Went to the grocery store and got "homeopathic" ear drops last night... http://www.hylands.com/products/earachedrops.php Intended to treat a large number of ear ailments. I've used prescription stuff with great success before (I get ear infections sometimes because I surf) but I didn't feel like going to the doctor. Anyway, I'm one day in (3 applications) and my ear feels better than it did yesterday. We will see if this clears up by tomorrow like the prescription stuff has done for me before.
Yeah... Re-reading my post, I feel kind of bad because there is a LOT to like about New Zealand. It's beautiful and there is a lot of open space, the weather is more climactic than Southern California but really isn't that bad and varies a lot depending on which island you are on and which micro-climate you are in. The humor there is different, very dry, but they can be really funny.
My sister has been there 6 years and she seems to like it more now than ever. She is marrying a kiwi, has picked up the accent, and works as a vet-technician working with mostly sheep so she's pretty much been fully integrated. Being liberal politically helps too, NZ has a large government... Lots of taxes, welfare, and progressive legislation.
As an Californian that has spent some time in NZ, I suggest going there for more than a couple weeks before you take the plunge. Things that seem trivial during a 2-3 week vacation (like hardly anything staying open after 8PM, passive aggressive customer service, distaste for Americans, lack of culinary variety, etc) can start to grate on you after a few months. Just my experience...
You are roughly 1/2 as likely to die in an accident if you are in a SUV compared to a compact car. The rollover problems that were prevalent in early model SUVs (see 1990s) were mostly alleviated with traction control systems that were implemented industry wide through the 2000s. http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/09/autos/suv_rollover/index.htm
And right now, the coolest American muscle cars ever made are being produced. Camaro ZR1, Boss Mustang, Challenger, etc... I drive V-8 cars because I enjoy them. I don't drive a lot, maybe 5,000 miles a year in V-8s (rest of the time in on a motorcycle getting 50MPG) but I love those 5,000 miles and I love cruising in a large comfortable vehicle with plenty of power. Does that make me a bad person? Is the government really going to take my cars/SUVs away?
Huh. I'm a natural cynic and I don't believe everything that is in the Bible's various incarnations as the word of God. In this case my cynical approach generates a distinctly positivist theory. By that I mean that I interpret the Genesis 11:6 lesson as "Nothing good will come from a language that your current rulers don't understand."
Imagine, 3000 years ago, a city-state's citizens aren't happy with their abusive nepot ruler and begin to usurp him via messages using a different language or code (think pig latin or something similar). Messages being passed around (orally since vast majority cannot read) that only the usurpers can understand could be very dangerous to a dictator. Seems like a good way to control the masses would be to tell them God frowns upon alternate languages. It has added bonuses...
-Creates linguistic unity among those being ruled, and forces conquered peoples to adopt the conquerors dialect
-Any believer who hears the usurpers secret language would make a stink and turn them in
-Foreigners will be easy to identify and isolate
-Enforcing linguistic rules through academics enhances the ruler's perceived divine right
The Bible's proliferation is strongly correlated to the "dark ages" and a lack of representative government for over 1000 years and I think the Tower of Babel "lesson" is a part of the reason why. Luckily for us, Christiandom went through the reformation and many those archaic beliefs were pushed to the wayside in order to make room for the things we see before our eyes every day that couldn't be explained by the written word. The earth circling the sun, geology showing how ancient this planet is, newly discovered lands with people who had their own "pagan" religions, etc...
Even today we see that many people cannot grasp the intricacies of the explanations for our world and this leads them to simpler models. Some people just want to be held by a warm embrace to the bosom of an organized religion. That is fine for them, but when someone starts trying to override science with religion in school, or apply cherry picked interpretations of an old book written by men, to explain scientific advances, it rubs me the wrong way.
Because for the life of me, I cannot determine if that counts controlled breeding programs.
To me, there is no difference if it happens in a 1980s test tube or a 1780s greenhouse... To me, there is not such thing as "genetically unmodified" food anymore.
It's my understanding that someone who makes roughly $100,000/year in New Zealand (upper middle class) pays around 60% income tax, vs 38% in the USA. $100,000/year is not rich. It's barely enough to buy a standard single family home in New Zealand these days.
I would be furious if I was a Kiwi... Only advice I can really come up with is pretty straightforward: VOTE THEM OUT! In my experience though, most Kiwis care more about their day to day worries than what is happening to their basic civil rights (like most Americans).
As a Yankee who has spent a lot of time in NZ, I'm tired of personally getting blamed for the NZ government's actions (it has happened... a lot... At pubs, parties, bus stops, you name it, if a Kiwi hears an American accent there's a decent chance they will have a political bone to pick with you). The NZ gov't is more sold out to American corporations and special interests than the US government despite the fact that the NZ people have nothing to gain by it (at least in the USA the massive corporate profits mostly stay in country and get spent on fancy cars, swimming pools, and bar tabs). And it's not my fault!
Also, I think the two party system we have in the USA might makes us a little more resistant to politicians selling out (it definitely still happens though!) since both parties fear being called out by the other. In a 3+ party system, all you need is a coalition and it's harder to point fingers at coalitions since everybody ends up in some they don't like.
And don't even get me started on your tax code...:P
Disclaimer: I really love New Zealand, the people (Kiwi, Maori, and the interesting relationship between them) and love my relatives down there. I'm their bossy asshole American cousin/nephew/brother/in-law but they still find ways to love me back. And now I'm craving a lamb sandwich.
The statistics regarding drunk driving in the USA are hard to decifer. In all likely hood it has decreased, but definitely not more than 30%. Much safer cars have led to a lot of the decrease in fatalities (something like 1/3 of what they once were in the early 1980s) but the CDC still estimates that something like 110 million people drove drunk last year. I'd argue that the cost of current DUI laws to society (something like $12,000 for the first DUI infraction per person in CA, and total cost across the country annually of $114 billion!!!!! http://www.duifoundation.org/support/financial/) does not warrant the safety gains. Two DUIs in one year can literally destroy a relatively normal person's life. I have seen it happen multiple times. They lose their job, fall into depression and drink even more.
I feel like a nominal alcohol tax that was then used to subsidized privatized ride programs would have a MUCH bigger impact reducing drunk driving than trying to scare people straight with brutal punishments like we do now. Say one alcohol tax that generates $5 billion annually, would be enough to provide a 250 MILLION free rides a year @ $20 each! Does a new $5 billion tax sound crazy? It certainly does, but over $20 billion in booze is sold in this country annually, and it is peanuts compared to the current cost of DUIs annually.
So by "they" in your original post, you meant "conservatives." And you are saying the the general populace wants to like science but is somehow being tricked into liking other less important things by a small group of conservative authoritarians?
I don't buy that. And I'd argue that both sides of the political spectrum are equally to blame. The SSC and SEI projects were shut down under Clinton's watch, and the Obama administration cancelled the Ares program in 2010 (even though they didn't cancel the construction projects to build a bunch of components that will only be mothballed). I'm sure there are plenty of republican administration cancellations, but I would argue that both sides have done there fair share of crapping all over science/research in the USA. Look at which party Elon Musk has contributed too (hint, it's both parties in equal amounts).
I don't think voting for one side or the other is the way to change things. I think a lot smaller than that.... Take a kid to see a rocket launch, donate to a kickstarter project, or post a cool vid of the Mars landing on facebook. Speaking of, I really like this one that I saw linked on/. a few days ago::) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki_Af_o9Q9s
I don't have faith in the government to get us anywhere fast unless it's a war on something.
I think anyone who knows what the term "fiat money" means, is more informed on economics than average.
Historically, fiat currencies work great and boost economic output; for a decade or so. Then hyperinflation hits and they fall apart. The stronger the economy, and more dependent the rest of the world is on it, the longer it lasts; but no fiat currency has ever avoided inflation. http://www.europac.net/voices/experience_teacher_fools
That said, there are some great opportunities in times of inflation or hyperinflation. Like if you have a lot of debt to pay off (i.e. a recent home purchase), or can provide a basic service like transportation, lodging, or food production; that will inevitably cost a LOT more. Those who are worried about inflation or god forbid hyper inflation would be smart to keep their mouths shut and invest in the things that will hold their value in that kind of market. Those who think the good times aren't over should continue to spend spend spend on fancy cars and vacations to Europe. Only time will tell whether or not your confidence in the current system is overly optimistic.
I don't buy the authoritarian conspiracy theories. It's more about priorities and currently there is little to no interest in the general populace towards science and research. Just look at what is trending on facebook... People care about sports, taxes, gay marriage, gun laws, Beiber fever, religion, and about 16 other things before they care about scientific research (unless it's a "green" science, people are still somewhat excited about GW, nuclear power, and recycling because they have been so politicized recently). The general populace takes the things that science has provided to us for granted, and politicians/bureaucrats/whoever are either a) swept up in the same retarded things as almost everyone else, or b) aren't willing to risk their careers/family/livelyhood to stand up for the things that are truly important.
In San Diego, the traffic flows between 75 and 80 MPH in the fast lane. All the time. It's more like 70-75 MPH in LA area (where I grew up/used to live) but for some reason it's faster down here. Whatever the signs say, if I hang out behind a car going 65-70 MPH in the fast lane, cars behind me do aggressive things to get around both of us. It creates a dangerous situation, and I swear 60-80% of the time the cars doing this are prius models. The other lanes are perfectly OK to go 68 MPH in without slowing down 4 lanes of traffic and causing a ruckus but some Prius drivers insist on going slow in the fast lane.
You gotta love the Prius drivers cruising along at 68 MPH in the fast lane during rush hour with their eyes glued on the MPG meter. Unbelievably annoying. They are the new Volvo (but for MPG instead of safety). Meanwhile people are risking lives to get around them by swerving into the slow lanes and get back up to 75-80 MPH.
Slashdot Mirror
And that is where I will be shipping large Amazon purchases after September 15th...
Went to the grocery store and got "homeopathic" ear drops last night... http://www.hylands.com/products/earachedrops.php Intended to treat a large number of ear ailments. I've used prescription stuff with great success before (I get ear infections sometimes because I surf) but I didn't feel like going to the doctor. Anyway, I'm one day in (3 applications) and my ear feels better than it did yesterday. We will see if this clears up by tomorrow like the prescription stuff has done for me before.
And I meant to say... Whatever you decide, good luck!
Yeah... Re-reading my post, I feel kind of bad because there is a LOT to like about New Zealand. It's beautiful and there is a lot of open space, the weather is more climactic than Southern California but really isn't that bad and varies a lot depending on which island you are on and which micro-climate you are in. The humor there is different, very dry, but they can be really funny.
My sister has been there 6 years and she seems to like it more now than ever. She is marrying a kiwi, has picked up the accent, and works as a vet-technician working with mostly sheep so she's pretty much been fully integrated. Being liberal politically helps too, NZ has a large government... Lots of taxes, welfare, and progressive legislation.
As an Californian that has spent some time in NZ, I suggest going there for more than a couple weeks before you take the plunge. Things that seem trivial during a 2-3 week vacation (like hardly anything staying open after 8PM, passive aggressive customer service, distaste for Americans, lack of culinary variety, etc) can start to grate on you after a few months. Just my experience...
You are roughly 1/2 as likely to die in an accident if you are in a SUV compared to a compact car. The rollover problems that were prevalent in early model SUVs (see 1990s) were mostly alleviated with traction control systems that were implemented industry wide through the 2000s. http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/09/autos/suv_rollover/index.htm
And right now, the coolest American muscle cars ever made are being produced. Camaro ZR1, Boss Mustang, Challenger, etc... I drive V-8 cars because I enjoy them. I don't drive a lot, maybe 5,000 miles a year in V-8s (rest of the time in on a motorcycle getting 50MPG) but I love those 5,000 miles and I love cruising in a large comfortable vehicle with plenty of power. Does that make me a bad person? Is the government really going to take my cars/SUVs away?
I'm being serious...
Huh. I'm a natural cynic and I don't believe everything that is in the Bible's various incarnations as the word of God. In this case my cynical approach generates a distinctly positivist theory. By that I mean that I interpret the Genesis 11:6 lesson as "Nothing good will come from a language that your current rulers don't understand."
Imagine, 3000 years ago, a city-state's citizens aren't happy with their abusive nepot ruler and begin to usurp him via messages using a different language or code (think pig latin or something similar). Messages being passed around (orally since vast majority cannot read) that only the usurpers can understand could be very dangerous to a dictator. Seems like a good way to control the masses would be to tell them God frowns upon alternate languages. It has added bonuses...
-Creates linguistic unity among those being ruled, and forces conquered peoples to adopt the conquerors dialect
-Any believer who hears the usurpers secret language would make a stink and turn them in
-Foreigners will be easy to identify and isolate
-Enforcing linguistic rules through academics enhances the ruler's perceived divine right
The Bible's proliferation is strongly correlated to the "dark ages" and a lack of representative government for over 1000 years and I think the Tower of Babel "lesson" is a part of the reason why. Luckily for us, Christiandom went through the reformation and many those archaic beliefs were pushed to the wayside in order to make room for the things we see before our eyes every day that couldn't be explained by the written word. The earth circling the sun, geology showing how ancient this planet is, newly discovered lands with people who had their own "pagan" religions, etc...
Even today we see that many people cannot grasp the intricacies of the explanations for our world and this leads them to simpler models. Some people just want to be held by a warm embrace to the bosom of an organized religion. That is fine for them, but when someone starts trying to override science with religion in school, or apply cherry picked interpretations of an old book written by men, to explain scientific advances, it rubs me the wrong way.
Sorry to break it to you, but your friends are not the sharpest tools in the shed.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/387409/slash-is-everywhere
EOM
Because for the life of me, I cannot determine if that counts controlled breeding programs.
To me, there is no difference if it happens in a 1980s test tube or a 1780s greenhouse... To me, there is not such thing as "genetically unmodified" food anymore.
It's my understanding that someone who makes roughly $100,000/year in New Zealand (upper middle class) pays around 60% income tax, vs 38% in the USA. $100,000/year is not rich. It's barely enough to buy a standard single family home in New Zealand these days.
I would be furious if I was a Kiwi... Only advice I can really come up with is pretty straightforward: VOTE THEM OUT! In my experience though, most Kiwis care more about their day to day worries than what is happening to their basic civil rights (like most Americans).
:P
As a Yankee who has spent a lot of time in NZ, I'm tired of personally getting blamed for the NZ government's actions (it has happened... a lot... At pubs, parties, bus stops, you name it, if a Kiwi hears an American accent there's a decent chance they will have a political bone to pick with you). The NZ gov't is more sold out to American corporations and special interests than the US government despite the fact that the NZ people have nothing to gain by it (at least in the USA the massive corporate profits mostly stay in country and get spent on fancy cars, swimming pools, and bar tabs). And it's not my fault!
Also, I think the two party system we have in the USA might makes us a little more resistant to politicians selling out (it definitely still happens though!) since both parties fear being called out by the other. In a 3+ party system, all you need is a coalition and it's harder to point fingers at coalitions since everybody ends up in some they don't like.
And don't even get me started on your tax code...
Disclaimer: I really love New Zealand, the people (Kiwi, Maori, and the interesting relationship between them) and love my relatives down there. I'm their bossy asshole American cousin/nephew/brother/in-law but they still find ways to love me back. And now I'm craving a lamb sandwich.
When they pushed the three strikes law through without oversight because of the earthquake... Man that pissed me off. And I live in California.
The statistics regarding drunk driving in the USA are hard to decifer. In all likely hood it has decreased, but definitely not more than 30%. Much safer cars have led to a lot of the decrease in fatalities (something like 1/3 of what they once were in the early 1980s) but the CDC still estimates that something like 110 million people drove drunk last year. I'd argue that the cost of current DUI laws to society (something like $12,000 for the first DUI infraction per person in CA, and total cost across the country annually of $114 billion!!!!! http://www.duifoundation.org/support/financial/) does not warrant the safety gains. Two DUIs in one year can literally destroy a relatively normal person's life. I have seen it happen multiple times. They lose their job, fall into depression and drink even more.
I feel like a nominal alcohol tax that was then used to subsidized privatized ride programs would have a MUCH bigger impact reducing drunk driving than trying to scare people straight with brutal punishments like we do now. Say one alcohol tax that generates $5 billion annually, would be enough to provide a 250 MILLION free rides a year @ $20 each! Does a new $5 billion tax sound crazy? It certainly does, but over $20 billion in booze is sold in this country annually, and it is peanuts compared to the current cost of DUIs annually.
So by "they" in your original post, you meant "conservatives." And you are saying the the general populace wants to like science but is somehow being tricked into liking other less important things by a small group of conservative authoritarians?
/. a few days ago: :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki_Af_o9Q9s
I don't buy that. And I'd argue that both sides of the political spectrum are equally to blame. The SSC and SEI projects were shut down under Clinton's watch, and the Obama administration cancelled the Ares program in 2010 (even though they didn't cancel the construction projects to build a bunch of components that will only be mothballed). I'm sure there are plenty of republican administration cancellations, but I would argue that both sides have done there fair share of crapping all over science/research in the USA. Look at which party Elon Musk has contributed too (hint, it's both parties in equal amounts).
I don't think voting for one side or the other is the way to change things. I think a lot smaller than that.... Take a kid to see a rocket launch, donate to a kickstarter project, or post a cool vid of the Mars landing on facebook. Speaking of, I really like this one that I saw linked on
I don't have faith in the government to get us anywhere fast unless it's a war on something.
I think anyone who knows what the term "fiat money" means, is more informed on economics than average.
Historically, fiat currencies work great and boost economic output; for a decade or so. Then hyperinflation hits and they fall apart. The stronger the economy, and more dependent the rest of the world is on it, the longer it lasts; but no fiat currency has ever avoided inflation. http://www.europac.net/voices/experience_teacher_fools
That said, there are some great opportunities in times of inflation or hyperinflation. Like if you have a lot of debt to pay off (i.e. a recent home purchase), or can provide a basic service like transportation, lodging, or food production; that will inevitably cost a LOT more. Those who are worried about inflation or god forbid hyper inflation would be smart to keep their mouths shut and invest in the things that will hold their value in that kind of market. Those who think the good times aren't over should continue to spend spend spend on fancy cars and vacations to Europe. Only time will tell whether or not your confidence in the current system is overly optimistic.
I don't buy the authoritarian conspiracy theories. It's more about priorities and currently there is little to no interest in the general populace towards science and research. Just look at what is trending on facebook... People care about sports, taxes, gay marriage, gun laws, Beiber fever, religion, and about 16 other things before they care about scientific research (unless it's a "green" science, people are still somewhat excited about GW, nuclear power, and recycling because they have been so politicized recently). The general populace takes the things that science has provided to us for granted, and politicians/bureaucrats/whoever are either a) swept up in the same retarded things as almost everyone else, or b) aren't willing to risk their careers/family/livelyhood to stand up for the things that are truly important.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon's_razor
I wouldn't move to Phoenix for a 50% raise. 100% and I'd consider it...
Dotcom was hardly "little" in any pics I've seen of him... http://cdn2.gamefront.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/kimble.jpg
over paying sales tax and getting same day delivery.
In San Diego, the traffic flows between 75 and 80 MPH in the fast lane. All the time. It's more like 70-75 MPH in LA area (where I grew up/used to live) but for some reason it's faster down here. Whatever the signs say, if I hang out behind a car going 65-70 MPH in the fast lane, cars behind me do aggressive things to get around both of us. It creates a dangerous situation, and I swear 60-80% of the time the cars doing this are prius models. The other lanes are perfectly OK to go 68 MPH in without slowing down 4 lanes of traffic and causing a ruckus but some Prius drivers insist on going slow in the fast lane.
You gotta love the Prius drivers cruising along at 68 MPH in the fast lane during rush hour with their eyes glued on the MPG meter. Unbelievably annoying. They are the new Volvo (but for MPG instead of safety). Meanwhile people are risking lives to get around them by swerving into the slow lanes and get back up to 75-80 MPH.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BjW1avGcuos/S9sT7hfiqXI/AAAAAAAACQQ/8t99BR2oaHI/s1600/papers1.jpeg