You miss the point, probably something that many people say to you quite often. Btw, remember that although "they" can plant cameras everywhere you go to see what you do in all "public" places, you better not carry a camera to monitor what actually happens when cops stop you -- even if they stop you for no reason, then hassle you, threaten you, or knock you around a bit. Your carrying the camera was found to be illegal wiretapping in Boston already.... The justices, in their dubious wisdoms, are worried about the effect on the police of their knowing you might be monitoring them. Now, does that worry you even a little? If not, I give up, for now. Ten years from now, you may understand, because it will almost certainly have happened to you by then.
Nope. Had, like most writers, long and checquered career, which included working in many banks and brokerages, academic work (social sciences), and technical work (programming, documenting, managing).
... and therefore about 20 years suffices for changing this to a society that does care about fair and reasonable reporting. It is MUCH faster to change society than to change human body/mind. Reporting was a profession that developed as newspapers did -- a one-to-many medium required reporters. The Internet is a many-to-many medium, and all reasonable individuals can and should replace the specialised professional. I predict this will happen as soon as the next generation takes its place in the so-called "work force." These kids have a very high social intelligence.
Yep, you got it right. I've been saying since about '97 we're entering the post-capitalism phase since we're well into the post-industrial agel. So everyone thinks I'm crazy. And I've been writing since about '98 about how you CAN make money using society's new nervous system (the 'Net). Does anyone listen? No, why should they, I'm only a genius (very high intelligence AND very high creativity), with wide-ranging expertise and experience in fields ranging from Wall Street to statistics to human communication and other "soft" sciences. All that doesn't count, because I'm also female and 50!
Since the 17th century, Quakers (or the Religious Society of Friends) have been trailblazing a civilized, frank, thoughtful method of coming to consensus on behavior (trying to change attitudes is at best unnecessary in a multicultural world --see Richard McKeon's work). I think the book Beyond Majority Rule might do some so-called "thinkers" a lot of good. Attending non-programmed meetings, and actually experiencing the decision-making process in monthly "meetings for worship with a concern for business," would be even more educational. As an anarchist myself (government is not very necessary; all stable groups of humans form culture, expectations, and controls anyway), I am very comfortable with what the society calls "Quaker process." Yeah, it takes time, but it works -- which is more than you can say for democracy, capitalism, or any other organizational/principled form.
I would have thought the solution to this situation was obvious: the farmer should sue the neighboring farm owner (and owner/operator of the trucks) for encroaching on his land in such a way that he necessarily incurred either the costs of locating and destroying the results of their careless planting/transportation -- or incurred the cost of this legal battle. (-8
Actually, I think, some of it is "hidden" to the generalist -- but most of what's going on is (I hope, anyway) that the specialists are beginning again to share information, in part because of innovations such as the Web, search sites, and massive storage. That sharing will be the basis of the next very important innovations!
Re:THE FINAL WORD ON cop culture
on
C.S.I.
·
· Score: 1
I wouldn't subscribe to your rhetoric, but I agree with your basic attitude. NYPD Blue was a decent show, but sometime in its second year I began to note that even the already extremely biased and stereotyping NYPD cops were becoming more openly cynical and biased. I realized their bad attitude was being supported and promulgated through the show, and stopped watching.
I also must take issue with Katz's statement about technology solving a large percentage of crimes: Most criminals are still of the stupid class, and most "violent" criminals are still under the influence of alcohol (or another drug -- 'though not marijuana, of course) when they commit their crime of passion. Most murderers are still found standing over their victims, crying, the weapon in their hands, when the cops show up. The "interesting" cases, which require any work at all to solve them, are still the rare exceptions.
The main characteristic of NYPD cops is actually laziness. Their first step, regarding any crime that might take work to solve, is to deny a crime has occurred. I've had a cop tell me that they can't do anything except in cases where a cop witnesses the crime, for instance. Others cops told me their policy was not to interfere in "domestic" cases. This happened at least twice: Once I tried to help an elderly woman with Alzheimer's and skin cancer, who was being abused/neglected/stolen from by her son-in-law (wealthy Jersey guy), and was told this. (This was just before "elder abuse" became a crime publicized by local politicians.) Another time I had lent my stereo system to a gay man I knew (I'm female), and he decided to keep it -- another situation the cops declined to investigate, since it was defined as a "domestic" problem!
Sometimes police supporters claim the job is so dangerous -- but these people are armed and trained in the use of deadly force. Statistically, it is far more dangerous to be a clerk in some convenience store, or liquor store, or be a cabby, than to be a cop. A few good people may intend to become cops, but by the time cop school spits them out, cop culture has usually taken over. Most are lazy, cynical, dangerous when roused -- and become alcoholic, or drug users, or thieves within a short time.
Um, I hate to intrude on such optimism, but those who pollute, abuse, dominate, and otherwise misuse the earth do not hesitate to do the same to other human beings. Since they regard their own kind as negligible, why should they grant equal rights to another species?
I was interested in reading the article but figured I probably wouldn't be able to, since it was attributed to The Sunday Times, and I won't register for the New York Times site. Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the link anyway, and reached the article. Then I checked the single e-mail link on the piece and discovered we're talking about the London paper.
Actually, the linked article in Edge makes this point explicitly. The funny and/or interesting part is why this obvioulsy smart fellow should have missed the real point, though:
Following Darwin's lead I suggest that our vocal equipment and our remarkable ability to modulate voice evolved mainly for producing emotional calls and musical sounds during courtship ("croonin a toon."). Once that evolved then the brain -- especially the left hemisphere -- could evolve language.
As he clearly knows from his later paragraphs, the most essential function of these clustered abilities is almost certainly within the mother-child bond!
I'm still waiting for the folding data-entry device with half the keyboard on either side of a vertically oriented keyboard. The "accordian style" playing is supposed to be much easier on the wrists, fingers, arms, shoulders, etc., and the device could be used with wearables. Of course, there should be optional unfolding for when we sit at a largish flat surface.
As a writer, I have to admit to being appalled by your assumption that only the "record companies" stand to profit from public performances of a song. It is understandable, but still appalling. The purported purpose of copyright (in every creative medium but film) is for the ARTIST to profit, during the copyright period (which is now supposed to last longer to benefit their immediate heirs), from all public commercial performances of her work.
Did you see the article about the Wells turbine (Wavegen) system recently added to the grid in Scotland? (If not, search under "old stuff" in/.!) I would think California's coastline is ideal for a few of these, which are apparently low maintenance, low environmental impact, high power generators -- very much safer than nuclear powerplants, as well as cheaper.
I'm disabled, and the sort-of accessible entrance in the place I lived the past several years was shut down by the new landlords (they want to get rid of as many old or disabled tenants as possible): They poured concrete over the pair of steps closer to the internal entrance doors, and made a steep set of 4 stairs where the other 2 steps near the external entrance door used to be, so that the previous ramp arrangement (about 16' long) cannot be used now.
The concrete was poured August 14th, I went to the Justice Department the next day, it took them 2 months to get their first inquiry letter to the landlord into the mail... It's now 3 1/2 months, and I ran out of friends with accessible apartments in NYC a month ago.
It's hard to find work when living in suburbia if you don't drive & can't access public transportation. That's a major reason I stayed in Rat City so long. But I'm leaving now, and just got a part-time job introducing residents of retirement homes to computers, the Web, e-mail, etc. Thanks for your concern....
Funny comment, and I should moderate it up, but I prefer to reply (sorry! -- I'm tired of moderating anyway). It is ridiculous to think that AOL might be thinking about browser wars when their main concern must be swallowing all that content, somehow... Now if middle America had a lot of bandwidth to play with, they might turn their attention to details of the user interface, but I imagine they have as much as they can handle worrying over right now on the cataloging and compression side.
Perhaps you have to work with brokerage companies to understand that most of those dealer types really don't know anything... The way they trade is, buy if something gets + press previously unexpected and you hear about it "early," sell for the - press case.
It's not like they understand anything about what they read. Nor do they understand that the market has become a huge positive feedback loop --with too many players making the shortest of short-term bets -- to remain stable. That's about half of why old-style capital markets are on their last legs, finally.
I've spent much of the past two decades as a consulting documentation specialist, and have all three of the skills you correctly identified. Right now I'm hanging out in North Carolina (with a cable connection!), while awaiting a judge's decision re my NYC digs (concerning Am. with Disabilities Act). My desultory search for part-time, off-site Web content development work while I'm waiting hasn't brought any offers, so if anyone wants me to work (even free) creating teaching materials to further the noble goal of free software (anti-MS, anyway), here I am: techwatcher@onebox.com; probably free most of the next 2-6 weeks.
The pictures of the keyboards for the devices featured in this story show double (at least!) key assignments on most keycaps. Are these the "AZERTY" keyboard layout you refer to? I never heard of this arrangement before, although I once tried the "dvorak" keyboard arrangement.
The most exciting aspect of these devices, for me, is that manufacturers are finally returning to well-laid-out (and properly tinted, except Sony) keyboards! At least, I think they are... It's nice to see they're about the size of someone's hand, but I would have preferred to be able to see where the Ins/Del & Backspace keys were.
Thanks for the info, I'll check it out. I couldn't agree more -- for me, the value of having ALL the data one wishes to track in the SAME file, & being able to manipulate it at will, was so high it prevents me even considering using any replacement without that capability.
Btw, a W95 (32-bit) version of Ecco was produced & released & worked pretty well. Unfortunately, although I was able to download the 16-bit version to a PDA, the 32-bit version didn't fit Intellilink's (transfer) program, and they declined to produce a new module for Ecco.
Since the 16-bit version (of the database) could be translated into the 32-bit version but not vice versa (the usual post-MS standard -- remember when backward compatibility was routine?!), I was deprived of the ideal mobile version of my data. Of course, I could still export specific data (just contacts & appointments, for example) from the 32-bit version, import it into the 16-bit version, and then download it to the PDA, but it is a bit tiresome to go through this procedure routinely.
Slashdot Mirror
You miss the point, probably something that many people say to you quite often. Btw, remember that although "they" can plant cameras everywhere you go to see what you do in all "public" places, you better not carry a camera to monitor what actually happens when cops stop you -- even if they stop you for no reason, then hassle you, threaten you, or knock you around a bit. Your carrying the camera was found to be illegal wiretapping in Boston already.... The justices, in their dubious wisdoms, are worried about the effect on the police of their knowing you might be monitoring them. Now, does that worry you even a little? If not, I give up, for now. Ten years from now, you may understand, because it will almost certainly have happened to you by then.
Nope. Had, like most writers, long and checquered career, which included working in many banks and brokerages, academic work (social sciences), and technical work (programming, documenting, managing).
... and therefore about 20 years suffices for changing this to a society that does care about fair and reasonable reporting. It is MUCH faster to change society than to change human body/mind. Reporting was a profession that developed as newspapers did -- a one-to-many medium required reporters. The Internet is a many-to-many medium, and all reasonable individuals can and should replace the specialised professional. I predict this will happen as soon as the next generation takes its place in the so-called "work force." These kids have a very high social intelligence.
Yep, you got it right. I've been saying since about '97 we're entering the post-capitalism phase since we're well into the post-industrial agel. So everyone thinks I'm crazy. And I've been writing since about '98 about how you CAN make money using society's new nervous system (the 'Net). Does anyone listen? No, why should they, I'm only a genius (very high intelligence AND very high creativity), with wide-ranging expertise and experience in fields ranging from Wall Street to statistics to human communication and other "soft" sciences. All that doesn't count, because I'm also female and 50!
Since the 17th century, Quakers (or the Religious Society of Friends) have been trailblazing a civilized, frank, thoughtful method of coming to consensus on behavior (trying to change attitudes is at best unnecessary in a multicultural world --see Richard McKeon's work). I think the book Beyond Majority Rule might do some so-called "thinkers" a lot of good. Attending non-programmed meetings, and actually experiencing the decision-making process in monthly "meetings for worship with a concern for business," would be even more educational. As an anarchist myself (government is not very necessary; all stable groups of humans form culture, expectations, and controls anyway), I am very comfortable with what the society calls "Quaker process." Yeah, it takes time, but it works -- which is more than you can say for democracy, capitalism, or any other organizational/principled form.
I would have thought the solution to this situation was obvious: the farmer should sue the neighboring farm owner (and owner/operator of the trucks) for encroaching on his land in such a way that he necessarily incurred either the costs of locating and destroying the results of their careless planting/transportation -- or incurred the cost of this legal battle. (-8
Actually, I think, some of it is "hidden" to the generalist -- but most of what's going on is (I hope, anyway) that the specialists are beginning again to share information, in part because of innovations such as the Web, search sites, and massive storage. That sharing will be the basis of the next very important innovations!
I wouldn't subscribe to your rhetoric, but I agree with your basic attitude. NYPD Blue was a decent show, but sometime in its second year I began to note that even the already extremely biased and stereotyping NYPD cops were becoming more openly cynical and biased. I realized their bad attitude was being supported and promulgated through the show, and stopped watching.
I also must take issue with Katz's statement about technology solving a large percentage of crimes: Most criminals are still of the stupid class, and most "violent" criminals are still under the influence of alcohol (or another drug -- 'though not marijuana, of course) when they commit their crime of passion. Most murderers are still found standing over their victims, crying, the weapon in their hands, when the cops show up. The "interesting" cases, which require any work at all to solve them, are still the rare exceptions.
The main characteristic of NYPD cops is actually laziness. Their first step, regarding any crime that might take work to solve, is to deny a crime has occurred. I've had a cop tell me that they can't do anything except in cases where a cop witnesses the crime, for instance. Others cops told me their policy was not to interfere in "domestic" cases. This happened at least twice: Once I tried to help an elderly woman with Alzheimer's and skin cancer, who was being abused/neglected/stolen from by her son-in-law (wealthy Jersey guy), and was told this. (This was just before "elder abuse" became a crime publicized by local politicians.) Another time I had lent my stereo system to a gay man I knew (I'm female), and he decided to keep it -- another situation the cops declined to investigate, since it was defined as a "domestic" problem!
Sometimes police supporters claim the job is so dangerous -- but these people are armed and trained in the use of deadly force. Statistically, it is far more dangerous to be a clerk in some convenience store, or liquor store, or be a cabby, than to be a cop. A few good people may intend to become cops, but by the time cop school spits them out, cop culture has usually taken over. Most are lazy, cynical, dangerous when roused -- and become alcoholic, or drug users, or thieves within a short time.
Um, I hate to intrude on such optimism, but those who pollute, abuse, dominate, and otherwise misuse the earth do not hesitate to do the same to other human beings. Since they regard their own kind as negligible, why should they grant equal rights to another species?
Can you name three books (or other stable sources of input) which had the greatest effect on your life, as far as you are aware?
exactly
This discovery (and a device taking advantage of it) was reported in Science News at least 8 months ago.
I was interested in reading the article but figured I probably wouldn't be able to, since it was attributed to The Sunday Times, and I won't register for the New York Times site. Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the link anyway, and reached the article. Then I checked the single e-mail link on the piece and discovered we're talking about the London paper.
Specify the source, guys.
Actually, the linked article in Edge makes this point explicitly. The funny and/or interesting part is why this obvioulsy smart fellow should have missed the real point, though:
Following Darwin's lead I suggest that our vocal equipment and our remarkable ability to modulate voice evolved mainly for producing emotional calls and musical sounds during courtship ("croonin a toon."). Once that evolved then the brain -- especially the left hemisphere -- could evolve language.
As he clearly knows from his later paragraphs, the most essential function of these clustered abilities is almost certainly within the mother-child bond!
I'm still waiting for the folding data-entry device with half the keyboard on either side of a vertically oriented keyboard. The "accordian style" playing is supposed to be much easier on the wrists, fingers, arms, shoulders, etc., and the device could be used with wearables. Of course, there should be optional unfolding for when we sit at a largish flat surface.
As a writer, I have to admit to being appalled by your assumption that only the "record companies" stand to profit from public performances of a song. It is understandable, but still appalling. The purported purpose of copyright (in every creative medium but film) is for the ARTIST to profit, during the copyright period (which is now supposed to last longer to benefit their immediate heirs), from all public commercial performances of her work.
Did you see the article about the Wells turbine (Wavegen) system recently added to the grid in Scotland? (If not, search under "old stuff" in /.!) I would think California's coastline is ideal for a few of these, which are apparently low maintenance, low environmental impact, high power generators -- very much safer than nuclear powerplants, as well as cheaper.
I'm disabled, and the sort-of accessible entrance in the place I lived the past several years was shut down by the new landlords (they want to get rid of as many old or disabled tenants as possible): They poured concrete over the pair of steps closer to the internal entrance doors, and made a steep set of 4 stairs where the other 2 steps near the external entrance door used to be, so that the previous ramp arrangement (about 16' long) cannot be used now.
The concrete was poured August 14th, I went to the Justice Department the next day, it took them 2 months to get their first inquiry letter to the landlord into the mail... It's now 3 1/2 months, and I ran out of friends with accessible apartments in NYC a month ago.
It's hard to find work when living in suburbia if you don't drive & can't access public transportation. That's a major reason I stayed in Rat City so long. But I'm leaving now, and just got a part-time job introducing residents of retirement homes to computers, the Web, e-mail, etc. Thanks for your concern....
Funny comment, and I should moderate it up, but I prefer to reply (sorry! -- I'm tired of moderating anyway). It is ridiculous to think that AOL might be thinking about browser wars when their main concern must be swallowing all that content, somehow... Now if middle America had a lot of bandwidth to play with, they might turn their attention to details of the user interface, but I imagine they have as much as they can handle worrying over right now on the cataloging and compression side.
Perhaps you have to work with brokerage companies to understand that most of those dealer types really don't know anything... The way they trade is, buy if something gets + press previously unexpected and you hear about it "early," sell for the - press case.
It's not like they understand anything about what they read. Nor do they understand that the market has become a huge positive feedback loop --with too many players making the shortest of short-term bets -- to remain stable. That's about half of why old-style capital markets are on their last legs, finally.
I've spent much of the past two decades as a consulting documentation specialist, and have all three of the skills you correctly identified. Right now I'm hanging out in North Carolina (with a cable connection!), while awaiting a judge's decision re my NYC digs (concerning Am. with Disabilities Act). My desultory search for part-time, off-site Web content development work while I'm waiting hasn't brought any offers, so if anyone wants me to work (even free) creating teaching materials to further the noble goal of free software (anti-MS, anyway), here I am: techwatcher@onebox.com; probably free most of the next 2-6 weeks.
The pictures of the keyboards for the devices featured in this story show double (at least!) key assignments on most keycaps. Are these the "AZERTY" keyboard layout you refer to? I never heard of this arrangement before, although I once tried the "dvorak" keyboard arrangement.
The most exciting aspect of these devices, for me, is that manufacturers are finally returning to well-laid-out (and properly tinted, except Sony) keyboards! At least, I think they are... It's nice to see they're about the size of someone's hand, but I would have preferred to be able to see where the Ins/Del & Backspace keys were.
Just a writer's two cents' worth....
Thanks for the info, I'll check it out. I couldn't agree more -- for me, the value of having ALL the data one wishes to track in the SAME file, & being able to manipulate it at will, was so high it prevents me even considering using any replacement without that capability.
Btw, a W95 (32-bit) version of Ecco was produced & released & worked pretty well. Unfortunately, although I was able to download the 16-bit version to a PDA, the 32-bit version didn't fit Intellilink's (transfer) program, and they declined to produce a new module for Ecco.
Since the 16-bit version (of the database) could be translated into the 32-bit version but not vice versa (the usual post-MS standard -- remember when backward compatibility was routine?!), I was deprived of the ideal mobile version of my data. Of course, I could still export specific data (just contacts & appointments, for example) from the 32-bit version, import it into the 16-bit version, and then download it to the PDA, but it is a bit tiresome to go through this procedure routinely.
You mean like American Graffiti?