Today...

[Noxx]

Had a really interesting "conversation" with someone on Tinder earlier today. We were talking about random shit, making smalltalk i guess, when she asked me how tall i am. In response i asked her how much she weighs. She seemed quite taken aback and told me it's rude to ask women what their weight is. So i asked her how is it any different from asking someone how tall they are, and why it should even matter. I told her that in fact i find it much more rude to judge someone on their height that it is to judge them on their weight, since in most cases you can control your weight but you can't control your height.

Argument got pretty heated, as i pretty much expected, and i still managed to get a date :D

At the end of it all she asked me if i was going to tell her how tall i am or not, so i told her if she was really curious she can find out by going on a date with me. Honestly she seems like a bit of a [bleep], and she seems like a very high-maintenance girl based on some of the things she said, her views and opinions on certain things, but she also seems to be pretty hot. So i'm game.

[RpgGamer]

DM;HS

[Veiva]

He also removed the director of national intelligence and chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs as regular attendees to the principals committee.

[Arceus]

On this day Jan 28th, 2017 I regret my initial support for trump and hereby join the [bleep] trump bandwagon. Its been brewing for a bit but the Muslim ban thing - even on people with green cards with no notice - has crossed the line.

I have some bad news and some worse news for you.

 

Bad news: 8 down, (at least) 1,453 days to go.

 

Worse news: even if Trump were somehow removed from power, Pence would be next. Unlike Trump, it is quite clear that he is much more ideological and would pursue the same sort or more extreme hardline policy. The rhetoric might be less stark but I don't see that it would be much of a difference; in fact, the agenda would just progress more smoothly.

[obfuscator]

Worse news: even if Trump were somehow removed from power, Pence would be next.

Unlike Trump, it is quite clear that he is much more ideological and would pursue the same sort or more extreme hardline policy. The rhetoric might be less stark but I don't see that it would be much of a difference; in fact, the agenda would just progress more smoothly.

I don't know if I entirely agree with this. Certainly on some issues Pence is more hardline (social conservative ones, for instance), but I think he's less of a populist (he doesn't seem like a fan of the immigration changes, for one), and as a result may be inclined towards more reasonable policy.

[RpgGamer]

I'd like to say I told you so Ring, but now we're both in this shit hole

[Alg]

I for one am ready for that science march

[Riku3220]

It's not a muslim ban. It's 120 day bar on refugees to improve vetting and a 90 day bar from entry to the US with exeptions. After the 120 days we're going to have a cap of 50,000 refugees per year, which is about average over both Obama's and Bush's presidencies.

 

The biggest issue is that current visa and green card holders are also blocked. He should not have done that.

[Major Dash]

 

Worse news: even if Trump were somehow removed from power, Pence would be next.

Unlike Trump, it is quite clear that he is much more ideological and would pursue the same sort or more extreme hardline policy. The rhetoric might be less stark but I don't see that it would be much of a difference; in fact, the agenda would just progress more smoothly.

I don't know if I entirely agree with this. Certainly on some issues Pence is more hardline (social conservative ones, for instance), but I think he's less of a populist (he doesn't seem like a fan of the immigration changes, for one), and as a result may be inclined towards more reasonable policy.

 

 

 

I also don't think Pence would be as much of a loose cannon.

[RpgGamer]

Or maybe it was someone in the republican party who wrote the order knowing full well "Ole Small Hands" would sign it without reading it so he'd finally loose traction in his nose dive into executive orders. I'm convinced Trump is doing all these outrageous things because his whole platform was based on these outrageous things and "because he's not a politician" he's going to make them happen. And to his credit, he's doing them. Do I hate it? Absolutely, but if you're only just now seeing him as a "loose cannon" you clearly haven't been listening the past 18 months. Would Pence make a better leader? In my opinion, maybe. In my book he's simply a more predictable evil. Trump's "wildcard" behavior is absolutely a power trip to him, but it's also a way of showing "I said it and I meant it". Pence hasn't said much I like, but at least we've seen his style of conservative republicanism before. Pence would be like a softer version of Trump with a heavy after-taste of Bush jr.

 

But hey, in my book this has all been part of Russia's plan since Crimea. Putin manages to win the hearts of radical mid-eastern groups by weakening the structure of their long time western foe. Russia and the US have been in a proxy war since the Cold War and now it's finally starting to hit American soil. Terrorist cells have wanted to cause mass chaos in the US for ages, and with such a polarized political environment, it's only a matter of time before Putin turns his back on Trump and becomes the only world super power. Who better to avenge the fall of the USSR than a former KGB guy?

 

But I for one welcome our communist overlords.

[Randox]

I believe that as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, the US actually does have obligations to take in refugees, and obligation that current ban prevents the US from fulfilling.  I'd also point out that, when we look back in history, the countries that turn away those fleeing persecution or war rarely end up looking better for it.

 

On a slightly different track, since this throws yet another wrench into the process of the US granting citizenship to those people who risked their lives (and those of their family) to aid the US army as interpreters (of both language and culture) in Afghanistan and Iraq, I think it's well past time that Canada and perhaps other willing NATO members stepped in and offered these people and any family still outside the US citizenship in our own country, or at least permanent residency, to either provide a safe haven while they continue to pursue US citizenship, or as a new place to call home.

 

My thinking is twofold. Aside from providing some safety to people who earned it many times over, it also builds goodwill for us and other NATO members if we have need of interpreters in the future, which is almost certain that we will sooner or later, and it's going to cost us soldiers lives if people wont help us because they don't believe we will help them back.

[Hedgehog]

Trump asked Giuliani how to ban Muslims constitutionally, so I think it's safe to say he's behind this.

 

It's going to be a long 4 years. Everyone do the best you can to keep him from normalizing hatred. It's not OK to treat other people like this and we can't become complacent.

[Hedgehog]

Posted during server backup

[Miss Lioness]

I goofed and I may have removed my avatar. whoops.

 

EDIT:

made new one, oh well. RIP image of me drinking and looking like a butthead

 

You mean this one?

 

[obfuscator]

 

I goofed and I may have removed my avatar. whoops.

 

EDIT:

made new one, oh well. RIP image of me drinking and looking like a butthead

 

You mean this one?

 

 

butthead.png

[Veiva]

I wrote my Senator, Richard Burr (Republican)--the guy behind the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) and others--about Trump's changes to the Principals Committee. He's chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and also comes from a very pro-military district (because of Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force base), so I hope he doesn't sit idly by and his staffers at least indicate someone is concerned about the memorandum.

 

It is very troubling to have someone like Bannon on the Principals Committee as a regular attendee, but not the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

[Arceus]

I believe that as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, the US actually does have obligations to take in refugees, and obligation that current ban prevents the US from fulfilling.  I'd also point out that, when we look back in history, the countries that turn away those fleeing persecution or war rarely end up looking better for it.

 

On a slightly different track, since this throws yet another wrench into the process of the US granting citizenship to those people who risked their lives (and those of their family) to aid the US army as interpreters (of both language and culture) in Afghanistan and Iraq, I think it's well past time that Canada and perhaps other willing NATO members stepped in and offered these people and any family still outside the US citizenship in our own country, or at least permanent residency, to either provide a safe haven while they continue to pursue US citizenship, or as a new place to call home.

 

My thinking is twofold. Aside from providing some safety to people who earned it many times over, it also builds goodwill for us and other NATO members if we have need of interpreters in the future, which is almost certain that we will sooner or later, and it's going to cost us soldiers lives if people wont help us because they don't believe we will help them back.

They have offered temporary residency, sad day for our country.

[RpgGamer]

Canada almost immediately tweeted about accepting refugees that America was turning away, I'd like to see a case or two of it actually happening.

 

Yes that's the one Lioness. I thought it was weird that you had it but then I realized it's because you're a mod you can probably see all sorts of retroactive stuff. Or maybe you just love me. Whichever :)

[Estonian dude]

So glad I was born at the right place, at least so far.

 

But come on, increased vetting? The vetting process for US visas or whatnot from these countries already takes over a [bleep]ing year for the most part. I know I am part of the lucky few to not even need a visa to visit the glorious country of U, S and A, but damn.

 

Also, that Trump talk about returning sanctions and cancelling the peace accords with Iran? That's a new nuclear capability in the making. Iran is a really peaceful and stable country right now. Heck, my mate was just there for 2 weeks, hitchhiking through the country alone. I would not dare to hitchhike in most of 'Murica, it's simply not safe enough. You guys kill more people in Chicago and in Detroit every week than do in a year there (that excludes state executions). Iran was opening up for the first time in 30 years. Landmark agreement. And Trump wants to dismantle it in one light swoop. For nothing. For [bleep]ing over allies of the States, whose reputation is also on the line.

 

Saudi Arabia has funded the terrorists and still is funding the terrorists in Gaza and in Afghanistan and Iraq. 9/11 guys were Saudi Arabian or Egyptian. [bleep]ing Bin Laden was a Saudi prince. Leader of the 9/11 attacks was Egyptian. And yet Egypt and Saudi Arabia are clear, while seven countries, of which there has come a total of 0, complete zero terrorists in the States have their entries banned. There is absolutely no [bleep]ing logic here. That and drone wars just create a new generation of terrorists.

 

You know, sometime it does seem like USA is the morally worst country in the world, keeping everybody else in check with the abysmally huge military and performing atrocities nearly as bad as the Nazis. At least the nazis were open with their intentions and declared war on all nations before invading them, and sometimes even before that, unlike the Americans. Pretty much every conflict of the 20th century you have been a part of. Pretty much every coup, or revolution, or whatnot, the hairy hands of Uncle Sam can be seen. And American citizens can be held without trial or jury or anything, being tortured in places like Guantanamo Bay and now Trump wants to create such sites on mainland US.

Replace "jew" with "muslim" and it seems like a Fourth Reich to me.

[Arceus]

Canada almost immediately tweeted about accepting refugees that America was turning away, I'd like to see a case or two of it actually happening.

 

Yes that's the one Lioness. I thought it was weird that you had it but then I realized it's because you're a mod you can probably see all sorts of retroactive stuff. Or maybe you just love me. Whichever :)

I suspect a more public culprit along the lines of Wayback Machine. As far as I'm aware old avatar images aren't stored anywhere and it just wipes them.

[Hedgehog]

So glad I was born at the right place, at least so far.

 

But come on, increased vetting? The vetting process for US visas or whatnot from these countries already takes over a [bleep]ing year for the most part. I know I am part of the lucky few to not even need a visa to visit the glorious country of U, S and A, but damn.

 

Also, that Trump talk about returning sanctions and cancelling the peace accords with Iran? That's a new nuclear capability in the making. Iran is a really peaceful and stable country right now. Heck, my mate was just there for 2 weeks, hitchhiking through the country alone. I would not dare to hitchhike in most of 'Murica, it's simply not safe enough. You guys kill more people in Chicago and in Detroit every week than do in a year there (that excludes state executions). Iran was opening up for the first time in 30 years. Landmark agreement. And Trump wants to dismantle it in one light swoop. For nothing. For [bleep]ing over allies of the States, whose reputation is also on the line.

 

Saudi Arabia has funded the terrorists and still is funding the terrorists in Gaza and in Afghanistan and Iraq. 9/11 guys were Saudi Arabian or Egyptian. [bleep]ing Bin Laden was a Saudi prince. Leader of the 9/11 attacks was Egyptian. And yet Egypt and Saudi Arabia are clear, while seven countries, of which there has come a total of 0, complete zero terrorists in the States have their entries banned. There is absolutely no [bleep]ing logic here. That and drone wars just create a new generation of terrorists.

 

You know, sometime it does seem like USA is the morally worst country in the world, keeping everybody else in check with the abysmally huge military and performing atrocities nearly as bad as the Nazis. At least the nazis were open with their intentions and declared war on all nations before invading them, and sometimes even before that, unlike the Americans. Pretty much every conflict of the 20th century you have been a part of. Pretty much every coup, or revolution, or whatnot, the hairy hands of Uncle Sam can be seen. And American citizens can be held without trial or jury or anything, being tortured in places like Guantanamo Bay and now Trump wants to create such sites on mainland US.

Replace "jew" with "muslim" and it seems like a Fourth Reich to me.

You're right about a lot of this stuff, but you're kind of exaggerating how unstable and dangerous the country is. Like, it's definitely pretty safe to hitchhike in America. I mean, we literally have an app that allows us to pay to hitchhike and it's insanely popular.

 

Regarding Chicago/Detroit: Conservatives have no interest in resolving gang violence and only want to make conditions worse for black Americans. You'd be completely safe from gang violence in either of those cities, but it's pathetic how our racist and classist government treats black people.

[RpgGamer]

Dude I'm a white straight male and I wouldn't hitch hike in the US, ever. Unless you paid me. Then maybe. People here are bonkers

[Skull]

My friend regularly hitchhikes.  Went coast to coast this summer.

[RpgGamer]

 

Canada almost immediately tweeted about accepting refugees that America was turning away, I'd like to see a case or two of it actually happening.

 

Yes that's the one Lioness. I thought it was weird that you had it but then I realized it's because you're a mod you can probably see all sorts of retroactive stuff. Or maybe you just love me. Whichever :)

I suspect a more public culprit along the lines of Wayback Machine. As far as I'm aware old avatar images aren't stored anywhere and it just wipes them.

 

So you're saying she loves me?

[Major Dash]

Kai From Dogtown tho

 

Didn't that guy go to prison for raping someone?