[15 Oct 2008|06:05pm] nirvanafans [early_vincent] I have to give a speech on a song in my college public speaking class, and my Dad told me to do a Nirvana song, because I couldn't think of what to do. Anyway, which song do you guys think I should do? I can't decide. post comment

HSUS endorses Obama [07 Oct 2008|02:35am] animal_rights [roaming] read more here. post comment

Pass (on) the Turkey? [10 Oct 2008|07:01am] animal_rights [lifenaturelovex] [ mood | groggy ] i found and posted this last year for thanksgiving, and although the link i originally got it from doesn't work anymore, it was a good article: Pass (on) the Turkey? For generations we have watched our great grandmothers, grandmothers and mothers agonize over preparing the perfect turkey for Thanksgiving?getting up at some ungodly hour to shove the bird into the oven, basting, stuffing, and glazing over and over again, and then, finally using every ounce of energy left to heave it on the table for all to say, "looks great mom, but when can we dig into the mashed potatoes and hit the pumpkin pie?" Year after year, the turkey gets buried under mounds of succulent, tasty, and often more interesting vegetarian side dishes and deserts. So this year let the turkey (and your mom) thank you by choosing a less laborious, convenient and healthier vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. Turning your Thanksgiving meal vegetarian is a no-brainer and can appeal to every family member. Remember, losing the turkey does not mean losing those traditional flavors and tastes that we all crave this time of year. ( Read more... ) post comment

[13 Oct 2008|11:28pm] animal_rights [ageofsolar] Apparently, Oprah is doing a show tomorrow on factory farms/free-range factory farms. This should be interesting... http://www.oprah.com/dated/oprahshow/oprahshow_20081008_animals post comment

Some random thoughts on government [14 Oct 2008|03:48pm] abstractthought [stardustweare] The span of human history, since the onset of agriculture, and the formation of permanent, governed societies, can be summed up as a tension between the intellectual sovereignty of the individual and the greater interest of the state - the happiness of one vs. the happiness of many.  it has been suggested that the greatest virtue is a sacrifice of one's happiness for the contentment of those surrounding, but is this realistic?  To promote the greater good of society, that society has to force their own views or Good and what is best for the community upon the public, because it is the unrealistic notion that the state is always acting in the best interest of the people - which will always be at odds with what the individual feels is most beneficial for himself.  So who is right?  Can a government justify imposing its will upon the individual, forcing him to give more to society, infringing on the individuals sovereign rights as a free citizen to choose how he wishes to be a part of the society who helped make him what he is?  Or is it the citizens moral duty to put the society first, and sacrifice his own sovereignty and submit his will to the government, so that the government can redistribute his wealth and social energies to the community?  Both sides of that coin are acting selfishly - the individual believes he should not be forced into giving more to society than he is willing - and the government selfishly believes it knows what is best for society, and tightens its grip upon the individuals freedom to choose how to give back to the society that made him what he is.  Does there exist a mean between these two extremes?  Is there a way for the society and the individual to work together, forging a middle path that eliminates this constant war between the Self and State?  In the way that religion can either be personal or communal, is it possible to have a deeply personal relationship with government that does not involve submission, or the injection of some sort of communal consciousness? a man can either obey his government or disobey - the government can either force a man to do or not - for a man can not truly be free when he is forced by his fellows into acting in a certain manner, he is conditioned by his society to perceive the world in a certain way and to act accordingly.  Upon entering the social contract, Man is submitting to the will of those around him, and is losing his intellectual sovereignty, his freedom of volition, and his right to act independently.   The creation of democracy was a good start, but it cannot be denied that man will never truly be free - for he will always be enslaved by his fellow man, by what Mill labeled as the "tyranny of the majority."  Is true freedom attainable? Is there a way to eliminate that dualistic tension? 9 comments|post comment

[14 Oct 2008|03:28pm] libertarianism [gunslnger] Why taxpayers group is fighting Florida's gag rule I'd like to tell you how the amendments on the 2008 Florida ballot will affect taxpayers. But I can't. That's because Florida campaign-finance laws obligate us to register as an electioneering communication organization if we merely refer to a measure in any publication that goes to the general public. That includes our ballot guide, because it's freely available on our Web site. Campaign-finance laws restrict free speech, pretty obviously. Just an exhortation for people to continue to work against them as much as possible. post comment

song [14 Oct 2008|06:06pm] darkpaganism [brennaraven] [ mood | contemplative ] ( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. ) post comment

Spread The Word [14 Oct 2008|04:58pm] libertarianism [ghoststrider] Unfortunately, I think that libertarians spend too much time in their ivory towers, myself included. We need to be out there, doing more, engaging with more individuals. As sort of a beginning, can we please get more libertarians to comment on politicsforum? The mix in that community is unfairly weighted to the left, and more reason is needed. As it is, only myself, gunslngr, and sergeantbrother comment there with any regularity. And on the upside, no one will be able to compete with montecristo. Oh, the lulz of people trying to top him and failing... But yes, please join and comment over there. The three of us can't do it along, and I'm sick now anyways. Got a bad cold, I think its from Wendys. 21 comments|post comment

Religulous [14 Oct 2008|04:40pm] atheist [a_clear_job] [ mood | amused ] anyone else seen Religulous yet? i went to see it yesterday, and enjoyed it. i found it funny, and at the same time bill maher makes some compelling arguments for why fence-sitters and tolerant agnostics/atheists should perhaps not be so blindly tolerant of religion governing so much of the world around us. 13 comments|post comment

Eddie Vedder icons [14 Oct 2008|01:30pm] grunge_rock [xkyrie_eleisonx] 100 icons here post comment

The Ascent of Man [14 Oct 2008|04:21pm] atheist [tall_paul] OK here's my attempt at embedding a video For those of you who are not already familiar, this is from Jacob Bronowski's series "The Ascent of Man" It is a very powerful clip and was, according to Bronowski, unscripted. He nails exactly the reason why I think everyone should be an atheist and a skeptic. Enjoy! 3 comments|post comment

[14 Oct 2008|12:02pm] atheist [phyxius] [ music | Grateful Dead - Jack Straw | Powered by Last.fm ] Ricky Gervais, the multi award-winning writer, director and star of The Office and Extras is a well-known atheist and was recently made an honorary associate of the National Secular Society following a friendly but frank exchange of views with Rowan Williams on The Simon Mayo Radio Show on BBC Radio 5 Live - 19th December 2007. 3 comments|post comment

[14 Oct 2008|01:30pm] libertarianism [thrashbear] I'm still doing my research (trying to be an informed voter here), and I am seriously leaning toward voting for Obama, as a vote AGAINST McCain/Palin.  Obama/Biden might take us in the wrong direction, but I think of the possibility of a Palin presidency to be downright dangerous.  I don't want to engage in this game of "taking away votes" by voting third party in national elections.  I'll still vote Libertarian on local issues and candidates where it counts most. Can anyone tell me why this is a bad idea, or any alternatives? 118 comments|post comment

Kant and Libertarianism [14 Oct 2008|10:28am] libertarianism [tu_ne_cedemalis] Sorry to update two entires in a row, but this just popped into my head and it's competely unrelated to my previous post. Anyways... What do you all think of Immanuel Kant in terms of libertarianism? I'm currenly reading an introductory text to Kants ethics and also the Critique of Pure REason (because if you've ever read Kant, you'll know his actual works are fucking ridiculous), and his political philosophy sounds very libertarian to me, at least from the way the author described it. But what about you guys with more philosophical knowledge than I? Could one classify Kant as a libertarian of sorts? 9 comments|post comment

literary question [14 Oct 2008|10:24am] libertarianism [tu_ne_cedemalis] To my fellow Libertarians, especially those of you who love Ayn Rand: What do you think of her actual writing style. Not the message behind it, but her actual way of writing? Do you actually enjoy reading Rand books for the fact that she's a good writer, or do you sort of force yourself to trudge through them because you like her philosophy and message? I find myself relating with the latter. Personally, I think Rand is a horrible and shitty writer. She rambles on and on for pages and pages , and I personally find her style to be rather bland and dry. But what about you guys? 20 comments|post comment

Halp? [14 Oct 2008|06:02am] libertarianism [tkpadilla] Can someone explain to me the principles of property rights? I'm really confuzzled on this subject. What I'm asking is, "what is the basis for ownership of property?" Any help would be appreciated. Danku. 14 comments|post comment

What do you say when people sneeze? [13 Oct 2008|11:49pm] atheist [avocado_love] [ mood | contemplative ] I grew up in a relaxed religious home. For some reason, we never said "God bless you" when people sneezed. Actually, my family didn't acknowledge sneezing with anything at all. But now that I'm grown up and out in the world, I've come to realize that people think you're rude if you don't say something when they've sneezed every single freakin' time. I don't want to say 'Bless you', for obvious reasons. What about. 'saúde?' or 'gesundheit'? They don't seem right, somehow. What do you guys say? 71 comments|post comment

I should know better... [13 Oct 2008|10:01pm] libertarianism [cambler] So I put it to the Libertarian crowd - when having a surprisingly-civil argument with a textbook liberal, eventually it's going to degrade to the point where they simply stop arguing the facts and call you a "selfish ass" for daring to not support the theory that society is to be funded on the confiscated bankroll of those who have the money. What else can be said at that point, though? You point out that they're devolving to personal attacks, and it just goes on about what a terrible person you are for not supporting the social agenda that any rational person must see as the way things should be. Is it truly a case of walk-away, then? Or is there some way to get the issue back on point or, better, invalidate the personal attack leaving no avenue other than rational argumentation? Or is it beyond rational at that point? It just really baffles me that a social viewpoint supposedly based on caring and compassion is so quick to demonize an opposing viewpoint and use that as a basis for an argument as if it won the day. Maybe I'm just venting :-) EDIT: Here's their last response, to which I then gave them the last word. The community and poster have been left out, as they aren't here to defend themselves, and I suppose it's my failing that I play fair: As for how I feel? The thing is: I DO feel. And I also think. Neither of which you have proven to have a capacity for. The reason we have mandated taxes is precisely because of people like you who wouldn't bother dropping a dime to raise the quality of someone else's life if it were solely a matter of your discretion. But regardless, I don't do this to feel morally superior. I do it because I'm rational, and realize that my own quality of life will go up when everyone else's does. A rising tide lifts all boats. You, who refuse to see beyond the end of your own nose, apparently just don't get this, because it's easier for you to be selfish about short-term personal gain than to open your eyes and see the bigger picture--which includes benefits for you. 32 comments|post comment

Some things become to come clear... [13 Oct 2008|09:47pm] libertarianism [brandon757] This story sheds lot of light on the seemingly arbitrary arrests here in my city... It's a bit old, but still rings true.  How do you all fee about giving cops financial incentives to make arrests? Is there a better way to do it?  7 comments|post comment

Paul Krugman Awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics [13 Oct 2008|10:40pm] libertarianism [paraffinman] http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2008/press.html Since many here know much more about economics than I do, I would like to hear a few opinions. Try to forget for a moment the man's blatant shilling for the Democratic Party in the New York Times over the last decade. On the grounds of his work in the field of economics, do you think that this award is justified, or is this tantamount to Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize? 30 comments|post comment

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