Our Collapsing Civilization

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Disposable Ninja
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Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Disposable Ninja » Fri Feb 07, 2014 3:22 pm

The thread for news that just makes you lose faith in humanity. To wit: George Zimmerman has signed up to fight in a Pay-Per-View Celebrity Boxing event.

His opponent appears to be DMX.
For the White Witch!

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Mongrel
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mongrel » Fri Feb 07, 2014 3:50 pm

Disposable Ninja wrote:The thread for news that just makes you lose faith in humanity.


So this is our new catchall news thread? :whoops:
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Caithness
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Caithness » Fri Feb 07, 2014 4:10 pm

That sounds like it has a very high potential for schadenfreude, actually.

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Mongrel
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mongrel » Fri Feb 07, 2014 4:23 pm

Well, in regards to the DMX/Zimmerman fight, the best comment I heard was "Unless DMX punches out Zimmerman in like the first ten seconds, this is gonna be a win for Zimmerman."

:/
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Classic
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Classic » Fri Feb 07, 2014 5:55 pm

Isn't it already a win for that asshole in that he's still in the news?

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Büge
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Büge » Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:06 pm

The idea that Zimmerman is in any way a "celebrity" is offensive on many levels.
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby IGNORE ME » Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:09 pm

Well, why the hell not. We already know he'd lose a wrestling match.

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Mongrel
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mongrel » Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:53 pm

You guys have noted, I'm sure, that there is basically no real limit on election spending anymore in the US.

Of course, this was smashed earlier, but the most recent ruling basically destroys any future hope of campaign finance reform, so Jesus fuck, no clue what you guys are gonna do now.
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TedBelmont
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby TedBelmont » Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:10 pm

Don't worry, I'm sure Congress is working on a solu-pfffthahahahahahahahaha

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Classic
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Classic » Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:05 am

The DCCC basically spams me for donations 2-3 times a day near their fundraising review times.

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Mothra
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mothra » Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:55 am

I love how they couldn't even have been bothered to come up with a rationale for why they had to drastically raise the election spending limit. "It was limiting free speech! Everyone's voice should be heard!"

“We conclude,” Roberts declared, “that the aggregate limits do little, if anything, to address [corruption] while seriously restricting participation in the democratic process.”

what

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Mongrel
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mongrel » Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:21 pm

Environmentalism as the the new Abolitionist movement

The comparisons it's making are purely economic, and the author comes right out and says as much, but it's still a fascinating take on the issue. I'm actually amazed I haven't seen the same comparison made previously.
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Mongrel
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mongrel » Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:19 pm

Back to the subject of buying votes: Princeton study comprehensively demonstrates that the greatest Senators responsiveness to constituent (in terms of real voting behaviour) is the wealth of that constituent

it's a bit older (2005), but it's great ammunition should you need a reference point for dumb internet arguments that you won't win anyway because we all live in the land of HURR and DURR now.

There are some amazing things in there. One of the most "Well, duh!" is that the effect measured by the study was twice as pronounced for Republican senators as it was for Democrat senators, but that the effect was seen for all senators.

There are ancillary points too, like the small study they did to establish baseline political leanings for regions that showed every state they looked at was conservative, with a very slight leaning for states like Massachusetts and a massive bent for states like Arkansas (which would surprise no one, but is still neat to see quantified like that).
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Mongrel
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mongrel » Mon May 12, 2014 8:33 pm

Soooo, climate change! (Mods feel free to threadsplit).

The collapse of the west Antarctic ice sheet has begun.

Uh. It's here guys. This is it.
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Healy
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Healy » Mon May 12, 2014 10:35 pm

Oh fuck :(
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Classic
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Classic » Tue May 13, 2014 4:09 am

Not but a week ago an acquaintance claimed to me that global warming was a myth made by Al Gore to raise his taxes.

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zaratustra
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby zaratustra » Tue May 13, 2014 4:36 am

Apparently this one is fairly non-immediate, in that the sea will rise a few millimeters for the next 200 years, then rapidly rise a few meters.

I mean, I would still invest in non-seafront property, but it's not the call to immediate action everyone is hoping for.


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François
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby François » Tue May 13, 2014 12:52 pm

It is only if continuing emissions are going to lead to something more, something else possibly worse, happening that there’s any economic case at all for limiting them. As it happens I think that there are worse things that might happen and that there is a very good case indeed for limiting future emissions. But this finding, that West Antarctica is going to melt no matter what just isn’t a valid reason to limit future emissions. The damage is already done, see?


"As it happens I think it can get worse and that we should do something about it. But this is already as bad as it's gonna get and we shouldn't do anything about it."

At this point, saying that not preventing climate change is a good idea from an economic point of view is about the equivalent of saying that not preventing the Holocaust is a good idea from a racial purity point of view.

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Mothra
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Re: Our Collapsing Civilization

Postby Mothra » Tue May 13, 2014 1:55 pm

What a ridiculous idiot

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