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Topics - beagle

#21
In the interests of balance  ;)

1  Strike down the ban on protests near the Palace of Westminster.

2  Cancel ID cards.

3  Review all instances of inappropriate use of the Terrorism Act 2000
   and redraft it so it can only be used for its intended purpose.

4  Cancel all attempts to increase detention without trial time limits.

5  Cancel any legal attempts to muzzle coroners over criticism of
    inadequate military kit.

6  Schedule the promised referendum on the EU constitution/treaty.

7  Re-assert the sovereignty of Westminster law over Brussels

8  A Royal Commission to weed out the stupid laws and directives
    with which we've been lumbered.

9  Rescind the treaty that allows the U.S. to extradite British subjects
   for offences which are not offences here, and for which they don't
   even need to present evidence to a British Court.

10 Return the 10p tax band, or better still lift the poorest out of tax entirely.

11 Annoint Boris a living god and exile Blair and Brown to St. Helena.
    Together.

#22
Walking to my parents house at the weekend I pass a farm and quite often have a chat with one of the workers. He told me the story of a vegetable market stall holder, who for the last few decades has followed the same routine.
The veg he couldn't sell which was in a good condition went to feed his chickens, the remainder went to compost for his allotment (sort of vegetable growing area). Now he's been told he needs a licence to feed it to the chickens, and that he must pay £200 for a bin for the remainder, and £5 a week for the council to take it away (which they'll only do every two weeks). Oh, and in practice he would fill the bin every two days.

I suspect there's at least one EU directive at the back of this, but you don't even have to be a Tory to wish government would sometimes just go away.
#23
Politics / UK TV diary entry
May 04, 2008, 09:17:30 PM

Tuesday 10PM on More 4 (Digital-Freeview/Sky/Cable)

For those who think it couldn't happen here.Taking Liberties.

(Incidentally includes Boris giving the government advice on the ID Card scheme. Perhaps he has the power to ban them in London now  :mrgreen: ).
#24
#25
Miscellaneous Discussion / Death and Afterlife
April 22, 2008, 08:22:57 AM
MODIFIED TO ADD ALL OF BOB"S ANSWERS...

Quote from: Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith on April 22, 2008, 04:47:42 AM
one: Do you worry about your mortality--aging, memory issues, etc? NOT afterlife issues, just end of life issues.

Yes-- the loss of mental function.  To me, dying "gracefully" means your mind is good until the end, or just before.   Since I'm a rationalist, to me, all else is vanity.  Smiley

two: About those afterlife issues? Whadda ya think?

I have not drawn a definitive conclusion.

However, over the past 3 years conversing with various sorts, including zealots of several stripes, I have become a "hard atheist" with regards to the Traditional God.  (whatever flavor-- doesn't matter-- don't believe It/Him/Her exists as Advertised).

I think that god, if god exists, is nothing like what people claim or imagine.   The evidence is just not supportive of their claims.

On the other hand?  What if it IS a test?  But, what if the fundie-zealots have it exactly backwards?  What if the test, is for rationalism?  And that god, being ultimately rational, is interested in weeding out rational minds, for Interesting Discourse.   But, what of the fanatical-fundies?  God, being ultimately rational, has a place for them, too:  yes, it's crassly furnished in gold leaf, with marble, yada-yada-yada.  Harps issued to each at the door.... Roll Eyes

Bottom line:  all humans (barring the unusual specimen) demonstrate at least the capacity for rational thinking.

If humans are even a remote reflection of the Ultimate Creator (god--duuh! Smiley ) then that Being is rational as well, yes?

If so-- the only rational "conclusion" from where I'm sitting, is:  "I do not know.  I am awaiting more information."

Once we die-- if there is an afterlife, I think that "more information" would be available in abundance, yes?   At the very least, what IS and what IS NOT would be apparent.

At that time, then, I would attempt to draw a conclusion.

I would think that a rational being could well understand that, and not hold it against me that I waited until I was dead....

many: Your stance on assisted dying/euthenasia/mercy killing--whatever ya wannacall it?

I have already put plans into effect, with regards to myself.  Were I to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, or other mentally-degrading condition, I will exit gracefully, likely by my own hand.   If I'm facing a life of increasing pain, and less and less physical function-- again, I will exit gracefully before things get out of hand.

So, obviously, I think that it ought to be a RIGHT of anyone who's mind is otherwise functional, to choose to exit gracefully.  To kill themselves with dignity, and without stigma, if you don't like euphemisms. Smiley

To quote Robert Heinlein' character, Lazarous Long, in Time Enough For Love:

"Where is my friggin suicide button?  It is supposed to be right there on the arm of my hospital chair-- I can see where it's been removed!  I want that button re-installed, pronto!"

lots: (bonus) Which would bother you more--looking old or acting old?

Acting old-- definitely.   Not a big worry about how I look.
From here, back to Beagle's original quote.

I would think that a rational being could well understand that, and not hold it against me that I waited until I was dead....

According to the quotation books Bertrand Russell is planning the same defence, so at worst you'll be in the highbrow section of Hell.

"But my dear Lord, you didn't provide enough evidence!"

Mind you he also said "It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this. "

I'm increasingly inclined to the view that a predisposition to religion is actually a product of evolution. After all, if you think there's some great celestial point then you're more likely to try harder, have more kids, and struggle on against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune whilst humming a happy tune.


#26
Science / The Darwin Papers
April 17, 2008, 08:38:29 AM
Now online via here.

Love the bit about the relative merits of a wife as compared to a dog.

Why do geniuses have illegible hand-writing?
#27
Here

Last one to the longboat with a Kango hammer is an eco-tourist. Not so sure about the book-learning part.
#28
Miscellaneous Discussion / The Bank of England
March 23, 2008, 07:13:09 PM
Griffin, we're relying on you for scurrilous inside gossip on this one.
#29
Just to re-assure Goat I'm as right wing as he suspects, and to honour my manifesto commitment, here's today's poll.
#30
Miscellaneous Discussion / Help the UK Government
February 12, 2008, 08:47:01 PM
The UK government seem to be having a spot of trouble setting policy on non-doms. Have your say and help set the peoples' policy...

#31
here

The Queen and Harry Potter have taken the lead over God, and in a surprise move Simon Cowell has pushed Jesus into sixth place. The only politician to scrape into the top ten is the Tory Leader, showing all that extra money spent on education is finally paying off.
#33
J.K Rowling winds up the fundies...
#34
Human Concerns / Good old British compromise
October 01, 2007, 08:18:55 PM
You can talk about it, just make clear it's rubbish.
#36
The Enemies of Reason
Love the bit about the tarot reader.
#37
Miscellaneous Discussion / Today's Ebay bargain
July 18, 2007, 11:03:17 PM

here

(£44000 is about US$89000)
#38
Miscellaneous Discussion / How to be Goat
July 13, 2007, 11:50:24 AM
You too can get a degree in Goatness.

E by gum.
#39
There *might* be a special prize of immortality, courtesy of Rassilon, for the first correct answer.

Justifications expected, little credit is given for incomplete answers.
If you can remember all of them you're probably a Time Lord too.
#40

Gosh, how did that happen?