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1
The Show / Re: New co-host "Nemi" - 09/28/11
« on: September 28, 2011, 10:07:05 PM »
Indeed.
In fact, I'm thinking of acting all jealous, but no, she done good.
Welcome, Nemi.
In fact, I'm thinking of acting all jealous, but no, she done good.
Welcome, Nemi.
2
General / Re: Dating Rant
« on: June 11, 2011, 07:27:07 PM »Women are crazy. They have all this empathy, and shit.
You obviously never met my ex, who divorced me in order to be able to put a 3 year old boy into full-time daycare.
Bitch. No empathy there.
If you found a woman with empathy, keep her.
3
The Polling Pit / Re: Do You Ride Motorcycles?
« on: June 11, 2011, 07:19:20 PM »One of the big three rallies in the US is happening in NH next week. One of my roommates is thinking of riding his bike up there. Anyone else going?
It's for Hardley's, right?
5
General / Re: Little Caesar's
« on: April 28, 2011, 02:26:27 PM »
In general, Pizza Hut meat lover's stuffed crust.
However, that Porky Pig special in Were was actually quite good.
However, that Porky Pig special in Were was actually quite good.
6
General / Re: Harry Potter the anarchist
« on: April 28, 2011, 02:22:58 PM »
I read them all to my daughter.
I agree, there is a serious undercurrent of "law is irrelevant, good guys don't need it and bad guys ignore it".
The endless bureaucratic rules in book 5, that students simply ignore, as well as the take-over of the Ministry of Magic by the 'bad guys' in book 7, were perfect examples of "arbitrary power".
Note that real figures of authority, like Dumbledore, are not infallible, and they don't lord it over others. They have authority because they are authorities and give good instructions, not because they have power.
I agree, there is a serious undercurrent of "law is irrelevant, good guys don't need it and bad guys ignore it".
The endless bureaucratic rules in book 5, that students simply ignore, as well as the take-over of the Ministry of Magic by the 'bad guys' in book 7, were perfect examples of "arbitrary power".
Note that real figures of authority, like Dumbledore, are not infallible, and they don't lord it over others. They have authority because they are authorities and give good instructions, not because they have power.
7
General / Re: Wow. In "Communist" China, they actually arrest police who shoot people...
« on: April 21, 2011, 12:31:08 PM »Easy enough to explain. In China there are no Christians in the government. Evidently they learn a less hypocritical theology.
Both the Taoist and Confuscian traditions are very strict where those in a place in authority owe their citizens respect.
That's not to say they don't have bureaucratic problems, but the bureaucrats as INDIVIDUALS have much less protection for the results of their INDIVIDUAL actions than the unionized bureaucrats in the USA.
Some day Deung Chow Ping is going to be hailed as a real hero, for turning China back on the road toward individual liberty (on the road, not there yet) the same way that Jefferson is for his Declaration of Independence.
8
General / Re: Cold Steel
« on: April 21, 2011, 12:26:30 PM »
Paul Chen Practical Plus Katana
...when I can afford one.
...when I can afford one.
9
General / Re: Is Austrian Economics BS?
« on: April 20, 2011, 11:27:12 AM »
No degree at all. Ok, Associates in Electronics. Might as well be nothing.
Science is the scientific method.
Observe phenomenon.
Form a hypothesis.
Test hypothesis.
If hypothesis fails, throw out old hypothesis and return to step 2.
If hypothesis is confirmed, pronounce it a theory and if it doesn't work for anyone else, throw it out and return to step 2.
If theory is repeatable, confirmable and consistent, it will eventually be confirmed as a scientific fact.
That's it. That's science. On to the next phenomenon.
Science is the scientific method.
Observe phenomenon.
Form a hypothesis.
Test hypothesis.
If hypothesis fails, throw out old hypothesis and return to step 2.
If hypothesis is confirmed, pronounce it a theory and if it doesn't work for anyone else, throw it out and return to step 2.
If theory is repeatable, confirmable and consistent, it will eventually be confirmed as a scientific fact.
That's it. That's science. On to the next phenomenon.
11
General / Re: Reasons to Hate Bill Gates and refuse the use Microsoft OS
« on: April 13, 2011, 11:20:31 AM »I'm saying you nailed it; really.
Thank you. That is a generous statement, I appreciate it.
While it's fun to bicker and argue, there is only one absolute statement: Use what works for you.
And, since I found that Wizard 101 works under WINE, now I have no reason to have Windows in the house.
12
General / Re: Is Austrian Economics BS?
« on: April 08, 2011, 03:54:15 PM »Yeah, and the approach to understanding economics uses the same principal I described in the last post. It's the same idea. The free market as opposed to centrally planned economics.
You wanna split hairs.
If I may, he's not quite splitting hairs.
The Austrian economic analysis is "value free". That means it's not about "right" and "wrong", merely about "efficient" verses "inefficient".
For example, competition in the field of poison gas manufacture will lead to the highest quality and the lowest price, even though feeding people into gas chambers is not a "good" thing to be doing in the first place.
Listening to an entire Mises University, http://media.mises.org/mp3/MU2010/ will take a few days. Ok, several weeks of commute time in the car. Anyway, what you will get is people explaining EXACTLY the kinds of issues you and Zhwazi are bickering about.
As an example, it's not that Austrian theories cannot be tested, it's that by setting up such a test one sets up the contradictory situation of trying to plan spontaneity.
That is why the most effective means of Austrian analysis is upon events that have happened, to explain why.
Intelligent people will then use the "why" to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
The one single major problem with Austrian economics is that it directly addresses the inefficiency of central planning and coercive intervention.
Politicians, bureaucrats and other control freaks simply HATE to be told they're wrong, and thus they take every opportunity to point out how Austrian economics cannot be correct.
13
General / Re: Reasons to Hate Bill Gates and refuse the use Microsoft OS
« on: April 08, 2011, 03:39:40 PM »Thank you for expressing what I apparently miserably failed to.
Nonono, I wasn't in any way disparaging what you had said.
I merely consider it something that can't be said too much.
14
General / Re: Reasons to Hate Bill Gates and refuse the use Microsoft OS
« on: April 07, 2011, 04:05:40 PM »Windows is free as in freedom - read Ayn Rand.
Windows relies upon govt copyright to prosecute those who share the software.
Quote
GNU is unfree as in communism - a plot to impose government control of the software industry.
GNU relies upon govt copyright to prosecute those who try to restrict sharing of the software.
Maybe you're just deliberately confusing free, gratis and libre in order to sound like an asshole.
Yes, the BSD license is more permissive than the GPL. Permissive of assholes to be assholes with other people's work is not a good thing.
I prefer the Creative Commons licenses, but that's not what was available at the time.
15
General / Re: Dating Rant
« on: April 07, 2011, 04:00:28 PM »I asked her to marry me on Sunday. She said yes.
Cool. I wish you both nothing but the best. Take care of each other, and it will last.