Fat is a type of crazy

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So the term 'causing offense', by this definition, does not address if it is good or bad but talks only of the state of mind of the offended. Therefore causing offense can be a good thing. Communicating truth. Helpful and can have a good and positive outcome.

Not so much offended but it certainly significantly lowers the quality of life and it is a high priority to avoid such things.

I got quite into watching the videos where they get the indian scammers back - more light hearted posters like kitboga, to ownage pranks to scammer payback to the more serious ones where they are a bit more computer literate like scambaiter and Jim Browning. A few of these hit the spot sometimes.

I don't think of things like this as something special - just part of the misunderstandings, territorial games and social faux pas, that make life interesting and different. Have a laugh. Don't be too serious. Overt racism should be, and is condemned, but marginal situations like this should be seen as part of the rich tapestry of social situations that can be uplifting or can go south fast - people should be given the opportunity to come back tomorrow and hopefully do a bit better. To conclude, with no reasonable doubt, she had conscious ill intentions and is racist is making assumptions based on your own subjective opinions. Similar to what racists do and are condemned for doing.

I am not comfortable with this. I would say she is more likely culturalist than racist. Probably a bit snobby and uppity. Not ideal. Her comments though were not totally wrong - she was brought up by people who spent their formative years in the Carribean. We all have a picture of what it is to be British, or French etc. That picture may be a bit flawed and out of date and imperfect. But concluding someone as having a different cultural background to you because they look, talk and dress differently is not necessarily racist. It may be ignorant or it may be likely accurate based on statistical likelihood. Second point is we all make mistakes. Each poster here has probably gone too far, asked one too many question, been a bit obnoxious. Are you happy to be judged solely on one specific post of your 1000's of posts. If she does not have a history of racism or bad acts the 83 year old should get a pass. Let people breathe and make a mistake and get an opportunity to do better without being forced to resign.

I am no expert either but the basic fact is if you are 60 you can get the lump sum tax free If you're 60 years old or older and your only source of income is super benefits from a taxed source, which yours is likely to be, you won't pay tax or need to lodge a tax return. There's lots of stuff on google if you use key words like tax at 60 if retired. I still find it a bit complicated and I have a defined benefit which is taxed differently with a little bit of tax. Withdrawing your super and paying tax | Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au) Accessing your super to retire | Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au) This might be helpful for your specific issues. How to use your retirement savings once you’re retired (bt.com.au)

I'll be the serious one. All the laughs and fnarr fnarr's seem to ignore the fact that a guy was apparently inappropriately touching, i.e. molesting, this girl. Not for us to judge what a girl should do in a vulnerable situation - she told him to stop - taking a video might be smart as evidence.

That's one extreme. The other is that it's not a level playing field, between rich families and poor families, and worker and employee, and the power of large business and small business. Regulation and taxation can make for a more level playing field without distorting free markets too significantly. If you look at the difference between taxation policies in the United States and in Australia, between the main parties on the left and right, it is not much different - a few per cent here and there.

I am not saying right leaning people don't help others. But in terms of political philosophy the left is more about the idea that it is worth spending money and providing other assistance to the poorer or disadvantaged folk, to get them a helping hand, and level the playing field, paid for with taxes, whereas the right is about leading by example and self reliance and low taxes.

Sounds like you are doing genuinely good things and have a bit of pride and happiness from that. Helping people who would not otherwise get ahead. Sounds like a left leaning thing. You say you are a Marxist, which is clearly to the left, but make blanket criticism of the left which you assume are woke and therefore apparently insincere. Contradictions.

I like Hey Mr Tambourine Man William Shatner - Mr. Tambourine Man - YouTube

Don't think Flynn - too associated, correctly, with the crazy right. If you are crazy right you need as a minimum the ability to wax lyrical and win over an audience like Trump. He hasn't got that.

Banks do make money out of this. But people aren't obliged to use the service. They want to. I want to. It makes live simpler and more fun. Don't overthink it. Cash is not needed in most cases in modern society. Privacy is a separate issue but it is normal and fair that someone makes a profit from providing a service beneficial to customer and normally to the business too.

That's expensive. I looked around for places with them about 8 years ago and found some poor ones e.g. rude staff with dank rooms and or not much outside area. This one is run by the Lutherans - about 30 per cent of residents are German - you see them drinking decent german beer in the cafe and the home has the best cakes. In Australia there are income tests - if you are getting full Age Pension each fortnight you can often get it for 85 per cent of that pension and that's it. In Australia we had a recent Royal Commision into nursing homes, and in addition there had been homes found out treating residents poorly during covid, so there's a lot of scrutiny and funding now which is hopeful. If you have assets or high income it becomes expensive here too - I concur - if you've got a bit saved you could do it nice in Thailand and be well looked after. More fun too.

You've pulled out that video a few times to make your point and I have replied by noting it is young people, in a college in Portland I think, which is possibly the most liberal city in the world next to San Francisco, and they are training to be social workers and as such have a focus, could be overdoing it, on being sensitive to peoples' needs, wants and peculiarities. I appreciate you are looking to make a point but look at your average community and average activists and see if they fit the same mould as ultra rich famous people or fairly extreme left kids who are finding their way.

Not all nursing home stories are bad. A close relative is in one near me in Australia, takes money from age pension only to pay, sunny one bedroom with nice bathroom, nice gardens, lovely staff, food not perfect but pretty OK. If you are in OK shape but need a bit of help you can do your thing within and outside the home fairly independently, but can come back to warm friendly place with your own space and have all cooking, cleaning etc done. If incapacitated then life is difficult where ever you are but having the staff, machines, and decent support is better than many alternatives. I fully understand people wanting to stay in Thailand as they age, I may do the same, but from what I have seen the alternative might be better than what you are imagining.

He might have not woken up to the fact that he is no longer seen as an exciting changemaker, or even as an amusing eccentric, but is now seen as a toxic anti semite bore.

Took action on a humanitarian crisis in South Sudan that followed the split with Sudan . This was a high profile interaction that made a difference. Has been involved in climate change efforts. His wife gets involved with such issues too. Fair to be cynical at times and call it virtue signalling by the beautiful people, see the hypocrisy in talking climate change and taking private jets, at the same time you can acknowledge that imperfect efforts can achieve good things. Can't watch George Clooney act - doesn't do it for me. Sting's solo career 99 per cent sucked. U2 after 1983 was a bit pretentious in my opinion. They have all made a difference in this world for the better though. George Clooney's warning on South Sudan | CNN

Emotions can be relevant. Can't imagine living in a society where idiots can walk the streets and look tough with any gun let alone assault style weapons. Kids insecure - seeing so may deaths in big cities - more deaths from small guns but the threat of what an assault weapon can do, and knowing so many are out there, would do your head in a bit I think.

But what is the problem even if people do have mixed motives. No one is perfect. I have rolled my eyes at the likes of George Clooney, Sting, and Bono as they have flounced around doing good but the fact is - they have done good. The soccer players may have got caught up in the moment to do good - made the news - got people to think about stuff - put FIFA and the Qatari government on the back foot - what's not to like. The example of extremely wealthy soccer players, on the highest of high profile stages, doesn't do justice to the other 99.9 per cent of protesters and activists who don't get a dollar or kudos, and just annoy both those who they are fighting against, and the cynical section of the public who don't believe in their sincerity. I am not sure if they believe in sincerity at all.

Let us say that our aim as humans is to feel good. It's not hard to believe that some feel good when helping others - working for a charity, fighting for someone's rights, etc. Others feel good visiting a lady and taking some drugs and indulging their desires. Some feel good doing both and some feel good doing neither. One way to avoid cynicism is to say that we all selfish in a sense, in that we all want to feel good, but for some that 'selfishness' leads them to help others and fight for their rights because that is what hits' their spot. That s what is important to them. It is arrogant to decide what others are feeling and thinking and to second guess their motives. Do you really think the majority of activists are pretending, or virtue signalling, or is just that they are built differently than you, brought up with different belief systems, feel good doing different things.

There is a significant downside on the privacy issue but there is a big upside for tax offices to collect the taxes from criminals, those working for cash on a smaller scale, wealthy with tax schemes, to pay for hospitals, provide services, etc. In reality I pay full tax on my wages and investments but know many do not. It irks me. Also a significant saving in resources dealing in cash. I prefer using card and do so nearly all the time. There is smart legislation in some countries to protect privacy and limit use for special circumstances - the issue is if we could trust governments to implement it fairly. In many countries there are likely to be reasonable checks and balances in place. In others clearly not.

There are more audits overall and I would imagine there would be lots of short simple audits for wage earners, small businesses and such, and fewer but more complex and detailed audits on high income earners, large corporations etc. Working stiffs have little to fear if they have wages and maybe a rental property or some shares. Whether the big earners are Republicans or Democrats, more targeted audits with highly skilled well paid auditors seems to make sense based on the tax gap referred to previously. Both parties have lobbyists on the side lines who would love a weak IRS so kudos to Joe for doing something.

One of the first things Republicans want to do post election apparently, as has been discussed, is find ways to stop or stymie the increase in IRS funding. Classic example of lining the pockets of their rich friends while selling it, along with right wing media, as government overreach and beneficial to the hoi polloi. The hoi polloi Republicans would no doubt benefit from more funds in government coffers for spending, but they will probably fully concur with IRS cuts based on what they are told, but there it is.