Taking an absolute stand may be comforting, but it has not and will not actually accomplish anything.

Our existing system is broken. Our current choice is between continuing with it, and trying to influence, or exchanging it for an authoritarian government run by a vindictive child. In the long run there may be other options, but right now you aren’t going to get a third choice. One or the other of those outcomes is going to happen.

Trump has said, at various times, that he would enact violence against protesters, have them arrested and held without due process, or have them deported. How effective do you think your efforts to push for more progressive government policies are going to go under those conditions?

Burning it all down sounds good in theory, but nothing happens in a vacuum. If we allow the current system to fail it is not going to be replaced with an idealized new system. It is going to be replaced by whatever existing movement is in a position to assert itself. Right now, that is will be the right-wing authoritarians.

You’re seeing only ideals and not reality. I’m all in favor of applying pressure toward better goals to both parties. That does not change the fact that a candidate of one of those two parties is going to win the election and run the country.

False equivalence is another problem with ignoring practical results in favor of pure ideology. There is a vast difference between Biden and Trump. It’s obvious from looking at what they’ve done already. It become even more stark if you pay attention to what Trump is saying he intends to do if re-elected. Trump genuinely wants to destroy our system of government, eliminate democracy, and rule as a dictator. He badly wants to persecute those who have offended him or who disagree with him. And he now has detailed plans for how to go about those things. When someone tells you who they are you should believe them.

Biden will run things the way he has been, which does not make me happy, but provides an opportunity for change within the system. How do you expect to enact progressive changes under a right-wing autocracy?

Even if your only concern is the Gaza genocide, Biden and Trump have significantly different positions. Biden has making a weak and unsuccessful attempts to rein in Israel. There is reasonable hope that he does have a limit for how far he’s willing to go in that direction, as evidenced by his temporary halting arms shipments. Trump has said that he supports what Israel is doing, but thinks they aren’t going far enough. He has, in the past, suggested using nuclear weapons to resolve situations like this.

It all comes back to false equivalence. We are not talking about two of the typical business-as-usual candidates. We are on the verge of becoming Nazi Germany. If you aren’t doing everything you can to prevent that, whatever efforts you make toward other goals are going become irrelevant.

Do you honestly think that Trump would be better? Have you read what he has to say about this subject?

I’m disgusted with Biden too, but sometimes choosing between the lesser of two evils is the responsible thing to do. Ethical choices are often the most difficult. One-topic voting is almost never ethical. The ultimate results do matter.

The world would be a happier place if everyone did.

I have to admire his work ethic. He took that job so he could help destroy the UW system and, while a lot of progress has been made, he hasn’t finished that task yet.

Jon Peters, one of the producers, had been trying to shoehorn a giant spider into a movie for quite some time. It wasn’t that he thought it particularly needed to be in Wild, Wild West. He just wanted one, so he tried to get it written into every movie he was involved with until he finally succeeded. Hearing that really helped me understand the rest of that movie.

Recession, as we define it, is only really meaningful to those of at least moderate wealth. That line used to be low enough that it included the majority of the population. Extreme wealth inequality has changed that. The majority are now below that line. Recession has become a concern for the rich. The rest of us suffer from wage stagnation and inflation to support ever increasing corporate profits, but that problem doesn’t have a simple name and is rarely part of the economic debate. “The Economy” is doing fine, but most of us who have to participate in it are not.

I agree with your sentiments, but I do not think you’re right about the legal responsibilities. There are several terrible court precedents, going back to the time of Henry Ford, that establish draconian requirements for those running a corporation. The laws dealing with incorporation need to be rewritten, for many reasons, but with the power corporations currently have over our political process that is not likely to happen.

I would argue that unfettered capitalism generally rewards the least humane management and the worst people.

If you get quantum foam you must be pouring it too fast.

And this does not take into account quantum foam.

In the US, police also have no obligation to actually stop crime or protect citizens, even if the incident is happening right in front of them while on duty. There have been several court decisions that establish the lack of any police obligation to act.

It leaves me with the obvious question, given that, why do we continue to pay them? I actually think we need some form of law enforcement, but it becomes increasingly obvious that what we have is nothing like what we need.

I’m sorry, but I don’t see how anything can beat “Put down that chainsaw and listen to me”. It may be the best opening line ever sung.

This is just an attempt to keep their bots motivated.

We need a similar bill that would send anyone convicted of unlawful activity in the US Capital since January 5th of 2021 to Siberia.

It sounds like they’re just talking about a theatrical release of the extended versions that have been around since the original DVD/Blu-ray releases. Each extended movie comes in two parts, making three long movies into six average ones.

The thing I found surprising is that I actually prefer them. There was a lot of good material that just didn’t fit, even with the long theatrical cuts. It’s worth watching the longer versions.

If you avoid watching the Hobbit again, it will save you more than enough time to watch the extended Lord of the Rings, and you will come out ahead.

No meal is complete without pet hair.

My cats and dogs are sometimes demanding, but there’s some give-and-take in any relationship. I make compromises to make them happy. They make compromises to make me happy. Ultimately, we all come out ahead.

Our understanding of what “primitive” humans could do keeps expanding and pushing back further in time. This find moves the bar a very long way.

Why is there a question mark?

You will never know it, but the presence of that cat is the only reason you haven’t had a stroke from stressing about your finals. Your chair seems fair compensation for that.

Translation: Elon Musk desperately searches for buzzwords that will boost the stock of his failing company.