EvilMonkey

QUOTE(CrimsonWeltall @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 11:32 PM) RIAA lawyers told the Supreme Court that ripping a CD to your computer or iPod WAS "perfectly lawful". Link I hate them as much as I hate the BSA. Hopefully this comes us, and this guy makes the RIAA pays his court costs, etc.

before it finds a way to bite back. According to the asshats in the recording industry, they think it is illegal for you to take the CD's that you legally purchased and put them on your ipods. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7122800693.html It's a long story, so i won't post the whole thing, but the meat of the story is this line"The industry's lawyer in the case, Ira Schwartz, argues in a brief filed earlier this month that the MP3 files Howell made on his computer from legally bought CDs are "unauthorized copies" of copyrighted recordings"

QUOTE(Vance Law @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 05:48 PM) Bill James projection .277/.338/.451 for an OPS of .788. Not too shabby. That would be a good thing, especially if it is consistent, not .150 in April and May, and .350 in July

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 10:10 PM) So he expects people to just vote for him, even though he doesn't want to campaign or explain what his policies would be. Sounds like a losing strategy. I don't even see why he bothered running. Not sure where you have been hibernating, but he has just about been the only candidate to state actual positions on things so far. And he didn't say he WASN'T campaigning, just that he didn't like it. Actual honesty from a candidate, how refreshing. Show me one that says they DO like it, and I'll show you someone unfit for office. And you did read the whole story you linked, right?

QUOTE(Reddy @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 07:04 PM) sorry, it tastes pretty good. if you EVER saw him speak you'd agree. he feels passionately. he legitimately cares about real people and i don't care if you believe me or not. he was down cleaning up after katrina. he's started a poverty center in NC. he has fought for the disenfranchised his whole life. he plans to restore the middle class. he is personally sickened when he hears stories about people having to watch spouses die because they didnt have the health insurance to help them. the man cares. like i said, i dont give two s***s whether you think i'm blowing this out my ass but if you even took the time to see him or speak with him you'd understand this. I believe that YOU think that, but I don't believe he thinks that. Rich people who can afford the time and money to help poor people do not impress me. Poor to middle class people who spend thier time and money to help people impress me. It's nothing for him to take a few weeks off to go to help work in NO. The firefighters from all over the country that used thier vacation time to go down there and help in the relief effort. Those guys impress me. The guys who fund and run food banks themselves, they impress me with their passion to help those less fortunate. Tell me, in all his fighting for the 'disenfranchised', did he do it for free? Any pro bono work there? Or did he pocket some huge ass fees? When he fights for infants born with brain damage or other serious conditions that entail a lifetime of expensive medical care, does he lessen or forgo his usual 1/3? It's easy to help the downtrodden when you can pocket a million bucks in the process. As for hearing him speak, I have heard that the Reverend Jim Jones was a pretty persuasive speaker as well, but I would not care to have found out. I am glad you have a passion for politics, but to think that any of these guys (or the gal) are in this simply for altruistic reasons is absurd.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 07:22 PM) http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2...3c100054e2b.txt lol "Fred Thompson acknowledged Saturday he's not especially fond of running for president, but he thinks he'd be a good choice for the White House." Well, you would really have to wonder about the sanity of the candidate that said they LIKE campaigning.

QUOTE(Reddy @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 02:07 AM) Edwards to Campaign for 36 hours STRAIGHT he did the same thing as a lawyer working all-nighter after all-nighter to defend people who didn't have a voice and now he's doing it for us. You need to put down the Koolaide. He is doing it for the power, perks and priveledges that come with the office, like all the rest. That, and his ego (like allt he rest) makes him believe he is the best person for the job. YOU, nor anyone else, do not figure into that formula.

QUOTE(Reddy @ Dec 29, 2007 -> 07:28 PM) 850 iowans. real numbers or obama numbers? What, is it 2.4 Iowans to equal 1 Obamamaniac?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 29, 2007 -> 03:10 PM) While, as we all know crowds prove essentially nothing, today both Edwards and Obama are in Davenport. You mean size DOESN'T matter?

POker nite, start with holdem, then to deal your own, and others will be playing darts in the basement. And of course, lots of drinking.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Dec 28, 2007 -> 10:20 AM) Then again, maybe God should have thought better and knocked up someone more affluent than the wife of a poor carpenter. WWAD? (What Would Alpha Do?) SHe didn't have a choice. The rest of us do. FlaSoxxJim, if your wife decided that she wanted 25 kids, would you go along, or would you stop it somewhere along the line because you couldn't feed, house, clothe or care for any more? Everyone of us makes that choice somewhere as to when enough is enough, sometimes for financial reasons, sometimes for other considerations. But if you can't even take care of yourself, and yet you knowingly bring a dependent mouth to feed into this world, you have committed a form of child abuse from the moment they are born. I like the WWAD thing, though. Maybe I can market cheap plastic wristbands. Get a few celebritries to wear them and then I can sell them for $20 each in trendy stores in Hollywood! Woohoo!

QUOTE(BureauEmployee171 @ Dec 27, 2007 -> 06:34 PM) Vote Ron Paul either way. No taxes, neutrality, no income tax, no tips tax, makes all health expenses tax deductible, taking out HMOs that only benefit the gov't. Why vote for the 'lesser of two evils' between the REP. and DEM. ? Just vote Libertarian if you like to have money. If you like to have ppl take your money, vote REP/DEM I would instead vote for Chululu (did I spell that right?), the greaer of two evils, in fact, the greatest of all evil!!!!! Hahahahaha!

QUOTE(Reddy @ Dec 26, 2007 -> 05:11 PM) every candidate is late for every event. this was a bored journalist looking for something to rip edwards with. if this is the worst you got against the guy well what's that tell you? whattabout Obama supporting Lieberman when he was running against Lamont in Connecticut? Ya know, the guy who now supports McCain? Yo, chill a bit. That is by far not 'the worst I got'. I just thought it was funny. And you would be right that just about every candidate is late to some events, but I believe Edwards is an extreme example of that. If every candidate was late for every event, this would have never seen the light of day. Just look at your avitar. THE SLEEPER! Maybe an alarm clock instead of a watch?

Hope he shows up in time for his next speech. Maybe he should by a watch with all his millions. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/us/polit...nyt&emc=rss

It's one thing as a parent to try and look out for your kids and help them out of bad situations, but to go to court because your kids were asshole enough to try and ruin someone's career because they didn't like him is just wrong. These parents should have talked to the schools and try to get the punishment reduced or whatever, and then STFU. Maybe teach thier bratty kids that actions have consequences, and you f*** with someones livelyhood, you could get burned yourself. I wonder how many other incidents llike this these kids have done previously? Or how many times mommy and daddy have bailed them out of jail, or paid some fines, etc.? These boys and the parents need to be smacked with a HUGE lawsuit. And just smacked, period.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 25, 2007 -> 11:18 AM) The "problem" is we need temporary workers, and our immigration system has not officially recognized and made provisions for it. The "solution" for 100 years has been to ignore the illegals pouring across the border each spring. Now that politicians smell votes, we have some action. Unfortunately, so far, none of the solutions fixes the root problem that faces American businesses. Alpha, would you rather have employees who are eager and willing to work, or someone who is working because their unemployment benefits ran out and they are now forced to take a job? Or someone who is interviewing every night trying to find a job in their field? Would you rather welcome back for three months a family that has been working for you for 30 years or each year have a new crop of unemployed who are willing to work? I'd rather we spend money to figure out how to get third generation unemployed productive then stop third generation workers from working. The biggest difference is for most of you here, "illegals" are mythical people you read about. I know several personally. I know many of their kids and grandkids. All they wanted to do was follow the crops and make enough to survive through the winter and build a better life. They work for 6 months and return to Mexico. They didn't expect anything they didn't work for. Then people started showing up and "helping" them. At first it seemed like heaven sent. Now, it appears those same people wanting to help, have hurt, but offering services that others don't think are deserved. I'm all for locking up those that have committed violent crimes, who have stole, driven drunk, and a myriad of other skills. Send back those that can not support themselves. But those that have been earning their pay, not bothering anyone, let's find a way to keep them here. I've asked this ten times and no one has an answer, the citrus industry needs close to 5,000 workers here for the next 3 months. Then there are no jobs until next December. Who will arrive to work these jobs? Should we pay unemployment the other 9 months? Ever since John Shary first cultivated citrus here in the Rio Grande Valley, we've employed temporary laborers from across the river. Some of these illegals live close enough to sleep in their own beds each night, others traveled hundreds of miles. Send us your unemployed middle manager, your IT professional, your school teachers, they can earn $8 per bushel picking. Have your children skip out on school. How many golf courses need maintenance workers from April to November, where do those workers go in the winter? Most Americans do not want those jobs, but we have a very willing work force, who have demonstrated they can do the job. Let's find a way to make them legal. To tie immigration to jobs. To offer limited benefits. Tex, every time an immigration post comes up, you throw this same stuff out. I, along with just about everyone else who has posted about immigration, is in favor of some sort of a guest worker program. Just because we don't genuflect to it every time we mention that we want the lawbreakers to go home doesn't mean in some small part we aren't on the same page. Yes, the government needs to get its head out of its ass and find a way to make a workable program for workers to fill those jobs. However the 'other' jobs that illegals do, like meat packing plants, warehouse jobs, etc, there are plenty of Americans who can, and will, do those jobs if available. I seem to recall when the Swift plants were raided and 30%+ of their workforce was arrested or disappeared, there was a huge line of people waiting to take those jobs, who were not from Mexico. As for sending you our unemployed IT professionals, etc, how about I trade you the Mexican working the drive thru at my local McDonalds who can barely seem to understand "I would like 1 large vanilla shake please", and I will have the unemployed IT guy work the drive thru for the $8 per hour they are paying.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 10:50 AM) The demand side is key, just as others here state. But I do think that even if you fully address that, some people will still be desperate enough to come over and hope for a miracle. So I do think strengthening the border is a good idea. I just think a huge, expensive and ineffective wall is not the right way to go about it. Believe it or not, many who currently support the 'huge, expensive wall' would probably agree with you. However, knowing how inept the government is at most things, a static wall would probably work better than a virtual one, which would depend on human oversite to work properly. A real wall wouldn't have to depend on prosecutors and LEOs actually doing their jobs and arresting and charging people and businesses with crimes who violate the existing laws. If the current LEO structure would show some balls about enforcing the current laws,you wouldn't have such a push for a real wall.

I'm the boss, so I said we are closed. Besides, I have 9 in-laws and 2 cousins coming over this afternoon, gotta get things ready. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate, if any.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 09:28 AM) Some of these workers are third and fourth generation migrant workers. There great grandparents followed the crops every summer, it's the life they know. I am uncomfortable with statements that poor people should not reproduce. But many people have looked at selected breeding as a way to improve our gene pool. I am not saying there should be a law against poor people f***ing and having kids, but morally, if you can barely feed yourself, what kind of a parent are you to bring another mouth to feed into this world? Your job as a parent is to protect and provide for that child until they can become a functoning adult with whatever skills and tools you can give them to survive. How can you do that if you have no idea where your next meal is coming from? Having children when you are too poor to even care for yourself is cruel to the children.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 09:10 AM) People working for $7 per hour will take more then they pay in benefits. No matter who is working the job. However, the AMERICANS who would now be filling these jobs are ALREADY getting the benefits because they are poor, unemployed, etc. So any income they make is a positive.

QUOTE(jasonxctf @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 09:16 AM) i guess i'm just out of touch here. I don't understand the harsh, hateful feelings towards these illegal immigrants. if they pured sugar in your gas tank while diddling your mother, I would understand. yes, there are bad people amongst those who come over. SOME, not many, steal identities, traffic drugs, etc, etc. But you shouldn't paint with a broad brush and call them all parasites. Many, not some, come to this country for the same reason as your relatives and mine did. They simply want a better life for their families and to achieve the American Dream. Put yourself in their shoes. If this was a very poor country and your family was starving or struggling to get by and you heard about a great opportunity in Canada to make enough $ to support your family... you wouldn't go? Personally, I'd walk across scorching deserts for days to support my family. Even if what I was doing was "illegal". Personally, if I was dirt poor to begin with, I wouldn't be having a family I couldn't feed. Or were they all doing just fine and had poorness suddenly thrust upon them thru some unfortunate accident? And even if I made a choice that I knew was 'illegal', I would also know that there would be consequences were I to be caught. The reason they came here doesn't matter, if they didn't follow the rules, they are breaking the law.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 24, 2007 -> 08:10 AM) Seriously, who exactly is surprised at this story? Local corruption and cost overruns... Boy, stop me if you have heard this one before. The fun part will be when those who are against the fence want to use that as a reason to stop building it. Sure, if local corruption and cost overruns are reason enough to end a government project, lets just keep that thought going and end a whole lot more government projects with corruption and cost overruns. Might be kinda hard to find another one, though, you know how efficient our government is.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 23, 2007 -> 01:36 PM) That hole needs to be stopped. I think we can both agree on that. And on that note, I leave this thread, and wish you a Merry Christmas.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 23, 2007 -> 01:09 PM) Then people started getting greedy. They used fake documents and collected benefits. They assumed the role of full American worker, something we now are demanding. So we will have the millions of jobs that were off the books, now on the books, and the drain is happening. We can't stop Timmy McVeigh and Malvo, but we can try and stop Mexicans. We have gone over the need for guest worker programs in other threads, and I am not going to rehash that all here. But one thing about your comment above. The big problem is not that some used fake documents to collect those benefits, its that a huge number of the programs don't even allow the checking of citizenship before the benefits are handed out. So you have many people NOT assuming the role, while still taking the benefits. The self-deportation should work well, as it will be gradual, and allow the system to self-correct.

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Dec 23, 2007 -> 12:09 PM) My 4 year old son kicks my butt on the Wii. His favorite games are the bowling game in the Wii Sports that comes with the system, Rampage and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The Wii is perfectly aimed at all ages, but not "gamers". Rampage is FUN! But if you are playing it with 2 players, make sure to leave enough space between you or someone could get a black eye.