jross

I generally agree, but... many things do not need to be celebrated in public, sexual preferences is one of them. My niece's mid-career boyfriend has been recommended for promotion four times and lost out to a diversity hire each time. He wants to change companies but worries that all the large companies utilize DEI. He is marginalized because of his sex and race. Should he get 100 holidays? Regarding multicultural society, what are your thoughts on the studies discussing how this creates violence and uncomfortable situations? I have mixed thoughts.

Most of us are happily clueless—ignorance is bliss. Now that it is known, it cannot be unknown. It's not just one day—over 100 days are recognizing a tiny percentage of the population. This seems unreasonable. https://twitter.com/JonSchweppe/status/1774199221895254125 But then again... who knew there were so many parent holidays? https://nationaltoday.com/parents-holidays/ I'm the bitter guy who finds holidays are actually forced shopping days. I'd rather have 100 days of Thanksgiving than any shopping, sexual choice, or whatever weird days people want to celebrate.

The dog woke me up in the middle of the night, as usual, and my mind is spinning over work stuff. Can't sleep. So what do I do about nearly two decades? I open up and begin reading Proverbs from the Old Testament. It truly contains timeless wisdom, and certain insights hit me differently now than they did then. The concept of prudence, showing goodwill, showing kindness to those that annoy you... spot on. I see the comments about how you become the people you hang out with. How you should avoid negative people. How you should recognize and address injustice when you can. Those who give are given more in return. The value of diligence and personal responsibility. Later, I stumbled upon a secular message that I agreed with from an unlikely source. You don't have to be Christian to recognize its goodness so far as religions go. So much of what I value as good comes from it.

well done!

I think you misunderstood. We need to hold both sides accountable in politics. It's not about saying one side is always right—it's about fairness. If you see something wrong, speak up! Don't let loyalty to your party silence you.

This up there is called deflection. Even while criticizing Ds way more than Rs... yes, I can. Politicians are not family so I'm free to publically criticize. I've also history of showing receipts when you ask these quesions.

How weak-minded type is it to create multiple accounts under fake names to put down others and act like you are better than everyone? Talk about deep-seated insecurity, immaturity, and projection...

Another one.

It's OK that you prioritize character over policy alignment and I'm the other way around. Here we have two grossly immoral presidents... I'll go with the orange man whose policies better align with my interests. Please, let's not rehash the gazillion wrongdoings of these two for the Nth shower time.

I don't know anyone who believes Trump is a practicing Christian. I don't think he is even a Sunday Christian. I would wager he has read the bible, or at least parts of it, as have most that profess. I always struggled with the concept that one's sins are forgiven and redemption. None of his 'sins' matter because they were 'forgiven.' But if you truly believe... then why do you continue to live in 'sin?' Hypocrisy. God's Grace. Acknowledge imperfections. Circle of blah. What you are pointing out is my issue with people overall and a major disappointment with what Christianity could have been. Because most people are immoral in areas... skeletons in closets... skeltones in public... skeletons celebrated... I imagine people accept Trump's Christianity as not so different from themself.

Welcome back @GreatWhiteNorth, I mean @RockLobster

Maybe. Republicans will tell you that government size is fine so long as it is focused on doing more efficiently and effectively what it can only do. Nobody is going to say the government shouldn't help those in need. However, the government is currently doing a poor job running things that it shouldn't be attempting to run. What informs your statement?

It is unclear if OP trolls or is misinformed. Republicans often support a strict interpretation of the Constitution, emphasizing limited government, individual freedoms, and adherence to the original intent of the Founding Fathers. Democrats seem to change intent and focus on government intervention to address societal problems.

While the New Testament still has its ethical criticisms, the world would be better if there were true followers of just the second of its two greatest commandments. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. In the New Testament, Christians are told to give what they decide in their hearts. The idea of giving 10% to the church comes from a different period in the Old Testament (Mosiac law), and some carry it forward in loose tradition. If the 10% comment went over your head, you might not understand what the bible teaches. I'm not blaming you because many self-proclaimed "Christians" behave in a way that turned me off of religion. The NT and OT contain some of the best life guidance of any book created. Don't get me wrong, there are also some terrible laws in the OT that are dated. It is easy to fall into the trap that the bible is a waste of time but as a non-Christian, I'm telling you, even the OT is filled with wisdom, insights, and truths. You may not believe in the NT miracles of Jesus... but to strive to be like him is a wonderful concept.

Her words did not admit that she lied, but her actions imply that she lied. It could be that she had financial help and guidance that informed her this was the smarter approach to end the trial and pay. She might also believe her own statements and lack the evidence to prove them. That doesn't necessarily make her a liar, but that implies she made a dumb mistake.

Excrement piling up? Sounds like the US is regressing into a developing country.

Great question. What do you think should be done?

Saving enough money to achieve financial independence is being accounatable. It gives you the freedom to pursue your passions, spend time with family, and give back to the community if you choose. For example, if you've got $5 million invested and it's bringing in $200K a year, that's a solid setup for many Cost of Living areas. Imagine you're a parent who sets aside $5 million for each of your responsible kids to secure their financial futures. This could require $25 million for yourself and your family, which seems fair. But at some point, it's important to give back to the village that supported you... through charitable donations, village investments, or supporting initiatives for the greater good... Let's say a billionare is using his money for something he believes in... like reducing climate change through cow diapers. It seems absurd... I might prefer he creates a library in the poor part of town... but it is his/her choice and exhibits accountability. My preference does not matter. Now if he/she doesn't give back to the village that enabled... they are irresponsible.

We, the people/government, spend more money than we have due to a lack of accountability. Accumulating wealth to achieve financial security and comfort without the necessity of working is good. One lacks personal accountability when coercing others into giving in ways that align with their or the mob's desires. Hoarding wealth excessively while others in the village suffer is irresponsible. Personal accountability involves making ethical decisions, showing consideration for others, and respecting one's autonomy.

Stop it. Raising taxes does not fix financial illiteracy. 17% of adults took a financial literacy class in high school. https://www.ramseysolutions.com/financial-literacy/financial-literacy-crisis-in-america#:~:text=Introduction,finance education in the classroom. $436 billion was lost across 254 million US Adults in 2022. https://www.ifac.org/knowledge-gateway/contributing-global-economy/discussion/cost-financial-illiteracy $1.4 trillion was added to the deficit by the US Gov in 2022.

Of course I cannot know all the details involved. But there is a difference of opinion. I had a conversation with the product owner today and discussed those analogies. He brought up HOA -- why is he paying his HOA? I asked how his daughter would respond if he pointed her to the HOA. As the home owner, he is the one that must pound on the doors of the utility company and HOA to get the problem taken care of. He is the one that ultimately must follow up with site hosting, operations, and the customer to get the problem accepted or rectified. There is not actually a problem within the product's direct source code, rather it is within the platform it runs on (Windows, Network, and client side factors). The user wants to open a file to import into the product, and the Microsoft file open dialog hangs due to a share drive dependency. The user does not care where the problem is. The product owner's engagement has been 'not me' while I informed him of the workflow, his code implementation, how many users were impacted, impact frequency, root cause, and engaged others on his behalf. I informed him that I would go a different route and uninvited him from further conversation. Then, he engaged. I identify as a cat that is also a professional cat herder.

As the OP, I decided what this topic was about, that is personal accountability. Perhaps you could create a tax wingers topic.

There are many examples from you, a few from RV, DEI examples in this forum... I mentioned a work example in this topic.

This conversation is not about taxes. But I hope everyone takes enough personal responsibility to eventually make enough money to want their taxes lowered.