Re: Round Table Negativity Thread

[PapiChuloLeon]

I keep having these dreams about chaos in my city and people being killed. The first one involved a bitch who could eat your soul out of you. The one I just had, had an evil bitch or demon mind controlling people, and making them go do these brutal murders. I pride myself on not remembering dreams, but this is the first time I remembered this many details of my dreams. I usually don't have the same theme moar than once.

That's bizarre. Have you singled out specific keywords/elements and popped them into Google under the pretense of dream analysis? Or looked up what recurring dreams are about? I've never had recurring dreams. Similar themes, yeah, but never an instance where a dream was really similar to another.

I've only been able to start remembering some fragments of my dreams, recently. They're actually not dreams but nightmares. It's always a dark and gloomy setting like the Batman movies. I think there was some kind of war going on in the dark in the one I had 2-3 days ago. If you were having my thoughts every time you lay at night, you would feel afraid for every single second until you're deep in enough to realize it's only a nightmare.

My strangest dream recently was one where I was on a steel table being dissected. The feel of the scalpel slicing my skin open was borderline orgasmic. Like, it was intensely painful, but there was a surge of adrenaline and endorphins, and I was adoring it and moaning in pleasure. I woke up before it could advance beyond slicing me open, though. </3 Last thing I remember was the man standing over me (probably ARM) sinking his hands into me and grabbing hold of some of my organs.

Very very strange.

You sure it wasn't ArgentFang? You never told me the story about that dream you had about ArgentFang.

[Argent Fang]

Somehow, I doubt that I'd be performing surgery on anyone, even in their dreams.

I'm about the same as you Tycoon when it comes to remembering dreams. (or I just don't have them period.)

[lilith]

Have you gone on antidepressants or off of them?

[Argent Fang]

Have you gone on antidepressants or off of them?

Is this directed at me? If so, then no, I've never used anti-depressants of any kind.

[lilith]

No, tie qewn.

The reason I ask is because this thing is apparently common (looked at some forums) when you go on or off of antidepressants. I went on some for a little while, because after being in Texas for ~13 years, where the sun shines approximately 364 days a year, I got here where it's always grey and cloudy, and the winters depressed me too much. I was on effexor for something like three months, and when I quit it, my nightmares were full of blood and gore, I'd kill people or vice-versa. A couple of times I "went" to war, and it was so vivid, I felt like I truly went to the trenches. It was bizarre. That was over two years ago, and I still get them once every week or two.

[lilith]

Apparently a gunman killed himself at UT in the library, and there's a possible second one (don't believe it, but they're looking).

What is wrong with people?

Apparently John Lott, the writer of "More Guns, Less Crime" was supposed to speak there today. You have to have a seriously low IQ or possess some sort of tremendous ignorance to honestly believe that more guns leads to less crime. Guns aren't really available where I am, in a city of roughly 250,000 people. There is no gun crime here, period. I think someone got stabbed some number of years ago. Then you go to Houston, and there are dozens killed a year from gunfire. I remember after Cho opened fire on all of those students and faculty at VTech, people were claiming that if students were allowed guns on campus, someone could've stopped him. However, the government allowed Cho to have guns even after he was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and mental problems. His file was totally overlooked and excused. He was supposed to go to psychiatrist and never went. I can't think of many worse groups to give guns to - hormonal, frantic stressed-out 20-year-old students.

[PapiChuloLeon]

No, tie qewn.

The reason I ask is because this thing is apparently common (looked at some forums) when you go on or off of antidepressants. I went on some for a little while, because after being in Texas for ~13 years, where the sun shines approximately 364 days a year, I got here where it's always grey and cloudy, and the winters depressed me too much. I was on effexor for something like three months, and when I quit it, my nightmares were full of blood and gore, I'd kill people or vice-versa. A couple of times I "went" to war, and it was so vivid, I felt like I truly went to the trenches. It was bizarre. That was over two years ago, and I still get them once every week or two.

interesting, I never took those kind of meds. My worse was when I was laying in bed all day being unmotivated for 6 months straight.

We won't be the alpha dog in the western hemisphere forever.

Even if the U.S. hadn't crashed into a financial crisis, there are demographic, material, and political forces that have been spreading power around the Americas for decades.

Brazil is first among the BRICs (Brazi, Russia, India, and China) -- four economies that are supposed to overtake the six largest Western economies by 2032.

Mexico is first among the MAVINS (Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa) -- six economies we expect to blow away expectations and become leading powers in their regions relatively soon.

Canada and Venezuela are oil powers of the distant future.

Peru and Chile are sitting on a fortune of metals and minerals.

All these countries are cranking up, while America faces plenty of fiscal and demographic problems at home.

Here are Signs the U.S. Is Losing Its Influence In Its Own Backyard:

Our most powerful regional ally--Brazil--refuses to follow our orders on Iran

Hillary Clinton went to Brazil to beg support for sanctions against Iran and came away empty handed. Now the UN is counting on Brazil, which is friendly with America and Iran, to lead nuclear diplomacy.

The World's Richest Man is now a Mexican, not an American.

For the first time in 16 years, the World's Richest Man is not an American. Carlos Slim, worth $54 billion, is the first Latin American to hold that title and one of many emerging market billionaires to eclipse the U.S.

Three years after a US financial crisis, Latin America is again growing rapidly. The U.S.? Not so much...

Compare this to what happened during the Great Depression. Latin America was devastated when U.S. investment dried up and the export market soured in the 30s. A League of Nations report said Chile, Peru, and Bolivia suffered the world's worst depression.

Today is quite different. Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico have led a buoyant recovery from the global recession, according to Reuters. The regional economy is expected by the UN to grow 4.3 percent in 2010. If the American consumer remains weak, Latin American exports will move elsewhere.

Chile produces 300% more copper than America--the former world leader in copper production

America used to lead the world in copper production. We produced 49% of the world's copper in 1929, according to this article from the archives. Today we produced 1.2 million tonnes yearly, compared to 5.4 million tonnes in Chile.

Brazil now produces over four times as much iron ore as the U.S.. We used to lead that industry, too.

America once led the world in iron mining. In 1892 we discovered the world's largest mine at the Great Lakes Mesabi Range. It was a wellspring for America's industrial might and the foundation of the rust belt.

Now we claim reserves at 2,100 mt. Seven countries claim higher reserves, including Brazil at 8,900 mt. We produce only 54 mt yearly, while Brazil produces 250 mt.

Canada and Venezuela will pass the U.S. in oil production in the next decade

America produces around 9 million billion barrels of oil a day. Venezuela and Canada each produce around 3 million. But America's reserves are 21 billion barrels and may last less than a decade. Our oil-rich neighbors claim 99 billion bbl and 178 billion bbl, respectively, and will keep producing oil into the distant future.

Now Brazil exports over twice as much beef as we do

America used to lead the world in beef production. Although we still do, America exports only 800,000 mt of beef per year. Brazil exports 2,200,000 mt. Here's some ironic excerpts from a 1911 NYT article: "American-Canadian syndicate to have world's largest beef plant in Brazil... The chilled beef industry has never been tried before in Brazil and has only recently gotten under way in Argentina."

Brazil is now a critical partner for Russia, India, and China

The acronym coined by Goldman Sachs to describe the four key emerging powers has taken on a life of its own. Brazil, Russia, India, and China have held several summits and even discussed making a supranational currency -- that would pull the rug out from the U.S. dollar.

What's important here is that global emerging powers have good relations and are inclined to work together. For instance, China just signed major contracts to build factories and high-speed rail in Brazil.

Brazil, Canada, and Mexico all invest a greater share of GDP in clean energy

A Pew survey found that Brazil invests 0.37% of its economy in clean energy. Canada invests 0.25% and Mexico invests 0.14%. America is eleventh in the world at 0.13%.

Hugo Chavez is still in power

The CIA has a notorious history of interventions in Latin America, supposedly targeting Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, Fidel Castro, Manuel Noriega, Rios Montt, Che Guevara, and many others. But they haven't stopped Hugo Chavez from railing against the United States for years. Clearly America has adopted a more passive regional strategy.

We're getting fucked!!!

[Monty]

@Clare; I was on them for a bit and I recalled having some really gory and actually quite sadistic dreams. Mostly war and any other form of causing harm to someone or something else, I like yourself get those dreams occasionally too!

[lilith]

No, tie qewn.

The reason I ask is because this thing is apparently common (looked at some forums) when you go on or off of antidepressants. I went on some for a little while, because after being in Texas for ~13 years, where the sun shines approximately 364 days a year, I got here where it's always grey and cloudy, and the winters depressed me too much. I was on effexor for something like three months, and when I quit it, my nightmares were full of blood and gore, I'd kill people or vice-versa. A couple of times I "went" to war, and it was so vivid, I felt like I truly went to the trenches. It was bizarre. That was over two years ago, and I still get them once every week or two.

interesting, I never took those kind of meds. My worse was when I was laying in bed all day being unmotivated for 6 months straight.

=/ Happens to the best of us.

We won't be the alpha dog in the western hemisphere forever.

Even if the U.S. hadn't crashed into a financial crisis, there are demographic, material, and political forces that have been spreading power around the Americas for decades.

Brazil is first among the BRICs (Brazi, Russia, India, and China) -- four economies that are supposed to overtake the six largest Western economies by 2032.

Mexico is first among the MAVINS (Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa) -- six economies we expect to blow away expectations and become leading powers in their regions relatively soon.

Canada and Venezuela are oil powers of the distant future.

Peru and Chile are sitting on a fortune of metals and minerals.

All these countries are cranking up, while America faces plenty of fiscal and demographic problems at home.

Here are Signs the U.S. Is Losing Its Influence In Its Own Backyard:

Our most powerful regional ally--Brazil--refuses to follow our orders on Iran

Hillary Clinton went to Brazil to beg support for sanctions against Iran and came away empty handed. Now the UN is counting on Brazil, which is friendly with America and Iran, to lead nuclear diplomacy.

The World's Richest Man is now a Mexican, not an American.

For the first time in 16 years, the World's Richest Man is not an American. Carlos Slim, worth $54 billion, is the first Latin American to hold that title and one of many emerging market billionaires to eclipse the U.S.

Three years after a US financial crisis, Latin America is again growing rapidly. The U.S.? Not so much...

Compare this to what happened during the Great Depression. Latin America was devastated when U.S. investment dried up and the export market soured in the 30s. A League of Nations report said Chile, Peru, and Bolivia suffered the world's worst depression.

Today is quite different. Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico have led a buoyant recovery from the global recession, according to Reuters. The regional economy is expected by the UN to grow 4.3 percent in 2010. If the American consumer remains weak, Latin American exports will move elsewhere.

Chile produces 300% more copper than America--the former world leader in copper production

America used to lead the world in copper production. We produced 49% of the world's copper in 1929, according to this article from the archives. Today we produced 1.2 million tonnes yearly, compared to 5.4 million tonnes in Chile.

Brazil now produces over four times as much iron ore as the U.S.. We used to lead that industry, too.

America once led the world in iron mining. In 1892 we discovered the world's largest mine at the Great Lakes Mesabi Range. It was a wellspring for America's industrial might and the foundation of the rust belt.

Now we claim reserves at 2,100 mt. Seven countries claim higher reserves, including Brazil at 8,900 mt. We produce only 54 mt yearly, while Brazil produces 250 mt.

Canada and Venezuela will pass the U.S. in oil production in the next decade

America produces around 9 million billion barrels of oil a day. Venezuela and Canada each produce around 3 million. But America's reserves are 21 billion barrels and may last less than a decade. Our oil-rich neighbors claim 99 billion bbl and 178 billion bbl, respectively, and will keep producing oil into the distant future.

Now Brazil exports over twice as much beef as we do

America used to lead the world in beef production. Although we still do, America exports only 800,000 mt of beef per year. Brazil exports 2,200,000 mt. Here's some ironic excerpts from a 1911 NYT article: "American-Canadian syndicate to have world's largest beef plant in Brazil... The chilled beef industry has never been tried before in Brazil and has only recently gotten under way in Argentina."

Brazil is now a critical partner for Russia, India, and China

The acronym coined by Goldman Sachs to describe the four key emerging powers has taken on a life of its own. Brazil, Russia, India, and China have held several summits and even discussed making a supranational currency -- that would pull the rug out from the U.S. dollar.

What's important here is that global emerging powers have good relations and are inclined to work together. For instance, China just signed major contracts to build factories and high-speed rail in Brazil.

Brazil, Canada, and Mexico all invest a greater share of GDP in clean energy

A Pew survey found that Brazil invests 0.37% of its economy in clean energy. Canada invests 0.25% and Mexico invests 0.14%. America is eleventh in the world at 0.13%.

Hugo Chavez is still in power

The CIA has a notorious history of interventions in Latin America, supposedly targeting Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, Fidel Castro, Manuel Noriega, Rios Montt, Che Guevara, and many others. But they haven't stopped Hugo Chavez from railing against the United States for years. Clearly America has adopted a more passive regional strategy.

We're getting fucked!!!

Oh yeah, people have been seeing this coming for a while. Over 1/7 Americans are below the poverty line. How do you call that a successful country? There is also the fact that we have to consider what poverty is. Poverty in America vs. $2/day in Africa... hmm. May I also mention that I love it when South America gives North America the middle finger? The US government has been raping parts of Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America and especially Central America (ever hear about the priests getting murdered?), not to mention Africa (anyone notice Nigerians working for Shell Oil disappearing overnight?) for too long. It still boggles my mind that they have the power to deliver sanctions, as that effectively destroys any country's economy instantly (as we can see here).

Anyway, rant over, but if anyone's interested in the doings of the American government, there's a book called Hegemony or Survival by Noam Chomsky, the famous nutcase, but it's still a good read.

[Argent Fang]

Don't move to Seattle then. I hear it rains practically every day over there.

[PapiChuloLeon]

Don't move to Seattle then. I hear it rains practically every day over there.

Yes

We don't get any stupid crazy snow either, so buying a pair of boots isn't required.

[StarFireSong]

Pet peeve: Junk mail & companies that don't listen to people when they call to get themselves off their freakin' mailing lists.

[Dinny]

Pet peeve: Junk mail & companies that don't listen to people when they call to get themselves off their freakin' mailing lists.

When you sign up for things and people call you incessantly.

I joined the Socialist/Marxist Party recently and they finally got the message that I'd rather not be called. I've had to brush them off quite a few times before they left me alone.

Semi-related, but I need to bitch about this: salesmen in general. Usually I'm as nice as I possibly can be to these people and if I'm interested, I'll actually hear them out, and if I'm not, I'll just exit the situation (close the door/hang up/walk away) because really, that's sparing them the time/effort. But there's this one stand at my nearest mall that sells these manicure sets, and people on the stall flag by passers-by and are very pushy about you buying their product.

That's normal, except I found their tactics really dirty.

First time: Guy was waving at me as though he knew me. I approached him slowly thinking that he might have been someone who's face I didn't recognize. Turned out I fell for his trap and that was a tactic he used to get people to the stall. He showed me the product and once I told him I had already bought one (I had, years earlier), but he kept on going as if he was expecting me to buy another one. I was dragged away by a friend who gave me a convenient excuse to leave.

Second time: Different guy virtually blocked my path as I was walking by and forced me to give me his hand so he could try the product. He then proceeded to insult my nails and said that I "didn't really take good care of them". Hating people who prey on insecurities/use insults to sell things, I left wordlessly.

Third time: Same guy as above. I walked past and he didn't recognize me (two weeks had passed) and he goes "Miss, can I ask you a question?" and I reply, "You just did. Sorry, but you only get one. Now fuck off."

[StarFireSong]

^^^ AMEN. They use those same tactics here. I had the misfortune of being sucked into one of those kiosks. I let the salesman do their thing the first time, & it left my thumbnail shiny as hell. Took me 2 weeks to get the shine gone. The next time I went to the mall, the same guy was there trying to flag me down. All I said while walking was, "You made my nail shiny; it took me 2 weeks to get rid of it. It looked RIDICULOUS. NO."

I LOVED your answer, btw.

Where do they train these people?

I also hate the people that just stand in the middle of the walkways handing out papers that no one's interested in. & if you say no, they just shove it into your hand anyway.

Same for the marketing research people that call. Ugh. Signing up for the government's do not call list didn't help here, cuz research companies are exempt. So I just hang up on them. The last time I participated in that, the man kept saying I'd get a gift card to some store, & I never did. Liars.

People that go door-to-door to "minister". Usually, I don't mind, cuz I get into some good debates with them, but when I'm REALLY not in the mood, I'll just lie & say something like, "We're satanists. Get off our property." & they run like hell. & if we get visited by another group from the same faith, & they mention the satanist thing, I'll just blink innocently & go "Oh? You must be mistaken. We're a Bible-thumpin' household. Goodbye." Gets 'em every time.

& CHARITIES! They're some of the worst! You donate to one, & suddenly you're slammed with 50 different charities begging for money. Seriously. If you have money to send me a blanket, gloves, shirt, nickels, various tote bags, etc. without me *ever* asking for one, you sure as hell don't need my "donation".

[Dinny]

I LOVED your answer, btw.

Where do they train these people?

I also hate the people that just stand in the middle of the walkways handing out papers that no one's interested in. & if you say no, they just shove it into your hand anyway.

Same for the marketing research people that call. Ugh. Signing up for the government's do not call list didn't help here, cuz research companies are exempt. So I just hang up on them. The last time I participated in that, the man kept saying I'd get a gift card to some store, & I never did. Liars.

People that go door-to-door to "minister". Usually, I don't mind, cuz I get into some good debates with them, but when I'm REALLY not in the mood, I'll just lie & say something like, "We're satanists. Get off our property." & they run like hell. & if we get visited by another group from the same faith, & they mention the satanist thing, I'll just blink innocently & go "Oh? You must be mistaken. We're a Bible-thumpin' household. Goodbye." Gets 'em every time.

& CHARITIES! They're some of the worst! You donate to one, & suddenly you're slammed with 50 different charities begging for money. Seriously. If you have money to send me a blanket, gloves, shirt, nickels, various tote bags, etc. without me *ever* asking for one, you sure as hell don't need my "donation".

Oh boy... Yeah, charities are forever ringing my house because we're pretty generous givers. Never heard about charities sending stuff like that though, I agree, that seems very counterproductive.

I've never been faced with a door-to-door religious type. The only time I ever saw one was when I was in America, they'd come to ARM's house every week or so. They annoyed the crap out of me and I would have given them hell if it was my house, but ARM's mom would keep them there for an hour easily and talk their ears off. She has this really annoying skill where she doesn't leave any openings for you to escape the conversation, so unless you want to be a complete douchebag and walk away without a proper exit, you're just kind of stuck there.

[StarFireSong]

Vent-slash-rant: YouTube thinks to sign a song in ASL is a copyright violation. People are able to dance to a song, sing along, cover a song, etc., but people aren't allowed to INTERPRET a song because ASL has a different grammatical structure & relies more on conceptual signing than literal translation & that's basically "changing the lyrics"! REEEEEEDICULOUS. According to one of the people I subscribed to over there, her account got deleted, AND they called her & told her that if she even created another account, uploaded any of her videos, etc... THEY'D SUE HER. EVEN THOUGH SHE WASN'T EVEN MAKING MONEY OFF IT. WTF.

Here's some excerpts from her Twitter account:

just got a call from YT. i cant create ANY OTHER YT accounts whatsoever. ((( legal action can occur as well. WHAT IS THIS?!?!?!?!??!

edit!! legal action will NOT occur.. it would if i reposted my old vids.. WHEW

& off her Facebook:

Unfortunately because ASL changes/alters the grammatical structure of the lyrics, I am violating copyright. It's okay to sing and dance to it, but NOT SIGN. ITS UNEQUAL ACCESS.

...This means that I might be deleted from YouTube because of the damn songs I posted. I've also been hearing rumors that they're cracking down on ALL ASL videos on their site. *furious* HOW IS THIS LEGAL? There's a provision in the US copyright law of 1976 that allows for fair use:

Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

YouTube = assholes.

[Dinny]

No way... that can't be right. Does that mean that translating songs or putting other-language subtitles is illegal too, since to translate from one language to another, you would also need to take liberty with the lyrics? Either way, that's one of the most unfair things I've ever heard of. It definitely needs to change. It's a shame that the deaf community are such a small minority and don't have much of a voice, so nothing will be done about it anytime soon...

[StarFireSong]

No way... that can't be right. Does that mean that translating songs or putting other-language subtitles is illegal too, since to translate from one language to another, you would also need to take liberty with the lyrics?

Yeah, if you take YouTube at face value. I emailed eff.org (they deal with DMCA & Fair Use-related issues) to see what my legal rights were in case my channel gets deleted, so hopefully I'll hear from them soon.

There's about 5 million deaf & HOH people here in the US. It's a bit hard to rally everyone cuz the community's relatively underground, unless you know where to look. If I hear from the EFF people, I'll probably know more about where to go next because YouTube shouldn't even be allowed to get away with this.

[Dinny]

AAADDDSSSSS

[Dinny]

AAADDDSSSSS

WHY ARE THERE ADDDSSS

[Monty]

Drunken words are sober thoughts but to pen and paper, it's different.

[Monty]

AAADDDSSSSS

WHY ARE THERE ADDDSSS

I WARNED YOU ABOUT ADS, BRO!

[Dr. ARM]

I just noticed them as well. I didn't realize I was such a lucky visitor.

[Argent Fang]

Free credit report for $0?! Sign me up!

[Monty]

k, bored of this existence now.

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