Hugo Chavez takes on a new challenge...TIME

[Hababi]

That's right, Hugo Chavez has announced that he will move the clocks ahead by a half hour at the beginning of 2008.

"Moved by claims that it will help the metabolism and productivity of his fellow citizens, President Hugo Chávez said clocks would be moved forward by half an hour at the start of 2008. He announced the change on his Sunday television program, accompanied by his highest-ranking science adviser, Héctor Navarro, the minister of science and technology. “This is about the metabolic effect, where the human brain is conditioned by sunlight,” Mr. Navarro said in comments reported by Venezuela’s official news agency. Mr. Chávez said he was “certain” that the time change, which would be accompanied by a move to a six-hour workday, would be accepted."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/world/americas/21briefs-clocks.html?_r=2&ref=world&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

So, what do you think about this, and about Chavez in general?

[Iscaryot]

if it works it works if it doesn't it doesn't i don't see any harm or foul in this

[Surtr]

Meh, what the hell does it matter?

It's moving the day ahead 30 minutes, no massive change, and if it works, sweet, if not, meh what have you lost?

[gregulus]

what a shitty idea.

[Reaganista]

um yeah it's not like we change time by an hour every single year or anything

[ashman]

um yeah it's not like we change time by an hour every single year or anything

I think 2008 we get a leap second, so we change time by an hour...oh...about every 500 years or so :p

[Hababi]

what a shitty idea.

Yeah, it's as if he aspires to be that guy from Bananas.

[Reaganista]

I think 2008 we get a leap second, so we change time by an hour...oh...about every 500 years or so
no we do it every year

[Jake=Suck]

no we do it every year

do you mean daylight savings, because after we change it we change it back, in the end its all the same.

[Reaganista]

except for the time it's different

[dei]

I think we should divide the day up into 10 or 100 hours, not 24.

[Dave de Sylvia]

If it was half a day I'd be impressed.

[TheDarkHorse]

why would you use such a story to have us form an opinion on chavez?
silly propagandist...

Anyway, I have nothing but respect for Chavez. He's a leader that cares for his people. He once gave oil to cuba in exchange for doctor's because of a shortage in his country. Yet the U.S uses foolish propaganda to see him as an evil tyrant.

[Krabsworth]

harmless, really

[Mr. Ron]

why would you use such a story to have us form an opinion on chavez?
silly propagandist...

Anyway, I have nothing but respect for Chavez. He's a leader that cares for his people. He once gave oil to cuba in exchange for doctor's because of a shortage in his country. Yet the U.S uses foolish propaganda to see him as an evil tyrant.

I actually agree. He also sent free oil to the US during winter time for poor families...I believe.

[StrangeVision]

Not a big deal.

[Iscaryot]

I actually agree. He also sent free oil to the US during winter time for poor families...I believe.

yes chavez is not that bad of a guy

funny thing is the reader's digest listed him in the top 10 most dangerous people in the world :\\\\

[Smokey D]

Nothing but respect? Are you people crazy? He may have given his people food, but he's also steadily eroding their civil and political liberties.

[Iscaryot]

chavez is a reformist who wants the best for the impoverished nations of south america

every leader makes questionable decisions that doesn't necessarily make them a bad leader

[Smokey D]

He's also manipulating the constitution to preserve his rule, banning various media outlets and has used police rule to get things done.

Nuanced criticism > rhetoric or ideology, people.


every leader makes questionable decisions that doesn't necessarily make them a bad leader

It does when his bad choices have a bigger effect than his good ones.

And it does when his good choices can be achieved without his bad choices.

[Knifeboy]

I'd like him better if he decided that from now on all clocks should run backwards

[peeted]

I wouldn't describe him as a harmless megalomaniac or a loopy tyrant, but i dont understand the science behind this, maybe it will work, who knows. Either way i dont see how its causing any harm.

[ringworm]

Nothing but respect? Are you people crazy?
just when i thought they couldnt get anymore delusional in here, they start admiring Hugo?

wow

[lunchforthesky]

Chavez is terrible but this is not the reason why.

[Kurrpt]

idk, but the idea of a 6-hour work day excites me in a sexual manner

[Dave de Sylvia]

I actually agree. He also sent free oil to the US during winter time for poor families...I believe.
You used to be cool, Ron.

[Mr. Ron]

He's also manipulating the constitution to preserve his rule, banning various media outlets and has used police rule to get things done.

Nuanced criticism > rhetoric or ideology, people.



It does when his bad choices have a bigger effect than his good ones.

And it does when his good choices can be achieved without his bad choices.

Oh.....damn I forgot about that. :^/

Yup, screw him.


You used to be cool, Ron.
See above post. :^D

[Dave de Sylvia]

:-D

[Iscaryot]

chavez4lyfe

[italic zero]

I'd like him better if he decided that from now on all clocks should run backwards
Yes! This is my dream!

[Yield]

I think the idea of this is pretty sound. I don't really see how anyone could think this is a problem.

And about Chavez, I like the things he's doing for the people, but how he's doing them somewhat contradicts everything.

[Independent_CA]

This particular story doesn't really sound like its going to matter.

However, I think Chavez is a d-bag. He is going to be another one of those annoying psuedo-dictators that stays in power for far too long, doesn't really accomplish anything all that great, and makes a lot of noise internationally to try and make himself look important. Hopefully he chokes on his breakfast or something.

[Blackichan]

like bush choked on the pretzel?

[TheDarkHorse]

I actually agree. He also sent free oil to the US during winter time for poor families...I believe.

thats exactly right. Where'd you hear it? I don't recall the source but I heard it once.
Nothing but respect? Are you people crazy? He may have given his people food, but he's also steadily eroding their civil and political liberties.

would you take a look at the United States?
He's also manipulating the constitution to preserve his rule
um no thats speculation as far as I'm concerned(correct me if im wrong).

[Independent_CA]

like bush choked on the pretzel?

Precisely.


um no thats speculation as far as I'm concerned(correct me if im wrong).
Nope. In fact his allies in parliament just passed constitutional changes that would lengthen presidential terms and make him eligible to run again in the future. This just happened like today or yesterday.

[dei]

No one liked my idea?

[Smokey D]

would you take a look at the United States?

That's a tu quoque fallacy.

And I don't give unbridled support to the US either.

um no thats speculation as far as I'm concerned(correct me if im wrong).

Well, it seems he's maneuvering to change the constitution (as pointed out by Independent CA) and he has repeatedly threatened to extend his rule.

[Det_Nosnip]

Extending terms is generally a bad sign...

[Smokey D]

Actually, I have no problem with indefinite terms. That's how my country runs and it's just fine (though because confidence comes through the Parliament, not the people directly, it's much easier to toss governments out). It's just the manner he's going about it that's worrying me.

[TheDarkHorse]

That's a tu quoque fallacy.

And I don't give unbridled support to the US either.

it just seems like you're making him look like he's worse than he really is.


Nope. In fact his allies in parliament just passed constitutional changes that would lengthen presidential terms and make him eligible to run again in the future. This just happened like today or yesterday.

oh ok.

[griftadan]

i don't get why they change it, our labels for the position in the sun in the sky are completely arbitary. if the sun rises at 7, why set it to rise at 7:30 and fool yourself into thinking it really matter?

[Independent_CA]

i don't get why they change it, our labels for the position in the sun in the sky are completely arbitary. if the sun rises at 7, why set it to rise at 7:30 and fool yourself into thinking it really matter?

Exactly. This is a perfect example of what I said, him not actually accomplishing anything. He's trying to do whatever makes him seem "radical" and "different". In the end it will amount to nothing.

[Knifeboy]

i don't get why they change it, our labels for the position in the sun in the sky are completely arbitary. if the sun rises at 7, why set it to rise at 7:30 and fool yourself into thinking it really matter?

It's the same thing as having winter and summer time....

[spitfirejunky]

I don't get this at all...

[Det_Nosnip]

Actually, I have no problem with indefinite terms. That's how my country runs and it's just fine (though because confidence comes through the Parliament, not the people directly, it's much easier to toss governments out). It's just the manner he's going about it that's worrying me.

Combined with everything else, it seems like a step in the wrong direction.

[Smokey D]

I agree.

[Reaganista]

i don't get why they change it, our labels for the position in the sun in the sky are completely arbitary. if the sun rises at 7, why set it to rise at 7:30 and fool yourself into thinking it really matter?
is this a serious question

[griftadan]

well it did have a question mark, maybe that's why it eluded you

[Reaganista]

you dont see why it would matter if time was a half hour different

[Dave de Sylvia]

You'd be late for everything.

[griftadan]

you dont see why it would matter if time was a half hour different

not at all

[dislocated214]

Nothing but respect? Are you people crazy? He may have given his people food, but he's also steadily eroding their civil and political liberties.
Sounds like someone I know in Washington...

[Reaganista]

not at all
do you understand that we live on a rougly spherical object that rotates on an axis and orbits a giant ball of gas that provides us with illumination and energy

[Smokey D]

Sounds like someone I know in Washington...

Sounds like a lot of people in Washington. But you missed the part where we went over this and I said that that's a tu quoque fallacy.

[Danish]

That's right, Hugo Chavez has announced that he will move the clocks ahead by a half hour at the beginning of 2008.

"Moved by claims that it will help the metabolism and productivity of his fellow citizens, President Hugo Chávez said clocks would be moved forward by half an hour at the start of 2008. He announced the change on his Sunday television program, accompanied by his highest-ranking science adviser, Héctor Navarro, the minister of science and technology. “This is about the metabolic effect, where the human brain is conditioned by sunlight,” Mr. Navarro said in comments reported by Venezuela’s official news agency. Mr. Chávez said he was “certain” that the time change, which would be accompanied by a move to a six-hour workday, would be accepted."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/world/americas/21briefs-clocks.html?_r=2&ref=world&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

So, what do you think about this, and about Chavez in general?

Um, we shift our clocks by an hour twice a year. It's called daylight savings. Likewise, studies have demonstrated the affect sunlight has on one's mental health.

It doesn't really matter what people like you or me think about Hugo Chavez. His legitimacy has been upheld by the Venezuelan public numerous times. But I do think the media is doing a great job at making Chavez look like a nut. There is absolutely no context and no understanding of political reality in Venezuela.

[Hababi]

There is absolutely no context and no understanding of political reality in Venezuela

The political reality is that Chavez is an aspiring autocrat with loopy ideas. Crime has skyrocketed under his watch, while wealth, particularly amongst the poor, has done anything but. He is a failure and a joke.

[Danish]

The political reality is that Chavez is an aspiring autocrat with loopy ideas. Crime has skyrocketed under his watch, while wealth, particularly amongst the poor, has done anything but. He is a failure and a joke.

This coming from arguably the most closed-minded, ignorant person on here... :rolleyes:

[Dave de Sylvia]

He's right though.

[nowhesingsnowhesobs]

inflation is at +10%. But I suppose if his "legitimacy has been upheld by the Venezuelan public" then I must have no right to point out this isn't such a great thing.