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Spankytoes

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Posts posted by Spankytoes

  1. 7 minutes ago, Catdaddyhorn said:
    31 minutes ago, Spankytoes said:
    That’s definitely another layer, and a great point. It’s a chicken and the egg argument though. Whites have to take responsibility for a few centuries of oppression. But, are things like the Civil Rights Act and Affirmative Action effective? What about the NAACP? There are currently more scholarships available to black students than there are black students in college. At what point does a flawed and rigged system cease to be the issue and at what juncture is there any real call to action to change it? Further, what will fix the problem? Money for better schools in poorer districts? The attendance rate doesn’t support that argument. That also supposed that the average white person is living well beyond the poverty line. No, not by much.
    its frustrating. I just dint buy the media’s narrative. 

    Read more  

    How bout we stop segregating people out to the point where they are isolated from the rest of society, segregated from commerce and the ability to find a good job, segregated to the point that the chance of any level of assimilation is damn near impossible. All these ailments of dysfunction that you pretend are traits specifically endemic to black people are actually what happens to any all people when you isolate them from the rest of society and pack them into impoverished communities for generations. We're still as segregated today as we were in 1960 yet people think all good deeds without real substance will make things better.

    Great. I’m all for it.

    How do we accomplish it? Better yet, how do we accomplish it in a fashion that doesn’t isolate whites for not being extended those special privileges and doesn’t make a black guy question if the benefit was gained on merit or because he was the beneficiary of low expectations? 

    The painful truth is that the stats don’t support the arguments being made, which are emotional in nature. There isn’t a wide gap in pay between men and women. Black executives are proportionitate to the numbers in society. The highlight reel, as with everything, is on the negative because that’s what sells stories. It doesn’t discount the need for change, but it certainly ignores any shred of progress being made. We aren’t exactly in the “blacks cant get a bank loan” era anymore.

    Anyhow, I’ve kind of distracted from the thread. I missed the tidbit about the other lady using the bathroom and not ordering anything, which leads more credence to the claim.

  2. 17 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

    —"As a white guy, I'm supposed to hang my head in shame and accept that I have some special delegation bestowed upon me called "Privilege"."

    Yes on the acceptance, no on the head-hanging or shame.

    —"I'm not supposed to say "Well, I bet these cops are used to dealing with a pretty bad criminal element in the black community so I can imagine it's hard to snap out of that mindset in the heat of the moment" 

    Because that's a dumb argument when you are talking about normal-looking black guys sitting quietly at a Starbucks table waiting for a friend. It's not exactly a typical crime scenario. 

    —"even though statistics show that blacks commit over 40% of the murders in this country despite accounting for 12% of the population."

    How many of those started Pulp Fiction style with two black guys standing up from a Starbucks table and screaming "I'm gonna kill every last motherfucking one of ya!"? 

    You are free to discuss stats.  But if you're applying them completely out of context, where the only shared factor is skin color, you're going to get called out for making a dishonest statistical argument.

    —"But you're not supposed to point out that 93% of blacks are killed by other blacks, all of whom are not law enforcement officers. And that black citizens killed by white law enforcement officers happens less frequently in a year than the weekly murder rate in the black community in Chicago, which doesn't receive the same level of disdain and protests."

    More self-imposed rules.  Why exactly can't you talk about it?  People talk about it all the time.   And there are plenty of efforts to reduce black-on-black crime, including within the black community.  But the police are a special case; our government cloaks them with special authority, and we pay their salaries.  They have to be held to a higher standard and to public account.  I can avoid dangerous areas, but I have to pull over for a cop, and that's a special danger. 

    —"Yet, and be honest, would you willingly own a house or send your kids to school in a predominantly minority neighborhood if you had other options?" 

    Sure, if race was the only factor.  I wouldn't live in an economically shitty neighborhood if I could avoid it, but there are plenty of shitty white neighborhoods that would fall within that description too. 

    —"If you think that people aren't tired of being told how to feel, you obviously missed the last Presidential race." 

    If you don't think actual racism was a big part of that, then it was you who obviously missed the last Presidential race. 

    I disagree with some of what you said but don’t have time to go point by point. I will say that you are flat out wrong regarding the argument of stats being out of context. If your wife chimes in on logic, do you not have a preconceived bias? If your last 2 girlfriends fucked your friends, would you have trust issues with the next one? Hell, if someone says that they’re from Oklahoma, do you not factor that into your receptiveness? Race is inescapable. Not all criminals are of the “I can do a dime in Attica po-po” variety either. 

    Make no mistake, I’m not in any way saying that this excuses their actions. But, I can somewhat see the issue. You’re trying to do your job and come home alive at the end of the day. Some deal with that concept better than others. Some are just power hungry dicks. 

  3. 2 minutes ago, Catdaddyhorn said:

    If you want to do some unpacking why not do all the unpacking instead of this partial treatment where you pat yourself for dispensing "truths"? Ask yourself how is it that such a disproportionate amount of blacks find themselves in such densely impoverished areas. Areas of dense impoverishment always yield higher rates of crime that's a fact of the human condition.  

     

     

    That’s definitely another layer, and a great point. It’s a chicken and the egg argument though. Whites have to take responsibility for a few centuries of oppression. But, are things like the Civil Rights Act and Affirmative Action effective? What about the NAACP? There are currently more scholarships available to black students than there are black students in college. At what point does a flawed and rigged system cease to be the issue and at what juncture is there any real call to action to change it? Further, what will fix the problem? Money for better schools in poorer districts? The attendance rate doesn’t support that argument. That also supposed that the average white person is living well beyond the poverty line. No, not by much.

    its frustrating. I just dint buy the media’s narrative. 

  4. 29 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

    The real answer to racism is to recognize that there is truth to negative racial stereotypes?  You'll have to unpack that one.  Why is that the answer to racism? 

    I can't speak from a minority's perspective because I'm white. I can only speculate.

    We all agree that racism exists. We do not all agree on why it still exists. As a white guy, I'm supposed to hang my head in shame and accept that I have some special delegation bestowed upon me called "Privilege". Because of said anointment, facts now cease to be true but are now racist statements aimed at oppressing whatever minority group we are discussing. I'm not supposed to say "Well, I bet these cops are used to dealing with a pretty bad criminal element in the black community so I can imagine it's hard to snap out of that mindset in the heat of the moment" because that paints all black people as mindless criminals, when clearly they are not, even though statistics show that blacks commit over 40% of the murders in this country despite accounting for 12% of the population. You're supposed to cheer on Black Lives Matter because the message is great for a bumper sticker and we can all agree that blacks should not be killed by police simply for being black. But you're not supposed to point out that 93% of blacks are killed by other blacks, all of whom are not law enforcement officers. And that black citizens killed by white law enforcement officers happens less frequently in a year than the weekly murder rate in the black community in Chicago, which doesn't receive the same level of disdain and protests. Then there's that word: Black Community. White people are supposed to be so progressive that they have no problem mingling with other races. Yet, and be honest, would you willingly own a house or send your kids to school in a predominantly minority neighborhood if you had other options? Even the people that live there are looking for a way out.

    The problem, as I see it, is that people suppress these feelings because they are shitty to have. I feel the exact opposite. I would love nothing more than for everyone to be equal, regardless of your skin color. But, each side has to have their moral high ground. People are going to claim things as racist that were not intended that way and others are going to ignore that racism is a problem because they feel the card has been played one too many times. If you think that people aren't tired of being told how to feel, you obviously missed the last Presidential race. 

    Unless we recognize the base for the issue, how can we solve it? As a white guy, other than an altruistic opportunity, what would be the incentive? The deck's allegedly in my favor.

    • Like 2
  5. 20 minutes ago, hayden_horn said:

    you must have. 

    they were refused the bathroom code, because they weren't customers. they then sat down, to wait for their friend to arrive. then the manager called 911, without confronting the gentlemen. as the men were being arrested, a white woman was permitted the bathroom code prior to purchase. i mean, if you want to debate an issue, i usually respect your input, but at least read the fundamentals of the story.

    I missed Pancho's post on Page 3, which is the only reference I found in my quick viewing. There's no issue to "debate". Racism is the most prevalent and/or falsely accused characterization, depending on what side of the issue you are on, of the internet age. It's a powerful tool for both sides. Once claimed, the argument is over.

    Was the manager racist? Were the cops racist? I don't know. Race may very well have played a part in it. It's certainly suspicious. Starbucks has issued an apology and stated that the gentlemen should not have been arrested. Whether that was based on the facts or to save face, I don't know. The cops seem to think that they did nothing wrong. They certainly don't appear to be overly aggressive or physical in the video. Most likely, they followed through with the arrest because someone had the audacity not to quake in their presence and question their authority. I applaud those guys for doing so, especially in a calm manner.

    The only debate to be had is what to do about racism. There's the P.C. answer and then there's the real answer: Let's stop pretending that negative stereotypes for each race aren't based in truths because they don't define every member. There are racist white guys. There are "thugs". We both need to work on our problems instead of ignoring them.

  6. 1 hour ago, lonestar3 said:

    Spanky-

    Do you have the SPG? If you're at all familiar with the program and the changes, can you say what the best course of action would be with those points? I'm trying to decide if I need to open one in my wife's name before they convert the program over.

    I am weak on SPG simply because I don't benefit from them. I opened up a personal and biz AMEX card for them back in the day for the sole purpose of converting points into airline miles and closing my accounts. Shortly after, AMEX changed their policy to only allow you to benefit from a bonus once per lifetime. Since I am top tier with Hilton, IHG and Radisson, they never made it into my rotation since I couldn't earn extra points with a credit card. I used to be top tier with Hyatt and Marriott back when obtaining such through a status challenge was easy.  I really liked the Marriott brand. (I assume that SPG will be similar quality) If they would match my status, I would consider switching over. It's hard to give up the lounges, points bonuses and perks with Hilton/Conrad/Waldorf Astoria or Intercontinental/Crowne Plaza/Indigo to start from mid-level. 

    Having said that, they have always been the most valuable points since they are so flexible. The point redemptions for SPG are low and they give you a 5,000 mile bonus when you convert 20,000 points into miles on just about every major airline. I am not, however, nearly as impressed with Marriott's reward redemption options. If you are going to quickly burn the points before the transition, I'd say go for it. Letting them convert to Marriott points is probably a waste.

  7. First off, I agree that this was completely handled the wrong way. The cops should have let them be, especially when their friend showed up proving their story. This was a case of a manager with a power trip and cops that wanted to show who is in charge to a couple of guys that peacefully stood their ground and refused to comply with their request. But, we still don’t know what lead up to the start of the video where the cops are already on the scene. We just assume that the manager was the instigator.

    Having said that…this feels like a “cry wolf” racism story. It’s amazing to me that the FIRST instinct people have with these types of stories is “See, everyone is racist!” Maybe people are just dicks sometimes and the color of your skin has fuck-all to do with it? No one would give a shit if it was a black manager kicking out a couple of punk white teens waiting on their friend. Starbucks damn sure wouldn’t close their stores down for the PR. Maybe this was real racism. It’s getting harder and harder to know where the lines are anymore because you’re either on the social justice side or you’re one of “them” these days.

    I miss the 90’s.

  8. 1 hour ago, RiceOwl said:

    Will do... Not exactly sure of my exact plans right now but I will PM once I arrive. At Hotel Xenia on Cromwell Rd across from the big Marriott.

    I used to live on Cornwall Gardens back in the day, so I've stayed in the area a few times for nostalgia recently. There's nothing that I would go out of my way for in the area. Plenty of cheap eats around, including Nando's across the way from the Gloucester tube. 

    If you want something a bit different with a theme, great cocktails and good food, try out Evans and Peel: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d3477816-Reviews-Evans_Peel_Detective_Agency-London_England.html

    It's a fun evening and about a 10 minute walk. Get the smoked cheesecake. You'll need a reservation, which means that you have to makeup a case file for the "interview" to get in.

    Did the tourist trap Fortnum & Mason my last business and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. The Coronation Chicken sandwiches + the clotted cream/biscuits/jam are worth the price of admission. (As is the rabbit confeit)

    • Like 1
  9. @SimonBolivar I liked it more than I thought I would. It's better than Prague IMO and just as cheap. We stayed at the Radisson Blu around the corner from Hero Square and had a huge ass bedroom/living room stuck in 1970's decor. It was perfect. In my Top 3 places to visit in Europe, albeit, it's tougher to get to from the U.S.

  10. 2 hours ago, GSU&UT said:

    I really really like the post layout a lot better, it's much easier to read. However the background image honestly sucks, seems a bit too much like your first website on Lycos.

    So much this. We need something that really ties the room together

  11. In the last 5 years (International)...

    Oktoberfest in Munich (3X)
    1ec6d01a7d6e69cf7c78719d468e5a32.jpg

    Moscow
    dff08c79e58fc2dfa95bc13f15c4fe7f.jpg

    London (5X)
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    Milan
    3f93cca01e3027fbc4e860e6cdbb061d.jpg

    Venice
    acfa19264e9ba796c4f93936f1db7adc.jpg

    Rome (3X)
    6ca0cebfb9ff91f156a35cf5ffdbe682.jpg

    Budapest
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    Krakow/Auschwitz
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    Niagara Falls
    55b2e98146c403918b24045c96972108.jpg

    Berlin (6X)
    a76b1e5483d5243f6fd986842045bb05.jpg

    Paris
    dd1ee80176a74588d2f741261a2d201a.jpg

    Bruges
    d9f53255c977ce6dce53271a880a6b14.jpg

    Prague
    dc82eba2b98f5040b4f6f1ed5f401f9c.jpg

    Salzburg (2X)
    b3b0fd7c85e8b485beeef2b70d8e2bd6.jpg

    Sailing around British Isles
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    Montreal
    38c9a633dbf93fc3267d3e75af91be1a.jpg

    Hallstatt
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    Austrian Alps
    7ccf9b4932d7805941fedb715e652726.jpg

    Pamplona
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    Barcelona
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    Lima
    1a51fdf71b28a4b6160c58a9fc07f8c4.jpg

    Machu Picchu
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    Sydney
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    North Island and South Island, New Zealand
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    Doing some Europe reprieves and adding Iceland in July. Planning Africa for next year with a trip to Jamaica for the Mrs’ benefit.

    • Like 2
  12. 30 minutes ago, George Morgan said:

    You are correct.  Religion without Christ is a waste of time.  It doesn't offer any assurance that your sins have been forgiven.  

    There are literally hundreds of other religions that would completely disagree with your assertion. I'm sure that your invisible buddy is the RIGHT one though.

  13. 4 minutes ago, RiceOwl said:

    The $ per point does vary. I haven't completely cracked the code but some of the things that influence it seem to be: Time of booking until departure (Generally more advanced = less points), time of day of flight (early AM and late night flights are less), and number of connections. 

    It's a $ amount range. If it's between $X - $X then the point output is X. There are probably some sweet spots there, but not enough to make a fuss about it. You may end up overpaying a few hundred points in the mid $100 range. Timing has nothing to do with it. I've booked flights several times the same day or the day before. I've also changed flights in the same manner. That's one great thing about SWA's point system: You only pay the difference in fare by points. I've had several even swaps or even refunds due to point totals. The $ is generally based on the probability of selling out. When it gets closer to the date, it then becomes a capacity control issue to balance out the weight. I do find that the first and last flight are generally the cheapest. (For the aforementioned reasons since they are the least popular)

    • Like 1
  14. 4 hours ago, texanbychoice said:

    I’m here right now for a super quick trip. Even while not really doing anything I still love this city so much.

    Thought this was the Boston thread. Was about to call you a traitor. 

    Chelsea Chelsea!

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