Synthesized J-pop from a man whose tastes include Original Rags and older music! LE GASP!
But I really like the tune. For some reason it feels like a nice "suck it!" to all the death metal I listen to off the dorm speakers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqcfew2JCes&feature=channel_page
You wake up an hour late because you've hit the snooze button every five minutes.
You had two tests today, which you're pretty sure you botched.
You have a big research paper due next week, and you've only just begun.
And the speakers of the dorm play horrible tunes 16/7.
Sometimes life just sucks, and your retreat is childish fantasy.
I've got one now, and I'd like to share it with you!
I-wish-you all would die! I wish you all would die!
I wish that every last man would just drop dead!
I wish you all would die! I wish you all would die!
In a land so far away...!
(I don't know how that translates in Japanese, but hey, why not?)
Showing posts with label I Have A Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I Have A Life. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
We are for Social Justice!
We cannot sanity check our figures!
Back in high school, the local advocacy club ran a poster campaign intending to draw attention to the problem of world hunger. Problem was, they couldn't agree on a number of people affected--I saw figures citing "deaths from hunger-related causes" ranging from 8 million, to 10 million, to 12 million, and one unfortunate soul made a poster consisting entirely of the line "30 million people a year die of hunger" repeated...when no less than thirty feet away was a poster citing a smaller figure.
Now in college, I run into another poster campaign, this time for rape and violence against women. I'm not in a position to check some of their figures (31% of women report being sexually assaulted by a significant other in their lifetimes--that's 46.5 million, but since it says "in their lifetimes" and doesn't give an explicit definition of sexual assault, I'll have to take it at its word). One poster, however, caught my eye. It said "One woman in the U.S. is raped every two minutes", and cited as its source the U.S. Department of Justice.
Quick multiplication tells us that 1 woman per minute = 30 an hour = 720 a day = 262800 a year. A quick Google search for the U.S. Dept. of Justice turns up a figure that conflates rape and sexual assault and gives a figure (trending down) of just over 200000 for 2008. Another search for the FBI places "forcible rape" for 2008 at just under 90000. Depending on how generous you are, the number given by the poster is either 20% off or 200% off, which doesn't speak well for the advocacy group.
Same place, different time--an advertising group claiming environmental holiness. Its claims: Americans waste 96 billion lbs. of food per year, and 25% can feed 4 million a day. Implications--each American wastes about 10/11ths lb. of food per day, and your average person eats 3 tons of food a day.
Does claiming you're working for a good cause free you of the burden of checking your numbers or something?
Back in high school, the local advocacy club ran a poster campaign intending to draw attention to the problem of world hunger. Problem was, they couldn't agree on a number of people affected--I saw figures citing "deaths from hunger-related causes" ranging from 8 million, to 10 million, to 12 million, and one unfortunate soul made a poster consisting entirely of the line "30 million people a year die of hunger" repeated...when no less than thirty feet away was a poster citing a smaller figure.
Now in college, I run into another poster campaign, this time for rape and violence against women. I'm not in a position to check some of their figures (31% of women report being sexually assaulted by a significant other in their lifetimes--that's 46.5 million, but since it says "in their lifetimes" and doesn't give an explicit definition of sexual assault, I'll have to take it at its word). One poster, however, caught my eye. It said "One woman in the U.S. is raped every two minutes", and cited as its source the U.S. Department of Justice.
Quick multiplication tells us that 1 woman per minute = 30 an hour = 720 a day = 262800 a year. A quick Google search for the U.S. Dept. of Justice turns up a figure that conflates rape and sexual assault and gives a figure (trending down) of just over 200000 for 2008. Another search for the FBI places "forcible rape" for 2008 at just under 90000. Depending on how generous you are, the number given by the poster is either 20% off or 200% off, which doesn't speak well for the advocacy group.
Same place, different time--an advertising group claiming environmental holiness. Its claims: Americans waste 96 billion lbs. of food per year, and 25% can feed 4 million a day. Implications--each American wastes about 10/11ths lb. of food per day, and your average person eats 3 tons of food a day.
Does claiming you're working for a good cause free you of the burden of checking your numbers or something?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Communist Party!
One of the dorms on campus is advertising a COMMUNIST PARTY tomorrow, with posters with Soviet Union propaganda pictures and slogans like "Red is the New Black" and "We Have Zeppelins!". All in good fun, I'm sure, and mocking old foes is a good way to ensure they don't rise again (see Mel Brook's repetoire [he's Jewish, by the way]), but I can't help but wonder if the school would approve of something else along similar lines. Say...
Fascist Party! Black is the New Black!
Maoist Party! Let a hundred shots be quaffed! Let a hundred minds be expanded!
Nazi Party! Heil to the King of Beers!
Fascist Party! Black is the New Black!
Maoist Party! Let a hundred shots be quaffed! Let a hundred minds be expanded!
Nazi Party! Heil to the King of Beers!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sleeeeeeep...
Sleep is good. Especially 12 hours worth. Which my roommate gets all the time. Now I know why. Sleeeeeeeepp...
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Fall Break!
Unfortunately, it's only two days, but at least I can catch up on my sleep (or maybe posting?).
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
NEWSPAPER!
I got a writing job for the local college newspaper doing opinion pieces. Some of the stuff's words and ideas I've already posted here in another form; some of it is new, and you can expect dumps of it once the paper goes to print. IF the paper goes to print--last year we had three editions for the whole year.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Random Thoughts #6
I recently went shopping for clothing (not by choice, mind you), and noticed that a significant portion of clothing marketed for men and a significant portion marketed for women are borderline indistinguishable, at least to my untrained eyes. So if I end up going out in public with a button-down shirt and jeans marketed towards women, am I cross-dressing?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Off to College Tomorrow!
Hooray! Wish me luck!
Update 30/8/09: Moved into my room, and currently waiting for my roommate. Yay!
Update again: Spencer is in and sophomore year is officially here.
Update 30/8/09: Moved into my room, and currently waiting for my roommate. Yay!
Update again: Spencer is in and sophomore year is officially here.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Record of a Conversation on Gay Marriage with Winter
I post this for several reasons. One, this is the type of conversation I have over the internet. Those who know me can compare to my conversational abilities in real life. Two, I kinda like this conversation, especially my bit near the end there. I'll put a summation of my and Winter's ideas up later for those of you who don't want to read a massive block of text.
9:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I'm reasonably certain one of the reasons the cause has less support than it could in certain groups is because the acronym looks silly.
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, i dunno about that
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, definite policy positions can be taken
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: without being taken for a specific group of people that has to be defined
9:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It certainly made me chuckle on campus, and it was kind of a block at taking the advocacy part seriously.
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (and it's probably better if you do things that way)
9:45 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Fair enough...
9:45 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, removing the gendered restriction on mariage9
:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: you don't have to say who, exactly, you want to allow to marry
9:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and list every gender identification
9:46 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Wouldn't it be easier to just give some other group responsibility for marriage licenses?
9:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: other than the government?
9:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: or other than churches?
9:46 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Other than either.
9:46 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I mean, "government" is subdividable.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, churches don't need to be involved
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but it's already legal to get married in a church if you want, to anyone you care to
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Unless the couple wants it to be.
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Sure.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (and in fact it would be unconstitutional for it to be otherwise)
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Something like that, but in some other institution.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and the government only needs to be involved insofar as it grants special privileges to married couples
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and denies certain couples the ability to marry
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: The government's only involved because of the theoretical wards of the state/future taxpayers.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (given the equal protection clause)
9:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, i wouldn't say only
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: i.e., the kids.
9:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, there could be some theoretical social benefit to marriage
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You sure?
9:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: like increased happiness of couples
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You sure?
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I don't see it...
9:49 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, sociological studies pretty much confirm that married couples are happier than unmarried couples
9:49 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Not from what I've seen.
9:49 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: The fact that 50% get divorced pretty much clinches that.
9:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And regarding the "gender identification" bit...
9:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: replace the checkboxes with a blank line and you're all set!
9:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Easy!
9:50 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah, there's no reason to specify genders at all
9:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (in fact, doing so is pretty much unconstitutional)
9:51 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It's a waste of ink, anyway.
9:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (unless you really can list every single identity)
9:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (which, as we've established, is a PROBLEM)
9:51 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Two lines of text + boxes vs. one line?
9:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, I say, if 50% of marriages go busto, there's not much "increase in happiness" there.
9:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: i really need to organize my links and such
9:53 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Government has no reason to issue marriage licenses to keep track of people living together who can't produce "little taxpayers"...
9:53 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And nothing's stopping gay/bisexual/lesbian/whatever couples from getting their licenses elsewhere...
9:53 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...or just flat-out moving in with each other straight off.
9:54 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: There's no reason for all the fire and flame and crap over the issue to even exist.
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: except there are substantial government benefits to be had
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: ie, visitation rights
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: as long as those exist
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: the need for legal marriage equality (federal AND state) is not going away
9:55 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Then wouldn't it be simplest to redefine marriage to not necessarily include those benefits.
9:55 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ?
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: not necessarily
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, without legal recognition of the marriage relationship
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: your parents can deny your partner visitation rights, legally
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (as already happens to same sex couples)
9:57 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I think we're operating on different definitons of "marriage". Here's someone that's states my definition pretty well...
9:57 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: "In the absence of the institution of marriage, the individuals could arrange their relationship whatever way they wanted to, making it temporary or permanent, and sharing their worldly belongings in whatever way they chose.
Marriage means that the government steps in, limiting or even prescribing various aspects of their relations with each other -- and still more their relationship with whatever children may result from their union.
In other words, marriage imposes legal restrictions, taking away rights that individuals might otherwise have."
10:00 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Hence, "And nothing's stopping gay/bisexual/lesbian/whatever couples from getting their licenses elsewhere... ...or just flat-out moving in with each other straight off."
10:00 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, if it's still government-recognized
10:01 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: why is there a need for some additional party to enter into it/
10:01 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: ?
10:01 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If by additional party you mean "the government", in theory there isn't.
10:01 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, in your system there's the government, the couples, and a third party "marriage license" issuer
10:02 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: In my system the government has better things to worry about.
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: no, because there's still a legal definition of a relationship
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: just because the government doesn't hand out the paper, as long as it is recognized
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it is still involved
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: if it is NOT recognized, then as we have established there are going to be problems with existing recognized relationships
10:03 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Wait, what? The government "handing out the paper" is a BAD thing; it curtails options for couples that they might otherwise have.
10:03 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: howso?
10:04 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Alimony payments, child support laws...
10:04 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: hm?
10:04 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: "In a free society, vast numbers of things are neither forbidden nor facilitated. They are considered to be none of the law's business.
Homosexuals were on their strongest ground when they said that the law had no business interfering with relations between consenting adults."
10:04 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You could argue that I am currently in a (friendly, online) relationship with you.
10:05 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: that's not enough, though
10:05 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If I had to sign some legal document to make that relationship "official", I'd have to provide support, etc.
10:05 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: if you want to have a relationship without government sanction that's totally fine
10:05 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but that's not what we're talking about
10:06 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: we're talking, SPECIFICALLY, about the things the government is concerned with
10:06 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, how to legally recognize relationships between people
10:06 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And I'm arguing the federal and state governments have minimal to no reason to do that.
10:06 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: County and city courts may see it differently...
10:07 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: but there's no apparent reason the Feds should have to concern themselves with marriage licenses.
10:10 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: as long as there is, just to come back to this again, legal recognition for familial relationships there will have to be legal recognition for marriage relationships of some kind, somewhere in law
10:10 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: even if it isn't providing tax breaks, or whatever
10:10 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Then put that law in city and county books.
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If the guys in one county don't like it, move over.
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Because, honestly, show me in the Federal and State constitution where it says "The Country/State has the right to issue official recognitions of relationships".
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: There isn't one.
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It doesn't belong there.
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: so how do you, then, recognize parents and children?
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, custody?
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: clearly parents have more claim to a child than some other unrelated person
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (at least in our society)
10:12 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: True.
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: if it's purely contractual
10:13 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: then any sort of contract will do
10:13 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: whereas the relationship is clearly not only contractual
10:13 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: For the purposes of the law, the contract is the only part that matters in any way to them.
10:13 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: to it, rather.
10:13 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: All else occurs elsewhere.
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: so, for instance, how do you create this contract?
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: clearly it cannot be between the parents and the child
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: because a child cannot give informed consent
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: which is a pretty big point of having this special relationship
10:15 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, how is it handled now?
10:15 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Presumably there's a contract of some sort between parents...
10:15 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And if there's a break-up, the local courts handle the custody case.
10:16 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Just move the contract issues down a few pegs; move them away from state and federal governments with better things to do.
10:16 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: what if you move from one county to another?
10:16 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: can a police officer pick you up and take your child since your relationship is legally not recognized in that county or state?
10:16 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (this, too, happens currently)
10:16 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...in theory, no...
10:17 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Some section of the constitution says that...
10:17 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Can't remember where, though, hold on...
10:17 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it's reciprocity
10:17 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but the constitution is federal government, again
10:18 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.
10:18 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:18 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Okay, that's for states, but the same rule applies.
10:18 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And I'm assuming "records" includes marriage licenses.
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it does
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: although generally same sex marriages aren't being counted
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: at the moment
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: under a variety of scummy legal tricks
10:20 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Hey, look, I don't like Prop. 8 either, alright?
10:20 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You don't put marriage laws in a state constitution, it's stupid!
10:20 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it's not just that
10:20 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, the mass. law specifically says "we don't do reciprocity on THESE marriages"
10:21 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: or something like that, it's been a while
10:21 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and even if it did
10:21 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: alabama doesn't care
10:25 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...seems the whole damn problem here is all the extra detritus attached to a marriage license.
10:25 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well if it weren't for all this extra stuff there wouldn't be any need for government recognition to begin with
10:26 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, no, i suppose just offering a blank recognition would still probably invoke equal protection
10:26 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but it wouldn't be a big deal
10:26 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: just get married in a church, or whatever1
0:27 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If the recognitions were "blank"--if marriage licenses didn't come with the whole "visitation rights" and whatever--this problem would be so much easier to solve.
10:27 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: But not even the staunchest Christian anti-gay-marriage advocate doesn't consider "visitation rights" part and parcel of the marriage thing. At least he doesn't say so.
10:28 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: So couldn't we just redefine marriage to a legal contract, without any implicit visitation rights or tax breaks or whatever?
10:28 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It wouldn't matter to me, anyway; I'm a bachelor for life.
10:29 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well... what do you mean?
10:30 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You said, way back when...
10:31 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: that implicit in the marriage license are various benefits, " ie, visitation rights", which is where all the problems of "defining marriage" comes up.
10:31 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: No marriage definition I've seen, even those made by those who are AGAINST gay marriage, include those various benefits.
10:31 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: i'm not sure that's really true
10:31 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but opponents of same sex marriage don't really have a coherent position anyway
10:31 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: by that logic
10:32 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: they're not actually against any specific policy, they're just complaining about things that aren't happening
10:32 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Sucks to be them, then, but all the same...
10:33 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well if people would stop paying attention to them we wouldn't be having this conversation
10:33 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: there's a bunch of extra stuff attached to the legal definition of "marriage" that nobody but the government considers part of the definition.
10:33 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: At least, nobody but federal and state governments.
10:33 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, i wouldn't say that
10:33 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: the same sex marriage fans are (or probably should be) primarily interested in those pieces
10:34 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Really?
10:34 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (or perhaps more accurately: equal protection, which involves those areas in which people are not receiving equal protection, which encompasses those issues)
10:34 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: those who got a marriage license are also, i think, pretty interested
10:34 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: even if only for the tax breaks
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If they're interested all the benefits but not necessarily the word...
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...would "civil unions" with all the benefits of marriage but not necessarily the name satisfy them?
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I was under the impression they wanted the legally binding contract...
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...not all the extra crap.
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, "civil unions" would also be a legally binding contract
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: "civil unions" are also... uh... problematic
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: there is some pretty serious precedent in that area that is really, really awkward to ignore
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (specifically: "separate but equal")
10:37 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Sigh...
10:37 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: more generally speaking
10:38 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: you're creating a new, distinct relationship that is supposed to be the exact same thing, effectively, as marriage excepting for who can get into the relationship
10:38 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, barring a legal redefinition of "marriage license"...
10:39 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I'm fine with the whole "gay people in love want to be together" thing, but why they choose to define that under a RESTRICTION of relationships is problematic.
10:40 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: restriction?
10:40 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Marriage. The concept implies certain restrictions on how the couple goes about settling its relationships.
10:41 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, in a sense
10:42 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Dowrys, home-providing, how to split the inheritances, whatever.
10:42 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:42 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but isn't that sort of the business of the people who enter into the relationship?
10:42 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Under normal circumstances, it would be.
10:43 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: The institution of "marriage" puts restrictions on that for the benefit of the tribe, future taxpayers, whatever.
10:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Some legal systems, for instance, require the spouses to pool and joinly own their properties...
10:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...others give them 50-50 liabilities for debts.
10:45 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Subtract the institution, and the couple could split their debts and assets however they wanted.
10:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: To repeat, I'm fine with the idea of "gay marriage", I'm just wondering why the gay couple is so happy about it, since it adds extra restrictions to how they go about their lives.
10:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: But again, it really doesn't matter to me, since I'll be a bachelor forever.
10:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: heh
10:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, that was an enlightening discussion!
10:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: hehe
10:51 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I've actually codified one of my political beliefs into something that I'd be willing to put on a website or poster.
10:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yay
10:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister] giggles
10:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Yay indeed!
10:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri offers a toast.
10:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: whee
10:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: To future enlightening discussions!
10:53 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: hehe
10:54 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Who would've guessed you'd have spent a half-hour plus discussing gay relations and relationship legality with someone you met over TF2?
10:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: :P
10:55 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: An hour plus, actually.
9:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I'm reasonably certain one of the reasons the cause has less support than it could in certain groups is because the acronym looks silly.
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, i dunno about that
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, definite policy positions can be taken
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: without being taken for a specific group of people that has to be defined
9:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It certainly made me chuckle on campus, and it was kind of a block at taking the advocacy part seriously.
9:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (and it's probably better if you do things that way)
9:45 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Fair enough...
9:45 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, removing the gendered restriction on mariage9
:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: you don't have to say who, exactly, you want to allow to marry
9:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and list every gender identification
9:46 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Wouldn't it be easier to just give some other group responsibility for marriage licenses?
9:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: other than the government?
9:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: or other than churches?
9:46 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Other than either.
9:46 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I mean, "government" is subdividable.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, churches don't need to be involved
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but it's already legal to get married in a church if you want, to anyone you care to
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Unless the couple wants it to be.
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Sure.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (and in fact it would be unconstitutional for it to be otherwise)
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Something like that, but in some other institution.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and the government only needs to be involved insofar as it grants special privileges to married couples
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and denies certain couples the ability to marry
9:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: The government's only involved because of the theoretical wards of the state/future taxpayers.
9:47 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (given the equal protection clause)
9:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, i wouldn't say only
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: i.e., the kids.
9:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, there could be some theoretical social benefit to marriage
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You sure?
9:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: like increased happiness of couples
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You sure?
9:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I don't see it...
9:49 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, sociological studies pretty much confirm that married couples are happier than unmarried couples
9:49 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Not from what I've seen.
9:49 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: The fact that 50% get divorced pretty much clinches that.
9:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And regarding the "gender identification" bit...
9:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: replace the checkboxes with a blank line and you're all set!
9:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Easy!
9:50 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah, there's no reason to specify genders at all
9:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (in fact, doing so is pretty much unconstitutional)
9:51 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It's a waste of ink, anyway.
9:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (unless you really can list every single identity)
9:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (which, as we've established, is a PROBLEM)
9:51 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Two lines of text + boxes vs. one line?
9:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, I say, if 50% of marriages go busto, there's not much "increase in happiness" there.
9:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: i really need to organize my links and such
9:53 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Government has no reason to issue marriage licenses to keep track of people living together who can't produce "little taxpayers"...
9:53 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And nothing's stopping gay/bisexual/lesbian/whatever couples from getting their licenses elsewhere...
9:53 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...or just flat-out moving in with each other straight off.
9:54 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: There's no reason for all the fire and flame and crap over the issue to even exist.
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: except there are substantial government benefits to be had
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: ie, visitation rights
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: as long as those exist
9:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: the need for legal marriage equality (federal AND state) is not going away
9:55 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Then wouldn't it be simplest to redefine marriage to not necessarily include those benefits.
9:55 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ?
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: not necessarily
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, without legal recognition of the marriage relationship
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: your parents can deny your partner visitation rights, legally
9:56 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (as already happens to same sex couples)
9:57 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I think we're operating on different definitons of "marriage". Here's someone that's states my definition pretty well...
9:57 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: "In the absence of the institution of marriage, the individuals could arrange their relationship whatever way they wanted to, making it temporary or permanent, and sharing their worldly belongings in whatever way they chose.
Marriage means that the government steps in, limiting or even prescribing various aspects of their relations with each other -- and still more their relationship with whatever children may result from their union.
In other words, marriage imposes legal restrictions, taking away rights that individuals might otherwise have."
10:00 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Hence, "And nothing's stopping gay/bisexual/lesbian/whatever couples from getting their licenses elsewhere... ...or just flat-out moving in with each other straight off."
10:00 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, if it's still government-recognized
10:01 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: why is there a need for some additional party to enter into it/
10:01 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: ?
10:01 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If by additional party you mean "the government", in theory there isn't.
10:01 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, in your system there's the government, the couples, and a third party "marriage license" issuer
10:02 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: In my system the government has better things to worry about.
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: no, because there's still a legal definition of a relationship
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: just because the government doesn't hand out the paper, as long as it is recognized
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it is still involved
10:02 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: if it is NOT recognized, then as we have established there are going to be problems with existing recognized relationships
10:03 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Wait, what? The government "handing out the paper" is a BAD thing; it curtails options for couples that they might otherwise have.
10:03 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: howso?
10:04 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Alimony payments, child support laws...
10:04 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: hm?
10:04 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: "In a free society, vast numbers of things are neither forbidden nor facilitated. They are considered to be none of the law's business.
Homosexuals were on their strongest ground when they said that the law had no business interfering with relations between consenting adults."
10:04 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You could argue that I am currently in a (friendly, online) relationship with you.
10:05 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: that's not enough, though
10:05 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If I had to sign some legal document to make that relationship "official", I'd have to provide support, etc.
10:05 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: if you want to have a relationship without government sanction that's totally fine
10:05 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but that's not what we're talking about
10:06 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: we're talking, SPECIFICALLY, about the things the government is concerned with
10:06 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, how to legally recognize relationships between people
10:06 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And I'm arguing the federal and state governments have minimal to no reason to do that.
10:06 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: County and city courts may see it differently...
10:07 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: but there's no apparent reason the Feds should have to concern themselves with marriage licenses.
10:10 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: as long as there is, just to come back to this again, legal recognition for familial relationships there will have to be legal recognition for marriage relationships of some kind, somewhere in law
10:10 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: even if it isn't providing tax breaks, or whatever
10:10 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Then put that law in city and county books.
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If the guys in one county don't like it, move over.
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Because, honestly, show me in the Federal and State constitution where it says "The Country/State has the right to issue official recognitions of relationships".
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: There isn't one.
10:11 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It doesn't belong there.
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: so how do you, then, recognize parents and children?
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, custody?
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: clearly parents have more claim to a child than some other unrelated person
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (at least in our society)
10:12 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: True.
10:12 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: if it's purely contractual
10:13 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: then any sort of contract will do
10:13 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: whereas the relationship is clearly not only contractual
10:13 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: For the purposes of the law, the contract is the only part that matters in any way to them.
10:13 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: to it, rather.
10:13 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: All else occurs elsewhere.
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: so, for instance, how do you create this contract?
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: clearly it cannot be between the parents and the child
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: because a child cannot give informed consent
10:14 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: which is a pretty big point of having this special relationship
10:15 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, how is it handled now?
10:15 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Presumably there's a contract of some sort between parents...
10:15 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And if there's a break-up, the local courts handle the custody case.
10:16 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Just move the contract issues down a few pegs; move them away from state and federal governments with better things to do.
10:16 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: what if you move from one county to another?
10:16 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: can a police officer pick you up and take your child since your relationship is legally not recognized in that county or state?
10:16 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (this, too, happens currently)
10:16 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...in theory, no...
10:17 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Some section of the constitution says that...
10:17 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Can't remember where, though, hold on...
10:17 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it's reciprocity
10:17 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but the constitution is federal government, again
10:18 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.
10:18 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:18 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Okay, that's for states, but the same rule applies.
10:18 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: And I'm assuming "records" includes marriage licenses.
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it does
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: although generally same sex marriages aren't being counted
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: at the moment
10:19 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: under a variety of scummy legal tricks
10:20 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Hey, look, I don't like Prop. 8 either, alright?
10:20 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You don't put marriage laws in a state constitution, it's stupid!
10:20 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: it's not just that
10:20 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: for instance, the mass. law specifically says "we don't do reciprocity on THESE marriages"
10:21 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: or something like that, it's been a while
10:21 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: and even if it did
10:21 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: alabama doesn't care
10:25 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...seems the whole damn problem here is all the extra detritus attached to a marriage license.
10:25 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well if it weren't for all this extra stuff there wouldn't be any need for government recognition to begin with
10:26 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, no, i suppose just offering a blank recognition would still probably invoke equal protection
10:26 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but it wouldn't be a big deal
10:26 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: just get married in a church, or whatever1
0:27 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If the recognitions were "blank"--if marriage licenses didn't come with the whole "visitation rights" and whatever--this problem would be so much easier to solve.
10:27 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: But not even the staunchest Christian anti-gay-marriage advocate doesn't consider "visitation rights" part and parcel of the marriage thing. At least he doesn't say so.
10:28 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: So couldn't we just redefine marriage to a legal contract, without any implicit visitation rights or tax breaks or whatever?
10:28 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: It wouldn't matter to me, anyway; I'm a bachelor for life.
10:29 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well... what do you mean?
10:30 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: You said, way back when...
10:31 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: that implicit in the marriage license are various benefits, " ie, visitation rights", which is where all the problems of "defining marriage" comes up.
10:31 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: No marriage definition I've seen, even those made by those who are AGAINST gay marriage, include those various benefits.
10:31 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: i'm not sure that's really true
10:31 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but opponents of same sex marriage don't really have a coherent position anyway
10:31 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: by that logic
10:32 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: they're not actually against any specific policy, they're just complaining about things that aren't happening
10:32 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Sucks to be them, then, but all the same...
10:33 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well if people would stop paying attention to them we wouldn't be having this conversation
10:33 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: there's a bunch of extra stuff attached to the legal definition of "marriage" that nobody but the government considers part of the definition.
10:33 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: At least, nobody but federal and state governments.
10:33 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, i wouldn't say that
10:33 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: the same sex marriage fans are (or probably should be) primarily interested in those pieces
10:34 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Really?
10:34 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (or perhaps more accurately: equal protection, which involves those areas in which people are not receiving equal protection, which encompasses those issues)
10:34 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: those who got a marriage license are also, i think, pretty interested
10:34 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: even if only for the tax breaks
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: If they're interested all the benefits but not necessarily the word...
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...would "civil unions" with all the benefits of marriage but not necessarily the name satisfy them?
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I was under the impression they wanted the legally binding contract...
10:35 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...not all the extra crap.
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, "civil unions" would also be a legally binding contract
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: "civil unions" are also... uh... problematic
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: there is some pretty serious precedent in that area that is really, really awkward to ignore
10:36 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: (specifically: "separate but equal")
10:37 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Sigh...
10:37 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: more generally speaking
10:38 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: you're creating a new, distinct relationship that is supposed to be the exact same thing, effectively, as marriage excepting for who can get into the relationship
10:38 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, barring a legal redefinition of "marriage license"...
10:39 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I'm fine with the whole "gay people in love want to be together" thing, but why they choose to define that under a RESTRICTION of relationships is problematic.
10:40 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: restriction?
10:40 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Marriage. The concept implies certain restrictions on how the couple goes about settling its relationships.
10:41 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: well, in a sense
10:42 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Dowrys, home-providing, how to split the inheritances, whatever.
10:42 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:42 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: but isn't that sort of the business of the people who enter into the relationship?
10:42 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Under normal circumstances, it would be.
10:43 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: The institution of "marriage" puts restrictions on that for the benefit of the tribe, future taxpayers, whatever.
10:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Some legal systems, for instance, require the spouses to pool and joinly own their properties...
10:44 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:44 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: ...others give them 50-50 liabilities for debts.
10:45 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Subtract the institution, and the couple could split their debts and assets however they wanted.
10:46 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yeah
10:47 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: To repeat, I'm fine with the idea of "gay marriage", I'm just wondering why the gay couple is so happy about it, since it adds extra restrictions to how they go about their lives.
10:48 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: But again, it really doesn't matter to me, since I'll be a bachelor forever.
10:48 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: heh
10:50 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Well, that was an enlightening discussion!
10:51 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: hehe
10:51 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: I've actually codified one of my political beliefs into something that I'd be willing to put on a website or poster.
10:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: yay
10:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister] giggles
10:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Yay indeed!
10:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri offers a toast.
10:52 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: whee
10:52 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: To future enlightening discussions!
10:53 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: hehe
10:54 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: Who would've guessed you'd have spent a half-hour plus discussing gay relations and relationship legality with someone you met over TF2?
10:54 PM - Winter [PM of Sinister]: :P
10:55 PM - [d20/ChHa] Davin Valkri: An hour plus, actually.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Article 58, Section 10, 25 Years!
(That's the old Soviet law sentencing people for "anti-Soviet agitation" or some such--oh, and if you're reading this, you'll either get 58-11, "anti-Soviet organization" for agreeing with me, or 58-12 for "not turning me in", either of which means ten years in Siberia for you!)
Back when Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago was still published in secret back in the U.S.S.R., a citizen would get a hand-bound copy from someone else (1930 pages or so), have 24 hours to read it secretly, and then have to pass it on to someone else to avoid getting caught with it.
I find it hard to believe that it's possible to read the whole thing in 24 hours, not because of its massive size or because it's boring, but because it's so damn emotionally draining. One needs to take frequent breaks to remain in any sort of high spirits. I think if I had to read the whole thing in 24 hours, I'd go insane and have to be put in a straitjacket gibbering about 10 and a half ounces of bread per day for those "last-leggers"! As it is, I've been reading it all over summer, and I still feel the urge to punch anybody who tries to make a moral equivalence between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. If Obama ever decides to appoint me education czar to anything, I'd make Gulag Archipelago required reading in college literature and world history courses. But that'll never happen, so I might as well take them to college and maybe loan out individual volumes.
Back when Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago was still published in secret back in the U.S.S.R., a citizen would get a hand-bound copy from someone else (1930 pages or so), have 24 hours to read it secretly, and then have to pass it on to someone else to avoid getting caught with it.
I find it hard to believe that it's possible to read the whole thing in 24 hours, not because of its massive size or because it's boring, but because it's so damn emotionally draining. One needs to take frequent breaks to remain in any sort of high spirits. I think if I had to read the whole thing in 24 hours, I'd go insane and have to be put in a straitjacket gibbering about 10 and a half ounces of bread per day for those "last-leggers"! As it is, I've been reading it all over summer, and I still feel the urge to punch anybody who tries to make a moral equivalence between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. If Obama ever decides to appoint me education czar to anything, I'd make Gulag Archipelago required reading in college literature and world history courses. But that'll never happen, so I might as well take them to college and maybe loan out individual volumes.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
It's That Time Again!
Harvey Mudd classes restart in a week, so I'll officially be a sophomore! Yay!
...is that good or bad?
...is that good or bad?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Ow My Aching Back...
Had to unload about a dozen boxes of books at the bookstore annex today.
When I get early-onset arthritis, I know who to sue.
When I get early-onset arthritis, I know who to sue.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Random Thoughts #4
I've decided, after meditating a lot on Random Thought #3: Androgyny turns me on.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Grand Political Visions; or, If I Ran the World...
A fair number of people in real life ask me, "Hey, Davin, where the heck are you politically?" I want to say "conservative-ish", but some recent developments in the conserative party (in particular people like Huckabee) make me kinda doubt that, and saying "Buckley-Goldwater conservative" is a great way to make people go "huh?" With that in mind, I'm going to call myself "classical liberal", and point anyone who asks to this particular post. Specifically:
- National government should dedicate its time and money to a few national-interest things, and do those things well. This means things like a strong military (though not necessarily big or pervasive) and well paved cross-country roads. This does not include providing for businesses (see below) or people.
- Free market capitalism, pure supply and demand, raw profit motive is the most efficient way to distribute limited things among unlimited wants, and does a remarkable job of addressing various societal ills that would normally be fixed by fiat. If, for instance, women are paid 75% of the wages men are for the same amount and difficulty of work, then a company would be insane to hire three men; instead for the same money, it would hire four women, get more work done, and drive its competitors into the dirt. This would increase the demand for women workers, and to attract them companies would raise their offered wages, eventually getting to general wage equality. The same can be argued if black, gay, etc., were substituted for women.
- The most complete intellectual threat to free market capitalism may be socialism, but the most immediate threat is capitalists looking for a political advantage by government. These capitalists seem to be trying for a sort of neo-mercantilism, protecting companies in-country and imagining outflowing wealth is lost, not invested or traded.
- The government's job in international affairs is to project national interests. If these happen to overlap with international ones (e.g. a sort of Pan-Europe-U.S.-Japan free trade agreement), fine.
- People aren't saints. The reason free market capitalism works so well is because it does not require people to be saints; in fact, one could argue that free market capitalism, understood a certain way, plays to the greedy instincts of others to sate your own greed. In theory, all deals should have both/all parties walk away from the table thinking "...sucker!", because everybody's gotten something he values more for something he values less (else why make the deal?).
- Political and economic systems that claim to do it better than "dog-eat-dog" free market capitalism usually don't. Just look at the utopian societies of the 1800s and early 1900s, various African basket-cases, the old Soviet Union. Even more benevolent cases like Sweden lag in comparison with the rest of Europe.
- Utopianism, whether in this life or the next, is for suckers.
- Leave well enough alone in the case of social issues.
- ...But come at me in a drug-addled stupor and don't be surprised if your head hurts when you're lucid again. (Self-defense, by hand, knife, or gun, is always in style.)
- Precision of language helps everybody.
- You can't necessarily say everybody's a minority (unless you mean a minority of one), or an oppressed class, or a blue-collar union man, or whatever. But at the end, everybody's a consumer.
- Rationalism is awesome.
- Goldwater had it right when he said "I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!" (Let's not get into how such a quote could be corrupted by terrorist-types, however)
- Alinsky and Luntz are both morons.
I'll elaborate on various points here at random in later posts.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Random Thoughts #3
If gay men are supposed to be attracted to masculinity, is a man attracted to girly or not-particularly-manly men (like myself--what can I say, Link from the Legend of Zelda series looks nice) gay or compensating for a percieved lack of ability to attract women?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Where'd Ya Get Your Friends?
Internet.
Having done some guesstimation I have come to a conclusion.
I have spoken to people whose faces I do not know through chat boxes on Steam for the last three months more than I have spoken face-to-face with people at college for the nine preceding those three, and on much more varied topics.
I'm pathetic.
Having done some guesstimation I have come to a conclusion.
I have spoken to people whose faces I do not know through chat boxes on Steam for the last three months more than I have spoken face-to-face with people at college for the nine preceding those three, and on much more varied topics.
I'm pathetic.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Bookstore Mediations
Bad sides of volunteering at the bookstore annex of local public library:
No profit sharing. (It's not a job, obviously.)
Distressing look at reading tastes of modern America. (Plenty of Self-Help, Christian Fiction, cheesy Romances...we should open a Maple Syrup annex to the bookstore annex to process all the sap!)
Good sides of volunteering at the bookstore annex of local public library:
Sense that you are "making a difference". (So stop bothering me about my cynicism, Obama!)
First pick at all the books that get donated. (To date, I have purchased Clausewitz's On War, Heinlein's Starship Troopers, the second and third volumes of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago [already got the first], a copy of Don Quixote published 1941, and A Clockwork Orange, along with a near complete collection of P.J. O'Rourke's works from before 1995.)
No profit sharing. (It's not a job, obviously.)
Distressing look at reading tastes of modern America. (Plenty of Self-Help, Christian Fiction, cheesy Romances...we should open a Maple Syrup annex to the bookstore annex to process all the sap!)
Good sides of volunteering at the bookstore annex of local public library:
Sense that you are "making a difference". (So stop bothering me about my cynicism, Obama!)
First pick at all the books that get donated. (To date, I have purchased Clausewitz's On War, Heinlein's Starship Troopers, the second and third volumes of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago [already got the first], a copy of Don Quixote published 1941, and A Clockwork Orange, along with a near complete collection of P.J. O'Rourke's works from before 1995.)
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