2010 Week 3: When will my rubbish be taken away ??

[kayevcee]

The most reasonable explanation I've read online has been that some Americans don't trust their government to run a piss up in a brewery never mind an NHS. That they trust them to run their schools, roads, armed forces, every other emergency service etc doesn't seem to matter.

-Nick

[Bogatan]

Also someone managed to convince a lot of people that if it was run by the government old people would be killed to save money.

The state of the schools and roads (and the massive power of the military and private contractors) would probably be a convincing reason for keeping the government out if health care wasn't already so much worse.

I've always want to live in the States but no way am I ever giving up my NHS.

Andy

[Bogatan]

Not really fair to base opinion on just this, but from what I saw on the Daily Show a few days ago I'm not totally sure I would have voted for the woman the Democrats nominated.

Andy

[Deleted]

America is such a curious country if you ask me. They are allowed to carry loaded guns around with them and then wonder why so many people are shot dead and if that wasn't enough they build wooden houses in areas hit by frequent hurricanes and wonder why their houses keep blowing down!

[Fortmax2020]

Jan 21, 2010 19:16:28 GMT kayevcee said:

The most reasonable explanation I've read online has been that some Americans don't trust their government to run a piss up in a brewery never mind an NHS. That they trust them to run their schools, roads, armed forces, every other emergency service etc doesn't seem to matter.

-Nick

Well, they don't trust them to run their schools as they have local education boards everywhere where 'have a go Jo' parents get on the boards and try to delete things from the State-recommended curriculum based on on their own personal preferences rather than the good of the State or local community.

[dinogrrl]

Yeah, that's pretty much the reason - Americans like to talk big about how government sucks and can't run anything right, blah, blah, blah. They ignore all the work that does get done and also ignore the incompetencies of private industry. They have a disproportionate fear/hatred of taxes but also expect the government to fix everything all the time and whine when they have to make budget cuts. They have an aversion to communal anything, knee-jerk labeling it Socialism/Fascism/Communism/Take your pick because they're largely too ignorant to actually know the difference.

It is impossible and a total waste of time to try to argue against this rationally - they're not interested in facts, just jingoistic groupthink.

I was so much more positive early 2009, but now I'm just pissed and depressed, not because of Obama, but because of the morbid stupidity of much of this country. I have the option in several years' time to take up American citizenship, which would give me the right to vote, but honestly I don't think I want to have to be considered 'one of them' in order to gain that. I'd rather remain a persona non grata, frankly.

[Deleted]

I must go out and get myself a new mouse for my computer urgently. I've mentioned it earlier that I needed a new mouse but I've still yet to get one. This current one which is only about a year old is freezing up about every five seconds and I have great difficulty clicking on things.

[The Doctor]

Getting quite worried at work as it now looks highly unlikely I'll hit my target for first proper month in operation. I keep being told this is common for new starters but it's a huge worry nonetheless. Ended up wandering aimlessly round supermarkets for a few hours after work while buying nothing. Mmmm.

Had a pizza and some pepsi.

-Ralph

[Hero]

I got my first ever negative feedback on ebay from a user who claimed they never received something I sent them. Despite the transaction being 2 months ago and I refunded them, they still saw fit to smear me randomly today. Ah well.

===KEN

[blueshift]

Can't you complain to ebay about that?

[Hero]

I will do. First I have to kick this space virus and get well.

[Deleted]

I had a similar problem a few years ago with an Ebay customer but it never got as far leaving negative feedback. I sent somebody a package during the postal strike and after about three weeks they never received it so they sent me a message wondering why I hadn't sent them the parcel they had won and asked for a refund. I explained to them that due to the postal strike things like this could happen but I did promise them that if they didn't receive the parcel within the following seven days I would refund their money. Fortunately, it turned up a few day later and they gave me positive feedback explaining that the seller had contacted them in a friendly manner due to a problem with late delivery.

[The Doctor]

Just done a Star Dub vid and editing it now. I needed some fun.

Was up until the early hours reading the new edition of Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale. An engrossing read, far beyond the usual shallow-depth tat put out about the current run.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Just catching up on The Hub and listening to The Bugle (best news/comedy podcast) before I have to go to work. The new contract means I work 1 Saturday in 4.

Andy

[The Doctor]

GI JOE IS THERE!

CO-BRAAAAAAAAAAAA! CO-BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Love that song.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

The answer to the question in the title is Saturday, 9 days late

[Shockprowl]

You remember Piglet's song about pants and knickers? "Pants and knickers go on ya bot! Pants and knickers go on ya bot!" etc. Well, the most recent incarnation has been "Pants and knickers go on ya head! Pants and knickers go on ya head!". Probadily should have predicted that.

[Deleted]

A kid usually gets easily influenced by their parents when they are young. Are you sure you don't go around the house wearing your knickers on your head?

[legios]

Here was me thinking that the last vestiges of winter had gone from around here. I couldn't have been more incorrect. The canal is still frozen from bank to bank for at least two miles westward of my house. As a result the heron that normally hunts the stretch just outside Falkirk has moved right down to the stretch of canal that runs past the end of my road. He was just sitting there this morning on the bank, ignoring the passing cars into submission. He is not the only one that has had to relocate. Several pairs of swans are now crammed into the same few hundred metres of canal, and there were also a pair of shags who are infrequent visitors to the area. The latter were sitting on the edge of one of locks looking extremely sorry for themselves this morning.

It was nice to get out for the walk. I don't feel like I've seen a great deal of daylight in the last couple of weeks - what with getting on train before sunrise, and not leaving the office until well after sundown. It has been nice to see... well, I suppose sunlight diffused through a thick layer of grey cloud still counts as sunlight right?

All told it has been an excellent weekend - a walk, and seeing some impressive wildlife (I love watching the local heron work, they are just fascinating birds), and a chance to sit down and get a bit of reading done this afternoon. That and the fact that I have managed to replace my curtain tracks before they succumbed to age and gravity and parted company with the wall entirely....

Karl

[dinogrrl]

Got a decent amount of house cleaning done today, after doing bugger all Saturday. It was finally a decent temperature and most of the snow melted away, thank God. Unfortunately it's supposed to snow a bit and be a lot colder this week, just in time for the Bosses to visit.

[Shockprowl]

Jan 24, 2010 19:53:01 GMT @zudobug said:

A kid usually gets easily influenced by their parents when they are young. Are you sure you don't go around the house wearing your knickers on your head?

I wear 'slip-briefs' (Marks and Spencers!) thankyou very much!