I'm basically done with defending WikiLeaks as well, after the shit they pulled with the leaks of Turkish data. Completely irresponsible, that one.

However, WikiLeaks doesn't need credibility -- the data does. And the data they published vis-á-vis Clinton/Podesta/DNC is, as of now, solid. There was one fake document, but that was shown to have been injected by someone other than WL.

"Strong bias" -- oh, I do have a strong bias. Plural, as in biases, actually. For instance, I'm disinclined to take anything the US intelligence agencies say at face value, given how they manufactured more than one casus belli. I don't put much weight into (un-)official statements in general, but especially since all the misinformation they spread about issues like the coup in Honduras or the actions of Nazi militias in Ukraine.

In this particular case, however, my argument is much simpler: Occam's razor seems much more likely than malicious intent. Propaganda outlets on both sides are run by people. Maybe the propaganda outlet Sputnik intentionally twisted the content of email, or maybe they just fucked up, like people are wont to do. Maybe someone intentionally fed Trump this bad info, maybe his people are just as incompetent as he is.

There are too many parts in this that include people who have more than once proven themselves to be utterly incompetent, or in complete ignorance of even the concept of truth. I don't think Trump gives a shit about truth or facts, he strikes me as the typical blowhard who spouts whatever shit comes to mind, and spins stories on the fly like a 4-year-old when caught red-handing.

No need for a conspiracy there, with all this incompetence, naiveté and plain disregard for facts.

So when they keep on pushing the Russian angle in this, it just seems like a desperate attempt to conjure up the old unifying enemy. Why worry about Russian propaganda when there's plenty on FOX and MSNBC/CNN? Why worry about Russian hackers when you accept the unbelievably insecure method of eletronic votes, partly without paper trails, and completely controlled by private companies?

It's just very strange to an outsider like me to see them focus on perceived external influences when the internals are a complete clusterfuck. And this presidential election is the biggest clusterfuck I've seen in 30 years, which doesn't mean much, admittedly.

That said, we can't just be looking at it from the outside with binoculars, not when people are back to full-blown Cold War rhetoric. When the ruling class in the US and/or the ruling class in Russia start their pissing contests and other forms of grandstanding, it's usually brown people who pay the price, like they have been in Syria for the last couple of years. And Libya. And Yemen. And Somalia. And Afghanistan, And Iraq. And Pakistan.

Personally, all the rhetoric about "standing up to Russian aggression" and similar nonsense makes me keenly aware that the bridge just outside my hometown was constructed with a shaft to place explosives in, to slow down advancing Soviet troops... so yes, I would very much like to bitch-slap all these warmongerers on both sides, but particularly the ones in the US since they are currently the ones racking up the highest death toll.

Edit: I should have made it clearer. Yes, WL is absolutely biased against Clinton and they do seem to act in support of Trump. Assange in particular. Which bums me out to no end, since I actually met the guy in person when they presented WL at the 26C3.

Why is everyone talking about "out of your league?" There is no such thing as leagues. It is all about how you present yourself and how good of a job you do in making her feel good and secure.

The ugliest dude in the world can get the most attractive woman in the world if he emanates confidence and capability. Leagues are a myth--an excuse insecure men use to explain their inability to achieve things that they want in life.

Blacked out
Pop queen, amphetamine
The screams crashed into silence

Tapped out
Doused in the gasoline
The high times going timeless

Decadence
Death of the innocence
The pathway starts to spiral

Infamy
All for publicity
Destruction going viral

Light it up
Ah, light it up
Another hit erases all the pain
Bulletproof
Ah, kill the truth
You’re falling, but you think you’re flying high
High again

Sold your soul
Built a higher wall
Yesterday
Now you’re thrown away

Same rise and fall
Who cares at all?
Seduced by fame
A moth into the flame

Twisted
Backstabbing wicked
The delusion absolution

Perjurer
Fame is the murderer
Seduce you into ruin

Light it up
Ah, light it up
Another hit erases all the pain
Bulletproof
Ah, tell the truth
You’re falling, but you think you’re flying high
High again

Sold your soul
Built the higher wall
Yesterday
Now you’re thrown away

Same rise and fall
Who cares at all?
Seduced by fame
A moth into the flame
Burn

Guarantee your name, you go and kill yourself
The vultures feast around you still
Overdose on shame and insecurity
If one won’t do that fistful will

Death scene
Black hearse the limousine
A grave filled with seduction

Vaccine
Fame does the murdering
She builds up for destruction

So light it up
Ah, light it up
Another hit erases all the pain
Bulletproof
Ah, no excuse
You’re falling, but you think you’re flying high
High again

Sold your soul
Built the higher wall
Yesterday
Now you’re thrown away

Same rise and fall
Who cares at all?
Seduced by fame
A moth into the flame

Addicted to the
Fame

BULLSHIT. *waits for the jesus bomb* Oh, it was bullshit. Funny. Freaking Penn, you dick. lol!!!

Anyway, his first statement aside, isn't this how legit atheists have always thought? And by that I mean, atheists who practice what they preach and love other humans, as every mammal should. Shitting on belief systems but NEVER NEVER hating the actual person? That's how I function.

I always imagined it was simply the projections of the insecure haters of atheists that projected this perception that we hate Muslims. I never understood how atheism could mean anything other than love. That's why I became an atheist in the frickin' first place, because I realized God isn't loving if he could send people to hell. And from there it simply followed logically towards the absence of God.

I have friends from Malaysia and Iran who clearly CLEARLY have Islamic backgrounds -- but they're badass Americans and beyond that they're human goddamnit -- and I love them as much as I love my Jewish, Atheist, and Christian friends. I can't say that they aren't Muslim, because I don't want to assume anything and I don't want them to be in trouble if they aren't. But yeah, I love all my friends.

And you know what, I love bobknight and that piss flavoured cotton candy Trump thing, even though they both project hate onto us for being liberal. Honestly, I love you bob, and we aren't terrorists and neither is every Muslim. I love you -- even though you support America's terrorists, the police. And I love the police, despite my dislike of SOME (well, maybe MOST) of their views about the world. <3

On what @SDGundamX said, before I read his post I was going to say that passion industries are generally known for notoriously long hours, bad pay and horrible treatment. I was actually going to mention game developers (especially what I've read about crunch time before release), also chefs who often get paid less than the waiter staff, and of course most creative jobs where job insecurity and poor pay abounds.

It's simple economics. These industries know that these people are willing to put up with more to do what they love. There may not even be a conscious decision on an individual level for a given employer looking to hire, you simply know that you can find employees for X profession at X level of pay and can't really offer more if you want to stay competitive with your competitor. Meanwhile there are people streaming in who don't consider the pay or conditions beforehand and are just adding to a surplus of workers.

That's not to say that people can't be successfully, job secure or wealthy in these sectors but we know most notably from the arts that most of the money accrues to the top actors, top musicians. I do agree that when you see these people giving motivational speeches about 'never giving up' or 'always chasing their dreams', there are dozens who put in just as much effort but never got their lucky break.

The arts may be one of the worst examples, but I think this is true to a lesser extent for all 'passion' industries. It's textbook selection bias and our tendency to lionize success. On a related point, it's like how we idolize successful entrepreneurs and think their autobiographies contain the holy grail to success when perhaps the hypothetical book by a failed entrepreneur detailing their failings might actually be more beneficial to our lives.

Scalia - They passed shit despite him

What an epitaph. Not sure if you should be making it a yardstick.

I think Hilary is a weathercock. Corrupt or no, I have a hard time imagining Trump as a sort of paragon of virtue. Conman might be too strong, but only just. He is, err, pretty economical with the truth when he is selling himself. He is egotistical, insecure and power hungry. If he isn't corrupt it's because he hasn't been a politician long enough.

...Only 4 years - true, America will still be there and walls might come down... but burnt bridges may take longer to repair. The rest of the world will not forget who gave him those 4 years, which party members fell in behind him despite their personal convictions.

We were talking about the fall of civilization, so you've kind of quoted me out of context there. In that case let me say that *almost* nobody on this planet lives in that situation.

If you think vegans are doing it for anything other than the animals and environment you're just projecting your insecurities at the issue to help satisfy your cognitive dissonance.

You're just nit-picking to avoid the true issue, whether intentionally or subconsciously.

Like I said before, I wasn't always vegan, so I know what's going on, I've said those exact same things you have. Until one day something clicked, and I realised I was wrong.

I think the issue really is that people don't truly understand veganism, because if they did they would be vegan.

Wow. You really are speaking with authority on a subject you are ignorant about, aren't you? Look up Masai, or Inuit. Both survive on a meat only (or almost only) diet out of necessity. So much for "nobody on this planet is currently in that situation, probably never will" [be].

You are not superior. You are narcissistic. It seems that's a side effect of being vegan...you ALL have this false sense of superiority. That alone is enough reason to keep eating meat.

When people have no sense of humor about their own ideals, it's proof positive that they are insecure in them.

Vegans are not diverse when it comes to doing their little superior dance. They all do it, then all go pat themselves on the back for being a vegan douche to some 'evil carnivore' (by which they mean omnivore).

BTW, chimps are OMNIVORE, not carnivore....you know, that THIRD category of eaters that nearly all animals fall into, but which vegans choose to ignore.

BS, vegans are like ex addicts, always trying to make their bean curd taste and feel like meat. They fail miserably, but they continue to try and try....because meat tastes good and they miss it. You find the THOUGHT of meat revolting, but you still LOVE the taste.

Oh boo hoo. You have to accommodate SOOOOOOOO much.

omg...all these professionally offended right wing clowns who can't pee if they think they're standing next to a woman. Why on earth should the rest of us give two hoots to your insecurities about sex is completely beyond me.

When its another minority you can't understand the fuss...except when it's you.

Helping parents to rock? How about just starting with helping parents actually learn how to parent kids, instead of passing their character flaws and insecurities on their children and turning them into consumerisic morons like themselves.

That's so funny. You should show it to the actual girls with cocks who got beaten up or murdered because some men are sexually too insecure.
What's next? The "I slipped a pill into your drink" prank? The "black guy storms into police station with a toy gun" prank?

What a bunch of idiots.

assuming one defines feminism as "the sexes should be equal"

...then the word is redundant. we already have words that describe one that supports equality.

It's become a completely meaningless word because everyone views the word differently.

some people view feminists as "man haters" Im sure there are some out there. That's the problem with any 'ism. There's always a group that takes it way too far. but I'm pretty sure they are a small small minority.

But we see this in other themes as well. Try to give women equality, and somehow that gets interpreted as being a man-hater.
-Try to promote equality for african americans, and that gets interpreted as hating whites.
-Try to promote LGBT rights and that gets interpreted into the idea that LGBT is something that can be "caught" like a cold.

It's rampant insecurity. promoting rights for others isn't going to take your rights away.

@Drachen_Jager , my man, I can get why you dislike whiny, insecure Kylo Ren (and I hugely prefer him over whiny, insecure teenage Anakin) but have you ever considered that somebody can be very powerful in one area (the Force) and terribly rubbish in another (swordfighting)? Sure, a lightsaber can't become dull from wrong usage but this guys starts hacking at shit when he's throwing his hissy fits. Would a good swordsman do that?
He's wounded, survived quite the explosion, is rubbish at swords and just killed his dad. And you give him crap for merely getting away alive after taking on two people tag-teaming him?

That doesn't help your case at all.

They mistakenly rat him out to one company and the actual company hears about it? That changes nothing.

Someone still targeted him and became internet judge, jury and executioner.

Angry?? You just love your strawman don't you Don't project your insecurities onto me.

It's a shame Affleck didn't let the guy speak. This is something that needs to be talked about. That doesn't make anyone racist, and any right thinking Muslim would agree with that because we are ALL at risk.

However. There is currently the largest episode of human migration in history. The west is responsible for this with their destabilising campaigns in the middle east. Those places are breeding grounds for terrorism. Personal loss to the point of numbness towards violence and death, hunger, insecurity, fear, uncertainty... these things play directly into the hands of evil people looking to manipulate people to do their dirty deeds for them.

Our actions have led to this worldwide humanitarian crisis which has made us far more unsafe than before we began our poorly planned excursions into the region based on a knee-jerk, eye-for-an-eye reaction to a small number of individual thugs tragically murdering thousands of people. And haven't we just played into the hands of the extremists...

The indiscriminate bombing has to stop. This only ends diplomatically, but we are already at it again in Syria dropping bombs with no clear long term plan. We are fueling an already out of control humanitarian crisis and doing exactly what the terrorists need us to do for them to thrive.