[Bytor Peltor]

Drawering by Matt

 

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

“playing” the stock market for civilians is just that... “playing”. a recipe for disaster. nobody beats the market in the long run. hence the genius of john bogle. actually he got the idea from a professor? but yeah he was the entrepreneur who turned that vapor into a reality.

...

UBC: think about it as a trust fund.

see, the reason for the dreaded inequality is not one of “income” per se. it’s wealth.

when you’re born poor and come from nothing and maybe have the wrong hairdo one small fuckup can spiral into a lot of trouble. unpaid traffic tickets literally can land you in jail—im not joking. the u.s. still has debtors prisons in some jurisdictions. good luck finding a job as an ex-convict.

but when you have a wealth cushion you can fuck up and suffer misfortune and still come up smelling like roses.

and yes not everyone is great at managing their capital. people often squander their lives. maybe the bounty should be contingent on passing an economics course. i don’t know...

i just think that the future might very well be unemployed. and if income is tied to employment... good luck beating the robots

then again we might be to work at things we haven’t dreamed of yet.

but the way for the people to “own the means of production” is to ACTUALLY own them instead of trying to loot them. be a shareholder. PAY ME MY DIVIDENDS, COCA-COLA.

OK, fine. But my point still stands. If people want to get into that they can maybe transfer their UBI into a UBC. I won't complain if they end up doing really well out of it, but as someone who reads this stuff and frankly hasn't the foggiest, I'd rather just take my chances with a liveable income, discipline myself to spend within my means each month (which I've been doing all my adult life anyway) and accept my fate.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

OK, fine. But my point still stands. If people want to get into that they can maybe transfer their UBI into a UBC. I won't complain if they end up doing really well out of it, but as someone who reads this stuff and frankly hasn't the foggiest, I'd rather just take my chances with a liveable income, discipline myself to spend within my means each month (which I've been doing all my adult life anyway) and accept my fate.

i hear you and that is a great point. indeed could be swappable—that’s what an annuity is, or a dividend fund.

and your stoic stance should be the beginning of everything.

unfortunately “discipline” is un-pc these days. “oppression,” or something. “how can i have discipline i deserve to eat at the same restaurants everyone else does” etc.

the other thing to consider is that beyond our basic needs (see maslow’s hierarchy etc) the economy is determined by DESIRE. i.e., what is valuable is what people want. a baby beanie or a hot croissant or an airplane.

what humans may desire in the age of basic need satisfaction is unfathomable to us. might look like star trek—materialize a meal on command, yet chase the dilithium across the galaxy.

maybe porn stars will become the new bazillionaires because bots wont be able to best them for a while. or professional dancers. who knows really? we can’t know.

but it’s the next big thing to solve. unlimited solar power, vat meat, robotic labor... where does it end? i expect once liberated of basic needs we might reach for unimaginable things. then again could be zardoz-like stagnation. or dumb shit like twitter fame—humans are hierarchical after all.

alternatively, look at borges’ “utopia of a tired man”, or however “utopía de un hombre que está cansado” was translated.

i like speculating about this shit. might be important, might be pointless wank, but do you remember life pre-internet? hahahahaaaaaa

i was living in the middle ages until recently in a voluntary experiment. trust me, the present is fantastic and we’re rich beyond the wildest dreams of our ancestors.

i drink better wine than charlemagne ever did and it comes in a box that takes 2 hours of minimum wage to pay.

please enjoy the ride.

[ilduclo]

On Friday, the Trump administration announced a new rule that would bar family planning centers that offer abortion or provide referrals to doctors that perform them. This is bad. Very, very bad. And it's also extremely unlikely that the Supreme Court, in its current state, will be striking this down.

The $286 million will be redirected to "faith-based" programs like crisis pregnancy centers. You know, those shady places that lure women in by pretending to be abortion clinics and then try to talk them out of having abortions? And also don't offer birth control or condoms or STD tests or anything else remotely related to family planning? Yeah. Those. They're getting $286 million for, I suppose, especially ritzy Bible studies or something. Because that is a thing that is very helpful to people and a good use of our taxpayer dollars.

[Skuj]

Trump does supply/demand with Evangelicals.

Whatever the Evangelicals demand, Trump will supply.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

i was living in the middle ages until recently in a voluntary experiment. trust me, the present is fantastic and we’re rich beyond the wildest dreams of our ancestors.

It depends how you want to define rich. Yes I can get more stuff than say, my parents generation, but they could buy a house on a very modest income in a city I can now barely rent a room in. They could plan for the future whereas the thing that marks the current era is an almost total lack of stability. I'm one of the lucky ones, with a (for now) steady income but I look around me, especially at those a generation or two below me, stuck in jobs with zero-hour contracts, with no prospects and the only word I can think of to describe their situation is hopeless. Tomorrow for those people is a horrifying place so it's hardly any wonder that so many of them are blowing what little they have on things that help blot it out. Your excursion into the middle ages may have been a voluntary experiment but for many it's an enforced reality, even if they happen to own a smart-phone and a pair of Nike Air-Max.

[choc e-Claire]

Originally Posted by Robert Schunk

even as [the concept of normal family life] is currently under attack by the LGBTQ+ movement

More rights for others doesn't mean fewer rights for you.

[Bytor Peltor]

In my 29 years of Employment, it never dawned on me that my pending retirement could make someone angry. I’ve been blessed to have health insurance for every day of my Employment......and for my family for the almost 21 years we’ve been married. Of course, while my job pays 100% of my insurance (and will do so until the day I die), the amount I pay monthly to cover my family is equivalent to a new car note......dental is extra! And this is why I drive a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 180k miles on it.

I’ve worked long and hard to reach this point, it’s something I’m proud of. More importantly, it’s something I’ve earned! Dedication and loyalty are traits one carves out for themselves over the course of 30+ years. I’ll be contacting the Retirement office next week, giving the go ahead to prepare my Retirement packet. Next month my wife and I will go sit down to ask questions and weigh my options:

A) retiring in 2020 after 30 years of service
B) retiring in 2023 after 33 years of service

If I retire in 2020, the plan is to NOT touch the Retirement money (let it keep compounding) and start a new carrier. Not touching my Retirement for five years will cause my monthly payout to double and I hope to take advantage.

Originally Posted by Savage Clone

The whole concept of retirement makes me so angry because it's only available to a very select a group of people who have a very select set of variables available to them. I'm working until I die without any doubt. and I hope I die relatively young because of that. I also haven't had health insurance aside from a total sham masquerading as health insurance since sometime in the mid-90s. And the total sham only lasted about six months. people acting like they get to retire and thinking it's some kind of normal thing that everyone has a right to just makes me so angry. I work incredibly hard and I'm going to work incredibly hard until I die.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

It depends how you want to define rich.

overabundant food
too many clothes
horseless carriages
central heating
refrigeration
power on demand
24/7 hot water
running water
sanitation
garbage service
home theaters
telecommunications
fire/police/ambulance on call
washing machine
dishwashing machine
blender, microwave, etc
year-round ice cream
spices!


and yes, yes, MODERN MEDICINE.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Yes I can get more stuff than say, my parents generation,

we all can

this thing about standing on the shoulders of giants is true

we sit on piles of accummulated wealth we can’t even perceive

we’re spoiled as fuck

Originally Posted by demonrail666

but they could buy a house on a very modest income in a city I can now barely rent a room in.

real estate changes. reason we left dc in the mid aughts. saw a $50k apartment go for $500,000 and said “we’ll never be able to buy a house here”

at the time i cried “gentrification!” and sure it was not easy to leave a city you love, but when i came back it was a different city. things just change. such is life. we all lose things.

if your parents generation did not cash in on the golden opportunity of exploding real estate prices it was probably due to taxes, fees, “excess profits”, and that kind of stuff. but how lucky to have invested at the right time! imagine? in dc a lot of modest homeowners walked away with millions.

i could have done the same in d.c. actually. i remeber looking at a $60k apartment that must have sold for 20 times a decade later. but i chose to pursue bohemian foolishness and globetrotting adventures instead! can only blame myself, but hey, i was young, had my fun, was stupid.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

They could plan for the future whereas the thing that marks the current era is an almost total lack of stability.

so we are richer but less stable. sure... or more mobile.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I'm one of the lucky ones, with a (for now) steady income

well, like you said, you have discipline and accept limitations. it’s nice of you to thank your luck but those are qualities an employer would appreciate.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

but I look around me, especially at those a generation or two below me, stuck in jobs with zero-hour contracts, with no prospects and the only word I can think of to describe their situation is hopeless.

what is a zero-hour contract and what types of jobs are we talking about? i cant see what you mean.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Tomorrow for those people is a horrifying place so it's hardly any wonder that so many of them are blowing what little they have on things that help blot it out.

haaaaa haaaa i did the same thing at their age. i was not serious. road of excess, palace of wisdom, all that shit.

i understand the notion that delayed gratification is difficult for the distressed (jordan peterson talks about that extensively actuallly) but it’s up to the individual to get their shit together. we can’t be children forever.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Your excursion into the middle ages may have been a voluntary experiment but for many it's an enforced reality, even if they happen to own a smart-phone and a pair of Nike Air-Max.

do they chop their own wood? grow their own food? butcher their animals and preserve their meat? haul their water? i seriously seriously doubt it. it takes constant hard work and is exhausting and it doesn’t pay.

unless you’re talking about the homeless—different story.

i had the luck (we all have some luck some time, like your lucky steady income) of having a chance to build my own house in a remote area. living there was super cheap but very hard. it definitely had its joys. but i found first-hand why peasants left for urban life. IT’S HARD BEING A PEASANT.

what works best in the modern economy is:
-specialize in something that has a future (a career, not a “job”)
-trade with the rest of the world
-mommy is not here. be entrepreneurial about what you have to offer the world. don’t sit there waiting for opportunities to come to you.
-strive to provide a good value instead of just crying for more
-be grateful about what you have instead of envious of what you see on teevee/facebook/whatever
-and learn to manage your resources like a grownup. dont make excuses.
-keep your wits about you and be aware of change

is success guaranteed? no. will your shitty poetry get you the big bucks? FUCK NO. lolololol. unless you’re a rapper then maybe you’re onto something haaa haaahaaa.

[!@#$%!]

on the one hand (what my brother did, he’s doing amazingly well)

https://www.collegechoice.net/50-hig...ege-graduates/

on the other hand if you insist that you must be a dumb boho (what i did)

https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/jerr...an-artist.html

Lesson 20: Accept That You Will Likely Be Poor

Even though all we see of the art world these days are astronomical prices, glitz, glamour, and junkie-like behavior, remember that only one percent of one percent of one percent of all artists become rich off their artwork. You may feel overlooked, underrecognized, and underpaid. Too bad. Stop feeling sorry for yourself; that’s not why you’re doing this.

—

PRECISELY. thank you.

don’t tell me that i must be resentful.

I CHOSE.

now im gonna eat cake

(for breakfast. cuz we baked one yesterday.)

[!@#$%!]

it is so nice to have a front seat to liverpool-man u this morning!

[

 

[demonrail666]

[quote=!@#$%!]
do they chop their own wood? grow their own food? butcher their animals and preserve their meat? haul their water? [?quote]

Of course not, but nor did you risk catching the Black Death, so let's not turn this into a Medieval pissing contest.

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

is success guaranteed? no. will your shitty poetry get you the big bucks? FUCK NO.

I've never written a line of poetry, shitty or otherwise, in my life.

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

on the other hand if you insist that you must be a dumb boho (what i did)

https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/jerr...an-artist.html

[i]Lesson 20: Accept That You Will Likely Be Poor

I've said already, I made my choices and I stand by them.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Of course not, but nor did you risk catching the Black Death, so let's not turn this into a Medieval pissing contest.



I've never written a line of poetry, shitty or otherwise, in my life.



I've said already, I made my choices and I stand by them.

me too! i blame nobody but myself.

and im ok with it! i made my choices and i own them.

i dont want the state to be my mommy and i dont have time to hate “the rich”. what dumbfuckery. i have what i want. which is little—but i enjoy it like a crackhead loves his pipe

and im the dumb boho who wrote poetry lmfao. was i not clear??

also, precisely, no black death. i counted the absence of the black death (i said “modern medicine”) to the definition of “being rich”

it’s always about the alternatives!

our standard of life is unequaled in the history of humanity.

[choc e-Claire]

Originally Posted by Robert Schunk

That would be the general case, but for the fact that I have seen gay rights (in the form of gay adoption) being used as a "solution" to the problem of heterosexual family formation being made more difficult due to negative economic pressure.

Not an issue I've come across due to my location (adoption is borderline impossible in Australia, to the point where it's easier to adopt a child overseas and return to the country with them).

Originally Posted by Robert Schunk

Your argument also fails to satisfy my displeasure with the idea that Christian bakeries should be compelled to participate in same-sex weddings, which strikes me as state-ordained compulsory speech, an aspect of totalitarianism.

Oh god, the fucking bakery argument.
I mean, the literal job description for being a baker is to bake things. If you pick and choose whether you'll bake things because of personal characteristics of the buyer, then you're kind of a terrible person.

It'd be like a car salesman refusing to sell cars to women, because it goes against his 'personal convictions'.

Nobody's making the bakers watch the wedding. They just need to bake a cake.

EDIT: and when the business inevitably closes due to bankruptcy, spare me the Fox News tears about the terrible liberals running this poor owner out of business in an anti-religion conspiracy. It's called the free market, something that has its benefits - namely, businesses that suck aren't businesses for very long.

[Rob Instigator]

the idiots' god created gays and liberals just as it created racist and rapists and conservatives, but their stupidity does not let them understand this.

[ilduclo]

Comet Pizza. It is ALWAYS projection with these guys.

[tesla69]

Originally Posted by choc e-Claire

Oh god, the fucking bakery argument.
I mean, the literal job description for being a baker is to bake things. If you pick and choose whether you'll bake things because of personal characteristics of the buyer, then you're kind of a terrible person.
SNIP

..It's called the free market...

So you're for the free market except when you aren't, right?

I think it is ridiculous to not bake a cake, but it is their choice. everyone has their little vial of outrage and it is a big commodity these days on the virtual human networks.

[tesla69]

Originally Posted by ilduclo

Comet Pizza. It is ALWAYS projection with these guys.

Laura Silsby and Anthony Weiner agree with you 100%!


Jeffrey Epstein would like to say something but he's busy now.

[choc e-Claire]

 

^ whenever I see tesla has posted.

The point is: discrimination = bad and illegal.
I'll admit my argument isn't 100% logical. But if I had to choose between a system where the bad (racist, transphobic) businesses didn't make enough money, and a system where they could never be bad in the first place, I'm going with the latter.

[Bytor Peltor]

Our very own Ricardo Wang interviewed Arrington de Dionyso about Comet Pizza. Of course, it was back in 2016 and a little more relevant then.

Originally Posted by ilduclo

Comet Pizza. It is ALWAYS projection with these guys.