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It's unfortunate and disheartening when anyone dies in violence.  That said, it is perhaps better that the recklessness of such a mind has been removed so that his ideas may no longer propogate from that source.  It would be better had he been captured, tried, and if found guilty sentenced to solitary confinement or exile with a copy of the Quran to be permitted to read it and reflect on whether his behavior was truly consistent with his beliefs. 

That said.  He is dead, and I will not weep for him.

- Zurf

Yeah, that's them.  Mostly acoustic with some cool rhythms and topics that won't be offensive in the context of a bar (usually).

Reading the guidelines at the top, I don't see any rules against having political opinions.  It says arguments over religion or politics are bad.  I don't see any arguments yet.  All posts have been respectful and courteous to other's opinions, so far as I can see, and so is within the guidelines. 

If things change, where anyone is insulted or opinions are phrased in a rude or offensive manner, whether towards another Chordie member or towards a group or individual not on Chordie, I'll shut it down and delete it in a hot minute.  If another moderator of this forum disagrees with me and takes immediate action, I won't question it.  However, as it is, I don't see how the guidelines have been violated.  Without that, I hesitate to censor content. 

- Zurf

I think you make some good points Bunbun, but I disagree with some of what you say too.  When you talk about money going to shareholders, bear in mind that's a lot of us.  As you say, most pension plans have gone the way of the dodo bird.  So we try our best with 401(k) savings.  What do the 401(k) plans do, they buy stocks.  Shares.  We're the shareholders.  The thing is, while we're the shareholders, we haven't got enough shares to make a difference.  So the guys who run the funds vote our shares as proxies.  Same thing as unions, right?  A few voices speaking on behalf of many.  The problem is, those guys have their heads up their rear-ends.  All they're interested in is stock price and stock valuations THIS QUARTER or THIS MONTH.  To heck with a five year plan, or twenty year plan for the business's continued growth.  Company loyalty is gone.  If a businessman can run up stock values in the short term, he can get hired.  It doesn't matter whether what he does to get the short term valuations is illegal.  Or stupid.  Or causes the company to collapse in the long run.  That's the real problem and challenge I see with stocks being so widely distributed into hands who have so little interest in long-term prospects. 

Now, on unions.  I think some are terrific.  I think some are no more interested in supporting their members than those wealthy guys that the Senator spoke about.  I don't know anything about the public employee's union you mentioned, so don't think I'm talking about your union one way or the other.  Seems like trade unions do a pretty darned good job.  Seems to me like it's hard to draw a distinction between the senior officers of some unions and the corporate fat-cats with whom they negotiate.  However, just like any other institution, I think unions should be treated in accordance with their behaviors.  If they help the working-class folks get benefits and training and jobs at a union hall, and they help management by providing trained, reliable, consistent performers then great.  That's a fantastic union.  If they throw 1/10 of their members under the bus while getting good results for the remaining 90% so that they can charge a higher membership fee, then I haven't got much use for them. 

My problem with the Senator's speech is this.  He's a member of Congress, and they're the ones who passed the convoluted tax laws.  If he's so strong on this as he says he is, in addition to that terrific speech, what actions has he taken to try and change it?  To my mind, if we recognize that 50% of the nation's income is earned by 2% of the people, then it stands to reason that charging everyone the same rate (a flat tax) with no dodges, hide-outs, or discounts, would generate 50% of the tax revenue from 2% of the country.  And I'm told by some that a flat tax is a regressive tax.  I have never understood that.  We tax INCOME, not MARGINAL UTILITY.  A flat tax is only regressive when considering marginal utility (meaning a person who earns $10,000 values each dollar more than someone who earns $200,000).  Simple, straight-forward taxes, no alternate taxes, no estate taxes, no capital gains taxes.  Just income.  If you earn it, send in a share.  Same for corporations.  No tax breaks to locate here or there.  No tax breaks to do this, that, or the other.  No tax subsidies.  Just, earn some money and send in a cut.  If the government wants to provide incentives for certain behaviors, then send a check.  I'd like to see Congress tell renters that people with mortgages deserve to have their housing subsidized by the government, but renters don't and still get re-elected.  But we accept it blindly in taxes.  Another thing that would cause people to be in an uproar and start really caring about where taxes go and how they are used is if they had to cut a check to the government instead of automatic withdrawal from their paychecks.  Now it's out of sight and out of mind.  But if they had to send a money-order or check for that money every quarter like small businesses do, they'd probably be as involved in government as small business owners are.  I think it's why the government prefers it like this - but it's a "benefit" to the tax-payer.  Yeah.  Right. 

There's my rant.  Thanks for lending me the soap-box.  Who's next? 

- Zurf

It's got to feel good and sound good. 

- Zurf

You get something going, and things are all humming along nicely for everyone involved, and someone decides to impose their desire.  Now, that's a good thing if what's going on is something that really ought not to go on, but when it's work or good, clean, fun, or even just a conversation then the interruption is just selfishness.  And that's groove disruption and bad.  I've been seeing a lot of that lately.  Folks storming in to a room or a meeting or what-have-you, failing to look about them to 'read the room', and bursting forth with their own selfishness.  I don't know.  It gets old.

A fantastic musician.  An amazing songwriter.  And most importantly, a stand-up guy.  When his kite hit the trade-winds and he was flying high (pun intended), he remembered the folks who helped to get him there and made sure that they got as good from him as they gave. 

- Zurf

Watch your language.  No more of that four-lettered word "snow."   :^)

Have fun with your flat-top. 

- Zurf

Based solely on the results, it seems even we don't care about those.  Time after time, we have many hours of broadcast dedicated to very little information.  I guess broadcasts that looked into the issues the nation faces, some possible causes and analysis of likely cures to what ails us, and then some information on which candidates support which approaches would be too much work for the poor dears and wouldn't result in enough viewers.  So instead we are keenly informed about undergraduate grades, opinions of high school prom dates, and the frequency with which hair styles of the candidates and their spouses have changed and which style was the favorite of the commentator. 

- Zurf

Good Eats
Cash Cab
The New Fly Fisher
Dirty Jobs

- Zurf