Jump to content

Samson's Wig

Legacy Members
  • Posts

    2,003
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Samson's Wig

  1. 13 hours ago, JimmyJames said:

    The “if true” part is the key. It’s not. 

    I'm sorry that reality doesn't line up with your perception.  Happens to the best of us.  The numbers are readily available all over the place.  Someone above already posted a link to some basic data.  Being too obtuse to perform a quick google search, and having a strong feeling about something, doesn't make you an authority figure.  As also noted above, it's hard to nail down exact numbers on homeless populations, which should come as a shock to no one.

    The point was not the specific numbers anyway.  The point is that nations of all types are dealing with this issue, including those with more pervasive and generous safety nets.  Anyone who discusses this issue from the lens of America's failure to provide proper social safety nets is completely full of shit and agenda driven.  That's the point. We need to resolve this problem.  Social safety nets don't and won't do it.   I'm personally all for expanding our social safety nets for all kinds of reasons, but solving the homelessness problem isn't one of them because that's clearly a fantasy.  Capitalism isn't the problem either, as nations with communist forms of government also deal with large homeless populations.  Maybe if we can set aside these ridiculous notions that do nothing but self-serve political notions we can work on coming up with an actual way to help these people.

    I also agree with you regarding the wealth of this nation and how it's controlled by too few.  But I'm not convinced throwing more money at this problem is going to solve it. It certainly hasn't worked anywhere else.

    • Hook 'Em 7
    • Like 2
  2. 19 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

    I wish I had some kind of shield on my car or force field. I rearrange the garage so two cars will fit. It just drizzles. I leave my car outside it’s quarter size hail. I park in the garage and golf balls of ice rain from the sky. I’m not doing shit. Lol. 

    image.thumb.png.75a2a54156f750a22a0d945729c9a1c7.png

    • Haha 2
  3. On 5/7/2021 at 9:32 AM, Hagbard Celine said:

    10 rant on

    20 title REMOVE THE CHOICE

    +++

    the move away from the new deal and the great society really got going when the soviet union collapsed and the right needed an opponent, so they pivoted to waging war on their citizens by disassembling the entire social safety net beyond individual entitlements, while simultaneously accelerating the widening wealth disparity that now sees 1% own everything,.  end result: bottom dwellers are flushed out of the system.

    the homeless are the bottom dwellers.  this is a structural, macroeconomic program of american society that will never be solved unless the 1% choose to solve it, and the only thing for the rest of us to do is kick the can down the road.  per cajun et.al. any enablement whatsoever for both the innocent and the scumbags only extends the eventual day of reckoning for the 1%.  this problem does not exist in the rest of the western world because there is a social safety net.  the 1% are going to have to decide to have their media reprogram the drones and sheeple to believe that compassion is not communist, and then choose to divert 1 tenth of 1 percent of their hoard to the good of humanity.  that's enough money to put EVERYONE that needs it in to 4 walls with 3 square meals, hot water, a shower and access to basic hygiene (clean clothes) per the dude in the vice video.  the biggest truth in the video spoken by said dude was "they will only go where they have access to what they want and therefore will only go where they want to go.   That is the biggest problem with the grifterticians who can't solve it, but are happy to exploit it.  The use of the word "experiencing" implies no choice.  The consensus in this thread is that somewhere between 40% & 60% are CHOOSING to shit on sidewalks.  Wheels on down to Adler can fund the basics in the middle of nowhere, and REMOVE THE CHOICE, even if they can't cure the disease.  Camp Mabry.

    adler can go fuck himself.  "not a mistake when you're trying to be disruptive".  he needs to be forcibly interned in a camp for a week and tasked with cleaning human shit from sidewalks.

    +++

    30 /rant off

     

    While I agree with much of what you're saying here, I always find it interesting when the myth of this issue not existing in other western countries gets tossed about like it's a fact.  It's not a fact. Not even a little bit.  And it undercuts any argument being made alongside it.  I've got a self avowed Marxist buddy I chat with every Saturday who spews this every week in his rant about how the homelessness problem in Austin is the natural result of capitalism.  I'll briefly  touch on that nonsense later.

    Here's a partial list of "western" countries with a higher rate of homelessness than the United States:  United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, Ukraine, Australia, CANADA, SWEDEN, Netherlands, France, Czech Republic, Ireland, Greece, Austria.  Of note, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Spain, and Italy are not far behind us.

    And for good measure, you know which nation also has a higher rate of homelessness than the U.S.?  China.  Fucking China.  And that's the stats they're willing to share, which are undoubtedly complete bullshit. No check in the pro column for the communists.  It should be noted that Cuba claims to have no homelessness.  I don't believe it but they claim it.  So I guess they win this one.

    Social safety nets are clearly not the solution to the homelessness issue (unless you're a small Latin island with low population and badass music), even if they have a great deal of value otherwise.  The large number of homelessness in nations with the most supportive social safety nets adds a bit of weight to the argument that enabling only makes it worse.  The U.S. can do much better on this issue, to be sure, but looking to nations like Canada or Sweden for answers to this issue is no better than Adler looking to LA or Seattle.

    • Hook 'Em 5
    • Like 1
  4. Anyone know when they're going to start tearing up 360 to build the overpasses?  TxDot site doesn't say shit (at not that I can find).  Was supposed to start last year.

    I just want to know when I need to start adding an extra 45 min each way before I go anywhere.

  5. 1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

    Here's what's terrible about the interview (I just read it, maybe it sounds different) -- she doesn't sound insane.  She sounds relatively reasonable, and deliberate.  Sure, she says a couple of self-aggrandizing oddball things -- but shit, any council member would.

    Mark my words -- she will be mayor within a few years.

    Because this is the timeline we live in.

    I could see Governor of Texas before Mayor of Austin, honestly.  

  6. 5 hours ago, phdhorn said:

    LOL wut?  Albion is an entire campus.  They have gyms and uniforms and teams and multiple buildings and everything.

    Albion College is a well-respected liberal arts university founded in 1835.  it's in the upper 1/3 of admissions requirements for small private universities (a little below the most difficult major universities to get into).

    Also, some of the best private colleges in the country are in small towns.  Two of the most prestigious, Elon N.C. has 9K people, and Dennison in Ohio has 2,600 (town and college name the same).

    Also, Albion's city population is 30% African-American, well over the national norm.

    I don't think it's the college or town to blame here.  Just perhaps it's the idiot's who posted the fake messages.

    I've know more than a few folks from Albion, thanks to extended family by marriage.  I've spent time there, albeit as short a time as I could manage.  I don't even remember seeing the campus beyond one main building, but I believe you.  In spite of the AA population, the town is awash with redneck militia idiots, including the aforementioned extended family.    I didn't mean to imply that the college or town was responsible for this, as they clearly are not.  There aren't a lot of well educated folks populating that town, that's for damn sure.  I assume the students overpaying for their prestigious degrees move on elsewhere where jobs exist.   Albion is a depressing backwater with no opportunities.  There's some pretty county around it, though.  The extended family included a doctor, a nurse, and a police officer.  Doctor and nurse both lost their license, and the police officer went to jail and is no longer a cop.  Even the educated folk in that town seem to struggle with basic functioning. 

  7. The craziest thing about this story is that there's a college in Albion, MI. It only has 1,475 students and appears to exist inside of one building, but it still counts.   Wait, nope, it's that someone had to fake some racism in that backwoods cesspool of Michigan Militia idiots.  Should be plenty of the real thing floating around.  I assume the kid is just working out some personal issues, not that it excuses the vandalism. 

    ALBION, MI

    Population: 8,324

    Median Age: 30.5

    Poverty Rate: 28.6%

    Median Household Income: $31, 134

    Median Property Value: $57,000. (For comparison, Austin Median Property Value is around $500,000.  So there's hope for those who can't afford Austin.  Move to Albion instead.)

     

     

     

  8. So is next Monday bulk pick up or not?  I'm a wasteful American and I have a ton of shit for the Jawas.

     

    EDIT: Nevermind.  Just pulled it up on the city website. Our neighborhood is schedule for May 31st.  Memorial Day.   Fucking idiots.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  9. 18 hours ago, texifornia said:

    Ah yes, the new people are ruining UT's storied history of rabid basketball fandom and packed stadiums. It's why we're considered the UConn of the Southwest.

    Not blaming the transplants, just explaining why Beard isn't going to build a fanbase even though he will desperately want to.  The bodies just aren't here.  But you're right, UT has never had much support for basketball.  

  10. I don't think the move was about money at all for Beard.  He was already top five in the country.  I think he was looking for this move for at least a couple of years because it's where he wants to be.  I think both programs will be the better for it too, so long as Tech doesn't fuck up the next hire.  They've got the facilities, the fan support, the momentum, and the willingness to pay with the big boys to do just fine.  They just built the best practice facility in the country under Beard's direction.  They'll be fine if that AD doesn't fuck it up - which given his history of hires he just might.

    Watching Beard melt down when he realizes just how little support UT basketball gets from the Austin community is not going to be fun, though.  I don't think he, like most alums that haven't lived in Austin for a while, realizes that this isn't a college town anymore and most of the people who live and work here aren't Longhorns.  They are college graduates however, so their loyalties are elsewhere.  I think it's a big reason football games still sell well (people are willing to travel in for football) and basketball games are sad empty affairs.  Basketball games just aren't the event that football games are.  And locals who aren't Longhorns aren't going to show up, there are too many other things to do around here.

    Either way, I suspect the program will be better with Beard.  I think he'll need to change his stripes a bit, but if his time in Lubbock taught us anything it's that he's willing to peddle a certain amount of bullshit to fit in with the local culture.  

    • Hook 'Em 1
  11. 1 minute ago, Ricky Butler said:

    I'm not referring to offense. He's down on the Beard hire. While it might not be one's first choice, he has been very successful.

    Can't argue that one.  It's a good hire no matter what.

  12. Beard's better teams at Tech didn't have superstars on them.  He has struggled with higher quality recruits the last couple of seasons, including losing two star players entirely (quit the team) this season - one being a McDonald's All American.  Whether or not his culture will work with the recruits he will be expected to bring in here is going to be interesting.  Maybe he'll be able to change his stripes, but the underdog mentality will be a bit harder to nurture with a bunch of star talent.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  13. Is it possible Beard is just wanting out of Lubbock because the heat on the pedophile dentist scandal is heating up?  Word is it's going to take down some big names.  Just wondering (and not serious).

    Not in love with this hire.  Feels more like going after the shiny toy that other kid on the playground has rather than hiring the right fit for the program.  Hard to see Beard's "street dog" mentality working with the type of recruits we typically get.  And if he doesn't bring Adams with him, you're not getting the defense Tech has been known for. 

    • Fuck You 7
×
×
  • Create New...