Slashdot Mirror
Slashback: Towel, Linkage, Drafthouse
They're also good for drying off after bathing. Snitty writes "Douglas Adams passed away a little over a year ago now, and as tradition will soon dictate the first Thursday after May 11th every year is International Towel Day. This happens to be this Thursday, so make sure you all show up to the 12:01 am showing of Attack of the Clones with your favorite lightsaber and a towel. Always know where your towel is."
Update: 05/15 00:11 GMT by T : Hmmm -- this seems to clash with a link another reader submitted, which suggests "the last Friday of every May," which this year would be the 31st.
Update: 05/15 15:00 GMT by T : D Clyde Williamson writes: "Towel Day (since I'm the guy who started it) is on May 25th every year." So ... it's not a portable feast?
Three guesses where they each get that money from. mblase writes "CNet, among others, informed its readers that Macromedia successfully countersued Adobe for patent infringement to the tune of $4.9 million, almost double the $2.8 million Adobe recently won from Macromedia. The article notes Macromedia has another patent suit against Adobe going to court in June 2003."
Listening material when Prairie Home Companion is over. Ender, Duke_of_URL writes "The second portion of Rep. Boucher's interview is up (MP3). This has been discussed previously on Slashdot."
They're also opposed to front doors. dringess writes "Wired has yet another article about deep linking. This one has some fun lawyer rebuttals. I guess I am deep linking right now!"
I especially like this quote: "... but this would set a terrible precedent implying that links have to have a certain amount of ads."
Keeps popcorn out of your keyboard, at least. smashed writes: "After being slashdotted and geekaustin'd and touted for being the first theater with wireless access .... I went to see Spider-Man tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse North in Austin. Apparently you can't have 'electronic devices on' during the feature. I was warned if I didn't shut down my laptop I had to leave by some girl that worked for the theater. The world's first Cyber-Theater my ass. Nice try, but apparently wireless users are absolutely not welcomed there when a movie is playing. I'm very disappointed. I couldn't even have my PocketPC with wireless NIC on while the movie was on. Was I taking off down the runway on an airplane? What's the point?"
Wouldn't you like a mainframe in the closet? Writing in regards to this posting on Linux on mainframes, rudy writes: "Your reference was to the first one in the series, the second one has been up for about a week and the third, and last, one in the series will go on late this week or early next."
Don't forget to bring a towel!
...you wanna get high?
Deep linking? DEEP LINKING?! What about Deep Hurting?!
WWJD.... for a Klondike bar?
apparently wireless users are absolutely not welcomed there when a movie is playing. I'm very disappointed. I couldn't even have my PocketPC with wireless NIC on while the movie was on.
Personally I'd be pretty pissed if the person next to me had their laptop/PDA on during the movie. The bright screen would be very annoying in a dark theatre, and the tapping of stylus or keys would drive me mad.
"Whenever you go someplace new...you should always bring a towel." - Towelie
Wanna get high?
is a bit of an odd concept, but even more strange is that they only have it allowed when a movie *isn't* playing... who hangs out in a theater when there's no movie on?
Slashdot DUDES!!! Isn't it illegal to post telephone numbers on the internet that do not belong to you? That 888 number might just use their Automatic Number Identification on you.
Exactly my question. Why do you need to use a laptop during a show again?
Even film critics typically just use a 'light pen.'
...wouldn't you rather _watch_ the movie?
RIP Douglas Adams
i wonder if dying is like entering a total perspective vortex...
42, amen, and we'll miss you. looking forward to salmon of doubt and the moive.
Yep, it's official. You're the only one!
All these stories have been posted before. Read your own site damnit.
After being slashdotted and geekaustin'd and touted for being the first theater with wireless access .... I went to see Spider-Man tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse North in Austin. Apparently you can't have 'electronic devices on' during the feature. I was warned if I didn't shut down my laptop I had to leave by some girl that worked for the theater. The world's first Cyber-Theater my ass. Nice try, but apparently wireless users are absolutely not welcomed there when a movie is playing. I'm very disappointed. I couldn't even have my PocketPC with wireless NIC on while the movie was on. Was I taking off down the runway on an airplane? What's the point?"
Uh... Its a movie... laptop displays can be pretty bright in a dark room, and it is almost (but not quite as bad..) as bad as turning on a flashlight in a theater if your close to the person... I'd ask to have you kicked out if I was trying to watch the movie and was sitting a seat or two behind you..
Also, why have internet access WHILE your watching the movie? I can see it while your waiting for it to come on, or while your waiting in the lobby, but yeesh.. heh
Douglas Adams passed away a little over a year ago now, and as tradition will soon dictate the first Thursday after May 11th every year is International Towel Day. This happens to be this Thursday, so make sure you all show up to the 12:01 am showing of Attack of the Clones with your favorite lightsaber and a towel. Always know where your towel is.
Anyone know if this is coincidence, or if G. Lucas is paying tribute to a strong influence?
CNet, among others, informed its readers that Macromedia successfully countersued Adobe for patent infringement to the tune of $4.9 million, almost double the $2.8 million Adobe recently won from Macromedia. The article notes Macromedia has another patent suit against Adobe going to court in June 2003.
This is good news for, well, everybody. Think about it: Open Sourcers like all of us here on /. get to attract people to The Cause, and Adobe and Macromedia are just going to keep prospering under patent law, giving back value to all of their non-OSS customers.
Wired has yet another article about deep linking.
I remember I used to think deep linking was okay, but have obviously since changed my mind. If companies deep linked to /., now that /. relies heavily on ads for its revenue, we probably wouldn't have it. :(
Writing in regards to this posting on Linux on mainframes
Yum, more! If you are familiar with my business concerns, you know that I have a lot of experience with Linux on mainframe hardware. Mainframes and Linux are both a boon to the enterprise, and we will just continue to see more success in this area. You should see one of these babies run Quake, it is impressive. ;)
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
Yes, Yes, Yes, Only one... THE One.....
Yes, he was very influential.
Yes, you are the only one who doesn't enjoy his writing.
Yes, you are the only one thoroughly tired of hearing about him.
There is, and only will be, one Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe
RIP Douglas
FoundNews.com - get paid to blog.,
Back in college, my house threw a "come as you come out of the shower party." Had nothing to do with Douglas Adams., and eveything to do with getting girls to show up wrapped in a towel.
We didn't have a network, or hi-speed connection, but we had a full bar, a nice bong, and a house band which are far more attractive to girls.
Yes, you are the only one. Seriously though, he wrote some really great stuff.
So you think we should give up our freedom to earn money for slashdot?
What's the point of having your laptop open and geeking out during a movie? Um... instead, why don't you WATCH THE MOVIE.
People like you are why I love my CRT projector.
> Wanna get high?
No Towlie!
I am not a number! I am a man! And don't you
Isn't Towel Day May 25? It's Two weeks after his death, not the first thursday. More information can be found at:
http://www.systemtoolbox.com/towelday/
Says 42 days after his death. What's up with the 15th?
We needed all of them, and a few more in my opinion.
I would suggest you visiting a doctor ASAP!
The restrictions for the wireless theatre access is more for copy protection than anything else. No reasonable person would want to watch the movie through a slow internet connection with a web cam, but the movie studios certianly don't want it to even be considered.
-Adam
"I was warned if I didn't shut down my laptop I had to leave by some girl that worked for the theater. The world's first Cyber-Theater my ass. Nice try, but apparently wireless users are absolutely not welcomed there when a movie is playing. I'm very disappointed. I couldn't even have my PocketPC with wireless NIC on while the movie was on. Was I taking off down the runway on an airplane? What's the point?"
Good. If I'm watching a movie, I don't want the backlight from your laptop or PocketPC glaring at me, the clunking of your keyboard or beeping (or worse) from your laptop.
Cellphones have shown that there are plenty of people who have no concept of others in public places, and who can't be bothered to turn it off.
If you arrive early at a movie, and want to browse the web to pass the time, fine. Once the movie starts though, I want everything (including your mouth) shut off.
Just watch the movie. That's what you paid $10 for anyway.
If at any time in the future, someone has a laptop, ipaq, or any other glowing, clicking, beeping little device on around me in a movie theater, i reserve the right to confiscate said device and return it to them at the end of the movie... via anus.
I'm serious, movie theaters had better not allow this sort of thing.
In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
Under this theory a deap link into a pasword protected site (like NYT) could be a contributory infringment.
Fight Spammers!
I was under the impression that Towel Day was May 25th. A quick search reveals (http://www.systemtoolbox.com/towelday/) that at least some people consider May 25th to be Towel Day...
I, presonally, have been prepping my towels for the 25th, and I don't think I'll change my plans in light of this Slashdot story.
random
Amen!
Isn't the linking issue a little old? I mean, are lawyers so stupid that they accuse people of something that isn't illegal?? Oh wait, I should never underestimate an angry hoard of lawyers (equipped with OfficeXP generating fucked up html, of course).
Take off every Sig.
Hey, speak for yourself! I pay $10 to eat popcorn, not watch a movie.
Granted, when I'm in a typical movie theatre, I kindof expect that everyone won't have thier cellphones out and their laptops running.
However, when I go to a wireless, geek based theatre, I DO expect it, and SHOULD expect it and should not be surprised in the slightest when everyone, INCLUDING ME, has this equipment running. The theatre can set the policy. Obviously they saw a market for a theatre that actually ALLOWED those very "distractions" since so many people seemed compelled to distract others. This is actually a perfect idea. Give these people a place they can go that this activity is welcome and they'll leave the rest of us alone.
Alas, apparently all is not what it seems to be.
-Restil
Play with my webcams and lights here
Just the original version, in it's durable plastic case with the simple 'Don't Panic!' logo. I mean, sure, you -could- go for the prototype Guide seen in 'Mostly Harmless', but that thing's just plain scary, IMHO...
"It's all fun and games, 'til you realize it's only streams of 1's and 0's..."
His books (at least Hitchhiker's Guide) made it onto the lists of "100 Best Books of the Century" a few years ago - lists created by the literary critics who hate popular books. That book showed up at around 60ish. Why? Probably because they are well-done books even from a literary perspective.
An excellent and sobering quote. Very good sense of perspective.
Now THAT'S what I call "deep linking".
Miko O'Sullivan
The idea for 802.11b access is to make it an attractive place for corporate meetings, you meatheads. It's not so you can surf when the on screen action is boring to you.
Do you even belive that yourself? They're cheap pulp.
It seems to me it should be possible to stop people (the vast majority at any rate) from deeplinking to the ad-free/print-friendly versions. Just check the http-referer tag in the http header, if someone isn't coming from your site then just redirect them to the non-print-friendly/ad-rich version of the page with a note about why that happend.
> > No Towlie!
To misquote comic book guy, "Oh Towlie, everyone hates you but me.".
Everything will be taken away from you.
"I was warned if I didn't shut down my laptop I had to leave by some girl that worked for the theater. "
she may have saved your life, espcially if you were trying to use that crap next to me at a theater.
you know what a theater is, dont you?a place where people go to watch movies because of the quality of the screen, sound, and eniviroment?
get a clue. guess what? I don't want you talking on your cell phone at a library either.
Have some respect for the people around you. If not respect at least acknowledge some common courtsy, you fuck.
This would have been the appropriate moment for the old toss-the-smoke-grenade-and-scream-FIIIIRRRE prank.
Did you know you can fertilize your lawn with used motor oil?
It's really for your own good, nobody wants to be beaten to death with their own laptop.
According to the old h2g2 site, the first towel day was May 25th, which happened to be the last Friday of the month. The author of that node therefore suggests that it always be the last Friday of the May. This explains why some people think it's May 25th and some think the last Friday of May. Where the first Thursday after May 11th came from, I have no idea. To allow those of us with sufficiently lenient casual Friday policies to participate, the last Friday of May sounds more reasonable.
"The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
Obviously you are not one to take much of an observance of life. Nor one who is a fan of british humor.
In his H^2G^2 Series, Adams took a rather playful and accurate punch at life, and nailed it on the nose. Life truly is silly. There are so many things that happen arround us every day that we take for granted as perfectly normal and yet would make anyone who was not acustomed to our lives go "What the hell?"
Life was meant to be enjoyed in a way that is condusive with happiness. The infamous "Don't Panic" mantra is one that should be taken to heart. Life does have a mysterious way of working out, and even if it doesn't, in the end we die anyway, so why should you worry that your toast was burned thismorning, or that you can't find your socks. Just take life one breath at a time and enjoy.
T Money
World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
People should learn to do only one thing at a time and do it well. Here are some examples of things to do: watching a movie, using a PocketPC, eating at a restaurant, talking on a cell phone, fucking your girlfriend, reading the Kama-sutra, etc. Get it, PokePCmon?
He has definately been one of the most influential writers in my life, I'd put him on a par with Vonnegut. There is a whole category of contemporary authors/thinkers I like to call "Science Fiction Philosophers," which both Adams and Vonnegut belong to. Vonnegut is a little more blunt with his philosophy, while Adams is more fanciful, but their views of the life and the universe (and so on) definately come out in the books, and it has touched many people's minds. My mom read HHGthG to me when I was an impressionable young kid, which perhaps explains some things...
While I doubt you are the only person who dislikes DNA, It's hard to realistically say that his works aren't important to many, many people. For some reason, the "geek community," which I'm not really sure I belong to (if it even really exists), has adopted his writings as one chapter of a "geek bible."
I've never been so attached to anyone I've never met as to him.
-If
Run a pencil-and-paper RPG campaign with your far-off friends: Gametable!
You asked:
I mean, how many "Hitchhiker's Guides" did we really need?
42, actually.
If you go to the deep linked page: http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,1-0-0-1963 -1-0-P,00.html, you will be redirected to the non-printer page. However, clicking the printer link in the article will take you to the same URL.
Interesting article. In the first part, it's shown that a z900 is very expensive for what it does. In the second part, the author claims that IBM tries to justify the cost with claims of superior resource management-- but the only reason that resources need to be managed so effectively is that the resources are artificially limited by IBM's sky high prices.
So why the 390 port? Is it a gimmick-- a source tree designed first to enhance Linux's reputation for scaling from palmtops to mainframes, and then to make IBM's outdated mainframes seem hip?
Deep Linking is exactly like Magazine #1 writing:
"There's this interesting article on page 42 in this month's Magazine #2 issue."
Would Magazine #2 sue Magazine #1 in the real world? Then why do lawyers seem to think it's perfectly normal to sue over exactly the same thing in the digital world?
I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
I'll get flamed for this, but I find his writing only mildly humorous at best. It is very lightweight reading, and most of it, especially the Dirk Gently stuff, seems to have been lifted from Dr. Who stories that aired when he was script editor. He wasn't credited with writing those scripts though.
His writing is like cotton candy, not bad, but certainly not filling. Very light and with a tendency to dissolve a few seconds after you get it.
I also stopped enjoying the non sequiter humor of Monty Python funny after I was about 15 years old. I can only watch about 5 minutes of it before it gets old.
After all, the man had the nerve to try and pass off the hoary old "cookie swap" story as actually happening to him. See http://www.snopes2.com/crime/safety/cookies.htm
Agreed!
Cellular phone jammers are illegal in the USA... is anyone else up for joining me on a bill that allows (If not mandates.) jamming devices to be installed in every theatre in the country?
For all those chick flicks all the guys that have an obligation to go see it with their girlfriends could frag each other during the movie...
And could be considerate enough to dim the screens a little...
Well, in the US already, it seems to me like the problem is going away; as more and more people have cell phones, they ring in theatres less and less. I don't have a study for you, but this is what I've observed. People seem to have a better understanding now that they're more used to the phones.
It used to be really bad too. A few years ago I remember somebody's cell phone going off during a symphony! To make things worse, they *answered* it, and *talked* for a while! In a perfect society that would be a hanging offense. But more recently, when I went to see LOTR in a crowded theater? Not a peep.
I wish I had mod points left to soothe this poor guy's karma.
Maxim: People cannot follow directions.
Increases in truth directly with the length of time spent explaining them
High-school style drivel more like.
Fact is, Adams wrote in the same manner as harlequin novels are written. Sure, he can make up a story. But his writing-style is much like Star Trek fan-fic. Repetitive and boring.
I'd say that another reason why it's less likely to occur is that the "exclusivity" of having a cell phone has diminished dramatically, hence the pompous self-important ass who just must take that critically important call asking him "Wazzzzappppp?" doesn't get quite the props he may at one time have thought he would get. The same thing holds true with laser pointers: Ha ha, you're funny kid, but when 30 kids all had their laser pointers it lost the novelty. I think there was a Seinfeld along those lines at one time.
I've heard about incidents like what you mentioned (though I've never seen one that bad), and honestly I would ostracize that person: Anyone so unbelievably devoid of social skills to think that that is even remotely acceptable is a scourge. On a more common note are those on the GO train here in the GTA who insist upon YELLING into their cell phone (totally unnecessary to begin with), apparently under the belief that their conversation is of interest to all of us.
firstly, I always figured geeks had a pretty good sense of what was the right way to act in a theater. You come in sit down and shut up. You don't do anything to annoy the other people. I swear if I see a jackass with a laptop while I'm trying to watch a movie I'm gonna knock your block off. thats just fucking rude as hell. You don't want to watch the movie and pay attention then go home. also, aren't you supposed to have your towel with you at all times anyway?
-
Remember that this isn't a regular movie theater -- this is a fancy one, with tables and dinner being served and stuff. So there's got to be enough light to eat, people will be doing things like passing salt, getting up for fresh drinks, etc. A laptop isn't as grossly out of place as you might normally expect it to be.
-Waldo Jaquith
why anyone would pitch a fit about deep-links, or any links, to their site? I'm completely lost on this one guys and gals - I don't understand the rational of how you loose money by having consumers directed to your site and its ads. Why would anyone get angry about this?
Has a modem on it.
Time to put on the blackhat =P
Free Unix? Free Windows. http://www.reactos.com
We're gonna take it this year baby!!
Did anyone else notice the congressman's bill's definition of the internet? Apparently if spam is sent only to recipients with fiber optic connections to the net and if the message originates from a computer with a fiber optic connection then it's not spam, because it's not on the internet...good news for spammers on Internet2. Perhaps this will lead spammers to lobby for HIGH SPEED internet infrastructure....that'd be irony, ay?
Obviously there's some confusion here...
I say we just call it a draw and declare the entire month of May to be Towel Month.
After all, anything as massively important as a towel deserves more than just a day...
My next sig will be ready soon, but friends can beat the rush!
How much did these companies spend on these cases though? Is it even fair to say that Adobe and Macromedia even get a point each?
--
"Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos." - Homer Simpson [1F10]
You don't need a jammer. A jammer would broadcast losts of noise in radio frequencies. There is, however, another method that could be used to block cell phones.
Build each screen inside a Faraday cage. Essentially, the idea is to encase the whole room in a sheet of metal. The will block the radio frequency waves, and thus the phones won't work. The Faraday cage operates on the principle that the metal screen need not be complete, but that there can be gaps, provided that these gaps are small (and you can calculate how small they need to be.
To be quite honest, the simplest retro fit solution is to put a layer of tin foil on the walls, under wall papere (or paint it). Stick a sheet in the door, and you've got most of the place, and you'll probably be attenuating the signal by a good proportion. It might not prevent them from working, but it'd be
a) damn cheap
b) somewhere near 70% efficent.
Of course, the best solution is to educate the audience. Preferable with a good sized LART.
Cellphone Jammers are illegal, true.... but Faraday Cages are not.... something to think about in the future construction of theaters.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be the name of a store, not a government agency.
No, because some people's need for communication devices (doctors, for example) far, far outweighs our right to a quiet theatre. I hate phones in theatres as much as you, but sometimes there are exceptions... Plus people like me like to have their phone on silent and vibrate so I at least have the option of leaving the cinema if I feel the call is important enough to me.
Send lawyers, guns, and money!
http://www.towelday.net/
As a reader who is also looking for literature more "filling", what do you recommend? This is an honest question.
Yes I agree. Although flash can be (and often is) misused by "designers" the world over, it's a good product, made by a decent company. And it's good to see somebody in a position to bitchslap adobe, because frankly they're evil, greedy bastards, always have been.
Send lawyers, guns, and money!
Since Duke of URL mentioned it in his Slashback, I just wanted to pause and note.
I think the people who enjoy Adams' work have probably never read a classic epic in their lives, an d thus think more of Adams' writing than they should.
The last time someone down the isle had to take not one, not two, not three, but four calls all of them answered with "Yo HO whass the happs?!". The last pound of popcorn from my supersized popcorn bucket, 4 ounces of butter, and the bucket also hit him in the back of the head from 6 chairs over. Not only did he shut up but he left in a real big hurry when his anger was squelched by the 60+ people clapping and laughing their collective asses off. Poor sap...I almost felt bad.
Neck_of_the_Woods
#/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
I was thinking the actual score is Adobe - 0 Macromedia - 1/2 Lawyers - 2 Customers - 0, but still the original point that I cited is well taken.
Actually, this may be the only time [goatse.cx] shouldn't be considered a troll. :-)
So much to do, so little bandwidth.
--
Try Mozilla
Cell phone jamming in theaters is already commonplace in Israel where cell phones are more common than land lines.
But if that's where we're going, why stop at theaters? I want a jammer in my car so I don't get run off the road again by another Prozac Princess on the phone.
No, because some people's need for communication devices (doctors, for example) far, far outweighs our right to a quiet theatre.
So, let's say you are a really important Dr. on the upper echelons of society where you need to be available for that all important call 24/7/365... Your saying that my 8 bucks a ticket for some relaxing entertainment is not as important as your phone call? Gimme a break.
If you are SOOOO damned important and obsessed with that all important call please don't go to the fucking theater. As a matter of fact get out of the theater and stay out as you are presently slacking your important tasks and have no business seeking entertainment amongst us unimportant, ticket buying, riff raff.
People just want to see a film, any film, without it being interrupted at least 5 times during the presentation. Stay home, go out to dinner or what have you but let us enjoy the show without you and your phone.
And yeah, I am aware that you have a 'silent' or 'vibrate' mode on your phone. Unfortunately most folks totally foget about that feature until after it has rang at least twice and that TOTALLY MOOTS THE POINT!
Bullshit .... new technology comes along that a minority feel they need to use 24/7 and the rest of us are denied the pleasures we've been enjoying beep-free for years? Damn! No! You want a cellphone then you better respect everyone around you. Instant communication is not a right,
I wish they would donate the difference of the money the won and the money they lost to some worthwhile software-related cause.
Maybe lobbying against software patents or something, I dunno.
Man, the mods are on crack. Thats at least +1 funny, mod it up.
This is the Alamo Drafthouse. It's the home of several talks, movie marathons, and things that could almost be called movie fan conventions. From what I've heard, there are LOTS of people there when movies aren't on.
Navy ships. We panned movies mercilessly. Trash got talked back to. One particularly bad movie (73-76, couldn't tell you any closer) was some sorry-ass French Foreign Legion pot boiler, where the commandant's wife was in love with the rebel leader, and distracted the patrol on top of the wall with a striptease, while her hero snuck over said wall and opened the gate. The projectionist ran that strip scene back and forth until the film started to overheat, and he apologized for having to stop.
This was on the messdecks of USS Midway, CV-41, somewhere in the Pacific. Sometimes we had movies on the hangar deck, but not often. Messdecks were big enough.
Military crowds do not coddle movies. Turkeys get hoots and hollers, plenty of talking back, etc. Best damn way to see a movie there is.
Infuriate left and right
...if you're so far behind on a project that you have to bring a laptop and code while waiting in line for a movie.
Of course, you're in college, so I guess it's standard procedure to lollygag until the last minute, then expect to do all the things you're normally entitled to do while crunching on a deadline.
Sounds like a good work ethic to me!
I have visions of holy wars over the True Date of Towel Day. It just so happens I'm writing an essay right now largely dealing with the conflict in the 7th century over the proper date of Easter. I want someone centuries from now to write about the social movements spawned from the works of Douglas Adams.
For great justice.
No, because some people's need for communication devices (doctors, for example) far, far outweighs our right to a quiet theatre.
B*llshit! Beepers have been around for years and theaters have been holding them for doctors on call almost as long. If you are a doctor or fighter pilot or whatever either don't go to the theatre when on call or use the services. If you're at a low end place give 'em the $5 tip before the show.
I personally think the laptop guy should have been kicked out, people with their vibrating cellphones and backlit palms are annoying enough.
Enjoy the wireless before the film, get a good seat, and if the film sucks enough to be browsing slashdot, leave.
Use some common sense.
Thank you. I was being tongue-in-cheek. I adore Douglas Adams. I think that Douglas Adams would find it humorous that mod nazis are "protecting" him from some good natured humor. I don't think he'd want that kind of "protection".
The case that I refer to is Intellectual Reserve, Inc. v. Utah Lighthouse Ministry, Inc., 75 F. Supp. 2d 1290.
Fight Spammers!
That's Customers - -2. Who do you think will end up paying for all the lawyers?
Doesn't it suck to be persecuted when you haven't done anything wrong? I wear a mobile phone so that I am available to people I choose to make myself available to. Since I am the only one interested in the calls I receive, I have my phone perpetually set to vibrate, thus avoiding any situation where it might be inappropiate for it to ring. I can personally come up with several reasons where I might not be expecting a call, but still want to be available in an emergency. A movie theatre is one of them. To take away my ability to receive calls in a public place because others have abused that privilege is just wrong in my book.
Talk about unfair. I had no intention of troll'ing. I was merely writing the above comment to inquire as to just how influential Douglas Adams really was. I see a lot of fuss being over made over his death and subsequent "Days of Rememberance," yet I personally don't agree with it.
Save the -1 scores for real trolls. I'm just not a fan of Douglas Adams, and I found his work repetative.
Things could be worse...I could be blaspheming dilbert, right?
Writing in regards to this posting on Linux on mainframes
What posting? A link, people?
-raph
April 20th should be the new "official" towel day in honor of Towlie the pot-smoking towel!
to bring a copy of The Salmon of Doubt with you so you have something to do when Jar Jar is on screen.
Cellular phone jammers are illegal in the USA... is anyone else up for joining me on a bill that allows (If not mandates.) jamming devices to be installed in every theatre in the country?
What i'd rather see is a protocol to let cell phones conform to rules for the environment. Theatres and libraries could have transponders which tell the phones to switch to vibrate as long as they are in range of the transponder. Classrooms too. Airplanes could have transponders which turn the phone off and schedule it to turn back on at flight time + 15 minutes. Then there's no high power jamming intereference, doctors or whoever else _need_ to use their phones can (and trust me, if you have a heart attack you don't want your doctor be starting watching LOTR and be out of reach until s/he leaves the theatre), and people who insist on being assholes about it are still going to be assholes, but there wasnt much you could do about that anyways.
While we're at it, do any of the new plam/phones have ringer control in the scheduling, so i can hit a checkbox on an appointment and the phone switches to vibrate for that hour and then back when it's over? And do any phones have vibrate VIBRATE ring RING modes? and if not, why the fuck not?
What is wrong with me setting my phone to 'Silent' so that when I receive a call only I know about it. Reaching for my phone is no different to reaching for some more popcorn and getting up and leaving to take the call is no different to getting up to take a piss.
"She's a West Texas girl, just like me" - G.W Bush Iraqis
I'm sorry to break it to you, but a cinema isn't a public place. Its a privately owned building that the company lets you into in exchange for cash. If they want mobile phones banned then thats up to them, just as I can tell you to not come in my house during a film with your phone turned on too.
You're also well within your rights to insist on only going to cinemas where they don't enforce this mobile ban, and let capitalism do its thing, but there you go.
Short answer; the worst thing about telling people they are doing wrong is when they refuse to see it that way.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
You don't gt mobile phone reception in cinemas in London UK.
I don't know if this is done by active jamming or by passively blocking the signals, but it works, and works well in cinemas on this side of the pond.
I am sorry but my personal observations contradict your opinion. A lot of people I know with broad and profound literary education can definitely appreciate why the Guide is a unique and profound book in its own late 20th century way.
Well it depends there.
HHGTTG is great but the sequels SUX0R BADLY.
It happens to many writers (even Lucas with StarWars and sequels).
Suppose the guy just happened to read a sequel...
+5 Insightful
So don't go to this theater when on-call, or just go to a different theater. Duh! Maybe I should bring my performing monkey troupe to the theater...I mean I have to make a living somehow...why is The Man putting me down!?
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
I know people who leave their phone on silent and vibrate for an entirely different reason....
It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for British humor of a "wacky" vein, try Robert Rankin. For a little less wacky and a little less style, there's Tom Holt. Of the two, I prefer Rankin. I would say that if you like the non sequiter, bizarre happenings style of Adams, then go with Rankin. The characters aren't as three dimensional, they appear to be along for the ride and there just to be funny.
There's always Pratchett of course if you like British humor. His books are a mix of humor and character development. If you want something with just a lot of jokes and not much characterization, get one of the Discworld books with Rincewind in it.
For pure lunacy, there's always Wodehouse.
Btw, how often is a doctor called when off-duty? Sure, I can image drug interactions and high-risk pregnanant women needing their specific doctor, but in general?
So stay out of our Love-Fest! If you don't like him, shut up :) But the judge will have to give you the same leeway when you are questioning the witnesses...
Macromedia's new slogan....If you can't beat them, sue them!!!
I agree with G-funk. This is why. A loved one of yours need some immediate surgery and the only doctor around to do this type of surgery is in the movie theatre watching (Insert one of your favorite movies here) but he does not get the page/call until he leaves the theatre and your loved one is dead. You are also telling me that a doctor cannot live a normal life, like going to the movies. So tell me, what is more important then, jamming signals coming into theatres so things like this can happen, or putting up with the seat next to you vibrating for 5 seconds so the guy next to you can save a life.
Doctors and certain other professions are ALWAYS on call. Do you suggest that they should never be allowed to view a movie in public?
00101010
I was always under the impression that Spiderman needed the wires to fly.
This response fits into an annoying category that we see quite a bit on Slashdot: 'I don't have the same interests and ideas as you, so I'm going to go through your post point by point and explain that your ideas have alternatives and detractors and are therefore invalid.'
For Christ's sake, the poster listed a dozen possible uses for a new technology, some of which are personally interesting to me and some of which are not. Pointing out alternatives does not negate the creativity of the poster.
Perhaps you had this exchange in the early 90's:
Internet? Who needs it?
I can send email to my relatives!
Why email when you can call or fax?
I can do my banking online!
Why not just do it on the phone or in person?
I can check movie times online!
Why not just call the theater or look in the paper?
I know you're tempted to go through my examples and rebutt each one by pointing out why the sample online activities are actually better than the alternatives provided. Go on, you know you want to.
The only thing more exciting about technology than emerging capabilities is the creativity and imagination that leads to more USES for those capabilities. When someone proposes new uses, you are free to embrace them or not. Taking the time to point out that you personally would not do each and every one is a waste of time and makes you sound like a close-minded philistine.
Evil is the money of root.
"I'm afraid his brain is no longer in 'mint-condition'" -- Comic Book Guy
I am not a number! I am a man! And don't you
So how does this "Deep Linking" affect search engines like google? When I want to know about a story, I punch it in google, and get "Deep Linked" the stories I'm looking for. (Geez...I never knew my actions were so ominous. I feel pretty Secret-Agent Sly doing all this Deep Linking :) )
But seriously...this is disturbing. Now that the most natural and fundamental concept has an ominous name, it can't be long before someone really tries to make it illegal.
Realistically, the web content available on the net is basically useless without "Deep Linking." Whether we are talking about Google's spiders crawling and categorizing everything available publically, or the more sophisticated but less efficient data mining of a forum sharing links to content of community interest, these "Deep Link" collections are the lifeblood of the Internet.
2 years ago, I never would have worried that this would become regulated. Now, I'm not so sure.
Debian - It's an open source community, why are you still in your closet hacking on that slack-box, kid? Come out and
As long as you have it on vibrate and actually leave to take the call, there's no problem. It's the people that actually answer and say "Hey, I'm at the movies. Yeah, Spider-Man. Yup it's really cool. Ooh, he just did that thing...yeah, that thing! Hey are we meeting at Fuddruckers later? Cool. Bye." Now THAT'S annoying.
Since theaters will probably be digital eventually, I propose a system by which the movie can be made to pause if anyone in the audience receives a phone call. This way, important audience members can receive their phone calls, and other viewers will not miss any of the movie.
Evil is the money of root.
Hear, hear! Great suggestions.
Motorola StarTacs (at least my 7868) has a "vibrate then ring" mode. I presume that most Motorolas have a similar option.
Solution to blink tags: wrap them in another blink tag, with a javascript delay loop, so they cancel each other out
Greeting DA fans,
A year ago, I wrote the article that made Towel Day a reality. This is the original story. There is a wrap up of Towel Day here.
This year, Towel Day is again on May 25th. The new story is here.
We are inviting anyone who would like to write an essay on Towel Day and Douglas Adams, to submit them to us and we'll get them posted on http://towelday.org
That gives everyone about a week and a half to prepare for this memorial event.
D. Clyde Williamson
Get a life, not a lifestyle. - Hikem Bey
Normally (especially at smaller or private hospitals) one doctor will make all decisions about a patents care. There are also some doctors (usually very specialized surgeons) who are always on call.
I have great faith in fools - self confidence my friends call it. - Edgar Allan Poe
I wear a pager 24/7 roughly 40 weeks per year. I can't wait two hours to respond to a page.
...I guarantee you've annoyed more people than I ever have. YOU should stay the hell out.
All of you morons who think I should "stay out of a theatre" as a result, well...
If you have any of the following:
1 - Crunchy Food
2 - Overly Loud Laugh
3 - A Tendency To Whisper To Your Compatriot
4 - Body Odor
Some people are on-call 24x7x52. And others (like me) would prefer that the babysitter can get ahold of us if something dire should happen. Of course, my phone is left on vibrate and I'd leave the theater before answering. Anyone not considerate to do likewise deserves exile to the Saturday Matinee.
I agree that laptops, PDAs, and the like should be turned off during the movie. They may not be loud, but the light is surely going to bother everyone behind you.
Chelloveck
I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
And I am sure that you didn't have a digital cam attached to that laptop either.
Practice getting everybody to say "whop" at the same time.
314-15-9265
the know-it-all-Lord of the Rings-guru-wannabe sitting next to me with his girlfriend explaining every damn scene to her, it's historical relevance and what each character had eaten for lunch that day, as well as when they went to the bathroom and what toilet paper they prefer to wipe with.
Bitter? Nah...just pissed off that assholes like that can't wait for the bloody DVD to give an entire commentary DURING the freaking movie!
"Just Smile and Nod." --Huck
Looks like American Towel Day is the first Thursday after May 11, British Towel Day is May 25th.
2 Towel Days are better than one.
It's scrutiny like this that can make [creative uses] as a variable into USES, with real merits.
I suppose if nobody asked "Who the hell really needs a Snickers delivered to their door at 11 p.m.?" investors might still be sending bad money after good at Kozmo.
I'm a big Drafthouse fan. Speaking as a frequent customer, the food service as it's currently practiced is distracting enough without people doing more tasks unrelated to the shared purpose of seeing the film. If I really need to hear every whisper of the dialogue, I won't see that film at the Drafthouse. It's more of a party-movie destination; films like "Snatch" and "Spider-Man" have worked really well there. Seeing "A.I.," not so much.
What about people who have kids? Both my wife and myself have cell phones just so we can be contacted if something happens with our children or other family member. Granted, I put my phone on vibrate (most people should) but phone blockers could cause more harm then good.
If it would make you happy I will turn off my cell phone and bring my 7 month old to the move so he can cry through the whole thing. Now which is the lesser of the 2 evils?
Is your ability to watch a movie ($10 -$15) more important then my ability to be contacted in an emergency (perhaps a life)?
What apparently doesn't occur to you, is that there are people in this world who actually code for fun, and not only when they have a massive project due.
There are some of us who would much prefer bringing a laptop to code on during a long wait over twiddling our fingers.
'Course, a good technical book is perfectly adequate as well. But if you're in the midst of something fun, you're not gonna let something like a little movie stop you.
Then go to the movies when you aren't on call, or go to one that doesn't have jammers (i don't see why all should). Doctors have no "rights" above the average citizen. They have additional "responsiblities" and "duties" because of choices they personally made in their own lives, not the other way around. Other people should not be made to suffer because of their choices. Besides, they managed before pagers and cellphones, are they less capable now? Even with the pagers and cellphones i've seen them take hours to respond. WTF?
Or the devil's advocate response...
Then lets use cellphones in hospitals, some peoples need for communication devices (military personel, for example) far, far outweighs our right to a safe hospital.
I didn't know they are illegal, but it is a good thing. I don't think anyone should have the right to restrict your communication like that.
It shouldn't matter what the True Date of Towel Day is. You should always have your towel with you anyways...
You do, right?
So, you're telling me you would be annoyed if the persons vibrating pager/cellphone went off and they left the theatre to answer it, but it would be A-OK if some girl came into the theatre and wandered around looking for some specific person in the dark to tell them they had a phone call so they could then get up and go answer it?
I'm confused...
Kintanon
Check out JoshJitsu.info for Brazilian Ji
There's an auditorium in town here that has come up with a nice compromise. Cellphones/pagers are not allowed in the theater, but you can leave your phone or pager at a desk where they make note of your seat number. If the phone rings they answer it and take a message, or take down the number/message on the pager, and if it is urgent they bring you the message at an appropriate point in the performance (between musical pieces, during intermission, etc). Works pretty well; allows those who NEED to be reachable to remain so, without interrupting everyone else's enjoyment.
Vicious, violent, yet holds an element of truth.
(not that I'd endorse such a thing...)
---
Book(n): Utensil used to pass time while waiting for the TV repairman
You don't have ANY idea how people solved this problem before the age of cellphones, do you? Give the babysitter phonenumbers to the places you are going to.
Uhm, what did my post say? I believe it said, put a small number in the lower corner of the screen. I think that would be tons less annoying than a ringing, yes. Or, have people w/o vibrating devices exchange for a vibrating device like restaurants do.
I think the vibrating device solution is already perfectly viable. Theatres just need to make it clear that anyone causing a disturbance WILL be removed. Me and my wife had to have a couple of parents with a small crying child kicked out of Spiderman because they refused to either shut the kid up or take it outside voluntarily. But the theatre management was very nice about it.
Kintanon
Check out JoshJitsu.info for Brazilian Ji