[quote][b]Realist[/b] -

I don't "pirate" movies or CD's, but I stopped feeling sorry for the movie industry when they put commercials on the DVD's I rent. I also don't like NOT being able to fast forward through the FBI warning.......the popcorn is gone before the movie starts.[/quote]

Minor inconvenience but I definitely agree. Makes me feel like a criminal for doing the right thing and obtaining the movie legitimately.

C'mon...you know you're buying fake stuff when you're buying it. The overwhelming majority of people who buy pirated goods had no intention of ever buying the real thing. I download a lot of music, and I buy the stuff I really like. In fact, "piracy" has turned me on to a lot of bands/artists I wouldn't otherwise have known about or patronized in the form of concert tickets and merchandise (and again, I buy their album if I like it). Arresting people over piracy is an overreaction. Just fine the people who own the booths or something.

Not to mention that this has been going on at J&J for years and they're only now doing something about it? Overreaction...

YouTube is great for clips, but I've rarely ever used it to watch a full TV episode or movie...mainly because the copyright holders make them yank those down pretty quickly. Hulu and Netflix are better, and more likely than YouTube to overtake cable, but neither of them offer everything, nor the option to view live programs. Cable is expensive, but there's still no better option imo.

I support school choice and charter schooling, but an education lobbyist making three times as much as the average teacher exhibits one of the major reasons why our educational system is as flawed as it is. The same can be said of those in lofty BOE positions in public school districts. The individuals who really work to make a difference are having their pay cut lower and lower every year--or being let go.

This is shameful. You can't make $10,000/month in this economic climate and claim that your best interest is improving education. Your motivation is a fat bank account, plain and simple.

[quote][b]fightback2[/b] -

@tapedeck: The government doesn't pay for LUXURY phones, smart phones. Just the simplest that can be used for emergencies. But under the conservative theory of life: it is OK to subsidize oil corporations but the poor? die already you taker, even if you are 75 years old. Very very Christian of you.

[/quote]

...Where did I say or imply anything about my religious or political affiliation? For the record, I don't consider myself religious and I voted for Obama in 2008.

My point was that technology that very few even had access to 20 years ago should be considered a luxury. Including the simplest cell phone. It's not a living necessity, and you should have to pay the same as everyone else if you want it. Smartphones are VERY much a luxury, but somehow I still see "poor" folks with them all the time.

I don't know where your rant about the oil companies came from, nor do I know where you got the idea that I'd somehow be okay with oil subsidies. I don't really know how to respond to your incoherent assumptions.

As ubiquitous as they are, I still consider cell phones a luxury, especially smartphones. I lived for 20 years without a cell phone. My dad still doesn't have a cell phone, and he doesn't want one, either. If you can't afford $5/month, you shouldn't have cell phone service.

It's interesting to consider how many luxury services that didn't even exist less than a century ago (cell phones, TV, internet) are now treated like basic needs. If your expenses go beyond water, food, and shelter, you're better off than a lot of people in the world.

They should've done it when they had the chance:

Wow...that's disgusting. Obviously there's no way to know what actually qualifies as a legitimate business expense just by looking at credit card bills, but there are just too many suspect charges. Many upscale hotels, way too many entertainment-related expenses, frequent catering, and iTunes? How could a purchase on iTunes possibly be business-related? Anyone have an answer for that? Must be a fun job.

I had a roach fall on my table the minute I opened my breakfast sandwich one morning at this McDonalds...or at least I hope it fell on my table and not crawled out of the sandwich. I haven't been back since.

[quote][b]kaleidoscope.junkie[/b] -

Animals grieve the loss of an owner and I think it was quite humane for her to not leave the dog in that state. People can reason with loss. Pets just grieve. Sometimes until they die.

[/quote]

Sorry, not an excuse to murder an innocent animal.

I'd never heard of this woman until now, and with this information, I have zero sympathy. Suicide is one thing; murder is another. She should be remembered like any other murderer.

I've never heard of this guy in my life, aside from the daily updates in ABH about how UGA is preparing for the masses of people who are coming to see him in eight whole months. Good weekend to go out of town...

"They were unfamiliar with the Athens area"

First mistake.

This issue exemplifies why charter schools have a place in public education. All too often, local school boards are a good ol' boy system; it's the teachers and students who suffer at the hands of superintendents with $500k salaries and others in cushy BoE positions, who, in reality, know very little about best practices in education. Families who happen to reside in these districts need options. If charter schools--private companies, even--want to provide these options, why object? There's a reason why Clayton County overwhelmingly approved the charter school amendment.

A GameCube?

Great system, but if the intention is to pawn, GameStop won't even give you anything for those.

In nearly every other ABH article, Hood is rightfully labeled as "admitted cop killer." Why was this headline changed to "accused," when it too originally stated "admitted"? Be consistent, ABH.

[quote][b]dvd[/b] -

Hey Online Athens, thanks for editing your story (without stating that you did) after I pointed out a mistake. Makes me really trust you guys as a news source.

[/quote]

You created an account specifically for the purpose of pointing out across several posts that the article read "DVD" instead of "movie"?

You must be really bored...

4 locations in the Athens area is too many given the popularity of Netflix and Redbox, so it makes sense. Blockbuster only had 3 before they closed them all around the same time. I frequent the eastside Vision Video and I hope they stick around. Netflix and Redbox just don't offer the same selection or personal touch.

Meanwhile, DeKalb's superintendent has a six figure salary.

True story.

Look up how much some of these superintendents make and you won't feel pity for these sob stories anymore.

[quote][b]oconeeres[/b] - They should be able to fix their own window.
It's not as "hip" or cool but if you want to help the community give your donations to agencies that actually serve a large portion of the population.
[/quote]

They were fully prepared to do that. So, they should turn away donations?

Nuci's is a valuable resource to a lot of people in this community--not just musicians, but anyone who has lost someone to suicide. Few people know what it feels like. It's a unique kind of grief. There really aren't many places you can go. It's a very isolating feeling to lose someone in that way, and I can personally testify that they make the healing process easier because they bring people together who have experienced it too. Maybe it hasn't done anything for you, but if they've saved one life they're worth every penny.

[quote][b]Abbesays[/b] -
We Americans have been fighting, shoving and shooting since 1775.
[/quote]

Over principles and/or necessities. Drawing a parallel between fighting for our independence and fighting for luxury electronics...surely you're being sarcastic. Black Friday exemplifies American hypocrisy at its absolute worst...fighting over a TV the day after (or this year, the day of) we're supposedly thankful for what we already have. Sickening. This is a tradition that definitely needs to end.

My grandparents waited in line for food, and they were more civilized than this. Next time anyone tries to say we're close to a depression, I'm showing them this. As long as HDTVs, smartphones, and video games remain this much of a priority to people, we're doing just fine.

Sad to be a part of a generation that views luxuries as necessities.

I really hate this corporate "holiday" and the way it's taken over a family holiday. Maybe for some it's a good after dinner family outing, but for employees and others, it takes away time that they should be spending with family. Unfortunately, retailers will continue to do this as long as the sheep continue to line up for it.

[quote][b]demosthenes[/b] -
So put your big boy and girl pants on, take reins in the community, and fix the Clayton County schools. Vote, organize, determine where your local money goes via a meeting of local minds. Take responsibility.
Don't pay a premium for someone else to provide you an apple when it was perfectly within your ability and means to provide yourself an orchard.
[/quote]

I've never lived in Clayton County. Only Fayette County, and I've passed through Clayton many times in my life. Clayton's poverty levels are high and many families must make ends meet by working multiple jobs, or however they can. Obviously this is the case in many of the more poverty-stricken counties in the state. How do you suggest these parents magically create this time to organize and create school improvement plans--essentially doing the job of the school district? How are more options (at no added expense to the taxpayer, I should add) not better? Furthermore, wouldn't competition give the local districts incentive to improve? As it stands, without competition, and given the fact that they must exist whether they're any good or not, they have little incentive to improve.

[quote][b]dahreese[/b] And I've not wanted to say it, but there's a lot of racism in this decision.
[/quote]

"One of the most striking results of the vote on Amendment 1, which was approved by Georgia voters on Tuesday and creates an independent commission to authorize public charter schools in the state, is the absolutely extraordinary level of support received from African-American voters."

http://www.slaverybyanothername.com/uncategorized/who-powered-the-passag...

It's no wonder that Clayton County overwhelmingly approved this amendment. Their schools went down the drain years ago. Some Clayton families could afford to move to Fayette County or elsewhere; others simply had to do what they could with the single option they had. It's simply unfair and frankly monopolistic to provide only one option for public schooling.

Louis CK is a far better and more relevant comedian. His tickets were $45 with no added fees. I love Seinfeld, but he's asking way too much. I also obviously love Louis, but even his asking price was more than I usually pay for concerts, particularly in Athens.