athinaios
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Posts posted by athinaios
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Personally I find this kind of shooting utterly ridiculous. Ridiculous are also these people who like retards pose proudly next to their kills as if they achieved something important or difficult. Anyone with money can join a "safari" hunting group, with guides, riding big trucks, everybody armed with machine guns, and with all the luxuries of the modern world. This is not hunting, it's a massacre. What's next, hunting by drone?
Having said this, some natural preserves make money by licensing hunts for exotic animals, and the better ones pick only old animals for shooting. They say that controlled killing helps population control and raises needed funds to keep the preserves operating. I don't know how much of this is true; it may very well be. Yet, nothing takes away from the Trumps being assholes.
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Well, it is a problem when those in charge are corrupt (unless it's "our" people)...
but you're right, it goes much deeper than that.
Even at a basic level, how people treat each other everyday in different circumstances reveals something rotten. No outside conspirators needed when Greeks don't respect each other. From the public workers to the private businesses, to reckless driving, to polluting of the environment, to noise, to whatever......
Oh, let me not forget the "super league" run entirely by Greeks and attended by the same..... "Super" ain't it?
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No economy can be efficient if the level of corruption is high. Add a very inefficient bureaucracy and it's a recipe for disaster. If Greeks can't clean up house and become modern Europeans, there's no hope.
I'm rich, I'm very rich. No one here is richer than me. I alone can fix it.... (sorry, I was carried away)... But, let's say I pay off all Greece's debts, because I'm a nice guy... nobody is nicer than me; nobody loves and respects Greeks more than me. So, let's make a deal....
Now, how many of you think that if Greece's debts magically disappeared, then all things would be beautiful and the country will be prosperous from now on?....
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Ina NYT oped earlier this week, the argument was that Dems should now fight like Repubs. It's not hard to imagine what Trump would be doing had he won the pop vote but lost the EC. Plus, we all know how Repubs treated Obama.
It'll be very hard for the Dems to win the House in 2 years because of Repub gerrymandering, while they'll be defending 2/3 of the open seats in the Senate. But, I think it'll all depend on Trump's approval ratings and Congress's. They will have no excuse if things go bad. In my view, things will go bad, not because I wish it, but because of policies favored by Trump and the Repubs. The vast majority of those who voted for Trump won't get help from him or the Repubs.
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Does anyone remember Whitewater from the 1990s and most recently the Clinton Foundation? They were both used as rallying points by the Republicans against the Clintons and the Dems. Conflict of interest, pay for play, treasonous conduct, etc. We wasted millions of dollars investigating those ..scandals, and spent thousands of hours debating the merits of those cases.
I wonder what the Republicans think nowadays with the clear conflicts of interest Trump and the people he's picked to lead important dpts and agencies of the US gov. If the Clintons had such conflicts, Trump's are 1000 times more egregious; don't need to investigate them either because they're out there in the open.
What would we hear if Obama had such conflicts?.... Or, that John Kerry was the CEO of a big industry that made deals with the Russians and then became Secy of State arguing for ..friendlier relations (lifting of sanctions) with Russia, which would subjugate national interests for private corporate interests.
"Lock 'em up" ?
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For sophisticated humor, I think Ricky Gervais is awesome.
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27 minutes ago, Bananas said:
What would someone have to pay Alafouzos to buy the club ? Does Alafouzos own all the shares, or a majority stake ? Having said that, I don't even know how it works with PAO.
The problem with Greek owners is that they believe since they have the money, they must be geniuses! So, heck, you made money (by whatever means) therefore you can run a soccer team or a country.
A sensible person knows their limitations, so they pick good people for advice and to run things. But, you've got to be sensible to begin with in order to find those talented people to do things for you. Alafouzos doesn't have good judgment either way, running the club or getting talent.
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It's a myth that giving more money to the top 1% is helpful to economic growth--the type of growth that lifts the poor and the middle class. The robber barons in the US, the super rich or the 19th and early 20th c. didn't have to pay any income taxes. Sure they employed lots of people, but at low wages and with no labor rights. It's the middle class that spends and supports a good economy. Adam Smith argued that the wealth of a country isn't in its gold reserves but in the greater affluence of the middle class.
So, what is the new DJT administration going to do? Give tax breaks to people and companies that don't need them. For the life of me, I can't see how anyone still argues for trickle-down economics.
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On 11/28/2016 at 0:40 AM, aek66 said:
that's nice and i would agree with you...yet i wonder what kind of mistake france made when muslim immigrants from algeria/tunisia work for public transportation (very good job in france) and then quit and hang out at the local mosque because they believe it immoral to touch the hand of a woman paying her fare??
Well, I don't know about the cases you mention. Some people never change. The conservative Jews (Hasidim and others) have identical beliefs of the hard-core Muslims. They live by the hundreds of thousands in NYC and elsewhere in communities that often clash (not violently though) with the gentiles. What is it that they don't resort to jihad?
But, studies show that give people hope and a decent living conditions they develop a stake in the system. What is it that the US has done so well in integrating imms?
Now there are sociopaths and closed-minded people who never going to change.
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On 11/28/2016 at 0:11 AM, tantra129 said:
What about 15$ min wage?
Oh, yeah, as this would happen under the new US admin... States have raised the min. wage about the fed level.
I don't know what the number should be, but that number by itself doesn't exist in a vacuum. Depends what you can buy with your money. Big cities are very expensive to live in, and their suburbs becoming more expensive. Where are they going to get the labor for the service industry if they pay min. wage?
Anyway, a $10/hour min. wage may be OK, in certain areas, if you have free health care, cheap public transportation, education, and other social services.
In the US, since the 1970s, middle class wages haven't risen (adjusted for inflation). Many consumer goods have become cheaper (appliances, clothing, food, etc) so wage earners have seen an improvement in their lives. However, 3 items have far outpaced wages: cost of education, housing, and health care.
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5 hours ago, cocksta said:
When someone that wants to step in and invest I am sure Alafouzo will step down.
I don't know if this is true, but first someone (other than Tsakas) has to show interest. Alafouzo means well but he's totally incompetent to be a club owner who makes decisions. I don't know what Gilberto is doing, or anyone else Ala has around him. Actually, Ala is cheating himself for all the money and energy he's put into the club and he has nothing to show for. He should go, but who's going to buy this club in this condition and the condition of the league?
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On 11/25/2016 at 0:06 AM, tantra129 said:
Everyone i know in the restaurant indistry has lost their shirts and are now working 70 hour work weeks for peanuts.
... the chicken souvlaki platter that used to cost 9.95$ is going for 16.95$ Today. ::::
The restaurant business outside the fancy places relies on cheap labor. Some of this labor is undocumented in the US. The kitchen, delivery, cleaners, bus boys, etc, work long hours for little pay and many off the books.
In the US there the refugees aren't a big number compared to other immigrants. The key, with people who have different backgrounds that clash with US society, is to integrate and educate them. When there's a ghetto, bad things happen. If someone thinks they can advance and have a decent life, they develop patriotism in the country in which they have stakes.
Europe has done many mistakes with its immigration policies. It should not accept anything it cannot absorb. Many of the immigrants end up in ghettos, disillusioned, and they seek something to make them feel important, even if this is hooliganism or worse.
Merkel made a huge mistake by saying Germany would accept hundreds of thousands of refugees. If Germany needs new workers, it could have done this quietly, more orderly, and accept people who'd get a job, not end up in ghettos.
Immigration is a big topic of discussion (usually not a good discussion, because most people get emotional over this issue and argue like maniacs), but it's always been a fact of life in every nation. Good immigration (legal or illegal) could be a positive factor on both ends--the country and the imms.
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11 hours ago, aek66 said:
new york times exit poll states that 'The Most Important Issue' where trump hammered hillary was over immigration. the disparity between trump voters to hillary voters was 64% x 32%. obviously, this was the most important factor and defining social issue between the two candidates. trump won and hillary lost, clearly this was/is a vital issue to those who voted for trump.
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http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/politics/election-exit-polls.html?_r=1
I don't think you're reading this exit poll correctly.
Only for those who thought imm was the most important issue, Trump won big, but only among those people... Further down, you see that
What should happen to most illegal immigrants working in the U.S.? 60% said :Offer chance to become legal
So, isn't that contradictory to your conclusion, that this issue was the most important social issue?Trump won on the promise to bring back jobs to the rust belt and because of he (and the right wing media) whipped the conservative base with anti-Hillary prop. This is also shown by the exit poll you cite. -
10 minutes ago, aek66 said:
if trump does those things along with penalizing businesses who brazenly utilize illegals as workers, he'll cement the republican party in a good place, going forward.
Ha! Do you know who uses the undocumented workers?... It's business owned by Republicans, from farms, to factories, to construction, to meat processing plants, to affluent who use nannies, to landscapers, to ..you name it.
He's now talking about a ..fence. We won't built a wall, nor will he deport more than Obama did. And, he may even legalize a bunch of them.
It took a non-traditional Republican to deliver the presidency to the GOP by running on themes traditionally Dems did.
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3 hours ago, Bananas said:
There is a huge gap also in other countries. Spain 9 out of 10 titles will go to Barca, Real. In England it will be Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea. In Germany Bayern, Dortmund. But regardless, fans still support the smaller teams. The problem is more than just money, although it's definitely a factor. But I think even if you gave Atromitos for example, 100 million euros each season, would they get 10,000+ supporters to games ? There just aren't enough clubs in Greece with a decent fan base. In an alternate reality, the EPO should be helping teams outside of Athens/Thessaloniki to become "bigger".
No, Atromitos would not bring in lots more fans, but who really knows? With success, things happen. What I want is for a more competitive league, which would be good for a better spectacle and making the top teams even better. You're right that the bigger clubs dominate in England, Spain, Germany, but their leagues are far more competitive. Same with a few other leagues whose teams are classes above the Greek ones.
Look at the numbers Blackhawk provided above.... IF this is not a huge crisis, I don't know what it would be. The sport is dying and the idiots in charge are fighting for chairs on the Titanic.
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1 hour ago, pash said:
I wonder how much the EPO paid Deloitte for this expert analysis? I've got some advice I could give these guys for free.
Sorry, they should pay us in several extra boughatsa trays at least. ['cause the 2 trays they've been sending us every month aren't nearly enough]
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I don't like the idea of the playoffs either. Play your games and in the end that's the finish order. Or, have a smaller league as there's a huge gap between the top 3-5 teams and the rest, and have them play 4 times a season.
But, in my mind, all this is cosmetic bs. They should make the league more competitive and add quality. Once they get rid of the mafia, (this is a big IF), then there are ways to boost the reputation and competitiveness of the league. Maybe revenue sharing; a draft; salary caps, etc.
This sport is dying...
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I know John Oliver has a selective focus and exaggerates to make comedic comments, but his latest (last for the year) show was interesting.
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Friends,
It's been a week since the US general election, and a new page in American politics has started. Let's put the other thread to rest, because it escalated into personal attacks, so let's respectfully discuss the new president's tenure and related matters here.
Let's remind ourselves that the point of this forum is to welcome a diversity of people and ideas, and to have a good time, even when we disagree with others; and, it'll be fun, because we'll be having a civilized discussion, right?...
So, president-elect Trump.... We'll be watching but who can say what he'll actually do? How do you judge his first moves and statements?
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52 minutes ago, Pana97 said:
You're talking to a history major my age is not a factor in this
No, I didn't imply anything bad by it. I simply pointed out something people may not be aware of, that in 2000 we had the same phenomenon.
Actually I remember how both parties played both sides of the issue. As Gore and Bush went up and down in the polls, it looked possible that either of them could win the popular but lose the EC vote. And, yes, both sides had criticized the EC when it was convenient to them. After the election, it was the Dems that asked for constitutional amendment. New York, for example, has passed a law saying that if the other states do it, NYS will allocate its electors on national vote outcome!
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I suspect the liberals would say, if the system elected Clinton via the EC had she lost the national vote, she should be the legitimate president, because, as I said, the established rules dictate so. It would be Attila the Hun who would be yelling bring down the system. No?
But, it's one side that has consistently labeled its opponents as illegitimate. BO won everything and was never accepted as legitimate by a big faction on the right that now says, let's play by the rules...
However, liberals are on the record since 2000 (remember that election??) that the EC should go.
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@Bananas It was PAO's fault that allowed Oly to be the only one to mostly benefit from the new CL.
It's beyond any debate that Tzigger left PAO unprotected when the "paragga" was being built. It was gross negligence because Tzigger was a very rich person. Instead he made the wrong decisions, divided the club, and had incompetent people around him and in important positions within the club. (do you remember the presidents he appointed?)
So while we were fractured and masturbating dreaming of past glory, Kokalis and Marinakis invested lots of money into their team. They were smart to understand that building a strong team and an EPO/league/refs to their liking, they could win titles, go to the new CL, get $$$$$, which would invest (most?) back into their empire to get more titles, etc, etc.
I have no confidence a country shaken to its foundations by the economic crisis and by corruption that some good solution will emerge any time soon.
If I were to fix this, I'd throw everyone out, get professional technocrats outside the realm of the teams and put them in charge of the league, EPO, and refs. But, I'd also make a main issue the competitiveness of the league. Oly above all, but also the other bigger teams would object, but I'd try to make the league like the NFL in the US. I would not allow big gaps among the teams to take place. Spending caps, revenue sharing, draft, and whatever else the successful teams in the US do and they have sports that are very successful. And, yes, why not have Platanias win the title? The Euroleague is revamping basketball to make it more competitive and more entertaining as well.
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3 hours ago, Pana97 said:
Now if the roles were reversed and Hillary won on EC would we be hearing the same complaints?
Yes, most definitely, Trump would not accept the result and we would never hear the end of it.The calls for revolution and storming the Bastille would echo in this forum too.
For me, Trump is the legitimate president because he won based on established rules. But, I'm also for abolishing the EC or changing its relevance by states deciding to allocate their electors differently. It's an 18th century "safety device" put in place by the elites to prevent the common people from doing something crazy.
In my mind there's no need to have the EC today. We should allow the national vote to determine the national president. It's absurd to have a candidate get millions of votes more than her opponent and lose the election.
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So, the 2016 election is over. Trump wins the presidency by winning the Electoral College and losing to Clinton by about 2 million votes in the popular count. Funny thing, because he has been deriding the EC for years as "unfair", "stupid" etc.
The best change the country can do without a constitutional amendment is that every state passes a law that says it'll allocate its electors either based on % of the state vote or give them to the person that wins the national popular vote. This way the EC will be rendered moot. The EC is a 18th century anachronism, invented by the elites as a safety mechanism to prevent the election of someone like Trump chosen by the ignorant public.
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The Museum (Katastatiko 1924, History, Trophies...
in AEK FC
Posted
I'm unpinning this as images and links aren't valid. This is a very old thread.