zompist bboard

mèþru wrote:No. Iran also crushes the dissent. The difference is that Iran had already had democracy before in living memory.

Good point. I kind of meant that Iran at least a semblance of election and demonstration. Meanwhile, losing an arm is still better than losing two.

mèþru wrote:Unlike Iran, Saudi Arabia doesn't have democratic opposition groups who prepare to take the reigns.

Yes, indeed. As far as I can tell the main reason why this is the case is the way the Saudi government crushes dissent.

The quotes you put in your post indicate Corbyn has an overly positive view of the Iranian an Russian governments. If foreign policy is a area of politics significantly dearer to you than any other, then that may be reason to oppose him being prime minister. On the other hand, for other things, it's...

No religion of peace trucks have visited Poland or any of the Visegrad 4 countries, no safe/rape-free zones for women had to be created around Christmas in those countries. Is that due to more rape or more reactive government? Putin's approval rating is in the excess of 80% and that's according to ...

Of course, for example, Marine LePen's association with Neonazis could be seen as equivalent. I think the timing on some things is relevant: one guy he associated with before he 'came out' as Holocaust denier, and this was the same for some Jews.

And here is an article that counters the claims about Corbyn's association with such people: https://www.opendemocracy.net/luke-davi ... riendships

I seem to have found what you are referring to: https://grist.org/climate-energy/could-greenhouse-gases-turn-earth-into-venus/ Burning all the fossil fuels in the world would still have disastrous consequences of course: A new study suggests human activity could, in theory, bring about the end of mo...

Climate change is very important, like other environmental problems because the planet is the most important thing we have; without it in good nick, we have no (or at least collapsed) humanity. Obviously, this is far from inevitable. But steps ought to be taken by a maximum of people as soon as poss...

Austrian German doesn't have [ç], just stick to [x] and you're fine. Austrian German - best German. I don't know where you get that information; if you check this map , most of Austria is cleary in the [ç] territory. [x] in this position is more typical for Switzerland. Danke für den Querverweis, i...

I do like Queen, and hearing their songs in Japanese gets a gigle from its incongruity.

The new song by Destyn, Velona Mpanjaka Anao, is possessing me at the moment.

@rotting bones: I will read into Tibetan meditation practises (maybe later in the week). As far as I am concerned, the main benefits of meditation involve focus/concentration; it encourages me to actually contribute to my long-term goals rather than being distracted. You have mentioned a few times '...

I don't think meditation is necessarily associated with prayer or Tibetan logic or any such thing. 'The Willpower Instinct' by Kelly McGonigal is more relevant to my meditation than anything remotely religious. Automatically associating meditation with religion is also not necessarily appropriate be...

I offer the idea of turning your computer off before midnight, and going straight to a good book after breakfast and meditation. Nah. Each to his own, but I believe in emotional excess moderated by reason alone as a positive value, with minimal affective training like meditation. Mainly because I r...

I offer the idea of turning your computer off before midnight, and going straight to a good book after breakfast and meditation.

While modern Halloween comes from America, traditional Halloween comes from Scotland.
https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/events/halloween/

rotting bones wrote:I guess my current lifestyle is that of an internet addict.

Recognition is the first step to healing. i.e. take this problem seriously.

Sal: Do you watch Have I got News for you?

That reminds of the time I invited friends out, an then they texted me to confirm it was still on. I didn't notice the phone for like an hour so it got cancelled.

Tha sin ceart. Òl uisge. Na òl uisge beatha.
That's true. Drink water. Don't drink whisky.

Tha òl beachd-smaoin mhath. Bha ceann goirt orm an diugh. A-réir an òraid seo , tha dlùth-bheachd goireasach cuideachd. Drinking's a good idea. I had a headache today. According to this talk , meditation is useful too. Let's talk syntax for a moment: Gaelic is even stricter than English or French w...

Both of those posts i.e. both malloc's and linguoboy's.

I would like to have more information on both of those to understand them better.

Cha n n eil mi cinnteach cia a bha gam c h uideachadh mi le mo chuid G àidhlig (Balach-cànan? :P), ach tha mi a' smaoineachadh, gun robh mi cearr le cuideigin. [1]Fhuair mi air http://faclair.com/ gu bheil 'a dhà' a' ciallachadh 'a dhà' "dà" ann an seagh "counting form used if not followed by a nou...

Tha crìtheol na reinion eadar a dhà[1]: feumar roimhear air uairibh mar a'[2] fhraingis, feumar call air uairibh mar a n tS uaithili. Creole is between the two: sometimes you need a preposition like in French, sometimes nothing like in Swahili. [1] Is it possible to use a bare number pronominally G...

Je compatis.
I sympathise.

Already here, the distance, and even more so the border agents, usually mean a month-long wait. There it's even longer.

That's why I changed the address to my parents' place, and then they scan the documents for me. Would that be possible in your case?

Yeah, in theory. But it seems I only narrowly got out of being called to court because I supposedly the Students Loan Company hundreds of pounds because I supposedly hadn't sent them a letter indicating my earnings on time. When another person from the same organisation had already told me everythin...