Social Attitude Test

Political Values

Radicalism

96.75

Socialism

56.25

Tenderness

46.875

These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a university professor. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.

Your attitudes towards economics appear neither committedly capitalist nor socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist. 

To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with many strong opinions.

This concludes our analysis; we hope you found your results accurate, useful, and interesting.

Unlike many other political tests found on the Internet which base themselves on untested (and usually ideologically motivated) ideas, this inventory is adapted from Hans Eysenck's own political inventory which was developed after extensive empirical investigations in the 20th Century.

from http://slackhalla.org/~demise/test/socialattitude.php

CI is like Champagne

Only bubbly white wine

that comes from the region of 

Champagne, France 

is given the name 

champagne.

Contact Improvisation, some people maintain, is more than just a physical practice.  It is a political movement, a way of life, a way to interact with our fellow humans and the world.  Some might even go as far as to say CI is a social modality that can change the world.

Contact Improvisation was not created in a vacuum.  It arose in the United States during a time of great flux and change.  It was a time of great social and political upheaval.  Therefore, the environment in which CI arose is inherent in the form.

If CI is a political/social/gender/economic etc. movement then to truly understand CI one has to come from the same soil that birthed CI.

Therefore, I postulate, only Americans who were born in the '70s or later are fully capable of understanding CI.

Therefore, I postulate, only we, denizens of the United States of America, are able to fully understand what true self determination in the moment is and how to manifest it corporeally.

(it could also be that all the concomitant -isms that people attribute to the physical form of CI have nothing to with it, that it is purely the physical practice and form.  Yes, CI can be a tool for creating those -isms, but it is not those -isms.  A hammer can be used to build a house, but it is not a house.)

"ecosystemic feedback loop"

Blame

Corporations, corporations, corporation...the root of all evil.  Faceless disembodied entities that are ruining the world, the environment and now the political system in the United States by their ability to funnel unlimited amounts of cash into the coffers of willing politicians.  The Supreme Court of the United States blocked a ban limiting how much corporations could spend on political campaigns.

It is all the fault of corporations.  These mindless soulless beings that wreck havoc in the world, utterly uncontrollable.

But what a minute...don't these corporations have presidents and CEOs and board members?!?

Aren't those the people who are actually making the decisions, the bad decisions that we all hate?

And isn't it possible to find out who these people are?

So why don't we go after these people more?  Instead of saying that corporations are ruining the political system, why not actually name the people who are making the decisions?  Why not put a face to those actions?

Yes, that would be harder to do.  It is much easier to say that the corporations are at fault as opposed to naming every Tom, Dick and Harriet who sits on the board of those harbingers of doom.  It is much easier to blame(and here I will automatically lose this argument, some say, by invoking Hitler) Hitler than all the generals, colonels, captains, corporals who also decided to kill people.

Corporations...Hitler...it is much easier to demonize a single entity than all the actual individuals involved.

Is it any more effective?

i, Ronnie

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National Debts

The population of Germany according to the CIA is 81,471,834 (July 2011 est.)
The national debt of Germany is € 1,895,561,620,931 according to nationaldebtclocks.com

The population of the United States according to the CIA is 313,232,044 (July 2011 est.)
The national debt of the United States is $ 15,091,192,666,470, also according to national debt clocks.com.

Dividing the debt by the population gives us a €23,266.47/German debt and a $48,178.96/American debt. Converting the Euros to dollars with an exchange rate of €1=$1.36, gives us $31,642.40.

This gives us a difference of $16,536.56, that each American owes MORE to whomever than each German owes.

What have you gotten for your $16,536.56?

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The Conservative Rhetoric

Republicans have historically borrowed more than Democrats.

Who cares...Gay people shouldn't marry.

Our bridges, roads and other infrastructure are crumbling.

Who cares...Marriage is for only a man and a woman.

Our schools are crap and America is losing its competitive edge.

Who cares...Gay people are ruining marriage.

The polar ice caps are melting and the Earth is heating up.

Who cares...Gay people are brainwashing our children.

The so called "death tax" only affects people who actually have money.

Who cares...Gay people are causing the breakdown of the American family.

The politicians you keep voting for keep screwing you.

Who cares...Gay people shouldn't adopt.

We are running out of antibiotics.

Who cares...Gay people shouldn't be able to visit their partners in a hospital.

Our oceans are overfished.

Who cares...Gay people invented AIDS.

Solar, wind, and wave energy sources could be completely viable if we invested in them.

Who cares...Gay people ruined marriage.

Why are we still subsidizing the profitable oil companies?

Who cares...Gay people ruined marriage.

etc.

Osama

Hmm...Osama is now dead and his body was dumped out to see. Of course, the U.S. military observed strict Islamic protocol before they dumped his body. So as not to enrage anyone. When are the photos of the Navy Seals or Delta Force or whoever caught him going to surface? The photos with the soldiers posing with empty beer cans, hot dogs and Osama's dead body?

That question aside, I think it is quite remarkable that the US found him without co-operation by the Pakistani government. We give them billions every year, his compound was within spitting distance of a Pakistani military base. What I bet happened is that the Pakistani government co-operated fully with the understanding that the US government would make a big stink about how they received no co-operation. That way the Pakistani government gets full deniability(sp?) and the US gets Osama. A win-win situation. Yes, there have been some deaths due to do protests/retaliations by Osama supporters.

But imagine how much worse it would have been if the Pakistani government had publicly supported his capture and been excited by his death?

Also, what happened to due process of law and trial by a jury of peers? Or are those not unalienable self-evident rights...?

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John Cleese on Terrorism

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved."

Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 400 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Three more escalation levels remain: "Crikey!", "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

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Sub

This current economic crisis is another example of people not paying enough attention to language.

Sub-prime. They were called sub-prime mortgages. Sub-prime. SUB as in less than as in lower, as in not as good.

As in subpar.
As in substandard.

Yes, the prefix "sub" can be used with other words and not necessarily mean less than as in submarine, subway, substitute (though, there ain't nothing like the real thing, baby! And what is a stitute?).

But pair the word sub with prime...

Below prime, less then prime, under prime…

Would you be surprised if the grade "F" eggs you bought were spoiled and gave you food poisoning?
Would you be surprised if you went to a no star motel and it was a dump?
Would you be surprised if you paid $15.99 for a flat screen TV and it didn't work?

If so, you have a future in finance and or politics in the US.

Deficits

Can someone please explain to me why when Dubya was running up the deficit (after he spent all the surplus Clinton left him) spending money on destroying another country no one was bitchin'.

And now when Obama adds to the deficit trying to build up OUR OWN COUNTRY, everyone goes crazy and gets mad at him.

Borrowing Money

I do not understand why conservatives object to borrowing money to pay for the healthcare of their fellow citizens, i.e. increase the general welfare of our country, but have no objection to destroying the huge post-Clinton surplus we had to and borrowing massive amounts to attack Iraq on false grounds. And the war in Iraq does not have a positive effect on life in the U.S.A.

Missile Defense

“Scrapping the U.S. missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic does little more then empower Russia and Iran at the expense of our allies in Europe,” said Representative John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, the House minority leader. “It shows a willful determination to continue ignoring the threat posed by some of the most dangerous regimes in the world, while taking one of the most important defenses against Iran off the table.” - from the NY Times September 17, 2009.


Distance from Tehran to Warsaw -1877 miles
Distance from Tehran to Jerusalem - 975 miles
Why don't we put the missile system in Israel? It's closer to Iran.

Fair Health Care

If the U.S government won't pay for its citizens healthcare, why should it pay for the healthcare of the politicians?

Beauty Contests

In the 1930s, financial markets, for obvious reasons, didn’t get much respect. Keynes compared them to “those newspaper competitions in which the competitors have to pick out the six prettiest faces from a hundred photographs, the prize being awarded to the competitor whose choice most nearly corresponds to the average preferences of the competitors as a whole; so that each competitor has to pick, not those faces which he himself finds prettiest, but those that he thinks likeliest to catch the fancy of the other competitors.” - from the NY Times.

sounds like an apt description to me

Past affecting Future

From the NY Times 2009/07/15

"Repeatedly, Judge Sotomayor sought to persuade the panel that her past, rather than determining how she rules on cases, makes her more perceptive in sorting out the issues."

But if her past is making her more perceptive about the issues, then won't it affect how she rules?

"No, the judge said. She pledged that “at no point nor time” would she let her background affect how she rules."

But then doesn't this mean that she cannot let her past make her more perceptive in sorting out the issues?

' “I think the system is strengthened when judges don’t assume they’re impartial,” she said." '

"This statement seems to contradict that she will "at no point nor time" affect how she rules. Why can't we all admit that everyone is biased? Some are more biased more than others but that is only when their bias does not jive with your bias.

I say let her on the Court. She has enough experience. And there are enough old white male biases on the court. Time for another bias.

Don't Put Bernie in Jail

I think it is a terrible idea to put Bernie Madoff in jail. I am not saying that I think he is innocent and I am not saying that I think he should not be punished. I think he should be punished and severely.

But if he is put in jail, he will once again be living off other people. He will continue his parasitic lifestyle. He will be sucking his livelihood from the taxpayer. We will be paying for his food and shelter and his health insurance.

Instead of putting him in jail we should make him live in a suburb of Pheonix or Cleveland or Fresno. Make him live in a nondescript badly struccoed apartment complex with meth addicts and hookers. In a small one bedroom with broken air-conditioning and dark wood paneling. With the only view being the back of an equalling depressing building and the dumpsters between them.

Make Madoff work at a minimum wage job that does not provide health insurance. Make it so that he can never be promoted and always has to clean the bathrooms. Make him stay there till he croaks with no retirement and terrible health insurance.

Yes, this might fall under "cruel and unusual", but shouldn't the punishment fit the crime?

New Method of Terrorist Attack?

A man stole a plane from a Canadian flight school and flew into the United States.

Will this be the new paradigm of attack? 9/11 caused the first shift. And then the Shoe Bomber, Richard Reid caused another shift. Thanks to him we have to take our shoes off now when going through security. Found out after looking at Wikipedia that I am 6 days older than the Shoe Bomber.
from Wikipedia - "He was sentenced by Judge Young to life imprisonment on each of the three charges, 20 years imprisonment on four other charges, and 30 years on four other counts, to be served consecutively, followed by five years of supervised release."

So after the Shoe Bomber serves his life imprisonment term he will have 5 years of supervised release. Who is going to supervise that? And then once the supervision is done, will he be able to freely roam the after-life?

But back to the topic at hand - Are Cessnas from Canada the new dirty bomb? What about Mexico? Well, those from Mexico are probably too full of cocaine or weed to put any bombs in them. But then again, I heard that Canada grows some fine buds also...

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Insanity

"Hamas had it coming" read a sign I saw at a protest near the Oakland Farmer's Market last Saturday. Did these children in Palestine have it coming?

Did Hamas think Israel would respond in any other way?

How can Israel not think that killing more wives, husbands, daughters and sons will make even more "terrorists"?

How can Hamas not think that Israel is going to pound the #^@% out of Gaza once they start firing rockets?



Insanity - doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime?

"Israel is in "all-out war" with Hamas, the nation's defense minister said Monday as Israeli jets continued to hammer targets in Gaza and the Palestinian death toll reportedly topped 300."

"The attacks also have wounded about 650 people, the sources said."

"One of the strikes killed an Israeli at a construction site in Ashkelon, 6 miles (10 kilometers) north of Gaza, and wounded eight others, a hospital spokeswoman said. The Israeli fatality is the second since the airstrikes began Saturday."

"An Israeli strike early Monday hit the Jabalya refugee camp, leaving five children dead in a home that was damaged when a nearby mosque was hit, said Dr. Mu'awiya Hassanein. The Israeli military had no immediate comment."

excerpts from an article by CNN

Hamas, in its idiocy, shoots rockets at Israel and kills one person. Israel, in its over-adrenalized fedupness (if that is a word), bombs the piss out of Gaza killing hundreds, children included.

Going by the numbers, Palestine kills 2 and Israel kills 300. Overkill, no?

But why did Hamas think that shooting rockets at Israel was a good idea? Did they expect this time to be different?

Idiots, the lot of them.