New Wal-mart

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by tysonK

the focal reason socialism in say the russian sense didn't work, was because the equations they used to forcast all of their needs and wants was very VERY complex and basically they didn't have enough power to eqaute how much of a given good would actually be needed during a year. Although they did come pretty close sometimes.

Another reason communism hasn't worked in practice is that people are basically lazy and selfish. It's just human nature. Why should someone do any more than they absolutely have to to get by, when they're not going to get anything for their effort in return? The free market system, while far from perfect, at least provides incentives to work your ass off, innovate and accomplish things.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

Another reason communism hasn't worked in practice is that people are basically lazy and selfish. It's just human nature. Why should someone do any more than they absolutely have to to get by, when they're not going to get anything for their effort in return? The free market system, while far from perfect, at least provides incentives to work your ass off, innovate and accomplish things.

This is exactly why the workers at the DMV suck ass. Basically, the longer they work there, the more money they make and the harder it is to fire them. So they cost the gov't more and do less work. In fact all gov't jobs are like that in some ways, if you do your job well and efficiently, then your dept gets its funding cut, cuz hell, you didn't need all the money allocated, now did you? 'Course if you're lazy and don't get things done, well then it looks like your dept just needs more money 'cuz you simply didn't have the resources to do your job, now did you?

Ask Austin what happens right around the end of the fiscal year at LLNL...

The problem is one of professional responsibility. I say give bonuses to the people that did they govt jobs well, and more importantly, fire the people that fucked up, regardless how tenured they are. In a business designed to make money, these actions are self evident, but in a non-profit setting, where everything is paid by taxes, there isn't enough incentive to do your job well.

[tysonK]

It looks as though free engergy could make the theory side of communism work. We are left with no incentive and do our jobs and let our creative life blossom. This would be a harsh world without the competitive nature. Who the hell cares baout anything when everything is almost free. There is no motivation for invention except personal happiness and some sort of social recognition. Screw that I want to work hard and feel good about driving my 911 85mph around the off-ramp. An incentive based govt sounds pretty good but are taxes going to have to spiral out of control to award these bonuses you speak of. I would rather have half assed service at the DMV then get taxed more. Granted I've been to the DMV less than 10 times in my life. Or we could get taxed a hell of a lot like say 100% and get awesome healthcare and DMV's and public housing and etc. Who would decide what to spend our taxes on? Doh!

[tysonK]

best social impact thread evAr.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by tysonK

It looks as though free engergy could make the theory side of communism work. We are left with no incentive and do our jobs and let our creative life blossom. This would be a harsh world without the competitive nature. Who the hell cares baout anything when everything is almost free. There is no motivation for invention except personal happiness and some sort of social recognition. Screw that I want to work hard and feel good about driving my 911 85mph around the off-ramp. An incentive based govt sounds pretty good but are taxes going to have to spiral out of control to award these bonuses you speak of. I would rather have half assed service at the DMV then get taxed more. Granted I've been to the DMV less than 10 times in my life. Or we could get taxed a hell of a lot like say 100% and get awesome healthcare and DMV's and public housing and etc. Who would decide what to spend our taxes on? Doh!

I wasn't suggesting a real solution... just a theoretical solution. The fact is, social programs really don't work unless the people working in them do it because they love helping people. No one works at a free clinic cuz there in it for the money.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by MikeSTI

One of my friends was working on a project that would produce infinate energy and low mantaince due to the fact he was useing magnets to generate the energy he went to the companies with his mini R&D model and they shot him down becuase the cost to make a city size'd device was to much but the cost to make smaller divices that would say power a home was verry much affordible but the power companies then need'ed a way for it to break down so they could collect on maintanice.....see the tecnoligy is already avalibe but know one wants to release it untill they can find a way to profit from it.... he was later hired by the same power company who is paying him to keep his research to himself, it was even stated in his contract that they would own his plans so he couldn't quit and take the idea somewhere else.

Infinite energy? I got some beachfront property in the middle of Siberia to sell ya...

If your friend really did invent some sort of affordable, reliable home-scale power generation device, he didn't negotiate a very good contract with whoever he's working for. If something like that actually existed, whoever sold it would make untold millions.

[Beer Goddess]

As the resident tree-hugging-hippie, who is actually taking a resource management class, I have to put my two cents in. First, I think it is really great to see that there are other people out there talking about the energy crisis.

I agree with Scott that it is very likely to be a doom and gloom scenario if we don't act extremely fast. However, I think that there are some other important things that we should consider. There is a lot of discussion about how if we don't act, we will lose our "American Way of Life." Frankly, if we aren't going to have the "doom and gloom" we are going have to change are way of life. Since 1950 global population has grown by a factor of 2.4 while global consumption has increased by a factor of six. The fact is that the richest 20% of the world consume 80% of the world's resources. If you are having trouble with the math that leaves 20% of the resources for 80% of the people. I don't have exact numbers on where that top twenty lives, but it would be safe to assume that a majority of them live here in the USA.

The resource scarcity also goes far beyond energy. Many analyst believe that the biggest conflict in the middle east will not be over oil but water. Fish stocks are also at peak harvest or in decline or are too contaminated to eat. Fishing boats from different countries have thrown molotov cocktails at each other in international waters due to the shortage. Resources like topsoil for agricultural lands are also being used faster than it can be reformed. In California, one of the biggest agriculture producers in the world, we destroy topsoil, due to poor land management 80 times faster than it can be reformed. World wide, we lose 7% of topsoil a year. In a world where population is continuing to grow this could potentially be a huge problem. The fastest disapearing type of land is wetlands- a crucial player in the water cycle essential to providing the world with clean water.

If we have any hope of maintaining some reasonable quality of life we must reduce how much we consume of everything and how much we waste. I don't mean to sound preachy,and I am by no means not part of the problem. I just ordered a new pair of shoes from Victoria's Secret and Carmen Electra's Strip Aerobics video- two things that I am sure I can live with out. Tyson also made a very good point about almost needing a cell phone to be successful. In our society we are expected to have certain things- decent clothes to be taken seriously at work, a cell phone to be reachable, a car (or two) to get where you need to go. To consume in excess is to be American. But Scott also asked, what he could do? I can tell you what I do. Don't buy disposable things (like swiffer pads and dusters or paper napkins) when you can do the job nearly as easily with something reusable. Think about how much packaging is used in products you by. Reuse what you can and recycle. Think about these issues when you vote. It's a start.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by Beer Goddess

I just ordered a new pair of shoes from Victoria's Secret and Carmen Electra's Strip Aerobics video- two things that I am sure I can live with out.

I'm going to have to disagree with that one... this is important stuff we're talking about.

[MikeSTI]

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

I'm going to have to disagree with that one... this is important stuff we're talking about.

yah your right without VS and strip aerobics the world would already be doomed these are the things keeping our minds off the end of the world

[dknv]

I got a list of 15 things in email yesterday and took out the dups from Evan's post:

Subject: Things to Do While You Hang Around Walmart
1. Get 24 boxes of condoms & randomly put them in people's carts when they aren't looking.
3. Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.
9. Look right into the security camera, use it as a mirror and pick your nose.
12. In the auto department, practice your "Madonna look" using different size funnels.
13. Hide in a clothing rack and when people browse through, say "PICK ME! PICK ME!"
And last but not least:
15. Go into a fitting room, shut the door and wait a while and then yell loudly "There's no toilet paper in here

[MikeSTI]

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

Infinite energy? I got some beachfront property in the middle of Siberia to sell ya...

If your friend really did invent some sort of affordable, reliable home-scale power generation device, he didn't negotiate a very good contract with whoever he's working for. If something like that actually existed, whoever sold it would make untold millions.

that wasnt the problem.....he had two attempts on his life before being picked up and given a verry good life to shut up about his project. why sell it make millions when all you need is the model to make the millions.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MikeSTI

that wasnt the problem.....he had two attempts on his life before being picked up and given a verry good life to shut up about his project. why sell it make millions when all you need is the model to make the millions.

Um... you wanna shut up before we have the Texico Ninjas coming to kick our asses?

[MikeSTI]

yah well...for some reason I dont remember how it all worked so if the ninjas are lurking then know I know nothing

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by MikeSTI

that wasnt the problem.....he had two attempts on his life before being picked up and given a verry good life to shut up about his project. why sell it make millions when all you need is the model to make the millions.

Umm... I don't really have much else I can say to that.

Except... it sounds like he needed the protection services of:

!!!!!!



10 years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire...the A-Team.

[Kevin M]

HAHAHA!

/begin OT to the 4th degree statements

I was blasting the A-Team theme song last year a couple times on the Mosquito Ridge Drive. Scott, you were there for that weren't you? It was the one where I learned how tailgating leads to unintentional drifting lessons.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

HAHAHA!

/begin OT to the 4th degree statements

I was blasting the A-Team theme song last year a couple times on the Mosquito Ridge Drive. Scott, you were there for that weren't you? It was the one where I learned how tailgating leads to unintentional drifting lessons.

I missed Skeeter Ridge, but I've hear the stories... something about an unintentional WRC style drift demonstration?

I did drive that road a few years ago in my TBird however... friggen crazy drive! I wasn't even pushing it on the way back down, and I had to stop due to the brake fade. Pulled over to let 'er cool, and there was a nice plume of smoke coming off the front rotors. That's good and reassuring for the GF, eh?

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by sperry

I missed Skeeter Ridge, but I've hear the stories... something about an unintentional WRC style drift demonstration?

One of these things is not like the other... one of these things just doesn't belong...

[sperry]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

One of these things is not like the other... one of these things just doesn't belong...

YES!!!

[Kevin M]

How bout the new sig? Too big?

[sperry]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

How bout the new sig? Too big?

It's missing an animated chick .gif, a 3 page list of mods, a link to a sound clip of your fart can, and 200 smilies.

[Kevin M]

shit... I only have 163 smilies....

[Nick Koan]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

How bout the new sig? Too big?

That is a pretty ricey sig.

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by nKoan

That is a pretty ricey sig.

Don'y you mean "IBJCcallsitrice"?

[Kevin M]

Hey- what happened to my attachment? Do I need to link it instead?

[MattR]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

Hey- what happened to my attachment? Do I need to link it instead?

I can see it but its reveresed?/ trippy man.


"You are freaking out.......man"