Heretic1010

Wearing the stereotypes set by the U.S.

Define the "right" way, if you please, then apply this to our history as a country. You can then examine the arbitrary manner in which the current methods for entry into this country are applied. If you still believe there is nothing wrong with the current system, and nothing to fix, we can begin a discussion on why you continue to feel this way in spite of the evidence highlighting glaring flaws in US immigration policy. - Heretic (18 hrs ago | post #11)

Jones asks for six-month prison sentence to be commuted

Remember Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter who was busted and disqualified during the 1988 summer Olympics for doping after running a 9.87 100m? That gold medal went to the second place finisher - Carl Lewis, who ran a clean 9.92 (I recall that they they triple checked all of the finalists in the 100m to be sure they were clean). This means that the fastest human 20(!) years ago was running a 9.92. Based on the history of athletic records, I find it extremely hard to believe that no one in the past 20 years could better that time by a few hundredths of a second without doping. With all the advances since then in training techniques and nutrition, I have to disagree with you; I believe that it is possible for a top-flight athlete to run a clean 9.8+ 100m. - Heretic (Tuesday | post #20)

Jones asks for six-month prison sentence to be commuted

It is a bit of a stretch to claim knowledge of ALL athletes, and imply that every medical test known to man can be beaten every time. Besides, after the "steroid era" of the 90's, every major international athletic competition maintains a strict drug testing program. In bicycling, it's EPO; in hockey, it's psuedoepidrine; in American football, baseball, and basketball, as well as European soccer, it's human growth hormone (HGH); in the traditional Olympic sports, from swimming to track and field, it's just about everything, including asthma medication. You will always find idiots who think they can beat the system, but technology has caught up with them now. Look at this year's Tour de France; even after all the publicity and scrutiny, several teams this year have been forced to pull out following positive drug tests of its riders. The prevalence of doping in sports, however, does not mean that all the athletes involved in any given sport are involved. - Heretic (Tuesday | post #14)

You are entirely correct. My apologies to Phil, you, and the rest of the members here who had the misfortune of reading my outburst. I know better and should have been more mature in my response. - Heretic (Saturday Jul 19 | post #14)

laughs* And I suppose YOU believe yourself to be in a position to instruct me? Oh-ho, THIS I have to seeAh, supply-side economics. Your faith in corporations as the rightful governing authority over a "free" market is...quaint. Rather than a lowering of prices, we would see consolidation, followed by the creation of a stratified market. Cheaper, lower quality items would be sold in place of strawberries, while the version we are accustomed to would maintain it's profitability based on exclusivity. You can take my opinion or leave it; I really do not care one way of the other. Just know that there are entire libraries filled with similar economic models and market examplesThis is geriatric thinking. "Unions" and their "power" used to be a viable bogeyman to scare people with...about 30 years ago. The destruction of the air traffic controller's union by Ronald Reagan was just the most visible sign of their decline over the last half of the 20th century. Today, the Teacher's union, supposedly one of the strongest unions in the country, had to bend over and take the provisions of the "No Child Left Behind" initiatives without having a voice in those creating them. If the supposed "evil" of unionization was such a prevalent economic force, wouldn't Starbuck's be charging a lot more for their products? Wouldn't the legions of code monkeys responsible for the interactive products and services we used every day have formed a union by now, something that would make the AFL-CIO look like the Girl Scouts? *cue scary music* Ooooh. Look out! It's the Union Organizer! He'll bleed you dry and ruin our economy! Booga-booga-booga! *laughs* Oh, my goodness. You just made my day. I have some people who will very much enjoy hearing about this one. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go back to tallying just how much the predatory lending practices, the record profits by the American energy cartels, and recent mortgage fraud by Freddy Mack and Fannie May is hamstringing out economy. *gives the thumbs-up* Gooooo Corporations! *laughs* - Heretic (Friday Jul 18 | post #11)

Youth does not have to equal ignorance, and it certainly is no excuse for willful ignorance. Go talk to people, read a book, go to a museum, go to a play, go to a coffee shop and just people watch. You learn by doing and exploring, not by spouting nonsense over the computer, crouched in a darkened basement. But don't take my word for it. Go out and prove me wrong. - Heretic (Thursday Jul 17 | post #26)

You say that as though you are saying "I hate broccoli". You have yet to give any sort of explanation, reasoning or examples that paint a detailed picture that would allow anyone to understand why you hold this belief, or why you feel the need to constantly repeat those same three words. I don't feel that your opinion is somehow "wrong"; I'm actually the type of person who will defend a person's right to an opinion or belief, even if it is diametrically opposed to mine (as a journalist, the whole First Amendment, free speech thing is in my DNA). My problem comes from your apparent ignorance of the object of your hatred. If you feel so strongly, you are either well versed in everything there is to know about a subject, or you are completely ignorant of it. I can respect the former. The latter? I go back and fourth between boredom and pity for people who hate things they know nothing about. - Heretic (Thursday Jul 17 | post #25)

Because without illegal labor, that quart of strawberries at the grocery store would run you something like $14 rather than $4. If you think energy prices have caused food prices to skyrocket (up 37% in 12 months, by the way), imagine what would happen if those laborers were paid minimum wage and their employers had to pay insurance and taxes on them. - Heretic (Thursday Jul 17 | post #6)

I think most women would disagree with you there. Sexual dysfunction medications such as Viagra and anti-hair loss medications are covered by 2/3 of the nation's health insurers, while contraceptives for women are covered by less than half. Women make, on average, about 70 cents for every dollar a man makes when jobs and professions are compared side by side. Women represent 53% of the population, yet they only make up 16% of Congress. The number one cause of death among women women under the age of 45 is accident. Number two? Homicide, 90% of which comes at the hands of a husband or boyfriend. And do I even need to go into the status of homosexuals, immigrants, the elderly, or the handicapped compared to the average White male? We may not have India's caste system or Britain's class system, but we do have a social hierarchy in this country. In this country, all men are created equal. Of course, as the saying goes, some are more "equal" than others. - Heretic (Thursday Jul 17 | post #4)

Black community denied water for decades, jury says

hmm...that post made zero sense. Would you care to elaborate? - Heretic (Wednesday Jul 16 | post #3)

Why do you feel the need to spout off about a group of people you seem to despise...to members of that same group? This is another example of the internet emboldening cowards to express themselves without fear of repercussions. As an editor for the Topix African American forum, I see it all the time. And once again, we have the same sad old story: some bigoted troll gets his rocks off posting unimaginative insults, laughing at the replies and basking in all the indignant attention they receive. Now, don't get me wrong; it's okay to have your personal opinion. Go ahead and cling to it in blind ignorance of the object of your hatred; be our guest. The problem comes from your unexplained desire to share this misguided opinion (many, many times) with the very people you claim to hate so much. If you need validation for your existence, please go elsewhere. Better yet, get off the computer, get out of your parent's basement, and try engaging in a real conversation with a real person. - Heretic (Wednesday Jul 16 | post #23)

I have a degree in Journalism, as well as professional editing experience for a major newspaper and several large websites. As a hobby, I am currently an editor for the Topix Gothic and African-American forums, as well as the site admin for MyGoth.com. - Heretic (Saturday Jul 12 | post #19)

While I said that you don't know what you are talking about, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Admitting ignorance of a subject, then making the attempt to educate yourself about it, is the mark of wisdom. If you want to get a better grounding on what the Gothic subculture is all about, I recommend reading two things. First, I ran across an essay several years ago that does a very good job of placing what we know today as "Gothic" in its proper historical context. You can read that essay here: http://www.mygoth. com/index.php?s= &showtopic=426 4&view=findpos t&p=76078 Second, the philosophical underpinnings of the subculture comes in large part from the philosophy of Romanticism. Wikipedia has an excellent article outlining this philosophy, which you can read here: http://en.wikipedi a.org/wiki/Romanti cismWhere I come from, people like me were referred to as "Darksiders " long before the term "Goth" made it across the Atlantic. I am a married, 30-something African American professional living in Minnesota. Based on appearance, I do not fit any Gothic stereotype. I am, however, a long-time Goth. As most Goths will tell you, the subculture is a philosophy, a state of mind, NOT what you look like. What you may know about Goths, and what you have seen of this subculture, is probably not much more than the stereotypes you see on television, in school, or at the mall. I'm here to tell you that there is much, much more to it than that. Read the information available at the links I posted as a start, then look for more information on your own. Avoid poseurs and those who believe "Goth" to be nothing more than a fashion statement, and talk to people who are actually a part of the subculture. It is always better to form your opinions based on knowledge than it is to rely on stereotypes and rumors. - Heretic (Thursday Jul 10 | post #16)

why do sooo many black men prefer white women instead of an educ. sistah!!

C'mon now! Once again, we have someone going off on exceptions as if they ARE the rule, and as if it's anyone else's business who a person dates or marries. Have you actually read through the previous posts? Making sweeping generalizations about what ALL African American men think is, at best, ignorant and, at worst, arrogantInterestin g that you would use the term "brainwashing ". Check the census data on the actual number of people with mixed ancestry. Maybe that will show you what a mountain people have made of this molehill topic. - Heretic (Tuesday Jul 8 | post #371)