david, at 00:39 on Mar 04 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

db>> And the idiots still voted for him (see that sickening show during
db>> Paul's concession speech last night?).
BG>
BG> No, I went out and had some FUN instead.

db> Oh well, *someone's* gotta take an interest in the democratic process.  ;-)

The older I get, the less interested I become.  This election had a certain
inevitability about it, so what was the point in worrying?  My ONE vote
isn't likely to have made much difference either way, I'm afraid.

db>> Oh well, at least he's now O-U-T *out*!  :-)
BG>
BG> Don't expect any sympathy from me when Johnny fucks the country then.

db> Without trying to get into one of those cyclic political slingfests that'll 
db> never end, I'll just ask this - what has Paul John Keating done for the 
db> electorate of Blaxland that should make me like him?

I've no idea, but surely he has NOT done lots of things which would make
you all loathe him instead.  He WAS returned, after all.  Just not as PM. 
:)

db> That's right - nothing.  He vists once every election, and Lemmings flock 
db> to the BDSC for the piss-up.  Labor has some pretty smart people, but 
db> Keating's not one of them, IMHO - he's just a showman, not a thinker.

Political leaders are just figureheads IMO.  Can you honestly name any
recent PM or Opposition Leader who was actually relatively smart as well? 
In fact, the same can be said for state politics in general.

db> [...later...]

db> See that?  Poor braindead Kelty can't see that despite his warnings, the 
db> Australian electorate resoundingly told him to go to buggery (and to take 
db> the ALP with him).  Yet he dances around singing, "We're gonna get ya!  
db> We're gonna get ya!"  Fucking lunacy, and a perfect example of *why* the 
db> ALP lost the election.  Hrmph.

Didn't see that, but it doesn't really surprise me.  Politicians have been
out of touch with real people for almost as long as I can remember.

BG> No surprise.  NetComm have never been too good at following standards or
BG> regulations anyway.  Remember the MNP-4/V.42bis fiasco?  I sure do.  :(

db> Indeed I do - the ol' Series 3 M7F sitting in the box next to me is a relic 
db> of that era.  I recall talking on the phone directly to Chris Howells (?) 
db> at the time about it, complaining bitterly that NetComm was screwing 
db> customers playing games like that. 

I gather that you weren't one of the lucky few who managed to talk NetComm
into upgrading the Series 3 to a Series 4 for no charge then?  Some suckers
had to fork out around $400 for the board replacement, which is why most
didn't.

db> While the M34F is far from my "ideal", it's still proven
(for me) to be a 
db> pretty damn fine modem - and a sign that *someone* in NetComm is paying 
db> attention.

Sure, if it works OK for you, and connects fine to the modems you generally
call, then you could indeed call it a damn fine modem.  I like my USR for
precisely the same reasons (or did, until Paul started trialling his modem
circus).  Interestingly enough though, I'm now connecting with the M34F at
either 26400 or 28800 every time now, and always with EC.  I made one minor
change at my end, but I'm not convinced that had too much to do with it.

BG> Dunno that Austel would agree with them, but I won't quibble.

db> If we're to believe Dave Hatch, Austel would probably turn a blind eye.

They certainly appear to WRT not black-listing redialled numbers.

BG> Not while there are still people like Paul about, who continue to buy
BG> their products sight-unseen...  :)

db> Paul and I agree - the M34F looks much nicer than the USR Courier!  ;-)

That's distinctly arguable, but I will agree that it's a hell of a lot
SMALLER than the Courier, which doubles as an excellent wind-break.  :)

Regards, Bill

--- Msgedsq/2 3.20