A big part of the reason she's loved is that the monarchy's hereditary. She is considered an ordinary woman who has fallen into extra-ordinary responsibilities. Anytime she does anything normal everyone gushes at how humble she is. Anytime she does anything that's slightly imperious everyone gives her the benefit of the doubt. She is, in a very real sense, grandma to everyone in 16 countries. And she wouldn't be grandma if she was an extremely distinguished politician selected solely because of her talents.
That is a very interesting perspective. I have never heard or thought of that before . . . and I must admit, that idea of the role and function of the monarchy has enlightened me a quite bit.
Spend some time with Brits.
I do. I work with them together on an EU project. And I get plenty of time to talk with them, because they always arrive punctually for meetings, along with the Germans, and me, as a tag along. The folks from the other EU countries come an hour late.
If you can find some non-political (ie: no involvement by either voters or elected officials) way to select a head of state it might work.
There are definitely advantages in having a non-political head of state. The Netherlands recently celebrated a succession to their throne, and everyone seemed to enjoy a wild . . . "royal" . . . shindig. Everyone could unite in the celebration, because it was above politics.
The UK? No, hell no, fuck no, never. The day they fire the Queen and hire a President counties will start to secede.
I've been wondering about the recent changes in the UK political landscape, since the success of the UKIP in the local elections. This mostly involves the EU in/out question, but Boris Johnson also stated that a referendum would be "a shot in the arm for democracy." There seems to be a grassroots dissatisfaction with the traditional political party structures, and outright questions and challenges to them. Maybe with an EU in/out referendum, UK citizens will develop a taste for more direct democracy . . . ? Politicians of all stripes and colors would not welcome that, as it would usurp their political power.
Can the UKIP also triumph in national elections . . . ? I don't know. But it does show that unexpected changes in UK politics are possible.
Of those five German leaders, which has an approval rating higher then Queen's?
Well, I guess if the Queen ever dares to put her office up for election, we'll find out . . . ? The UK has recently announced a referendum on leaving the EU. Maybe we'll see a referendum on the monarchy some day . . . ?
Although, it's difficult to imagine English soccer fans singing, "God save David Cameron and Nick Clegg!"
. . . unless, of course, you happen to write for Viz . . .
Question:
Can you name a single country whose last three leaders have actually been selected based on merit?
Germany: Merkel, Schröder, Kohl, Schmidt, Brandt. That's five, if you're counting. And I am American, so I didn't elect 'em.
Or, to be more precise, the things you have to be good at to earn a Presidency (winning elections) have virtually nothing to do with the things you do as President.
I agree with you on that. The wisest thing a political leader can do, is to pick the smartest folks for the cabinet posts . . . and then get out of their way and let them run things. The merit involved here, is being able to delegate, organize and win the trust of the voters. A lot of the decisions that a leader needs to make on economic issues are bad-tasting medicine, that helps in the long run. Policies fail if the leader cannot get popular support for them.
The royalty just do as they are told by the politicians.
Which politicians told Prince Harry to stage a randy-rompy game of strip billiards in Las Vegas? Those are the type of politicians that I would like to elect!
"The Economist" regularly frowns on the monarchy concept, because it undermines the principle that positions of state should be based on merit. Although, they are not really rabid about it.
An interesting thought on royalty can be found in Beaumarchais' play "The Marriage of Figaro". Figaro points at the Count and says:
"Because you are a great nobleman, you think you are a great genius. You have taken trouble with nothing, except to be born."
. . . in scenic North Korea. Wacky delusional dictator Kim Jong Un has promised them an exciting life in his missile silos, highlighted by Shirts & Skins hoops with Dennis Rodman.
As with any other internationalized business, though... either you tailor your offering to match the requirements or lack thereof of local laws in each case, or you put together a "one size fits all" policy that incorporates the strictest interpretation of each element of local legislation in individual countries.
Yes, web sites need to be careful what they show in different countries. For example, a photo in the "Victoria's Secretions" catalog might be harmless in Europe, but get your balls amputated in a Muslim Brotherhood 'hood.
I noticed that WebSphere Portal Server actually has some configuration stuff, so that you can block pages for specific areas.
I'm actually surprised that China doesn't complain about the US hacking them. I mean, they did complain about Coca-Cola's GPS devices being too accurate . . . and they did complain about US electronic warplanes getting too close to their border . . . but have they ever blatantly accused the US of hacking them . . . ?
Do they not know about it? Or do they not want to let the rest of the world know, that they know about it, and carefully monitor the hacking . . . ?
Note that both cars were specifically designed primarily for aerodynamics...
Note that both cars were also designed for high speed.
Your average American SUV isn't designed for high speed. Folks ask me if I have problems obeying the speed limits in the US, now that I have experience driving on German Autobahns. The answer: no. When I am on a business trip in the US, and have a rental car, I feel it immediately that the car was not designed for high speed. So I don't drive fast. Easy as that.
The same thing applies to gas mileage. If a certain car was not designed for good mileage at high speeds, it won't get it. And there is no reason for it anyway. If an SUV is primarily used for hauling kids to little league games, it doesn't need to be designed for high speeds. Good mileage in suburban conditions is what people are looking for.
And has some magic device to negate the effects of wind resistance?
It may be magic to you, but the engineers who built my car call it a Bordcomputer. It records trip data and calculates the actual mileage for it. That is what I am interested in anyway. I don't care about the estimated effects of wind resistance. I just want to know my actual mileage. This is what the article is all about: the estimates don't match the actual driving experience.
In my case, I get the best mileage for speeds of 100-110 mph. That's what my friend in the dashboard says, which matches my own calculations.
So, back to effects of wind resistance . . . I guess their effects get canceled out by some other factor of automobile mileage, of which their are many . . . ? More breaking necessary at slower speeds . . . ? (less than 75 mph means the truck lane here) . . . Maybe more acceleration necessary when encountering small hills during the trip . . . ?
I don't know. All that interests me, is the actual mileage. That's it. The rest is just a Milchmädchenrechnung . . .
Note: I am American, but prefer German built cars.
where's the news in that?
and what the fuck does this even have to do with Dell?
If you work for a big US company, you get to take an education course once a year on US export regulations. Along with the courses on sexual harassment and business ethics. Basically, the US government grants a waiver and lets companies do their own export control. This means that a US company does not need to do paperwork and receive an approval from the US government every time it wants to ship a pencil somewhere in the world. And, yes, the company is also responsible for ensuring that any of their goods do not pass through third parties to countries on the restricted list.
Now if the government decides that the company is not abiding by the restrictions, including business by a third party, the government cancels the waiver. This means that the company needs paperwork and approval for anything shipped anywhere by the company. So your company's business grinds to halt. That is why it matters to Dell.
This also applies to US bribery laws. In the US, it is illegal to bribe government officials. In other parts of the world, bribery is business as usual. So US companies used to hire "consultants" when applying for contracts in foreign countries. The "consultant" received a lump sum of money, and could spend it however needed to close a deal. Including bribery. Now, US law applies to this as well. A US company hiring a "consultant" in this way could be charged with bribery for this now.
. Soldiers should, of course, know how to still function if it goes down.
. . . and more importantly, commanders. Von Clausewitz wrote the importance of not relying on information and command chain systems. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Clausewitz:
While Clausewitz was intensely aware of the value of intelligence at all levels, he was also very skeptical of the accuracy of much military intelligence: "Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain.... In short, most intelligence is false." This circumstance is generally described as the fog of war. Such skeptical comments apply only to intelligence at the tactical and operational levels; at the strategic and political levels he constantly stressed the requirement for the best possible understanding of what today would be called strategic and political intelligence. His conclusions were influenced by his experiences in the Prussian Army, which was often in an intelligence fog due partly to the superior abilities of Napoleon's system but even more to the nature of war. Clausewitz acknowledges that friction creates enormous difficulties for the realization of any plan, and the fog of war hinders commanders from knowing what is happening. It is precisely in the context of this challenge that he develops the concept of military genius, whose capabilities are seen above all in the execution of operations.
So you need an army where units can function independently. Even if you have a great military plan: "No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy".
Slashdot Mirror
. . . oh, those crazy kids will just start 3D printing their own . . .
she told The AP that no high level IRS officials knew about the practice
The high level IRS officials should know what practices are going on under their supervision and watch . . .
That's their job as managers and executives . . . isn't it . . . ?
A big part of the reason she's loved is that the monarchy's hereditary. She is considered an ordinary woman who has fallen into extra-ordinary responsibilities. Anytime she does anything normal everyone gushes at how humble she is. Anytime she does anything that's slightly imperious everyone gives her the benefit of the doubt. She is, in a very real sense, grandma to everyone in 16 countries. And she wouldn't be grandma if she was an extremely distinguished politician selected solely because of her talents.
That is a very interesting perspective. I have never heard or thought of that before . . . and I must admit, that idea of the role and function of the monarchy has enlightened me a quite bit.
Spend some time with Brits.
I do. I work with them together on an EU project. And I get plenty of time to talk with them, because they always arrive punctually for meetings, along with the Germans, and me, as a tag along. The folks from the other EU countries come an hour late.
If you can find some non-political (ie: no involvement by either voters or elected officials) way to select a head of state it might work.
There are definitely advantages in having a non-political head of state. The Netherlands recently celebrated a succession to their throne, and everyone seemed to enjoy a wild . . . "royal" . . . shindig. Everyone could unite in the celebration, because it was above politics.
The UK? No, hell no, fuck no, never. The day they fire the Queen and hire a President counties will start to secede.
I've been wondering about the recent changes in the UK political landscape, since the success of the UKIP in the local elections. This mostly involves the EU in/out question, but Boris Johnson also stated that a referendum would be "a shot in the arm for democracy." There seems to be a grassroots dissatisfaction with the traditional political party structures, and outright questions and challenges to them. Maybe with an EU in/out referendum, UK citizens will develop a taste for more direct democracy . . . ? Politicians of all stripes and colors would not welcome that, as it would usurp their political power.
Can the UKIP also triumph in national elections . . . ? I don't know. But it does show that unexpected changes in UK politics are possible.
Ihre papiere, bitte.
No, in Germany they ask for your Personalausweis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_identity_card
Of those five German leaders, which has an approval rating higher then Queen's?
Well, I guess if the Queen ever dares to put her office up for election, we'll find out . . . ? The UK has recently announced a referendum on leaving the EU. Maybe we'll see a referendum on the monarchy some day . . . ?
Although, it's difficult to imagine English soccer fans singing, "God save David Cameron and Nick Clegg!"
. . . unless, of course, you happen to write for Viz . . .
Question: Can you name a single country whose last three leaders have actually been selected based on merit?
Germany: Merkel, Schröder, Kohl, Schmidt, Brandt. That's five, if you're counting. And I am American, so I didn't elect 'em.
Or, to be more precise, the things you have to be good at to earn a Presidency (winning elections) have virtually nothing to do with the things you do as President.
I agree with you on that. The wisest thing a political leader can do, is to pick the smartest folks for the cabinet posts . . . and then get out of their way and let them run things. The merit involved here, is being able to delegate, organize and win the trust of the voters. A lot of the decisions that a leader needs to make on economic issues are bad-tasting medicine, that helps in the long run. Policies fail if the leader cannot get popular support for them.
This is a US based site but they have no queen so that leaves roughly over a dozen choices.
The royalty just do as they are told by the politicians.
Which politicians told Prince Harry to stage a randy-rompy game of strip billiards in Las Vegas? Those are the type of politicians that I would like to elect!
"The Economist" regularly frowns on the monarchy concept, because it undermines the principle that positions of state should be based on merit. Although, they are not really rabid about it.
An interesting thought on royalty can be found in Beaumarchais' play "The Marriage of Figaro". Figaro points at the Count and says:
"Because you are a great nobleman, you think you are a great genius. You have taken trouble with nothing, except to be born."
. . . in scenic North Korea. Wacky delusional dictator Kim Jong Un has promised them an exciting life in his missile silos, highlighted by Shirts & Skins hoops with Dennis Rodman.
. . . on Roller Skates . . . !
As with any other internationalized business, though... either you tailor your offering to match the requirements or lack thereof of local laws in each case, or you put together a "one size fits all" policy that incorporates the strictest interpretation of each element of local legislation in individual countries.
Yes, web sites need to be careful what they show in different countries. For example, a photo in the "Victoria's Secretions" catalog might be harmless in Europe, but get your balls amputated in a Muslim Brotherhood 'hood.
I noticed that WebSphere Portal Server actually has some configuration stuff, so that you can block pages for specific areas.
People don't buy Windows; they buy computers.
Or they don't buy computers, if the computer comes with Windows 8 . . . which is what the PC manufacturers have been complaining about.
Or they buy tablets.
Is this supposed to surprise anyone?
I'm actually surprised that China doesn't complain about the US hacking them. I mean, they did complain about Coca-Cola's GPS devices being too accurate . . . and they did complain about US electronic warplanes getting too close to their border . . . but have they ever blatantly accused the US of hacking them . . . ?
Do they not know about it? Or do they not want to let the rest of the world know, that they know about it, and carefully monitor the hacking . . . ?
My DSL is up. It's either fixed or didn't involve my part of the system.
My DSL is up. It's either fixed or didn't involve my nation of the system.
That's nothing, in Swedish "gift" means both "married" and "poison" !
50% of marriages end in divorce. The other 50% end in death. You can take your pick.
So I guess Swedish is kinda sorta accurate on this.
. . . a lot of folks I see using computers can't do that with a keyboard either . . .
I'm from Europe, and none of the people I know would take drugs for psychological problems.
I'm from Europe, and none of the people I know would take drugs for psychological problems, and tell me about it.
I'm from Europe, and none of the people I know would take drugs for recreational purposes, and tell me about it.
I'm from Europe, and none of the people I know would take drugs for psychological problems. They just cause psychological problems in other people.
I'm from Europe, and none of the people I knew took drugs for psychological problems. They committed suicide, instead.
I'm from Europe, and none of the people I . . .
In Soviet Russia, your uncle's car converts petrol into gas ...
In American Israel, Obama's car converts gas into diesel ...
Once again, capitalism triumphs!
Note that both cars were specifically designed primarily for aerodynamics...
Note that both cars were also designed for high speed.
Your average American SUV isn't designed for high speed. Folks ask me if I have problems obeying the speed limits in the US, now that I have experience driving on German Autobahns. The answer: no. When I am on a business trip in the US, and have a rental car, I feel it immediately that the car was not designed for high speed. So I don't drive fast. Easy as that.
The same thing applies to gas mileage. If a certain car was not designed for good mileage at high speeds, it won't get it. And there is no reason for it anyway. If an SUV is primarily used for hauling kids to little league games, it doesn't need to be designed for high speeds. Good mileage in suburban conditions is what people are looking for.
And has some magic device to negate the effects of wind resistance?
It may be magic to you, but the engineers who built my car call it a Bordcomputer. It records trip data and calculates the actual mileage for it. That is what I am interested in anyway. I don't care about the estimated effects of wind resistance. I just want to know my actual mileage. This is what the article is all about: the estimates don't match the actual driving experience.
In my case, I get the best mileage for speeds of 100-110 mph. That's what my friend in the dashboard says, which matches my own calculations.
So, back to effects of wind resistance . . . I guess their effects get canceled out by some other factor of automobile mileage, of which their are many . . . ? More breaking necessary at slower speeds . . . ? (less than 75 mph means the truck lane here) . . . Maybe more acceleration necessary when encountering small hills during the trip . . . ?
I don't know. All that interests me, is the actual mileage. That's it. The rest is just a Milchmädchenrechnung . . .
Note: I am American, but prefer German built cars.
If you are doing 75mph on the highway you are burning around 20% more fuel to cover the same distance as you would at 60mph
I used to have a car like that.
Now I drive a German one. It idles in sixth gear at that speed.
where's the news in that? and what the fuck does this even have to do with Dell?
If you work for a big US company, you get to take an education course once a year on US export regulations. Along with the courses on sexual harassment and business ethics. Basically, the US government grants a waiver and lets companies do their own export control. This means that a US company does not need to do paperwork and receive an approval from the US government every time it wants to ship a pencil somewhere in the world. And, yes, the company is also responsible for ensuring that any of their goods do not pass through third parties to countries on the restricted list.
Now if the government decides that the company is not abiding by the restrictions, including business by a third party, the government cancels the waiver. This means that the company needs paperwork and approval for anything shipped anywhere by the company. So your company's business grinds to halt. That is why it matters to Dell.
This also applies to US bribery laws. In the US, it is illegal to bribe government officials. In other parts of the world, bribery is business as usual. So US companies used to hire "consultants" when applying for contracts in foreign countries. The "consultant" received a lump sum of money, and could spend it however needed to close a deal. Including bribery. Now, US law applies to this as well. A US company hiring a "consultant" in this way could be charged with bribery for this now.
What's the deal?
It's just like any other IT project. At the beginning, they tell you it will only cost you $20. By the end, you have spent $40.
Be happy that it doesn't cost you $400 . . .
. Soldiers should, of course, know how to still function if it goes down.
. . . and more importantly, commanders. Von Clausewitz wrote the importance of not relying on information and command chain systems. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Clausewitz :
While Clausewitz was intensely aware of the value of intelligence at all levels, he was also very skeptical of the accuracy of much military intelligence: "Many intelligence reports in war are contradictory; even more are false, and most are uncertain.... In short, most intelligence is false." This circumstance is generally described as the fog of war. Such skeptical comments apply only to intelligence at the tactical and operational levels; at the strategic and political levels he constantly stressed the requirement for the best possible understanding of what today would be called strategic and political intelligence. His conclusions were influenced by his experiences in the Prussian Army, which was often in an intelligence fog due partly to the superior abilities of Napoleon's system but even more to the nature of war. Clausewitz acknowledges that friction creates enormous difficulties for the realization of any plan, and the fog of war hinders commanders from knowing what is happening. It is precisely in the context of this challenge that he develops the concept of military genius, whose capabilities are seen above all in the execution of operations.
So you need an army where units can function independently. Even if you have a great military plan: "No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy".
Not really new thinking, at all.
Nothing motivates you better to go back to the grind of corporate work than 7 years of shitty diapers.
Maybe if more geeks did this Tour of Duty, one of them would be motivated enough to invent a diaper changing machine . . . ?
. . . maybe just modifying a 3D printer with Lego Mindstorms, or something like that . . ?
. . . if only there was a way to deprecate it . . .