Haven't seen this one in circulation yet:

Dear Chancellor Merkel,

The never-ending austerity that Europe is force-feeding the Greek people is simply not working. Now Greece has loudly said no more.

As most of the world knew it would, austerity has crushed the Greek economy, led to mass unemployment, a collapse of the banking system, made the external debt crisis far worse, with the debt problem escalating to an unpayable 175% of GDP. The economy now lies broken with tax receipts nose-diving, output and employment depressed, and businesses starved of capital.

The humanitarian impact has been colossal – 40% of children now live in poverty, infant mortality is sky-rocketing and youth unemployment is close to 50%. Corruption, tax evasion and bad accounting by previous Greek governments helped create the debt problem. But the series of so-called adjustment programs has served only to make a Great Depression the likes of which have been unseen in Europe since 1929-1933. The medicine prescribed by the German Finance Ministry and Brussels has bled the patient, not cured the disease.

Together we urge you to lead Europe to a course correction before it is too late for Greece and for the Eurozone. Right now, the Greek government is being asked to put a gun to its head and pull the trigger. Sadly, the bullet will not only kill off Greece’s future in Europe. The collateral damage will kill the Eurozone as a beacon of hope, prosperity, and democracy, and could lead to far-reaching economic consequences across the world.

In the 1950s Europe was founded on the forgiveness of past debts, notably Germany’s, which generated a massive contribution to post-war economic growth, peace, and democracy. Today we need to restructure and reduce Greek debt, give the economy breathing room to recover, and allow Greece to pay off a reduced burden of debt over a long period of time. Now is the time for a humane rethink of the punitive and failed programme of austerity of recent years and to agree to a major reduction of Greece’s debts in conjunction with much needed reforms in Greece.

We urge you to take this vital action of leadership for Greece and Germany, and also for the world. History will remember you for your actions this week. We expect and count on you to provide the bold and generous steps towards Greece that will serve Europe for generations to come.

Yours sincerely,

Heiner Flassbeck, former State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry of Finance;

Thomas Piketty, Professor of Economics at the Paris School of Economics;

Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University;

Dani Rodrik, Albert O. Hirschman Professor of Social Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton;

Simon Wren-Lewis, Professor of economics, Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University

So good. Memories of my youth.

Many feels from my youth

Thanks for clarity, I agree with what you said.

Most black people are not treated with respect today. This is changing as blacks enter the mainstream.

I think that this will end in a few more generations. We need to have the Al Sharptons and the whites that were born in a time when which was still being promoted pass away.


Black people still get the short end of the stick with respect to the law. Sure this is not fair.


Society through media demonizes black youth to the point all people are afraid of young black males. When a cop rolls up they have this preconceived bias, fair or not it is there. How can this be changed?


As far as the white kid being captured alive statement. Just lucky I guess. But then again look where he is going. He will be wishing they shot him for years to come. The brothers will kill him, it might take a few years to get him but they will.

We are all blinded by our conceived " reality" based on life experiences. Yours are different than mine. It does not make either of us better than the other, just different.

When I first watched TNG, back in my youth, I didn't really think Riker was all that amazing. I mean, how can you compete with Picard, Data, Worf, etc? But when I rewatched the remastered release of the show recently, I realized . . . Riker is the biggest boss in the Star Trek universe, bar none. (And yes, that includes Kirk. I went there!)

I mean, of course he gets all the ladies, but he also plays the trombone, fights Klingons, eats Klingon food, arouses Klingon ladies, is a crack shot with a phaser, is an excellent tactician that thinks outside the box, knows several martial arts, is a master poker player, good at chess, and has a beard that makes Chuck Norris pale in comparison. (I FREAKING WENT THERE!)

Riker is glorious, and I am completely serious when I say that.
(See? No sarcasm tag.)

The problem with white culture is.. @lantern53, @newtboy & @AllWhitePeople

White Privilege insulated you from the reality of your advantages and the true suffering of others who aren't white

Hell, white people include if poor uneducated.

(I asked a white friend.
He said that white people just see other white people as strangers.
Makes sense now I guess)

You live in this White Privilege Bubble where "everyone's equal cause this is AMERICA!"

Everyone in your bubble has bootstraps. A safety net.
Reliable job opportunites and call-backs.
No fear of being harassed and/or murdered by police.
The general unconditional trust of society



In the bubble of impoverished black culture, however.. having a chance at leaving that poverty is a pipe-dream.

I know, because I live in Atlanta.
A place notorious for lots of poor black communities.

My girlfriend was born and raised in it.

Her parents were addicted to crack.
(Funny how crack possession carries a harsher sentence than cocaine possession, considering their the exact same drug.)

She saw a dead body in the street when she was 6.
(Gang violence is present when decent jobs and summer camps aren't)

She had Police SWAT invade her home & hold a gun to her head around the same age.
(Because busting potential drug dealers is more important that entering the correct house.)

Her cousin, who was probably a prostitute since 12 or 13, is currently very happy that her new "boyfriend" doesn't beat her.
(She feels like that's a win. Hell, my girlfriend was herself convinced that she'd "grow up to be a prostitute."
You know, the norm.)

For the last 5 months, my girlfriend has lived with a 21 year old prostitute (started at 14 when homeless) and her much older "boyfriend"/pimp because that was the only "affordable" housing near her work.

(She mentioned that earlier this month, there was a new girl there some mornings who was definitely probably 13 or 14.
She literally just moved out today and happened to spot her ex-roommate working her corner near West End Mall. )

So yeah, white people assume - No, righteously assert - all black people are just a equal as white people.

Because you all think:

"I've got bootstraps & dignity & great opportunites & everlasting hope.
Stop whining and take personal responsibility."

The reality is starkly different.

Black people are reminded of that difference LITERALLY EVERYDAY.

We're remind everytime an unarmed black youth is murder, just for "looking threatening".

Even with civil rights laws, even with a brown president.

You'll never know what it's truly like to be non-white..

Because White Privilege prevents you from even having to acknowledge these issue.

Just call it all even and blame the rest on personal responsibility.

@lantern53

Cops don't prevent crime.

Having better opportunities prevents crimes.

Science, facts, prove this.
I have the study bookmarked somewhere.

It concluded that At-Risk Youth are much less likely to misbehave, re-offend, or get involved with a gang...

IF they spent the first few weeks of summer break a camp.

(an opportunity most poor black youth definitely don't have access too.

Something so foreign, you'd get laughed out the hood.)

OMG. Amazing eh? Treating at-risk youth like CHILDREN instead of FUTURE CRIMINALS decreases delinquent behavior!

Crazy idea, i know. But it works!

Old folks boogie and boogie they will. *quality chair dancin' in front of the laptop [with a kitty in my lap] inspiration right here donchaknow *promote never losing one's youth ... it's all in your mind

After months offline I just wanted some cat videos and now this...

You know, Bob, I think you are right. I may not be a US citizen but I think there should be an international law, enforced by the UN.
As a species we can not allow morally bankrupt people to define what marriage should be, especially if that definition is ethically questionable and radically diverging from what the Bible, Torah or Quran describe.
Not only are we subjected to this bizarre propaganda of how normal this sickening behaviour is, this agenda is being sold to children as well. Even if we ignore the risk factors and possible fallout from this dangerous interaction with our youth, I think we can't deny that letting somebody that unstable adopt children isn't the best of ideas.
As you point out, this minority has a strong grasp on the media and an even stronger grip around the neck of political systems around the globe. Even our economy isn't safe of their influence which everyone can see everytime they hurt american businesses with their boycotts. Like disgusting, entitled children, they throw tantrums everytime they don't get their will, no mattere what the cost.
You're right, mankind shouldn't capitulate to their demands. I say annul their existing marriages or domestic partnerships and make it illegal for those people to marry. Worldwide.
According to Wikipedia (yes, I know, Wikipedia) there are 7.2 billion humans on earth and the GOP has around 30 million members. That's only 0.4% of the world population. You're right. Why should any society capitulate for such an insignificant demographic group? Why should we allow republicans to marry or recognize their marriages as legally binding? Nobody needs them to procreate.
Having said that, as far as I'm concerned, George W. Bush is a bastard, even by westerosi standards.

Oh to be foolish and young.

I remember beating my fear of heights by moving on the under-structure of freight bridge.

Sure I would have dies or drown...but to understand that your heartbeat and the sense of slow-mo is what evolution gave you.

Only the young tap in to it truly and we should not mock them because we all played dangerously in our youth.

No upvote though despite my charming banter of not being judgmental. I succeeded in not being judgmental but it lacked the entertaining aspect.

This is a parody? Perhaps...

But... I grew up in Huntington Beach, in that narcissistic white drug culture. I am a product of this... parody? LMFAO. The white "elders" winking and nodding. So HILARIOUS. That video footage -- I know those locations, and I also know from experience and reputation that gun violence between not just whites and whites has occurred right around the location this footage was filmed. PCH, main, the pier -- fucking hell. Mostly a cool if not overcrowded touristy area -- but, it can erupt into random acts of violence. There's a freaking MMA gym on every other corner; TESTOSTERONE INSPIRED, X-GAME/MMA SPONSORED RICH ASSHOLE CENTRAL. There is a problem and it's overly meta with all of your weird perspectives outside my white ghetto.

All of the cool downtown areas of socal have this tendency though. Some of it racial between not just white people -- the Mexican girls who beat the Vietnamese girl to death in downtown Santa Ana not too many years ago, just because she photo bombed them. It's all a part of the same problem really, and not just white culture, but it still remains one side of the dice of random youth violence in the county.

The propaganda machine will say this is an all time low, but I can't ignore the fact that I grew up right there in that video and know it all first hand! And that's what news is about. Not an agenda. It's getting it right. It's funny because it's true. NOT parody -- unless treating white people like they treat the rest of people is considered "parody". That's the only parody I witnessed in this video, which is pretty incidental to me.

This is a general rule of gun handling and ownership.
Don't point a gun at anything you do not want to destroy.
I learned about guns in the Boys Scouts from guys who respected and were extremely careful about their firearms.
Anyone screwing around or sloppy was denied privileges.

Years later when I saw how processes protect work environments from mistakes I understood the full logic.

You shouldn't obey it because some guns are faulty. (like in this video)
You should obey it because humans are faulty.

Biggest cause of gun accidents in youth.
Someone thought the safety was on or the gun wasn't loaded...and was wrong.
If you are genuinely curious google "gun safety" or "jeff cooper"

I understand. I've been in cover bands. I was providing solid, factual information and the zeitgeist of the truly raw emotional music called metal. How does this equate to the lack of understanding of the music industry and the game they force musicians into? Then the game those very musicians somehow embrace via, what, musical Stockholm syndrome? lol!!!

Yeah, it sure is a good way to practice and get views. I agree, but how is it Top 15? All the other good musicians playing the good but unpopular songs and aren't cute enough for branding?

Yay Capitalism. It works. Who would have guessed. But I don't base my up votes on this sad fact of economics. It's bullshit. The music industry should be a sacred institution of musical progression and the pursuit of higher standards in music. But it's just a machine. The machine doesn't produce the truly great stuff. The great stuff is made by geniuses who write music because they breath it. It's made by disenfranchised youth. It is NOT this. This is cute but fucking SAD. But I guess no one gives a fuck because cool that's how it works. Ignore the superior talent, the artists with passion and personal drive due to adversity -- nooooooooo, focus on the popular talent.

Fuck true metal? It's mostly a joke, dude, not a sense of entitlement. You want to read entitlement and serious judgement in my comments? By all means, chaotic fool, use it as a platform for your Internet social gain. But I'm speaking from the perspective of someone with years of knowledge passing it down. I cited songs which Metallica wrote and played which are hard and fast, raw and powerful, exuding the youthful energy of their best albums, which are for some reason blacklisted and instead we hear the songs that the recording industry WANT you to hear because they're marketable. The songs I listed are awesome and considered by some to be the real gift Metallica left us with, like Van Halen's first 4 albums.

I bestowed a gift, and you saw me being high and mighty for my gain? Sounds like YOU have some problems to deal with.

I dont only listen to metal. I played sax, guitar, bass, and drums, but now mostly play percussion -- I like hitting things. I was in a rolling Stones and velvet underground cover band, played some gospel folks stuff for a while. I provided my perspective on metal because I thought it beneficial. For the music obsessed, hearing something over and over on the radio for the remainder of your life, when there is better material from the band and the idea of popularity as some sort of higher value than the subtleties you pick up on when you have standards, it's all very silly to read. You are a jerk and now I'm sad.

Thanks. Gift horse doesn't like staring contests.

What an awful response. I was thinking what a nice bloke to be so instinctively concerned for those in danger even when he's clearly safe - and what an effective and fast test that would be for psychosis (perhaps to disqualify psychopathic politicans from office).

You clearly see the world in a different way. I'll do you the favour of assuming youth rather than a brain missing important parts.