SaintlyBloody

Mobile games went to hell after play store happened. No development, just a billion click farm revenue maximizers and their zillion copies.

. 

a crime 

it ain't 

and

forum score

for that

I bleed

This is the essence of everything anyway, so the straightforwardness would be good. At the same time, let's not step over the line from sanity into lmao territory. We can even frame it like: 'Periodic intra-systemic war to let off steam and pre-empt the proletarian revolution.'

I think this is a question that bears more resonance to contemporary US society than necessarily anything else, but even there, and if that is thought of as a sharper manifestation of a larger global trend, with all the loosening social contracts, breaking down of structures, patterns and order, and the increasing alienation of all sections of the polity in respect of feelings of the justness of the system, I think there are all sorts of people still in the world with all kinds of appetites. Wherever one's 'unbiased' falls on the larger matrix, I think there's a supplier in the market, and that's I believe a benefit of having a 8 billion globalized globe. More people, more intensive coupling. Double formula. 

On the other hand, the business model of the mid level news aggregator seems to have taken a hit, with the trend towards either very small or very big news outlets, with mid levels becoming increasingly dependent on sponsorship - that's a different topic. And this too need not necessarily be a bad thing. 

On 6/17/2022 at 2:00 AM, Benfro said:

God I was awful when I tried to learn German. 

They for some reason tried to force it on us during postgrad. Didn't happen.

But on the plus side, there's now a permanent urge in me to pronounce totally American people's German names in a convoluted way. 

Keeps me awake after. 

Voting for the 'both' option. 

Which is very unfortunate

Is

This

Unfortunate

How

Unfortunate

Very

Is

It

A lot depends on when the sanctions start biting Russia. If they don't bite at all, or take too late (Nov-Dec), Russia will have some opportunities to try and consolidate some of their gains and hold defensive positions behind geographic barriers.

In my opinion, Ukraine's chance is now. The longer this drags on, the more it'll keep debilitating their economy. They have the momentum now, and UA counteroffensives are already tasting a lot of success. But repelling Russia from every area taken after 23rd Feb will take a lot more arms, and the US has to keep supporting them with arms. 90 howitzers can influence the result on a single battlefield, but certainly not everywhere. Much more is needed. It remains to be seen how the lend lease will work, how swiftly, and how the 40 billion will be disbursed. Hoping to see more heavy arms delivered, and in substantial quantities.

If the supply keeps coming in, UA is surely looking at good times, but pushing the Russians out of LPR/DPR/Crimea might just be over the tipping point of possibility, not least because of how deeply militarized those regions have become, and the public sentiments therein. It might also be a bit too much for any Russian government to accept.

3 hours ago, Etat said:

Indeed the problems we face pale to almost nothing in comparison to much of the world, typically scorned as first world problems, and I’m certainly drawing no comparisons to the plights of those elsewhere in the world.  My position is of course relative to my circumstances.

But on a deeper level it’s important we get things right given how integrated, and in some instances dependent, regional economies are on us.  On the surface of it screwing with our education system might not be particularly noteworthy, but looked at as a part of the broader machinations of society and government it can represent more sinister issues at heart.
 

I’ll stop now.  I love your perspective, and I still detest Australian politics

No, no, no comparisons intended! And this certainly is not what people mean when they say first world problems, not that I'd meant that. This sounds legitimately bad. I just meant that I wish to have known more about the Australian context to have been able to appreciate your perspective better, and that's a genuine wish. Given where we are situated, we are going to have to do that sooner or later, anyway.

Hopefully someone in the right place at the right time has an epiphany, and things take a better course, so that we might find some other issues to grumble about haha. Best of luck for your elections!

On 5/12/2022 at 11:58 AM, Etat said:

It is clear to me that you have a better understanding of these issues than I do, and I appreciate the time you've put into your responses  

 

I suspect you are right about centralized education being the better option in developing societies.  Indeed I believe that within the borders of Australia, regional socio-economic profiles are correlated to academic outcomes which has driven the centralized approach I loathe.  However I think they screwed it up.  If a school attracts government funding then it makes sense their IP should be available to all government funded schools with the view to bring those struggling up to a competitive standard.  Instead the government chose to impose a centrally designed curriculum with minimal scope for innovation across all schools including those producing fantastic results.  They've essentially smothered the system with regulation and testing, and now wonder why it can't breath and fails to perform.

Really though all this is about for me is an opportunity to moan about the government of the day!  We'll all be voting in the federal election very shortly, and one thing is certain....nothing will change

Really, you're too kind. But I appreciate your words.

It's just something close to my heart (or let's say something that keeps me up at night owing to how bad it is), but I have no expertise/informed understanding whatsoever except for strong opinions. To be honest, what you said sounds like a right about nightmare! I fail to understand why Australians are always so dejected about the government though, because, after all, you can yell at your Prime Minister to get off your lawn and he will demurely scurry away like a scolded child. 

That's a stereotype, ofc, and another way of saying I know too little about Australia to understand why that is. But unless I'm wrong, your country will be one of the most crucial countries in IR in this century - for many other reasons, but also for multiculturalism/immigration/first nation issues, and so far as I understand it, it'll change very deeply, and there will come many good and bad things out of that, however it changes (or doesn't change). It'll be very interesting to see how it manages the clash/fusion of so many abrupt elements at such a fast pace.