They'd fry her like fried chicken.

Don't they fry EVERYTHING like fried chicken?

Cheers,
Malc

Badmike wrote:Zero forensic evidence exists to prove she did anything (anyone believing otherwise please post the link to the forensic evidence) .

I would say that Badmike's response would be the typical American point of view.

We put a lot of stock in forensic evidence and crime scene investigation.  

Part of this is because about seven of the most popular American TV shows at the moment are all about how sexy forensic science is.

Another part is that Americans love technology and technical fixes.

By contrast, comments from Italians seemed to follow three themes:

1)  "You are insulting our technical ability when you say someone might be mistaken."

2)  "You are insulting Italy by questioning the competence of our police."

3)  "Questioning authority figures is inherently wrong."

jasonw1239 wrote:I was watching some of the health care debate on CNN and one of the participants (don't remember his name) referred to individuals making $69,000 per year as being low income. In the USA is that a fair statement?  
I don't think I have made that much in the last five years combined.

You have to remember what kind of people make up the overwhelming majority of media types in America....

There are exceptions, but the general rule is that they tend to come from generational wealth.  They tend to come from the right families and the right schools with the right connections.  They are secular.  They are overwhelmingly left-leaning.  They vacation every year in tropical climates.  They travel for fun.  They know all the right places to eat.  And, they tend to talk to each other a lot, confirming their shared opinions.

To those people, $69,000 sounds like abject poverty.  Not being able to travel every year, take vacations, eat at the best restaurants or pay cash for college is what "poor" people do.

$69,000 is a significant number because it marks the income level where your kids do not qualify for financial aid, but you cannot afford to pay for their college.  You don't qualify for federal or state assistance of any kind.  You probably own a home, but you have considerable debt.  

It is also the point at which increases in things like health care can be the most crippling because your margin for error is low and economic changes, health changes or just plain bad luck can quickly drop you into the lower class.

I'm sure someone here will supply the official numbers, but $69,000 gross income per year is most likely just above the average American family income.

I know it is popular to slag off wikipedia for its inaccuracies - but this is quite impressive.  Plus references - making it easier to check original sources.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_ ... ted_States

red_bus wrote:I know it is popular to slag off wikipedia for its inaccuracies - but this is quite impressive.  Plus references - making it easier to check original sources.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_ ... ted_States

I saw that as well.  But its Wikipedia so....

I especially enjoyed the Academic Class Model chart a bit further down.  Lots of holes in the chart and not very specific.  I wonder how much money the monkeys that created the charts made just to think that stuff up?

red_bus wrote:I am not a big TV ad fan - but I LOVE the new visa ad for the World Cup in South Africa    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYYZB5odJKI

Neat ad. Seems like a sensible idea given the current 'plane ticket prices...
Would love to know what route they took around the various war zones, though.

red_bus wrote:Indeed.  Although the detailed statistics do bear out my long term career plan - which is to marry into wealth.  Which is a relief, because it isn't working too well at the moment  

I myself am hopeful that I will one day win the lottery.  But I recently found out that I have a better chance of getting hit by lightning while underground wearing a rubber suit.  

FormCritic wrote:
I would say that Badmike's response would be the typical American point of view.

We put a lot of stock in forensic evidence and crime scene investigation.  

Part of this is because about seven of the most popular American TV shows at the moment are all about how sexy forensic science is.

Another part is that Americans love technology and technical fixes.

By contrast, comments from Italians seemed to follow three themes:

1)  "You are insulting our technical ability when you say someone might be mistaken."

2)  "You are insulting Italy by questioning the competence of our police."

3)  "Questioning authority figures is inherently wrong."

I would agree that sometimes Americans put TOO MUCH stock in forensic evidence...I've heard prosecutors and DAs bemoan the fact they can't get a conviction in a simple burglary case because there's no DNA evidence....!  Problem is compounded by the fact shows like CSI continually pound in the idea that there is a test for everything, when in truth some of the tests on the show don't even exist in the real world...much less any town smaller than say New York, Dallas or LA.

That being said, if I was on a jury, if there was no eyewitness I would never convict anyone for a murder if there wasn't pretty damning DNA evidence. The entire American code of justice is built around the fact that guilty may sometimes go free rather than a mistake be made (Of course the reality being quite different in many cases...). This is supposed to protect the idea of a scapegoat being chosen.

When any country or system of justice starts to presume they are above being questioned about their impartiality (as Mark said, this was the fallback position Italian jurists were in this case, not whether or not they were actually correct) you might have a problem.

Mike B.

sauromatian wrote:
Not really, but numbers & statistics tend to be manipulated for political reasons. Not long ago an American politician defined middle class as $250,000/yr & up.

Maybe someone living in Manhattan or San Francisco would have a hard time raising a family on $69k/yr.

And a lot of it depends on what part of the country you live in. My wife and I live comfortably on our earnings, but if we were suddenly transported to the east or west coast we wouldn't be able to afford a two bedroom apartment in a comparable neighborhood.  Our $180,000 home, transported by magic to San Diego, would be worth over two million dollars.  

Mark broke it down pretty good. The out of touch goo-goos in the media probably think anyone who doesn't vacation in the Hamptons and Hawaii twice a year is a pauper.

Mike B.