News Stories

[GDB]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

Rebuffing Obama’s gimmicky ‘Buffett Rule’


http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...HBT_story.html

I stopped reading this about a third of the way through, but it appears that they're calling it a gimmick that won't do anything on the mere basis that it won't instantly solve the debt problem by itself, and thus it shouldn't be bothered with. Was the post bought out by the Fox overlords?

[MrTerrorist]

Uzbekistan's policy of secretly sterilising women

Ok, thats horrible. They can't just sterilize anyone to lower the population.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

Two Chinese student were killed in USC.

R.I.P.

Seems that USC is in a very bad district.

Aye, my son goes there (he may know the two as they were in the same engineering program) ... USC is right next to a high crime low income area. They have both extended patrols of the student housing around campus and the university has extensive outreach programs with staff and students participating to stay connected to the community (e.g., my son helps to coach debate in one of the nearby high schools). The violent crime rate has actually dropped significantly in that area in the last 10 years... but this was rather shocking.

So some utter loser thug snuffs two bright minds who could have added real value to the human race and crushed two families.

As my son says - big city, you have to be aware of everyone/everything and assign a bit of brainpower to constantly assessing risk/threats. Don't be oblivious, take those damned ear buds out, etc.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Aye, my son goes there (he may know the two as they were in the same engineering program) ... USC is right next to a high crime low income area. They have both extended patrols of the student housing around campus and the university has extensive outreach programs with staff and students participating to stay connected to the community (e.g., my son helps to coach debate in one of the nearby high schools). The violent crime rate has actually dropped significantly in that area in the last 10 years... but this was rather shocking.

So some utter loser thug snuffs two bright minds who could have added real value to the human race and crushed two families.

As my son says - big city, you have to be aware of everyone/everything and assign a bit of brainpower to constantly assessing risk/threats. Don't be oblivious, take those damned ear buds out, etc.

they were sitting in a $60k Mercedes, 1am in the morning

what were they thinking.

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

they were sitting in $60k Mercedes, 1am in the morning

what were they thinking.

They weren't, and unfortunately they suffered the results. I've done a lot of work in that area, and that's certainly an area where a a heightened situation awareness is a must.

Endless "Head on a swivel" Soul

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

they were sitting in $60k Mercedes, 1am in the morning

what were they thinking.

That's the oblivious part of living in a large city, the illusion of safety when you're displaying bling (though I'd read it was a BMW ... something more familiar and popular with criminals). I spend time in Los Angeles... I'm out late at night in the downtown area - its not apocalypse but you just *pay attention* to things around you.

We could assume they were waiting for someone to join them or were about head home -- no information there.

It does say something poorly about Los Angeles, its law enforcement, and the culture when the paper has a "homicide map" like some damned weather map.

[Ithekro]

Isn't that sort of expected in the second most populous city in the country?


Only New York City has more people.

[Kokukirin]

Originally Posted by GDB

I stopped reading this about a third of the way through, but it appears that they're calling it a gimmick that won't do anything on the mere basis that it won't instantly solve the debt problem by itself, and thus it shouldn't be bothered with. Was the post bought out by the Fox overlords?

The article is worse than that. It argues that the view that Buffett Rule is a gimmick because "Obama agrees that it is a gimmick", which is taken completely out of context. Obama was agreeing that Buffett Rule would not solve the deficit problem on its own.

It does make a valid point though. Obama has not provided a more comprehensive tax reform, but focuses too much on just the Buffett Rule because it is easy to sell to voters. US' tax code is incredibly complex and full of loop holes, and that mostly benefits those rich enough to hire tax experts to exploit them. It has to be simplified. But Obama has not made a serious effort in that direction.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Kokukirin

The article is worse than that. It argues that the view that Buffett Rule is a gimmick because "Obama agrees that it is a gimmick", which is taken completely out of context. Obama was agreeing that Buffett Rule would not solve the deficit problem on its own.

It does make a valid point though. Obama has not provided a more comprehensive tax reform, but focuses too much on just the Buffett Rule because it is easy to sell to voters. US' tax code is incredibly complex and full of loop holes, and that mostly benefits those rich enough to hire tax experts to exploit them. It has to be simplified. But Obama has not made a serious effort in that direction.

and you won't see anything more then just a "general idea" until after the election. too many potential points for the republicans to attack him. Keeping it general and vague with a catchy slogan.

[Kyuu]

German incest couple lose European Court case

A brother and sister from Germany who had an incestuous relationship, arguing they had the right to a family life, have lost their European court case.

Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski had four children together, two of whom are described as disabled.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17690997

First of all... eww.

Second of all... "four children together, two of whom are described as disabled". Incest increases the odds of "disability".

So, instinctively, we shy away from incest. Even if by chance, you happen to have hot sisters.

[synaesthetic]

Originally Posted by Kyuu

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17690997

First of all... eww.

Second of all... "four children together, two of whom are described as disabled". Incest increases the odds of "disability".

So, instinctively, we shy away from incest. Even if by chance, you happen to have hot sisters.

It's only okay if they're both sisters.

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

It's only okay if they're both sisters.

True. Bonus if they're twins.

Endless "" Soul

[Tom Bombadil]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

they were sitting in a $60k Mercedes, 1am in the morning

what were they thinking.

That Mercedes argument again? What was the media thinking? It was a second hand BMW 3 series that dated back to 2003 and had 80000 miles on it, which the Kelly blue place the price at about $10,000-12000. It was newly bought, that's the reason with the paper plate. NOT A BRAND NEW CAR!

What was the media thinking?

Freaking stupidity. Two people were killed, all they can talk about was the car? Why has the car became the center of the attention?! Oh, yeah, just some dumb rich foreign kids brandishing their wealth in the midnight, totally not worthy your sympathy.

Edit: I see this the same as the Patriot Missiles shipping to Shanghai news again. For them, they have already grabbed some eye balls and spread their propaganda. What if they are wrong? They are not going to announce a correction for some "minor details. "

[Vexx]

I know the area and its primarily student housing and such, there's often people walking the area that time of night. It was just a bad moment with some jackass thug opportunist dumb enough to shoot the vehicle he was trying to jack as well as the people inside it.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

What was the media thinking?

Freaking stupidity. Two people were killed, all they can talk about was the car? Why has the car became the center of the attention?! Oh, yeah, just some dumb rich foreign kids brandishing their wealth in the midnight, totally not worthy your sympathy.

that was form the Chinese news report last night.

and more on Bo

Mr Heywood, 41, a businessman based in Beijing who had close links with the Bo family, was found dead last November in a hotel room in Chongqing.

It was initially claimed he had died of alcohol poisoning but on Tuesday the Chinese government said Gu Kailai, the wife of the city's Communist party chief Bo Xilai, was "highly suspected" of having murdered him.

New reports say a fearful Mr Heywood had been summoned at short notice to a meeting in Chongqing in early November with people working for the Bo family.

He told a friend he was "in trouble". After flying to Chongqing he tried and failed to telephone his contacts in the city. He was left to wait alone in his hotel room. What happened to him next is unclear.

Mr Heywood had told friends he had left documents detailing the wealthy Bo family's overseas investments with his lawyer in Britain as an 'insurance policy' in case anything happened to him, the Wall Street Journal reported.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ore-death.html

looks like Melon Melon needs to find a job soon.

[Tom Bombadil]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

that was form the Chinese news report last night.

and more on Bo
looks like Melon Melon needs to find a job soon.

Oh, well, sina has at least provided a correct on their front page.

As for Melon Melon, I am sure the interest alone will be enough for him to live comfortable for the rest of his life.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

How about issuing emissions-tax holidays for those companies that burn down the "investment banks" of Wall Street?

People in glass houses ....

From that Reuters article:

Once an open secret in many markets across the globe, the most egregious forms of such activity have largely disappeared from U.S. energy markets as regulators clamped down. It persists in less intensely regulated places like Singapore, dealers say.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

As for Melon Melon, I am sure the interest alone will be enough for him to live comfortable for the rest of his life.

not if those accounts gets confiscated.

[Kokukirin]

Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

As for Melon Melon, I am sure the interest alone will be enough for him to live comfortable for the rest of his life.

I always wondered how Bo Xilai and his wife came up with this terrible name for their son.

[flying ^]

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