The Secret Histories, #1

[Jenne]

Um, whoops, and MAD PROPS to Dok and Richter on this thread.  x 10000000000

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Um, whoops, and MAD PROPS to Dok and Richter on this thread.  x 10000000000

Yes.

[eighteen buddha strike]

...anybody check out Nebraska lately?

yeah.

I think the bit of insanity you're referencing is limited to Fremont, which prior to their hardline stance against illegal immigration, were only notable for the very noticeable smell of manure that permeates that district. What it really was, was a political grab for attention, which worked. Whether or not that attention is beneficial to them remains to be seen, I sure as hell fucking hope not. Depends on how the various lawsuits work out. AS long as there as an eye pointed at my home state, I might point out that our state senator Ben Nelson voted yes on to Obamas health care bill, conditionally, the condition being that ALL of our states medicaid is paid for out of the national budget... which AFIK is something which is completely unique to this one state.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Props to Dok and Richter.

As far as who would become dominant in international affairs, it would naturally fall to Britain, China and Russia. As far as regional powers go, I would actually expect it to be something like the area that was the Confederacy, as well as the Northeast. Reason being is that I'm under the impression that a greater portion of the survivalists, etc are located in the South, which also has a large enough population to support a large army. Though, they'll find out real fast the value of taxes. The Northeast would maintain its reputation for culture and universities, as well as provide a minor economic power. However, it would probably have to absorb a good portion of the Midwest to keep food costs down, though Pennsylvania might be able to support the bulk of food consumption. I don't expect much from California, other than the fact that it would probably break up itself.

Canada would likely become the main economic power, if it is able to hold together itself, per Remington's assessment.

[Richter]

Thanks all, I sort of went off on that.

Twid:  Agreed.  The northeast would almost be obligated to import food and possibly water with all the pollution from the industrial revolution onwards.

[Kai]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

[Adios]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

As a Doktor my advise is to point and laugh.

[Jenne]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

One thing that history has taught ME, Kai, is that things have always had the same "hell in a handbasket" way about them...it's just that society sometimes has a wishful/hopeful thinking quality that seems blind to the so-called reality of things.  Trick is to keep in mind the horrific nature of the universe and accept all of it whole cloth, do as you will, and still enjoy the ride.  Somehow.

And mad props if you can help others to do the same.

[Kai]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

One thing that history has taught ME, Kai, is that things have always had the same "hell in a handbasket" way about them...it's just that society sometimes has a wishful/hopeful thinking quality that seems blind to the so-called reality of things.  Trick is to keep in mind the horrific nature of the universe and accept all of it whole cloth, do as you will, and still enjoy the ride.  Somehow.

And mad props if you can help others to do the same.

Well, see, I don't find the universe horrific. I don't even find nature horrific. I just find the human capacity for irrationality contrasted with the equal capacity for rationality to be horrific. Sagan was right when he said this is "the planet of the idiots"; we have the full capacity, the neurological equiptment, to act in our best interests, form anticipation-maps of reality based upon actual evidence, and other rational qualities. I can live with the realization that the universe could send an asteroid down to the planet at any moment, because I know the universe isn't conscious, doesn't have the capacity to care either way. There's no intent involved. But humans DO, but we DON'T. That's the helpless part. I can work and improve myself to a high level of awareness and rationality, but I can't do one iota to improve any other person. That humans have doomed themselves despite this "great soaring passionate intelligence", that's the scary part.

[Jenne]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

One thing that history has taught ME, Kai, is that things have always had the same "hell in a handbasket" way about them...it's just that society sometimes has a wishful/hopeful thinking quality that seems blind to the so-called reality of things.  Trick is to keep in mind the horrific nature of the universe and accept all of it whole cloth, do as you will, and still enjoy the ride.  Somehow.

And mad props if you can help others to do the same.

Well, see, I don't find the universe horrific. I don't even find nature horrific. I just find the human capacity for irrationality contrasted with the equal capacity for rationality to be horrific. Sagan was right when he said this is "the planet of the idiots"; we have the full capacity, the neurological equiptment, to act in our best interests, form anticipation-maps of reality based upon actual evidence, and other rational qualities. I can live with the realization that the universe could send an asteroid down to the planet at any moment, because I know the universe isn't conscious, doesn't have the capacity to care either way. There's no intent involved. But humans DO, but we DON'T. That's the helpless part. I can work and improve myself to a high level of awareness and rationality, but I can't do one iota to improve any other person. That humans have doomed themselves despite this "great soaring passionate intelligence", that's the scary part.

Well, two things, I guess, popped outta my pea brain.  1) it's the eternal beauty and damning plight of humans to anthropomorphize the universe at large.  It's how we deal with and relate to it.  So seeing a bobcat rip the ribcage out of a baby rat in my backyard can make me feel empathy for the mother screaming at the top of her lungs in the dead of night.  Because we have bobcats who prey on OUR young in society as well--they just don't always walk on all fours.  And 2) we are still PART of the universe, so everything we do is not outside of it, though looking at the universe from an "outside of human" point of view might also skew how we fit and interact with it.  We are only as idiotic as the rest of where we live...plenty of other organisms act in an "abnormal" way that are "detrimental" to status quo or so-called progress...we aren't alone there.

...I have somewhere else I could go with this, but I'm distracted by work, so if I can I'll get back to it.  ...as I re-read it I sound like I'm bullshitting anyway, so I'll stop there.

[Doktor Howl]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

Lots of things do that, Kai, but hiding our heads in the sand isn't going to help.  You have to look at the shit, see it for what it actually is, and then decide if you can do anything about it.  If you can, do.  If you can't, then at least you can take comfort in watching the slapstick.

[Kai]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

Lots of things do that, Kai, but hiding our heads in the sand isn't going to help.  You have to look at the shit, see it for what it actually is, and then decide if you can do anything about it.  If you can, do.  If you can't, then at least you can take comfort in watching the slapstick.

It's not funny if I'm the one being slapped. It's only funny when it's happening to someone else.

[Doktor Howl]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

Lots of things do that, Kai, but hiding our heads in the sand isn't going to help.  You have to look at the shit, see it for what it actually is, and then decide if you can do anything about it.  If you can, do.  If you can't, then at least you can take comfort in watching the slapstick.

It's not funny if I'm the one being slapped. It's only funny when it's happening to someone else.

Not so!

TGRR's Rule:  It's always funny when it happens to someone else.
Dok Howl's Rule:  It's even funny when it happens to you.

[Adios]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

Lots of things do that, Kai, but hiding our heads in the sand isn't going to help.  You have to look at the shit, see it for what it actually is, and then decide if you can do anything about it.  If you can, do.  If you can't, then at least you can take comfort in watching the slapstick.

It's not funny if I'm the one being slapped. It's only funny when it's happening to someone else.

Not so!

TGRR's Rule:  It's always funny when it happens to someone else.
Dok Howl's Rule:  It's even funny when it happens to you.

Damn Skippy.

[Jenne]

This is one of those threads that leaves me with an uncomfortable sense of helplessness. Don't know how useful that really is.

Lots of things do that, Kai, but hiding our heads in the sand isn't going to help.  You have to look at the shit, see it for what it actually is, and then decide if you can do anything about it.  If you can, do.  If you can't, then at least you can take comfort in watching the slapstick.

It's not funny if I'm the one being slapped. It's only funny when it's happening to someone else.

Not so!

TGRR's Rule:  It's always funny when it happens to someone else.
Dok Howl's Rule:  It's even funny when it happens to you.

Wow.  Tr00f like this hurts, Dok.  Thank you, and a *whimper* at the same time.  I only have that sort of clarity when I'm outside myself (read: drunk), and this is the conclusion I usually come to.

I actually have more of a problem laughing at the plight of my loved ones.  That's my "sticks in my craw" about the universe.  I somehow am ok with my own slaps, it's the ones I see my family taking that are hardest for me to deal with.