ALERT: Protect IP Bill is WORSE than S.978 and being RUSHED

[Penis シ]

I have a few friends that are lobbyists. Most of their job isn't to convince anyone anything, it's to sell ideas. For example, I met the lobbyist that convinced politicians to sign the law that made smoking illegal in PA restaurants.

She had an interesting pitch, she went to a cigar bar with a few of the bigger names and then a restaurant, when they finished their meal, she walked outside and lit a cig in the dead of winter. They could've smoked after the meal in this restaurant, keeping most of her ideas and such to herself up until this point, she told them "Listen, I know it's the dead of winter and I can smoke in there, but there are children. If we can walk outside to smoke, for their benefit, so can everyone."

Mind you, it's not necessarily that simple, BUT most of their job isn't to whisper ideas and push money, no bribing or such, they treat them to a dinner on the company card, which there are laws restricting how you can do so, making it a legal method and then sell them the idea. Similar to the way a lot of places attempt to sell to captive audiences.

With that in mind, I think blame falls on the politicians for failing to read or understand the laws they've bought into as opposed to the lobbyists.

[StarsMine]

That sounds more like an activist then a lobbyist. Who was she working for in that situation?
Why are children in a cigar bar o.O.?

What I also want is actual proof of second hand smoke being bad for you. All they keep throwing around is a study done in the 80s that got discredited for sloppy science. Not saying it isnt bad for your health, but for god sakes, get some actual proof.

@steamer, Now not to get people pissed off, but has anyone noticed that as fewer people go into the armed forces, the defence budget goes up... how the fuck does that work?
We have less people in the armed forces then we have ever had, yet the biggest defence budget then ever, where the FUCK is the money going?

[Penis シ]

They went to a restaurant after the cigar bar. But even if there's no solid proof, I think it was an improvement of the overall experience in restaurants in PA.

On the other hand, no idea who she lobbied for.

[Steamer]

Yep yep...

In the "bigger" mans pocket.. and uhh... R&D. A huge portion to R&D, also a huge portion to bullshit R&D, a very nice portion of this goes to black projects. Since they don't have to be reported you really don't know how much of the budget is going into it or who's pocket, I mean what research, it is going into... nice huh?

[StarsMine]

How many billion went into that awsome plane that takes off like a helicopter but can fly like a plane that they only used like once?
Its fucking awsome but the amount of money that went into is stupidly high.
A good portion of it does go to contractors that over state how much money they need also. and many project mangers seem to have it in their head that if they have a budget, they must spend ALL of it instead of what they need. Use what you need, put the money into the next project, Do you really need to blow it all at a los vegas convention for debriefing?... err no.

DJ, the ammount of people in the active army is small, the ratio of citizens to solder is smaller then it has ever been. we have reached our "quota" due to our inability to budget money correctly.

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

That sounds more like an activist then a lobbyist. Who was she working for in that situation?
Why are children in a cigar bar o.O.?

What I also want is actual proof of second hand smoke being bad for you. All they keep throwing around is a study done in the 80s that got discredited for sloppy science. Not saying it isnt bad for your health, but for god sakes, get some actual proof.

@steamer, Now not to get people pissed off, but has anyone noticed that as fewer people go into the armed forces, the defence budget goes up... how the fuck does that work?
We have less people in the armed forces then we have ever had, yet the biggest defence budget then ever, where the FUCK is the money going?

Your wrong. The military reaches quota every year.. we are to full. The army in a sense is trying to clense of anything for example... Our new complete bullshit pt test

[Steamer]

Your wrong, there are less now then there was in past times. Quota doesn't matter, he is talking total numbers. They went over quota. You should be nice and fit to be in the military, and the PT test is better off being harder than it was, keep all the fat lazy bastards out and have the ones in now be in better shape to do the job called upon good.

[SCRIBBLE]

More stringent PT standards makes my job easier. Get rid of FEP, fuck the fatties. Chiefs should be the only one's that can have a beer belly.

Lobbyists get paid so much because they typically have the education of a lawyer. At least any lobbyist worth a shit went to law school. You have the education in this country you get the big bucks, simple as that.

Don't expect more than six figures if you're not worth the six figures.

Keep the sheep producing, that's what capitalism is about.

If you're smart but poor and 'can't go to college because of financial burdens', enlist in the proper branch and select a job that will give you a future. Go army medic (sta-21, rotc scholarship to doc), go navy Nuke, Corpsman, seabee... don't join the fucking marines or army under a combat MOS or join the Navy under some shitty NEC like cartographer and expect to have a worthwhile job in the civilian sector. Get a visa and work out of the country. A focus on business is like gambling.. you are playing with luck. Stay away from business (entrepreneurial ventures) if you want job security.

Learn your value and apply it to the appropriate market.

Above all always practice humility and don't allow your ego to lead you in a bad direction.

Hope you enjoyed life lessons 101.

Wow I went off topic.