Another Drive4show 'Anything goes' thread

[kwinigolfer]

First topic message reminder :

Sr,
1).Correct. Wonderful is right. Though in the American order of things behind the NFL, College Football, High School Football, NBA, College B'ball.
2).Not much of a market: 21,000 per home game.
3).But no other nations pay their players a fraction of this sort of bounty. He'll probably end up using PED's, just like his predecessor as highest paid.
Ridiculous money!

[super_realist]

Even when there are things I don't like (and there are many) I can usually appreciate why people might like them, for the life of me, I can't remotely see anything redeemable or admirable about Brand, he typifies the c-word to me and I don't think I'd ever tire of punching him.

[beninho]

He is unlikeable to some people and I can see the reasons. He spouts off about things, and people may not find him funny. But in the whole scheme of things he does no harm to anyone. We have a terrible prime minister an even worse chancellor and other horrendous tories in power. We have bankers who almost killed the countries economy and are still very dodgy. Utility companies charging obscene amounts to people that can't afford it. Dodgy landlords overcharging the poorest in society. And people care about a comedian or a singer or actor who in their own way try and help people?

[super_realist]

Where was Brand when Labour were the ones responsible?

Just seems like another anti-establishment tory bashing Bell End trying to make a name for himself.

[super_realist]

Great Darwin award here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30636326

[pedro]

Great Darwin award here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30636326

"We need to be better at teaching our children how to handle guns. And the nursery school is a good place to start."

Quote: some moron US politician tomorrow. Just wait and see.

[westisbest]

2 years of age, dear me. Crazy stuff.

Kids gonna grow up living with the fact that he accidently killed his mother.

Its a sad situation this gun law in the US.

[SmithersJones]

But it's ok, she had a permit.

[super_realist]

2 years of age, dear me. Crazy stuff.

Kids gonna grow up living with the fact that he accidently killed his mother.

Its a sad situation this gun law in the US.

He'll/She'll be better off without her. I'd rather grow up with no mother, than someone so catastrophically stupid.

Right I'm off to Sainsbury's, where's my Walther PPK?

[McLaren]

A little lime the discussion on the other thread, it feels like no level of negative impact on a vast proportion of the population will make an American admit that their country is a bit of a crappy place to live if you are of the wrong socio economic status. I love to visit America and sample the great bars, restaurants, museums, cities ..etc, but it is clear that were I to live the average Americans life it would be much more troublesome than the average life of a northern european.

Things like gun laws, education, health care and lack of a proper welfare state are extremely harmful to the nation, but for some reason people fail to accept america could adopt a better model and vastly improve peoples lifes. So why Americans are you scared to admit this?

[super_realist]

Very true Mac, in many measures of societal health, America does dreadfully in comparison to many of the North European, Japan, Australia, NZ countries.

[Shotrock]

Mac - I think you are suffering from "crime less victim" syndrome. Take extremist examples and apply it to the whole. Gun laws ... goofy, and may never change but also have little impact on most people's lives. Health care ... goofy, but absolutely heading in the right direction. 

I came from a family of very modest means, now fortunate enough to run a company of 50+ professionals (and happy to provide full health care to any that want it). My siblings also have found great employment. Our story is not unique. Achievement requires effort, but if you are willing to work (and in many cases relocate), there's ample opportunity IMO. Get off your arse as they say!

Societal problems? Plenty! Polarization, income gaps escalating, infrastructure issues, defense spending, aging population. These problems will be met. But not without causalities certainly. People have been predicting the fall of 'Merica for so many years now, I take it all with a grain of salt. "Extremely harmful" as you state? Sorry, not buying it.

[kwinigolfer]

Bloody Hell! I agree with Shotrock again!

Having said which: He comes from a part of the world (CNY) with strong public schools and a work ethic second-to-none, all of which helps those of us fortunate enough to have raised families there.
And Mac and s_r are spot on that many national metrics show the USA performing very poorly. But that's mostly in the South where such metrics would shame third-world nations - and elected officials are determined to keep it that way in those States.

In my opinion, if (HUGE IF!) the US could crack its health care problem, with pretty much highest cost in the developed world for among the worst outcomes, then the country would fast-forward as a growth economy to match those of so-called emerging nations.

But, even in the most staunchly democratic States, there's no will to assume the short-term cost of universal health care, regardless of incredible long-term benefits, so situation likely to remain quo for a few more decades.

[super_realist]

Kwini, what exactly do American taxes pay for?
I recently got a breakdown of my taxes and shuddered to see the distribution of where they are spent.
Given that America doesn't really have a National Health system, nor a Benefits Agency, what on earth do people's taxes actually pay for?

[kwinigolfer]

Pretty much the same as you except health care; probably proportionately more on defence (not to mention "veterans affairs, including health care costs) and layers of government, less on infrastructure (but that has to change) and further education.
Very simplistic, but remember that the US has a huge social security system which is underfunded.

[Shotrock]

Super - To pay for a bloated bureaucracy! (Just kidding ... sort of.) Mostly Defense, Medicare, Social Security (we do have universal health for people age 65+)

Good luck with this: https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/spending/

[beninho]

My wife got a breakdown of her taxes aswell. It is surely just provided to make people moan about how their taxes are distributed.

[Davie]

Get of your arse as they say!

You might say it - I'd say "get off your arse"

[Shotrock]

Davie - Agree (too much coffee this morning ...)!

Fixed

[McLaren]

Get of your arse as they say!

You might say it - I'd say "get off your arse"

Why is it always you who points out the grammatical errors?




Kwini/shotrock

I am sure it is still unlikely even in USA that you will die from a gunshot wound but the chances are still a lot higher than anywhere else.

I am also unsure what argument you are making if you accept that the USA lags behind western europe in almost all metrics of happiness and quality of life? If you accept this as true do you not also have to accept that there is a better way of doing things?

[Shotrock]

Mac - Regarding rogue shotgun/handgun fatalities ... your chances can still be higher ... but that doesn't mean they are either significant or meaningful.

And there are always ways to do things better. No one (or at least I) is suggesting otherwise.

[McLaren]

Shotrock

True, apparently swimming pools are a more lethal force than guns in the USA. Not sure that means we shouldn't try and limit gun use.

[beninho]

You have a chance to be killed by a firearm in the USA, but it is not a lot higher then anywhere else. Brazil has the most murders by firearm records. In fact America is 28th in this list of firearm muder rate. From 2012, but I would not expect it to be that much different.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/jul/22/gun-homicides-ownership-world-list#data

[super_realist]

Shotrock

True, apparently swimming pools are a more lethal force than guns in the USA.  Not sure that means we shouldn't try and limit gun use.

Be funny to see a depressed, introspective loner attack a school armed with a swimming pool.

[McLaren]

USA has nearly 3 gun deaths per 100000 of its population, and just to the north in Canada the rate is only 0.5 per 100000.

In England and Wales the rate is 0.07. I would actually count that as an unnecessarily higher risk.

[Shotrock]

Mac - Agree that it's unnecessary!

[super_realist]

USA has nearly 3 gun deaths per 100000 of its population, and just to the north in Canada the rate is only 0.5 per 100000.

In England and Wales the rate is 0.07.  I would actually count that as an unnecessarily higher risk.

Interestingly Mac, there seems to be a correlation between the religiosity of a country and their gun fatalities.

[kwinigolfer]

Mac,
Sometimes I think that the point you made a week or two about your commenting on things without reading them is the rule rather than the exception.

Surely, if "the US could crack its health care problem" as I advocated an hour or so ago, then other social and cultural metrics would improve substantially?


Gun deaths proliferate where you least expect 'em. Death by bullet significantly higher in Vermont, for instance, than death by motor vehicle accident in 2014. And no-one seems to care, whereas if the reverse was true there'd be shock and horror.

[Davie]

Get of your arse as they say!

You might say it - I'd say "get off your arse"

Why is it always you who points out the grammatical errors?

It's not always me. I am however capable of differentiating between typographical errors, spelling mistakes and bad grammar

Typos are acceptable - we all make them at time and are, at worst, just a sign of being a little careless at the keyboard. If someone typed "fuond" instead of "found" I wouldn't bat an eyelid as that is a simple mistake; Bad spelling of a very difficult word is also acceptable. Bad spelling of simple words, and bad grammar is just unfortunately something that annoys me. Mixing up "their" "there" and "they're", "of" and "off", and perhaps worst of all "should of" instead of "should have" will always attract my attention (for the worse)

[beninho]

Bet you are a hit at parties..."I'm into checking spelling and grammar on Internet forums" you must be beating the girls off with a stick!

[Davie]

You know what ben? There is a difference between how one may behave at parties and how one behaves on internet forums. If you don't get that perhaps you should look more at yourself. Happy New Year

[McLaren]

kwini

I made the comment

"Things like gun laws, education, health care and lack of a proper welfare state are extremely harmful to the nation, but for some reason people fail to accept america could adopt a better model and vastly improve peoples lifes. So why Americans are you scared to admit this?"

shotrock then replied with

"I think you are suffering from "crime less victim" syndrome. Take extremist examples and apply it to the whole. Gun laws ... goofy, and may never change but also have little impact on most people's lives. Health care ... goofy, but absolutely heading in the right direction."

Plus a description of how he achieved the american dream from humble beginnings.

You then joined in with "I agree with shotrock". And your premise that healthcare alone will solve most of the USA's standard of living problems.

So your premise is now what shotrock proposed (as you said you agreed with him), plus the added theory of only needing to solve healthcare.


I don't agree with this, and hence responded to you and shotrock as a joint entity. As you appeared to share a common premise.

it is pretty clear you need to tackle education, healthcare, wealth distribution, welfare state and whole lot of other social issues. So yes I did read what you said and do not agree with you.

[kwinigolfer]

Let's spell it out then.
My belief is that fixing health care (and there's certainly no Congressional will to do it properly in the foreseeable future) would create a sufficiently powerful economic engine to create wealth, tax revenues, etc, etc that could be invested in education and infrastructure that we agree is underfunded.

Once the tide starts to float 25% more boats most other "social" ills will be mitigated. It won't resolve things like guns (a "constitutional" issue), women's rights, religious bigotry etc, but it will enable the population to become sufficiently educated to challenge the Congressional nonsense that drives the country now, and pretty much has since 1980.

At the end of the day, the USA will never be like the "big tour" of Europe, Australia, Japan, but who wants it to be, and why should it?

As we say about the European Golf Tour, vive la difference!

[pedro]

White Hart Kane.

[beninho]

Always had a soft spot for spurs since I was a kid. It's always great to see jose not just lose but get stuffed. Surprisingly tight at the top. It seems Chelsea where going to romp it at one point. Harry lane seems to have something
about him.

[super_realist]

Few things better than watching Terry's ugly bulldog face tripping him even further.

[kwinigolfer]

Trouble at this year's New Year's Eve 606v2 outing:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-30650473

[super_realist]

Reports claiming Bono may never play guitar again after falling off his bike!

[kwinigolfer]

It's only Bono's "report" though - you know he'll be comeback player of the year as he strums away with a bionic elbow to breathless acclaim from all his sycophants.
Meanwhile he'll be too busy getting rehabbed to make any further statement for months.

Sounds like Prince Andrew should be getting rehabbed too - probably ask Tiger for tips.

[pedro]

Trouble at this year's New Year's Eve 606v2 outing:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-30650473

Sounds like a Team USA presser.

[pedro]

Reports claiming Bono may never play guitar again after falling off his bike!

Could he ever?

But unfortunately that leaves him more time to out his BS.

[super_realist]

Never even knew Bonio even played guitar, thought he left that to another strupidly named person- The Edge

[navyblueshorts]

The whack jobs are out and about again I see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30710883

Utter w*nkers. Despite my inherent tolerance for others, I'm beginning to wish a lot of nasty things on some groups in society at large.

[kwinigolfer]

Including US Neo-Con Republicans I hope?

[navyblueshorts]

Including US Neo-Con Republicans I hope?

Oh, I can certainly include them if it helps?

[super_realist]

The whack jobs are out and about again I see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30710883

Utter w*nkers. Despite my inherent tolerance for others, I'm beginning to wish a lot of nasty things on some groups in society at large.

Indeed, why are these pr1cks so sensitive to their particular brand of fairy story being tweeted about.

[McLaren]

Anyone else care to join me in posting this.



Or am I going down alone?

[super_realist]

still alive Mac?

[incontinentia]

Horrible attack obviously. But everyone knows Islam can't take a joke, so that magazine was incredibly brave/stupid to keep lampooning them, especially after being attacked before.

[super_realist]

Don't try to excuse them Inco as the Magazine bringing it upon themselves. Islam being offended about a bloody cartoon is about as ridiculous as me claiming that I'm offended by someone wearing a straw hat and then gunning them down when I see someone wearing one in the street.

We have freedom of speech and press in UK/Europe and people  have no right to be sheltered from offence, whatever offence is.

To try and use terror and fear as a method for controlling what people can say and write, is dictatorial, and these people deserve zero excuses and maximum punishment.

[navyblueshorts]

Horrible attack obviously. But everyone knows Islam can't take a joke, so that magazine was incredibly brave/stupid to keep lampooning them, especially after being attacked before.

Ah yes. Condone these stone-age cretins by suggesting it might be the magazine's fault?? Seriously?

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