pirana
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Posts posted by pirana
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The first clue came when god doesn't exist. After that it gets more complicated.
But God does exist, and once you finally see yourself for what you really are, it is easy to let go and embrace God for Who He is, and accept what He has to offer.
I think what we really are is people.
Let go of what? (I think what you're asking people to let go of is anything that resembles logic).
What's He offering?" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley
QuoteGod has the execution of His plan under control, we are the ones who need help in understanding it.
So precisely what is His plan?
QuoteQuoteThat doesn't mean this special treatment is anything but a gift to the financial sector.
special treatment abounds everywhere
progressive tax structures
penalties
exceptions
exemptions
mortgage deductions
child care deductions
educational deductions
ad nauseum
a little hypothetical math:
Guy makes $100K and is taxed at 30%
He takes $30K in various deductions - tax on $70K = $21K
He has to pay an accountant. Politicians get tons of contributions and votes from the ignorant and not so ignorant for putting in all these deductions and exemptions and credits, etc etc etc
alternatively:
Guy makes $100K and is taxed at 21% with no special perks - tax = $21K (oh crap - the math does work, it's revenue neutral)
the left screams bloody murder - "OH MY GOD, you gave RICH Guy a 9% tax reduction - you're a racist and a sexist creep"
the right screams bloody murder - "OH MY GOD, you took away all the TAX BREAKS that encourage small businesses - you hate the little guy just wanting a home and a business"
REALITY - politicians lose power because they don't have any special freebies to hand out. And a few accountants lose some business.
no way a simple tax code will ever work
.......but I digress - what were we talking about?
Shorter version for you - it won't work because nobody gets to feel special.
Evolution to large frontal lobes has been a boon to our creativity and ascendancy amongst species. It also unfortunately makes the bulk of humans prisoners to their emotions.
Anybody expecting the masses to intelligently and diligently investigate the issues of their life is dreaming. Most people just want to let everyone know how they feel.
Truly despicable nonetheless.
QuoteQuoteThe difference between the to candidates is obvious if you look at their track records.
Mitt governs from the center even though he panders to the far right to get their nomination and vote.
Obama governs to the far left and panders to the center to get votes.
I don't know about that. I've heard plenty say that Obama is actually too centrist and doesn't do enough to appeal to his far left base. I think most political analysts have agreed with that statement.
Agreed. Both are seen as centrist by the extremists of their party. Both pander to those extremists to keep them from going off and voting for some nutcase like Paul. Both take liberty with facts in order to get elected. The biggest difference is that Romney appears to have made the most about-face changes while pandering. He has done a complete 180 on so many topics it is ridiculous.
So in that sense, nobody vetts out as acceptable to all. But that is not important.
If your intent is to ask if we would make a successful politician, or what it takes to make one, here's your answer:
What makes for a successful politician is having better shit on all the people that have shit on you.
QuoteYou guys make a lot of claims with zero objective evidence to even suggest that your claims are true.
It's called MAKING SHIT UP AS WE GO.
Allowing for exceptions that may exist that I am unaware of; it is what most religions do most of the time.
Don't religious people ever wonder why specific religions dominate certain distinct areas, nations, groups of people?
Sometimes it occurs to me that some of these nations would have matured past the current point if we would not have played a role in their history.
QuoteHave you ever put any thought into the opinion that perhaps people are buying more guns because they fear what you listed above is going to happen? Or perhaps thats what YOU want to have happen. If Obama gets re-elected and begins manditory gun registration then what you listed from the NRA isnt just plausible...its possible.
Correction: People are buying more guns because of what the NRA threatened will happen.
The propaganda of the NRA is behind the frenzy; not Obama.
QuoteFact Check: Obama does have Chinese investments through Cayman Island trust
http://www.ijreview.com/2012/10/19420-fact-check-obama-does-have-chinese-investments-through-cayman-island-trust/
I guess it's only a travesty if you are a Right Wing Conservative.
Either that is disingenious bullshit, or you did not understand the article. Obama has those holdings as part of a pension plan. If it is anything like most pensions out there, it is invested in at least 10's, probably 100's, and maybe 1000's of individual line items that are part of broader funds; some industry specific, some quite random. No way do people with those kinds of funds know all the specific investments - and the bulk of them are trivial in specific value compared to the total of all the funds.
No way is that anything close to Romney's investments via Bain or otherwise; which were often in the tens of millions for transactions specific to a single organization.
QuoteBack in the late 70's with the banks making out so well, how did the nation and the world get out of the stagnated state?
Can we replicate what was done or perhaps due to China and our current efficient work structure that what was done in the past just won't work now?
Short version: We didn't fix anything - we engaged in stall tactics such as working more hours, increased productivity, sending women into the workforce in mass (basically making the 2-earner family the norm). All we did was delay the inevitable for a few decades. What made the tactic even more or a disaster is that the income situation we were propping up by heaping hope on the back of labor is that labor was actually becoming less valuable due to global competition. Now he we are, 40 years later, totally fucked, no way out, and seeing boogeymen in everything and anybody not like us.
QuoteYou have no clue as to what it takes to get Welfare and/or food stamps. NONE. A single application does not get rubber stamped and approved. The wait times are long. The documentation required is difficult. It is a right wing canard that welfare and food stamps are easy to get.
Lies, when told over and over to people who are likely to believe them, are still lies.
Must depend on location; but everything you claim is untrue where I live. Here in WI USA, one application (doesn't even have to be in person, can be done online in less than 15 minutes) can get a person free food stamps, free comprehensive health care, free school lunches, and if the income level is low enough - a bit of cash. I'm pretty certain if a person requests General Assistance cash an in-person interview is required. Service is very fast; almost always 1 week or less. If a more urgent need is expressed - no validation whatsoever required - they'll cut a food card same day.
QuoteQuoteThe rich pay the vast majority of all income tax.
As they should, because they have the vast majority of the nation's wealth.
I've never figured out why people don't get that the lower income people don't pay much (or nothing) because they don't make much (or nothing).
Angry Republican: "Why aren't those poor people paying taxes? They've got no housing to pay for, no vehicle to maintain, no need to maintain a business casual wardrobe; step up to the plate jobless or barely employed scum!"
It's laughable to hear them complain that the small percent of people making most of the discretionary money need to pay even lower taxes than they are - which are nearly at an all-time low.
I've said it before and feel the need to say it again - it is the propaganda coup of the century that the wealthy have somehow formed a coalition out of the very folks to whom they are giving the worst fucking.
Quote
For me it's a toss-up between Bicycle Repair Man and The Cheese Shop. Though the World Hide-N-Seek Championship is right up there.
I think Bicycle Repair Man would be a great Halloween costume, but for good effect you'd need several normal people (Superman civilians complete with briefcases) to hang with you.
QuoteBut seriously, unless she wears enough weight to match the guys, I don't see how she thinks she could compete with them.
I find it hard to believe she thinks she would be a serious threat to win, so wondering what her motivations are. (It's not like she walks away from all the women every stop on the tour - I'd have to look, but don't think she wins even half the races she's was in).
Highly suspect it is just for the publicity. Too bad really; it'll become more of a circus than a genuine competition, a real distraction to the serious competitors to have a gender controversy bomb dropped on their race.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteHi Bill,
You need to stay up with what is going on:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/04/romney-on-47-comments-i-was-completely-wrong/?hpt=hp_t2
JerryBaumchen
Another shake of the Etch-a-Sketch.
What does Mitt stand for, except saying whatever his audience of the moment wants hear.
So you've never mis-spoken and apologized?
considering his initial response was to say it was inelegantly stated, but he believed in the whole, but now he's disavowing it entirely, this doesn't look like he misspoke.
And he's done it over and over and over and . . .
QuoteI don't really have any issue with a fundamentalist of any persuasion in Congress, if that's what the constituents want.
However, someone who believes settled science to be from the pits of hell doesn't belong on the science and technology committee, does he?
Wendy P.
I agree. However, I highly doubt he believes what he said. The Republicans have already made it clear that campaigning has nothing to do with facts or truth. It's more like advertising. The party that does the better job of manipulating the public wins - facts are not part of the process. - other than the fact that at least 80% of the public are very easily manipulated.
He's a politician, and he'll say whatever the audience of any particular moment wants to hear. He was speaking to fundies - so he panders to them. I doubt very much he'll say the same thing speaking to a group of doctors, or university students, or anybody living north of the Mason-Dixon line (well, maybe an Indiana chapter of the KKK).
QuoteA working person voting Rescumlican is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders.
I like that a lot; except the name calling.
I seriously think it is the propaganda coup of the century (so far) that the elite rich has been able to recruit for support the very people they are fucking over. Brilliant!
QuoteI, as well as everyone, was born with certain sinful predispositions. That is why Jesus died on the cross, for my, your's, your nephew's and all mankind's sin.
So I take it that if a person doesn't buy into this very big and very oogie-boogie assumption, then pretty much everything having to do with the Christian religions is irrelevant?
QuoteSorry , but it IS an immoral lifestyle. TOTALLY !!!
Says who? Which set of morals are you using? Source please.
Quote>I live in Maryland, and even though the majority of the state (geographically) is very
>conservative, the fact that Baltimore and Montgomery Co. votes liberal means that, in
>essence, my vote doesn't count on a nation level.
That's a plus and minus of the electoral college system. Sometimes your vote has no chance in hell of affecting the election. Sometimes (as in Florida in 2000) it has far more chance of anyone else's of affecting the election. Overall it balances out from a total influence perspective for your "average" voter.
Also many people feel that their vote doesn't count simply because they are one of about 200 million voters, and their vote doesn't matter unless the election is so close that their vote makes a difference (and statistically it never will be that close.)
That falls into the no-raindrop-is-responsible-for-the-flood proverb.
In the past I have been very apathetic and barely mustered the will to vote. I figure the flavor of corruption isn't much of a choice and that the real power is wielded by lobbyists and their corporate donors.
That being said, the Republicans have now become such an appalling negative force in society that I am compelled to vote against them.
QuoteBefore you go touting it as God's plan to pass laws forbidding gay marriage, better read this verse. Is forbidding them to marry going to bring more people to Jesus? Are gays being able to marry going to change anything about your relationship to Jesus and your duty to serve others? Are more people going to decide to follow Jesus because we don't let gays marry?
Well said; and reminds me of this funny:
QuoteQuoteQuoteAre you a 'prepper' and if so what are you prepping for? What actions have you taken to secure your future?
(Pensions not included)
I'm most curious as to why people are prepping? Nobody has specified yet. People who prep must have a reason; what is your's?
1- Social breakdown (failed or overrun government, riots in the street, invasion by other nation(s))
2- Asteroid or comet impact
3- Alien attack
4 - Any oogie-boogie related to the Mayan calendar/2012 apocalypse
5 - Nuclear war
6- Other, please specify
"But just because we're hypnotized it don't mean we can't dance."
- Tonio K
because during the last storm and power outage Fema suggested people in our area keep a weeks supply of food, a wind up radio and flashlight, first aid kit and a way to purify water. seemed reasonably easy and cheap. so i did it. but again, i dont think im a prepper. just sort of prepared
That sounds reasonable. Living in the stix, we do pretty much the same. Keep the freezer and pantry relatively full, always have a few days of most staples on hand - especially in the winter.
I guess it's just a matter of degree as far as how ready a person is, and though the reason for the readiness may not be any of my personal business - I stay on watch for bizarre behavior when someone tells me the reason for their stash is aliens or asteroids or religious end-of-the-world stuff.
I guess we can all thank them later when humanity survives the alien invasion only because of the small percentage of people who saw it coming.
QuoteQuoteQuote
OK, let me rephrase. Why do we need to pray? Does He take requests? Will He do some things differently based on the type and volume of prayers?
Bottom line, what is the purpose of praying and what is the mechanism in play that allows praying to achieve that purpose?
As Christians, we pray to get in communication with the Holy Spirit and to achieve a stronger alignment with the will of God.
Why do you always resort to gobbledygook when presented with a difficult question?
Not just because of the use of the word alignment, but the response reminds me of the psuedo-science explanations offered by those that think magical things happen when there is anything remotely close to planets lining up. I believe the term often thrown about is harmonic concordance.
Time to Lay Down Your Cards
in Speakers Corner
The only major media outlet that predicted it incorrectly was Faux News.