The Off Topic Topic

[garbon]

After asking if I spoke German, my German client proceeded to ask where I was from, was it India?

[CountDeMoney]

Not many people can pull off German with a touch of Gujarat, man.

[garbon]

After, my German sales rep asked me if I get that often and I said no facial hair typically puts me to Middle Eastern now. He then asked what I actually was and when I said part African American he stared blankly until I said and we don't really know the origins as then it just stops at being slaves. He said of course and then laughed.

[CountDeMoney]

Bet saying Jew would've dropped the beat like a motherfucker though.

[sbr]

Just finished my taxes. 

My State refund was direct deposited already. 

[Martinus]

How do you guys always get a tax refund? Maybe my tax advisor/accountant ensures that I don't pay too much. 

[sbr]

I have a feeling our tax code is a bit harder to predict on a year to year basis than your is.

I would rather get a small refund than have any size tax bill.  I have gotten larger returns than I would have liked the last couple of years, but that will go away next year when my daughter graduates college and I go from Head of Household with 1 dependent to Single with none.

[Admiral Yi]

How do you guys always get a tax refund? Maybe my tax advisor/accountant ensures that I don't pay too much. 

Withholding is calculated as if the income you received in any period is your average pay for the entire year.  So if you have any variability in your pay, because of overtime or any other reasons, the withholding in those higher pay periods will be based on a higher tax bracket than the one that applies to your total income.

[Razgovory]

I read somewhere that ninja rabbis are much better than a bolt gun.

I read that those who condemn Kosher slaughter on animal cruelty grounds balk when at the suggestion that the principles of animal cruelty to be applied to things like recreational fishing or the production foie gras.

[Josquius]

Fishing I don't know.
But foie gras is pretty universally considered a bad thing by even the most moderate of animal rights people.

[Razgovory]

Fishing I don't know.
But foie gras is pretty universally considered a bad thing by even the most moderate of animal rights people.

Yeah, but that's the thing, banning halal slaughter is championed by people who otherwise don't get a shit about animal rights.  They want to harass unpopular minorities.  We had this debate years ago (which is what DG is referring to), when I brought up fishing with a line I watched Viking completely run out of steam.

[Martinus]

I think Raz is painstakingly building a strawman.

I have no problem with banning foie gras (even though I consider it delicious) on the same grounds as halal slaughter. I would also happily ban recreational hunting, bull fighting, use of animals in circuses and other forms of animal cruelty. I support heavy penalties for people who deliberately hurt animals. I have no opinion on banning recreational fishing (I don't do it myself so have no vested interest in this) but isn't the difference there based on different level of awareness and ability to feel pain compared to higher vertebrae, especially birds and mammals?

[Martinus]

Hey, she's not all that bad.  Animal cruelty gets 5 years, wants to ban FGM.  She doesn't believe in birth control or underaged or premarital sex, but she does believe in the orgasm.


And really now, the gays have really gotten rather obnoxious lately.

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/god-is-a-boob-man/3021131

Plus I like to see finally a consistent Christian fundamentalist who wants to treat homosexuality and adultery the same way.

[Martinus]

Fishing I don't know.
But foie gras is pretty universally considered a bad thing by even the most moderate of animal rights people.

Yeah, but that's the thing, banning halal slaughter is championed by people who otherwise don't get a shit about animal rights.  They want to harass unpopular minorities.  We had this debate years ago (which is what DG is referring to), when I brought up fishing with a line I watched Viking completely run out of steam.

But the leaflet is specifically saying that she wants to penalise animal cruelty with 5 years of imprisonment. So not exactly sure how your argument applies here.

[Martinus]

Did God say not to use drugs in the bible? I mean, he clearly was ok with alcohol in moderation.

Well, she said she supports the right to smack. But apparently only for people who have kids.