all?" I like this country, but some things do need to change. And your moronic response of "then fucking go" is actually one of the first things on the list. If it wasn't for people WANTING a change in the system and how it was ran, we wouldn't have this country. And likewise, if those founding fathers did not expect a system that would constantly need changing, why is it written in the constitution to do so and even the ability and right to revolt should the people feel the government has gone too far? Or did you really think that piece of parchments use was really limited simply to "hurtun dem dirty fags?"
Rather than copying and pasting your entire response before arguing them, I'll simply refer to your paragraphs in numerical order...
1. Fixes I aim to provide? Am I on the ballot? There are many reasons why I would not win a public position. The first one, of course, being that I don't pray/bow to a god that "we the people" somehow feel is a prerequisite for a leader to follow. I'm also an artist and as such, prone to irrational behavior and little quirks so the press would have a field day with me. And finally, I just can't relate to morons like yourself. I don't know how to properly funnel bad news through the "magic lies" machine to make you believe it. Nope, no public office for me.
2. Oh my god, how could I have been sooo ignorant. Yes, this is deifnately America. America where I can aquire an iPod for as cheap as $100 and yet the chinese man assembling the unit for $50 a month has to spend $350 for that exact same unit in his region and he has to live in the facilities 29 days out of 30. This is America where companies are, through the aide of our government, finding ways to steal our retirement funds but HEY, that's capitalism. This is America where Enron was allowed to happen, thousands of people suddenly finding themselves with under 10 years to retirement and $500+ in the hole while the CEOs made billions, but paid back millions as repairations. This is America. Where factories are closing constantly because it's much cheaper to make in India while the people who suddenly find themselves without a paycheck have to now travel 2-3 hours back and forth to their new jobs paying barely under $7 an hour but that's what they have to do because suddenly the new welfare system tells them to go fuck themselves but more on that later. Personally, I feel if you do business in America, you have jobs to give Americans. How many jobs should be proportionate to the amount of business you do. And seriously, let me ask you this question. What kind of logic is it where people below the poverty line pay a higher percentage tax than those making 6 digits is perfectly fair?
3. Umm, do yourself a favor. Take a look around. See that public hospital? It's now a business tied directly to a certain insurance provider. See that ambulance cruising by? That's a $5000 taxi ride. See that lasik center? The fuck does that have to do with anything? The reason why healthcare costs are skyrocketing is because the system IS privatized. Public health care is a joke and to many, a death sentence. The government is allowing these companies to run amok and the constant battles between insurance and health care providers is what's causing not only the increasing costs of treatment, but even the costs of the health insurance. Were you aware that, nowadays, a thing considered preventative surgery is considered inexcusably expensive to health insurance providers? Let's put it this way, you have something wrong with you. It will cost you $2300 to take care of it through preventative surgery. Health Insurance doesn't cover it. But if it's NOT treated, could cause severe problems and yes, even an untimely death. From the Health Insurance companies eyes, you fucking die, they don't have to pay any hospital bills. That's the system you're advocating. Now, I don't know about you but I pay roughly $800 a year for health insurance. Health insurance that equates to me needing to pay a $1500 deductable before they start to pay bills. So, you're talking $800 a year that could easily be added as a tax. And because it would be a government controlled service, it would be one of those things you don't have to worry about if you do get sick and the system, as it stands right now, wouldn't be too much more of an increase.
Hell, you even supposedly have kids. How much are you spending additionally on their health insurance? You telling me that money could not be distributed in much the same way other funds are? Well, when they aren't being rerouted to a war but I digress.
4. So what you're saying in this rant is "fucking dirty mexicans what put our educational system to shame." Okay, here's the deal. You claim the average LA teacher makes $43K a year (and I have to wonder, is that including the salaries of private schools and colleges? Because the average teacher in the St. Louis area makes $32K), okay, that's fair... how much is cost of living in LA? Last time I checked, it was nearly $80K (the main reason why I turned down a job at an effects studio out there). Regardless, $43K sounds below the cost of living.
And, incidently, as a relative TO a teacher, it's amazing how little you actually know while trying to pass it off as fact. It couldn't possibly be the crowded classrooms, outdated material, or even, dare I say it, a complete abandonment of the art programs for the stuff school systems can pull in money on like athletics, could it? Nope, dirty fucking mexicans are to sole cause of our educational problems. Not a system that has been systematically stamping out individual thought in pursuit of factoid spewing machines. Nope, that's not it. Not a system where an music program will be stuck with broken equipment and no support from the faculty because they needed the new football field. Or the fact that the teaching profession has gone from being a noble field to a drastically underpaid and overworked profession. Oh yeah, teachers get "summers off" unless you look into the fact that most schools are opened during the summer. Not to mention I have yet to meet any teacher above the third grade level that ISN'T working 50-60 hours a week grading, creating programs, and general preparing for the 8 hours a day they are "on the job." Most people wake up, go to work, go home, and forget about it. Most teachers get up, prepare lessons, go to work, go home, grade lessons, attend whatever afterschool activity they are supervising, and finally go home for some sleep. Frankly, in my eyes, teachers are the true heroes of our society. From kindergarten to senior year of college, they put up with so much shit, it blows my mind, and only 1 of 100 students truly appreciates what they've done or how much work they do.
5. My complaint about Katrina is ridiculous? When up to five days before the hurricane hit, they were warning of the danger and no one was prepare to provide relief? When public officials in New Orleans were saying "it'll be fine" despite all others saying "run for the fucking hills, folks." No public aide was provided to people who needed help leaving the city and fewer still were even in a position where they could leave? And as it hit, the President and all his men were too busy singing the Doom Song to notice the problem? People were suddenly without food and water, how many died? How much disease was suddenly striking the people in the unbearable heat? And what was the immediate response from the public officials? Go here and wait. That's it, just fucking wait. You damn n*****s don't matter, just fucking wait. How many days did it take before the first sign of relief came? And even then, how many died tragically? But what do we have? Homeland Security. A program that was started to provide preventative measures and disaster relief to the US in a timely matter.
Preventative Measures = Staring blankly at the shiny coin Cheney keeps pulling out of Dubbwas ear.
Disaster Relief = Playing Ping Pong for a few days, wondering why the hell all those stupid television channels keep reporting that "boring news stuff" instead of Spongebob.
Picture this scenario, because it's not false. Huge ass hurricane headed this way. Public Service helps vacate people who cannot evacuate. Within an hour of the hurricane striking, National Guard is deployed to provide disaster relief and rescue all the people trapped in buildings that they can. Evacuations are handled in an orderly fashion, minimal deaths to the public at large. This was Hurricane Charley. But this was in Dubbwa's brothers state, so it mattered.
6. Actually, yeah. I will disagree with you on this one. Because those welfare reforms can actually be attributed to the rise of crime in certain areas. Just google Welfare To Work.
7. Nice, I say there is something wrong with the system, and you say I'm a communists. This is cute, actually. It's the same kind of limited response you see at a Klu Klun Klan rally. It's soo cute in that "dis be our damn cuntry, ya fucka" ranting way. How about this, you open your fucking mind and realize someone can still love a country without constantly sucking a big old red painted dick saying "yum yum, ain't nothing wrong with this system at all?" I like this country, but some things do need to change. And your moronic response of "then fucking go" is actually one of the first things on the list. If it wasn't for people WANTING a change in the system and how it was ran, we wouldn't have this country. And likewise, if those founding fathers did not expect a system that would constantly need changing, why is it written in the constitution to do so and even the ability and right to revolt should the people feel the government has gone too far? Or did you really think that piece of parchments use was really limited simply to "hurtun dem dirty fags?"
Posted: Apr 1st 2007 10:56AM (Unverified) said
I did a short video of Obama's in-world appearance in SL yesterday, that you can view here: http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2007/03/video_of_obama_.html
I thought it was an interesting way to gather people who were supporters as well as other curious folks who weren't going to make it to one of these "living room chats" but were still wanting to engage with other people. And we had others from around the world present, so that added an international dynamic to the running commentary.
Nicely designed avatar, too.
I thought it was an interesting way to gather people who were supporters as well as other curious folks who weren't going to make it to one of these "living room chats" but were still wanting to engage with other people. And we had others from around the world present, so that added an international dynamic to the running commentary.
Nicely designed avatar, too.
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