Just Saying -- the soapbox thread

[matmosphere]

Brian the way the eyes of your bean avatar are pointing in the post above is so perfect. I'd like to think you planned that.   

The bean does look angry.

[madbean]

Brian the way the eyes of your bean avatar are pointing in the post above is so perfect. I'd like to think you planned that.   

The bean does look angry.

You got me! Knew it would work out at some point. 

[Aentons]

But they should absolutely be allowed to cast their vote.

I agree on the grounds that the law is what it is today and we must follow the law.

However, the more history I read, the more I think that if not quite on the exact correct path, the Framers of the US Constitution and thinkers like Heinlen were headed in the right general direction.

...

That being said, I don't think "even if you don't know what you're doing, just go out and vote for for somebody!" is a constructive approach to this debate. Not saying anyone here is advancing that idea, but I've definitely seen it multiple times on social media today.

The USA was founded on the concept that Everyone gets a say in the future path of their existence just by existing.... which was not the way things were before.

From the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — "

A quick thought experiment...

Let's say that a party in power of a government decides that saying something "idiotic" will revoke your right to vote... especially in a public manner. They have determined that Frag has said something of this kind and his right to vote has been revoked... He can never vote again for any reason. Is that fair? How does that make you feel?

Point being...That is what led to the founding of this country, so let's not forget how things used to be even though we have never directly experienced it ourselves.

Btw, I like a lot of Heinlien's ideas and concepts but the whole idea that "you have to serve to vote" is flawed in my opinion. I know Switzerland has a system like that but I'm not familiar enough with it to comment or compare.

[nzCdog]

True story! Perhaps lols

In 2000 I was in a covers band touring schools, we had an unforgettable incident in Auckland.  My friend (who shall remain unnamed) the singer had gotten the mic stuck in the clip, we were halfway into the intro of 'Why cant we be friends' version by Smashmouth. The singer was anxiously yanking the mic, when it suddenly came free and he literally put the SM58 through his front teeth!  An absolute pro, he sings on.  I remember the faces of the kids in the front row screwing up in  a mixture of disgust and wonder, when my friend turned around I saw he had blood streaming down his chin, it was straight out of Alice Cooper etc.  The irony...(Song by Smashmouth!) Teeth got fixed, but it remains probably the best tale from the tour.

[alanp]

I don't know why, but I was thinking of _King Solomon's Mines_, and _Allan Quatermain_, by H. Rider Haggard, at work today. The 19th century adventure novels

Sean Connery played Quatermain in _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_, and I feel that it was a mistake. For one, his accent always sticks out like a bull in a pumpkin patch, and for two, Connery (who used to be a bouncer, IIRC) is too tall and solidly built. Quatermain was always described as short and wiry, with a thin face. Quatermain's skill at hunting, and his personality and charisma, is what carried him in the books.

Depending on accent (this is always a bit of a bugger in movies), someone looking like David Carradine or Daniel Day-Lewis might work well, if they were short and thin.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Thure_de_Thulstrup_-_H._Rider_Haggard_-_Maiwa%27s_Revenge_-_Fire%2C_you_scoundrels.jpg

I don't think I've ever seen a film adaptation of Quatermain (from any of his stories) that have put a massive, boy-like grin on my face.

[somnif]

I don't know why, but I was thinking of _King Solomon's Mines_, and _Allan Quatermain_, by H. Rider Haggard, at work today. The 19th century adventure novels

Sean Connery played Quatermain in _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_, and I feel that it was a mistake. For one, his accent always sticks out like a bull in a pumpkin patch, and for two, Connery (who used to be a bouncer, IIRC) is too tall and solidly built. Quatermain was always described as short and wiry, with a thin face. Quatermain's skill at hunting, and his personality and charisma, is what carried him in the books.

Depending on accent (this is always a bit of a bugger in movies), someone looking like David Carradine or Daniel Day-Lewis might work well, if they were short and thin.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Thure_de_Thulstrup_-_H._Rider_Haggard_-_Maiwa%27s_Revenge_-_Fire%2C_you_scoundrels.jpg

I don't think I've ever seen a film adaptation of Quatermain (from any of his stories) that have put a massive, boy-like grin on my face.

You should see the Quartermain movies they made in the mid-80s. BLATANT Indiana Jones rip offs, with a fraction of the budget, and a fraction of the charisma. Also Qartermain is played by a very gay man, who cast his husband (partner, whatever) as Quartermain's brother in the second one. Which is a little weird.

[EBK]

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed many of H. Rider Haggard's novels, and I'd highly recommend them, with the following disclaimers:

The historical context of his work gives an insight into the age of British Imperialism.  There is a lot of casual racism in the books.  The n-word only appears in one book that I remember, as part of a brief lecture-like thought by Quatermain regarding how he detests the use of such a term and knows many white people more worthy of such a hateful label.  Some derrogatory labels are used, however, for various people (for some Africans and also the Dutch), but there is not really much malice intended in their use.  Africans are never treated as mindless savages in his novels, although there are occasionally some cruel tribal chiefs whose characters are somewhat underdeveloped.

There are seemingly unlimited numbers of elephants slaughtered solely for their ivory, and on rare occasion, for their hearts if custom dictates or hunger necessitates.  There are even several instances where hunting trips produce more ivory than could be carried (sort of like a hunting trip in the computer game Oregon Trail where you could hold down the spacebar and one of the cursor keys, spraying endless bullets into a dozen or more animals before abandoning over 1000 pounds of meat  ).

Most of Haggard's works are public domain can be freely downloaded.  I'd recommend starting with King Solomon's Mines.  It created the entire "lost world" adventure genre.  In a way, although the movies (the 1980s ones) may have copied Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones copied Quatermain first. 

[Muadzin]

I don't know why, but I was thinking of _King Solomon's Mines_, and _Allan Quatermain_, by H. Rider Haggard, at work today. The 19th century adventure novels

Sean Connery played Quatermain in _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_, and I feel that it was a mistake. For one, his accent always sticks out like a bull in a pumpkin patch, and for two, Connery (who used to be a bouncer, IIRC) is too tall and solidly built. Quatermain was always described as short and wiry, with a thin face. Quatermain's skill at hunting, and his personality and charisma, is what carried him in the books.

Depending on accent (this is always a bit of a bugger in movies), someone looking like David Carradine or Daniel Day-Lewis might work well, if they were short and thin.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Thure_de_Thulstrup_-_H._Rider_Haggard_-_Maiwa%27s_Revenge_-_Fire%2C_you_scoundrels.jpg

I don't think I've ever seen a film adaptation of Quatermain (from any of his stories) that have put a massive, boy-like grin on my face.

As if anyone still reads books these days to notice that Connery was too long. Also that movie suffered from far bigger problems then just Connery's height. How about lack of anything resembling a decent plot?

[alanp]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5789976/

Saw King of Thieves (the one with Michael Caine) today with Dad and my brother.

Very, very good movie, highly enjoyable. I won't spoil anything, but it's worth going to see

[Govmnt_Lacky]

For as many years as I can count, I have wanted a PRS. Throw another monkey into the wrench with the fact that I am a lefty. Here is my soapbox rant.......

Why are my choices the SE model at ~$850 and then the next available option starts at ~$4500!! 

Can anyone explain the $3500 difference to me? Is the truss rod made of platinum? Pickups with gold windings? Cavity filled with liquid herion? What is it??

[matmosphere]

The Hollywood lore is that Jackson wanted Connery to play Gandalf in the LOTR films. He told them he was retired and wouldn't do it. Then after seeing how huge those movies got he felt like he made a huge mistake, someone offered him the part in LOEG and made I sound like it would be the next huge LOTR like hit. he jumped on it in hopes it would be a huge movie.  As I recall they also paid him a shit ton of money to do the part.

As far as I remember it's the last film he's done and he didn't do much after the mid-nineties.

I saw it but nothing about it was memorable.

[Aentons]

For as many years as I can count, I have wanted a PRS. Throw another monkey into the wrench with the fact that I am a lefty. Here is my soapbox rant.......

Why are my choices the SE model at ~$850 and then the next available option starts at ~$4500!! 

Can anyone explain the $3500 difference to me? Is the truss rod made of platinum? Pickups with gold windings? Cavity filled with liquid herion? What is it??

I hear ya... Don't even get me started on "special" colors

[Muadzin]

For as many years as I can count, I have wanted a PRS. Throw another monkey into the wrench with the fact that I am a lefty. Here is my soapbox rant.......

Why are my choices the SE model at ~$850 and then the next available option starts at ~$4500!! 

Can anyone explain the $3500 difference to me? Is the truss rod made of platinum? Pickups with gold windings? Cavity filled with liquid herion? What is it??

Unicorn tears? Oh wait, Klons are made out of those. 

[alanp]

If you're taking a package to the post office to ship, following these helpful suggestions before you get there should speed your trip and the trip of everyone else waiting in line:

On a semi-related note, does anyone else find that, when you're waiting in line at the supermarket or wherever, no matter how much you scrutinize the various queues for potential timewasters before queuing up, you always wind up behind:

That old guy from the eighteen hundreds who uses a checkbook... if you're very, very lucky, the person at the till will know what to do with these archaic clay tablets, otherwise you're in for an even longer wait than that.

That person with a hundred different things, who wants them put through in five different lots, and pays for each lot separately

That person with three dozen different types of produce, all of which have to be separately weighed before they can be put into the computer

That person who wants to pay cash (and not the quick, hand over a fifty and get their change back, quick-like, but someone who slowly works out the exact notes and coins to hand over)

That person who wants a pack of fags which, naturally, are not in the unmarked cabinet the worker has in their little stand, which means that everything is put on hold while they go for walkies and look for that brand of fags in another till area

That person who, you think, only wants to buy a case of beer, but engages in a long, lengthy discussion about the different kind of rubbish collection stickers the shop carries, the benefits and drawbacks of each sticker, how much each one costs versus how much rubbish the rubbish truck is prepared to take for one of those stickers, etc

I'm sure that you all can add to this list.

[somnif]

That person who, you think, only wants to buy a case of beer, but engages in a long, lengthy discussion about the different kind of rubbish collection stickers the shop carries, the benefits and drawbacks of each sticker, how much each one costs versus how much rubbish the rubbish truck is prepared to take for one of those stickers, etc

I tend to consider myself a fairly worldly fellow, but I have no idea what this is referring to. You need to buy stickers for garbage collection?