There's no point in getting into it, because it's tiresome, long-winded and probably futile. But sometimes when I see people wanking on about how shit Obama and the state of affairs in the US is, I want to bellow from the rooftops, "YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT IT BAD??????" I despair danny, half the time I don't know what to think. I'm thinking about retreating back into my bubble...

Having said that, I'm so glad you're up for using your vote this time, too. This is what needs to be pushed forward now, people using their votes to bolster the other parties, bring them into the spotlight so that people at least consider other options. The Labour/Cons/Dems need some competition, they need to be put in a position where they have to TRY HARDER! We simply cannot survive with the choices we've got now. Well we can, but I'd rather fucking not!
In reply to this comment by dannym3141:
>> ^alien_concept:

>> ^Yogi:
>> ^alien_concept:
>> ^Yogi:
WOW...still regret that I voted for him, but he's a knowledgeable guy.

Hey mate, don't worry about it, you did the right thing, something had to keep the republicans out. I urge you to do it again.

No I didn't. You don't choose the lesser of two evils, you make the system work and produce better results. Obama is a war criminal.

I agree, so I guess a non-vote would have been in order, considering your two-party system. However, I like to look at the silver linings and in my opinion, your vote ensured that things didn't get as bad as they probably would have had McCain/Palin gotten in to power. And, all leaders are war criminals, or just criminals...

I've never voted in my life, because I refuse to pick the best of a bad bunch... but I will be using my vote next election tactically, because until other parties have a chance in hell, we're all doomed.


One day we're gonna find out we're long lost twins or something @<a rel="nofollow" href="http://videosift.com/member/alien_concept" title="member since February 14th, 2008" class="profilelink"><strong style="color:#00ffa2">alien_concept..

I've not voted either, ever. I detest the system, i think the voting system and potentially democracy is flawed or limited and we'll end up in a species-rut because of it, working against each other until we run out of resources and die.

But i know i can't sit here complaining about the rich fucking manor-born tories stealing our country from under us if i didn't help to keep them out. I know me and everyone like me is responsible for them getting in.

I should have at least spoiled my paper or been more active in my protest if i wanted to protest the system in that way.

I was hoping the riots were the start of something. Change has to come from the youth and i suppose soon i won't be in that category anymore!

>> ^alien_concept:

>> ^Yogi:
>> ^alien_concept:
>> ^Yogi:
WOW...still regret that I voted for him, but he's a knowledgeable guy.

Hey mate, don't worry about it, you did the right thing, something had to keep the republicans out. I urge you to do it again.

No I didn't. You don't choose the lesser of two evils, you make the system work and produce better results. Obama is a war criminal.

I agree, so I guess a non-vote would have been in order, considering your two-party system. However, I like to look at the silver linings and in my opinion, your vote ensured that things didn't get as bad as they probably would have had McCain/Palin gotten in to power. And, all leaders are war criminals, or just criminals...

I've never voted in my life, because I refuse to pick the best of a bad bunch... but I will be using my vote next election tactically, because until other parties have a chance in hell, we're all doomed.


One day we're gonna find out we're long lost twins or something @alien_concept..

I've not voted either, ever. I detest the system, i think the voting system and potentially democracy is flawed or limited and we'll end up in a species-rut because of it, working against each other until we run out of resources and die.

But i know i can't sit here complaining about the rich fucking manor-born tories stealing our country from under us if i didn't help to keep them out. I know me and everyone like me is responsible for them getting in.

I should have at least spoiled my paper or been more active in my protest if i wanted to protest the system in that way.

I was hoping the riots were the start of something. Change has to come from the youth and i suppose soon i won't be in that category anymore!

The point is, is that the United States is slowly outsourceing or altogether canceling science related projects. There're just too expensive and to be blunt the average citizen isn't smart enough to realize the benefits we can gain just from a land based telescope. People are lucky if they know what a molecule is.

A good example is research being done into fusion. If the U.S. dropped a lot of money into the already functioning program in Europe we could get the next prototype plant up by 2016-2020. Right now we are providing just an extremely small amount of money on this project, while Europe continues to do it alone. But, it will take much longer without our help. We won't see functioning reactors (which is the solution to our energy demands) until 2060 or thereabouts at this pace.

If the U.S. took a lead role you could see that number go down to 2030, maybe sooner depending on what resources we make available to help. BTW, this is a guaranteed solution, it will work, they know this already. Obama asked for a project that would help America and it's citizens as well as something that would eventually bring work here--this was a huge blunder to me, not to automatically support FUSION especially when all the necessary science has been done. All that is left is building the prototype to fine tune the energy distribution and then designing the first core design for a modern Fusion station.

Things like that let me know that we really don't care about science that much anymore. There are a lot of great people out there, but there simply just could be more. It has everything to do with what scholarship programs we make available, the way we teach and what we teach with, tuition continues to hike up, science is demonized by those that don't understand it--and they in turn affect their children's schooling, the government continues to decrease money to scientific programs across the board--like NASA, and the most damning part is that our politicians decrease education funding as well.

Quality over quantity is a ridiculous argument, it's a political talking point--nothing else. We are losing our focus. I've yet to hear a scientist (and not some Creationist linked bunk crap) ever use that statement, they know we are going down hill.

/A little long, but damnit, I'm passionate about science. It's been the one thing that has constantly picked us up out of the rut.

Or that our empathy is selectively reserved for the deserving few who meet a certain criteria. I don't have to select who I am going to feel something for..there is enough room to go around..


He is careful to make it very clear that that wasn't his point - I mean, listen again to what he says and I don't think you can possibly take that message away. He cares for people, he's just trying to help people imagine what it's like to listen to people who are ONLY concerned with themselves. People aren't universally and equally empathetic, and considering how complaints might sound to others is going to help many people in social situations. Haven't you met many people in your life who are perpetually blaming others and complaining about their problems? I sure have - and I've done it myself sometimes. And it usually isn't productive. Sure many people need help, maybe urgently, and there's nothing wrong with seeking help. But that can't be all you do - to build the kind of relationships that can be a support to you later, you need to show genuine interest in others. You will be a better person, a bigger person, and a more interesting person the more you show interest in others.

The key thing Stephan said here is that he finds himself less interesting than other people. This is because he has a few personality disorders and presumably they are embarassing to speak about.


No, it's because despite his problems he tries to show real interest in other people instead of focusing on himself. This is a very Christian ideal - kind of reminds me of Philippians 2:3 -

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves


Stephen has been very candid about his own problems and has gone out of his way to help others - take this letter as an example. It's a simple, beautiful thought from a man who is honestly making effort to help a stranger.

Now, sure, his thoughts are a bit of a mess in this video (he's not on a script and he rambles and isn't always perfectly clear) - but his overall point is plain and is something that would really help a lot of people out of self-centered ruts. And, as before, I think focusing on others is a very Christian thing to do - coming in, I would have expected you to applaud this kind of thing.

I don't know what I'm going to do when I move back to America. Right now I live in the land of trappists (Belgium) where the best beers costs about $.90 per bottle in the grocery store. I love Westmalle, though I can never decide between the dubble or the triple.

In reply to this comment by Skeeve:
Haha, some other Trappist drinkers eh? I'm a big fan of the Westmalle Tripel myself. Though, considering its cost over here, I'm more likely to be drinking the Rutting Elk Red from the Grizzly Paw Brewery in Canmore, AB.

Haha, some other Trappist drinkers eh? I'm a big fan of the Westmalle Tripel myself. Though, considering its cost over here, I'm more likely to be drinking the Rutting Elk Red from the Grizzly Paw Brewery in Canmore, AB.

Revelation replaced Investigation - Nicely said.

And now, the USA is falling into the same colossus rut, not with eastern views but with Western, Christian philosophy. The US population is letting the Revelations of religion outweigh the Investigations of the Scientific Method. Infact they are going so far as to condemn the scientific Method and are trying to have it removed from schools in some states.
http://videosift.com/video/Texas-wants-the-Scientific-Method-out-of-schools

>> ^messenger:

He uses that same joke in every location. I don't know why he picked Alberta. Probably just asked the cabbie what part of Canada he didn't like. If he really wanted a reaction, he should have said Quebec. That would have got the audience going the way he likes it.


coughiagreecough


Oh shit, now I'm in a rut.


Cough.

Lyrics:

“Fight of the Century” Lyrics.

Written by John Papola and Russ Roberts

KEYNES
Here we are… peace out! great recession
thanks to me, as you see, we’re not in a depression
Recovery, destiny if you follow my lesson
Lord Keynes, here I come, line up for the procession

HAYEK
We brought out the shovels but we’re still in a ditch…
And still digging. don’t you think that it’s time for a switch…
From that hair of the dog. Friend, the party is over.
The long run is here. It’s time to get sober!

KEYNES
Are you kidding? my cure works perfectly fine…
have a look, the great recession ended back in ’09.
I deserve credit. Things would have been worse
All the estimates prove it—I’ll quote chapter and verse

HAYEK
Econometricians, they’re ever so pious
Are they doing real science or confirming their bias?
Their “Keynesian” models are tidy and neat
But that top down approach is a fatal conceit

REFRAIN
Which way should we choose?
more bottom up or more top down
…the fight continues…
Keynes and Hayek’s second round

it’s time to weigh in…
more from the top or from the ground
…lets listen to the greats
Keynes and Hayek throwing down

KEYNES
we could have done better, had we only spent more
Too bad that only happens when there’s a World War
You can carp all you want about stats and regression
Do you deny World War II cut short the Depression?

HAYEK
Wow. One data point and you’re jumping for joy
the Last time I checked, wars only destroy
There was no multiplier, consumption just shrank
As we used scarce resources for every new tank

Pretty perverse to call that prosperity
Rationed meat, Rationed butter… a life of austerity
When that war spending ended your friends cried disaster
yet the economy thrived and grew ever faster

KEYNES
You too only see what you want to see
The spending on war clearly goosed GDP
Unemployment was over, almost down to zero
That’s why I’m the master, that’s why I’m the hero

HAYEK
Creating employment’s a straigtforward craft
When the nation’s at war, and there’s a draft
If every worker was staffed in the army and fleet
We’d be at full employment with nothing to eat

REFRAIN REPEATS

HAYEK
jobs are the means, not the ends in themselves
people work to live better, to put food on the shelves
real growth means production of what people demand
That’s entrepreneurship not your central plan

KEYNES
My solution is simple and easy to handle..
its spending that matters, why’s that such a scandal?
The money sloshes through the pipes and the sluices
revitalizing the economy’s juices

it’s just like an engine that’s stalled and gone dark
To bring it to life, we need a quick spark
Spending’s the life blood that gets the flow going
Where it goes doesn’t matter, just get spending flowing

HAYEK
You see slack in some sectors as a “general glut”
But some sectors are healthy, and some in a rut
So spending’s not free – that’s the heart of the matter
too much is wasted as cronies get fatter.

The economy’s not a car, there’s no engine to stall
no expert can fix it, there’s no “it” at all.
The economy’s us, we don’t need a mechanic
Put away the wrenches, the economy’s organic

REFRAIN REPEATS

KEYNES
so what would you do to help those unemployed?
this is the question you seem to avoid
when we’re in a mess, would you just have us wait?
Doing nothing until markets equil-i-brate?

HAYEK
I don’t want to do nothing, there’s plenty to do
The question I ponder is who plans for who?
Do I plan for myself or leave it to you?
I want plans by the many and not by the few.

We shouldn’t repeat what created our troubles
I want real growth not just a series of bubbles
Let’s stop bailing out losers and let prices work
If we don’t try to steer them they won’t go berserk

KEYNES
Come on, Are you kidding? Don’t Wall Street’s gyrations
Challenge your world view of self-regulation?
Even you must admit that the lesson we’ve learned
Is more oversight’s needed or else we’ll get burned

HAYEK
Oversight? The government’s long been in bed
With the Wall Street execs and the firms that they’ve led
Prosperity’s all about profit and loss
When you bail out the losers there’s no end to the cost

the lesson I’ve learned? It’s how little we know,
the world is complex, not some circular flow
the economy’s not a class you can master in college
to think otherwise is the pretense of knowledge

REFRAIN REPEATS

KEYNES
You get on your high horse and you’re off to the races
I look at the world on a case by case basis
When people are suffering I roll up my sleeves
And do what I can to cure our disease

The future’s uncertain, our outlooks are frail
Thats why free markets are so prone to fail
In a volatile world we need more discretion
So state intervention can counter depression

HAYEK
People aren’t chessmen you can move on a board
at your whim–their dreams and desires ignored
With political incentives, discretion’s a joke
The dials you’re twisting… are just mirrors and smoke

We need stable rules and real market prices
so prosperity emerges and cuts short the crisis
give us a chance so we can discover
the most valuable ways to serve one another

FINAL REFRAIN
Which way should we choose?
more bottom up or more top down
the fight continues…
Keynes and Hayek’s second round

it’s time to weigh in…
more from the top or from ground
…lets listen to the greats
Keynes and Hayek throwing down

So go make your life better. get out of your rut and make it happen, man

>> ^Kofi:

This exemplifies my life right now more than anything ever could.

That's properly mental. Maybe there is a rut or something else they're very lucky each time.

There has to be some deep ruts or something else there to prevent it from sliding sideways. I've seen less water easily carry buses away.

Considering the number of people present I'm guessing this is a common event.

>> ^rebuilder:

>> ^BoneRemake:
I do not think Windex(tm) is anti-bacterial.

I didn't realize he was working with the bubonic plague there.


If so, I think he should rename his videos to "Tales of Miserable Existence".

>> ^BoneRemake:

I do not think Windex(tm) is anti-bacterial.


I didn't realize he was working with the bubonic plague there.

>> ^Unsung_Hero:
>> ^BoneRemake:
I do not think Windex(tm) is anti-bacterial.

Me neither, but I also believe that he shouldn't be eating off his work surface anyway.


http://www.windex.com/products/multi-surface-antibacterial/