American Thoughts - Page 3

[ZZucker]

The perfect American worker is a person who helps other people to be prosperous.

[GrimJack]

The perfect American worker is a person who helps other people to be prosperous.

Then kicks before s/he collects Social Security

[Ancient Dragon]

I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell this to my children, they just about throw up.
-- Barbara Bush

The first woman I kissed, other than my mother or my sister, was the neighbor girl -- I was about 5 at the time and she was about the same age. Then there was a girl in 6th grade. The girl I married was third on the list. I met her in 8th grade and married her after graduating from HS. Been married to her almost 47 years now.

[jbennet]

same, but the 3rd?

congrats on the 47, will be your golden soon

[Lardmeister]

The first woman I kissed, other than my mother or my sister, was the neighbor girl -- I was about 5 at the time and she was about the same age. Then there was a girl in 6th grade. The girl I married was third on the list. I met her in 8th grade and married her after graduating from HS. Been married to her almost 47 years now.

Wow, truly a tale that can only happen in America!

[vegaseat]

Wow, truly a tale that can only happen in America!

I have seen the same thing happen in Brazil.

[sneekula]

America's infrastructure needs at least $1.6 trillion in investment over the next five years. Unfortunately, we're spending so much of our money in Iraq that we don't have the moola to spend here at home.

One example, of the 600,000 bridges in America 156,000 have received a failing grade from Federal inspectors. We need to spend at least some money on signs like this:
"Unsafe bridge, the next car that catapults off the collapsing bridge could be yours."

[Ene Uran]

Are prisons part of infrastructure? California needs lots more prisons!

[jbennet]

Solution, get the convicts to build the bridges in return for early release

[Ancient Dragon]

Solution, get the convicts to build the bridges in return for early release

I wouldn't want to drive across a bridge that was built by a bunch of convicts :S

[Ezzaral]

Are prisons part of infrastructure? California needs lots more prisons!

They wouldn't if they stopped incarcerating for minor drug possession violations and if prison life were made much more difficult. Taxpayers already pay too much for needless or ineffective imprisonments.

[Dave Sinkula]

America's infrastructure needs at least $1.6 trillion in investment over the next five years. Unfortunately, we're spending so much of our money in Iraq that we don't have the moola to spend here at home.

One example, of the 600,000 bridges in America 156,000 have received a failing grade from Federal inspectors. We need to spend at least some money on signs like this:
"Unsafe bridge, the next car that catapults off the collapsing bridge could be yours."

Yeah, I know the feeling. Having missed the 35W collapse by ~5 miles, I know that the root cause wasn't years of liberals spending money on irrelevant crap instead. :icon_rolleyes:

[jbennet]

I wouldn't want to drive across a bridge that was built by a bunch of convicts

I thnk it was done during the depression

[sneekula]

I wouldn't want to drive across a bridge that was built by a contractor who had to make large political contributions to get the job.

[Ene Uran]

Believing in Angels and Ghosts is very popular in the USA. Are these just local phenomena, or do other countries suffer from that?

[jbennet]

everywhere

[sneekula]

Only 43 percent of all U.S. adults can correctly distinguish between "one billion" and "one million." Remember, many of those folks that can't distinguish will vote for the big spenders!

[jbennet]

yeah but then again, a US bliion is different to a EU billion

1,000,000,000

vs

1,000,000,000,000

[jasimp]

yeah but then again, a US bliion is different to a EU billion

1,000,000,000

vs

1,000,000,000,000

That doesn't matter if they are voting for an American in America.

[ZZucker]

Believing in Angels and Ghosts is very popular in the USA. Are these just local phenomena, or do other countries suffer from that?

Paranormal experts say the peak of people's ability to see ghosts is when they're 7 years old.

[sneekula]

Inflation is on a rapid rise in the US, thanks to the Federal Reserve ludicrous credit spending on banks and hedge funds that have made major mistakes during years of loose lending and lackadaisical regulation.

The offical government rate of inflation is the Consume Price Index (CPI) that is reported to be 4%. The CPI was changed during the Clinton administration to make it look more optimistic. If the government wouldn't have changed the CPI and would use the former Alternate CPI, our inflation rate would be 13% now. Which more closely reflects the prices the average consumer pays.

[GrimJack]

Inflation is on a rapid rise in the US, thanks to the Federal Reserve ludicrous credit spending on banks and hedge funds that have made major mistakes during years of loose lending and lackadaisical regulation.

Don't you think the fact we are in a war costing $341,000,000 per day with no commensurate increase in taxes might have something to do with it?

The offical government rate of inflation is the Consume Price Index (CPI) that is reported to be 4%. The CPI was changed during the Clinton administration to make it look more optimistic. If the government wouldn't have changed the CPI and would use the former Alternate CPI, our inflation rate would be 13% now. Which more closely reflects the prices the average consumer pays.

Do you know what the change was that was made during the Clinton Administration? "...the changes were aimed at moving the CPI to a cost of living model which takes consumer substitutions into account and typically reduces the reported level of inflation." - in other words, when something costs too much, consumers find a less expensive alternative (consider digital versus film cameras - generally, film cameras are cheaper but if you take into account the cost of film processing vs digital pics, well you can immediately see that the CPI needs to reflect real life).

[Ene Uran]

In other words, the present CPI would simply assume that if the price of milk goes up like it has recently, the consumer would then drink water instead. Why even bother with a Consumer Price Index?

I think the CPI numbers are used to adjust workers annual wage increases.

[GrimJack]

In other words, the present CPI would simply assume that if the price of milk goes up like it has recently, the consumer would then drink water instead.

Or drink powdered milk or buy the milk but cut back somewhere else. Consider the food budget as a bucket and the cost of things the contents of the bucket. If milk is necessary (ie inelastic) then something else must be adjusted so that the bucket does not overflow. If the cost of meat goes up, then you buy less meat (or different meat) and more starch. <<digression - Most of the 3rd world eats mostly starch and now that the cost of starch is going up there is food rioting. - /digression>>

Why even bother with a Consumer Price Index?

I think the CPI numbers are used to adjust workers annual wage increases.

You answered your own question. CPI is used to adjust adjust workers annual wage increases called COLA Cost of Living Allowance - this is a part of what we call inflation. As the cost of things rise, we adjust our purchasing. At one time chicken was so expensive it was considered a Sunday meal (ie. you could only afford it once a week). When I was in college eggs were $0.25 per dozen but chicken cost about 3 or 4 times as much as beef per pound. I ate a lot of egg sandwiches and hamburgers but no chicken sandwiches

[jbennet]

bread and milk is so expensive here.

[Ene Uran]

Some of the more irresponsible politicians here want to remove the federal tax on gasoline and diesel. This tax is solely used to maintain roads and bridges.

The money needed to maintain roads and bridges will be put on the government's credit card, for children and grandchildren to pay. All this to get votes from the many ignorant voters. Would you do that to your own offspring?

[jbennet]

This tax is solely used to maintain roads and bridges.

Dont you have road tax?

[Ene Uran]

Dont you have road tax?

The fuel tax is the road tax!

Damn those nasty popup advertisements! They make DaniWeb almost unusable!

[jasimp]

The fuel tax is the road tax!

Damn those nasty popup advertisements! They make DaniWeb almost unusable!

I never have trouble with advertisement on Daniweb.

[vegaseat]

I never have trouble with advertisement on Daniweb.

They were going strong this morning from an online bank ad. I think the problem is fixed. Normally Dani doesn't allow that sort of thing from her advertisers.