For everyone who celebrates Christmas in this forum, what has been your favorite gift ever? Capitalism is a wonderful thing, I figured the least we could do is share our favorite form of wealth we've received from loved ones over the years.
My favorite gift thus far in my life: as far as a wrapped gift, probably the N64 I received when I was 15! I didn't expect it whatsoever and at the time it was awesome. Who didn't love Goldeneye? Other gifts, I would say the dinners. They took a lot of preparation and I appreciate them over the years.
Merry Christmas everyone! So I was hoping to have a peaceful Christmas dinner with all my relatives here but inevitably, discussion of gun-control and politics came up and I had to excuse myself from the table, lol. "The second amendment should be REPEALED!", said my aunt. I find it ironic that I probably have the strongest political beliefs among my relatives yet I'm the one who, out of politeness, always keeps politics away from the dinner table, especially when with more distant relatives and strangers. They see no trouble in spouting their opinions though!
Anyway, my favorite gift ever was probably my first digital camera, in 2001. Olympus D-380. A clunker by today's standards. Either that or the original NES. Still have it and keeping it in working order. :)
Cool gift, buddy. Yeah, I got an NES back in the 80s and loved it! Thanks for responding, fountainhead. I thought more people would've enjoyed this thread.
Yeah, I can't resist the political arguments at the dinner table. I get too worked up. I had a discussed with a family member on Christmas who was a self-avowed supporter of "many and high taxes" as he put it. I refuted all his arguments, but it didn't help. I might adopt your policy though and politely bow out next time ha ha.
Probably would've been better to reductioo ad absurdum him, to advocate the logical extent of his policy, 100% taxation on all income and everything.
Yeah, political arguments with the family...
My Dad's side is right-wing.
My Mom's side is practically socialist.
Talking with both sides about politics and philosophy just doesn't work. Both my Mom and Dad are Minarchists, though.
Tabula: it's also a lot more fun. They advocate a living wage, ask them how much that means. If $25 / hour is good, wouldn't $50 / hour be better? Why not $500 an hour? $500 / hour @ 40-hour work week is a million dollars a year. We can make everyone millionaires with the stroke of a pen!
The idea is to reveal where their knowledge has holes by extending their own logic. They will intuitively grasp that there's something wrong with a $500 / hour minimum wage, but won't immediately understand what. You get that 'deer in headlights' look, a pause where the gears slowly turn in their skull. Then the reflexive denial that that wouldn't work, and you need only ask why. Now the conversation is on your terms and the issue is economic, meaning we're into specifics. Now the conversation is why any job commands any wage, where we can lay various concepts on them.
One good thing about becoming a libertarian for me at least is that I feel in a sense at peace with politicals of all stripes. At last I know exactly where both sides stand. I am enemy with neither side, we have something in common with either side. I talk anti-war and civil liberties with the lefties and then slip in comments revealing their inconsistencies on gun control and economic liberties :P With rightists I can agree with their angst over deficit spending and taxation and slip in comments undermining positions against immigration or drug policy, etc.
"Agree with thine enemy quickly." - Jesus
:P