Last post wins!!!!!

[j_tour]

And I wish I could, but I'm the only person in this country who doesn't own a gun.

Yes, me too.  But now that I'm out of the DUII diversion program (meaning that drink driving charges have been dismissed, but in my US state, it's permanently part of my judicial record that I completed a year's worth of "training" in alcohol use with regular, random urine tests) I can get my concealed carry permit.  I have to be interviewed by the county sheriff, and next appointment available is months away.

In the meantime I'm having a suit tailored for me, which is expensive.  No, not "concert dress" black, but this nice 12 oz. black flannel, with double vents, unconstructed shoulders, ticket pocket, and 3/2 button lapel roll.

It's primarily for funerals, but with a nice bit of style to it, and, of course, fitting me perfectly.

You can buy a decent shotgun for about three hundred $US.  Think Mossberg 500 or Mossberg Maverick or Remington 870.  Don't keep a cartridge in the chamber, though.  The safeties are not that reliable, when and if they exist, especially if you intend to hang it over your front door.

[perfect_pitch]

You can buy a decent shotgun for about three hundred $US.  Think Mossberg 500 or Mossberg Maverick or Remington 870.  Don't keep a cartridge in the chamber, though.  The safeties are not that reliable, when and if they exist, especially if you intend to hang it over your front door

Do you think the Americans will ever give up gun control??? It seems like shooting are getting more and more numerous each year. Is having a gun that fantastic? I've fired a few of them, but don't see why I'd need to own one.

[j_tour]

Do you think the Americans will ever give up gun control??? It seems like shooting are getting more and more numerous each year. Is having a gun that fantastic? I've fired a few of them, but don't see why I'd need to own one.

Well, a Strine of all people should ask this.

Yeah, it is a bit of a fetish, IMHO, but there is a certain vain attraction to being permitted to carry a weapon.

No, I cannot explain it, exactly, but since one is allowed, why not?

It's a fun games now, but speaking truly as a Yankee...I have some reasonable articulation that the police and the military are not exactly comme il faut.  No, not have any delusions about some militia or tough guy whatever, but I think it's reasonable to exercise one's rights as it is.

[perfect_pitch]

Okay - follow-up question. Do you think there are FAR more suicide by cop incidents, (aka people being shot by police) because the police are 24/7 on edge about who could be carrying a gun, and potentially pull one on them every time they reach into their pocket or their jacket???

[j_tour]

Okay - follow-up question. Do you think there are FAR more suicide by cop incidents, (aka people being shot by police) because the police are 24/7 on edge about who could be carrying a gun, and potentially pull one on them every time they reach into their pocket or their jacket???

How the eff would I know?

In the states, there is an absurd notion that the civilians who are "law enforcement" people differ somehow from other civilians.  No, they are not any part of a military unit, but they have special rules, somehow:  up to and including non accountability for their crimes while under color of law.

I don't wish to defend any part of gun-crazy nonsense, but IMHO, if a civilian like a policeman or whatever is allowed to use a weapon against his or her co-civilians, then I see no harm in availing myself of that same right, as a civilian.

Anyway, my training is certainly equal or better than some other random civilian "law enforcement officer."  It's not like these people in the US have any special qualifications, nor have any training beyond what is available to any other random citizen.

Okay - follow-up question. Do you think there are FAR more suicide by cop incidents, (aka people being shot by police) because the police are 24/7 on edge about who could be carrying a gun, and potentially pull one on them every time they reach into their pocket or their jacket???

And more directly to your point, yes. 

Why?   Well, there is the fact that the civilian "law enforcement" group of citizens are emboldened by color of law to do whatever they wish, with very few consequences.

And that this civilian group of law "enforcers" have access to weapons which are not allowed to we mere subgroup of civilians.

The "police" IOW, are an angry mob who are not held accountable except in rare circumstances.

Yes, it is an outrageous situation, IMHO, and I agree that this group of untrained civilians should be held accountable for their acts of violence.

[perfect_pitch]

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Turns out that missing a few days to work on a long-term project means that you get locked out of your pianostreet account.

[j_tour]

And, actually, who gives a good goddamned about some statistical reality like "gun-related homicide deaths" or whatever?  So what? 

I personally have not been killed by a firearm, nor do I care about in which way others are killed.  A chacun son goût, really. 

And, no, I don't give two tin sheets about whatever "zomg mass hysteria school shooting."

People are nuts.  They've been going beserk for millenia.

Probably better it's with a firearm than with a machete.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

People are nuts.  They've been going beserk for millenia.

Probably better it's with a firearm than with a machete.

Well said.

Though the rest of it borders on insanity.

[perfect_pitch]

And, no, I don't give two tin sheets about whatever "zomg mass hysteria school shooting."

And the fact that most countries around the world don't even have to worry about school shootings... that doesn't alert you to the fact that something must be wrong about America???

[j_tour]

And the fact that most countries around the world don't even have to worry about school shootings... that doesn't alert you to the fact that something must be wrong about America???

Well, bully for the rest of the world.

It must be nice living in a land of no problems, with a solution for every disease.

I'm glad you've such an idyllic view of the world, through those rose glasses.

I find your view simplistic, reductionist, unnuanced, and worthy of dismissal.

It is possible to triage "problems of the world" in order of importance.

Access to potable drinking water is a good one.  Hunger, famine.  Climate change.  Brutal genocides or attempts at thereof.  Extortionary prices of life-saving medical processes.  Disturbing world-wide trends to autocracy.  Automobile dependence.  The nonsensical faith in AI.  Monetary policy as mishandled by central banks (although I won't say deliberately....IMHO it's an unavoidable side effect of mainstream monetary policy as distributed worldwide).  And so forth.

Oh, something about a pandemic I seem to recall.  Take your pick.

Then maybe when we go down the list, we can deal with some few maniacs running around shooting their pistols at people.  Not that those incidents aren't regrettable, but, is that really the only bullet point, so to speak, worth highlighting?

Priorities, man.

Are you going to be killed by a firearm?  Probably not.  Neither am I.  I find it much more likely that I will die in an automobile accident or of a preventable disease, likely caused by my dissolute lifestyle. 

C'mon man.  I don't want to go there, but you seem fixated on beating some soundbite-level drum, and it's irritating, especially since I suspect you can do better.

Besides, I don't like children, particularly, so color me insensitive, but they probably deserve what they get.

Yes, that last sentence is a bit of a joke....a bit of dark humor.

But what I say is, I believe, correct.  Fix problems that are more important, and will save more lives and improve standards of living for people globally, instead of obsessing about some rich, white, fat, Yankee nerds who go shooting up some joint and tagging a handful of rich people every once in a while.  ZOMG, yes, that's clearly a priority.

But don't let me stop your voyeuristic interest in reading the latest headlines, instead of taking a sober, rational look at the problems that confront the world whose actors don't have always the privilege of taking front page manufactured outrage-headlines as relevant to their own lives.  Whose lives?  Well, it's understandable if you don't recognize them, since these invisible unfortunates apparently don't rate in the book of people with first world problems.

So-called "gun violence" is so far down the list of things to be concerned about.  Huge populations in India, many parts of Africa, are not doing well.  Much of Europe is threatened by fascistic ultra right maniacs.

International trade and logistics is imperilled.  Vast trade is predicated upon indentured servitude, and de facto slavery.

The unspeakable cruelties of war are being waged daily throughout the globe.

But, yes, by all means, bring your little pet project about some losers with their little pop-pop guns, which neither directly affects you nor anyone you know or will ever know.

Clearly, that's what's most important.

[perfect_pitch]

Well... that does seem to be a very well thought out answer to my question. You bring up a lot of great points but I don't want to get into it really as it can be quite dire thinking about the world and its future.

However I had to laugh in regards to your comment about the pandemic... here in Perth, I could count the amount of cases we had in Western Australia in 2020 and 2021... using just my fingers... and not even using all of them.

Gotta admit - Perth is a bloody nice place to live.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

I'd like to add on that there are much more pressing issues involving violence...
Notably, the Russo-Ukraine War* (which I would go so far as to say is a genocide), the various civil wars in the Middle East (Syria, Libya, Yemen, etc.), the Hamas-Israeli War, and numerous other conflicts around the world.

*The side effects of this conflict have been incredibly far-reaching, even outside of political conflicts. Ukraine was easily one of the most important food exporters on the planet, even making up 54% of global sunflower meal exports and 46% of global sunflower oil exports 2021. Some countries imported more than 25% of their food from Ukraine alone. (I even found one source that claimed around 90% of Egypt's 110 million people are reliant on Ukrainian food exports.) Naturally, none of this made it to the rest of the world for a few months after the start of the war, causing famines all around the globe in developing countries. Is ending this conflict (in it's 3rd year and responsible for the deaths of more than 500,000 people, plus many others whose deaths were caused by the sudden famines) really less important than ending school shootings (responsible for about 120 casualties/year in the US)?

[perfect_pitch]

Is ending this conflict (in it's 3rd year and responsible for the deaths of more than 500,000 people) really less important than ending school shootings (responsible for about 120 casualties/year in the US)?

As of Dec 7th, 2003, at least 40,167 people have died from gun violence in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive – which is an average of almost 118 deaths each day.

40,000 people a year from guns... and you don't think that's a big priority???

[j_tour]

40,000 people a year from guns... and you don't think that's a big priority???

No more than deaths from automobile accidents, which have hovered around that ballpark figure consistently for years.

With strict enforcement and harsh penalties, one may have a chance of reducing the much worse problem of the reign of terror of the automobile, particularly in the US.  One might also consider what is likely possible, politically and practically, vis-a-vis firearms in the US.  What worked, so one claims, in parts of Australia, may not be so evident elsewhere.

And how many of those "gun" deaths were (i) suicides or (ii) criminals shooting their own competitors?  I really don't know, but it's not none.

I'd prefer to focus attention on real problems facing the globe, even apart from the multiple atrocities of the wars in several distinct regions.

Yes, that's right.  I'm claiming that the United States and its many problems need not be the center of the world's attention.  It may be time to pay attention to the global "scene" and not fritter away time engaged in some one nation's problems, as though it were the main relevant actor on the world stage.

About guns?  Eff em.  If some thugs or bogans want to off each other, or cops wish to execute extra-judicially citizens, or some sad sack wants to off themselves...well, that's perhaps not ideal, but there are bigger fish to fry.

For example, how to keep people like Mr. Orange, Marine Le Pen, Putin, Xi Jinping, and whatever that NK a-hole "new model" is called from normalizing radically offensive ideologies.

There are also certain issues that could benefit from attention, like climate science, sustainable agricultural innovations, and even perhaps curing diseases to which we all must succumb.

For our literary forumites, I remind you of what Horace wrote famously in his Ars poetica:  "parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus."

That's a valid, relevant point, IMHO.

So is "choose your battles."

As is the ever popular "Bite me."

And I'll repeat:  the US is not a role model, even though some elements from within might pretend that to be so.  Why the undue fixation on one nation, when there are many many problems of global importance that should be addressed collectively? 

If you like, say the US is the troll, and therefore one shouldn't feed it.

40,000 people a year from guns... and you don't think that's a big priority???

Sure.  It is if one lives in the US and is directly affected by this:  it could be a pet project.

It's obviously not a big priority compared to the hundreds of millions of people who perish due to warfare, malnourishment, untreated medical ailments.

It is nothing.  It is one nation, and regrettably has increasingly chosen to disengage from global partnerships to improve actual problems.

No, that number is trivial compared to those hundreds of millions of people, if not more, who suffer daily, and for want of available treatments and solutions.

However I had to laugh in regards to your comment about the pandemic... here in Perth, I could count the amount of cases we had in Western Australia in 2020 and 2021... using just my fingers... and not even using all of them.

Ahem...that you know of. 

Besides, we all don't have access to the healing powers of Vegemite.  It's a product of limited export.

J'accuse!  Hoarding life-saving supplies for the good of Western Australia!  Despicable!

 

[perfect_pitch]

Geez... and I thought some of my posts were long. I'll try and sum up my points with a little more conciseness...

• Every day probably about 100,000,000 people drive to work each day. Having the same amount of gun-related deaths as car accidents is the concern. I've driven for 20 years and only ever had one car accident, but god damn I hope never to be shot.
• Half the time it isn't thugs offing each other off unfortunately... there are lots of stories about innocent bystanders being shot by some twat who just lost his job or something.
• Most of the ideologies put forth by Putin, Kim Jong-Un etc... rise from someone being in power so long they've let the power go straight to their head; that's why we get the ability to vote someone out if they're doing a sh*t job... like Albanese in a few months, and like you did to Trump in 2020.
• Vegemite is sh*t... and taste like spreadable sh*t.
• ...and last but not least, if you're going to quote me, at least have the decency to use my full name and not abbreviate it to p_p like some teenager. I always address you by your full name, or shall I start calling you JT from now on... or dumb it down even further to JayT.   

Mmmm... I kind of like using the list feature. I may have to use it more often.

[j_tour]

• Every day probably about 100,000,000 people drive to work each day. Having the same amount of gun-related deaths as car accidents is the concern. I've driven for 20 years and only ever had one car accident, but god damn I hope never to be shot.

What's it to you?  So don't come visit the states!  Gun-totin' slap-happy pistol-packin' Merkins are not generally in the habit of shipping firearms to random people across the globe. Not on an individual level, outside of military actions.  Joe Gun private citizen isn't doing that, so don't worry about it.

And if you do, learn from Krystian Zimermann and do *not* bring your own piano!

You can be an amusing toy to play with, p_p, but some times it does not seem that you find a simple solution right under your nose.

There is not a practical path to eliminating gun ownership in the US.  None, whatsoever.  It will never happen, no matter under whose watch. 

Not to mention that federalism guarantees that there will be at best a patchwork of wildly divergent laws from state-to-state.  That will never change, and in fact that best resembles the current state of the union in the US.

So, why you spinning your gears so much?  Let it go.

And, as it seems we all agree, there are far more important issues at hand which affect more than one nation.

• Vegemite is sh*t... and taste like spreadable sh*t.

Saved you happy few from CV-19, didn't it?

• I always address you by your full name, or shall I start calling you JT from now on...

Sorry, but no.  You have always capitalized one or two letters of my handle, which is a misspelling.  It has always annoyed me, but rarely enough to comment upon it.

And, indeed, some old friends of my extended family do indeed call me "JT," IRL, being that my middle name is Ed, and Ted is an anglophone nickname for Ed, for some damned reason. 

[perfect_pitch]

Saved you happy few from CV-19, didn't it?

Yeah... that's the cure for Covid... eating vegemite. That's how science works...

Shame Trump didn't try that 'injecting bleach into yourself' idea of his; could have saved some poor sniper a grizzly death last week.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Sweden and Denmark have fought more wars with each-other than Britain and France.

[perfect_pitch]

Sweden and Denmark have fought more wars with each-other than Britain and France.

Is that because usually the French rock up, throw their hands in the air and say...

'I zurrender'...

 

[j_tour]

Is that because usually the French rock up, throw their hands in the air and say...

The business of the French is war, and they excel at their métier.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Is that because usually the French rock up, throw their hands in the air and say...

'I zurrender'...

 

Hate to be a "well actually," but...

France is one of the most successful nations, military-wise. They've won around 80-90% of the wars they've participated in. I'm guessing you got this misconception from France's performance in WW2, a war that they won.

And before you say "that was mostly Napoleon," removing him actually causes the French win % to increase

[perfect_pitch]

Hate to be a "well actually," but...

France is one of the most successful nations, military-wise. They've won around 80-90% of the wars they've participated in. I'm guessing you got this misconception from France's performance in WW2, a war that they won.

And before you say "that was mostly Napoleon," removing him actually causes the French win % to increase

Aaach... you're no fun. It's fun trying to keep alive the jokes of the internet, but you sully it with your 'logic' and your 'facts'.



God damnit - we need to keep these memes alive for future generations to laugh at.

That... is *** horrifying. HORRIFYING... What the *** is wrong with you???

[liszt-and-the-galops]

*wins*

[j_tour]

That... is *** horrifying. HORRIFYING... What the *** is wrong with you???

[liszt-and-the-galops]

I've decided that I'm just going to make low-effort posts in here from now on, as keeping a conversation going is difficult and unrewarding. Better to get easy wins than harder ones.

[perfect_pitch]

I've decided that I'm just going to make low-effort posts in here from now on, as keeping a conversation going is difficult and unrewarding. Better to get easy wins than harder ones.

Yes... you already demonstrated that when you wrote, and I quote:

*wins*

I thought you were better than that...



DOUBLE SHAME!!!!!

[liszt-and-the-galops]

win

[perfect_pitch]

I've lost respect for you... J_Tour is putting in essay style writing responses and he's funny, witty and at times strange, but he entertains.

[j_tour]

I've lost respect for you... J_Tour is putting in essay style writing responses and he's funny, witty and at times strange, but he entertains.

That's right!  Say my name!  Say it! 

Now spell it!  Yes, do it now! 

That's right kids.  Daddy's here, and he's taking off his belt again.  The meatman cometh.

[perfect_pitch]

That's right kids.  Daddy's here, and he's taking off his belt again.  The meatman cometh.

And that is why you don't take off your belt. No one wants to see your family jewels.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

win

[j_tour]

And that is why you don't take off your belt. No one wants to see your family jewels.

I take off my belt to give them a whupping when they needs have it.

Leaving my money on the street like that, know they shouldn't be.

And who is this fool who thinks that speed is necessary to win this thread?

Bet he's popular with the ladies.  Mr. Quickdraw.  Wear dark pants, son:  it won't show until it's dried.

[perfect_pitch]

win

I bet it took you longer to type that, than you spend with the ladies in bed...



That's it - I'm going back to putting you on the ignore list.

Also... who is this guy meant to be?

Pictures so tiny it looks like it was taken from a web-site created in 1994.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

There is no point in posting something longer than a few characters, since it can be completely invalidated by someone who optimized.

[j_tour]

Also... who is this guy meant to be?

That's McCloud!  You ignorant slut!   

[liszt-and-the-galops]

That's McCloud!  You ignorant [bleep]!   

...

[perfect_pitch]

[perfect_pitch]

Optimise that ***.     

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Wrong thread for double posting.

[perfect_pitch]

You seemingly failed in witnessing my epic glory of winning without displaying a singular character on screen.

I managed to surpass even your 'supposed brilliance'.

Also... no one cares about that 2nd to last post wins, because at best - there's only been 384 replies in approximately 290 days since it began, so that makes not even 1.4 posts a day (going off the top of my head), or 0.7 REAL posts since most people double post...

...whereas, this thread despite it's longevity has seen approximately 4.2 posts a day over an 11 year span which is far more prevalent and still continues to provide entertainment to all who read it TO THIS VERY DAY.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

That isn't 0 characters. That's 47.

[perfect_pitch]

You seemingly failed in witnessing my epic glory of winning without displaying a singular character on screen.

You don't read too good... do you???

[j_tour]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[perfect_pitch]

Mmmm... so even Wonder woman is vulnerable to roofies and rohypnol...

This information is MOST useful.

Anyone know where Gal Gadot lives???

[j_tour]

Mmmm... so even Wonder woman is vulnerable to roofies and rohypnol...

This information is MOST useful.

Anyone know where Gal Gadot lives???

You should probably master the exercises in this classic text.

I've heard the Israelis are not particularly lenient to harrassment of their citizens.

She probably lives in Los Angeles, though.  I dunno.  I heard she's completely insane, though, and really, really dumb.

[perfect_pitch]

Stick control??? EXCUSE ME???

I know how to use my stick... I am a master of my stick. I don't need a book telling me how to use it...

[j_tour]

I know how to use my stick... I am a master of my stick. I don't need a book telling me how to use it...

Sure thing, Spanky.  We believe in you.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

win

[j_tour]

win

Wait....almost got it....the R generation. 

Good job.  Now go play in traffic or whatever you people do.