CurrentEvents « The HabitableZone

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Not only do they have to unpack and align the mirrors... RobVG January 18, 2022 9:44 pm (Space/Science)

Coal mine fire investigated as cause of the Marshall Fire podrock January 21, 2022 3:10 pm (CurrentEvents)

Well, he's right, you know. ER January 20, 2022 1:30 pm (CurrentEvents)

Where does that 160 megaton eruption figure come from? ER January 16, 2022 8:22 am (CurrentEvents)

Another nail in the nation's coffin RL January 19, 2022 6:06 pm (CurrentEvents)

UK politics Pebble January 19, 2022 10:09 pm (CurrentEvents)

He couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery Pebble January 17, 2022 8:30 pm

"Where is Webb" now showing mirror segment deployment. RobVG January 17, 2022 11:57 am (Space/Science)

Glenn Beck has Covid again. RobVG January 17, 2022 2:06 pm (CurrentEvents)

What good is Dune without some Sting? ER January 15, 2022 11:32 am (Science Fiction)

Well, shit. podrock March 22, 2021 3:27 pm (Flame)

Some Tonga charts and a tweet Pebble January 16, 2022 10:34 pm

Vancouver hockey hooligans by mcfly June 20, 2011 9:49 pm

Wounded soldier regrows muscle by Eri June 20, 2011 5:05 pm

The Metaphysics of Contemporary Theft by TB June 20, 2011 3:49 pm

What I find interesting on threads like this one (and many others) is the extent to which people of known ... by TB 2011-06-21 13:38:18
- These threads are extremely valuable to me as reminders of why I've turned away from conservatism. by mcfly 2011-06-21 15:56:00
I know this guy! I thought that name sounded familiar. I saw his book about the Peloponnesian War being advertised a few ... by ER 2011-06-21 12:34:21
Hey, I thought it was common knowledge that everyone who's ever received help from the government has become a thief, ... by mcfly 2011-06-20 22:38:08
- One point of the article was that there is a limit to how many people society can support who can't ... by TB 2011-06-21 08:21:36
  - Tom, that is self-serving bullshit and you know it. Do you mean to tell me that if we eliminated all ... by ER 2011-06-21 11:00:36
    - Too many people? I suggest we volunteer the Republicans to report to their local guillotine for the serving of ... by Eri 2011-06-21 14:12:48
      - Nice try. Bush and the Republicans increased the national debt by $4.9 trillion over two terms. Nothing to ... by TB 2011-06-21 15:12:54
        
        Obama inherited this shit and we're going deeper in debt supporting wars Bush started and trying to bail out an ... by Eri 2011-06-21 15:20:26
        
        How many years can you drag out "inherited?" Is there any plausible line of thinking that says radically increasing ... by TB 2011-06-21 15:45:28
        
        Well, Obama has been President for just over two years. Two years sure as hell is not enough time ... by Eri 2011-06-21 21:25:05
    - "Tom, that is self-serving bullshit and you know it. Do you mean to tell me that if we eliminated all ... by TB 2011-06-21 11:30:37
      - Listen to you and Eri talking about taking mansions and rich people’s money away and using it for good deeds. ... by mcfly 2011-06-21 13:29:42
        
        Show me an example of me "siding" with any neo-Nazi statements. Any at all. If Lee says something that's accurate, ... by TB 2011-06-21 13:40:31
      - It is the act of someone who has been taught all his life that there’s really no such thing as ... by mcfly 2011-06-21 11:46:55
      - You're not bothering to read my responses, either. I didn't say the poor stole to eat, I said crime ... by ER 2011-06-21 11:42:12
        
        Look, you didn't get it. We'll just leave it at that. Community breakdown must obviously be due to ... by TB 2011-06-21 12:06:53
        
        All thieves are liberals? That is the most pathological bullshit you've ever written and you should damned well apologize, ... by Eri 2011-06-21 14:17:59
        
        "Metaphysics," dammit. Every damn person who busts a window and walks off with a TV set thinks the world owes him ... by TB 2011-06-21 14:47:18
        
        You report nothing except your twisted view of things. If you want examples of people who think the world ... by Eri 2011-06-21 21:21:04
        
        Wow. Just...wow. I'm watching conservatives fighting like hell to reduce the power of the State, the control it has over ... by TB 2011-06-22 07:35:44
        
        Nah. Let's just say you're wrong, and leave it at THAT. Think of all the times you’ve seen news footage of ... by mcfly 2011-06-21 13:23:37
        
        The question was stated specifically. It can be answered. Greece. G2 riots. The people who start looting the ... by TB 2011-06-21 13:35:23
        
        Hey, I'm going with the Merry Men every time. You can go with Guy of Gisborne and the Sheriff ... by ER 2011-06-21 13:10:49
        
        What, the government goons? by TB 2011-06-21 13:29:30
        
        The government goons work for the wealthy landowners. They always have. by ER 2011-06-21 13:39:36
        
        They worked for the guys who collected taxes. There aren't a lot of exact parallels between 21st century and ... by TB 2011-06-21 13:45:52
  - Well, I guess I'll have to take your word for it, because I was raised in Canada and theft of ... by mcfly 2011-06-21 10:12:52
    - Yeah. by TB 2011-06-21 10:23:24
      - OK, not being facetious anymore: If I don't want my tax dollars going to this or that purpose, does it mean ... by mcfly 2011-06-21 11:23:50
        
        I'm not "equating" them. Neither was Hanson. This is why the title was about metaphysics. The cost of "maintaining ... by TB 2011-06-21 11:53:17

This is one reason we hate the uber-wealthy by Eri June 19, 2011 12:20 pm

I see where you're coming from, but where do you draw the line? If I choose to live in ... by ER 2011-06-19 21:09:38
- Where I draw the line is ostentatious wealth that serves no purpose. I don't/wouldn't deny people their luxuries. ... by Eri 2011-06-19 22:26:30
I know what you're saying. It can be terribly aggravating, the sense that money that could be doing good for ... by mcfly 2011-06-19 17:59:24
When we first moved to California, we drove out of the Sierras near Monterey and took a little side trip ... by ER 2011-06-19 13:30:54

Progressives not that happy with Obama by TB June 17, 2011 9:34 pm

Yeah, having Obama as president is sort of like growing old. It's a pain in the butt, and a big ... by ER 2011-06-18 16:59:08
- Maybe for the leftist nuts, but for the rest of America, it doesn't beat the alternative. Not on several ... by TB 2011-06-18 17:06:57
  - We'll see. America may be a conservative nation, but there are always plenty of ways for the right to alienate ... by mcfly 2011-06-18 19:34:49
    - *Disillusioned* So, modern politics is like American Idol - except everyone's Simon Cowell when it comes to the opposition, by VelociraptorBlade 2011-06-18 20:08:32
      - Yeah, but at some point the guy on the stage has to actually deliver. by TB 2011-06-18 20:14:02
        
        And what one person calls a delivery, another calls a disaster. At the risk of pushing things too far: Abdul cries, ... by mcfly 2011-06-18 21:09:38
        
        I think the loyal opposition had better be careful what they wish for... by ER 2011-06-19 04:51:28

Petition to Ban Job Killing ATM Machines by TB June 17, 2011 8:08 pm

The economy explained in 2 min. 35 sec. by Eri June 16, 2011 10:40 pm

Jerry Pournelle comments: But my problem doesn't seem to be that Bill Gates is too rich, and it doesn't seem to ... by TB 2011-06-17 19:40:55
Great post, Eri. It led to a frank exchange of views. by ER 2011-06-17 11:25:01
This is basically the same thesis ER linked to in his "Changing Filters" post. It's interesting to see the "unfairness of ... by TB 2011-06-17 10:04:57
- This meme hasn't just "popped up all over the place". It's been around for a century and a half, ... by ER 2011-06-17 11:00:47
  - That sounded good. It made no historical sense, but it sounded good. Go look up who does all the beating ... by TB 2011-06-17 11:09:15
    - Damn straight it ain't 1920. But it will be if you and your friends get your way. You've all ... by ER 2011-06-17 11:24:17
      - What year did your ancestors come here from Cuba? My ancestors were farmers, probably back a thousand years. They came ... by TB 2011-06-17 12:41:29
        
        Both my grandfathers came from Cuba in the early 1900s. Both were professional orators, men who read to the ... by ER 2011-06-17 14:28:41
        
        Interesting. Thanks! There's more here, and you can see a "lector" at work in the bottom photo of page 1. There's ... by TB 2011-06-17 16:32:00
        
        That same audio is available at http://www.albany.edu/talkinghistory/arch2003jan-june.html in more amenable formats. Just go to that page and do a find on ... by ER 2011-06-17 17:49:51
        
        Thanks! Dang, MP3. I downloaded RealPlayer for nothing! by TB 2011-06-17 18:09:15
        
        Great post. by Eri 2011-06-17 16:25:44
Thanks for posting that, Eri. I've always liked Bob Reich. He used to have a morning show on NPR ... by ER 2011-06-17 05:31:47
- "...Blind, lumbering giant." Reich, on the other hand, belongs to the school of thought that an economy is a vast, complex ... by TB 2011-06-17 09:55:41
  - Have to admit, I like your last line. It's catchy and, well, economical. Now I'm going to sit back and watch ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 10:31:08
    - "“Wisdom” has nothing to do with the free market." Hell, there's not much I can add to that. There may not be ... by ER 2011-06-17 11:04:18
      - I've got solutions for the problem of corporate/government cronyism. What are yours? by TB 2011-06-17 12:43:26
        
        Simple. Make it impossible for private individuals or organizations to fund political campaigns. Find some other way. This may be ... by ER 2011-06-17 15:19:16
        
        I don't think you've thought this through. There will always be "interest groups." Eliminate the private ones, and ... by TB 2011-06-17 16:55:45
        
        Shoot them all Shoot them all The long and the short and the tall Republicans and Democrats Tea Baggers and Plutocrats Shoot them all Shoot them ... by Eri 2011-06-17 13:52:26
        
        At least shoot yours truly. PLEASE. by Jody 2011-06-18 15:13:43
        
        What's wrong, Jody? Can we help? by Eri 2011-06-18 17:50:20
        
        Believe it or not...you Zoners ground me. When I feel my life is a fucking zoo...I come here and all ... by Jody 2011-06-18 18:01:39
        
        Zoo? That's pretty ironic, considering how often we hang on the bars, screech, and throw poop. by TB 2011-06-18 19:20:07
        
        Yeah. You know that stuff doesn't wash out. by mcfly 2011-06-18 20:08:09
        
        ????????? by TB 2011-06-18 17:09:21
        
        Uh, Eri...what? Were this from someone else... by podrock 2011-06-17 14:39:58
        
        Good God, what is this country coming to when you can't shoot a politician? by Eri 2011-06-17 16:29:29
        
        Sounds like TB's sent Eri over the edge... by ER 2011-06-17 15:20:15
        
        Lemme give you a brief description of my day: I got 2 1/2 hours of sleep when my muse (that bitch!) ... by Eri 2011-06-17 16:45:09
        
        Have you asked her if she thinks it's funny? You may find she's not a muse. (Read it out loud) by mcfly 2011-06-17 23:04:14
        
        Dear McFly, it was sarcasm. I have taken a writer's license with expressing frustration. My muse has a ... by Eri 2011-06-18 11:20:23
        
        Sarcasm, huh? I've heard of it, of course, but have never encountered it "in the wild" before. An interesting experience, though ... by mcfly 2011-06-18 19:57:22
        
        When I run across suspicious cheese, I make toast, melt the cheese on top of it and put a hard-fried ... by Eri 2011-06-19 12:16:20
        
        Me, if I have the slightest question about something in the fridge, out it goes. It's weird...go to a store and ... by TB 2011-06-18 20:19:17
        
        Your muse? Let me introduce you to my muse. And that's one of her good days. by TB 2011-06-17 17:00:56
        
        I'm not even going to ask what SHE prompts you to write. Not fit for young ears. :-) by Eri 2011-06-17 22:19:56
        
        That's the whole point. She's not doing her inspiration job. Just eating me out of house and home ... by TB 2011-06-18 11:56:26
    - That's pretty much all I had to say on this thread. Again, how many times do I have to ... by TB 2011-06-17 10:38:35
      - But...but...I made all this popcorn... by mcfly 2011-06-17 10:48:03
        
        Oh damn, that sounds good! Bad Fly! by Eri 2011-06-17 13:53:40
        
        Crap. Looks like you get to eat the popcorn after all. I just couldn't keep quiet. by TB 2011-06-17 12:44:57
        
        Okay, one more comment. You liked my last sentence. It's important to realize exactly what it means. It's why ... by TB 2011-06-17 11:02:59
        
        Yeah, I got it. You put it well. Almost daring, really. The free market requires wisdom the same way the earth ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 16:24:37
        
        I think you get it. I don't think everybody does. by TB 2011-06-18 11:57:31
        
        Snicker. Good one. by Eri 2011-06-17 16:48:09
- I know. I've been waiting since lst night. :-) But it's hard to argue with the proposition that if ... by Eri 2011-06-17 08:08:06

And now, the San Francisco Goldfish Ban. by TB June 16, 2011 9:42 pm

Well, how about this: stricter punishment for cruelty to animals. An end to the notion that domestic animals are simply ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 10:42:07
- Good God, these are goldfish. We're not talking hundred-dollar koi here. I go the pet store, and the ... by TB 2011-06-17 11:13:54
  - Um, ok. You know I wasn't just addressing the issue of the goldfish. So we leave it up to the individual. ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 16:39:25
    - The problem is that people like that have no ability to "draw a line." It's like the people who ... by TB 2011-06-17 18:05:53
  - I have only one thing to say: TB, quit feeding your kids crickets. by Eri 2011-06-17 13:56:58
    - When my kids were little, I'd swear somebody was feeding them crickets. Or Mexican jumping beans. by TB 2011-06-17 14:00:24
      - My Mama used to say that about me--that someone was feeding me Mexican Jumping Beans. So I put grasshoppers ... by Eri 2011-06-17 16:50:18
        
        Hey you guys...move it to the Comestible Zone. by mcfly 2011-06-17 23:00:44
        
        Ahhh, McFly... Can I make you up a nice batch of chocolate covered crickets? With fava beans? by Eri 2011-06-18 17:55:10
        
        I'm a programmer. I get all the bugs I need at work, thanks. Now if you've got some chocolate covered chocolate, ... by mcfly 2011-06-18 21:20:02

China offers a billion customers, but are they worth the cost of getting to them? by mcfly June 16, 2011 11:18 am

I remember it all, from from the Nixon/Kissinger ping-pong diplomacy days. It was no secret. It was the whole point of ... by ER 2011-06-16 18:55:49
- This time 'round they want the rope for free. And this is one valuable rope! I'd sure like to see American ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 03:36:20
  - You know that's not going to happen. The companies will go where the short term profit is. They will do ... by ER 2011-06-17 06:22:37
    - Go read my response to McFly. The one that starts "think hard." Then you can tell me what will happen ... by TB 2011-06-17 11:29:22
      - The main reason for my original post was because China's demanding that US companies hand over their technology to the ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 16:31:31
- This is another part of the great "consumer" myth, the idea that there are people who do nothing but buy ... by TB 2011-06-16 19:07:55
  - Tom, they're not playing a communist game. They're playing a capitalist one, they're just better at it than the ... by ER 2011-06-16 19:30:31
    - The United States is still the largest manufacturer on the planet. Almost the entire rest of the post is incorrect too, ... by TB 2011-06-16 20:38:18
      - When you say the post is incorrect, do you mean the article I linked to in my initial post? by mcfly 2011-06-17 03:39:50
        
        No, ER's post I was replying to. by TB 2011-06-17 10:07:14
    - Exactly ER...and I hate it. But it is what it is. Now what can be done about it, if anything. We ... by Jody 2011-06-16 20:04:50
      - First thing is to discard the crap we're being fed about our "decline." Second thing is to remember. Remember when ... by TB 2011-06-16 21:31:51
        
        And no, not everything is Japanese...everything is Chinese. And as for people making money, I'm all for it. I'd love ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 03:51:32
        
        It's tough to discard notions of decline when we've seen manufacturing flee the country and when supposedly third-world countries rise ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 03:32:00
        
        Think hard. Where are you hearing all this? Who uses the catch phrase "shipping our jobs overseas?" And why? ... by TB 2011-06-17 10:36:33
        
        Thanks. I'll follow your links. by mcfly 2011-06-17 10:46:28
      - If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be here talking about it. The Chinese know the answer, but they're ... by ER 2011-06-16 21:10:23

New liberal model for our society? by TB June 16, 2011 9:25 am

The military's job is killing people and destroying property on a mass scale, and when it isn't actually doing that, ... by ER 2011-06-16 09:57:51
- Contempt for Southern racism: Compared to most mid-century Southerners, my family was quite liberal and I was personally a bit ... by FrankC 2011-06-16 13:16:42
  - I never meant to imply Cubans were free of racism. Slavery wasn't even outlawed in Cuba until the 1890s. ... by ER 2011-06-16 16:29:54
- The American military can be justifiably proud of its history in race relations. It was one of the earliest ... by TB 2011-06-16 10:08:39

Weiner to resign? by TB June 16, 2011 7:52 am

Well, I'm glad he didn't have designs on the White House. It would've been too confusing: when I hear "President ... by mcfly 2011-06-17 10:25:16
- Y'know, before the whole incident there were people saying he SHOULD run for president. by VelociraptorBlade 2011-06-17 12:31:38
My Weiner has a first name...it's L...O...S...E...R by Lee 2011-06-16 09:57:13

Safety warning by Eri June 15, 2011 9:23 pm

I used this product camping when I was a kid: by podrock 2011-06-16 08:27:40
- More fun to eat than regular paste, too. by TB 2011-06-16 08:51:57
These fuels have been around for a long time, like Sterno cans. I see two issues here: First, the idea ... by TB 2011-06-16 07:47:16
- Yep, the refill is the problem. People are trying to refill when the fire's not completely out and getting ... by Eri 2011-06-16 11:43:07
Gel fuel. Isn't that just another name for "napalm"? by ER 2011-06-16 06:02:20
- Geez, I don't know. But they sell it at Bed, Bath & Beyond as refills for things they sell, ... by Eri 2011-06-16 06:47:15
  - Jellied alcohol, as in Sterno, is made as a safety feature because it is non-spillable. Jellied gasoline, napalm, is ... by ER 2011-06-16 07:03:15
    - Napalm is really easy to make, using household detergents and gasoline, so I don't see what there is to gain ... by ER 2011-06-16 07:05:49

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