Re: [Epic] Supermarkets (believe it or not ON TOPIC)

From: Brian Thomas <bthom37_at_...>
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 23:32:36 -0600

At 01:30 PM 3/23/98 +1100, you wrote:
>> He's not kidding. I find myself looking wistfully at Austrailia. Give us
>> some down sides, or else your going to get a bunch of american moving
>> in, making you play football properly and weakening the beer.
> Ok for a start our politicians *SUCK*. At least here in Victoria we
>have a premier whos busy screwing over the state backwards in order to get
>good deals for his rich mates (would you like a power plant - here's one for
>a bargain basement price , or would you like to put tolls on existing roads
>and have it worked so that theyll be around for 30 years increasing each year..
>would you like to open a casino - we wont hold you to any of the contracts
>you might sign and we certainly wont enforce any of the fines laid out for
>non-compliance.......)
> Of course if youre not one of Jeff's mates youve probably had your job cut if
>you were in the public service , or a teacher , or a nurse-and if youre a
>worker your rights to compensation if injured have just been screwed with.
>Of course with our unemployment rate being as high as it is job related
>problems may not be a concern , the cuts in social security might ......:)
>Victoria's great if you're rich to begin with.........
> As for nationally well our economy's down the gurgler - which I suppose
>is good if youre in the US - the conversion rates from $US to monopoly money
>seems to be good at the moment. A few years ago our national Treasurer made
>some comments about us turning into a banana republic - and he was right....
>And our politicians dont even have the sex appeal that yours evidently do :).
>>
>> The high incidence of skin cancer
> We got one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. And we're
>aiming to be #1 :).
>> The number of people who suffer juniper allergies
> We got great asthma rates.
>> That we have more people struck by lightning than any other state
>> That we are the focal point of the Haunta Virus outbreak, and we are one
>> of two places in the world where you can still catch bubonic plague.
> Hmmmm well salmonella has been a popular inclusion in food as of late.
>ANd we have the world's finest collection of poisonous critters........
> Hows that for a start?
> JAC
>>
>> Thane
>>
>
>
>

So this is a bit late, but I've just gotten back from Spring Break, and
downloaded 563! messages. I live in Rhode Island, and one of the bridges
that leads to the island I'm on is called the Mt. Hope Bridge. It's
probably 60 years old. The toll to cross is .30$. Apparently, this winter,
a tourist went across, and his interest was piqued at a 60 year old bridge,
still with tollbooths. So he did some research, and wrote a letter to some
newspapers, and the gov't, explaining that in all likelihood, the money
generated by the tolls was just enough to pay for the 10 tolltakers! After
a bit of investigation, it was found that he was right...exactly right. No
money went to maintenance of the bridge, just to employees. And now there
is debate about whether to keep the 10 tolltakers or not! Rhode Island
gov't...as corrupt as it wants to be.

                                        Brian Thomas
Received on Sun Mar 29 1998 - 05:32:36 UTC