Taxes!

[Marlin]

Marlin!!! Are you doing this??!!?? SHAME on you. Don't you know you should never do this???? Drawing broad conclusions aye
and play fast and loose. Hah!

I think there are some fundamental differences between osteo and myself. I can only guess as to why.

I am critical, cynical, and assume the worst in people. I see conspiracy in everything. I assume that those who have the most to lose, will take the most extreme and unthinkable actions/lies to make sure they don't. Most of this is based on my experience in the real world, at home and abroad. I was never like this until I started moving around the country and meeting other than midwesterners. The predators in Norfolk and self-centered of So Cal kind of ruined me toward people in general. People in the world are not good, believe what you like, but the bad far outnumber the good, and the good will lose nine times out of ten. Furthermore, you can't lose assuming the worst, and you will never be disappointed. I also know that once you give someone power, it is virtually impossible to take it away. (government, CEOs, police and so on)

Disclaimer!!
These are just my thoughts based on our discussions here:
Osteo seems to see the best in people and assume everything is good unless proven otherwise. He seems to think that the systems work and there is no conspiracy in the upper echelons to make as much money as possible, or obtain as much power is possible.

If there was a stranger in my living room in the middle of the night, I would assume he is up to no good and he would get 3 shots in the chest. It seems that Osteo would assume it was a neighbor needing some sugar and offer him a cup of coffee.
I may be wrong about the intruder, but I would rather be wrong and alive then assume the best of the intruder and end up dead.

[Osteomata]

A self serving self portrait, and a gross mis-characterization of my views. Yes, Marlin, you are so right, I would offer them coffee. Moronic on its face. I think people are a wide mix of horrific and good, and sometimes at nearly the same time. What I try to do is avoid tinfoil hat conspiracy theories, gross assumptions about groups based upon anecdote and emotionally based confirmation bias, as well as the libertarian vice of assuming all government programs are evil, and equally evil. While maintaining skepticism about psychiatric medication, I reject your Tom Cruise endorsed views on the entire science of psychology and psychiatry. Go jump on an Oprah couch.

I think there are some fundamental differences between osteo and myself. I can only guess as to why.

I am critical, cynical, and assume the worst in people. I see conspiracy in everything. I assume that those who have the most to lose, will take the most extreme and unthinkable actions/lies to make sure they don't. Most of this is based on my experience in the real world, at home and abroad. I was never like this until I started moving around the country and meeting other than midwesterners. The predators in Norfolk and self-centered of So Cal kind of ruined me toward people in general. People in the world are not good, believe what you like, but the bad far outnumber the good, and the good will lose nine times out of ten. Furthermore, you can't lose assuming the worst, and you will never be disappointed. I also know that once you give someone power, it is virtually impossible to take it away. (government, CEOs, police and so on)

Disclaimer!!
These are just my thoughts based on our discussions here:
Osteo seems to see the best in people and assume everything is good unless proven otherwise. He seems to think that the systems work and there is no conspiracy in the upper echelons to make as much money as possible, or obtain as much power is possible.

If there was a stranger in my living room in the middle of the night, I would assume he is up to no good and he would get 3 shots in the chest. It seems that Osteo would assume it was a neighbor needing some sugar and offer him a cup of coffee.
I may be wrong about the intruder, but I would rather be wrong and alive then assume the best of the intruder and end up dead.

[Marlin]

What I try to do is avoid tinfoil hat conspiracy theories, gross assumptions about groups based upon anecdote and emotionally based confirmation bias,

I opened my statement about you with a disclaimer, based on your positions and statements in our discussions. Regardless of stats, you seem dead set on the fact that it isn't the individual's fault they are the way they are, that it is our fault (the taxpayer) and we are responsible to make sure they are taken care of, hence the idea that if someone broke into your home to steal your tv, you should help them out, its not their fault. That is how I see long term government aid, they are thieves, both the government and the people getting money.
The stats are not gross assumptions. When greater than half of your inmates and financial aid goes to a certain group of people, and that group of people only represents 20-25% of your total population, that is fact. It points that there is something wrong, and I hate to think its genetic(although looking at pro sports demographics, perhaps it is?), so it must be cultural. That is not emotional, it is not anecdotal (compile all the anecdotal evidence and it then becomes fact), it 100% fact. You choose to ignore it because for some reason you think that perhaps being labeled as bigot is the end of the world? People can't be held accountable for their actions? Sink or swim, its their choice.
As I said before, I assume the worst about people, then you can never be disappointed, only pleasantly surprised.

I am not sure how my statement is self serving, I pointed out that I am closed minded, paranoid and so on. Unless you are saying that it is a great thing...if so, come join the team, our ranks are growing very quickly

As for the bulbs, I kind of see it as the same concept of Hybrid cars. In the short term they are awesome. Save money on power and so on. Its the long term repercussions we aren't considering. We will have to create an entirely new government program to make sure people are recycling and that they are trained in the cleanup. Would it be child endangerment if I don't follow their rules? Check out the recommended clean up for a broken CFL...lol. Guess I better start saving all those glass jars I throw away

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...ulbs-dangerous
(BTW, most of my lights are CFL in the house, screw the environment, I just wanted to save on my electricity bill...)

A better option would be to force the industry to make the transformers for almost all devices more efficient. Those little black boxes we plug in to the wall are less than 17% efficient. Force that industry to make em 70% or better, roll the extra 1 dollar it would cost in using copper instead of aluminum or the like to the consumer and we will save millions of watt/hrs in power a year. No environmental issues, no negatives and so on.