["Taliban"] is instead a proper noun describing a terroristic dictatorship that was formerly the ruling body of Iraq and had strong control over Afghanistan
The Taliban never ruled Iraq. You're probably thinking of Afghanistan, which they did rule from 1996 until they were overthrown in 2001 (according to wikipedia). They also operate in Pakistan. I know this is offtopic but it's an important distinction. The invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with the Taliban.
Replace "Microsoft" with "Apple" and your statement works just as well. It's been nearly a year since the first leaks from Apple about a mystery tablet, and you can't tell me that those leaks weren't meant to drum up interest before a product even existed. At least Microsoft is presenting a coherent thesis here- this is the moleskin notebook of the future, a device on which to jot, sketch and annotate. In case it's unclear, this could and should replace laptops in schools. Every creative professional- authors, architects, cartoonists - should have one.
Microsoft's product is currently just an idea. But the iPad was never even that, production ready or not.
I see it as more of a mouse issue. Unit selection and direction, not to mention deep menu navigation, can never be managed by joysticks as easily and intuitively as they can by a mouse. I lack any studies or data to prove this, but I'd be very surprised if I was proven wrong.
Let's not forget, that's 500 dollars for the model with no 3G and exactly one fifth the storage of my relatively ancient ipod classic. Either they're still hiding something or they're counting on lots of people being all kinds of stupid.
I'm playing that these days on the PS3 and I agree, the difficulty spikes are ridiculous and kind of make me hate the game sometimes. What really bugs me is that I know I'd probably love it on the PC, even though the big battles are reportedly substantially more "difficult" there. To my mind there's difficult (every battle is a tactical challenge. Weigh your options, choose your targets and your moves carefully. Fail sometimes.) and then there's difficult (every battle is a nightmare clusterfuck. Target selection is incoherent and unresponsive. AI pathfinding is a joke. Die all the time because your dog is humping Alistair's leg while he closely investigates a rock in a corner somewhere) It's the difference between fighting a challenge, and fighting the interface, and what a difference it is.
In Demon's Souls, if you react a split second too late to the enemy hiding behind that dark corner, you die. In Demon's Souls, when you die, you not only lose a lot of ground, but the game actually makes itself harder. In Demon's Souls, you cannot revert to an earlier save, or even pause.
It's a lot of fun though! Really!
This isn't going to be a direct reply to your post, but I'd like to add some perspective before we take this article as further evidence of a failing educational system. If this is redundant, I apologize; the prospect of reading all 1100 comments before posting was a bit much for me.
What we need to realize about Waterloo before we write this off as a manifestation of a mentally crippled generation is this: A quite considerable portion of students at Waterloo aren't native speakers of the English language. There is a huge body of students from China, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India, Russia, Thailand, Germany, and many other countries. Many have only just arrived - spent perhaps a week in the country -- when they're asked to take the ELPE, as the test is called.
Now, the test itself is phenomenally easy. It's pass or fail, and the questions are of this type: "Jenny finished the race in first place, just ahead of Ted. Sam was the last to finish the race, coming in third place. How many people finished the race? a) 7. b) 3. c) There isn't enough information to know for sure."
A short (300 words) essay is also required.
For anybody who passed sixth grade English, it's a laughably easy test. I've hardly met anyone who failed, except for those who had been introduced to the language merely months or weeks before.
It seems clear to me that the reported 30% failure rate isn't a reflection of a poor educational system but rather of a large population of recent immigrants. That they gained admission to the school is a sign of above-average intelligence, or at least significant resourcefulness; these kids will learn the language before long.
If this doesn't seem a plausible enough explanation for poor English skills in 30% and 10% of students at two respected Canadian universities, then bear in mind the students who took a year off before pursuing post-secondary education, and who may simply be rusty when it comes to using formal language. Consider as well the many students who may be very nervous (or hungover!) when the test takes place, at the beginning of their first term of University. There are plenty of possible explanations, so let's not get too excited about the numbers presented in the article.
not to challenge China, an important global market, about cyber-attacks on google when there's no significant evidence that they were responsible. The first thing we did was accuse them, but since they deny culpability, and there isn't any evidence to contradict them, bringing it up again is at least arrogant and probably xenophobic too. If proof of their involvement surfaces, maybe then we'll have something to talk about.
I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they actively lobbied for it. 54k is really a better number for them: it doesn't sound as ridiculous, so public interest and outrage will be dulled. Yet it's still enough to bring financial ruin upon most families, which is what they want. Remember, their real goal in this litigation isn't to recoup damages but to establish an effective deterrent.
Also, I seem to recall a pending suit against the labels filed by artists who haven't been paid for the use of their work on compilation CDs. Using the RIAA's own figures, they alleged something like 60 billion dollars in damages if I recall. This would reduce that figure enormously.
Ok, my last point was a little ridiculous. But we know these guys don't always abide by the law themselves. It's not really in their interests to establish astronomical damage figures. I'm sure they'd rather have damages set at something they can pay whenever they feel like scoffing at the law, but that the vast majority of consumers couldn't possibly afford. Food for thought.
What does the median price have to do with being able to buy a house? If there's a house for sale in that area for 54,000, then she could buy a house for 54,000.
He may not have given any direct input on this specific issue, but if I recall correctly, he appointed a lot of the former RIAA law talent now working in the DOJ. I don't know this for sure, but I remember a number of slashdot stories about it. I like the guy, I think he's doing a fine job, but those appointments really stuck in my craw. They stank, and what we're seeing here is a prime example of why. But, I guess you gotta take the bad with the good. Let's hope the supreme court steps in.
Offtopic: a few fascinated clicks on wikipedia later, I've discovered that capital punishment is also on the books in Cali for "train wrecking causing a death". Yeah, I guess that comes up all the time down there.
Is forced sterilization really worse than 44 years in the US prison system? I wonder how many cons would opt for the former if given the choice. Not that such an either/or proposition would make sense in a sentencing, of course.
He was a Republican, not that I think it's really relevant. But it is kind of funny, given that he was an advocate for the type of hollow tough-on-crime/perversion measures that a certain segment of the Republicans favor. From Wikipedia:
"While in office, he co-sponsored several bills that took aim at sex offenders"
It's actually not well understood, or at least not well-proven, exactly what it is in cigarettes that causes cancer. Hilariously, everyone I know who smokes weed thinks there's a clear case to be made that weed is "better" because it doesn't have "chemicals". Of course, it's made ENTIRELY of chemicals, just like everything else.
I read a few years ago that people who drink hot coffee have a higher incidence of throat cancer. Heat is a big factor here, and certain oxidized compounds are likely involved too, but it's not entirely obvious which ones.
I don't think it's a good idea to try and make people feel safer than they are. We're probably in even more danger when we don't realize that we're in danger.
For one thing the record companies did one better than just pirate the music- they pirated it for commercial purposes. While the former may or may not be legal in Canada (depends who you ask), the latter is certainly illegal.
Really though, even when people posture as ideologues on this issue they usually aren't. I don't particularly think it's wrong to pirate music or even to sue people exorbitantly for doing so. I AM going to do the former if I feel like it, and I hope that the labels are prevented from doing the latter. It's easy to mistake that for me thinking that I have the moral high ground.
I think everyone's just happy that someone turned around and kicked the bully real hard in the shin. Maybe it'll take the heat off the rest of us for a while.
On this question, there can obviously be no discussion, only ideology. One side says, "it's the right thing to do, everyone else is doing it, so just shut up and take it." The other side says, "stop hurting my America, oh noes the government, wake up sheeple."
Nothing of any value is shared between the sides of this shouting match.
Yes, I agree. When I said "the recording industry" I meant the labels, not the artists (and even the engineers, who I guess do a lot of the recording?) who I consider to be part the music industry. By all accounts, the music industry is doing swell even as the recording industry coughs and wheezes its last.
By the way, didn't mean to be a troll. I like the plan in a vague sense, even though it doesn't sound particularly sustainable.
Slashdot Mirror
["Taliban"] is instead a proper noun describing a terroristic dictatorship that was formerly the ruling body of Iraq and had strong control over Afghanistan
The Taliban never ruled Iraq. You're probably thinking of Afghanistan, which they did rule from 1996 until they were overthrown in 2001 (according to wikipedia). They also operate in Pakistan. I know this is offtopic but it's an important distinction. The invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with the Taliban.
Replace "Microsoft" with "Apple" and your statement works just as well. It's been nearly a year since the first leaks from Apple about a mystery tablet, and you can't tell me that those leaks weren't meant to drum up interest before a product even existed. At least Microsoft is presenting a coherent thesis here- this is the moleskin notebook of the future, a device on which to jot, sketch and annotate. In case it's unclear, this could and should replace laptops in schools. Every creative professional- authors, architects, cartoonists - should have one.
Microsoft's product is currently just an idea. But the iPad was never even that, production ready or not.
I see it as more of a mouse issue. Unit selection and direction, not to mention deep menu navigation, can never be managed by joysticks as easily and intuitively as they can by a mouse. I lack any studies or data to prove this, but I'd be very surprised if I was proven wrong.
Let's not forget, that's 500 dollars for the model with no 3G and exactly one fifth the storage of my relatively ancient ipod classic. Either they're still hiding something or they're counting on lots of people being all kinds of stupid.
What are the significant improvements in 10.5? I haven't tried it because I never really heard about any.
sleeper hit means it sold well, just not right away.
I'm playing that these days on the PS3 and I agree, the difficulty spikes are ridiculous and kind of make me hate the game sometimes. What really bugs me is that I know I'd probably love it on the PC, even though the big battles are reportedly substantially more "difficult" there. To my mind there's difficult (every battle is a tactical challenge. Weigh your options, choose your targets and your moves carefully. Fail sometimes.) and then there's difficult (every battle is a nightmare clusterfuck. Target selection is incoherent and unresponsive. AI pathfinding is a joke. Die all the time because your dog is humping Alistair's leg while he closely investigates a rock in a corner somewhere) It's the difference between fighting a challenge, and fighting the interface, and what a difference it is.
In Demon's Souls, if you react a split second too late to the enemy hiding behind that dark corner, you die. In Demon's Souls, when you die, you not only lose a lot of ground, but the game actually makes itself harder. In Demon's Souls, you cannot revert to an earlier save, or even pause.
It's a lot of fun though! Really!
This isn't going to be a direct reply to your post, but I'd like to add some perspective before we take this article as further evidence of a failing educational system. If this is redundant, I apologize; the prospect of reading all 1100 comments before posting was a bit much for me.
What we need to realize about Waterloo before we write this off as a manifestation of a mentally crippled generation is this: A quite considerable portion of students at Waterloo aren't native speakers of the English language. There is a huge body of students from China, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India, Russia, Thailand, Germany, and many other countries. Many have only just arrived - spent perhaps a week in the country -- when they're asked to take the ELPE, as the test is called.
Now, the test itself is phenomenally easy. It's pass or fail, and the questions are of this type:
"Jenny finished the race in first place, just ahead of Ted. Sam was the last to finish the race, coming in third place. How many people finished the race?
a) 7.
b) 3.
c) There isn't enough information to know for sure."
A short (300 words) essay is also required. For anybody who passed sixth grade English, it's a laughably easy test. I've hardly met anyone who failed, except for those who had been introduced to the language merely months or weeks before.
It seems clear to me that the reported 30% failure rate isn't a reflection of a poor educational system but rather of a large population of recent immigrants. That they gained admission to the school is a sign of above-average intelligence, or at least significant resourcefulness; these kids will learn the language before long.
If this doesn't seem a plausible enough explanation for poor English skills in 30% and 10% of students at two respected Canadian universities, then bear in mind the students who took a year off before pursuing post-secondary education, and who may simply be rusty when it comes to using formal language. Consider as well the many students who may be very nervous (or hungover!) when the test takes place, at the beginning of their first term of University. There are plenty of possible explanations, so let's not get too excited about the numbers presented in the article.
I can't wait for the supreme court ruling in the landmark case of Flamebait V. Troll
not to challenge China, an important global market, about cyber-attacks on google when there's no significant evidence that they were responsible. The first thing we did was accuse them, but since they deny culpability, and there isn't any evidence to contradict them, bringing it up again is at least arrogant and probably xenophobic too. If proof of their involvement surfaces, maybe then we'll have something to talk about.
I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they actively lobbied for it. 54k is really a better number for them: it doesn't sound as ridiculous, so public interest and outrage will be dulled. Yet it's still enough to bring financial ruin upon most families, which is what they want. Remember, their real goal in this litigation isn't to recoup damages but to establish an effective deterrent.
Also, I seem to recall a pending suit against the labels filed by artists who haven't been paid for the use of their work on compilation CDs. Using the RIAA's own figures, they alleged something like 60 billion dollars in damages if I recall. This would reduce that figure enormously.
Ok, my last point was a little ridiculous. But we know these guys don't always abide by the law themselves. It's not really in their interests to establish astronomical damage figures. I'm sure they'd rather have damages set at something they can pay whenever they feel like scoffing at the law, but that the vast majority of consumers couldn't possibly afford. Food for thought.
What does the median price have to do with being able to buy a house? If there's a house for sale in that area for 54,000, then she could buy a house for 54,000.
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Sounds like paradise.
He may not have given any direct input on this specific issue, but if I recall correctly, he appointed a lot of the former RIAA law talent now working in the DOJ. I don't know this for sure, but I remember a number of slashdot stories about it.
I like the guy, I think he's doing a fine job, but those appointments really stuck in my craw. They stank, and what we're seeing here is a prime example of why. But, I guess you gotta take the bad with the good. Let's hope the supreme court steps in.
Offtopic: a few fascinated clicks on wikipedia later, I've discovered that capital punishment is also on the books in Cali for "train wrecking causing a death". Yeah, I guess that comes up all the time down there.
Is forced sterilization really worse than 44 years in the US prison system? I wonder how many cons would opt for the former if given the choice. Not that such an either/or proposition would make sense in a sentencing, of course.
I prefer this formulation:
Rule one: there is only one rule and this is it.
He was a Republican, not that I think it's really relevant. But it is kind of funny, given that he was an advocate for the type of hollow tough-on-crime/perversion measures that a certain segment of the Republicans favor. From Wikipedia:
"While in office, he co-sponsored several bills that took aim at sex offenders"
Ha!
It's actually not well understood, or at least not well-proven, exactly what it is in cigarettes that causes cancer. Hilariously, everyone I know who smokes weed thinks there's a clear case to be made that weed is "better" because it doesn't have "chemicals". Of course, it's made ENTIRELY of chemicals, just like everything else.
I read a few years ago that people who drink hot coffee have a higher incidence of throat cancer. Heat is a big factor here, and certain oxidized compounds are likely involved too, but it's not entirely obvious which ones.
make megaman 10?
I don't think it's a good idea to try and make people feel safer than they are. We're probably in even more danger when we don't realize that we're in danger.
For one thing the record companies did one better than just pirate the music- they pirated it for commercial purposes. While the former may or may not be legal in Canada (depends who you ask), the latter is certainly illegal.
Really though, even when people posture as ideologues on this issue they usually aren't. I don't particularly think it's wrong to pirate music or even to sue people exorbitantly for doing so. I AM going to do the former if I feel like it, and I hope that the labels are prevented from doing the latter. It's easy to mistake that for me thinking that I have the moral high ground.
I think everyone's just happy that someone turned around and kicked the bully real hard in the shin. Maybe it'll take the heat off the rest of us for a while.
On this question, there can obviously be no discussion, only ideology. One side says, "it's the right thing to do, everyone else is doing it, so just shut up and take it." The other side says, "stop hurting my America, oh noes the government, wake up sheeple."
Nothing of any value is shared between the sides of this shouting match.
Yes, I agree. When I said "the recording industry" I meant the labels, not the artists (and even the engineers, who I guess do a lot of the recording?) who I consider to be part the music industry. By all accounts, the music industry is doing swell even as the recording industry coughs and wheezes its last.
By the way, didn't mean to be a troll. I like the plan in a vague sense, even though it doesn't sound particularly sustainable.