BruceVC

Guys here is an excellent debate between Jordan Peterson and Slavoj Žižek about the benefits and or flaws of Capitalism vs the Communism Manifesto As usual I find Peterson erudite, reasonable, logical and compelling. I dont expect anyone to watch all 2 + hours but just the first 40 minutes where Peterson intellectually raises numerous flaws and fabrications with the idea of Communism I cant imagine people defending the " Utopian " ideals of Communism after his points raised

https://fareedzakaria.com/columns/2019/4/25/democrats-theres-a-better-strategy-than-impeachment Another good read from Fareed Zakaria around any Democratic plans to impeach Trump is misplaced and how the greater objective should be addressing the ideological rise of " Trumpism " which will exist in one form or another once Trump is gone

You have raised another important " Trump own goal " , due to his condescending and dismissive remarks towards women he has created an understandable enemy of many women in the USA For example irrespective of Kavanaughs guilt or innocence, we cant say for certain either way, Trump was abrasive and demonstrated contempt for the emotional suffering of Ford during her testimony. This was one of the worst times for him to show his usual lack of compassion and empathy. If I was a women that alone would motivate me to not vote for the Republicans under Trump Again we can see the outcome of this vexation by the number of women Democrat candidates who won seats in the House in the midterm elections, supporting my earlier observation that Trump is at times his own worse enemy

Yes I tend to agree with your post but as usual with these questions they nuanced and have a myriad of considerations For example why would Trump not focus on his " wins " like the tax breaks, the strength of the USA economy and the Kavanaugh appointment, I consider all these outcomes positive and or fair ( the Republicans control the Senate, they had a right to appoint Kavanaugh despite the Ford accusation) ...he almost studiously raises issues that appeal only to his base but alienate moderate or undecided voters I did think Hilary Clinton would win but there were numerous factors that contributed towards her defeat, the primary reason she lost IMO was that she just wasnt the right candidate and did not connect with enough voters. In the 2020 election I dont see the numerous factors playing the same part and undermining any Democratic candidate in the same way but I am just not convinced the current candidates have the correct message So I am also unsure how 2020 will play out at the moment

So at the moment which party has the momentum to win the 2020 election based on current developments and public opinion ?

I am concerned that there are no strong Democratic candidates that could beat Trump, there policies and ideological views are too left or they are more concerned with bashing Trump than explaining what they can do for the USA...endlessly bringing up Charlottesville starts being hackneyed Trump is his own worse enemy around not focusing on his political successes. He raises controversial and divisive policies like the border wall and embellishing the impact of immigration, look at the outcome of the 2018 midterm elections, but if the Democrats dont have a message that resonates with most of the voting public than Trump has the advantage If I could vote and this was 2020 then I would rather not vote as I am not convinced by any Democratic candidate there polices and ideas speak to me

Im watching Narcos: Mexico, its very good and particularly interesting considering all the attention on the USA\Mexican border and the drug trade highlighted by the Trump administration

Looks very good so far, I will spend some time around functionality and see if I experience any issues

Yes but remember the whole point of Romance in RPG is to actually succeed in the Romance, this may sound obvious but it has nuance If the Romance could fail, and they can fail, then you cant RP or imagine that aspect of the RPG journey. So for example lets say you wanted to join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim and you go on these quests that possibly allow you to do this but then you are denied actually joining the DB your character is simply not part of the DB so on the rest of the journey in the Skyrim world you cannot RP this development Romance is a small part of the character and party interaction in almost all RPG but it still should exist so we can explore this avenue of immersive party and or follower interaction But you could RP somebody who failed to join the DB and now has a vendetta against them for not recognizing your greatness. Or any of a million other things related to failing to join the DB. In a romance, you could roleplay unrequited love, or that you hate them because of rejection, or a million other things. RP isn't limited by failure to achieve a goal. True and I agree with the logic For example I would prefer to destroy the DB than to join them

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/62397-the-most-definitive-hamburger-website-ever/page-1 http://www.cheeseandburger.com/ Excellent news guys, I thought I would resurrect this old thread around different types of Cheese Burgers I see this website has updated some burger recipes and ideas. What I love about this website is the hamburger components are easy to understand and everything looks utterly delicious as usual When I move to Cpt I intend to reinvest in some of these gastronomic ideas

Yes but remember the whole point of Romance in RPG is to actually succeed in the Romance, this may sound obvious but it has nuance If the Romance could fail, and they can fail, then you cant RP or imagine that aspect of the RPG journey. So for example lets say you wanted to join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim and you go on these quests that possibly allow you to do this but then you are denied actually joining the DB your character is simply not part of the DB so on the rest of the journey in the Skyrim world you cannot RP this development Romance is a small part of the character and party interaction in almost all RPG but it still should exist so we can explore this avenue of immersive party and or follower interaction I don't really understand what you're trying to say here. ', Sorry, let me explain another way. You said basically that Romance feels cliched and false in a RPG as its very easy to Romance someone I was saying Romance in a RPG is designed to be easy on purpose, you are suppose to succeed in Romance because like other RPG components they provide a challenge but the end goal should be for the player to succeed So in other words if RPG made Romance dialogue and actions overly complicated it may defeat the point of encouraging Romance ...it was just a thought, Im not sure how relevant it is because I dont see how a game designer could " make Romance arcs overly complicated "

I was thinking about the first paragraph and you right, in fact it would be contrary to immersion if all Romance in an RPG couldn't fail. Like other relationships in a game they must be subjected to the same possible outcomes or it would be truly unbelievable and ruin the excitement of choosing this action or decision when there was no consequence But the debate around " immersive parties " will always be subjective, I still believe Romance is part of normal human interaction and should be included. Of course there are other things that define " immersive interaction " with party members in a RPG and those will always be part of RPG where you interact with followers and party members. Also the Romance arc should be optional, not obligatory, so its not like it is forced on you during the quest

Interesting post, I appreciate you posting the links so I can read them and do my own research if necessary

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/spur-waiter-who-got-r4-tip-has-big-dreams-after-strangers-donate-r4-444-20190420 Guys here is a heartwarming story about a black waiter in SA being subjected to racist abuse but complete strangers helping to ameliorate the situation This kind of confirms my opinion that most human beings are inherently good and do try to do the right thing, read the note the stranger left him in the article

Yes but remember the whole point of Romance in RPG is to actually succeed in the Romance, this may sound obvious but it has nuance If the Romance could fail, and they can fail, then you cant RP or imagine that aspect of the RPG journey. So for example lets say you wanted to join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim and you go on these quests that possibly allow you to do this but then you are denied actually joining the DB your character is simply not part of the DB so on the rest of the journey in the Skyrim world you cannot RP this development Romance is a small part of the character and party interaction in almost all RPG but it still should exist so we can explore this avenue of immersive party and or follower interaction

Weren't you rich? There must be something more useful you can offer them?regardless, even if makes us a bad person, am not gonna be sending money to victims in sri lanka or to the folks rebuilding notre dame. is literal dozens o' folks who come through the doors at snahc every day who need help. It does not make you a bad person, but then you also didn't make a show of "thoughts and prayers" like Brucey did, as if such things did anything. Oh but you wrong there, " thoughts and prayers " are a coping mechanism and definitely help many people in times of grief and or personal loss like this attack in Sri Lanka You could be in a situation where you have lost members of your family, friends or loved ones in a war situation, natural disaster, human disaster , criminal attack or terrorist attack and sometimes looking for spiritual comfort or just having complete strangers say kind words on the Internet or leave flowers really matters to some of the victims because it demonstrates we are a global community and people ostensibly care about others So we shouldn't be cynical about these things unless you know the real intent and feelings someone has about a tragedy or why they express solidarity around loss of others

Cultural appropriation keeps the world turning. I always find most discussions what really defines " cultural appropriation " annoying and selective ...and counter productive to real societal issues

Weren't you rich? There must be something more useful you can offer them? am knowing you are speaking to bruce, but am gonna observe how we ain't gonna send money aid to sri lanka. is only two national charities we contribute dollars to: st. jude children's research hospital and the national breast cancer foundation. another large % o' our charity contributions go to smaller organizations. examples: mustard seed school and pine ridge girl's school. our accountant hates us, but the most significant charity we does is technically gifts. anonymous contribution to help somebody make car or rent payment(s) is common. local kid we knew who had been on-again/off-again mustard seed school got scholarships to cal poly which were gonna cover tuition and some housing, but nothing else, so we made sure she got a decent laptop and a modest clothing allowance. medi-cal covers eyeglasses for kids and residents o' nursing homes, but you are outta luck if you are over 21 and living on the street. medi-cal will pay for testing to get a prescription, just won't pay for lenses and frames. local food bank knows o' dozens o' folks who need glasses and we help out from time-to-time. etc. is so many folks close to Gromnir who need help that it seems wrong to ignore the immediate and proximate needy... and is arguable selfish on our part, but am liking to be able to actual see positive and personal impact, even if am remaining anonymous. aside: in our mind is not 'bout who deserves help. the people most in need o' help is frequent hopelessly self-destructive. have never let deserve get in the way o' help. if roles were reversed, and Gromnir needed help, we would hope somebody would offer, even if we were too proud or stoopid or angry to take such help. am finding is easy to provide money when what is often needed is volunteers, so we do try and make self available, and as o' may 4, we expect am gonna be doing much more such contributions o' time as is our semi-official retirement day. regardless, even if makes us a bad person, am not gonna be sending money to victims in sri lanka or to the folks rebuilding notre dame. is literal dozens o' folks who come through the doors at snahc every day who need help. HA! Good Fun! ps so is clear, am not criticizing folks who send money to sri lanka victims or whatever other charity you see fit. is so many people and organizations needing help. if you are able to help and do, then you get no criticism from us. am only mentioning why we avoid making contributions when there is a natural or man-made crisis which affects people Gromnir will never meet. I dont think this argument makes you a bad person at all, I think you are very generous and kind person. You have been on your own personal journey to get to the point of perceived " wealth " but you didnt have family resources which always makes things easier I imagine you have had to balance a real empathy and understanding of poverty in the Native American communities, who assume you must or should help them, with other communities and organisations outside of the Native American reservations who also you can see would benefit from financial donations So why would you send money to Sri Lanka when there are many other local charities and people you can help, to me this makes perfect sense The reality for me is I live in a country where we are inundated with high levels of poverty and economic inequality, any money I donate or NGO I support are within my own country first and foremost

Weren't you rich? There must be something more useful you can offer them? I dont normally give money away unless its through official fund raising NGO or charities that are legitimate and or sanctioned Lets see what comes from this around what help they may require

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48001720 https://edition.cnn.com/asia/live-news/sri-lanka-easter-sunday-explosions-dle-intl/index.html Appalling suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka on numerous churches and in this time of special religious reflection My thoughts with the victims

Nothing wrong with that, tell your friend its fine

The book really covers these topics in a much more nuanced and historically accurate way, for example he absolutely recognizes and discusses how the ancient Chinese and the Ottoman Empire were the original inventors of many things the West later on adopted, refined and in many ways improved. Or rather ensured were sustainable He is not one of these " The West created everything and we so amazing " , he is critical and unabashed about the good and bad around the Wests economic and industrial hegemony nowadays so dont worry too much about that summary Its an excellent and insightful historical read told in an objective way, similar to " Why Nations Fail " if you enjoy these types of genres https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12158480-why-nations-fail

Happy Easter All (sorry its late ) To all Christians this is a very significant holiday and time to reflect on the spiritual importance of this holiday around the resurrection, in SA we are about 75 % Christian and for many of my friends this weekend matters so it matters to me I am spending this weekend at our beach cottage with my Durban family, we have just had an Easter egg hunt with one of my brothers 2 daughters ... " the Easter bunny managed to come and still plant eggs in the garden even though its raining " (he is quite industrious despite logistical challengers around transport ) I hope everyone has a good and restful weekend irrespective of belief

volo your analogy isn't accurate or a fair comparison, obviously if you born in a country you are already a citizen...thats the normal and perfectly acceptable way of what defines citizenship in any country What we talking about is the reality of countries like the USA ( and SA in our own context) where a country is inundated with people trying to become citizens. You cannot make everyone who just arrives a citizen and compulsory military service demonstrates a commitment to that country. Also you will or can gain important life skills that hopefully will help you in your career going forward after military service It is simply unsustainable to absorb everyone and then they can become a major burden on resources and welfare systems. You need to give something back to become a citizen, surly you can see this? Canada doesnt have this problem because of the horrendously bad weather..very few people want to immigrate to Canada...lets be honest ...lest be honest I'd be against compulsory military service for immigrants because we shouldn't treat them like cannon fodder. It may not be such an issue in a country like South Africa, but for a country like the US with a military that operates all over the place, treating immigrants like cannon fodder isn't an image we should want. Yes, I know armies around the world and in history have been plenty immigrant heavy, but just because we can treat them like cannon fodder doesn't mean we should. I understand your concern but I am not suggesting we treat immigrants like cannon fodder. They would be part of the normal military of a country like the USA and would receive the same rights and protections as any normal soldier. So it would be normal military conditions but yes there is always the risk of war and someone being killed but thats the same risk any soldier faces and understands

So what you're saying is... it's actually a very good idea? I wonder how many countries wouldn't be veritable ****holes today if the US military wasn't so effective. You cant be serious, the USA is the foundation of Western ideology due to its important and positive influence on what Democracy intrinsically stands ....this works and delivers overall sustainable, robust economies and happy citizens. Of course nothing is perfect so we must always improve or address valid societal issues like perceived or real economic inequality and issues like improved public healthcare But in order to preserve the importance of Western ideology ( and remember this is a good thing ) you need a strong military to ensure that dictatorships and flawed alternative ideologies dont undermine what we know works and delivers a better world and quality of life for all of mankind Now I imagine you dont like my usage of " Western ideology " but as Neil Ferguson explains in his book Civilization what I mean by this is the core principles of what defines " Western ideology " , these are in summary Governments elected by the people, accountable to the people Effective governments that maintain institutions Governments that believe in the rule of law and order and are aligned to Constitutions The free market must primarily drive the economy but answerable to the laws of the land What is wrong with any of these 4 points, can you honestly critique them in a fair way? Please read this book if you want to understand my point in greater detail and explanation, it should appeal and resonate with your intellectualism https://www.amazon.com/Civilization-West-Rest-Niall-Ferguson/dp/0143122061 If you really disagree with what the West stands for then you are suggesting the Cold War should have been won by the Soviet Bloc and I would battle to believe the veracity of that view considering the numerous issues around traditional Communism\Socialism ?