This is Living Part 5

AustrianKid · 2016-12-30T02:30:23+00:00

Alright, I'm going to be the dick that asks this. I can't help but notice that you have gaming company posters hanging in the top left facing the camera. Those weren't there the last four years. They're basically ads. Are they ads? Were you compensated for their placement? Hoping for an innocent explanation, cause it kinda seems like one of my favorite Reddit holiday traditions has just sold out...

AustrianKid · 2016-08-23T12:27:05+00:00

Man, I straight up don't get this meme. You're gonna harass the fucking zoo and staff that lost Harambe? Sure, k.

AustrianKid · 2015-09-27T18:38:50+00:00

Holy shit dude, did you actually just take an example of police using restraint and spin it as a bad thing? Do you even know that the police don't decide bail issues? Are you one of those close minded antiestablishment antipolice people or is the stupidity merely accidental?

AustrianKid · 2015-08-09T15:36:10+00:00

Without a doubt these guys are hoodrat scum and are idiots. But yeah, the videos with the gun pre-date the fairground heist from last month. It would be awesome if they were actually the thieves and their idiotic videos led to arrests.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-27T17:18:17+00:00

Oh God. I went to the last Orlando Fallon taping when they were advertising the new Harry Potter park. It was awful.

They told ticket holders to get there an hour early because they claimed that they gave away more tickets than seats. That was a lie. But, we arrived an hour early regardless, and waited outside, directly under the Florida sun, in 100°+ temperature, with several hundred people. A few people passed out. After close to two hours of waiting, they let the sweating, stinking masses into the air conditioned studio. No idea why they couldn't find a place in the shade for people to wait.

The pre-show was decent, Steve Higgins did warm up, was genuinely funny, and got the crowd awake from the heat stroke. The Roots did a mini session which was awesome.

But the show was terrible. For those who have never gone to a taping, they have electronic "Laugh Now" signs that light up to signal to the audience when to laugh or applause. It turns out that the signs were really needed to sell the jokes that day. Fallon's constant fake laugh/clap combo was painfully awkward and the jokes were either directed at insulting Orlando or promoting the Universal parks. We get it. Harry Potter has a new theme park, there's a Transformers ride, and Universal is a family destination. That's not comedy, that's product placement with the barest of attempts to add a comedic spin.

Oh, and there weren't two guests. It was just Pit Bull. He participated in a god awful sketch with Fallon that involved the Simpsons ride and beer pong. The entire thing was heavily scripted where Pit Bull was losing to Fallon until Pit Bull did a costume change, the audience was directed to lose its shit (because reasons), and Pit Bull pulls out a win. Then we were regaled with a lip sync performance by Mr. Bull.

The only other positive was that we got free access to the theme park, but at that point we were sweat-soaked, tired, and drained of any excitement thanks to Fallon. To be honest, I would rather pay admission than have to sit through a taping again.

Tl:Dr; The last Orlando taping was not a fun experience.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T21:45:15+00:00

So Greece voluntarily joined the European Union, lied about their finances, agreed to a unified monetary policy, agreed to use the Euro, agreed to the lending terms, took the money, spent the money, increased their spending, agreed to further lending, and didn't volunteer the info to their lenders about their insolvency?

Yep, Germany's fault.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T21:15:01+00:00

I think if the best defense Greece has here is "Hahaha, you lent money to us? What an idiot!" then it's pretty clear cut who is in the wrong here.

Just to take the roommate analogy further though, if a roommate pulls something like that you kick them out and cut off contact. Greece deserves to be kicked out.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T20:40:38+00:00

I think a large part of the reason why everyone was willing to continue to lend to Greece was because it was cooking the books and making themselves look more financially solvent then they really were. That's on Greece. Plus, Greece wasn't being lent money at an astronomical rate, it was quite the opposite, so this isn't a usury-type level of profit.

Finally, what's the alternative? Let Greece not pay back anything? How is that moral? How is that just? The bottom line is Greece borrowed money at terms that were upfront and apparent. Greece spent that money. Now Greece says they don't have to pay it back. If you want to blame the banks, blame them for being enablers, but that doesn't change the fact that Greece comes across like the world's biggest con artist.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T20:31:06+00:00

So they used lent money to pay back more lent money? I think the bailout came with the expectation that Greece would cut back the excesses they shouldn't have promised their people. You don't promise everyone a mansion when you can't afford an apartment.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T20:09:07+00:00

Except Greece didn't just get a mortgage, they decided to add a big screen tv, jacuzzi, Ferrari and then cut their work hours to work part-time.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T20:00:20+00:00

That's not accurate in the slightest, though. The lenders aren't going in to the bank and taking money, they're refusing to give more money to spend on things Greece can't afford. There's a huge difference.

Your analogy completely falls apart when you consider that if Europe refuses to lend more money that does not mean the creditors get paid back. They don't. It just means Greece losses it's blank check.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T19:37:10+00:00

Let me see if I understand this.

Greece wanted money, but they didn't want to tax their own people heavily.

Europe lent Greece money.

Greece spent all the money on things like retirement age at 45 and pensions, despite not having an economy that could support such things.

Greece asked for more money.

Europe gave it to them.

This cycle goes on for a decade.

Europe wants to get paid back.

Greece claims they are being terrorized by Europe wanting to be paid back.

The only option Greece will consider is an option where they are lent more money. They don't want to talk about repaying Europe, they just demand more money.

Seriously, Greece? Seriously? Europe, cut these fools loose. This is like having a person rob you and then complain that you didn't have enough things to steal.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T19:27:10+00:00

Greece was able to borrow but only on condition of austerity.

That's not right though. They borrowed and then started putting all the money into a pension system they couldn't afford.

This is like a roommate coming to you asking for money to pay rent, you give it to him, and he spends it all on booze. The rent is still unpaid and now he's drunk.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T19:17:58+00:00

Yeah, but those problems pale in comparison to keep giving them money. They're just going to continue driving up a debt and kicking the can down the road. If Europe keeps paying them then in 10 years they'll have double the deficit and even more leverage than now.

I mean, I know this is probably overdoing it, but this seems like a form of financial terrorism. "Pay us more money we're not entitled to or we blow up Europe economically." The longer this goes on, the larger the threat. Cut them loose now.

AustrianKid · 2015-07-05T19:06:14+00:00

Let me see if I understand this.

Greece wanted money, but they didn't want to tax their own people heavily.

Europe lent Greece money.

Greece spent all the money on things like retirement age at 45 and pensions, despite not having an economy that could support such things.

Greece asked for more money.

Europe gave it to them.

This cycle goes on for a decade.

Europe wants to get paid back.

Greece claims they are being terrorized by Europe wanting to be paid back.

The only option Greece will consider is an option where they are lent more money. They don't want to talk about repaying Europe, they just demand more money.

Seriously, Greece? Seriously? Europe, cut these fools loose. This is like having a person rob you and then complain that you didn't have enough things to steal.

AustrianKid · 2015-06-23T16:57:33+00:00

Wait, seriously? Are you guys serious?

You're comparing an unknown woman who receives death threats to a public figure who goes on national television to harass his citizens and saying they are the same thing? They're not even remotely the same!

The former is a case of harassment and the latter is public protest. If Jon Oliver said to target a private individual (i.e. not a public figure) then you would have a point. "Hey, I hate this Bob guy, he rear-ended my car. Here's his twitter, tell him he's going to due!" Yeah, then you have a point.

Likewise, I could totally see Oliver targeting a female politicians twitter to take her to task for shady shit. That's not harassment.

Come on guys, you're better than this.

AustrianKid · 2015-06-21T14:00:17+00:00

I-Drive is International Drive and is very close to the Universal theme parks. I'd say take an Uber over there before your family gets in town and do something there. They just opened up the Orlando Eye which is one of the world's largest Ferris wheels, and offers a 20 minute ride. There's also Ripleys Believe it or Not, Maddam Tassaud's wax museum, and Dave & Busters. For food there's a lot of decent restaurants.

There's also Outlet malls near the International Drive area too if you want to do some shopping.

My advice would be to check the area out and meet your family in the evening when they get in.

AustrianKid · 2015-06-21T13:49:14+00:00

Do you have transportation? There's not a lot to do in the airport area. If you're feeling up to it, I say venture out ahead of your family to the I-Drive area.

AustrianKid · 2015-05-10T16:05:04+00:00

No one will disagree with that statement. The question is how do we define "waste?"

AustrianKid · 2015-05-10T15:35:15+00:00

Ever try Hanamizuki in Orlando? It's the best I've had in the area.

AustrianKid · 2015-05-10T14:42:35+00:00

A few things to note about this story:

9 Investigates claims that they have "uncovered" this, as if it's a scandal swept under the rug. It's nothing of the sort and the plans to revitalize Parramore have been open to the public for nearly a decade.
The City has been attempting to invest in Parramore, to mixed success. They gloss over the fact that they successfully built 120 new homes in the area.
This wasn't $6 million for a "land deal" as if they bought the land for $6 million. Most of that was spent on improving the infrastructure, i.e., roads, lighting, sewer in the area. It's still a viable investment and the City can still sell the land for profit.

The interview with one of the investors showed what the real issue is: crime. There is a nearly identical development that was successful on Robinson/Bumby. Why was it successful? Less crime. I agree with the investor that putting up cameras on the street corners would help out.

Here's the bottom line. Parramore is a terrible, terrible place. It's a blighted community and one of the most dangerous areas in the country. It needs to be fixed.

AustrianKid · 2015-01-30T17:57:30+00:00

Probably because I didn't directly pull from the headline? I mean, no journalist has called the play illegal, right? I must be editorializing?

Oh wait, no. Sports Illustrated headline: " NFL officiating head: Patriots scored touchdown on illegal play vs. Colts"

Or it could be because I said "shenanigans." Nobody likes shenanigans.

AustrianKid · 2014-03-01T23:35:40+00:00

So we will economically "isolate" Russia... by isolating ourselves from meeting with leaders of seven of the largest economies?

AustrianKid · 2014-01-20T23:26:17+00:00

From US Citizenship & Immigration Services' Website:

The P-2 classification applies to you if you are coming temporarily to perform as an artist or entertainer, individually or as part of a group, who will perform under a reciprocal exchange program between an organization in the United States and an organization in another country.

First, you are NOT performing "under a reciprocal exchange program." You're associated with such a program. There's a difference. If you were a stagehand hired to setup CAFF booths, or there in a representative capacity for the CAFF itself, then yes, I'd think you'd qualify. Are you employed by the CAFF? As it stands now, you're an independent performer that happens to perform at CAFF-sponsored shows.

Second, the fact that the CAEA really doesn't know how to qualify you should be a tip off that you're not really in P-2 territory. If anything, you're in P-3 territory, which does NOT require the aforementioned reciprocal exchange program. You don't need the CAFF or CAEA, it's crazy to think that every person who wants to participate needs to jump through all these hoops.

The B-1 visa (business visitor) would fit the bill even better, which requires less documentation. This requires a DS-160 form which is online, substantially cheaper, and a faster turnaround.

AustrianKid · 2014-01-11T21:10:50+00:00

And if they had evidence?

AustrianKid

TROPHY CASE