The grinds my gears thread

[Tobywan]

I believe, with the exception of Fort Hood, all of the other incidents you mention involved civilian casualties, as compared to military members in the line of service. I'm not stating an opinion on the non-order, just observing. I'm not sure if Chattanooga was technically "in the line of service," so someone better versed will have to help me out here.

Also, the WH Press Secretary anticipated Obama discussing the flag being lowered or not at an event Tuesday I think.

Well, this is somewhat the crux of the issue. Someone did mention to me that the Ft. Hood proclamation was for civilian casualties not the active military personnel, however, there were 13 killed, only one was a civilian, so it was done just for him? Somehow, that doesn't seem like the reason.



According to the US Dept. of Veteran's Affairs website on the guidelines of a proclamation to fly the US flag at half-staff, the first thing listed is "when a whole nation is in mourning". There is a list of annual days for half staff, Memorial Day, Patriot Day, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day,etc. There are the standard incidents for national mourning, the death of a president, former president, vice president and former, chief justices, speaker of the house and the like. The president can proclaim in the event of other officials, former officials, foreign dignitaries and other tragic events.

The foreign dignitaries have been somewhat rare but it explains the proclamations made for Sadat, Rabin, King Hussein, Pope John Paul II (though I guess one could argue he is a religious figurehead not a dignitary) and Nelson Mandela.

The other tragic events leaves things wide open and doesn't really distinguish that it should be limited to just civilians or excluding military personnel. Hence, the proclamations for Boston, Sandy Hook, Oak Creek, WI, Aurora and Tucson. I would say those were tragic events that fall under the "national mourning". So, did the Washington Navy Yard, while the deaths were civilian employees or contractors, it is a military base with military personnel on site. Ft. Hood had one civilian casualty, the rest were active military. Both happened here at home where you would hope the service men and women would be safer. Not that any soldier's loss isn't sad, it is an unfortunate possibility of those in combat or hostile zones. Mass deaths due to hurricanes, airplane crashes or other accidents are also tragic, but they are not directly due to premeditated violence like the incidents that have been given the half-staff honor recently.

Given that a precedence has been set, I think it is a fair question as to why Chattanooga has not been included and for that matter though I didn't see any call for it, Charleston, I'd say that it hit hard as well. There is actually more precedence since one of those victims was a a South Carolina state senator could be considered one of those "other officials". Perhaps because it happened at a church and right now there seems to be a lot of disdain for religion and religious beliefs, so maybe they decided to keep it separate.

Btw, did the WH Press Secretary give an explanation? Perhaps, since it is considered to be at the president's discretion they don't feel a need to say why or why not on any decisions.

Anyway, my main complaint was those complaining about those that were just asking why it was being excluded from what seems to have become a trend of doing it for these mass rampages. The gesture doesn't change what happened, it's just that it has kind of become an outward showing of support and solidarity through these horrific acts. The country is so divided on so many issues, anything that shows a united front in my view certainly couldn't hurt.

[HollywoodLeo]

I'm tired of tragedies being used as excuses to push political agendas on the internet.

I know the common response will be to stress the importance of the issues and how the tragedy highlights said importance, but it's funny how both sides of every issue uses that same tragedy to push their rhetoric.

Then both sides acts like just because you disagree on the method to prevent it that it means you're a heartless goon that doesn't care that the tragedy happened.

It'd be nice if most people actually knew how to have real conversations and debates, then we could actually have real dialogue when stuff happens.

[HollywoodLeo]

I'm tired of tragedies being used as excuses to push political agendas on the internet.

I know the common response will be to stress the importance of the issues and how the tragedy highlights said importance, but it's funny how both sides of every issue uses that same tragedy to push their rhetoric.

Then both sides acts like just because you disagree on the method to prevent it that it means you're a heartless goon that doesn't care that the tragedy happened.

It'd be nice if most people actually knew how to have real conversations and debates, then we could actually have real dialogue when stuff happens.

Orlando, lather, rinse, repeat

[HollywoodLeo]

Stupid people and their memes on facebook shaming me for spending time eating with my family on Thanksgiving because of stupid shit my ancestors did to my other ancestors centuries ago, coupled by what other people (re: not me) are doing to Native Americans and their land in the Dakotas.

Yeah, I get there's irony, but the Europeans took over this land in the 14 and 15 freaking hundreds and they're hardly the only group of people to conquer land from other people and take over. Don't you think it's about time we get over it already? You can acknowledge history as wrong without telling people today they need to feel responsible for what their ancestors did.

And, since it's often used for that as well, what happened centuries ago has zero bearing on immigration policies and what they should be today. If anything, reminding us that a large group of foreigners came over here and took over is an argument against allowing immigrants to come in.

(Key note: I'm not arguing a stance for or against immigration, illegal or otherwise, here. I'm simply calling that particular argument that's supposed to be in favor of it but really stands against it stupid)

[HollywoodLeo]

I hate it when people call the lottery a scam. It's not a scam if you know what you're getting into before you spend the money. (You can make a legit argument in regards to what the money goes to compared to what they said it would, but that's a slightly related but different subject)

Yes, the odds of winning are infinitesimal at best, but so what? That's how the system works. How else do you expect them to fund giving one person hundreds of millions of dollars for a 1 or 2 dollar investment? Of course one person's odds are going to be ridiculously small because it's the hundreds of millions of losers who are funding that jackpot. That's the entire concept.

It's only a scam if nobody ever wins.

Now, there are other arguments that could very well be legit arguments for why someone shouldn't bother wasting their 1 or 2 dollars on a ticket, but none of it concludes with the system being a scam. It is what it is and you can choose to save your soda money or effectively throw it away, but nobody is being scammed. (at least not systematically, don't link me to individual cases of scamming from third parties, lol)

[schisno]

I hate it when people call the lottery a scam. It's not a scam if you know what you're getting into before you spend the money. (You can make a legit argument in regards to what the money goes to compared to what they said it would, but that's a slightly related but different subject)

Yes, the odds of winning are infinitesimal at best, but so what? That's how the system works. How else do you expect them to fund giving one person hundreds of millions of dollars for a 1 or 2 dollar investment? Of course one person's odds are going to be ridiculously small because it's the hundreds of millions of losers who are funding that jackpot. That's the entire concept.

It's only a scam if nobody ever wins.

Now, there are other arguments that could very well be legit arguments for why someone shouldn't bother wasting their 1 or 2 dollars on a ticket, but none of it concludes with the system being a scam. It is what it is and you can choose to save your soda money or effectively throw it away, but nobody is being scammed. (at least not systematically, don't link me to individual cases of scamming from third parties, lol)

I play the lottery.

[HollywoodLeo]

20 years ago text messaging didn't exist yet today I'm an asshole if I don't regularly text all of my friends and family according to internet memes.

[HollywoodLeo]

Washers at most laundromats cost $2 at a minimum, as much as $6 for the larger ones and the dryer typically requires at least $1 to start.

Yet they still expect you to pay in quarters.

[realmofotalk]

There aren't any laundromats in your area that operate on reloadable cards?

[HollywoodLeo]

Nope. I wasn't aware that was a thing.

Of course I do live in backwards Arkansas

[realmofotalk]

But they have a Dave & Buster's? Or was that when you lived in San Diego?

[HollywoodLeo]

But they have a Dave & Buster's? Or was that when you lived in San Diego?

That was in San Diego when I went there but they just opened one in Little Rock.

[HollywoodLeo]

They must be reading my posts in here because the laundromat just installed credit/debit card readers on the washers

[HollywoodLeo]

When someone doesn't understand what you said but instead of saying "what?", "come again?", or some other polite way of asking you to repeat yourself they exaggerate some forced mock mumbling of what they think you sounded like before asking "what?"

It's pointless and very annoying.

[dgfred]

Me to co-worker- did you bring lunch today?

Co-worker- did you say you had Captain Crunch this morning... what?