I’ll help you.

Iran-Contra was an actual conspiracy, and it truly happened. I once explained it to someone younger who had never heard of it, and when I was finished explaining they asked “Did that really happen?”

The government’s justification for passing useless laws that allow them to collect fines, doesn’t change the fact that I have no problem hearing things like horns and sirens, because I use my earbuds in a safe and responsible manner, like a safe and responsible adult. I don’t require the government, and especially not YOU, to insist that I be ruled over like a child. I have lived a long life, I have made my living as a small business owner for almost 30 years, and I don’t allow ignorant strangers to impose their idiotic demands on my life.

Go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut, Karen.

And yet, I can hear car horns and sirens without a problem. It’s almost like you don’t have a fucking clue about what you are talking about.

By your logic, we should ban car stereos, passengers, and now windows and insulation.

And motorcycles should definitely be prohibited.

Biden was a couple of rows behind him, and I was really hoping he’d reach forward and flick HitlerPig’s ear and then sit up straight and look innocent.

Yeah, I agree. Employers generally don’t like their employees feeling too good about themselves. Can’t have the slaves getting all uppity, they might demand more.

How do you know what I can hear? I’ve made much of my living in the classical music business, and I have what are known in the business as “golden ears.” I can hear car horns just fine.

Just for you, I’ll be leaving my house in an hour or so to run some errands, and I will make sure to wear my earbuds the entire time. I’ll edit this comment when I get home, and report on all the accidents I caused.

That’s a very valid perspective, i agree.

But it seems like if someone is going to be inspired by a diamond-encrusted swatika to commit hate crimes, they were already pretty far down that path anyway. I don’t think the jeweler who is trying feed his family is at fault.

But why are they so dangerous? The only reason i can think of is because of sirens. I keep my volume levels at a reasonable levels, primarily because i don’t want to damage my ears. I have never been suprised by an emergency vehicle, i ALWAYS hear them coming.

On the other hand, people who are just walking down the street need to be much more aware of their surroundings, like vehicles, dogs, machinery, yelled warnings, other potentially dangerous people, etc., yet nobody is suggesting that headphones be prohibited from use on the sidewalk, bus, airplane, subway, or anywhere else that safety is a priority, only cars.

Besides, i can always blast my car stereo speakers loud enough to drown out emergency vehicles, and speaking with a passenger is just as distracting as speaking on the phone, so why aren’t car stereos or speaking to passengers prohibited?

The simple fact is that “safety” is the go-to excuse for the government to allow them to be more predatory towards car drivers. They have identified drivers as a cash cow for additional tax revenue, and they are always looking for new “crimes” to issue more fines.

Insurance companies are another factor. They want any excuse to fraudulently deny you the coverage you have paid for, so if they can claim you had headphones, they can deny your claim, even if the headphones had nothing to do with it.

The government and insurance company are only watching out for your safety and well-being, right? Money has nothing to do with it, right? Why would ANYBODY believe that?

Im not the one being intellectually dishonest, you are. Nobody has identified a single valid reason why wearing headphones is inherently dangerous. Its not the headphones that are the problem, its how they are used, and i consciously use them in a safe manner. But the “authorities” need judgemental citizens like you to help them demand acceptance by those of us who resist increased suppression of our freedoms. I’m not hurting anyone with my ear buds, so leave me the fuck alone.

I agree, I’d refuse it, but I can’t judge someone who is self-employed, and needs to keep the money rolling in. Traditionally, artists have had to work for wealthy patrons they havent cared for, but that’s the flip side of being an artist, and why the dream is always artistic independence.

Yeah, the energy boost seems to be the primary attraction of coke. Back then i was a runner and weightlifter, and always had plenty of energy pumping through me. I didn’t need that boost. I still don’t, which is why i don’t have an attraction to energy drinks either.

I did understand that another effect of cocaine was a sense of supreme self-confidence, which i didn’t need either. Not that I’m that confident anyway (or wasn’t back then), but drug-induced self-confidence wasn’t something i valued. I took my confidence from my accomplishments, and my ability to i teract with people. I wasn’t the life of the party, but i always had friends and relationships that were satisfying.

I suppose coke provides advantages i don’t need, while weed does. Alcohol has more of a numbing effect, which can be helpful if you are trying to supress bad stuff. I dont have that problem, either, or at least i have better ways of dealing with it.

When the government is invading peoples’ homes, ENORMOUSLY increasing the chances of death for all participants, there is absolutely NO room for mistakes. They need to be 100% perfect, 100% of the time. And when they aren’t, they need to be held accountable. No excuses are acceptable.

A handful of posts from judgemental people is not “everyone.” Spend a day anywhere, and count the headphones/ earbuds you see, and clearly there are a lot of people on my side. They are literally EVERYWHERE.

I remember when i got my first Walkman player in the early 80s, when they were brand-new. I was shocked at the nasty looks I’d get from people in the mall, just for wearing headphones. Apparently, I have to be fully prepared at all times to hear some grand pronouncement from some stranger. Apparently, after 50 years, those nasty old biddies still exist. News flash: I care more about my music/ podcast/ audiobook than ANY opinion you have.

Headphones/ Ear Buds are more popular than ever, accept it.

It’s two separate things. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, they can have both.

I rhink its a great idea. Having a chest full of ribbons to represent a career of saving lives (instead of taking them) is inspiring to others, especially people who are new in the career, or considering it.

I would have hoped that getting some measure of justice for herself, even if it was just exposing those monsters to the world, would have helped her cope, but i guess not. At least she made the Queen believe, so she died with her son knowing that his mother was aware of his sick perversions.

I feel terrible for her children. I wish her love for them could have pushed the intrusive thoughts aside, but eventually the thoughts won. I suspect children are the only thing keeping many of us alive.

I work a lot of college events for my job, and recently had two girls in front of me, and one said to the other “Dude, I’m gonna get you so blackout drunk this weekend!”

I did a lot of drinking in college, too, but i never wanted to get blackout drunk, and I’m a guy. Who would take care of me, make sure i was safe? The others around me who are also drinking hard? It’s a thousand times more dangerous for a girl.

One of the biggest successes of the Conservative Propaganda Machine is that while sowing insane conspiracy theories, they have simultaneously made people dismiss conspiracy theories in general. That allows them to get away with ACTUAL conspiracies, and silence critics by disparaging them for spreading “conspiracy theories.”

Some conspiracies do exist, and those who are part of them ALWAYS deny them.

People wear headphones doing lots of activities far more dangerous than driving, like running down the street, yet nobody considers that dangerous.

Buncha old ladies in this thread.

Ever hear people say they don’t trust atheists because without God, they have no moral compass?

Well, I don’t trust people whose only reason to not rape, pillage, and plunder is because they believe in a fairy tale that says they’ll burn in Hell if they submit to their dark fantasies. That’s a person who is inherently bad, but resisting it, and ine day, they may stop resisting. I prefer people who are inherently good, and dont need fear motivation to behave properly in society.

No, he was already rich and famous, before all this (although he was always a bit loopy).

If anything, all this political and Nazi nonsense has whittled away at his fame and acceptance, and each time he opens his mouth, he loses far more fans than he gains, and the fans he gains are poor quality ones.

As for the money, he was already a billionaire, which is fairly difficult to lose once you have it. He has lost some of the endorsement deals that made him wealthy in the first place, but those are gone, so he isn’t stacking up cash any longer, just draining it. Its just that with billions to start with, it will take a while for it to get low enough to feel it.

Bottom line: Every time he pulls a stunt like this, its a net loss for him, not a gain.