postjack

Amen! I think this thread has "run it's course" as the mods say. I also heartily agree with Dan that this site is about friends. Individual human relationships are always more important then issues. It's more important for us to love and take care of each other then to be right. Having said that, it was stimulating to have this discussion.

Since its come up again, i will restate that the current trend of anti-intellectualism in the conservative movement is a huge turn-off to me.

all this talk of taxes and socialism makes me think: what is the fair tax burden for each of us? Was it more fair under Clinton, or more fair under bush? Any flat tax proponents here? I don't claim to know these answers, I'm just asking.

Socialism and capitalism both look lovely on paper, but neither takes in the human element. Socialism leads to the inevitable slacking and people living on the dole, and for a market to really be 100% free, we would have to allow for things like child labor and monopolies. I don't buy the Obama is a socialist argument. If he does hold to merely returning to the tax system of the Clinton era (4-5% tax increase on those making $250K or more), that should be groovy. Its just a progressive tax, like we've had for some time in America. I believe Obama will rule in the center, and I will be disappointed if he chooses all Dems for his cabinet. I'm really hoping for a Lincoln-esque cabinet, but that could just be Doris Kearns Goodwin getting me all excited for the possiblity. All I'm saying is, by accepting your first statement above, if you were to live forever, you would be consigning yourself to an eternity of political apathy and cynicism, because, paraphrasing your own words, the pursuit of power corrupts absolutely without fail, and to you this is unacceptable, so no politician will ever live up to your expectations (unless somehow politics becomes once again more service-based, but inferring from your own words you believe any service-based political system will feed in on itself and be replaced with a power-structure requiring ambitious persons to pursue a place in it, which is done in an attempt to attract talented persons to office, but which I understand backfires on itself due to the unattractiveness of the process of achieving office, which is another reason I respect politicians). So why even participate in a thread like this where we debate politics? I think anime is stupid no matter what, so I don't waste my time in discussing anime with people.

its more an idea of accepting things for how they are in this moment, as opposed to constantly projecting into the future, or constantly reflecting on the past, rather then being OK with business-as-usual.

Yup. Basically I went through my "rip the system" phase, then I stopped listening to KMFDM. The political system as we have it now is reality, and I must accept reality for what it is. Once I accepted modern American politics, I was able to form opinions on politicians individually, as I encounter them, rather then sweep them all into the fucktard pile because they don't spend every waking minute in self-sacrifice attempting to tear down the exisiting Washington power structure. My respect and admiration for politicians doesn't come from a doe-eyed "gee, george bush just wants to keep us safe guys!!" place, but rather from post-cynicism. exactly.

I like Joe Biden, but I seem to like career politicians more then most folks. I also have a great respect for the pain and loss he has endured in his personal life. Pain is the great character growth mechanism, which is why old people kick so much ass, as they've simply had more time to have their hearts broken over and over. I get the feeling that I take the unpopular position of being the rare person in this discourse that actually respects politicians. I at one time ascribed to the idea that all politicians are dishonest assholes etc., but once I decided to accept the reality of politics I was then able to view politicians for what they are: people trying to do the best they can for the people they serve with the power they have. Sure, there are certainly politicians that really are dishonest sleazebags, but to sweep them all into the asshole category is lazy and apathetic, in my opinion. Yes, I'm that person who just loves politics. I borrow heavily from the Chris Matthews school in this.

great movie.

Well said! It was the Palin pick that energized me for Obama. That was when I gave money to the campaign.

X2. I have respected and admired McCain longer then any other politician, but as I've grown older I'm becoming much less of a classical liberal and more left of center and a proponent of at least some market regulation. That said, I do hover around the center and am open to either party. I am eager to see how republicans reinvent themselves. If they choose to go in the direction of people like Palin or GWB, meaning people who have no intellectual thirst, then I have no interest in them. Legislation of morality and shoddily fought neocon wars are a huge turn off to me. Now if republicans start acting like true conservatives again, then I'll listen to what they have to say. For the record, my republican family loves and respects the rights of all peoples, regardless of race or sexual orientation.

Thanks. Its just that living with friends and family who are overwhelmingly republican (I am the sole dem/ind in my entire family, except for two cousins I barely know in Washington state), I've come to a place where I'd rather not damage my relationships with family and friends by trying to convince them of something they will never be convinced of. Regardless, I am not ashamed to admit I take great joy in this day. I feel like I was born a political cynic, and this election I actually did put myself out there, in a position where I could be emotionally hurt again, like I was with John Kerry 4 years ago, and like I was with John McCain 8 years ago, by supporting Barack Obama. And last night he won. He won big. I'm so happy to have a man who can think and speak in the highest office of this land.

and I regretted writing this immediately. thanks tiny edit window

Fuck Yeah!

As long as we are living in a fantasy land with $1400 R10s, I'd take them over the OII at that price any day.

Denon DA-500

Not eating right now, but I had to share this muffuletta I had this weekend at Central Grocery in New Orleans, where the muffuletta was invented: With an ice cold Barqs in a glass bottle and a bag of Zapp's sour cream and onion. It was totally, totally awesome.

more snack impressions please.

By all means, send it on to the Lone Star state whenever you are done. I'm doing just fine with my current setup.

Anyone ever hear this? I was thinking it would be cool to have a budget audio solution in my kitchen to listen to when I'm cooking. Nothing fancy, just something to throw on top of the fridge or on the counter. A squeezebox + active speakers would do the trick, but the Boom's transportability is attractive.

The Cinemag is out on extended loan right now. Eventually I'd like to do some comparisons with an MM phono with loading at 100ohms + cinemag SUT vs. the Bugle, but thats probably a little ways down the road.

Cool.

Oh, did I miss satire?

pelikans are great, but you only really need an oblique nib if you hold your pen a funny way. If it's line variation you crave, ditch the oblique and get a stub. My current carry pens are a Lamy 2000 XF, Pelikan M205 demo F nib, and a $33 tac carry II M nib.

I haven't done any opamp rolling yet, been to busy to fiddle with gear. I have a few marc sent me I'm going to try.

Did Voodoo Fest in New Orleans yesterday. A great time was had by all. We left Mobile Saturday afternoon, so with the two hour drive we only caught the evening acts, but the whole trip was just to see Nine Inch Nails. First up was Thievery Corporation. I could go the rest of my life without having that dreadie dude or that latino chick yelling at me through a sea of their dub lounge bullshit. Summed up real nicely when my friend Meribeth stood up, pointed at the stage and said "I've had about enough of that shit". Next up was Mars Volta. I'm not a Mars Volta fan, but I haven't written them off either. The only album I've heard of their's is Frances the Mute, which I found immediately appealling and almost as quickly wearisome: the songs lack substance and direction. Come to find out I had a similar reaction to the live show. The first song was like a delicious piece of progressive chocolate cake being crammed down my mouth, then the second song was the same, then the third song more sweet chocolate icing, and on and on, and in the words of my girlfriend "all I want is a glass of milk, not more chocolate cake." So I was happy when they left the stage. The next was a band called Ghostland Observatory. We were actually setup at the NIN stage at this point, so I wasn't close enough to hear them extremely well (at voodoo each stage is actually two stages facing each other at a distance of maybe a couple hundred yards, so the music never stops and the crowd just moves between stages), but when I went to the bathroom it sounded pretty cool. I might check them out later. Then was Nine Inch Nails! This was the true reason for the 45 minute walk from our parking space to the entrance of the festival grounds. Trent was home in New Orleans and put on an amazing show. I'd heard about the light show but really had to see it to believe it. Absolutely unreal, easily the best light show I've ever seen at a rock concert, period. I kept a set list but its kind of a mess because I don't know all the titles to the songs, but here is an incomplete list anyway: Discipline, March of the Pigs, Closer, Gave Up, Great Destroyer, Piggy, Pinion > Wish, Terrible Lie, Survivalism, The Hand That Feeds, Head Like a Hole, Hurt. Highlights include March of the Pigs which came early in the show and was way intense. Great Destroyer was off the industro-glitch chains; I think it is as good as any song Trent has written. Some of you may have seen a picture floating around the internet of a nails show with a blue screen of death behind him. This happened during Great Destroyer, literally only for a second as the screens flashed through a hundred different images. I thought it was cool since we know Trent is an Apple man. Closer was awesome, but its only one of the greatest rock singles ever written so. Pinion > Wish was one of those "oh my god this is so badass the world is about to asplode" moments. Head Like A Hole closed the set before a multiple song encore, and right when the song ends a huge red NIN is up on the screen, it was a moment of pure band worship for me. Trent did a lot of the Ghosts stuff inbetween the regular songs, and it added so much to the show, what with all the beautiful and haunting imagery he had up on the screens during the slower bits. He made his political statement during "The Hand That Feeds", when he put a huge face shot of GWB up on the screen, which ever so subtly morphed into McCain by the songs end. Trent gave a great speech before the last few songs about how good it was to be home, and about how much he loves the city and how happy he is to see New Orleans coming back. I've considered New Orleans to be the greatest city on the planet since I was a kid so I shared his sentiments. For me I'm happy that Trent has his shit together and didn't become just another lame rock casualty. His live show has proven to me he is an artist of the highest order.