I think what this convo boils down to is most of us specialize in just one thing. I'm great at computers but stupid at cars. I'll know where to look when things go wrong with a computer but haven't the slightest idea where to look when the car breaks down. I'll open the bonnet and pretend to myself I might be able to fix it but in reality, unless it's the simplest thing, I have no idea! In fact I have a deal with my mechanic. He fixes my car, I fix his computer. A farmer may be very smart at farming but know nothing about much else. I was recently surprised to find the head of our local investment co-op has never owned a computer and has no idea how to use them (& that was in 2012 FFS). On the other hand, I have no idea how to raise a cow properly. Most people know stuff-all about computers apart from what they use it for. ie: a farmer knowing how to use GPS doesn't relate to a smart farmer, or indeed a dumb farmer.
Well, if you looked at my cites, you would have seen that the farmers are doing A LOT MORE than looking at a GPS. Did you miss the part about statistical analysis? Ignoring these facts leads you to incorrect conclusions. In case you missed it: Is it clearer for you now? And I see gworld is banned once again...
Corwin, you need to learn to read with understanding. A good farmer will know every single thing he needs to know about farming. That includes every program, gadget, book, food, health, land, crop, machinery etc. etc. that he might ever need to do his job properly. He might also have kids and may include that in his list of skills. He may have bought a few farms and understand real estate too. Everything he experiences becomes part of his knowledge, some things more than others. We store the things we are interested in and disregard an awful lot more. But, just like the rest of us specialising in our fields, be it a humble factory worker or highly-skilled sharemarket analyst. Take them out of their field, present them with something they've never experienced or had very little experience of and you will find they're as dumb as the majority on most things.
Bush, I'm not sure what your point is. I think that you and I agree that a farmer has more tools at hand than they did 30 years ago, which means that their skillset has to increase as well. When I worked for a semiconductor manufacturer we were designing in chips for the modern farm for GPS units, animal sensors, feed trackers, farm computer networking - and that was in 1998. As an aside, farmers in the U.S. can and do track every single order of feed that comes in, the lot # and manufacturer, and which animals ate from that feed. Farmers in the U.K. don't. When I visited the U.K. in early 2001 I was driven past farms that had great billows of black and grey smoke coming from them. I was told it was farmers burning the corpses of the animals they had to destroy suspected of mad cow disease because of the feed they MIGHT have eaten. Meanwhile, American farmers can and do trace exactly which animals ate a contaminated lot of feed, and can show traceble documentation because farms are ISO9000 compliant (ARGH!) Farmers in England did not do that, so the government had them destroy all their animals. I don't know if the farmers in the U.K. either weren't required, or were required and didn't bother.
Yes, we do agree on that. My point is that gworld's comment wasn't necessarily wrong. which you straight-out accused him of being before poking fun of it as well in order to enforce your opinion. I also agree with gworld, when I think of farmers, "intellectual capabilities" isn't the first thing that comes to mind, not to say some farmers don't have them.
When I think of DP members that just can't help getting banned repeatedly, for the same crap, well, "intellectual capabilities" isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
Too bad the ban could not be more permanent. Things run so much smoother and the conversations remain on topic.
I don't think so. They talked about having visions of Obama as the antichrist on Fivedoves.com letters and raptureintheairnow.com forum but I think God is sending a different message through this dream.
Very well said. As for myself, I've decided not to acknowledge the hatred spewing from those like gworld and earlpearl. It just creates a toxic environment for all of us. It makes DP look like a haven for haters.
America has earned the reputation of being the 'dumb cousins' of the UK, I dont agree with this statement but there are times when I think to myself 'really?' For such a great, forward thinking country you guys are behind the times in certain aspects. This thread, for instance, the anti-christ? Are you sure? In my opinion Obama is probbly one of the best things to have happened to the US in quite a while, I was glad when he was re-elected as Romney would have been an absolute disaster, a definate case of 'better the devil you know'. Politicians are, by definition, mostly liars. They ALL tell you what you want to hear to get elected, that will never change. BO has thepotential to get things done, unfortunately there are people who will want to stop him doing what needs to be done, its the same in any democracy. despite the fact that Obama is the president he doesnt make all of the decisions on his own, this is what Congress and the House of Representatives are for and this is what makes it a democracy. I dont see how you can blame one man for every mistake made by a collection of people elected to represent the population.
ha ha... Obama has been in office for over 4 years and still "has potential", wow it's amazing!!! "Dumb cousins of the UK"? Someone has their head a little bit too far up their own a**....
Yes I am in the UK, I have the kids at home from school as it is a holiday. I usualy proofread my post but got distracted by kids.
LoL. Thank god for dumb cousins, or some people would have noone to correct their horrible grammar. I was under the impression most browsers do that for you. Perhaps browsers work differently in the UK. And a human being has the potential to spontaneously burst into flames. That, and five dollars will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Now be quiet before Obama adds your name to the terror watch list and sends a drone over your house to kill you (and your family).
It may come as a surprise to you, but believe me, Americans (even most democrats) have no desire to become anything like England or the rest of the EU. You don't become the most powerful nation on earth by following the herd. You give people the maximum amount of freedom possible and let people decide how to run their lives. As England and the EU continue to take more freedom, I say we head the opposite way.
Kids are a little distracting. As far as your comments about Obama, you'll be happy to know half of Americans voted for him. I'm in the other half. In any case, I still think we're better off than the UK.