Personally I can't wait to hear from the Kazakhstani Prince and the $20 million dollars he's having trouble moving ....

Or to the rooftop mail room chute in a large office building that might contain hundreds of Amazon business customers. If you're picturing suburban doorstep delivery to un-prepared recipients, you're imagining the wrong scenario.

You may not know this, but the President of the United States doesn't have an office in the NSA, and doesn't have direct access to their leadership or decision-making.

Actually, he DOES have direct access to their leadership and decision-making. He's the PRESIDENT!

All he needs to do is pick up his phone and call the NSA Director, tell him to get his ass over to the White House RIGHT NOW, and, lo, the NSA Director will be heading toward the White House.

Then he tells the NSA Director words to the effect of "Stop this shit, right the F**k now!", and lo, it will be stopped.

And if that doesn't work, there's the "Fire him, right now" option. Like when Truman fired MacArthur back in the day.

Remember, he's the President. Head of the Executive Branch. Which includes both CIA and NSA. They all work for HIM, not the other way around.

The fact that this is still going on does not show a lack of power on the part of Obama, it shows agreement with this on the part of Obama.

Germany wants its own trade deals in private.

While you can negotiate a trade deal privately, it's pretty much impossible to operate one privately. After all, at least one other country has to know the details, and most (if not all) of the economic effects are easily detectable....

Said someone about every president since WW2. You guys elected him twice, collectively you fucking love the guy.

Hey, don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!!

:)

But seriously, I used to think Carter was the worst, and I wasn't terribly happy with Bush Jr., but Obama, ugh.

I used to think it was just his agenda, but I'm starting to think it is more fully explained by incompetence. I used to joke and ask my friends that voted for him "How's that Hope and Change" working out for you.

Not anymore, I'm frankly a bit scared about the US and the world. He has no answer and seems to really not even care about:

Problems in Libya, Syria (draws imaginary line in sand when not going to back it up), ISIS coming in from Syria, Our southern US border currently being overrun by illegals, when he actually COULD with a swipe of his pen, fix the problem there, or at least send national guard and militarize the damned thing, economy still in the toilet, etc.

He's a great speaker with a teleprompter and good politician (for getting elected), but I think as far as presidency, he's in way over his head and I'm frankly worried about the state of the world under his last 2x years.

But none of those DACs, nor the SoundBlaster seem to have an offering with good old fashioned Vacuum Tubes?!!?

Stereos that glow are cool, and sound OH so good, especially through a pair of Klipschorns.

Because Obama is the current President, and is responsible for the current policy?

The nutcakes are the ones living in a fantasy land where we don't hold our currently elected representatives accountable. Hope and change, still waiting for the change. (I've given up hope)

Yes, there are people who were born in the 19th century and were still alive in the 21st. As of a year ago, there were 21 women born in the 19th century still alive.

I would have thought that Obama would have told his spooks to lay off for a while. But instead, it seems that he has racketed up the spying on Germany.

Can someone tell me what Obama is trying to achieve by this? I mean, there must be some purpose behind all this. I just can't figure it out.

Have you stopped to think that it might just be that he's a fucking idiot?

I mean, so far, in the polls, he's already being rated as the worst president since WW2. And he had some serious "talent" to beat out in that contest, you know?

I have a daughter born in 1999.

A bit younger than my daughter, so your daughter has a higher chance than mine (and my kid's chances are non-zero) of living in three different centuries (20th, 21st, 22nd).

I'm thinking that noone has ever done that (unless you count some Biblical codgers)....

Is this soccer thing still going on? Once the US was out of it, I lost interest and figured this would have been done and over with by now.

Its like what, 4 years or something before soccer starts up again when this one is done?

:)

A few years later, and millions lives lost, England prevailed.

I am assuming you mean "millions of German, Russian, Chinese and Japanese lives lost here", since the UK lost fewer than half a million?

Nonsense. The economics only says that you should relocate if the cost of relocating (including giving up local opportunities like employment and access to natural resources and infrastructure) is less than the cost of the mandatory A/C. It's perfectly reasonable to stay in an area which requires A/C (or heating, or both depending on the season) if the cost of climate control is offset by other benefits.

Corporate tax avoidance?

Would that be like when you take your Standard Deduction (or Itemized, as appropriate for you) on your Income Taxes?

Or deduct your VAT, if applicable?

Do try to remember that "tax avoidance" is synonymous with "didn't pay any more taxes than legally obligated to". What it does NOT mean is "broke the law by paying less taxes than the law requires"....