__________________________
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
__________________________
"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Main:
"A roll call post for people to share anything they want: professions, education, families, histories, goals, political affiliation/activities, hobbies, meaning behind their handle, how they came across SC, why they started reading blogs, etc."
Feel free to share whatever you wish.
Edit by Brendan: Also, Specter had a diary about "Identity and Swords Crossed" that has additional information about some posters here.
Stinerman in a nutshell
Name: Nathan A. Stine
Hometown: Willard, OH (currently residing in Sandusky, OH)
Education: B.S. in Mathematics
Politics: This is where it gets complicated. Essentially, I'm a libertarian when it comes to the federal government. At heart, I'm pretty far left, but I have a originalist view of the constitution. I know many of the government programs we know and love are unconstitutional, but I believe they are warranted. In that vein, I am for much increased power to the states.
I'm very independent and dislike partisan politics. Most of the time I vote for Democrats, but usually vote for a minor party when possible. As libertarian as I am at the federal level, I do not usually vote for Republicans. This is because the Republican must meet a modicum of libertarianism for me to vote for them. Indeed, they must be of the Ron Paul mold otherwise they are not worth voting for, and I then throw my support to the Democrat as they'll at least keep in place the programs that I believe need to be at the state level.
Federal Issues:
*Repeal of the 16th and 17th amendments (income tax and direct election of Senators)
*Abolishment of the Dept. of Education
*IP reform (copyrights, patents, etc.)
*Ballot access and voting reform (IRV, approval voting)
*Repeal of all drug laws
State Issues:
*Universal socialized health care and socialized medicine (think NHS in the UK)
*Guaranteed minimum income
*Abolishment of property tax
*Repeal of all drug laws (you should be able to buy crack at Wal*Mart)
*Free education through 2 years of college
*Reduced restrictions on K-12 education (government need only regulate education, but can provide it as well)
Voting:
In 2004, for President I voted for Michael Badnarik
In 2006, I voted for the Green Party nominee for Governor and left my ballot blank for US Senator as Sherrod Brown voted for the so-called "torture bill" during his Senate run.
In 2008, I support Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich in that order. It is very likely I will vote for the Libertarian candidate in 2008 unless Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich are on the major party ballot.
I am always open to questions and enjoy debate with anyone of any political persuasion so long as it is in good faith, hence my appearance at SC. I also post at Daily Kos, but not very often. I can't stand the groupthink and partisan echo chamber over there.
__________________________I didn't break the law; I am the law! --
George W. BushJudge DreddI'm listening to...
Nice to meet you
It seems you have an original and well-developed perspective on politics. I look forward to hearing your views during our debates and discussions.
Briefly...
I'm a 40-year-old male.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being ultra conservative and 10 being ultra liberal, I'd say I'm a 7.
I'm married (for 16 years) and have two daughters... ages 13 and 8.
I'm a huge fan of the Canadian band Rush... and have attended more than a dozen of their concerts. My 8-year-old has already been to four of them with me. (My wife is a country music nut... sigh).
I consider myself STRONGLY agnostic, leaning heavily toward atheism. I was raised Catholic and went to parochial school through 8th grade.
I feel that organized religion is the root cause of 90% of all of the world's problems. The one thing that Marx was right about was that religion is the opiate of the masses.
I contend that man created God, not the other way around.
I will believe in the "power of prayer to heal" the first time I see an amputee healed by prayer.
In short.. my religion is reason.
__________________________“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” --- Albert Einstein
Picture of me, in my natural element
I love the game.
__________________________“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” --- Albert Einstein
Neat picture, Prime Mover!!
Thanks for posting it and sharing it with us.
Very nice!
Caught at the top of your swing. A sense of humor, sport AND good lookin!
__________________________It is the economy, stupid.
Told ya, Prime
See, both ladies here think so ;}
__________________________don't ask me, I'm just improvising
Political Compass Score: Econ L/R -0.12 Social Lib/Auth -1.33
A lot of former Catholics in Dkos too.
I just wonder, what made you leave the Church?
I love the Catholic Church. It teaches love esp for the least among us, peace, forgiveness, charity, and love.
what made me leave
Lots of things made me leave. Not many had to do with the Catholic church specifically, but with religion in general. But among the reasons specific to the Catholic church:
1. Rituals.
The rituals are ridiculous. I am a man of science.
Having some guy wave his hands over a bowl of water and then declare the contents to now be "holy" strains credibility. Sorry, my IQ is too high to buy into such nonsense.
2. Penance.
The idea that simply saying some rote prayer 10 times absolves me of a "sin" I committed is insane.
3. Some Individuals "holier" than others.
Wearing a funny hat and fancy robe does not make that person closer to the mythological supernatural being than I am.
But the main reason I left the Catholic Church had nothing to do with Catholicism.
I simply came to the conclusion that belief in a supernatural god-being is no more logical than a belief in the Great Pumpkin.
Lots of philosophies teach the same things. None of those things require a belief in a mythological omnipotent being.
I have no belief at all in the existence of some surpreme being, yet I give to charity, love my fellow man, and work for peace. Those value ethics have nothing to do with Christianity.
I hate to get caught in a trap of using Rush lyrics to explain my every point of view, but here goes anyway: ;-)
I don't have faith in faith,
I don't believe in belief.
You can call me faithless.
But I still cling to hope,
and I believe in love.
And that's faith enough for me.
My thought is that belief in an all-knowing, omnipresent, supreme being is a delusion.
I've come to realize that all we have, as humans, is each other.
So we better get to work and quit wasting time praying to a mythological being to deliver us from our problems.
We'll have to do it all by ourselves, and the sooner we get over our collective delusions, the sooner we'll solve our problems.
One final quote that sums up my feelings not just for the Catholic church specifically, but religious leaders in general:
“I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.” -- George Carlin
The Pope's authority over his flock only exists as long as his flock believes he has authority. His authority is an illusion. He has only the authority that man, not some "god", has given him. If enough people refuse to give him authority over them, then he has none. It's an illusion.
__________________________“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” --- Albert Einstein
aha. I think I finally got it.
whew!! (knock on wood.)
hehe good :)
Glad you figured it out!
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
I deleted the practice attempts =)
In case anyone else is wondering, block quotes are formed by typing:
<blockquote>Here is some text</blockquote>
which shows up as
Cheers!
__________________________Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world -- Tennyson
Myers-Briggs Personality Type Links
I just want to create a reference to the previously taken Myers-Briggs results:
See the comments.
__________________________More comments.
GoRight's results.
Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
ENTJ
With scores of 11%, 50%, 25%, 1%
So I'm guessing that means I'm mildly extroverted and judgmental... but moderately thoughtful and whatever the "N" is.. I forget.
__________________________“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” --- Albert Einstein
Good idea,
or ammo for future discussions! My better half's been taking them on and off for the last two years (he's an adviser, so they keep retaking them for various classes), and he has one or two that are so close they shift back and forth depending on his mood. I should probably take an updated one in the future.
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
Question for everybody here on SC:
Does anybody here have any difficulties grasping the message(s) that I try to get across in my comments here? Just curious.
Not really, but
you'll notice that this site is primarily comments-driven rather than diary-driven. I think (and this is just a guess) that people are more interested in going back-and-forth over shorter arguments than digesting longer, more-indepth ones. It's not a failing, just a debate preference.
Heh, or maybe it is a failing, and we just can't sit still for long. But it's part of the site's charm that it becomes more of a conversation than a series of dueling monologues.
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
no problems :)
You are pretty liberal not really very different from most here. I do appreciate your contributions and look forward to debating more (as I get a bit more time).
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Tough question
The nature of language pretty much predetermines that you can never get across what you are trying to say. Communication is a beast, and just the topic of interpretation fills about 120+ books in my home library. The person interpreting your comments would have to share your same initial meaning (which definition you are using), share your connotations of words and your intention in use of words without letting personal biases and experiences get in the way. So on one hand, no; you can never get across exactly what you meant to say.
On the other hand, this is a forum site, so we just give the gist of our arguments anyway. So yes, I think most probably get your basic points.
Why? What did you have in mind when you wrote this? I am not following your question at all? What the hell do you mean?
Well, you appear to be
somewhat pre-occupied with the Boston school desegregation battles of 35 years ago. I assume you lived there at the time and were somehow involved, maybe as a student. I regard it as a failed experiment.
__________________________name the enemy, win the war
Well....
I've lived in the Boston area pretty much my whole life, growing up in a suburb roughly 20 miles due northwest of Boston, but, during the mid-1970's, I began living away from home, in nearby Cambridge, Boston proper, Brookline, Cambridge again, and I presently reside in Somerville, where I've resided for nearly 20 years.
To get more to the subject at hand, although I wasn't involved per se in the Boston busing situation, I do/have known people who were involved and caught up in the busing scenerio in some way or other, either as students, or people, who as parents, had kids who were caught up in the whole thing.
Afew years ago, I also met a man, who, although he was neither a student or a parent with kids in the Boston school system who were caught up in busing, he was part of the gentry (as well as being a young pharmacist) who'd moved into Boston's South End neighborhood (the South End is not to be confused with South Boston, btw) because, like many of the gentry, he wished to reside in an integrated neighborhood. Since there was also much racial and class tension in Boston at that time, he, too, got caught up in it, in a very tragic way.
One afternoon, as the young pharmacist returned home from work, he discovered that the door to his South End condominium had been forcibly jimmied open. Unfortunately, he surprised a young African-American man in the act of burgling his place. The young pharmacist threw some cash down on the floor of his condominium for the man who'd broken into his apartment, then attempted to make a run for it to call the police.
The young African-American man then shot the pharmacist in the back, rendering him a paraplegic for life. Unfortunately, he has had a hard time dealing with his situation, though he came back to Boston that summer to try to come to terms with his situation, and to deal with it, and he seemed unable to. He's now living in San Diego, and had to live off of his savings.
If I do seem pre-occupied with this whole issue, sandbox, it's because Boston is still sort of reeling from it 35 years later, especially because the conflict that the far-reaching mandated busing order helped exacerbate left rather deep scars on a city and its people. I still believe that, had the Boston School Committee at the time been more flexible and complied with the Racial Imbalance Law(s), a more workable solution would've been found, schools and neighborhoods alike would've been more integrated, and there would've been better schools for both non-white and white kids alike. Because the all-white Boston School Committee at that time was so flagrant in its violation of the Racial Imbalance Law(s), however, there was no choice but to resort to an unwanted, albeit more costly Federal lawsuit, and, ultimately the far-reaching, divisive busing program.
Also, if the B-BURG (Boston Banks Urban Renewal Group) program had been done differently, things would've been better also. Instead, the School Committee resisted as hard as they could, and there was no choice but to implement tougher measures, which, as has been previously pointed out, helped escalate and exacerbate already-existing racial tensions and hostilitites here in Boston--by a lot. Mandated school busing was an emergency measure, albeit a quick fix, and a band-aid solution to fall back on as a very last resort due to many years of intransigence by the Boston School Committee.
Many people do regard busing as a failed experiment, but I believe that there's even more to it than that. It's true that mandated school busing here in Boston failed to achieve what it set out to do regarding the schools, because, as has been pointed out, the problems that it set out to correct are far too deeply-rooted and too complex to be solved by a solutions such as mandated school busing.
Yet, on the other hand, to Judge W. Arthur Garrity's credit, he helped expose an extremely antiquated school system, run by an all-white school committee that, in addition to being blatantly racist in its policies regarding the schools, was also steeped in politics, patronage, and no small amount of opportunism, knowing little to nothing about educating kids, and, for that matter, not caring.
Busing also made many more people aware that the Boston School system, which had been in decline since the 1920's, had been failing its non-white and white students alike all along, plus there'd always been much racial tension and flight from the city and its public schools, and the student drop-out rate high to begin with. The white schools, in many instances, were little to no better than the black schools, and, although there were some dedicated teachers and/or principals, a sound education was not what the Boston school system was about.
There was yet another big reason for why busing didn't work out very well here in Boston. The most calamitous part of the plan was the pairing off of poor white Southie and poor black Roxbury together in the plan, during the first year that busing was implemented in Boston. Although several prominent people, including Prof. Louis Jaffe of the Harvard Law School, who held hearings on the plan, and Edward McCormack, a South Boston native who was an attorney with a strong civil rights record and a lifetime NAACP membership, warned that this part of the plan was effectively a "red flag" and should be restudied, looked over, and alternatives considered, Judge Garrity and his experts ignored the warnings and ordered the State plan, including the South Boston-Roxbury pairing, into affect for that fall. As had been predicted by some people, it erupted into chaos and violence.
I believe that there are several things that could've been done: integrating South Boston with blacks from North Dorchester would've kept Southie a bit calmer, because Dorchester and South Boston shared somewhat of a common history--representation by the same senator, and the fact that many people from South Boston had moved to Dorchester.
Or, if they felt that the pairing of Southie and Roxbury was the only way, it could've been done much more gradually, first integrating the elementary schools, then the middle schools, and, lastly the high schools. That, too would've kept Southie calmer. Or, they could've waited a year or so before implementing the pairing of south Boston and Roxbury, and desegregated the rest of the city meanwhile, in order to prevent influence of the rest of the city by the eruptions that took place at Southie High School.
All of the above having been said, I believe that a certain amount of conflict can be useful in that people could learn from each other, and arrive at some kind of understanding. However, if it's the kind of conflict that's so protracted, drawn-out, so deep and/or so bitter that it leaves deep psychological scars on people, then it's counterproductive and furthur pits people against each other. Unfortunately, the Boston School Committee spent a great many years creating the atmosphere that produced the latter.
Here's another part of the rub, sandbox: Unfortunately, even today, with relatively rare exceptions, the Boston School System is still a poor system, with less than 20% of Boston school kids going on to some form of higher education. Most of the Boston public schools, for many decades, have been dumping grounds for kids who not only lack the resources/means to get into better schools, and many kids are affectively "warehoused" for several years before going onto dead-end jobs, or whatever. Moreover, the housing is still cordoned off by race, which is also a problem.
However, there is a more integrated, less mean-spirited school committee in Boston these days, but whether or not they 're any more competent is another question.
While I think
your observation is accurate, I do not think there is anything wrong with sharing the experiences that helped shape our Weltanschauung.
Well, I'll add afew more pearls of my own here, as well.
I started lurking here on SC, just out of curiosity roughly a little bit over a week ago, and I finally decided to come out and join yesterday, when things were quite slow, during the holiday weekend. I'm also a silversmith and a piano tuner, who enjoys doing the above-mentioned things that I mentioned in my introductory diary above. Again, although my politics are basically of a Liberal Democratic leaning, there are things on which I'm somewhat more independent regarding my thinking. Since I honestly don't know what to call myself, regarding ideology, I consider myself a liberal democrat.
I was raised to be politically aware from a very young age. However, I did not really become interested in politics, either domestic
or international politics, until the mid-1970's, when mandated school busing took Boston by storm, and I also came in contact with many people who were either caught up in the busing situation themselves, or whose kids were caught up in it somehow.Wow, a piano tuner?
Not a profession I bump into a lot on line. I'm an amateur pianist, but I wouldn't play in public without a few libations first.
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
Yup!!
Piano tuning is something that I came to enjoy after studying it and doing it on and off for awhile. Grand pianos are a special pleasure to tune, because they're much accessible and the position is less awkward. Vertical pianos, on the other hand, are somewhat more awkward to tune, because one has to sort of scrunch up next to them in order to tune them, which, imho, is a considerably more awkward position.
One reason, I think that there may not be as many piano tuners as in the past is because many people are also purchasing electronic pianos, which are way, way different.
A bit of history
As I kid I was raised that the Republicans were the party that freed the slaves, the party that stopped the giant Trusts from taking over, and turning the country, and the world into a series of monopolies that would make us indistinguishable from the Evil Communism, that was just one big monopoly.
I heard about FDR, Huey Long, Boss Tweed, and Richard Daley, and how they had acted like they supported the little guy, but used that as a cover for massive corruption, like putting the connected person's idiot cousin on the city payroll though they might not actually have anything to do, or steering a contract to a crony in return for a bribe.
Everybody liked Ike, I never heard much of who the other guy was, much less anything either side thought was something to do besides fighting Communists, who were just the same as the Nazis, and the next great scourge of the world that we would have to fight, just as we did the Nazis.
As the early days of the civil rights movement started I saw Evil Democrats turn dogs and fire hoses on Negroes (as they were called then) who were still trying to assert what folks back to what George Washington had asserted in the Declaration of Independence. They just wanted to vote and would probably vote Republican, and the Democrats would be the minority, so were fighting to hold on to their immoral privileges.
Then Kennedy was shot and my world began to get turned upside down. Like 9/11 it caused a re-examination of who and what the country was, but unlike 9/11 the affirmation was that we become the best we could be. The Democrats began a revolution in their party. They would stand up for what I believed were traditional Republican values.
The anti-war thing struck me as a bit odd at the time, I knew I was too disabled to be in the military even if I wanted to be, so I had not looked deeply at the reality there, or felt the personal threat, the way most ripening cannon fodder did.
But then Goldwater caused a revolution in the Republicans, asserting that helping people was a bad thing, that the far right loonies were correct, that the US government should be the policeman to the world but not police or tax businesses. His plan was extreme, confused (to my ear at the time), and flatly rejected by the vote. As the voting age was 21 then I was far to young to vote but saw the Democrat as the less worse evil for the first time.
I then went to the University of Miami, in Florida, and fell in with the ubergeeks, all there as honor students (I was honors Biology), some were as young as 15, and each had already achieved tremendous depth in one or several disciplines.
It was like suddenly finding yourself with a human Internet, no matter what the subject there was at least one expert you could learn from, and discussions ran around the clock, with various members coming or going as sleep or classes necessitated, often held with a card game at the center, new players taking over a hand and trying to drive the score, that reached into the thousands, 13 points at a time.
From these discussions we realized that the entire culture we inherited, was put together piecemeal, with axioms unchallenged at the time, but later put into disrepute, but the corollaries from those axioms never examined to take out the false data. (They actually thought and talked that way)
As a result a several year discussion resulted of re-examining all those corollaries in the light of improved data and the determination to create a new culture, that by its very superiority would take over the planet.
There was a coffee pot, with creamer and sugar cubes provided, but no one managed to keep coffee in the pot, and you can't eat powdered creamer straight, but people would often walk off to class popping one of those sugar cubes in their mouth like a peanut.
The folk in the ROTC office across the walkway never saw the reality, only weird folk walking out popping sugar cubes.
I had to go back to Arizona for some surgery, that became suddenly unnecessary due to loss of health insurance, and when I got back everything was gone. My culture had been forever altered, but now I was the only member.
__________________________The Self Made Man is just not admitting where he got all the parts.
It's all about me :-)
Well, that's what my pajama bottoms say, dammit! As an only child I own that phrase rather well.
The basics:
41 - soon to be 42 (if not for GoRight I was about to feel REALLY old in here!) Twice divorced mother to two sons. One is 21 and working full time and living part time here and part time at his girlfriends. I love her and she is good for him so I turn a bit of a blind eye to that scenario. The other son is 10 and a sport maniac like his mom. He splits time between me and his dad. We get along very well as co-parents, just sucked at the marriage thing. I've been dating the same great guy for 7 years now and am very happy to just be dating.
I spent two years at UCSD for general ed and then transferred to National University where I finished my undergrad in Real Estate and Accounting. I have worked at NU since Jan 1986 within the finance areas and currently am the Assistant Controller there.
I was raised in a fairly socially liberal but definitely GOP household. SoCal native. After a childhood filled with support for Nixon and Reagan (my first presidential vote went to Ronnie), my own personal experiences as an adult making my way through the sea of life pulled me more and more to the left. Finally in 2000 I officially switched parties. Blogging began in 2004 with DailyKos after I heard Markos on Air America. I've always loved a good debate so this site caught my interest from the beginning. I am pretty much a serial lurker at half a dozen sites or so, with time being a huge deterrent, but since this is my main reading source at this point in my life, I am enjoying all of them! I do love to read, but I just don't have the time for books right now. Maybe once the younger boy gets to high school!
My username is boring, but I was in a rush to register in Dkos one day as I really wanted to comment in Cheers & Jeers so I just threw it together. I've just stuck with it everywhere. Oh yes, I obviously live in San Diego! North coast near the Del Mar racetrack. Hopefully I will never leave this little paradise.
My Turn
After reviewing many of the backgrounds posted here, I guess I am the Resident "youngster" of the group. I am a 25-year old male, single (but dating my current gf for almost 5 years now), living in Harlem, NYC. I am an Engineer who works in Logistics for a World-Famous Consumer Products company in Manhattan.
I'm a Southern Transplant, born in Jackson MS and raised in Augusta, Ga. I graduated from Morehouse College and Georgia Tech with degrees in Math and Industrial Engineering respectively.
I found Swords Crossed through RedState, where I've been a member for awhile and was active until they blocked it at work. SC allows people to vent and exchange barbs without people getting in a tizzy if their feewings are hurt.
My political views are all over the place. I generally take a more pragmatic approach to The Issues.
I support the common 3-exception abortion clause. I may be sensitive to Civil Unions but am against gay-marriage in the Church.
I like my taxes to be as low as possible and the taxes that are taken should be used wisely and not abused. Less taxes means the government can hurt me less (and hopefully) protect me more.
I'm a huge capitalism and education fan. I support school choice, but I'm more in favor for charter and magnet schools which are still public but have the freedom to run themselves. I'm active in my community and I tutor math on the weekends and act as a mentor at work.
I run a personal finance blog on the side because I think it's the key to solving many different social issues. Please take a moment and visit it sometime. We may be able to make some link exchanges.
http://wealthweekly.blogspot.com
__________________________http://wealthweekly.blogspot.com
Wii FC:2805-8311-8040-2678
Brawl: 2277-7051-2186
As a new member of SC, I read your post with interest, Charles.
Although I tend to be more liberal on such issues as abortion, gun control, unions, and also think that Magnet/Charter Schools are a good idea, I've basically taken a neutral position to issues such as same-sex marriage, and Civil Unions, but there are some issues on which I take a more mixed outlook, due to the complexities of these particular issues.
I came across SC through MLW, and, after having a number of issues on which people over on MLW were disagreeing with me in a rather flamey fashion, I lurked here for roughly a week, and then decided to become a member. Thus far, I totally agree with what you've said about SC: It seems like a blog where people can respectfully disagree and even exchange barbs without it erupting into a flamewar(s), and without people getting their feelings hurt.
Dangit,
there IS someone younger than I am. I thought I was the site's youngster - but you've only got me by a year, so watch out.
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
Watch out?
Is he going to pass you? :)
Face it, you're an old man like the rest of us. Remember way back when the Spice Girls had a (. . . rambling old-person reminiscence . . .)
No, but I like shouting empty threats.
And what is this "Spice Girls" you speak of? I buried in a heap of flannel and worn jeans during the 90s.
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
I remember rollerskating on a rink
to some cool Spice Girls songs... Ahh... memories from a forgotten era...
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Speaking of 90's girl groups
watch this hilarious video
(h/t to ejoiner--I saw the link to it at www.cursor.org). It has a reference to 'Salt n' Peppa' (sp?). I originally thought he said 'Spice Girls', so I had to edit/update.
The first voice was annoying, but overall the video was kind of
funny-- Atheists turning the tables on the Mormons and giving them a taste of their own medicine! LOL.
it was kinda funny
but only moderately so. As I was watching it, I almost smiled inside my mind a few times.
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Advice: This comment
might necessitate the use of the FPer edit function before too many people see it. :)
I don't think 'Spice Girls' and 'cool song' has been used in the same sentence before.
I am guessing you were not one
of the cool youngsters back then :)
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Probably not
and not much has changed. You learn to ignore the snickers of students when you have your back turned to the white-board.
though I can't say
I was necessarily one of em either :)
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Thanks for the link
I enjoyed checking out your site.
__________________________Come, my friends. 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world -- Tennyson
OK, I'll bite on this one too.
I am a 45 year old computer scientist, with a B.S. in Computer Science from The Ohio State University and an M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford. My brackground is fundamentally science and engineering oriented.
I am a male who is on his second marriage, with a 15 year old son from my first marriage. My first wife is also remarried and we remain good friends since the dissolution was amicable. Both families are on good terms and will occasionally engage in some sort of a joint activity. I was solidly pro-choice before my son was born but have since become (mostly) pro-life as a result. When I argue for a pro-life stance I do so because I believe that innocent lives are being abused, and not because of any religious beliefs in this respect. It is difficult to get this point through to those on the left where the typical bias is to assume that they are arguing against religious dogma.
I was raised with generic Judeo-Christian values but we were not regular church goers. I can probably be best described as an agnostic. I don't necesarily believe in a Supreme Being but I am not against the idea either. I don't go to church and I don't spend time talking to God (i.e. praying), but I try to respect everyone's right to hold whatever religious beliefs that they want, as long as those beliefs allow others to do likewise.
My father owned his own business while I was growing up. We were probably upper middle class but by no means rich, so I wasn't exactly born with a silver spoon in my mouth or anything like that. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister, and I am the youngest of the lot.
I am a gun owner which is what originally got me into politics. I strongly believe that the 2nd Ammendment describes an individual right, as opposed to a collective right, that guarantees each and everyone one of us the right to own and bear arms. If I have any issue that is most important to me, this is it.
This is something that my father and I shared when he was alive. He was a WWII veteran who fought in Germany. I tend to collect guns for the pleasure of owning them and for their historical significance. I do target shoot from time to time but I am not a hunter (although interestingly enough my wife is).
Most of my political leanings were formed during the 1980's and 1990's. During that time I was exposed to what I consider to be outright lies and deception on the part of the gun grabbers to try and pass their pet legislation. This experience has made an indelible impression on my mind regarding the ethics of the left when it comes to public discourse. As my view of politics widened I saw nothing from the left that would change that opinion, only reinforce it. That is not to say that there are no ethical liberals, I know that there are, I just disagree with the rhetoric that typically comes out of the Democratic party in general (at least as it applies to the issues that I care about).
While I vote Republican out of necessity, I would probably be better described as a Libertarian. I would be happiest with a small government focused on defense and public infrastructure and leave everything else to the free market. For example, I would legalize most drugs, tax them, and use those tax revenues to support rehabilitation for those who seek it. I would seek to keep the prices fixed and as low as possible to try and take the profit out of it in an attempt to reduce the criminal elements that currently thrive in that space. I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I don't use recreational drugs of any kind (well, except for caffeine). (Note: I provide this merely as an example of my Libertarian bona fides and not because this is a pet cause of mine.)
I, personally, would support a limited social safety net for those who truly need it ... and I favor a strict, as opposed to a liberal, definition of the term "need".
I have a tendency to defend Christianity in these blogs, not because I am Christian or that I believe in what they say, but because I see the same kinds of lying and mischaracterization techniques being used to demonize them as I saw being used to demonize gun owners. I see the science minded taking a distinctly moralistic (holier than thou?) position regarding the obvious superiority of their views relative to those super-natural ravings and beliefs of the Christians. I find it ironic in the expreme that the scientists of the world are claiming the "moral high ground"don't want to get tainted by something as intangible as "morals" based on an argument that they are all about facts and logic and .
Anyway, this covers the highlights of who I am and why I might be saying some of the things that I do.
__________________________Republican Maverick at Large
-4:Strongly Disagree; 0:Meh; +4:Strongly Agree
I didn't realize you were a tOSU grad
same here... nice to know there's a fellow Buckeye on the site!
Wow, this section is being used?!?!
The last one sat empty for a few months. Thanks Ender for laying it on the line.
My user name is Specter, which I chose for multiple reasons. Before I found blogging addicting, I thought I would swoop into an argument on a blog and disappear just as quick. Of course I would leave an indelible mark on people's memories, haunting them with my formidable debating skills. Of course, that has fallen apart (I mean the swooping in part :) ).
I also chose this handle as a hat tip to one of the guiding forces/people of my political philosophy, Jaques Derrida, and his book Specters of Marx
which gives a post-structural critique of Marxism, notably the ideas of 'progression', 'teleology', and 'the dialectic'. Most people can't fathom a leftist politics not dependent on Marxism as its backbone, but post-structuralism, most notably the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze 
and to a lesser extent Derrida 
and Foucault 
also, allows a new conception of liberalism that does not entail many of the 'idealistic' aspects of Marxism and instead focuses on a materialistic approach to politics without the messiness of meta-narratives. (I'll keep the rest of this discussion for the 'Philosophy Thread', since I'm kind of butchering it already in my attempt for simplicity.) Lastly, my handle is an anagram of the word 'Respect' which I attempt to convey in my discussions with those I disagree with.
Personal stuff:
I am 30 years old, married, with a one year old and another due in June. I have a Master of Arts degree in English (though you'd never guess by the way I write sometimes). My thesis is about Deleuze and Kafka. I currently teach English at a university in Colorado. I plan to return to school in a year or so to get my PhD.
Besides political blogs and following the news, I enjoy reading anything, but mostly philosophy and English and European literature. I also enjoy the recreation Colorado provides, including hiking, camping, and canoeing. My wife and I hiked over 300 miles on the Colorado trail in one stretch a few summers back and plan to finish it when the little ones can either carry their own stuff or stay with grandparents for a month.
I joined SC as a lurking groupie of Armando's but soon caught the bug after a few discussions with Ender early on. I read a spectrum of blogs but avoid commenting on the right blogs for obvious reasons and find the left blogs a bit too echo-chambery for my tastes (though I do respect the diarists).
My political history is a bit long and complicated. The 'Cliff's Notes' version would be that I followed my father's strange transformation from a liberal to a conservative and adopted his political standings until I had a few epiphanies along with a dash of an increased awareness of the world through my education to guide me to the liberal beliefs I currently hold. I traversed the opposite route of my father, and let's just say we avoid discussing politics to lessen the tension at holidays (though I try harder than him to avoid the topic). I vote democrat, but I wish the US had a larger spectrum of political parties and options from which to choose. I am probably to the left of most democrats regarding social issues, and oscillate between right and left on economic issues depending on my mood.
the open thread sections
on the previous version of SC sucked because there was no way of showing the comment count / new comments to have a clue whether anyone is writing. Which is why they died out. Here at least you can easily see if anyone is participating.
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Me, me, and more me
I'm 31, straight, male, mostly germanic in descent (actually a direct descendent of a high executioner- the guys who killed royalty- you have no idea how much that amuses me). My immediate family is a small nucleus of well educated people in a family tree of total white trash.
I grew up in Oregon after being born in California. Got my BS Physics at the University of Oregon and felt like I was done with school. Now I'm thinking about going back and getting a computer software degree of some type (programming).
Currently work for a semiconductor company. A big one. Been with the company almost seven years (get my first sabbatical next summer). Started off in the fabrication plant, now I work in the labs helping debug and develop processes. The work is pretty cool considering the lab has many millions of dollars of materials analysis equipment in it. The company itself isn't bad. Pretty socially progressive really. They still do some stupid stuff but nearly as bad as a couple other big companies I worked for briefly (one rhymes with "pony" and I'd never work for them again).
I'm on my second marriage. Trying to do better than the first one. Have two kids from the first time around. They're 6/8. My son is so much like me it is scary. Daughter is completely different than me or her mom. Very girly-girl whereas my ex used to drag race mustangs.
I have my personal spiritual (somewhat nebulous) beliefs but I despise religion. The difference as I see it is between the personal intimate journey and a mass marketed facsimile.
Politically in the short term I tend toward strong liberal views. I originally registered democrat and i don;t think I've ever bother ed to change it. I don't consider myself a democrat though. Honestly I don't see much difference between the parties, for all the acrimony both are plutocratic. They just suck different teats.
Alright I've indulged my ego enough for now :)
__________________________I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.
one comment:
No you haven't: that's why you're here. Just like the rest of us. :D
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
Apparently I told you more about me than I meant to :) -nt
I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.
If we could ever harnass
the power that type-A personalities expend on internet forums, we'd never have to seek alternative fuels. I could probably power my own neighborhood.
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
I'm actually very type B
although I admit that I am different online than in person. My best friend from High school is a total type A. I was always trying to get him to just chill out. "Chillax" even.
We're still close friends. He does forensics work for the state, which i have to admit is pretty cool. His lab doesn't have the big shiny boxes that mine does but he gets to poke and prod severed human hands, and I have to respect that.
__________________________I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.
Doh
I kind of forgot the longterm view. Starting in late high school I developed a personal view of anarchism founded upon moral relativism. Part of the reason I blog is because it helps me work out the idea and find faults that need to be addressed.
__________________________I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.
My turn;
26 year old PhD student from New Orleans, currently dissertating in lovely Michigan. At this rate, I'm likely to be working on my dissertation until I'm in my mid-60s.
My screenname comes from the medieval Italian philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, who tried to synthesize all of human thought into his messy but erudite "Oration on the Dignity of Man
." So far I've mastered his messiness, but I'm nowhere near his erudition.
Happily living in the depths of sin with my longterm partner, who hates the term "partner" because it smacks of a business deal. So you'll sometimes see me refer to him as my "better half", which is true.
Politically, I oscillate between Liberal and Cynical - conservativism isn't even an option. I'm willing to allow when the other side has made a convincing argument, but the ideology (especially social) is too far to the right to make any sense to me. Then again, I'm sure some people consider me too far to the left to be coherent, so it all balances out in the end.
__________________________Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited. - Ambrose Bierce
I'll start this one
Hey all, I am a 30 year old IT manager from New York. I am single with no children :)
I came to US in 1990 from Moscow, Russia. Became interested in politics at the age of 16-17, was briefly part of College Republicans, and have always been ideologically on the Right.
My nickname "Ender" comes from a wonderful book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. So yes, I enjoy reading, especiall Sci Fi. Aside from the above book, my favorites also include Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead.
I found SC before it even started when Armando talked about it on dailykos so I was here from the very beginning, and I started blogging sometime in late 2005, with Redstate and LGF being the first blogs I read.
I have one younger sister.
In the future I hope to start my own business and exploit the working class.
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
LOL
It's funny because it's true
__________________________I came. I saw. I posted.
Veni, Vidi, Bitchy.
hehe
well not really considering I am thinking of an internet business, so I just threw it in there for you guys :)
__________________________"To discuss evil in a manner implying neutrality, is to sanction it." AR
Aha!