rifleman

A couple of thoughts: Why isn't crafting an algorithm to deliberately, and repeatedly, deny someone life saving medication or treatment considered to be premeditated murder? Why are there more people employed by the Health Insurance industry, to deny people's claims, than there are doctors practicing in the US? (1.5 million v 1 million)

IMO, there's a lot of talk about rights but not much about responsibility. In the UK, you have the right to own firearms, if you want to, but this comes with a whole bunch of responsibilities. First comes the responsibility to acquire proper training. Usually this involves being a member of a local gun club for at least 6 months, after which the gun club will help you to complete the required paperwork for your firearms licence. During this period, you will receive training in the safe handling and storage of firearms and an instructor will constantly assess your ability. Next is the responsibility to prove that you're mentally, physically and socially fit to own firearms. As part of your application, you are required to have a full medical with your doctor. You are expected to give consent to him sharing this information with the local police Firearms Licensing Officer. You also consent to the fact that he has *mandatory* reporting responsibilities in the event of a decline in your mental or physical health. On two occasions in my personal life, I've required treatment for depression. This hasn't meant the confiscation of my firearms but did involve a visit from, and a discussion with, the FLO. We reached an agreement that for the duration of my treatment, my firearms would be lodged with my local gun club allowing me to access them but removing them as a potential source of self harm. Once my doctor gave the all clear after treatment was complete, I was free to collect my guns. Social fitness is determined by a combination of references submitted by members of your community and a criminal records check. Thirdly, you have the responsibility to keep your weapons and ammunition in a secure manner. You will be required to purchase an approved gun safe suitable for the size and number of firearms you intend to hold and install it correctly, ensuring that it is securely bolted to the wall and floor. The FLO will arrange an appointment to come and inspect your security arrangements and will either approve, or offer advice on further requirements. If you reload, you will be required to have safe storage for reloading components and ammunition. It's also a good idea to inform your local fire department that you have ammunition stored, in case of fire. Once all these responsibilities are complied with, to the satisfaction of the FLO, a firearms licence will be issued.

Certainly children born to students in the US are considered to be US citizens. I present exhibit A - Boris Johnson, ex Prime Minister of the UK Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born on 19 June 1964 in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, to Stanley Johnson, then studying economics at Columbia University, and Charlotte Fawcett, an artist, whose father Sir James Fawcett, was a prominent barrister and president of the European Commission of Human Rights from 1972 to 1981. Johnson is one of only two British prime ministers to have been an American citizen

Meanwhile, back in New York, the new Enron CEO may be looking for a new security detail after taking a pie to the face, á la Bill Gates, from a pensioner.

A Rabbi is teaching his student the Talmud and explains god created everything in this world to be appreciated, since everything is here to teach us a lesson. The clever student asks “What lesson can we learn from atheists? Why did god create them?” The Rabbi responds “God created atheists to teach us the most important lesson of them all – the lesson of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone who is in need, and cares for the world, he is not doing so because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that god commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his acts are based on an inner sense of morality. And look at the kindness he can bestow upon others simply because he feels it to be right.” “This means” the Rabbi continued “that when someone reaches out to you for help, you should never say ‘I pray that god will help you.’ instead for the moment, you should become an atheist, imagine that there is no god who can help, and say ‘I will help you.'”

I don't know if they sell it in the US but, if they do, look at the 2024 Kona EV range. Unlike most EVs that are adapted from ICE models, the Kona range was specifically designed as an EV first and then adapted to suit Hybrid and ICE engines. It also has an across the range, as standard, heat pump that helps preserve battery range in cold weather.

Because InfoSys, Sunak's father-in-law's company, has a registered office in Kigali and would have been given the contract for processing the deportees on behalf of the British and Rwandan governments.

If the Russians want peace, then the simple answer is to pack up their shit and f*ck off back to Mother Russia. Simples.

Massive fire and explosions at Russian military base in Crimea forces evacuation of 2000+ locals.

You really want boil their brains, tell them the real story behind Andersen's tale of mermaids. Andersen wrote it as a love letter to his gay crush who had rejected him and married a woman. https://bookstr.com/article/the-little-mermaid-originally-a-gay-love-letter-to-authors-crush-the-little-mermaid-originally-meant-as-gay-love-letter-to-authors-crush/

Seen on FB: "Every drag queen in Florida should rename themselves Rhonda Santis for the duration. "

ICC (International Criminal Court) in the Hague issues an arrest warrant for Putin - charged with war crimes including the "unlawful deportation" of children from Ukraine. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/17/vladimir-putin-arrest-warrant-ukraine-war-crimes

The problem with that thinking is that there may be 5, 10 or 20 thousand other people who think exactly the same and who didn't vote. Those votes might make a difference or, if those votes went to a candidate not from one of the two main parties, would be a red flag to say that they're not doing something right.

The shooter got dead. Blew his own brains out at the scene as first responders arrived bringing his total to 28 - his mother, 26 school children and himself.

Hollow earthers are even weirder.

“It is said to be a deterrent. I cannot agree. There have been murders since the beginning of time, and we shall go on looking for deterrents until the end of time. I have come to the conclusion that executions solve nothing, and are only an antiquated relic of a primitive desire for revenge which takes the easy way and hands over responsibility for revenge to other people.” - Albert Pierrepoint, Official Executioner in the UK During his career as Official Executioner, Pierrepoint was responsible for between 420 and 550 hangings including several Nazis after Nuremberg. The son and nephew of hangmen, he spent a large number of years engaged in the business and came to the above view after having to hang a regular who came into his pub. The man knew who Pierrepoint was, and what he did (it was an open secret) and yet still went on to commit murder.

Canadian and Northern Irish parents living in the US at the time of the child's birth. Child is US citizen by birth, entitled to Canadian and Irish citizenship because of parentage and Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom as well as part of Ireland.

Posting this here as I didn't know where else to post it. I found this article while searching for information about Fibonacci sequences in trees as I'm a scale modeller. This article has interesting ideas about how to improve efficiency in solar arrays. https://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/curriculum-collections/young-naturalist-awards/winning-essays/2011/the-secret-of-the-fibonacci-sequence-in-trees

It seems that the Conservative party membership aren't happy about being denied a vote in the leadership election https://voxpoliticalonline.com/2022/10/24/is-the-conservative-party-imploding-because-of-sunaks-leadership-victory/

I've seen other rumours to the effect that, should Boris be reselected as PM, at least 100 Conservative backbenchers will cross the floor, resigning the whip and vote with Labour to force a General Election.

Yesterday on the BBC, the most accurate description of the current Conservative government: "The ringmaster has left the circus and now the lions are eating the clowns."

If the offences hadn't become public, the Conservative party would have done nothing about it. For years, the Chief Whip's office kept files on every Tory MP's pecadilloes that would have made J Edgar proud. These were used to blackmail MPs into voting the "right" way. Unfortunately for them we're now in an age where camera phones and YouTube exist so transgressions are more likely to end up in public domain.

Given that the last 12 years of Tory government has been a massive exercise in transferring vast amounts of public finances into the pockets and bank accounts of a select few Tory faithful, I'd say that they're well on track.