Mar 12
Kumquat commented on Wait, Who the Hell Is Dr. Benjamin Carson?.
I saw him a few years ago at my brother in law's graduation from ORU, and I second what @1 said. So many bootstraps! He did get a standing ovation, which kind of just confirmed my general feeling of overall antagonism. I love my brother in law, and my in laws, to death, but ORU seemed a kind of hot mess of crazy to me.
Mar 5
Kumquat commented on Calling All NALTs: Sick of the Anti-Gay Religious Right? Then Do Something About It..
Ditto Kim
Jan 19
Kumquat commented on "Gun advocates want to create a society governed by fear.".
Oh, this is so annoying. I'm pro-gun control- which I think is ludicrously overdue, but that doesn't mean that that somehow blinds me to the fact that people in my life who are all about the sacredness of the second amendment aren't total assholes. I have aunts, uncles, high school friends, former bosses (a father in law) who all feel pretty strongly about their right to bear arms, and none of them are scared sociopaths. The people I'm thinking about are complex people with their fare amount of fear of change and sense of entitlement, but are also good, loving, hard working, friendly, helpful social people. You know, complicated humans who hold a stance that I disagree with.
There are definitely assholes out there in the population who rally to protect the second amendment. Assholery is an equal opportunity social disease. But acting like there is a consensus among gun owners that the desired goal is to destroy society so everyone feels as scared as they do is a total break from my experience, and kind of aggravating to read about, because it doesn't seem to help the national dialogue all that much.
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There are definitely assholes out there in the population who rally to protect the second amendment. Assholery is an equal opportunity social disease. But acting like there is a consensus among gun owners that the desired goal is to destroy society so everyone feels as scared as they do is a total break from my experience, and kind of aggravating to read about, because it doesn't seem to help the national dialogue all that much.
Jan 15
Kumquat commented on Mars Hill Church Not Actually Volunteering with Lifelong AIDS Alliance.
@26: Honeybunny, it's painful to point this out, but you know that by making blanket assumptions about the people on this thread (how hypocritical and mean and non-volunteering we all are) because you are mad about the blanket assumptions being offered up on this thread about Mars Hill and homophobia- well, pot, kettle, black?
It's seems you are taking the comments on this thread really personally, and I don't know why that is, but I'm going to offer up that anyone who visits slog and has expectations that Mars Hill Church in Seattle is going to be treated with warmth or kid gloves (or with anything other than mockery) is a person who is setting his or herself up for huge disappointment. And in this case Mars Hill has just- maybe with all the good intentions in the world, who knows (you are right, everything that Mars Hill has put out in the public forum has convinced me that there is nothing in that church for the likes of me)- set itself up for that kind of mockery.
It's seems you are taking the comments on this thread really personally, and I don't know why that is, but I'm going to offer up that anyone who visits slog and has expectations that Mars Hill Church in Seattle is going to be treated with warmth or kid gloves (or with anything other than mockery) is a person who is setting his or herself up for huge disappointment. And in this case Mars Hill has just- maybe with all the good intentions in the world, who knows (you are right, everything that Mars Hill has put out in the public forum has convinced me that there is nothing in that church for the likes of me)- set itself up for that kind of mockery.
Jan 15
Kumquat commented on The City of Utopias.
I was worried about who was going to clean the toilets and serve the lattes until that last bit about the starving artists and immigrants: what a relief to know there is some foresight there.
Jan 14
Kumquat commented on Prosecutor Rightly Blamed for Death of Aaron Swartz.
Dominic, I think that by asserting that Aaron's death is the result of the prosecutor prosecuting (whether or not the crimes were victimless, they were illegal actions, and it's her job to uphold the law) you conflate two issues which, imo, shouldn't necessarily be conflated without a ton of acknowledgment of how messy and ambiguious "fault" is when it comes to someone who has taken their own life.
If Carmen Ortiz actions are unnecessarily severe, then she is guilty of perverting justice, and that is definitely something to talk about, at length, and to censure her for. But that doesn't mean she is guilty of making Aaron take his own life.
As it's been pointed out, people are prosecuted for crimes they didn't commit all the time- which is a perversion of justice- but they don't all commit suicide. Suicide is not the de facto consequence of being mistreated- even grossly mistreated, even when there is an inbalance of power mistreated.
My condolances to his family. As someone who's lost a cousin, a grandfather and possibly an aunt to suicide, I know that in my experience the agony of going back to figure out what exactly would have kept my loved one safe is brutal, and it never really gets resolved. Ultimately, how to keep someone who is so internally fragile safe from themselves, while still giving them free will? How do you remove that choice from someone?
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If Carmen Ortiz actions are unnecessarily severe, then she is guilty of perverting justice, and that is definitely something to talk about, at length, and to censure her for. But that doesn't mean she is guilty of making Aaron take his own life.
As it's been pointed out, people are prosecuted for crimes they didn't commit all the time- which is a perversion of justice- but they don't all commit suicide. Suicide is not the de facto consequence of being mistreated- even grossly mistreated, even when there is an inbalance of power mistreated.
My condolances to his family. As someone who's lost a cousin, a grandfather and possibly an aunt to suicide, I know that in my experience the agony of going back to figure out what exactly would have kept my loved one safe is brutal, and it never really gets resolved. Ultimately, how to keep someone who is so internally fragile safe from themselves, while still giving them free will? How do you remove that choice from someone?
Nov 27, 2012
Kumquat commented on Judge Sentences Teenager to Ten Years of Church.
So, the judge is offering the kid a choice of prison for ten years (for killing someone) or committment to a profession, a potentially supportive social environment, a vocational training, and sobriety for a year? Between punishment or rehibilitation? And folks are up in arms over this?
I get the concerns about the religious nature of this, and if it turns out that the judge picks the church, that's problematic and creepy. But if the kid can chose which church (aka supportive social environment) he wants to go to: I honestly don't have a problem with this at all, and think this is pretty awesome alternative to ten of his most formative years in prison.
I get the concerns about the religious nature of this, and if it turns out that the judge picks the church, that's problematic and creepy. But if the kid can chose which church (aka supportive social environment) he wants to go to: I honestly don't have a problem with this at all, and think this is pretty awesome alternative to ten of his most formative years in prison.
Oct 20, 2012
Kumquat commented on Listen Up Folks, Because Rich O'Neill is Super Upset >:(.
There should be a test of leadership on when it is, and is not, appropriate to use exclamation marks, singular and plural. I just think that would weed out so many, many problems.
Sep 20, 2012
Kumquat commented on Texan Lynches Empty Chair.
Wow, the day when I feel compelled to defend a speaker at the RNC convention (particularly one who talked to a chair) was a day I thought I'd never see coming, but lo, here we are:
I think it's possible to support the general policiese of the old timey RNC (fiscal and social conservatism) without being a racist. I'd be suprised if Clint Eastwood was anything other than horrified by this. And I feel like a clever racist could come up with a dogwhistle out of nearly anything- all you need is an object that refers to or is linked in some way to prominent person of color.
But basically, Clint Eastwood's feelings are kind of tangential, right? This is horrifying and disgusting without sort of roping in the feelings or intentions of an aging and apparently confused movie actor.
I think it's possible to support the general policiese of the old timey RNC (fiscal and social conservatism) without being a racist. I'd be suprised if Clint Eastwood was anything other than horrified by this. And I feel like a clever racist could come up with a dogwhistle out of nearly anything- all you need is an object that refers to or is linked in some way to prominent person of color.
But basically, Clint Eastwood's feelings are kind of tangential, right? This is horrifying and disgusting without sort of roping in the feelings or intentions of an aging and apparently confused movie actor.
Jul 5, 2012
Kumquat commented on The Slippery Slope from Louise Bourgeois to Jerry Sandusky.
Everytime I pass by this statue, at least one of the figures is pretty much obscured by the fountain. Also, I see this fountain at least once a week for over a year, and all the sudden posts about it are in my facebook friend feed and the Stranger, which makes me feel like I'm caught in some sort of weird slow motion machine. Didn't this controversy sort of already happen? C'mon, folks, get with the picture!
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