@dgandhi and @GenjiKilpatrick

I don't know if it's because my faith in humanity is practically non-existent, but I have a hard time imagining a society which does not have some form of law enforcement, for when the preventive measures and education fail... The powerful (be that with brawn or dough) will always be tempted to prey on the weak, and some will heed that temptation. Then what?

>> ^marbles:

>> ^MaxWilder:
>> ^marbles:
Well, we have 2 people: One from the left (@ MaxWilder), and one from the right (@ quantumushroom), that both agree Ron Paul doesn't have a chance at winning. Why? Because he's not part of the corrupt establishment.
So I ask: Why stay trapped in the false left/right political structure? Why continue to vote for establishment clowns that just tell you what you want to hear?
The Left/Right Statist Collectivist Mass Delusion

While that article is full of wonderfully insulting and entertaining generalities and prejudices, it does absolutely nothing about the problem. The only way out of this statist/corporatist mess is to reform elections.
First, at a minimum we need to abolish corporate funded election campaigns. Ideally everyone would have the exact same access to promote their platforms. Not sure how that would happen for libertarian ideals, but personally I have no problem with state funding.
Secondly, we need to abolish "first past the post" elections. As far as I can tell, a Condorcet method is the only viable election type.
After that we would need to eliminate the revolving door from government office to lobbying and corporate board member.
Anybody who wants to implement those changes has my full support.

I fully agree with getting rid of "first past the post" type elections. But the other problems you cite are direct consequences from things you support like government unions and healthcare. How can you be against corporate funding, but support what enables it? And the only way to eliminate the revolving door is by removing the incentive of gaining government office. If the government doesn't have the power to pick winners and losers, then the corporate world will have no reason to influence or infiltrate it.


There is absolutely nothing about the fundamental role of government unions or healthcare that relates to funding politicians. As the system works now, both must pay of politicians in order to remain in existence, or their opponents will hatchet them. With a system of voting that would allow the political spectrum to shift back to the center where rational compromise exists, they wouldn't have to worry about getting defunded. Or if they did get defunded, it would be because that's what the people really wanted, not some extreme wing.

I'm not sure how you could possibly eliminate the government's power to pick winners and losers. We'd need to eliminate the ability of elected officials to pick a winner and then later get hired by the winner. That would remove the temptation to vote based on potential personal gain.

SERIOUS acquisition temptation!

wtf? have you all lost your minds?

1. you can't compare a womans vagina to a wad full of cash. but presuming that you could... just because i flashed my wad full of cash does not make it less wrong or even permissible for someone to steal it. your rights end where mine begin.

2. women don't get raped because they're scantily clad. rape is less about sexual gratification and more about power and control. i was a wild ass teenager and i put myself in a lot of unwholesome situations, i experienced my fair share of unwanted, boundary violating sexual advances. i was also a raging tomboy/baby crusty... my clothing didn't have anything to do with the creeps who wanted/tried/did take advantage, it was ALWAYS about power and superiority and control. ALWAYS about some mental defect that made dudes get off on the ability to overpower.

3. you can't blame anyone for mistaking your flirtation with interest. anyone who does is probably being a bitch. but flirting and be provocative is not "stepping into the lion's den and asking to get bit" and you're not contractually obligated to put out... anyone who thinks that it is does is a defective asshole and possibly predatory and almost certainly has issues with women and their ability to own their sexual power, again.. its about power and dominance and control.

4. i sort of agree with the notion that you attract what you put out there. like i chat it up with a lot of mentally ill/homeless men... so a lot of these guys tend to want to marry me.... when i go dancing at the hip hop club, i dont get offended when i get balls rubbed on my leg or some horny drunk guy wants to take me home.... i just go find a girl to dance with after that.... when i go dancing at the gay bar looking like a big dyke, i dont get pissed off when a lesbian flirts with me... i go bowling a lot, i dont get mad when bowling alley people hit on me.... if you dress and behave in a certain way in a certain place, you're bound to attract someone.. you have no right to be surprised or offended when that happens... it may even be what you're looking for.. ... but it does not negate someone else's responsibility to control themselves and respect your words more than your tits. and anyone who doesn't see that, has issues with women and their sexual power. and rape is, once again, about power and control. it is not about cleavage or temptation.

edit: there is also offensive language... i dont get mad if you thought i was flirting with you and expressed an interest, i do get mad if you don't speak to me with respect. again, its about power and control ooorrr maybe you're a social piarha with no idea how interact with people, either way, you're getting turned down and that doesnt make me a tease. it's your problem.

>> ^NinjaInHeat:

Shiny, lets assume for a moment that you're right, there is an after life, mr. god will judge us when we die and send us to the corner of shame and eternal hellfire to think about what we've done.
Fine, so I guess we can at least agree on one thing: until that day comes I will actually live, embrace life with all its temptation and unholiness, indulge the devil's ways and blaspheme my ass off, live, love, fuck, drink, hate, whatever the fuck I can get away with. And you, you sad little person, when that day comes you'll be as sad as you are today, you and the countless others who are an affront to life it self. And y'know what? I'll pick hellfire with the likes of Hitchens over your divine garden of twats any day.


I'm glad we could get all of this out in the open. Yes, you're free to do whatever you want. Like any other slack jawed yokel idiot, you can live life the charlie sheen way, shallowly indulging yourself in all the puerile tripe you identify with a winning lifestyle. But, as I mentioned earlier sin isn't allowed in Heaven. It will be plucked out like it never existed. All those who delight in wickedness will be punished for it so that is what you have to look forward to if you don't repent.

As far as being "an affront to life itself", I support life, I love life. It's people like you who think they're entitled to do any fucked up thing they'd like..ie, if it feels good do it, who are ruining society. People with no scruples or charity, characterized mainly by their lack of tolerance and narrow mindedness. People who enjoy sinning, get some sort of rush out of it. Well, it's an ugly thing you do, to yourself and to others. It's a shittier world that you create. So don't be surprised when you get shit in return.

In reply to this comment by NinjaInHeat:
Shiny, lets assume for a moment that you're right, there is an after life, mr. god will judge us when we die and send us to the corner of shame and eternal hellfire to think about what we've done.

Fine, so I guess we can at least agree on one thing: until that day comes I will actually live, embrace life with all its temptation and unholiness, indulge the devil's ways and blaspheme my ass off, live, love, fuck, drink, hate, whatever the fuck I can get away with. And you, you sad little person, when that day comes you'll be as sad as you are today, you and the countless others who are an affront to life it self. And y'know what? I'll pick hellfire with the likes of Hitchens over your divine garden of twats any day.

Shiny, lets assume for a moment that you're right, there is an after life, mr. god will judge us when we die and send us to the corner of shame and eternal hellfire to think about what we've done.

Fine, so I guess we can at least agree on one thing: until that day comes I will actually live, embrace life with all its temptation and unholiness, indulge the devil's ways and blaspheme my ass off, live, love, fuck, drink, hate, whatever the fuck I can get away with. And you, you sad little person, when that day comes you'll be as sad as you are today, you and the countless others who are an affront to life it self. And y'know what? I'll pick hellfire with the likes of Hitchens over your divine garden of twats any day.

I'm going to resist the temptation to make a pun and just go ohm.

....damn it.

It is very easy for an officer to detain people for "interfering with a police investigation" or "disobeying an officer". They were immediately released at the station because they were not being charged with anything. This is simply a way for an egotistical officer to "teach a lesson" to those pissing him off.

It is my theory that this isn't anything new, horrible as it is. There are simply a staggering number of video cameras available today that are capturing these events. I believe it is human nature for a person to form a massive ego when placed in a position of authority like a police officer, and the temptation for an officer to abuse that authority when they are in a bad mood proves too great for some.

It is my hope that the frequency of these videos coming to public attention will force police departments to create new policies for behavior as well as improved psychological profiling to weed out those who are losing control of themselves.

>> ^AdrianBlack:

I thought that maybe the ice cream truck symbolized the gingerbread house. I'm sure if the Grimm story witch had wheels, she would have driven temptation to them as well.
Hansel and Gretel were also abducted in their own way, as they were kept and locked up. >> ^Opus_Moderandi:
I didn't catch the hansel & gretel reference either... maybe because they were abducted in this version? In the Brothers Grimm story, didn't they wander around til they came to the witches ginger bread house?



Aha.... ginger bread ice cream truck, now it's all coming together.

I thought that maybe the ice cream truck symbolized the gingerbread house. I'm sure if the Grimm story witch had wheels, she would have driven temptation to them as well.
Hansel and Gretel were also abducted in their own way, as they were kept and locked up. >> ^Opus_Moderandi:
I didn't catch the hansel & gretel reference either... maybe because they were abducted in this version? In the Brothers Grimm story, didn't they wander around til they came to the witches ginger bread house?

It has golden brown bread crumbs!>> ^RedSky:

I didn't either, but now I have this odd temptation to go buy some.>> ^dag:
A very quick, canny move by Kraft's advertising agency - you have to wonder how many more millions will see this commercial that otherwise would not have. I've seen it three times myself and I don't even like mac & cheese.

I didn't either, but now I have this odd temptation to go buy some.>> ^dag:

A very quick, canny move by Kraft's advertising agency - you have to wonder how many more millions will see this commercial that otherwise would not have. I've seen it three times myself and I don't even like mac & cheese.

I am a product
I am a symbol of endless hopeless fruitless aimless games
I'm a glossy package on the market shelf
My contents aren't fit for human consumption
I could practically injure your perfect health
My ingredients will seize up your body's functions
I'm the dirt that everyone walks on
I am the orphan that nobody wants
I am the stair that everyone walks on
I am the leper that nobody wants to touch (much)

I am a sample
I am a scapegoat of useless futureless endless mindless ideas
I'm the number on a paper you file away
I'm a portfolio that you stick in the drawer
I'm the fool you try and scare when you say:
"We know all about you of that you can be sure"

Well I don't want your crazy system
I don't want to be on your files
Your temptations I try to resist them
Because I know what hides beneath your smiles

I am a topic
I am a subject for useless futureless endless mindless debates
You think of ways that you can hide me from the naive eyes of your figurehead
But don't you find that it ain't easy?
Wouldn't you love to see me dead?
Your answer is to give me treatment for crying out when you give me pain
Leave me with no possible remnant
You poke your knives into my brain

I'm an example
I'm no hero of the great intelligent magnificent human race
I'm part of the race that could all spare possesions
Part of the race that's wiping itself out
I'm part of the race that's got crazy obsessions
Like locking people up not letting them out

I hate the living dead and their working factories
They go like sheep to their production lines
They live on illusions; don't face the realities
All they live for is that big blue sign that says:
"Ford"
I'm bored, bored, bored

I am a product
I am a symbol of endless hopeless fruitless aimless games
I am a sample
I am a scapegoat of useless futureless endless mindless ideas
I am a topic
I am a subject for useless futureless endless mindless debates
I'm an example
I'm no hero of the great intelligent magnificent human race
(The great intelligent magnificent human race)
The great intelligent magnificent human race

For me, one of the strongest stories in the show is Dennis' journey in the third season, going from ex-con to gangster to boxing coach. Throwing away everything he had and all the temptations that came with that life, and learning how to start over.

Damn, that show is excellent...