Octopus Overlords

gbasden wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:19 pm

malchior wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:15 pm I really needed someone to say this. It's sad that it took this level of meltdown to get very serious people to wake up and smell the coffee. Unfortunately, it appears it is likely too late to stop the disaster we were warning about.

https://twitter.com/EdwardGLuce/status/ ... 9854550017

Yeah. Six years ago, I honestly thought that more people were reasonably decent and a majority would eventually reject actions that were obviously corrupt, self-serving and antidemocratic. That got stripped away, and it's obvious to me that there aren't any checks on what they can do. I cannot fathom why this isn't obvious to more people.

I don't know what fireworks cost nowadays, but apparently they're cheap enough that all of my dirt poor redneck neighbors who "can't afford gas lets go brandon!" can buy enough to spend 3 days exploding them into the sky for eight hours every night.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 3:46 pm Usually here it starts in mid June and this weekend I expected non-stop explosions through tonight. But I've actually noticed a lot fewer fireworks this year. My friend who complains about it every year, and makes the point that everyone must be doing well if they blow up several hundred dollars every night, said the that lack of this year is a sign that the recession is full on.

A majority of American voters across nearly all demographics and ideologies believe their system of government does not work, with 58 percent of those interviewed for a New York Times/Siena College poll saying that the world’s oldest independent constitutional democracy needs major reforms or a complete overhaul.

The discontent among Republicans is driven by their widespread, unfounded doubts about the legitimacy of the nation’s elections. For Democrats, it is the realization that even though they control the White House and Congress, it is Republicans, joined with their allies in gerrymandered state legislatures and the Supreme Court, who are achieving long-sought political goals.

For Republicans, the distrust is a natural outgrowth of former President Donald Trump’s domination of the party and, to a large degree, American politics. After seven years in which he relentlessly attacked the country’s institutions, a broad majority of Republicans share his views on the 2020 election and its aftermath: Sixty-one percent said he was the legitimate winner, and 72 percent described the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol as a protest that got out of hand.
...
Democrats’ pessimism about the future stems from their party’s inability to protect abortion rights, pass sweeping gun control measures, and pursue other liberal priorities in the face of Republican opposition. Self-described liberals were more likely than other Democrats to have lost trust in government and more likely to say voting did not make a difference.

Americans’ bipartisan cynicism about government signals a striking philosophical shift: For generations, Democrats campaigned on the idea that government was a force for good, while Republicans sought to limit it. Now, the polling shows, the number of Americans in both parties who believe their government is capable of responding to voters’ concerns has shrunk.

More than half of all voters surveyed, 53 percent, said the American political system was too divided to solve the nation’s problems, an increase from 40 percent in a Times/Siena poll from October 2020. The sentiment is now most acute among Black voters and the youngest voters.

The lack of faith is starkest among the young, who have little to no memory of a time when American politics didn’t function as a zero-sum affair. Nearly half — 48 percent — of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 29 said voting did not make a difference in how their government operates.

Kraken wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 10:44 am Most Americans believe our system of government is broken.

A majority of American voters across nearly all demographics and ideologies believe their system of government does not work, with 58 percent of those interviewed for a New York Times/Siena College poll saying that the world’s oldest independent constitutional democracy needs major reforms or a complete overhaul.

The discontent among Republicans is driven by their widespread, unfounded doubts about the legitimacy of the nation’s elections. For Democrats, it is the realization that even though they control the White House and Congress, it is Republicans, joined with their allies in gerrymandered state legislatures and the Supreme Court, who are achieving long-sought political goals.

For Republicans, the distrust is a natural outgrowth of former President Donald Trump’s domination of the party and, to a large degree, American politics. After seven years in which he relentlessly attacked the country’s institutions, a broad majority of Republicans share his views on the 2020 election and its aftermath: Sixty-one percent said he was the legitimate winner, and 72 percent described the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol as a protest that got out of hand.
...
Democrats’ pessimism about the future stems from their party’s inability to protect abortion rights, pass sweeping gun control measures, and pursue other liberal priorities in the face of Republican opposition. Self-described liberals were more likely than other Democrats to have lost trust in government and more likely to say voting did not make a difference.

Americans’ bipartisan cynicism about government signals a striking philosophical shift: For generations, Democrats campaigned on the idea that government was a force for good, while Republicans sought to limit it. Now, the polling shows, the number of Americans in both parties who believe their government is capable of responding to voters’ concerns has shrunk.

More than half of all voters surveyed, 53 percent, said the American political system was too divided to solve the nation’s problems, an increase from 40 percent in a Times/Siena poll from October 2020. The sentiment is now most acute among Black voters and the youngest voters.

The lack of faith is starkest among the young, who have little to no memory of a time when American politics didn’t function as a zero-sum affair. Nearly half — 48 percent — of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 29 said voting did not make a difference in how their government operates.

McMahon, who has been a library director since 1995, told the Gazette some patrons informally complained about the library displaying books written by First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Rather than go through the official procedure to have the books reviewed and possibly removed, McMahon said people would just check those books out and never return them, which is theft of materials and forced the library to go through a process to get them back.

Another complaint was that the library didn’t have enough books about former President Donald Trump on display.

They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em

Smoove_B wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:55 am Yeah, I was going to slap this in the LGBTQ thread, but it's much larger than that. It's all part of the current plan - harass people doing what you don't like until they leave.

malchior wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:29 am But what about antifa!

https://mobile.twitter.com/LailaLalami/ ... 5967709184

YellowKing wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 2:21 pm And they're going to continue to do it if we're willing to roll over and let them. While I certainly understand why library staff would want to avoid confrontation, they unfortunately did exactly what the mob mentality wanted them to do. And the mob is going to prey on the weak, because they know the weak will avoid conflict.

I have no doubt we're headed for violent confrontation, because violence is the *only* thing these bullies understand. And it's the only way they're going to be stopped.

Isgrimnur wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:22 pm Fines, credit reporting, liens, ...

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

Jaymann wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:02 pm What's disturbing is the practice of censoring by checking out books they object to. This could work anywhere, and libraries have no defense against this asshole ploy. They are founded on the good faith of local citizens, and when civil behavior is out the window it is yet another sign of the collapse.

Isgrimnur wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:41 pm

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

"Lost" is lost.

Holman wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:50 pm

Jaymann wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:02 pm What's disturbing is the practice of censoring by checking out books they object to. This could work anywhere, and libraries have no defense against this asshole ploy. They are founded on the good faith of local citizens, and when civil behavior is out the window it is yet another sign of the collapse.

There are some defenses. If librarians see this tactic developing, they can classify any book as Reference, meaning that it can be read in the library but not checked out and taken home.

And if they meet someone they judge as sincerely interested in a title, they can easily reclassify the book as Circulating and let them check it out.

(I somewhat follow library Twitter. They've been preparing for this kind of bullshit for years.)

LawBeefaroni wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:43 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:41 pm

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

"Lost" is lost.

Only of you say it's "lost." If you don't it's just "late." And can remain so forever.

Materials not returned within 7 days after the due date will incur a replacement fee, which will be added to your account. Replacement fees for lost material will automatically be removed from your account upon return of the material.
...
Failure to pay outstanding balances to CPL or reciprocal libraries may result in your account being blocked and library services being restricted. If you have an outstanding balance exceeding $30, you may not check out material.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:45 pm

Holman wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:50 pm

Jaymann wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:02 pm What's disturbing is the practice of censoring by checking out books they object to. This could work anywhere, and libraries have no defense against this asshole ploy. They are founded on the good faith of local citizens, and when civil behavior is out the window it is yet another sign of the collapse.

There are some defenses. If librarians see this tactic developing, they can classify any book as Reference, meaning that it can be read in the library but not checked out and taken home.

And if they meet someone they judge as sincerely interested in a title, they can easily reclassify the book as Circulating and let them check it out.

(I somewhat follow library Twitter. They've been preparing for this kind of bullshit for years.)

Not a fan of librarians being arbiters of who can check out what either though.

Isgrimnur wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:46 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:43 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:41 pm

Fines won’t be charged for lost library cards, or holds that aren’t picked up, but will still be charged for lost or damaged checked out items.

"Lost" is lost.

Only of you say it's "lost." If you don't it's just "late." And can remain so forever.

CPL

Materials not returned within 7 days after the due date will incur a replacement fee, which will be added to your account. Replacement fees for lost material will automatically be removed from your account upon return of the material.
...
Failure to pay outstanding balances to CPL or reciprocal libraries may result in your account being blocked and library services being restricted. If you have an outstanding balance exceeding $30, you may not check out material.

At that time, a fee for the replacement cost will be added to your account. Replacement fees for lost materials will be automatically removed from your account upon return of the materials.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:54 pm There is no way they put a lien on a "fine" that is removed when you return the book.

Isgrimnur wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 5:14 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:54 pm There is no way they put a lien on a "fine" that is removed when you return the book.

Document, please.