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Originally posted by comet:

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Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
Another pond difference. The US doesn't have public exams for school pupils - the qualification you get at the end of your school years is a "high school diploma", and is certified by the school itself.

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based on required standards set by the state, not the individual school. districts can add further requirements on top of the state standards, but not change or decrease the state requirement.

to get a diploma, a home schooled student still needs to meet those state requirements. And in my state, they also need to pass the graduation qualifying exam. a diploma isn't issued willy-nilly by the parents or church group or crazy cat lady down the street.

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Originally posted by Gee D:
Given Palin's comments about the disappearance of the MH 370, the crazy cat lady is not down the street, but in the State Governor's residence as well. Don't worry, we have plenty of nutters in our politics as well.

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I originally was going to reply on the thread, but it's a birdwalk from the topic at hand. I'm not calling Gee D to Hell, per se, I know there are a lot of people who think all of Alaska is pretty much Palin clones and glaciers. so....

just for the record, and despite my better judgement, I feel the need to say the following:

• Sarah Palin was our governor for exactly half of a full term.
• She had exactly zero influence on Alaskan education policy.
• our graduation standards were in place long before anyone outside of Wazilla had even heard of her.
• she has been out of political office of any kind for 5 years.
• she has not even lived in Alaska for a number of years. If I remember correctly, she's Arizona's problem.
• one freak does not even come close to representing an entire people. Any more than Steve Erwin can tell us all about Australian wildlife policy.

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Originally posted by lilBuddha:
Aawwwww, comet! why must you steal our fun?
Can we at least pretend that the perps featured on Alaska State Troopers are representative? Or the collective idiots on the various mining moron programmes?

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well, at least they're representative of a slightly larger percentage of the population.

while we're here - Gold Rush Alaska (is that what it's called?) is complete shit. the producers have even gotten in trouble with the law at least three times. I now live near the mine.

and further - the reality TV hard on for AK is not us, generally. (though, somewhat closer than crazyass Palinland) What is it with everyone wanting to film the fuck out of our quirkiest characters? And really, they don't even get the best ones. just the ones who are desperate for attention.

[ 21. May 2014, 18:53: Message edited by: comet ]

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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
I reckon Mayor Stubbs is way more typical.

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Actually, yes.

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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin

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Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I liked Alaska State Troopers for the cops, not the perps. And I enjoyed Coast Guard Alaska very much: nice, normal people being rescued and brave, extraordinary people rescuing.

And the scenery, always the scenery!

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Originally posted by Yorick:
I hate to say it, but I've only heard of two people on this list, and one was Palin. It's not like you've got any Shakespeares or Churchills to represent you and your fellow people, is it?

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You've never heard of 'The Birdman of Alcatraz'?

Given that the current population of Alaska is less than that of Birmingham (England, but probably Alabama as well), that large-scale population has been there barely a century and that most of the skills shown are in fields that barely register on a Western European radar, I'm not surprised that they're mostly unknown to you and me.

Should have stayed with the Russians, though

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"Allons-y!" "Geronimo!" "Oh, for God's sake!" The Day of the Doctor

At the end of the day, we face our Maker alongside Jesus. RIP ken

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Originally posted by Rev per Minute:

Should have stayed with the Russians, though

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Originally posted by comet:

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Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I liked Alaska State Troopers for the cops, not the perps. And I enjoyed Coast Guard Alaska very much: nice, normal people being rescued and brave, extraordinary people rescuing.

And the scenery, always the scenery!

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did you see the AST with the crazy guy who lit himself on fire in a public park? he's the son of a regular. I was nearby for the filming.

and yes, I know this undercuts my argument somewhat. *sigh*

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Originally posted by deano:
Personally I reckon anyone who chooses to live in that much snow that close to the arctic is a sandwich short of a picnic anyway.

Are they really filming the oddballs because you're all fucking lunatics.

Are you sure they didn't just throw a dead grizzly bear carcass off a roof and call whomsoever it fell on Govenor? They might have done, 'cause it's dark much of the time there I believe.

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Originally posted by comet:
...and yes, sorry Minnesota. I know we're fighting the same battle. but at least you have Dylan and Prince.

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And The Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, Low, Marcy Playground, Eddie Cochran, Trampled by Turtles, and Lipps, Inc (Won't you take me to funkytown?)


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I need a quote.

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Originally posted by Gee D:
It would have been a shithouse hell call Comet as it's as clear as daylight that my comment was not of Alaskan politicians in general but only of Ms Palin - and I acknowledged the loopies and loonies (is that being loopiephobic and looniephobic?) amongst ours.

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Originally posted by comet:
Well, Duh.

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Originally posted by RuthW:

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Originally posted by comet:
Well, Duh.

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My point was that you regularly encourage everyone to think you're all nuts up there in AK, so you don't have much grounds for complaining about it when people think you're all nuts up there. Not everyone has figured out that when it's about you, being nuts is cool and exotic, but when it's not about you, it's not fair for us to think you're all nuts.

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Originally posted by RuthW:

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Originally posted by comet:
Well, Duh.

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My point was that you regularly encourage everyone to think you're all nuts up there in AK, so you don't have much grounds for complaining about it when people think you're all nuts up there. Not everyone has figured out that when it's about you, being nuts is cool and exotic, but when it's not about you, it's not fair for us to think you're all nuts.

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Originally posted by Arethosemyfeet:
The sad fact is that Thatcherism does define far too much of what the UK is about today. Zombie Thatcher still stalks the halls of every major think tank and party HQ in London.

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Originally posted by Gee D:
But Comet beat you to the thread didn't she Orfeo, and now you're all snaky, trying very hard to think of a different line - and failing.

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Originally posted by no prophet:
I think the difference between Palin and many other politicians is that she, like Dan Quayle before her, likes to live her stupidity in public. Politics being the most expensive form of entertainment invented.

Other countries look to the USA for a lot our entertainment, it is America's most visible export. So that's probably why vacuous ignoramuses like them get press around the world. How they get elected is another story, which I don't understand well.

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Originally posted by Robert Armin:


I'm not sure that politicians are ever a good advert for their countries. Regarding British politics (and American, French, German etc) how DO these idiots get elected?

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Originally posted by Sioni Sais:

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Armin:


I'm not sure that politicians are ever a good advert for their countries. Regarding British politics (and American, French, German etc) how DO these idiots get elected?

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Because idiots, just like greedy bastards, deserve representation, and usually get it.

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Posted                       

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Originally posted by Robert Armin:
I'm not sure that politicians are ever a good advert for their countries. Regarding British politics (and American, French, German etc) how DO these idiots get elected?

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Originally posted by comet:

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Originally posted by Rev per Minute:

Should have stayed with the Russians, though

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yeah, 'cause Putin would be so much better.

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Didn't the US pay Russia something like the cost of a 3-bed semi in South London for Alaska?