shaiziel

VERY new. Again, I don't think shit's gonna hit the fan tomorrow, I'm just looking forward. I mean, with as much beauracracy we have, even reverse-progress takes forever. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I thought about this very thing a few weeks ago. And it took about 5 seconds before I remembered it would be a male-only feature. The age taboo is so dumb. I've got in trouble a few times for asking and I've never had a problem reminding them how I don't care about social taboos. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I have this perspective. To get to your side of the fence will require me to cross a gorge with no bridge Unless I grow wings, I'm taking the long way around. I don't doubt it's good and I can't ever shake the desire 100% (save for the 2-3 hours after getting my rocks off) but I'm definitely in no rush. Word on the street is that I have the right idea. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

My advantage is never having had it. They say it's better to have loved and lost then to never love at all. At this point... I take a contrary position. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Never said I was running. Felt like running, sure. But I honestly don't believe I will have the capability to. I'll put some time and effort in to this post. I don't think or hope that the standard of living will get so low that I would rather die than continue living. And I'm talking on a global scale, not just national. Nationally, I don't believe things will get so bad it hurts. I pay attention and can rationalize how they could, but I have it in my mind that perhaps, if it heads that direction fast enough, people will find themselves thinking "What the hell? This isn't right." and actively start "correcting te path." Things like that work in cycles and it would be the logical next step. And I hope it gets to that point. I am, admittedly, weak in the department of having the motivation to get things done. I've had lots of ideas (I'm sure many have) but my ability to execute is, for the most part, lacking. You'll note that this is all the difference between an intelligent bum, and Bill gates. You can call it lazy. That certainly is an element of it. But I also consider it to be a lack of passion. If I can find/develop a passion for something, it changes the game. Give me a reason that strikes me with that fire to go accomplish something, and I'm all for it. But I don't see that very often and I honestly can't recall the last time, if there has ever been one, where that happened. I lack drive. I don't know all the things that go into people who are driven and people who are not, but I can honestly say that if it's partially biological, or partially programmed through my experiences, I am pretty sure I don't have that driven attitude. If someone could show me and support me in getting that, I would be up for it. The caveat definitely is in the support. You can't expect someone to develop an attitude to be driven, if they aren't driven to develop it unless that person receives outside support in a way that supplements their lack of drive. So lets take my personality, and shoulder me with the responsibility to get out there, and spend my life going against all the resistance one could find in correcting this course we are on, and see what happens. If I find a group of like-minded (in this regard) people who can incite me with their support to get out their and accomplish something, excellent. Otherwise, I admit I foresee nothing but failure. I am not a leader. I do not have the leadership ability. I have the mind but not the heart, and my will is handicapped. I can follow and support well, but I can't lead the charge myself. No one can, but there are people that would. I'm not one of them. Not everyone is meant for that either. I'd rather be feeding the machine gun the ammo than mowing the enem down. I'm a support personality and I need leadership. I can only remember how many times in my days of video gaming this proved true. My shining moments weren't being the best, but being part of the best, and doing my best for them. But there is such a dissolution in our country. It feels like no one has a sense of progress. Or at least no one that feels like they have any power. I feel like we're treading water when we should be swimming up stream. But you have the people in charge spinning up webs of denial for the sole purpose of staying in power. We are being lied to and people are believing it. "Things are great." "Never better." "We're on the way up." And this bullshit is nothing but sliding down the slippery slope. People need a wake up and maybe even a shake up. Complacency is here and we need to get rid of it. What will it take? Are we going to have to experience something more than 9/11 style terrorism? I think as long as the lies are spun and the people buy them, the answer is yes. I don't want to be a casualty of someone else's ignorance. No one does. It happens, but I won't go willingly. That is why I occassionally think about what I would need to do to avoid that. Thus this thread. But here is the reality of things. I know what I'm good at and I know what I'm not good at. I don't know if I'm good at the things I've never tried. If I have a reason, and someone offers me a way, I will, after reasonable evaluation which results in approval, go for it. As a human, I can't honestly tell you "I wouldn't turn down a challenge I could die from." If you want to hear me say that, you'll be hearing nothing but illegitimate promises. I'm am one of the most honest guys you'll ever meet. I'm honest to the point of self-defeat sometimes. But I never feel good lieing. I'd rather blow my opportunity than do something against the part of me that feels that way. (It's amazing what getting your mouth washed out with soap a few times will do. Thanks mom. ) So I can't tell ya I wouldn't run away. I can tell ya I probably won't, but it wouldn't be 100% choice. Part of it would be circumstantial. This is my truth. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I'm definitely not saying things are bad right now. There are obviously ways things could be better, but that's a constant. I'm just looking towards the future. A lot can change in 4 years, but there are social/political forces at work with a lot of inertia heading towards a place that isn't looking good. And it will take (of course) just as much effort in the opposite direction to head it off. Looking at individual situations individually, I can rationalize how they aren't so bad. But when you take a look at how all those pieces fit together, and what they represent in the context of the status of our country, things just don't look so bright. And I mean things look very very dull for the future. It can be remedied, but I don't think it will be. I would say we are definitely on the path to a reduced status from what we once had in the global community. We just won't have the weight to throw around, and we haven't exactly been making many friends. I don't think I would find some secret garden in the world to live in where all my worries about these issues would be dispelled, but there are places that are in better shape for the long term. And in reality, all great countries have their time to shine. But it's never lasted forever. Cycles. It's all in cycles. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Our culture is not what it was then, in case you haven't noticed. Back in the days of the country's infancy, the people's motivations were different than what they are today. Times change and with that, so do attitudes. We are a very VERY different country from what we started out as. And some of those differences are reaping rotten fruit. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I don't understand how the original statement was unbelievable. I signed up. Went through all the standard bullshit. And at the end of it all, didn't even get a call back. Hell, I haven't even heard from a recruiter since then. Sounds like saying "No thanks" without saying it. And saying that you were wrong wasn't a statement of opinion. I don't tell people they are wrong for expressing a contrary opinion to mine. But this isn't my opinion. It is fact. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Gotta love evaluating how much pride it's worth to increase your skill in not breaking yourself. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Maybe if we'd get out of a perpetual state of war against an ideology; a war that will profit us nothing as it will never be won. That would be a good start on the way to reducing spending. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

You don't believe that I tried to join the Army and Air Force and neither of them let me in? That's fine. You're wrong, but I won't step in your gravy. Army recruiter never called me after my medical and consult. Air force recruiter called me 2 days after I brought in the filled out paper work letting me know I was permanently disqualified from military service. He didn't say why. My army recruiter never told me why when I asked later. Frankly, fuck em. Things worked out better than I imagined they would. They always seem to. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Sort of related but not directly relevant... the thing about tax breaks is that if you have a level of spending that exceeds your level of income, then you either have to raise your income or decrease your spending. The longer you try to outrun your deficit, the harder the fall back to parity. They want the tax cuts to be permanent but they won't reduce spending. Sure the tax cuts have been nice, but look what's been happening. We've been forced to borrow to make up the difference. And we're spending what we borrow on low or no return "investments". (See: Iraq) It's about like a man holding on to a golden anchor as he's drug to the bottom of the ocean. Does this make sense to anyone? Because it is the reality of things. Tax cuts now mean tax hikes later, historically at least. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Circumstantial. If I would have went to college right out of high school and got a strong education in a field that could be utilized globally... things would be different. At this point, I'm no more than steerage. If I was multi-lingual even I'd be in better shape. Things were either better looking when I was in high school, or I was just totally ignorant. It was probably a little of both but still... plans change. It doesn't change how I feel about leaving and it doesn't make me think things will be ok. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Not saying I'm not overreacting. But the point is this is how it's been for the past 4 years. Little things here and there that by themselves, appear to be no threat. But it's just like making a stone statue. Chip, chip, chipping away. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

This whole thing has just pissed me off. So now, if police have search warrants, they can just bust down your door with no warning. The caveat to all this was laid down long before this came about. Last time I checked, with Patriot Act provisions, law enforcement can bypass that whole "warrant" thing by saying you are doing something that warrants immediate attention or whatever. So in reality it is becoming that now, the police can bust down your door... because they think you are doing something wrong. Well if you're not doing anything criminal than you have nothing to hide, you say. But what happens when the liberties you have to speak out against certain policies of government become considered criminal? My friends, THAT is when you will realize "Wow. Maybe we shouldn't have let them have all that power." I'm not saying anyone is planning this shit. I'm saying it's classic that they are taking away our protection and we're letting them have it. What will we do about our liberties when they come for those? ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Honestly I think there will come a point when there are people leaving or trying to leave. At that point, though, there will also be a lot of internal strife and conflict. We are losing our status. But no one seems to pay attention to the elephant leaving the room. We're too wrapped up in making sure gays don't marry and stem cell therapy doesn't get any funding. These are the domestic affairs that REALLY matter since they represent the fabric of what makes us America. Nevermind those silly things like trade deficits and inflation. They are signs of a strong nation! ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Bah Steve! I'm not all about East/West coast glam! I probably never will leave. I'll just sit around in good ole' Oklahoma. My parents have some land. If shit ever got really bad, we'll just make our own way as we can. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I proposing a "radical" migration away from the direction this country is being run (see: into the ground). Did I say anything about that? I said everyone pays their fare. BTW if you believe that "people on welfare" have benefitted more than those who have built vast business empires, I believe you're mistaken. Being supplied with the relative minimums to survive in manner which isn't dehumanizing is a WEE bit shy of having a private jet. Just saying. Capitalism provides the opportunity to advance your position in life if you have the claws and teeth and wits about you to do it. But there is no guarantee that you will advance. Some people are happy with being handfed the minimums. But the reality is you can't expect people who won't help themselves to be capable of "giving what they take." This doesn't excuse their behavior, it merely explains it. But go ahead and believe I think all the the billionaires should subsidize every facet of the middle and lower class. I don't. But I do believe that the greater the disparity between the rich and the poor, the greater the economic tension. The difference between the rich and the poor at the point when it all buckles under pressure, is that rich can pack their bags and move to bermuda while the poor are left to rebuild after a period of wading around in relative shit. It's all cyclical and it's the nature of capitalism. NO. We want to eliminate "God's agenda" from the agenda of the affairs of state. We are no better than the Muslim nations you assclowns despise if we back up what we do in "God" currency. Neat fact. No one gives a flying fuck about each other's god. "My god can beat up your god!" Child's play on the adult playground. Seperation of church and state. While I love a good inquisition... I'll pass. Again. NO. We need to find compromise and rationally develop ways and means to coexist. Of course if you want to go shoot up some muzzies cause they hate America, go ahead. But I'm not coming in after you. If you believe they started the quarrel they have with us, you'd be wrong. We were the ones banging on the beehive. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

Yet you say "don't let the door hit you on the way out" when I talk about bailing as if you don't understand my motivations. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

And the Roman Empire, and all Empires before and since then show that sometimes... the sky does fall. Even on the really big empires. If you don't believe we are an empire, you are sadly mistaken. We didn't do it so much through diplomacy and nation building (though we have done that) as we've done it with economics. But we are no longer in the power position to do that. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

It's not just Bush or the Republican party's fault. It's the entire government for the past couple decades fault. It's human natures fault. It is the fault of success. It is the natural progression of an empire. History shows it to be true. This is the same story, different telling. (and more elaborate at that). ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

"With us or against us." I'm not against America. I'm against America becoming what asshats like those who take this sort of position would have it become. A seperatist nation that starves itself and it's people to "stay the course" which put them there. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I understand that tax breaks influence certain economic activities but all actions have equal and opposite reactions. If a country cuts it's income and increases it's debt, making no effort to pay it back, that is flat out, mathematically fucking stupid. You can't look at what we're doing from a single dimension. The effects of these "tax breaks" are multi-dimensional. Here's the shit on everything: We owe a lot of money to everyone. We, as a country, have almost no export/production value to the world compared to what got us here. We are a consumer driven economy. When we run out of money, and when our lenders stop giving us credit, we start the slide down the slippery slope. We don't need to be off liberating countries from evil dictators when we can't even take care of our own people. We are in no position to be doing the things we are doing internationally. We will collapse if nothing is done by the people who have power to do anything. If it's revolution you want, then fine, lets do it. But that won't fly with most people. It requires critical mass and I don't think we'll find it because our populous is too arrogant and self-absorbed to believe we can fail. That's why my feeble attempts to get anyone to realize that we are in DEEP shit will ultimately fail to stop the collapse. American's need it to be proved to them that we are not what we once were. The proof is coming. No one believes it. Bush and Co. keep telling everyone that things are getting better. People keep on buying it and don't feel like there is anything that needs to be done. Something needs to be done. But the support we need to get it done is mitigated by the fact that over half of the country is a bunch of evangelical neo-conservatives that either believe things are going great, or that things don't need to be done because Jesus is coming back to save them. It will require a war against a way of thinking and a belief system. If you'll note our striking success in the war on terror, you'll see that such wars do nothing but harm everyone. You can't fight an idea until enough people hate the idea. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I understand your position. It looks horrible to be this person that was raised in a country and given so much opportunity, to not stay back and raise all kinds of hell to get things done. But you can say that about anyone. You can find fault in everyone's actions, but all of us are just trying to make it through life, have a little fun doing it, and die feeling like we did well. I'm not here to rain on anyone's parade or claw my way to the top of the ladder of sccuess. I'm here to live my life. And if I find that finding a new place will help me do that in one way or the other, then I'm all for it. Call me a coward if you want, but you can't say I didn't step up. But I will pick and choose my battles. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!

I was really thinking about what it would be like to transplant to a new country. And I kept on evisioning the idea of being a foreigner. It was really cool to imagine what it would be like to have the cultural hurdles to overcome. You'll run into arrogant people anywhere, but it would probably be the coolest thing ever to be the "humble immigrant" and find a niche in a society not your own, where you could find a level of happiness. It would be humbling indeed. Overcoming language barriers specifically would definitely put a new perspective on the trouble I have communicating with people of foreign descent who don't speak strong english. I don't know where I'd move at this point but I have some ideas. ---------------------------------------- 6.8% - Almost there!