Messages

Thank Eris I don't live in South Africa. Well, even if I did, I know I'd be able to get around the filters. I was doing the same thing back on the high school internet browsers.

But in reality, the system proposed would never work. If necessary, some entrepreneur will set up a satellite television station with porn on it and have its offices in a neighboring country. No nation has 100% control over such things.

- DeadLucky

At the very least, it should be mandatory that businesses provide a window of opportunity for their employees to vote on Election Day.  If they can't give them the whole day off, they should at least be able to give them two or three hours so they can get to their polling place and back.  The last agency I worked had that policy and it was very helpful for me. 

If you are working from the time that polls open until the time that polls close on election day, the business must give you time off to vote. It wasn't just the last agency you worked, its a law. If polls are open two hours before your shift and two hours after, (or maybe it is three?) the business isn't required to give you time off, however, as you have ample time to get your own ass to the polling place if it is a priority for you.

- DeadLucky

"DON'T READ THIS STICKER"

"I BRAKE FOR HALLUCINATIONS"

"IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU'RE LITERATE"

- DeadLucky

Life is not "every man for themselves", and it never has been.

Ah, but, in my opinion, it should be.

If you say this social safety net is to be done away with, you're damning all those other people.

I'm not advocating the dissolution of such social safety nets, I'm just saying that it would be nice if it came with a choice. Pay in to it, and have such a safety net, or don't and gamble with your fate. I'm a gambling man, personally. That's all.

And these systems don't have anything to do with government taxes and welfare (which actually help), but corporations, which are, by definition, non-democratic and amoral.

Some policies of libertarianism are non-democratic and amoral. Personally, I'm more of a free trade, anti-union sort of guy. You could probably tell that. But I like my corporations. Especially the amoral ones.

this point of view is based purely on wishful thinking. the "world peace would work if everyone would be nice to eachother" kind.

Aren't untested theories always wishful thinking? I'm merely talking about what I'd personally prefer the government to be like, for my own selfish gain. I'm not talking about what system would work best for you, or Jack, or Jill, or Rupert. If I thought we were talking about systems that actually work, I wouldn't be advocating libertarianism. It is just an interesting theoretical concept (i.e. wishful thinking). I also talk about other things that don't necessarily exist but would be cool if they did, such as superpowers or the zombie apocalypse.

Wow, you just outed yourself as a complete idiot in more ways than I have time to describe. Good job, moron.

Thank you. I try.

- Moron

You think? Do you think that I'd be pissed off because you just said that I deserve to starve underneath a bridge? The apology isn't accepted, you don't get one just because you ask for it. Earn it, fuckhead.

Nobody deserves to starve underneath a bridge, Vene. And how the hell do you earn forgiveness over the internet? I can't very well bake you cookies for your bridgewarming party. I apologized. Honestly, this whole thread is a little too serious, I didn't mean to insult, I just failed to use any tact in how I commented. Moderately unintentional abrasive oversimplification vs. conscious insults.

Oh, and just so we're clear, the private insurance thing, not ever going to be an equivalent alternative. Just like how our private health care system sucks in comparison to universal health care programs. Speaking of, it's another thing I don't have due to the unemployment. My health care plan is "don't get sick."

But, better to have somebody who is educated die from something easy to prevent than to consider that maybe, just maybe we live in a society and that you have responsibilities to that society. I want to get a job, I hate being on welfare. I want to pay taxes again, knowing that it goes towards NiceThings™ like highways and public schools and social security.

Theoretically, while it would be difficult for such an organization to keep track of where its money is going, and whom to pay it to, I'd be willing to advocate private charity as an opposite to government welfare. Just because it doesn't exist to the extent that it would need to doesn't mean that it can't or shouldn't.

We're social animals, libertarians need to get that through their fucking skulls.

Not only am I a social animal, I'm also a party animal. /conga line.

- DeadLucky

You're right.  Better to let them and their children starve to death.

After all, they deserve it for being so lazy they can't find jobs, right?

Meh, you may have a point about the children.

(hint, it's a polite way of saying Anarchist)

Small government isn't no government. That's like say that Socailism is a polite way of saying Communism. It isn't.

Frivolous lawsuits may exist, but that ain't one of them.

Personally, I think that if you spill HOT liquid on yourself, you're at fault. In the case of the woman at McDonalds, she was taking the lid off after sticking the cup between her knees. I don't think companies should be liable for stupidity, no matter how much damage may occur. If the spill had been caused by a faulty cup or lid then it would be McDonalds fault, which is pretty much what the later UK suit determined.

Also the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in the US ruled against the claim that 180F is too hot for coffee. (Which I know only cause Wikipedia says so...)

Lawsuits against companies should be valid in cases of negligence, intentional or unintentional. There is nothing that indicates McDonalds was negligent in the coffee case, they brewed the coffee to a widely accepted standard temperature and served it in a safe cup.

Thank you. Quoted for truth, I couldn't say it better.

We all know that bullets, if projected at a high velocity, have the ability to injure someone or something, Even if an ammunition manufacturer failed to tell me not to shoot myself, they wouldn't be negligent if I decided to try to catch a bullet with my hand. Or head. Or foot. Similarly, if hot enough, coffee has the ability to injure someone or something. But even if a coffee seller failed to tell me not to spill it on myself, they wouldn't be negligent if I decided to try to open a cup of coffee in my crotch and burn myself in the ballls. Or legs. Or torso.

Yeah, fuck off.

I'm a college graduate who has been looking for work in the past year, living with the girlfriend in Minnesota who is on disability. We eat only because I got on food stamps.

I'm sorry to hear that. I understand that my comment may have been taken as abrasive and insensitive, and honestly I didn't think about the ramifications of such. I apologize for the brazenness that which I announced sleep-deprived rantings. I didn't mean to insinuate that there are no cases in which such programs are necessary. In fact, I feel that such programs should be available and privately commercial, but perhaps not be mandatory to pay into: i.e. insurance.

you're too good to be "begging for scraps" -- that's rich.

you could get the ax at any time, man

your life could be instantly and completely transformed by an accident, a death, a promotion, any number of black swans

you may not be able to find work afterwards. Would you be too proud to beg for scraps then? When the cupboard is full of ramen noodles and the student loan collectors ring you three times a day?


I have to admit to a little offense at this characterization. I am a competent, intelligent, college educated young professional. In January 2009, my company cut my hours -- not because of anything I'd done, but because like many companies in 2009, we were bleeding money. And the low level employees are always the most expendable. So they saved somebody else's job by demoting me to part time and taking away my benefits.

I collected part-time unemployment while I looked for full time work. And you know what? there was dick out there. I couldn't find work. Not because I was lazy, there just weren't any jobs for me. Your application sits in a stack with 300+ other people's applications. You get so excited when somebody actually calls you in for an interview, you put on your best suit, your best self, and then you find out they're interviewing 13 people for the same position that day.

So I could have probably gotten a shitty job working in retail or food service, but shit - I'm a 28 year old college grad. I'd be making the same pay in a whole week as I used to in 2 or 3 days.

So you're saying that an attitude of resisting reliance on government subsidies is inferior to your own attitude of refusal to get a food service job? 

Once you go down that hill, it's really hard to climb back up. Instead I got some unemployment to get me through the hard times, and now that the economy has relaxed a bit, my company hired me back full time. So for me, the story has a happy ending. But it didn't for a lot of people.

You could have, instead, gotten that job that you felt you were too good for and not continued to search for another job more acceptable for someone of your status. I've worked in fast food before. It isn't fun, it isn't easy, but it is enough to get by. At least you can get a good paying job if the market is good. Not quite hard times.

I don't begrudge people for not having a job when there's no jobs to go around. It's not a measure of skill or worth. We are trapped in the belly of the beast, and the beast is bleeding to death.

I don't either. I begrudge people for not having a job when there are jobs to go around. Or for collecting unemployment whilst actually having a job.

- DeadLucky

There was no racism involved, I assure you. Ethnicity wasn't even in my thoughts, in fact, I thought I was describing typical "White Trash." Perhaps you should look at whatever prejudices made you jump to that conclusion, hmm?

And my ass is full of other things I'm crammed there. Like witty sayings, poop, and occasionally remotes after I got really annoyed at World of Warcraft.

Incidentally, I do also care about my fellow human beings. I just don't think that giving people money for doing nothing encourages people to acquire and hold down jobs.

- DeadLucky

If the US were socialist, I still haven't gone to a doctor in a while, and the healthcare system certainly wouldn't be supporting me. I don't need it. I've made my money without it. I also have made my money without receiving any unemployment, disability, welfare, or social security checks. I don't expect to ever get any money in such a manner from the government.

Incidentally, my taxes pay for such programs, however. Its all shit, and it is free for the end user.

No offence to those who are reliant upon such programs, but I consider myself a little to good to be begging for scraps from the table of wealth and excesses. Call it a Greyfaced attitude of snobbery if you must. The American Dream is no longer to go from poverty or wealth, but to collect unemployment whilst working under the table, yet spending excessive amounts of money on expensive flashy rims and plasma screen televisions and stay in poverty.

Now, if you're talking about taking my money for infrastructure, police, education, the military, you're making sense. However, that's not what I'm concerned about.

- DeadLucky

I looked around a little while longer this morning, whilst my pizza was cooking for breakfast, and the internet served up some nice new warm results.

The heavily fringed costume and the mask with its long crooked nose is the typical outfit of a Windigokan, aka Cannibal, Clown, or Fools dancer. The Windigokanek was a society of masked dancers who represented cannibalistic ice giants, believed to live in the far north, and prominent in Plains Ojibwa folklore. The leaders of this cult were people who had dreamed of these giants or of thunderbirds, the latter referred to by the large crooked nose of their masks. By means of their dance this cult group was believed to exorcise the demons of disease, who used to invade the Indian camps in wintertime. The Windigokan also used their herbal medicines in curing sick people. The many small moccasins attached to this particular costume may refer to success in curing children. This costume, made of tanned and smoked hide, may pre-date the late nineteenth century, since when Windigokan costumes were commonly made of old pieces of canvas. Part of this group of objects is an additional long-nosed mask made of canvas, the drum with its cloth cover, the bulbous rattles, and perhaps some of the herbal medicines. The second group of artifacts consists of some beadwork decorated charms or scapulars, the weasel skins, pipes, a pouch filled with sticks, a roll of birchbark, the flat circular rattle, and perhaps the roots. These objects were associated with the Metawin (Midewiwin) or Grand Medicine Lodge, the most important religious institution of the Ojibwa, with branches or "lodges" from Wisconsin westwards as far as Saskatchewan. This organization instructed its members in herbal and shamanistic knowledge, used in the securing of a healthy life. The Plains Ojibwa ascribed the origin of theMetawin to Nanapus a legendary culture hero who interceded between human beings and the spirits. The organization consisted of four degrees, each with increasing levels of esoteric knowledge transmitted to its members. The beadworked black cloth panels in this collection have small pockets at the back, each containing a small cowrie shell, and each shell referring to magical power transferred to the owner during the rituals of this society. These scapulars were worn on the breast by the initiated members. On one of these scapulars a human figure is pictured with its elbows and knees indicated. This is the scapular of a Metawin member of the second degree, on account of having had magic shells placed on his joints, thereby giving him clairvoyance in hunting. The beadwork on the large scapular pictures the spirits of bear and underwater monster, two of the most important manitos in the Metawin rituals. The two thunderbirds pictured on the strap most probably indicate that the owner of this scapular in his dreams had been adopted by a married couple of thunderbirds.

from: http://fineart.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=681&Lot_No=77356

The whole cannibalistic ice giants thing makes it make sense, to an extent. It is still odd, however.

Another thing I came across is that, apparently, there are still some "Windigokan Warriors" around now, or people who claim to be the modern equivalent, in at least one Ojibwa tribe somewhere. They led some sort of pro-Native American protest against their local government.

-DeadLucky,
Wishing he could dress up like a beaked ice giant and hunt beef jerky.

I looked this up some on Google and didn't get many hits at all. I did, however, find a passage in a book online that mentioned them:

   In the old days the Plains Ojibway were mighty warriors, waging fierce battles with the Sioux, whom they hated with an implacable enmity. The old men can still tell many exciting tales of their exploits.
   One of the most interesting of Plains Ojibway institutions is that of the Cannibal Dancers, or "Windigokan," as they are called. Certain men had the right to make for themselves ridiculous costumes of rags and masks of the same material. When the band was gathered in the great camp circle, one of these persons would dress and search for comrades. Armed with a staff he would go from tent to tent until he found some one whom he wished to associate with himself. At this time he would point his stick, whereupon it was the duty of the chosen party to make himself a costume and accompany his captor, willy nilly. If, however, he saw the "Windigokan" approaching and escaped before the fateful wand was leveled at him, it was well.
   When a sufficient number of recruits had been gathered, a tent was erected to house them, and there they dwelt, issuing forth from time to time to capture food, or to exorcise the demons of disease from some sick person. Their method of procuring food was extremely amusing. The entire party, headed by the leader, would make the rounds of the camp, singing and frolicking. When they came upon buffalo meat hung out to dry, they would immediately proceed to stalk it most elaborately, until finally, one of the party, who was armed with a bow and arrow, would shoot at it. If he missed his aim, the party proceeded, never even picking up the arrow. If the meat was struck, they would flee in pantomime of terror, falling over backwards and performing many ludicrous antics, returning, however, to carry off the food in triumph. When they reached the door of their tepee they never thought of carrying the meat in ; instead they would attempt to throw it in through the smoke hole. If, however, the meat missed the hole and fell outside, the "Windigokan" would never touch it and it became the prey of the bystanders, who thronged to see the fun.
   Another peculiarity of the cannibals was that they used "inverted speech." That is to say, they expressed themselves by opposites. If one wished to drink, he would announce that he was not thirsty, and if a bystander wanted him to dance, he commanded the clown not to do so.
by Alanson Skinner, from the article The Plains Ojibway, within the anthology The Southern Workman, Vol. 43, Issues 1-10.

I also screenshotted an image included in the passage, which shows some Windigokan outfits:

I agree. Very Discordian. I love this stuff.

- DeadLucky

The sheer cost of it made me originally go "Fuck that," but honestly, it might be a good idea if just to prevent some kid walking outside and finding a human milkshake on his way to the bus stop in the morning.

While it is atrocious that suicides and whiny bitches are costing the government so much money, there isn't a better cost effective way of stopping the emotional trauma in the "splash zone," at least that I can think of.

Yeah, I ended that sentence in a proposition. Kill me.

- DeadLucky

This is why I'm a Libertarian Socialist: "Burn it ALL down," I say.

No seriously: seriously limit the powers of central banks and governments, give The People domain over corporations and handle all the fuckups and socialized needs on a local level.

Amen. Except I don't call myself a Libertarian Socialist. I'm more of a libertarian (little l here) conservative. Sure, regulate banks and utilities. That's good. Even provide public education. That's pretty much necessary. But social security? Universal health care? How can you compromise libertarianism and socialism? Socialism is, in essence, huge government that takes your money and gives you "free" shit. I'd prefer a tiny government that lets me keep my money and allows me to go without such services if I don't want 'em. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the term "Libertarian Socialist."

The federal government's job is to bomb the shit out of nazis and Koreans, build interstates and aircraft carriers and to make sure no one's hanging niggers or burning the jews or arresting the guests at my abortion tupperware party. Other than that, I'd really like it if they'd fuck off and let me do drugs, shoot guns, doctor-shop and marry queers in peace.

Incidentally, while the federal government should certainly be in charge of the military (I'd rather not have that completely in the hands of a corporation /shudder), I'm of the belief that bombing Koreans and Nazis is secondary to the security of people within our nation. We need to get our own shit in line before we fuck other countries' shit up. Not to mention, the whole Democracy, Or Else concept is just a little ironic.

So what does that make me? A libertarian isolationist commercialist? I'm not sure, either.

Oh, and before I forget, the whole "Sue anyone who you possibly can" thing needs to go away. Fuck that. Suck it up. Its just a little bit of coffee in your lap, of course the fucking coffee is hot. You're obviously just greedy and lazy, and therefore looking for any excuse to make your problems someone elses' and capitalize on it.

[/rant]

- DeadLucky

Oh, also, I'm new here. Hi.