You said the "Horn of Africa", which is most certainly not the size of the US. Horn of africa: ~2 million km^2, USA ~9.8 km^2. On the map you linked the whole continent of Africa does not look significantly wider than the US either. Flying from Maine to Cali or Maine looks about the same distance as flying coast to coast in the north of Africa.

Exactly, I'm not sure what the OP was smoking or where he got it, but it was an entertaining read and really showed a different mentality. The politicians in this country are the worst of the worst and don't spend ANY of the money wisely. They have proven that they can't even work with the insane sum of money that we give them, and definitely don't deserve more. The mentality of "the government can spend your money in smarter ways than you" is fucking dumb and for the weak minded and weak willed people of the world. Senators and Congressmen in this country are the most corrupt ass-scum I've ever seen. At least the dictators of the world don't pretend to be benevolent.

Yea but you can control that by owning less. Your income is not as controllable as the material possessions you own.

My family left Mass because the taxes were getting ridiculous for my father and his business. It has nothing to do with political standing, it has to do with getting to keep more of what you've worked hard to earn.

IDK... Gates is pretty smart. He probably figured out the same thing that I have seen: I have 2 friends that are "trust fund babies" that have NO IDEA how to work. And the funny thing is the trust funds ran out so they are panicking and whining. I would never wish that on my kids (if I have them) even though the intentions were obviously good (I'll leave my grandson all this money so he is happy and can have nice things"). No, it just taught them not to work during their formative years and now they are inept and afraid of breaking a sweat. They have no work ethic and I quote "don't really want to work". This is last thing any parent should want for their kid... an entitled snot of a lazy shit. 2mil is plenty.

This should be included in TFS FFS! Almost every comment would be rendered moot by this.

This is just another pile of BS that the current "leadership" feeding us. This M.O. absolutely disgusts me. Rather than telling the brick and mortar stores to get a clue and modernize/find a way to compete/get creative, they tax and hold back the more innovative and successful companies that are thriving. They do the same thing to individuals too. If you achieve, be prepared to get taxed and punished so that you're about at the same level as those who do not. Rather than elevating the losers, they punish the winners, and it makes me sick. Its just a "feel-goodery" atmosphere where everyone ends up losing. In audio terms, they are compressing rather than expanding... I hope someone gets that lol.

I think his humor was lost on you...

We built our studio iso booth using a mass-air-mas system where the 2x4's were decoupled from the floor and the sheetrock with dampening. mass on its own sucks. try putting a solid concrete floor into a studio and see how much it couples into other rooms, mass-air-mass is the key.

Yup, these are the people running this country. Do they just think we are all stupid and will put up with it? What a douchy parasite!

Its not a tax because they get less pay but work less. There shouldn't be any "mercy employs" either. If your job doesn't need to exist, it shouldn't. Tough.

This is one of the best posts I've read anywhere in a long time, and I've had this argument with one of my friends many times. I have a feeling which political way you lean, but my friend who really wants more and more laws and regulations to the point where he doesn't have to think or take responsibility is VERY liberal. I really believe in taking personal responsibility and living my own life... live and let live. I guess one of his claims is that a huge government will be very transparent, but he could not elaborate on how that would be true or make sense. Usually those types of people get loud, angry, and irrational, when you ask them to explain or prove stuff (in my experience). Anyways, thanks for the great post, maybe I'll show it to him and he'll get angry :)

Lying to a cop is not illegal unless it is a few well defined circumstances.

Best solution: safe your effing money. You could probably find both a pen and a notepad at the dollar store for 99 cents each. So you want to spend hundreds of dollars to write notes on a tablet... what happens if it gets lost or stolen? Tablets are a lot more desirable than a notepad and pen. Maybe I'm getting old...

I'm not convinced you really understand what a free market is... the purpose of it isn't to be fair or equal, it is to offer opportunity. It is semi-free right now I suppose, but why don't you try starting a business that actually produces something and see how many hours you spend on paperwork and the like when everyone would be better off if you were, you know, actually producing something. And yes, I HAVE actually started a business that produces something, so I DO know what I'm talking about. No offense, but you come off as an angry and ignorant person who wants everyone's life to suck equally. Keep complaining about unfairness like a child, the rest of us will work hard and keep working towards our goals.