Bio

I was born in Romania under Communism, though I was to young to either understand or appreciate what I lived through I have heard the first hand accounts of totalitarianism. I am a naturalized American Citizen and while I was born in Romania I am an America, as are my parents. I am convinced that all people of the world can have what America has, though I am doubtful if they will achieve it. I am always amazed by how unappreciative many Americans are of the freedoms and sheer luck they have of living in a nation that promotes the maximum potential of the individual. I am also driven mad by the fact that so many American look to Europe as a model for anything. We do not live in a perfect nation, and we never will. We do how ever live in the most prosperous and free nation to have ever existed. We are citizens of the world greatest Republic and should fear and dread the day we stop being either. 


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Valiuth
Name:
Valiuth
Hometown:
Chicago, IL
Joined:
Apr 27, 2011

Recent Comments

Valiuth
Yeah...ok.: If they get rid of the Star of David that will mess up my coexist bumper sticker. · 43 minutes ago

Coe-ist? Hm..I wonder what it means?

Though are we really surprised by this news. I mean Hamas affiliated group publishing cartoon intimating a strong dislike of Jews I thought was par for the course. 

I think the only fair response is a little Israeli Flag-Man punting a crescent moon and star into a trashcan. Though I doubt many Israelis support such a notion.  

Valiuth

In America Islam is not equal to Christianity. How can it be? It is only practiced by a very small percentage of the Nations inhabitants. I bet we have more Jews than Muslims in the US. Further more the cultural contributions of Muslims to the US is very scant. I can't think of any in fact. So how can it be said to be equal to Christianity, when in it virtually non-existent.  

I'm not picking on Muslims here, I can say the same thing about Hinduism and Buddhism too. This is not to say that our laws treat any of these religions differently (certainly not in a negative way). Under the law they are as equal as can be. Culturally the USA is dominated by Christianity with Judaism as a distant second. 

At least that is my interpretation of the word "equal" in this context. So to rephrase the question of the thread. Is Islam culturally equal to Christianity in America. Clearly no. But, is this really a problem? 

Valiuth
R. Craigen: If this is true, it's notable that Egypt is not a signatory.  Nor Iraq. · 5 hours ago

I noticed that too. Is there a chance for a Islamist Axis? It would seem unlikely on account that the Sunni Islamists hate the Shia and vice versa. Iraq though has a large Shia presence. Will it break out into secterian violence again if such sharp sectarian  alliances are created?

Valiuth

FloppyDisk90: First off, thank you, Misthiocracy, for starting a thread that (at least for now) has nothing to do with SSM.

More energy = good

A rich, prosperous China with cheap energy would increase, not decrease, the demand for US goods and services.  Also a good thing.  Rich, prosperous countries with secure sources of energy also tend not to want to start expansionist wars.  Another good thing. · 43 minutes ago

I think once Gay people start marrying energy prices will inflate due to...just kidding.

There are many markets that need Energy, including Europe, India and Japan. Also as more countries climb into modern economies their energy needs will continue to rise. Basically if we dig the energy out of the ground some one somewhere will use it. I don't think we should worry about China's potential energy reserves. The less centralized energy production is the better it will be for global markets and energy consumers. 

Valiuth

I am skeptical, I saw no indications that the movie will have any of the deep internal psycho drama of the book. I mean in the book you don't ever really get to see the aliens or anything. They are just described. I fear this will be an action romp with a twist at the end, but none of the build up.

It is a fast book because it is a short book, but there is very little action in it from what I recall. I just hope they don't mess Bean up. 

Valiuth

Peter Robinson

Thomas Friedman, wrong again as usual. · · 8 hours ago

Hardly surprising. I just take that as a given. 

Valiuth

Mollie Hemingway, Ed.

Valiuth: Did any one else find his comments that the only reason a pretty white girl would run to a black man is because she was either homeless or in trouble a bit off putting?  · 1 hour ago

Honestly? No.

I found it refreshingly candid and funny. I think, in fact, that there is greater hope for better relations between people the more we can joke and address things such as this.

If he were saying it without the implicit hyperbole of humor, I'd find it off putting. · 2 hours ago

Yah, I honestly thought it was a strange sentiment to throw in. To me it didn't sound like joke, more a statement of fact (at least for him). 

Valiuth
Randy Weivoda: This reminds me of every time I see some Chicago official on TV talking about shootings.  They rarely mention that there are some very bad neighborhoods with a lot of crime or concede that their gun control laws have failed.  The blame always lies in the "out-of-state" guns brought into Chicago.  As if it's those darn gun-totin' tourists from Wisconsin and Indiana who come in and shoot the place up.  · 1 hour ago

I think what they mean is that Chicago criminals drive down to Gary or up to Racine and buy their guns there. Rather then tourists coming to commit crimes here. This of course is the problem of local gun control mixed with open state borders. 

Valiuth

Stephen Dawson

Valiuth: Both my Screen Name and Avatar come from DnD. Valiuth was the name of a Bard character I played back in collage for a bit, and my avatar is a portrait I drew of a different Bard character I made for a Victorian themed DnD one shot (it is also my avatar on Steam for you gamers out there.) · 6 hours ago

I thought it was a sketch of George Harrison, circa Sgt Pepper's days. · 12 hours ago

You know now that you mention it I kind of see it a bit...

Valiuth

Did any one else find his comments that the only reason a pretty white girl would run to a black man is because she was either homeless or in trouble a bit off putting? 

Valiuth

Both my Screen Name and Avatar come from DnD. Valiuth was the name of a Bard character I played back in collage for a bit, and my avatar is a portrait I drew of a different Bard character I made for a Victorian themed DnD one shot (it is also my avatar on Steam for you gamers out there.)

Valiuth

Casey

Astonishing

Valiuth: 

Elsewise, why bother looking at a still life painting of some generic fruits and a generic bottle? Why not just go to the grocery store to see the real thing? 

Obviously, a painter of a still life,ifhe knows what he is about, is trying to present somethingbeyondthe mere physical form. The most "perfect" Dutch still life violates the natural form magnificently. Whoever thinks, "that painting looks just like an apple," has never really looked at an apple.  (Maybe the artist has fooled you into thinking that's what an apple looks like.)

Time is an important element here as well.

Photography captures an actual thing at an actual moment in time.

Real things in real life are constantly changing and cannot be experienced the same way at different times.

But a painter attempts to capture the essence of a thing as he perceived it during the time he was perceiving it.  In a sense, we are getting a glimpse inside his mind.

So I wouldn't necessarily say the painting is "saying" something but I would say it is revealing something. · 1 hour ago

So it is communicating? 

Valiuth

Astonishing: I think that if the goal of the potter is to make something beautiful, he must have some idea of what beauty is and then he is expressing that idea in his production of the pot. That pot tells others what that potter thinks is beautiful. That potter is communicating his idea of beauty to everyone with his pot making. Regardless of his initial intent. 

A great artist I think realizes this and then puts a lot of thought and effort into just what he makes because he knows his work is in a sense speaking to people and he doesn't want to sound like a fool. 

Valiuth

I don't trust flowery threats they may very well indicate impotence. What exactly will Mr. Edrogan do to stop Assad? A true leader would state their threats simply and clearly, because their threats would not need any embellishments. 

Valiuth

I think you would want to avoid cash because it would encourage armed robberies on pay day. But I agree people should be forced to go through the physical act of handing money over to the government every year. Symbolism is important. 

Valiuth

Samuel Amaral: 5

Earth was warmer in the Middle Ages,if it wasn't a problem for the Vikings it ain't one for us. · 10 hours ago

Edited 7 hours ago

The claim is that continuing warming trends will be bad not that a slight increase that levels off is bad. So it may be fine to say we will be ok with +1C increase but the fear is that it will keep going higher. 

I think it is far from clear that the warming will continue, or just how high it can reach. Further more the proposed solutions seem so bad economically. 

I will declare myself a 3.5 level skeptic. 

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