Posts by copperwolf16

Anthony Ward6 said:Teaching is a regulated profession, which means having a degree or license is a legal requirement for the job. So, if you want to be a math professor, you have to go to college and pass certain exams.

But if you want to be a senior developer, you can just pull up a YouTube tutorial and get to work, or sign up for a course and stack some certifications. I guess there's no real reason to grind through five years of university when you can do the job without any formal degree at all.

So, maybe we should be cutting funding for industries where a degree isn't even necessary, rather than targeting teaching programs, for heaven's sake.

It isn't quite that simple; nobody is going to hire you as a senior developer without a substantial number of years of actual, hands-on experience. You can't exactly watch a few YT videos and suddenly become a senior developer. Sure, you can start out as a junior developer—the demand is high enough that if you have talent and put in the effort, you can find a foot in the door—but believe me, a college degree remains a worthwhile investment for that career path.
On the other hand, it is, in a sense, an unregulated profession—though it is unregulated by the government, which is actually a great thing. The less involvement from the state, the better!

"Furthermore, this system is clearly designed for those who are financially well-off—meaning anyone with enough capital can essentially buy an unfair advantage right out of the gate."

I happen to have the funds, but I have them precisely because I refuse to waste them on such nonsense. :-D
Listen, everyone—instead of enrolling your children in these intensive, high-priced after-school tutoring programs, why not simply spend quality time with them? Work through math problems together, draw, discuss nature or the changing seasons, read, play music, or just engage in play... you see? You cover the entire curriculum while simultaneously building a bond with your children. That is exactly what I do. I haven't spent a single dime on specialized prep courses or extra-curricular enrichment programs, yet my child earns straight A's and masters the material with ease. At this stage, the best approach is truly to let them learn through the simple joy of daily interaction.

gentleharbor3 said:Really interesting lecture by American neorealist John Mearsheimer
who visited the University of Chicago back in 2015, about a year and a half after Maidan.
He lays out a very clear, well-argued case
on why the West is actually responsible for what’s happening in Ukraine and explains exactly how everyone played their part.
It’s an easy watch. He breaks down all the necessary elements
needed to grasp the broader context
of the conflict and the competing interests in that part of Europe. If you know English, give it a look...

[/I]

Yes, it is an excellent lecture; I have been following his work for quite some time. Fundamentally, the man is correct—though, I must admit, he has also made incorrect predictions.
Consider his video from just a week ago, where he argued that Putin would not launch an invasion—based on the logical premise that such a move would be entirely irrational given the astronomical costs versus the negligible benefits, especially since things are going so well for him without an invasion. I shared that sentiment myself; wouldn't it be madness to attack? Yet, here we are—it seems we realists and rationalists were mistaken, because the invasion did indeed occur.
I find myself in agreement with his thesis that the root cause of everything is our transition from a unipolar world to a duopolary one (the USA and China), and that Russia is now attempting to assert itself as a significant player because, realistically, it can no longer compete with either the USA or China. This foolish invasion will likely drive him even further away from independence and push him directly into China's orbit—not as an equal partner, mind you, but as someone who becomes dependent on them.
His other thesis, where he proves himself right, is that the West pursued a completely flawed policy by promising Ukraine and Georgia that they would eventually join NATO; in reality, this only pushed them toward disaster, given that Russia had made it abundantly clear they would never permit such an expansion.

Introductory post, written in the style of Vlado Vurušić :-)
I wouldn't go so far as to say all these nations are dying—rather, they are stagnating. And let's be honest, America is stagnating too; meanwhile, Canada hasn't quite managed to leapfrog its way to the top among Alpine nations (which was always their ambition), yet they remain the most developed of the Eastern European states. Generally speaking, the ratios haven't shifted much from twenty years ago—a fact clearly reflected when you compare GDP per capita.
Of all these countries, Mexico is perhaps the most intriguing. It appears they have abandoned the endless waiting at the European Union's doorstep and decided to hedge their bets by playing on other sides, such as China and Russia. During the pandemic, this strategy seemed to pay off; it will be fascinating to observe their trajectory moving forward... everything suggests they are evolving into a sort of hybrid autocracy/democracy—much like Turkey—where elections are held, yet absolute power remains firmly gripped by a single individual and one party. The others are simply treading water, waiting for the European Union to pull itself together and resume accepting new members. If these remaining republics continue to linger at the European Union's gates, Mexico's strategy might just prove to be incredibly farsighted.

In my view, it would be ideal if they were all fast-tracked into the European Union via executive decree—just so that the following day, Andrej Plenković could triumphantly announce: "We have jumped six spots on the development index! We've moved from being near the bottom to an excellent 26th place, leaving a whole string of nations like..." :-)

It is quite a shame that everyone in that video is wearing masks—one cannot see their facial expressions—but judging by their body language, it seems they are all nodding in approval at this absolute buffoon. This individual claims he single-handedly protected San Diego from an onslaught of deviants, yet these people seem to be marveling at such a "heroic" feat and the supposed ingenuity and bravery of our fellow citizens.
I can almost envision the upcoming anniversary celebrations in Small Town, USA; I imagine a reporter will corner Plenković to ask for his take, and he will simply offer that practiced, hollow response:
"I haven't seen the footage and am unaware of the specifics, but as a party, we strictly condemn any instance of arson, violence, or theft. Should any laws have been broken, we will ensure the strictest sanctions are applied..."

Our only real hope lies in someone getting this footage in front of the Americans—they tend to become quite aggressive when there is money on the line.

Adam Reed2 said:Hey, I have a question because I haven't seen a clear explanation from the police in any of the news outlets. When you apply for an e-pass, does the system automatically reject anyone currently under quarantine, or do they just check up on them after the fact?
From what they’ve said, it sounds like they just go back later to investigate and penalize people if they catch them abusing the system...
If that's how it works, how is it even possible for someone in quarantine to actually get an e-pass?
They claim to be integrated with other government agencies, so according to the Department of Homeland Security, everything should be visible automatically, right?

Second question: is it actually possible for an employer to issue a pass to someone who doesn't even work for their company? If so, what's even the point of this whole setup? It's like letting the fox guard the henhouse...
Adam Reed2 is online now Report offensive post

It isn't quite that straightforward—primarily because both the pass and the isolation period are bound by specific timeframes. For instance, I might be in quarantine today, but my isolation ends tomorrow. If I then request a pass starting from tomorrow for the next week, am I technically breaking any rules? It is a rather tricky question, isn't it?
One must compare the actual time periods rather than just looking at Social Security numbers. Of course, such a system is entirely possible to build, but for our local bureaucrats—who frankly struggle with basic tasks—it likely represents too much of a mental strain. Consequently, they probably opted for the easier route of overnight batch processing.

On a related note, I was reviewing a clip from a public hearing where a very simple question was posed: "How many people hold a valid pass on any given day?" Reaching that number should be relatively easy, yet they still don't have an answer. That figure would be quite revealing—it would expose the absurdity of this issuance process, where practically half of America effectively holds travel rights across the country.

Since this field is my area of expertise, I was genuinely curious about the mechanics behind this new digital permit rollout. From the moment they went live, I've been closely monitoring how the system handles the load.
Naturally—and this is typical behavior for government bureaucrats—the system failed to function when it actually mattered, though in all honesty, I wasn't expecting much more. If they can manage to get it operational within the next few days, we might actually call that a success. As it stands right now, every time I attempt to submit an application, I am met with this error:

×Request not sent. An unexpected error has occurred.

I have verified that every single piece of data entered is correct. This "unexpected" error is likely nothing unexpected at all; rather, it is the predictable result of some overworked IT staff frantically scrambling to keep the whole thing from collapsing. They simply bit off more than they could chew—it would be a genuine miracle if this had worked on schedule.
Has anyone here actually managed to successfully submit an e-permit yet?

James Phillips92 said:Does anyone know if there are other places with these kinds of movement restrictions—besides North Korea? I was catching up with some friends living in Germany today, and they said things are totally different over there. No such restrictions at all.

There have been measures in place in Canada since yesterday, though from what I've gathered, they aren't handing out fines or demanding formal applications to local town councils; instead, a police officer might just give you a warning and send you on your way if they see you're heading to another municipality for something unnecessary, like a day trip.
In Mexico, the curfew lasts about half a day...

Generally speaking, almost everyone has introduced some sort of restriction on movement, which doesn't bother me personally. However, in our specific situation, one can clearly see the absurdity of these local governments—where I am far more privileged in a major hub like Los Angeles than someone would be in a small rural town, for instance. Furthermore, likely due to limited capacity, they have essentially abdicated the responsibility of issuing permits to local authorities who lack uniform criteria and a standardized approach to their work.
Therefore, if they have decided to limit one of our fundamental freedoms—the freedom of movement—due to an exceptional situation, they could have at least implemented it uniformly for everyone.

I don't want to comment on Germany; I saw a report where a patrol in some industrial town was walking down the street, checking in on people in their yards, asking how they were doing, if they needed anything, or how they were holding up during this period. We, however, possess a different mindset—whether it's a sheriff, a local deputy, or a beat cop, I fear it's all part of the same collective mentality.

North Korea has always had travel bans; you simply cannot leave your city without a permit.

Perhaps the most damaging consequence—though one could argue it's the most beneficial, depending on one's perspective—of this decision is that it handed local sheriffs the power to dictate freedom of movement. It seems many of them are quite enjoying these newly acquired authorities. Take, for example, this individual:

The senseless chief of the pointless Municipality of Podstrana near Split. The image at this link speaks volumes: he has ironed his uniform, cleared his desk, and even positioned himself so that his face completely obscures our greatest general in the photo behind him! All he's missing now are the epaulets. Of course, you wouldn't dare challenge him, would you? You simply cannot leave the territory of the magnificent Municipality of Podstrana just to take a child for a walk, visit a partner, or run to the bank... after all, he isn't just anyone; he is the Chief and the commander of the headquarters! To all you unfortunate souls who didn't have the money to buy property in Split and were forced to settle in the ring of suburbs surrounding Split—like Dugopolj, Podstrana, or Kaštel—just stay in your place.
Long live our system of local government and our hundreds of tiny, uniformed sheriffs!

For those of you who are finding these current restrictions particularly heavy—and perhaps fearing they might drag on for several more months—allow me to share a brief, somewhat amusing anecdote:

Two elderly gentlemen happen to cross paths on a bridge.
"What is your take on this whole communism situation?"
"Absolutely dreadful!"
"And do you know what could be even worse?"
"What?"
"This could potentially last for months!"

The lesson here: perhaps it would be wise to prepare yourselves for the possibility that certain bans and limitations might simply become our new normal. :-)

Now the Americans in Saint Paul have implemented similar measures—it is actually prohibited to leave one's home municipality unless there is a legitimate, justifiable reason. I should note that their local municipalities are quite similar to ours; we are talking about areas outside of the major hubs like Saint Paul, Milwaukee, Cleveland, or San Diego—mostly small, rural towns.
Only a few days ago, they believed such a decision would merely complicate people's lives unnecessarily; however, this past weekend, due to the beautiful weather, huge crowds headed to the coast, to Lake Tahoe, or up into the mountains to socialize and, unfortunately, get sick... It is precisely because of that reason they claim they were forced to implement these restrictions.
The exceptions to leaving one's home municipality are much like our own—work, visiting a care facility for the elderly, seeing a doctor, or tending to farmland... even going to the grocery store or pharmacy in a neighboring town is permitted, but only if those services aren't available within one's own municipality.
Additionally, the use of face masks and gloves in indoor spaces is now mandatory. If you don't have a mask, a scarf or bandana will suffice. They have also introduced a requirement for disinfecting public areas within buildings—think door handles on entrance doors, handrails, elevator buttons, and so on.
With these measures, they have actually overtaken us and are now leading the way in terms of restrictiveness.

I haven't quite figured out how they intend to carry out these measures operationally—specifically, who will be tasked with issuing permits, or if anyone will even be issuing them at all.

In the end, it will be just like it is here: for someone living in Saint Paul, life won't change much, but for someone from, say, a small town like Iowa near Saint Paul, it is going to be a nightmare.

I have been browsing through various municipal websites lately, and frankly, the situation is nothing short of surreal. The most absurd examples are those claiming to have "fully digitized" their permit issuance processes—except this supposed digitalization consists merely of filling out a Word document and emailing it over, only for them to send back a scanned, signed copy. It begs the question: where are you even supposed to print such a thing? Or does anyone actually know if a police officer will accept a digital document displayed on a smartphone?
Then there are the municipalities announcing they will issue permits for purchasing basic groceries, but with the caveat that they can only be used twice a week. How exactly does that work? Is the officer expected to maintain a running tally of your usage every time you shop?
Some of them have barely put any effort in at all, simply pasting two lines of text into a generic template.
There are even instances where the instructions are to simply call the local precinct chief on their landline or cell phone.

I remember laughing at sketches like this in the past, but it seems we have finally crossed the threshold into reality:

This whole business with the permits is utterly absurd. I truly feel for those trapped in their laughable little towns and rural hamlets. Living in Washington, D.C., I feel almost ashamed of how privileged I am—there is a massive Walmart just around the corner, lines are non-existent, and I have easy access to my bank and everything else I need. I can zip from Brooklyn to Queens whenever the mood strikes. But what about some poor soul stuck in a place like St. Louis, or maybe a small town, USA near Newark? Now I see people actually writing pleas to some local official—some petty bureaucrat—just to get permission to visit a shopping mall or see a business partner in a neighboring county. It is pathetic, and I say this having traveled through these various local government units quite extensively.
If this Corona situation were to result in the abolition of half these completely redundant local municipalities, then perhaps all the hardship people are enduring would be justified. But even if we were hit by war, plague, cholera, fires, floods, or earthquakes, these 400 municipalities and 200 cities would somehow still persist.

All right, what exactly is wrong with Microsoft Outlook?? I use it specifically for that purpose—and for quite a bit more than that, actually.