Slashdot Mirror

Dicionary.com does though. As does my OED on CD, though they don't have a free version online I can link to.

"Virii", which is correct according to the rules of the english language

You are very much mistaken. I challenge you to find a dictionary or usage guide that supports you.

If you're going to play spelling nazi, you need to start checking your sources a little better.

Says the pot to the kettle. Even the most basic of research would have led you to a plethora of papers demonstrating your error, such as this one and this one.

Viola

The word you are looking for is voila. A viola is a musical instrument, and thus doesn't make sense as an interjection.

Viola

The word you are looking for is voila. A viola is a musical instrument, and thus doesn't make sense as an interjection.

So, even though they don't need to pay it, as most business accounts usually get at least NET 30 for billing and I am sure no one would ever tell Microsoft that they must pay in full on any order, it still exists as money owed to someone else. Far as I know that is the very basic definition of debt. By why take my word for it.

Debt

n.

1. Something owed, such as money, goods, or services.
2. 1. An obligation or liability to pay or render something to someone else.
   2. The condition of owing: a young family always in debt.
3. An offense requiring forgiveness or reparation; a trespass.

I know we are basically arguing semantics here, but most people I know would think you are out of your mind for saying Microsoft is a debt free company. Just becuase they have enough money to pay off all their debts (or do they? ;) ) does not equate to being actually debt free.

Short term unearned revenue 5.9 B Other 2.5 B - Don't know what these are, but they aren't debt.

From here we learn that...

Unearned Revenue:

This is where the business receives a cash payment for services or goods before the goods or services are provided to the customer. The payment is shown as a liability until the goods or services are provided to the customer. Once they have been provided they are transferred from the Unearned Revenue account to the normal Revenue account for the business. The Revenue account credited depends on what was provided to the client. If a service was provided, then it would be called Service Revenue. But you could also have accounts titled Rent Revenue, Subscriptions Revenue, Tuition Revenue (as in the case of this college), etc..

So unearned revenue is not a debt of cash but of product and/or service, which it is why it shows up as a liability rather than in revenue

2.5 B in other is just darn scary. I wish I had that much lying arround that I could just call other expense. Think about it. That's almost half their unearned revenue, and double their accounts payable. Weird.

But that's just my opinion. I may be wrong. (stolen from Dennis Miller)

Welcome to the digital age, where knowledge can be cristallized into programs

Yeah, and into web sites like dictionary.com.

The mere fact that they refer to software development as "Software Construction" can tell you something about how much software the author has probably "constructed". Construction is the application of repeatable processes (or, construction: Something fashioned or devised systematically).

As we all should know, repeatable processes are automatable processes. Software construction is the build method (make, install, etc). Writing the software is more akin to how a building architect designs buildings. They also automate repeatable processes, such as generating bills of materials from autocad drawings. Software development is design, even at the lowest levels, and the folks at the PMI and the SEI should remember that.

punative ? ? ? ? that should be PUNITIVE!!!! :-(

look at dictionary.com

(My brother holds that the Christian Right isn't conservative - they're liberal with a different set of values.)

Not liberal, but quite radical.

I like to refer to them collectively as the Religious Reich. Last time I checked, that domain was still available. =) I always hoped someone would put up an anti-censorship page there...

(My brother holds that the Christian Right isn't conservative - they're liberal with a different set of values.)

Not liberal, but quite radical.

I like to refer to them collectively as the Religious Reich. Last time I checked, that domain was still available. =) I always hoped someone would put up an anti-censorship page there...

No, I meant whinge, as in "to whine". You're the second one to ask this, do Americans not have this word or something? :)

That's correct. Here's one definition:

whinge intr.v., Chiefly British whinged, whinging, whinges
To complain or protest, especially in an annoying or persistent manner.

Hate to tell you Bob, an action cannot be arbitrarily ("determined by chance") and purposefully ("intentional") committed

"Determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle"

You may find that the most common use of 'arbitrary' is;

"Based on or subject to individual judgment or preference"

... or ...

"Not limited by law; despotic"

on the grounds the organization arbitrarily and purposefully devalued his companies' and his customers' web sites

Yeah, I can't think of any way to do something both Arbitrarily (Determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle) and Purposefully (Having a purpose; intentional) at the same time?

on the grounds the organization arbitrarily and purposefully devalued his companies' and his customers' web sites

Yeah, I can't think of any way to do something both Arbitrarily (Determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle) and Purposefully (Having a purpose; intentional) at the same time?

Probably not. Might be a good idea to learn what you're talking about before correcting someone else's grammar there, killer. There's nothing wrong with "badly written."

Not just you.

It has a definite "you might be a redneck if..." connotation, unless it is used in the context of doing precision calculations.

Dictionaries flags this with "Informal". And, no, I'm not saying that all entries flagged "Informal" are hick-speak, bit it is one of the reasons something gets flagged.

-

The spammer's argument is ludicrous; if it held any water, you could fire bullets over state lines as long as you engraved "EAT AT JOE'S" on them first.

Given the number of posts talking about how only females can be "castigated" - get it straight! Castigation is not the same thing as castration!

Your score of "0" speaks volumes about your abilities to construct an insightful comment. But just for the sake of disproving your moronic babblings...

Hypothetical situation - I see a problem with black people. They turn nice neighborhoods into ghettos by forcing whites out and decreasing the property values, they have a higher rate of crime and a lower average life span, which must mean they carry disease of some sort. This, naturally raises a furor in the educated crowd, jumping on my poorly thought out hypothesis and point out the Chevy-sized holes in my "logic". Your response? "Don't listen to those well educated people trying to play this down! If my man Nugneant sees a problem, IT MUST BE SO!". And congratulations, fuckwit! We have the new KKK!

And to all the well meaning idiot liberals who are about to pounce on the "reply" link - HYPOTHETICAL. I repeat: hypothetical. Now for god's sake, give me a break.

1. The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence.
2. 1. Keenness and quickness of perception or discernment; ingenuity. Often used in the plural: living by one's wits.
   2. wits Sound mental faculties; sanity: scared out of my wits.
3. 1. The ability to perceive and express in an ingeniously humorous manner the relationship between seemingly incongruous or disparate things.
   2. One noted for this ability, especially one skilled in repartee.
   3. A person of exceptional intelligence.

Synonyms: wit, 1humor, repartee, sarcasm, irony
These nouns denote forms of expression that elicit amusement or laughter. Wit implies intellectual keenness and the ability to perceive and express in a diverting way analogies between dissimilar things: Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words (Dorothy Parker). Humor suggests the faculty of recognizing what is amusing, comical, incongruous, or absurd: Man's sense of humor seems to be in inverse proportion to the gravity of his profession (Mary Roberts Rinehart). Repartee implies a facility for answering swiftly and cleverly: framing comments... that would be sure to sting and yet leave no opening for repartee (H.G. Wells). Sarcasm is a form of caustic wit intended to wound or ridicule another: [His] tone seemed as if meant to be kind and soothing, but yet had a bitterness of sarcasm in it (Nathaniel Hawthorne). Irony is a form of expression in which an intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning of the words used: A drayman in a passion [a rage] calls out, You are a pretty fellow, without suspecting that he is uttering irony (Thomas Macaulay). See also synonyms at mind

So what is your point exactly?

1. The natural ability to perceive and understand; intelligence.
2. 1. Keenness and quickness of perception or discernment; ingenuity. Often used in the plural: living by one's wits.
   2. wits Sound mental faculties; sanity: scared out of my wits.
3. 1. The ability to perceive and express in an ingeniously humorous manner the relationship between seemingly incongruous or disparate things.
   2. One noted for this ability, especially one skilled in repartee.
   3. A person of exceptional intelligence.

Synonyms: wit, 1humor, repartee, sarcasm, irony
These nouns denote forms of expression that elicit amusement or laughter. Wit implies intellectual keenness and the ability to perceive and express in a diverting way analogies between dissimilar things: Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words (Dorothy Parker). Humor suggests the faculty of recognizing what is amusing, comical, incongruous, or absurd: Man's sense of humor seems to be in inverse proportion to the gravity of his profession (Mary Roberts Rinehart). Repartee implies a facility for answering swiftly and cleverly: framing comments... that would be sure to sting and yet leave no opening for repartee (H.G. Wells). Sarcasm is a form of caustic wit intended to wound or ridicule another: [His] tone seemed as if meant to be kind and soothing, but yet had a bitterness of sarcasm in it (Nathaniel Hawthorne). Irony is a form of expression in which an intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning of the words used: A drayman in a passion [a rage] calls out, You are a pretty fellow, without suspecting that he is uttering irony (Thomas Macaulay). See also synonyms at mind

So what is your point exactly?

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Treaty: A formal agreement between two or more states, as in reference to terms of peace or trade.

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Treaty: A formal agreement between two or more states, as in reference to terms of peace or trade.

Let's get literate: sole ... soul

Let's get literate: sole ... soul

Just read this dictionary definition of a Republic.

By saying that the US has a Representative Democracy, you are saying that we have a Republic form of government. It means the same thing.

However, you cannot say that we live in a Democracy, as a true Democracy is one in which every law is put to a vote by ALL of the people, not just representatives of the people. If you are going to use Democracy to explain the United States form of government it simply must be preceded with Representative or another word with a similar meaning.

As for your comment about a single source... Isn't that what you are doing? By the way, that is not anecdotal evidence. Did you bother to read the previous link that I send to you?

assistent?

fucking christ, i didn't even go to college.

Try Looking it up... When making the plural of an abbreviation (or a letter or number), you use an apostrophe. Regardless of what the last word of the abbrevation would be if it weren't abbreviated.

also note that you said "pure democracy" the second time around: this self-quibbling indicates that you even suspect that you are wrong.

also note that you said "pure democracy" the second time around: this self-quibbling indicates that you even suspect that you are wrong.

"Cannot" is such an ugly word. How about, "Americans are unable to speak or write in English." The argument of or and nor is a trickier one.

You have a good point about the equipment to play these new "Super CDs". However, I disagree with your comment on the semantics of price and cost. They only differ with frame of reference. Since my orginal post was with respect to the consumer cost and price have the same meaning.

Quite frankly, I don't care what it costs the record companies to produce a [insert media type here] unless it directly impacts my cost ;)

Cost - An amount paid or required in payment for a purchase; a price.
Price - The amount as of money or goods, asked for or given in exchange for something else.

You have a good point about the equipment to play these new "Super CDs". However, I disagree with your comment on the semantics of price and cost. They only differ with frame of reference. Since my orginal post was with respect to the consumer cost and price have the same meaning.

Quite frankly, I don't care what it costs the record companies to produce a [insert media type here] unless it directly impacts my cost ;)

Cost - An amount paid or required in payment for a purchase; a price.
Price - The amount as of money or goods, asked for or given in exchange for something else.

poring.

For future reference, the words you are thinking of are possible & possibility.

For future reference, the words you are thinking of are possible & possibility.

True irony is perhaps the highest form of humour.

Here ya go. test

Okay, I'll feed the troll...

Yes there is.

Saying that the people are empowered doesn't make it so. Being able to vote does not mean that you have any power. The vote in America is nearly as meaningless as the vote in Iraq. The very design of the vote in America ensures a plurality. (def 4a) Believing that does not make a person apathetic. But believing that, what is there to do?

Almost seven hours and not a single reference to gaol? (Granted it's not funny, but still...)

-J

-J

If the alcohol is purer it becomes "undenatured" meaning that you can drink it and you have to tax it. Ethanol used in fuels and solvents is generally "denatured" meaning there is some poison crap in there and therefore it is not subject to liquor taxes, making it economically attractive.

A pet peeve of mine (and I'd assume your's too) is that the standard definition of Democracy encompasses Republics.

What did you contract? 4: be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness;

that would be whingers I assume? [interesting that it's listed as being a 'chiefly british' word!]

To some extent I agree with you - the article certainly paints that picture anyway, but I don't think it's any more representative of the whingers of generation X than the whingers of the baby boomer generation, and the whingers of whatever the next generation is going to be labelled. Whingers will always whinge that they actually have to get off their ass because somebody else won't do it for them.

I don't know whether they (Generation Xers) are actually better off, but things are certainly different.

(Joke's on me -- I misspelled asinine.)

Man, I wish there were a way to comment on the random quotes at the bottom of the page. Today's is really ignorant:

"vuja de: The feeling that you've *never*, *ever* been in this situation before. "

Ummm, actually that's called "jamais vu", and it is a real thing that can happen to people.

which my girlfriend tells me is "oral stimulation of the penis",

I am suspicious ... I check ... ah ha! Verified.

Funny how what your girlfriend told you word-for-word exactly what is listed on dictionary.com for fellatio. Hmmm. Yeah, like you're going to get that exact wording from your "girlfriend".

In other words, we can conclude that you do not have a girlfriend, with little hope in the future judging from the lameness of this post.

Face it, dude. Computer "IO" is the closest you're ever going to get to the real thing.

In fact, this "joke" is a pretty good test to how hard up you are. The harder up you are, the more you will dissect the joke to try and pitiously find as many sexual references as possible.

cubicle != cubical

cubicle Pronunciation Key (kyb-kl)
n.
A small compartment, as for work or study.
A small sleeping compartment, especially within a dormitory.

Moron.