Search engines companies do certainly make money from companies who pay them to be on top. But it shouldn't be up to a search engine to decide what is interesting or not.
The only added value of having a search engine meddling in search results, is if they can 100% identify phishing and scam sites.
The 80s started the game industry (arcades) and with projects like MAME and other console emulators out there, those games will definitively survive for years to come.
But like anything else for example: movies, music, etc... video games which peaked for years in popularity, will go through phases of "revamping" and I think that as long as the "new improved" version builds upon and somehow is as cool if not more than the original, this will keep the franchise alive.
Unlike movies or music, a newer version of a game can actually be a welcomed addition, more so than revamping a classic movie or song.
In the end, it's all about sales.
Games like Wolfenstein and Doom for example can fall into that category of truly hardcore dedicated fans.
People just love continuity. There is an emotional investment in playing games, the same way one would readia book or watch a tv show serial, when it's really good, you just can't wait for that next installement... you are hooked!
Uh, like, let's see, who would have ever assumed that when one immerses themselves in a virtual world, he/she will automatically become a model citizen of that world.
As if, they would somehow sublimated all their biased views which they have in the real world and not exhibit them in the virtual one?
Crap, if anything, they will be even MORE themselves on these virtual worlds, because in the end, they can always LOG OUT.
It may be virtual, but it doesn't mean, "improved".
These researchers didn't need to work very hard for that. I hope there wasn't too much money involved in that study, they could have saved a ton of cash, by asking me:)
Heck, just go to any idiotic forum in any of these dating sites, no need to go far. A virtual world is just better trimming and graphics.
Well, until someone gives me hard facts that we are using all of our faculties, I think I prefer to believe that we aren't. So, we can agree to disagree.
"What a piece of work is a man!
How noble in reason!
How infinite in faculty,
in apprehension how like a god!."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
The following is an extract from this site: Enchanted Mind, the article on Brain Capacity.
One question I am frequently asked is, "where is the empirical data that we use less than 10% of our brains?" This concept has been around for over 20 years and bandied about in psychological, sociological and scientific circles.
I have looked at all of the information I could find regarding this presumption and have come to the following personal conclusion. My reasoning may not satisfy those bent on empirical data, (for none exists) but it is the best my research can offer. I concur with the concept that we use only a fraction of our potential brain capacity and the following is my evidence.
When your g/f or wife cries during a new baby born commercial, PMS is a-coming.
Ok, enough with the jokes, I believe that we have instincts, which is a form of sense, beyond our 5 known senses.
It could be the ability of one or more of our 5 senses to work together and provide info, faster than we can rationalize it, or maybe there are other senses at work, maybe we do possess a "radar like", which somehow, works for us, but which we aren't always aware consciously.
Stress often occurs when one doesn't follow their "gut" instinct, so to speak.
So, obviously, when it comes to this topic, we yet, lack any real scientific proof, but, that doesn't mean it's not there. 100 yrs ago, we didn't know atoms existed, but they where there for sure.
I believe that our biggest drawback is in the way we are educated from childhood, we do not develop any of our instincts and thus, in a way, suppress them, instead of acknowledging them. How many stories about very young children who can see ghosts, etc... Why so young? I say because they are more instinctive, their minds are more receptive.
Those who are more "sensitive" and/or more "instinctive" usually function very badly if/when they don't work with their gifts. It's almost like they are working against their nature, thus, causing themselves all kinds of health issues, including stress.
I say "More" in the previous paragraphs, because each and every one of us, is born with strengths and weaknesses. From having stronger bone structures to better eyesights, or weaker lungs, etc.. Well, our minds, and our abilities towards the instinctive knowledge, is also something which for some is stronger than others.
While this isn't a "proven" theory, I've seen enough of this around me to know it's right.
Bottom line, this type of knowledge, the powers of the mind, instinct, mind reader, clearvoyance, etc.. well, it cannot be dismissed, it does exist.
Yes, there are many charlatans and snake oil doctors out there, but there are quite a few who are truly gifted.
Even the law enforcement know of these individuals and will request their aid in helping them solve crimes, etc...
Like anything else, ignoring something which may not be explanable yet, but does exist, doesn't make it go away.
That's why for some people, ignoring their "instincts" may cause them stress, because, their bodies are telling them things which their minds are not acknowledging. That's why it would be nice if we would try and learn more about this and master it for what it is, perhaps just another sense we possess, but either used to be able to tap into, or have lost the knowledge to do so, and need to rekindle and relearn again.
Let's not forget how we only use about 5% to 10% of our brain, so, who knows what else we can do with the rest of it.
Saying Vista has problems is like saying George W. Bush is a few fries shy from a happy meal.
Yes, yes, yes, Vista = problems
Of course, for Microsoft to admit that, it took what, uh, XP sales still surpassing Vista's? or the fact that most people downgrade from Vista to XP? (I should say Upgrade..:)
It's a crappy OS, takes too much resources, let's not even go with all the stupid security windows, etc..
It is said that we can learn from anything, even failure, well Microsoft, Vista should be a heck of a classroom of a lesson for you, that's for sure!
I think sometimes that Vista is to Microsoft, what "New Coke" was to Coca Cola.
Ok, I'm not a Harry Potter fan, didn't read a single book, and while the movies are entertaining, I've never been to the theater to see them.. I wait until I can rent the DVD and watch it at my leisure.
Still, there is a large following, for sure, I have to admit.
She was in the right to defend her copyrighted material. Yes, for sure, too bad for those who created a lexicon without her consent.
Had these people (RDR Books) approached her and asked for her permission, she could have refused or not, or might have asked for a share in the proceeds, but that, is the nature of business and again, the Harry Potter franchise, is her work and she is the rightful owner. They did all this work, and you know, in a way, they deserve to lose, it is arrogance to appropriate yourself of someone's hard work and make a profit on your own, without even their consent.
Imagine if someone decided to do a "un-authorized" lexicon to Disney Characters?
Same difference.
Without Disney's permission, no way they could pull it off legally.
I'm surprised it took 68 pages of PDF for her to even have to explain herself.
She is the rightful owner of the Harry Potter franchises and the characters associated with it.
Vander Ark, may have been praised by Rowling for his website, but, even he knew that he wasn't allowed to publish any content in print.
Vander Ark, indeed, may have seen himself as the ideal candidate for editing the encyclopedia that Rowling was going to write, but again, it's not his choice. As passionate as he may be and as much of an expert as he can be in the world of Harry Potter, Rowling is the owner, and he forgot his place.
She owns Harry Potter.
That is all that is required to start and to finish with in this case.
Charity begins at home. We all know how she struggled at the beginning and was, pretty much penniless. So, Harry Potter, took her from poverty to fame. We could judge her as being greedy, or, well, you know, had she not had the inspiration and the tenacity, even when broke, to create this character and this world of fantasy, she would still be broke and nobody would care.
It's a harsh world. I understand why she's defending her property and ownership of this character. She worked hard for it.
Polemic..:) I see, well, to disagree is one thing, I understand that, I write stuff as I understand it, and I'm always ready to learn, that's never been an issue for me. But there are way too many contradicting reports on global warming, weather changes, etc..., so, my position is: Nobody knows why the weather is the way it is. I don't think it's polemic, I think it's true. But that's my opinion. Certainly, if one doesn't agree, it doesn't make my statement "Troll". When I meta moderate, if I don't agree with something, but it's not in anyway disrespectfully written, I just ignore it and that's it.
You know, I will admit this, when it comes to driving games and the Wii, my first game was Wii GT (Grand Turismo) I couldn't master the controls at all to really play this game well. When Mario Kart Wii came out, and I'm a fanatic of all things Mario Kart, well, oye vay, it forced me to truly learn how to use that control with the so-called "driving wheel". Ironically, because of that, I'm now able to play the Wii version of GT, which I was never able to play properly until I got Mario Kart Wii.
But the truth is, Nintendo games are not the same as XBox and XBox 360 and PS/2/3 etc.. That's true. It's not just the graphic qualities, but the type of games. There are games and game types on Nintendo which I can only describe as "younger at heart?" if that makes any sense, which doesn't always appeal to what I would traditionally call, "the hardcore gamer".
I agree. The Wii is more fun to play, It may not have the best graphics, but it's fun! And I can't wait for a decent game like Doom 3 or Wolfenstein to be on the Wii:)
Well, you know, to be fair, I have always suspected the Sun to play a role on our weather, between the sunspots, the solar winds and solar flares. There are so many other factors beside the Sun, which, truth is, I could write about, but the gist of the message is the same.
What you have done is add even more factors to take into considerations. And in the end, that's my message when it comes to the weather changes, etc.. There are too many variables as to why our weather patterns are the way they are and at the moment nobody can truly, honestly define the reasons why, because we don't have the knowledge yet to be able to understand the causes and the effects of the various variables at hands.
So instead of trying to cope with what we don't know, let's start fixing what we do know and still learn in the process.
And yes, I do like George Carlin, "may he rest in peace":)
Is human pollution a factor in the environmental changes we are facing?
I would say YES.
Is human pollution causing weather changes and global warming?
Who knows?
We are still very very new at this, the understanding of how the weather works, is etchy at best.
The pollution we create does damage the environment, no doubt.
And it never ceases to amaze me to think of all that oil we have dug, which was safe and non-pollutant, and now, burned and part of our atmosphere.
What is in place of that oil you ask? Uh... water and/or other fluid, to help push the oil up.
What type of consequences will come from that in the long run? That water is contaminated, that's for sure.
The oceans are plagued with "patches of garbage areas". That's pretty sick, and while it may seem far from us, the truth is, we get our fishes and seafood from there. Our waste is causing the oxygen levels to deplete, toxicity is spreading and plankton levels are dropping, which is of course, not a good thing, as it is the foundation of ocean food. And let's not even talk about the mercury levels from various industries, the estrogen levels from garbage and home, and all the other crap we keep feeding our *for the most part* untreated sewage water.
Obviously, our atmosphere was not designed to handle all these pollutants, I should say our biosphere is not equipped to handle this, thus the problems currently faced by wildlife and wildlife habitats, most of them endangered in some ways or another. In fact, some lakes in the US have estrogen levels so high, male fishes are mutating into female fishes!
So we can agree that we, the human race is undoubtably the architect for the demise of the environment around us, that is without a doubt true.
But is pollution the major factor in the weather changes, global warming and the poles to be melting?.
We don't know.
That's what I'm deducing from the myriads of conflicting reports and research out there.
And why we don't know? Because we can't compare our findings, we don't have a real test bed to work with/from and that is pretty much it.
It is theorized that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, so there could be cycles of weather pattern which may be involved which we have no real clue about. Let's face it, on a cosmic scale, we've not been around for very long, like.. a blip in time really in comparison to our planet's age.
So what to do?
Well, since we know the state of our environment is a direct result of how we have been neglecting it, we can always assume that some of the changes in the weather MAY be linked, but the remedy for fixing the weather, mmm, that's not something I believe we have the answers to yet.
But let's examine what we DO know.
We know what a clean atmosphere should be
We know what clean waters, lakes and oceans should be
We understand and know enough about the various wildlife habitat to be able to restore them in their original form, or very close to it.
We know what pollutes.
Since we know all of that, then it's up to us to fix it.
Clean up our act!
We need to learn more about the weather, etc.., but we also need to take some very pro-active steps towards changing and adapting the way we use the environment for our needs.
Eco friendly cities, alternative energy use, recyclable water, better waste management, etc...
Anything that can be construed as "clean living" so to speak.
And, let's not forget this too: the weather knows NO jurisdiction, no barriers, no boundaries, so, it's not enough for any single country to do what it can, all countries have to work at it. Pollutants in the atmosphere from Europe, for example can float all the way to the US in a matter of weeks.
The trick here is that in end, money shouldn't be a factor. The "cost" of being eco-friendly, etc.. shouldn't be an impediment, because, without our Earth to sustain else, everything else is moot point.
And that's the truth here we must remember, in the end, all the money in the world can't fix our environment, but, we, as the human race, can work together and fix it.
The funny thing about communism is that, not all of it was wrong, the same goes for socialism and capitalism. But in practice, they all have great flaws. So, really, it's finding that middle ground somewhere that's the key to the solution.
And to me, that means, before you set up a governmental structure, first define what your government is meant to do? govern people should be number 1 on the list. people = person and to me, that means, let's start with the rights of the individual.
Define the rights of the individual and go from there. So once they are clearly defined, what would be next you would think? An individual has to function in some form of society. So, what are the requirements to function within this society? What does society offer the individual, what does it expect in return.
That's how I see it anyways. Perhaps this way, one can avoid many of the pitfalls we've seen in our history and our current situation.
Communism has failed because it the implementation as we have seen it, they take away your freedom of speech. There are other reasons, but that is definitively a key issue. But I'm not trying to advocate communism per say. I don't have a label for it yet, maybe "houbouism":P LOL:)
Yeah, somehow I know someone is having fun or "has an axe" to grind on my account. It's ok, I don't really care. the Slashdot gods, eventually, will notice and take away that person's privilieges, that's all.
I do believe in the cause of hard work. But I think all form of work should be equally rewarded.
Truth is, I think that in an utopian system, where all would work fairly, the work week could be something like 3 days a week. A few hours a day. I know sounds Star Trekkie, but the truth is, everything about what is right now is 1) non-equal and 2) disproportionate.
Doesn't matter if you are a manager of a nuclear plant or the garbage collector, you are both doing something important.
When a job has an impact in any way in the society, it should be rewarded.
Who is to say which is more important? They both are.
There are people out there who don't like challenges, thus, picking up garbage is fine by them.
Others who strive on responsibility, let them manage if they are good.
Right now, it's really screwed up! So many people holding 2 or 3 jobs, so many with none. So many people making huge amounts of money for stuff that's not even important (actors, sports, entertainment), and others working on stuff which can be vital to society (say, yeah, Teachers, for example, hell Garbage Collectors are important too!) and make pitiful money.
Our value system is skewed.
Everyone should play sports, it's good for you!
But the money (in sports) they make, it's ridiculous!
You know, maybe one day, I should just write an essay on this subject, I could call it, "the world as it should be according to houbou!":)
It would be an interesting piece to write for sure, I would enjoy this. I would only hope it would be interesting for anyone who gets to read it!
Life is tough, games are fun. But, like anything else, gaming can be addictive, and if we don't learn to balance our play time with other activities. Well, it's not called addictive for nothing.
In the end, I suspect most people who are addicted to games, are also running away from something about themselves, who knows, low self-esteem, frustrations, etc..., so, really, just like drugs and alcoholism, in the end, addictive gaming isn't going to make things better, it just postpone the day you need to truly deal with the issues which you don't want to face.
But there are actually a few out there, who are hardcore gamers, and have no issues, they are just having plain ol' fun. I've seen actual couples who are both into gaming, and they love it.
So, unlike booze and drugs, gaming isn't always addictive in a bad way.
It is a question of defining one's quality of life and happiness.
Can they be happy, have a normal life and a gaming life at the same time? Do they still go to work, pay the bills, etc...
If yes to both questions, then, clearly, it's not addictive to these folks, they are just doing what they like to do and are obviously able to function well in what is most important for them, without shying from their responsibilities and duties.
Slashdot Mirror
Wow, DRM, again.. why? they really can't admit they are on the losing side of this argument. Sheesh!!
Search engines companies do certainly make money from companies who pay them to be on top. But it shouldn't be up to a search engine to decide what is interesting or not.
The only added value of having a search engine meddling in search results, is if they can 100% identify phishing and scam sites.
The 80s started the game industry (arcades) and with projects like MAME and other console emulators out there, those games will definitively survive for years to come.
But like anything else for example: movies, music, etc... video games which peaked for years in popularity, will go through phases of "revamping" and I think that as long as the "new improved" version builds upon and somehow is as cool if not more than the original, this will keep the franchise alive.
Unlike movies or music, a newer version of a game can actually be a welcomed addition, more so than revamping a classic movie or song.
In the end, it's all about sales.
Games like Wolfenstein and Doom for example can fall into that category of truly hardcore dedicated fans.
People just love continuity. There is an emotional investment in playing games, the same way one would readia book or watch a tv show serial, when it's really good, you just can't wait for that next installement... you are hooked!
Uh, like, let's see, who would have ever assumed that when one immerses themselves in a virtual world, he/she will automatically become a model citizen of that world.
As if, they would somehow sublimated all their biased views which they have in the real world and not exhibit them in the virtual one?
Crap, if anything, they will be even MORE themselves on these virtual worlds, because in the end, they can always LOG OUT.
It may be virtual, but it doesn't mean, "improved".
These researchers didn't need to work very hard for that. I hope there wasn't too much money involved in that study, they could have saved a ton of cash, by asking me :)
Heck, just go to any idiotic forum in any of these dating sites, no need to go far. A virtual world is just better trimming and graphics.
Well, until someone gives me hard facts that we are using all of our faculties, I think I prefer to believe that we aren't. So, we can agree to disagree.
BRAIN CAPACITY
"What a piece of work is a man!
How noble in reason!
How infinite in faculty,
in apprehension how like a god!."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
The following is an extract from this site: Enchanted Mind, the article on Brain Capacity.
One question I am frequently asked is, "where is the empirical data that we use less than 10% of our brains?" This concept has been around for over 20 years and bandied about in psychological, sociological and scientific circles.
I have looked at all of the information I could find regarding this presumption and have come to the following personal conclusion. My reasoning may not satisfy those bent on empirical data, (for none exists) but it is the best my research can offer. I concur with the concept that we use only a fraction of our potential brain capacity and the following is my evidence.
Read the rest of this article on that website.
When your g/f or wife cries during a new baby born commercial, PMS is a-coming.
Ok, enough with the jokes, I believe that we have instincts, which is a form of sense, beyond our 5 known senses.
It could be the ability of one or more of our 5 senses to work together and provide info, faster than we can rationalize it, or maybe there are other senses at work, maybe we do possess a "radar like", which somehow, works for us, but which we aren't always aware consciously.
Stress often occurs when one doesn't follow their "gut" instinct, so to speak.
So, obviously, when it comes to this topic, we yet, lack any real scientific proof, but, that doesn't mean it's not there. 100 yrs ago, we didn't know atoms existed, but they where there for sure.
I believe that our biggest drawback is in the way we are educated from childhood, we do not develop any of our instincts and thus, in a way, suppress them, instead of acknowledging them. How many stories about very young children who can see ghosts, etc... Why so young? I say because they are more instinctive, their minds are more receptive.
Those who are more "sensitive" and/or more "instinctive" usually function very badly if/when they don't work with their gifts. It's almost like they are working against their nature, thus, causing themselves all kinds of health issues, including stress.
I say "More" in the previous paragraphs, because each and every one of us, is born with strengths and weaknesses. From having stronger bone structures to better eyesights, or weaker lungs, etc.. Well, our minds, and our abilities towards the instinctive knowledge, is also something which for some is stronger than others.
While this isn't a "proven" theory, I've seen enough of this around me to know it's right.
Bottom line, this type of knowledge, the powers of the mind, instinct, mind reader, clearvoyance, etc.. well, it cannot be dismissed, it does exist.
Yes, there are many charlatans and snake oil doctors out there, but there are quite a few who are truly gifted.
Even the law enforcement know of these individuals and will request their aid in helping them solve crimes, etc...
Like anything else, ignoring something which may not be explanable yet, but does exist, doesn't make it go away.
That's why for some people, ignoring their "instincts" may cause them stress, because, their bodies are telling them things which their minds are not acknowledging. That's why it would be nice if we would try and learn more about this and master it for what it is, perhaps just another sense we possess, but either used to be able to tap into, or have lost the knowledge to do so, and need to rekindle and relearn again.
Let's not forget how we only use about 5% to 10% of our brain, so, who knows what else we can do with the rest of it.
That's my opinion.
Saying Vista has problems is like saying George W. Bush is a few fries shy from a happy meal.
Yes, yes, yes, Vista = problems
Of course, for Microsoft to admit that, it took what, uh, XP sales still surpassing Vista's? or the fact that most people downgrade from Vista to XP? (I should say Upgrade.. :)
It's a crappy OS, takes too much resources, let's not even go with all the stupid security windows, etc..
It is said that we can learn from anything, even failure, well Microsoft, Vista should be a heck of a classroom of a lesson for you, that's for sure!
I think sometimes that Vista is to Microsoft, what "New Coke" was to Coca Cola.
A big mistake.
Ok, I'm not a Harry Potter fan, didn't read a single book, and while the movies are entertaining, I've never been to the theater to see them.. I wait until I can rent the DVD and watch it at my leisure.
Still, there is a large following, for sure, I have to admit.
She was in the right to defend her copyrighted material. Yes, for sure, too bad for those who created a lexicon without her consent.
Had these people (RDR Books) approached her and asked for her permission, she could have refused or not, or might have asked for a share in the proceeds, but that, is the nature of business and again, the Harry Potter franchise, is her work and she is the rightful owner. They did all this work, and you know, in a way, they deserve to lose, it is arrogance to appropriate yourself of someone's hard work and make a profit on your own, without even their consent.
Imagine if someone decided to do a "un-authorized" lexicon to Disney Characters?
Same difference.
Without Disney's permission, no way they could pull it off legally.
I'm surprised it took 68 pages of PDF for her to even have to explain herself.
She is the rightful owner of the Harry Potter franchises and the characters associated with it.
Vander Ark, may have been praised by Rowling for his website, but, even he knew that he wasn't allowed to publish any content in print.
Vander Ark, indeed, may have seen himself as the ideal candidate for editing the encyclopedia that Rowling was going to write, but again, it's not his choice. As passionate as he may be and as much of an expert as he can be in the world of Harry Potter, Rowling is the owner, and he forgot his place.
She owns Harry Potter.
That is all that is required to start and to finish with in this case.
Charity begins at home. We all know how she struggled at the beginning and was, pretty much penniless. So, Harry Potter, took her from poverty to fame. We could judge her as being greedy, or, well, you know, had she not had the inspiration and the tenacity, even when broke, to create this character and this world of fantasy, she would still be broke and nobody would care.
It's a harsh world. I understand why she's defending her property and ownership of this character. She worked hard for it.
I've not done much research on this, but maybe you can do a combination of things.
What do you think?
Yep, and I gotcha now! :) It's all good! :)
Polemic.. :) I see, well, to disagree is one thing, I understand that, I write stuff as I understand it, and I'm always ready to learn, that's never been an issue for me. But there are way too many contradicting reports on global warming, weather changes, etc..., so, my position is: Nobody knows why the weather is the way it is. I don't think it's polemic, I think it's true. But that's my opinion. Certainly, if one doesn't agree, it doesn't make my statement "Troll". When I meta moderate, if I don't agree with something, but it's not in anyway disrespectfully written, I just ignore it and that's it.
You know, I will admit this, when it comes to driving games and the Wii, my first game was Wii GT (Grand Turismo) I couldn't master the controls at all to really play this game well. When Mario Kart Wii came out, and I'm a fanatic of all things Mario Kart, well, oye vay, it forced me to truly learn how to use that control with the so-called "driving wheel". Ironically, because of that, I'm now able to play the Wii version of GT, which I was never able to play properly until I got Mario Kart Wii.
But the truth is, Nintendo games are not the same as XBox and XBox 360 and PS /2/3 etc.. That's true. It's not just the graphic qualities, but the type of games. There are games and game types on Nintendo which I can only describe as "younger at heart?" if that makes any sense, which doesn't always appeal to what I would traditionally call, "the hardcore gamer".
I agree. The Wii is more fun to play, It may not have the best graphics, but it's fun! And I can't wait for a decent game like Doom 3 or Wolfenstein to be on the Wii :)
Why is this being moderate as Troll? I wish I knew who can be so inconsiderate.
Well, you know, to be fair, I have always suspected the Sun to play a role on our weather, between the sunspots, the solar winds and solar flares. There are so many other factors beside the Sun, which, truth is, I could write about, but the gist of the message is the same.
What you have done is add even more factors to take into considerations. And in the end, that's my message when it comes to the weather changes, etc.. There are too many variables as to why our weather patterns are the way they are and at the moment nobody can truly, honestly define the reasons why, because we don't have the knowledge yet to be able to understand the causes and the effects of the various variables at hands.
So instead of trying to cope with what we don't know, let's start fixing what we do know and still learn in the process.
And yes, I do like George Carlin, "may he rest in peace" :)
Here's the truth:
We don't know.
Simple
Is human pollution a factor in the environmental changes we are facing?
I would say YES.
Is human pollution causing weather changes and global warming?
Who knows?
We are still very very new at this, the understanding of how the weather works, is etchy at best.
The pollution we create does damage the environment, no doubt.
And it never ceases to amaze me to think of all that oil we have dug, which was safe and non-pollutant, and now, burned and part of our atmosphere.
What is in place of that oil you ask? Uh... water and/or other fluid, to help push the oil up.
What type of consequences will come from that in the long run? That water is contaminated, that's for sure.
The oceans are plagued with "patches of garbage areas". That's pretty sick, and while it may seem far from us, the truth is, we get our fishes and seafood from there. Our waste is causing the oxygen levels to deplete, toxicity is spreading and plankton levels are dropping, which is of course, not a good thing, as it is the foundation of ocean food. And let's not even talk about the mercury levels from various industries, the estrogen levels from garbage and home, and all the other crap we keep feeding our *for the most part* untreated sewage water.
Obviously, our atmosphere was not designed to handle all these pollutants, I should say our biosphere is not equipped to handle this, thus the problems currently faced by wildlife and wildlife habitats, most of them endangered in some ways or another. In fact, some lakes in the US have estrogen levels so high, male fishes are mutating into female fishes!
So we can agree that we, the human race is undoubtably the architect for the demise of the environment around us, that is without a doubt true.
But is pollution the major factor in the weather changes, global warming and the poles to be melting?.
We don't know.
That's what I'm deducing from the myriads of conflicting reports and research out there.
And why we don't know? Because we can't compare our findings, we don't have a real test bed to work with/from and that is pretty much it.
It is theorized that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, so there could be cycles of weather pattern which may be involved which we have no real clue about. Let's face it, on a cosmic scale, we've not been around for very long, like.. a blip in time really in comparison to our planet's age.
So what to do?
Well, since we know the state of our environment is a direct result of how we have been neglecting it, we can always assume that some of the changes in the weather MAY be linked, but the remedy for fixing the weather, mmm, that's not something I believe we have the answers to yet.
But let's examine what we DO know.
Since we know all of that, then it's up to us to fix it.
Clean up our act!
We need to learn more about the weather, etc.., but we also need to take some very pro-active steps towards changing and adapting the way we use the environment for our needs.
Eco friendly cities, alternative energy use, recyclable water, better waste management, etc...
Anything that can be construed as "clean living" so to speak.
And, let's not forget this too: the weather knows NO jurisdiction, no barriers, no boundaries, so, it's not enough for any single country to do what it can, all countries have to work at it. Pollutants in the atmosphere from Europe, for example can float all the way to the US in a matter of weeks.
The trick here is that in end, money shouldn't be a factor. The "cost" of being eco-friendly, etc.. shouldn't be an impediment, because, without our Earth to sustain else, everything else is moot point.
And that's the truth here we must remember, in the end, all the money in the world can't fix our environment, but, we, as the human race, can work together and fix it.
OK, I'm confused.
Isn't law made by people who work for the state, people whose paycheck depend on the taxes perceived by it's inhabitants and residing corporations?
If so, which I assume to be the case, again, assuming i'm not too much of a dimwit.
Then the laws of California is "for" the people who live in California "and belongs" to them.
How can you copyright that?
How the hell can they even try to justify that?
If you can't quote from the state laws, how can you defend yourself? or educate people about it?
Take driving laws.
Are the school who teach it, now suppose to pay a stipend everytime they refer to the laws of the road?
What about construction? Building codes and laws, will a lawyer or an architect have to pay in order to refer to it in their documentation?
If California is adopting industry standards as state code, then, isn't the taxpayers really footing the bill for these things anyways?
Anyways, this one can certainly be filled under the "makes no freakin' sense" news department.
Governator Arnold, me think you should get better advisors... and eat less fish in your diet, because, these ideas are really fishy.
The funny thing about communism is that, not all of it was wrong, the same goes for socialism and capitalism. But in practice, they all have great flaws. So, really, it's finding that middle ground somewhere that's the key to the solution.
And to me, that means, before you set up a governmental structure, first define what your government is meant to do? govern people should be number 1 on the list. people = person and to me, that means, let's start with the rights of the individual.
Define the rights of the individual and go from there. So once they are clearly defined, what would be next you would think? An individual has to function in some form of society. So, what are the requirements to function within this society? What does society offer the individual, what does it expect in return.
That's how I see it anyways. Perhaps this way, one can avoid many of the pitfalls we've seen in our history and our current situation.
Better to be Special, than being on special or in that special bus :P
Communism has failed because it the implementation as we have seen it, they take away your freedom of speech. There are other reasons, but that is definitively a key issue. But I'm not trying to advocate communism per say. I don't have a label for it yet, maybe "houbouism" :P LOL :)
Will he/she buy that? Maybe there should be a cheater test kit. :)
Yeah, somehow I know someone is having fun or "has an axe" to grind on my account. It's ok, I don't really care. the Slashdot gods, eventually, will notice and take away that person's privilieges, that's all.
I do believe in the cause of hard work. But I think all form of work should be equally rewarded.
Truth is, I think that in an utopian system, where all would work fairly, the work week could be something like 3 days a week. A few hours a day. I know sounds Star Trekkie, but the truth is, everything about what is right now is 1) non-equal and 2) disproportionate.
Doesn't matter if you are a manager of a nuclear plant or the garbage collector, you are both doing something important.
When a job has an impact in any way in the society, it should be rewarded.
Who is to say which is more important? They both are.
There are people out there who don't like challenges, thus, picking up garbage is fine by them.
Others who strive on responsibility, let them manage if they are good.
Right now, it's really screwed up! So many people holding 2 or 3 jobs, so many with none. So many people making huge amounts of money for stuff that's not even important (actors, sports, entertainment), and others working on stuff which can be vital to society (say, yeah, Teachers, for example, hell Garbage Collectors are important too!) and make pitiful money.
Our value system is skewed.
Everyone should play sports, it's good for you!
But the money (in sports) they make, it's ridiculous!
You know, maybe one day, I should just write an essay on this subject, I could call it, "the world as it should be according to houbou!" :)
It would be an interesting piece to write for sure, I would enjoy this. I would only hope it would be interesting for anyone who gets to read it!
To escape.. that's the reason.
Life is tough, games are fun. But, like anything else, gaming can be addictive, and if we don't learn to balance our play time with other activities. Well, it's not called addictive for nothing.
In the end, I suspect most people who are addicted to games, are also running away from something about themselves, who knows, low self-esteem, frustrations, etc..., so, really, just like drugs and alcoholism, in the end, addictive gaming isn't going to make things better, it just postpone the day you need to truly deal with the issues which you don't want to face.
But there are actually a few out there, who are hardcore gamers, and have no issues, they are just having plain ol' fun. I've seen actual couples who are both into gaming, and they love it.
So, unlike booze and drugs, gaming isn't always addictive in a bad way.
It is a question of defining one's quality of life and happiness.
Can they be happy, have a normal life and a gaming life at the same time? Do they still go to work, pay the bills, etc...
If yes to both questions, then, clearly, it's not addictive to these folks, they are just doing what they like to do and are obviously able to function well in what is most important for them, without shying from their responsibilities and duties.