I don't know a single Kickstarter project that is not a scam.
Bard's Tale IV just launched last week. Brian Fargo's got enough experience in the industry he didn't seem like much of a risk (and that has been proved true). By paying early I got a game plus some extras, and more importantly for me paying early allowed the game to be made in the first place.
As any member of that species is capable of picking up the parasite at any time, they sort of have to target the whole species, and not just the actively infected ones.
I have my own domain, a word starting with Qu. Someone in Australia picked up a similar domain, but without the U, and started running a music venue by that name. Let me tell you, the number of people who reflexively type U after Q is very large. I get requests for reservations, tickets, confirmations, changes, venue viewings, etc., all the time.
- The Pun Also Rises (not a typo; yes, it's about puns) - The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams - Thanks, but It's Not for Us - a book on writing craft - Drinking with Dead Drunks by Elaine Ambrose and A.K. Turner
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that part. There are customers who subscribe to a channel, but if there's nothing new in that channel for 2 days, rush to unsubscribe because it's not cutting it anymore? Does the subscription get in the way of their other stuff? Is there some sort of sad-face nag button saying "this guy's not cool anymore"? Or were they sitting there with beer and popcorn, a whole weekend of stream-watching planned, and got disappointed because their show wasn't on?
I know I'm an old fogey about this stuff, but for me, I subscribe as a way to remind myself to go catch up on stuff that happens. It's often months or longer before I actually get time to go track down some of this material. I assume younger audiences both have more free time and are tapped in at a faster pace, but I still don't see giving up on something that I used to like after just two days of silence.
If you make all the money in one year, you're paying high taxes. If he earns $2 million in 4 months, he's only keeping half that, so that's at least double. Plus the inevitable expenses due to being new to money, because nobody figures it out on Day 1 that they need to resist being stupid and invest everything.
Also, being that young, nothing can go through retirement accounts, so all investments are taxable for decades. Plus being young, he's needs to plan for at least 60, probably 80 years to be smart. Even assuming current, modest inflation rates, $2 million isn't going to be much in 2098 - something like $200,000 in current dollars.
All of which is to say he's probably got to work not just a full year but maybe a couple of he wants to retire safely on this one project alone. It's still a great opportunity, but probably not something that you can grind out in 4 months and be done.
Eh, I've got *some* sympathy. I mean, I'd still trade places with most of them if I could. But every job and every life has problems. Even if they seem minor to others, the human mind is a problem-seeking machine, and it will dig up issues if it's not seeing enough. A little mindful practice might go a long way for some of these folks, but it's also just a fundamental part of life.
Other things that *might* help, not just here, but everywhere: - setting realistic goals and being satisfied with them - figuring out how you want to define success for yourself - putting effort into time management and efficiency - figuring out how to take time off without having it become a mess - knowing when to stop entirely or move on - learn as much as possible about investing and living reasonably, maybe even frugally, for your income, so that taking a break or moving on becomes an easier choice - cultivating interests and activities outside of the primary job - getting adequate rest and addressing other health issues
I got a paper straw a while back with an iced coffee. First time I used it, it stuck to my lips and yanked off in a way that was pretty uncomfortable. After it got wet that stopped, but by the end of the drink it was getting kind of mushy. It also felt weird and fuzzy the entire time - that part might be something you get used to, though?
Duh. Slam on the brakes erratically for no reason.
I see human-driven cars do this regularly. Frequently the actual reason is they're turning, but they didn't bother to put on their signal, or not until long after they'd hit the brakes.
Yeah, I've been making good use of podcasts and audio lectures for years, and it really make the commute time a lot more pleasant. Among other things I haven't been able to read as much since the kids were born, so it serves a double function as both reading time and making boring time not boring.
I'd still prefer to have a shorter commute, but it's not nearly as much of a waste as when I was getting by on news and talk radio.
People tend to anticipate. They'll see the vehicle with the signal on, watch it slow, then watch it begin the turn with nothing in the way and assume it's going to continue to make the turn and not shadow their own brake.
If they do, they're idiots, because often you can't be 100% sure the way is clear, especially from a position behind another car. There could be a pedestrian, cross traffic, a giant pothole or other obstacle in the road, or any number of other things that might give the lead car a valid reason to stop instead of continuing the turn. It is almost always the job of the second car not to run into the car in front of it.
Sorry, I think I skimmed toward the end and missed that point. I do agree entirely about society's fickle demands for action, and expectation that officials should be able to see the future as clearly with foresight as the public will be able to see it with their hindsight.
I wish Amazon's ratings system was more nuanced. Particularly for your b) above, it'd be very nice to be able to see at a glance if people rate the editing highly or poorly. Some people may not care, but others do, and it's easy to self-select if the information is available, but hard to tell as it is.
The flip side of a) above is that sometimes publishers are a little stodgy or focused on large markets, so their gatekeeping might keep out really niche/targeted books that can nonetheless do well in their intended area. Then again, if you're really into something, you probably know to go looking for it (and may be willing to sacrifice a bit on the quality in order to read for your favorite topic), while outside of that you still make use of the gatekeeping.
Oh, that thing that looked like it was priced as a full length book was only really a short novella. Neat.
This one applies equally to print and digital, though I do grant it's more likely to be an issue with self-published work. I've paid $8.99 for a print book that was small enough to fit in a print pocket. Amazon does always provide a page count, but you have to remember to look, which isn't necessarily a normal reflex. Most of the short stories or serialized books are probably self-published, though most are also priced cheaply. If you feel ripped off by something that turns out to be way too short, I'm sure Amazon would refund.
There is nothing inherent in ebooks that prevents their lending or resale.
Sure, many of the big publishers/distributors block or limit it with DRM. But even on Amazon you can, as an indie author, sell DRM-free books that can be given or lent.
... if they hadn't done anything... arrest the guy
Why is arresting the guy the only possible action here? Why not pull him into an administrator's office and have a conversation? Maybe suggest it's a bad idea and tell him not to do it again? Send him for evaluation if he seems dangerous? All of those things are "doing something". Calling the police in isn't the only choice.
Nice to see a West of Loathing nod pop up. I've loved their work since the Kingdom of Loathing days, and West of Loathing is also great. Funny, fun, and surprisingly deep.
The SAD lights are for the most part just brighter versions of indoor lights. They shouldn't be putting out high-energy ultraviolet. If they were, it would be extremely harmful to the eyes, causing more damage there than eventual skin cancer. This is much more likely to be coincidence.
I was pretty agitated the first time I saw it, until I realized it doesn't actually change what I do. On my PS3, when one episode ends there's always a "next episode starts in 20 seconds" box, and I can press X to go ahead and start. Now the ad shows up instead, but if I press X it skips and goes ahead and starts. So, zero difference other than the splash screen.
If I had to press multiple buttons or arrow over or do more work, I'd be giving them a piece of my mind, but I can live with this for now.
That "related search" that comes up ALWAYS means they don't have it, but they'll give you things close to that show. Sometimes it's like the list you're already seeing, but it can be significantly different. If you specifically want the one thing and only that thing, related search won't help, but if you're in the mood for a genre or topic, it might.
Then how do you explain the huge increase in drownings of children?
Since it's something that changed between last year and this year, it's probably not smartphones or social media, since they've been around for a while. The unusually hot summer in Europe this year might be putting more people in the water in the first place or for longer periods of time.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't know a single Kickstarter project that is not a scam.
Bard's Tale IV just launched last week. Brian Fargo's got enough experience in the industry he didn't seem like much of a risk (and that has been proved true). By paying early I got a game plus some extras, and more importantly for me paying early allowed the game to be made in the first place.
As any member of that species is capable of picking up the parasite at any time, they sort of have to target the whole species, and not just the actively infected ones.
Oh, I thought it was positioned between Uptown and Downtown.
Either direction? There are 3 axes of spin, so he could be spinning in 6 different directions. And don't even get me started on the combinations.
It's also a play on words, going from New to Newer. I don't think most people would confuse font branding with camera branding.
I have my own domain, a word starting with Qu. Someone in Australia picked up a similar domain, but without the U, and started running a music venue by that name. Let me tell you, the number of people who reflexively type U after Q is very large. I get requests for reservations, tickets, confirmations, changes, venue viewings, etc., all the time.
- The Pun Also Rises (not a typo; yes, it's about puns)
- The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams
- Thanks, but It's Not for Us - a book on writing craft
- Drinking with Dead Drunks by Elaine Ambrose and A.K. Turner
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that part. There are customers who subscribe to a channel, but if there's nothing new in that channel for 2 days, rush to unsubscribe because it's not cutting it anymore? Does the subscription get in the way of their other stuff? Is there some sort of sad-face nag button saying "this guy's not cool anymore"? Or were they sitting there with beer and popcorn, a whole weekend of stream-watching planned, and got disappointed because their show wasn't on?
I know I'm an old fogey about this stuff, but for me, I subscribe as a way to remind myself to go catch up on stuff that happens. It's often months or longer before I actually get time to go track down some of this material. I assume younger audiences both have more free time and are tapped in at a faster pace, but I still don't see giving up on something that I used to like after just two days of silence.
If you make all the money in one year, you're paying high taxes. If he earns $2 million in 4 months, he's only keeping half that, so that's at least double. Plus the inevitable expenses due to being new to money, because nobody figures it out on Day 1 that they need to resist being stupid and invest everything.
Also, being that young, nothing can go through retirement accounts, so all investments are taxable for decades. Plus being young, he's needs to plan for at least 60, probably 80 years to be smart. Even assuming current, modest inflation rates, $2 million isn't going to be much in 2098 - something like $200,000 in current dollars.
All of which is to say he's probably got to work not just a full year but maybe a couple of he wants to retire safely on this one project alone. It's still a great opportunity, but probably not something that you can grind out in 4 months and be done.
Eh, I've got *some* sympathy. I mean, I'd still trade places with most of them if I could. But every job and every life has problems. Even if they seem minor to others, the human mind is a problem-seeking machine, and it will dig up issues if it's not seeing enough. A little mindful practice might go a long way for some of these folks, but it's also just a fundamental part of life.
Other things that *might* help, not just here, but everywhere:
- setting realistic goals and being satisfied with them
- figuring out how you want to define success for yourself
- putting effort into time management and efficiency
- figuring out how to take time off without having it become a mess
- knowing when to stop entirely or move on
- learn as much as possible about investing and living reasonably, maybe even frugally, for your income, so that taking a break or moving on becomes an easier choice
- cultivating interests and activities outside of the primary job
- getting adequate rest and addressing other health issues
I got a paper straw a while back with an iced coffee. First time I used it, it stuck to my lips and yanked off in a way that was pretty uncomfortable. After it got wet that stopped, but by the end of the drink it was getting kind of mushy. It also felt weird and fuzzy the entire time - that part might be something you get used to, though?
Duh. Slam on the brakes erratically for no reason.
I see human-driven cars do this regularly. Frequently the actual reason is they're turning, but they didn't bother to put on their signal, or not until long after they'd hit the brakes.
Yeah, I've been making good use of podcasts and audio lectures for years, and it really make the commute time a lot more pleasant. Among other things I haven't been able to read as much since the kids were born, so it serves a double function as both reading time and making boring time not boring.
I'd still prefer to have a shorter commute, but it's not nearly as much of a waste as when I was getting by on news and talk radio.
People tend to anticipate. They'll see the vehicle with the signal on, watch it slow, then watch it begin the turn with nothing in the way and assume it's going to continue to make the turn and not shadow their own brake.
If they do, they're idiots, because often you can't be 100% sure the way is clear, especially from a position behind another car. There could be a pedestrian, cross traffic, a giant pothole or other obstacle in the road, or any number of other things that might give the lead car a valid reason to stop instead of continuing the turn. It is almost always the job of the second car not to run into the car in front of it.
Sorry, I think I skimmed toward the end and missed that point. I do agree entirely about society's fickle demands for action, and expectation that officials should be able to see the future as clearly with foresight as the public will be able to see it with their hindsight.
I wish Amazon's ratings system was more nuanced. Particularly for your b) above, it'd be very nice to be able to see at a glance if people rate the editing highly or poorly. Some people may not care, but others do, and it's easy to self-select if the information is available, but hard to tell as it is.
The flip side of a) above is that sometimes publishers are a little stodgy or focused on large markets, so their gatekeeping might keep out really niche/targeted books that can nonetheless do well in their intended area. Then again, if you're really into something, you probably know to go looking for it (and may be willing to sacrifice a bit on the quality in order to read for your favorite topic), while outside of that you still make use of the gatekeeping.
Oh, that thing that looked like it was priced as a full length book was only really a short novella. Neat.
This one applies equally to print and digital, though I do grant it's more likely to be an issue with self-published work. I've paid $8.99 for a print book that was small enough to fit in a print pocket. Amazon does always provide a page count, but you have to remember to look, which isn't necessarily a normal reflex. Most of the short stories or serialized books are probably self-published, though most are also priced cheaply. If you feel ripped off by something that turns out to be way too short, I'm sure Amazon would refund.
There is nothing inherent in ebooks that prevents their lending or resale.
Sure, many of the big publishers/distributors block or limit it with DRM. But even on Amazon you can, as an indie author, sell DRM-free books that can be given or lent.
... if they hadn't done anything ... arrest the guy
Why is arresting the guy the only possible action here? Why not pull him into an administrator's office and have a conversation? Maybe suggest it's a bad idea and tell him not to do it again? Send him for evaluation if he seems dangerous? All of those things are "doing something". Calling the police in isn't the only choice.
True, but a niche use. Not having dozens of incandescents heating the house during the summer is nice.
I don't meta-mod often, but when I do, it's by commenting.
I like infinite loops in my code, too.
Nice to see a West of Loathing nod pop up. I've loved their work since the Kingdom of Loathing days, and West of Loathing is also great. Funny, fun, and surprisingly deep.
The SAD lights are for the most part just brighter versions of indoor lights. They shouldn't be putting out high-energy ultraviolet. If they were, it would be extremely harmful to the eyes, causing more damage there than eventual skin cancer. This is much more likely to be coincidence.
I was pretty agitated the first time I saw it, until I realized it doesn't actually change what I do. On my PS3, when one episode ends there's always a "next episode starts in 20 seconds" box, and I can press X to go ahead and start. Now the ad shows up instead, but if I press X it skips and goes ahead and starts. So, zero difference other than the splash screen.
If I had to press multiple buttons or arrow over or do more work, I'd be giving them a piece of my mind, but I can live with this for now.
That "related search" that comes up ALWAYS means they don't have it, but they'll give you things close to that show. Sometimes it's like the list you're already seeing, but it can be significantly different. If you specifically want the one thing and only that thing, related search won't help, but if you're in the mood for a genre or topic, it might.
Then how do you explain the huge increase in drownings of children?
Since it's something that changed between last year and this year, it's probably not smartphones or social media, since they've been around for a while. The unusually hot summer in Europe this year might be putting more people in the water in the first place or for longer periods of time.