Sigh, looks like the dim-witted Ayn Rand fans are excited by your comment, huh? ^_^
One of the big fallacies that is perpetuated in "meritocracies" (ha!) like America is that people who are wealthy deserve their wealth most of the time. So few have studied Bourdieu or have bothered to look at how wealth and privilege begets wealth and privilege, particularly in the absence of redistributive taxes and social protections/regulations.
It's sad that the ideas of brilliant Americans of the past few centuries (who tried to put into place systems to avoid the establishment of a permanent aristocracy) are so easily buried by the GOP's insane, paradoxical populist propaganda. And because of the illusion of meritocracy (that anyone can be rich) those who legitimately have no chance to ever be anything but working class will fight to the death to make sure rich people's "right" to low taxes is protected.
Marx needs an update: Fox News is the opium of the people.
One of the big fallacies that is perpetuated in "meritocracies" (ha!) like America is that people who are wealthy deserve their wealth most of the time. So few have studied Bourdieu or have bothered to look at how wealth and privilege begets wealth and privilege, particularly in the absence of redistributive taxes and social protections/regulations.
It's sad that the ideas of brilliant Americans of the past few centuries (who tried to put into place systems to avoid the establishment of a permanent aristocracy) are so easily buried by the GOP's insane, paradoxical populist propaganda. And because of the illusion of meritocracy (that anyone can be rich) those who legitimately have no chance to ever be anything but working class will fight to the death to make sure rich people's "right" to low taxes is protected.
Marx needs an update: Fox News is the opium of the people.
Oh god. Is West Hollywood really that affordable? I should just slit my wrists rather than trying to buy a house in D.C.
@spinnaker0: I really like the idea of buying up "every milk"
@mertz: Ha! We need a crazy piano teacher thread. I had a really mean one when I was 8 or 9. Didn't make me practice more, though.
What I did was passive-aggressively take a bathroom break every lesson and just stuff a ton of toilet paper down the toilet. Who knows if she even noticed that the toilet got clogged a lot/that she ran out of toilet paper more often, but damn did that tiny revenge feel good.
What I did was passive-aggressively take a bathroom break every lesson and just stuff a ton of toilet paper down the toilet. Who knows if she even noticed that the toilet got clogged a lot/that she ran out of toilet paper more often, but damn did that tiny revenge feel good.
@roguedandelion: Infinitied #COTD
@talithaghetto: To the MIT theoretical math lab!
@achilleselbow: Definitely. And I'll bet there are lots of ways you can support the silicon industry without voting GOP.
@octothorp: Hearted like, as many times as I could possibly heart you. (5000?)
@johne: ...and by inviting all the industrialists and argribusiness owners for a compulsory entree-sized portion, too.
@rmric0.wedding.photographer.and.manny: Hazmat suits won't save you! They'll just make you harder to gun down when you inevitably join the ranks of the living dead.
That said, I will take a purple one.
That said, I will take a purple one.
In this time of year, when we're supposed to connecting with our fellow man but mostly just are buying stuff, it's a beautiful thing to read his blog and get a glimpse of something deeper and more meaningful.
Bless you and yours, Aaron.
Bless you and yours, Aaron.
@Perhaps Not: Hell, I'm in, if you don't mind me drunkenly whining that I don't get bonuses!
@rocktopus: Why do you continue to want to argue with me about something my comment was not about?
@im2fools: 2 counts of Reckless Headlighting, sure, with 1 count of Intent to use a Badass Samurai Sword Even Though You're Just a Workaday Midwesterner thrown in there for good measure.
@VegetableLasagna: Now, now. I'm an atheist, but I have to say: Newton's law of gravity is a theory that is actually not as accurate in its predictions of phenomena as relativity is.
However, the big difference between a theory (or scientific law) and faith is the empirical method, by which we can test and revise/discard theories that don't fit observed phenomena. Faith in god can never be empirically tested, and so shouldn't be conflated with scientific theory.
However, the big difference between a theory (or scientific law) and faith is the empirical method, by which we can test and revise/discard theories that don't fit observed phenomena. Faith in god can never be empirically tested, and so shouldn't be conflated with scientific theory.
@hilikusopus: Yeah, that response made no sense. 9 to 16% is pretty good, all things considered... a little slow, but pretty good.
@Nun Shall Pass: I'm not the gatekeeper of marriage, silly, just commitment. Really, gatekeeper of marriage would be overreaching!
@rocktopus: You need to re-read my comment. I said dating is not the same as marriage and your situation was not analogous. I also said once you are married and have kids, you can't simply justify leaving your spouse and kids to satisfy your infatuation because it will make you oh so happy, as you can in less committed situations, like dating.
Nowhere did I say divorce wasn't ok or 100% justified in some situations.
Nowhere did I say divorce wasn't ok or 100% justified in some situations.
Don't worry America! No need to understand centuries-old scientific concepts. Also, responsible politics is boring, and math is tricky. Why bother? You deserve to relax.
Signed, your pal China
Signed, your pal China
@MooCow: "I know many Christian scientists" =/= "many scientists are Christian." Being into science, you must know that anecdotal evidence can't be used to justify a point.
I agree that there are theist scientists, but there are also scientists who are driven from dogmatic, faith-based religion due to a strong belief in empiricism that they apply down to the personal and emotional aspects of their lives. Goes both ways, you know?
I agree that there are theist scientists, but there are also scientists who are driven from dogmatic, faith-based religion due to a strong belief in empiricism that they apply down to the personal and emotional aspects of their lives. Goes both ways, you know?
