The Light of Other Days = Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter
I'd recommend Baxter too, especially the Manifold... series. And EARLY James Hogan (Voyage From Yesteryear, Inherit the Stars, Thrice Upon a Time)
The reviewer's memory of (Monty) Python's a little weak. It's John Cleese who rants about the dead parrot. Unless, of course, this is a rhetorical flourish, since Chapman's no longer with us (to say the least).
So MANY great BB lines. One background line I've always liked was the well-annunciated public address announcement at the asylum:
"Attention, lithium is no longer available on credit."
It's actually a little worse than that - he's quoting a "review" from the author's website. dynamist.org was set up in conjunction with her first book "The Future and Its Enemies" (which I recommend to, oh...everybody).
Brian Hayes' writing is excellent and very clear. How come a mathematician is responsible for one of the best-written articles/. has linked to in a long while!
End of the article: "Yaskawa Electric Corp... has developed a $105,000 bed-shaped robot that can help rehabilitation patients who need to strengthen their legs. "
That is a bit more practical than the Craftmatic teach-yourself-autofellatio model that's been on TV for years.
You're forgetting the dynamic nature of free markets. True, greater perceived value by itself would tend to increase prices. However, increased sales reduce the cost per unit (fixed costs are spread over more units), which companies may or may not pass on to customers in reduced prices. Either way, relatively high(er) profits draw more competition into the market, again acting to reduce prices (and the competition will certainly pass on those cost reductions, even if you don't!). Even in simple economics-class terms (where the very core issues are assumed away via "perfect knowledge" and "perfectly rational actors"), cheaper production and higher demand equilibrate with demand at a lower price point. (Higher value to the consumer!==higher prices)
>>My only worry is this: As a teacher, I am going to have to deal with a generation of students who cannot spell "segue".
It'll be another "R-O-L-A-I-D-S" for relief.
Europe's population is MUCH more concentrated than that in the US, so campaigns can be cheaper. You have to buy ads in a huge number of radio stations/TV stations/newspapers to cover California alone, much less the rest of the country. Mandated spending limits will promote new end-runs around the rules.
Safeguard democracy??!?! Government sponsorship of campaigns would be yet another way for the parties in power to isolate themselves from competition and new ideas (today's matching funds rules already have that effect - this would be much stronger). For example, it makes it much more difficult for new political parties to get included.
Speech does not stop being speech (and therefore protected from censorship) when you buy media (like ads) to spread it. Tom Paine's pamphlets were privately produced and sold - should they have been subject to government limits? Of course I know M$ isn't Tom Paine, but can we trust the government (i.e., the majority parties) to be the ones making that ruling?
Mod parent post up!!! It's so hard not to fall into name-calling (on both sides of this disagreement), not to mention bringing up interesting counter-arguments that aren't so easily dismissed and/or minimized by the creationist pinheads (oops!).
If they'd approached New Line about Goldmember earlier, it would've been a fair fight. By waiting until the movie's (nearly?) finished and has already built name recognition in the public via ads and posters and trailers, MGM gains clout, because New Line has sunk costs. Changing the advertising, not to mention characters and plot!!, will be much more expensive now that earlier in the production cycle, not to mention potential lost business due to audience confusion. Hence, MGM will be able to demand more of the bux. IMHO, New Line would go to court on this only as a last resort, because delaying release would cost it just as much (or more) as the settlement. I see MGM getting a nice bit of pocket money, and New Line releasing the movie on time, with the same name, ads, etc.
Sorry about the moderation mistake - I meant to mark this funny, NOT overrated. I believe posting this will eliminate the mods I made in this discussion, which'll fix the damage.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, they have two in custody (see this article.
Here's an article from the tech writer at the Detroit Free Press. He focuses more on the big companies whose relays were abused.
I'm sure he means Douglas Coupland, author of Microserfs and several other works.
The Light of Other Days = Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter
I'd recommend Baxter too, especially the Manifold... series. And EARLY James Hogan (Voyage From Yesteryear, Inherit the Stars, Thrice Upon a Time)
The reviewer's memory of (Monty) Python's a little weak. It's John Cleese who rants about the dead parrot. Unless, of course, this is a rhetorical flourish, since Chapman's no longer with us (to say the least).
So MANY great BB lines. One background line I've always liked was the well-annunciated public address announcement at the asylum:
"Attention, lithium is no longer available on credit."
It's actually a little worse than that - he's quoting a "review" from the author's website. dynamist.org was set up in conjunction with her first book "The Future and Its Enemies" (which I recommend to, oh...everybody).
Brian Hayes' writing is excellent and very clear. How come a mathematician is responsible for one of the best-written articles /. has linked to in a long while!
It isn't GC (Geekily Correct) of me to know this, but Phoebe and Chandler did a nice job with this very joke a few years ago on Friends.
(BTW, I always wanted to see a jewish Superman whose dad could be Emanu-El)
Damn, we miss you, Phil.
<signed>
Steve Raimi (your answers, in order:
- yes
- a second cousin
- extremely proud
- No, I can't get you [or me!] any freebies/access/jobs
)That site got /.'ed QUICKLY!!! Has anyone mirrored it yet?
End of the article: "Yaskawa Electric Corp... has developed a $105,000 bed-shaped robot that can help rehabilitation patients who need to strengthen their legs. "
That is a bit more practical than the Craftmatic teach-yourself-autofellatio model that's been on TV for years.
You're forgetting the dynamic nature of free markets. True, greater perceived value by itself would tend to increase prices. However, increased sales reduce the cost per unit (fixed costs are spread over more units), which companies may or may not pass on to customers in reduced prices. Either way, relatively high(er) profits draw more competition into the market, again acting to reduce prices (and the competition will certainly pass on those cost reductions, even if you don't!).
Even in simple economics-class terms (where the very core issues are assumed away via "perfect knowledge" and "perfectly rational actors"), cheaper production and higher demand equilibrate with demand at a lower price point.
(Higher value to the consumer!==higher prices)
Good job, Jon - I guess you found it in the last 13 days.
>>My only worry is this: As a teacher, I am going to have to deal with a generation of students who cannot spell "segue".
It'll be another "R-O-L-A-I-D-S" for relief.
Mod parent post up!!! It's so hard not to fall into name-calling (on both sides of this disagreement), not to mention bringing up interesting counter-arguments that aren't so easily dismissed and/or minimized by the creationist pinheads (oops!).
"few" == 100%, AFAIK
Not a real porno yet (AFAIK): Wet Dreams May Come
If they'd approached New Line about Goldmember earlier, it would've been a fair fight. By waiting until the movie's (nearly?) finished and has already built name recognition in the public via ads and posters and trailers, MGM gains clout, because New Line has sunk costs. Changing the advertising, not to mention characters and plot!!, will be much more expensive now that earlier in the production cycle, not to mention potential lost business due to audience confusion. Hence, MGM will be able to demand more of the bux. IMHO, New Line would go to court on this only as a last resort, because delaying release would cost it just as much (or more) as the settlement. I see MGM getting a nice bit of pocket money, and New Line releasing the movie on time, with the same name, ads, etc.
Sorry about the moderation mistake - I meant to mark this funny, NOT overrated. I believe posting this will eliminate the mods I made in this discussion, which'll fix the damage.
Take it from me, there are far more pleasurable ways to abuse yourself...