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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
 Posted - 06/05/2006 : 16:48:43 [Permalink]
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Snake, most likely there isn't an actual organization as there is with horse racing and neither there is such an audience as there is with horse racing. After all, mules aren't exactly as dazzling as million-worth thoroughbreds, are they? I'd bet (chuckle) that these are just races run amongst mule breeders in the state and unknown to the general public.
Besides, of all mule racing I've seen, they looked (emphasis on 'looked') quite informal and the betting was informal as well. Just like they do ostrich races over here. It's a rural thing.
Moony, I wouldn't say rougher terrain, but certainly not horse racing tracks over here. Our Jockey Clubs wouldn't let them nowhere near it -.- Having never attended a mule race (I've seen, briefly, on TV, but can't assume much from there), I can't really say. |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 16:54:38 [Permalink]
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You can have your horses and mules, for my racing dollar there's nothing better than pig racing
And the losers are so much tastier on the barbecue.
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The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge.
T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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| Edited by - R.Wreck on 06/05/2006 17:02:38 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 18:17:56 [Permalink]
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Mmmm... bacon on the hoof! Thank you, R.Wreck for the image, and also for editing the post so the huge original no longer makes a pig of itself and hogs the page.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 19:17:23 [Permalink]
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On a related note: I noticed from a photo caption in the Wikipedia "Mule" article that a group of mules is known as a "barren."
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 23:42:17 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by HalfMooner
You clearly have more knowledge of racetracks, Snake, and the betting there, than I do. Indeed, I can't imagine the slower (and less beautiful) mules ever being a serious threat to horse racing.
As for the issue of the phone company and unions, I was the guy who mentioned having worked there. I was employed from 1969 to 1997. And I was a CWA Union Steward for many of those years.
I agree, unions often suck, and they do so when they don't fight hard for their members. I tried to fight the good fight. My greatest legacies as a Union Steward were in saving the jobs of several people the company wanted to fire, and in launching a grievance which eventually got hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay for several hundred clerks, mostly women, throughout the company. These clerks had been made to handle very heavy hardware stocks without being properly paid for the heavy lifting required.
I started on the Mainframe myself, Snake! At the Mission office in San Francisco, in 1969.
Yes, I've been going to race tracks, as they say......before I can remember. My father took us. And each season we'd go to Del Mar. As a teenager I rode my bike to Hollywood Park in the morning, I was a railbird. Someone who watches the warm ups and training and keeps track of the morning line. scratches and all. Over the years, while I still enjoy the beauty of the beast and the excitement of the race as a PETA sympathizer I've had difficulty with all that goes on behind the scenes, the drugs, etc. You do have to admit they are finely tuned athletes though. As I'm 5'1'', the jockeys aren't so bad either.
As for unions...whoops! LOL . But what the hell did they force me to pay them for? I never joined. The one time I was called into the supervisors office, suddenly there was a rep too. I never asked for one but there she was sitting, listening and doing nothing but being a bump in the chair. I 'defended' myself, such as it was. A simple explanation as to what happened and it was resolved. Everybody back to work. That's what my dues went for... I guess!
I started as an LD operator on the cord board in Culver City. LOL, guess that tells you how long ago THAT was. I was on the frame at the Melrose office and sometimes went to the Sunset office in Hollywood. (it was fun listening in to peoples conversations over the wires. LOL, just kidding!) |
| Edited by - Snake on 06/06/2006 00:00:16 |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 23:54:34 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Siberia
Snake, most likely there isn't an actual organization as there is with horse racing and neither there is such an audience as there is with horse racing. After all, mules aren't exactly as dazzling as million-worth thoroughbreds, are they? I'd bet (chuckle) that these are just races run amongst mule breeders in the state and unknown to the general public.
Besides, of all mule racing I've seen, they looked (emphasis on 'looked') quite informal and the betting was informal as well. Just like they do ostrich races over here. It's a rural thing.
Thanks Siberia, that's pretty much what I was saying. If it was organized and had any regularity there'd have to be some government control and the wagering would have to to be overseen and taxed, etc.
I only complained because the orginal post made it seem like there was some offical type racing, which I didn't think there was. Which lead me to think that the twins angle was not completely the whole truth. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2006 : 23:57:37 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by R.Wreck
You can have your horses and mules, for my racing dollar there's nothing better than pig racing
And the losers are so much tastier on the barbecue.
That's disgusting. As a would be PETA member I find that offensive.
I don't eat pork and not because I'm jewish. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 03:47:44 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Snake
As for unions...whoops! LOL. But what the hell did they force me to pay them for? I never joined. The one time I was called into the supervisors office, suddenly there was a rep too. I never asked for one but there she was sitting, listening and doing nothing but being a bump in the chair. I 'defended' myself, such as it was. A simple explanation as to what happened and it was resolved. Everybody back to work. That's what my dues went for... I guess!
Since the negotiated contract made many jobs in the company part of a "union shop," that meant everyone in those jobs had to pay the dues, which were rather cheap, whether they joined or not. The difference between that and a "closed shop" is that in the latter, one must actually join the union to work. (I hope I got these terms right after all this time. The term, "agency shop" comes in there somewhere, too.)
But since you were by choice not a union member, the (unpaid for their union services) Stewards had no legal standing with management in representing you -- unless you asked them to do so. The union reps instead were exercising their contractual right to sit in on the meeting as silent observers, representing the interests of their members in general, which is always a possibly relevant issue in such a meeting. Their mere presence there tends to have a moderating and restraining influence on managers, and may have subtly helped you more than you were aware of at the time. I'm glad you were able to talk the problem away.
Sometimes, the best work a Steward can do in a disciplinary meeting is to speak in the represented employee's stead when they are themselves too emotionally involved to safely speak for themselves. I'd often been able to prevent an angry employee from shouting curses and threats at their bosses -- and sometimes I wasn't. (Sometimes the threats and curses came from the boss.) That's why I would always have a nice calm talk with the represented employee prior to the meeting, going over possible dangers, and previewing what I'd be doing in the meeting. I wanted the employee to have no surprises, though sometimes management would foil this hope. I would also set up a code-word with the employee for use if he or she might need a brief recess from the meeting to discuss something with me. That technique seemed to assure and calm the employee, which also usually served calmed the boss. Threats will get one fired very swiftly, and justifiably.
Cloned mules, on the other hand . . .
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 06/06/2006 03:54:02 |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 05:23:31 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Snake
quote:
Originally posted by Siberia
Snake, most likely there isn't an actual organization as there is with horse racing and neither there is such an audience as there is with horse racing. After all, mules aren't exactly as dazzling as million-worth thoroughbreds, are they? I'd bet (chuckle) that these are just races run amongst mule breeders in the state and unknown to the general public.
Besides, of all mule racing I've seen, they looked (emphasis on 'looked') quite informal and the betting was informal as well. Just like they do ostrich races over here. It's a rural thing.
Thanks Siberia, that's pretty much what I was saying. If it was organized and had any regularity there'd have to be some government control and the wagering would have to to be overseen and taxed, etc.
I only complained because the orginal post made it seem like there was some offical type racing, which I didn't think there was. Which lead me to think that the twins angle was not completely the whole truth.
Yeah, over here it's semi-official only among the mule breeders. I've seen it associated with working horse contests and such, but not otherwise.
Heh, journalists are incompetent in passing their ideas. Where's the news? |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 09:40:23 [Permalink]
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Snake wrote: quote:
That's disgusting. As a would be PETA member I find that offensive.
I don't eat pork and not because I'm jewish.
What is a "would be PETA member"?
I'm not against vegetarianism for the sake of avoiding cruelty to animals, but PETA as an organization is radical. They've supported individuals and organizations that engage in terrorism and their stance on animal rights is extreme to the point of absurdity. If they had their way they'd take my cat Oshie and set him free in the wild, where he would last probably about 3 days. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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| Edited by - marfknox on 06/06/2006 09:40:51 |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 11:04:42 [Permalink]
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| "Yeah, but bacon taste good, pork chops taste good." |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 23:19:33 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by HalfMooner
But since you were by choice not a union member, the (unpaid for their union services)Stewards had no legal standing with management in representing you
>> Yeah, only the 'Bosses' get paid? Good Deal.
The union reps instead were exercising their contractual right to sit in on the meeting as silent observers, representing the interests of their members in general, which is always a possibly relevant issue in such a meeting. Their mere presence there tends to have a moderating and restraining influence on managers, and may have subtly helped you more than you were aware of at the time.
I guess that's a point. In my case I don't think so. But I can see it, in more difficult situations.
It is too bad people can't listen, be more civil and understanding. If they are not, they get what they deserve. But I guess it's nice you were there to cool things off. Good thing it wasn't the Post Office, someone could have gotten shot. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2006 : 23:32:21 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by marfknox
What is a "would be PETA member"?
I have never given money or officaly become a member. I agree with most of that they say but I haven't yet taken part in any rallies or anything. Perhaps someday when I get around to it.
quote:
I'm not against vegetarianism for the sake of avoiding cruelty to animals, but PETA as an organization is radical. They've supported individuals and organizations that engage in terrorism and their stance on animal rights is extreme to the point of absurdity. If they had their way they'd take my cat Oshie and set him free in the wild, where he would last probably about 3 days.
Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I've gone around and around with others over the same issues. People are going to believe what they want. Pick and choose what they want to complain about and misdirect and missunderstand the cause. I don't care to argue those points again. I believe it's important to respect other animals than Man and treat them as we would want to be treated. Think what you want. |
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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2006 : 17:42:34 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Snake:
quote:
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Originally posted by R.Wreck
You can have your horses and mules, for my racing dollar there's nothing better than pig racing
And the losers are so much tastier on the barbecue.
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That's disgusting. As a would be PETA member I find that offensive.
I don't eat pork and not because I'm jewish.
You're offended by omnivores? Or just those that enjoy a good slab of back ribs from time to time? If you want to go vegetarian for whatever reason, more power to you. I enjoy a nicely grilled side of veggies, and eat more salad than anything else for lunch. But many of us also love a good piece of steak, lamb, venison, or buffalo. I've also enjoyed alligator once (tastes like chicken). I don't feel bad about eating another animal no more than I'd feel bad for the broccoli.
I'm all for People Eating Tasty Animals. |
The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge.
T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2006 : 22:13:26 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by R.Wreck
You're offended by omnivores? Or just those that enjoy a good slab of back ribs from time to time? If you want to go vegetarian for whatever reason, more power to you.
Are you suggesting I'm a vegetarian? I am not.
I thought the wording was not pleasant. Everything eats something else, that's life. Pigs are more intelligent than cows so the thought of eating them is awful to me. I don't eat much meat and when I didn't at all at one time, I felt better but, hey! if my dog can do it so can I. I just don't make jokes about it. If my room mate didn't cook for me, and he is the one who buys meat, then I'd not have it. I really don't want it but that's what he gives me. So it's a choice between cookies and what he feeds me. I'm tired of cookies now. |
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