Stop the Cuts - National Demonstration

^^ Actually, that's not true. It's a person dressing up in a costume fashioned after a cartoon dog.

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Ta. Corrected.

^ Yeah, and Santa isn't real, kids.

You're mean, Oliver.

So are you, you Anti-Disneyist.

Would you say she was attractive (not now, but during her reign of terror) ?

We're getting a bit OT, but what the hell.

physically? i was a bit too young at the time to judge, but looking back, no.
morally & ideologically? definitely no. I admire the potential of markets as a neat system of organising things while still allowing a lot of apparent individual liberty, but i don't accept them as an end in them selves. Emotionally I have very little love for the political right-wing.

When i was a lot younger, i thought the fact that we had a woman prime-minister was quite cool, but looking back i don't think she did much good as an example in that direction.

She gave women prime ministers everywhere a bad name. I mean, 'Thatcher'? How much more of a straw woman can you get?

Does that make me a racisist too?

Do you mean racistist? More of Waltist or a Royist.

Mark, I think by all contemporary interpretations of what happened, it really wasn't so simple and this way of summarising the situation also borrows heavily from the 'literary Socrates' (the 'gadfly' seems to be a Platonic image; I myself suspect that Socrates never quite had such a massive political importance other than through having taught Plato, who was from one of the most influential families, and who was clearly profoundly shaken by Socrates' execution). I can't pretend to be an expert in the huge industry surrounding the 'real Socrates' and the 'literary Socrates', but I'd advise steering clear.

It is true that Socrates' argument patterns are sometimes are shown by Plato as unnecessarily confrontational, fallacious, or otherwise problematic, but on the whole they are so varied as to paint a very complex picture, and there are plenty of aggressive, ridiculous, side-tracking, pompous, and other argument-patterns deployed by his interlocutors.

And it's 'tynan' with a small 't', FBMMFS.

Ha! Let's just say I was referencing the popular image of Socrates, rather than any historical or literary character.

However, I was not arguing his style of argumentation was unnecessarily confrontational (nor Tynan). It was a reference to his ability to drive a dialogue along a path he chooses through questioning which, often, has very little relevance to his interlocutors original position, but does a hell of a lot to disregard it. I.e., Euthyphro.

questioning which, often, has very little relevance to his interlocutors original position, but does a hell of a lot to disregard it. I.e., Euthyphro.

Yes, this is true. Still, much of that is owing to Plato. It's horrendously complex if you delve into it.

I.e., Euthyphro.

Yes, and as toothpastes go, it's bloody horrible.

Yes, this is true. Still, much of that is owing to Plato. It's horrendously complex if you delve into it.

Of course. Although Euthyphro, along with the Apology and Crito, are considered to be the early dialogues, offering (more of) a glimpse of the historical Socrates, rather than the Platonic conception.

Anyway, I have little interest in historical Socrates. My interest lies almost entirely in the influence Plato's and Plato's Socrates' thought had on political thought after.

And, anyway. I'm working on Montagne right now. Enough about Socrates.

Yes, and as toothpastes go, it's bloody horrible.

No one can see your teeth in the cave, anyway.

The sound of one tooth rotting in a forest, with no one there to hear it. But does it still deny it's own existence, and in so doing, defeat itself? Wittgenstein's Partial Occlusal Lacuna.

No one can see your teeth in the cave, anyway.

certainly not mine, I haven't been able to get mine whitened yet

Of course. Although Euthyphro, along with the Apology and Crito, are considered to be the early dialogues, offering (more of) a glimpse of the historical Socrates, rather than the Platonic conception.

I don't believe that the Euthyphro is early, actually.

And, anyway. I'm working on Montagne right now. Enough about Socrates.
I'd try working on Montaigne. Montagnes are just too hard. Steep learning curve, too. :)

physically? i was a bit too young at the time to judge, but looking back, no.

Taking yourself out of the equation would you say she was, generally speaking, physically attractive ?

YouTube - Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again - 60's

I don't believe that the Euthyphro is early, actually.

It's too irritating not to be, surely.

Let's put it to the debating society. (soc)

Dear Mr Summers
Thank you for your feedback regarding the BBC News Channel broadcast on 13 December 2010.
We appreciate some viewers felt Ben Brown was too challenging during his interview with student tuition fees protestor Jody McIntrye.
The Controller for the BBC News Channel Kevin Bakhurst has written a blog in response to these concerns, it can be seen at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2010/12/interview_with_jody_mcintyre.html
Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
BBC Audience Services

Oooooh, a blog? That will teach 'em.

what that blog post misses is context, because he was a cunt during the live coverage too, something I also complained about.

He wasn't 'too challenging' though. He just came across as a miss-informed twerp. Who was rude, provocational and ignorant. Overall qualities that will see him do well in media and the BBC...

I've read bits and bobs of this and I'm pretty sure allot of the points I'd like to make have been well covered.

One positive I can see from all of this is that less people will go to uni. This has 2 benefits; 1) less over-crowding and a therefore a better service; and 2) more people will go to university later on, or part time. Possibly funded by employers, who will hopefully demand courses that actually fit their needs. University was largely wasted on me and I don't think I was the exception (I know lots use it to it's fullest and that is great). I think I would have got a lot more out of it now. And I remember the mature students...well being allot more mature.

On a couple of anecdotal points, I thought it was interesting chatting to my boss who went in the late 90s. He took loans out on the basis that £5k as a 20yo was a shit load of 'fun-money' in purchasing power, where as when he'd made lots of money and had no free time even interest adjusted it wouldn't buy that much. An Ozzy friend was very irate about the whole thing, saying that we didn't know how good we had it and we should stop bitching and HTFU. A US intern who is on a huuuuge scholarship estimated his fee's without the scholarship would knock on £80k, and would not have gone to his college.

I disagree; if our nation is 'civilised' and one of the main powers on this planet then education should not be a privilege. The government should want its population to be intelligent and self sufficient, who knows it could even reduce reliance on foreign workers for every-fucking-thing but politics.

Instead of there being less students to abet service there should be more staff etc.

I am a student studying architecture in scotland so i pay £1800 a year for a six and a half years. I have a 'maintenance' loan of almost £3,500 a year, which doesnt even cover my rent.

Fortunately I have savings and my parents help me out as well so im able to get by. If i didnt, I would not be able to do this course. There is NO TIME to work and no part time student job will pay enough over holidays to cover costs.

Under the new system I would be in £90k debt after finishing my course.

Raising fees will have no short term effects. It will take 20 years for the money to be paid back to government. Furthermore government is still putting the money up in the first place (through the student loans company)its now just being moved to a different balance sheet.

The two things I am most angry about are the level of cuts and the deception by the lib dems.

They are intelligent people, fully aware of the level of shit we were in before they got elected. They knew something had to give. Yet they targeted students, first time voters to vote for them because they said they would not cut fees. Clegg came to my school the day he got elected head of the lib dems with Brian Eno (to get down wit da kids despite noone knowing who was). They signed papers, went to unions and licked assss on a massive scale. If our vote doesnt actually amount to anything, then we are not an actual democracy. If our local MP's listen to what we say and yet go against it...cough simon hughes cough there is no point in voting.