Grab her and assimilate!

35 posts / 0 new

Wed, 2017-07-12 18:50

Mr. Magoo

Sorry for that clickbait title -- I wasn't sure where else this should go, or what to call this thread -- but all shall be revealed.

Two interesting news stories in play:

Battle over Star Trek fan's banned ASIMIL8 licence plate heads to court

Quote:
Manitoba Public Insurance notified Winnipegger Nick Troller in April that his "ASIMIL8" vanity plate — a sci-fi reference to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Borg aliens, he said — would have to go after someone filed a complaint about it being offensive. The plate had been on Troller's family vehicle for about two years when he was forced to get rid of it.

And...

Too rude for the road — government yanks man's last name from licence plate

Quote:
Mr. Grabher wants his licence plate back.

A Dartmouth man is furious that after 25 years the Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles has cancelled his personalized licence plate with his last name Grabher on it, following a single complaint.

The fascinating common theme is that apparently, in both cases, all it took was ONE complaint.

In the first case the plate was uncontroversial for two years, and in the second it was uncontroversial for a quarter of a century (and evidently remains uncontroversial in Alberta, where his son has a similar Alberta plate).

Thu, 2017-07-13 06:45

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

This is ridiculuous. If the vanity plates were full of racist and/or sexist epitets,I'd agree with this. But one plate is a Star Trek reference and the other is a man's unfortunate name. The government should fuck off from this.There is nothing to see here and it's much ado about nothing.

Thu, 2017-07-13 10:24

voice of the damned

FWIW, the Canadian government itself uses the word "assimilate" with the non-trekkie, immigration-related meaning, in a positive fashion...

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/2008309/s4-eng.htm...

Though I guess that's referring strictly to economic integration, ie. immigrants getting jobs and salaries that are as good as what lifelong-Canadians are getting.

Thu, 2017-07-13 09:42

WWWTT

Here's another related link.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/05/03/toronto-doctor-gladly-gets-r...

This issue takes tolerance to a whole new level.

Basically it's about the definition of a single word. And there are many words out there that have more than one meaning. Recently I used the word "bitch" on this forum. Used it under the definition as a subserviant. However, after a short debate and direction from the moderation here, it's just better I not use it any longer because of the other definition attached to it.

If I have to eliminate some words, then guess what? So does everyone else! If I can't use a word because someone finds it offensive, then a word I find offensive, you can't use! It's that simple. It's called treating everyone fairly! But in reality I wouldn't take it that far. First off, the English language has a freekin boatload and then some of different words that can be applied/used in almost any situation that may be misinterpreted by the reader/listener. And I like using/expanding on language. Adds some some spice to writing/communicating! Lots of potential as a creative outlet!

Thu, 2017-07-13 13:05

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

People are hyper-sensitive and melt away with words.

It's kind of like the 'F' word. Fuck has absolutely no clear meaning. It can mean anything from fornication to 'really?' Why certain people have a connipshit over such a word is the height of over reaction.

Most words mean different things in context. Certain words I never use because they are never used out of context. They are just offensive period ( i.e. the 'N' word)

Personally,I think evberyone should take a deep breath and grow up. You can't enforce people from using words however much you find it offensive. It's why the term 'PC police' exists.

And I think the left should abandon any and every tie to political correctness. It turns people off. And sadly it's a term tattooed to the left. Something I'm ashamed of.

Thu, 2017-07-13 16:04

Mr. Magoo

I totally get that we can't just allow anything and everything on a licence plate -- we probably don't want "T1TT1ES" or "KILLGAYZ" or "FORNIC8".

But that's an issue at the approval stage. Once a plate has been approved, I don't think it should be revoked because ONE person in the world took umbrage and had a stamp to spare.

Thu, 2017-07-13 17:10

cco

Do we really need vanity license plates?

Seriously. If they even exist in Québec, they're so vanishingly rare that I don't remember ever seeing one. It seems like their primary tool is to produce a little extra revenue for the government, and to cause regular outrage about someone's plate being accepted/rejected. If you need to decorate your car, what's wrong with a bumper sticker?

Thu, 2017-07-13 17:27

Mr. Magoo

As it happens, they've apparently just started.

If anything, the question should be "can I get "PASTA"?

Thu, 2017-07-13 19:32

(Reply to #8) #9

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

cco wrote:

Do we really need vanity license plates?

Seriously. If they even exist in Québec, they're so vanishingly rare that I don't remember ever seeing one.

Vanity plates are not legal in Québec. They may have existed but that would have been pre-1979.

They aren't necessary. Just a way for some rich fuck to flaunt their wealth and the government to make extra money.

Thu, 2017-07-13 19:40

#10

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
Vanity plates are not legal in Québec. They may have existed but that would have been pre-1979.

My link, from a year ago:

Quebec to begin selling personalized licence plates

If this was struck down, tell us more. If it's been stalled by red tape then, no worries. That's bureaucracy for ya.

Quote:
They aren't necessary. Just a way for some rich fuck to flaunt their wealth

Look at me!!! I have $250!!!!!!!!

Fri, 2017-07-14 16:41

(Reply to #10) #11

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Mr. Magoo wrote:

[

My link, from a year ago:

Quebec to begin selling personalized licence plates

If this was struck down, tell us more. If it's been stalled by red tape then, no worries. That's bureaucracy for ya.

Quote:
They aren't necessary. Just a way for some rich fuck to flaunt their wealth

Look at me!!! I have $250!!!!!!!!

Thanks for confirming what I said. Québec COINSIDERING vanity plates from an article from a year ago. Hasn't happened yet and it doesn't look like it will. I've lived here for 46 years and it's the first I have heard about this.

And yes.people get vanity plates to flaunt their wealth. It's not about the $250 you twit.

Fri, 2017-07-14 20:04

#12

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
Thanks for confirming what I said. Québec COINSIDERING vanity plates from an article from a year ago. Hasn't happened yet and it doesn't look like it will. I've lived here for 46 years and it's the first I have heard about this.

As I said, that's red tape for ya.

Quote:
And yes.people get vanity plates to flaunt their wealth. It's not about the $250 you twit.

Like my Casio watch!

It's all about the Hamiltons, baby!

Fri, 2017-07-14 20:46

#13

Rev Pesky

After all, they are called 'vanity' plates, so presumably everyone understands that they are expressions of pride.

Speaking of vanity plates, there was this car tootling on down the road, with the vanity plate

IML8 IML8

What model of car was it?

Fri, 2017-07-14 21:15

#14

Misfit

A Little Nash Rambler?

Fri, 2017-07-14 21:21

(Reply to #14) #15

Ken Burch

alan smithee wrote:

People are hyper-sensitive and melt away with words.

It's kind of like the 'F' word. Fuck has absolutely no clear meaning. It can mean anything from fornication to 'really?' Why certain people have a connipshit over such a word is the height of over reaction.

Most words mean different things in context. Certain words I never use because they are never used out of context. They are just offensive period ( i.e. the 'N' word)

Personally,I think evberyone should take a deep breath and grow up. You can't enforce people from using words however much you find it offensive. It's why the term 'PC police' exists.

And I think the left should abandon any and every tie to political correctness. It turns people off. And sadly it's a term tattooed to the left. Something I'm ashamed of.

If you'd left it at saying the left shouldn't be excessive about what the right calls "political correctness", I could somewhat agree. But what would abandoning ANY connection to the idea of pc(which has never really meant anything in practice but treating everyone with the basic level of respect they deserve)mean? The left can't stay "the left" in any meaningful sense if we agree with the "it's ok to be a jerk if you 'didn't really mean it'" idea that opponents of pc REALLY want. We can't embrace the idea that everybody should just put up with what the way they are treated by the dominant culture just because the dominant culture IS-at the moment-the dominant culture.

The ruling on this license plate was absurd, but the ideas of treating everyone with respect and making sure that this is a world where no one has to put up with unending slights and abuse are basic to any notion of creating a decent, non-oppressive society.

Fri, 2017-07-14 21:39

#16

Mr. Magoo

Quote:
What model of car was it?

OMG, Alex, I'd like to bet it all!

Was it a white Volkswagen Rabbit?

Fri, 2017-07-14 22:47

#17

Misfit

Magoo, where did you dream that one up?

Sat, 2017-07-15 02:39

#18

Rev Pesky

The prize goes to Magoo. Misfit, the answer is easy to understand if I write out the plate thus:

I'm late, I'm late, (For a very important date.)

If that clue doesn't help, you've never read Alice in Wonderland.

This one is so old I can't remember where I first saw it. If I had to guess when I first saw it, I would say it's somewhere between 45 and 50 years since. See, this is what happens when you get old...

Oh, and good catch, Magoo. I hadn't thought of any prize for a correct answer, but I do, I'll let you know.

Sat, 2017-07-15 06:52

(Reply to #18) #19

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Mr. Magoo]</p> <p>[quote wrote:

As I said, that's red tape for ya.

Quote:

It's not red tape,mate. Québec licences aren't even designed to accomodate vanity plates. Our plates haven't changed since 1979. It's not happening and it has nothing to do with red tape. I'm glad I could educate yourself with what's going on in Québec.

Sat, 2017-07-15 09:48

#20

Misfit

I'm glad actually that Quebec is not buying into them. In Saskatchewan here they're all over the place and now they have CFL football plates to expand the vanity slogans on and it gets to be too much. our normal provincial plates have three heads of wheat in the middle. you lose those three heads of wheat when you opt for a vanity plate, and I don't think that the vanity plates look as attractive.

Sat, 2017-07-15 09:55

#21

Misfit

Actually rev, you obviously didn't catch my first answer and the significance of it. I understand if you don't understand. I thought of Alice in Wonderland right away but didn't make the connection to a white Volkswagen rabbit like Magoo did. So When Magoo did get the right answer, I asked him specifically where he dreamed that up implying Alice in Wonderland. I understand that you don't get my humour.

Sat, 2017-07-15 11:37

(Reply to #21) #22

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Ken Burch]</p> <p>[quote=alan smithee wrote:

If you'd left it at saying the left shouldn't be excessive about what the right calls "political correctness", I could somewhat agree. But what would abandoning ANY connection to the idea of pc(which has never really meant anything in practice but treating everyone with the basic level of respect they deserve)mean? The left can't stay "the left" in any meaningful sense if we agree with the "it's ok to be a jerk if you 'didn't really mean it'" idea that opponents of pc REALLY want. We can't embrace the idea that everybody should just put up with what the way they are treated by the dominant culture just because the dominant culture IS-at the moment-the dominant culture.

Well,I can't say I don't agree with you but your average dull normal who is politically illiterate hear political correctness and roll their eyes. I can't see how anyone can legislate language or someone from being a jerk.

I don't think policing people wins support. People can say whatever the hell they want and people can rip them a new one in response.

I know what I am politically and where I stand. Your average citizen is not political and have no idea where they stand. And it's these uninformed people that need to be won over to destroy the Tories and the Liberals.

People in general do not like to be told what to do. I say leave them be and win them over with our ideas and policy choices.Then,maybe,we can try to make them a little more respectful.

Unfortunately,you can't eradicate assholes from our society. That's why we have Conservatives.

Sat, 2017-07-15 12:05

(Reply to #22) #23

Rev Pesky

Misfit wrote:

Actually rev, you obviously didn't catch my first answer and the significance of it. I understand if you don't understand. I thought of Alice in Wonderland right away but didn't make the connection to a white Volkswagen rabbit like Magoo did. So When Magoo did get the right answer, I asked him specifically where he dreamed that up implying Alice in Wonderland. I understand that you don't get my humour.

Honestly, I was only looking for the answer that I knew to be the correct one, so didn't really look at your answer. However, your response above sent me looking, and I found this.

Little Nash Rambler

Which brought it all back to me. So, in that I haven't thought of a prize yet for Magoo (and I must say, he does take the prize...) I can't really get a prize for you. At the same time, thanks for the trip down memory lane. By the way, in the video of Little Nash Rambler, both vehicles have vanity plates. 2QIK4U on the Cadillac, and H8TICKTS on the Rambler.

Sat, 2017-07-15 17:24

#24

Mr. Magoo

When I was a kid growing up in Sarnia in the 70's, our local police (during the so-called "energy crisis") piloted a program of using Rabbits for cruisers instead of (presumably) the ubiquitous Crown Victoria. There was only one, if I recall correctly, but all painted up in proper Sarnia Police livery, complete with cherries on top. Immediate laughingstock. Remember, this was back when a good ol' Detroit V8 was still common.

As a kid, though, I remember them as being one of the most common "compact" cars, along with the Civic, and the Horizon/Omni.

Sat, 2017-07-15 20:39

#25

Misfit

I remember the Datsuns and the chevettes

Sat, 2017-07-15 20:46

#26

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Pintos for the win!

Sat, 2017-07-15 22:20

#27

Rev Pesky

Anyone remember the Nash Metropolitan?

A friend of mine owned one of these. He got drunk one night, and driving around missed a turn, and drove it head on dead centre into a tree. He wasn't going very fast at the time, and escaped unhurt. He was pr0bably lucky he hit the tree, because if he hadn't, he would have drive into a very deep ditch, with very deep water. I doubt if he'd have come out of that.

The car wasn't worth fixing, and it sat there, nose to the tree, for quite a while before someone pushed into the ditch, where for all I know, it remains to this day.

Beep, beep.

Fri, 2017-07-28 00:28

#28

Sean in Ottawa

Quite often politically correct means being willing to offer basic respect to poeple who are different from you. It is also often about shaming sexism and racism.

I think while there are excesses it is much better to have it than not. And we do know the right wing is not interested in any of this. It is not the worst label for the left.

Wed, 2019-02-13 17:08

#29

swallow

A Cree man from Manitoba is losing his personalized licence plate after someone complained it was “offensive.”

Bruce Spence of Winnipeg obtained the “NDN CAR” vanity plate about seven years ago but Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is now revoking the plate.

https://aptnnews.ca/2019/02/12/first-nation-man-told-to-lose-ndn-car-lic...

Wed, 2019-02-13 18:21

#30

Ken Burch

It probably didn't help that the Winnipeg guy's last name was "Troller".

Wed, 2019-02-13 18:35

(Reply to #30) #31

kropotkin1951

swallow wrote:

A Cree man from Manitoba is losing his personalized licence plate after someone complained it was “offensive.”

Bruce Spence of Winnipeg obtained the “NDN CAR” vanity plate about seven years ago but Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is now revoking the plate.

https://aptnnews.ca/2019/02/12/first-nation-man-told-to-lose-ndn-car-lic...

Here is the "NDN Cars" that this APTN worker thought he was talking about. Fuck I guess this band's name is also offensive. Geez.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v916En8ORvI

Wed, 2019-02-13 18:39

#32

Mr. Magoo

When I saw this thread come to life I felt certain it was because of this story in the news today, but yours is more interesting.

Quote:
It probably didn't help that the Winnipeg guy's last name was "Troller".

That's probably the plate he wanted, but it offended someone.

Anyway, should I take a page from North Report's book and rename this thread to "Grab her and assimilate in an NDN car, assman!"?

Wed, 2019-02-13 21:02

#33

Misfit

What is wrong with NDN?

Wed, 2019-02-13 21:33

#34

Pondering

I said it in my head a few time and realized NDN sounds like "indian". I googled "indian car" and found this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ-6a5cJGKc

...which I think is the positive connotation. The negative I haven't puzzled out yet.

Thu, 2019-02-14 00:09

(Reply to #34) #35

kropotkin1951

Pondering wrote:

I said it in my head a few time and realized NDN sounds like "indian". I googled "indian car" and found this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ-6a5cJGKc

...which I think is the positive connotation. The negative I haven't puzzled out yet.

You mean like the live version I posted above.