However, when I say I am a parasite I mean that in the classical sense. I am, essentially, a male geshia, although spelling it "raconteur" carries more social standing. People invite me to their social functions (and sometimes even pay me for it) simply to have me at their social functions; as an assurance of having a certain amount of society guarunteed.
I provide value by simply being around, so people are inclined to gather my food for me. I am mitochondria of the human social organism.
If you had my genes you would likely be dead already. I am a mass of genetic dysfunction. Cystic Fibrosis, Celiac Disease, dyslexic, disgraphic and dyspraxic, with resultant atrophy of childhood skeletal and muscular development.
Life is hard and tenuous. Had I been born at the time of my grandparents I would have died at about two years of age. The lifespan of my ancestors does not take into account familial infant mortality.
Strangely enough I'm "strong and healthy" (excepting the odd "spell" when I just fall over for a few months at a time) and function in the top percentiles at anything I turn my hand/brain to (but mind you I've never turned my hand to American football linebacker or basketball center). Go figure. Life is also funny.
'How many of your great-grandparents survived and were still able to function without regular assistance until they were 80?'
All of mine.
Are all your grandparents still alive?
None of mine are, although this is largely a factor of having splipped over the median myself some time ago. My Grandparents were all functional into their 80s. My Mother is in her mid 70s and still mows her own lawn and carries her own backpack.
However, be it noted that my ancestors, although both long lived and productively long lived (Uncle Eli didn't retire until he was 100, to go back to college), they all sucumbed to heart attack, stroke, alzheimer's, etc. None of them simply died peacefully in their sleep for no apparent reason.
And my younger brother died of cancer this past spring at the age of 46. There's one in every crowd.
They're about something far more important. Social status.
Of course. That's why they have the ceremony instead of just mailing you the stupid little bit of acrylic.
I've tried to dispose of most of mine, but my mother has reclaimed some for her own mantlepiece. Mother's need status too. They imply she was fit to breed and raise offspring, she has contributed something to society validating her continuing existence within it past breeding age.
Funding research motivates a single lab. Offering a prize motivates all of them.
For good or ill stupid little trophies presented at awards ceremonies is a motivator for most people. The prize looks like a lot of money, but really, compared to what you'll likely have to spend to collect it it's just a stupid little trophy.
On a base of 1000 years of selective breeding. In another 200 years they won't be going twice as fast again. In fact most of the improvement is in training methods improvements, not in the breed.
There are natural limits. Living longer isn't at all the same thing as not aging. People who die at 120 do so having been really old people for 40 years.
Bear in mind that I have a track record here of being Mr. It Isn't Aging, You've Just Let Yourself Go; and in the 1990s my Uncle Eli grabbed the all time record for oldest licensed driver in American history (he sucessfully passed his test at 104), but after 80 years all bets are off. You degrade, not how you live or what you do.
Uncle Eli will not be applying to be tested again.
. . . they don't need to play World of Warcraft . . . and the thought of upgrading to even Windows 2000 makes them break out in cold sweats.
That's why I dual boot from Linux into Win98. Well, that is to say I would if I my HD hadn't melted several months ago and I've never really gotten around to reinstalling Windows.
I'll note, however, that Win98 got faster for me, not slower. XP would likely slow me right down without a hardware upgrade.
it's crappy and doesn't run very long until you have to take it to Tony to fix it again.
I own a FIAT, please give what you can I'm broken and tired and footsore young man I walk the cold earth, with my hat in my hand Saying, "I own a FIAT, please. ..give what you can.
There aren't too many American country songs about Italian car ownership. In fact, I think that's the one.
Those who want Gnome and KDE to stop doing parallel efforts and instead concentrate on a unified GUI for linux...
And all you'd have to do is get the other few dozen GUI projects on board as well. In the meantime you can work on unifying Apple and Microsoft, a much easier task.
Slashdot Mirror
A g....g.....g...irl?
It's just a figure of speach. My figure is male.
However, when I say I am a parasite I mean that in the classical sense. I am, essentially, a male geshia, although spelling it "raconteur" carries more social standing. People invite me to their social functions (and sometimes even pay me for it) simply to have me at their social functions; as an assurance of having a certain amount of society guarunteed.
I provide value by simply being around, so people are inclined to gather my food for me. I am mitochondria of the human social organism.
KFG
. . . function in the top percentiles at anything I turn my hand/brain to . . .
I function in the lower percentiles at spelling and penmenship.
I learned to touch type at a very young age as one of my coping mechanisms, but it results in some rather odd mirror oeuevh phenomena.
KFG
Eli ? wasn't he called fred. . .
If I answer that I will have to kill you.
KFG
God, how I should love to have your genes.
If you had my genes you would likely be dead already. I am a mass of genetic dysfunction. Cystic Fibrosis, Celiac Disease, dyslexic, disgraphic and dyspraxic, with resultant atrophy of childhood skeletal and muscular development.
Life is hard and tenuous. Had I been born at the time of my grandparents I would have died at about two years of age. The lifespan of my ancestors does not take into account familial infant mortality.
Strangely enough I'm "strong and healthy" (excepting the odd "spell" when I just fall over for a few months at a time) and function in the top percentiles at anything I turn my hand/brain to (but mind you I've never turned my hand to American football linebacker or basketball center). Go figure. Life is also funny.
And full of coping mechanisms.
KFG
Ok, maybe it didn't turn out to be such a hot idea, but as side effect it is easier for me to compute in base 8 now.
KFG
'How many of your great-grandparents survived and were still able to function without regular assistance until they were 80?'
All of mine.
Are all your grandparents still alive?
None of mine are, although this is largely a factor of having splipped over the median myself some time ago. My Grandparents were all functional into their 80s. My Mother is in her mid 70s and still mows her own lawn and carries her own backpack.
However, be it noted that my ancestors, although both long lived and productively long lived (Uncle Eli didn't retire until he was 100, to go back to college), they all sucumbed to heart attack, stroke, alzheimer's, etc. None of them simply died peacefully in their sleep for no apparent reason.
And my younger brother died of cancer this past spring at the age of 46. There's one in every crowd.
KFG
They're about something far more important. Social status.
:)
Of course. That's why they have the ceremony instead of just mailing you the stupid little bit of acrylic.
I've tried to dispose of most of mine, but my mother has reclaimed some for her own mantlepiece. Mother's need status too. They imply she was fit to breed and raise offspring, she has contributed something to society validating her continuing existence within it past breeding age.
Pity my genes themselves deny it.
KFG
An animal with the parasite would be as successful in spreading its genes as one without it.
Who is the parasite, "me" or "my" mithochondria. It's not an easy question to answer.
The question of whether or not I am a parasite is easier to answer. Yes, yes I am. A girl has to make a living somehow.
KFG
Funding research motivates a single lab. Offering a prize motivates all of them.
For good or ill stupid little trophies presented at awards ceremonies is a motivator for most people. The prize looks like a lot of money, but really, compared to what you'll likely have to spend to collect it it's just a stupid little trophy.
KFG
On a base of 1000 years of selective breeding. In another 200 years they won't be going twice as fast again. In fact most of the improvement is in training methods improvements, not in the breed.
There are natural limits. Living longer isn't at all the same thing as not aging. People who die at 120 do so having been really old people for 40 years.
Bear in mind that I have a track record here of being Mr. It Isn't Aging, You've Just Let Yourself Go; and in the 1990s my Uncle Eli grabbed the all time record for oldest licensed driver in American history (he sucessfully passed his test at 104), but after 80 years all bets are off. You degrade, not how you live or what you do.
Uncle Eli will not be applying to be tested again.
This prize is aimed at halting the degrading.
KFG
. . . they don't need to play World of Warcraft . . . and the thought of upgrading to even Windows 2000 makes them break out in cold sweats.
That's why I dual boot from Linux into Win98. Well, that is to say I would if I my HD hadn't melted several months ago and I've never really gotten around to reinstalling Windows.
I'll note, however, that Win98 got faster for me, not slower. XP would likely slow me right down without a hardware upgrade.
Vista is right out.
KFG
Or just putting out the Sun. That should cool things down a bit.
KFG
As one of the commenters from the article pointed out, you were basically compiling an update constantly.
Why?
KFG
Legitimate enforcement of copyright laws are patent infringement lawsuits . . .
Burbank, we have a problem.
KFG
Sorry guys, we should've told you to lube up first.
Just be sure to use Redmond approved lubrication product: MSand.
KFG
But at some point, the brute force method just isn't possible anymore - it eats far too many resources.
You aren't suggesting that they shouldn't attack Iran, are you?
KFG
Buzzification. If it had been "invented" a bit earlier it would have been called "Turbo" programming.
KFG
Sounds like a plan.
KFG
it's crappy and doesn't run very long until you have to take it to Tony to fix it again.
.give what you can.
I own a FIAT, please give what you can
I'm broken and tired and footsore young man
I walk the cold earth, with my hat in my hand
Saying, "I own a FIAT, please. .
There aren't too many American country songs about Italian car ownership. In fact, I think that's the one.
KFG
Flemish is not a language, it is, as you say, a dialect.
That's what I . . .
Damn, you didn't leave me anywhere to go, you bastard.
KFG
This field needs a killer app.
Make love robots, not war robots.
KFG
Think American English vs UK English.
Each of which has many subdialects as well.
KFG
Let's see, iTV plays movies, TV shows and music I buy from the iTunes music store, why do I need Google?
So you can search the web trying figure out exactly how one goes about "consuming" a media file?
KFG
Those who want Gnome and KDE to stop doing parallel efforts and instead concentrate on a unified GUI for linux...
And all you'd have to do is get the other few dozen GUI projects on board as well. In the meantime you can work on unifying Apple and Microsoft, a much easier task.
KFG
The premise was stated in the blurb.
KFG