I assure you that my dislike of mistakes in no way grants immunity.

1) Agreed.
2) So you just reject empiricism? You take the most reliable data you can find.
3) There's not decisions to be made in science. The political realm should be disjoint from science.
4) I also do not like the 2 party system.
5) Flattering but I'm not sure that's accurate or relevant.

Cheer up bro. Why so down?


Edited by Equality 7-2521 - July 11 2012 at 15:48

The difference between government and private backed is more a matter of implementation and application. While neither is particularly palatable to everyone, there are advantages and disadvantages with both approaches and this world is big enough to accommodate them without having to chose one or the other - government backing does not necessarily follow partisan demarcation lines.

Dean wrote: The difference between government and private backed is more a matter of implementation and application. While neither is particularly palatable to everyone, there are advantages and disadvantages with both approaches and this world is big enough to accommodate them without having to chose one or the other - government backing does not necessarily follow partisan demarcation lines.       Unfortunately a lot of the silly-story private research we read of in this thread is thinly disguised promotion of the backer by the backer rather than the research itself... for example:  "The perfect piece of toast: Scientists test 2,000 slices and find 216 seconds is the optimum time" ... commisioned by Vogel's Bread. (Sorry old news, couldn't be bothered to find a more recent example).

Now that's some good research.

Equality 7-2521 wrote: thellama73 wrote: Equality 7-2521 wrote: . 2) So you just reject empiricism? You take the most reliable data you can find. I am at least skeptical of empiricism. The little work I have done in statistics has taught me that empirical work is very susceptible to bias and other flaws and tinkering with the data can often give you two contradictory results. I prefer my empiricism tempered by reason, especially if it's to be the basis of momentous policy decisions. Everything should be tempered by reason, but empiricism hasn't failed in physics last I saw.

Yes, good point. I think the hard sciences have a much better case for empiricism than social sciences do. There are certain branches of supposedly hard science that I think are so young, however, that the amount we can really accept from them as "truth" is pretty small. Climate science is one, nutrition science is another. These people make it obvious on a daily basis that they have no idea what they are talking about.

Supreme Court of Canada declares that songwriters/producers aren't entitled to royalties for music downloads

The T wrote: Third city in California declares bankruptcy. We could say "As California goes... "

bartcop.com
San Bernardino Bankrupt - Scranton next?
Anything is better than the rich paying their f-ing taxes
  
 Link

The drumbeat of cities filing bankruptcy grows louder: San Bernardino has become the third
California city in two weeks to go bust, after Stockton (the biggest U.S. city so far to file) and
the small Sierra hamlet of Mammoth Lakes.
 
The L.A. Times reports that San Bernardino's filing is certain to heighten worries about the fiscal
solvency of other California towns. But the next bankruptcy might not come from California:
Scranton, Pa., is so cash-strapped that on Friday it made an unprecedented move and
cut the pay of its municipal workers to $7.25 an hour--minimum wage.

Really?
Cops and fireman are risking their lives for $7.25 an hour?
Oh well, anything's better than the rich paying their f-ing taxes.
 
While Scranton's crisis has been sudden, San Bernadino's has been years in the making:
A financial analysis blames "accounting errors, deficit spending, lack of revenue growth and
increases in pension and debt costs."
 
The "accounting errors" may not have been innocent.

DUH!
You mean when millions go missing, the money didn't "evaporate?"

According to San Bernardino's city attorney and as reported in the L.A. Times, budget officials
for over a decade falsified financial reports, in an attempt to mask the city's problems. "The mayor
and the council were not given accurate documents," the Times quotes the attorney as saying.
 
Funny - notice how it's not even a misdemeanor to bankrupt an entire city
but if you obey Montana's pot laws you could get twenty years in prison.

Slartibartfast wrote: The T wrote: Third city in California declares bankruptcy. We could say "As California goes... " bartcop.com San Bernardino Bankrupt - Scranton next? Anything is better than the rich paying their f-ing taxes     Link The drumbeat of cities filing bankruptcy grows louder: San Bernardino has become the third California city in two weeks to go bust, after Stockton (the biggest U.S. city so far to file) and the small Sierra hamlet of Mammoth Lakes.   The L.A. Times reports that San Bernardino's filing is certain to heighten worries about the fiscal solvency of other California towns. But the next bankruptcy might not come from California: Scranton, Pa., is so cash-strapped that on Friday it made an unprecedented move and cut the pay of its municipal workers to $7.25 an hour--minimum wage. Really? Cops and fireman are risking their lives for $7.25 an hour? Oh well, anything's better than the rich paying their f-ing taxes.   While Scranton's crisis has been sudden, San Bernadino's has been years in the making: A financial analysis blames "accounting errors, deficit spending, lack of revenue growth and increases in pension and debt costs."   The "accounting errors" may not have been innocent. DUH! You mean when millions go missing, the money didn't "evaporate?" According to San Bernardino's city attorney and as reported in the L.A. Times, budget officials for over a decade falsified financial reports, in an attempt to mask the city's problems. "The mayor and the council were not given accurate documents," the Times quotes the attorney as saying.   Funny - notice how it's not even a misdemeanor to bankrupt an entire city but if you obey Montana's pot laws you could get twenty years in prison.

Tax the rich enough, and they'll leave the state and take their jobs with them.  Good luck funding the city then.

Epignosis wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: The T wrote: Third city in California declares bankruptcy. We could say "As California goes... " bartcop.com San Bernardino Bankrupt - Scranton next? Anything is better than the rich paying their f-ing taxes     Link The drumbeat of cities filing bankruptcy grows louder: San Bernardino has become the third California city in two weeks to go bust, after Stockton (the biggest U.S. city so far to file) and the small Sierra hamlet of Mammoth Lakes.   The L.A. Times reports that San Bernardino's filing is certain to heighten worries about the fiscal solvency of other California towns. But the next bankruptcy might not come from California: Scranton, Pa., is so cash-strapped that on Friday it made an unprecedented move and cut the pay of its municipal workers to $7.25 an hour--minimum wage. Really? Cops and fireman are risking their lives for $7.25 an hour? Oh well, anything's better than the rich paying their f-ing taxes.   While Scranton's crisis has been sudden, San Bernadino's has been years in the making: A financial analysis blames "accounting errors, deficit spending, lack of revenue growth and increases in pension and debt costs."   The "accounting errors" may not have been innocent. DUH! You mean when millions go missing, the money didn't "evaporate?" According to San Bernardino's city attorney and as reported in the L.A. Times, budget officials for over a decade falsified financial reports, in an attempt to mask the city's problems. "The mayor and the council were not given accurate documents," the Times quotes the attorney as saying.   Funny - notice how it's not even a misdemeanor to bankrupt an entire city but if you obey Montana's pot laws you could get twenty years in prison. Tax the rich enough, and they'll leave the state and take their jobs with them.  Good luck funding the city then.

If they don't like the new salaries, let them quit. Maybe having to go without police and fire protection will teach the city to live within its means.Admittedly, the way the mayor handled it was a bit crass, but something had to be cut. I think he probably should have cut his own salary first though.

Son of Liberal Financier George Soros Launches Anti-Super PAC Super PAC

^yeah, that's a totally bogus non-story. "Oh my God! We import things from other countries! Shock!"