Double Standard: Government Denies Minimum Wage Increase In Order to Raise its Salary

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The all mighty and all knowing Congress had decided in previous days that an increase in minimum wage wasn't a profitable idea for the time and put the concept aside because it didn't think that Americans would want it. After all, it knows what Americans want because Americans elected them to think for them.

"The whole reason we have elected officials is so that we don't have to think..." ~ Homer Simpson

Now, Congress has decided that the savings that they gain from this move is more than enough to justify their own pay raise at the expense of the taxpayer. After all, Congress isn't earning enough and the backs of the average American aren't quite broke yet. Those poor Congressmen are suffering because the Lobbyist can't line their pockets as well any more following the Abernoff scandal...

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Disturbing Facts About Voting in the USA

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America was once the land of freedom and democracy. It was the beacon in the storm; the pathfinder who led the world to a greater, more open system of government based on policies of transparency and integrity. Politicians would hit the old campiagn trail, bringing promises of a ham on every table, and tax cuts for all, while promising to make life better.

People would line the streets and wave their little flags as the president's convoy would drive by; the open air refreshing for the leader of the free world, as he drove by his numerous supporters and lovers of democracy and freedom.

A single shot and it all died.

The ideas of the sixties died one fateful night in 1969 and the new era set in and it was followed up by some progress, but, the conservatives began to look favourable.

Corruption became normal. Long, drawn out wars were the downfall of presidents.

History repeats itself and the very values that America one held dear are shoved aside in the name of corruption and the seeking of power.

80% of all votes in America are counted by only two companies: Diebold and ES&S.

Scary little thought, isn't it?

Your vote has no paper trail...

Diebold's new touch screen voting machines have no paper trail of any votes. In other words, there is no way to verify that the data coming out of the machine is the same as what was legitimately put in by voters.

...and depsite that you may have voted democrat even though you're living in Florida...

All -- not some -- but all the voting machine errors detected and reported in Florida went in favor of Bush or Republican candidates.

Such a lovely system isn't it? It's so comforting to know that after all these years; after all the fights that America has fought in the name of integrity and freedom that the nation is no further ahead than it was many, many years ago. It tries to deny it, but, the flaws exist.

America is always at the forefront of any international effort to spread democracy and monitor the elections in other nations, yet...

None of the international election observers were allowed in the polls in Ohio.

Ah yes, do as I say, not as I do.

There is no federal agency with regulatory authority or oversight of the U.S. voting machine industry.

Nevertheless, Americans put their faith into these machines and wonder why many international people think that democracy is failing in America.



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Alcohol Is Now A Date Rape Drug in Wisconsin

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Here's a sobering thought, the top party school in Wisconsin is waking up with a blinding headache the morning after realising that alcohol is now being considered a possible "date rape drug". It isn't surprising though, seeing how it has the same inebriating effects that the common date rape drug does. The only problem is that alcohol is legal and people know that it IS an intoxicant.

While it is accepted that alcohol impairs one's senses, if you drink, it, you've consented to the effects of this drug. Alcohol is as much of a drug as Marijuana, Hash, Crystal Methamphetamine and Heroin. The only difference is that it is perfectly legal for consumption once one is of age of majority, in one's house or in a licensed pub.

Alcohol is now placed on par with other common date rape drugs such as GHB, Ketamine and Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) [Date Rape Drugs] following a case in which a date rape victim had been sexually assaulted after consuming enough alcohol to impair her.

The change, long sought by rape- victim advocates in Wisconsin, means that victims who are very drunk during a sexual encounter can be judged incapable of giving consent, triggering a possible second-degree sexual assault charge.

Prior to the change, which took effect in June, a victim who had been drinking typically had to be unconscious to be deemed incapable of consenting to sex.

With any sensitive issue like this, there are many considerations to factor in, especially time delays, which can infringe on the judicial process for both the defendant and the victim, especially since witnesses can be harder to track with a longer period of time having passed between the crime and the report.

Blanchard last week confirmed that his office declined to prosecute the case, which was investigated by campus police and forwarded to his office in May. He said it wouldn't be ethical for him to discuss his specific reasons for rejecting it.

In general, though, Blanchard said sexual assault cases involving long delays - Dunn waited 15 months to report hers - and alcohol use by victims and perpetrators can be harder to win in court.

"If jurors believe that inhibitions were down and everybody was drinking, it may be regarded as regretted but essentially consented sex," Blanchard said.

Unlike other convention date rape drugs, alcohol would've likely been consumed by both parties and thus, result in a case where neither party is guilty simply due to the fact that they consented through both being equally as inebriated.

There is one problem with a law like this and it is that if its a party and all people are consuming alcohol, how does alcohol become a date rape drug if both parties have consumed it? If they both have, then, both are liable for having sexually assaulted the other, since they'd have been legally too intoxicated to provide the necessary consent.

Of course, who's going to listen when a guy whines about getting drunk and being sexually taken advantage of by a girl?



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Fun At IT's Expense

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The previous blog entry I made about the top 10 mistakes interns make, list the mistake of "wasting time". I had written that it's not just interns who waste time. I finally got some proof of this.

The blooger for Demodulated has kindly regaled this tale for me. This is from today.

"I'd like to open a ticket - something's wrong with my burner" was the email subject...

I signed up for the new Windows Live Messenger yesterday with my work email address.

It sent a confirmation which was caught by the company's spam filter

So!! The spam filter sent me 4 emails to tell me about the 1 suspicious email! which was legitimate!! 4 friggin emails!

AND!!! Get this, I sent this email as a joke to the IT department who sits near me
it's from boingboing or something; about a Dell laptop that exploded at some conference. So I made a joke about my "burner not working", thinking it was funny since the computer was burning and they submitted it to help desk cuz they didn't click the link!!

So I got a call this morning from help desk, and I had to tell them I guess i'm not as funny as I think I am.

The helpdesk did eventually get it, though, they have to take everything seriously... though, I doubt they will for this loser any more.

...and the article that was supposed to be at the butt of the joke?

Dell laptop explodes at Japanese conference

AN INQUIRER READER attending a conference in Japan was sat just feet away from a laptop computer that suddenly exploded into flames, in what could have been a deadly accident.

Guilhem, our astonished reader reports: "The damn thing was on fire and produced several explosions for more than five minutes".

Should you witness such an event, his advice is, "Don't try anything courageous/stupid, stay away, away, away!"



"For the record, this is a Dell machine," notes Guilhem. "It is only a matter of time until such an incident breaks out on a plane," he suggests.

Guilhem managed to catch all the action in these amazing pictures.

"Fire extinguishers leave a mess on your suit and belongings; pack your stuff (if you can) and leave, leave, leave!" he advises.

We don't have any further details of the model of the computer in question. In light of the evidence, however, we'd suggest you avoid actually using a laptop on your lap. Ouch.

Website taken down by Scientology after being dugg

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Codebot.org was given a takedown notice by the Church of Scientology after getting 2800+ diggs. Here's the discussion from the original link: http://digg.com/links/Amazingly_Scary_In-depth_Look_at_Scientology_

Further proof that Scientology is scared of knowledge. It is a Nazi-like organization which thrives off ignorance. As the Nazis burnt books, the Scientologists shut down those it deems "suppressive persons". It's only a matter of time before its bubble bursts.

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10 Top Goofs Interns Make

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"Internships are becoming more important as an entrypoint to the working world. Here are the top mistakes interns make, and how to avoid them."

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Normally, I don't put stories from digg on my blog, but, this one is interesting.

I, do, however, find that the title is misleading, as these are mistake that veteran workers in any company could easily make.

There are a few that I think apply across the board. I picked these ones because I rememeber one or both of my parents talking about the topics in relation to work and despite their years at the office, they seem to make these mistakes, as do their colleagues.

Think you're immune to these mistake types just because you're not an intern?

1. THE ENTITLEMENT SYNDROME - No matter how long you've been working, you still have to show up for work at the same time, take your lunch break at lunch and leave at the designated time. Of course, many people get lax here.

3. FORGETTING TO UNPLUGs - This asks for people to be more formal with emails, however, even older workers forget about that when they send distasteful forwards that may or may not wind up in the office circulation pool and wind up in the boss's email.

4. BEING A WALLFLOWER - Some people are just naturally shy and this can show easily when an older worker is switched to another department, where he or she may not know anyone.

5. DUCKING THE EXTRACURRICULARS - Some avoid these activities because they may hate the people they work with and hate being forced to spend more time with them... What's your excuse for being anti-social?

6. GRUNTING ABOUT GRUNT WORK - So, it's beneath you to do photocopying just because you're not hired as an administrative assistant?

10. WASTING TIME - Demodulated. The person who runs this blog is supposed to be at work and being productive, but, instead, this person chooses to blog. While this could apply to one of the other mistakes, this I feel is a good example of "wasting time". Take a look at the date and times for the blog entries. The majority are done when this person ought to have been working.

Sims 2: A Simulation of a Fucked-up Mind

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The Sims 2 is no ordinary game. It's a simulation game created by Will Wright, who has also created Spore. To some, TS2 is boring because there is no meaningful plot, and you cna't shoot the living snot out of a bunch of aliens who spew ooze when you hit them with a round of ammuntion from your plasma gun, nor are you racing down the street at breakneck speed preparing to use your nitro-turbo charge to give that egde to speed past the other guys in your modded Civic, nor are you a Half-Elf wandering around, pludering caves and doing heroic quests for gold. You're simply God and all you do in control the lives of a few sims at a time.

Boring really, having a bunch of little people at your mercy; little people whose whole lives depend on your decision and for that matter, your every whim and sadistic desire.

Who wants to play God when you can blow shit up?


Even sim babies have an active gag reflex


You may get stuck in a crib from time to time, but at least you can fly!


Girl games - Miss Mary Mack, an old time classic, even played by sims


All those days of boring homework paid off: A+!


Sibling rivalries, oh so real...


The simulated cram session; cool people do their homework on the floor!


The courtship; if only it were so easy.


A celebration of a good life...


Yep, sims think their lives are real; the stress seems real too!


Of course, a little smustlin' can fix any downtrodden mood


Total and utter chaos - why learning to cook is important...


Complete mental breakdowns...


The crowning glory - age!



And finally, closure.