Every day, I see something that fucking breaks my heart. People are always suffering somewhere, whether it's people in Missouri who got flooded out, villagers starving to death in the latest African famine in a country so dysfunctional that food can't get in, or some young kid who just died in a stupid accident.
I just want things to get better for them. I don't know how things will get better for them. The few things that I know I can do to try to help seem so feeble and pointless.
Mostly, I just want other people to stop suffering so that I can stop feeling bad about them suffering. Maybe that's human nature, maybe I'm especially petty, but whichever, that fucking breaks my heart too.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Getting what you deserve
IBM is laying off people. I don't know how much the people on top get paid, but it's probably a lot, and I could probably find out, but I don't feel like it, because it's not relevant. It sucks for the people being laid off. It sucks that IBM has lost business. To paraphrase Dale Dauten, it sucks that the people in charge aren't clever or creative enough to find ways to keep people productive and make money. It reflects very poorly on them.
So, what are we to do? If you're outraged over the executive's behavior, boycott IBM. Dump their stock, refuse to buy mutual funds that own IBM, and raise a stink. OR, conversely, buy a shit-ton of stock, get other like minded people to do the same, and take over the shareholder's meetings. That's the point of a publicly held business.
What's not productive? Whining like a little bitch that the executives don't deserve/didn't earn the extension of the previous tax cuts. There's a lot of uninformed gabbling about taxes and rich people, so let me state my position, which I believe, is based on tax law, the constitution, and the 16th amendment.
What is the purpose of taxation? It is not to create fairness. It is not to punish the rich, punish the poor, reward the rich, or spread the wealth around. The purpose of taxes is to, get ready, I think I'm saying this well, so pay attention:
---Get the government the money it needs to do the things it needs to do.---
Get that? There is no legal, moral, or constitutional justification for taxation as part of a social agenda. If somebody earns their money illegally, arrest them, but taxing extra because you don't like how much money they made, or how they made it is just about the same as what you're accusing them of.
In a honest tax system, the more money you have, the more taxes you pay. Nobody earns or deserves a tax break or a tax hike. Tax policy should be set by the needs of the budget and the economy (and that's enough of a minefield there). Anyone who justifies tax policy by what's "fair" or by what people "deserve" needs to read the constitution, or maybe they need to have it read to them.
I said it before, I said it again, read about Bills of Attainder.
So, what are we to do? If you're outraged over the executive's behavior, boycott IBM. Dump their stock, refuse to buy mutual funds that own IBM, and raise a stink. OR, conversely, buy a shit-ton of stock, get other like minded people to do the same, and take over the shareholder's meetings. That's the point of a publicly held business.
What's not productive? Whining like a little bitch that the executives don't deserve/didn't earn the extension of the previous tax cuts. There's a lot of uninformed gabbling about taxes and rich people, so let me state my position, which I believe, is based on tax law, the constitution, and the 16th amendment.
What is the purpose of taxation? It is not to create fairness. It is not to punish the rich, punish the poor, reward the rich, or spread the wealth around. The purpose of taxes is to, get ready, I think I'm saying this well, so pay attention:
---Get the government the money it needs to do the things it needs to do.---
Get that? There is no legal, moral, or constitutional justification for taxation as part of a social agenda. If somebody earns their money illegally, arrest them, but taxing extra because you don't like how much money they made, or how they made it is just about the same as what you're accusing them of.
In a honest tax system, the more money you have, the more taxes you pay. Nobody earns or deserves a tax break or a tax hike. Tax policy should be set by the needs of the budget and the economy (and that's enough of a minefield there). Anyone who justifies tax policy by what's "fair" or by what people "deserve" needs to read the constitution, or maybe they need to have it read to them.
I said it before, I said it again, read about Bills of Attainder.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
MLKJ Day Snow Day
Lucky me (and you), this is the start of an annual tradition - The Annual Freakout Over a Perceived Slight to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
As you may recall, last year's broughaha was over the lunch menu that a school had for the day (MLK Jr. lunch menu). This year, it's about using the day as a snow makeup day, the first example I can give is for Charlotte (Charlotte/Mecklinburg MLKJ Day makeup day controversy).
As you may know, for the school year to count as having educated children, a minimum number of days are required. Hence the need for snow makeup days. They don't have to be full days, the kids don't have to learn anything, they just have to be in school. Southern areas have already been hit pretty hard with snow days, and are going to be scrambling to fit in the makeup days they need, MLKJ day is unfortunately positioned to be easily used.
Now, is going to school on a day intended to honor the man an insult to him? We can ask him, he's dead. If he weren't dead, we could ask him, but there probably wouldn't be a day for him, so it wouldn't matter. Anyway, let's look at the man's life, causes, and words to see if we can get a hint.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity.”
"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."
"We must use time creatively."
So, I think I'm safe in saying that this man, who earned a Ph.D., believed in educating everyone to produce sensible people who can behave intelligently. What would be the most offensive way to honor his memory? Going to school and learning something, or spending the day in idleness?
As you may recall, last year's broughaha was over the lunch menu that a school had for the day (MLK Jr. lunch menu). This year, it's about using the day as a snow makeup day, the first example I can give is for Charlotte (Charlotte/Mecklinburg MLKJ Day makeup day controversy).
As you may know, for the school year to count as having educated children, a minimum number of days are required. Hence the need for snow makeup days. They don't have to be full days, the kids don't have to learn anything, they just have to be in school. Southern areas have already been hit pretty hard with snow days, and are going to be scrambling to fit in the makeup days they need, MLKJ day is unfortunately positioned to be easily used.
Now, is going to school on a day intended to honor the man an insult to him? We can ask him, he's dead. If he weren't dead, we could ask him, but there probably wouldn't be a day for him, so it wouldn't matter. Anyway, let's look at the man's life, causes, and words to see if we can get a hint.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity.”
"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."
"We must use time creatively."
So, I think I'm safe in saying that this man, who earned a Ph.D., believed in educating everyone to produce sensible people who can behave intelligently. What would be the most offensive way to honor his memory? Going to school and learning something, or spending the day in idleness?
Monday, January 10, 2011
A Trend
I've let big gaps go between posts, and today the floodgates open. And I see there's a common theme. Apparently I'm obsessing on jerks today. Don't know whether they're out more than usual, or I'm just more irritable than usual.
Still a jerk
Ever been to www.abevigoda.com? It tells you whether Abe Vigoda is still alive. There should be something similar for Fred Phelps, just a simple page that tells you whether he's still a jerk. No point in listening to what he says, just know whether he's still a jerk.
Conversation as a combat sport
Ever known anyone who asks a question looking for a counter-example, not because they want an answer, but because they either want to crow that nobody has an answer, or to use the answer as a means of attacking someone or something?
On any subject...
No matter the subject, you can find an online discussion group where somebody says something that you perceive as truly stupid. I'm not the idiot, you are.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)