And yet, somehow the next morning both he and the Booty Bandit would be released on good behavior. After a lengthy discussion over the course of the previous night, the Booty Bandit would have achieved self actualization and would go on to lead a productive life. Nexxo would go back to pwning noobs on Bit-tech. The net gain would be +1 happy, and the world would continue spinning onward and onward.
Actually this is something I've never really understood myself. Everyone (yes, even identical twins and I grew up with a few) is different in some way and as our features are all generally the same the smaller differences stand out more to me. Then again, maybe I'm abnormal in that I look for differences as much as I do similarities. People are as different in the way they walk or even stand as they are in physical features, let alone bringing conversational mannerisms in to the equation. Each to their own I suppose but that particular mentality always struck me as an excuse for treating anyone not from your own group as another stereotype instead of it being a valid argument. I realise that this was most likely intended as a joke but it could actually be a fairly enlightening social experiment. If it was cleared with the "powers that be" first (police, transport authority et al - I object to being either arrested or shot) then it could be a way of measuring public response to racial and cultural stereotypes. Which would cause the greatest response doing exactly the same thing? Arabic, Asian, Black, Oriental or White? (I don't know the politically correct terms, I prefer not to. A spade is a spade rather than a "long handled digging implement" in my world) Then you'd have to start looking at sub types such as physical appearance, size, apparent emotional state etc. It could actually be a better use of taxpayers money than the usual "research" funded by the Ministry for the Bleedin' Obvious is. Should you require the token white, long haired, bearded, beergutted, big thug then I volunteer as a prime example of the stereotype. I tend to balls that one up as soon as I open my mouth (English with received pronunciation tends to do that to people) but I volunteer as the "scary white dude". With regards to the original topic - in my opinion they are 100% wrong. It doesn't matter how many or how few people are affected by this it is still wrong. Essentially the French government have taken a position of both religious and cultural intolerance that's likely to bite them in the arse sooner or later (my personal bet is on later but it'll be a biggie). I'm actually very glad that the same ruling was not passed here, doing so would only have increased the cultural divide rather than helping. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with discrimination of any form (particularly the form I receive as a single, white, English male with no children who's been paying taxes since 18, NI contributions since 16 and been unemployed for a grand total of 7 months in 18 years (I'm not counting the time spent before I left school) but let's not go there, OK?) and am rather fierce regarding my own cultural identity - I'm not British, I'm English. Beyond 400 years it's a touch difficult to trace when your surname is Smith. I still reserve the right to maintain a stiff upper lip, speak precisely and discuss the weather as well as complain about the "Blasted Frenchies". I'll also fiercely defend the right of another to maintain their own cultural identity unless they try to remove the right to have my own. However, I do realise that there should be a number of provisos. I tend to wear a hat - it has a low crown and a wide brim but I am expected to remove it in certain areas, e.g. the bank, post office, pubs with CCTV. I'm used to this (it's also the correct thing to do when indoors) but I would hope that, to a degree, the same principle is applied to those that choose to wear a burka. Yes, some degree of appreciation for cultural requirements ought to be given but it should be considered but there's no need to go apeshit about it. Please note that I have avoided mentioning religion here, there's a reason for that. Personally I'm a polytheistic, pagan, agnostic - if there is a "God" there's certainly more than one, the world would be significantly less screwed up otherwise - but I respect others beliefs (right up to the point where they try to ram it down my throat as "the only way". I feel exactly the same way about Vegans as I do about "devout" Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses. Then it's a case of "Them's fightin' words" - I do so love confusing the devout with concepts that haven't occurred in their oh so small view of the world ) I honestly don't believe that the issue here should be considered religious, it's cultural instead. The girlfriend of one of my older brothers is a Turkish Muslim - she certainly doesn't see the need for a burka. Fair enough, she doesn't eat pork products (I don't generally do so myself but because I don't like it rather than any religious requirement) or shellfish and she doesn't drink alcohol (this is greater grounds for suspicion in my family than anything else as a clan gathering usually involves at least 3 crates of beer and a bottle or two of JD) but her religion is completely unimportant. She's a good lass, has her head screwed on right (signficantly more so than my brother but that's not exactly difficult) and has her own beliefs. She doesn't give us **** about her preferences, we don't give her **** about ours. Simple. If only it worked that way more often...
I like you. Want to be BFF's? We can high five each other while devising social experiments and debating the respective merits of polytheism vs. atheism. Be warned however, we will violently disagree regarding the 'blasted frenchies'. Although their politics leave a lot to be desired, French ladies happen to be my only uncontrollable vice. I mean seriously.
Violent disagreement takes too much effort that's better spent on other things (e.g. pursuing a vendetta against the little scrote that decided to teabag me in an online game. That's time well spent illustrating the fact that while I may be older and slower I'm also infinitely more sneaky), I prefer the "agree to disagree" approach. At least part of the reason I dig at the French is that, apart from the traditional enmity, parts of my family are 50% French at a bare minimum (taking into account the part that's definitely Norman in origin and so technically speaking "French", despite the fact that they were really Vikings) so I feel entitled to do so. You're not allowed to dig at a nation until at least part of your family is from there. It's why the Scots and Welsh get a free pass from me. If we can substitute a gentlemanly handshake for this foreign "high five" mullarkey (along with the appropriate comment along the lines of "Well done sir, dashed fine job there") then you're on!
I'm with you guys. . Being a bit of a Steampunk afficionado I am all for the traditional British handshake. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And given that my convoluted bloodline contains about 16 different nationalities over the last five generations (mine is not so much a family tree as an overgrown bed of weeds) I can mercilessly take the piss out of everybody. And I do (it would be wrong to waste such opportunities). As for French women, Audrey Tatou is indeed hot. But I studied in Rome for a while and the women there... I mean, damn!
A hollowpoint bullet does not shatter that much, the pieces are so small that they are usually left within the body. What you are thinking of is properly the "DumDum" bullet where you cut the point of the bullet, resulting in the bullet splitting in several bigger pieces.
Nobody complained in the 70's when balaclavas were all the rage. you'd prolly be gunned down now as some kinda terrorist threat. Sheesh I can remember the 70's I miss tank tops
I remember the 70's, and tank tops were cool..........then I also remember the balaclavas, damn they used to itch!
My mum bought me a tank top in tartan in 1978, for the World Cup, to show support for her home country (Scotland). This may have been OK if we lived in Scotland, but we were living in Woolwich in London at the time. Needless to say I got into a few playground scuffles cos of that damned tank top I think I ended up ripping it accidentally on purpose iirc. EDIT: I also ended up with tartan flares and a frilly collared shirt too.
I got pictures as a kid in the 70's.. my mom put these huge collars on me- I mean I could have flown away =]
