Merv's Politically Incorrect Audio Blog

Wouldn't that depend on your goals? For example, I can't imagine owning a street-legal sports car with anything but a manual transmission. Why? Because I want to be fully involved in the process of managing the car and what it is doing. There is nothing more satisfying that driving a proper sports car properly managing the manual gearbox.

Now, if I am racing a car and I want to go as fast as possible, I want a full race DCT with paddle shifting. But a DCT is a street legal sports car would bore the hell out of me during spirited driving in the twisties or on the track.

I have to say that a big part of racing my air-cooled 911 is proper management of the transmission. Being able to heel-n-toe and double declutch at racing speeds is immensely satisfying.

 

I think this is the appropriate place. Took a break, will keep it brief.

Just so you know I am Dutch and live in the EU. Honestly I do not care how many guns a person has. What matters is that you are in control of your weapon and yourself. In the Netherlands the state has the monopoly to enforce violence (because Montesquieu's "Trias Politica" became enforced). There is one problem, the streets do not care so if you have to you have to do what is necessary. The absurdity is that burglars can actually sue a home-owner/inhabitant for assault and abuse because then they become victims. So yeah, talk about confusing and that is just the start (;do not get me started on the police).

Next there is the factor of having been trained in martial arts (with and without weapons mind you!). When you are taught well and spar regularly you learn more than you think. There is no point hurting your opponent beyond necessity. You can go for that high kick to the temple but if you are not going for the T.K.O. to win the tournament or defending yourself to just stay alive. (Yes I know my example is a bit exaggerated but it serves a purpose. You do not want to be hit with such a technique by a seasoned practitioner.)

Lastly, Europe has been in almost constant violent turmoil since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in about 476 A.D. Even the Netherlands are a the product of basically a civil war and/or up-rising. (Philips II of Spain was an asshole!). In Europe and I think also in other regions of the world with a long history of violent turmoil there is an sensitivity towards certain situations (China and Japan have a bloody past, not to mention Russia and Eastern Europe.) Look into the history of the civilisations before Alexander the Great took over, makes you appreciate the briefness of the Bible (,reading the Old Testament is not fun). When people look at the U.S.A. in the past years I cannot blame them for going "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot." I am tired of it so I accept that the world could be worse. Seriously, my love for history is also a curse.

This is where I must stop. I just went through a lot in three paragraphs and I am not finished figuring it out yet, maybe never.

P.S. I know the media play a big part in the developments of the recent years. Always have multiple sources to compare, in doubt double check. Often times these days I keep my silence until I had time to read more.

 

Oh I'm aware, but Florida is slowly turning into the next California since everyone is moving here like mad. The state government doesn't want to spend too much since as you know we don't have an income state and they actually keep a budget. Downsides: the highway and roads infrastructure is not enough with the fast growth of people moving into Florida with a 20mil population is a problem, and two our public education system isn't really the best since the state is cheap with the spending. My employer with our internal communication didn't want to expand their Florida office because they consider the education quality in FL to suck compared to the states in the north.

Personally, after living here for two decades I actually want to leave Florida. The heat and humidity 8 months of the year just drain me out. I can't go outside if it is high humidity and even 80s. it sucks to spend most of your summer days inside because it is too freaking hot.

 

Haha, no, not really, but if I have to choose a testament, I prefer Old. Maybe that's because, out of the Judeo-Christian thing I prefer the Judeo- bit (although I'm not Jewish). Or maybe it's because I'm... Old!

 

Hard for me to read the bible since so much murder, misogynistic stories, obedience to an invisible man, and pure ignorance. I guess that's why this Jew is agnostic borderline atheist.

Part of it is also that I live in the American South for two decades. Church is still the most segregated hour in the American South, and I even met some people who still believe the "Mark of Cain" gives people the right to make segregation laws and attitudes where blacks go to this one part of town and whites stay in another part of town. I even met a few people who want to repeal the First Amendment so they can make Christianity the official religion of the US.

People have the right to do as they please, but my goodness their attitudes gets old after a while.

 

But in some states like Florida for example it would reduce the traffic and air pollution by 50% at least.
In terms of driver testing and gun purchase I would go for small improvements: how about mandatory driver test for anyone older than 90?
the lady who hit me when I was riding my bicycle in Florida was 92 at the time of the accident and could not even turn her neck to look left or right. During they court deposition she did not even remember she had an accident, she was very surprised when the showed her police records. Guess what? She is 94 now and still has valid driver license. I pretty sure she owns a few guns as well.

 

Remember FL doesn't have a good public transportation system, it's a car state. No car = hardship for millions.

Also as I stated in my previous post, FL State Government is CHEAP. They don't want the state to run a deficit, so they are very conservative on spending, including any taxes. In matter of fact, we did a constitution amendment where any request for a tax hike requires a super majority in both cambers in the capital before the Gov has the right to sign off on it.

So besides the state is cheap, people in FL don't want to pay too much into local government. Tax Collector offices are our local DMV offices. Due to money and the amount of people moving to FL like crazy, they need to keep everything basic as possible. If we do the harsh driving requirements, it would throw a brick into the process, and no way the local Tax Collector offices can get extra funding due to any major requirement change.

For those who don't live in the US, people within the US move to FL due to it's tax haven status. It isn't cool paying $15,000 on property taxes if you home is only worth $300,000 in NJ, before any other taxes. That's why we get a lot of retirees from various income levels moving to FL like my father. Keep the most amount of money post retirement. These are also the same type of folks who don't want to pay anything extra into local government. Not all retirees are rich, so I get why some will not vote for any tax increases and will aim for less taxers and less government.

Where I live in Jax there's a major fight in having a Half Cent Sales Tax Increase on the ballot to fix our crappy public schools. The Republicans don't really want it on the ballot for people to vote on due to they want money for Private Charter Schools. Some don't want it for racist reasons. Some of our most crappiest schools are in the poor black areas of town, and some of the older white conservative voters that I hang out at my local Cigar shop told me that they will vote no since they don't want the money to go to the black schools that needs it the most.

The secret of FL is most people here care about one thing the most: How much money I keep in my pocket without paying anything extra to government? I don't care about the quality of gov services if I keep my money is the common logic here.

 

Damn, I hate this authorised-by-god thing. Whatever god it is.

 

what is that?
I live in Ontario most of the year where taxes are way higher than Florida but I would never put the words like "quality" and government services" in one statement. The state of the infrastructure: roads, bridges etc in Florida comparing to Ontario is amazing.

Is this really their motivation, or you are implying that? Your confidence that that once the money is collected by government it would go to the schools that need it most amazes me.

 

There's people here in FL who don't mind gov services to be weaker or worse if it means lowering taxes on their properties. You have to live in FL to understand.

Yes, it's their motivation word to word. I'm not saying that the money to fix our schools will solve everything, but it's a start. We are already having white flight were those who happen to be white are leaving Jacksonville to move to the towns/countries top/bottom of Jax since for one they don't like how Jacksonville is becoming crowed, and two is due to schools. I just talked to my coworker at work today and he is planning to leave Jacksonville to move to the most pricey St. Johns County area because the schools are so much better for his daughter, and he happen to be white (I know three families who happen to be white left Jax for St. Johns County). The voters in St. Johns County did vote to increase their taxes for the school system since it is one of the fastest growing districts in FL. Also, these are voters are mostly mostly white middle-upper class and have the income to put the money into the investment.

Compare to other cities in FL, Jacksonville for the size is poor for school funding. As I stated in my other post, my employer didn't want to increase the office I'm working in due to the questionable quality of our school systems. The whole School Sales Tax fight doesn't always bold well for employers who are thinking about relocating to the Jax market if they want quality educated employees.

 

But who's doing to run the bingo games for our retirees?
Who is going to take care of our golf courses?
Where the rich people going to next?

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

You should visit Naples, home to the ultra rich and early bird specials.

 

That would be easy since I don't drive like an idiot on the street.....I save hard driving for where it is relatively sane to do so...the track.

 

Throwing away the key is modern hippie dippie bullshit that wastes taxpayer money. Just kill em all. None of this bullshit appeal process for multiple incidents of recidivism. The argument that it is more expensive is asinine; bullets are cheap. The appeals process should be streamlined to spit out “DECLINED” like a credit card reader.

The USA also needs to just take away drivers’s licenses for effectively life. More liberal countries than the USA will take licenses away for a decade or more. A liberal area near me used to have some of the most lax drunk driving laws in the country.

 

Alexander the Great put hundreds of localities the sword and crucified 2000 people at Tyre. He killed the men, took the women, and wasn’t really any more modern than anyone who came before or after him; he just led an army that was better, more systematic, and professional than prior armies at what armies do: kill people and break shit.