hey that popes dead.

but whats that gotts do with UPS?
Uber Pope Stupid? lol

When you believe something to be true that is not provable, is demonstrably false or that runs against logic you are in the rhelm of a belief system. Religions are the best example of this. Blow a trumpet and walls tumble down, seas part at the most propitious moments and prayer's to god to intervene in sport's events or wars. One cannot hold a rational argument with someone who holds fast to a belief system. Much of religion is predicated upon faith. You accept that the immaculate conception was true, you believe in the Holy Trinity, you believe in miracles. You canonot proves these as facts. When one asserts today that Republicans are for smaller government you are arguing for something that is factually wrong. It might have been true once but given the record of these Republicans it is demonstabaly wrong. To believe it to be true is to believe in the non rational.


This is the worst kind of reasoning. Indeed this might be an other example of a religious belief posited as a logical conclusion. We have no idea how Democrates would have behaved were they in power. You assume they would have behaved the same but you can in no way prove this.

I also doubt any individual can affect the way big business carries on its business. You can organize. You can boycott. You can argue. I hate Fex Ex. I try to pursuade any manufacturer who does busniess with them to change. I will not accept packages from Fed Ex. All that means is that manufacturers shipping via Fed Ex will not do business with me.

With respect to why my rant began, the government's decision to spy on American citizens ought to be an issue that is neither conservative or liberal, Republican or Democratic. It ought to be an issue that at least gives each of us pause. It may be that it is a necessary evil. But given the fact that the courts can retroactively approve these measures and the courts have never denied the government its wishes I am concerned that this administration has chosen the path it has. One would imagine that a small government Conservative might also be weary of this turn of events. Can there be liberty without freedom? Can freedom survive an ever more rapacious power grab by the executive branch.

You claim we are all hypocrates. I think that an overstatement. We are all imperfect and we all make mistakes. Often we fall short of our own expectations. That is a far cry from Jimmy Swaggart or some of the musings of Abrahamov and his crowd.

Much of the Conservative ideology many of you espouse no longer can exist in a global world full of ever larger beaurocratic organizations. You can deal with a small company like Triad Speakers but what of Harmon, Itl or GM? Conservatives tell me that want smaller govenment but they carry on with the same pork projects as the other side. The only difference is who gets the money or where government largess is dispensed. From my vantage point, the radical right is trying to use the coercive powers of government to foster its world view. That's turning big govenment to advance your aims. In the modern the power of the lone individual to affect change by himself can occur but it is the notable exception not the rule. That's why we prize cultrual symbols like the cowboy and the policeman. So go ahead, "make my day." Lead a one man boycott against UPS. Don't give them your liscence and they will not take your package. They will not do this if you have an account which tells you what?

Alan

"Hello,
We're the ones who control your lives. We make the decisions that affect all of you. Isn't it interesting to know that those who run your lives would have the nerve to tell you about it in this manner?

Suffer, you fools. We know everything you do, and we know where you go. What do you think the cameras are for?? And the Global Positioning satellites? And the Social Security numbers?

You belong to us. And it can't be changed.
Sign your petitions, walk your picket lines, bring your lawsuits, cast your votes, and write those stupid letters to whomever you please; you won't change a thing. Because we control your lives, and We have plans for you.

Go to sleep."
-- George Carlin

"Go back to bed America, your Government is in control.
You are a free Nation, free to do as you are told.
Now, here's "Love Connection"... Watch this and get fat and stupid.

By the way, keep drinking beer you f#*king morons!!"
-- Bill Hicks

Why not let UPS pick up at your house or office? That way you can avoid having the private information in your D.L. scanned and you save time and gas, too.

Of course, then they will know where you live! But if you're that interesting to them they are probably already set up in duck blinds across the street and done a couple "sneak and peaks" anyway.

Those scumbags can't even deliver a pair of shoes withouth smashing it, and now there scanning licenses.

I'm with you, Q.

Also, how do you like having your house flattened to make room for a shopping center in the name of "eminent domain"?

I'm with Carl. I just fired UPS for causing me one too many losses due to freight damage or just plain lost in transit. They sent out two reps to repeat the company policy to me in a friendly tone from across my desk, and I repeated to them in a friendly tone that they were fired, and that it was impossible for Fed Ex to do any worse and quite likely they would do better. Other than the fact that my Fed Ex guy is afraid of my puppy things are going quite well. :-)

Please make sure with fedex that you completely understand what their policy is regarding concealed shipping damage. Specifically, ask how many days from shipping date, not receiving date, you have to make a claim.

Thanks, Fred, I will.

Sorry to drag off subject, but any opinions on DHL?

My wife warned me off of DHL based on some bad experiences she had with them in her business.

so alan, when are you writing your congressman?

Gary, thanks for a little sanity. I appreciate sanity as opposed to party line rants very much.

Alan, all you read and write aligns with your preconceived world view. What makes the sources you read and hear and write about better than the ones I read and hear? I know, I know, yours are based in reality and mine are the result of kool-aid and delusion. I've got news for you. You are just a classic fall into party line and rant liberal. Now that's not a bad thing, don't misunderstand me. I think that's what you want to be, and you do it with great acuity. It's not a slam, actually a compliment, because you articulate the party line very, very well - so keep up the good work.

I fall back on my statement that you start with your own world view and construct your data input mechanism around that and it reinforces what you already want to believe. And since evil has no absolutes in a discussion like this, each of us is right. You can only truly state right and wrong if you have a system of absolutes, and I repeat that is not a part of a discussion like this. That would change the tone, and in that case none of us would be on the good side.

BTW, I'm going back to electronics.

I did my best to turn the thread around, but it didn't work.