Good_Jorb comments

Get educated, become a professional and then they could retire at the 50 if they so choose to or become a consultant and work till your 90.

There are gays in the military already;

The 1993 law says gays may serve in the military but only if they keep secret their sexual orientation.

Has there been a stories of "huge, burly, muscular marines" taking advantage of others in a fox hole? Honestly I'm at lose as to why people think the army would fall apart? Gays in the army but they can't say they're gay - No Chaos. Gays in the army but they can say they're gay - Chaos. Do gays magically turn more gay, if they say their gay?

are just the EFFECTS of a very, very deeply rooted CAUSE, that that is that so many AMERICANS get high, every day on what? Mexican marijuana, heroine, crystal meth, and maybe popular in the Beverly Hills Playboy Mansion, COCAINE from Mexico via Colombia, Bolivia, Peru etc...

Canadian growers generate Billions of dollars in Marijuana sells to America every year and how many beheadings and mass murders are committed? Yes, Americans do buy the drugs and yes American weapons are sold to Mexico but it is also apparent that there is something significantly wrong with a countries culture when it starts to turn a blind eye to the rise of narco-terrorist. Narco-terrorist have been able to grow and thrive because apathetic Mexican citizens did nothing to prevent it.

someone be charged with Adultery while sodomy is allowed

Adultery in theory is a breach of contract, sodomy on the other hand isn't. I would imagine that if gay marriage were aloud, then gays would be charge with adultery as well. If sin is standard for law, soldiers would be arrested for masturbating, as it to can be considered to be sinful, lustful thoughts, coveting and all that jazz but yet there is no law against it.

Vargas-Perez and eight others were accused of robbery, harassment and sexual abuse

Hmmm... beating a gang prospect up for being gay and then being charged with sexual abuse. Not the first time an underlying correlation between being extremely homophobia and have doubts about ones sexual orientation has occured. At any rate, now they are off to the pokey, where I'm sure they'll find their true selves and it won't be as subtle as shoe tapping a shoe in the men's bathroom.

The US should pull of Afganistan and stop all aid payments to Pakistan. I'm sure all the billions of dollars being spent could do wonders in increasing homeland security.

However, I believe (if memory serves) that the Kennedy tax cuts in the 1960s and the Reagan tax cuts in the 1980s also resulted in (or were followed by) higher revenues

One only needs to look at debt levels to see what really happened. Kennedy had a minor increase in debt, Reagan had a huge increase in debt. Sublimating tax revenue, with debt, is just putting off the inevitable tax increases for another generation. Businesses use police to protect their property, government made infrastructure for their logistical needs, etc., they could put tolls on everything but the tolls are technically taxes if the government imposes them.

I prefer the marginal tax method, 18%,22%,25%,28%,33%,36%. Before you say people shouldn't have income taxed at 36%, know how tax brackets work. Income earned over $200,000 should be taxed at 36%, which doesn't the person pays 36%, most likely the person marginal tax or real tax rate would be around 29-30%. If a lower tax rate keeps a family above the poverty line, then an extra 12 or more percent would be more then worth it. Those living below the poverty line are statistically more likely to commit crimes, drop out school, and well in general be less productive members or society. Which translate into higher crime(increased policing cost), a smaller GDP(the total pie shrinks) and so forth and so on.

It's a sad state of affairs when you can't draw a cartoon without worrying about death treats, more people should draw them until there is too many to treaten.

Carmargue Gypsy Festival in Les Saintes Maries De La Mer then? It is was one of favorite things to see in the South of France!

But there is one side in this war delighted to see you believe such nonsense, the side that propagates the lie they are from the same root...

Read the Torah and the Koran (I have) it's explicit in both text that Yahweh and Allah are the same God, it's just dependent on which of sons of Abraham you believe was blessed by God, Ishmael(Islam) or Isaac(Judah). Unless of course both regilous texts like to propagate lies, which is something you're more then free to beleive (I think they do to some exent).

Oddly the Torah predicted that Palestintian people would forever be a torn in the side of the Israelis. Peace has well almost never come to that area of the Earth, I doubt it will start any time soon. Ironically they both worship the same monotheist God, just with different religious texts.

Appartently getting plastic surgery done on top of old plastic surgery is expense. Creating a movie in hopes of generating enough profits to finance their surgery was probably their only option. A sad testament to vanity insanity, maybe they will find a pond to stare at in greece.

And I'd like to add, that just making up figures to assert your position is pathetic as well.

My apologizes I mean 4.97 trillion, which is so much different then 5 trillion, I mean really rounding up at .03 is apparently pathetic? Bush started with 5.73 trillion and ended with 10.7 (10.7-5.73 = 4.97) but I suppose the treasury department is trying to rewrite history too? http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np put in the start of bush's first term and the end of his second term. It's not hard to find actually facts, instead of pretending to know. 4.97 trillion, those tax cuts sure paid for themselves, oh wait they didn't... the national debt increased 89%. Of course Bush kept the economy going by dumping huge amounts of money into the economy, where do you think the 4.97 trillion went?

It shouldn't be a surprise though mortgage and consumer debt also had huge increases in 2000's. Really the fault doesn't only rest with government but ever American who lived outside of their means chasing the dream or keeping up with the Jones. Now the piper has to be payed, but I guess it's easier to blame the "government".

People went out, and with the money they saved, spent it, invested it, used it in ways that made them, and businesses, more money. If anything, it was these tax cuts, that allowed the US to absorb the shock from 9-11.

It's was 5+ trillion in new debt that allowed the US to absorb the shock from 9-11. It's more then apparent that the cut in taxes was simply replaced by issuing debt. Honestly, people had to know taxes increases were going to have to come, how else are going to pay for nearly doubling your debt load over 8 years. Bush and Obama have both created economies based on borrowing money.

Go check out how much the national debt increased during the 8 years of Bush, and how much it's increased during the 19 months of Obama.

Bush increased the Debt by 89% in 8 years, especially when he signed off on TARP, Obama seems to have continued Bush's spending habits, accept to release that at some point someone is going to have pay back that debt(taxes). Ever since Reagan/Bush Sr. era debt especially in relationship to the GDP has been out of control, both democrats and republicans have been the direct cause of it. Just like an indebted individual, eventually you have to pay the piper, either by going broke or by paying back your debt (I.E. Higher taxes). Really though the fault lies with the voting public, for electing idiots for 30+ years and it is coming back to bite them and it will be the legacy left by the baby boomers.

You're in the minority, adaydream, most Americans want the Bush tax cuts to be made permanent.

Instead of taxes, Bush paid for things with debt, that's why he almost double the US national debt.

because making 165,000 and paying 46,200 in taxes out is better than making 175,000 and paying out 57,750)

That isn't how tax brackets works, you can't make more by earning less.

If your clients make 175,000 they would only pay 33% on 3150 (175,000-171,850). Tax brackets work like this; the first 8375 is 10%, the next 25,625 at 15% (35,000-8375) and so on. You'll always make more, but you just earn 5% less of the next dollar over 171,850. Business owners keep their income tax low, because their companies pay less in taxes. If planned properly you can defer paying personal taxes on the income earned your company, by keeping it with your company until better tax advantages present themselves. (write-offs, children, tax credits, etc.)

The joke among the guys in financials that the moment you understand the tax code is the day you should check yourself into a psych ward.

If they can't understand the basics of how tax brackets work, the joke is on them.

Part of my earnings are taxed at the highest tax bracket (I'm not a business owner) and I personally don't mind paying my proportional "fair" share but then that's just me.

Nothing like Big Government telling people what they can and can't wear. I wonder if they one day expand the ban to other religious clothing like the Scapular and Habit.

Authorities rescued three people believed to be kidnap victims, he added, and seized 20 vehicles and an unspecified quantity of weapons and ammunition.

Considering the ranch was run by a drug cartel, there is surprisingly something not on the list of things seized, that you would think would be there.

It's the "government please take care of me" young generation vs the "you get what you deserve, so work hard" older generation.

Right... it's more like "entitled, entirely lacking in any sort of managerial skills (both politically and in business) capitalize the profits, socialize the losses" baby boomers/older generation vs the "stuck with the bill" younger generation. Knowing that we as the younger generation will have to pay for the stupidity of baby boomer generation is most certainly enough to cause a certain amount of disillusionment. Why would they follow in the foot steps of a generation of epic failure? Perhaps they should have too much pride to work "Lesser" jobs and live in tent cities in Ueno park.

What about anti-white, anti-straight, anti-Christian, anti-Hispanic, anti-Asian...

they don't count..

Really? The FBI counts them, it's not hard to simply google, sigh.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2005/table1.htm

However... if the situation "doesn't" require English... why are the vast majority of Hafus I run into obligated to burst out in English ???

People react differently to different people, I worked for a big 4 accounting firm, within the firm and those that we audited, rarely did hafus ever just burst out into English(plently of Japanese workers tried though), I think for one a lot of them spoke Chinese/Japanese more comfortably and/or they spoke Japanese so that everyone around was included in the conversation. Outside the workplace was different though, if they could speak English, then our conversation would be in English.

Generally I always just found it easier to speak Japanese in a professional environment and most of the Hafus I had the pleasure of meeting seemed to operate in the manor.

So I don't why your slagging Cleo for being a "home worker", I found my professional dealings with Hafus to be as she discribed.

But there that sense of 'not the right time'. If they choose to ignore this and build anyway it says something about character.

On the other hand, there is always going to an element that will continually say it's not the right, not because it is or isn't but because they just don't like/trust any muslim. I'm sure that those building the mosque have that in mind well they are moving forward. Same with it's location, if they moved 2 or 3 blocks, there would proably still be protests about building it.

I used to work with one of Japans largest and most succesful language schools.

Could be because it's a language school, at the best of times their not exactly know for their ethical business practices or stellar hiring policies. While working for a big 4 accounting firm in Japan, I never noticed any discrimination against or foreigners(including Japanese-Americans, Japanese-Canadians, )or Japanese born hafu's, but then again most were highly educated, well paid and very good at their jobs. This of course is purely anecdotal, people in different situations well have different outlooks on how they see Japan and Japanese,changing someones opinion, especially JT probably won't happen.

I'm Metis (part white, part Cree), I've never had a problem with being called Metis, even though to most in means the same thing as Hafu. Having blue eyes and fair skin, when I tell people I'm not Caucasian or at least not entirely, it doesn't seem to register with them both in Japan and North America. In fact when out with wife recently, we ran into a skinhead, who began to berate me from his 4th floor balcony for being a race trader, I yelled back at him, I'm not even pure white so stfu, he yelled, yeah right and proceeded to give me the Hitler salute.

That being said, one the reason the wife and I moved back to Canada was so when we have children they didn't have to go to school with close minded Japanese kids and overly sensitive ex-pat/mixed kids and their like minded parents.

This is a problem that needs a solution as well.

Wouldn't that also be a problem for those who choose to be single throughout their lives or widow/ers who choose not to have children. Beside that, considering that having two males in a house usually equates to two bread-earner incomes plus generally a life with no children, they can probable afford to pay for homecare, or assisted living housing. Well planned retirements should entirely avoid the problem.

by "traditional" I mean the core values of our society.

Correct me if I am wrong but are the core values the US not

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Interesting core values; I don't see All men(excluding gays) are created equal, it doesn't mention of specific god, just a creator and it's seems an unalienable right is the pursuit of Happiness.

Please don't equate slavery with trying to keep intact the institution of marriage.

The relationship I have with my wife and I isn't based on the fact that we are "married" but on the emotional bounds we share with each other. I could careless if two women or two guys get married, it won't lessen the bound I have with my wife. The institution of marriage is only as strong as who are married, if it isn't strong to handle to people of the same-sex getting married, then really, it's already broken. If your marriage breaks down because of who else is getting married, that what kind of relationship did you have in the first place?

Looks like even Steven to me, three peoples, all wrong.

Right or wrong, Vietnam was once a vassal state of China and by your logic then China once ruling over Vietnam, could invade on the premise of prior ownership(shades of Tibet). So all the better for Vietnam and the US to work together.

As for the warships off California comparison, is Vietnam part of China? If not, then it's an American ship stopping in Vietnam's sovereign territory, not them going into China's territory.