>> ^quantumushroom:

But wait! Asian kids are bullied far more than gay kids.
When will this trendy save-gays-from-bullying business fall out of favor with the left for a new cause?
Wouldn't it be so much easier if America just banned free speech like the canucks did?
It would be easier than getting rid of government schools.


I think the left is concerned with Bullying in all forms. This bill however doesn't say "You can bully asians kids if you're bad at math" it's giving an out for people who want to beat up gay kids.

Bullying is wrong, as you pointed out. How could you disagree with bullying is wrong unless you've got a REALLY GOOD (Religious) Reason?

EDIT: Also you're actually wrong, anyone who's taking a statistics class can see that those numbers are incorrect. So not only were you wrong in principle, you're wrong on the facts. Thanks again for proving how stupid you are.

But wait! Asian kids are bullied far more than gay kids.

When will this trendy save-gays-from-bullying business fall out of favor with the left for a new cause?

Wouldn't it be so much easier if America just banned free speech like the canucks did?

It would be easier than getting rid of government schools.

I can be the counterbalance since I still pass for being in high school

Will try to make it down from Brisbane work permitting.>> ^spoco2:

@kymbos, looks very nice, and it's about a block and a half from where I'm currently sitting
I'm seeing a front-runner already, what with the family tie and everything Two different options too, in the upstairs area or the downstairs.
Now all we need is more Aussies to put their hands up that they'll be there. As it stands it's going to be 3 aging men looking uncomfortable amongst the trendy of Melbourne

@kymbos, looks very nice, and it's about a block and a half from where I'm currently sitting

I'm seeing a front-runner already, what with the family tie and everything Two different options too, in the upstairs area or the downstairs.

Now all we need is more Aussies to put their hands up that they'll be there. As it stands it's going to be 3 aging men looking uncomfortable amongst the trendy of Melbourne

>> ^blankfist:

>> ^NetRunner:
>> ^blankfist:
And their stock suggestions have worked out well for me. But that's mainly because I think it's a good idea to bet against the US dollar, especially now, and their stock suggestions are basically mostly that.

So be specific, how are they saying to bet against the dollar? Buy gold and silver? Buy foreign currency or foreign stocks & bonds?
Which of those have paid off big (you mentioned tripling your 401k)?

I didn't say they said "bet against the dollar". I said that. They don't sell gold or silver, either. They review companies that do though. And as far as I can tell they're not selling anything.
They have a number of stocks they think will do well as the currency inflates, and so far they've been spot on. Mainly mining companies and the occasional agriculture company. Read on.
http://inflation.us/stocks.html


Intro paragraph at that link:

One of our missions at the National Inflation Association is to discover and profile companies that we believe will prosper in an inflationary environment. Typically we will bring to you producing, profitable, Gold and Silver companies with strong balance sheets. We believe these stocks have a chance of becoming some of the best performers of the next decade.

That said, those look like decent enough picks, even if the much ballyhooed hyperinflation never actually arrives. They've got oil, gas, food, tech stocks, even some potash (very trendy) in there, which are mostly bets that global warming is real, the oil is running out, and the developing economies will rapidly increase their demand for food & oil over the next decade. All safe bets!

Though the bulk of it is stock in precious metal traders and miners, and I'm not sure that quite counts as "betting against the dollar" so much as betting that the hysteria about inflation will lead to a boom for gold traders. At least inflation.us knows which side their bread is buttered on.

Assuming these companies themselves aren't scams, they're not setting you up to lose your shirt if Paul Krugman continues to be right, and Peter Schiff continues to be wrong. You might take a hit if/when a Republican reclaims the White House, and all the talk of inflation disappears though.

>> ^skinnydaddy1:

>> ^SveNitoR:
>> ^skinnydaddy1:
>> ^SveNitoR:
>> ^skinnydaddy1:
So, the guy animates on a computer that uses 4 times the amount of materials that is in a mobile device. Just to tell us our love of gadgets is enslaving people who can only be freed by starting a war to kill the dictator and if we do that, we get antiwar animation pointing out how we are war mongers and now everyone hates the war mongers because they started a war and the only way not to make the rest of the world like them is to give up everything and live like a third world country while no other 1st world country does the same thing.
Right....
Define hypocrisy.

No, he claims that our extreme consumption patterns have negative effects, not that we should invade countries. We buy new, throw away, buy new, throw away... and so on. This is a quote from someone, whom I unfortunately forgot the name of: "We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't care about".

Sorry, still can't muster up enough to care anymore. Its just gotten to the point where some Self-righteous ass has to tell me how terrible a person I am because I got up this morning had a cup of coffee. SO instead of wasting their time creating an animation telling me I'm a horrible person. Take that time to volunteer and do some real work for once. I no longer will apologies for the way I live. I do not spend more than I have and if other people do that its their business. I know, I know. I sound like a douchbag. But to me now, So does the guy who created the animation. At what point do I get to live my life with out criticism? With out someone telling me what I should or should not do?
I've told this story in another of a video comments not long ago. I spent 5 months in and around Europe not long ago doing contract work. The job had me going from city to city just about every week. In EVERY city the second someone found out I was from the U.S. I had to hear about how we were destroying the world. The hypocrisy of being criticized by some ass holding blackberry or Iphone or netbook or whatever just because I was from the U.S. really really got to me. And if I said I have heard this before they just get really pissed like what they were saying was so different then what the last 10 people said.
I know its trendy to look progressive and forward thinking about the impact of what just owning a cell phone can be but FFS change your own life and live by example not by yelling at the Evil American. and before you say it. No I do not have to watch the video, but I did receive the link to it by someone saying how clever it was. So instead of the Funny I was looking for I got the "your killing the planet by breathing" video.
Sigh, Ok, I've ranted enough here. I really did not mean for it to go this long but explaining it never seems to fit in to a few line.
This rant brought to you by "Douchbag American" If the rest of the world don't like it. Blame the U.S.!

Hehe, yeah that was quite an impressive rant.
I understand your frustration with being treated like an asshole just because of your nationality (and I would guess that the average Swedish person is worse than the average USA-citizen when it comes to using resources). They are the idiots for doing that, but I believe the video was not aimed at Americans specifically, but rich societies in general. We all live more luxuriously than what the earth can support in the long run and quite frankly need to change our lives a bit.
Nothing dramatic, just stop buying tons of new shit all the time and see if there are any used products available instead. I'm equally bad at this and love having new stuff as much as anyone, but still see the need for a change.

Ya, I know. Its not been a stellar few years for me. Needless to say the company that sent me all over Europe to do work for went out of business before I got back to the U.S.. SO I did not get fully paid for the work done. No, It was not a free trip. I had to cover my own way back and that killed the little pay I did receive. Hey, Fun way to discover your company has gone under. "Credit Card Declined" and no answer at the main office while trying to check in to a hotel. I love new stuff also. I've not been able to buy new for a awhile now.
My personal favorite from the trip, Being told off by some French ass who was riding an $800 bike wearing Italian fashion, holding a blackberry. I'm on a park bench trying to figure out how I'm getting home in a late 90s tshirt i got free from a tech expo and jeans. Just because I was from the U.S. The Kicker, I almost get arrested because "I" was causing a commotion or something. (I'm not sure as I do not speak French and the person translating I'm pretty sure left some things out) Oh well. It's over with so I'll tag as an over costly learning experience and I can one up a lot of people in a "Worst Trip Ever" story.


Yeah you would definitely win over me there

I would say that experiencing different cultures in such a way is a very unique and good experience to have, both personally and professionally. Now you know what it's like to be both poor and an immigrant at least to an extent (of course that could have been true before that trip as well). I find that experiencing hardship in different ways has allowed me a more direct (not just intellectual) understanding of others, since I'm from a pretty safe middle-class, white neighbourhood. It helps me empathize with their struggle.

Not much consolation, but the loud mouthed idiots are not a majority anywhere in the world. They're like internet trolls: they take up a lot of space, but they do not represent the population in general. At least I hope that's the case

>> ^SveNitoR:

>> ^skinnydaddy1:
>> ^SveNitoR:
>> ^skinnydaddy1:
So, the guy animates on a computer that uses 4 times the amount of materials that is in a mobile device. Just to tell us our love of gadgets is enslaving people who can only be freed by starting a war to kill the dictator and if we do that, we get antiwar animation pointing out how we are war mongers and now everyone hates the war mongers because they started a war and the only way not to make the rest of the world like them is to give up everything and live like a third world country while no other 1st world country does the same thing.
Right....
Define hypocrisy.

No, he claims that our extreme consumption patterns have negative effects, not that we should invade countries. We buy new, throw away, buy new, throw away... and so on. This is a quote from someone, whom I unfortunately forgot the name of: "We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't care about".

Sorry, still can't muster up enough to care anymore. Its just gotten to the point where some Self-righteous ass has to tell me how terrible a person I am because I got up this morning had a cup of coffee. SO instead of wasting their time creating an animation telling me I'm a horrible person. Take that time to volunteer and do some real work for once. I no longer will apologies for the way I live. I do not spend more than I have and if other people do that its their business. I know, I know. I sound like a douchbag. But to me now, So does the guy who created the animation. At what point do I get to live my life with out criticism? With out someone telling me what I should or should not do?
I've told this story in another of a video comments not long ago. I spent 5 months in and around Europe not long ago doing contract work. The job had me going from city to city just about every week. In EVERY city the second someone found out I was from the U.S. I had to hear about how we were destroying the world. The hypocrisy of being criticized by some ass holding blackberry or Iphone or netbook or whatever just because I was from the U.S. really really got to me. And if I said I have heard this before they just get really pissed like what they were saying was so different then what the last 10 people said.
I know its trendy to look progressive and forward thinking about the impact of what just owning a cell phone can be but FFS change your own life and live by example not by yelling at the Evil American. and before you say it. No I do not have to watch the video, but I did receive the link to it by someone saying how clever it was. So instead of the Funny I was looking for I got the "your killing the planet by breathing" video.
Sigh, Ok, I've ranted enough here. I really did not mean for it to go this long but explaining it never seems to fit in to a few line.
This rant brought to you by "Douchbag American" If the rest of the world don't like it. Blame the U.S.!

Hehe, yeah that was quite an impressive rant.
I understand your frustration with being treated like an asshole just because of your nationality (and I would guess that the average Swedish person is worse than the average USA-citizen when it comes to using resources). They are the idiots for doing that, but I believe the video was not aimed at Americans specifically, but rich societies in general. We all live more luxuriously than what the earth can support in the long run and quite frankly need to change our lives a bit.
Nothing dramatic, just stop buying tons of new shit all the time and see if there are any used products available instead. I'm equally bad at this and love having new stuff as much as anyone, but still see the need for a change.


Ya, I know. Its not been a stellar few years for me. Needless to say the company that sent me all over Europe to do work for went out of business before I got back to the U.S.. SO I did not get fully paid for the work done. No, It was not a free trip. I had to cover my own way back and that killed the little pay I did receive. Hey, Fun way to discover your company has gone under. "Credit Card Declined" and no answer at the main office while trying to check in to a hotel. I love new stuff also. I've not been able to buy new for a awhile now.
My personal favorite from the trip, Being told off by some French ass who was riding an $800 bike wearing Italian fashion, holding a blackberry. I'm on a park bench trying to figure out how I'm getting home in a late 90s tshirt i got free from a tech expo and jeans. Just because I was from the U.S. The Kicker, I almost get arrested because "I" was causing a commotion or something. (I'm not sure as I do not speak French and the person translating I'm pretty sure left some things out) Oh well. It's over with so I'll tag as an over costly learning experience and I can one up a lot of people in a "Worst Trip Ever" story.

>> ^skinnydaddy1:

>> ^SveNitoR:
>> ^skinnydaddy1:
So, the guy animates on a computer that uses 4 times the amount of materials that is in a mobile device. Just to tell us our love of gadgets is enslaving people who can only be freed by starting a war to kill the dictator and if we do that, we get antiwar animation pointing out how we are war mongers and now everyone hates the war mongers because they started a war and the only way not to make the rest of the world like them is to give up everything and live like a third world country while no other 1st world country does the same thing.
Right....
Define hypocrisy.

No, he claims that our extreme consumption patterns have negative effects, not that we should invade countries. We buy new, throw away, buy new, throw away... and so on. This is a quote from someone, whom I unfortunately forgot the name of: "We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't care about".

Sorry, still can't muster up enough to care anymore. Its just gotten to the point where some Self-righteous ass has to tell me how terrible a person I am because I got up this morning had a cup of coffee. SO instead of wasting their time creating an animation telling me I'm a horrible person. Take that time to volunteer and do some real work for once. I no longer will apologies for the way I live. I do not spend more than I have and if other people do that its their business. I know, I know. I sound like a douchbag. But to me now, So does the guy who created the animation. At what point do I get to live my life with out criticism? With out someone telling me what I should or should not do?
I've told this story in another of a video comments not long ago. I spent 5 months in and around Europe not long ago doing contract work. The job had me going from city to city just about every week. In EVERY city the second someone found out I was from the U.S. I had to hear about how we were destroying the world. The hypocrisy of being criticized by some ass holding blackberry or Iphone or netbook or whatever just because I was from the U.S. really really got to me. And if I said I have heard this before they just get really pissed like what they were saying was so different then what the last 10 people said.
I know its trendy to look progressive and forward thinking about the impact of what just owning a cell phone can be but FFS change your own life and live by example not by yelling at the Evil American. and before you say it. No I do not have to watch the video, but I did receive the link to it by someone saying how clever it was. So instead of the Funny I was looking for I got the "your killing the planet by breathing" video.
Sigh, Ok, I've ranted enough here. I really did not mean for it to go this long but explaining it never seems to fit in to a few line.
This rant brought to you by "Douchbag American" If the rest of the world don't like it. Blame the U.S.!


Hehe, yeah that was quite an impressive rant.

I understand your frustration with being treated like an asshole just because of your nationality (and I would guess that the average Swedish person is worse than the average USA-citizen when it comes to using resources). They are the idiots for doing that, but I believe the video was not aimed at Americans specifically, but rich societies in general. We all live more luxuriously than what the earth can support in the long run and quite frankly need to change our lives a bit.

Nothing dramatic, just stop buying tons of new shit all the time and see if there are any used products available instead. I'm equally bad at this and love having new stuff as much as anyone, but still see the need for a change.

>> ^SveNitoR:

>> ^skinnydaddy1:
So, the guy animates on a computer that uses 4 times the amount of materials that is in a mobile device. Just to tell us our love of gadgets is enslaving people who can only be freed by starting a war to kill the dictator and if we do that, we get antiwar animation pointing out how we are war mongers and now everyone hates the war mongers because they started a war and the only way not to make the rest of the world like them is to give up everything and live like a third world country while no other 1st world country does the same thing.
Right....
Define hypocrisy.

No, he claims that our extreme consumption patterns have negative effects, not that we should invade countries. We buy new, throw away, buy new, throw away... and so on. This is a quote from someone, whom I unfortunately forgot the name of: "We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't care about".


Sorry, still can't muster up enough to care anymore. Its just gotten to the point where some Self-righteous ass has to tell me how terrible a person I am because I got up this morning had a cup of coffee. SO instead of wasting their time creating an animation telling me I'm a horrible person. Take that time to volunteer and do some real work for once. I no longer will apologies for the way I live. I do not spend more than I have and if other people do that its their business. I know, I know. I sound like a douchbag. But to me now, So does the guy who created the animation. At what point do I get to live my life with out criticism? With out someone telling me what I should or should not do?

I've told this story in another of a video comments not long ago. I spent 5 months in and around Europe not long ago doing contract work. The job had me going from city to city just about every week. In EVERY city the second someone found out I was from the U.S. I had to hear about how we were destroying the world. The hypocrisy of being criticized by some ass holding blackberry or Iphone or netbook or whatever just because I was from the U.S. really really got to me. And if I said I have heard this before they just get really pissed like what they were saying was so different then what the last 10 people said.
I know its trendy to look progressive and forward thinking about the impact of what just owning a cell phone can be but FFS change your own life and live by example not by yelling at the Evil American. and before you say it. No I do not have to watch the video, but I did receive the link to it by someone saying how clever it was. So instead of the Funny I was looking for I got the "your killing the planet by breathing" video.

Sigh, Ok, I've ranted enough here. I really did not mean for it to go this long but explaining it never seems to fit in to a few line.

This rant brought to you by "Douchbag American" If the rest of the world don't like it. Blame the U.S.!

Sign me up. I've got a trendy goatee and everything.

i don't feel like there has to be a difference in the rhetoric and the reality. and find that statement kind of cynical.

my kids are allowed all kinds of crazy freedoms with their hair and dress and expression and creativity and language and their interests are almost always highly encouraged by me and my tribe.

princesses weren't a non existant part of playtime when my daughter was younger, at that point i thought it was an archetype and all little girls go through that phase. and i still kind of think that. but i think it can be overly nurtured in ways that are obnoxious. anyway, princess phase was short lived and generally took a back seat to her desire to be a fairy or a piano playing shark. i could think of million reasons to hate barbies, but i decided not to, she has barbies ... she just isnt real interested in them. bratz dolls are actually just amazingly whorey and negative and are just way overboard, so.. fuck no. she's too old for them now anyway.

my biggest issue is over commercialization, so we simply have no television. they watch movies and what not. and actually i feel like limiting the television and commercialization has helped them development loads of creativity. which is actively encouraged around here. it's totally possible to imbue your kids with your values without forcing your political agenda down their throats.

i'm extremely interested in how much of my kids personalities and social skills are due to their lack of exposure to what's "trendy" and how much of it is just inherent. . my niece is the same age as my daughter, she's been hooked on the disney channel since birth. "fitting in" and keeping up with trends and being "like" her peers is extremely important to her. my kid couldn't care less. but that was also the difference between her mom (my sister) and i when we were kids.

i used to worry more about my son being able to fit in with more mainstreamed peers. seeing as we have no television, he knows 0 about spiderman or transformers or sports, he has 0 male role model to emulate and has been raised entirely by a bunch of women. but he's having no trouble "fitting in" with other boys. my daughter on the other hand is having loads of issues with socialization. she has no interest in what other 8 year old girls seem to be interested in. honestly, at this point, if hannah montana would help her make friends, i'd consider getting cable. but she just thinks it's stupid.

i'm interested to know if that's her just being a mature, heavily artistic, tomboy, with a dose of shyness or if the persona's of little girls are just so entirely shaped by television and trends that she's finding it impossible to relate them without it. i suspect its probably a bit of both. and i find the latter extremely sad.

>> ^blankfist:

@<a rel="nofollow" href="http://kids.videosift.com/member/spoco2" title="member since August 21st, 2006" class="profilelink">spoco2, good point. But I'd have to wonder why I'd want to stop him or her from following what they want even if it's trendy. Is it because of how I feel about it? If so, that's not a very good reason at all.
I dislike commercialization like the next guy, but is it fair for me to push my own personal politics onto my child? I say no. Sure, wearing high heels at five may be a bit extreme, but most parents use those extreme examples as justification to stifle their children's self-expression at less extremes. In other words, the rhetoric is "my five year old daughter is not wearing heels" but then in reality it's "my ten year old son is not getting a faux-hawk/mohawk" or "my daughter is not getting a Barbie doll".

@spoco2, good point. But I'd have to wonder why I'd want to stop him or her from following what they want even if it's trendy. Is it because of how I feel about it? If so, that's not a very good reason at all.

I dislike commercialization like the next guy, but is it fair for me to push my own personal politics onto my child? I say no. Sure, wearing high heels at five may be a bit extreme, but most parents use those extreme examples as justification to stifle their children's self-expression at less extremes. In other words, the rhetoric is "my five year old daughter is not wearing heels" but then in reality it's "my ten year old son is not getting a faux-hawk/mohawk" or "my daughter is not getting a Barbie doll".

>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

I did take your bait. Was I supposed to do something more than watch, comment and downvote? >> ^blankfist:
>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:
"Refuse to be trendy, refuse to be a moron. Socialism undermines your prosperity and restricts your liberty. Be willing to recognize it. Don't join the crowd, capitalism rocks and you know it."
Come on blanky. This is dreck. Post something real.

You not taking my bait?



I dunno. Didn't think this far ahead.

I did take your bait. Was I supposed to do something more than watch, comment and downvote? >> ^blankfist:

>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:
"Refuse to be trendy, refuse to be a moron. Socialism undermines your prosperity and restricts your liberty. Be willing to recognize it. Don't join the crowd, capitalism rocks and you know it."
Come on blanky. This is dreck. Post something real.

You not taking my bait?

>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

"Refuse to be trendy, refuse to be a moron. Socialism undermines your prosperity and restricts your liberty. Be willing to recognize it. Don't join the crowd, capitalism rocks and you know it."
Come on blanky. This is dreck. Post something real.


You not taking my bait?