In today's news...

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

Old laws, how about new laws? If corporations are people too, can they get married. The answer is no, but only because there's no one to give consent for either party. That begs another question though... can two private individuals apply for a merger?

Also, speaking of things the bible says don't do, pretty close to the thing about homosexuality is the thing about not wearing clothes made from two different fabrics, and IIRC, it's a sin punishable by stoning. Pretty sure that means the entire 1st world is pretty much condemned to death, what with these modern manufacturing techniques eh?

Oh, and mildly related to old laws... Whenever someone says "Well we used to do X and Y and everything was fine", I just reply with "Yeah, and we use to put lead in our paint too, and that wasn't fine...".

 

[Green_Jay]

Re: In today's news...

People usually pick and choose what they want to hear out of things like the Bible. They'll gladly grab the few passages that makes them look like they're in the right, but ignore everything else that doesn't suit them or they consider a pain in the ass. That way they can go around claiming that anyone going against them is going "against the will of God", or something like that.

 

[Nunu]

Re: In today's news...

Its a fairly well established that arguing with a fundamentalist (of any sort) only reinforces their belief. So they are like trolls only they don't do it on purpose.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

It's not like I argue to change their mind, but to convince the bystanders Technically, to an extent, one could consider my career path to be getting me a degree in "arguing", on one level

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

You know you don't really need a degree to be an asshole. I guess I can see why you might need one though, since you don't seem to be an asshole right now.

 

[OAMP]

Re: In today's news...

Psh, I'm very much one for civil debate normally. There's no harm in a few zingers there, though, even if I do like to match the tone with someone if they start off with some rather lame arguments. I mean, I'm a pretty big supporter of the Democrats, but I regularly have had lunch with the statewide head of the College Republicans, who attends the same university as I do. It's impossible not to talk politics, so we have fun with, and both still have a high opinion of each other as reasonable individuals.

The real tragedy of our political landscape isn't that it's so decided, but that it's so uncivil in most cases. If things are civil, it means they're listening, and if they're listening, you can find common ground.

 

[Newbie]

Re: In today's news...

McDonalds and Visa put together a

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for it's minimum wage employees to show how easy it is to live on min. wage. The first and biggest problem is that it assumes you are holding down a second full-time job in addition to already working full time at McDonalds. There are other problems, like no budgeting for food, transportation, or heat as well.

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

From a friend who works at McDonalds, I know that they only rarely even give you near full time(Assuming they even give you more than one day a week at all), while the budget assumes you work not just one, but two full-time jobs which you are competing for with hundreds of thousands if not millions of unemployed.
The budget is, at best, laughable, and at worst just plain impossible.

A few choice quotes from an article I found on it:

$20 a month for health care, $0 for heating, and $600 a month for rent. It does not include any budgeted money for food or clothing.

For an uninsured person to independently buy health care, he or she must shell out on average $215 a month

On another section of the site, it concludes, “You can have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it.”

Meanwhile, it leaves almost no money in the budget to save up.

Bloomberg News found that it would take the average McDonalds employee one million hours of work to earn as much money as the company’s CEO.

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Goodbye US media reliability and trustworthiness(Or whatever was left of that.). The US now officially has state-controlled media in addition to the previous semi-independent media.

U.S. repeals propaganda ban

Nobody is really surprised, since the US government has been running propaganda campaigns and steering the media for ages now.
It's just that now they're legally allowed to do it.
It should be noted that the *official* intent of this one is to allow US citizens to listen in on US propaganda broadcasted to other countries.

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And finally, the EU does something not-retarded, and makes the unofficial policy of not giving money to illegal Israeli settlements an official policy.

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It's not actually doing anything in terms of actual actions, aside from the EU as a whole saying that they do not recognise any Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory as legitimate.

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There is also an uncomfirmed link about a possible false flag attack happening soon. I haven't really looked into this, but I think it's always good to allow people the information so they can make up their own mind about things.

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Edit: Now this is really nice. Japan surprises the internet...In a good way

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[Unknown Squid]

Re: In today's news...

PayPal accidentally adds $92 quadrillion to man’s account

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Amusing. : P


On the McDonalds thing...
That McDonalds budget does indeed look pretty clueless, though I can't agree with the notion that it's impossible to live on minimum wage though. I've been living on an average of £6000 a year in extended periods for the last five years. Coming from a mix of sporadic agency work, and benefits when there is none. I live in rented accommodation and maintain a car.

Compared to the average £12'000 per annum minimum wage, I'm living on half of what they are claiming to be impossible, and typing on a £800 PC whilst eating pineapple.

If I was to find a three days a week 24 hour minimum wage job right now, I would be able to earn £100 more per month than I am currently, whilst maintaining my current lifestyle. I wouldn't know what to do with the amount of extra money a stable permanent 40 hour job would give me. I'd probably want to buy my free time back.

Last year I was robbed by someone (dumb scumbag) who thought me and my siblings to be really wealthy, because of the few expensive things we carefully save for. He could barely believe it when he learnt (after being identified and confronted) that I live on half the amount he earns.

So yeah, whilst McDonalds suggested budget there is a load of crap either way, I simply can't agree with calling it anywhere near "impossible".

 

[Green_Jay]

Re: In today's news...

Anyone want to bet that they spent more on that study than it would have cost to throw a few more bones to the workers?

"See, we're not screwing you- as long as you have a second job, live in a nudist colony in Florida, and eat all your meals during your shifts, it's quite possible to survive while only working at McDonald's!"

I hope this backfires upon them and backfires pretty hard.

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

You know I don't think I would have been able to stop myself from hitting transfer to checking account if that was my Paypal. Mostly just because I would want to see what would happen.

Also on the McDonald's thing that is actually pretty similar to what my budget looks like for a month. I make roughly 2,500 a month and have roughly 1,400 a month in expenses. Everything else is for spending and saving, though in my case mostly saving. So aside from the fact that they think someone can work full-time at McDonalds and part-time at another place the budget is actually doable depending of course on where you live.

Squid is the king though, it would be a little rough living off 9,100 a year. Well actually that's about what I made in the army but they did give me a room at least.

 

[Newbie]

Re: In today's news...

£

Britain and Europe generally have very much better social support than the US, and a better balance of cost of living vs wages. The average rent in the states for a minimum wage employee is about $800. That may or may not include utilities, and already eats up the majority of job 1.

 

[Unknown Squid]

Re: In today's news...

Eh, I dunno about the rent thing at least. Last time I talked to Americans about their rents I was amazed at what you guys get (though I realise it obviously differs by state). Google puts the UK average monthly rent at about £700 ($1060), for a "modest two bedroom house". My rent personally is £550 ($830), for a decent two bedroom terraced house with no included utilities. We got a good deal via personally knowing the landlords.

The social security thing, whilst knowing very little to compare with, I have got the unspecific impression that the US offers a little less yeah. (The food stamp thing sounds like a great idea though. Seems like it would help prevent people spending all their benefit on alcohol and smokes?)

Regarding food/utility expenses, I haven't researched it, but certainly never been under the impression that food was more expensive in the US. I know that US McDonalds chains serve larger portions by expense than over here (a limited example I know). And your fuel prices are sure as hell far cheaper. The majority of your computer components and peripherals are nearly half the price that the UK pays (not a living expense, no, but I'm jealous nonetheless... >_>).

So... nah, I'm not convinced it's down to a difference in national income/expense. Certainly not a significant enough one even if so, to make the difference between "Impossible" and comfortably living on half that amount anyway.


(On a side note, I reckon that all kids should be made to play Simcity in schools. One of the older ones would do. I swear it would improve the nations financial sense dramatically.)

 

[Tassadar]

Re: In today's news...

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Welp.

 

[dmronny]

Re: In today's news...

Yeah, I think "welp" sums that up just about right.

And I don't know about the average rent for the area but I pay 800 a month including electricity and water. And as far as I know it's pretty comparable to everyone else in the area that I know. Food is much cheaper here than the UK unless you don't know how to shop, which is sadly the case with many people.

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

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A little bit late(2 days), but the NSA is telling that they've been doing a lot more with a lot less morals than Snowdon told the world.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: In today's news...

1200 a month, no bills included, and another 25 a month for pet fee. 3 bedroom condo.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: In today's news...

, I wouldn't pay that much to rent anywhere at gunpoint o.o What in gods name? Seriously, I'd sooner buy a tent and a new fishing rod.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: In today's news...

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Welp.

Ha. Hahaha. Oh fuck that's awesome. Damnit, when did the temple of Satan become more open, welcoming and kind to the expression of love than people who claim to follow Christ?

 

[XSI]

Re: In today's news...

Got some more news linked to me.


Israel and EU relations are turning sour.

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Military judge has refused to dismiss the most serious charge facing Bradley Manning

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Obama considering military power in Syria, top general tells Senate.
Alternative headline: US preparing for military action in Syria, top US general says

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According to Yale researchers, the widespread rejection of estrogen therapy during the last decade may have led to nearly 50,000 unnecessary deaths.

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Russian opposition leader is found guilty of embezzlement in trial seen as politically motivated.

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Secretary of State John Kerry, who Spanish newspaper ABC said made the warning to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua, also said Washington would halt all sales of vital gasoline and other refined-oil products to Venezuela if Snowden gets refuge in that country, the newspaper said.
Kerry made the blunt statements during a nighttime phone call a week ago to tell Jaua Washington revoked the U.S. visas of Venezuelan government officials and business leaders in retaliation for President Nicolas Maduro's asylum offer to Snowden last month, ABC said, citing sources familiar with the conversation.