Beth Macbain Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said: Troll topics often do, especially in these forums for some reason. I think that we all start off being goofy when a troll topic gets posted, because we know it's a troll topic, and then because we are an intelligent and verbose group, it inevitably turns into something more serious. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Voxel Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 1 minute ago, Seicher Rae said: Troll topics often do, especially in these forums for some reason. I know I'm posting here because I'm bored out of my mind, soon getting ready to be tipsy and bored. I figure this thread will be closed, the responses sent to Siberia, and more of the who gives an eff stuff. In between the nonsense I do learn things about people, not necessarily what they are writing about, but more about who they are. So sometimes useful. I agree, I think there’s good stuff in here! I just think it’s more interesting than the usual passive aggressive and frivolous stuff. I just think it’s funny that it came from a troll post and I don’t think the original intent was this....whatever you want to call it happening. It was a good steam valve.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seicher Rae Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 5 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said: 16 minutes ago, Tolya Ugajin said: It happened in Rome. Tell us how it happened in Rome. :::listens::: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Macbain Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 Just now, janetosilio said: It was a good steam valve.... Holiday stress getting to more than just those of us venting in the other thread? When is the Linden snowball fight? We can all gather there and pummel each other and get it out of our systems for a minute. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyssa Greymoon Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 8 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said: Tell us how it happened in Rome. The health insurance and petroleum industries found out they could buy the legislators and vote themselves loads of doubloons or whatever Roman money was called, and convince people this was a really good idea because if they didn't the barbarians would come in with their socialism and all sign up for welfare, but the people wouldn't build a wall and the barbarians came to get on the dole and everyone died of bubonic AIDS. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Voxel Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said: And then there are the stupid, ignorant goofballs who keep throwing in humor in the midst of all of the "serious." 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amina Sopwith Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 3 minutes ago, Lyssa Greymoon said: The health insurance and petroleum industries found out they could buy the legislators and vote themselves loads of doubloons or whatever Roman money was called, and convince people this was a really good idea because if they didn't the barbarians would come in with their socialism and all sign up for welfare, but the people wouldn't build a wall and the barbarians came to get on the dole and everyone died of bubonic AIDS. But try writing that in your A level exam and see what bloody Edexcel does! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orwar Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 Darn it. Busy working, got several pages to read up on ... Ugh. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Voxel Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 8 minutes ago, Orwar said: Darn it. Busy working, got several pages to read up on ... Ugh. Put the glue down and get in here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maitimo Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 36 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: The average reading age of the President of the US is 7 years old. THAT scares me. Absolutely. That is actually worse. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maitimo Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 34 minutes ago, Amina Sopwith said: That's not even all of what he's said. I can't bear to go into it all right now, but it's been common knowledge and widely reported for a very long time, and you definitely couldn't miss it in the last few weeks. A little Googling will bring it all up. That's our Prime Minister. I need an "agree" button that's not "Like". Because I do not "like" this one little bit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolya Ugajin Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 1 minute ago, Seicher Rae said: :::listens::: In a nutshell, as the Assembly became more and more powerful at the expense of the Senate, it began to decide on matters of war, who would be consul, etc. based less on who would do the best job and more on who would give them the most, rather than generally deferring to the Senate. Oh, and outright bribery became much more common, because you couldn't bribe your way into the Senate, but you could bribe enough people to be a Consul, even if it was technically illegal. Follow the careers of Marius to Caesar to Augustus and watch how bribing and/or whipping up the urban populace (the "democratic" element in their government) became ever more important. Prior to that time, the internal rivalries between Senators ensured that no one could attain supreme power for longer than a year. Even someone like Scipio Africanus, who finally put an end to Hannibal's campaign against Rome, couldn't stay on top for long. But, when a scared populace decides to ignore the law and elect a popular general (Marius) Consul in absentia, and do it 5 years in a row, because his partisans on the one hand raise the level of fear (of the Cimbri and the Teutones) and on the other promise great rewards from plunder, and you've set the stage for civil wars, triumvirates, and finally perpetual dictatorship. Add into the mix the permanent elimination of property requirements to serve in the legions (thus permitting Marius, Sulla, etc. to turn penniless men into soldiers reliant on their general, not the Republic, for their future) and you've laid the groundwork for someone like Pompey, at best a mediocre general, despised by the Senatorial elite, but rich and popular with the ignorant commoners. Remind you of anyone? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amina Sopwith Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 1 minute ago, Matty Luminos said: I need an "agree" button that's not "Like". Because I do not "like" this one little bit. Yeah. I know what you mean. Makes a fellow devastated to be British. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Rhiadra Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 25 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said: :::listens::: 1 minute ago, Tolya Ugajin said: In a nutshell, as the Assembly became more and more powerful at the expense of the Senate, it began to decide on matters of war, who would be consul, etc. based less on who would do the best job and more on who would give them the most, rather than generally deferring to the Senate. Oh, and outright bribery became much more common, because you couldn't bribe your way into the Senate, but you could bribe enough people to be a Consul, even if it was technically illegal. Follow the careers of Marius to Caesar to Augustus and watch how bribing and/or whipping up the urban populace (the "democratic" element in their government) became ever more important. Prior to that time, the internal rivalries between Senators ensured that no one could attain supreme power for longer than a year. Even someone like Scipio Africanus, who finally put an end to Hannibal's campaign against Rome, couldn't stay on top for long. But, when a scared populace decides to ignore the law and elect a popular general (Marius) Consul in absentia, and do it 5 years in a row, because his partisans on the one hand raise the level of fear (of the Cimbri and the Teutones) and on the other promise great rewards from plunder, and you've set the stage for civil wars, triumvirates, and finally perpetual dictatorship. Add into the mix the permanent elimination of property requirements to serve in the legions (thus permitting Marius, Sulla, etc. to turn penniless men into soldiers reliant on their general, not the Republic, for their future) and you've laid the groundwork for someone like Pompey, at best a mediocre general, despised by the Senatorial elite, but rich and popular with the ignorant commoners. Remind you of anyone? Needs footnotes. And cowbell. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolya Ugajin Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 Just now, Scylla Rhiadra said: Needs footnotes. And cowbell. LOL yeah I prattle on, and assume people know a lot of the background. But, I don't get the cowbell reference? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolya Ugajin Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 47 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said: Oh, I can be quite passionate. Still can't get a date though. And then there's the whole Orwar needing to recover because you forced us to kiss in a gif. Oh, you didn't mean horny there, did you... :::wanders off in search of cheap wine::: NOT THE CHEAP STUFF!!! Although, I must admit, you can get very good Spanish reds for under $10/bottle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Macbain Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, Tolya Ugajin said: But, I don't get the cowbell reference? 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolya Ugajin Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 6 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: I still don't get it in this context... Oh, and I'm at work, so opening videos and hearing them is out of the question (but I've seen this before) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maitimo Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 13 minutes ago, Tolya Ugajin said: In a nutshell, as the Assembly became more and more powerful at the expense of the Senate, it began to decide on matters of war, who would be consul, etc. based less on who would do the best job and more on who would give them the most, rather than generally deferring to the Senate. Oh, and outright bribery became much more common, because you couldn't bribe your way into the Senate, but you could bribe enough people to be a Consul, even if it was technically illegal. Follow the careers of Marius to Caesar to Augustus and watch how bribing and/or whipping up the urban populace (the "democratic" element in their government) became ever more important. Prior to that time, the internal rivalries between Senators ensured that no one could attain supreme power for longer than a year. Even someone like Scipio Africanus, who finally put an end to Hannibal's campaign against Rome, couldn't stay on top for long. But, when a scared populace decides to ignore the law and elect a popular general (Marius) Consul in absentia, and do it 5 years in a row, because his partisans on the one hand raise the level of fear (of the Cimbri and the Teutones) and on the other promise great rewards from plunder, and you've set the stage for civil wars, triumvirates, and finally perpetual dictatorship. Add into the mix the permanent elimination of property requirements to serve in the legions (thus permitting Marius, Sulla, etc. to turn penniless men into soldiers reliant on their general, not the Republic, for their future) and you've laid the groundwork for someone like Pompey, at best a mediocre general, despised by the Senatorial elite, but rich and popular with the ignorant commoners. Remind you of anyone? Substitute only the names, and you have the US political system right there. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seicher Rae Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 6 minutes ago, Tolya Ugajin said: In a nutshell... Huh. I always thought it was because the barbarians refused to pay for the wall that was promised to the Romans to protect Rome from ebolasyphilitis. The wall was supposed to be in the Teutoburg Forest (and therefore impossible to go around the ends of it), and because it wasn't paid and built by the Goths, the Goths got all emo, applied dark makeup and blared The Cure while destroying Varus's troops. Nope, doesn't remind me of anyone at all. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolya Ugajin Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 1 hour ago, Matty Luminos said: Yes. This makes me wonder if democracy is even worth the effort. The average reading age of adults in the UK is 7 years old. Those people are voting on my future and that scares me. Personally, I'm in favor of a benevolent dictatorship...but only if it's me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolya Ugajin Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 Just now, Seicher Rae said: Huh. I always thought it was because the barbarians refused to pay for the wall that was promised to the Romans to protect Rome from ebolasyphilitis. The wall was supposed to be in the Teutoburg Forest (and therefore impossible to go around the ends of it), and because it wasn't paid and built by the Goths, the Goths got all emo, applied dark makeup and blared The Cure while destroying Varus's troops. Nope, doesn't remind me of anyone at all. Thanks a lot. You made me laugh so hard I peed myself. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seicher Rae Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 11 minutes ago, Tolya Ugajin said: NOT THE CHEAP STUFF!!! Although, I must admit, you can get very good Spanish reds for under $10/bottle. It is a BOX of pinot noir. This. This from someone who lived in CA wine country. I do read articles still, and magazines and websites like Food & Wine will sometimes review wines. This one got a high review, I believe the exact words were, "It actually tastes like wine!" 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolya Ugajin Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, Matty Luminos said: Substitute only the names, and you have the US political system right there. Yeah but I can never decide who are the Populares and who are the Optimates. At any rate, don't be selfish and vote purely for your own self-interest. Vote for what you think is going to be in the best long-term interest of the nation (or at the state and local levels, those) as a whole. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seicher Rae Posted December 13, 2019 Share Posted December 13, 2019 4 minutes ago, Tolya Ugajin said: Thanks a lot. You made me laugh so hard I peed myself. See? Was that so hard, folks? That's all it takes. My work here is done. Psych! Not even. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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