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#81

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by mongers - October 14, 2025, 02:30:51 PM

Just came across this 'bonkers' product review for waitrose budget loose tea:

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/no1-kenyan-loose-leaf-tea/767044-773396-773397

Kenya Tea Why Have you changed the colour from Ye?
10 months ago

Great Tea. Really great taste. Fantastic tea. Why hide it? You changed the packaging colour from Yellow which was easily identified and hid the product with purple which was used for Assam? Then you obviously decided that was not enough and you changed the package to dark grey or black. What were you thinking? Maybe I am being too presumptive. You probably were not thinking at all. It looks like you were wedded to change regardless of any consideration of you customers. Not a strategy to engender loyalty, more a policy to alienate. Congratulations on your flagrant disregard. You evidently regard your loyal customers with contempt and your product has been designed to inhibit their purchasing'habits' and clearly t telegraph your opinion that your customers anre entirely irrelevant. Bravo

#82

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by The Brain - October 14, 2025, 02:27:40 PM

How much can EM jamming fuck up controls of modern aircraft?

I assume the lack of human-operated controls is important...so am assuming it would be analogous to the problems that drones have had (forcing the use of fiber-optic lines in some cases). 

Including autonomous drones?

#83

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Valmy - October 14, 2025, 02:26:22 PM

It is encouraging to see a little optimism but it is hard to see a way out now. Even if the Democrats win some elections they are just not in a state to lead us anywhere good. They can stem the bleeding for a bit.

Considering we are currently winning elections and the Republicans are just refusing to let them into the House, I am not entirely optimistic about the future. Things are likely only to get worse from here.

#84

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Tonitrus - October 14, 2025, 02:20:42 PM

How much can EM jamming fuck up controls of modern aircraft?

I assume the lack of human-operated controls is important...so am assuming it would be analogous to the problems that drones have had (forcing the use of fiber-optic lines in some cases). 

#85

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Oexmelin - October 14, 2025, 02:20:24 PM

Sorry.

"Haha. Lol. Look at the Republicans on the run!!!!"

#86

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Tonitrus - October 14, 2025, 02:19:03 PM

I have seen nothing that really warrants the sort of smugness some Democrats are displaying re: "the next administration".

Don't be such a Debbie-downer. 

#87

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Tonitrus - October 14, 2025, 02:17:58 PM

I am not so sure the Democrats will be able to do it now.

Nor am I.  And even if successful, in 50-ish years, the USSC might outnumber the Senate.

#88

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Oexmelin - October 14, 2025, 02:17:45 PM

I have seen nothing that really warrants the sort of smugness some Democrats are displaying re: "the next administration".

#89

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Tonitrus - October 14, 2025, 02:16:18 PM

*maybe before/after having most of the current administration arrested for corruption/malfeasance/abuse of office.

I take it for granted Trump will issue a mass pardon, so one less thing to do.

Alas, a new administration might have to take from the Trump playbook...just do it anyway.

That is one of the sadder things about all of this madness...much of what the administration has done cannot be easily undone without using the same methods.

#90

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by crazy canuck - October 14, 2025, 01:37:20 PM

Also, I think it is fair to say Hungarians were doing their best to figure it out as they went, rather than being able to fall back on deeply ingrained traditions.

Not entirely. The population? Sure you are right, there was no real history of democracy and more importantly no strong middle class which seems like the backbone of it everywhere, and ultimately this is why it failed. But the constitution was written by scholars well-versed in international examples and history. Again, the system in place was quite advanced, it was not the case of "we have heard of this thing called democracy. Apparently everyone gets a vote. Let's try figure out how to make that work".

Maybe I am misunderstanding you but you seem to imply that if a democracy is designed well enough (like the Canadian one), it is foolproof. Which cannot be true. It may be more resilient than other similar systems, in the way that it requires a larger number of non-cooperative actors to fail, but there still must be a number at which it topples.

I think we are saying the same thing. It isn't about the design (the rules on paper). The Soviet Union had one of the best constitutions in the world, on paper.  The point you made about the lack of a middle class is important.  Parliamentary democracy works, in large part, because the member of parliament owes allegiance first and foremost to their riding.  And the Prime Minister holds that office only because the majority of the members of parliament allow the Prime Minister to hold that office - not to mention the majority within the PM's own party.

I had not thought of it this way before, as I had simply assumed a middle class that votes.  But absent that I can see a Parliamentary system failing.  Thanks for that insight