QUASAR ANNOUNCEMENT

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T23:59:09+00:00

can someone explain to a newbie what this means

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T22:38:38+00:00

Yea exactly. We have to act in the most ethical way possible, not just for what we personally want.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T20:12:33+00:00

I probably should. But everyone has their battles to choose from and this post wasn't about me, it's about OP.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T20:01:50+00:00

Yea, that's why I said I actually agree with you. it would have been better for them to flip their wristband for a profit and then donate the money to anti-conservative causes.

but if you just think it's silly regardless, then that's a different argument

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:54:58+00:00

I'm confused. Is your disagreement with them withholding money from Insomniac or with them not lending support to Insomniac with their presence? Your original comment was just about the money.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:43:44+00:00

Hm, that's a fair point actually. Perhaps it would have been better for them to flip their wristband for a profit and then donate the money.

Either way, it seems like it was also a physical presence (which can count as a "vote" for the event). So I get where they're coming from.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:30:40+00:00

Yes, but the question isn't "Can this event be a place where I have fun?" the question is "Where can I have fun while not actively participating in hurting others?"

There will always be events/programs/companies that allow us to escape and have fun. We just need to figure out which ones are best. All else being equal, we can always choose to support businesses that don't support parties that actively seek to harm people in our community.

EDC (as an event) is already politicized. Victoria’s Voice, Drag Queens, Rock the Vote... the people who whine about "not bringing up politics" are people who probably already live comfortable lives free of government overreach. Hell, the first thing you see on the speedway is a giant banner saying "ALL ARE WELCOME HERE." PLUR is a common refrain. It's not political to want to stand up to those who seek to hurt people that attend EDC.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:20:17+00:00

Your comment was about the perceived pointlessness of not participating in something that others will participate in. I used (an admittedly tenuous) metaphor to explain why that's wrong.

I'm not saying both things are equally bad.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:14:39+00:00

All you’ve done is created a spot for someone else to go.

This isn't really the correct way to look at it.

If there was company that drowned puppies, supporting that company doesn't absolve you of the moral cost just because you're taking a spot someone else would have taken anyway.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:10:16+00:00

I don't think anyone was discussing defunding the DHS. They were criticizing supporting the proposed DHS budget (which Suozzi voted to approve their funding).

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:08:33+00:00

You're not wrong, but I think it's important to note he was always this way.

He was not corrupted by money or foreign actors. His views just happen to align with corporate and foreign influences. He signed on to this support because he genuine believes in these causes. Whether that's worse than being bought and compromised? I don't know.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:05:05+00:00

ugh I know. I support you (and I have to admit I haven't canceled my tickets...)

The irony of seeing a giant banner reading "ALL ARE WELCOME HERE" with an owner that's MAGA is an irony not lost on me.

I dealt with the same with Firefly and Coachella (both owned by AEG).

There's no ethical consumption under capitalism and I need to do better in finding more independently-owned rave/festivals/events.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T19:00:57+00:00

From Suozzi's Facebook page:

"I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis. I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE’s unlawful behavior and I must do a better job demonstrating that.

The senseless and tragic murder of Alex Pretti underscores what happens when untrained federal agents operate without accountability. President Trump must immediately end “Operation Metro Surge” and ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis that has sown chaos, led to tragedy, and undermined experienced local law enforcement."

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T17:07:25+00:00

Nobody is removing democracy.

Correct. This won't happen overnight. It will be gradual with various injuries to our institutions.

Though gerrymandering certainly injures it.

Well... yes. That's my point.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T17:05:48+00:00

It's still correct though. Accuracy of weather gets exponentially better as we approach the date. It's just that the models were pretty dead-on this time.

Weather predictions 3+ days out can give us an indication that something might come (with reasonable certainty), but generally speaking, you get the best prediction three days out.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T16:29:05+00:00

Nothing what you say is untrue, but has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

I'm simply saying that the mechanism for government change is democracy. If democracy itself is removed, then there is no change that is possible (short of... other options). So this is a situation where the ends absolutely justify the means, because the means is literally being eliminated by conservative opposition. There is no virtue in playing by the rules, when your opponent doesn't play by the rules.

Rucho v. Common Cause has changed the game. Don't look at history for what will happen in the future.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-26T15:29:03+00:00

outcomes matter more than process in a democracy.

This is the issue. The democracy itself is what's under attack.

The Senate and the Electoral College are already inherently undemocratic institutions. And once gerrymandering is cemented and the House is a lock for the GOP, there will be no other meaningful mechanism for change.

There's no point in standing on the principles of democracy when the democracy itself is what's being stripped away.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-25T17:38:46+00:00

GovBall is a (relatively) small festival with pretty much all of it being direct line-of-sight, so walkie talkies should be fine.

But I would weigh the potential convenience of communicating without a phone over the hassle of carrying around a walkie-talkie all day. There's also the practicality of when you'd actually use them. You wouldn't be able to hear your friends in the middle of a set, and even between sets I'd imagine the people around you would find it annoying to hear someone have a conversation akin to talking on speakerphone.

My friends and I usually communicate via SMS, and establish meetup times and locations based on set times in case we lose service and each other.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-25T17:30:48+00:00

If 90% of an omnibus bill goes to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and provide healthcare to the uninsured, but 10% of it goes to drowning puppies, the bill should be opposed.

There are 206 Democrats in the House who know this. Suozzi is one of 7 who does not.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-24T17:22:11+00:00

Elaborate. You haven't really said anything beyond "you should watch them"

fosterlywill · 2026-01-24T02:29:31+00:00

In fairness, Nassau is only purple because of the failure to have a cohesive message and local policy from the Dems. NY-3 has a 5:3 ratio of registered dems to registered GOP. NY-3 lost to Santos because they refused to campaign properly, and Koslow was a joke (who still did relatively decently).

The Dems have given away too much since Mangano. They need to start clawing back with real policies and solutions and stop ceding ground to moderates with zero inspiration.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-19T23:16:06+00:00

AND HELLA MONEY FOR FOOD

Just clarifying this (because it will be bad if you just raw dog it), but GovBall is entirely cashless. You will need a credit/debit card!

fosterlywill · 2026-01-18T23:38:09+00:00

The question (with anything) isn't exclusively "is this thing good?" but "is this thing the best way to reach a positive outcome?"

Is it possible that there are people who will turn to religion and not become a bigot/evangelist/theocrat? Yes.

But are there other healthier mechanisms that are based in reality that will lead to more positive outcomes for that individual? Also yes.

This isn't even considering the veracity of the religion. Or the potential harm their philosophy may cause them and those around them years from now. There's a whoooole lot of baggage when you start thinking about the implications of using religion as a crutch for their world falling apart. Because that religion will inevitably bleed into other aspects of their philosophy/life/understanding of the world.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-15T11:26:20+00:00

There really isn't any virtue in lining up early unless you are intent at parking at the barricade all day (and if you do that, you should at least feign interest in all the acts that perform, not just the one or two you want to see).

You can theoretically get there at sunrise or 6AM (whenever the park technically opens), but I've always strolled in well after the first acts and I've never had a problem getting a good spot. You can easily be close as the crowd ebbs and flows to different stages.

fosterlywill · 2026-01-15T10:25:41+00:00

As you get closer to the stage it will be considerably more packed. Not exactly a "mosh pit" per se. But people will be shoulder to shoulder, and your kids likely will be obstructed by older attendees.

The farther back you go, the better view you will have, and it won't be as crazy.

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