tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24534225339674506802024-03-08T08:56:08.308-06:00RummageN. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-59507026088813896782014-11-05T00:11:00.001-06:002014-11-05T00:11:07.377-06:00We are all slavesHere's some historical context regarding abortion. Back in the day, when white people owned black people as if they were horses or cattle, new-born slave children were instant property expansion for slave-owners.<br />
<br />
So of course if a slave woman got caught aborting her pregnancy to prevent her child from entering a life of slavery, that meant destruction of property for her owners. Just as if she had killed a foal or a calf before it was born.<br />
<br />
Think we're any different than slaves, today? If the anti-abortionists have their way, think again. Your children are the commodity property of the Corporate State, ladies.<br />
<br />
"They own you." -- George CarlinN. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-44073832147461322412014-05-11T10:08:00.002-05:002014-05-11T13:54:29.041-05:00Letter to Senator Rand Paul about ObamacareDear Senator Rand Paul,-<br />
<br />
Obamacare -- It's a shame that the federal government has to decree a law that mandates that citizens have to buy something. But affordable health care services in my state are impossible to find. Finding a physician that doesn't overcharge hundreds of dollars for basic procedures is simply impossible. I need insurance to protect me from this sort of price gouging.<br />
<br />
What else can be done to increase the number of affordable health care options in Texas?<br />
<br />
I see the Affordable Health Care Act as yet another tax. In return for that tax, the prices I pay for health care get lower.<br />
<br />
My question for you, Senator Paul is this: How else will the prices ever get lower?<br />
<br />
Look Senator Paul, if you want to get rid of Obamacare so badly, then you need to get rid of the federal government's Constitutional right to tax its citizens. If you can do that, then you can get rid of all the things that you seem to dislike about the federal government.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, you are going to simply have to find a way to get health care costs down across the board without a massive insurance mandate.<br />
<br />
I work really hard and I have a good job -- but until you do one of those things, I simply can't afford to go to a doctor unless I have insurance. And that means I'll likely die earlier than my parents, or my grandparents. It almost seems like the current health care system is <i>designed</i> specifically so that rich people are the only ones who can go to a doctor.<br />
<br />
I just want to be able to afford to go to the doctor. I don't care how it gets done. That's your job.<br />
<br />
Let me be clear about that last bit: Your job is to figure out how to make health care costs lower.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
-Nels Nelson<br />
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N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-67209124805510915232013-07-31T12:03:00.002-05:002013-07-31T12:05:50.178-05:00Someone stole my grandpa's old Schwinn 10-speedSomeone stole my grandpa's old Schwinn 10-speed from my apartment patio this week. Let me know if you spot it anywhere? Offering $200 bounty for info leading to recovery.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: right; text-align: left; width: 300px; padding: 12px;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/9f8lEXT.jpg"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://i.imgur.com/9f8lEXT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This bicycle was incredibly valuable to me emotionally, but I did not keep it as securely as I should have done. I just moved to Austin, and I live in a small apartment near Braker Lane and Jollyville.<br />
<br />
You don't know how valuable some things are until they're taken from you. This is just a bike, so it's not the end of the world. But it was important to me.<br />
<br />
If anyone around Austin happens to spot it, out and about, or at a pawn shop, could you please contact me as soon as possible?<br />
<br />
Here is an imgur album of my grandfather's bicycle:<br />
<a href="http://imgur.com/a/Jhh6F#0">http://imgur.com/a/Jhh6F#0</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-18504906285413310312013-03-20T09:46:00.002-05:002013-03-20T10:32:17.336-05:00The status quo anthemSo this morning after a horrible slog through interregional Texas IH35, a pleasant jaunt around Austin via the expensive 130 Tollway in order to avoid the sad misery of south and downtown Austin traffic, only to endure a hellish trek back into the city across some side roads around a hopelessly clogged 290 West, I finally arrived at the office early enough to get settled at my desk about half past eight. After collecting my thoughts and meditating for a few moments I began to read my e-mail, when at around a quarter to nine, I heard the sounds of music playing, very loudly, from a desk about 100 meters north from my desk. The music spilled out into the office, and I noticed several individuals standing up at the same moment that I recognized the music as the National Anthem of the United States of America.<br />
<br />
<div style="float: right;"><img style="width: 140px;" src="http://i.imgur.com/BTh6M4G.jpg" /></div>
I stood up, and grabbed my empty cup of coffee, and began walking in the direction of the filling station which happened to be a bit closer to the anthem's broadcaster. I could see a very large American flag hanging from the ceiling in the vicinity of the speakers from which the song was blaring.<br />
<br />
I noticed many more individuals standing up at their desk, some with their hands over their hearts, as the music played on and I filled my cup.<br />
<br />
I returned to my desk confused. I have worked in government contracting agencies. In my capacity as a civilian software developer, I have worked with men and women dressed in military uniforms. I have never seen the national anthem played as a matter of course in a private office building before.<br />
<br />
As I returned to my desk in my lonely anti-nationalist, pro-globalist depression, I contemplated the utter misery I experienced during my commute into work this morning.<br />
<br />
Do I love my country? Nope. Not a bit.<br />
<br />
Do I love my fellow citizens? Yup.<br />
<br />
But I hate them on the road, because they (my fellow countrymen, my nation) refuse to pay for roads and infrastructure sufficient to prevent an entirely miserable existence for most of us.<br />
<br />
And yet we display our reverence for the status quo, in our office, with a soundtrack.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-6404964304093178092013-02-20T13:13:00.004-06:002014-02-06T12:17:52.534-06:00Re: Election Reform<b>Following up on:</b> <a href="http://nelsnelson.blogspot.com/2012/10/election-reform.html">Election Reform</a>
<p>The Constitution spells out the algorithm for the maximum number of congressional representatives in our federal government in <a href="http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States_of_America">Article I, Section 2</a> where it states that "there shall not be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one Representative for every fifty thousand persons."</p>
<p>So, 1 representative for every 50,000 citizens, maximum.</p>
<p>That's 6175 representatives, according to <a href="http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=%28US+population%29+%2F+50%2C000">Wolfram Alpha's US population stats</a>, which is about 14 times more representatives than the current maximum of 435. More precisely, it is 1419% more representatives than we have right now.</p>
<h3>Benefits</h3>
<p><b>Benefit 1:</b> Corporations and lobbyists would have to increase their political bribery budgets by 1419%. Presently, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/">corporate lobbyists spend about US$ 3 billion <i>each year</i> to influence Congress</a>. This would theoretically have to increase to US$ 42 billion.</p>
<p><b>Benefit 2:</b> You would probably know your representative personally. You could probably make an appointment with him or her, and actually have a real conversation. Your representative would only have to deal with a population the size of Paris, Texas.</p>
<h3>Problems</h3>
<p><h4>Problem 1: Too many representatives to coordinate</h4></p><div style="float: right;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaregions_of_the_United_States"><img style="border: 2px; width: 120px;" src="http://www.america2050.org/images/2050_Map_Megaregions2008_150.png"></img></a>
</div><p><b>Solution:</b> If you divide 6175 representatives by 435, then you have about 14 congresses. This means that nearly every <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaregions_of_the_United_States">major region in the United States</a> could have its own Congress. States-rights lovers would adore this.</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population">The Southern states have 109,840,000 people</a>. That should be 2197 apportioned representatives, or about 5 congresses. This means that the South could have 5 different Houses of Congress which would represent each of their regions.</p>
<p>Each of these Houses of Congress would deliberate locally on interregional matters, and would collaborate in Congressional Conventions and networked conferences using the Internet for national issues.</p>
<p><h4>Problem 2: Gerrymandering</h4></p>
<p><b>Solution:</b> Shortest-Splitline Districting.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUS9uvYyn3A">The Shortest-Splitline Algorithm: a Gerrymandering Solution</a></li>
<li><a href="http://rangevoting.org/GerryExamples.html">Examples of our unbiased district-drawing algorithm in action / comparisons with gerrymandered districts drawn by politicians</a></li>
<li><a href="http://rangevoting.org/SplitLR.html">Splitline districtings of all 50 states</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://bdistricting.com/2010/TX_Congress/">Here is what Texas' Congressional districts would look like if they were actually fair</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/embed/mapframe?state=tx&bounds=-106.625,34.943,-92.782,25.069">Here is what the Texas Federal Congressional districts currently look like</a>.</p>
<p><h4>Problem 3: The Electoral College</h4></p>
<p><b>Solution</b>: <a href="http://rangevoting.org/">Range voting</a>.</p>
<p>Further reading:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.thirty-thousand.org/pages/Apportionment.htm">A Brief History of Apportionment</a></li>
</ul>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-83835853846984521182013-02-15T03:59:00.002-06:002013-02-19T10:32:34.755-06:00Meteorite explodes over Chelyabinsk, Russia<p>Wow. These are incredible videos.</p>
<p>Apparently a meteorite exploded over a Russian city called Chelyabinsk.</p>
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/TJ8x5Xk.jpg" width="525px"></img>
<p>Some 4 to 5 hundred people reported injuries from broken glass and other incidental shrapnel when the shockwave of the incoming projectile exploded down into the city. No fatalities have been reported.</p>
<p>It is not yet known whether or not the meteorite broke apart completely or impacted in a location outside the city.</p>
<div id="4ZxXYscmgRg">
<p>You will need Flash 10 or better to view this content.</p>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
swfobject.embedSWF(
"http://www.youtube.com/v/4ZxXYscmgRg", "4ZxXYscmgRg",
"525", "420",
"8", null, null, null
);
</script>
<div id="b0cRHsApzt8">
<p>You will need Flash 10 or better to view this content.</p>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
swfobject.embedSWF(
"http://www.youtube.com/v/b0cRHsApzt8", "b0cRHsApzt8",
"525", "420",
"8", null, null, null
);
</script>
<p>This is incredible.</p>
<div id="b7mLUIDGqmw">
<p>You will need Flash 10 or better to view this content.</p>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
swfobject.embedSWF(
"http://www.youtube.com/v/b7mLUIDGqmw", "b7mLUIDGqmw",
"525", "420",
"8", null, null, null
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<p><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/02/15/breaking_huge_meteor_explodes_over_russia.html">Slate has a far better collection of videos of the meteorite explosion</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://rt.com/news/meteorite-crash-urals-chelyabinsk-283/">Russian Times</a> as well.</p>
<p>Simply mind-blowing. </p>
<p><a href="http://earthsky.org/space/asteroid-2012-da14-will-pass-very-close-to-earth-in-2013">Asteroid 2012 DA14</a>, the size of a small building, is supposed to pass within 17,000 miles of the Earth today, February 15th, 2013. There has been no reports that the Russian meteorite event is at all related to the DA14 event but it is still an amazing and even unsettling coincidence.</p>
<p>If I were to speculate on any possible relationship, I could only imagine that the 2012 DA14 asteroid could possibly have been ripped apart by Earth's gravity if it encountered destructive tidal forces inside the Roche limit. Broken fragments could then have been explosively propelled into the atmosphere and onto the surface. This is of course flat out speculation, of course, and would be a rather fantastic scenario.</p>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-44399348496067406062012-10-02T12:00:00.000-05:002012-10-12T12:40:14.787-05:00A couple of future industriesAll of the technologies discussed here are currently available and usable. Some might be more expensive than others, but all are totally feasible for actual deployment today.<br />
<br />
In the future, we're gonna be doing all kinds of industrial activities in space.<br />
<br />
To get there in the short-term, we'll need lots of energy. Mostly rocket fuel. Rocket fuel can be surprisingly simply. It's mostly a mixture of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. Both elements by themselves combust violently. These components can be found in water. Undoing the chemical bonds of water molecules isn't hard, it just requires some energy. This is where land-based photovoltaics come in for the initial boot-strapping steps required for the kinds of inter-planetary industrial activities I'll be discussing here.<br />
<br />
Once an orbiting manufacturing plant has been established, construction of inter-planetary robotic vehicles can begin.<br />
<br />
Getting the components for automated manufacturing into high-earth orbit will be pretty expensive. That's what the rocket fuel is for. Once the bootstrap plant and initial raw materials are in place, this step will not need to be repeated.<br />
<br />
Robots will mine asteroids in the solar system for precious metals and also for raw material. Primarily, the raw material will be used to construct heat shields, photovoltaic cells, and of course more robots.<br />
<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/breakingviews/2012/04/24/asteroid_mining_robots_could_launch_a_new_industry_.html" target="_blank">http://www.slate.com/blogs/<wbr></wbr>breakingviews/2012/04/24/<wbr></wbr>asteroid_mining_robots_could_<wbr></wbr>launch_a_new_industry_.html</a><br />
<a href="http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10012086-4.html">http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10012086-4.html</a><br />
<br />
The precious metals can be collected into orbit around the planet, and heat shields fabricated and deployed to protect payloads from burning up during re-entry when returning to the surface of Earth.<br />
<br />
Space-faring asteroid-mining robots will be comprised of several components.<br />
<br />
First, ion thrusters.<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_thruster" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<wbr></wbr>Ion_thruster</a><br />
<a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2000331/mit-develops-tiny-ion-thrusters-for-tiny-satellites.html" target="_blank">http://www.techhive.com/<wbr></wbr>article/2000331/mit-develops-<wbr></wbr>tiny-ion-thrusters-for-tiny-<wbr></wbr>satellites.html</a><br />
<br />
Second, photo voltaic cells.<br />
<br />
Third, onboard battery cells, charged by the PV cells.<br />
<br />
Fourth, onboard computer system.<br />
<br />
Fifth, some sensors including radar, thermal imaging, radioactivity gauges, video cameras, and audio recording devices.<br />
<br />
Sixth, a payload container.<br />
<br />
Seventh, robotic arms wielding drills and grasping apparati.<br />
<br />
The stored electricity in the batteries will be used to power the thrusters, onboard computer systems, sensor arrays and mining tools.<br />
<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<br />
There are lots of complicating factors at play here. Each complicating factor is an opportunity for a whole new industry in addition to the asteroid mining industry and the high-earth orbital robot manufacturing industry.<br />
<br />
For one, there is currently a crisis developing in the mid-earth orbital regions above our planet. Over the past few decades, various space agencies have launched over a dozen thousand satellites, into low, mid, and high earth orbit. Those agencies have been able to collaborate to keep track of all of these projectiles whizzing around above our heads at thousands of miles an hour. Unfortunately, every once in a while, a satellite which loses its ability to steer itself, or which never had such an ability, will collide at high speed with another object. This creates hundreds or thousands of smaller projectiles also spinning around at thousands of miles an hour. It is nearly impossible to accurately track those particles. When those particles eventually collide with other satellites, even more debris is created, and it quickly becomes mathematically impossible to track that debris.<br />
<br />
Soon, a point of no return is reached, and debris is flying around at extremely high velocities in random directions violently colliding with other objects in space, creating more and more debris in a chain-reaction. Eventually, mid-earth orbit where most of the current satellites are deployed will become entirely filled up with high-velocity debris.<br />
<span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration: underline;">http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/satellites/weve-already-passed-the-tipping-point-for-orbital-debris</span><br />
<br />
It will soon become impossible to travel into this region of earth orbit without experiencing a high-velocity collision with some debris from previous space vehicles.<br />
<br />
At those velocities, any collision with debris no matter how small will be cataclysmic and will cause complete destruction of any vehicle in its path.<br />
<br />
Getting material into orbit to build a manufacturing plant will be nigh impossible with a barrier of other material spinning around the planet like space piranha.<br />
<br />
In order to fix this, an entire enterprise dedicated to the removal of such debris material from orbit will be required. It will be necessary to create orbital robotic garbage collectors whose responsibility it is to seek and intercept all debris in orbit, and force this debris down back into the atmosphere where it will burn up upon re-entry, avoiding collision with any other satellites or vehicles along the way.<br />
<br />
Once the initial debris is cleared to the point where travel back and forth from the surface to crucial locations like the mining robot manufacturing plant in high-earth orbit and the material collection station from which return-to-earth drops will be initiated, there will need to be a continued enterprise of garbage collection and orbit decay management.<br />
<br />
Such vehicles can be surprisingly simple. They may be comprised of these components:<br />
<br />
First, ion thrusters for maneuvering.<br />
<br />
Second, PV cells.<br />
<br />
Third, onboard battery cells, charged by the PV cells.<br />
<br />
Fourth, onboard sensors including radar and infrared imaging.<br />
<br />
Fifth, onboard computer system for navigation, trajectory tracking, and object identification.<br />
<br />
Sixth, rudimentary docking ports and shock absorbers for low-speed contact with debris once a speed and attitude match has been acquired. (This might also be done with electromagnets.)<br />
<br />
These robots will basically perform tugboat-like maneuvers for vehicles, satellites, and debris in space orbit around the earth and other bodies where inter-orbit travel is necessary.<br />
<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<br />
Once a solar-system raw material supply chain is established, the large-scale boot-strapping of the planet's surface energy harvesting apparatus can begin.<br />
<br />
This initial step is necessary to acquire the energy necessary to begin large scale inter-orbital construction of larger and more effective solar-energy harvesting infrastructure.<br />
<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<br />
Long-term, there will be many obstacles to success for our civilization due to its ever-expanding population.<br />
<br />
Jevon's Paradox states that no matter how many energy and technological advances our industrial system makes, there will be an ever expanding consumption of the surplus energy generated by such efficiencies.<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<wbr></wbr>Jevons_paradox</a><br />
<br />
What this means for our civilization is simple, if we are to avoid an Eugenic struggle amongst our own species, then we must develop a number of efficiency maximizing technologies, and soon.<br />
<br />
These include room-temperature super-conductors; super high-capacity, super fast-charging batteries; ever more efficient and cheap solar photovoltaic cells; and eventually some form of inter-stellar travel.<br />
<br />
If we do not, then our civilization is doomed to self-cannibalization. There will be an upper limit on our ability to produce new energy and effectively utilize it across an ever-expanding population.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<br />
The sooner these old-school, baby-boomer, ignorant lawyer politicians in the House of Representatives who want to continue to underfund NASA's budget get voted out of office, or just die, the better.<br />
<br />N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-11635290826463695762012-10-01T12:09:00.000-05:002016-08-11T14:19:29.410-05:00Election reformHere are some ways that the political system in the United States could be reformed. These things would mostly be difficult to achieve, since the system is currently geared to retard change and progress by preserving existing power structures.<br />
<br />
Only 5-10 incumbents lose their House seats every election cycle. That's about 1 or 2 percent of your representatives that get voted out of office. But wait, doesn't Congress have about a 10 to 14 percent approval rating? Shouldn't about 86 to 90 percent of our representatives be getting replaced every election year?<br />
<br />
But there they stay, voted into office once, and going nowhere.<br />
<br />
Your representatives do not have to worry about their performance while in office at all. They know that they will never get voted out of office unless they get involved in some sort of scandal. Please see the Wikipedia article about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_stagnation_in_the_United_States">Congressional stagnation</a>.<br />
<br />
Now consider what can be done to solve the problems in our political system.<br />
<br />
Shortest line districting<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUS9uvYyn3A">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUS9uvYyn3A</a><br />
<a href="http://rangevoting.org/SplitLR.html">http://rangevoting.org/SplitLR.html</a><br />
<br />
Mixed Member Proportional system<br />
<a href="http://rangevoting.org/GerryExamples.html">http://rangevoting.org/GerryExamples.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT0I-sdoSXU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT0I-sdoSXU</a><br />
<br />
Switzerland is a Multi-party Federal Parliamentary Democratic Republic<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Switzerland">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Switzerland</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Council_(Switzerland)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Council_(Switzerland)</a><br />
<br />
Public funding for elections<br />
<a href="http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/campaign-finance-reform">http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/campaign-finance-reform</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ155/html/PLAW-107publ155.htm">http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ155/html/PLAW-107publ155.htm</a><br />
<br />
Eliminate the Electoral College<br />
<a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/08/al-gore-calls-to-end-electoral-college-133927.html">http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/08/al-gore-calls-to-end-electoral-college-133927.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-edwards/electoral-college-votes_b_1917826.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-edwards/electoral-college-votes_b_1917826.html</a><br />
<br />
Overturn Citizens United v. FEC<br />
<a href="https://movetoamend.org/">https://movetoamend.org/</a><br />
<br />
State convention to ratify Article the First of the Constitution<br />
<a href="http://www.thirty-thousand.org/">http://www.thirty-thousand.org/</a>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-11124781034149264922012-06-21T11:03:00.002-05:002012-06-21T11:04:28.888-05:00Ruby 1.9.2 configure sourceWhen configuring ruby 1.9.2 for installation from source, use this.
<blockquote>$ ./configure --prefix=/usr/local --enable-pthread --with-readline-dir=/usr/local --enable-shared --program-suffix=1.9.2</blockquote>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-30587111276678812892012-01-30T15:16:00.003-06:002012-01-30T15:51:23.450-06:00The prophesy of envyThe essence of the neo-Conservative philosophy is rooted in a self-delusional hypocrisy -- that since all human beings are naturally fallen, sinful, and weak (a projection of their own psychology to others), then it is impossible for a secular human being to do good for others. And yet because the neo-conservative believes their own selves to be redeemed (exceptionally) by deity and therefore entitled to the individual blessings bestowed to me by the loving moral deity, they must protect their success and hoard their material blessings from those ostensibly lesser mortals who would only squander it. It is this way no matter how much suffering such lowly persons must endure, unless I, in my imagined righteousness, deign to stoop low so as to administer my condescending charity.<br /><br />And therefore, because the basis of social justice and community is a collective loyalty and commitment to mutual liberty and equality, those who would rather distrust and exclude themselves from the global community on the basis of a conviction of their own unique exceptionalism, do thereby create a self-fulfilling prophesy which causes envy and classism defined by their very own selfishness, greed, and false righteousness.<br /><br />Because after all, if others are actually only interested in their own personal well-being, but I assume that they are lying about their good-intentions (because after all, that is what I would do), then the only logical course is to pre-empt their exploitation of my trust by exploiting them first. This is the cold and calculating application of Merrill Flood's Prisoner's Dilemma game to not only world politics, but to people who's condemnable offense was not being born to a wealthy family in the Exceptional United States.<br /><br />"As I watched the behavior of the nations of the U.N. (including our own), I found no reasonable ground to expect any one of those governments to transcend permanently their own national interests for those of another country."<br />-- Jeane Kirkpatrick, American ambassador and ardent anti-Communist<br /><br />Conservatism: The assumption by psychological projection that others must think and behave as selfishly and as evilly as you do.N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-34462814982985330282011-11-22T11:14:00.009-06:002013-02-02T00:42:16.342-06:00UC Davis students pepper sprayed
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<br />N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-84903056551099731112011-11-10T19:17:00.000-06:002011-11-10T19:18:57.178-06:00Rick Perry - fuckwithable<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YcJPVdw0HoQ/Trx31pwA4qI/AAAAAAAAAM0/6H1zxJrtReo/s1600/Perry-Fuckwithable.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 306px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YcJPVdw0HoQ/Trx31pwA4qI/AAAAAAAAAM0/6H1zxJrtReo/s400/Perry-Fuckwithable.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673541394203992738" /></a>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-77043449709163381782011-09-29T08:58:00.002-05:002011-09-29T09:00:40.952-05:00MSNBC "The Last Word" Lawrence O'donnell on NYPD police brutality during Occupy Wall Street protests<iframe width="500" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zgr3DiqWYCI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-81802977301635504212011-09-19T21:10:00.012-05:002011-09-19T23:29:10.917-05:00Imagine all the people...<font size="-1"><div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 10px;" target="_blank"><br><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 50px; min-height: 50px; display: block;"></a><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px;"><div><div style="display: inline-block; text-align: left; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top; margin-left: 0px; float: right; margin-bottom: 0px;"><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal ! important; padding: 2px 23px 2px 6px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap; max-width: 169px;" target="_blank"><i style="display: inline-block; min-height: 16px; width: 17px; margin-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></i><span style="border-width: 0px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); display: inline-block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline-style: none; padding: 1px 0px 2px; white-space: nowrap; max-width: 169px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: top;"></span></a></div></div><h6 style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><div style="padding-bottom: 3px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a></div><span>So tonight on my way back from ACL, there were these insufferable street preachers yelling at people through megaphones telling them that we were all going to hell for listening to devil music and shit. They've been coming back there to the same spot for the past four years now.<br><br>Does anybody happen to know if Texas cities, or Austin specifically, require street demonstrators to acquire a license or anything of the sort?</span></h6><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span title="Like this item" type="submit" name="like" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(109, 132, 180); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span> · <!-- input --> · </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785" style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:34am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr></a></span></span><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 2px 0px 0px; width: 398px;"><li style="display: block; border-width: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i style="display: block; min-height: 5px; margin-left: 17px; width: 9px;"></i></li><li style="display: block; border-width: 1px 0px; background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 5px;"><label title="Like this item" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: bold; vertical-align: middle; display: block; min-height: 13px; width: 15px;"></label></a><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/clinton.s.mills" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Clint Mills</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1580175018" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Beth Jurzec</a> like this.</div></div></li><li style="display: block; border-width: 1px 0px 0px;"><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luisa.lowry" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/276030_696830456_252106330_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luisa.lowry" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Luisa Lowry</a> <span>Oh geez.... :/ That is not the Gospel. Sorry you have to go through them.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:38am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6452815]" value="6452815" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>Oh they were quoting verses right out of Matthew. I recognized the words. Matthew is one of the Gospels alright.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:46am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6452952]" value="6452952" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=758915759" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275274_758915759_2276658_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=758915759" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Carlos Ernesto Marin</a> <span>Well considering that fundamentalist Christians elected our governor and most of congress, even if there was a permit requirement, I doub't it would be enforced against them.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:46am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6452953]" value="6452953" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>There were actually uniformed officers (Austin PD) making sure that none of the crowds could get close to them. Plus they had legit 300 pound body guards. I am certain there had been violence before.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:48am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6453007]" value="6453007" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luisa.lowry" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/276030_696830456_252106330_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luisa.lowry" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Luisa Lowry</a> <span>Yes, Matthew is one of the books of the Gospels BUT their approach to Christianity is NOT the Gospel. Those people make me sad because that is not what true Christianity is about at all.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:50am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6453036]" value="6453036" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>‎:-) Sorry, I love you Luisa, but I disagree. That's *exactly* what Christianity is all about. It's about trying to divide the world up into two different kinds of people -- the people who are going to heaven, and the people who are going to hell. That's all there is to it. Jesus said so himself.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:53am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6453091]" value="6453091" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a><span><div style="display: inline;">Luke 12:51 "Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, No; but rather division: 52 "For from now on there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 "The father shall be divided agai<span style="display: inline;">nst the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." That's Jesus talking.</span></div></span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:55am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6453137]" value="6453137" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/203016_542489238_955129_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a><span><div style="display: inline;">You misunderstand Nels, It is about all the people. All Jesus is saying is that one cannot compromise one's faith. One cannot say I'll only follow 9 of the 10 commandments so that I don't offend my neighbor. In this, there will be conflict,<span style="display: inline;">because one's believe will cause division. However, Jesus does not say to go condemning, which those men in Austin appear to be doing. It is unfortunate that so many focus on other's sins instead of their own. For me, I've got enough of my own mess to clean up to worry about what music someone is listening too.</span></div></span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 9:31am" style="border-bottom-style: none;">14 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6453723]" value="6453723" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span> · <i style="display: inline-block; min-height: 9px; width: 10px;"></i> <a rel="dialog" href="https://www.facebook.com/browse/likes/?id=968511333615" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2 people</a></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/anna.claire.nelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-ash2/195609_567659551_449482_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/anna.claire.nelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Anna Nelson</a> <span>That must be what they were shouting about on Saturday night too...glad we didn't stop to listen.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 4:03pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">7 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6455146]" value="6455146" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span> · <i style="display: inline-block; min-height: 9px; width: 10px;"></i> <a rel="dialog" href="https://www.facebook.com/browse/likes/?id=968600435055" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">1 person</a></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>Good morning, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jon</a>! :-) I don't think I misunderstand at all. Either the biblical passages are open for fuzzy interpretations to content oneself, or they mean what they clearly say. I have never once seen any precise and reasonable criteria by which metaphor could be distinguished from literalism in the bible.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:38pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6456759]" value="6456759" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a><span><div style="display: inline;">Also, I understand the bible very well. I also understand Christian communities very well. And while I admit that such communities are well-meaning, it is an unavoidable fact that the exact same creeds that are used to bond such communiti<span style="display: inline;">es are also often used to attack, humiliate, and abuse people outside of certain communities. This is the way of religious dogmas of all stripes, including the gospel creed, throughout history. That is simply inarguable. I am not picking on your creed of choice, Jon -- Christianity. I am saying that I understand Christianity very well, and I see absolutely zero difference between its substance, and any other religion in the world -- including ones adhered to by hate-filled individuals. Religion is an enabler of good, but also very, very immoral behavior.</span></div></span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:45pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6456843]" value="6456843" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>‎<a href="https://www.facebook.com/anna.claire.nelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Anna Nelson</a>, last night, I stopped for a moment or two. I listened. They quoted scripture verses verbatim. From memory. Precisely. They were shouting them. With vitriol. They were passionate. They were true believers. Would everyone in the world be as passionate about what they believe -- the world would dine upon itself.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:49pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6456893]" value="6456893" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/203016_542489238_955129_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a><span><div style="display: inline;">If I hit you on the head with a candle stick. Is the candle stick evil? Is it designed for that purpose? Or am I the one doing wrong. I believe that the Luke 12:51 is merely stating that following Jesus is not without consequences. After al<span style="display: inline;">l, none of the disciples died of old age. Nowhere there does it advocate conflict. Nor does it say that following Jesus is the cause of the conflict, nor does it say that others are the cause of the conflict. Any other interpretation is on your part.</span></div></span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:55pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6456947]" value="6456947" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/203016_542489238_955129_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a> <span>If you truly understand the bible well, I envy you. I don't think that it is easily understood. As far as the metaphor (or parable) and literalism, there actually is a method for distinguishing between the too. I am not a scholar on the topic, but I think it is pretty rigorous. If you are interested I can ask a more learned person and get the reference for you.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:57pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6456984]" value="6456984" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>I understand that is what you believe, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a>. I think that belief clouds your reasoning.<br><br>I simply do not see how this can be interpreted in any other way: "Suppose you that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, No"<br><br>Also, your namesake, John the Apostle, died of natural causes at the age of 94.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7:58pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6456989]" value="6456989" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/203016_542489238_955129_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a> <span>Yup, I stand corrected. I don't dispute that he does not come to bring peace. But you said that Christianity advocates what those individuals in Austin were doing. You said that the Luke 12:51 says that you are suppose to go out and be hateful. It does not say that. It does not advocate an activity. It merely says that there will be conflict. What part of what I just said is 'clouded'?</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:09pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457116]" value="6457116" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/203016_542489238_955129_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a><span><div style="display: inline;">I agree that we interpret differently. But I humbly suggest that it just might be not from difference in faith, but difference in understanding. By dismissing what I say with the clouded comment. You dismiss the possibility that you might b<span style="display: inline;">e wrong. By claiming to understand well, you preclude the possibility of obtaining wisdom from the bible. The first step to wisdom starts with a question and and acknowledgement that there could be something we don't know.</span></div></span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:12pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457161]" value="6457161" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>Now you are just misinterpreting *my* words, Jon. :-) That's what I mean by clouded.<br><br>I never, ever, said that Luke 12:51 advocates hate-bringing and violence. What I said was that it clearly states that the world is divided up into two different groups of people -- people who are going to heaven from people who are going to hell.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:12pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457162]" value="6457162" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/203016_542489238_955129_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a> <span>Louisa said "That is not the Gospel. Sorry you have to go through them." and you said that it was what Christianity is all about, meaning that there actions were gospel. Or am I misunderstanding something there?</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:14pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457189]" value="6457189" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>Jon, that is exactly what they were doing. They weren't attacking anyone. Yeah, they had bodyguards. But they were just saying bible verses and telling everyone that they were going to hell unless they repented of their wicked ways.<br><br>They were only doing what was commanded of them by their bible. The exact same bible in which you put your faith.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:17pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457219]" value="6457219" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a><span><div style="display: inline;">Just because I state that I understand the bible, does not preclude wisdom harvesting from it. That makes no sense.<br><br>When I was a young man, I had been a born again Christian for over a decade. My journey did indeed start with a question.<span style="display: inline;"> That question was, among many, many others: why would the god of the bible, a supposedly infinitely loving being condemn billions perhaps trillions of souls to unimaginable suffering and torment for eternity in the afterlife?</span></div></span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:18pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457223]" value="6457223" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/203016_542489238_955129_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jon.burgin1" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jon Burgin</a> <span>In short he doesn't. But shoot, I got to work day job, lets talk sometime, I'd love to hear what you have to say on this.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:20pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457243]" value="6457243" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>Oh, but he does indeed. Clearly you have not read the passages that state explicitly that he does. Either that, or you interpret them in a fuzzy way so that you can feel better about what you choose to believe.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:21pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457260]" value="6457260" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>Not to mention the unimaginable suffering that is endured senselessly here in the real world. No loving interventionist god would allow such atrocities. It is illogical for a loving interventionist god to allow hundreds of thousands of innocent people to die in a tidal wave in the Indian Ocean in 2004. I could go on and on.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:20pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">3 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457244]" value="6457244" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luisa.lowry" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/276030_696830456_252106330_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><div style="float: right;"><div style="display: inline-block; max-width: 200px; vertical-align: top;"><div><a title="" href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson/posts/968468334785?notif_t=like#" rel="toggle" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; min-height: 15px; width: 15px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: transparent; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/luisa.lowry" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Luisa Lowry</a> <span>Oh Nels... I'm still sorry that you had to go through them. And for all these questions and disagreements you have. Keep searching for the answers.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:33pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">2 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457411]" value="6457411" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li><li style="background-color: rgb(237, 239, 244); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(229, 234, 241); margin-top: 2px; padding: 5px 5px 4px;"><div style=""><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; float: left; margin-right: 8px;" target="_blank"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/275536_25418015_3061085_q.jpg" alt="" style="border-width: 0px; width: 32px; min-height: 32px; display: block;"></a><!-- input --><div style="display: table-cell; vertical-align: top; width: 10000px; padding-top: 1px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nelsnelson" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Nels Nelson</a> <span>I'm not sorry in the least, Luisa. :-) I'm very sorry that you feel sorry for me. :-) That's such a shame.</span><div style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); padding-top: 2px;"><abbr title="Monday, September 19, 2011 at 8:34pm" style="border-bottom-style: none;">2 hours ago</abbr> · <span style="font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128);"><span type="submit" name="like_comment_id[6457423]" value="6457423" title="Like this comment" style="border-style: none; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); font-family: 'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;"><span style="display: inline;">Like</span></span></span></div></div></div></li></ul></li></ul></div></div></span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></font>I think it is interesting that Jon uses the same argument (suggesting I might think a candlestick to be evil if he strikes me on the head with it) to defend religion that gun rights advocates use to defend their guns from wacko liberals who don't respect the Second Amendment -- that it is not the gun that kills, but the person holding the gun -- that it is not the religion that damns or goes on crusades, but the person adhering to the religion.<br /><br />Similarly, the separation of the actor from the object, but with the opposite ascribed value: St. Augustine's famous phrase, "<i>Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum</i>" or, "With love for mankind and hatred of sins."<br /><br />Why not take the sentiment all the way? Love for the gun owners, hatred for the guns. Love for the murderers, hatred for murder. Love for the religious, hatred for the religion. Obviously there is something amiss about this line of thought. Surely concepts such as "sin" and religion cannot be qualified in the same terms as murder and guns?<br /><br />And yet, a person <i>does</i> "sin". Just like a person <i>does</i> damning. Just like a person <i>does</i> shooting. Sin does not <i>do</i> the sinning for the sinner. Guns do not do the shooting for the shooter. However, religions, dogmas, creeds, they <i>do</i> the damning through the damner. Religions are just people, telling people, that people other than themselves are damned.<br /><br />Sort of like corporations -- yeah, they're people -- but they're a bunch of people worshipping at the alter of a giant stack of money, and not just capable of committing but wont to commit horrible atrocities.<br /><br />Religions are exactly the same. Yes, religion is just people. But they are a bunch of people worshipping at the alter of a deity or creed, and capable of even worse.<br /><br />However, when people do good things, I am to believe that it is somehow the religion doing the good things, not just the person. The people are still the actors, but their faith in a higher power is what is enabling them to act in a moral manner. But the opposite? When the words of religious dogmas turn ugly? The damnation? We are to believe that those words originate with the people speaking them, not their faith in the one true god.<br /><br />I'm sorry, but this is wrong. Religions and corporations alike are examples of group-think. Because they are by definition group identities, one cannot dissociate the individual from the group when it comes to their actions. The action of one member of the group is in fact the action of many, and conversely, the action of the group is in fact the collective action or tacitly approving inaction by the individual.<br /><br />Just saying, "Oh I'm not in <i>that</i> group" or, "Well, no true Christian would ever... <i>do such and such</i>" is not enough. Quibbles and endless distinctions of dogmas and interpretations will be made, but the words are still there clear as day, binding religions and sects together whether all of their followers are comfortable with those words or not. The fact is that most followers of a religion will not even care enough to notice the contradictions in their sacred texts, let alone try to rationalize them, but will instead blindly follow what they are told by the group.<br /><br />Individual people own nothing except for their actions and words. Bad actions are forgivable, sure. Good actions are commendable, of course. But religions are just the collections of words spoken a long time ago by a bunch of people who insisted upon themselves (and adopted by people who continue to insist upon themselves) and who were intolerant of your reason as well as your forgiveness.<br /><br />You are capable of great wrong, not only despite your religion, but because of it. You are also capable of doing good, with or without it. Religion, however, is the enshrined belief of your ancestors that you are incapable of living without their guidance. Religion demands that you place your faith <i>in their lack of faith in you</i> to do what is right all on your own.N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-12275658416066435642011-09-06T11:00:00.003-05:002011-09-06T11:38:02.322-05:00Philanthropist Thieves<blockquote>I think that we're well advanced into a corporate dictatorship.<br /><br />My opposition to this began about nineteen-six or nineteen-seven when my daddy was a little boy, and his father had sent his tobacco crop to market, in Louisville, and we went down the next day to see it sold on the boat. And when he came back that night he didn't have a dime, because it had cost everything that the crop had brought to pay the sale commission on.<br /><br />Now I was down at Duke University not very long ago. Duke University has the only medieval Methodist chapel in the world. And out in front is a statue where the saint would ordinarily be: a statue of James B. Duke. Standin' there with a cigar. And I walked all around that statue. On one side it said, "businessman". And on the other side it said, "philanthropist".<br /><br />And I said, "Yes, you son-of-a-bitch, I understand exactly what that means: You steal enough money from people like my grandfather in order to be generous with it, and get the reputation of a philanthropist."</blockquote>-- Wendell BerryN. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-26112348626201084372011-09-01T17:05:00.000-05:002011-09-01T17:06:10.485-05:00More on the police state<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x7Kw9-vTJYs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-49123353935244388382011-07-25T23:46:00.006-05:002011-07-26T09:51:06.979-05:00Re: Re: I the Person<blockquote>For example when healthcare is nationalized everybody feels a need to control what others eat because it's costing society (who are referred to as taxpayers usually) money when an individual is overweight.<br /><br />-- <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Anarcho_Capitalism/comments/iuunj/i_the_person_versus_we_the_people/c26sxbo">ChristopherBurg</a>, in response to <a href="http://mises.org/daily/author/447/Wendy-McElroy">Wendy McElroy</a>'s <a href="http://mises.org/daily/5468/I-the-Person-versus-We-the-People">piece</a> at Mises Daily</blockquote>I disagree. The enlightened citizen takes pity on the individual who is compelled to make decisions that not only damage the individual's own health, but also the economic health and ultimately the actual physical health of neighboring citizens. An over-consumer is a parasite, not an activist for personal liberty. The individual who acts contrary to self-interest (by choosing to routinely avoid moderation) is not a beacon of individualism, but rather, an aberration of the natural order of things. Were such an individual to behave in such a way in a more primitive tribal culture, the individual would be culled from the society -- <i>for the greater good</i>. Or, such an individual would easily be dealt with by nature itself, saving the tribe the trouble.<br /><br />Unfortunately, today, it is impractical (not to mention morally dubious) for society to expel or eliminate parasitic or criminal individuals. So instead, we have to imprison, rehabilitate, or marginalize them. This is just one of the the many costs of an advancing civilization that can only be brought about practically by the shared sacrifice between members and the distribution of such costs amongst its peoples.<br /><br />And so we can see that the utopia of anarcho-capitalism in a modern civilization is an unrealistic fantasy. Following such reasoning to its conclusion, the application of deified individual liberty can only result in a regressive reductionism that culminates in a reversion to primitive tribalism at best, and the extinction of the human species at worst.<br /><br />True liberty arises from the enlightened projection of the primitive and natural morality of the ideal tribal society to the gross mass of civilization with all of its deviation and extraordination, tempered by the pragmatic morality of the equilibrium of universal self-interest.N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-89300987608885976022011-07-18T22:53:00.015-05:002011-07-26T16:10:51.774-05:00Pedantic libertarian is pedanticIn true capitalist fashion, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5gEceNyp0M">this guy</a> abuses Hans Rosling's beautiful <a href="http://www.gapminder.org/">gapminder.com</a> animated statistical charts in a dubious attempt to support his reactionary rebranding as "market empowerment" of the first-world capitalist exploitation of people in developing countries.<br /><br />What Davies fails to grasp, or (likely) attempts to conceal, is this crucial fact:<br /><br />Life expectancy in countries throughout the globe would likely have risen at a similar rate regardless of a lack of any so-called "market empowerment". It certainly would have risen at a noticeably more stable rate without the dramatic roller-coaster dips and drops seen in Hans Rosling's animated charts (that are so casually hijacked in this theatrically-produced, yet low-rent, obviously bought-and-paid-for, capitalist apologism video from the YouTube LearnLiberty user channel).<br /><br />Such adjustments and swings represent huge tolls on human lives and well-being, since they are only represented here in the aggregate. Do you have any idea what sort of death and despair are indicated by these handful of years' worth of negative deltas? We're talking thousands of people who suffered an undoubtably brutal demise (starvation, war/mass-murder, disease) in each of those dots (likely hundreds of millions in sum) that are being repeatedly yanked backwards and downwards on that innocuous-looking chart.<br /><br />Those plunges have in fact been caused almost exclusively by exploitative colonial powers expanding their empires into foreign cultures, or by depressions caused by corrupt first-world financiers and ravenous industrial barons. It is a matter of historical theory whether the Two World Wars could have been avoided entirely had colonialism been restrained by the establishment of true liberal democracies earlier than the late 17th century. But it is very likely -- every single other conflict in history has a clear and direct line that can be drawn from it to some predatory and gluttonous capitalist colonial empire.<br /><br />The only disasters to human civilization that even come close to the unfolding global catastrophes that are European Colonialism and Western Capitalism -- were plagues. (I only neglect to include Nazism, Fascism, Stalinism, and Maoism in this category because they have been resoundingly subdued by the dramatic imperial triumph of Capitalist Power.) But even most epidemics of influenza and cholera can be attributed to the uniquely capitalist/feudalist socio-political causes of industrialization and agriculturalization.N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-80813421951752476732011-06-01T15:05:00.005-05:002011-06-14T12:35:41.972-05:00Mushy pacifist GermansAnti-nuclear sentiment in Germany is just a result of "the mushy pacifist mindset that has taken hold of the German people since World War II", according to Uwe Siemon-Netto, in a World Tribune.com <a href="http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2011/eu_germany0660_06_01.asp"><strike>article</strike> editorial</a>. Dr. Siemon-Netto currently directs Center for Lutheran Theology and Public Life in Irvine, California.<br /><br />The World Tribune.com is partnered with the following sites:<br />DrudgeReport.com<br />Middle East Newsline<br />GertzFile.com<br />Breitbart.com<br />The Washington Times<br />Hoover Institution<br />NewsMax.com<br />Geostrategy-Direct.com<br />Hudson Institute<br />WorldNetDaily.com<br />East-Asia-Intel.com<br />Int. Strat. Studies Assoc.<br /><br />Here's a message to all you World Tribune, DrudgeReport, and Washington Times fascists from a mushy-mindset pacifist:<br /><br />Fuck Uwe.N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-34040751416616356792011-05-31T22:45:00.005-05:002011-09-01T17:06:35.296-05:00The police stateI am going to start collecting more and more footage like this. I will be storing it on my file server. If anyone ever challenges the notion that we live in a war-mongering country with a brutally oppressive police state, I will just dismiss them as a liar and a fool and an idiot, knowing that I have evidence like this to confirm my position.
<br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PWeF6lwg4aY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />Source: <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/05/anti-war-veteran-arrested-for-dancing-in-jefferson-memorial/">Adam Kokesh, anti-war veteran is arrested for dancing at the Jefferson Memorial</a>. Dancing was banned at the memorial by US District Court Judge, John D. Bates.
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<br />I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Fuck the police state.N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-45381637934968398552011-05-30T10:41:00.003-05:002011-05-30T10:47:33.728-05:00ObjectivistsA summary of the social outlook of the Objectivist philosophy.<br /><br /><blockquote>"I want everyone to get off my lawn, to leave me alone and just let me be, let me do whatever I want. If other people didn't get out of my way fast enough, or they didn't have the money to get out of my way thanks to pissing all their money away due to laziness, obviously it's their free choice to get hurt by me when I eventually steamroll some of the lazy and ignorant looters. Hell, in a way I am doing a service to society when I am culling the weak and the ignorant. Hell, I should even be paid for that service.<br /><br />So I want all the freedom and I still also want all the benefits accorded by mutuality, society, good will, and cooperation.<br /><br />I want all the benefits of cooperation and none of the costs.<br /><br />I want to have a choice to cooperate or not to cooperate, while I certainly enjoy it when others overwhelmingly choose to cooperate with me. And if others think they are morally bound to cooperate with me, I won't do a thing to change that opinion! I just don't want to be bound by the same opinion myself.<br /><br />It's OK for others to think they are morally bound to cooperate with me.<br /><br />It's equally OK for me to think that I am not morally bound to cooperate with others, because after all, cooperation is meaningless if it's not of free will."<br /><br />-- <a href="http://www.reddit.com/user/Nefandi">Nefandi</a>, quoting a fictional representation of a Libertarian Republican, <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/hn07l/agree_or_disagree_the_best_the_us_has_ever_stood/c1wqaav">May 30, 2011</a></blockquote>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-29210237223571070792011-05-02T17:49:00.004-05:002011-05-17T16:46:02.713-05:00HistoryPresident Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission to assassinate Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011.<br /><a href="http://i.imgur.com/dqRQO.jpg"><img style="border: solid blue 2px;" src="http://i.imgur.com/ddJqF.png" /></a><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/5680724572/in/photostream/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/5680724572/in/photostream/</a>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-24105288263534674822011-04-28T13:33:00.004-05:002011-04-28T16:14:26.179-05:00Image file size of the Earth<strong>TL;DR</strong> The file size of a 72ppi PNG image of Earth's surface is 3.37 zettabytes, or 3,705,354,190,000 gigabytes.<br /><br /><script src="https://gist.github.com/946971.js"> </script>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-5094628183775976602011-04-26T13:50:00.003-05:002011-04-26T13:53:06.364-05:00The surest sign that intelligent life exists<a href="http://i.imgur.com/5lAKb.jpg"><img style="width: 512px;" src="http://i.imgur.com/5lAKb.jpg" /></a>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2453422533967450680.post-67697728756741677342011-04-26T09:57:00.003-05:002011-04-26T10:05:07.103-05:00Reddit user dheretic nails it<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/26/us-usa-oil-boehner-idUSTRE73P03H20110426">In an article from Reuters, House Speaker Representative John Boehner suggested that oil subsidies "ought" to end</a>. Reddit user <a href="http://www.reddit.com/user/dheretic">dheretic</a> indicates the reason why Boehner would swerve into such Republican contrary waters by quoting one sentence from the article. He then predicts what will most likely happen if Boehner's advice is taken seriously.<br /><br /><blockquote>"Boehner also suggested that Obama could lose the 2012 election if gas prices do not decline."<br /><br />Hi, I just explained this move with one sentence from the article.<br /><br /> 1. Just threaten to consider cutting oil subsidies.<br /> 2. Oil companies bitch and moan and pitch a fit and the futures exchange goes insane about prices, sending PpB skyrocketing unlike anything we've seen since OPEC used the Oil Weapon in the 70s.<br /> 3. Gasoline prices in the US approach the world average.<br /> 4. Americans go nuts because they can't get their fix (oh, and incidentally, underfunded public transportation and public institutions like fire/police/municipal first responders take a big thick one up the behind, too-- unsustainable big government, right?)<br /> 5. Fox News gives it a fancy name like Obama's Oil Blunder and claim he's trying to create an underclass unable to resist his communist fascism or whatever. The rest of the idiot box crowd report on Fox News' outrageousness instead of doing any mental heavy lifting because, to be honest, they are completely unused to effort at this point.<br /> 6. GOP: Why does Obama hate industry?<br /> 7. Forbes Magazine and WSJ: Why u do this Obama?<br /> 8. Obama: "Completely reasonable response implicating GOP using facts and logic."<br /> 9. GOP & ETC: "OMG USE SOME TACT RESPECT CIVILITY YOU FUCKING HITLER CLONE FROM KENYA"<br /> 10. Obama caves in the name of bipartisanship. Oil prices stay high.<br /> 11. 2012 goes to whatever mouthbreather wins the GOP primaries this time around.<br /> 12. OIL PRICES MAGICALLY GO DOWN EVEN THOUGH AT NO POINT WERE THE SUBSIDIES CUT<br /><br />Welcome to American politics. Enjoy your stay, and don't mind that full feeling you have in your colon...that's a completely natural by-product of rich people fucking you in the ass. They know what they're doing, and they like it when you clench tight with impotent rage.<br /></blockquote>N. Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13557973750178909541noreply@blogger.com0