>> ^demon_ix:
What happened to the filibuster-proof majority?

It's dependent on Democrats sticking together to the last man, and we essentially have about ten Democrats who're afraid to admit publicly that they actually support the Democratic platform because they're afraid of being perceived as "liberal" in their usually-conservative states.

They need to get over it.

You guys should move to Canada or something. Your politicians don't work for you, it seems.

There are lots of reasons for that. Part of it is that there's about 30-35% of the American population who don't think politicians should stick up for people in any other way than cutting taxes, dismantling regulation, fighting endless wars, deporting all the Mexicans, banning abortion, and keeping gay people from being able to have a legal marriage.

Part of it is because that 35% was more like 50-60% for most of the last 3 decades, and a lot of the regulations that kept corporate bribery in check got dismantled (along with a lot of other things).

Also, the Democrats in the post-1968 era have refused to organize the party in a way that would enforce some party discipline. Joe Lieberman was Al Gore's running mate for the Presidency in 2000. In 2008 he campaigned for John McCain. He's one of the people who make up that "60" number, and as an aside, he's from a deep-blue state.

There are a lot of Democrats who think the only way they can win elections is to essentially be moderate Republicans. That time has passed. This will be a good test to see how many Democrats realize it.

Anyone see Deep Blue with Kurt Russel? By the same guy I think. It's really good too

Thx, fixed!

In reply to this comment by ant:
*dead

Fixed. Thanks.

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
*dead

The creatures of the sea retreat
They speak to you and me believe
Swim in the oceans deep blue
Farther than we may see we already knew
Yet we long to seek in the water below
Covered is the treasures buried of lands long ago
Guarded is this wisdom beyond anything so
But here lies they're home bound
The liquid crystal tree that bleeds
As beauty breathes into the unknown
The underwater mystical foam is sound
A world within itself but never bound
By reeds and all origins of seeds
Once thrown back but always forever grown

Takk skal du ha!

In reply to this comment by lavoll:
*promote

>> ^imstellar28:
1. If you look at the definition of "social" how could social interaction be possible if both parties aren't alive?

As I wrote, that discussion is way beyond the scope of this post. It depends on what you mean by "social interaction". A chess match between Deep Blue and Kasparov comes to mind as a possible counter-example. I'll accept your asseration, though, but want to point out that you are (unnecessarily?) including all living things, not just humans. And I think it confounds other assertions, like the right to property and self-determination. If the point here is to discuss human interaction, then you really don't need to mention "living things" and a definition of social interaction.


2. I am talking in a social context, as I stated several times. Rights mean nothing outside of a social context.

That depends on who you're talking to. I personally don't believe in absolute morality, but some people do. And in their world view, rights do exist outside of human definition.


I am not talking about what is physically possible, I am talking about what is morally possible. You cannot morally (i.e. without violating another's rights) consume food that you do not own.

That assumes ownership of everything. If I walk in a forest, and eat some berries that belong to no one, whose rights have violated?

Also, the very notion of ownership implies the right to own property, which you state is a corollary of the right to life. It cannot simultaneously be a necessary condition and a consequence of the right to life. Which is it?

And this also gets back to the problem of talking about generic social interactions between living things. Clearly a chimpanzee is a member of a social group and has social interactions with others in its own group and members of other groups. But chimpanzees require no concept of ownership to survive, i.e., to exercise their right to life.


3. Self-determination, as defined in wikipedia, is the "as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion" which is essentially the same thing as the right to life. Thus, it cannot be a condition for the right to life as they are one in the same. If you think a person forced into slavery has the right to life, you have misunderstood my post.

Apparently so. But you define the right to life in the third paragraph of your post:

This right, the freedom to engage in self-sustained, self-generated action, exists only for individuals in a social context--and is what I term "the right to life."

It mentions nothing about self-determination, but then you later state,

for every individual, "the right to life" specifies the freedom to think and act, to pursue one's own ends through voluntary, uncoerced action.

So, you've noted that self-determination is a necessary condition for the right to life (as opposed to part of its definition) without giving any reason. Anyone (or thing) can be coerced into all sorts of actions by others in its social group without impairing its ability to sustain its life.


4. Imagine 5 people are stranded in the desert and steve is the only one who brought water. He has one gallon. Yes, people are compelled to trade with him-but how does that make it involuntary? Steve isn't using physical force, compulsion, or coercion to make them trade with him. You are confusing what compelling means.

He's not using coercion? Are you serious? Trade me your big sun hat for some water, or you're going to die! That's not coercion?? The threat of dying is usually pretty compelling for me. That steve will not be the direct agent of my death is irrelevant - I'm still going to die if I don't give him my hat for some water.

SPOILERS FOR DEEP BLUE SEA

I find the end of the movie really disturbing, when hottie Saffron Burrows is suddenly eaten by the sharks and we get to see her remaining leg twirling down through the water past the camera, twitching. It's the twitching that really disturbs me.... it's like five seconds ago you were completely fuckable and now you're just a bloody twitching stump of leg... the other half of you, the half with a pussy and a face, is probably inside a motherfucking shark right now, probably still alive and drowning\suffocating in the shark's belly since it just swallowed you like two seconds ago... sharks don't chew they just bite off the biggest piece they can swallow.. quite disturbing if you picture it clearly enough.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'samuel l jackson, deep blue sea, shark, surprise, owned' to 'Spoiler, alert, samuel l jackson, deep blue sea, shark, surprise, owned' - edited by my15minutes

Sorry, but I'm so ready for something else. My artsy middle-aged brain is climbing the walls.

I wonder what avatar choggie is using today?

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
I'm relieved I'm not going crazy. Maybe you should go a little slower on all the changes. My poor middle-aged brain can't keep up with it. Some would say my drinking is to blame, but I don't think a quart of Black Velvet every night is too much.

In reply to this comment by dotdude:
Yes, I did change it to orange. I wanted it to go with my new avatar. My profile page is next!

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
Hey, did you just change the color of your user name from deep blue to orange, or did I pick a bad day to quit sniffing glue?

Yes, I did change it to orange. I wanted it to go with my new avatar. My profile page is next!

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
Hey, did you just change the color of your user name from deep blue to orange, or did I pick a bad day to quit sniffing glue?

not exactly my choice of quotes.. too many arnolds... and his famous one isn't there too boot.
Here's a list of the quotes from which movies.. i don't recognize some of the scenes tho, indicated with a ???
1. Rocky 4?
2. Kindergarden Cop
3. Snakes on a Plane
4. Jerry Maguire
5. Karate Kid
6. Billy Madison (Adam Sandler)
7. Pulp Fiction
8. Wedding crashers (Mom the meatloaf)
9. Kindergarden Cop
10 Top Gun
11 The Departed
12 Dazed and Confused
13 ???? (B&W Scene)
14 Snakes on a Plane
15 Happy Gilmore
16 Hook
17 ???
18 Happy Gilmore
19 Jerry Maguire
20 A Time to Kill (Samuel L. Jackson)
21 Might Ducks
22 Night at the Roxbury ???
23 Matrix
24 Pulp Fiction
25 ???
26 Jingle All the Way ??
27 ???
28 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
29 Hook
30 Waterboy
31 Rocky 4
32 Karate Kid
33 Snakes on a Plane
34 TMNT II (Vanila Ice)
35 Judge Dredd
36 Deep Blue Sea
37 Rocky

From Youtube:
45.52 carats. India. You're looking at one of the world's most famous gems - renowned for its flawless clarity, rare deep blue color, and eventful history. It is surrounded by 16 white diamonds and suspended from a platinum chain bearing 46 more diamonds. (Gift of Harry Winston, 1958)

Read the history of the owners (including the Sun King and Marie Antoinette) here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_diamond

Tags changed from "space shuttle, srb, launch" to "brian eno, deep blue day, secret place" by gold star member lucky760.

According to someone on YT the tracks are both from "Apollo Atmospheres & Soundtracks" by Brian Eno.

Track 1 is "Deep Blue Day" and track 2 is "A Secret Place".

The artist actually has a pretty extensive Wikipedia entry, but here's the pertinent one for this album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo:_Atmospheres_and_Soundtracks

It turns out he actually composed this album as an accompaniment to footage of the Apollo program, so I think it works well with this footage.