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Vent-ilation
Topic Started: Jan 15 2017, 02:22 AM (1,636 Views)
~Alkarii~
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Well, I'm probably going to lose this job, too. They keep putting me at the fastest machines, expecting me to be as good as people who have been here for several months, because apparently putting someone at something they know is far beyond their abilities will teach them how to do the job, while what it's actually doing is keeping someone too frustrated to even realize when they do something that will actually help them catch up to a machine that is simply too fast.
Since my liver is larger than my heart, does that mean I'm designed to drink more and care less?
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~The Boss~
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Native Son

Today is October 29. I just saw a Christmas commerical on TV during the Patriots-Chargers game. It was for Best Buy.

Santa must be stopped.
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~Deadly Aim~
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Deadeye '17, eager to move on from the slow-motion train wreck that was last year.
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Watch for Valentines stuff after Thanksgiving.

No, seriously.
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~Alissa~
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~The Boss~
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Native Son

Ok, so...

We're in a pretty big cultural moment right now. A lot of powerful men are being taken to task for their inappropriate behavior. Harvey Weinstein. Kevin Spacey (news flash: this is totally not news). Louis CK (this either). Roy Moore (anyone shocked at this one hasn't been paying attention since, oh, about 1987; those guys always turn out to be way, way worse than the rest of us). And all of this is very important. But I don't wanna talk about any of that. Instead, I would like to talk about something that is much closer to home.

I'm gonna flip around #metoo. Cause when I say "me too," I don't mean that I'm a victim. I mean that I'm a perpetrator.

When I was in high school, I put my hand on a girl's butt. It was after halftime at a football game, and all us band kinds were in a scrum at the concessions stand. There was no line, just a mass of kids. She was right in front of me, and I took advantage of the opportunity. I planted my hand there, firmly on her ass. Not grabbing, just touching. But I kept it there, for a good long while. I don't know that she even noticed, because in there was all kinds of body contact going on there. Or maybe she did, and like so many other women and girls, she was too afraid to say anything. I'd like to say she shouldn't have been, that had she noticed, she should have turned around and laid me out, cause I wasn't and still am not a very big guy, and most likely would have gone down with one punch. But I'm also not a girl. And I don't understand that kind of fear.

(Yes, yes, I know guys are victims too. And you know what? Most of their abusers are men, and they're scared shitless of them. So shut the fuck up)

They say that sexual assault is not about sex, but rather power. And that's mostly true. But it's not always true. Sometimes, it's about weakness. I was 16. I'd never kissed a girl at that point never really been out on a date. To me, this was less about male dominance and more like sticking your hand in the cookie jar. Naturally, that doesn't excuse anything, nor does the fact that I was just a teenager and didn't know any better, because of course I knew better. The fact is, there is no excuse. It was wrong, plain and simple.

I'd like to say that I've grown up since then, that I never did anything like that ever again. But now that I think about it, I'm not so sure. I can be very flirty. Not in a gross way, but you know, in a coy yet fairly obvious way. And huggy too. And while in many of those situations, I always thought it was just playful and not at all serious and of course I'm not at all expecting you to come back to my place and I swear to god I mean that sincerely, I'm doubtful that they saw it the same way. Maybe they did, and I have nothing to worry about. Or maybe they didn't, and I'm just like all these horrible lechers that I am disgusted by.

This isn't about "being careful." Because there's a huge difference between flirting and predatory behavior, and it's not hard to tell the difference. And if you're confused, then I would submit that you are part of the problem. No, what this is about is recognizing what you are doing. To recognize when attention is unwanted, and to back off accordingly. And for crying out loud, to keep your hands to yourself.

We all need to do better. And by we, I mean men.

As for the ladies out there, keep it up. Otherwise we'll never learn.
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~Alkarii~
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So, after my mom threw a fit that it's hard to do any Christmas shopping for me, because I buy stuff for myself all the time, I made a list, made sure most of it was cheap, and didn't buy anything for a few weeks. But, because I hadn't seen anyone else's list, or heard a single word about who wanted what, I didn't get anything for anyone else.

This morning, my mom sent me a text asking which of her gifts was from me. When I told her I didn't know what anyone wanted because I didn't know what anyone wanted, she got pissed. The only things I know of that she'd like are Ohio State themed, or related to the first Legend of Zelda game. I never see much pertaining to the second that she would like or use, and she has plenty of cups, jackets, blankets, and popcorn tins.

If I manage to move out this year, I'm not gonna bother with celebrating another Christmas.
Since my liver is larger than my heart, does that mean I'm designed to drink more and care less?
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+transcon+
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Had a great day today! /s

Wanted to take the ebike to Walmart. They wouldn't let me in with the bike and backpack. So, left. On the way back to the terminal here in Phoenix, while trying to remain legal, part of South 75th Ave had no bike lane or shoulder. Couldn't see the broken parts of asphalt until it was too late. Ended up bouncing hard to the left into the dirt where there was a deep divot where I wiped out.

Ended up in the ER. Everything internal was where it's supposed to be, so my brain, ribs, lungs, and spine are okay. Ended up with a lot of bruising and sprains and a LOT of pain.

Also, my bicycle helmets likely saved my life. The left side cracked straight through, and the strap broke.

That's what I get for trying to remain legal and courteous to traffic. Fuuu.... ow.
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~Alkarii~
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Some asshole who has known me for years and knows by now that I don't condone killing another person except under specific circumstances (war, or to prevent murder, rape, torture, or abduction, or to end suffering when they're already in the middle of dying a painful death) said that, because I'm a gun owner and not in favor of banning guns (which literally will not stop gang members and drug dealers from having or getting guns, because of the black market and gun runners), I'm the reason some nut job killed a bunch of people at a school down in Florida.

I'd like to point out that the more than 80 million gun owners in this country not only would not condone what that guy did, but most likely would have shot him more than once if they had been there.

That guy made a choice. Nobody forced him to pick up a rifle, nobody forced him to squeeze the trigger. Sure, he may have bought it legally, but with no prior convictions, what could a background check (which, by the way, is already done at the time of purchase; I'd done it twice, and I'm about to do it again soon) have turned up? That he got expelled from school? By law, that doesn't disqualify you from owning, buying, or otherwise having access to a firearm.

Felonies, and certain misdemeanors involving family or people living with you, or being determined mentally unfit by a court of law, these things bar you from owning a gun legally, and these are the things the federal firearms check looks for. What other relevant information could there possibly be that isn't already covered? The only ways I can think of to expand a background check beyond that is to find out everywhere they've lived, worked, where they went to school, traffic violations, whether or not they've been married... None of those are real indicators of a person's intent.

Also, let's not forget that most of the shooting homicides in this country that aren't accidents or in self defense are all gang related, with the victims usually being from other gangs, bystanders, or witnesses.

Also, look into what the media is calling "school shootings." A guy shot himself in a school parking lot somewhere, that's a school shooting. A guy somehow shattered a window on a school bus full of kids by shooting it with a BB gun, that's another. A stray bullet hits the outside wall of a college dormitory? Yup, that was listed as a school shooting.

Pretty much, nobody has to get hurt or killed, and the projectile only has to pass over or near school grounds to be considered a school shooting.

And while we aren't supposed to blame all Muslims whenever some of them commit an act of terrorism or any other serious crime, which I don't, why is it considered okay to blame everyone who owns a gun or at least is okay with responsible people who aren't hurting anyone for every ass weasel who does something like this?

That's like saying because a black guy dresses a certain way and lives in a certain area, he's automatically in a gang. I don't think I've even met a gang member, and I've met quite a few black people who lived in "the 'hood."
Since my liver is larger than my heart, does that mean I'm designed to drink more and care less?
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~The Boss~
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Native Son

Ok, first of all...

You just expressed a strong political opinion. It is one that I and others disagree with. That is fine. You are allowed to express yourself. Nobody will stop you from doing this.

So, next time one of us comments on the issues of the day, don't say you don't wanna hear it, or tell us to shut up, or to watch what we say. You do not get to tell people to keep quiet about their opinions while at the same time going on at length about yours. Kay? Kay.

Now then...

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Some asshole who has known me for years and knows by now that I don't condone killing another person except under specific circumstances


You are not the victim here. I feel like that should go without saying, but clearly a reminder is in order.

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said that, because I'm a gun owner and not in favor of banning guns (which literally will not stop gang members and drug dealers from having or getting guns, because of the black market and gun runners), I'm the reason some nut job killed a bunch of people at a school down in Florida.


You do not support common sense gun measures. You oppose efforts to make it more difficult for people like this to obtain a gun. You voted for a president who rolled back gun restrictions on the mentally ill. You say you don't condone killing, but you certainly condone making it easier for violent, unstable individuals to legally purchase firearms.

So yeah, you and those who believe as you do and who vote for leaders who promise to not only do nothing to stop this but in fact go backwards and act as if that is a good thing, you are absolutely complicit.

But back to this:

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because I'm a gun owner and not in favor of banning guns


Nobody is suggesting that. Nobody ever has. All we want is to make it more difficult for people who shouldn't have guns to get guns. Right now, it is obscenely easy. Many would like to change that. I don't think that is unreasonable.

Compromises are possible. There is no reason why we can't keep deadly weapons out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them without infringing on the rights of law abiding citizens. But you refuse to compromise. Therefore, nothing gets done, and the routine slaughter of innocent human lives will continue.

We can ban military style firearms without touching hunting rifles, shotguns, or handguns. Besides, no civilian needs an AR-15. For anything. If a shotgun is not enough to protect your home, I would suggest moving to a nicer neighborhood.

But no, you just gotta have that AR. Anything less would be tyranny.

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That guy made a choice. Nobody forced him to pick up a rifle, nobody forced him to squeeze the trigger


So, when one man acting alone made the decision to get a rifle and murder five police officers here in Dallas during a Black Lives Matter protest, who did you blame? Because if you blamed Black Lives Matter and/or Obama - and based on previous comments you've made, I would bet that you did - then you have zero right to make this argument.

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Sure, he may have bought it legally, but with no prior convictions, what could a background check (which, by the way, is already done at the time of purchase; I'd done it twice, and I'm about to do it again soon) have turned up? That he got expelled from school? By law, that doesn't disqualify you from owning, buying, or otherwise having access to a firearm.


Oh, I don't know, how about the fact that he had been making violent threats against students?

The thing is, current background checks are so laughably weak to the point of being useless. It's sickening how many loopholes there are to be exploited. For example, a background check is supposed to prevent domestic abusers from purchasing guns. Thousands do anyway. And even if those people who were supposed to have been barred actually were, there is a gigantic loophole: the definition of domestic violence as it pertains to this law only covers spouses and children. So, were I arrested for beating the shit out of my girlfriend, a background check would not stop me from buying a gun, because we are not married. Nor would her taking out a restraining order against me. This clearly violent behavior is perfectly fine under current gun laws. We can fix this, and other loopholes, but again, people like you will not allow this to happen, because you vote against leaders who would take such action, all in the name of some vague notion of "freedom."

(Just to be clear: I have never, EVER, hit my girlfriend, and I never will. She does bite and scratch me sometimes, but that's different)

You know what else doesn't prevent you from buying guns? Being in the No-Fly list. Yes, even in a country as paranoid about terrorism as this one, being a suspected terrorist doesn't mean you can't buy a gun. We tried to change that after Orlando, but it didn't happen. Why? Because well for one, there were some concerns about people being falsely put on the list (Was it Rand Paul? Sounds like him). Which is a totally fair point, because there are people who shouldn't be on that list (And to be fair, among those complaining was the ACLU). But you know what? If I come to find that I'm on a terrorist watch list, I would be way more concerned about why I'm on that list in the first place. Not being able to buy a gun would be a secondary concern at best.

But you know, another reason that didn't happen was because the far right freaked out that soon conservatives would be labelled terrorists and have their guns taken away. Think about that for a second. Even to the people most afraid of terrorism - right wing conservatives - taking action to keep guns out of the hands of suspected terrorists is asking way too much when it comes to guns.

Here's yet another thing we can do something about. The shooter, a 19 year old, was able to legally purchase an AR-15 without any problems. You know what a 19 year old cannot legally purchase? Beer. He is not legally responsible enough to drink alcohol, but he is legally responsible to purchase a a high powered killing machine. I know, totally logical.

But again, these are thing that we can easily to to stop maniacs from getting their hands on firearms, and yet we don't. Because you guys won't let us. And as long as you continue to support these NRA stooges, this will continue to happen. Cause in case you haven't noticed, Thoughts and Prayers ain't doing a goddamn thing.

And oh by the way:

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I'd done it twice, and I'm about to do it again soon


If you can pass a background check, then what are you so scared of? Again, this is not about you.

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Also, let's not forget that most of the shooting homicides in this country that aren't accidents or in self defense are all gang related, with the victims usually being from other gangs, bystanders, or witnesses.


This is a completely different issue. Many, many countries have problems with crime and gang violence. But there is only one country that has the problem of periodic slaughter of innocent civilians by deranged individuals, and that is the United States of America.

Take Canada. Canada has very strict gun laws (And universal health care!). Guns are not banned, and many people have them. But they are very difficult to obtain, especially compared to this country. And Canada is not exactly high on the list of the world's most repressive regimes. But don't take my word for it. Cemp is Canadian. Why don't you ask him what it's like living in a totalitarian state? Or how Canadians can possibly defend their freedom without unfettered access to automatic and semiautomatic weapons? My guess is he'll probably react as if you asked him how to mine the moon for cheese. Because that's insane. And so is the notion that we must have all these deadly weapons for the sake of the Constitution.

And as for the gang violence you claim to be so concerned about, apart from the fact that the general public (translation: suburban/small town white people) are generally unaffected by this, where do you think those black market guns come from? Do you think there's some illegal gun factory out there somewhere that caters to the criminal underworld? No, of course you don't, because that's stupid. But you also don't stop to think about the fact that these gun runners either purchase their guns legally or from people who do. Stop reading right now and go Google "straw purchases." Got it? Good. We can ban those, and it would have zero effect on your rights as a law abiding gun owner. Hell, we could ban gun shows altogether, completely close that loophole, and it would have zero effect on your rights as a law abiding gun owner. That would go a long way towarda keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. And yet, once again, people like you consider this an unacceptable infrigement on good ol' American liberty. So don't use that as an excuse as to why you won't support gun control, because there are ways to stop it that don't affect you at all. You just refuse to allow your representatives to do it.

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Also, look into what the media is calling "school shootings." A guy shot himself in a school parking lot somewhere, that's a school shooting. A guy somehow shattered a window on a school bus full of kids by shooting it with a BB gun, that's another. A stray bullet hits the outside wall of a college dormitory? Yup, that was listed as a school shooting


Is that supposed to make me feel better? Seriously?

58 dead in Las Vegas. 26 dead in Sutherland Springs. 17 dead in Florida. 101 total. 101 people killed by three men. Three. But by all means, continue to complain about the media.

Columbine happened when I was in high school. I'm 35 now. You know what we've done since Columbine? Nothing. Worse than nothing. We've gone backwards. It's happening more and more than ever before.

Here are some other massacres I remember from my teen years. Jonesboro, Arkansas. Paducah, Kentucky. Pearl, Mississippi. The names of those towns are burned into my memory. They shouldn't be.

Again, this ONLY happens in America. It happens because we allow it to happen. We allow it to happen because people like you get all bent out of shape even over the most bare minimum of gun laws.

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And while we aren't supposed to blame all Muslims whenever some of them commit an act of terrorism or any other serious crime, which I don't, why is it considered okay to blame everyone who owns a gun or at least is okay with responsible people who aren't hurting anyone for every ass weasel who does something like this?


It's not everyone who owns a gun. It's everyone who owns a gun and also thinks the government is gonna take their guns if a single new gun law is passed. And it is very disingenuous to talk about "responsible" gun owners when you guys object even to laws clearly aimed at the irresponsible ones. Domestic abusers. Criminals. The mentally ill. Terrorists. These are the people you are protecting in the name of your freedom, because you think it means we want to take away your guns. But we don't want to take away your guns, just their guns, because they shouldn't have guns. But you still won't let us do even that. Why is that so unreasonable to you?

We tried to ban bump stocks after Vegas. Couldn't do it. We tried to ban extended magazines after Tuscon. Couldn't do it. We tried to put in place more stringent mental health screenings in background checks after Newtown. Couldn't. Fucking. Do it. Why? Becuase you guys revolted against your representatives and threatened to replace them with someone more gun crazy if they even tried.

...........

TL;DR: Look man, we get it. You like guns. That's fine. I like guns too. But you do not support any restrictions on owning guns. Fine. So long as you understand that this is the tradeoff. That other people are paying the price for your freedom with their lives.

If that makes you uncomfortable, then vote these NRA puppets out of office. But I suspect you won't do that. Okay, fine. But don't be surprised when it happens again. Because it will. I can guarantee you that.

And when it does, for the love of God, can you at least wait until the bodies are cold before playing the victim?
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+Lt. Jessie+
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Might I suggest that highly politically-sensitive subjects be addressed without attacking either side. While opinions are allowed on the forum, to play yourself as the victim without justification or setting of straight facts (AKA: News from media that is still in development, SJW opinions, extreme right/left debates) is nothing more but trying to bring attention to yourself, which I feel is happening here.

Now, again, opinions are allowed to be spoken freely here, but do bear in mind that opposition will take place since not all opinions will be accepted by everyone, just as your opinions may not be accepted by others and you may not accept others opinions.


Now to address this guns situation.

What people are mixing up is gun restriction and gun banning.

To my understanding, Gun Restriction is imposing laws to make it more difficult to obtain a gun. This is what the government should be doing, but they aren't for whatever reason. To me, and keep in mind this is purely my observation and opinion, if the government does tighten the restrictions, you have those who cry bloody murder that amendments are being encroached on.

Then you have Gun Bans, which is wanting to get rid of civilian-owned guns. Period. Of course, this is going to have so many repercussions that, like Gun Restrictions, they are going to cry bloody murder because rights are being violated. There's just no winning solution to it.

The main problem is that there aren't enough restrictions, which would be a better route to take versus a ban. Several points have been made but there are a few I do want to take note.

Guns themselves are not the ones that kill people. They are inanimate objects, just like knives, bombs, and other weapons. They are tools, tools made by man to be used by man for various purposes. However, man (and woman) are the ones who choose what to do with said tools, either using them for good or evil intent. In the case of the recent Florida shooting, it is more or less an evil intent of bringing harm to others for whatever reason (Pardon my ignorance at the moment regarding this event, but I haven't been keeping up with the news as of late). What they choose to do is use the tool to bring grief and pain. As with most shootings, there are motives behind it, most of them not very thought out, or even logical in most cases.

Now, the person behind the tool might not be so sound, which I understand is where the issue of background checks are not doing their jobs. Honestly, they aren't doing a very sound job at all. Unfortunately, there are not enough flags, or restrictions, that are being set as warnings about a person if they wanted to purchase a gun. Criminal records are obvious, but what about the lesser ones? Domestic violence apparently isn't one of these flags, nor is mental stability, which tends to be a huge factor in situtations that are too late. These lesser ones are the ones that vendors actually have to look out for, perhaps even be advised on by local authorities if something seems amiss. But why doesn't this happen? Because people think too much personal information is going to be spilled and it violates their privacy. You'd be surprised with how much information can be found through personal information, especially for possible motives and stressors. So what now? Just something to think about.

"School shootings" is an arbitrary term. For all intents and purposes, it is a shooting that happens near any educational facility where there are students and/or faculty involved. No matter how you look at it, there are students and/or faculty who are possibly endangered, whether or not they are on educational facilities or not. It's a possible attempt at a life, and people shouldn't treat it so lightly. As someone who has worked with kids, it would be very painful and sad to lose a life so young, doubly so for parents (Not married yet so I don't have kids of my own, but I can only imagine the pain they feel to lose a child).

As for the blame game... People will always find a scapegoat. No one likes to admit that they did wrong and will find someone else to blame it on, whether it's the government, some relative, a significant other, an entire ethnic group, a religious group, or even a friend. There will always be a scapegoat, whether we choose to or not, and unfortunately, part of this does have to do with the media, who skew the truth in one form or another, intentionally or not.

Now, I will allow this discussion to continue given that IT STAYS CIVIL, there are no attacks on each other's opinions, and all facts are straight before making any claims, especially current "hot-topic" events. Otherwise, take this discussion to PMs or other forms of messaging outside of Reality's Exile if it feels like the subject will get too hot.
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