The Craft.

[Srgnoodles 1,030]

Yeah, he took mushrooms at a party where he didn't know anyone else.

Doing hallucinogenics in a place where you feel even a little uncomfortable is a bad bad move

aaahhhh yeah, thats a bad way to make a first impression opn people

[Scooterdanny 285]

Yeah, he took mushrooms at a party where he didn't know anyone else.

Doing hallucinogenics in a place where you feel even a little uncomfortable is a bad bad move

[Jed1314 420]

-snip-

Enough of your sarcasm

It is good advice for anyone stupid enough not to know that in the first place :L

[kotoroshinoto 97]

we made a ya dont say out of my ISP's web page that tells you your internet connection is currently working ''

[Rgamer 44]

You're completely right, taking the 'do not shove up nose' labels off of my expensive electronics will obviously void my entire bioscience degree and cause my simple democratic brain to revert to its 5 year old state.

There are intelligent people in both parties - the difference is that, while the stupid people in either party are essentially interchangeable, an intelligent democrat will put himself up on a cross and bleed their emotions and wallets all over people who get a bad rap or unfair judgements because nearly all of us have some sort of fucking messiah complex, whereas an intelligent republican just goes 'Lol fuck it' and keeps everything for themselves because they need a 3rd golden yacht to impress their friends.

And this is why I am libertarian.

[Srgnoodles 1,030]

And this is why I am libertarian.

this is why i try to avoid political parties and discussion on forums

[Azdoine 218]

The thing is, different political positions are 'right' for different people. Subjectively and sometimes objectively too.

Trying to convince people that your political party/position is the 'better' position is a bit like asking them to plug their ears and shout 'LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU'

[Rgamer 44]

But seriously, no political party has a monopoly on stupidity. Exhibit A would be Todd Akin and his magic uterus. Good news is even politicians can figure out when someone is too dumb for politics, and it took all of a couple hours for the GOP to drop him after he made his magic uterus comments.

[kotoroshinoto 97]

just dont make them official things, people can have their groups, but dont let them interfere with decision making, thats why you guys never get anything done in America, you're too busy arguing

and Jed, no i was talking to America in general

I agree with this, why should the parties even be allowed to make use of public money for their campaigns? Thats SO corrupt I dont even know where to begin. Donations are fine, but tax-subsidies?

I think they also use public voting machinery in the primaries....shouldnt be allowed either.

And the whole distrcting thing for the electoral college has to stop, it essentially deletes votes that dont have the majority in a district and that is disgusting. hell the electoral college ITSELF is disgusting.

[Rgamer 44]

I agree with this, why should the parties even be allowed to make use of public money for their campaigns? Thats SO corrupt I dont even know where to begin. Donations are fine, but tax-subsidies?

I think they also use public voting machinery in the primaries....shouldnt be allowed either.

And the whole distrcting thing for the electoral college has to stop, it essentially deletes votes that dont have the majority in a district and that is disgusting. hell the electoral college ITSELF is disgusting.

Alright, I gotta point out a couple inaccuracies here:

#1: You, that's right, you choose if your money goes to tax-subsidize political parties. Every year, when you fill out your tax return forms, you can check a little box that says to redirect $3 of your tax money to the political parties. The Treasury adds up the money so donated, divides by two, and sends half to the GOP and the other half to the DNC(Is that the acronym for the Democrats?).

#2: The electoral college is designed to (theoretically) insulate the president from the demands of the populace, so that he can better make hard decisions without worrying about if it will be unpopular. Also the reason behind six-year terms for senators, and the fact that they were originally elected by state legislatures, which I think we should go back to, if for no reason except it forces people to pay attention to who they vote into the State legislature. People don't realize how much power the states have, so they don't pay attention to state elections very much, which is obviously a bad thing.

#3: Honestly, the fact that public polling places are used for primaries is a red herring. Wanting the parties to pay for use of public voting systems is one thing, wanting to prevent their use is another. Public polling places are chosen because they are widely accessible, and the voting machines (Electronic, paper, or mechanical) are both expensive and low-utility to anyone except a government. None of this is an arguement against charging for their use, but I think it's silly to essentially want every polling location to have 3 sets of polling machines (Democrats, Republicans, and election).

[kotoroshinoto 97]

Alright, I gotta point out a couple inaccuracies here:

#1: You, that's right, you choose if your money goes to tax-subsidize political parties. Every year, when you fill out your tax return forms, you can check a little box that says to redirect $3 of your tax money to the political parties. The Treasury adds up the money so donated, divides by two, and sends half to the GOP and the other half to the DNC(Is that the acronym for the Democrats?).

#2: The electoral college is designed to (theoretically) insulate the president from the demands of the populace, so that he can better make hard decisions without worrying about if it will be unpopular. Also the reason behind six-year terms for senators, and the fact that they were originally elected by state legislatures, which I think we should go back to, if for no reason except it forces people to pay attention to who they vote into the State legislature. People don't realize how much power the states have, so they don't pay attention to state elections very much, which is obviously a bad thing.

#3: Honestly, the fact that public polling places are used for primaries is a red herring. Wanting the parties to pay for use of public voting systems is one thing, wanting to prevent their use is another. Public polling places are chosen because they are widely accessible, and the voting machines (Electronic, paper, or mechanical) are both expensive and low-utility to anyone except a government. None of this is an arguement against charging for their use, but I think it's silly to essentially want every polling location to have 3 sets of polling machines (Democrats, Republicans, and election).

Sorry for the innacuracies. I know theres a checkbox, but I dont trust them nearly as much as you do, especially once they have the money in the treasury. They earmark funds and shift them around all the time, I don't believe a word they say about where they think money went, not until they change the system anyway.

Insulating the president made sense when it was FIRST enacted, and hell even the way they did it actually made sense, but they've essentially neutered the system because it no longer works the way it was when they originally put it in place. In its current form, it does NOT achieve that end in a useful way and just waters out our votes. I forget which law/act/(and/or ammendment) they passed that changed this system, but I do recall that it happened. I would prefer if the system was set up so we actually had to vote on the people who would be representing us in choosing the president, as in, we select THEIR names on the ballot and have to listen to their speeches, and such.

On another note, If I understand correctly, the original concept of the house/senate was that the senate would be the house of ppl that wanted to get things done and were beholded strongly to the people's whims, and the senate would be the well educated ppl that would be more free to vote according to common sense and clear thinking. This has obviously been mostly circumvented by changes over the 3 or so centuries.

As for having them use public systems, as long as they dont make it prohibitively expensive or give the lesser known smaller parties the runaround and prevent access, making them pay for use is fine system. I just don't think it looks proper, basically looks like they're in control and the other parties are basically hangers-on. Gives average citizens that don't really think deeply about it the impression that the other parties aren't REAL. (clearly incorrect, but how often does someone in the middle of nowhere in the midwest small towns ever see a 3rd party candidate?)

[Rgamer 44]

As for having them use public systems, as long as they dont make it prohibitively expensive or give the lesser known smaller parties the runaround and prevent access, making them pay for use is fine system. I just don't think it looks proper, basically looks like they're in control and the other parties are basically hangers-on. Gives average citizens that don't really think deeply about it the impression that the other parties aren't REAL. (clearly incorrect, but how often does someone in the middle of nowhere in the midwest small towns ever see a 3rd party candidate?)

How often does someone ANYWHERE see one of the third-party candidates? And frankly, I prefer the US system to the Israeli system, where it's impossible to get anything done, good or bad.

[merrybike 9]

On the topic of drugs; I love living here in holland, and being 19...

[Rgamer 44]

On the topic of drugs; I love living here in holland, and being 19...

Doesn't Portugal have absolutely no drug laws? Or is it Poland I'm thinking of?

[merrybike 9]

No idea. I'm not into drugs at all. I smoke hasj every once in a while but it really fucks you up. so nah, i stay clear of that.

I do drink quite a lot every weekend, but you won't get psychosis from that luckely.

[Rgamer 44]

I do drink quite a lot every weekend, but you won't get psychosis from that luckely.

Tried absinthe? I'm 17, so I've never had it, but I hear it's got so much alcohol that it can and will induce hallucinations.

[merrybike 9]

I'm not that kind of a drinker. I really enjoy remembering what I did. well at least some.