Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats

You want me to start posting articles PROVING climate change? I'll bet my list would be longer than your one site.
If you post something you find that countermands the arguments above (or just the issue in general), then yes I'll read it as long as it's not of unreasonable length. And then I'll point out what I think is wrong with it, and/or has questionable data in it. I'll actually engage with you Dave, and I won't call you names in the process, or use labels to try and discredit you, or those who believe what they're writing. But I'm also not going to attempt to discredit a wall of links either.


And it's not about what's longer. How many articles for how many decades "proved" that stress caused Ulcers? Until the 1 study that proved that they didn't. That you think Science is about a listing of who has more allies is part of the problem with this (and many other scientific) issues. Do you want to get into that argument too?


I linked the first article to start a discussion about government control in people's (and their children's) lives. You started name-calling and labeling entire groups (not to mention Ad-hominem on the author). Where do you intend this to go Dave?
 
I was only slightly tempted to adopt a party affiliation to vote in the primaries this last election, but I stand by remaining independent on principle. No party gets my default loyalty. I can be convinced by any party that they are the right choice in a given election, because I think Republicans have some good ideas as do Democrats as do Libertarians, etc. If those parties do not want to hear what I have to say in their primaries, they are shooting themselves in the foot if I disagree with the outcome. The parties need to value my voice, not dismiss it. Additionally, I don't care for the football mentality of politics. Parties enforce the tribalism of politics. Let there be parties but make them fight for my vote, not just trumpet their brand.
 
I don't get why you wouldn't want to register with a party. It just seems like you give up your opportunity to vote in the primaries. Nothing stops you from voting for someone else on Election Day.
Here in California not having a party affiliation means you get to vote in ALL of the primaries.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
That is the way it should be for everyone. I should have just as much say as to who could represent me from either party.
IMO, if we really want it done correctly, we should do away with the primary process altogether and switch to ranked preference/instant runoff.

But I've said that about 900 times in this thread alone, I'm pretty sure.
 
Some primaries allow unaffiliated voters to participate. It seems to be up to the individual parties in each state.
I didn't read your article, but to possibly add to it, Texas doesn't require party registration. You can vote in 1 party's primary each time, but cannot vote in a different party run-off election for the primaries. For example, vote DEM in the primary, REP primary ends up having a run-off to determine the candidate for them, you cannot got and vote in the REP run-off election. Over the past 12 years I've voted in both major party's primaries, and didn't necessarily vote for that candidate or party in the general election.
 
But, but...her emails....WILL BE ACCESSED FASTER WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO COMCAST'S NEW AMAZING PLAN EMAILS 3000. NOW GMAIL, YAHOO AND HOTMAIL CAN ALL BE ACCESSED AT FULL SPEED FOR A MERE 29.99 A MONTH!
 
Well I'm learning all sorts of stuff about how other states handle their political parties. Here you can't vote in a primary you aren't a member of.
 
FTA
“You know, the left says they really respect women and then when given an opportunity to respect a woman like that, they boo and hiss,” he said.
That's not what respecting women means! It means treating them as equals - to not prevent them from rising to positions of power. Positions where we will boo and hiss at them.

And it seems to me this guy's just use Feminism as a weapon to attack Feminists. So fuck him.
 
FTA

That's not what respecting women means! It means treating them as equals - to not prevent them from rising to positions of power. Positions where we will boo and hiss at them.

And it seems to me this guy's just use Feminism as a weapon to attack Feminists. So fuck him.
Really, the best part about that was talking about the left not ACTUALLY respecting women, then alluding to blowjobs.
 
Not because of that post, but there is starting to nag at me...

Every time someone somewhere starts going off about the "big bad gub'mint," um, YOU VOTED FOR THEM, ASSHOLE. Doesn't matter if it's some bureaucrat nine circles of Hell down the chain, there had to have been legislation to create whatever department you're bitching about *this* time, and an ELECTED official had to make a hire that trickled on down to whomever hired 9th Circle bureaucrat.

Quit fapping to yourself over whatever violence you say you're gonna do if some bespectacled clerk armed with nothing but a clipboard shows up at your door. Do something about that guy in the limo over there who just bullied his way into a cozy $60 million tax break for himself while he ships your job to China but tells you it's because of that brown person who is sneaking over the border every day to pick your wife's strawberries for pennies on the dollar.

(Again this isn't directed at anyone here, I've just got a full load of Daffy Duck ranting that needs venting...)
 
Do something about that guy in the limo over there who just bullied his way into a cozy $60 million tax break for himself while he ships your job to China but tells you it's because of that brown person who is sneaking over the border every day to pick your wife's strawberries for pennies on the dollar.
And the job isn't even going to China! It's going to like... Atlanta, Georgia or Wyoming, where they can build factories with their supply chains in mind AND be within spitting distance of a decent size city. Yes, SOME of this stuff goes to China... but more and more of it is staying in the US because of rising fuel costs.

You guys want to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US? Fucking drive the price of oil through the roof. Nothing does it faster. But get used to paying more for EVERYTHING then.
 
And the job isn't even going to China! It's going to like... Atlanta, Georgia or Wyoming, where they can build factories with their supply chains in mind AND be within spitting distance of a decent size city. Yes, SOME of this stuff goes to China... but more and more of it is staying in the US because of rising fuel costs.

You guys want to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US? Fucking drive the price of oil through the roof. Nothing does it faster. But get used to paying more for EVERYTHING then.
It'd be a treat to see the shitstorm if someone like Murray or Blankenship DID try to dig up Atlanta neighborhoods for coal. :troll:

But Wyoming? That's where they're going even as Bob Murray's latest "WAR ON COAL!" rant in the WV statehouse is still echoing through the gallery.
 
Electrical Engineer writes letter criticizing red light cameras, gets fined $500, and is spuriously accused of not being an engineer.

This is government boiled down to its very essence.
Commenting as someone who is a Professional Engineer (and yes I'm licensed), and knowing how the statues work in my province, this guy DESERVES the fine if he'd pulled this where I live. I'd fully support it here, and it seems appropriate there. He sent a freaking letter to the GOVERNING BOARD for Engineering in the state, isn't licensed ANYWHERE in the USA, and doesn't expect to get called on it when he prefaces his letter with "I am an engineer". (there's lots of other links on this one) C'mon, it's the same thing as calling yourself a Doctor when you have the degree, but are not licensed, and sending a letter to the state medical board saying "I am a doctor."

If he wants to participate in public conversations on such things, go for broke, and even publish what your degrees are, but being a PRACTICING Engineer is no different than a practicing Lawyer, Doctor, or anything else considered a Profession that's regulated. Using the NAME ITSELF is abusive to that process if you're not licensed for such, even if you have a degree from however long ago.

There's a reason I do NOT use my title when debating things that are outside of my expertise. I could get fined for saying I'm an Engineer if commenting on topics outside of my realm of professional practice (anything Civil or Mechanical Engineering related for example), so I'm EXTRA-careful with this.

Use the math to prove you're right, but don't use the TITLE itself to lend credence to your argument, and definitely don't poke the bear with a stick by sending the state board a letter claiming to be what you're not.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Commenting as someone who is a Professional Engineer (and yes I'm licensed), and knowing how the statues work in my province, this guy DESERVES the fine if he'd pulled this where I live. I'd fully support it here, and it seems appropriate there. He sent a freaking letter to the GOVERNING BOARD for Engineering in the state, isn't licensed ANYWHERE in the USA, and doesn't expect to get called on it when he prefaces his letter with "I am an engineer". (there's lots of other links on this one) C'mon, it's the same thing as calling yourself a Doctor when you have the degree, but are not licensed, and sending a letter to the state medical board saying "I am a doctor."

If he wants to participate in public conversations on such things, go for broke, and even publish what your degrees are, but being a PRACTICING Engineer is no different than a practicing Lawyer, Doctor, or anything else considered a Profession that's regulated. Using the NAME ITSELF is abusive to that process if you're not licensed for such, even if you have a degree from however long ago.

There's a reason I do NOT use my title when debating things that are outside of my expertise. I could get fined for saying I'm an Engineer if commenting on topics outside of my realm of professional practice (anything Civil or Mechanical Engineering related for example), so I'm EXTRA-careful with this.

Use the math to prove you're right, but don't use the TITLE itself to lend credence to your argument, and definitely don't poke the bear with a stick by sending the state board a letter claiming to be what you're not.
That's interesting. I'm not sure I agree with your position, but at least it shows that the actions taken against him weren't completely bonkers/venomous.
 
That's interesting. I'm not sure I agree with your position, but at least it shows that the actions taken against him weren't completely bonkers/venomous.
Exactly. It gets into a more nuanced discussion around "Professional Designations" and whom is allowed to call themselves what, and what things they're allowed to do exclusively (it's the exclusivity which is important most of the time), which is a DEEP discussion covering a number of professions.

But on the specific case, what he did was clearly against the law via sending the letter to the professional organization themselves. As I said, he was poking the bear with a stick.
 
Hypothetical before I go off on someone else somewhere else...

Say you're a customer of a certain hotel. The housekeeping staff are wonderful people, but all of a sudden the maintenance guys start goose-stepping and sieg heiling all over the place. And management has signed off on that in a "yeah, whatever" mood. And now, the sales department wants the banquet staff to wear swastika armbands to promote this upcoming event. Again, management goes "yeah, whatever."

Does it still matter that housekeeping and front desk are "wonderful people"?
 
What the fuck is wrong with your hotel?
It's not a hotel, but the way I see the Marvel situation, and my reaction to the "don't boycott! You'll hurt these 'wonderful books' over here!" lectures I keep seeing. A little too political for the comic thread, and I didn't want to go and shit all over Zero's other thread.
 
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