The P/R-side Chat Thread v.2

[MetalMike06]

  I remember seeing that a while back.

[El Barto]

The Bin Laden spending spree

Since America seems happy to pin 911 100% on OBL's shoulders, he also gets the credit^* for obliterating the US economy.  From a strategic standpoint, it's absolutely phenomenal.  424 billion just on the Dept of Homeland Security.  Trillions of added dollars waging two wars.  Massive increases in intelligence expenditures.  A significant loss of freedom.  All of this a direct result of a fairly inexpensive operation.  Worse still, most of it was completely unnecessary.  Throwing money pointlessly at a problem to avoid the appearance of not throwing enough. 
 

^*Partial credit, technically.  Having W in office helped him far more than he could ever have anticipated. 

[Sigz]

https://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/blackwaters-new-ethics-chief-john-ashcroft/

lol

[XJDenton]

So I'm fairly certain my country is going to vote down election reform tomorrow. :/

[AcidLameLTE]

Yep *sigh*

[antigoon]

https://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/blackwaters-new-ethics-chief-john-ashcroft/

lol

Party on iron triangles

[El Barto]

Holy shit.  I thought that was an Onion article when I saw it yesterday.  They're actually serious!  

[kári]

Soo.. Would I dare to make a science/math related thread?

[tjanuranus]

Soo.. Would I dare to make a science/math related thread?

yes please. BY the way kari. Thanks for the help with math. Not only did i get 100 on my final. I get 100 for the entire course!

[kári]

Oh man that's awesome! Glad I could be of help, feel free to contact me any time if you have more problems.

[AcidLameLTE]

Thought this was quite interesting:

[kári]

Yeah, you've got nothing to complain about.

[Sigz]

Besides the fact that people in the US have to drive way more because there's no public transportation.

[AcidLameLTE]

Get more public transport. It's that simple.

:v

[Sigz]

[MetalMike06]

Besides the fact that people in the US have to drive way more because there's no public transportation.

Not necessarily just because there's no public transportation, but we have a terrible sprawl problem. Our neighborhoods and houses are primarily set up to where you basically are forced to drive if you want to go anywhere. Everyone has to have big driveways, SUVs, and separation.



I doubt you really find many neighborhoods like this outside of North America. It's primarily why we consume so much more energy than the rest of the world, I can only assume.

[El Barto]

Part of the difference is that European towns were built around transportation hubs, and not the other way around.  Sprawl exists in other countries, and a big chunk of Europe lives outside of major cities, but they're all very close to a rail station.  Rural towns in America are close to interstates. 

The bigger concern is Americans tend to be fiercely independent.  Gosh darnit, I want to get to work at 9:00, not 8:52 which I'd have to do if I road the train!  People would rather sit in traffic on their own time than ride the train on somebody else's schedule. 

[GuineaPig]

People would return to trains if they were regular, cheap, and reliable.

But governments are interested more in investing in roads rather than cheaper, more reliable, and much more efficient rail travel.

[carl320]

People would return to trains if they were regular, cheap, and reliable.

But governments are interested more in investing in roads rather than cheaper, more reliable, and much more efficient rail travel.

This.  But since the US has gone so long without investing so much as a dime in light rail, the initial investment is tremendous.  It makes more sense to keep up existing road and rail than to build new rail systems from scratch.

[GuineaPig]

People would return to trains if they were regular, cheap, and reliable.

But governments are interested more in investing in roads rather than cheaper, more reliable, and much more efficient rail travel.

This.  But since the US has gone so long without investing so much as a dime in light rail, the initial investment is tremendous.  It makes more sense to keep up existing road and rail than to build new rail systems from scratch.

You'd be surprised.  It costs less per passenger capacity/hour to build a conventional rail line (not even light rail, which is cheaper) than it is to build a highway.

[Sigz]

Relevant to a lot of the discussions that happen in P/R: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fairfax-teacher-sean-lanigan-still-suffering-from-false-molestation-allegations/2011/03/04/AFVwhh3G_story.html

[El Barto]

Relevant to a lot of the discussions that happen in P/R: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fairfax-teacher-sean-lanigan-still-suffering-from-false-molestation-allegations/2011/03/04/AFVwhh3G_story.html

Gotta keep the bonfires burning.  That's pretty fucked up.  It's also why I can't imagine anybody wanting to be a teacher.  Easy for me since I hate kids, but somebody who actually likes them and wants to teach them is putting himself at extraordinary risk.  It's just not worth it in this climate.

[AndyDT]

Besides the fact that people in the US have to drive way more because there's no public transportation.

Not necessarily just because there's no public transportation, but we have a terrible sprawl problem. Our neighborhoods and houses are primarily set up to where you basically are forced to drive if you want to go anywhere. Everyone has to have big driveways, SUVs, and separation.



I doubt you really find many neighborhoods like this outside of North America. It's primarily why we consume so much more energy than the rest of the world, I can only assume.

What about buses?

[GuineaPig]

I'm about to head home for a long weekend.  I'm glad I live within a 20 minute walk of a train station, that's well connected to the other parts of the city by public transport.  Hell, of that 20 minutes, only 10 of it need to be above ground, because the city was planned with a little foresight.

[chknptpie]

What about buses?

According to my cities local bus trip planner, for me to take a bus from home to work it would take 40 minutes to an hour and 5 minutes depending on the route and if the buses are on schedule. Add in the additional 10-15 minute walk to the closest bus stops and we're looking at waking up at 4am to make it to work at 7am. It takes me 10 minutes to drive there as its only 6 miles...

[El Barto]

What about buses?

According to my cities local bus trip planner, for me to take a bus from home to work it would take 40 minutes to an hour and 5 minutes depending on the route and if the buses are on schedule. Add in the additional 10-15 minute walk to the closest bus stops and we're looking at waking up at 4am to make it to work at 7am. It takes me 10 minutes to drive there as its only 6 miles...

Same here.  It's a 15 minute drive for me, but it'd take me either 3 buses and 50+ minutes or two trains, 35 minutes and a couple miles hoofing it.  And frankly, this ain't Paris.  Riding around on the Metro might be nifty as a new experience, but DART's a real bummer. 

[MetalMike06]

That's the thing - our cities are built around automobile transportation. Why would people take the train when there are giant parking lots to accommodate them everywhere they go?

Anywho, this guy does some fascinating talks on this, I've read one of his books as well. If you have time check out a few of these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwd4Lq0Xvgc

[emindead]

Liberals

[GuineaPig]

More like 2-party system.

[El Barto]

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/nyregion/democrat-capture-house-seat-in-special-election.html

I really don't see how candidates haven't learned the simplest rule of them all by now.  DON'T FUCK WITH MEDICARE!  I mean, who doesn't know this already?

Some Republicans suggested that it would be oversimplifying to attribute the results to the Medicare issue, saying that Ms. Corwin proved a less nimble and ultimately less appealing candidate than Ms. Hochul, who campaigned energetically and with great focus.

So, when Medicare erupted in the race, Ms. Corwin, a wealthy former Wall Street analyst, was knocked off balance and struggled to respond.

In the closing hours of the race, Ms. Corwin admitted as much, saying about her rival’s attacks: “When she started making these comments, I thought, ‘This is so outrageous no one would ever believe it.’ Apparently some people did.”

I suppose a second but also important rule would be to not come off like an arrogant, condescending cunt. 

[Nick]

However much it will pain me to no longer be able to vote in a major primary due to Pennsylvania's horrid closed primary system, after the 2012 April primary I will be leaving the Republican party.

I left the party in spirit many many years ago but stayed on paper to be able to vote. The last straw was seeing Newt say a few things that actually sounded close to true conservative principles and get mercilessly attacked for them.

Thinking about it I really started to become focused on politics around 2002/2003, and though I don't necessarily agree with him as a politician now, in my formative years I very much had an appreciation for what Newt accomplished in the 90's. Then the opposite happened to what had happened under Bush. With Newt and Clinton both sides agreed to reduce, Republicans on defense and Democrats on social programs. To see Newt show a glimpse into those principles and be attacked by Republicans is disgusting. It was also in those years that I still had hope for Bush, he had not come close to being the worst president since FDR at that point. For many years the Republican actions of the 90's and the first two years or Bush helped keep me in the party, but as the Iraq war was launched and Bush's domestic and foreign policies quickly grew into everything I hate I saw the party transform... I stayed on hoping for a change of course, but it seems obvious to me now that will not likely happen.

I oppose one party on principles and the other on actions, and like so many I have felt for years there are so few in Washington who even come close to representing my beliefs and principles.

I'll be spending the next year deciding whether to go full independent or join the Libertarian party.

[MetalMike06]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYJLZLitq_o&feature=feedu

Both sides of the establishment continue to show their true colors.

[El Barto]

Indeed.  Here's Rand Paul's speech a couple of hours earlier.

Rand Paul Hates America

It's a shame that nobody will listen to him.  Sadly, for all of the bravado Americans like to spew, we really have become a nation of pussies. 

[Quadrochosis]

Nick, that is a great post that very accurately describes a similar situation I went through a few years back.

[MetalMike06]

Indeed.  Here's Rand Paul's speech a couple of hours earlier.

Rand Paul Hates America

It's a shame that nobody will listen to him.  Sadly, for all of the bravado Americans like to spew, we really have become a nation of pussies. 

Rand continued to verbally bitch slap Reid in reply.

It's really sad because arguably, he represents popular opinion on this issue, but nobody knows any better to elect better reps or make their voice heard. It's all made me really cynical over the past year or so. Will writing to my neocon rep really change things? I remember throughout the past few years I had gotten in the habit of sending emails to senators and reps just to get a mailed letter back basically stating the position I already knew they'd take. The more and more I give a shit about what's happening, the more I realize there's nobody that really represents me.