Favorite team:Washington State 
Location:Washington
Biography:LSU Alumni (2004) UWM (2007), Born and raised in LA. Moved from a cushy public sector job in Education to a crazy, cutting-edge, job in a tech/education. Currently a Software Executive.
Interests:Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Sports (soccer player by nature), Movies, Arguing about random things, Useless Information
Occupation:Software, Sales
Number of Posts:38464
Registered on:2/14/2006
Online Status:Not Online

Recent Posts

Message
Could see him as Dent, Black Mask or Hush pretty easily.

quote:

It's absolutely insane, buying votes like this undermines the very foundation of a freely voting public. It feels dramatic to say but it's true.



You'd understand why this is possible when you understand that the general Democrat perspective is that all of their held opinions are morally superior, and completely correct with no questions allowed. They are "right," and "good," therefore all ways to get those opinions into law are valid.

Who cares if they have to "import" voters, what they believe is that their opinions are the only "right" and "just" action, therefore, it's worth it.
Leaks are all starting to be true, including the storyline.

It does feel like a classic big multi-year building comic book cross-over, so there's that.
Without true shared experience, which we dont have anymore, and a blending of large homogenous organized interest groups with odd cultures that often prioritize really bland "tastes," traditional art is suffering pretty heavily.

There's still lots of good music, its just harder to find.
quote:

What was the biggest mistake of each of Louisiana's 5 biggest cities?



Long term vision.

In general, Louisiana politics do a terrible job at that, always have, always will.

It's somewhat cultural as well. Breeds ideas like NIMBYs, chaotic political swings, and a more friendly welfare culture.

re: Am I stupid?

Posted by Freauxzen on 1/2/26 at 4:27 pm to
quote:

It's not about intelligence as much as risk tolerance.

How much tolerance do you have to risk going to jail for several years (up to decades), losing everything, shaming yourself and your family, etc.?


Which is exactly why the whole political sham works. We all value safety and comfort more than right or wrong, which might be an ok gamble. Therefore, we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of, for the political class to run rufshod over law, decency and fairness.

It is what it is. We can all sit here and complain, but without actually taking a risk - it is what it is.
But we all will be joining together to file our taxes before April 15th. Many of us, I assume, aee actual tax payers.

Unfortunately, this is our lot in life. There is no change coming.
quote:

Catholics worship Mary


Look, I'll say it. I love my Protestant brothers and sisters. No matter what, they are still Christian. They are still close to me as a Catholic and close to the truth.

But the fact that this is still a belief and an "argument" to this day makes it really difficult to take anything they say seriously.

We have explained this thing ad nauseum, and they still repeat it. Its ridiculous.
quote:

I once thought like an isolationist but then traveled and realized most humans are simply looking for a better life for themselves and their children.



The problem with this is "a better life" means something different to different people. For some cultures that means not working. Some it means having 20 children, for some it means no children, for some it means dependence. And and on and on.

We have, or had, our own view here.

You know what those countries have now? A pretty easy guide to do it, by just copying the American model, rather than sending their people here. How about they just follow the plan? Revolt if they need to? Put the right people into power. Focus on a high trust society, with shared values?

Honestly, once the map was laid, it's pretty easy to follow. If you want to.

But they don't want to. Hence why they don't.

quote:

has an obligation to serve as the bastion of the ideas we were founded on and provide opportunity for anyone willing to work for it.



This is an ideal, yes, but not a human reality. Because people are human.

quote:

Democrats care about political power. Nothing else.



This is correct.

Power comes from an extremely dependent class of people who will do anything, and take any amount of money, to vote for them. Immigrants, welfare recipients, students and, classically, unions.

re: The ferment is about to explode

Posted by Freauxzen on 12/31/25 at 12:48 pm to
quote:

The ferment is about to explode



It's not going to explode - but do we become Brazil, do all of us start finding shortcuts because there is no better way to remain "decent" and not get taken advantage of?

Sadly, 90% of politicians and political ideology will remain. The general population will by distracted with its sports and Netflix, everyone will pay taxes dutifully, the corruption will continue, we might get a hearing, and they will find new ways to cheat once a few holes are closed up. Rinse. Repeat.

We are a country of comfort at ALL costs. And that often means just putting up with this stuff.

re: Among Other Significant Events of 2025

Posted by Freauxzen on 12/30/25 at 11:37 pm to
quote:

no comprehension of the enormity of the universe.


There's a reason for this.

re: Bigos (Polish Hunter Stew)

Posted by Freauxzen on 12/30/25 at 1:50 pm to
One of my favorite winter dishes.
quote:

Income tax sucks. Once a man reaches the point at which he is valuable in his industry, he should start a company that he can sell one day and pay capital gains. And in the mean time he can take advantage of R&D tax credits or whatever the applicable scam is for his industry. For my career, I probably paid a blended tax rate - state and federal - of 28%.


Not really available to me, but I'm sure there is a loophole I missed somewhere. With the amount I had to work to do it - I never really had the time to find it.

It was mainly tech startups - so lots of stock, PE, VC acquisitions and options trading hands.
How could you not?

It really gets me - I've been in software sales. Have done incredibly well for myself for the last 17 years. But I had a phenomenal stretch for half a decade where I Made a lot. First world problem, I know.

But in those years my taxes were just straight out INSANE for any normal person. I started out my career making 35k/year in 2005. I am not long time wealthy. I didn't come from money. I worked hard. I got all the way to the 99.95% of earners or whatever....

And was taxed into oblivion, and continued to be next as shares moved around, companies sold, etc. So while I did well, and have plenty to work with, if you look at my actual wealth to what was stolen from me for having a few good years - it will never not be absolutely infuriating. The whole system is corrupt, and useless. It's probably the main reason I have really jaded view of most people.

I'm in a spot where I really won't have to worry, but I could be in such a better position if this stuff was different. If my entire wealth was taken into account, instead of just my annual earnings - at least for a time until I was actually wealthy. If taxes weren't used for absolutely awful purposes 90% of the time, etc.

I made as much money for myself as I did for the government. That's nuts.
quote:


We are being governed by an entire gigantic system that has morphed and grown into an unaccountable and extremely crooked blob that primarily functions nowadays to serve, enrich and ultimately, protect itself. At all costs. The corporate media serves to promote it and to be a guard dog for it.

Whatever it is now, it has little to do with mom, baseball or apple pie. It has little to do really, with anything that’s of great importance to your average, everyday American citizen.

Our main purpose is to dutifully feed it through our taxes and to not ever get “too” overly nosy and uppity in questioning what it does. To do so will make one a fascist and a “threat to democracy”.

We are supposed to be content to be entertained with our sports, movies, music and reality TV shows.


Yes
quote:

There are gay people in real life., you know.



quote:

Hate to break it to you but there’s no agenda, dude. Movies are just movies. Gay people exist in the world so they will exist in movies as well.



Absolutely asinine responses.

You know every time I put on an old film, and there's like a random priest, or the characters go to a church, or there's some appeal to Christianity.
Someone mentions God positively, or as a being who they believe in, etc. etc. It's usually presented at just "part of the environment," part of thew fabric of being human.

Even if more lewd films or action films. Or someone even just MENTIONS going to mass. It's frequent it's all over the place. Even when someone doesn't feel like a "Christian" character, they might go to a church or talk to a priest. It's just.... there.

But it's always incredibly strange how you watch a modern Hollywood films, and there are no Christians. No one mentions God. Priests are absent unless it's explicitly a wedding movie. There are no Churches, or it's always non-denominational, etc. You'd think Christians and belief in God were non-existent.

If this was a question of "they exist, they are normal, they should be represented," then every single show, much like they do with homosexuality, should always have at least ONE practicing Christian who takes God and the faith seriously. And they should paint Christians in a positive light who contribute and who's belief in God is real and meaningful.

But does that happen? No. Because - guess what - it's not about "representation," never was.. (That and the poster earlier was right - why pay for Netflix to openly mock and minimize you, not sure.)

Now, I fully admit this shouldn't be a "Christians" vs. Homosexuality thing - but how in the heck does it get framed that way? It's fairly obvious, why and how.
quote:

but I hear that term a lot. What exactly is the Hollywood Gay Agenda?


Stop being gay, you know exactly what he means.