Random thought for the day

[Hungrywolf]

and they're all freaking out like US just elected Stalin Jr. or something.

We didn't? Damn it!I want my vote back!!!

[Redcrow]

The whole wide world got Barackroll'd.

I'm so happy, and not a day too soon! I went to lurk around in the webcomic forums that have giant chickenhawk crowds and they are bawwww'ing their eyes out. I guess it should count as a guilty pleasure of mine, because it's pretty darn petty and immature.

In my opinion, they can bawl their eyes out until those drop out of the sockets and go bouncing into a storm drain. They are afraid ALL of their deadly toys are going to be taken from them. Which practically speaking, will never even begin to happen. They let the NRA do their thinking for them.

They are happy to let the transportation system and education fall apart as long as they can build more jails and buy more guns.

And as far decency and fairness go, this crowd is bankrupt of these qualities.

[ShannC]

I think that's what upsets me. There are of course all sorts of reps and obviously a whole lot of good people there too. Not that I could ever agree with an entirely unregulated market and a complete removal of social safety nets, which I think is a misguided practice. Mainly because you'd see a decrease in both consumption and investment as people feel more insecure and have less to fall back on, thus detering the booming development they always seem to expect with tax deducts...

Anyway, that's economics and I don't think I'd convince anyone of the persuasion, but things would still be polite. We'd agree to disagree, have a beer, go and vote differently and not once call each other plutocratic capitalist swine or dirty communist ratbag.

No these aren't the type of people that disgust me, and I think they better reclaim their party sometime soon because I think/hope the american people just about had it with calling traitor, baby killer, homofascist etc.
Those I've come to hate muscle their way through every discussion(if you can liberally call it that) and employ every foul mean, save for overt violence if you even difer on one single issue.

Well I'd love to go to the US someday, but I think I'd find somebody to help me cross out some places on the map because I'd sure hate to step into the bar where they don't take kindly to europans.

[Hungrywolf]

No these aren't the type of people that disgust me, and I think they better reclaim their party sometime soon because I think/hope the american people just about had it with calling traitor, baby killer, homofascist etc.

Heh, my friend's mom actually called him the moment Obama won on Tuesday night to congratulate him for voting for a baby-killer. Gotta love gracious losers.

Well I'd love to go to the US someday, but I think I'd find somebody to help me cross out some places on the map because I'd sure hate to step into the bar where they don't take kindly to europans.

OK, so just avoid all the areas in red and you'll be set. No offense to anyone in a red state. Seeing as I'm living in one as well. (Texas)

[Pravus]

I HATE CALC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >.<

[Paul Escobar]

OK, so just avoid all the areas in red and you'll be set. No offense to anyone in a red state. Seeing as I'm living in one as well. (Texas)

That was totally unfair, but
(BTW, colour Missouri red, they finally got the votes counted there.)

[Hungrywolf]

(BTW, colour Missouri red, they finally got the votes counted there.)

(I'll notify the Wikipedia people!)

[PortableNuke]

I think that's what upsets me. There are of course all sorts of reps and obviously a whole lot of good people there too. Not that I could ever agree with an entirely unregulated market and a complete removal of social safety nets, which I think is a misguided practice. Mainly because you'd see a decrease in both consumption and investment as people feel more insecure and have less to fall back on, thus detering the booming development they always seem to expect with tax deducts...

I'm on the fence about regulation. On the one hand it produces safer products, but on the other hand it favors large corporations who can use it as a way to deter new competition. I dearly hate corporations, but I also like knowing that can of green beans I bought isn't going to kill me. It's a push, but deregulation has an edge due to tort laws.

I think the markets would follow a saner bull and bear cycle if people actually had to budget their money, like in the past. Then people are morons with their money now, so I'm not sure that would change anything. I think the same thing could be achieved if taxes wouldn't be withheld from paycheques.

Here's a good article I found today that you might like, just because it's a different viewpoint.
http://www.cato-unbound.org/2008/11/10/ ... ation-now/

Anyway, that's economics and I don't think I'd convince anyone of the persuasion, but things would still be polite. We'd agree to disagree, have a beer, go and vote differently and not once call each other plutocratic capitalist swine or dirty communist ratbag.

The anti-intellectual crusade waged for the last decade or so has been a great success, hasn't it? It's destroyed civil discourse and the ideas that are born of those discussions. Not all people are like that, just the annoying asshats who won't shut up, and the media is also culpable in this as they give the annoying asshats airtime.

No these aren't the type of people that disgust me, and I think they better reclaim their party sometime soon because I think/hope the american people just about had it with calling traitor, baby killer, homofascist etc.
Those I've come to hate muscle their way through every discussion(if you can liberally call it that) and employ every foul mean, save for overt violence if you even difer on one single issue.

Well I'd love to go to the US someday, but I think I'd find somebody to help me cross out some places on the map because I'd sure hate to step into the bar where they don't take kindly to europans.

There are enough people. Look at the success Obama has had, and look at the support Ron Paul had during his run. Ron didn't have the success Barack had, but it was nice to see people get excited about a candidate who talked about the issues he did.

There are many nice places in the US. Just stay out of the South.

[Pravus]

Yeah, especially Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. If you can help it, you should stay out of South Caroline and Northern Florida. Hmmm....put Kansas on there too....

[Redcrow]

I think that's what upsets me. There are of course all sorts of reps and obviously a whole lot of good people there too. Not that I could ever agree with an entirely unregulated market and a complete removal of social safety nets, which I think is a misguided practice. Mainly because you'd see a decrease in both consumption and investment as people feel more insecure and have less to fall back on, thus detering the booming development they always seem to expect with tax deducts...

Anyway, that's economics and I don't think I'd convince anyone of the persuasion, but things would still be polite. We'd agree to disagree, have a beer, go and vote differently and not once call each other plutocratic capitalist swine or dirty communist ratbag.

This is such a timely comment on your part Shann.

I have been following economic news more than any other type lately. Today, I saw a front-page newspaper article stating that China has decided to initiate a large public works project to compensate for the declining job market and economy there.

Then I saw another article on the Reuters web site stating that there is discussion in Congressional committees about a public works project here which would focus on repairing the nations infrastructure which has been in decline since the Reagan Admininstration.

It just goes to show that reality doesn't permit any ideology to control things indefinitely. Over-production and over-consumption and over-spending has caused the economic holocaust currently in progress.

Like democracy, economics needs proper checks and balances to remain balanced and healthy.

[ShannC]

It just goes to show that reality doesn't permit any ideology to control things indefinitely. Over-production and over-consumption and over-spending has caused the economic holocaust currently in progress.

Ah, very good. It's what I think aswell. Where does it come from this idea of the pure ideology? It always seems to expect people to be 100% rational 100% of the time. If you don't take real people into account, you're likely to push an impractical idea or an idea that leads to totalitarian thinking. It's something borderline perverse about people who desperately want the world to be black and white, and act accordingly. I don't know, maybe it's based on fear.

I'm on the fence about regulation. On the one hand it produces safer products, but on the other hand it favors large corporations who can use it as a way to deter new competition. I dearly hate corporations, but I also like knowing that can of green beans I bought isn't going to kill me. It's a push, but deregulation has an edge due to tort laws.

True. Regulations are difficult, also because there's always the possibility to simply move your production elsewhere where the practice is allowed, if you can afford it(big cats). It can be a great tool to ignite necessary changes at times, and I do believe in international "blanket bans" over consumer responsibility, which never really has any lasting effect.

Like in the EU how they disallowed all sulfur emissions. Alot of people raged over this superstate measure, and it undoubtly ruined some businesses, but the fact today is that we don't put sulfurs in our air or water. As they say, sometimes you got to make a sacrifice.

The anti-intellectual crusade waged for the last decade or so has been a great success, hasn't it? It's destroyed civil discourse and the ideas that are born of those discussions. Not all people are like that, just the annoying asshats who won't shut up, and the media is also culpable in this as they give the annoying asshats airtime.

I wish I could say we're different over here but the only difference is that we don't throw around as much uncontrolled bile. We've ended up with blogs and columnists, people who's employed to have opinions without expertise. They are regarded as experts when they're anything but. At the same time there's alot of academics and real specialists that never get any airtime. Hey, everyone can have an opinion but it used to take more to get it broadcasted.



Seems we have to dig two tunnels to connect all the blue states though.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

My state is always blue.

[Hungrywolf]

My state is always red.

Though there's a uprising of Democrats in the southern region of Texas cause of the growing Hispanic population. Plus Austin, a pretty liberal area, is growing much bigger, so who knows. The race between Obama and McCain was rather closer here.

Seems we have to dig two tunnels to connect all the blue states though.

Poke up while you're digging under Texas, I know many people here that hunger for freedom from Conservative oppression!

[Tangywolf]

Swing state represent, yo.

[Pravus]

Democrat FTW! I feel bad for McCain though. Hope they find a good home for him, poor guy...

[Redcrow]

Every year Time magazine puts the "Person of the Year on the cover of a special issue. I think it's based on the number of stories they do on said person.

They should do a Pose of the Year. The winner will be a stock exchange worker doing the FacePalm. I see this same pose in so many newspaper and news-site pictures.

Better yet, some hacker with too much free time should make an animation using all the face-palm pictures he can find.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

I saw Kung Fu Panda last week. Despite the recent trend in American animation of having films that target adults, this one is definitely more kid-oriented. The story was entirely predictable even from the commercial and there was really nothing new here writing-wise. The writing isn't bad, just nothing special. But it's definitely worth watching because the total package works. The animation is fantastic and the musical score is great. One of the best parts is the opening 2-d animation that starts the movie, as well as the credits that are also in 2d. The movie could've been a bit longer, as we have an interesting cast of characters that don't get enough screen time.

[Paul Escobar]

Despite the recent trend in American animation of having films that target adults [...]

I'm blanking out here - which films would that be?

[PortableNuke]

Name the top ten Jack Black roles with an explanation of why. Go!

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

Despite the recent trend in American animation of having films that target adults [...]

I'm blanking out here - which films would that be?

I guess it's up for debate, but The Incredibles is pretty adult-oriented, especially with themes of a mid-life crisis applied to super heros, plus the whole scene with the head of InsuraCare. That movie worked well for kids, but it felt more adult to me. The Shrek movies had a lot of adult humor in them as well with jokes that would go over the heads of most kids. Kung Fu Panda felt like a kids movie to me much of the time.