Random Thoughts

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Originally Posted by megladon8

Why do people support Kanye West?

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I constantly ask this question. Thoroughly awful person.

Because he's talented? There have been plenty more idolised artists been much worse people.

Don't really see the talent. All I see is a delusional bully with a Messiah complex.

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Originally Posted by Mara

Haha, HUBRIS. You get what you deserve.

My co-worker just looked at my Facebook profile pic, asked how old it was (about a year) and said, "This job has really aged you."

THANKS!

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Hilarious.

Because I really, really like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I've similarly "supported" H. P. Lovecraft in that I've vouched for him as a writer and purchased books written by him. I would never go to bat for either as a particularly moral human being, so outsized are their worst impulses, but I find value in their work.

It's not an easy circumstance in either case. I think "readers" of music and literature who skip those two are missing on some good stuff, but there's an excess of good art out there in both fields, and most authors in those fields are generally not tediously arrogant and misogynistic or perpetually racist. So...

...

...I'm hungry.

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Originally Posted by D_Davis

They always wear their uniform when they work as off duty traffic directors for private organizations and events - just about every large building and construction cite in down town Seattle has an off-duty, in-uniform police person directing traffic during peak hours. They are paid by the building, not by the city/taxes. I bet it's the same where you live. If they didn't it would just look like some dude directing traffic, and no one would pay any attention.

If a business or event requires traffic control, they pay for the police time. This is also how its handled at large sporting events.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911...ruction-sites/



Cops in Seattle and in Fresno California (using these two as examples because that's what I know) can pull in extra money for this - sometimes up to $30k a year, all paid by the private organization hiring them.

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I find that disturbing. When I see an office of the law in his uniform working I expect that he is "on duty". Now I know if I do get stopped or directed by an officer I will first ask if they are "on duty" and if they are not I will just ignore them.

Good luck with that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by megladon8

Why do people support Kanye West?

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He's one of the top tier producers/rappers out there especially in the mainstream and I'm a big fan of his music. Why wouldn't I support him? Because he's a douchebag? The majority of the artists, actors, directors you like are douchebags they're just not as front and center in the media spotlight that Kanye is so you don't see it as much.

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_author...while_off_duty

See the link i posted.

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Originally Posted by Scar

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_author...while_off_duty

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That's ridiculous.

And I disagree.

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Originally Posted by Scar

And I disagree.

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And I respect your right to disagree.

If an off duty cop sees a crime in progress while off duty, I don't see them going 'well, nothing I can do about that.'

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scar

If an off duty cop sees a crime in progress while off duty, I don't see them going 'well, nothing I can do about that.'

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That's a lot different than doing a job in your police uniform where people are expecting they are working for the city and instead are work for hire and in the situation I was originally talking about are working for the church. They are stopping traffic to let churchgoers in and out of a parking lot just because the church has paid them. That it is a ridiculous use of their power as in the link you provided of them always being "on duty".

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Originally Posted by EyesWideOpen

That's a lot different than doing a job in your police uniform where people are expecting they are working for the city and instead are work for hire and in the situation I was originally talking about are working for the church. They are stopping traffic to let churchgoers in and out of a parking lot just because the church has paid them. That it is a ridiculous use of their power as in the link you provided of them always being "on duty".

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I don't really see a problem with the church paying officers to direct traffic off-duty.

Perhaps they just need to be trained better on doing it effectively.

It's not relevant to me whether they are doing it effectively or not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EyesWideOpen

The majority of the artists, actors, directors you like are douchebags they're just not as front and center in the media spotlight that Kanye is so you don't see it as much.

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I do not believe this to be true. I believe Kanye West's personality is above and beyond acceptable limits, even taking celebrity status into account. Also, there are plenty of artists who are generous, thoughtful, creative people.

Kanye seems like such a weird line to draw though. What has he done that puts him over it? Just because he's a raging egomaniac? John Lennon and Miles Davis were objectively worse people. Do you have any issue with people supporting their music?

I don't believe in completely separating the art from the artist or whatever (I won't watch Woody Allen or Roman Polanski movies anymore), but it does feel like if you're going to say Kanye is beyond limits you are going have to discount a lot of other artists.

My son got cast in a small role on Grimm. I have never seen the show. But he's going to play a Wesen. I had to look up what that was.

How are your son's friends and classmates reacting to his acting success?

Ah, the Kanye West debate. Where your tolerance of his antics is proportionate to your assessment of his talent. Which is pretty much how every famous musician works, I guess.

Although I do find it curious that people seem to feverishly hate narcissists more than wife beaters.

On a related note, I was just reminded again yesterday that Matthew Broderick killed somebody and got away with it. Fuck Ferris, right?

Publicly degrading the handicapped is a little past your every day narcissism in my books.

Really? He didn't know someone in the audience was in a wheelchair. Joe Biden famously did the same. Here's Dee Snider talking about having done it years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwMLWzDLn94

It happens. I don't know why it's just funny when they did it but monstrous when Kanye did.