That said, there are a lot of rude people out there. My favorite went on for quite some time telling me I was a devil worshipper. Since I'm an atheist she didn't quite hit her target.
In my experience a fair number of people don't have actual conversations. They wait for a gap in whatever the other person is saying and then say something they thought of. For them there is no requirement to correlate the semantics of the relevant vocal emissions. I think the urge to speak can be uncontrollable for some, like an addictive habit eg. gambling or drinking alcohol. I mean this in all in seriousness, some simply don't have the receptive apparatus or haven't practised listening enough to develop that skill. I reckon she was merely emitting her own internal dialog and you happened to be there at the time. Or maybe she was lonely and wanted to extend the interaction, using the devil thing as a hook. Not necessarily crazy .... just never socialised enough as a child to capably pick up the other side of a discussion ie. egocentric & not even realising that.
As for sample ballots : since we have more than two parties the chosen voting system is 'preferential'. You've gotta number all the boxes from 1 to however many candidates, no candidates skipped and no repeated numbers. Outside the polling booths each party/candidate have people who hand out 'how to vote cards' detailing that numbering which is desired by the candidates. You can of course ignore this. There was a famous poll in Tasmania several decades ago - a referendum about hydro-dam construction. The only choices were amongst various places to build a dam, and not whether you'd like a dam anywhere at all. The majority simply wrote 'no dams' on the ballot which made it technically invalid but the government of the day got the hint anyway. The preferential system can be mildly hilarious in outcome, especially for our upper houses, as the technique frequently elects the 'least disliked' candidate whom is not actually popular ( or even known ) with any majority. Not too long ago there was a wood mill owner who was elected that way, much to everyone's surprise including his. Go figure .... :-))
Cheers, Mike.
My choices are usually between a few and it's usually a 'pick only one' and mark the box. Sometimes it's a short list and it's a 'pick 2 or 3 or whatever' and then on to the next question on the ballot. they also usually have some kind of written question on building new roads, libraries etc but this time for me are two very poorly worded constitutional changes in how Judges are chosen. The words were written by a committee of both parties which is why it's so badly written! MOST experts suggest we check NO meaning to not implement them and make them redo the wording for next time. The problem is the vague wording pretty much means the Governor can squash any 'issues' that show up in someones history and shove the person down our throats, even if the people think that a child molester should NOT be in charge of Family Court for example.
That said, there are a lot of rude people out there. My favorite went on for quite some time telling me I was a devil worshipper. Since I'm an atheist she didn't quite hit her target.
In my experience a fair number of people don't have actual conversations. They wait for a gap in whatever the other person is saying and then say something they thought of. For them there is no requirement to correlate the semantics of the relevant vocal emissions. I think the urge to speak can be uncontrollable for some, like an addictive habit eg. gambling or drinking alcohol. I mean this in all in seriousness, some simply don't have the receptive apparatus or haven't practised listening enough to develop that skill. I reckon she was merely emitting her own internal dialog and you happened to be there at the time. Or maybe she was lonely and wanted to extend the interaction, using the devil thing as a hook. Not necessarily crazy .... just not socialised enough as a child to capably pick up the other side of a discussion ie. egocentric & not even realising that. In clinical interviews I usually keep quiet and wait for a decent silence before speaking, which can be up to ten minutes sometimes.
Yep, know people like that. In this case we have to add the incredible divisiveness of our current political climate (I'm in the US). I have gotten one response telling me they were supporters of the party in power but thanked me for being involved in the process. Most though do not assume any good will on my part and feel free to think the worst of me.
Quote:
As for sample ballots : since we have more than two parties the chosen voting system is 'preferential'. You've gotta number all the boxes from 1 to however many candidates, no candidates skipped and no repeated numbers. Outside the polling booths each party/candidate have people who hand out 'how to vote cards' detailing that numbering which is desired by a given candidate. You can of course ignore this. There was a famous poll in Tasmania several decades ago - a referendum about hydro-dam construction. The only choices were amongst various places to build a dam, and not whether you'd like a dam anywhere at all. The majority simply wrote 'no dams' on the ballot which made it technically invalid but the government of the day got the hint anyway. The preferential system can be mildly hilarious in outcome, especially for our upper houses, as the technique frequently elects the 'least disliked' candidate whom is not actually popular ( or even known ) with any majority. Not too long ago there was a wood mill owner who was elected that way, much to everyone's surprise including his. Go figure .... :-))
Cheers, Mike.
A few local jurisdictions have ranked voting but most do not. My impression is that it widens the field of candidates and takes the overall temperature down a bit but I've never had personal experience with it. Our winner take all system (except for the presidential election which is determined by the electoral college) leads to some pretty egregious behavior as well as us having only two viable parties.
My choices are usually between a few and it's usually a 'pick only one' and mark the box. Sometimes it's a short list and it's a 'pick 2 or 3 or whatever' and then on to the next question on the ballot. they also usually have some kind of written question on building new roads, libraries etc but this time for me are two very poorly worded constitutional changes in how Judges are chosen. The words were written by a committee of both parties which is why it's so badly written! MOST experts suggest we check NO meaning to not implement them and make them redo the wording for next time. The problem is the vague wording pretty much means the Governor can squash any 'issues' that show up in someones history and shove the person down our throats, even if the people think that a child molester should NOT be in charge of Family Court for example.
I'd guess there have been many unintended consequences due to committee written legislation and ballot initiatives. I'm getting a number of questions from folks struggling to figure out who to vote for in judicial elections. I'm not so sure electing judges is such a great idea though the Kavanaugh hearings have squashed any current faith in advise and consent.
There's another job I always think of as being thankless : traffic control ie. the person who holds the STOP/SLOW paddle/sign around work sites. Of course it is for the safety of all concerned, a no-brainer really. But there are those road users who just don't get it. Around my precincts there are nearly always those large signs on a trailer warning of impending traffic interruption, seek alternative route b/w certain dates etc. I know a guy who has this job and he doesn't fear big trucks & the like, he fears the Mummy tractors at school pick-up/set-down times.
On the topic of signs, there is a significant fraction of us that insert an invisible trailing parenthesized "except for me" on warnings. Probably the same demographic that run orange lights instead of stopping if they can. I think we could cull a good 1/3rd of the world's population via a trapdoor to hell underneath a sign that says "don't press this button". ;-)
As for judiciary, sheriffs and the like : we don't elect. We do elect legislators and indirectly a cabinet position of attorney general. Probably for the best or definitely so if a preferential system is used.
A beautiful spring day again today ! Grass rising & bees buzzing. Our ad-hoc home garden is flowering magnificently. There's even fractals in there somewhere if you look hard enough. :-))
Down to the books this evening. New manuals. I have to re-accredit/qualify for my Advanced Life Support and Emergency Obstetrics in three weeks. Looking over the years it's amazing how many ways one can say the same thing ...
Cheers, Mike.
( edit ) " .... wait for a decent silence before speaking, which can be up to ten minutes sometimes." The wait is up to ten minutes not the silence ! LOL .... :-))
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
My choices are usually between a few and it's usually a 'pick only one' and mark the box. Sometimes it's a short list and it's a 'pick 2 or 3 or whatever' and then on to the next question on the ballot. they also usually have some kind of written question on building new roads, libraries etc but this time for me are two very poorly worded constitutional changes in how Judges are chosen. The words were written by a committee of both parties which is why it's so badly written! MOST experts suggest we check NO meaning to not implement them and make them redo the wording for next time. The problem is the vague wording pretty much means the Governor can squash any 'issues' that show up in someones history and shove the person down our throats, even if the people think that a child molester should NOT be in charge of Family Court for example.
I'd guess there have been many unintended consequences due to committee written legislation and ballot initiatives. I'm getting a number of questions from folks struggling to figure out who to vote for in judicial elections. I'm not so sure electing judges is such a great idea though the Kavanaugh hearings have squashed any current faith in advise and consent.
Snags
And THAT is a double post by you Snags!!! that means we can all belly up to your favorite bar and the first round is on you!! I will have a Crown Royal and ginger ale please!!
The Kavanaugh hearings went almost exactly the same way as the Clarence Thomas hearings did a while back, waaaay too long in between the incident and the hearings and waaay too much partisan politics to come anywhere close to the truth!! As we all know the mind can be a wonderful thing, but remembering the details of everything that has ever happened to us just isn't one of it's strong suits!! It was destined to fail long before it got started and in the end just divided the Country even further along political lines.
Dr Mike it's 42F outside this morning, my Fall is here and Winter is trying to make it's presence felt, it will be beaten back by the Sun for awhile yet though with the temps on my patio in the full sun still hitting 100F or so most afternoons, air temp will top out in the mid 60's though. My local bees and butterflies have all gone somewhere else to stay warm though, we do have alot of wild ones around here as my plants planted for them are always FULL of both!!
And THAT is a double post by you Snags!!! that means we can all belly up to your favorite bar and the first round is on you!! I will have a Crown Royal and ginger ale please!!
The Kavanaugh hearings went almost exactly the same way as the Clarence Thomas hearings did a while back, waaaay too long in between the incident and the hearings and waaay too much partisan politics to come anywhere close to the truth!! As we all know the mind can be a wonderful thing, but remembering the details of everything that has ever happened to us just isn't one of it's strong suits!! It was destined to fail long before it got started and in the end just divided the Country even further along political lines.
Dr Mike it's 42F outside this morning, my Fall is here and Winter is trying to make it's presence felt, it will be beaten back by the Sun for awhile yet though with the temps on my patio in the full sun still hitting 100F or so most afternoons, air temp will top out in the mid 60's though. My local bees and butterflies have all gone somewhere else to stay warm though, we do have alot of wild ones around here as my plants planted for them are always FULL of both!!
One Crown Royal and ginger ale coming up.
Before the assault allegations and the Ford hearings Kavanaugh said a number of things that should have disqualified him. During the earlier hearings in response to a question about gun control he claimed he grew up in an urban area implying he knew something about gun violence. In fact, he grew up in Bethesda, Maryland which, for those of you unfamiliar with the area, is most decidedly suburban and quite tony. In another bid to shake off the elitist taint he said he had no connections to Yale prior to attending. In fact, his grandfather went to Yale. There were far more consequential lies told but these seem indicative of a most serious character flaw. Combined with his assertion that it was perfectly normal for him to have had in his possession the strategy documents of the opposition party (so he had no reason to think they were stolen; in previous hearings, also under oath, he said he never saw them) these odd misrepresentations don't seem to be momentary lapses by someone overwhelmed by the most important job interview of his career but someone who has an entirely self-interested relationship with the truth. Not a good thing in a judge.
And Mike
Quote:
On the topic of signs, there is a significant fraction of us that insert an invisible trailing parenthesized "except for me" on warnings. Probably the same demographic that run orange lights instead of stopping if they can. I think we could cull a good 1/3rd of the world's population via a trapdoor to hell underneath a sign that says "don't press this button". ;-)
Wasn't that a Twilight Zone episode?
We had frost this morning. I much prefer the cold so I'm happy. I looked in on my garlic today, three have come up so far. It's time to start putting the rest of the beds to sleep.
In my native state of Alabama they elect the sheriffs. They also let the sheriffs pocket any excess funds the county has budgeted to feed the inmates of the local jail. One sheriff bought a $750,000 vacation home with this "excess".
Well, I've stayed up way too late - time to hit the sack. Good luck with the tests, Mike
Could be. I like the twilight zone. Good old-fashioned story telling with a twist or two.
Snagletooth wrote:
In my native state of Alabama they elect the sheriffs. They also let the sheriffs pocket any excess funds the county has budgeted to feed the inmates of the local jail. One sheriff bought a $750,000 vacation home with this "excess".
Ah, The Law of Unintended Consequences ..... in the mid 1970s we had a Prime Minister that was 'sacked' by the very Governor General that he had appointed. The GG broke out in a non-partisan rash of common sense you see. Fortunately our country was only lightly wounded by the episode.
Snagletooth wrote:
Well, I've stayed up way too late - time to hit the sack. Good luck with the tests, Mike
Thanks. I'll see what are the latest trends in resuscitation. There's an old saying "When attending a cardiac arrest, take your own pulse first !" :-))
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
I pay for, download and read many electronic books. Adobe has been of no use in solving a fairly straightforward issue with their DRM module that is part of Adobe Digital Editions ( the only reader supported by the book vendor ). So I send the vendor ( eBooks.com ) this message as a tracked ticket :
"Hi. My name is Mike. I have bought many great eBooks from you and wish to continue to do so. I know the online reader is fine but I prefer to download and read offline.
Regarding Adobe Digital Editions. There is no support available from Adobe to reset activations, as I have with time lost access to some authorised devices. However there is no contact method evident to ask Adobe to do that. One is directed by Adobe to 'contact us' via a post on a community forum, the contents of which are ignored by Adobe.
I was wondering if you could :
- get Adobe to stop doing that, or
- if you know someone at Adobe who could reset my activations I would be delighted if you could pass that contact on to myself, or
- offer another product giving suitable intellectual property protection for your authors while enabling legitimate users such as myself to download.
Browsing their forums indicates this issue has been unmet for some months.
Even if you can't be of help then I thank you for taking the time to read this.
Cheers, Mike."
[whinge-mode:OFF]
..... now let us see what might happen .... :-)
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Mike Hewson wrote:Snagletooth
My choices are usually between a few and it's usually a 'pick only one' and mark the box. Sometimes it's a short list and it's a 'pick 2 or 3 or whatever' and then on to the next question on the ballot. they also usually have some kind of written question on building new roads, libraries etc but this time for me are two very poorly worded constitutional changes in how Judges are chosen. The words were written by a committee of both parties which is why it's so badly written! MOST experts suggest we check NO meaning to not implement them and make them redo the wording for next time. The problem is the vague wording pretty much means the Governor can squash any 'issues' that show up in someones history and shove the person down our throats, even if the people think that a child molester should NOT be in charge of Family Court for example.
Mike Hewson wrote:Snagletooth
Yep, know people like that. In this case we have to add the incredible divisiveness of our current political climate (I'm in the US). I have gotten one response telling me they were supporters of the party in power but thanked me for being involved in the process. Most though do not assume any good will on my part and feel free to think the worst of me.
A few local jurisdictions have ranked voting but most do not. My impression is that it widens the field of candidates and takes the overall temperature down a bit but I've never had personal experience with it. Our winner take all system (except for the presidential election which is determined by the electoral college) leads to some pretty egregious behavior as well as us having only two viable parties.
Snags
mikey wrote: My choices are
I'd guess there have been many unintended consequences due to committee written legislation and ballot initiatives. I'm getting a number of questions from folks struggling to figure out who to vote for in judicial elections. I'm not so sure electing judges is such a great idea though the Kavanaugh hearings have squashed any current faith in advise and consent.
Snags
There's another job I always
There's another job I always think of as being thankless : traffic control ie. the person who holds the STOP/SLOW paddle/sign around work sites. Of course it is for the safety of all concerned, a no-brainer really. But there are those road users who just don't get it. Around my precincts there are nearly always those large signs on a trailer warning of impending traffic interruption, seek alternative route b/w certain dates etc. I know a guy who has this job and he doesn't fear big trucks & the like, he fears the Mummy tractors at school pick-up/set-down times.
On the topic of signs, there is a significant fraction of us that insert an invisible trailing parenthesized "except for me" on warnings. Probably the same demographic that run orange lights instead of stopping if they can. I think we could cull a good 1/3rd of the world's population via a trapdoor to hell underneath a sign that says "don't press this button". ;-)
As for judiciary, sheriffs and the like : we don't elect. We do elect legislators and indirectly a cabinet position of attorney general. Probably for the best or definitely so if a preferential system is used.
A beautiful spring day again today ! Grass rising & bees buzzing. Our ad-hoc home garden is flowering magnificently. There's even fractals in there somewhere if you look hard enough. :-))
Down to the books this evening. New manuals. I have to re-accredit/qualify for my Advanced Life Support and Emergency Obstetrics in three weeks. Looking over the years it's amazing how many ways one can say the same thing ...
Cheers, Mike.
( edit ) " .... wait for a decent silence before speaking, which can be up to ten minutes sometimes." The wait is up to ten minutes not the silence ! LOL .... :-))
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Snagletooth wrote:mikey
And THAT is a double post by you Snags!!! that means we can all belly up to your favorite bar and the first round is on you!! I will have a Crown Royal and ginger ale please!!
The Kavanaugh hearings went almost exactly the same way as the Clarence Thomas hearings did a while back, waaaay too long in between the incident and the hearings and waaay too much partisan politics to come anywhere close to the truth!! As we all know the mind can be a wonderful thing, but remembering the details of everything that has ever happened to us just isn't one of it's strong suits!! It was destined to fail long before it got started and in the end just divided the Country even further along political lines.
Dr Mike it's 42F outside this morning, my Fall is here and Winter is trying to make it's presence felt, it will be beaten back by the Sun for awhile yet though with the temps on my patio in the full sun still hitting 100F or so most afternoons, air temp will top out in the mid 60's though. My local bees and butterflies have all gone somewhere else to stay warm though, we do have alot of wild ones around here as my plants planted for them are always FULL of both!!
mikey wrote: And THAT is a
One Crown Royal and ginger ale coming up.
Before the assault allegations and the Ford hearings Kavanaugh said a number of things that should have disqualified him. During the earlier hearings in response to a question about gun control he claimed he grew up in an urban area implying he knew something about gun violence. In fact, he grew up in Bethesda, Maryland which, for those of you unfamiliar with the area, is most decidedly suburban and quite tony. In another bid to shake off the elitist taint he said he had no connections to Yale prior to attending. In fact, his grandfather went to Yale. There were far more consequential lies told but these seem indicative of a most serious character flaw. Combined with his assertion that it was perfectly normal for him to have had in his possession the strategy documents of the opposition party (so he had no reason to think they were stolen; in previous hearings, also under oath, he said he never saw them) these odd misrepresentations don't seem to be momentary lapses by someone overwhelmed by the most important job interview of his career but someone who has an entirely self-interested relationship with the truth. Not a good thing in a judge.
And Mike
Wasn't that a Twilight Zone episode?
We had frost this morning. I much prefer the cold so I'm happy. I looked in on my garlic today, three have come up so far. It's time to start putting the rest of the beds to sleep.
In my native state of Alabama they elect the sheriffs. They also let the sheriffs pocket any excess funds the county has budgeted to feed the inmates of the local jail. One sheriff bought a $750,000 vacation home with this "excess".
Well, I've stayed up way too late - time to hit the sack. Good luck with the tests, Mike
Snags
Snagletooth wrote:Wasn't that
Could be. I like the twilight zone. Good old-fashioned story telling with a twist or two.
Ah, The Law of Unintended Consequences ..... in the mid 1970s we had a Prime Minister that was 'sacked' by the very Governor General that he had appointed. The GG broke out in a non-partisan rash of common sense you see. Fortunately our country was only lightly wounded by the episode.
Thanks. I'll see what are the latest trends in resuscitation. There's an old saying "When attending a cardiac arrest, take your own pulse first !" :-))
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Today is my birthday and I
Today is my birthday and I have just found out that I was sprogged on the same day as Hilary Clinton.
Richard
[whinge-mode:ON]I pay for,
[whinge-mode:ON]
I pay for, download and read many electronic books. Adobe has been of no use in solving a fairly straightforward issue with their DRM module that is part of Adobe Digital Editions ( the only reader supported by the book vendor ). So I send the vendor ( eBooks.com ) this message as a tracked ticket :
"Hi. My name is Mike. I have bought many great eBooks from you and wish to continue to do so. I know the online reader is fine but I prefer to download and read offline.
Regarding Adobe Digital Editions. There is no support available from Adobe to reset activations, as I have with time lost access to some authorised devices. However there is no contact method evident to ask Adobe to do that. One is directed by Adobe to 'contact us' via a post on a community forum, the contents of which are ignored by Adobe.
I was wondering if you could :
- get Adobe to stop doing that, or
- if you know someone at Adobe who could reset my activations I would be delighted if you could pass that contact on to myself, or
- offer another product giving suitable intellectual property protection for your authors while enabling legitimate users such as myself to download.
Browsing their forums indicates this issue has been unmet for some months.
Even if you can't be of help then I thank you for taking the time to read this.
Cheers, Mike."
[whinge-mode:OFF]
..... now let us see what might happen .... :-)
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Kavanagh wrote:Today is my
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Dr. Mike good luck with your letter!!