I kind of assumed your FWIW - it wasn't rage filled or apologetic enough to be for one side or the other. And yeah, to my mind it added to the other claims and didn't detract from them. It made him seem more a creep to me.
All of those "information wants to be free" people never seem inclined to give me their personal details.
Ah well... I guess I'll just have to be content with doing it wrong. In my mind it makes him more a jackass than he would be without it. Assuming he's guilty, of course. Even if he's still not guilty, I consider him a cretin. While my moral compass may seem screwy, I'd like to point out that I do see Snowden as a hero - a dumb hero but a hero nonetheless. Assange is not even remotely on the same level. He's just a bottom feeder and a shit stirrer. If people can't figure out the difference between the two then I'm not sure what to say.
You are awesome! Thanks. Your post is now bookmarked and I *will* make the time to get to it. This may result in an email. *chuckles*
Also, I live in a very remote area of NW Maine - near Canada. I'm actually closer to Canada than I am to my nearest decent sized town. I *am* the local LUG. (When did LUG go to Linux User Group instead of Local User Group anyhow?) I am not home at the moment, I won't be for a while as I'm out engaging in wanderlust but appear to have actually stalled in Buffalo. (It involves a female. Now.)
As an interesting aside, I guess I kind of, sort of, have a female friend whom I met due to being geeky enough to have a Live USB (Lubuntu IIRC) in my laptop bag. So, I've engaged in my wanderlust, gotten stuck, and have managed to convert someone to Linux. I'm pretty sure this means my life is in shambles but I am having a good time.
Also, I have VMWare Workstation - multiple licenses. I'll be sure to check the image out even if I'm nowhere near a PI. As I'm stuck in one location for an indeterminate time, I'll try to find a local source for a kit. If I can't find a local source then I've already checked with the hotel and they're happy to let me receive mail here - specifically packages. I'm now paying for two rooms so they're pretty happy. (Again, it involves a female and is a very long story.)
Thanks again. Hopefully I find it as exciting as I'd hoped when I first decided to buy them. I had a plan... I want to create an automated gate at the bottom of my driveway up to and including distributing RFID broadcast devices so that they gate opens automatically. I want to write my own cell phone app that lets me know if someone's gone through or if someone's waiting - then have a camera to see and be able to open the gate remotely. I'd also like to enable the gate to open automatically only for certain times for certain friends. It probably sounds harder than it really is - I don't think it should be too difficult. I just lost motivation and realized that I really don't need such a system.
Somewhere, I might have lost a spark. You may have rekindled it though. Thanks! Seriously, thanks. There's a bunch of lengthy responses I could add but, suffice to say, I'm out appeasing my wanderlust for a reason and this may actually reflect back on that reason. Of course, now there's the issue of a female but we're not, yet, sleeping together so I can just meander away if needed. That too is another very long story. Either way, I shall add you to the friend's list so that I can more easily spot your posts. You appear to be a fountain of knowledge (and helpful, to boot) and that's why I'm here on Slashdot.
I should probably even refine it further to emphasis that it's also generally only those vocal members of either side. I kind of assume people are smart enough to know that it is not everyone. It appears that I am mistaken.
Well I'm kind of hoping I'd go past that. However, I was using the term loosely.;-) Fortunately, I'm not a philosopher of anything. I'm currently not even able to form much in the way of coherent sentences. The womenfolk are distracting.
I've never really understood how they managed to make that fashionable. I've pondered this and discussed it with smart people even. It has to have been some sort of legitimate attempt and we concluded that it likely started with brand name clothing with them being pricey and people wanting to display the logos and it expanding from there. But, still, I don't know WHY people would have wanted to show that off - not know. I do suspect it's because of ego. At least that's where it probably started.
I've been from one side of this country to the other, from the top and to the bottom, across the continent in both directions, and across the globe. Your claim doesn't mimic my experiences and I expect, as an old white guy, you're probably not subjected to it and have a pretty piss poor ability to judge. But thanks for your opinion.
That is either really good or really bad. I have no idea if he's mashing buttons or if he knows what he's doing. Parts of it look like a dragonfly. It's kind of neat. It's not something I'd bother to learn or do but I feel sorry for those who are going to be restricted because they have a hobby that's getting popular. I sort of know what that's like.
Since day one, here on this site - of all places, I've pointed out that the behavior is going to result in regulation. I've been insulted and told that they'd just violate the law anyways and that they were uncatchable. I am sorry for your loss. It's those people, the ones that said they were entitled to do anything they wanted with them, that are ruining it for you. They're right here and some have kept it up in this same thread - it's starting to die down a little now but funnily nobody has yet said they were sorry and wrong.
You're going to get screwed and it's not your fault. I suggested getting a nice educational group going - a consortium if you will, and making a site with all the resources you could amass and then getting vendor buy in by having them list the URL in their packaging, offer updates and courses through the site, and things like that. You could have done a nice interface where they trained online (maybe even a flash game or something too) where they'd complete a small course and get voluntarily certified. They could print it out or get official copies, one of you get a notary license (they're cheap and easy to get) and give them an official seal.
That, just that one thing, would have helped. I imagine vendors would have jumped all over it to sponsor the site. It'd pay for itself and maybe even turn into a job for a few people if it got big enough. What did I get? Told they could fly it over my house and it was the same thing as a satellite looking down at me. You're fucked. I tried to help because I hate seeing anyone's rights eroded.
It's probably past the event horizon now. I don't think you can still do that - it might be worth trying though. Hell, I still have a fairly unused colo. I probably would have helped. Then it turned out the group was rotten to the core - not you but the most vocal of the hobbyists. It's a shame too because, frankly, that looked like he was having fun and it sounded like there was a whole crowd of people who were enjoying the show. (I had no idea they did that sort of thing - that was kind of neat.)
I don't know if you need to do any reflection concerning how you've acted. You seem to be a rational person and I don't recall you opining negatively in the past. I'm sorry for your loss. At this point, really, it's destiny and it may be too late to act on it in time to prevent it or at least dull the edges a little. Even though every time I've mentioned this I've been shot down, so to speak, I still wish no ill and hope you do resolve this without the need of intervention. I still figure it is inevitable but, if you're really wanting to, then you may want to see what you and your peers can come up with. You're a talented group and creative.
Unfortunately, you've got some crazy zealots who seem to be the most vocal and the bad behavior is being emphasized. Well, at least that is what it looks like from the outside looking in. I can say, first hand, that the treatment I've received by your peers has been deplorable. All while I was as polite as I am being now. I've enough of a post history to show that I'm not usually an asshole and I'm usually very open to admitting my own errors and to learning new things. So, I don't think it's me. I saw similar behavior directed towards others. We've expected maturity (because that's what the RC group has been, historically) and we got petulant children with entitlement issues and an unwillingness to accept that they're not in charge.
I don't want to say you, you personally, deserve it because you don't. Historically the group has been impeccable until recently. I suspect it's the barrier to enter the hobby that is the issue. That and showing off is
You know you can incorporate and actually write a whole lot of shit off, right? Seriously - spend the money to hire a lawyer and get an accountant. I know that it costs you money but it actually saves you money in the long run. You need a president, a vice president, and a treasurer. They can't be the same people, obviously. They can be family. Then start a family business - do so, for real.
Go fix a computer or two for a few bucks on the weekends. Don't get fake receipts. Make investments. Operate as a business. Check with a lawyer and an accountant. You'd be amazed what you can write off. If you're daring you can start a contracting business and hire yourself to do the job you're currently doing. (Really, check with a lawyer.)
Just make sure you also do other business instead of just working that one job. (Did I mention checking with a lawyer?) And keep accurate records - now your vehicle is a company asset (also an accountant - check with one of those) and things like your computer's depreciation are now valid concerns at tax time. (Don't forget a lawyer.)
Your total business doesn't even have to turn a profit every year. You can 'lose' money to save money. This is not tax evasion - tax evasion is illegal. This is tax avoidance and some say it is your duty to do so. (Don't forget that lawyer.)
I am not a lawyer nor an accountant. This is neither legal advice nor accounting advice. If I were a lawyer I'd sure as hell not be your lawyer and this is in no way considered advice beyond suggesting you check with qualified professionals.
There are more racists in the north than the south ever dreamed of having - and yes, I'm not white. Well, not totally. They're just a little more subtle about it.
Don't take offense but the north reminds me of this "joke" which, while sort of funny, is still all too true...
Q: When does a black man become a nigger? A: When he leaves the room.
Funny? Maybe a little, I guess - I'm part black. (I'm Native American, White, and have somewhere under 1/8 black in me. Not a whole lot but my hair shows it.) What it really is, is a sad statement of how it really is in the north. I've been all over this country - literally. There's no racism like the 'not racists.' The reason they're not racists is because there's nobody there but white people.
I must be doing it wrong. To me it didn't seem to minimize anything when I read about it. If anything it made it worse. I've never liked the guy (or even what he does) so I didn't pay a lot of attention. This just confirmed he was an egocentric narcissist and an asshole. Adding rapist, with or without a condom, doesn't do much to help him out in my views. Seriously? They thought the whole condom thing would be minimizing it? No... No! That makes it worse!
LOL Yeah yeah, I've seen it. How to put this... Hmm... Unlike the other guy, or sort of like them, you're now assuming there was more there and/or more orders of operation than the two listed integers. If you look at your example it is not, clearly, 1 + 1. It is 1+...+1.
I have accumulated what you would call wealth. Not only do I pay every nickel I am obligated to pay in taxes but I spend far more than I can write off, I can not decrease my tax burden any further, just in donations to worthy causes. I consider those donations my obligation. I consider those donations to be a part of the social contract. I did not get to where I am on my own. I give back because I can. I appreciate being able to do it with donations because then I select where my 'tax burden' really lies.
However, to go further down the rabbit hole, again - you seem to think those who have accumulated some wealth mind being taxed? I will happily increase my tax burden and not let it impact my spending or my investments provided the money goes to sound investments and is reasonably spent. People wonder why capital gains taxes are so low, the reason is to encourage those people who can to invest because their money helps the world go 'round. Thus they are penalized less when they put the money to work for the greater economic benefit.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this but, no... I don't mind or begrudge my taxes. I only get taxed on what I spend anyways. I don't even get taxed much on that and I am able to reduce my tax burden to really low percentages just by doing my aforementioned civic duty in the form of donating to worthy charitable causes. There are a lot of other ways I can, and do, reduce my tax burden. If you raise my tax burden to 90% then I'd really only be paying that 90% after a pretty damned huge amount of expenditures - expenses I don't normally actually incur.
I'd probably not reach that threshold on a regular basis - I simply don't actually take my money out of my portfolio and roll around in it like Scrooge McDuck. (I don't have *that* much anyhow.) So long as it stays invested then I don't pay really a nickel on it and that's not going to change. I'll continue spending as much as I spend now (maybe a little less if I actually cared about taxes but, really, no - that's not even going to be a concern if I want something) and actually pay somewhere around the same percentage that my neighbor's pay.
Here's the bottom of that rabbit hole... I don't mind. I do mind that they're currently spent unwisely. I'd actually be happier paying for programs like Sanders offers to try to implement. (You don't think Congress is going to let him have half the stuff he wants, do you? He'd be president, not king.) If I minded taxes then, you know, I'd just "bounce up on out of this bitch." (I think that's the appropriate colloquialism.) There are other countries who will make me a citizen just for investing a few dollars. I already have citizenship in Canada by grace of birth and ethnicity - I'm more than 1/4 Native American, Micmac if you're curious, and I'm sure they'd absolutely love to have me. I already own property there.
No, we need to be taxed higher than we are. This shouldn't trickle down to the middle class. It sure as hell shouldn't affect the impoverished. We need to be taxed more, maybe allowed to write off more by donating but that's another subject entirely, and the money needs to be spent wisely. Investing money in bombing brown people is not a good investment. Investing money on a war on chemicals is not a good thing. Investing money on warehousing people for victimless crimes is not a good thing. Investing money on wasteful bureaucracies is not a good thing. I could go on.
I don't get to make the rules so I'll happily listen to the social consensus. But, really, we have so much money (as a whole) that there's no excuse for us having the issues we have. It's simply unacceptable.
Hmm... I'm particularly ranty tonight. Sorry - no offense meant. I'm going to post it anyhow. Meh... Maybe someone will read it. I'm not hugely wealthy by some folks standards - not even really that rich. I'm certainly in the 1% and probably closer to the.2% if I recall the statistics posted at one point. I spend more on a bunch of silly cars and computers than I
Hmm... One nit to pick... I usually see the left saying that social security is doomed to run out of money and that it is the fault of the Republicans for robbing the piggy bank and leaving it full of IOU slips.
Maybe I'm mistaken but that's been my observation. Perhaps one, or both of us, is subject to confirmation bias? It could be me but I tend to see both sides as evil and wrong. I actually see the left as more wrong because they're smarter than the right and should know better so, I guess, it could be my own biases? I seem to recall the Republicans want to just gut it and put it into private hands so they can use it to siphon off more money. They're just stupid. The left is willfully ignorant and is subject to harsher judgment because they should know better - they're smarter than that.
I've established a fair reputation here and I've been pretty consistent for the duration of my stay. It should be well known that I'm a pretty staunch Libertarian though the moniker is, really, Classic Libertarian. I'm neither a follower of Rand nor a believer in anarcho-capitalism nor a conservative - by any stretch of the imagination. I've explained this, time and time again actually. I'll spare you the details unless you promise to read them and do so with an open mind but, rest assured, that the vast majority of Libertarians are nothing like the caricatures that you see on television or see people self-identifying as on the internet. I know, no true Scotsman. However, it's true. Wikipedia (just the first four paragraphs is enough) is actually pretty good - I was quite surprised.
So don't think that the angry parts of what is to come are directed towards you - they're not. I actually agree with you but will need a minute to explain. Sound fair? Okay...
Now, my beliefs are very strongly that the rights belong to the individual (and no, businesses have rights but they're really friggin' low on the list) are the most important and must be balanced with the rights of the whole. Government should be small but powerful. It needs to be. No one political ideology will ever be successful in its pure form - we're too human for that utopia and almost all of them could be a utopia if it weren't for those pesky humans.
I encourage you, and anyone else, to realize that Libertarianism is a political ideology and not an economic model - the two are far from inseparable. Again, rights must be balanced with the favor going to the individual. An example might be that I strongly support a social safety net, libraries, roads, education, welfare, and a reasonable taxation rate. Why? Because it's cheaper in the long run and more economical to prevent harm than it is to cure it. When we, as a society, can increase ourselves unilaterally then we all benefit. It is for my benefit. I don't want raving mad, disenfranchised, horded of hungry storming my house and taking my shit. I paid for my shit because I like it and I'd like to keep it. I want you to keep your shit too.
I want you to be free to do with your body what you will. If the object of your affection or lust doesn't mind then cram whatever into whatever hole you'd like. What ever you want so long as you're harming only you and the person with you - it's cheaper to just accept it and move along than to fight it. You want to be a freak? Get freaky with it. Have a good time, post pics, and slap *it* on the ass once for me.
This is your typical Libertarian but, unfortunately, our voices are drowned out by the idiots who can speak the loudest and by those who choose to opine without any actual knowledge. This is partially my fault and I apologize. See, rights come with responsibilities and accepting them is one of the most important things. That there? That's me accepting accountability and this is me attempting to change it. You won't listen. I could type for days but you won't read it and you'll just try to argue. Well, maybe not you but hopefully you get the idea.
Anyhow, I mention all that to mention this...
Of all the people who are currently running for the presidency slot - Sanders is the most likely candidate to get my vote. He is also the recipient of my money and will surely get more depending on how things go. I'd prefer to see him run as a American Socialist Party candidate, I think it would be more honest, but that's okay.
Why is he my favorite? Of all the candidates he's the only one that I've seen who puts the valuation on rights in the correct order. The individual, the group, the government, the businesses. That seems to be his thinking and I could pick at it a bit but, you know what? It's CLOSE ENOUGH. He's the best we've got and he's not even a member of our party. I'd love to have a chat with him and put him under the flaps of our tent. He'd be welcome if we could shut the mouthpieces up for a while.
And wearing the agreed upon prophylactic device. (That was the right case, right? I really need to start keeping up on things. I was never a fan of his so I don't pay much attention unlike Snowden whom I do pay attention to.)
I have a Hulu subscription and a Netflix subscription. I have like 2500 videos in queue at YouTube. I should cancel both of them but I never do. I might watch one or the other for one viewing session every few weeks. Each viewing session is maybe a few hours long and while I'm occupied with something else.
I've never once denied that I'm an idiot. I did get sick of cable and satellite a long time ago, so there's that.
Everything involves math.;) But yeah, the term is fairly archaic but the field still deals with a lot of fundamentals and theoretical pursuits and does indeed involve naval gazing. After all, how many is one half of infinity? Of course, infinity is conceptual and does not reflect reality but even a theoretical should be quantifiable, no?
If you're at all familiar with the few non-insane posts I've made then you'll understand my bias towards math being the sum (heh, I made a funny) of all things. Also, pardon my light hearted discourse. I've reached a new and sudden realization and have achieved a greater state of mind because of it, thus I'm content which is, to my mind, even better than happiness.
An added bonus is that it involves a real, living, human, female who is many years my junior and quite attractive. That might be something maths can't quantify. Were I a philosopher of mathematics, I'd have a theory. Actually, I do, but I shan't ruin it for me nor bore you.
I seem to recall that someone tried to sell me a Kirby vacuum cleaner a long time ago. One of their selling points (and I'm not sure what benefit this was meant to have) was that they were an old company and owned by PepsiCo. They're a diverse company and a good solid investment.
According to a whole bunch of documentaries? Yes. Yes it has. We have big brains because we eat meat. There's more energy in meat. We're able to process this meat because we learned to make fire. Fire makes the meat more easily digestible to our tummy tum tums.
That is AWESOME! I wanna answer the phone! I soooo wanna answer the phone. I showed it to my company/companion/lady friend and she agrees. Answering the phone would be absolutely awesome if you did so with the right mindset. I'd pay them to let me answer the phone. They'd probably want to study me, though.:/
Also, I've never played or seen the game. I'm not really much of a gamer, I'm afraid. I absolutely want one of those signs. I'm on the road so I may well have to swoop into town and acquire one in the dead of night. That is awesome! 200 bucks doesn't seem like a lot of money though. I wonder how many hours it is? Also, free MRI? I wonder if you get to keep the records. I've seen a friend's MRI on DVD. It was good fun to play with and the software built in was cool. I had no idea what I was doing but I did fun things with it.
Yes, yes I am a five year old child. I'm just old for my age.
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I kind of assumed your FWIW - it wasn't rage filled or apologetic enough to be for one side or the other. And yeah, to my mind it added to the other claims and didn't detract from them. It made him seem more a creep to me.
All of those "information wants to be free" people never seem inclined to give me their personal details.
Ah well... I guess I'll just have to be content with doing it wrong. In my mind it makes him more a jackass than he would be without it. Assuming he's guilty, of course. Even if he's still not guilty, I consider him a cretin. While my moral compass may seem screwy, I'd like to point out that I do see Snowden as a hero - a dumb hero but a hero nonetheless. Assange is not even remotely on the same level. He's just a bottom feeder and a shit stirrer. If people can't figure out the difference between the two then I'm not sure what to say.
Ho hum...
You are awesome! Thanks. Your post is now bookmarked and I *will* make the time to get to it. This may result in an email. *chuckles*
Also, I live in a very remote area of NW Maine - near Canada. I'm actually closer to Canada than I am to my nearest decent sized town. I *am* the local LUG. (When did LUG go to Linux User Group instead of Local User Group anyhow?) I am not home at the moment, I won't be for a while as I'm out engaging in wanderlust but appear to have actually stalled in Buffalo. (It involves a female. Now.)
As an interesting aside, I guess I kind of, sort of, have a female friend whom I met due to being geeky enough to have a Live USB (Lubuntu IIRC) in my laptop bag. So, I've engaged in my wanderlust, gotten stuck, and have managed to convert someone to Linux. I'm pretty sure this means my life is in shambles but I am having a good time.
Also, I have VMWare Workstation - multiple licenses. I'll be sure to check the image out even if I'm nowhere near a PI. As I'm stuck in one location for an indeterminate time, I'll try to find a local source for a kit. If I can't find a local source then I've already checked with the hotel and they're happy to let me receive mail here - specifically packages. I'm now paying for two rooms so they're pretty happy. (Again, it involves a female and is a very long story.)
Thanks again. Hopefully I find it as exciting as I'd hoped when I first decided to buy them. I had a plan... I want to create an automated gate at the bottom of my driveway up to and including distributing RFID broadcast devices so that they gate opens automatically. I want to write my own cell phone app that lets me know if someone's gone through or if someone's waiting - then have a camera to see and be able to open the gate remotely. I'd also like to enable the gate to open automatically only for certain times for certain friends. It probably sounds harder than it really is - I don't think it should be too difficult. I just lost motivation and realized that I really don't need such a system.
Somewhere, I might have lost a spark. You may have rekindled it though. Thanks! Seriously, thanks. There's a bunch of lengthy responses I could add but, suffice to say, I'm out appeasing my wanderlust for a reason and this may actually reflect back on that reason. Of course, now there's the issue of a female but we're not, yet, sleeping together so I can just meander away if needed. That too is another very long story. Either way, I shall add you to the friend's list so that I can more easily spot your posts. You appear to be a fountain of knowledge (and helpful, to boot) and that's why I'm here on Slashdot.
I should probably even refine it further to emphasis that it's also generally only those vocal members of either side. I kind of assume people are smart enough to know that it is not everyone. It appears that I am mistaken.
Well I'm kind of hoping I'd go past that. However, I was using the term loosely. ;-) Fortunately, I'm not a philosopher of anything. I'm currently not even able to form much in the way of coherent sentences. The womenfolk are distracting.
D'oh! *sighs* I know better, too. I blame distractions. I was... Umm... Distracted. Yes, that's it. I've a new lady friend. My mind's a puddle of mud.
I've never really understood how they managed to make that fashionable. I've pondered this and discussed it with smart people even. It has to have been some sort of legitimate attempt and we concluded that it likely started with brand name clothing with them being pricey and people wanting to display the logos and it expanding from there. But, still, I don't know WHY people would have wanted to show that off - not know. I do suspect it's because of ego. At least that's where it probably started.
Now that I did not know. That should be taken to the SCOTUS to see what they have to say. I'm not sure how they'd rule.
I've been from one side of this country to the other, from the top and to the bottom, across the continent in both directions, and across the globe. Your claim doesn't mimic my experiences and I expect, as an old white guy, you're probably not subjected to it and have a pretty piss poor ability to judge. But thanks for your opinion.
That is either really good or really bad. I have no idea if he's mashing buttons or if he knows what he's doing. Parts of it look like a dragonfly. It's kind of neat. It's not something I'd bother to learn or do but I feel sorry for those who are going to be restricted because they have a hobby that's getting popular. I sort of know what that's like.
Since day one, here on this site - of all places, I've pointed out that the behavior is going to result in regulation. I've been insulted and told that they'd just violate the law anyways and that they were uncatchable. I am sorry for your loss. It's those people, the ones that said they were entitled to do anything they wanted with them, that are ruining it for you. They're right here and some have kept it up in this same thread - it's starting to die down a little now but funnily nobody has yet said they were sorry and wrong.
You're going to get screwed and it's not your fault. I suggested getting a nice educational group going - a consortium if you will, and making a site with all the resources you could amass and then getting vendor buy in by having them list the URL in their packaging, offer updates and courses through the site, and things like that. You could have done a nice interface where they trained online (maybe even a flash game or something too) where they'd complete a small course and get voluntarily certified. They could print it out or get official copies, one of you get a notary license (they're cheap and easy to get) and give them an official seal.
That, just that one thing, would have helped. I imagine vendors would have jumped all over it to sponsor the site. It'd pay for itself and maybe even turn into a job for a few people if it got big enough. What did I get? Told they could fly it over my house and it was the same thing as a satellite looking down at me. You're fucked. I tried to help because I hate seeing anyone's rights eroded.
It's probably past the event horizon now. I don't think you can still do that - it might be worth trying though. Hell, I still have a fairly unused colo. I probably would have helped. Then it turned out the group was rotten to the core - not you but the most vocal of the hobbyists. It's a shame too because, frankly, that looked like he was having fun and it sounded like there was a whole crowd of people who were enjoying the show. (I had no idea they did that sort of thing - that was kind of neat.)
I don't know if you need to do any reflection concerning how you've acted. You seem to be a rational person and I don't recall you opining negatively in the past. I'm sorry for your loss. At this point, really, it's destiny and it may be too late to act on it in time to prevent it or at least dull the edges a little. Even though every time I've mentioned this I've been shot down, so to speak, I still wish no ill and hope you do resolve this without the need of intervention. I still figure it is inevitable but, if you're really wanting to, then you may want to see what you and your peers can come up with. You're a talented group and creative.
Unfortunately, you've got some crazy zealots who seem to be the most vocal and the bad behavior is being emphasized. Well, at least that is what it looks like from the outside looking in. I can say, first hand, that the treatment I've received by your peers has been deplorable. All while I was as polite as I am being now. I've enough of a post history to show that I'm not usually an asshole and I'm usually very open to admitting my own errors and to learning new things. So, I don't think it's me. I saw similar behavior directed towards others. We've expected maturity (because that's what the RC group has been, historically) and we got petulant children with entitlement issues and an unwillingness to accept that they're not in charge.
I don't want to say you, you personally, deserve it because you don't. Historically the group has been impeccable until recently. I suspect it's the barrier to enter the hobby that is the issue. That and showing off is
You know you can incorporate and actually write a whole lot of shit off, right? Seriously - spend the money to hire a lawyer and get an accountant. I know that it costs you money but it actually saves you money in the long run. You need a president, a vice president, and a treasurer. They can't be the same people, obviously. They can be family. Then start a family business - do so, for real.
Go fix a computer or two for a few bucks on the weekends. Don't get fake receipts. Make investments. Operate as a business. Check with a lawyer and an accountant. You'd be amazed what you can write off. If you're daring you can start a contracting business and hire yourself to do the job you're currently doing. (Really, check with a lawyer.)
Just make sure you also do other business instead of just working that one job. (Did I mention checking with a lawyer?) And keep accurate records - now your vehicle is a company asset (also an accountant - check with one of those) and things like your computer's depreciation are now valid concerns at tax time. (Don't forget a lawyer.)
Your total business doesn't even have to turn a profit every year. You can 'lose' money to save money. This is not tax evasion - tax evasion is illegal. This is tax avoidance and some say it is your duty to do so. (Don't forget that lawyer.)
I am not a lawyer nor an accountant. This is neither legal advice nor accounting advice. If I were a lawyer I'd sure as hell not be your lawyer and this is in no way considered advice beyond suggesting you check with qualified professionals.
There are more racists in the north than the south ever dreamed of having - and yes, I'm not white. Well, not totally. They're just a little more subtle about it.
Don't take offense but the north reminds me of this "joke" which, while sort of funny, is still all too true...
Q: When does a black man become a nigger?
A: When he leaves the room.
Funny? Maybe a little, I guess - I'm part black. (I'm Native American, White, and have somewhere under 1/8 black in me. Not a whole lot but my hair shows it.) What it really is, is a sad statement of how it really is in the north. I've been all over this country - literally. There's no racism like the 'not racists.' The reason they're not racists is because there's nobody there but white people.
I must be doing it wrong. To me it didn't seem to minimize anything when I read about it. If anything it made it worse. I've never liked the guy (or even what he does) so I didn't pay a lot of attention. This just confirmed he was an egocentric narcissist and an asshole. Adding rapist, with or without a condom, doesn't do much to help him out in my views. Seriously? They thought the whole condom thing would be minimizing it? No... No! That makes it worse!
LOL Yeah yeah, I've seen it. How to put this... Hmm... Unlike the other guy, or sort of like them, you're now assuming there was more there and/or more orders of operation than the two listed integers. If you look at your example it is not, clearly, 1 + 1. It is 1+...+1.
In Slashdot terms...
1 + 1 != 1+...+1
1 + 1 == 2
*tada.wav*
I have accumulated what you would call wealth. Not only do I pay every nickel I am obligated to pay in taxes but I spend far more than I can write off, I can not decrease my tax burden any further, just in donations to worthy causes. I consider those donations my obligation. I consider those donations to be a part of the social contract. I did not get to where I am on my own. I give back because I can. I appreciate being able to do it with donations because then I select where my 'tax burden' really lies.
However, to go further down the rabbit hole, again - you seem to think those who have accumulated some wealth mind being taxed? I will happily increase my tax burden and not let it impact my spending or my investments provided the money goes to sound investments and is reasonably spent. People wonder why capital gains taxes are so low, the reason is to encourage those people who can to invest because their money helps the world go 'round. Thus they are penalized less when they put the money to work for the greater economic benefit.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this but, no... I don't mind or begrudge my taxes. I only get taxed on what I spend anyways. I don't even get taxed much on that and I am able to reduce my tax burden to really low percentages just by doing my aforementioned civic duty in the form of donating to worthy charitable causes. There are a lot of other ways I can, and do, reduce my tax burden. If you raise my tax burden to 90% then I'd really only be paying that 90% after a pretty damned huge amount of expenditures - expenses I don't normally actually incur.
I'd probably not reach that threshold on a regular basis - I simply don't actually take my money out of my portfolio and roll around in it like Scrooge McDuck. (I don't have *that* much anyhow.) So long as it stays invested then I don't pay really a nickel on it and that's not going to change. I'll continue spending as much as I spend now (maybe a little less if I actually cared about taxes but, really, no - that's not even going to be a concern if I want something) and actually pay somewhere around the same percentage that my neighbor's pay.
Here's the bottom of that rabbit hole... I don't mind. I do mind that they're currently spent unwisely. I'd actually be happier paying for programs like Sanders offers to try to implement. (You don't think Congress is going to let him have half the stuff he wants, do you? He'd be president, not king.) If I minded taxes then, you know, I'd just "bounce up on out of this bitch." (I think that's the appropriate colloquialism.) There are other countries who will make me a citizen just for investing a few dollars. I already have citizenship in Canada by grace of birth and ethnicity - I'm more than 1/4 Native American, Micmac if you're curious, and I'm sure they'd absolutely love to have me. I already own property there.
No, we need to be taxed higher than we are. This shouldn't trickle down to the middle class. It sure as hell shouldn't affect the impoverished. We need to be taxed more, maybe allowed to write off more by donating but that's another subject entirely, and the money needs to be spent wisely. Investing money in bombing brown people is not a good investment. Investing money on a war on chemicals is not a good thing. Investing money on warehousing people for victimless crimes is not a good thing. Investing money on wasteful bureaucracies is not a good thing. I could go on.
I don't get to make the rules so I'll happily listen to the social consensus. But, really, we have so much money (as a whole) that there's no excuse for us having the issues we have. It's simply unacceptable.
Hmm... I'm particularly ranty tonight. Sorry - no offense meant. I'm going to post it anyhow. Meh... Maybe someone will read it. I'm not hugely wealthy by some folks standards - not even really that rich. I'm certainly in the 1% and probably closer to the .2% if I recall the statistics posted at one point. I spend more on a bunch of silly cars and computers than I
Hmm... One nit to pick... I usually see the left saying that social security is doomed to run out of money and that it is the fault of the Republicans for robbing the piggy bank and leaving it full of IOU slips.
Maybe I'm mistaken but that's been my observation. Perhaps one, or both of us, is subject to confirmation bias? It could be me but I tend to see both sides as evil and wrong. I actually see the left as more wrong because they're smarter than the right and should know better so, I guess, it could be my own biases? I seem to recall the Republicans want to just gut it and put it into private hands so they can use it to siphon off more money. They're just stupid. The left is willfully ignorant and is subject to harsher judgment because they should know better - they're smarter than that.
I've established a fair reputation here and I've been pretty consistent for the duration of my stay. It should be well known that I'm a pretty staunch Libertarian though the moniker is, really, Classic Libertarian. I'm neither a follower of Rand nor a believer in anarcho-capitalism nor a conservative - by any stretch of the imagination. I've explained this, time and time again actually. I'll spare you the details unless you promise to read them and do so with an open mind but, rest assured, that the vast majority of Libertarians are nothing like the caricatures that you see on television or see people self-identifying as on the internet. I know, no true Scotsman. However, it's true. Wikipedia (just the first four paragraphs is enough) is actually pretty good - I was quite surprised.
So don't think that the angry parts of what is to come are directed towards you - they're not. I actually agree with you but will need a minute to explain. Sound fair? Okay...
Now, my beliefs are very strongly that the rights belong to the individual (and no, businesses have rights but they're really friggin' low on the list) are the most important and must be balanced with the rights of the whole. Government should be small but powerful. It needs to be. No one political ideology will ever be successful in its pure form - we're too human for that utopia and almost all of them could be a utopia if it weren't for those pesky humans.
I encourage you, and anyone else, to realize that Libertarianism is a political ideology and not an economic model - the two are far from inseparable. Again, rights must be balanced with the favor going to the individual. An example might be that I strongly support a social safety net, libraries, roads, education, welfare, and a reasonable taxation rate. Why? Because it's cheaper in the long run and more economical to prevent harm than it is to cure it. When we, as a society, can increase ourselves unilaterally then we all benefit. It is for my benefit. I don't want raving mad, disenfranchised, horded of hungry storming my house and taking my shit. I paid for my shit because I like it and I'd like to keep it. I want you to keep your shit too.
I want you to be free to do with your body what you will. If the object of your affection or lust doesn't mind then cram whatever into whatever hole you'd like. What ever you want so long as you're harming only you and the person with you - it's cheaper to just accept it and move along than to fight it. You want to be a freak? Get freaky with it. Have a good time, post pics, and slap *it* on the ass once for me.
This is your typical Libertarian but, unfortunately, our voices are drowned out by the idiots who can speak the loudest and by those who choose to opine without any actual knowledge. This is partially my fault and I apologize. See, rights come with responsibilities and accepting them is one of the most important things. That there? That's me accepting accountability and this is me attempting to change it. You won't listen. I could type for days but you won't read it and you'll just try to argue. Well, maybe not you but hopefully you get the idea.
Anyhow, I mention all that to mention this...
Of all the people who are currently running for the presidency slot - Sanders is the most likely candidate to get my vote. He is also the recipient of my money and will surely get more depending on how things go. I'd prefer to see him run as a American Socialist Party candidate, I think it would be more honest, but that's okay.
Why is he my favorite? Of all the candidates he's the only one that I've seen who puts the valuation on rights in the correct order. The individual, the group, the government, the businesses. That seems to be his thinking and I could pick at it a bit but, you know what? It's CLOSE ENOUGH. He's the best we've got and he's not even a member of our party. I'd love to have a chat with him and put him under the flaps of our tent. He'd be welcome if we could shut the mouthpieces up for a while.
Anyhow, it is
BOO!
And wearing the agreed upon prophylactic device. (That was the right case, right? I really need to start keeping up on things. I was never a fan of his so I don't pay much attention unlike Snowden whom I do pay attention to.)
I have a Hulu subscription and a Netflix subscription. I have like 2500 videos in queue at YouTube. I should cancel both of them but I never do. I might watch one or the other for one viewing session every few weeks. Each viewing session is maybe a few hours long and while I'm occupied with something else.
I've never once denied that I'm an idiot. I did get sick of cable and satellite a long time ago, so there's that.
Everything involves math. ;) But yeah, the term is fairly archaic but the field still deals with a lot of fundamentals and theoretical pursuits and does indeed involve naval gazing. After all, how many is one half of infinity? Of course, infinity is conceptual and does not reflect reality but even a theoretical should be quantifiable, no?
If you're at all familiar with the few non-insane posts I've made then you'll understand my bias towards math being the sum (heh, I made a funny) of all things. Also, pardon my light hearted discourse. I've reached a new and sudden realization and have achieved a greater state of mind because of it, thus I'm content which is, to my mind, even better than happiness.
An added bonus is that it involves a real, living, human, female who is many years my junior and quite attractive. That might be something maths can't quantify. Were I a philosopher of mathematics, I'd have a theory. Actually, I do, but I shan't ruin it for me nor bore you.
I seem to recall that someone tried to sell me a Kirby vacuum cleaner a long time ago. One of their selling points (and I'm not sure what benefit this was meant to have) was that they were an old company and owned by PepsiCo. They're a diverse company and a good solid investment.
According to a whole bunch of documentaries? Yes. Yes it has. We have big brains because we eat meat. There's more energy in meat. We're able to process this meat because we learned to make fire. Fire makes the meat more easily digestible to our tummy tum tums.
It's a trap! (Not that kind, the real kind.)
That is AWESOME! I wanna answer the phone! I soooo wanna answer the phone. I showed it to my company/companion/lady friend and she agrees. Answering the phone would be absolutely awesome if you did so with the right mindset. I'd pay them to let me answer the phone. They'd probably want to study me, though. :/
Also, I've never played or seen the game. I'm not really much of a gamer, I'm afraid. I absolutely want one of those signs. I'm on the road so I may well have to swoop into town and acquire one in the dead of night. That is awesome! 200 bucks doesn't seem like a lot of money though. I wonder how many hours it is? Also, free MRI? I wonder if you get to keep the records. I've seen a friend's MRI on DVD. It was good fun to play with and the software built in was cool. I had no idea what I was doing but I did fun things with it.
Yes, yes I am a five year old child. I'm just old for my age.
We didn't really evolve to do *anything* so much as we evolved and by sheer shit luck and the process of elimination we've managed to not go extinct.