FireTower
@FireTower@lemmy.world
- Comment on Should Democrats also gerrymander blue states to counterbalance any advantage that republicans have due to the gerrymandering in red states? 1 week ago:
The thing is that they’ve got teeth. E.g. redistricting, along with the plurality of powers granted to the countless offices across the nation that they hold.
- Comment on Should Democrats also gerrymander blue states to counterbalance any advantage that republicans have due to the gerrymandering in red states? 2 weeks ago:
Q: Should (insert political party here) disenfranchise voters for the benefit of (insert political party here)'s political ends?
A: No.
If you have no principles you have nothing.
- Comment on Joe Biden pardons son Hunter in final weeks in office 2 weeks ago:
“nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb;”
The double jeopardy clause doesn’t limit itself to only prohibiting second prosecutions. Once a case has been prosecuted to conclusion the defendant may not be made subject to the punishment again. A pardon terminating a punishment, would forestall recision as that would be once again subjecting the defendant for the same offensive.
- Comment on Joe Biden pardons son Hunter in final weeks in office 2 weeks ago:
The Supreme Court isn’t going to do that. Art. 2 Sec. 2 and the 5A’s double jeopardy clauses are quite clear on the matter.
They’d sooner overrule Wickard v. Filburn than do that.
- Comment on Serious statement: I don't understand the argument that not voting for Harris was the morally correct thing to do, because of Gaza. Why does anyone believe this? 1 month ago:
Because most haven’t I will actually answer the call of the question. Voting is perhaps the most important way one can voice their opinion. And carries more effect than most words the average man or woman can utter.
The largest argument against these types of stances is that it will create a spoiler effect. This usually operates on the premise that a vote to a candidate is owed and not earned and or that it is impossible to achieve a different outcome besides one of the two establishment candidates. This second premise being the results of people who decry voting 3rd party as useless based on a restriction with no physical or legal basis imposed on our society by our society. There’s nothing stopping people from electing anyone else on the ballot.
If you can acknowledge that we as a society have this power the idea of accepting a lesser evil is weakened. If you vote for a lesser evil you perpetuate the broken system you hate. In your example Gaza, if someone feels that the issue is so important it merits a principled stance how can they not take the stance?
- Comment on How do I... Do court? I didn't realize my license was expired and got pulled over. Now I have court tomorrow. 2 months ago:
“the US” doesn’t narrow it down much. I kinda assumed that much. What really matters if which one of the 50+ legal systems in the US he is subject to. And which courthouse he is going to.
This is going to 100% be a state law matter, unless he lives somewhere like D.C. or Puerto Rico which aren’t states but fall under federal jurisdiction.
- Comment on How do I... Do court? I didn't realize my license was expired and got pulled over. Now I have court tomorrow. 2 months ago:
We have no clue where you are so we can’t give any good advice. For all we know you live in Elbonia and driving without a license gets you the guillotine.
But
Show up ~30 minutes early, there will likely be metal detectors and a line at them. If you are in line be ready when you get up front, if you need to empty your pockets do that before you are at the detector. This makes it faster for everyone.
Showing up early will also give you time to find your courtroom in the building. It also will let you watch the court for a few minutes before your time to shine.
Turn your phone off. Court house rules might require you leave it outside.
Dress appropriately, a polo should be fine. Any collared shirt tucked in with pants and closed toed shoes will show you put some effort into dressing yourself. No hats unless you’ve got to for your religion.
It’s the judge’s courtroom don’t interrupt them. Don’t lie. And being on your best behavior starts the moment you step onto the lot not when you enter the room, be polite to court staff as well.
Read the ticket front and back for specific instructions. Check the court website to see if there’s any announcements that you should be aware of (like local rules).
Don’t listen to other people’s advice on how you should plead. We don’t know the facts of your case. Most people here aren’t lawyers. Nothing here is legal advice.
- Comment on Why does the media print rags to riches stories? 2 months ago:
The chances of that happening to the average person are close to zero.
That’s the whole point. People don’t watch the news to hear “dog bites man” they watch it to hear “man bites dog”.
No one wants to watch a 2-3 hr long movie about someone’s regular Tuesday at the office they want to watch something that doesn’t happen everyday like an adventure, the perfect couple meeting, or the world ending.
- Comment on When we started burning coal it was called the industrial revolution. Was there a name when we started burning oil? The car revolution? 2 months ago:
Kerosene and whale oil have been around for a bit longer than cars.
- Comment on Why I Quit Driving and Started Taking the Bus (Standup) 2 months ago:
I mean it isn’t like you see many Zoolander incidents going on.
- Comment on What should I consider before choosing the right tanga or string to work out with leggings? 2 months ago:
If you are having problems with cotton maybe look at a material better at wicking. I wear wool or viscose. Cotton is anti-wicking, making you hot and sticky at first then cold and clammy as it cools down.
- Comment on when someone is considered trespassing, are they 'legally trespassing ' or 'illegally trespassing' 2 months ago:
When someone says someone is legally trespassing read it as “legally [speaking they are] trespassing”. At least in most cases.
Pedantic tangent:
You could lawfully trespass on the land of another (with permission). There’s 4 elements to the tort of trespass to land. 1) You act volitionally. 2) You intend to occupy that space, are substantially certain that will happen as a result of your actions, or you intend another intentional tort granting transfered intent. 3) But for your act their property wouldn’t have been invaded. 4) Their property has been invaded.
In civil law a trespass to land doesn’t consider whether you have permission or not to determine if you trespassed. They would determine that you did infact trespass but you have the defense of having done so with the privilege to do so granted by the owner. Meaning you did trespass but did so only in a manner appropriate under law.
- Comment on Every show with a suicide now has a disclaimer with a suicide hotline at the beginning. Is there any evidence that these warnings make a positive difference? 3 months ago:
I remember my college had a suicide awareness day where among other things they told people to tell their suicidal friends to call the hotline if they felt suicidal.
Now imagine you are that person and you reach out to a friend for help only to have them tell you to call someone else in a canned speech you were told to tell others.
- Comment on American tourists visiting the EU, what do you think of it? 3 months ago:
As an American who has been to the EU I can say with certainty that each one of those factors changes within an hour drive from my home. Making them a US v EU debate on an individual scale is meaningless. There’s nice parts and bad parts of both.
- Comment on Is it me or is everyone in hexbear insane? 3 months ago:
Last I checked there was an instance rule preventing the posting of pictures of cheese without a trigger warnin.
- Comment on Why do big corporations get to claim losses, but small businesses can't? 3 months ago:
Under the Administrative Procedures Act they get to create rules to interpret the law. Which enables non elected officials who work there to make changes to how laws are implemented to meet their understanding of best policy.
- Comment on Why do big corporations get to claim losses, but small businesses can't? 3 months ago:
The Federal government doesn’t have a sales tax on consumer purchases goods that they charge regular people (-a few very specific things). Most sales taxes are done by states, some states have none.
And the business isn’t dodging paying sales tax w/ deductions because again most things they spend money on aren’t being taxed on purchase. They’re having their amount of income the government can tax reduced as a reward for investing in themselves to promote economic growth.
Also private citizens have tax credits (which are preferable to deductions) too if they purchase certain things like EVs. If you buy a new EV the government will give you a few grand.
- Comment on Why do big corporations get to claim losses, but small businesses can't? 3 months ago:
Talk to an accountant if you haven’t it sounds to me like you may be able to claim some deductions.
If for every $100 gross income you make you pay $20 in taxes and $80 in expenses you may be able to claim some of your expenses to reduce your tax burden.
- Comment on Why do big corporations get to claim losses, but small businesses can't? 3 months ago:
Why does being profitable justify being even more profitable by paying fewer taxes?
It’s not about encouraging profitability (that only one proof of a real company) as much as allow businesses to grow, without people faking businesses to write off personal expenses. Properly reporting expenses can allow new or growing businesses to reinvest in themselves. I agree that there should be a different structure for large business but I’ll give a hypothetical to outline why it’s important for small businesses.
Let’s say a new family owned machineshop does $200k in sales in its second year. Pre-tax after all other expenses the business has netted $50k. Post tax (-$40k) they’ve got $10k left to reinvest. They want to buy $20k worth of machinery to grow the business. If they can deduct $20k for the machinery from the $40k in taxes the can buy it. If not they can’t.
Meanwhile the large international conglomerate machineshop down the road makes $400k a year post tax. If the want $20k in new machines they just buy them. This isn’t because they run a better business w/ better margins or product but because they have more volume.
- Comment on Why do big corporations get to claim losses, but small businesses can't? 3 months ago:
Yes the main appeal of a LLC is that you aren’t liable if your LLC gets sued. As a sole proprietor if someone slips and falls in your store they can recover damages from you personally. As an LLC they can only get the business’s funds.
This means that even if awarded damages from a civil case tanks your business your won’t be out of a home and your personal bank accounts are safe (not considering the burden of lossing your source of income).
- Comment on Why do big corporations get to claim losses, but small businesses can't? 3 months ago:
Small businesses absolutely can, and should claim any valid expenses. In theory audits are not punishments. They happen to large companies too. But in practice small businesses often don’t have full time accountants keeping their records and some receipts are lost after the cost has been reported.
Like many compliance regulations bookkeeping has costs that larger business are easier able to bear. Small businesses do get some aid notably a lot of money went out during covid, but big businesses have the people and resources to take advantage of that aid more than a solo proprietor who wasn’t even aware. Although small businesses never seem to get those “to big to fail” bailouts.
To touch on the hobby point if you run a business 40 hrs a week and lose twice what you make a year the IRS probably won’t mind. But if you’ve got 3 businesses you use to right off expenses (like craft brewing equipment, leather working tools, or art supplies) and you only have ever sold a single belt on Etsy over the span of a year they’ll probably have an issue.
- Comment on Why does the USA have so few legal protections for ordinary people, and how can we change that? 3 months ago:
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Contact local counsel. There’s probably an attorney who practices in rental law near you that does free consultations.
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It’s not that we don’t have protections it’s that we have an access to justice issue.
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- Comment on Are there any good critical thinking courses online? 3 months ago:
LSAT test prep logic games? There’s a few free batches of questions out there.
- Comment on How do people in this day in age become nazis/neonazies sexist or even incels when there is so much knowledge against it? Do they get anything out of being that way? 3 months ago:
a black woman has no place in this world…
Wrong on this half, in that the factors of your birth & immutable traits or public opinion of those can’t prevent you from have a place here regardless of any opinions.
…you will have to work extra harder to overcome hate and other things…
You would know the answer from you past 41 yrs better than I would.
- Comment on How do people in this day in age become nazis/neonazies sexist or even incels when there is so much knowledge against it? Do they get anything out of being that way? 3 months ago:
Some people have problems in their life and it is convenient to believe they are do to an outgroup. You mention knowledge against it but these people live their lives and insert their instilled prejudices to explain the flaws, making them have (fake) first hand proof of their beliefs.
- Comment on Avatar 3 is officially titled "Avatar: Fire and Ash" 4 months ago:
Blue People Avatar is pushing it on their distinction with Good Avatar with these elemental names.
- Comment on Congressman Gaetz: "Robots should not be subject to Free Speech" (I'm Not a Robot) 4 months ago:
Webster offers a lay definition not a legal definition. Often in law words are interpreted to have meanings different than they normally would. For example a company would be considered to be a person for the purposes of a law saying “No person shall dump oil in the river”.
- Comment on Congressman Gaetz: "Robots should not be subject to Free Speech" (I'm Not a Robot) 4 months ago:
You don’t need permission for true parody but changing the lyrics (unless you do so to comment on the original work or author) isn’t that.
Take Amish Paradise. It commented a bunch on the Amish. But it didn’t say anything about Coolio or Coolio’s work.
- Comment on Congressman Gaetz: "Robots should not be subject to Free Speech" (I'm Not a Robot) 4 months ago:
The issue is there is not clear commentary on either Cash or the Barbie song. Perhaps it’s meant to be contextually interpreted in a specific situation to act as commentary on something else, where it might be satire. And the fact that the two melded together offers a funny juxtaposition isn’t necessary commentary.
What does the author think of Johnny Cash or the Barbie song? What does he mean when he has the Beach Boys sing 99 Problems? The Red Hot Chili Peppers video from 10 months ago probably would get parody status. Because what they sound like to people who don’t like them is actually commentary on the band. But so many of his works we can ask what should society walk away with from “Hank Williams sings Straight Outta Compton”? There simply is no message or commentary in most of these.
While a parody targets and mimics the original work to make a point, a satire uses the original work to criticize something else entirely.
If anything granting it satire status is generous.
- Comment on Congressman Gaetz: "Robots should not be subject to Free Speech" (I'm Not a Robot) 4 months ago:
It’s a composition in the style of Johnny Cash that’s meant to be funny. That’s parody.
That’s satire. In the US for something to be parody it has to be a commentary on the original work(s) or author(s). A parody of Johnny Cash would be something like if they used AI to copy his song note for note but had lyrics that criticized him for portraying himself as bluecollar in his music despite his wealth.
Parody receives higher protection than satire because the parodist is actually trying to make a statement. Most “music parody” like that of Weird Al is satire, which is why Weird Al asks for permission from the original artists.