What bemused you today?

[Oldboy]

The weather people gave the long-range forecast for Winter today, and suggest it's going to be warmer than usual! So take this as a warning to get loads of logs for your fires, plenty of woollies, sheepskin coat and anything else you need to keep warm. It's going to be Arctic weather based on their summer forecast for barbecue weather! 

[ABERS]

The old adage 'if you're not a socialist when you are under 40, you haven't got a heart, and if you're still one after that age you haven't got a head' has always been a bit of a puzzle to me. Is it because after 40 you suddenly become materialistic and self serving or are the scales suddenly lifted from your eyes and you understand the meaning of cynicism?

The reason for the above is that today I read that that well respected and pillar of the journalistic world the Sun has decided how we should all vote in the forthcoming and long overdue General Election. This will strike fear into the supporters of Labour and perhaps bang the final nail into the already prepared and awaiting coffin. The Tories will be hard at the canapes and Bollinger, and all those blue rinsed elderly ladies will be letting their gardeners have an extra cuppa and perhaps two Bourbons with it as well. Don't forget these are the people that wouldn't let a Sun reader within a million miles of their comfy domains.

Is that they expect those that take the miserable rag have no minds of their own? What a jaundiced view of the electorate, but unfortunately true.

How's that for a rant first thing.

[magicrhodes]

The reason for the above is that today I read that that well respected and pillar of the journalistic world the Sun has decided how we should all vote in the forthcoming and long overdue General Election. This will strike fear into the supporters of Labour and perhaps bang the final nail into the already prepared and awaiting coffin.

The Scum (Sun, sorry am a Liverpool fan) flip flops around depending on what Mr Murdoch wants anyway. Don't forget the headline in 92 (I think) "if Labour win the election will the last person to leave the country turn the lights out" followed by "IT's the Sun wot won it!"

What worries me far more is the way the BNP are lurking around the sink estates of South Yorks tell the workshy, lazy, feckless and procreating masses that all their problems are the fault of non-white european, blacks, Asians and Gays... USE YOUR VOTE PEOPLE! As a wise person once said "all that evil needs is for the good to do nothing!"

[hevans]

The old adage 'if you're not a socialist when you are under 40, you haven't got a heart, and if you're still one after that age you haven't got a head' has always been a bit of a puzzle to me. Is it because after 40 you suddenly become materialistic and self serving or are the scales suddenly lifted from your eyes and you understand the meaning of cynicism?

It's usually because before you turn 40, you haven't accumulated much and don't appreciate how much effort and work (for the normal person that is, not the hereditary wealthy) goes into accumulating it. After 40(ish) you have spent more than half your life working to get where you are and don't want to just give it away...others should have to work just like you did, hence the lack of middle aged socialists - they're the ones that have to pay for the policies.

The under 40's that are "socialists" are usually so because they can see the obvious benefits for themselves, and lack of implications/costs for themselves. They genuinely believe that they are being altruistic by being socialists, but in reality, they are thinking of themselves - the basic human survival instinct. Ok, there might be one that really walks the walk and talks the talk, but most don't. Just look at students - mostly socialist because they live on hand outs and haven't yet encountered the joy of realising that from January to July everything they earn goes to the taxman, everything they earn after that they can keep, providing they shovel over an additional 17% when they buy things.

Is that they expect those that take the miserable rag have no minds of their own? What a jaundiced view of the electorate, but unfortunately true.

Sadly, the average Sun reader (and most of the populace, btw) is incapable of rational or critical contemplation of the information they're fed. It's hard to think for oneself and much more interesting to fill one's head full of useless football statistics and what KPrice et al are up to than what might be of more use to them, such as why the politicians are doing what they are and why are they spinning it a specific way, and what is in it for them, and who will benefit the most. And so they prefer to be told what to do and when, which explains why religions are so popular - faith is easier to follow than thinking for yourself.

How's that for a rant first thing.

Not bad, I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Not really indignant enough in tone. Keep working on it! Try on a Monday morning, sets the scene better.  

H.

[greypoint]

Ooh - not a good idea to discuss politics I think the Socialist thing is more a case that by 40 you probably realise that, because people are'nt all motivated by a feeling of goodwill and fair shares for all [sadly], Socialism will never work. Power to the people usuallys ends up with power to a ruling elite or a single despot- nothing changes just those in power. I think that divide between Labour and Tory in the old terms of unionist/worker versus employer/toff is way in the past  - Nulab have been more right wing and controlling in some ways than Maggie would ever have dared. The one good thing about the coming election is that so many sitting MPs will be standing down due to iffy allowances etc. and you hever know we might get a few more honest ones - we can but hope.

[greypoint]

Now I'm off to blue rinse my hair in readiness...

[ABERS]

It did cross my mind that the Sun's stance would harden the socialist vote in Liverpool.
Weren't they awful last night!

[magicrhodes]

Whilst Socialism is nothing more than a pipedream the concept is a really good idea... I mean, imagine the cameras we would be using by now if we all worked together instead of against each other all the time.... Constantly reinventing stuff instead of refining...

[spinner]

On-line tech forums. I'm having an issue with my HP 7150 printer. And yes I was having an issue with my Epson which is why I switched to the HP. Anyway, I tried to do a print job of 25 copies of a poster. The printer dutifully print 4 and then stopped. No matter the number of copies requested it prints 4 and stops. No error messages etc. So after unsuccessful tinkering I went on line and posted queries, regarding DOT4_001 port and HP 7150 printer problem. So I have discovered that numerous people have posted queries about these two subjects. No one seems to answer them. I even joined a Printer Tech forum only to discover that there are dozens of unanswered posts about these things. Why start a forum claiming to address all printer issues and not ever answer peoples questions. A simple we don't know would be better than none. And I'm still no closer to an answer, so if anyone here knows it, feel free to tell me.

[spinner]

I find the comments on Socialism bemusing. Here in North America, that saying translates as 'if you're not a LIBERAL before you are 40 you have no heart etc....' Socialism is a very dirty word on this continent. Unfortunately, both here in Canada and in the U.S., the 'liberals' control the Universities and most of the media. You will never hear a public admission that socialism is a failed philosophy. Neither will they admit they're socialists at heart.  ;)I have watched the same socialist experiments getting repeated over and over with failed outcomes, over and over.

[Oldboy]

On-line tech forums. I'm having an issue with my HP 7150 printer. And yes I was having an issue with my Epson which is why I switched to the HP. Anyway, I tried to do a print job of 25 copies of a poster. The printer dutifully print 4 and then stopped. No matter the number of copies requested it prints 4 and stops. No error messages etc. So after unsuccessful tinkering I went on line and posted queries, regarding DOT4_001 port and HP 7150 printer problem. So I have discovered that numerous people have posted queries about these two subjects. No one seems to answer them. I even joined a Printer Tech forum only to discover that there are dozens of unanswered posts about these things. Why start a forum claiming to address all printer issues and not ever answer peoples questions. A simple we don't know would be better than none. And I'm still no closer to an answer, so if anyone here knows it, feel free to tell me.

Could it be a lack of memory in the printer that is causing the problem, as some printer drivers sent the print 25 times rather than once. 

[spinner]

Could it be a lack of memory in the printer that is causing the problem, as some printer drivers sent the print 25 times rather than once. 

That is my suspicion OB, but I'd like one of these self proclaimed experts to confirm it. Even HP's own forum has had the questions posted and no real clear answer provided.

I know the Internet is rife with misinformation as well, so I wonder what's worse.

I went through the opposite a few weeks back when I posted a query on a Linux forum. That time I got a lot of giberish back. Like they thought I was a complete novice,
which should have been clear that I wasn't when I framed my question. One diamond in the crowd gave me the right answer and I thanked him for it whilst letting the others
know I thought they were complete twits. 

[spinner]

So I finally get a response from one of the moderators "Do you still have the disk for this printer?". I can see where this is going, of course it doesn't answer the question I posted. 

[Oldboy]

Just seen this on AOL news. 

Town Hall bosses are to unveil their latest initiative for tax payers - a sex guide for the over-50s.
Older people in Manchester, many of them grandparents, will get dating and bedroom tips thanks to the illustrated booklet, running to more than 40 pages, from bureaucrats at the city council.
Top tips for more mature lovers include watching a "sexy movie", reading erotic books, trying new sex positions and vacuum pumps and Viagra to combat impotency in men

Perhaps that's why Flake hasn't been on here - to busy!   

[skellum]

Just seen this on AOL news.  

Town Hall bosses are to unveil their latest initiative for tax payers - a sex guide for the over-50s.
Older people in Manchester, many of them grandparents, will get dating and bedroom tips thanks to the illustrated booklet, running to more than 40 pages, from bureaucrats at the city council.
Top tips for more mature lovers include watching a "sexy movie", reading erotic books, trying new sex positions and vacuum pumps and Viagra to combat impotency in men

Perhaps that's why Flake hasn't been on here - to busy!    

Joke I heard about the subject today was......... " My wife said she would read it when her headache gets better "..........