[UCGal]

Truthfully Brian – it sounds more like you are disgusted with your friend, than compassionate.

I’ve seen drug and alcohol addiction up close (immediate family). Until the person admits they have ANY problem, they’re not going to change. In order to convince them they have a problem you’d better at least pretend to care.

Also, there are often root problems that need addressing in order to deal with addiction. In my family member’s case there were two root causes – pain from a long forgotten bone break – that was being self medicated. (Ankle hurts, so lets have a scotch to make it hurt less.) And being in a miserable marriage with no good way out… Surgery helped alleviate the pain and self medication – and re-engaging in the marriage helped the emotional problems. Once those causes were mitigated, the person was willing to admit a problem and start cutting back. But even then years of abuse/habit/craving were hard to undo. It’s not an easy addiction to stop.

Will power works great in avoiding the start of addiction, but not so much when the physical addiction is there.

[UCGal]

Truthfully Brian – it sounds more like you are disgusted with your friend, than compassionate.

I’ve seen drug and alcohol addiction up close (immediate family). Until the person admits they have ANY problem, they’re not going to change. In order to convince them they have a problem you’d better at least pretend to care.

Also, there are often root problems that need addressing in order to deal with addiction. In my family member’s case there were two root causes – pain from a long forgotten bone break – that was being self medicated. (Ankle hurts, so lets have a scotch to make it hurt less.) And being in a miserable marriage with no good way out… Surgery helped alleviate the pain and self medication – and re-engaging in the marriage helped the emotional problems. Once those causes were mitigated, the person was willing to admit a problem and start cutting back. But even then years of abuse/habit/craving were hard to undo. It’s not an easy addiction to stop.

Will power works great in avoiding the start of addiction, but not so much when the physical addiction is there.

[UCGal]

Truthfully Brian – it sounds more like you are disgusted with your friend, than compassionate.

I’ve seen drug and alcohol addiction up close (immediate family). Until the person admits they have ANY problem, they’re not going to change. In order to convince them they have a problem you’d better at least pretend to care.

Also, there are often root problems that need addressing in order to deal with addiction. In my family member’s case there were two root causes – pain from a long forgotten bone break – that was being self medicated. (Ankle hurts, so lets have a scotch to make it hurt less.) And being in a miserable marriage with no good way out… Surgery helped alleviate the pain and self medication – and re-engaging in the marriage helped the emotional problems. Once those causes were mitigated, the person was willing to admit a problem and start cutting back. But even then years of abuse/habit/craving were hard to undo. It’s not an easy addiction to stop.

Will power works great in avoiding the start of addiction, but not so much when the physical addiction is there.

[UCGal]

for those worried about saving pennies on gas…

http://sandiegogasprices.com/

On days I know I’ll need to buy gas – I check it ahead of time and look for the best deal in my normal path for the day.

I don’t drive out of my way to buy gas… that’s stupid. But if I’m at Costco – I’ll get gas there.

I also time my costco runs, in general, to avoid crowds. Not on weekends, not at lunchtime, etc.

[UCGal]

for those worried about saving pennies on gas…

http://sandiegogasprices.com/

On days I know I’ll need to buy gas – I check it ahead of time and look for the best deal in my normal path for the day.

I don’t drive out of my way to buy gas… that’s stupid. But if I’m at Costco – I’ll get gas there.

I also time my costco runs, in general, to avoid crowds. Not on weekends, not at lunchtime, etc.

[UCGal]

for those worried about saving pennies on gas…

http://sandiegogasprices.com/

On days I know I’ll need to buy gas – I check it ahead of time and look for the best deal in my normal path for the day.

I don’t drive out of my way to buy gas… that’s stupid. But if I’m at Costco – I’ll get gas there.

I also time my costco runs, in general, to avoid crowds. Not on weekends, not at lunchtime, etc.

[UCGal]

for those worried about saving pennies on gas…

http://sandiegogasprices.com/

On days I know I’ll need to buy gas – I check it ahead of time and look for the best deal in my normal path for the day.

I don’t drive out of my way to buy gas… that’s stupid. But if I’m at Costco – I’ll get gas there.

I also time my costco runs, in general, to avoid crowds. Not on weekends, not at lunchtime, etc.

[UCGal]

for those worried about saving pennies on gas…

http://sandiegogasprices.com/

On days I know I’ll need to buy gas – I check it ahead of time and look for the best deal in my normal path for the day.

I don’t drive out of my way to buy gas… that’s stupid. But if I’m at Costco – I’ll get gas there.

I also time my costco runs, in general, to avoid crowds. Not on weekends, not at lunchtime, etc.

[UCGal]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]One more expense I forgot to address is private contractors who significantly overcharge the govt.
[/quote]

I don’t disagree with this, but it seems that this is exactly what the unions are – private contractors overcharging the government. Same thing, really.[/quote]

The net result to the taxpayer may be the same… but where those overcharged dollars end up is very different. Concentrated at the top, or spread among the workers…

[UCGal]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]One more expense I forgot to address is private contractors who significantly overcharge the govt.
[/quote]

I don’t disagree with this, but it seems that this is exactly what the unions are – private contractors overcharging the government. Same thing, really.[/quote]

The net result to the taxpayer may be the same… but where those overcharged dollars end up is very different. Concentrated at the top, or spread among the workers…

[UCGal]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]One more expense I forgot to address is private contractors who significantly overcharge the govt.
[/quote]

I don’t disagree with this, but it seems that this is exactly what the unions are – private contractors overcharging the government. Same thing, really.[/quote]

The net result to the taxpayer may be the same… but where those overcharged dollars end up is very different. Concentrated at the top, or spread among the workers…

[UCGal]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]One more expense I forgot to address is private contractors who significantly overcharge the govt.
[/quote]

I don’t disagree with this, but it seems that this is exactly what the unions are – private contractors overcharging the government. Same thing, really.[/quote]

The net result to the taxpayer may be the same… but where those overcharged dollars end up is very different. Concentrated at the top, or spread among the workers…

[UCGal]

[quote=sdduuuude][quote=CA renter]One more expense I forgot to address is private contractors who significantly overcharge the govt.
[/quote]

I don’t disagree with this, but it seems that this is exactly what the unions are – private contractors overcharging the government. Same thing, really.[/quote]

The net result to the taxpayer may be the same… but where those overcharged dollars end up is very different. Concentrated at the top, or spread among the workers…

[UCGal]

[quote=ninaprincess]Air war is much cheaper than ground war. I think this is US’s message to other Arab nations (Iran, and mainly Saudi) that we are willing to take side so don’t piss us off. Stupid Saudis got very mad with the US when their friend Mubarak got disposed and blamed it on the US.[/quote]
In theory the League of Arab Nations signed on to this offensive.

And we’re seriously avoiding the issue with Saudi troops in Bahrain helping the Bahraini government crack down on protesters there.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/03/21/bahrain-launches-military-crackdown

I don’t think we’re sending a message to the Saudi’s… or else we’d make *some* kind of statement about Bahrain.

[UCGal]

[quote=ninaprincess]Air war is much cheaper than ground war. I think this is US’s message to other Arab nations (Iran, and mainly Saudi) that we are willing to take side so don’t piss us off. Stupid Saudis got very mad with the US when their friend Mubarak got disposed and blamed it on the US.[/quote]
In theory the League of Arab Nations signed on to this offensive.

And we’re seriously avoiding the issue with Saudi troops in Bahrain helping the Bahraini government crack down on protesters there.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/03/21/bahrain-launches-military-crackdown

I don’t think we’re sending a message to the Saudi’s… or else we’d make *some* kind of statement about Bahrain.

[Author]

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