Phi for All

! Moderator Note Do you want me to remove that single question poll or were you going to give some options? And it may just be me, but I'm not sure what you mean by "feel black".

Because they're representing the country? Then you probably won't mind my new proposal, where all government workers are exempt from taxes. Federal workers shouldn't pay federal taxes, state workers shouldn't pay state. They are representing the country, helping us all with their hard work, right?

If you read about something that affects you emotionally one way or another, Google for other sources about it, other perspectives. Be rigorous, check it out. You know about Snopes and FactCheck, so you should always get as many angles as can to zero in on what's most accurate. What if they inadvertently lose the medal, you mean? I'd have to say, "Wow, I can't believe you inadvertently lost something that should have meant a lot to you." Did you read those links? They make big bucks winning the medals, and have sponsors who make sure their training tables are full and they get what they need to focus on the sport. I think someone plucked your patriotic strings and made you believe that representing the US in the Olympics is akin to throwing yourself on a grenade or something. I admire superlative expertise when it's used meaningfully, but I don't see why Olympic athletes should be given more than they already are. Personally, I think sacrificing all the other things you could be doing to focus on sports is not all that praiseworthy. What you do with your fame and fortune afterwards is much more interesting and possibly worthy of tax exemptions. I'd hate to give you preferred status if you're just going to do drugs, crash your Maserati and beat up your spouse.

The US government doesn't pay the Olympic athletes. It's all private sponsorship, subject to applicable taxes (although there may be some tax breaks on sponsorship for the sponsor). It's also often the springboard for lucrative professional sports careers. And an Olympic medalist would only pay taxes on the medal itself if they sold it. What exactly is your problem with this? It seems completely fair. You seem to have taken offense at the idea of paying taxes on the medals, and when that was proven false, you retain your umbrage and just continue to lash out at everything else that bothers you. That's not healthy. Misinformation from FOX?! Out of context quotes from the right?! Flabbergasted, that's what I am.

Due diligence is required: http://www.outsideth...ills-back-home/ rig, you gotta stop listening to whoever you're listening to.

Corporations have had 230+ years after we were founded to perfect whining about taxes and regulations while arguing that their businesses need subsidization from the taxpayers, and now rewriting the laws so they can take this con to the next level. Do you really think that's a great "basis", or that another four years of Change is going to "destroy" that?

One last shot: Business is great when they play it straight. Progressive tax won't break their backs. Our home on the range needs positive change. No more tricks in politics! Get your PAC off our back, no special interest attack! The US wants business to work, and we want business to work with US!

! Moderator Note absolutely, you are breaking our rules about clear communication and etiquette. Please re-read the rules and keep your posts civil and understandable, or you risk suspension or banishment. If you have a problem with this modnote, please report the post using the Report Post function. Do NOT further derail this thread by replying to the modnote here.

Change is inevitable. 500 years ago, it was the same, with many societies keeping the traditions that still worked for them while adapting to the changes in their world and their knowledge. Today the change is happening more rapidly, true, because we're discovering so much more and dealing with so many more people and cultures. Changing the nation is not only necessary, I'd be very disappointed if our president didn't help us keep up with the rest of the world. The rich will be very happy to hear you feel so badly for them. It's been a very effective strategy for them, slashing wages and benefits and using cheaper offshore labor on one hand while complaining about oppressive taxes on the other. Some of these businesses are holding onto more cash than they've ever had, and many are posting record returns, EVEN IN A DEPRESSED ECONOMY! It's almost magic (as in wave one hand to get the audience's attention while you pull cards off the bottom of the deck with the other). Check the statistics, rigney, costs keep going up while wages aren't. Who is it exactly that is draining the companies? Nothing could be further from the truth. This shows me EXACTLY how badly you've been informed by whatever sources you're REALLY listening to. The Bush years took most of the regulatory teeth out of the federal government. The agencies that keep us protected from illegal practices in business are still trying to recover. If you listen to nothing else, listen to this: Businesses will always complain about regulations, because it costs them little and the potential savings are huge. The companies that are going overseas are saving money on cheap labor on one end, and lobbying for taxpayer subsidies on the other. They want tax breaks so they can create jobs, and when they get the breaks they ARE NOT CREATING ANY JOBS with the savings. Instead, it's the execs who split the money saved as bonuses for successful lobbying. You (we) are being deceived, and that's what many of us really want changed. Change can be good, and it doesn't mean giving up any of your patriotism and love for your country. Instead, you may even get to see a strong, prosperous, economically healthy America again, with businesses that care about the country too, not just their own bottom line.

This is a discussion forum, specifically a science discussion forum. Discussion requires that the participants make sense to each other, and we most often do that by using the same language and terminology, taking extra care with what we write. It has nothing to do with "the mouth that said it". It has nothing to do with any imagined "rights". It has EVERYTHING to do with sensible communication. That's so important, we put it in the rules you agreed to when you joined. Edit: Sorry, I cross-posted with imatfaal.

Awesome. Definitely one of those stories you tell over and over, spreading The Joy far beyond those who were actually there.

I bolded all the parts I don't understand. Proper capitalization, punctuation, grammar and using actual words would help us understand why you're trying to bring individual will and animal life conditions into a discussion about the human soul. Thank you for not using text-speak.

Ah, a case of, "Oops! That's what I meant to say but not who I meant to say it to."

rigney, absolutely none of what I respond with is intended to be personal, not for you or ANYBODY. I always try to attack the ideas, not the people who have them. If it seems like I've made any of this personal, I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to. I do like it better when folks explain what they mean by what they say, and back up assertions with supportive evidence. Sometimes emotions color what we think, and that's what science tries to minimize. With politics though, it's more often opinion, and sometimes that makes it seem like disagreement is more personal. And don't try to leave 'cause we'll hunt you down and duct tape you to your computer if we have to. Everyone needs conflicting viewpoints, otherwise you may as well be a compound in Waco. I think you've got big brass ones to jump up and down on the right side of our political seesaw, what with so many of us here sitting more on the left side. I like you just fine.

Consider this though. Not a single scientist on that list was a member here. Conclusion? Come with us, if you want to live.

Many businesses get loans through government agencies like the SBA. Others get state, local and even federal tax breaks depending on what they qualify for. So it does have a damn thing to do with government very often. You know, you keep acknowledging that businesses actually do owe much of their success to the American system, but then you keep going back to calling bullshit on what Obama said. It's pretty clear to everyone reading this that you have a problem with the President that overrides your judgement. I've had problems with every president I can remember since I was of voting age, but I've always acknowledged when they did a good job on something. And I've never allowed my feelings to force me on a baseless witch-hunt that ignores facts and reason. I'm sending you a catalog for Grips-R-Us, 'cause I think you need to get one.

Actually, I don't think that part was written for him at all. I agree with Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), I think he was ad-libbing to include some points from Elizabeth Warren's earlier speech on a similar subject. But Warren's speech was more modeled after paying your fair share of taxes, so it didn't sync as well. I don't agree with Sen. Brown that Warren's speech was "bad advice". I think Sen. Brown is used to walking on eggshells when it comes to alleged "job creators", and I think those job creators DO owe a lot to what the taxpayers have helped fund, and what they get a disproportionate amount of benefit from. Regardless, I think the President's way of expressing it may have needed polish, but it's a far cry from the hysterical "Bullshit!" you and others have been trying to pin on him. "He could have said it better" is not equal to "complete lies".

We tried Quantum Thanksgiving last year, where you set the table and then sit around and wait for the waveform function to collapse but the turkey never materialized. We just figured it was our fault because we knew exactly how fast we were going to eat it, so we had no idea where it was.

Who is out there trying to legislate what women can do with their bodies? Who is out there combing through voter registrations looking for tiny discrepancies so they can keep people from voting? Who is out there trying to restrict people from being tried in civilian courts when Congress hasn't declared war with anyone? It's not really simple bias when the proof is in the deeds and the deeds are all over the news.

Well sure, there are plenty of smart ways to spend the money. I'm just offering a way to get SOME water for the €2M earmarked for gods appeasement AND show some practical results. The people can pray, the gods can help my trucks make it through and everyone gets something. Except the priests, but I would insist the first bushels of produce go to them, as a sacrifice of course.

How close to Myanmar are they? That's about $125k per tanker for a one-way trip. I'd be counting on the Indian government to work out the permits and tariffs with the Sister States and Bangladesh. And my charitable trust only needs €50k to put this together . How many charitable ventures need only 2.5% for administrative costs?

With all respect to you, which plan guarantees at least some water to Karnataka for €2M? I'm a bit offended that you think I'm stupid enough to drive my trucks over the whole state giving out a dipper to each farm. My strategy is to bring most of the first €2M worth of water to some selected areas, and when the crops start growing again, I would hope to be given part of the larger €1.4B budget when people see which idea the gods favor. Just a part, because I agree that something more sustainable is necessary.

First, you never provided a link to the second statement that bothered you enough to cry "Bullshit!" That's part of why everyone has been asking for clarification on what's bothering you about it. Second, you've been given perfectly logical explanations for why the President said what he said, yet you still persist on a narrow interpretation that is the only one that paints him in a bad light, so it seems very deliberate and frankly obtuse. When questioned about it, you give a better song and dance than George Murphy. And oddly enough, you accuse the President of doing the old soft shoe, which seems quite hypocritical. WHAT?! Are you kidding? Great song about America, but it had absolutely squat to do with what you're accusing the President of. Feel free to start over and provide some insight on exactly what you mean by this OP. Tie your hands down so they don't start waving.

A diet of sound bytes and out-of-context quotes doesn't prepare you to explain your stance when the tough questions start. It's like climbing Everest with only a handful of popcorn to keep your strength up. It's like most soap operas; just tune in next week or next month and they'll still be rehashing it.

It's the only book of the time that mentions Jesus. Shouldn't it be considered the authority? Picking and choosing what to believe means that everything you believe about the Bible is just your interpretation. That means no one's interpretation is any better than anyone else's, and therefore none can be trusted.