Taxes and Tea

(^_^) — Why did you and all of those people pay a tax to get into that tea party last weekend?

( ‘_’ ) — It wasn’t a tax, it was a fee for the event. And we went because someone has to stop this socialist take over of the federal government and protect free market principles.

(^_^) — I don’t know if the democratic party is socialist. I always thought that the socialist party was socialist. Besides, the legislation that the federal government has tried to pass isn’t even as socialist as Canada or Japan or England and I don’t really feel comfortable calling any of those countries socialist states. Wasn’t the free market responsible for the economic collapse?

( ‘_’ ) — It’s still too big. The Fed will enslave us all.

(^_^) — Unless we give corporations the power to do it first, and better?

( ‘_’ ) — Unless we give more power to individuals or states or something, I think.

(^_^) — I guess it would be nice if California could put more regulations on car companies more easily. I don’t think it would be so great if a number of states decided to lower their minimum wage or leave their health care systems in their current forms, though. I think we lose more than we gain by dumping the federal government. I’m all for campaign finance reform though. Maybe returning to individual responsibility by taking away corporation’s and individual’s right to use money as free speech. Didn’t most of that tax you paid go to the former governor of Alaska? I hope it has a lot to say when she uses it to buy something awesome.

( ‘_’ ) — It was a fee… and she earned it. And when she runs for office it will be awesome.

(^_^) — If you say so.

mitochondria vs mitochlorians

… subjects also showed elevated levels of mitochondria.

(o_0) — those are real!?

(-_-) — they aren’t what i think you think they are…

(x_x) — ?

recession job

House Shitter – one who is paid to shit in the yards or pools of unfriendly neighbors or other acquaintances. Not to be confused with the more common House Sitter.

tea party

Unless I’m mistaken, the original tea party was about “no taxation without representation.” What exactly is the connection to the current “tea party?” If there is a problem with representation in the US it seems to me that the problem would have to have something to do with corporations and their lobbyists and the impact that they have on government policy. The tea party doesn’t seem to be anti-corporate though. Their big convention was for-profit. What are they against and what are they for? I haven’t been able to really understand even their own explanations. Is there anyone out there who can provide a comprehensive definition for me? Are they just some sort of Fox News mutant child or what? Thanks.

Principia Trustees Read Letters and Petitions for Gay Rights

The Taste of Tears

Today’s the day. My best friend, Tess, is finally getting it done. She wants me to come with her, but I have mixed feelings. The procedure is legal now, but there have still been a lot of complications. I don’t think I could handle being there if something went wrong.

“What do you mean you’re not coming? You know how long I’ve been saving up for this.”

I can hear cars on the freeway.

“Come on, you’re my best friend. Don’t make me do this alone.”

“Okay, I’ll go with you; but you can’t guilt trip me like that again for at least a month.”

It seems like we’re in the tattoo parlor days. The artist is friendly but I can’t get past his glowing green eyes. Occasionally a spec of blood dribbles down Tess’s back from the tip of the nanobot pen. He does almost 40% of body.

Tess needs me to do everything for her for the next week. It takes a while for skin cells to adapt to the new DNA. After about 9 days she decides its time. I don’t see anything except some residual red irritation. She tells me to close the blinds and turn off the light. I turn off the lights. Blue and red waves glow across the wall. Tess’s back illuminates in an intricate geometric pattern. I can feel my skin start to tighten and prickle. My eyes are sore. I feel warm tears run down my cheek and into the corner’s of my mouth. Salty-sweet.

“Tess… It’s beautiful.”

I’ve never seen Tess smile as hard as she’s smiling right now. I hope that my memory of this moment doesn’t fade.

FTW

Maybe there’s a chance yet that things will get better.

Obama @ House GOP conference.

speech experiment

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matrix wrong?

Remember that bit in The Matrix about how they had to make the matrix crappy just like real life in order to get the brain to accept it? It looks like that was way off. People can actually be tricked into thinking that something is real quite easily. Convincing visual stimuli alone are enough to dramatically change what your brain perceives as the real.

neuroscience

vr

Vid Comic Experiment

This is a simple experiment.

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