Today...

[muggiwhplar]

Guy on friends list is creationist and constantly hates on Bernie. After a couple beers last night I finally challenged him. It's still going on, and I have to try SUPER hard to dodge all the petty religion crap he keeps tossing at me to derail me. Now he's going for the soldier sympathy card, but he's already used the classic "its laziness thats the problem" theory in like every post...

 

Hey at least he argued with you :P Was this on a wall post or over PM? Before I discovered the magical "unfollow" button, I'd sometimes try and poke holes in my friends' arguments when they'd get on their soapbox and post dumb shit on their newsfeeds... but then their friends would be the ones to respond to me instead. And since those people weren't my friends, they'd just throw personal attacks out instead of discussing things like adults lol. I'd try and make my argument as delicate and understanding as possible and people would just respond with "Wow IDK who muggi is but he's an [wagon]!" :lol:

 

I've learned that most of them genuinely aren't interested in discussing things or having their views challenged. So I just "unfollow" those people now. But there are a few friends who actually are willing to talk on and on about their opposing beliefs. And those people are a lot of fun to talk to over PM since we'll both tend to gain a better understanding of each others' perspectives that way. I think being more than just "Facebook friends"/acquaintances with someone makes it easier to discuss shit too.

[muggiwhplar]

I'm in an ethics class atm and its always funny to see how many people react that way.

 

Where they feel strongly about something and haven't really thought about why yet and are giving their gut reactions to explain it. :lol:

 

I remember my freshman year, I was in Intro to Philosophy and the professor-- a young, hippie woman-- was stating as fact that racist jokes are never funny. The whole class was just kind of awkwardly silent and didn't really try to argue with her. In hindsight, it's kind of scary how some professors can try to use their class/profession as a soapbox for their [irrational] beliefs. I guess my professor never heard of Richard Pryor :lol:

[Lower Levelled]

Guys, that girl surprised me and came to columbia this weekend

[RpgGamer]

 

 

Guy on friends list is creationist and constantly hates on Bernie. After a couple beers last night I finally challenged him. It's still going on, and I have to try SUPER hard to dodge all the petty religion crap he keeps tossing at me to derail me. Now he's going for the soldier sympathy card, but he's already used the classic "its laziness thats the problem" theory in like every post...

Hey at least he argued with you :P Was this on a wall post or over PM? Before I discovered the magical "unfollow" button, I'd sometimes try and poke holes in my friends' arguments when they'd get on their soapbox and post dumb shit on their newsfeeds... but then their friends would be the ones to respond to me instead. And since those people weren't my friends, they'd just throw personal attacks out instead of discussing things like adults lol. I'd try and make my argument as delicate and understanding as possible and people would just respond with "Wow IDK who muggi is but he's an [wagon]!" :lol:

 

I've learned that most of them genuinely aren't interested in discussing things or having their views challenged. So I just "unfollow" those people now. But there are a few friends who actually are willing to talk on and on about their opposing beliefs. And those people are a lot of fun to talk to over PM since we'll both tend to gain a better understanding of each others' perspectives that way. I think being more than just "Facebook friends"/acquaintances with someone makes it easier to discuss shit too.

I mean he's not really my friend per say, he was in a youth group that I used to hang out in to try to better round my views (myself having gone to Hebrew school for 10 years by then). I appreciate the fact that he is respectful in his arguments, even if I think everything he says is horrendous (like being a Ted Cruz fan and not believing in dinosaurs) but rather than just block him I find his absurd views fascinating. It's amazing to me that someone can exist in modern eastern America and still fundamentally believe humans did not derive from apes. And while any argument he makes drifts towards that topic when I back him into a corner, it's fun for me to as you say "poke holes" in his beliefs. I do so respectfully and calmly and thankfully he does the same to the best of his ability. He's just so wrong though haha

[Bonez899]

Landed in Athens a couple of hours ago after 24+ish hours of travel. Got some real food into me once again and soon to shower or go to bed soon.

 

Gotta say though that I had probably the best pizza I've tried in Pearson.

[Estonian dude]

 

*Quote*

Because it only matters if you pay tens of thousands of people $100, and none of those tens of thousands of people tell someone that you're doing it or even that you offered. You can get some anonymity with the internet and like bitcoin, but nothing like the anonymity of malware on people's machines. Especially public machines, like those at a public library, where probably lots of people are going to go to vote.

 

I mean, you can get other governments involved in the malware and then it's really trouble. Better hope Estonia doesn't piss another country off enough to pay for malware creation.

 

 

Wow, didn't expect that brought in. The cyber defense center for NATO is located in Tallinn. We were pretty much the first country in the world that had to deal with a massive, full-scale digital attack on pretty much every service in the country. In 2007, Russian cyber attacks took down nearly all digital services in the country through unprecedented DoS and hacking attacks. No card transactions could be made in stores, not to even talk about any internet banking for three days. It was the first governmentally coordinated full-scale cyber attack in history. We pioneered the defensive systems now used by governments around the world. Our government services are attacked pretty much constantly by Russia, even though with varying intensity.

 

And who the [bleep] would want to vote digitally at a public library? We are pretty much one of the most digitally developed countries in the world, everyone and their grandmas have computers. And you can vote at nearly every public library on election day on paper anyways.

 

Saying that the thing is fundamentally flawed is wrong.

 

It works.

 

It has worked for multiple national elections now.

 

Last time over half of the votes were made electronically, afaik.

There still is the issue that there ain't that much to gain from hacking our votes, but still, it is a whole country in EU. There is the incentive.

 

I still think that the person is easier to manipulate than a computer. How can you verify that everyone who votes for the "right" candidate on paper isn't getting $100 just around the corner from the ballot station? Ok, well it is a bit extreme example, but still, the point remains.

And I do know of cases where homeless fellas have been bought off to vote for a bottle of vodka.

Estonia is a forum of 10 users using phpBB with plain-text passwords. It's not secure, but no one bothers because the potential is useless.

 

The United States is... PayPal. A prime target with an immense amount of potential. Targeting an individual PayPal account is worth it, just like targeting PayPal itself.

 

Do you see the difference?

 

(Also, "homeless fellas" can't show who they voted for in the USA. Buying votes is very difficult because the buyer does not know. I could take $100 and vote for the opposite, and it's simply my word.)

 

 

As we are a full member of NATO and the European Union we have shitloads of classified information Russia, China and other not so friendly forces would pay a lot of money to acquire. We can veto pretty much any development in the whole EU. And the EU is a lot larger and richer community than the USA. You may be Paypal, but then we would be equal to Visa.

 

Again, I tell you that Estonian ID-systems or parts of them have been more-or-less also taken to use in lots of other countries, including Germany. If it is secure enough for Germany, then I think it is secure for anyone.

 

And the point with the homeless guys I brought up is that otherwise they would not have voted at all. For a bottle of vodka, they don't really care, and will vote for the one that was asked for.

[Veiva]

 

 

Saying that the thing is fundamentally flawed is wrong.

 

It works.

 

It has worked for multiple national elections now.

 

Last time over half of the votes were made electronically, afaik.

There still is the issue that there ain't that much to gain from hacking our votes, but still, it is a whole country in EU. There is the incentive.

 

I still think that the person is easier to manipulate than a computer. How can you verify that everyone who votes for the "right" candidate on paper isn't getting $100 just around the corner from the ballot station? Ok, well it is a bit extreme example, but still, the point remains.

And I do know of cases where homeless fellas have been bought off to vote for a bottle of vodka.

Estonia is a forum of 10 users using phpBB with plain-text passwords. It's not secure, but no one bothers because the potential is useless.

 

The United States is... PayPal. A prime target with an immense amount of potential. Targeting an individual PayPal account is worth it, just like targeting PayPal itself.

 

Do you see the difference?

 

(Also, "homeless fellas" can't show who they voted for in the USA. Buying votes is very difficult because the buyer does not know. I could take $100 and vote for the opposite, and it's simply my word.)

 

 

As we are a full member of NATO and the European Union we have shitloads of classified information Russia, China and other not so friendly forces would pay a lot of money to acquire. We can veto pretty much any development in the whole EU. And the EU is a lot larger and richer community than the USA. You may be Paypal, but then we would be equal to Visa.

 

Again, I tell you that Estonian ID-systems or parts of them have been more-or-less also taken to use in lots of other countries, including Germany. If it is secure enough for Germany, then I think it is secure for anyone.

 

And the point with the homeless guys I brought up is that otherwise they would not have voted at all. For a bottle of vodka, they don't really care, and will vote for the one that was asked for.

 

I thought nationalism was looked down upon in Europe. You are incredibly patriotic of Estonia, blindly so. Did you know that?

[Hedgehog]

The EU really did do a good job of making the small fellows feel important

[MuffinMaddy]

Quality night with the people who are also here on exchange from my home uni. Felt good to be out with people from home for once. Got bored inevitably so bought a burger and walked home. I need to stop clubbing because it's actually so boring. I just keep forgetting that I'll sober up within an hour and want to go home

 

Daylight savings freaked me the hell out. I was so confused for like five minutes. I think my drink of choice is rum at this point of time. Doesn't make me want to throw up yet achieved a good amount of drunkenness

[RpgGamer]

Day light savings is the worst part about spring. Dumbest law ever

[Estonian dude]

It's funny how everything turns to nationalism now on a completely unrelated topic.

 

You said electronic voting sucks and would never work, and I brought up why it does work.

 

And I can't help but be patriotic. I have lived nearly half of my life abroad. Yet I love it here.

[Veiva]

It's funny how everything turns to nationalism now on a completely unrelated topic.

 

You said electronic voting sucks and would never work, and I brought up why it does work.

 

And I can't help but be patriotic. I have lived nearly half of my life abroad. Yet I love it here.

Electronic voting is dangerous to freedom. It only currently works on a country that is simply not important nor significant when compared to the United States or larger European countries, and even then Estonia's voting system has flaws that could be exploited.

 

You paint Estonia as important as to counter that, but it's not. You are the presenting yourself as a counterpart to the stereotypical American patriot who does not see the great many flaws of America (and touts them as advantages. in fact!).

 

And for your extension to my PayPal example: Estonia is some bank with a single branch in some rural town whose IT manager was only relevant when the Commodore 64 was released. A pointless target.

[muggiwhplar]

All this talk about electronic voting makes me question the accuracy of our quaterfinal poll results D:

[Estonian dude]

I find it pointless to argue here with people who need to hire lawyers to do taxes while it takes 2 clicks to do them.

I might be simply spoiled by living in pretty much the most digitalized country in the world.

 

Man how my birthday was awesome.

And I am still a bit hungover.

[Lower Levelled]

I find it pointless to argue here with people who need to hire lawyers to do taxes while it takes 2 clicks to do them.

I might be simply spoiled by living in pretty much the most digitalized country in the world.

 

Man how my birthday was awesome.

And I am still a bit hungover.

I'm actually visiting Estonia in 2017. If it's not the greatest place ever I'm going to be sad

[Alg]

It's funny how everything turns to nationalism now on a completely unrelated topic.

Isn't it usually you turning it to nationalism though?

[stevepole]

There's no point to observing daylight savings. An absolute garbage tradition. Arizona doesn't observe it and it's one of the few things I miss about living there. I still had a very productive day, but my body clock is so off right now. 

 

I also did my taxes today, it wasn't very complicated, maybe took 20 minutes total to do free with Turbo Tax online, and I'm getting a fat tax return too. So no lawyers, no help, just me, the internet, and a few clicks. 

[RpgGamer]

My girlfriend's dad works for the IRS so I'll just give him my W2s sometime next week and my taxes will be handled. I did my own the past two years though before ya start thinking im a lazy murrican

[Hedgehog]

If you move to San Diego make sure you tell them that the Chargers suck

[MuffinMaddy]

O Canada.

 

Only got $220 USD for $300 Canadian dollars, down by $9 USD since I last exchanged the same amount in December :(

Either way, I always spend considerably less than I expect when I go to the US so I'm not too bothered.

 

I am feeling fantastic. I got my varsity jacket today that officially has the marching band written on it with my surname on my right arm.

I have been looking forward to this jacket forever - Yeah, I'm a sellout really. In September I was scoffing at everyone for wearing University gear but here I am, in the most University-centric society but I've met the best people, and I'm enjoying being in the band a lot - they gave me an upgraded saxophone so now it's like 70/30 good notes to squealing (saxophones are really annoying to control at times and squeal from time to time) . I've also got the marching and playing the instrument at the same time sorted out and I've been able to watch myself back on Youtube and see where I could improve so that's all good too.

 

Midterms done as well - I'm going to have a good ending to my year abroad definitely.

[Solemn]

Life seems to be looking up.

[MuffinMaddy]

My legs are killing me.

I've been marching for five hours trying to perfect our parade routine. A couple of flaws were ironed out so it's worth it. I'm very excited for my first high profile performance this Friday night. Hope I don't fall off the catwalk lol

[Estonian dude]

I'm up at 6.30 AM after finishing job at 11 PM and just drinking since.

 

Yay!

[RpgGamer]

Every day I get out of work at 430 and think "if I get here earlier I can leave earlier and do more stuff" but then every morning I'm like "if I stay in bed another 15 minutes it's not a big deal because I can just stay an extra 15 minutes, no big deal". Most annoying catch 22 ever

[Kalphite]

Found out today that I barely passed my machine learning exam, which was not fun. But today was also my roommate's 21st birthday, so we went out for steaks at the best steakhouse in the city because they give crazy birthday discounts. Nothing like a $50 steak to forget about your problems~ God I can't wait to be done with dealing with grades in 6 weeks when I graduate...

 

I've been struggling hard to find a show to fill the hole in my life left by finishing parks and rec and it's really gettin to me

 

also anybody who hasn't had green tea ice cream is missing the [bleep] OUT