Why is the laundry more important?

[its Leslie]

Let me get this straight, you have to pay a licence fee for the "priviledge" to own a tv and watch it?.

Hmmm ok now I KNOW that Sweden is the country I thought it was.
Sorry for an across the board generalised slag Svenska, I have never met a Swede I hate, but your country's system of government sounds fucked in a lot of odd social methods.

I also don't know any Americans I hate (well other than Bush, I ain't a fan really), but they can stuff their country's government too (especially their method of voting).

I have always wished I could deport the NDP party here in Canada to Sweden.
NDP, New Democrat Party, think losers that long for the good ole days of Communist style government (no they are not Commies, they only think like them). They are also the dopes that ruined Ontario's triple AAA credit rating, with their give everyone all the money they want stupid thinking.

Not that I am in love with the Cretien Government eh. But here in Canada I don't pay for a doctor visit, I don't pay for medicine, and I sure don't pay just to use my damn TV.
I have a cable service I pay for (but the key word is service, I don't have to have reliable channels if I don't want to). I have a phone service (I could also just drop quarters in a pay phone too). I have a DSL connection (which again is not forced on me). But all these options are commercial options. I am not required to pay a fee for just for owning the equipment.
We have driver's Licence fees, but then cars have a large impact on society. I don't mind drivers being asked to keep their roads in one piece (I don't drive eh).

To get back to the comment I wanted to make though.

My mother has lived a life of resentment over dad saying "I earned it, therefore it is MY money". She now has her own seniors pension income, and does what she wants, when she wants, with HER money. He still gets to pay the bills though with HIS money.

That is stupid and is not allowed in my household.

Money coming in to this house is OUR money (including my son).

We gather up money and then pay bills and then we divide the residual (which exists, but is meager), into three. My son doesn't get an allowance, he gets his third. On an average month, the portion is like 20 bucks.

This applies to any manner of established income. It doesn't matter if it is my pension check or a GST rebate cheque (once every 4 months) or my son's child tax credit cheque.

We divide our food money into 4 portions for the month, and we buy groceries with the idea, if we have a bit left over that week, its found money for bonuses like a rental of a game or to eat lunch out.

There are no unequals in my home.

 

[Quasimodem]

Originally posted by its Leslie
Let me get this straight, you have to pay a licence fee for the "priviledge" to own a tv and watch it?.

Why are you so surprised, Leslie?. In the US & Canada, we don't need to pay for a TV user's fee once a year. We pay a fee every 10 minutes. They are called commercials.

The way the British (and I am assuming) the Swedish system is set up, they pay in advance for a license to own and the right to use a television set, and receive uninterrupted programming.

Of course, by now, the British also have commercial stations, in competition with private government channels. In the States, and Canada, there are government & public supported television, like PBS and TVO. Even the CBC started out to be a copy of the BBC, but turned rather quickly into a hybrid, due to proximity to the American channels.

North America has their purest equivalents to government controlled, pay-to-view broadcasting in the specialty channels that are proliferating, under the watchful eye of the FCC and the CRTC.

In the end, both our systems have developed into a hodgepodge of differing theories of broadcasting; each with their supporters and detractors, all competing for our attention.

 

[DVS]

Why are you so surprised, Leslie?. In the US & Canada, we don't need to pay for a TV user's fee once a year. We pay a fee every 10 minutes. They are called commercials.

If that is the equivalent, I prefer our system.
As much as I hate to see 99.9% of those comercials, we can at least turn down the sound, change the channel, turn off the TV, or record for later, when we can fast forward through them.
And, I understand you can program TIVO to skip them, but don't quote me on that. That's just what I heard.

And, some of those comercials are actually worth watching. About 0.1%

 

[Quasimodem]

Originally posted by DVS

... some of those commercials are actually worth watching. About 0.1%

Thanks! About 0.1%

 

[Svenskaflicka]

We don't pay for OWNING a TV, just for USING it. All the different taxes and fees we pay go to the social welfare, and that pays not only for repairing of roads, and snowshoveling in the winter, but also it helps people who have become unemployed or sick, or in any other way is uncapable of supporting themselves.

I rather pay high taxes than is left to handling my own problems when my luck runs out on me...

 

[wildsweetone]

commercials...

Oh yeah!!!

in the 0.1%, include those commercials that use sanitary pads to soak up evidence in crime scenes, and/or pooled water from the floor directly below a leaky roof, which are generally advertised around peak viewing time during the 6pm News...

like they'd ever really work to dull the dripping ceiling noise for longer than 10 minutes... huh!

 

[its Leslie]

Oh Canadians pay taxes to be sure.

Canada has oft been voted best place in the world to live in spite of out taxes.

Taxes buy people many privileges.

But no one here in Canada would ever let the government tell us we had to pay to turn on our TV. That would be political suicide.

I don't mind commercials (unless they repeat same one in same break, that's annoying). I also don't mind ads in magazines (to a point, computer mags and womens mags are so bad you can't find the articles for the ads).
Ads and commercials serve a purpose.

Besides, I need a pause to use washroom eventually eh hehe. I also often work on a hobby while watching tv and do it on the breaks.

Uninterrupted programing hmmmm that's why we have video rentals isn't it? If I want to watch something uninterrupted that bad, I will rent a film (of my choosing).

I pay tax when I buy chips or pop, I pay tax for toilet paper, I pay tax for clothing and I pay tax in rentals cable service phone service etc.

But nope, don't try to get a tax when we use any of those things.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I think that the Swedish Television company is state-owned, and that's why we have a license to be allowed to use the television net thingy...

 

[Guest]

crazy ads

those commercials that use sanitary pads to soak up evidence in crime scenes, and/or pooled water from the floor directly below a leaky roof

LOL! WSO- you have some very odd ads in Kiwi land...

When I was in Germany I used to laugh aloud at the absurdity of the commercials... I guess I should watch your television too!

b

ps. I finally realized the link for my stories was not working and got it fixed... so if you tried before and it didn't work, please try now..and why didn't any of you tell me?!!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I remember this commercial IKEA had here in Sweden - I THINK it made it out into the world too, but I'm not sure.

It's this close-up of a naked bum, and the speaker says "let's ask the world's greatest expert what he/she thinks about IKEA's new sofas", and then the person they're filming flexes his/her bum muscles, so that it looks like the asscheeks are smiling!

( ! )

 

[SlickTony]

license for having a TV. I pay that 4 times a year. Without it, it would be illgeal for me to watch TV.

I'm sorry, but I have a hard time stretching my mind around that. It's just as well my dad's ancestors took ship and came over here. I'll take my system, commercials and all. After all, as Leslie points out, without commercial breaks, when do you get to go to the bathroom?

Some commercials are irritating, some are ignorable, some are cute. One of my favorites is the one with Jennifer Capriati buying an orange with her American Express card and walking away sticking the orange into the ball pocket of her tennis dress.

It sounds, then, Leslie, like we had very similar experiences growing up, as far as our parents' attitude toward money.

In America we have gotten so used to tirades from other parts of the world about how we export a sex-soaked culture, and tasteless commercials, ete., etc., that I think we have sort of internalized it. Imagine my shock when the other night I saw something called Shock TV--it was something very educational about TV game shows and ads in other countries. Let's see, what were some of the most memorable highlights? Well, there was the Naked Jungle thing on, I think, Aussie TV (England would have been too cold, plus no jungle) where naked people romped through the jungle in a sort of fitness/survival competition; and an anti-hate speech one from Germany which featured an anus with this hate speech coming out of it, twitching and opening and shutting like a mouth does with words--the obvious implication being that people who said stuff like this were talking out their ass. Of course it's true, but in America you could never present it like this.

 

[its Leslie]

America didn't invent commercialisation, they have merely shown so many countries, that they do it better than most.

Look at communism. I can tell you why communism failed in Russia. Bullshit makes a lousy product.

After hmmm 70+ years, the people finally woke up. After 70+ years, well suuuuuuure the average Russian hasn't a clue how to run a free market. But then I often wonder if the word "free" exist in the Russian language for that matter.

Sure we have names like Nortel here in North America, that will be remembered for a long time. No one is saying we are perfect here in Moneyland.

I was just reading an article on how Canadian National Railways has gone from a lame company, to a major success and is being referred to as best of the best by it's industry, in a recent magazine article in Trains magazine.
Anyone that bought stock with CN is not complaining. The person running Nortel was a crook while, the person running CN is an economic genius.

As for sex selling as a US concept, nope, again, the US just knows how to sell something better on average.

Look at my favourite hobby anime. "Sex" is just "sex" to some (regardless of how it is portrayed), and something not even worth mentioning to others.

In Sweden it might even be an openly exploited commodity. Come to Sweden and enjoy a prostitute without getting arrested.

But they still sell it as "sex", the thing you shouldn't have, they just don't hassle you like they do here in North America.

In Japan there is no problem with simple "nudity" because to them, "nudity" does not automatically imply "sex".

Sure you can actualy find anime that is most definitely obsessed with "sex", but that just means that Japan has people that will take something that doesn't have any need to "exploit" "sex", and insist on adding it anyway (the same way that every other country has people that will do that).

Of course, one person's idea of what "sex" is will not be the same as anothers. That and one person's idea of what is "unacceptable", will not be the same as another's.

At one time a "geisha" had nothing to do with a prostitute on the Ginza. Today thanks to westernisation, a geisha has lost her historical meaning.

I have yet to see a single anime, that aired openly as a tv program from Japan, have anything objectionable (or even worth comment). But I have also watched a couple of animes that were clearly adult films (or at least oral sex and outright fucking generally can't be described as anything else but adult media).
But anyone that thinks that can be openly aired in Japan on an ordinary tv program, knows nothing of Japanese tv programing.

They don't have trouble with an anime show personality disrobing fully, but I have seen the shows. Ranma 1/2 is a silly show with silly plots. But you will never see any girls possessing any details drawn in below the waist, nor will the males every possess any visible details (it isn't legal in Japan). But you can bet, that naked girls, will have bobbing breasts if they move while naked (they have no trouble with breasts in Japan is all).

of course, all those guys that get off with breasts, won't have any trouble with mundane anime. Nor will the guys that get off looking at panties. It's just not sex to the Japanese, in the same way as swallowing cock is.

I personally get pissed off with the fickle double standards here in Canada.
I can watch sex on tv if the program is from Quebec. Because it's "cultural".
I can watch next to naked women on tv here if the woman is modelling clothing, because tits are suddenly not sex if the girl is flat chested and currently "working".
I can watch people clearly having sex on a soap opera as long as they keep the fun parts covered.... mostly, while they obviously depict sex.
But heaven forbid I should apply all this to a cartoon.

Then again. I am not interested in seeing Babs Bunny's tits eh.

I hate the mindlessly stupid, animalised humanity in cartoons. I hate the poorly drawn senseless crap that passes for cartoons here in North America (Cow and Chicken is my favourite example of a waste of air time).
Fortunately I can make the choice though. I watch anime that is purchased by friends, and cut out the North American bias against it.

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH, hey this was the only email I had to respond to this morning eh

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Get the facts, buddy!

In Sweden it might even be an openly exploited commodity. Come to Sweden and enjoy a prostitute without getting arrested.

But they still sell it as "sex", the thing you shouldn't have, they just don't hassle you like they do here in North America.

OK, now you're pissing me off, Leslie. That was going TOO far!

Prostitution is illegal in Sweden. Don't talk about things you don't know anything about!!!

 

[its Leslie]

Not my intent to piss you off dear, but if you want to talk about things at random, why can't others.

In a room full of uneducated people, they are all equally as bright eh

 

[DVS]

First, WSO, that 0.1% was suppose to be for the percentage of comercials WORTH watching. Was that what you were meaning when you added your sanitary napkin soaking water ad? It doesn't sound much like a good time to me.

And, we in the U.S. are rather constipated when it comes to good comercials. I know of quite a few, in other countries that are very funny, and still get the point made. We are so anal about NOT showing the naked human body that we can't show some of those here. Is that maybe the reason we are so extroverted in other ways? No need to answer that. It is a rhetorical question.

I love watching the The World's Best Commercials, when it is on. But, some of the better ones can't even be shown here, and have some words or scenes blocked out. I would say we are maybe paying for the use of our TVs in another way, perhaps? We would never see a naked ass on American TV ads. We have come to see them on some bold TV shows, but ads won't show them for fear of offending possible customers. If it were a female ass, they may GAIN male customers!

I also remember the days when cable TV didn't have commercials. Now, PBS even has ads, sometimes. And, the commercials are longer and longer, and they are also starting to be double commercials, too. I only need so much time to go to the bathroom and get another beer, you know?

I don't understand why they bombard us with so much crap. It only makes me less likely to purchase their products, if I happen to remember their annoying ads. I think the market people assume the opposite?

But, if I am bothered by something during the dinner hour that ruins my appetite, I don't feel it is appropriate timing. But it is seen as the prime time for all ads.

Oh, well. Like someone else has already said...it is good to have these ads for when you need a bathroom break, or a snack break. Usually, I am not around a lot, and tape most shows. It is wonderful because I can pause at any time for the bathroom or snacks, and fast forward through the ads.

I have one VCR that will fast forward for a length of time, when I hit one button. It is sort of a commercial skip button. But, I have to hit it more than once, these days. The ads are getting longer and longer.

We all do pay for our use of the TV, in our own way. I am sure it is a "the grass is greener" type of situation, in many ways. Don't you think?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I will never understand how come American television can show violence and murder in detail, but has to cover up a living, naked body. What makes sex filthier than murder???

 

[DVS]

I will never understand how come American television can show violence and murder in detail, but has to cover up a living, naked body. What makes sex filthier than murder???

I don't think it is WHAT makes sex filthy, but WHO makes it filthy. Remember, we have a so called civilized society, in the U.S.
The few who complain about things seem to make great waves. It is true, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Our silent majority should speak up, sometimes, but we don't.

As for why show violence, and not sex? I guess nobody has spoken out against it, enough. Our morbid curiosity is overpowering. Life is sometimes so difficult to understand, isn't it?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I don't think it is WHAT makes sex filthy, but WHO makes it filthy. Remember, we have a so called civilized society, in the U.S.

While us barbarians think it's OK for kids to see a naked body, but we try to protect them from seeing horrible, violent acts on film.

 

[DVS]

While us barbarians think it's OK for kids to see a naked body, but we try to protect them from seeing horrible, violent acts on film.

I don't think we were talking about the same thing. I was talking about TV violence, as in news stories and such, as opposed to frontal nudity. We do tend to show how violent our country is in our news stories, but we fail to show ANY sex or hardly even talk about it.

As for violence and sex in movies, that is rated and the responsibility of the individual. I don't agree with some of the ratings, but if something is PG13, and is an action movie, you can likely plan it will have some violence in it. Letting kids see it (13 year olds and older are able to understand it?), I sometimes think they go overboard.

Still, we all know this is the case, so when a movie is rated for 13 and older for violence, you can make the choice for yourself.

With the real life violence (as we are experiencing NOW with the sniper killing people at random in the Washington D.C. area), that is impossible for an adult to understand. How is a child suppose to? But, because it is news and the people's right to know, it is on every channel, at every chance.

 

[Quasimodem]

"If it bleeds, it leads!"

That is not a new theory in journalism. It goes back at least as far as the 'yellow journalist" papers of the late 1890's.

The difference became noticeable when, with digital video cameras, satellite hook-ups, and advertising driven news programs they were able (and willing) to pipe the bloody story into your living room, before it had time to coagulate.

In passing:

I got myself seriously censured for offering the following opinion.

I would rather have sexual content programmed on television than violent behaviour.

According to my unacceptable theory, one is much more likely to participate in some variety of the former, and - hopefully - much less likely to participate in some kind of the latter.

But then, people make no sense ... at all!

 

[Quasimodem]

BTW: Does anybody know how to get bloodstains out of a shirt?

I just realizes, this is the 'laundry' thread.

 

[DVS]

BTW: Does anybody know how to get bloodstains out of a shirt?

I just realizes, this is the 'laundry' thread.

If you are serious, ONLY cold water. Warm or hot water sets blood into the fabric. Cold water will get it out, unless you have put it in warm or hot water first. Let it soak over night, if possible. And, if it is white, you can add bleach or some other form of expellant.

If it all doesn't come out, you could think about changing the color to red? Or, if we are talking LOTS of blood, it might be better to trash it and buy new.

Cut yourself shaving perhaps, or a more serious blood letting, pray tell?

OK, laundry experts...how did I do?

 

[DVS]

Thought I would post a couple more times, to see what 400 posts does to my status. Sorry, normal programing will return shortly.

 

[DVS]

OK, if your lights dim, or your computer starts doing funny things, it is only me, changing to 400 posts. Here we go (yes, some people are thrilled by the simple things).

 

[DVS]

SHIT! Pardon me, while I complain. NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL! NOT A DAMN THING!

OK, I feel better now. Maybe it will be 500 posts, when something changes?