Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”]…two old coots, Zimmerman (Found not guilty BTW), and a negligent gun owner really don’t make your case. [/quote]
All those innocent lives lost and that’s your only comment? Not even a pro-forma expression of regret about those poor victims and their grieving survivors?
As for Zimmerman being found not guilty, I suppose that was a great comfort to Trayvon Martin’s parents but you know, their son is just as dead. But it apparently makes you feel better about that incident, and that’s the important thing.
[quote=”Imxploring”]I’m guessing more folks are injured or killed each year by “older” folks, hotheads, and negligent individuals operating automobiles. Just a guess…. but shootings make better headlines![/quote]
Why just yesterday, [url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/18/us/florida-deadly-shooting/]another 7 innocent lives were tragically taken by a gun-toting miscreant[/url]. Just more collateral damage eh? I suppose you maintain that if he hadn’t had a gun handy he would have hauled them off to the nearest pool and drowned them, or had them stand in the middle of the road so he could mow them down with his car, or made them all chug a bottle of Draino. Because that kind of thing happens all the time – er, wait, no, come to think of it it doesn’t. It’s only mass shootings that seem to.
Now as to crazy old coots, as someone who is on the cusp of cootitude himself (though not a crazy one, I hope), I have to stick up for old coots. People over 60 are in fact the safest drivers on the road. It’s the 16-25 year-olds that you have to watch out for. In fact, 16-25 year-olds are responsible for much of the mischief, wickedness and tomfoolery that goes on. You would think that with all the sex they are busy having they wouldn’t have time for anything else, but it appears that they do.
But back to crazy old coots. How can the folks who are within shooting range of you and your gun be assured that you aren’t a crazy old coot, or wlll someday slide into being one?
[quote=”Imxploring”]I bet these folks wish they had a gun in the house. Might have had a different outcome.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders%5B/quote%5DHow come you get to link to external references but I get criticized when I do?
[/quote]I guess we could debate the boxers or briefs issue at length as well but the FACTS are simple. You may choose to not own a gun for whatever reason you like. Just as I may take the opposite approach. The real issue is that YOU don’t have the right to keep me from possessing one just as I would never assume the right to FORCE you to have one.
As to the latest shooting you pointed to. If you read the article you will see this was an individual that was breaking the law by simply possessing a weapon based on his criminal past, as well as someone that should have been thinned from the herd a long time ago based on prior conduct and repeated interaction with the police for actions none of us should tolerate. As additional information comes out I’m sure most folks would agree.
Society’s willingness to continue to explain away unacceptable behavior and allow folks like this animal to walk among us will ALWAYS result in tragic outcomes. And once again… laws only restrain those willing to follow them… and apparently this animal did not.
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”VictoriaLST”]A “bad guy” is just that. [/quote]
Tell me please, who was the bad guy in [url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/fla-man-charged-fatal-movie-theatre-shooting-released-bail-article-1.1864106]this case[/url] or [url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts/]this case[/url] or [url=http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2014/08/19/florida-grandmother-shoots-7-year-old-grandson/14295351/]this case[/url] or [url=http://wtvr.com/2014/06/09/child-shot-hopewell/]this case?[/url]
Some of those cases involved someone who believed that “that person ha(d) an evil intent” but – oops! – guess they were wrong.
It is well documented that your chances of dying violently are actually HIGHER rather than lower in homes where a gun is presernt.[/quote]
And your chances of fighting off an ARMED attacker in your home are absolutely ZERO if you don’t have a gun!!! Sorry Steve…. I’ll take my chances with a gun….. I have home field advantage, considerable training, and common sense on my side. You can take your chances dialing 911…. I’ll stick to good sight alignment and a slow steady squeeze of the trigger.
Sorry Steve…. two old coots, Zimmerman (Found not guilty BTW), and a negligent gun owner really don’t make your case. I’m guessing more folks are injured or killed each year by “older” folks, hotheads, and negligent individuals operating automobiles. Just a guess…. but shootings make better headlines!
I bet these folks wish they had a gun in the house. Might have had a different outcome.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders[quote=”costaricabill”]So what impact, if any, does this foretell for the value of the dollar in CR?[/quote]
Too many variables in play since we have not yet seen the impact that the REAL mess being kicked down the road in the USA will have on the dollar back home. Once QE is removed and interest rates rise and the economy tanks again we’ll have a better idea. Inflation is currently more of a concern in CR than exchange rate fluctuations which are currently being muted by the CR central bank. Higher borrowing rates will have a negative impact on the CB and it’s ability to stabilize the exchange rate.
Short term in CR…. some concerns with the economy will have an impact on real estate prices as will the possible interest rate increases in 2015. Already seeing some good size reductions in prices on some properties highlighted on this very site. There are some great deals out there for those not adverse to risk. Shop around.
Better play for those in CR at the moment (most limited income and savings expats) is to invest in consumables that can be stored long term and will without doubt continue to rise in price well above the return you might be getting at the bank or by playing the exchange rate. Not saying you should become a prepper…. just put today’s money into something you will NEED in the future that will no doubt COST more down the road!
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”] I seem to remember that the last two summer’s have been rather “eventful” when it came to gun violence in Chi-Town.[/quote]
Your memory is faulty, we are on a pace to record another low in the murder rate this year. The murder rate has fallen steadily since the mid 80s – when the Chicago gun ban was passed, though that is a pure coincidence.[/quote]What about gun related shootings? Murder rates, like battlefield deaths, have come down over the last 4 decades due to advances (and much more readily available) immediate medical care. Folks that use to die (both on the street and on the battlefield) are now surviving.
[quote=”sweikert925″]Anyone who believed that Chicago’s gun control laws had any effect on gun ownership is a fool. You only had to travel less than 5 miles to the south suburbs or Indiana to get all the legal guns you could afford to buy. The ownership of guns had absolutely no effect on the murder rate and neither did the lifting of the ban a few years ago.
A bad guy is only a bad guy after he does something bad. Until then, if he is a gun owner, he is someone people like you stick up for in being allowed to own as many guns as possible. I could cite statistics about how many children are killed by accident by guns they found in their parents drawers or closets, but you hate statistics so I’ll refrain. Maybe you can use your common sense to explain why we shouldn’t care about that.[/quote]
You’ve made my point for me. The point being that gun control laws only control those that play by the rules…. the good honest people that choose to obey the law. The bad guys…. the ones more likely or intent on doing something nefarious with a gun will always be able to get a gun.
As to the deaths of children (always tragic no matter what the means)…. there’s been a rash of them dying after being left in cars by their parents this summer… perhaps we should outlaw cars… or how many died in pools this year once again… should we outlaw back yard pools? Might want to add households cleaning products and other toxic materials in the home to the list. The point being there will always tragic situations caused by the negligence of others. Do laws stop that?
[quote=”sweikert925″]In that same article it points out that the US has 9 times as many firearms in private possession per capita. Does that make Americans 9 times as safe? The statistics answer that and the answer is a resounding “no”.[/quote]
But then again Steve doesn’t (or didn’t) Chicago have some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the US and yet some of the highest shooting, murder, and gun assault rates? I seem to remember that the last two summer’s have been rather “eventful” when it came to gun violence in Chi-Town.
Simple fact is that gun control laws have no impact on the bad guys that don’t follow the rules. Can’t provide you a nifty internet link or some manufactured statistics…. just good old common sense…. you’ll have to take a leap of faith and trust me on this one! 🙂
[quote=”residencial”]I am not an immigration lawyer, but does this mean that he has spent 9 wonderful years residing and brokering in Costa Rica as a “tourist?” Or will his lawyers letter state that he is currenlty able to legally work in Costa Rica while his application is being processed? Confused.[/quote]
No doubt you have an issue with this guy… and I’m not really interested in that, I’m sure you have your reasons. I’m not a lawyer (really hate them) but my understanding is that even given the information Scott has uncovered so far…. the guy can’t legally work in CR. But it will be interesting to see what Scott finds out (and what the lawyer says) and I give him credit for confronting the issue when questioned, taking the time to update us, and following through even if the results show that someone featured on this site is not following the law. I’m sure Scott is just as pissed off as you are about the situation for a completely different reason. None of us like to be hoodwinked, especially when it impacts our reputation. And Scott is not one to allow that to happen.
I’m sure he’ll give us an update when he gets it… and take appropriate action based on those results.
Thank you for bringing this issue up (for whatever reason you have) and keeping this site and forum honest and open!
Inconsistency in policy, procedure, rules, and interpretation of same is a hallmark of government in CR! Hopefully you will be able to obtain a new police records check to complete (or at least continue) the process. Friends had their fingerprints and other documents redone twice before completing the process. Keep your own copies of everything. Don’t count on your attorney to do so.
From your own reference….
“The British point of view is not difficult to grasp. The Seven Years’ War had been terribly costly. The TAXES asked of the American colonists were lower than those asked of mainland English citizens. The revenue raised from taxing the colonies was used to pay for their own defense. Moreover, the funds received from American colonists barely covered one-third of the cost of maintaining British troops in the 13 colonies.
The Americans, however, saw things through a different lens. What was the purpose of maintaining British GARRISONS in the colonies now that the French threat was gone? Americans wondered about contributing to the maintenance of troops they felt were there only to watch them.
True, those in England paid more in taxes, but Americans paid much more in sweat. All the land that was cleared, the Indians who were fought, and the relatives who died building a colony that enhanced the British Empire made further taxation seem insulting.”
Keep trying Steve…..
[quote=”sweikert925″]You two are woefully ignorant of your own country’s history. The revolution was not about taxation, but about the lack of representation in parliament for American colonists. The [url=http://www.ushistory.org/us/9b.asp]taxes paid by American colonists was inn fact signficantly lower than that paid by British citizens in Britain[/url].[/quote]
More of your manipulation of the FACTS…. it was about TAXATION without representation! You conveniently left that part out. And once again… you blow more smoke…. so what if colonists paid less taxes… they were NOT receiving the same services as citizens in Britain.
Keep trying Steve…. 🙂
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”]…as I’m sure your people can attest to…. isn’t the saying “Never again”?[/quote]
Which people would that be?[/quote]
I’m at a total loss as to how YOU alone have made the determination that The Boston Tea Party, one of the most important events in American history, was illegal and futile and simply dismiss it… that says it all. No need to enlighten us… your true colors have shined through…. Davidd has it right… you love to engage in self pleasuring yourself while trying pretend to be the smartest guy in the phone booth.
Happy trails there Steve….
[quote=”sweikert925″]The incident that became known as the Boston Tea party was a futile (and illegal) act. The tea that was destroyed was owned by private merchants so the victims of the crime weren’t even the British government. The loss of that tea didn’t change anything at all between the colonists and the king back in London. I wish I didn’t have to re-educate you on American history but someone has to when you get it wrong.
To put your understanding of the Boston Tea Party into modern perspective, it would be as if some yahoos dressed up in costumes came and stole those assets you had to pay that transaction fee on because they objected to the fee being imposed. You would approve of that? Seems rather odd to me.
Whenever I use an ATM that isn’t owned by my bank, I get charged a transaction fee too – something I hate and which seems unjust to me. But I don ‘t post whiney comments on message boards about it because – wait for it – it wouldn’t do a damn bit of good.
If your constant complaining actually changed anything then you might have a point – but it doesn’t, so you don’t.[/quote]
The act was against a government tax…. as to being futile or illegal…. I guess the eventual change in “management” in the colonies proves your perspective quite wrong. The American Revolution followed…. as to your logic that one had nothing to do with the other…. I’m at loss. You also might want to read up on the “private” owners of the tea and their relationship to the Crown.
And once again… any issue that doesn’t impact you is unimportant and dismissed.
Your analogy of a FEE paid for a SERVICE of a private bank which has incurred a cost to provide you with that service when using an ATM has absolutely no correlation to the arbitrary impounding of monies by the Costa Riacan government on credit/debit transactions. If you had any clue as to how things work in CR you’d know that getting that money back once it’s determined the business has met or has no tax liability will be next to impossible. Perhaps when you have some actual experience or first hand knowledge of the topics discussed your imput will have more credibility and value.
Simply rolling over when governments start falling off the tracks is a dangerous attitude… as I’m sure your people can attest to…. isn’t the saying “Never again”? Compliance and being complacent is a dangerous attitude in these times.
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”]Did he let you hold his cat? [/quote]
I did pet his dog briefly but I vigorously deny any carnal knowledge of his cat.[quote=”Imxploring”]I guess all those folks complaining about the lack of affordable health care in the US should have been told to be quiet and stop complaining.[/quote]
You’re confusing “complaining” with “advocating for change through the political system”. The latter is right and proper and the former is annoying and futile.[/quote]
So the Boston tea party was advocating for change rather than a criminal act of a bunch of complainers? Or will you be reeducating US on American history as well? I think the British (the ruling authority at the time) saw it as annoying and futile…. but we know how that worked out…. don’t we. Or perhaps those involved were simply a bunch of complainers by your definition that should be dismissed as an annoyance?
I guess YOU can choose to label causes that don’t impact YOU as annoying and futile…. but I’m guessing that folks in CR that are actually impacted might have a different view from yours.
How about your feelings on the OCT 1 change whereby the government of CR will be impounding 2% of all credit/debit transactions that are processed by businesses in CR?
I’m sure it doesn’t impact you… but for those of us with businesses in CR it does. Are we simply being annoying/complainers when we have a problem with such an act of government?
For cheap in country (CR) calling just buy a Kolbi (ICE) prepaid phone at the airport. Time can be added just about anywhere they have the Kolbi sign (Little Green Frog)… give them your number (or as I do have it taped on the back of the phone) and tell them how much you want added to the account. Takes less then a minute… and you get a text message with the refill info. The phone is also good for international calling at very competitive rates.
You also have a local phone number rather than your number in the states. They also offer a prepaid internet plan for your computer… just as simple and cheap.
[quote=”Snodad101″]Very nice post. i would like to add that for the year I lived in CR, I went to the local pharma and got my Cymbalta there. The cost was about $1/pill. When arriving back to the states, I visited with my former physician for a script for the medication as it is not an over the counter pill. He looked online for me and the cheapest was $12/pill. Needless to say, I no longer take that medication. I seem to be doing ok, but look forward to returning. Just wanted to point this out because the pharm companies here are always crying that they make no profits. :shock::D[/quote]
These days it’s whatever the market will bear…. and you know damn well they’re not selling it in CR at a loss!
