This is not true. I have been under development since October of 1979. It's nice to finally get some recognition, however. Let me tell you a few more of the things that Aaron does, though:
1)Creatively eats KFC about once a week. Usually you can find me creatively ordering a number 3 with a mountain dew to drink and a creative biscuit on the side.
2)Creatively plays guitar and harmonica ( with some electronica thrown in )
3)Creatively tries to get laid, followed by truly creative responses by members of the opposite sex. (You'd be surprised how many women have to "wash their hair" on friday nights).BR>
-Aaron
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Let us now praise famous men. Randy Rathbun writes "I just got a email from Peter de Jager
Now are we talking secluded linux geek famous (i.e. "i remember hearing this guy's name three years ago, but just now was reminded who he was because the guys at/. told me") or Tom Jones famous? I mean, seriously, i think real fame is achieved when you can't walk down the street without pussy being thrown at you from every direction. Only then can one truly be Cmdr. Taco famous.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
always nice to see my questions answered with a bunch of questions. not to mention, pretty much the same ones.
Perhaps it comes down to a battle of those who think IP encourages innovation, and those who feel it doesn't. As for myself, i definitely have a bent towards the latter argument.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
actually: at most companies, the folks that carry on-call duty from time to time are salaried as well. This is usually more the norm, than the deviation. And most of these guys get paid for being on-call. If i go on "pager duty" for a week, i'll get 21 hours of pay for that week.
I will agree that 21 hours might be a bit more than average, but 99% of the companies i've ever heard of pay even salaried employees for the time they're on call.
BTW - i'm talking salary exempt, not just salary non-exempt (in the later case, it would be illegal for them not to pay you for your time).
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
The artist chooses to distribute their lyrics and music the moment their song gets played for the first time. But, along your line of thought i have a few questions:
Is playing a song on the radio legal?
How about if i hear that song, and am able to figure out the lyrics and chord structure from having listened to that song (e.g. something like Polly by Nirvana)? Is that illegal? After all, i have "reverse engineered" the song.
What if i purchase the latest album of a band i like? Would it be considered within the realm of fair use to sit with my guitar and play the songs over and over until i know how to play them, and have memorized the lyrics?
What if a friend who was also a guitarist came over and wanted to learn how to play those songs as well (or, perhaps, songs we had both heard on the radio)? Would it be acceptable for me to teach him how to play these songs? That would be, by your argument of course, verbotten since the artist wasn't getting a kick back from my teaching my friend how to play a song.
What if i don't see my friend that often and i only have the time to jot down the chords to song X on a napkin i got while drinking an overpriced frapa-fucking-vanilla-iced-latte from Starbuck's coffee and give that napkin to my friend later? Should i be ticketed or arrested for piracy if a policeman walking into the Starbuck's at the same time i'm walking out notices that the chords and melody i wrote down on the napkin can be played on a guitar and sound exactly like that new Hansen song he just heard in his squad car while he was munching on a doughnut?
Or does the illegality of the napkin come in to play when i actually give the napkin to my friend? You would have no trouble with the police perhaps setting up a sting operation to take down my illicit napkin trading ring?
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Think Hendrix, Page, Van Halen, Holdsworth, Buckethead, etc. Sometimes it's difficult to figure what they're doing without seeing their hands
I consider myself an average guitarist. I am by no means technically elite nor am i a complete schlock garage-band power-chord weenie. I learned the intro to little wing over the course of about a week (on and off). I have been figuring out guys like SRV, Jimi, John lee hooker, Muddy waters, etc. since i've been playing. And believe me when i say that a guitarist that isn't on par with me is probably not going to be playing jimi hendrix well enough to need the tab anyway;-)
Of course, i am also of the opinion that learning cut-and-dried tab can be a dangerous thing. It doesn't provide training for innovation and skill. If someone learns tab their whole life, in the end they will be nothing more than a guitarist with some show-off songs that can't jam for shit.
Oh well, at least you and i can agree that places like the OLGA should definitely not be shut down.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
uhh, isn't the point that people don't want to figure it out for themselves, they want someone else to, and get to download it for free. If they were all figuing it out for themselves, then this site would not exist
Ahh, but we're talking about joe guitar player figuring it out and then posting it on the web for free. And as i said, most people would rather figure it out than pay for it. Getting it for free is a different matter;-)
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
you do realize, of course, that most of the tabs you get in books are transcribed by someone hired to figure out the music, not the musicians. a fine example is sunhawk. Just busineses transcribing tab, or even sheet music, and trying to get people to pay for it. A lame concept in and of itself (as most guitarists will get a hell of a lot better by just jamming to the radio rather than playing from tab). And the only reason companies are starting to get pissed is because they can't bear the idea that most people would rather figure the music out themselves than pay for tab.
But who knows, this may make for better guitarists in the long run. Perhaps even revive the lost art of the trained ear.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
i think this is a far cry from some play by play (which, AFAIK, isn't copyright infringement).
1) Anyone who is getting these tabs is usually getting them for personal use. They'll either use them to play when they're bored, or they'll play them when friends come over for shits ang giggles. That, my friend, is definitely fair use. Unless, of course, there is something sinister about playing covers for your friends, and, dear god, not charging them for your private show.
2) Any half-way competent guitarist should be able to figure out any song without use of tablature. Sure, there are some discrepancies(sp) with the way that the song is played, sometimes complete chords are fubar'ed, but - it's really not that difficult to figure out what the musician was doing by listening to a song a few times (hell, i figured out Travis' cover of Hit Me Baby, One More Time because i couldn't find it on the OLGA. The only reason most people use sites like that are because of laziness, not because of some sinister desire to undermine the profit margin of the music industry. Outlawing sites like the OLGA isn't going to stop cover bands, and it's sure as hell not going to stop anyone who can play anything more than power cords. (Subnote: It's a good song, and no, i'm not gay).
3. Most importantly, these songs were "reverse engineered" so to speak. 99.9% of the tab you see on places like the OLGA weren't written by anyone who had anything to do with the music industry. They were written by average joes like you and me who decided to help others out. They weren't, and aren't, doing anything more than providing easy instructions for a product that doesn't come with an instruction manual.
In that sense, the music industry is trying to outlaw do-it-yourself manuals. Why don't we just take the next step and outlaw Chilton's car guides and Time-Life Home Improvement books.
Quick personal note: When art forms an industry, and decides to make the public pay for its use, it ceases to be art. Art is that which enriches your soul for no greater price than that of your time.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Do you feel the same way about sweatshop-shoestore boycotts?...
One-click patent boycotts?
ahh. the difference there is that sweat-shops are illegal, as (sort of) are one-click patents (inasmuch as there is prior art, so to speak, so the patent should never have been granted in the first place). So the answer is no...i don't have any problem with boycotting a company that supports illegal activity or gained something through the fleecing of an organization as fouled up as the USPTO. Can you honestly say that the one-click patent that amazon has is legit? How about Rambus's memory patents?
You are, however, correct in the realm of governmental funding. I made a poor analogy and, to be honest, am surprised that you didn't jump on me more for that one.
but, back to boycotts. i will certainly voice my disapproval of any group of citizens who decides to boycott WidgetCo because they sell widgets (among other things), even though widgets are perfectly legal, and, as a mater of fact, are covered under an amendment to the constitution. the first amendment, i believe. In that sense, we're talking about a group of individuals who have decided that, since the government won't (rightfully so) step in to take away the rights of expression that a company has, they will use financial coersion to take away those rights. That, to me, is an attrocity.
As i alluded to in my previous post, however, please bear in mind that i am at least as dissappointed in Yahoo! as i am in the people who decided to boycott them.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
It would seem to me that the people who voiced negative opinions on the topic of Yahoo! carrying porn were simply in the right place at the right time.
Yahoo!'s only option was, of course, to stop selling the porn because it was assumed that their continued selling of such would be detrimental to business. In an already shakey market, Yahoo! was not in a position to tell these conservatives to go fuck themselves. Had this happened a year ago, Yahoo! would still be happily be selling porn.
Regardless of what you think of the content of the material that they were selling, you do have to acknowledge the fact that a group of people decided they would take the opportunity to try to run Yahoo! out of business (or, at the least, try to signifigantly modify the company's profits) if they did not bow to those individuals' obviously fundamentalist ideals.
That, to me, is a form of coersion. Much like the federal government is causing undue influence on states by denying them money for roads, education, etc. when the state tries to pass a law, or amendment which the federal government doesn't like (a fine example would be the drinking age, over which, constitutionally, the federal government has no control.) And that, to me, is a severely underhanded way of doing things. I understand that these individuals have a right not to shop at a store which carries pornographic materials (of course, as you saw in my last post, most of these people are committing hypocritical acts on a daily basis by shopping at stores like B&N). But, i do not feel that they were right in aggressively threatening Yahoo!'s profit margin. They should have quietly stepped aside and used another portal.
Although it was their right to speak up about this <sarcasm> absolute abomination and disgrace to women all over the world, bordering on rape </sarcasm> i don't believe these people were right. And I firmly stand behind my belief that this was an extremely poor decision on the part of both Yahoo! and the folks who decided to make that decision for Yahoo! (i.e. Anne Marie).
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
It's nice to know i can go to certain places without the fear of seeing someone with your moral vigilantism(sp) present.
you know, places like Barnes&Noble, 7-11, Border's Books, and, of course, any video store other than Blockbuster (of course, they also contain some soft-core, so i doubt someone with an asshole-pucker factor as large as yours would be caught there).
The only freedom that was excercised here was the freedom of a vocal minority to bully a company into arresting themselves and their law abiding consumers because of some all-too-deeply entrenched american belief that the human body is a disgrace, and that human sexuality is even worse.
you call it freedom, i call it part of what's wrong with america. I'd give you the rest of the rant about minding your business, but it's obvious that you're too busy minding everyone else's.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
The poster replied with examples of how we deal with sentient or near-sentient animals that are native to our own planet. We know how intelligent dolphins and whales are, and yet countries like Iceland, Japan, and Norway are still happily killing them for no clear reason. For that matter, scientists also know that the octopus is on the verge of self awareness, yet people thing nothing at all of eating one.
you know - this is a good point, however i would like to make one point of contention here. Meat tastes good. Regardless of the whole self-awareness thing, we have no idea whether or not X animal is self aware because they can't communicate to us that they are. for all we know, cocker spaniels could be plotting humanity's demise and we would be none the wiser.
But, in all honesty, i'm not really in a position to care whether or not animals that are lower on the food chain are self-aware. Cows don't really ponder the thought of whether or not the grass they're eating is crying out in it's own form of plant pain, and if i ever meet a cow that shrieks out "dear god no!" as i am selecting which portion of it's tasty body to eat, i will simply slit it's throat that much more quickly and say, in afterthought, "i wish that cow would have shut up."
Brutal? Insensitive? Base? Perhaps. But that is all a matter of perspective. IMNSHO, i believe that mother nature set up this universe better than any "sentient" being could have, whether they be humans or cows or octopi. Moreover, one of the basic systems in this grand scheme of life is the food chain. This has nothing to do with how high up you are, but where you are in a great cycle. After all, if we're talking about who's the highest up, it's gotta be the decomposers. They'll eat anything at all, provided that it's already dead. Simply put, i do have a respect for everything that i eat, be it a cow, a moose, an ostrich (which tastes surprisingly like hamburger), corn, or anything else for that matter. But the respect i give the things i consume for energy is only in proportion to the amount of respect that i hope worms give me when they feast on my body when i am long dead and buried, and, in consequence, the respect that the birds and fish and other animals give to those worms when they, too, help to maintain the energy cycle that keeps all of us alive.
What does this have to do with aliens? Not much at all.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
here we have a classic example of what is known as a "larval troll."
the larval troll will generally be seen issuing retorts and "misguided" comments amongst the threads created by others as they are not, generally, intellectually well rounded enough to post in the deeper waters of the actual subject matter.
We see here, the common tool of the troll(er), usually using a 4lb. test line with Signal11's (r) flame bait. Aditionally, you'll notice the lack of marking on the name (usually relegated to "AC" status or some phony name created exclusively for this post, or perhaps one or two more.)
Also note the strong passive agressive tendencies in the above troll. It becomes obvious to the observer that the obvious lack of knowledge about even the most rudimentary of *nix skills is completely absent in this larval stage. While it is well known that most "geeks" have small penises, this troll (subset of geek, see Dr. Shoemaker's study 4.12.94 - The Pencil Neck Report) appears to be completely uncomfortable with that fact and, in combination with said lack of intellectual ability, will continue to be agressive throughout the larval stage.
Other common indicators include lack of ability to gather "karma" for ability to troll at +2. Also, generally, a lack of responses from the slashdot reading public. This specimen will most likely recieve responses containing the word "fuck" for most of its young life. Perhaps, after gaining a "tag" and posting for several more months (the usual gestation period for a larval troll), this fine creature will finally begin to blossom into the full grown troll that it so richly deserves to be.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Remember: this war will be won by the people who can most easily pander to the irrational stupidity of the non-geek population of this world (case in point: the USPTO shenanegans that have been going on). And, in that sense, since the folks at the MPAA, the RIAA, and any other TLAA (three letter acronym association) appear to have a general intellect that more closely matches that of our barely upright-walking, suit-wearing, pre-neanderthal brethren on this planet, they will win. we will lose. and i, my friend, will continue to break the laws made by them without any loss of sleep.
FluX After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Slashdot Mirror
This is not true. I have been under development since October of 1979. It's nice to finally get some recognition, however. Let me tell you a few more of the things that Aaron does, though:
1)Creatively eats KFC about once a week. Usually you can find me creatively ordering a number 3 with a mountain dew to drink and a creative biscuit on the side.
2)Creatively plays guitar and harmonica ( with some electronica thrown in )
3)Creatively tries to get laid, followed by truly creative responses by members of the opposite sex. (You'd be surprised how many women have to "wash their hair" on friday nights).BR>
-Aaron
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Let us now praise famous men. Randy Rathbun writes "I just got a email from Peter de Jager
/. told me") or Tom Jones famous? I mean, seriously, i think real fame is achieved when you can't walk down the street without pussy being thrown at you from every direction. Only then can one truly be Cmdr. Taco famous.
Now are we talking secluded linux geek famous (i.e. "i remember hearing this guy's name three years ago, but just now was reminded who he was because the guys at
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
always nice to see my questions answered with a bunch of questions. not to mention, pretty much the same ones.
Perhaps it comes down to a battle of those who think IP encourages innovation, and those who feel it doesn't. As for myself, i definitely have a bent towards the latter argument.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
actually: at most companies, the folks that carry on-call duty from time to time are salaried as well. This is usually more the norm, than the deviation. And most of these guys get paid for being on-call. If i go on "pager duty" for a week, i'll get 21 hours of pay for that week.
I will agree that 21 hours might be a bit more than average, but 99% of the companies i've ever heard of pay even salaried employees for the time they're on call.
BTW - i'm talking salary exempt, not just salary non-exempt (in the later case, it would be illegal for them not to pay you for your time).
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
The artist chooses to distribute their lyrics and music the moment their song gets played for the first time. But, along your line of thought i have a few questions:
Is playing a song on the radio legal?
How about if i hear that song, and am able to figure out the lyrics and chord structure from having listened to that song (e.g. something like Polly by Nirvana)? Is that illegal? After all, i have "reverse engineered" the song.
What if i purchase the latest album of a band i like? Would it be considered within the realm of fair use to sit with my guitar and play the songs over and over until i know how to play them, and have memorized the lyrics?
What if a friend who was also a guitarist came over and wanted to learn how to play those songs as well (or, perhaps, songs we had both heard on the radio)? Would it be acceptable for me to teach him how to play these songs? That would be, by your argument of course, verbotten since the artist wasn't getting a kick back from my teaching my friend how to play a song.
What if i don't see my friend that often and i only have the time to jot down the chords to song X on a napkin i got while drinking an overpriced frapa-fucking-vanilla-iced-latte from Starbuck's coffee and give that napkin to my friend later? Should i be ticketed or arrested for piracy if a policeman walking into the Starbuck's at the same time i'm walking out notices that the chords and melody i wrote down on the napkin can be played on a guitar and sound exactly like that new Hansen song he just heard in his squad car while he was munching on a doughnut?
Or does the illegality of the napkin come in to play when i actually give the napkin to my friend? You would have no trouble with the police perhaps setting up a sting operation to take down my illicit napkin trading ring?
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Think Hendrix, Page, Van Halen, Holdsworth, Buckethead, etc. Sometimes it's difficult to figure what they're doing without seeing their hands
;-)
I consider myself an average guitarist. I am by no means technically elite nor am i a complete schlock garage-band power-chord weenie. I learned the intro to little wing over the course of about a week (on and off). I have been figuring out guys like SRV, Jimi, John lee hooker, Muddy waters, etc. since i've been playing. And believe me when i say that a guitarist that isn't on par with me is probably not going to be playing jimi hendrix well enough to need the tab anyway
Of course, i am also of the opinion that learning cut-and-dried tab can be a dangerous thing. It doesn't provide training for innovation and skill. If someone learns tab their whole life, in the end they will be nothing more than a guitarist with some show-off songs that can't jam for shit.
Oh well, at least you and i can agree that places like the OLGA should definitely not be shut down.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
uhh, isn't the point that people don't want to figure it out for themselves, they want someone else to, and get to download it for free. If they were all figuing it out for themselves, then this site would not exist
;-)
Ahh, but we're talking about joe guitar player figuring it out and then posting it on the web for free. And as i said, most people would rather figure it out than pay for it. Getting it for free is a different matter
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
you do realize, of course, that most of the tabs you get in books are transcribed by someone hired to figure out the music, not the musicians. a fine example is sunhawk. Just busineses transcribing tab, or even sheet music, and trying to get people to pay for it. A lame concept in and of itself (as most guitarists will get a hell of a lot better by just jamming to the radio rather than playing from tab). And the only reason companies are starting to get pissed is because they can't bear the idea that most people would rather figure the music out themselves than pay for tab.
But who knows, this may make for better guitarists in the long run. Perhaps even revive the lost art of the trained ear.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
i think this is a far cry from some play by play (which, AFAIK, isn't copyright infringement).
1) Anyone who is getting these tabs is usually getting them for personal use. They'll either use them to play when they're bored, or they'll play them when friends come over for shits ang giggles. That, my friend, is definitely fair use. Unless, of course, there is something sinister about playing covers for your friends, and, dear god, not charging them for your private show.
2) Any half-way competent guitarist should be able to figure out any song without use of tablature. Sure, there are some discrepancies(sp) with the way that the song is played, sometimes complete chords are fubar'ed, but - it's really not that difficult to figure out what the musician was doing by listening to a song a few times (hell, i figured out Travis' cover of Hit Me Baby, One More Time because i couldn't find it on the OLGA. The only reason most people use sites like that are because of laziness, not because of some sinister desire to undermine the profit margin of the music industry. Outlawing sites like the OLGA isn't going to stop cover bands, and it's sure as hell not going to stop anyone who can play anything more than power cords. (Subnote: It's a good song, and no, i'm not gay).
3. Most importantly, these songs were "reverse engineered" so to speak. 99.9% of the tab you see on places like the OLGA weren't written by anyone who had anything to do with the music industry. They were written by average joes like you and me who decided to help others out. They weren't, and aren't, doing anything more than providing easy instructions for a product that doesn't come with an instruction manual.
In that sense, the music industry is trying to outlaw do-it-yourself manuals. Why don't we just take the next step and outlaw Chilton's car guides and Time-Life Home Improvement books.
Quick personal note: When art forms an industry, and decides to make the public pay for its use, it ceases to be art. Art is that which enriches your soul for no greater price than that of your time.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
now now, you can't blame sony for not photoshopping their screen-caps like other gaming systems soon to be released.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
I suppose i'm still waiting for Sony's port of Gran Tourismo 3 A-spec. Where do i sign?
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Do you feel the same way about sweatshop-shoestore boycotts? ...
One-click patent boycotts?
ahh. the difference there is that sweat-shops are illegal, as (sort of) are one-click patents (inasmuch as there is prior art, so to speak, so the patent should never have been granted in the first place). So the answer is no...i don't have any problem with boycotting a company that supports illegal activity or gained something through the fleecing of an organization as fouled up as the USPTO. Can you honestly say that the one-click patent that amazon has is legit? How about Rambus's memory patents?
You are, however, correct in the realm of governmental funding. I made a poor analogy and, to be honest, am surprised that you didn't jump on me more for that one.
but, back to boycotts. i will certainly voice my disapproval of any group of citizens who decides to boycott WidgetCo because they sell widgets (among other things), even though widgets are perfectly legal, and, as a mater of fact, are covered under an amendment to the constitution. the first amendment, i believe. In that sense, we're talking about a group of individuals who have decided that, since the government won't (rightfully so) step in to take away the rights of expression that a company has, they will use financial coersion to take away those rights. That, to me, is an attrocity.
As i alluded to in my previous post, however, please bear in mind that i am at least as dissappointed in Yahoo! as i am in the people who decided to boycott them.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
It would seem to me that the people who voiced negative opinions on the topic of Yahoo! carrying porn were simply in the right place at the right time.
Yahoo!'s only option was, of course, to stop selling the porn because it was assumed that their continued selling of such would be detrimental to business. In an already shakey market, Yahoo! was not in a position to tell these conservatives to go fuck themselves. Had this happened a year ago, Yahoo! would still be happily be selling porn.
Regardless of what you think of the content of the material that they were selling, you do have to acknowledge the fact that a group of people decided they would take the opportunity to try to run Yahoo! out of business (or, at the least, try to signifigantly modify the company's profits) if they did not bow to those individuals' obviously fundamentalist ideals.
That, to me, is a form of coersion. Much like the federal government is causing undue influence on states by denying them money for roads, education, etc. when the state tries to pass a law, or amendment which the federal government doesn't like (a fine example would be the drinking age, over which, constitutionally, the federal government has no control.) And that, to me, is a severely underhanded way of doing things. I understand that these individuals have a right not to shop at a store which carries pornographic materials (of course, as you saw in my last post, most of these people are committing hypocritical acts on a daily basis by shopping at stores like B&N). But, i do not feel that they were right in aggressively threatening Yahoo!'s profit margin. They should have quietly stepped aside and used another portal.
Although it was their right to speak up about this <sarcasm> absolute abomination and disgrace to women all over the world, bordering on rape </sarcasm> i don't believe these people were right. And I firmly stand behind my belief that this was an extremely poor decision on the part of both Yahoo! and the folks who decided to make that decision for Yahoo! (i.e. Anne Marie).
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
Thanks.
It's nice to know i can go to certain places without the fear of seeing someone with your moral vigilantism(sp) present.
you know, places like Barnes&Noble, 7-11, Border's Books, and, of course, any video store other than Blockbuster (of course, they also contain some soft-core, so i doubt someone with an asshole-pucker factor as large as yours would be caught there).
The only freedom that was excercised here was the freedom of a vocal minority to bully a company into arresting themselves and their law abiding consumers because of some all-too-deeply entrenched american belief that the human body is a disgrace, and that human sexuality is even worse.
you call it freedom, i call it part of what's wrong with america. I'd give you the rest of the rant about minding your business, but it's obvious that you're too busy minding everyone else's.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
i propose that we send Katz to do coverage directly from the front line ;-)
(then again, he'd probably survive the war and do a 10 part-er on the relationship between "smart" bombs and social inadequalities in Zimbobwe).
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
les femmes trouvent le francais supercool.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
note to self: use spell-check, and always remember that ware is bad, mmmmmkay.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
slashdot would go on posting things that it found newsworthy (ware related or otherwise) and 10% of geeks would continue reading the site.
any questions?
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
The poster replied with examples of how we deal with sentient or near-sentient animals that are native to our own planet. We know how intelligent dolphins and whales are, and yet countries like Iceland, Japan, and Norway are still happily killing them for no clear reason. For that matter, scientists also know that the octopus is on the verge of self awareness, yet people thing nothing at all of eating one.
you know - this is a good point, however i would like to make one point of contention here. Meat tastes good. Regardless of the whole self-awareness thing, we have no idea whether or not X animal is self aware because they can't communicate to us that they are. for all we know, cocker spaniels could be plotting humanity's demise and we would be none the wiser.
But, in all honesty, i'm not really in a position to care whether or not animals that are lower on the food chain are self-aware. Cows don't really ponder the thought of whether or not the grass they're eating is crying out in it's own form of plant pain, and if i ever meet a cow that shrieks out "dear god no!" as i am selecting which portion of it's tasty body to eat, i will simply slit it's throat that much more quickly and say, in afterthought, "i wish that cow would have shut up."
Brutal? Insensitive? Base? Perhaps. But that is all a matter of perspective. IMNSHO, i believe that mother nature set up this universe better than any "sentient" being could have, whether they be humans or cows or octopi. Moreover, one of the basic systems in this grand scheme of life is the food chain. This has nothing to do with how high up you are, but where you are in a great cycle. After all, if we're talking about who's the highest up, it's gotta be the decomposers. They'll eat anything at all, provided that it's already dead. Simply put, i do have a respect for everything that i eat, be it a cow, a moose, an ostrich (which tastes surprisingly like hamburger), corn, or anything else for that matter. But the respect i give the things i consume for energy is only in proportion to the amount of respect that i hope worms give me when they feast on my body when i am long dead and buried, and, in consequence, the respect that the birds and fish and other animals give to those worms when they, too, help to maintain the energy cycle that keeps all of us alive.
What does this have to do with aliens? Not much at all.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
ah. but the difference between "linux" and, say "aspirin", "scotch tape", or even "coke" is that people who actually use linux know the difference ;-)
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
I was screwed when i bought their report on american muscle cars a while back.
you know..the one about the Mustang, the Camaro, the Firebird, and the RX-7.
imagine my anger when i read their page a month later and found out the Mustang isn't really an American muscle car!
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
give credit where credit is due. that's an original Onion piece.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
here we have a classic example of what is known as a "larval troll."
the larval troll will generally be seen issuing retorts and "misguided" comments amongst the threads created by others as they are not, generally, intellectually well rounded enough to post in the deeper waters of the actual subject matter.
We see here, the common tool of the troll(er), usually using a 4lb. test line with Signal11's (r) flame bait. Aditionally, you'll notice the lack of marking on the name (usually relegated to "AC" status or some phony name created exclusively for this post, or perhaps one or two more.)
Also note the strong passive agressive tendencies in the above troll. It becomes obvious to the observer that the obvious lack of knowledge about even the most rudimentary of *nix skills is completely absent in this larval stage. While it is well known that most "geeks" have small penises, this troll (subset of geek, see Dr. Shoemaker's study 4.12.94 - The Pencil Neck Report) appears to be completely uncomfortable with that fact and, in combination with said lack of intellectual ability, will continue to be agressive throughout the larval stage.
Other common indicators include lack of ability to gather "karma" for ability to troll at +2. Also, generally, a lack of responses from the slashdot reading public. This specimen will most likely recieve responses containing the word "fuck" for most of its young life. Perhaps, after gaining a "tag" and posting for several more months (the usual gestation period for a larval troll), this fine creature will finally begin to blossom into the full grown troll that it so richly deserves to be.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
You have too much faith in the american public.
Remember: this war will be won by the people who can most easily pander to the irrational stupidity of the non-geek population of this world (case in point: the USPTO shenanegans that have been going on). And, in that sense, since the folks at the MPAA, the RIAA, and any other TLAA (three letter acronym association) appear to have a general intellect that more closely matches that of our barely upright-walking, suit-wearing, pre-neanderthal brethren on this planet, they will win. we will lose. and i, my friend, will continue to break the laws made by them without any loss of sleep.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
and once again we come down to something along the lines of "Mac vs. Windows" argument. Lest we forget, there are other, better, options.
I say, screw KDE and Gnome. I prefer the elegance of the Blackbox UI.
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network