I'm pretty sure it was a true addiction- when I finally went through serious withdrawl- symptoms included massive tremors, my temperature spiked to around 104 degrees, and I couldn't sleep for about 35 hours, even with a good deal of prescription sleep aids.
You just posted exactly what I wanted to say- they don't make a distinction between an addiction and a dependency. You're exactly right- when you're addicted to a substance- let's say crack- you cannot- let me reiterate- cannot function without it. Speaking from personal experience (this was a while ago, no problems now heh)- it takes about 5 days to get addicted to crack. No joke. After that it's absolutely awful.
Internet pornography on the other hand, is a psychological dependency. If a person found themselves with no internet access, they could be upset, sad, depressed etc- certainly, but they would be able to function. They would be able to do things like eat, sleep, and have a normal conversation with another person without becoming enraged- all things that are difficult, if not simply impossible when going through withdrawal from crack.
To compare the two is simply rediculous. If I were forced to though- I would have to say that crack is one of the most addictive substances on the planet (moreso than heroin etc), while internet pornography is waaaaay down the list.
Medieval Jewish scholars put the date of the Creation at 3760 BC. Greek Orthodox theologians put Creation as far back as 5508 BC.
These dates are incorrect.
Archbishop James Usher (1580-1656) published Annales Vertis et Novi Testamenti in 1654, which suggested that the Heaven and the Earth were created in 4004 BC. One of his aides too the calculation further, and was able to announce triumphantly that the Earth was created on Sunday the 21st of October, 4004 BC, at exactly 9:00AM, because God liked to get work done early in the morning while he was feeling fresh.
This too as incorrect. By almost a quarter of an hour.
Doesn't Photoshop alert you if you are trying to scan US currency? (or is that another urban legend?)
I'm not sure- but I do know that my friends ten y/o brother scanned a hundred dollar bill into photoshop, printed it, taped both sides together and got my friend to pass it at a 7-11 in the city. It's been more than a year and no problems so far:o)
My brother, who worked for the re-election campaign in Washington, DC and has [some] access to insider information told me today that Giuliani was actually someone who is being considered for the job.
He also said that the odds of him actually being appointed were not tremendous, but his name is being kicked around as an option.
I live in Washington DC and you can't drink the tap water here either- the lead content is at record-high-lethal levels, as it has been since I was very young (I drink it anyway I figure I'm already contaminated).
Hocking loogies in public seems to be a national pastime
Isn't it the national pastime of the United States, too?:)
Diseases like malaria and dengue fever (more a 3rd world than 1st world problem)
Dengue Fever isn't really a serious problem- it is a disease found in warm climates (ergo not in the United States or most of Europe). I actually got Dengue Fever when I went to Central America, and while I was layed up for a few days, it didn't require any meds or hospital visits.
That said, I have never been to China, so I can't claim to know too much about either their infrastructure or the general state of cleanliness in the cities- but it seems to me that if you *don't* want to be a 3rd world country, you have to start somewhere.
Just because a person commits a crime for which the penalty is "up to X years in jail" does NOT mean that they will get jail time.
Most of the time, first time offenders only get probation, and if they are jailed at all, they are paroled after a few months (excluding of course, most violent crimes).
While I do believe that 15 years is excessive for spammers, this may prove as an example to others, and in the American judicial system, that is very important. The fact is, even if they do spend 5+ years in jail, and more spammers are convicted, they will probably not spend more than a year. What will deter them is the unknown factor- whether they will get a lenient judge (more likely) and get off off with 6 months in jail/probation, or a hardass (unlikely) and get the maximum sentence.
Not to sound horribly sappy- but you just made me feel much less bad about being an American today- it was hard enough losing the election, but a lot of these comments saying "Americans are so conservative" "you bring it on yourselves" etc. were really bringing me down. Thanks!
Everything you said is 100% true- (and has actually worked out for me in the past) BUT- what would you do when you're surrounded by people with machine guns in riot gear? I wasn't too keen on finding out what would happen if I didn't comply.
A breach of his rights? Not anymore, he had no rights.
Yeah, basically- I told the police they couldn't search my car and that lasted about 5 seconds- once they pulled out the machine guns, my first thought was, "well, technically they may have no right to do this, but they have guns and I don't want to be a hero right now". Since I wasn't *technically* the one who was under suspicion I am unclear about whether they had a right to search me without a court order, but since they claimed to be acting under the PATRIOT ACT I'm sure any legal action I took would have been useless.
As far as I know nothing happened to him- but that's not too surprising since around here (the DC area) there are huge signs that say "Report suspicious activity" with a phone number to call if you see anything posted everywhere. If they made any attempt to prosecute him, he could claim that what he did was a civic duty, and that he was genuinely worried. It's really sickening.
Last February, I had just returned home from the mall and was parked outside of my apartment when I got a call from a friend of mine who was waiting for me in the lobby. Just as he was walking outside to say hello, all the people who looked as though they were walking home from work suddenly turned on us and whipped out badges. These were members of the Secret Service Police (in charge of money fraud etc) and the Anti-terrorism task force.
My friend was taken away in about 5 minutes to some secret underground interrogation room, and didn't come back for about 3 hours.
I was questioned at the scene about any knowledge I had about blank checks and my friend's connection to terrorist organizations.
The police asked to search my car, and when I refused, I was suddenly surrounded by members of the SWAT team, dogs, machine guns and all.
They searched my car with me on the ground at gun point (during rush hour in downtown DC, no less!), and needless to say, found no fake checks.
When all was said and done, the man in charge of the Anti-Terrorism Task Force/Secret Service Police shook my hand and thanked me for doing a great service to America, and a great service for freedom. My pleasure.
Apparently, someone with a grudge against my friend had called a contact at the treasury dept. and told him that we were all involved in a money laundering scheme. They take those threats pretty seriously.
Oh yeah, they also stole the chinese food I had brought home for lunch:(
haha i actually meant to append (is that the right word i'm on lots of pain killers right now) that and apologize for sounding bitchy- was in a bad accident on friday and am in severe pain:-\
I re-read my post and my first thought was "damn I sound like I have a stick up my ass" oops;)
Dude there's almost a million people in DC- I've lived here my whole life and never once have I seen or met anyone who works in the government. That's the equivilant of saying "oh, you're from Canada, do you know my cousin who lives there?"
I've always gotten the scratch free/anti-reflective coating on my glasses (I tend to step on them daily)- it works reasonably well, but the cost per lense is rediculous if your insurance doesn't cover new prescriptions and if you need new every few months. Maybe this could be a cheaper alternative?
I agree with what you said about the "dummy issues"- the President has limited power to actually impose new laws (besides vetoing or signing bills into law). Many Americans have a very skewed idea about the actual role of the President, and I know several people who are just voting for whoever daddy does, or for whoever "looks more presidential" (my mother, for example). That said, I do think it is important that voters vote for the man whos ideals are closest to their own.
There are no real issues which the president legitimately has Constitutional authority to decide on.
While this is true, whoever wins this next election will probably be selecting at least three supreme court justices- people who will have a say over Constitutional issues- including laws regarding abortion and gay marraige. Even though you are voting for a president for ONLY four years, these Supreme Court justices are appointed for LIFE.
I definitely support the use of stem cells in research, I believe it has enormous potential to treat and reverse many terminal illnesses. While the derivation of the stem cells is a very hot topic these days, what many have overlooked is the fact that stem cells can be obtained from the umbilical cords of newborn babies. Also, the blood from the umbilical cords contains blood stem cells that can be used to treat lukemia and other blood diseases. I don't know how widespread the information about this is right now, but if the preliminary studies turn out to be correct, this could be a viable, less-controversial alternative to do some real good.
Even the heads-down navi systems that are in cars nowadays can lead to bad driving, and they're supposed to be driving aides -- providing web/email access while driving is a "Very Bad Idea".
I wholeheartedly agree!
I had a friend who relied soley on their in-car navigational system when they drove, and apparently some systems show roads that used to exist, and he somehow managed to make a bad turn and end up in a man-made drainage lake where a road once was.
Call me old-fashioned, but I find it's easier to drive when I'm watching what's happening around me:)
Slashdot Mirror
So does putting a $10 plastic cover over your plates :) Although that *is* illegal in a lot of areas...
I'm pretty sure it was a true addiction- when I finally went through serious withdrawl- symptoms included massive tremors, my temperature spiked to around 104 degrees, and I couldn't sleep for about 35 hours, even with a good deal of prescription sleep aids.
Internet pornography on the other hand, is a psychological dependency. If a person found themselves with no internet access, they could be upset, sad, depressed etc- certainly, but they would be able to function. They would be able to do things like eat, sleep, and have a normal conversation with another person without becoming enraged- all things that are difficult, if not simply impossible when going through withdrawal from crack.
To compare the two is simply rediculous. If I were forced to though- I would have to say that crack is one of the most addictive substances on the planet (moreso than heroin etc), while internet pornography is waaaaay down the list.
These dates are incorrect.
Archbishop James Usher (1580-1656) published Annales Vertis et Novi Testamenti in 1654, which suggested that the Heaven and the Earth were created in 4004 BC. One of his aides too the calculation further, and was able to announce triumphantly that the Earth was created on Sunday the 21st of October, 4004 BC, at exactly 9:00AM, because God liked to get work done early in the morning while he was feeling fresh.
This too as incorrect. By almost a quarter of an hour.
So- close, dear AC, but no cigar. (:
(shamlessly lifted material)
I'm not sure- but I do know that my friends ten y/o brother scanned a hundred dollar bill into photoshop, printed it, taped both sides together and got my friend to pass it at a 7-11 in the city. It's been more than a year and no problems so far :o)
Neatsfoot oil isn't esoteric, I use it everyday after I clean my boots to keep them soft and prevent water damage :)
He also said that the odds of him actually being appointed were not tremendous, but his name is being kicked around as an option.
-Katie
I live in Washington DC and you can't drink the tap water here either- the lead content is at record-high-lethal levels, as it has been since I was very young (I drink it anyway I figure I'm already contaminated).
Hocking loogies in public seems to be a national pastime
Isn't it the national pastime of the United States, too? :)
Diseases like malaria and dengue fever (more a 3rd world than 1st world problem)
Dengue Fever isn't really a serious problem- it is a disease found in warm climates (ergo not in the United States or most of Europe). I actually got Dengue Fever when I went to Central America, and while I was layed up for a few days, it didn't require any meds or hospital visits.
That said, I have never been to China, so I can't claim to know too much about either their infrastructure or the general state of cleanliness in the cities- but it seems to me that if you *don't* want to be a 3rd world country, you have to start somewhere.
Most of the time, first time offenders only get probation, and if they are jailed at all, they are paroled after a few months (excluding of course, most violent crimes).
While I do believe that 15 years is excessive for spammers, this may prove as an example to others, and in the American judicial system, that is very important. The fact is, even if they do spend 5+ years in jail, and more spammers are convicted, they will probably not spend more than a year. What will deter them is the unknown factor- whether they will get a lenient judge (more likely) and get off off with 6 months in jail/probation, or a hardass (unlikely) and get the maximum sentence.
-K
-Katie
-K
Yeah, basically- I told the police they couldn't search my car and that lasted about 5 seconds- once they pulled out the machine guns, my first thought was, "well, technically they may have no right to do this, but they have guns and I don't want to be a hero right now". Since I wasn't *technically* the one who was under suspicion I am unclear about whether they had a right to search me without a court order, but since they claimed to be acting under the PATRIOT ACT I'm sure any legal action I took would have been useless.
-Katie
-K
My friend was taken away in about 5 minutes to some secret underground interrogation room, and didn't come back for about 3 hours.
I was questioned at the scene about any knowledge I had about blank checks and my friend's connection to terrorist organizations.
The police asked to search my car, and when I refused, I was suddenly surrounded by members of the SWAT team, dogs, machine guns and all.
They searched my car with me on the ground at gun point (during rush hour in downtown DC, no less!), and needless to say, found no fake checks.
When all was said and done, the man in charge of the Anti-Terrorism Task Force/Secret Service Police shook my hand and thanked me for doing a great service to America, and a great service for freedom. My pleasure.
Apparently, someone with a grudge against my friend had called a contact at the treasury dept. and told him that we were all involved in a money laundering scheme. They take those threats pretty seriously.
Oh yeah, they also stole the chinese food I had brought home for lunch :(
I re-read my post and my first thought was "damn I sound like I have a stick up my ass" oops
-Katie
Yes, and I won't have to shell out $45 for nicotine patches everytime I take a 4 hour flight somewhere....
(Not a chain-smoker or anything heh heh)
-K
Dude there's almost a million people in DC- I've lived here my whole life and never once have I seen or met anyone who works in the government. That's the equivilant of saying "oh, you're from Canada, do you know my cousin who lives there?"
I've always gotten the scratch free/anti-reflective coating on my glasses (I tend to step on them daily)- it works reasonably well, but the cost per lense is rediculous if your insurance doesn't cover new prescriptions and if you need new every few months. Maybe this could be a cheaper alternative?
There are no real issues which the president legitimately has Constitutional authority to decide on.
While this is true, whoever wins this next election will probably be selecting at least three supreme court justices- people who will have a say over Constitutional issues- including laws regarding abortion and gay marraige. Even though you are voting for a president for ONLY four years, these Supreme Court justices are appointed for LIFE.
(Just one of the reasons I am voting for Kerry)
-K
That's why both my dad and I are vote swapping to Florida this year (we're voting for Nader if they'll vote for Kerry)
:(
Too bad we in DC don't get any representation in Congress though
Here is a link about info on this study.
-K
I wholeheartedly agree!
I had a friend who relied soley on their in-car navigational system when they drove, and apparently some systems show roads that used to exist, and he somehow managed to make a bad turn and end up in a man-made drainage lake where a road once was.
Call me old-fashioned, but I find it's easier to drive when I'm watching what's happening around me :)