Dwight,
Thank you for a witty and well thought out reply. Everything is cool.
Let's hope this is the end this e-mail chain.
Bev

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dwight Mattix
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 11:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] NTC, NTC, NTC!

Bev,
Oooooo-kaaaay.  My bad. For the record, I hold you in high esteem and 
have since meeting you many years ago at an IPC conference. I as an 
unarmed man would never knowingly choose to engage in battle of wits
with you.

If I ever were to intentionally give offense to you it would be for 
the express purpose of good lold fashioned manly smack talkin' 
fellowship -- not for any serious intent. Maybe that's a west coast 
thing tho'...

Ol' Sol had it right, "When there are many words transgression is 
unavoidable..."  again -- Mea Culpa.

That wasn't really intended to ignite "serious" political debate. Hey 
-- some of my best friends are Canadians. ;^P
I even have plenty of immediate family north of the border (being 
born in Alaska and raised in WA, the inbreeding was inevitable). In 
fact, we just had friends of over 25 yrs from Three Hills here with 
us defrosting for over a week. We kept apologizing for our weather 
while it snowed up there in May. Heck, I serve as a de facto cultural 
and linguistic translator for several young Canadian ex-pat engineers 
locally. Thank goodness for Canadian Bacon and Strange Brew, and 
summers at bible camp with Canadian kids who'd sneak over the border 
to swim in a warmer lake, eh? ;^)

Obviously hit a nerve a little harder than I intended, eh? No offense 
intended, eh? Seriously, eh?


At 03:49 AM 5/26/2008, Bev Christian wrote:

>Dwight,
>1) I am what is sometimes referred to as born again Christian,
therefore you
>can't get much more anti-communist than I am.

:-) ixthus

>2) Nor am I a socialist, being the son of a small independent
businessman,
>the heart and soul of what capitalism should be.

huzzah. That requires an especially hardy individual -- increasingly 
here in the US, and (what I understand from family/friend business 
owner north of the border) even more so in Canada.

>5) I am not happy that you consider my country "the entitlement system
gone
>wild".

NTC... In all humor there is an element of truth revealed, no? So, 
I'll take the bait on a couple of these. Not so much as to continue 
the thread (unless you wish offline or whatever) as to reveal/explain 
my frame of reference.

You guessed it -- was particularly thinking of the medical system.
My family's packed w/ Medical professionals on both sides of the 
border (from Nurses to Human Resource Directors to Hospital 
Administrators and MDs) so it's a topic of much debate and discussion 
on the home front.  Politically, I admit it's a bit of a tender point 
for me. I have grown weary of the US Left foisting the Canadian 
medical system on us in the US Left as the Great Ideal, the utopian 
salvation of the uninsured in the US.

>I have no problem supporting with my taxes a medical system that
>tries to help everyone.

That's commendable and charitable sentiment and worthy of 
respect.  W/out belaboring it or picking a fight, I'd submit for your 
later rumination and cogitation that the market and tax policy may 
have provide more efficient and effective solutions. Solutions with 
a) less "friction" than passing the funds through government hands 
and b) that encourage saner behavior by the medical consumer and 
practioner alike.

>6) You are ill-informed about Quebec.  Check your facts.
>7) The quote is drivel.  You have managed to insult every anticommunist
>socialist in Europe who stood on the front line for 50 years (i.e. the
Iron
>Curtain) to help make sure Communism did not swallow us all. For
instance,
>how about socialist, "neutral" Sweden, which had one of the largest air
>forces in the world?  Which way was the defence system pointed? Toward
the

Considering the relative result on freedoms and prosperity apparent 
(my perception) between more & less socialist nations and states in 
the US, I chose the latter. Between anywhere in Europe of the US, I 
choose the US. Between AK or TX and CA -- I'd choose AK or TX. 
(however, inertia and family have me tied to CA for the time being).

>East or the West?
>
>If socialists want to stand for election in a democratic country and be
>freely elected, govern and then lose an election, which has happened
many
>times in Canada and other places, what makes them so evil?  Where does
>anyone get off by saying that they are out to enslave me or anyone
else, if
>free peoples chose them knowing they can be turfed out if and when they
>screw up, like any other political party?

We've held all kinds of evil positions in US history as a result of 
democratic action at the ballot box.  People surely can sell 
themselves down the river w/out realizing it.

Throughout history free people have repeatedly sold themselves into 
one form of bondage or another -- sometimes unwittingly, sometimes as 
a result of not understanding the future consequences of their 
present choices. Joseph did a pretty good job <ahem> capitalizing on 
that during the 7 lean years, no?

<off on a rabbit trail?>
Democracy is like ENIG. It is the worst thing we've ever used except 
for everything else we've tried.  I for one don't want to live in a 
democracy. I choose a representative democracy.

IMAO, we in the US have swung too far from being a Federal Republic 
toward direct democracy. Just because people can vote it doesn't make 
it good. The franchise is so large and easy now and the civics 
education so poor that...  (sigh).  We have people screaming "foul: 
disenfranchisement" when we ask for positive ID at the polls!

To many that makes me start sounding pretty elitist.  Hard to imagine 
for this kid from a little logging and coal town who spent way too 
many years in enlisted berthing...  Guess I've sold out on my 
hometown's 
<http://content.lib.washington.edu/iwwweb/read.html>IWW<http://content.l
ib.washington.edu/iwwweb/read.html> 
roots.

The power to tax is the power to destroy. Ultimately the trade is 
freedom for government services.


>And of course this mish mash of an e-mail contains my own opinions and
do
>not represent the company I work for.
>Bev

>PS: Note that I am writing form home to further distance this from my
>employer.

No problem, mate. You're a gentleman and a scholar. I, on the hand, 
am neither. But I am your brother and I apologize again for any 
inflammatory hyperbole. If I search myself I have to admit it 
probably was mean't to get a rise -- but not give offense.

cheers,
dw


>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bev Christian [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 10:10 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fw: [TN] Fwd: Message from the Queen - NTC
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: TechNet <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Sun May 25 20:35:08 2008
>Subject: Re: [TN] Fwd: Message from the Queen - NTC
>
>I suppose adding the Pac NW and Alaska to Canunkistan would shore up
>the contributions of Alberta to the entitlement system gone wild up
>in Mackenzie Bro' land. That would extend the time till the
>inevitable socialistic "Q" province led bankruptcy but it still
>sounds like a suicide pact to me.
>
>"There is no difference between communism and socialism, except in
>the means of achieving the same ultimate end: communism proposes to
>enslave men by force, socialism - by vote. It is merely the
>difference between murder and suicide."
>
>   - From "Foreign Policy Drains U.S. of Main Weapons" Ayn Rand
>
>
>At 03:48 PM 5/25/2008, Bev Christian wrote:
> >Joe,
> >I expect that since you guys have elected a fair number of
> >Republican presidents of late,  you may get some hate mail.
> >
> >Except for your whopping national debt (and Iraq) we would be happy
> >to accept you as the 11th through to the 60th province.
> >
> >I could go on about the parts of the Pacific Northwest, North
> >Dakota, Minnesota and Maine that should be part of Canukistan ( so
> >we are called by some in your country :). ) By I will end here.
> >Regards,
> >Bev
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: TechNet <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Sun May 25 18:20:38 2008
> >Subject: [TN] Fwd: Message from the Queen - NTC
> >
> >To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
> >Sent: 5/25/2008 12:46:42 P.M. Pacific  Daylight Time
> >Subj: Message from the Queen
> >
> >
> >
> >** Important,  please read  thoroughly! **
> >To the citizens of  the United States of America from Her Sovereign
Majesty
> >Queen Elizabeth   II
> >
> >In light  of your failure in recent years to nominate competent
candidates
> >for President  of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby
give
>notice
> >of the  revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
> >Her  Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical
duties
>over
> >all  states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas , which
she does
> >not  fancy).
> >Your new  Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for
America
> >without the  need for further elections.
> >Congress  and the Senate will be disbanded.
> >A questionnaire may  be circulated next year to determine whether any
of
>you
> >noticed.
> >To aid in the  transition to a British Crown Dependency, the
following
>rules
> >are introduced  with immediate effect:
> >(You  should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)
> >
> >1. Then look up  aluminium, and check the pronunciation guide. You
will be
> >amazed at just how  wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
> >2. The  letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,'
'favour,'
> >'labour'  and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell
> >'doughnut' without
> >skipping  half the letters,  and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced
by the
> >suffix  '-ise'. Generally, you will be expected to raise your
vocabulary to
> >acceptable  levels. (Look up 'vocabulary.')
> >-------  -----------------
> >3. Using the same  twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises
such
>as
> >'like' and 'you  know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of
> >communication. There is no  such thing as US English. We will let
> >M*crosoft know on your
> >behalf. The  M*crosoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into
account
>the
> >reinstated  letter 'u' and the elimination of  -ize.
> >-------------------
> >4. July 4th will no  longer be celebrated as a holiday.
> >-----------------
> >5. You will learn to  resolve personal issues without using guns,
lawyers,
>or
> >therapists. The fact  that you need so many lawyers and therapists
shows
>that
> >you're not quite ready  to be independent. Guns should only be used
for
> >shooting grouse. If you can't  sort things out without suing someone
> >or speaking to
> >a therapist then you're  not ready to shoot grouse.
> >----------------------
> >6. Therefore, you  will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything
more
> >dangerous than a  vegetable peeler. A permit will be required if you
wish
>to
> >carry a vegetable  peeler in public.
> >----------------------
> >7. Al l intersections  will be replaced with roundabouts, and you
will
>start
> >driving on the left side  with immediate effect. At the same time,
you will
>go
> >metric with immediate  effect and without the benefit of conversion
tables.
> >Both  round abouts and metrication will help you understand the
British
>sense
> >of  humour.
> >--------------------
> >8. The Former USA  will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have
been
> >calling gasoline) of  roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
> >-------------------
> >9. You will learn to  make real chips. Those things you call French
fries
>are
> >not real chips, and  those things you insist on c alling potato chips
are
> >properly called crisps.  Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal
fat, and
> >dressed not with catsup but  with vinegar.
> >-------------------
> >10. The cold  tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not
actually
>beer
> >at all.   Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to
as
>beer,
> >and  European brews of  known and accepted provenance will be
referred to
>as
> >Lager. South African beer is also acceptable as they are pound for
pound
>the
> >greatest sporting Nation on earth and it can o nly be due to the
beer. They
> >are also part of British Commonwealth - see what it did for them.
>American
> >'beer' brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine,
> >so  that all can
> >be sold without risk of further confusion.
> >---------------------
> >11. Hollywood will be  required occasionally to cast English actors
as good
> >guys.     Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to
play
> >English  characters.  Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English
> >dialogue in Four
> >Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears
> >removed  with
> >a cheese grater.
> >---------------------
> >12. You will cease  playing American football. There is only one kind
of
> >proper football; you call  it soccer. Those of you brave enough
> >will, in time, be
> >allowed to play rugby  (which has some similarities to American
football,
>but
> >does not involve  stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing
full
> >kevlar body Armour  like a bunch of nancies). Don't try Rugby - the
South
> >Africans and Kiwis will  thrash you, like they regularly thrash us.
> >---------------------
> >13. Further, you will  stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to
host
>an
> >event called the World  Series for a game which is not played outside
of
> >America. Since only 2.1% of  you are aware there is a world beyond
> >your borders,
> >your error is  understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will
> >let you face
> >the South  Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
> >--------------------
> >14. You must tell us  who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
> >-----------------
> >15. An internal  revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her
Majesty's
> >Government will be with  you shortly to ensure the acquisition of
> >all monies due
> >(backdated to  1776).
> >---------------
> >16. Daily Tea Time  begins promptly at 4 pm with proper cups, with
saucers,
> >and never mugs, with  high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus
> >strawberries (with  cream)  when in season.
> >
> >God Save the  Queen!
> >
> >PS:
> >Go ahead and share this with your  friends in the   USA (those with a
good
> >sense of humour and NOT  humor.)
> >
> >Friday came early this week... ;-)
> >
> >Cheers,
> >Joe
> >
> >
> >
> >**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking
with
> >Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.
>
>(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002)
> >
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