StrangeSox

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 23, 2011 -> 11:43 PM) Yeah, voter intent! If intent matters with a damn dimple in a chad, I guess it matters here. LOL Which mark they punched is a but different from deciding if they would change their vote based on new information.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 24, 2011 -> 10:55 AM) Yes...all poor people are alcoholics on welfare. Haha ha jesus christ. Alpha, just google. I know I've posted stories somewhat recently of increased voting id laws being passed in conjunction with shutting down id-issuing facilities in poor communities. Hell, some politicians have been open about their desire to restrict voting access because poor and/or young people don't vote correctly.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 23, 2011 -> 03:37 PM) Does anyone know how good of a job a Nook does at reading pdf files? (for example, if one loaded a scientific paper with images in color, would it be able to display the paper and interpret the images into grayscale if you didn't have the color version?) I can give it a try if you would like. I haven't tried with color pdfs, but it works fine with internet sites.

The new mercury regs are even better than you thought:

I'm a good bit in to 1493, and I have to say, it's not nearly as engaging as 1491.

There's even an off-color pixel where it looks like Champaign would be. Weird.

I'm still caught off-guard when you manage to out-flank me on the cynicism front.

I don't have much to add, I just thought it was a really interesting graph and didn't know of a good place to dump it.

Countrywide's Racist Lending Practices Were Fueled by Greed

Better pollution controls, so that those in poorer neighborhoods typically located near the largest polluters don't suffer serious life-long health and developmental consequences.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Dec 23, 2011 -> 08:44 AM) The problem isn't in that we don't see it, and it isn't in that we don't get the message. Many people refuse to acknowledge that it actually is a problem. Media sources like the WSJ and Fox are filled with attempted justifications or explanations for why inequality doesn't exist and why it isn't such a bad thing anyway. See: "job creators", "welfare queens", "poverty is the result of moral failing, wealth is a result of moral goodness," "the 'poor' aren't poor because they have microwaves" etc. rhetoric. Smash kkkapital, eat the rich. But more seriously there are fixes in practice in other countries that have significantly lower inequalities and significantly higher social/economic mobility: Stronger social safety nets paid for with higher taxes. edit: I will agree with you that the message in the link itself is not something new. I thought that the series of graphs, packaged together like that, illustrated the point clearly and strongly, however. And considering that the source is a former Wall Street financier, I thought it was worthwhile to post.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 22, 2011 -> 08:14 PM) Huntsman has claimed (somewhat correctly) that regulations (using multiple examples) which cause the need for this type of investment on older plants will result in some plants closing, which may result in more blackouts when demand gets too high. And he's right. Where I diverge from him though, is that, I think that doesn't give enough reason not to do it. huntsman claimed it would result in blackouts. That is incorrect. My swype also gave me chinaman instead of huntsman, I thought that was kinda funny.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 22, 2011 -> 06:25 PM) So if this were a right wing organization trying to conduct foreign policy on behalf of the government, you'd be OK with that too? The idea that seemingly anyone who wants to can represent the US is kind of scary. I also feel that it if it is on behalf of Obama, we should know that There's no indication that it was on behalf of Obama and they've been less-than-happy when he's gone there before.

Here's a pretty awesome series of slides explaining exactly how messed up income and wealthy inequality and economic mobility are in this country. http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-s...-about-2011-10# There's been a class war going on for decades, and the 1% have won handily.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 22, 2011 -> 04:53 PM) But with NK, he's one of the few they've seen/heard from. And he's been a diplomat before. Recently even. Not in any official position, and it was actually frowned upon by the White House. He's called for a change in foreign policy with respect to NK and was rebuked by the White House. http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/20..._to_north_korea

Lower classes quicker to show compassion in the face of suffering

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 22, 2011 -> 04:29 PM) Considering he's one of the few US citizens on speaking terms with NK diplomats, he basically is. Carter's been doing his own leftist thing for quite a while now, and he's pissed off the US government more than once. It's a bit of a stretch to assume that he speaks for the US government.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 22, 2011 -> 03:39 PM) And i'm sure forgetting to express our condolences would have jump started world war 3. Jimmy Carter /= US government

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 22, 2011 -> 03:09 PM) What does that even mean? Carter is doing it as a favor to Obama even though he didn't want him to, or because he wanted him to? I very strongly doubt that Carter agrees with Obama on a good majority of his foreign policy.

Huntsman has (incorrectly) claimed that this will lead to blackouts this summer. also "an historic"

Lie by Lie: A Timeline of How We Got Into Iraq It was frustrating when it was happening, it's nauseating looking back. What a waste.

House Republicans reject 2-month payroll tax cut

Hasn't Volcker disowned whatever bastardized version of his rule was included in Dodd-Frank?

The stated purpose of patents is "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts [...]." Yes, there should be protections for ideas that really are innovative and novel. I do not think that there should be protections for broad software concepts.