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The Off Topic Topic

Started by Korea, March 10, 2009, 06:24:26 AM

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derspiess

"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

celedhring

Meh, there's a happy medium between ridesharing quasi-slavery and taxi rent-seeking.

alfred russel

Quote from: Malthus on January 18, 2019, 02:22:11 PM
Going to be -28 (with chill) tomorrow, and Carl has biathlon scheduled. To my mind, that's too cold for biathlon.

If there is just like a 15 degree window for biathlon practice (say 0 to -15) it seems he won't be very practiced at biathlon. And then how will he support himself in adulthood?  :P
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle.

I'm embarrassed. I've been making the mistake of associating with you. It won't happen again. :)
-garbon, February 23, 2014

Barrister

Of all the sports in the world, why does Carl do biathlon?
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Valmy

Quote from: Barrister on January 18, 2019, 03:12:33 PM
Of all the sports in the world, why does Carl do biathlon?

Because it is the most awesome?
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

derspiess

I'd imagine it gets you in pretty decent shape. Plus you get to shoot :)
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

Barrister

Quote from: Valmy on January 18, 2019, 03:15:36 PM
Quote from: Barrister on January 18, 2019, 03:12:33 PM
Of all the sports in the world, why does Carl do biathlon?

Because it is the most awesome?

Well since Carl isn't playing hockey that's clearly not true.  But I am curious to hear from Malthus why his son took up an interest in biathlon - it just seems like such a random sport to be involved in.
Posts here are my own private opinions.  I do not speak for my employer.

Valmy

I always thought it would be really fun when watching it during the Olympics, even though the US is horrible (it is weird that we would suck so badly at a sport involving shooting). But unless I move someplace where it snows it was just something that was never in the cards for me.
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Habbaku

Quote from: Grey Fox on January 18, 2019, 02:24:01 PM
Quote from: Habbaku on January 18, 2019, 12:15:15 PM
The yellow-door mafia won't be happy until Uber-like services are banned, presumably?

The only reasonable stance to take when considering the gig-economy app companies.

Why? There is nothing intrinsically valuable about a taxi company vs. a rideshare company. Banning ridesharing and gig-economy services isn't the answer to their problems.
The medievals were only too right in taking nolo episcopari as the best reason a man could give to others for making him a bishop. Give me a king whose chief interest in life is stamps, railways, or race-horses; and who has the power to sack his Vizier (or whatever you care to call him) if he does not like the cut of his trousers.

Government is an abstract noun meaning the art and process of governing and it should be an offence to write it with a capital G or so as to refer to people.

-J. R. R. Tolkien

Habbaku

Quote from: celedhring on January 18, 2019, 02:28:36 PM
Meh, there's a happy medium between ridesharing quasi-slavery and taxi rent-seeking.

Yep. The attitude that the only answer to rideshare problems is to reward the taxi mafias is ludicrous.
The medievals were only too right in taking nolo episcopari as the best reason a man could give to others for making him a bishop. Give me a king whose chief interest in life is stamps, railways, or race-horses; and who has the power to sack his Vizier (or whatever you care to call him) if he does not like the cut of his trousers.

Government is an abstract noun meaning the art and process of governing and it should be an offence to write it with a capital G or so as to refer to people.

-J. R. R. Tolkien

Admiral Yi

Quote from: Habbaku on January 18, 2019, 03:47:41 PM
Why? There is nothing intrinsically valuable about a taxi company vs. a rideshare company. Banning ridesharing and gig-economy services isn't the answer to their problems.

Grey Fox is an unapologetic guild protectionist.  No competition allowed with existing jobs.

celedhring

The insane barriers of entry to the taxi industry end up hurting prospective drivers that either:

a) end up driving for Uber-like sweatshops as alternative
b) end up taking huge loans in order to buy a taxi license in the secondary market
c) end up driving for the owner of a taxi license in an environment not unlike an Uber sweatshop

The whole model is broken, problem is that the political costs of pushing through a proper regulation are huge (over here at least).

Josquius

They've opened a Taco Bell in Newcastle.
I am teh excited.
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Razgovory

Quote from: Tyr on January 18, 2019, 05:03:12 PM
They've opened a Taco Bell in Newcastle.
I am teh excited.


I don't understand. :huh:
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Tonitrus

Quote from: celedhring on January 18, 2019, 04:55:20 PM
The insane barriers of entry to the taxi industry end up hurting prospective drivers that either:

a) end up driving for Uber-like sweatshops as alternative
b) end up taking huge loans in order to buy a taxi license in the secondary market
c) end up driving for the owner of a taxi license in an environment not unlike an Uber sweatshop

The whole model is broken, problem is that the political costs of pushing through a proper regulation are huge (over here at least).

They'll all be wiped out in about a generation by robo-taxis anyway. 



Though I imagine Europe will be awash in taxi-driver uprisings during that transition.