Guard Dog

I forget who said this but it is pretty right on "Communisim cannot work because we are people, not ants. Objectivisim cannot work because we are people, not bears."

This

Great game USA & Puerto Rico last night. Team USA had looked disinterested in pool play, they are punching it now.

They are used all the time. The AT&T/T-Mobile merger was blocked by them just two years ago. A cable merger, I think Cox & Time/Warner (I think) was also blocked recently. Breaking up big companies/monopolies is unusual, preventing them is commonplace and seldom makes a big news splash.

Illegals do not get tuition assistance. In California they can get in-state rates. That is it as far as I know. And this IS all on Obama. He (or his admin more accurately) decides what programs get cut/defunded. Obama proposed and insisted on (then blamed on Republicans) these cuts. But think of this they are spending over $3.9 Trillion this year and the cuts are $85 Billion. Last year they spent $3.7 Trillion. So you see, the total amout of the cuts is LESS THAN THE INCREASE from this year to last. And since Obama is in charge of actually spending the money he can pick what gets cut. The US Government will spend more money on 2013 even with the cuts than in 2012 and they could afford tuition assistance in 2012. He is screwing the military simply to score poitical points against the other side. That is all this is. Of course he can still go play golf with Tiger Woods and Michelle Obama will still have her lavish multi-million dollar birthday party featuring Beyonce and Adele and a dress that will cost more tha I earn in two years all provided at tax payer expense And we, especially the military, can eat cake if we don't like it. This is very disgusting to me because I have my degree because of my military benefits. Between the classes I took while in and the GI Bill. But nothing this small, petty, despicable little man does suprises me any more. Did I just hear a drone propellor pass over?

Since we are on the subject: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/03/12/manny-ramirez/1981215/

I will never understand what you see in that guy Volo.

Yeah but I'm not putting anything more into it. I need a laptop because I spend so much time on the road for work these days. I opted to go with the Alienware. I've never heard a single negative thing about them. It was the most expensive one I looked at but only by a little. I don't play many games these days but I wanted one that would run Skyrim on at least high setting with a decent FPS and from eveything I've gathered that one will. I did take the upgrade for the SSD though. Plus it was the only one I could find that still had Windows 7. That was a point in it's favor in my book.

Cheer up Calax, birthdays are no time to get depressed! Actually that's exactly what they are, but no reason you can't buck that trend. You need to go out, get sloppy drunk and hook up with some strange girl you've never seen before and will never see again.

Gotta love Canadians! For such a peaceful country you guys LOVE to fight. http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=25699601&topic_id=31426364

Do you really, and being a history teacher too, not see the symbolic difference between the White House and the military base? The first thing he cuts is people's access to the symbolic center of their government, not his vacations, not his jetsetting, not his bloated stuff. It's like he's saying the government belongs to me, not to you. I'm the King, and you have no business in my palace. That's not how a leader of a free people acts. Really sometimes the things you say just amaze me. No kidding, and now they are saying he can kill us right here on our own soil.I think Lincoln set that precedent (well, really Washington during the Whiskey Rebellion if I recall my history right). Anyway, don't see anything wrong with killing terrorists, as they're considered enemy combatants. I don't think the leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula should get any protection from his citizenship once he took up arms against the country he's technically the citizen of. The problem WoD is that Americans are entitled to due process from our government. Especially on our own home soil. Simply declaring me a terrorist because my politics are opposed to the president's does not make me one. Calling me an insurgent because I'm well armed does not make me one. I'm not talking about killing foreign combatants in a combat zone far away. This whole thing is about killing Americans right here in the USA. The only reason they've backtracked (sort of) is because of public outcry. The Obama admin is very serious about securing this power for itself. The tragedy of that whole thing (The whiskey rebellion) was it was over money and control. And Madison's mad dream of the government controlling the economy with his "Bank of the Unites States". The US government is never more dangerous than when it wants control over something it does not have. The only protection we as citizens have is to keep it's scope and ability to usurp contol of things limited.

I didn't mean regulate the rights of citizens, more the protection of citizens from abuse and the protection of the rights of citizens. I mean if that was left up to the states in entirety, you'd still wind up with pre-civil rights era south trumping and griping about how "those dastardly liberals" keep moving down there and trying to agitate to change the system. If you keep having the same attitudes and thought processes perpetuated, very little will change. I'm typing this on a tablet so forgive me if I keep it short. The biggest threat to the rights of citizens IS government. They are not it's protector in any real way because, generally, rights represent limits to government. If another individula or entity infringes on your rights in any way there are legal protections, criminal and civil. It's a lot more vauge when the government does so. I'll repeat what I've said before. the largest most powerful corporation in the world could not take one penny from my checking account unless I consented. The smallest government right here in Shelby County Tennessee could seize all my financial assets, sieze my home, take and kill my dogs, and throw me in jail. And if they did so erronously or unjustly it is still incumbent on me to fight back and they have more than enough financial power to ruin me in the process. Who should be really be afraid of Calax?

RIP Guard Dogs Computer . I built her in 2008. Now two HDDs, three video cards, two OS's and more hours of Fallout, NWN, Oblivion, Morrowind, DA & Total War than I could ever count, she has left me. She won't boot up, wont read the HD (it's good, it posts up in another old PC I have). Soooo laptop time. Thanks for the informed opinions everyone, time to pick one.

How are these not great virtues? How do you expect to get any work done if all you do is build walls around yourself? I have an interesting question for you guys, which one of the founding fathers do you feel you relate closely to? I tend to find Benjamin Franklin the most appealing, with quotes like this speaking out to me: But I believe all of them, with their very diverse beliefs, play a key role in the creation of our country. Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, hands down. This quote is for you Hurlie: "Moderation in temper is always a virtue, moderation in principle is always a vice" Thomas Paine And my personal favorite "Society in every state is a blessing but government even in it's best stage is necessary evil, in it's worst stage an intolerable one"

He is just such a one. His posts regarding the Second Amendment and gun control laws make it entirely clear that he's very much akin to Sowell's "anointed", Levin's "statist", or Codevilla's "ruling class"--take your pick. ROFL.... wait I gotta catch my breath. Hey Calax, you're a member of the ruling class, all your problems are solved... who knew all this time you spent working so hard you were really running the show! No seriously Tsuga Calax is a good guy and smarter than most here. He is a little left of center for sure but he is consistent and intellectually honest about why he thinks the way he does. I'm not familiar with Codevilla but Thomas Sowell I do know and he is one of the most brilliant men alive today. And he was NOT talking about guys like Calax in his book The Vision of the Anointed. I know, it's on the bookshelf behind me right now. Now Calax's professors at ISU that are reinforcing his political leanings, that is another story.

@Hurlshot: I can dismiss Bidens comments and well as those of the Congress Critters as political rhetoric. But that memo from the DHS I can't just wave off. Nor should you. That is a real policy from a real branch of the government and coupled with Holders comments earlier this week I would not just say "Oh it will never happen". I do consider myself a student of US History and I can think of numerous times that the rights of citizens have been trampled, ignored or abused. I certainly hope this will all pass and we will be none the worse for it. I'm far from certain though. This really isn't just about healthcare. I know that's the point now and the main topic of this discussion. What this is really about is two different and mutually exclusive visions of what this country is and where it is going. @Calax: "Others think that the Feds should have significantly more power when it comes to regulating trade, crime, and the rights of citizens." Calax, that is the single most frightening thing I think you have ever said.I truely hope you are not one of those who think that. They DO NOT get to regulate our rights because our rights do not come from them. They day they do is the day we are finished as a free nation. The rest of your point is good though. There are those who do think we need to evolve as a nation. But do you think evolving into a nation that is less free is a good thing?

Perhaps "enemy" was a poor choice of words. I posted elsewhere that disliking someone because their politics are not your politics was like disliking them for rooting for a different sports team. And you are also correct that one side is eventually going to win out because they (the majority) want something different. And I already know it won't be my side and I also know I will hate beyond words the end result. Hopefully the worse won't come to worst. Hopefully enough people will turn us back from where we are heading. If all else fails hopefully we'll just break up the country and go our own way peacefully. I would not call the US Democrats socialists. That would not be accurate, although they do have some socialist tendencies. I think Coporatists is probably closer to the mark. But one thing is for certain, their tone has changed in the past four years. Did you ever think you would hear the US DOJ proclaim the President has the right to order the summary excecution of a US citizen on US soil as long as he is satisfied they are terroists? You did last week. Did you ever think the US government would label people whose politics they disaprove of but who have comitted no crimes as likely terrorists? You did just three years ago :http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/16/napolitano-stands-rightwing-extremism/, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60421.html. Maybe they are not my enemy, but apparently I've become theirs. As far as taxes and funding the govenment I've made it clear that I'm certainly no anarchist. We need the government to play the role it was designed to play. The trouble it it has left that far behind and now is turning up in everything.

I was looking at a MSI on newegg.com. Do you know anything about them? Some of the reviews indicated they had heat dissipation problems.

You know the finals will be right there in your hometown. USA vs Mexico tonight! Woo-Hoo. That will be a good game.

And I agreed with him on that. And I also agreed Romney would not have gained us anything. The very best I was hoping for from Romney was a four year delay in the expansion of Federal power. Or at least a four year reduction in the rate of federal power expansion. Heck he was already practically a Democrat in his political beliefs. Voting for him was me choosing the lesser of two evils. Voting for the guy who would hurt me the least. And the 62M who voted for him may not want to give up freedom but they sure voted for it. The man is not even two months into his second term and he is attacking the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 10th Amendments with reckless abandon. Even promising to use executive action if Congress does not roll over and give him his way.

Hurlshot we ARE becoming enemies. It has already begun. One side wants the government to expand, to eliminate federalisim and for practical purposes nullify local government. Essentially to take over everything. The other side, I'm not sure what they want, but their constituents want to reduce the size of government to bring it back within the confines of the Constitution. Where do we compromise here? They are competely mutually exclusive ends. Policy may have room for compromise but fundamental philosophy and vision for the future just does not.

The truth is Wals, you are out of luck. National Healthcare is a fact in GB and it is never going away. You will never get the genie back in the bottle. That is why it is so insidious. That's why I'm opposing even to the point of breaking up the country over it. Once you have it, you can never get rid of it. That transition is forever. As for why ideas like I've advocated are not getting any traction in the US it's because the government does not want that to happen. They (the left wing at least) WANT nationalized healthcare. Like I said it is the ultimate backstage pass. They want that control over us. As you so astutely stated in the other thread it's the "many swivel-eyed bastards who indulge waking dreams of ordering people about simply for the puritanical thrill of it." that made Obama's election happen and work in his administration, including him. They are opposed to anything that gives the average citizen whom they view with a mixture of condescension and hostility, with greater freedom and autonomy. And far too many Americans, 62,154,025 to be exact said on November 7 "Take our freedom from us, just take care of us".

I've probably become more libertarian as well, although as with all "factions" the "crazies" typically make me not want to associate with them either haha. Fiscal policy drives 90% of my voting tendencies, although some things like excessive/adamant stupidity that a candidate may say regarding other aspects is not completely ignored. Having said that, I have also learned that many of my right-wing assumptions have been more fueled by propaganda than me actually carefully examining the details, especially from a pure economics perspective. As you say, it's important to still acknowledge that different opinions can exist and be viable. So you are becoming an example of what the folks in Ottawa are calling "Western Alienation"?

To tell you the truth Hurlie, I'd have much greater respect for a politician who refused to compromise rather than allow a bad law to pass or bad policy to be enacted. And these days there is is very little else coming from Washington DC.

No kidding, and now they are saying he can kill us right here on our own soil.