On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:28:50 +0000, Stephen wrote:

>> The solution to dealing with the "slippery slope" isn't to avoid
>> starting something that /may/ head that direction, but to be vigilant
>> about when things start sliding.
>>
> I don’t know about the history of suffrage in America. In Britain we had
> to fight for the right and I am violently opposed to any reduction, even
> if it is in the best interest. Whose best interest, I wonder?

We fought a war with Britain over it. ;)

As for whose best interest, I have to quote Star Trek:  "The needs of the 
many outweigh the needs of the few."

>>> Tell that to the marines. ;-)
>>
>> ???  I don't understand.
>>
> Nowadays we generally vote for a party. Gone are the days when an
> individual made any difference. Of course there are exceptions.

OIC.

>> Better to include a "none of the above" option on the ballot, I think.
>>
> Yes that would be better. The only alternative is not to vote at all.
> Then if things go wrong you have no one to blame but yourself.

Yep.  And not voting is different than voting for nobody, as there's the 
distinction between apathy and participation to be drawn.

>> That's about our individual behaviour, though - we still expect (or
>> "hope" if you wish) that those who have earned a license demonstrated
>> some basic competency in driving a motor vehicle.
>>
> Yes hope. ;-). Only tonight I had to slam the brakes on because the car
> in front of me, on the highway, decided to slow down and let a van that
> was on a slip road out. This is on a 70 mph stretch of road and in the
> dark. Luckily I learned to drive in a car whose brakes were almost non
> existent so I always leave lots of room between the car in front and
> mine.

Glad you're OK.

>>>> And we /should/ expect those who vote for those politicians to
>>>> understand that that minimally rudimentary understanding aren't
>>>> denying the facts of the world around us.
>>>
>>> Cloud cuckoo land, that one IMO.
>>
>> I'm not that disillusioned yet. ;)
>>
> Let me know when you are. :-)

I live in Utah, and with luck, we'll be moving to a saner place.  If 
supporting a minority party in an ultra-conservative state doesn't 
disillusion me, moving someplace more liberal isn't likely to either. ;)

>> See above re: my own frame of reference.  Those in the US who pine for
>> a "better, simpler time" are pining for the world of "Leave it to
>> Beaver", an idyllic, perfect world where there were no problems, unlike
>> today where everything is someone else's fault.  (That view,
>> incidentally, is most often put forth by the Republican party, which
>> ironically bills itself as the "party of personal responsibility" - but
>> they won't take responsibility for anything *they* do, and try to shift
>> the blame for the current situation to anyone *but* them).
>>
> I don't like the Republicans either, they make our Tories seem like good
> guys.

Hehehehehehe, yeah, I know.  If I were in the UK, I'd probably be LibDem 
or Green leaning.  Though Clegg hasn't really impressed.

>>> The 50's in Glasgow was a bit of a nightmare actually. I remember
>>> playing on bomb sites and being told not to play in the green stagnant
>>> puddles in the street.
>>
>> I'd believe that. :)
>>
> Tell that to the youth of today... ;-)

LOL

>>> Probably. Take our Mr. Blair (please do and try him for war crimes).
>>> He was a posh boy who picked a side to get into politics. Then
>>> proceeded to change the Labour party into a mini Tory party so that he
>>> could succeed.
>>> (Not just my opinion)
>>
>> I'd take your Blair if you'd take our Bush Jr., Cheney, and Rumsfeld.
>>
> Bloody ek! NO!

Fair is fair.

> Do I look that soft? ;-)

I dunno, don't think I've ever seen a picture of you, come to think of it.

>> That's a tough one.  On the one hand, yes - but it's more or less a
>> passive activity, like paying your phone bill.
>>
> Only if you don't have a good accountant.

s/a good/an/

That's the case for most Americans, it seems.

>> I think it makes a difference if it's the lions making that decision or
>> someone who remembers what it was to be a donkey (to extend the
>> metaphor)
>> in the heat of battle.
>>
> The lions or grunts do not get to make the decisions.

Wait, did I get the roles backwards?  I did, I meant it the other way 
around.  The grunts don't make the decisions at the time, but one hopes 
that they remember what it was to be a grunt when they become the one in 
charge.

>> I think there also is a difference in the experience between those two
>> groups - military leaders who got there not through combat experience
>> but by being in the officer corps are different than those who enlist
>> and work their way up through the ranks.
>>
> In our services it is very hard to go from the ranks to being
> commissioned and even then there is only so far that they can go.

I think that's the case here as well, but yeah, I know in the UK there's 
a bit of a class division there as well.  Got a friend who was in the 
upper of those ranks, and he can get quite annoying at times when it 
comes to telling stories about the royals that he's interacted with. 
<rolleyes>

>>>> unless it's the last resort.  Those who haven't served don't always
>>>> understand what it is they're asking of young soldiers going into
>>>> combat.
>>>>
> Do they care if it is not them or theirs?

Some do, if they actually took experience away from the experience.  But 
that's another point, too, that sending your own children into battle is 
different than those of a stranger.

>> Personally, I can't - and I wouldn't want to be in a position of making
>> such a decision, because I haven't lived it.
>>
> Me too. Praise the Lord.

Or the FSM. ;)

>> LOL - I do find his perspective to be extremely interesting - and over
>> the past couple of years, he's just gotten that much better, taking it
>> to a whole other level.  Watched him interview/debate Newt Gingrich a
>> few days ago, and it was quite good.
>>
> I've not seen him for ages but I saw some clips from the Young Turks at
> the weekend.

I wonder if you can view what's on thedailyshow.com - not sure if there's 
a geographical restriction or not.
 
>>> On a lighter not. Did you get the new ISIHAC? It was broadcast on
>>> Monday
>>
>> I hadn't when you wrote this (busy week, hopefully have an interview in
>> the next couple of weeks and I've been prepping for it as well as doing
>> the contract work), but I have now.  Enjoyed it very much - and
>> appreciated the reminder that it was that time again. :)
>>
>>
> Good luck with it. (Maybe Andrew can give you some tips.) (Feck, that's
> cruel, sorry.)

LOL - I spent the entire weekend prepping (even though it's not scheduled 
yet), installing the product (I've installed the predecessors), making 
notes, analysing what data I can get my hands on (not much).

I met the hiring manager before the position was opened, and that helps, 
because I have an idea what to expect.  I'm very familiar with the 
company and the product's predecessors, know lots of people (including at 
least one person he reports to - the guy who introduced us) at the 
company who know him - so I think my chances are good.  They want a 
degree (and prefer an MBA for the role), but I think my experience and 
skills stand a good chance of offsetting that as a hard requirement (and 
often while those are listed as requirements, they're not a hard 
requirement if someone with the right mix of skills and experience comes 
along).

> I've downloaded it but I've not had time to sit down and listen to it.
> Maybe at the weekend.

They seem to have become more comfortable as a team than in previous 
series with Jack at the helm.

Must remember to grab the new one tonight. :)

Jim

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