May We Assist You?

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Heh. The thing some folks won't believe is HOW fiscally conservative I am.

Bob, you're in charge of the brain for right now. I'm not coherent (high fevers) that often. Tell it, brother.

I am humbled by this.  *blushes*

And, I'm right there WITH you, Chatty, regarding spending excesses.  I think if we had another Bell Labs.... privately funded, research JUST for research.   Compare to the "directed research" we have now, at the government's teats.... *bleah*

I would be okay with registration, Agujjim, provided it was applied equally to all.  I would be okay with a national database for gun serial numbers-- provided it was available to ANY vendor of guns.  The hodge-podge we have now?  Does more harm than good-- the sale of illegal guns is through the roof.... make the database available on the internet.  Then ANY potential buyer of a gun could quickly check if it's been reported stolen, or used in a crime.

*bleah*

[Sibling Chatty]

The US can never win on the gun issue. No matter what, it'll be TOTALLY WRONG for some people.

Oh, and gun ownership is a "state's rights" issue, too. Just a little MORE to add to the problems. (So, you can buy a 'legal' gun in Mississippi, and then go to Massachussets and blow people away with it, even though it's illegal there! Cause you KNOW them little lines on the map stop those guns from crossing...)

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I always thought that the individual states allowed us to experiment with different ideas, in a relatively safe venue.  By not taking it national, we avoid a possible catastrophe, if the idea lacks merit (example, creationism in Kansas...)

Gun control, or lack of it, falls under this, I think.

Here in OK, it is legal to carry a concealed gun, provided you have the proper license.   Same for Texas, I think.

----------------------------

I always wondered what 9/11 would've been like, had EVERYONE on that plane been armed.   (yes, even the would-be hijackers....I'm talking about issuing firearms at the door of the plane, here....use frangible rounds, to limit damage to the airplane's frame. )

Would the hijackers have been able to take the plane, if EVERYONE was armed? No. 

Would some people have been killed, possibly some innocent bystanders? Likely. 

Would the outcome have been better for all that? Hmmm. 

That's one you'll have to decide for yourself. 

For me, had _I_ been one of those fatally shot, during the exchange, I would consider one life a fair trade for the thousands saved.  As have military people for centuries (even though I'm not in the military, I can respect the giving of one's life to save other's).  Just imagine the scene, if the would-be hijacker brandishes HIS gun, claiming he's gonna take over the plane.... imagine the massive number of "click-clicks" as many passengers object to his demands.... Oh, I've no illusions that it would be EVERY passenger, no way.  Some folk are ill suited in that role, and I can respect that.  But enough would act.

I submit as proof, the final words heard from the ill-fated Fourth plane, "Let's Roll".

[beagle]

I'm, as Bob, a pre-Reagan Revolution fiscal conservative. Be nice to us, we're rare, and very difficult to find.

Just you and Lady Thatcher, in fact.  There's two people I wasn't expecting to see in the same sentence.

Runs like hell.

[Sibling Chatty]

You really SHOULD run.

Lady Thatcher had too much Reaganite influence to claim membership, sorry. We voted her out LONG ago.

[beagle]

You really SHOULD run.

It's a nice idea, but the last time you were run by a Brit you got all upset by the tax levels (despite having some of the lowest in the Empire, and lower than in England itself).

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Well, the man was bonkers and we didn't have any say in how much we were paying, regardless of their actual level. Can't blame my ancestors for being pissed.

[beagle]

History repeats itself with different actors.  The  Brit taxpayers were pissed they were paying a fortune to defend a foreign continent (from invasion by the French) and wondered why the locals couldn't pay more of the defence budget.

Sound familiar

Still, it all worked out in the end. Sort of.

[Sibling Chatty]

You really SHOULD run.

It's a nice idea, but the last time you were run by a Brit you got all upset by the tax levels (despite having some of the lowest in the Empire, and lower than in England itself).

No dear. You should run from the Evil Auntie...

[beagle]

No dear. You should run from the Evil Auntie...

It's official, we're on the same team. Evil right wing British Tories==American Democrats  .

[Sibling Chatty]

Hillary? Yeah she claims to be a Democrat.

However, she's got a BAD problem with being a very Right Wing Democrat, and completely indebted to the corporate money she's taken.

If she's the Democratic candidate, I will hold my nose and vote for her IF there's no decent 3rd party alternative. Give me ANY non-looney 3rd, and Hillary loses my vote.

After South Carolina, and Bills big mouth, it's looking interesting. We may actually have a convention that is not a coronation pageant! Hell, it might even be worth watching on TV. (Damn. Gotta get TV for the convention then.)

[Griffin NoName]

No dear. You should run from the Evil Auntie...

It's official, we're on the same team. Evil right wing British Tories==American Democrats  .

Ah! You gotta just love The Telegraph

Beginning to catch up on all the excitement I've missed:

Judging by my favourite graph of volumes of goods being shipped about it looks like the second.

I can see why those are your favourite. There's one graph about three-quarters down the page that is really beautiful. One question though. What is the exact relationship between the shipping of baltic dry goods and that French guy?

[beagle]

One question though. What is the exact relationship between the shipping of baltic dry goods and that French guy?

If he had any sense he'd be hiding in the hold of one of the ships; along with the French bureaucrat who decided not to mention it to Sarkozy for a day or two.