I was in support of using the death penalty because I didn't think it was right to waste money on keeping losers alive. It took my mother all of three minutes to explain how it's cheaper to let them live than it is to kill them.

I've noticed a couple folks throwing out the economic argument for the death penalty, and I was just wondering: WHY DON'T YOU FUCKERS ATTACK THEM THE WAY YOU DID ME WHEN I FIRST STARTED POSTING IN THE SOAP BOX? Like, I'm reading my post history, and you guys definitely treated me worse than any other user I have ever seen post. Now, I know, my tone has always been confrontational, but Jesus Christ, what was it that made nearly the entire population of Soap Box users apparently despise me so?

Was it a game to see how riled up I would get over nothing? Please tell me it was a game. I just can't understand it any other way. There's no way that folks actually hated me, or is there?

Anyway, I guess what I'm getting at is simple: What do you think of me? How can I improve my communication skills when it comes to politics? Are there any books that I definitely should be reading right now?

This discussion should be expanded beyond just me. Who turns you off automatically when you see their user tag? How can they change this? ETC....

12/23/2005 8:23:06 PM

wait, you think that we don't hate you now?

12/23/2005 8:33:38 PM

people quickly correct the economic argument on here too

12/23/2005 8:39:23 PM

Okay, let me practice my healthy communication skills here:

aaronburro, I must admit that I expected such a response. I do not value your opinion in this case, but I understand this a public forum where I will simply need to ignore you.

Next time I'm going to practice my ignoring skills!

[Edited on December 23, 2005 at 8:42 PM. Reason : ]

12/23/2005 8:41:19 PM

sorry bridget. I jsut had to post that I think that some of the bigger trolls that were on here when you first came on the scene are no longer around. FroshKiller, for one, isn't around.

12/23/2005 8:54:26 PM

wait, you think that we don't hate you now?

12/23/2005 9:05:06 PM

Your comment about how it "makes sense" that the more educated one becomes, the more liberal they get is one that sticks out in my mind.

I tend to ignore users who make unfounded, sanctimonious comments like that.

12/23/2005 9:06:22 PM

I didn't adequately describe my reasons for detesting you just then. I will try again later.

[Edited on December 23, 2005 at 11:16 PM. Reason : ]

12/23/2005 11:11:45 PM

I don't remember you... Was I one of the people against you or with you? As Grumpy dislikes you, I suspect I was most likely your antithesis.

12/23/2005 11:36:11 PM

It's TWW. There's a lot of hate to go around.

12/23/2005 11:47:56 PM

The only thing I remember from you posting in the soapbox is that you couldnt commit suicide correctly

12/24/2005 12:19:48 AM

^haha, gg

Quote :

"WHY DON'T YOU FUCKERS ATTACK THEM THE WAY YOU DID ME WHEN I FIRST STARTED POSTING IN THE SOAP BOX? Like, I'm reading my post history, and you guys definitely treated me worse than any other user I have ever seen post."

Sounds like someone needs a tissue for their issue.

12/24/2005 12:22:57 AM

wait, you think that we don't hate you now?

12/24/2005 12:25:31 AM

12/24/2005 12:34:14 AM

You're all emotion and no substance. Where as someone like Gamecat is a shit ton of emotion but he's practical and well read to back up his emotional convictions. DG is like this to an extent too.

12/24/2005 12:58:34 AM

The two things I remember her for are:

1) A poorly conceived argument against the death penalty, and
2) Saying that abortion was "beautiful" because it made women equal, and is in fact the only thing that can do so.

12/24/2005 1:36:53 AM

billyboy, the boat for making fun of suicidal girls left last year. Sorry, you missed it. Now you might have to grow a heart or something like that. Sucks, doesn't it? By the way, I'm still suicidal. I just have to continually remind myself that my thoughts are a symptom of OCD and not major depression.

GrumpyGOP, would you please let me know what my inadequate argument against the death penalty is? I don't remember ever having an argument. I don't think I need one.

I'm serious about books, guys. What should I read to become more informed? I may have shared this before, but I'll reiterate: when I was a child, I went through a whole crap load of intelligence testing. I scored above average on every test I took, but there were also two dimensions where I scored off the scale. The doctors suggested that the disparity between my above average scores and my fucking awesome scores would lead to serious intellectual frustration for me.

[Edited on December 24, 2005 at 2:14 PM. Reason : sss]

12/24/2005 2:07:30 PM

Quote :

"BridgetSPK: Are there any books that I definitely should be reading right now?"

Political books today are generally shit. Be they liberal, conservative, "balanced"...still shit.

The best thing for you is to get a subscription to the physical dead-tree version of the newspaper and read every single story every single day.

---

Quote :

"BridgetSPK: The doctors suggested that the disparity between my above average scores and my fucking awesome scores would lead to serious intellectual frustration for me."

Intellectual frustration is overrated. Just tell yourself you're better than everyone else and that problem'll take care of itself

[Edited on December 24, 2005 at 2:23 PM. Reason : ---]

12/24/2005 2:21:24 PM

I get the N&O, and I'm starting to think it is a really crappy paper. Coverage has been weird lately.

I guess I'm looking for books about philosophy, history of politics, sociology, etc...

I'm asking you guys though because I want easy books to start with that won't hurt my head or destroy all my sensibilities at once.

12/24/2005 2:56:04 PM

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

No, wait... that might just make them hate you more.

12/24/2005 3:12:15 PM

i was told the N&O was one of the best small scale papers. i dont think your tone, attempts to prove you are "smart enough" to argue with others, or admittal of emotional instability is winning anyone over either.

12/24/2005 3:29:16 PM

cyrion, what are you talking about?

I know I'm smart enough.
I have to admit my emotional instability.
My tone is my tone. Suck it.

Got any books to suggest? How about you share with the Soap Box which book you read last?

I'm curious.

12/24/2005 3:36:37 PM

Analyzing Moral Issues by Judith A. Boss

12/24/2005 3:36:57 PM

Arguing online is all about persistence. Other things are nice, but persistence is key.

12/24/2005 3:39:35 PM

cyrion, I really don't care what you say about the N&O. I've lived in Raleigh and received the N&O every day since I was born. And, it's true, the coverage has seemed absurd recently. The N&O has been using Page One to cover local murders over national events, and I'm just starting to notice it and get annoyed by it.

Thanks, JohnHGuth, that's what I was looking for.

[Edited on December 24, 2005 at 3:43 PM. Reason : And it's written by a girl too! Kick ass!]

12/24/2005 3:41:19 PM

Don't see too many girls arguing in t3h s04p b0x...

12/24/2005 3:54:56 PM

Technology and the Future- Albert H. Teich
Taking Side: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Science, Technology, and Society- Thomas A Easton

12/24/2005 4:21:25 PM

Shit, if you getting into future tech then read some Ray Kurzweil. Not the type of thing that comes up too much on these boards, though.

12/24/2005 4:23:29 PM

yeah but i enjoyed them though
and they help you learn how to make and analyze arguments

12/24/2005 4:52:13 PM

the death penalty is over-rated....

it should be more along the lines of...ok you are convicted, take him out back and shoot him in the head and bill his family for the cost.

12/24/2005 4:59:13 PM

once strong AI arrives the robots will be making our arguments for us

12/24/2005 5:00:18 PM

yeah important arguments, like which is better? eastern nc bbq or western nc bbq

[Edited on December 24, 2005 at 5:03 PM. Reason : n]

12/24/2005 5:02:48 PM

the last book i was reading was neil stephenson's cryptonomicon. i enjoyed it, but failed to finish it (before that was another of his books).

im not much into soap box issues, namely politics, for reading material b/c, as someone has mentioned, many are a load of crap and are boring to boot. the last book on that type of thing i guess that could count was Lies (etc) from Franken, which was a good read. it was more of a "look how full fo shit everyone is" type of book than anything else, which is why i liked it.

you asked why people didnt like you and i gave you some reasons you obviously took none of it to heart and instead inferred that im ill informed on the issues.

so let me go over my bullet points again:

1. no one likes someone who tosses out their test scores to prove they are intelligent. it is about as tacky as walking around saying "oh well i made the dean's list this semester and scored a 1550 on my SAT, how bout dem apples." this is especially true when you basically stated that you were so smart (or particularly advanced in some sections) that doctors said it would suffer "intellectual frustration."

2. people like to argue with rational individuals who will take a look at the facts and not fly off the handle. you've shown through your threads and posts that you dont qualify. this trait is not limited to you obviously, but is annoying none the less. keep your emotional instability to yourself.

3. your tone is a major factor as well, which you seem to already grasp. you completely ignore logical answers (see your other current thread on grumpy) and reitterate crappy points a la salisburyboy. condesending comments about other users isnt helping either when combined with the above (and other problems various users have already stated they had with you).

12/24/2005 5:07:50 PM

U THINK UR BETTER THAN ME?

12/24/2005 5:08:45 PM

im still pissed you never submitted the PENIS! wolf cartoon i made for you to the paper.

12/24/2005 5:13:53 PM

cyrion, I'm betting that we all did well on standardized tests and whatnot. I mentioned my test scores specifically because they indicated that I'm both acadmeically gifted and academically challenged. Interesting, huh?

Regarding my habit of ignoring logic and repeating my points, you're way off. I'm reading through my most recent thread--the one you mentioned--and I don't see myself doing that.

The reason why I repeat my points over and over is because all too often the logic that you're talking about doesn't even apply to what I'm talking about. Furthermore, logic isn't always the end of every argument. For example:

I say, "Hey, we need to give more money to social programs."
Meanies say, "But the studies show that those social programs aren't working. That's not logical!"
I say, "But..."
Meanies say, "But nothing, bitch. The studies show... Go to hell you fucking suicidal whore."

When clearly logic would tell us that maybe we need to revamp those programs, give more money to them, make larger concessions, etc...

[Edited on December 24, 2005 at 5:28 PM. Reason : ssss]

12/24/2005 5:27:05 PM

^That's a bad example, but I'm in a rush so I'll come back to it later. Since I know you guys care and all.

12/24/2005 5:33:53 PM

I can't decide whom I dislike more, trolls or the jackasses who actually believe their own shit.

12/24/2005 5:37:49 PM

You can hate us both equally. Not the end of the world.

[Edited on December 24, 2005 at 5:47 PM. Reason : sss]

12/24/2005 5:47:46 PM

Quote :

"GoldenViper: Shit, if you getting into future tech then read some Ray Kurzweil. Not the type of thing that comes up too much on these boards, though."

Kurzweil's stuff is crazy. Fun stuff to read.

12/24/2005 6:26:52 PM

that is a bad example. i understand logic doesnt always provide 100% correct answers, but generally it is a very good starting point. in your example, you are right...changing those programs or making new ones would be the key, but throwing money at them doesnt work. in that case logic has defeated the point, but then you move on to a different and reasonable conclusion (that if they are changed they will work...maybe).

i dont agree that your most recent thread works on either of the levels you are trying to say. logically it makes no sense and you are trying to attribute a position to him that is not factual.

you see this last response was reasonable and non-heated, if you presented your opinion as such EACH time, even if incorrect, it wouldnt be as much of an issue.

12/24/2005 6:51:34 PM

Quote :

"Kurzweil's stuff is crazy. Fun stuff to read."

It's quite serious, though... well, at least as serious as any predictions can be.

12/24/2005 7:07:37 PM

Quote :

"My tone is my tone. Suck it."

People are going to hate you regardless of what you change. Suck it.

12/25/2005 1:10:12 AM

Quote :

"I don't remember ever having an argument. I don't think I need one."

Yes, that about sums it up.

12/25/2005 1:24:47 AM

Merry Christmas!

12/25/2005 1:33:14 AM

Quote :

"U THINK UR BETTER THAN ME?"

IT'S GO TIME!

12/27/2005 3:03:49 AM

Quote :

"once strong AI arrives the robots will be making our arguments for us"

Quote :

"yeah important arguments, like which is better? eastern nc bbq or western nc bbq"

Done!

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22eastern+nc+barbecue%22&word2=%22western+nc+barbecue%22

12/27/2005 9:05:00 AM

Hehe the economic arguement for the death penalty is very valid.

What most people don't bring is the fact that more cops are needed every year and that crime is growing faster than per capita. If you set an example... like killing a murderer and not giving them 15 years to get out of it...

Lets take texas for example. They are inacting legislation that will speed up the death penalty. If there are 3 or more credible witnesses and you are sentenced to death... you go to the front of the line and are put to death. Sure you get your chance to appeal, and typically the death penalty isn't assigned unless there is an overwhelming amount of evidence.

Right now it PAYS to be a criminal. It's like a mom who doesn't spank their kids. They grow up to be little shits.

I'm all about tougher penalties. The law system is TOO lenient in my opinion to violent criminals.

You kill someone, it's proven you did it in a viscious manner. There are witnesses... plenty of them. You are proven without a doubt to have done this malisciously without "just" cause. You should get 1 appeal and that's it. You die. Not this 15 year crap.

12/27/2005 11:15:28 AM

Quote :

"Right now it PAYS to be a criminal. It's like a mom who doesn't spank their kids. They grow up to be little shits. "

what the fuck are you talking about?

12/27/2005 1:01:15 PM

Quote :

"A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. "

ive read that.. the beginning (colonial times) and the recent stuff was ok, but the middle stuff (late 19th, early-mid 20th century) focused a lot on the labor movement and socialism. im sure it has an important place in history, but it got kind of bland after awhile and made it difficult to read more than a little bit at a time.

Quote :

"yeah important arguments, like which is better? eastern nc bbq or western nc bbq "

eastern.. duh..

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 2:41 PM. Reason : -]

12/27/2005 2:40:08 PM