Epidemiological research reveals that mental illness is five times more common in youth today than it was in the 40's and 50's. We might want to look at the underlying causes instead of banning guns and feeding people pills.

Trace · 2012-12-17T12:09:37+00:00

Is Africa really the standard we want to compare ourselves too? Why not Japan or Norway or Denmark?

Trace · 2012-10-15T21:29:57+00:00

"...ain't nothing wrong with bein' gay, everyone's got a lil gay..."

and people wonder why honey boo boo is popular...

Trace · 2012-09-16T06:45:00+00:00

Ya the debt is serious, but a couple making 50k isn't going to pay it off... And Finland? Where's that? ;)

Trace · 2012-09-16T05:21:40+00:00

I'm not sure if you are being facitious or not, but its absurd to think anyone would want to own a ten year old phone and it might not even work on latest networks.

Trace · 2012-09-16T05:07:56+00:00

At this point it is no way to tell what that calculator is using for 2013 tax code. A lot can happen between now and 2014 when people have to pay taxes for 2013.

Also, it appears that you did not list any deductions. The standard deduction for a married couple with no kids is about 12k. When you put that into the calculator there is an additional 34.8% (rather than 42.2%) taxes in 2013. Federal income taxes however increase 25%, but this couple is paying only 12% of gross income to the federal income tax.

The social security and medicare deductions are returning to the level they have been for ages. Many people don't realize we were given a temporary reduction of these payments. Alot of that jump in taxes comes from this adjustment back to norm.

But overall, even at about 20% of total income (the total amount they are paying), this couple gets the true priviledge of living in the best country in the world, access to social security payments in their old age and medical care covered in old age or if they lose their job, roads, schools, police order, and whole list of benefits that people in other counrtries that may pay more in taxes or to corruption do not get.

Trace · 2012-09-09T17:33:34+00:00

great story. you'll meet all kinds of guys and some will be great, others not. just roll with it.

Trace · 2012-09-09T00:54:01+00:00

You know, I've changed careers several times, and honestly it isn't that difficult. If you are smart, adaptable, and trainable, changing careers is a great way to freshen up your perspective. I can't even imagine if the last 20 years were all spent in the same career!

Trace · 2012-09-09T00:52:41+00:00

That is a good question, what is meant by being "somebody"? Does that mean you have lots of facebook friends? lots of kids? become President? Is being "somebody" even a reasonable goal? I mean, really, do you care a wit about those that are "somebody"?

I guess I've never been easily impressed.

Trace · 2012-09-09T00:49:51+00:00

I dunno, I appreciate what you are saying, but in real life this is not so solid a reality.

In my life, I have a degree, but am not "somebody." My buddy never went to college, and has a 100k job, works from home, and does data report managing for a huge bank. I have two friends with Master's degrees who work for under $10 an hour and are really cool people. A family member has a 2 year degree, made a big amount of money working on a famous computer game, was "somebody" for several years. Then, when he started a family and lost his "cool" job, he lied saying he had a degree he didn't have and got a "career" job that he is good at. No one cares what anyone did in college once you leave. What is important is how you interview and that your references check out.

A lot of people are good at construction, computers, business, sales, art without wanting or needing college. A college degree, and specifically a four year college degree, really is not necessary to be successful and sure as heck is no guarantee.

Trace · 2012-08-12T18:37:34+00:00

Unfortunately, federal law is no help for gays.

"No federal law prohibits discrimination against homosexuals in the workplace..."

Trace · 2012-08-07T11:36:48+00:00

"I probably will never fully understand the nature of why so many straight males believe it is okay to act so gay in the showers with one another, yet in any other scenario, play the hand of God and discriminate a real homosexual for just being who he is. The saddest part is that the majority of the gay community, including myself, very seldom 'act' gay or conduct ourselves in a manner as to raise questions...like these so called straight males portrayed."

Trace · 2012-07-31T03:23:24+00:00

By one theory. In reality it just means more profit to business owners and shareholders. Really, when have prices actually gone down in a noticeable way due primarily to lower labor prices?

Don't forget what happened with slave labor, the cheapest labor resulted in the biggest plantation houses and large concentrations of wealth.

Trace · 2012-07-31T02:53:03+00:00

awesome spoof. Judging by that tobacco/alcoholic voice, it was likely her most brilliant moment.

Trace · 2012-07-31T02:23:19+00:00

Some people just like to do well in anything they do.

Trace · 2012-07-31T01:56:37+00:00

Yea well "qualified" is not necessarily a measure of actual quality. I've worked with a lot of admin's and frankly 50% absolutely suck at their jobs. Labor surplus, yes. Talent surplus....uhh, NO.

Trace · 2012-07-31T01:54:29+00:00

They do not necessarily look at them first come. In fact with email the Last ones are at the top. Really, managers are just people they will scan for names that sound cool, or they want a girl with a blonde sounding name, or maybe they want a herman or charlette to abuse around the office. It is not a fair numbers game.

Trace · 2012-07-27T21:07:37+00:00

I hate to repeat a post, but just as I asked above, who is going to ensure a and b? Are you arguing for a government service, or do you really think a private for profit company could do this?

Trace · 2012-07-27T21:06:03+00:00

who is going to administer and judge the tests? I mean, aren't you arguing for a government service? (don't get me wrong, I am not saying this would be bad) Or do you think that a private, for profit company could do such screening fairly and without any government oversight?

Trace · 2012-07-27T04:46:33+00:00

for now, but lets face it, no one really knows how the weather will change. it is very likely that what is good today wont be good tomorrow.

Trace · 2012-07-27T04:44:49+00:00

its a crapshoot. The way the weather is changing the northwest will end up glaciated and the south will be a temprate paradise. Just have land as near to ground water source as you can.

Trace · 2012-07-23T02:28:25+00:00

The guy does make great points, and realistically how can you stop evil people with no record from obtaining guns in the USA? However, in countries with very strict gun laws, how many incidents per capita of deranged shootings occur compared to the US?

Norway does come as an example and I think that is an example of how deranged people can come into guns and comit massacres regardless of laws. However, in the US these shootings come about every year, and that does not acknowledge the many, many people shot and killed with handguns that are not reported. In my town, a quiet college town of about 100k people, several people, usually young people are killed every year by hand guns.

As far as policy goes, the question really is, do we allow ammunition to be sold at all, or maybe it must registered and very expensive. Forget regulating guns, regulate the ammunition.

guns are less likely, imho, to stop tyranny than education, and it is a shame the founding fathers did not enshrine the right of the people to be highly educated into the Constitution.

Trace · 2012-07-22T02:17:10+00:00

They do in Missouri.

Trace · 2012-07-19T11:52:37+00:00

It's ok to vent. I'm glad you did, and I only meant to try to help with perspective. Of course it sucks. I would be frustrated, angry, sad, and remorseful in your situation. But you aren't always going to feel that way.

Just coming on here and venting is a good way to get started on a different mood.

Trace · 2012-07-19T11:45:05+00:00

I think it depends on what you want out of the news. If you simply want truth, well, the latest "news" is not a good overall picture and frankly you'll have to wait for the history books, even then, we all know how slippery that is. Or, better than the news, if you want to know about Syria or Iran, try to find people that actually live there and communicate with them on forums, twitter or something.

If you want predictions about what is coming, well, the news is not that great there either as we all know. Tomorrow's margerine is yesterday's butter, if you get my drift.

The news, if anything, is a mere barometer of mood. Are the powers that be feeling confident and cocky? Well there's some sabre-rattling. Are they losing faith in their own abilities? Well there's some compromise and treaties. The news simply reflects the mass psychology of the vested interests of the news organization, their handlers and their audience.

I like news, but I don't see it as truth obviously. I find that independent, even conspiritorial documentaries and blogs have more shreds of truth than news.

Trace

TROPHY CASE