Our goal is clearly NOT TO FIND a qualified and interested U.S. worker.
It's on video, believe it or not, and even presented as a selling point to peddle their services by Cohen & Grigsby Law Firm. That's right, this group of attorneys put an entire seminar on how to screw over the American worker on YouTube. Imagine that, a seminar from lawyers on how to make sure one doesn't have to hire an American worker!
In the video attorneys explain how they assist employers in running classified ads with the goal of NOT finding any qualified applicants, and how they disqualify even the most qualified Americans in order to secure green cards for H-1b workers.
Our goal is clearly NOT to find a qualified U.S. worker ... our objective is to get this person a green card ... so certainly we are not going to try to find a place where applicants would be most numerous. - Lawrence M. Lebowitz, Vice President of Marketing, Cohen & Grigsby
And on getting rid of extremely qualified applicants:
If someone looks like they are very qualified, if necessary schedule an interview, go through the whole process to find a legal basis to disqualify them
From Dr. Norm Matloff:
The law on employer-sponsored green cards is similarly riddled with loopholes. Though that law requires that American workers must be sought before the employer hires a foreign worker for a job, it is routinely circumvented. I've mentioned the outrageous comments by a well-known immigration attorney:
Employers who favor aliens have an arsenal of legal means to reject all U.S. workers who apply
Here are just a few examples of fake job ads this seminar is referring to, run in the Sacramento Bee. The Bee's editor refuses to discuss the matter, and the fraudulent ads continue to run each week
This video was amplified by the Programmers Guild and the original video clips are here.
This is what Bush and Congress via the current "comprehensive" immigration reform bill really mean by a "shortage of skilled U.S. workers." Microsoft, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, and thousands of other companies are running fake ads in Sunday newspapers across the country each week.
Look at this folks, this is how bad it is. A major selling point of law firms is all about how to screw over the American worker.
UPDATE: 06.18.07 4pm EST. It appears Cohen & Grigsby Law Firm has taken down their seminar videos. What a surprise but you can see at one time the originals were there. We cannot put back up the originals for it's unclear if that would be a violation of copyright law, but let me assure you, they exist.
The Gimmie Liberty Bar, & Ron Paul 2008 HQ in the metaverse!
Current mood: accomplished
Just thought you all might want to come check out the Ron Paul 2008 headquarters in Second Life.
And actually, right above the Ron Paul 2008 HQ, about 40 meters in the air, is a little gathering point for the libertarian Freetalk Live radio crew. Meet likeminded freedom lovers at the Gimmie Liberty Bar!
They actually stream the show in live there when it's going too, so it's a nice place to gather to talk about the show, freedom, peace, free market economics, and libertarianism, and Libertarianism, anarchism, minarchism, objectivism.. Come hang out!
There's a place for freedom lovers in the metaverse, folks, we'd love to have you with us!
I'm with the perfect person, and I'm in a good space right now, and I can't understand why, when I'm the shittiest person alive.
I just think too much, maybe. Maybe I'm beating myself up, but I can't see why anyone would love a lout like me, and why people still continue too despite my many many errs.
I'm so flawed, and people still want to be friends with me, I guess that's what being a fallen human being among other fallen human beings is all about.
In other news, I'm so tired of trying to find something to do here. Something I CAN do, to put it in other words.
None of my "online ventures" have ever worked out. I'm very smart, have a Real Estate license... but I don't want to use it. The thought of selling anything puts the fear into me. I don't know why I can't face the music that I'm a natural swindler, persausive speaker, and good with the English language enough to sell whatever anyone sets in front of me. I don't know why I don't just jump full face into it, and get burned or not, just be the salesman, and suck Satan's pecker till I die rich.
I dunno, I guess I just don't stomach the thought of Satan's pecker too good.
So what does it take.. what's it take to motivate this old carcass into some action... ANY action. What's it going to take.
I think a move out of county would be a start. I am stircrazy. I love my home, but I can't handle the idle time, I waste it. A stupid game, a stupid waste of life moments, that I would hope would be the future of all of humanity, for the good of the species. Who knows.
Being your own boss can be rewarding and fulfilling, if you can actually boss yourself to do anything at all, but distract yourself from being productive. Yeah, that happens. Quite a little bit.
So I'm lost again in a flurry of imaginings about how to make this happen, and how that's going to work out... and in truth, I juggle them on the edge of the exploding, collapsing building burned into our minds.
How will it work out, really.. how does the story end, and why did it begin. Not my place to ask any of those questions, but it can't help but be pondered.
Just another icy gale of hard reality, and the future becomes clear. To wander the earth like Cain from kung-fu would be too sad a life.
Pick up the whole arena and move it to where the game is being played. I think perhaps it is that time, and together my friends and my family and I will indeed make much more sense of the time spent on the earth, this evil, wretched place we all know and love. Isn't that the point?
Currently
watching
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Pecker Release date: 23 February, 1999
Well, after having "played" this "game" for over 120 hours, I can tell you with certainty, that people developing friendships, and discovering ideas, and playing with Roles, and whatever thing you can think of to do in real life, someone is doing already in Second Life... and are probably, in some cases getting weathy from it! With REAL money. The fact that Linden Labs lets you sell your in game dollars for real dollars based on a currency exchange system like you might see at any cambio / change shop. It's kind of a strange phenomenon...
You may, or may not know of Anshe Chung. If you don't, just google the name, and you'll find a lot of interesting information. Basically, she's a German lady, who's become a virtual landlord, and has actually made a million USD from the rentals of her properties.
So with all this going on, it's no wonder I stopped in to take a peek at it. What? some Avatar from some virtual world is on the cover of Business Weekly? Not even her real face, her freaking AVATAR is pictured on the cover. Keep in mind, this is a game where you can change your whole appearence like you change your underwear.
SL is strange. It's a lot like a big commercial for anyone's stuff. But strangely, the corporatocracy hasn't gotten it's mits fully into the place yet, so it's still pretty nice, and open, and free. The way the internet was back in the day.
Like my girlfriend Liz says in her blog it takes a lot to run it. Make sure you have an up to date processor and at least a gig of RAM and a good video card, probably 256k VRAM or better... but if you have these things in your PC or Mac, you can get into this weird dreamland of ideas and cultures. Activism is growing in the world of Second Life as well.
Check out this video about the slaughters in Darfur, with Mia Farrow.
This video will sorta immerse you with the concept of Second Life, granted, when this was taken, there were only 140k people playing, but now there are over 4.1 million users.
I highly suggest checking it out, if you have a moment. And feel free to contact me in world if you do, my name is Nokamura Shinobu.
This is a little poem I found in my storage, which I've been cleaning out lately.
This little diddy was from 1997 and it goes to show I was awake even back then.
Ignorance is Bliss ... ain't it?
Conform to what we say Cause there's many things we can take away We can make your life hell should you choose to rebel We can take your soul We can break your will We decide all We can slam your life against the wall There's no room for those who disobey We care not for what you say Let us think for you, and you won't get hurt Play the game till you're put into the dirt You've got two choises of what you can do Live on your knees, or die on your feet, boy, only two Conform to what we say is right and live your life without sight Be blind, it's better that way, trust us Do not question authority, that's a must.
I'm Chinese Gold Farmer(I) Posted Oct-23-06 10:23:32 PDT First of all I'd like to introduce myself. I don't get well educated and I like playing games very much. But as I was born in a poor family, I don't play quite often. At the beginning,im just interested in the solo-computer games.Later I knew A3 and something about massively multiplayer online games (MMOG).Until now,I became a loyal fan of World of Warcraft.
Im fascinated by the works of Blizzard,from Dark Age of Camelot and Star Wars Galaxies til War3.Since I heard of World of Warcraft,I concentrated on it for a long time.I got a wonderful experience of enjoyment and achievement I never have before.
But after I graduated,the stress of finding a job made me quit playing games.I spent an entire month to look for a job.But nothing! I was so disappointed that suddenly I reminded all the cheerful time I have when I was playing World of Warcraft. I can't help myself to start crazy playing again.However,my parents cut the supply for me when my guild was on the final phase of Molten Core and I had to quit it again and took the endless journey of hunting a job.
I did know that there're studioes for World of Warcraft,but I always thought that's just a part-time job like washing dishes.At that time,I wished to find a normal job that I could learn something and apply myself to in the rest of my life.But I couldn't find anything fitting for me and I didn't want to go home..actually didn't want to admit that im such a loser, I knew that the time for something as washing dishes was finally coming. I chosed one of those studioes that promise to board and lodge me besides salary for every month.Why?I think the reason is that I can avoid hard labour work like farmers,watching others' face like waiters,violating the rules like robbers or betraying my moral like prostitutes.
I ate and slept at the same place.I have ever been to several studioes.Most of them are hiring computers in internet bars.The dormitory I lived in was farmers' hourse around the internet bar.A big hourse like that could accommodate 10 double-beds and it's always smelly. The food was quite simple too.
Later I found another studio that can provide better condition for work and life.At that time,it's popular to play hunters and rogues.The productivity per day should be 160G in my studio.But actually we can basically achieve 200G a day.We can share profits for the part over dued workload, 0.15 yuan/G,So that's extra 500~600 yuan per month.I heard from somebody who began this career much earlier that they could only produce 120G before and got 0.2 yuan/G at that time.It's easy to earn 1000 yuan per month.
At the beginning,I thought the farmers who make lifes in World of Warcraft should be experts and quite professional.But in fact,they are not!They know little about World of Warcraft,some of them even lack of general knowlegde about rules in it.So who are the farmers in earth?They are almost at my age with kinds of temper and personality.They are not well educated too and just fever with games.They come here only because that it's much easier to make money in World of Warcraft than in other games and all the studioes are working for that game.But later,I knew some of the farmers who are indeed elites.They are smart and vigorous ,full of imagination,familiar with all kinds of classes ,talents,weapons and armors.They know quite well about the tactics and sometimes even play in the Molten Core after finish their daily workload.
To be contiuned..
Close Touch With Chinese Gold Farmers According to statistics available, in china there are more than 100,000 gaming workshops that hire hundreds of thousands of young men to play online games such as Lineage and WoW. In order to make a living, they work hard day and night in dark net cafes, deserted warehouses, confined offices or at home.
Mmosite correspondent in China honorably brings this special interview. And the following comes the second part of the interview. Hope you will enjoy it.
Interview with Mr Lin, who had opened a workshop for 2 year and works for a virtual items trading company now.
MMOsite.com: Why did you decide to open a gold farming studio? Do you remember the first bucket of gold you dug?
Lin: At the very beginning, I wasnt aware that in-game money could be changed into real cash. At that time, I was fond of Lineage II which was in open beta in the US, so I joined the test with my classmates. We were English major, so there was no problem for us to communicate in the game. Because we were familiar with Lineage II, we leveled very fast. Soon, we became the very few high-level players in the US servers. Then we heard that the in-game money could be sold for real cash. We were shocked when we got to know that 1 million in-game money could be sold for 1000 yuan. But later, we got to know that in North America, 1 million in-game money could be sold for 200 US dollars. At first, we didnt want to make money through farming gold. After all, we didnt lack money. But we were tempted when we reached quite high level and saw many studios were farming gold there. Coz we had high level characters, we didnt need to farm gold in low level areas. We farmed equipment in high level areas and earned our first bucket of gold. Following that, the Lineage II open beta ended and players had to pay for playing. My classmates didnt want to spend money playing, so they gave their accounts to me I didnt want to waste such an efficient team so I rented some computers in a net caf¨¦ with another classmate we hired several gold farmers and trained them then my gold farming studio career began I was responsible for the night shift and my classmate responsible for the day shift Everyday, I had to sell in-game money or equipment for RMB, but most farmers didnt know English, so its not easy for me to be a boss. But at that time, Lineage II was in its prime time, though a large number of studios joined the business and the in-game currency decreased to 200 yuan per 1 million, still I had a decent income coz we were so high level that we could monopolize the area where we farmed gold.
MMOsite.com: Then? What about the relationship between you and foreign players?
Lin: Not much to say then basically when we met Americans, we speak English coz weve got very Western style names even some French would speak with us nobody suspected that we were farmers and studios didnt dare to challenge us we were 20 levels higher than them and weve got very powerful equipments which were unmatchable. I was very happy doing gold farming business and earned quite a lot when we met French, we spoke French (my classmate can speak French ) and when we met American, we spoke English. But later, weve got to close the studio coz we missed too many classes and exams basically the studio started in March 2004 and ended in September 2004.
MMOsite.com: Then you switched to doing brokerage?
Lin: Yap, collected in-game currency and sold them on ebay.
MMOsite.com: Say something about this experience.
Lin: Actually nothing to say NCsoft banned my inventories, so I sold my ebay account and quit. I was very happy running the studio unlike other studios, I paid quite much to the farmers they could earn 1200 yuan per month if they worked hard Coz we were high level and had powerful equipments other studios wouldnt harass us. On the contrary, we often helped some American players bully those small studios ^^ Coz those studios often monopolized an area. At that time, unlike most studios, I didnt bully newbies instead, we got well along with other players only those studios which couldnt communicate with foreign players would fall into conflict with foreign foreigners. So, I think the key point is that studios must communicate with players. Many conflicts were a result of bad communication.
MMOsite.com: What's your view on the status of Chinese gold farmer£?
Lin: The human resource cost in China is very low. There are studios going bankrupt everyday. Some have their total accounts stolen. Some have no money to pay the workers and escape right away. They have no risk taking ability. Once a game gets unpopular, the studio and its workers will confront a painful choice. Either give up this unpopular game or select a new game, or quit the business completely.
Workers are always at the bottom of the food chain. Most workers had no job before they engaged in this industry. To them, loosing job only means to start again. Every day, numerous studios close and numerous open. Workers can always find a job. Its more comfortable for them to sit before the computer 12 hours a day than to carry bricks 12 hours a day, isnt it? Apart from meal and sleeping times, they can just work mechanically (many studios use botting programs in order to reduce cost but this also increases the risk of account banning and the in-game money will be called black money low priced but not sell well), so they won't stay in this industry for too long the longest is about one year. But China is so populated and many people are out of work, so there are always new comers joining continously.
A vast shadow industry has mushroomed in rural China. Savvy entrepreneurs harness teams to play popular online games, gathering magic spells, battle hammers, armor and other virtual assets. They then provide the assets to brokers, who sell them to rich players in the United States and Europe wanting shortcuts to gaming success.
At any given time, as many as half a million Chinese gamers are completing quests and gathering such assets as virtual gold pieces to sell off for real money. They toil in Internet cafes and in makeshift computer labs, sometimes sleeping on cots in nearby dormitories in shifts.
In industry lingo, the gamers are known as "Chinese gold farmers."
"It's easier than making shoes," said Wang Xin, 27, an entrepreneur who keeps 30 young people working in his stable of gamers.
While the idea of selling gold and collectables such as weapons, potions, spells and whatnot is not new, the industrialization of it is a fresh development. We'll soon see if this process is restricted or disabled over time by the various studios
It does seem somewhat unfair that those with limited game skills, accomplishments etc. get an instant leg up on the competition because those lesser players have more disposable income in meat space.
According to the China Internet Network Information Center, the population of Internet users in China by last June is over 123 million -- 63% of those people have broadband access. More that 20 million chinese play online games, and the e-commerce revenues have grown 50% in relation to last year numbers.
Estimates of the revenues of the online gaming industry points to a total of 1.3 billion dollars by 2009, an annual growth of 35%, according to IDC. Such growth ended pushing the numbers of other sectors up: online games brought 17.3 billion Yuan (2.14 billion dollars) to Telecommunication industry, 7.1 billion Yuan (887.5 million dollars) to the Information Technology industry, and 30 million Yuan (3.7 million dollars) to the Publishing industry.
Unlike american consumers -- who usually pay US$ 50 to buy a new game -- players in China, where software is still an issue, are not willing to pay much for their games. Therefore, game developers have to come up with creative ways to generate revenue: according to Bill Bishop, CEO of Red Mushroom Studios, one of the fastest growning areas of the game business in China selling online gear for game characters.
The gaming culture in China is even creating new professions: in Liaozhong, colleting virtual items of online games has become income source for many young people. Even some of the most conservative estimates might say that these so-called gold-farmers bring in around 200 million dollars a year in this underground virtual items auctions industry.
This video was incredible! this young man who is totally blind, is able to somehow overcome his obstacle even well enough to play video games, and he's dead on with a pillow toss, and will kick your ass at foozball.
He uses sound somehow, like a dolphin to see where he is, he even picks out a trashcan that was covering the sidewalk.
Woah. Just goes to show you what the human mind is capable of.
angry
accomplished
