One van even had a built-in beer keg thing, with the hose running up front between the seats for convenient on-the-road beverage dispensing. It was really cool to my 8 year old eyes

Fixed your post.

---

Great thread. I especially love the Van Dweller stuff. These caught my eye a little while ago but ever since a co-worker told me that the ladies in his social circle frequently used the tern... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 10:22 AM on July 19, 2008

Am I the only one who thought this was poorly written? It's a compelling story but I wish some other journalist was covering it. The author takes the angle that he's looking past the postcard but it's still way too saccharine. The last two sentences, "That is more than many people will ever have in a marriage. It is something they will always share." made me cringe. And if the people involved don't want to talk too much about it, as might be expected considering the terribly... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 11:44 PM on July 15, 2008

LOLOLOLOL!!!11!!1!!!!1!!!

Change!

The Real Deal!

Too. Fucking. Funny.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 5:49 PM on July 9, 2008

getting a President into office who has some respect for the Constitution.

And what an outstanding way he has found to show us this 'respect' for the Constitution.

---

Or is it just that legalizing an unconstitutional act is unconstitutional?

This bill shows the contempt that the politicians who passed it, hold for our Constitutional right to be free from... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 6:20 PM on July 9, 2008

"I am proud to stand with Senator Dodd, Senator Feingold and a grass-roots movement of Americans who are refusing to let President Bush put protections for special interests ahead of our security and our liberty,"
Senator Barack Obama

Heh.

So has no one linked to Glen Greenwald?

1 2

While the coverage on how Obama has managed to avoid looking "soft" is pretty... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 7:56 PM on July 9, 2008

GOD DAMN IT! I WANT A BLACK DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT! We NEED a black democrat president.

We do? Why?

Do have any idea what that simple fact alone will change in this country?

No. What will it change?

Personally, I hate politics as theater, which is how the whole "Wow! We could have either a woman or a black be POTUS!" exclamation came across to me... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 7:53 PM on July 10, 2008

Are you kidding me? Honestly I feel pity for you if you can't grasp why this is important. Or you're like Stephen Colbert and you don't "see" race. Or gender. Right. If I have to explain it there is no hope.

Feel pity.

Frankly you sound like the SLA guy at the end of Patty Hearst pounding on the steering wheel yelling about the need for BLACK MALE LEADERSHIP. It's a little bit comic.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 8:44 PM on July 10, 2008

Yes, telling people to "keep quiet about it," i.e. the fact that Barack Obama is black, doesn't communicate "a certain condescension" at all. Wouldn't want to galvanize "the undecided into opponents" who weren't yet aware of that fact.

You completely missed the point (and barely made sense, to boot). I'm not telling him to keep quiet about "the fact that Barack Obama is black" (!). What he may want to keep... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 11:05 PM on July 10, 2008

The flaw here is that the same logic would apply to those things that virtually everyone agrees are relative. If one post graduate woman in Arkansas thinks Hillary Clinton is the person most qualified to be president, does that nullify the opinions of those who think that everybody has their own truth on the subject, and those truths are equally valid?

The logic only holds in this argument because relativism is self-referential. Relativism makes a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 12:34 PM on June 8, 2008

Does anyone actually adopt this view, though?

As far as I can tell, not too many. Pretty popular topic of conversation though.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 1:21 PM on June 8, 2008

I'm assuming that this means Ron Paul has given up any hopes for the Presidency.

Please.

The campaign continues.

Ron Paul was on the cover of High Times 20 or so years ago. This is not a surprise.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 10:38 PM on April 20, 2008

I think the problem is that the authorities still want the threat of death to hang over the crossing of the road as a disincentive. Otherwise they could build a tunnel under the freeway (without intending disrespect, the sort of thing that's done for migrant wildlife whose paths cross a busy road), or, indeed, a bridge over it. That would be the sort of action one would take if one didn't actually want anyone to get killed.

Uh huh. So it falls on... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 10:46 AM on April 13, 2008

I wonder if that's still a big issue (people getting killed on the freeways)....

It is not. See the last section here, 'Seen as Metaphor'.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 12:03 PM on April 14, 2008

I'm fascinated to hear her say that her grandfather told her that the KKK's mission was originally that they "took care of" anyone, white or black, who "didn't take care of his family."

The Klan were big on "family values" (as was Rudolf Höss, but that's neither here nor there). My understanding is that the last guy lynched in a county I have some familiarity with, was a white man who dished out a lot of domestic abuse.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 7:01 PM on April 13, 2008

Sweetest part of the leaf is pretty goddamn sweet.

Nice find.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 8:34 AM on April 12, 2008

I'd just like to go on the record and say that the whole Nazi angle is cool with me.

And personally, I don't particularly care about anyone's particular kinks. What you want to do is up to you ... but for Max in particular, I think there's a larger issue here concerning the guys mental health.

Why?

If you're getting off on fucking concentration camp victims, and you were raised by THE... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 3:17 PM on April 1, 2008

I'm sad to see them go. It's true that the quality of their stock has been declining for a number of years now, but they still carry many books that I rarely if ever see at B&N. The religion, history and philosophy sections show the greatest margin of difference. I first saw the NYRB series of reprints at Borders, don't believe I've ever seen them at B&N. And once many years ago I saw Sepich's study of Blood Meridian at Border which I foolishly passed on because the cover was dog... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 4:32 PM on March 27, 2008

DecemberBoy,

I never heard it called that. It's a little bit before my time, but from the late 80s on that was generally referenced as the Dischord scene in D.C., or just hardcore.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 12:04 PM on March 27, 2008

The story is about how bullying in school and elsewhere is overlooked, tolerated, or encouraged as a way of enforcing social conformity... which is unacceptable in the modern day. which is the same as it ever was.

FYP.

Besides Girard, another author who's written about this dynamic is Jay Haley (I can't remember the title). Every social group has (needs?) a negative example, someone that allows the group to define themselves... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 3:51 AM on March 24, 2008

I read pretty much any and all advice columns that cross my path. While I don't agree with John Rosemond on much, this column stuck in my head a few years ago when I read it. What made an impression was his unequivocally taking the side of the victim and pointing out the stupidity of the administration's solutions. I also appreciated the attribution of the school's half ass measures to the administration's reluctance to deal with the bullies' parents.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 7:20 AM on March 24, 2008

It didn't stop for me until my senior year of high school, but by then I was an emotional disaster and needed to start taking huge amounts of recreational drugs before I could properly trust people enough to form close emotional bonds again.

Heh.

Not quite the same situation for me, but yeah, the huge quantities of recreational drugs helped like nothing else. Somehow I don't think that's the advice that anyone who's outside... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 7:29 AM on March 24, 2008

Since today is probably my last day on the site in this account, I'd like to make sure that Cool Papa Bell does not go unthanked for constantly helping to set the parameters of any sociological discussion by planting a flag at its nadir. Thanks Papa!

Huh. Well I'm gonna stick around for a bit and I'd like to thank him for making some commonsense observations.

Might it be possible that the racial disparity could be accounted... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 2:26 PM on February 28, 2008

Let's ask Ron Paul.

This is good advice that needs no qualification, but it does seem a little out of the blue. Besides you didn't link to Ron Paul, you linked to a story about newsletters written in his name.

Must have been a careless error.

You can listen to him giving his position on race and the drug war here.

For those who don't care to interrupt their metafilter... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 3:32 PM on February 28, 2008

This is best of the web?

Poker hand simulators are an entire genre and this one isn't all that great. PokerStove is at least four years old and it's hard to beat. Poker Calculator is alright if you play something besides holdem.

I think Eastbay stopped maintaining PowerTools over a year ago, but SnGs aren't my thing.

Nice hand you posted there mosch. What was ROUNDERS76 thinking on the river? That guy is a 2+2 legend.

Olé!
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 6:04 PM on February 16, 2008

mosch,

You are right, of course. Still, what was ROUNDERS76 thinking on the turn? He's playing El Diablo for Christ's sake. He might want something a little better than overpair before calling ElD's CR all-in. The man is a 2+2 legend!

P.S. twoplustwo is a .com not .org. Heh heh. Also thanks for the 10k fight link. With the exception of the legislation forum, I stopped hanging out there after the Port Security Act. I recognized young... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 5:50 AM on February 17, 2008

And where the fuck have all the libertarian republicans gone? Did Ron Paul eat them?

Please list "all the libertarian republicans" in the Senate.

Thanks.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 11:18 AM on February 12, 2008

Pretty goofy stuff.

In my opinion, the only way to make sense of #5 with respect to gaining self discipline, is that following someone else's path means accepting a set of constraints for your own work. And self discipline will then come from working within those limits.

Not Deciding is only a decision when you pass the opportunity cost point. Otherwise not deciding is not deciding...

No. This isn't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 11:10 AM on January 30, 2008

Libertarianism is not a movement. It won't ever be. It's a name give to people that don't like the federal government. Ron Paul represented a hope similar to that which Ralph Nader embodied - the dismantling of the federal government as we know it and starting over.

It is a movement. You fail to recognize it because apparently your presupposition is that a movement must be aimed at changing or upholding the policies of a centralized power. That we... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 9:58 AM on January 16, 2008

Apparently that means real men also throw weak babies from cliffs; set children against each other in bloody fistfights; and send teenagers off to hunt wolves uppity serfs in freezing weather with nothing but a loincloth and a sharp stick.

FYP; didn't see the movie, doubt that made it in.

there are some insights there, I thought, and some practical info, like the g-spot orgasm info. Gee, I really wish my boyfriends... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 4:56 PM on January 13, 2008

Why is it so difficult for Bush to turn around & say that Iraq was a mistake, or to admit defeat? Why is flip-flopping in politicians so looked down upon? Isn't it largely because politicians are expected to be "big men", who are strong & resolute & have a deep unwavering sense of purpose?

No. It's because of the power of image. The vast majority of our decisions are made with limited information. 'Intangibles', that have a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 8:14 PM on January 13, 2008

I see, if someone tries to post a piece on Ron Paul that is positive it needs to get taken off because of all the "Ron Paul spam", but the smears, hey, that's news. Never mind there is a thread that is three days old on Ron Paul, a front page post is called for.

Now someone come into the thread and say this was written for Ron Paul and not by him. The people who are Paul fanatics are just going to take this as further proof that everyone is out to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 1:25 PM on January 8, 2008

Cry me a river, BigSky.

More like shaking my head. I don't take lgf seriously. There is nothing honest about them. When they write or rather, think, the conclusion comes first.

Am I the only one who DOESN'T CARE whether Ron Paul actually wrote the newsletter himself or was just so politically tin-eared as to allow a racist homophobic conspiracy-kook newsletter to be published under his name for DECADES? Either... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 2:16 PM on January 8, 2008

(How the hell can you be a libertarian AND an avid anti-abortionist anyway?)

Lots of people diverge from their party's platform on select issues. Not kidding. Besides he's a Republican.
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 2:19 PM on January 8, 2008

I didn't mean that as a "belongs to the Libertarian party", but a libertarian, in-a-philosophical-sense, which he is.

I understood what you meant and that isn't a common divergence. But if you consider life to begin at birth then there isn't much tension with the other libertarian principles. A relationship where one being is completely dependent upon another like mother and foetus is tough for libertarians to parse with their ethics... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 5:34 PM on January 8, 2008

That's you man, once again, mazel tov.

Yeah, exactly the condescending response I expected.

I wonder what Hannah Arendt would say about some of the loonies stretching to apologize for Ron Paul's heinous behavior in this thread.

I've read a little Hannah Arendt and you've got me stumped. What would she say?

-----

pandaharma,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 8:44 AM on January 9, 2008

Except for that whole newsletter thing.

Except nothing.

She might remark a bit on the banality of evil, and how blindly, mechanically and willingly folks like you will follow Ron Paul and further his cryptic, white supremacist agenda — some agreeing secretly with him — others in spite of all the evidence of his problematic past and present associations and writings.

Probably not.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 10:27 AM on January 9, 2008

There, I just wanted to see those two statements together.

Yeah, that is pretty sweet.

Should have been a bit more overt that I think Ron Paul or any other future small government candidate needs to do a bit more of the latter, i.e. total rejection of any early supporters whose presence becomes problematic later on. Anyway I think the overall point is clear, the straight forwardness his supporters found charming didn't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 12:15 PM on January 9, 2008

Oops. Forgot to mention that the quote above is from,

RON PAUL!!!11!!!1!!111!!1!
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 12:18 PM on January 9, 2008

What a surprise, more snide dismissal of Ron Paul on Metafilter.

-----

I agree about 'states' rights.' In fact, as I've been taught it, there really are no states' rights; the Constitution just leaves states free to make legislation where there is an absence of federal legislation. It does not provide the states the ability to make laws that go against federal law. So it's a rather empty concept - it describes an absence of rights, not... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 10:04 AM on January 7, 2008

I don't see what's objectionable about that article. Is it that Ron Paul dared to suggest that some audits are politically motivated? That's not exactly far fetched. And it isn't a non sequitur. The article is about gun control, but the importance of the Second Amendment lies in the movement of government towards assuming more power and becoming increasingly coercive. Coercion isn't just agents showing up with guns, or seizures of private property, it can also take the form of long drawn... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 3:38 PM on January 7, 2008

You say that like it's true and you have evidence...

Do I need proof? It's practically a tautology. Government regulates, that's what it does. Regulation entails telling people what to do. The common understanding of liberty is the capability of some person or persons to act as they will. Now I'm not saying government is a complete evil, it's a necessity. There has to be an institution that confronts the private wielders of force against... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 8:19 PM on January 7, 2008

Get a brain, BIgSky. You're smarter than this.

That's jumping to conclusions, but you deserve an answer and I'll respond later tonight.

I think this sort of ends the discussion about whether Ron Paul is a bigot in the clearest possible way

It doesn't. This is a hit piece and these allegations were dealt with months ago in a number of places, including here. I'll just point out a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 12:39 PM on January 8, 2008

panamax,

You are using a very broad definition of civil liberties. I'm not sure that anything beyond the Bill of Rights should be considered one, or where the boundaries would end if we did stretch them beyond that. The 'right to privacy' is a bit of a contentious issue. While I'm largely sympathetic to the position of those using it, like the Commerce Clause, it can be used by federal judges to make law. For whatever it's worth, the use of the 'right to privacy'... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 11:46 AM on January 9, 2008

Nearly 60,000* American children (mostly girls) are abducted by strangers each year.

Good lord. The national media wishes it were so. Look at what a tizzy they go into every time some young white female is abducted. If there were that many kids abducted there would be an attractive, blond, older teenager for the viewing public to anguish over every night of the week.

Anything you can do to prevent even a single... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 9:14 AM on January 8, 2008

Evangelicals span all income levels anyways -- so much for Chris Hedges' argument that the decline of manufacturing jobs has created the conditions necessary for a "fascist" evangelical right to evolve.

What?

How does the variety of Evangelical income levels dismiss Chris Hedges' argument? There must be a whole lot you left unsaid, because as stated the above barely makes sense let alone convinces. The existence... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 4:39 PM on December 26, 2007

Maybe the statistics I was thinking about prove nothing and your postulates are better stats, but I guess my point is more that some sort of good data is needed to back any argument. Elsewise any argument is nothing more than hot air.

I don't want to overstate the case. Like his claim that suburbs are breeding grounds for despair pushing the population towards fundamentalism, this one is unsubstantiated. But I don't think it all comes down to data.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 6:57 PM on December 26, 2007

A few years ago the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations were very high on the list of the most poverty stricken regions in the U.S. One of them may have held the top spot. Crime is very bad as well. They're tough, dangerous places. And unfortunately, from what I've heard they are not among the Native communities that have maintained their traditions like the Hopi, or some of the Pueblo tribes. This would make a lot more sense if they were economically successful like the Navajo, although it... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 10:19 AM on December 20, 2007

Does the degradation of the word "socialism" to where massive projects employing thousands of workers for the benefit of capitalist owners can be described as "socialist" bother the shit out of anyone else?

No, but using "degradation" in this context does. It is socialist because there is a large state apparatus that is directing the project. Without a central authority "planning" the economy in advance of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 7:02 AM on December 20, 2007

The problem is the writing. Our literature has gone to shit. Plenty of people are reading, but they are reading fluff. There aren't more than a handful of writers that are writing anything great (wherein great means something unique and special that people might actually still be reading in 50 years). Guys like James Patterson and Dan Brown and the serial novelists have mastered fluff. But if you are looking for "great books," we only have a few.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 12:06 PM on December 18, 2007

The truth is, democracy and ethno-religious states like Israel (or Boer Africa, or White Rhodesia, or even, to a lesser extent, modern France) can't coexist.

I don't completely buy this. Every nation, including democracies must have some sort of core. Ethnicity and religion are two common ways for the population to orient itself and have an identity as a group. There can be shifts in the population of those belonging to a particular ethnicity or... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by BigSky at 7:17 AM on December 13, 2007