Guard Dog

Business' are privately owned. A PRIVATE business has every right to dictate who can and cannot receive their services. If you don't like how they do things; you take your business elsewhere or start your own. As a libertarian I'd expect you to know better. It's social engineering (NOT A LEGITIMATE FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT) at the expense of property rights. Val is right; the bill in such respects is an abomination. Privately owned but operate in the public space, serviced by public roads, etc. The Civil Right Act did in fact carve out an exception for private clubs/enterprises. Those being defined as only offering services to members not the public at large. For example, Tiger Woods won his first Masters at Augusta, but he could never join the club whose course he dominated. Well, he could now but not then. If a business operates in the public domain, uses public utilities, is a publicly traded company, if it's open to the public it must be open to all the public. And yes I am a Libertarian because I'm closer to that than anything else. Libertarianisim is not anarchy. Advocating for minimal restraint is not asking for NO restraint on the individual. And I'm not 100% Libertarian. Probably 85% at best. If anyone claims to be 100% in line with any political philosophy I'd advise them to learn how to start thinking on their own before it's too late.

Just a thought, if the American revolution never happened, which led to the French Revolution not happening then the Franco-Prussian War would not have happened. the result of that was a united German state that became the Germany of today. That is not to say Prussia, Baden, Wurttenburg, Bavaria and other smaller States might have united eventually. But a fractured Germany could have ended up controlled by Austria. Which changes the 20th Century for Europe completely.

Nah, even start ups need to have some capital to cover the operating costs before they manage to produce anything. The notion that the guy working at a supermarket can just save enough money and then quit his job to start a business and that it will make him a millionaire is nonsense. At best they end up owning a store or food place, which it will take them years to develop into a franchise only to be bought out by one of the major players or to keep competing across multiple generations(and that its how it should work up to a point). Meanwhile some rich guy is able to use both his capital and connections to grow a business in less than a decade and he gets praised for it, never mind that his only contribution was to have the capital and the connection and nothing more. So with all that in mind, please forgive me if I take what rich people say with a big heap of salt as I know my situation is way too different to what they started with. Also, what's your friend lifestyle like? is he good with money or is he wasteful? In short, what's the reason for his current predicament? Because I find the whole thing weird; not impossible, just a bit hard to swallow without some context. A few years back I and five other partners started a company selling, installing and servicing public Wi-Fi. We split the start up cost six ways. I took out a 2nd mortgage on my home and borrowed the max allowed from my retirement savings. I went all in for my part. We worked 14 hour days, sometimes even round the clock. Sometimes every day of the week. When I travelled I did so on my own dime. The company was a success, it began to grow. It became very profitable. And after three years we sold it. With my share I paid off my house, all my debts, fully funded my retirement when the time comes if I'm careful, and a little money in the bank for other investments like my rental property. I'm not a millionaire by any means but by my estimation I'm rich. I owe nothing to anyone except my car payment and I have everything I need and a few thing I want. If a dumbass like me can do that, anyone can. But you have to have something to sell, and the capital to get it off the ground. But it can be had without being or knowing millionaires. If you have a product you can sell, and that product can be your labor or knowledge or skills you have, and a workable business plan you can find investors. Believe me, anyone can do it. The guy I mentioned was on of my partners in this enterprise. He's not wasteful, just seriously overleveraged. He's got a lot of money tied up in long term growth projects that he really does not want to sell. He discussed an opportunity with me but off shore real estate is a little too risky for me. Just my $.02 here but real wealth isn't a bank balance. It freedom from worry. Debt is worry. I know guys who have made money leveraging debt. In fact we have a guy like that in the White House right now. Nuts to that. Wealth is not being able to buy big things, it's owning the things you have. I don't care about nice clothes, or fancy cars, or big vacations. I do care about not waking up at night worrying about a bill that needs to be paid. I may sell my home someday but you better believe I'll never borrow against it again.

Depends on what you call rich I guess. If you are talking about billions it hard to make that kind of money in one lifetime. I've known people with a net worth over $1M and not a pot to piss in. One of my former business partners was in that boat. He could barely afford his mortgage but his total net worth made him a millionare. It's a subjective standard.

You know Orogun, a lot of rich people did not come into this world rich. They got that way through a confuence of intelligence, hard work, and making the most of opportunities that presented themselves. Perhaps folks like that should be listened to.

There is a bow in IWD EE that grants 4 attacks per round. I have a level 10 Archer, with that and +2 Arrows she is death walking. She has 39% of the EP in a six member party. OK, question. I have not played BG 1 or 2 in years so I don't remember this. But I'm curious. Did Khalid & Jahiera know what the PC was right from the start? If that ever came up in a game conversation I don't remember.

Val, specifically what is your beef with the Civil Rights Act? Aside from the one small part I mentioned, I'm not seeing the problem here.

Just a note, the scnario I guess at in the first post only goes so far as the late 1800's. I'll give this some more thought today as to how that would evolve at the turn of the century and beyond.

Depends on who makes it: http://www.shortmountaindistillery.com/ Still going to be an import for you though so it's going to be expensive.

I heard ppl say that the civil rights movement was hugely thrown back during the beginning of the Cold War due to many members flatterance with the (far)left, is there any truth to this? Well... the FBI was mainly the ones behind this narrative. It's not entirely untrue. It was mostly untrue. Some parts of the Civil Rights movement did have ties to American Communist groups. Bill Ayers and the Weather Underground being the most prominent example. The Black Panthers may or may not. I'm not sure. I've read evidence both ways. But the main force of the Civil Rights movement led by Martin Luther king the accusation is totally false. But yes it was still made as a way to undermine it. How much of an effect that had is debatable. They didn't call it The Red Scare for nothing.

That will cure what ails you! And dosages may be increased at patient's discretion! Greatest problem is the cost, that's about 30$ worth of rum I drank, wich lasted for about 4-5 hours. The equivalent in morphine would be 0.5$ per pill. One is massively taxed, the other is subsidized. yikes rum is expensive there. You should try something that is not imported. Or better yet tell the dentist it still hurts like hell...

Today the United States will celebrate the 241 years since the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Indepenence and broke away from Great Britain. But what if it never happened? Forget for a moment all the reasons it did and consider an alternative timeline. How would the world be different? How would North America be different? How would history have changed? Jusr some of my ideas: North America would likely be many countries rather than 3. Canada would never exist. Quebec and Ontario would eventually be a single entity and would likely be the capital of a French speaking country that spans from north of the Great Lakes to New Orleans. This is assuming a successful Quebec independence bid, peaceful or otherwise. If that did not happen the French and Spanish (and later just the French) would still control the Mississippi. A Canada like country would likely exist east of the Mississippi from Georgia to New Foundland. The Westward Expansion would not have happened without a war with France. Maybe not even then. Florida would likely be an independent nation (the collapse of the Spanish empire was going to happen no matter what. The Dutch had already broken away, there were Basque & Catalan rebellions in Spain, their economy was f----d, etc.). It would be under constant stress from Spanish speaking Catholics and English speaking Protestants filtering down from whatever the Colonies are called now. Civil war is probable. California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas would likely have formed a Spanish speaking nation or two. For all the same reasons Texas became an English speaking one. The government of Mexico was weak, unpopular, and far away. If one or two of the Indian Tribes had attained supremacy over the others (the Sioux were most likely because they had the means and the inclination) it possible a independent Indian nation could have formed with one or two more in the north western US & Canada. Slavery would have ended in North America much sooner than it did. Except for Florida possibly. Alaska may have stayed a Russian possession. The French Revolution might never have happened. Now this is a big one. No French Revolution means no Napoleon. Total game changer. Do you guys agree? Disagree? have other ideas? Let's hear them?

Nah, that really didn't become a thing until later. Remember a lot of the indian tribes fought with the French during the war in the 1760's. On a tangent I was working on an Indian reservation in Minnesota a few years ago and became friendly with the school superintendent. (I was installing Wi-Fi in the schools) We had a conversation once that if the American Revolution had failed the indian nations would have had their own country eventually and been treated better by the British. I laughed at that and told him there is an actual country called India whose people are called also Indians who would disagree with you there. Don't confuse the Britain of today with the one from the 1700's.

That will cure what ails you! And dosages may be increased at patient's discretion!

Following Raithe: Yeah! We showed the British with their Townshend Acts regulations and taxes (yes Hurlshot I know they repealed the stamp act with that. Work with me here). Can you believe it they were taxing us almost 9%. Can you believe that? 9%. Tea, sugar, glass, paper, cotton, hogs, all taxed. Well, we showed them! Now our tax rate is... it's.... wait... what the F--K happened here? Well, at least we get a say in our government now. Wait.... we do don't we?

Kato Kaelin won the 50-50 raffle at the Brewers game in Miller Park yesterday. Yet again this professional sponge is in the news for being in the right place at the right time. http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/kato-kaelin-won-the-brewers-50-50-raffle-today/ar-BBDJyH9?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

There's one gigantically positive thing, though, and I'm not talking about his manhood. I presume you are referring to the Civil Rights Act. I'd agree with you there. You know the ironic thing? That was Kennedy's baby, but he did not have the influence with Congress to push it through. Johnson did. The combination of Johnson's pushing and sympathy for Kennedy made all the difference. Had Kennedy not died it may never have passed. Or might not have been as far reaching if it did. Every cloud does have a silver lining. The 'Civil rights Act' is an abomination to anyone who truly appreciates freedom. I realize that you and pretty much every American, and possibly even those overseas were taught it's an amazing thing, but did you ever actually read it and objectively think about it for yourself? It's got some really good things in it, I'll say that. But it's also got some downright evil things, packaged in seemingly well intentions and certainly advertised as such. Some of the major problems our nation is currently facing have their origins in this legislation, and the rot is only going to go deeper until the problem is recognized. Tip: If something is downright taboo to question, if some of the masses kneejerk flipout at the questioning of it as they've been conditioned to do, you should seriously take a deep look at it. And from experience, chances are high that if you do, things are not as they are going to be as you were told they were, and probably even believed they were: at least in part, but possibly even in whole. Primary sources are an amazing thing. The truth to a lot of things are out there if one bothers to look. And the truth isn't always pretty. I assume you are referring to the expanded powers granted to the Civil Rights Commission in Title 5? Seeing as how it is a government bureaucracy that does whatever the hell it pleases with a lot of authority and minimal oversight you do have a point. As for the rest of it, it does not restrict freedom. Quite the opposite actually in most cases. It's not OK for a city or State to tell certain people they may not enjoy the public spaces their taxes are paying for. Or that restaurants and other public business could restrict their customers. If it's open to the public it has to be open to all the public. Also desegregating schools was not a bad thing.

There's one gigantically positive thing, though, and I'm not talking about his manhood. I presume you are referring to the Civil Rights Act. I'd agree with you there. You know the ironic thing? That was Kennedy's baby, but he did not have the influence with Congress to push it through. Johnson did. The combination of Johnson's pushing and sympathy for Kennedy made all the difference. Had Kennedy not died it may never have passed. Or might not have been as far reaching if it did. Every cloud does have a silver lining.

Oh my God. I have something positive to say about Lyndon Johnson now. Well, actually there were a few positive things about him. Not many, but a few.

The Democrats are just as tragically stupid as the Republicans with this impeachment and other Trump removal talk. Take a good look at what's going on around here. Trump completely undermines his own team's best efforts everytime he opens his mouth or turns on his phone. The Obamacare Lite or whatever they are calling the Senate Healthcare bill today is dead meat and every hates the House version (the AHCA). The Republicans have been calling for the repeal and replacement of the ACA for eight doggone years. They had eight doggone years to decide what to do. Clearly they never expected to be able to do it because they never invested any serious thought on HOW to do it. And now the best idea they can come up is half-assed Obamacare. All their supporters who hated the ACA will hate half-assed ACA. The Democrats and their supporters don't want anything they do to succeed they will hate it no matter what. If I was the leader of the DNC I'd tell everyone to just STFU and stay out of the way while the Republicans do what they always do: piss off so many of their own supporters they get stay home in droves in 2018 and 2020 and the party gets creamed in the elections. Republican voters get very angry when voting Republican gets them Democrat Lite. As for getting rid of Trump, why on earth would the Dems want that? Pence is smart, pragmatic, and practical. He might even do a decent job as President. If you give him three years he might even be hard to beat. He's not likely to make a fool of himself and pick stupid fights with media nobodies. Three more years of Trump tweeting, bombast, and general jackassery and all they have to do in 2020 is not run another Hillary Clinton (yes that mean you Elizabeth Warren). Personally I hope they keep it up. I hope they get right in the pig pen with him and mud wrestle him until you can't tell one from the other. I'd like nothing better that for the whole country to see what a sad, sick joke their two political parties have become. Maybe then they will realize there are other choices, some of which have some very good ideas.

As coup attempts go, this one is creative: https://www.yahoo.com/news/bill-create-panel-remove-trump-office-quietly-picks-democratic-support-124521145.html

I got 10 out of 11. But I call BS on that. A killer whale is a mammal but it is not a whale. A coyote is a canid but it isn't a dog and a

In any other company the reference might have been obscure. On this board? No. I think everyone got it! Edit: It was funny though.

Kirottu what is the canon BG party? Imoen, Jahiera and Khalid I'm sure. Who are the last two?