$$$ and Iraq

Just image what we could have done with the half a trillion dollars I'm now hearing quoted as the cost - so far - for the Iraq War. I won't even mention my domestic agenda - like doubling the salary of teachers who work in inner city schools (let's get our best teachers working there). But what about a publicity campaign for America - that's what we need to change the hearts and minds of Muslims and Western Europeans alike! Propaganda has certainly always been part of war money, but why not make it the way to fight a "war?" Let's give all expenses paid vacations to the US - guided tours of our cities and rural areas - to millions of foreigners. Let them experience American culture and friendly Americans. This is the only way to change the minds of those who hate us.

um, Vietnam?

Yeah, it's time to say it. The Iraq War, as it's being waged now, is another Vietnam. Either we need major changes to finish it (Rumsfeld, of course) or more troops (not that I want more American lives to die for a fruitless cause). So what do we do? I agree we can't leave the country in a worse mess than we entered it, so...

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Motorcycles and other selfish things...

Loud motorcycles - I mean - the ones motocyclists have intentionally altered to make louder. I mean really, can there be anything more selfish than driving one of these things around. You are creating noise solely for the sake of noise. On my busy city street they roar anytime of the day - and especially the night - late at night - 2AM. Imagine how many people that one motocyclist must annoy each day for him or her to get the odd pleasure of that deafening roar - literally thousands a day. Wow, how selfish.

I've often complained about customer service. And the reason behind bad customer service is simple: the employee doesn't care. Why? They have no incentive to care (to be friendly, to consider your needs, to respond in a timely fashion. Of course, there are those few people that may not have an incentive, but are simply just nice people.

Incentives are usually monetarily (sp?) based, or it could be the fear of losing your job, respect, etc. Sales positions are often based on volume of sale which can often work. But it's funny how some companies pride themselves on not being commissioned based.

I'm complaining now, from not getting a response from filling out an online form on a companies website. They were supposed to contact me with a price quote. Four days later nothing (I even emailed them, as they said to do if they didn't respond yesterday!!). Are the company supervisors getting these emails too, or just the sales associates? I think we know the answer for this company at least...

slow websites

Some websites are ALWAYS slow - it's definitely these sites and not my (admitidly slow Time Warner) cable connection. Why don't these companies get better servers, a better host, whatever they need?

-The Weather Channel
-Flicker

What other ones have you encountered (I'm speaking to my hypothetical audience)?

immigration

I don't know what I have to say about this topic, so I'll ranble a bit... I suppose we should follow the laws of the country - the term is "illegal immigrant" for a reason. Or we change the law to allow anyone into the country any time (get rid of our borders, as some people term this.) We can't kick 12-20 million people out of the country (logistically and ethically). We can't really give them citizenship, not because they have been breaking the law, but because they shouldn't be able to skip over those who are trying to enter the country legally.

(By the way - do any illegal immigrants pay income taxes? How do they do that without a social security number? I know many immigrant children our using our educational system, another government agency.)

Pat Buchanan's sister actually makes a decent amount of sense on this topic: check her out (streaming WNYC public radio show) She talks about holding companies and individuals accountable for hiring illegals (they must check their documentation or submit some form or something). She says this coupled with new, strong border defenses will encourage immigrants to find there way back home (they won't be able to make money in the US).

copyright

I know I harp... but let's compare "copyright" (patent, or whatever the correct term is) for science/medicine versus pretty much everything else - a book, movie, or piece of music is now protected for so long, it's basically forever.

Drug companies must invest heavily in R&D to create new drugs, because their patents run out relatively quickly (7 years is it?). Of course, they must charge more for their work to recoup spent money and make enough money for R&D - but the system works.

So if creative, artistic copyright went back to 7 or 14 or 20 years, might artists and writers be more productive? Would JK Rowlings be publishing a new Harry Potter every year? Would Dan Brown have written 3 sequels to the Divinci Code by now? The point is they don't have to - they have a guarenteed income source for years to come. Imagine if Shakespeare had stopped writing because he had published enough books and had them all turned into movies.