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itistoday · 04:33 AM

Well, perhaps libertarian. Whatever the hell you want to call me.

Disclaimer: I'm not here to discuss politics, and as such I have decided not to post in the PL. I just want geographical advice.

I'd like to move to a country that has very liberal filesharing laws (like Sweden), very liberal drug laws (unlike Sweden), ensures my personal privacy, and at the same time has a flourishing modern society. An Apple Store would be nice too.

I'm thinking Canada, but perhaps there's something better out there?

Thanks!

abe · Apr 9, 2006, 04:34 AM

Proud of you. At least you aren't whining about the things you can't change. That makes you DEFINITELY NOT a liberal!

Goldfinger · Apr 9, 2006, 06:23 AM

Netherlands, Belgium or France. Pick one.

Doofy · Apr 9, 2006, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

Netherlands, Belgium or France. Pick one.

Narh. He needs to avoid countries in the EU if he's into personal privacy, since upcoming EU policies will completely remove it.

Canada seems like his best bet.

von Wrangell · Apr 9, 2006, 10:58 AM

Iceland.

Although the drug laws aren't very liberal the punishment handed out are a joke.

Mastrap · Apr 9, 2006, 11:02 AM

Canada has just elected a conservative government. And although crime figures in Canada (and across the whole of North America) have been falling steadily, middle class paranoia has been rising.

As a result we're getting a whole lotta nonsense from Harper about longer sentences and being tough on crime.

Railroader · Apr 9, 2006, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by von Wrangell

Iceland.

Although the drug laws aren't very liberal the punishment handed out are a joke.

And, unless you want to have the freedom to name your children anything you want. Talk about one of your basic freedoms taken away!!! Sheesh!

Kr0nos · 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

And, unless you want to have the freedom to name your children anything you want. Talk about one of your basic freedoms taken away!!! Sheesh!

Yeah, like Pepsi Cola, Star or Apple? Geee, I'd much rather deal with a corrupt regime and a police state than not being able to name my kid 'Monnbeam'.

/OT

Anyway, Germany or The Netherlands will work out fine for you. I've been DL sh1t for the last 7 years and have never been cited once (nor has anybody I know - and some of those guys download a few GBs every month).

I quit smoking pot decades ago, but most people I know who still do the recreational drug thing smoke that stuff like other people do regular cigarettes. Everything else is available, but illegal.

itistoday · 03:37 PM

Ooo... thanks von Wrangell, I'm trying to find information on Iceland's laws (for some reason it's hard to find) and I found this little story regarding a conservative American that had moved to Iceland and decided to leave:

She allows that the schools here are good, the free health care is nice, the streets clean and safe, etc., and thinks all that would be worse in the states. But Iceland is a "bad moral climate" for children because (a) people don't go to church, (b) increasingly, both heterosexual and gay couples get some kind of registered partnerships rather than marriages per se which are understood here in strictly religious terms, and (c) the sex education curriculum here allegedly teaches people that it's okay to have sex outside of marriage as long as you use a condom.

Sounds like a great place!

However, I'm finding many articles saying that Iceland really doesn't like alcohol (which I'm actually not a big fan of either) but this leads me to wonder about their laws towards other drugs and drugs in general. Anyone have any links to this information?

Edit: found this: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rw...e/iceland.html

It mentions that they're trying to combat drug use but of course doesn't say how strongly that's enforced or what the punishments are. Otherwise it looks like a really great country. Sigur Ros is from there too if I'm not mistaken.

tooki · Apr 9, 2006, 04:17 PM

Switzerland.

tooki

deej5871 · Apr 9, 2006, 04:54 PM

Petoria.

rambo47 · Apr 9, 2006, 05:01 PM

Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Goldfinger · Apr 9, 2006, 05:24 PM

Ugh, Belgium is as good as the best place you could live right now. I mean: Marihuana is legal, we have gay marriage, we have legal abortion you don't have to be 21 to buy freakin' booze. File sharing is semi legal and we will probably follow France's example in the future. We have great free health care WITHOUT waiting lists or whatever like in Canada. It actually works here. Great public transport around the country. Some of the best cuisine in Europe. etc etc

I'd say choose Antwerp or Gent to live, stay away from Brussels. You don't want to raise kids in the province of West Flanders or Limburg because they'll have a horrible accent and everybody will laugh at them

. On the flip side, if you're from Antwerp then everybody else will call you a snob and a chauvinist. I'm from Antwerp...

Personally I wouldn't want to live in the Netherlands..they're a bit weird and annoying

I never feel at ease in that country the people aren't really nice. Belgium is just plain better

Just be prepared to learn the language (this goes for any European country) and if you come to Belgium you'd do good to learn both Dutch & French. Almost everybody in Flanders speaks English, the french speaking Belgians do not all speak English, in fact most probably don't.

abe · Apr 9, 2006, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by deej5871

Petoria.

Don't watch Family Guy. Had to look it up.

1. Petoria

A small 4-bedroomed republic founded in 2001AD by Peter Griffin (fat alchoholic)

I visited Petoria and all I got was a lousy doorknob. PETORIAN DOORKNOBS,HALF PRICE!!

2. Petoria

A small republic that seceded from the U.S. and rejoined about a week later.

Petoria is an awesome place

3. Petoria

A Small Country in Rhode Island USA. Is controlled by the President Peter Griffin.

Welcome to Petoria, I was gonna call it Peter Land but the gay bar downtown took the name!

Web Results 1 - 30 of about 46,100 for petoria. (0.49 seconds)
List of Family Guy episodes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter declares his house to be the new nation of "Petoria" and annexes Joe's pool. "The Story on Page One", July 18, 2000, 2ACX14, 26 ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_episodes - 96k - Cached - Similar pages

E. Peterbus Unum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter declares his house to be the new nation of "Petoria" and, on the advice ... The United States then blockades the nation of Petoria and Peter is forced ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Peterbus_Unum - 28k - Cached - Similar pages

King Bob On The Cob · Apr 9, 2006, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

Marihuana is legal

Why is drug usage and liberalism always seem to be linked at the hip?

itistoday · 06:06 PM

Thank you all for your replies.

I'm reluctant to go to Amsterdam because it seems too much like a party-city and not a good place to raise kids.

I'm currently researching Switzerland and its drug policy is indeed quite liberal, but they seem to be having some problems with it, probably because they haven't followed up with the education aspect. Then again, we all hear great things about them, and they've managed to stay neutral for over a century at least, which is always a good thing to know.

Goldfinder: thanks for the Belgium suggestion, I will have to research that as well, it sounds like a nice place. How's the education system there?

Currently it seems I've narrowed my choices down to Canada (advantage being how close it is to the USA and the number of English speakers), Switzerland, Denmark, and Belgium... I'll probably go on a vacation and visit all these places before I make a final decision of course. It's really difficult to make this decision because there are so many factors involved besides the drug policy (crime rates, education, health, privacy, filesharing, etc.)

abe · Apr 9, 2006, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by King Bob On The Cob

Why is drug usage and liberalism always seem to be linked at the hip?

How do you think they maintain their mental sharpness?

Mithras · Apr 9, 2006, 05:54 PM

So basically you want to turn your life upside down in order to smoke joints and steal music? Glad you've got your priorities straight

MindFad · 06:57 PM

^ · ^

itistoday · 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Mithras

So basically you want to turn your life upside down in order to smoke joints and steal music? Glad you've got your priorities straight

Not really, I'll explain to you my reasoning, but I'd like to keep this thread on topic if you don't mind.

I rarely drink, or smoke pot. I rarely use drugs in general actually, but I have absolutely nothing against the concept of social/recreational drug use, as long as it doesn't turn into a habitual thing. I actually live quite a healthy lifestyle and that shows in my cholesterol and blood pressure and the fact that I do not take any prescription drugs. I find America's laws unreasonably and illogically strict, allowing harmful drugs while criminalizing other drugs that hardly have any health consequences when used in moderation.

If I ever have children, I do not want them growing up in a society that would put them in prison for over 20 years, kick them out of school, reject their scholarships, etc. just for having some safe fun with friends. If you're smart about drug use, it's really not a problem at all, and that's why I'm also searching for a country with an excellent educational system, again, something I feel America lacks (statistics and international studies also show this).

With regards to music and piracy in general: again, I feel the penalties for downloading one song are utterly ridiculous and unreasonable. IMO, the music industry is ripping us off anyway. If you bought a song 10 years ago on a cassette tape, why should you have to pay for that same song again each time the media changes? (Pay for the record, the cassette, the CD, and the mp3). My music library contains almost 2,000 songs, should I have to pay $2,000 for each of my child's music? A full iPod can contain several tens of thousands of songs, so do I buy them a $300 iPod, plus $20,000 worth of music, and then re-buy that same music 10 years later when the media changes yet again?? What about things like Photoshop? Say my kid wants to learn how to become a digital artist, in order to apply for a job he needs to know how to use Photoshop and various other expensive programs. Why should he have to pay $1,000 to use a piece of software simply for educational purposes?? He just wants to learn how to use it so that he can get the job so that he can get the money to buy the software in the future when he can actually use it to make money. Even the educational discounts are ridiculous! I hope more companies follow Alias's example of giving out free versions of their software for educational purposes (like the ed. version of Maya).

That's just concerning those two issues. I have many other issues with American society and its laws, such as the strikingly large percentage of the population that fervently believes in a Christian-like God and at the same time downplays the importance of science.

So to answer your question: No, I do not want to move just so that I can smoke pot and steal music.

Spliffdaddy · Apr 9, 2006, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by Mithras

So basically you want to turn your life upside down in order to smoke joints and steal music? Glad you've got your priorities straight

aw, hell. I've been doing those things for 10 years - right here in the USA.

Your odds of winning the powerball lottery are far greater than your likelihood of getting sued by the RIAA for downloading music.

Also, as long as you don't sit on half pounds of marijuana, it's a minor offense to get busted for simple possession.

Just stay in the the USA. There are enough good things to outweigh the bad.

BRussell · Apr 9, 2006, 06:40 PM

I don't think it would do much good to move to a different country. It seems to me that the hundreds of millions of people in your country that you never see aren't nearly as important as the couple dozen people you see regularly.

aristotles · Apr 9, 2006, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by King Bob On The Cob

Why is drug usage and liberalism always seem to be linked at the hip?

Because kids these days don't have a clue what words like liberalism are supposed to mean. Words like conservative, liberal, and gay no longer mean what they did a century ago.

Now they are pop culture labels with no real meaning other than what the prevalent pop culture assigns to them.

Drug use should only be linked with stupidity, selfishness and narcissism.

Guy Stoned · Apr 9, 2006, 06:43 PM

Canada. West coast. Vancouver Island or the many islands in the Georgia Strait. Very artsy fartsy. Or Vancouver if you need big city culture. Mild climate.

Canadians voted overwhelmingly to the left in the last election.

One party on the right several parties on the left which splits the vote.

Canada is a small L liberal country.

Don't worry about the Conservatives. They'll be gone in 18 months. Also they have a minority so they can't do much without the left.

By the way, big difference between liberal and libertarian.

Mr. Blur · Apr 9, 2006, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by itistoday

Currently it seems I've narrowed my choices down to Canada (advantage being how close it is to the USA and the number of English speakers), Switzerland, Denmark, and Belgium... I'll probably go on a vacation and visit all these places before I make a final decision of course. It's really difficult to make this decision because there are so many factors involved besides the drug policy (crime rates, education, health, privacy, filesharing, etc.)

Switzerland is a great country - I love it there. I don't believe you can just walk in the door and settle there though. Like many countries, you have to have a job or a skill that is in demand (or be stinkin' rich...). It is also one of the most expensive places I have ever been too, so again, unless you are really rich or something you'll want to look at the economic factors of these places you are considering. My guess is your money will get you the most in Canada.

abe · Apr 9, 2006, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by itistoday

Not really, I'll explain to you my reasoning, but I'd like to keep this thread on topic if you don't mind.

I rarely drink, or smoke pot. I rarely use drugs in general actually, but I have absolutely nothing against the concept of social/reactional drug use, as long as it doesn't turn into a habitual thing. I actually live quite a healthy lifestyle and that shows in my cholesterol and blood pressure and the fact that I do not take any prescription drugs. I find America's laws unreasonably and illogically strict, allowing harmful drugs while criminalizing other drugs that hardly have any health consequences when used in moderation.

If I ever have children, I do not want them growing up in a society that would put them in prison for over 20 years, kick them out of school, reject their scholarships, etc. just for having some safe fun with friends. If you're smart about drug use, it's really not a problem at all, and that's why I'm also searching for a country with an excellent educational system, again, something I feel America lacks (statistics and international studies also show this).

With regards to music and piracy in general: again, I feel the penalties for downloading one song are utterly ridiculous and unreasonable. IMO, the music industry is ripping us off anyway. If you bought a song 10 years ago on a cassette tape, why should you have to pay for that same song again each time the media changes? (Pay for the record, the cassette, the CD, and the mp3). My music library contains almost 2,000 songs, should I have to pay $2,000 for each of my child's music? A full iPod can contain several tens of thousands of songs, so do I buy them a $300 iPod, plus $20,000 worth of music, and then re-buy that same music 10 years later when the media changes yet again?? What about things like Photoshop? Say my kid wants to learn how to become a digital artist, in order to apply for a job he needs to know how to use Photoshop and various other expensive programs. Why should he have to pay $1,000 to use a piece of software simply for educational purposes?? He just wants to learn how to use it so that he can get the job so that he can get the money to buy the software in the future when he can actually use it to make money. Even the educational discounts are ridiculous! I hope more companies follow Alias's example of giving out free versions of their software for educational purposes (like the ed. version of Maya).

That's just concerning those two issues. I have many other issues with American society and its laws, such as the strikingly large percentage of the population that fervently believes in a Christian-like God and at the same time downplays the importance of science.

So to answer your question: No, I do not want to move just so that I can smoke pot and steal music.

When I read Mithras' post, I thought he'd nailed it. But your response is thoughtful and, hell, I've moved places (and lived there for years) just to see what it felt like. So, FWIW, your reasons seem ok by me!

aristotles · Apr 9, 2006, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Guy Stoned

Canada. West coast. Vancouver Island or the many islands in the Georgia Strait. Very artsy fartsy. Or Vancouver if you need big city culture. Mild climate.

Canadians voted overwhelmingly to the left in the last election.

One party on the right several parties on the left which splits the vote.

Canada is a small L liberal country.

Don't worry about the Conservatives. They'll be gone in 18 months. Also they have a minority so they can't do much without the left.

By the way, big difference between liberal and libertarian.

You crack me up. The federal Liberals are no more "left" than the labour party in the UK which is all buddy buddy with Bush. It is just a label and the "anti-americanism" of the federal Liberals was "politics". It was a desperate attempt to distract people from the issues in our country.

Speaking of Liberals, are the BC Liberals left wing too?

I will agree with you on liberal versus libertarianism. The latter is what the former was in the 19th century when liberal stood for Laissez-faire economics.

Goldfinger · 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by itistoday

Goldfinder: thanks for the Belgium suggestion, I will have to research that as well, it sounds like a nice place. How's the education system there?

Second to none AFAIK. We used to be in the top 3 of best educated youngster in the world and even 1st for some disciplines. School is free. Universities will cost you around 500 euros/year + the cost of books and syllabi.

Some basics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Belgium

Currently it seems I've narrowed my choices down to Canada (advantage being how close it is to the USA and the number of English speakers), Switzerland, Denmark, and Belgium... I'll probably go on a vacation and visit all these places before I make a final decision of course. It's really difficult to make this decision because there are so many factors involved besides the drug policy (crime rates, education, health, privacy, filesharing, etc.)

One note for Denmark: taxes are beyond normal. Cars can have 180% (!) luxury tax applied to them. VAT is 25%, income tax is 50%. Most groceries are 25% more expensive than other European countries (this applies to most of Scandinavia).

http://www.eura-relocation.com/bongo.pl/eura.map/ Check this out they have a bunch of links to relocation consultancy bureaus. Most of them are more geared towards companies that want to send people over here but some sites could be interesting.

also: http://www.belgium.be, their English content is limited tough.

Don't forget wikipedia

:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwerp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leuven

A note about Christianity in Belgium: one of the articles states that 47% of the Belgians call themselves Christian. I'll take the liberty to tell you that 90% of them aren't real practicioners and it more or less comes down to tradition: like marrying in Church and getting baptised. I was baptised in the Cathedral in Antwerp but I'm a hard core atheist and so are my parents, my grand mother insisted on it tough out of tradition and she's catholic (one of the most hardcore I personally know).
Christianity here is in no way comparable to Christianity in the US.

itistoday · Apr 9, 2006, 07:24 PM

Thanks Goldfinger! Sounds like an excellent country, I will definitely visit someday, perhaps I'll stop by and say hello.

/OT: Wikipedia's down, weird huh?

Doofy · Apr 9, 2006, 07:27 PM

Again: Don't bother with Belgium. It's in the EU. Everywhere in the EU is heading into an authoritarian nightmare within the next twenty years.

If you're not going with Canada, try a smaller country such as one of those in the Caribbean. They're not going to throw you in chokey for toking in Jamaica, right?

Railroader · Apr 9, 2006, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by Kr0nos

Yeah, like Pepsi Cola, Star or Apple? Geee, I'd much rather deal with a corrupt regime and a police state than not being able to name my kid 'Monnbeam'.

Uh... no.

If it's not Icelandic it's not legal. Ask VonWrangel about trying to name his children traditional Muslim names and the illegality of it in Iceland.

You're in for a shocker buddy.

von Wrangell · Apr 9, 2006, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

And, unless you want to have the freedom to name your children anything you want. Talk about one of your basic freedoms taken away!!! Sheesh!

True.

von Wrangell · 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by itistoday

Ooo... thanks von Wrangell, I'm trying to find information on Iceland's laws (for some reason it's hard to find) and I found this little story regarding a conservative American that had moved to Iceland and decided to leave:

Sounds like a great place!

Quite a good description. The vast majority of Icelanders could be described as "holiday Christians". And as for the sex part.... Lets just say we are very liberal when it comes to that. There's no shame in one night stands and the weekends mostly are spent at finding the next "victim"

However, I'm finding many articles saying that Iceland really doesn't like alcohol (which I'm actually not a big fan of either) but this leads me to wonder about their laws towards other drugs and drugs in general. Anyone have any links to this information?

Edit: found this: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rw...e/iceland.html

It mentions that they're trying to combat drug use but of course doesn't say how strongly that's enforced or what the punishments are. Otherwise it looks like a really great country. Sigur Ros is from there too if I'm not mistaken.

The laws regarding alcohol are a bit off IMO. You can't legally buy alcohol until at the age of 20 (even if you can marry and basically everything else at 18) but after that there's nothing really wrong about drinking. We basically drink as much alcohol per capita as the rest of Scandinavia but we only drink it during the weekends (while "hunting"

)

Don't know if this link works on a Mac but here's Tarantino talking about his latest visit.

http://kvikmynd.is/myndband.asp?id=1907#

Here's some more stuff to read: http://www.icelandtouristboard.com/ and http://www.iceland.is/

Kr0nos · Apr 10, 2006, 03:13 AM

Originally Posted by Railroader

If it's not Icelandic it's not legal. Ask VonWrangel about trying to name his children traditional Muslim names and the illegality of it in Iceland.

That is not very cool indeed. BUT, again, for me it would be about priorities…and giving my kind a specific name wouldn't be very high on the list. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be on it at all.

Kevin · Apr 10, 2006, 04:58 AM

Originally Posted by aristotles

Drug use should only be linked with stupidity, selfishness and narcissism.

Then there are those that self-medicate, that would otherwise put a bullet in their head because they have no clue what is wrong with them.

Lets not paint with a overly wide brush

ambush · Apr 10, 2006, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by Railroader

Uh... no.

If it's not Icelandic it's not legal. Ask VonWrangel about trying to name his children traditional Muslim names and the illegality of it in Iceland.

You're in for a shocker buddy.

Nobody carrrresssss.

Originally Posted by Doofy

Again: Don't bother with Belgium. It's in the EU. Everywhere in the EU is heading into an authoritarian nightmare within the next twenty years.

Not really. Cause when French (or EU citizens) go down in the streets, the government actually listens. We can't say that's the case in the US.

Canada... don't come to Québec if you don't want to learn French. Ontario (and the rest of Canada, wih the exception of British Columbia) is a wannabe US state.

abe · Apr 10, 2006, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by ambush

Nobody carrrresssss.

Not really. Cause when French (or EU citizens) go down in the streets, the government actually listens. We can't say that's the case in the US.

What kind of warped mentality celebrates widescale protests in the streets as a form or communication with the government????

Geez! Those protests only took place here because Hispanic radio hosts joined together to urge their listeners to come out in numbers to show the people of the US that they are a force that must be reckoned with.

You French people seem to view street protests as a rite of spring or a social event or something!

We see it as something unusual.

When we want to talk to our government we call, write or email them.

Doofy · Apr 10, 2006, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by ambush

Not really. Cause when French students (or EU citizens) go down in the streets, the government capitulates to the whim of the shouty, obnoxious minority and completely ignores the freedoms and opinions of the majority.

Fixed.

Trust me, I've spent a long time looking at where the EU is headed. If anyone values freedom at all, they'd do well to not move to any of its member states.

For example: all this biometric ID card with central database, oppressive CCTV, vehicle tracking and the like which is starting to happen in the UK is actually an EU thing - the UK is being used as a test-bed for introducing it to the whole of the EU.

Not being able to buy a loaf of bread without having an iris scan ain't my idea of freedom.

abe · Apr 10, 2006, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

Fixed.

Trust me, I've spent a long time looking at where the EU is headed. If anyone values freedom at all, they'd do well to not move to any of its member states.

For example: all this biometric ID card with central database, oppressive CCTV, vehicle tracking and the like which is starting to happen in the UK is actually an EU thing - the UK is being used as a test-bed for introducing it to the whole of the EU.

Not being able to buy a loaf of bread without having an iris scan ain't my idea of freedom.

Unless you're hungry for "666 Bread!"

ambush · Apr 10, 2006, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

Fixed.

Trust me, I've spent a long time looking at where the EU is headed. If anyone values freedom at all, they'd do well to not move to any of its member states.

For example: all this biometric ID card with central database, oppressive CCTV, vehicle tracking and the like which is starting to happen in the UK is actually an EU thing - the UK is being used as a test-bed for introducing it to the whole of the EU.

Not being able to buy a loaf of bread without having an iris scan ain't my idea of freedom.

Oh, I see. You prefer all your 'net traffic logged by the NSA and/or Patriot-Act based spying, etc.

Fun.

ambush · Apr 10, 2006, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by abe

When we want to talk to our government we call, write or email them.

And of course, they listen. :rollseyes:

Try emailing them about the Patriot-Act.

Edit: Abe, you have more than 38 posts per day.

Seek help. Now.

Dakar · Apr 10, 2006, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by ambush

Edit: Abe, you have more than 38 posts per day.

From what I understand that's 7 less posts a day then he was averaging so he's trying

On the other hand mine's climbing slowly...

ghporter · Apr 10, 2006, 09:35 AM

I'd suggest that, at least now, "a little safe fun" is not equal with ANY illegal drug use. As most of what's sold in the U.S. is funneled through one or another "organized" element, you're supporting (and beholden to) organized crime by just purchasing pot. On top of that, there's no hint of what's included in such drugs, or even that they are indeed what they seem to be; herbicide-laced pot, strichnine-cut cocaine, who knows what in heroin... it's a very dangerous gamble.

To me "a little safe fun" would be playing board games at the home of a classmate, not escaping from reality, even with alcohol.

As for "the record industry ripping us off," there are better ways of dealing with their predatory and over-profitable practices than stealing. It's STILL stealing, you know, whether it's a reasoned response to the market or not.

OT: I have actual experience with people who have named their children "Espn" and "Abcde," and know of a person whose name (I'd type it here, but the system will censor it) is pronounced shi-th-AYd. (Do the math; spell out how that name MUST be spelled.) You just have to wonder about some people. Iceland's actions on child naming are pretty benign from what I've seen.

OT2: Iceland's social structure is quite refreshing. Surnames are descriptive of the previous generation, but they tick off geneologists because there's no continuity of family names. And the quoted critique of Icelandic society sounds right from what I know-others with direct experience should chime in about that.

Doofy · Apr 10, 2006, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by ambush

Edit: Abe, you have more than 38 posts per day.

Seek help. Now.

IIRC, Abe has good reason for his high post count. So shut your mouth, hippie.

Doofy · Apr 10, 2006, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by ambush

Oh, I see. You prefer all your 'net traffic logged by the NSA and/or Patriot-Act based spying, etc.

Fun.

And you think you're not having your traffic logged right now by your government?

Having your 'net traffic logged is one thing (and can be avoided by anyone who wants to avoid it). Having every last movement and purchase you make in real life logged is a whole different ball game.

von Wrangell · Apr 10, 2006, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

OT2: Iceland's social structure is quite refreshing. Surnames are descriptive of the previous generation, but they tick off geneologists because there's no continuity of family names. And the quoted critique of Icelandic society sounds right from what I know-others with direct experience should chime in about that.

The surnames part is correct. It's actually quite interesting. We don't really have "surnames". Our surnames just tell others (and ourselves at times

) who our father is. Lets say we have a person named Steve who's father's name is Jobs. Then he actually would just be named Steve but after his name you would add Jobsson (son of Job would be the exact translation). Our phone directory lists people based on the first name (given name?) and in school that name is used as well, unlike when I lived in Sweden and the teacher always called up my "surname". Only about 10% of Icelanders have a real surname.

But this also makes it easier to track whole families. Without much effort my lineage has been traced back to the 13th century.

For more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Iceland and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_name

Railroader · Apr 10, 2006, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by ambush

Nobody carrrresssss.

Oh really?!?!

Your ignorance must give you a natural high. It's astounding the levels of ignorance you have obtained. Even in this thread you have ignored information that would prove you wrong.

jamil5454 · Apr 10, 2006, 10:35 AM

I say go ahead and move. To me, there are more important things to get out of America for, like the lack of strong family unity, the "always wanting to change something just because", the awful food, etc... But the US is a good enough place to get a higher education and be successful, so it's got its upsides.

Also, experiencing other parts of the world gives you a stronger grasp of global reality. You see different cultures and how they operate, and you better understand the way society as a whole interacts.

jamil5454 · Apr 10, 2006, 10:48 AM

Oh, and

Goldfinger · Apr 10, 2006, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by abe

What kind of warped mentality celebrates widescale protests in the streets as a form or communication with the government????

Well, it works. Much better than writing or calling them. You can't just "write your congressman" here, it doesn't work like that. The elected representatives of the people are autonomous.

I just read this morning that Chirac is killing off de Villepin's new CPE law. Thanks to the protests.

And the french just like strikes and protests, it's in their nature.