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Bunker Envy ? podrock October 30, 2025 6:18 pm (CurrentEvents)

The destruction of Goddard is illegal RL October 31, 2025 9:41 am (Space/Science)

Space X put on notice RobVG October 20, 2025 4:55 pm (Space/Science)

Weighing the scales on Elon Musk BuckGalaxy October 30, 2025 9:28 pm (Flame)

Parting Shot ER October 27, 2025 4:36 am (Off-Topic)

The 1% RobVG October 27, 2025 10:54 am (Off-Topic)

Message in a bottle BuckGalaxy October 29, 2025 10:55 am (Off-Topic)

According to some, we're a nation of illiterate dependents looking for a handout RobVG October 27, 2025 8:56 pm (CurrentEvents)

There is no bottom to this barrel... RL October 19, 2025 5:40 pm (CurrentEvents)

John Wheeler's philosophy: "Beyond the Black Hole" RL October 16, 2025 10:00 pm (Space/Science)

Brosz baffled, Bondi busts Bolton ER October 16, 2025 2:08 pm (CurrentEvents)

Season 3 - Foundation BuckGalaxy August 2, 2025 12:33 pm (Science Fiction)

Business Insider - "15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America" by bowser April 13, 2012 1:10 am

My first thought about the disappearance of the middle class is outsourcing of jobs. Shit isn't something like 42,000 factories that ... by Jody 2012-04-13 17:55:49
What JimH said. (A commenter to the article Bowser linked to) by ER 2012-04-13 09:09:22
- Comments are closed now. Too bad. by TB 2012-04-13 09:50:30
  - I would suggest you aim your rebuttals at the devastating facts and statistics in Bowser's original post instead of squandering ... by ER 2012-04-13 10:21:43
    - What, refute the numbers, methodology, sources, or premises? by TB 2012-04-13 11:13:37
      - I think you're starting to catch on. by ER 2012-04-13 11:25:41
        
        Did you care to address any of the points I made? by TB 2012-04-13 11:27:09
        
        TB, this is about the point I made. You really aren't involved in this. You unabashedly advocate a ... by bowser 2012-04-13 11:50:22
        
        Did you care to address any of Bowser's? by ER 2012-04-13 11:37:26
        
        We really can't expect that. As I said, he supports the idea of a plutocracy, and I was asking ... by bowser 2012-04-13 13:20:25
        
        Oh for cryin outloud Bowser...I will answer your Flame the way I see fit...when I have the time. It won't be ... by Jody 2012-04-13 15:26:56
        
        You don't need to be religious, and you don't need to be black to love gospel music. by ER 2012-04-13 13:35:43
        
        Always liked that song, and it just isn't done well by whites. by bowser 2012-04-13 13:44:15
        
        After the past few days, you need yet another demonstration? There's nobody home. by TB 2012-04-13 11:44:00
        
        I'll let Bowser argue his own case. My comment on his post is below. by ER 2012-04-13 11:48:40
In any highly complex system, like a national economy, all sorts of unexpected or emergent behaviors may arise. Some ... by ER 2012-04-13 05:47:06

Our tax dollars at work by TB April 13, 2012 3:38 pm

The Scottish verdict by ER April 12, 2012 4:50 am

Imagine how hard it must be to find an unbiased jury.... by VelociraptorBlade 2012-04-12 21:38:28

Pick the group by TB April 12, 2012 10:28 am

Actually, I liked all three. I can't give any a complete thumbs up, the same comment I made about ... by ER 2012-04-12 16:13:42
- About the highlighter: Actually, I can't see any point I couldn't support in general. I might withold judgement ... by ER 2012-04-12 16:18:54
  - Addendum: Upon closer inspection... I cannot support these two items. The first violates my position on freedom of speech, the second ... by ER 2012-04-12 16:35:21
    - Don't work too hard on it. I nailed my point quite a while ago. by TB 2012-04-12 19:54:47
      - Hey, I got no problems with ducks by ER 2012-04-12 20:00:21
A little hint: by TB 2012-04-12 15:39:42
That reminds me... by VelociraptorBlade 2012-04-12 14:26:09
- I wouldn't mind seeing it. by TB 2012-04-12 15:48:37
  - True, dat. I shall be sure to do so. by VelociraptorBlade 2012-04-12 21:32:34

And I thought it was 57 by ER April 12, 2012 5:33 am

They truly believe that. It takes a loose mind to stretch that far, a mind capable of believing anything ... by bowser 2012-04-12 13:41:25
- Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire? by ER 2012-04-12 14:21:34
Actually, it's more like 76. by TB 2012-04-12 07:47:37
- No, Tom, you've got it wrong. by ER 2012-04-12 08:30:51
  - I've watched those two videos and I can't see any substantive difference between them, other than he mumbles something about ... by ER 2012-04-12 09:03:55
    - BTW, I once played softball at a Socialist Workers Party of America 4th of July picnic (my girlfriend at the ... by ER 2012-04-12 09:18:04
      - I don't know. Is your name proudly displayed on the DSA membership lists? by TB 2012-04-12 09:42:32
        
        Tom, I can't help what you want and I have no control over what you believe. But that doesn't ... by ER 2012-04-12 11:06:05
        
        Bigfoot isn't real. Pelosi, Ellison, and Obama are. That makes a difference. by TB 2012-04-12 11:26:17
        
        The only real difference is YOU don't like Pelosi, Ellison and Obama. And why should I base my likes and ... by ER 2012-04-12 12:11:14

The Flame Board! by TB April 12, 2012 8:04 am

Hah! I posted this on Facebook! by Jody 2012-04-12 11:06:41
A typical TB post. Impressive, unbelievable, funnier 'n' hell, a great addition to the HZ. That was truly ... by bowser 2012-04-12 10:44:05

On engineering, government, and complex fixes by TB April 11, 2012 12:10 pm

It would be nice to fix everything at once, but humans don't have that kind of foresight. One thing ... by BuckGalaxy 2012-04-11 22:15:50
- Start here: by TB 2012-04-12 08:20:15
You and ER agreeing on something? *Checks outside for burning rain* by VelociraptorBlade 2012-04-11 19:39:33
- Actually, he's trying to set me up by using my own words against me. Just follow this thread a little ... by ER 2012-04-11 20:07:20
  - Subtlety can sometimes be a liability here. by TB 2012-04-11 20:13:04
    - You'd think by now you'd realize you're not being very successful at communicating your ideas. That could be the result of ... by ER 2012-04-11 20:19:35
      - Hey now... Calm down before you guys say something you regret later. After all, it doesn't matter who's wrong or ... by VelociraptorBlade 2012-04-11 21:27:50
        
        Like this? by podrock 2012-04-12 05:42:48
        
        The easiest way I found is to go to the YouTube page for a video. by TB 2012-04-12 07:53:19
        
        One caveat: by TB 2012-04-12 08:23:58
      - There are other possible options. by TB 2012-04-11 20:45:20
        
        Sure. All your critics could be dead wrong and just stubbornly refuse to listen to your logic. by ER 2012-04-11 21:21:22
        
        Heh. Bingo. by TB 2012-04-11 21:42:51
        
        Squeeeeeek... by TB 2012-04-11 21:43:44
Simple answer: Treat law like software. by Robert 2012-04-11 14:26:31
Everything you say is undoubtedly true. But the problem of the engineer is very different from that of the ... by ER 2012-04-11 13:41:23
- Predictable? by TB 2012-04-11 14:55:16
  - One example of the problem here. by TB 2012-04-11 14:59:17
    - It all matters where you draw the line. We draw it in different places. But that line must ... by ER 2012-04-11 15:47:12
      - When you finally understand there is self-interest on both sides of this issue, the discussion can proceed. by TB 2012-04-11 15:58:24
        
        I have no doubt there is self-interest involved on both sides. I just think one side has more motivation, ... by ER 2012-04-11 17:52:41
        
        "I just think one side has more motivation, resources, organization, experience and history with bending public opinion to their purposes. ... by TB 2012-04-11 18:03:08
        
        Be careful, TB. You've recognized that similarities in partisan rhetoric suggest that political speech may be more a function ... by ER 2012-04-11 19:36:30
        
        What I hoped you'd notice is that, historically, governments match that description far more than businesses do. by TB 2012-04-11 20:06:24
        
        Yeah, right. Socialized Medicine is the first step to the Gulag. by ER 2012-04-11 20:15:43
        
        We weren't discussing socialized medicine. by TB 2012-04-11 20:43:47
        
        Sure Tom. And any form of social welfare, will automatically steer us in this direction. If your ludicrous comparison was ... by ER 2012-04-11 21:34:13
        
        We weren't discussing socialized medicine. by TB 2012-04-11 21:40:28

Democratic leaders in 2006 by TB April 11, 2012 9:16 pm

Big surprise there. As we know oil prices are set by global markets so all of this is nonsense. ... by BuckGalaxy 2012-04-11 22:03:34
Okay, you've got them there. Both sides love shooting each other down about oil and gas prices. by VelociraptorBlade 2012-04-11 21:19:30

Anybody else stocking up on popcorn... by TB April 11, 2012 8:58 pm

So what can a poor boy do? by ER April 9, 2012 3:54 am

If this place is any indication... by RobVG 2012-04-09 18:13:13
- If I had it to do all over again, I'd study music. People say it is like mathematics, although ... by ER 2012-04-09 19:30:34
It can fill yer belly n/t by RobVG 2012-04-09 17:13:32
I'm trying to think of changes in society that have succeeded. The anti-smoking campaign is one, and the anti-Union ... by bowser 2012-04-09 10:10:43
- Individuals can make a difference, but they take heavy casualties, too. I respect and admire them, but I do not envy ... by ER 2012-04-09 11:15:18
  - I believe we all want our lives to have meaning. Those who know this also know we have to ... by bowser 2012-04-10 09:04:00
    - You're a wise man, Bowser. by ER 2012-04-10 10:26:49
      - You're very kind, and way too modest. And trapped. Your COPS activity is important in two ways. One is ... by bowser 2012-04-10 19:17:51

More about corporate libertarianism. by ER April 9, 2012 4:23 am

All of these bong fantasies, including Carson's "Mutualism," fail in execution on one simple point: Who decides? by TB 2012-04-09 09:13:04
- That's very simple, a problem which has been solved many times. Once the standards, values, or goals have been agreed upon ... by bowser 2012-04-09 09:31:29
  - The problem is NOT that free markets are a bad thing. On the contrary, they actually work. The problem is ... by ER 2012-04-09 09:40:28
    - I was once testifying before the Oregon House Ways and Means committee about increasing the budget for the Wage and ... by bowser 2012-04-09 09:52:39
  - "The community." Hall. Thumb. Now. by TB 2012-04-09 09:37:16
    - It's a problem which has been solved many times. by bowser 2012-04-09 09:41:18
      - Name them. Historical, please, not academic papers. by TB 2012-04-09 09:43:36
        
        I did. Two different methods. If you don't like the way I did it, try the Constitutions of ... by bowser 2012-04-09 09:56:23
        
        In the context of the ideology we're discussing, please. by TB 2012-04-09 10:00:49
- I must have scored a hit. I see secondary explosions. by ER 2012-04-09 09:29:52
  - We have the recent examples of Enron and WorldCom which debunk the idea a free market is workable in this ... by bowser 2012-04-09 09:39:52
    - You realize you cough up the same two or three examples every time to "prove" that the free market can't work? by TB 2012-04-09 10:08:39
      - Do you realize you've never refuted that? Do you realize that human nature needs to be a factor? ... by bowser 2012-04-09 10:32:16
  - Friend, your shots didn't even hit the same ocean I'm in. by TB 2012-04-09 09:35:44
    - Yeah, who decides? The guy who gets paid a bonus for selling as little as he can for as ... by ER 2012-04-09 09:45:28
      - In the context of the references we were discussing please. by TB 2012-04-09 10:19:48
        
        You want references? by ER 2012-04-09 10:52:57

Corporate Libertarianism and the betrayal of Adam Smith by ER April 8, 2012 8:25 am

"planned and managed by the world’s largest corporations to maximize financial returns to top managers" by RobVG 2012-04-08 12:18:17
- Tell us what a "straw man" argument might look like. by bowser 2012-04-08 14:16:46
- Not even kings of old had lackeys piling bags of gold at their feet. CEOs do it the same way the ... by ER 2012-04-08 13:06:20
I constantly link to people who encapsulate my opinions better than I sometimes can. by TB 2012-04-08 10:24:34
- Another chapter from the same book, I see. by ER 2012-04-08 10:37:33
  - You agree with the bulleted points? Tell me you're just pulling my chain. by TB 2012-04-08 14:04:59
    - Yep. Every single one, although in a few areas I really don't have the technical expertise to have thought ... by ER 2012-04-08 14:49:04
      - Okay, you are pulling my chain. by TB 2012-04-08 15:05:23
        
        I presume that banking gobbledygook has something to do with how our banks are organized and regulated, right? I ... by ER 2012-04-08 15:25:14
        
        Yep. A whole lot of gobbledygook. by TB 2012-04-08 15:54:22
        
        Silicon-based macroprocessors by Robert 2012-04-08 17:32:48
        
        By the way, what the hell is a "corporate libertarian?" by TB 2012-04-08 20:29:12
        
        "By the way, what the hell is a corporate libertarian?" by ER 2012-04-09 02:41:44
        
        Get back to me when you've compiled a version of your software on one of those devices. by TB 2012-04-08 20:20:52
        
        You're really out of your depth. by Robert 2012-04-09 10:17:22
        
        I guess that makes three. by TB 2012-04-09 10:30:15
        
        How about an SiO2 slide rule? Right out of the corporate libertarian box. by ER 2012-04-08 18:28:10
    - Love those bulleted points. Much better than working for the demise of the country. by bowser 2012-04-08 14:20:33

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