[OT] 9-11 / WTC / Y2K ... Dates ...etc...

[Negative Zero]

We use Month/Day/Year because that is the order it is usually spoken in... most people say September 11th, 2002, not "the 11th of September, 2002." ...

actually, the opposite is true. you speak that way because of the way you write it. coming from the Caribbean where we use the British day month, year format, we usually say 11th of September, 2002 ... or at least we used to say that before 90% of our TV programming became US TV

I get sort of irritated when I hear people say "ATM Machine," but I'll live.

yeah, that one bugs me too. that and PIN Number. do people even realise the redundancy? *sigh*

~NegZ

<EDIT>
well now! that'll teach me to respond to a thread without reading it all the way through! after posting my reply, i scrolled up to find that it's a whole different thread on page two! yikes!

 

[Ravellion]

I thought everyone in Holland was a Liberal ? Even those on the right included ... that is one country with very little restrictions. Which is great... I´m no fan of conservatives. What about the older people of holland ? Arent there conservatives in Holland ? Who are they ?

Yeah, everyone here seems liberal to a foreigner, but we still make distinctions between those that are pro euthanasia and against , for instance.

In government: Parliament has 150 seats. ABout 3 of those are occupied by conservative christian parties. 40 are, since last election, occupied by a centre moderately christian party (which means about a third or more of their votes come from non practising christians or atheists), 24 are occupied by right wing liberals, 23 by right wing populists, 10 by the socialist party, and the rest is occupied by smaller, mostly left wing parties.

The christian parties are most conservative, but they'll never get a majority in parliament. They voted against the gay marriage and euthanisia to no avail.

Our prime minister, form the large modrate christian party, is a very intelligent man, unfortunately, he looks like harry potter:

Rav

 

[Henry]

I know this isn't a board for political discussion, but non-American politics always fascinates me. The term "democracy" is commonly used, although most "democracies" are not, in practice - they fall somewhere between democracies and republics.

Sweden's and the Netherland's governments, with proportional representation, fascinate me, as I wonder how some things ever get done, though I know that it has to be through broad support of only the most agreed-upon issues that pass. I suspect that, if not in practice, a government model like that is what George Washington had in mind for the United States - that it be fragmented enough so that only the most important issues to the constituents passed.

 

[KDLadage]

I was an ET2 and a RO in the USN. I went to NFAS, then NNPS, then NPTU to study at MARF in class 9204. Then I was a SPU and helped test the IDE, before I got out.

I was a DP2 before the DPs became RMs. I was trained to work with the NALCOMIS and MRMMS systems within the SUADPS environment before I shifted to ONI work on CV-70. While serving there, I worked in the CVIC with the ISs and the PMs dealing with TS and higher material, running the SCIF.

The whole time I was in the Navy, I worked primarily under the umbrella of COMNAVSURFPAC and CARDESGRU5. However, while I was at SIMA (between my two sea-going commands) we tended to operate a few links down the COC from my CV days.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Sweden's and the Netherland's governments, with proportional representation, fascinate me, as I wonder how some things ever get done, though I know that it has to be through broad support of only the most agreed-upon issues that pass. I suspect that, if not in practice, a government model like that is what George Washington had in mind for the United States - that it be fragmented enough so that only the most important issues to the constituents passed.

Things do get done and probably in the same way as in the American system. If you want a bill to pass you gather all the people who agree on the bill. If you are less than 50% you need to persuade or trade with other people until they support you. When you have 50+% your all set.

In Sweden there are 7 parties in Riksdagen and the government is formed from a coalition of those. If the coalition has more than 50% of the votes in Riksdagen the goverment is considered strong. If not the government can seek alliances on an issue to issue basis. Which means that if you want to save the whales you'd invite the Green and if you want to lower the taxes you invite the right wing Moderates instead.

The 7 parties belong respectively to two blocs. Two blocs is not all that different from two big parties.

Still. The proportional system is sometimes criticized for being too fair when compared to winner takes all and first pass the post. There is a movement in Sweden that want to get a system closer to that of Britain, where the government can initiate an election at any time that suits them (within 5 years). We shall see how this turns out. Change can be very rapid in Sweden. (For example we changed from driving on the left side of the road to the right over night even though the referendum recommended no to.)

 

[Uller]

No other RPG community I know of compares.

This is true. (Hey...look at that...a liberal and a conservative agreeing on something!) I'll shut up now.

 

[Kibo]

Y2K = Year 2000 (takes out only 1 number... silly ?)

Write it how you say it.

Year two thousand.