"Charlton Heston is a national treasure," Moore said. "I think any man who had the vision to star in Planet of the Apes, Omega Man and Soylent Green deserves respect. The bottom line is that if you love individual liberty you have to admire Charlton Heston."
Not only these three fine movies, but Anthony and Cleopatra, The Ten Commandments, Local Hero...oh, wait, wrong old guy.
I work for a small (in body count) enterprise software company. One day I was poking around looking for what analysts were saying about us, and I found a report that the Gartner Group had done on our market space.
On Gartner's Magic Quadrant, we were placed smack dab in the lower left--meaning niche player, don't think about them. I contact the analyst who wrote the piece and challenged him. His response was, "You should count yourself lucky to even be on my radar."
Being slightly naive, I told him that given the opportunity, I could prove that we were not a niche player. He recommended scheduling an analyst review, which I did. It turned out that an analyst review was merely a sales opportunity for Gartner to sell their services.
The point of this little missive is this. You can't trust analysts like IDC, Gartner, Aberdeen, etc. There may be exceptions, but they are primarily on the payroll of those whom they write about.
I have never seen Farscape. I am thinking of MAX 4" bugs. If they "die" you just rake them up like so many fallen leaves. In fact, while I'm at it, they could be designed to look like leaves. That way when the neighbors wake up, they just see a pile of dead leaves instead of dead insect robots. As for replacement/repair, they will be cheap enough that you just toss them and get replacements.
To me the most interesting thing about these types of appliances is how they affect service providers' ways of doing business
When I started using Coyote Linux as a "router" connected to a cable modem, the terms of service for my provider clearly stated one machine per modem.
Recently, I went back to look at the Terms of Service and this provision was removed. I have to believe that the availability of access sharing devices and software was responsible for this change.
I have seen that bad-boy before, and if I had the scratch I would buy it. But there is something about little bug-like robots that makes them attractive for this job. It is sort of like the LED tail-lights on trucks now. If one fails, so what? The rest will do the work. With a big unit like this you have a problem when it fails.
I have this dream (dream 'cause I know I'll never get around to it) of having about a thousand little bug like robots that get their energy from grass. They would spend the day under the porch and come out at night to take little snips off the lawn. The lawn would maintain a constant 3" length.
BTW, they would come out at night so they don't scare the snot out of the neighbors.
Okay, I can see why you may have modded this down, but actually Smith and Jones where advocates of open source printing presses. So, it really isn't off topic.
When a truly enlightened dissident is faced with such a seemly insurmountable political foe as John Katz sees the new administration as being, they do the honorable thing and protest. Those truly devoted to the cause set themselves on fire ala Falun Gong. Please Jon set yourself on fire.
I know the point of posting this was to generate discussion, but please in the future, let's try to stick with geek stuff. This Marxist, intellectual ideologue diatribe is for the State Universities I am busting my ass off trying to make sure my children don't have to attend like I had to.
I reposted this because, I knew it would get missed in my other message.
It certainly has generated some interesting debate. But that is all I will give him.
Brin does a fine job of setting up the strawman here. In true leftist fashion, he creates a perfectly self-sanctimonious situation-"I am against multi-billionaires; dare you argue?" Get real. Who is actually FOR multi-billionaires? I challenge Brin to name one multi-billionaire who would actually benefit from the inheritance tax relief. (Bill Gates doesn't count. He claims he is not leaving anything for his family.) As other/.'ers have pointed out, there really are families who do lose everything. And, believe it or not, there really are family owned farms and businesses that need relief.
This screed, however, is not really about taxes. It is indeed about social engineering. Brin makes two points which assert this fact.
One: Oh, pity their poor offspring, who must graduate from Andover or some other prep school knowing that now they have to go to university alongside the bright scions of accountants and teachers and laborers!
The fact that the bastions of the Ivy League allow for so-called merit-based admissions is social engineering at it paramount. Since this practice has only be going on for the past 30 or so years, we have no idea what the long term impact of this will be on society.
Imagine this, the intellectually gifted are given opportunity while the challenged are left behind-regardless of class. This is what accounts for the "social mobility." And has Brin points out this diamond is precarious. I myself prefer the image of a rift valley widening as intellectuals marry intellectuals and have intellectual progeny, while the less gifted marry less gifted and have less gifted progeny. And the gap widens and widens. All for the cause of social engineering.
Two: Maybe because they are more practical, knowing that the next president will appoint at least three Supreme Court justices. I've seen quite a few buttons saying "It's the Supreme Court, Stupid."
Ah, he could have stopped here. This is what this is truly about.
It has become more apparent lately, that the Supreme Court wields the true power. Recall the Amendment 2 of Colorado issue. The majority of the population of the state, voted (whether you agree with them or not) on a ballot initiative, which was overruled by the Supreme Court. The will of the people was usurped by the Supreme Court.
It is clear, that the Supreme Court is slowly moving to the center-right, and this must petrify Brin.
The Real Issue
We all know the Al Gore took the initiative to invent the Internet. But did you know that Love Story was written about Tipper and him? The man is a pathological liar. Haven't we had enough of this already from our president? Do we need another term of never really knowing if what the man says is the truth? "Well, if you mean truth as in truth. .."
He may be perceived as stupid, but at least I have not heard anyone point out blatant lies spewing from his mouth.
You may indeed say, "Is reason enough to vote for him?" I say, "Yes. Considering the alternative."
NOTE: Slashdot. I know the point of posting this was to generate discussion, but please in the future, let's try to stick with geek stuff. This Marxist, intellectual ideologue diatribe is for the State Universities I am busting my ass off trying to make sure my children don't have to attend.
Slashdot Mirror
If you do shoot yourself, you can thank Charlton Heston for protecting your right to bear the arms that you used to do the deed.
Not only these three fine movies, but Anthony and Cleopatra, The Ten Commandments, Local Hero...oh, wait, wrong old guy.
Also, PRESIDENT of the NRA!!!!
Eat your heart out Jon!
On Gartner's Magic Quadrant, we were placed smack dab in the lower left--meaning niche player, don't think about them. I contact the analyst who wrote the piece and challenged him. His response was, "You should count yourself lucky to even be on my radar."
Being slightly naive, I told him that given the opportunity, I could prove that we were not a niche player. He recommended scheduling an analyst review, which I did. It turned out that an analyst review was merely a sales opportunity for Gartner to sell their services.
The point of this little missive is this. You can't trust analysts like IDC, Gartner, Aberdeen, etc. There may be exceptions, but they are primarily on the payroll of those whom they write about.
I have never seen Farscape. I am thinking of MAX 4" bugs. If they "die" you just rake them up like so many fallen leaves. In fact, while I'm at it, they could be designed to look like leaves. That way when the neighbors wake up, they just see a pile of dead leaves instead of dead insect robots. As for replacement/repair, they will be cheap enough that you just toss them and get replacements.
When I started using Coyote Linux as a "router" connected to a cable modem, the terms of service for my provider clearly stated one machine per modem.
Recently, I went back to look at the Terms of Service and this provision was removed. I have to believe that the availability of access sharing devices and software was responsible for this change.
I have seen that bad-boy before, and if I had the scratch I would buy it. But there is something about little bug-like robots that makes them attractive for this job. It is sort of like the LED tail-lights on trucks now. If one fails, so what? The rest will do the work. With a big unit like this you have a problem when it fails.
I have this dream (dream 'cause I know I'll never get around to it) of having about a thousand little bug like robots that get their energy from grass. They would spend the day under the porch and come out at night to take little snips off the lawn. The lawn would maintain a constant 3" length. BTW, they would come out at night so they don't scare the snot out of the neighbors.
Okay, I can see why you may have modded this down, but actually Smith and Jones where advocates of open source printing presses. So, it really isn't off topic.
on Jon's beloved Democratic president's watch. Where was your leader when this happened? I'm betting he was busy--wink, wink, nod, nod.
When a truly enlightened dissident is faced with such a seemly insurmountable political foe as John Katz sees the new administration as being, they do the honorable thing and protest. Those truly devoted to the cause set themselves on fire ala Falun Gong. Please Jon set yourself on fire.
I reposted this because, I knew it would get missed in my other message.
It certainly has generated some interesting debate. But that is all I will give him. Brin does a fine job of setting up the strawman here. In true leftist fashion, he creates a perfectly self-sanctimonious situation-"I am against multi-billionaires; dare you argue?" Get real. Who is actually FOR multi-billionaires? I challenge Brin to name one multi-billionaire who would actually benefit from the inheritance tax relief. (Bill Gates doesn't count. He claims he is not leaving anything for his family.) As other /.'ers have pointed out, there really are families who do lose everything. And, believe it or not, there really are family owned farms and businesses that need relief.
This screed, however, is not really about taxes. It is indeed about social engineering. Brin makes two points which assert this fact.
One: Oh, pity their poor offspring, who must graduate from Andover or some other prep school knowing that now they have to go to university alongside the bright scions of accountants and teachers and laborers!
The fact that the bastions of the Ivy League allow for so-called merit-based admissions is social engineering at it paramount. Since this practice has only be going on for the past 30 or so years, we have no idea what the long term impact of this will be on society.
Imagine this, the intellectually gifted are given opportunity while the challenged are left behind-regardless of class. This is what accounts for the "social mobility." And has Brin points out this diamond is precarious. I myself prefer the image of a rift valley widening as intellectuals marry intellectuals and have intellectual progeny, while the less gifted marry less gifted and have less gifted progeny. And the gap widens and widens. All for the cause of social engineering.
Two: Maybe because they are more practical, knowing that the next president will appoint at least three Supreme Court justices. I've seen quite a few buttons saying "It's the Supreme Court, Stupid."
Ah, he could have stopped here. This is what this is truly about.
It has become more apparent lately, that the Supreme Court wields the true power. Recall the Amendment 2 of Colorado issue. The majority of the population of the state, voted (whether you agree with them or not) on a ballot initiative, which was overruled by the Supreme Court. The will of the people was usurped by the Supreme Court.
It is clear, that the Supreme Court is slowly moving to the center-right, and this must petrify Brin.
The Real Issue
We all know the Al Gore took the initiative to invent the Internet. But did you know that Love Story was written about Tipper and him? The man is a pathological liar. Haven't we had enough of this already from our president? Do we need another term of never really knowing if what the man says is the truth? "Well, if you mean truth as in truth. . ."
He may be perceived as stupid, but at least I have not heard anyone point out blatant lies spewing from his mouth.
You may indeed say, "Is reason enough to vote for him?" I say, "Yes. Considering the alternative."
NOTE: Slashdot. I know the point of posting this was to generate discussion, but please in the future, let's try to stick with geek stuff. This Marxist, intellectual ideologue diatribe is for the State Universities I am busting my ass off trying to make sure my children don't have to attend.
eugenics?