"Might be better for little Timmy to plan on being a televangelist instead of a climatologist."
It has to be tempting for those of superior intellect to exploit their superstitious mental inferiors, so some of them do.
If one is beset by savages, why NOT fuck 'em, be it by selling mortgage-backed securities or selling superstition? Most of the general public really are beneath respect, are wilfully ignorant, and eager to make life a Hellmouth for anyone different.
A fool and his money are soon parted, so why not milk the stupid?
"I like how everyone always says that the Chinese population are deceived by their government into a state of blissful ignorance."
Um, DO note that China and Chinese have NEVER been better off. Their apparent "ignorance" may often be informed choice.
Let's remember that back in 1948 (living memory for millions of people) China was an impoverished warlord-ridden ruin that had been trashed by war with Japan and war between the Kuomintang and the Commies. Mao and friends sorted that out in record time. freed China from foreign domination, and propelled it into the modern world. The accomplishment was literally awesome, and the millions of casualties a bargain for that accelerated level of development.
The Commies industrialized China, reduced the influence of religion by any means necessary, advanced women's rights (anyone miss footbinding other than a few freaks on bmezine?), and except for the silliness of the Cultural Revolution (a useful distraction from promoting Communism worldwide, good for us, less good for China) did better than anyone could reasonably expect.
Before we get too into flinging shit at China, compare the rate of progress of their workforce to that of the West in the Industrial Revolution.:)
"Buy them Lego, Meccano (aka Erector Sets), K'Nex, etc... any toy that lets them play in a sandbox with minimal limitations, and particularly any toy that allows the creation of functioning mechanisms "
Fuck yes! Toys that allow children to express themselves instead of "playing someone elses concept" are wonderful.
I still remember the hardwood blocks (2x4"-based, various interesting shapes) I played with,let alone Lincoln Logs, Legos, etc. I've been a mechanic and techy since I was a young teen (I'm 50 now) and trace my learning curve all the way back to the sandbox.
It's paid well, independence and being able to fix most of what you own is nice, it all goes back to play, and it still IS play.:)
"What business does anyone outside Afghanistan have saying who should rule there?"
These are issues of power, it doesn't "matter" if they have any "business" (in the sense of ideals) in the region.
In the real world, actors will act, works will be done, and every situation exploited for advantage by someone thus dictating that the wise participate to THEIR advantage.
The world isn't fucking Star Trek and there is no Prime Directive.
"'The Southerners should get rich, but the wealth extraction requires expertise they don't have (killing each other has been more fun down the centuries)."
Nice try, but there is ample construction and mineral extraction expertise in the South, there are plenty of contractors in-place, and there is a large pool of workers ready to go or ready to be trained. (I work at a vo-tech training weldors.)
The same worker pool builds oil rigs, lays pipeline, and EXPORTS SKILLED LABOR TO US MILITARY CONTRACTORS AROUND THE GLOBE (KBR. FLUOR, ETC). The construction community is quite red-necky (as opposed to White Trash, know the difference!)
No "racist" remarks were made. If English is not your first language, there are plenty of references on the internet so you needn't take my word for it.
Level of social and economic development/= "race". Uneducated peasants come in all colors and ethnicitys (ethnicity is not a race either, BTW).
Referring to a largely uneducated society of peasants as such is an observation, not an insult.
If you want to pretend they are something else, feel free to do so.
Sending people into space quickly isn't necessary, merely entertaining. It is emphatically NOT exploration.
We REQUIRE robots and remote-operated systems to interact with everything out there anyway, and those are useful on Earth too. We can EXPLORE space and learn at a much better ROI by developing remote-manned systems that don't need life support and won't need to return. Space exploration not being a mission of US conquest, let some other countries spend the money to put humans up. We can do to them what they did to us and exploit their tech later. The race isn't always to the swift.
I understand the anguished horny craving of Slashdotters to go into space. Get rich, pay a contractor for the ride, and be entertained.
The Afghanis should get rich, but the wealth extraction requires expertise they don't have (killing each other has been more fun down the centuries).
Expect leases to go up for bid as in Iraq. This is probably for the best, as competing major nations can buy in rather than fight over the nasty little place.
Absent international intervention, what we know would happen is that the Taliban would take over and we'd have "rich Taliban". Money wouldn't turn these people into secular freethinkers overnight, they'd just be rich peasants.
I'm fine with sellers requiring bundled purchases or none at all.
I can vote with my wallet if I don't like the terms, and it IS amusing when people who crave a thing are manipulated by their betters. These early adopters should be milked thoroughly (gets the maker a quick return on their investment) so the rest of us can enjoy sweet price cuts later on.
This arrangement has resulted in rapid tech advancement for the masses. the rich Early Adopters can enjoy their penis waving (it's yours, wave it all you like!, and everyone wins in the end.
The proper response would be for the clerk to draw faster, shoot him in the face, then call the police to clean up the trash. Another positive outcome for the Armed Citizen column to cite, and the permanent "rehabilitation" of the malefactor by someone in _legitimate_ fear of their life.
OP is a good reason for the rest of us to be armed.
Some computers are not like others. It is not reasonable to compare engine management (which can fail without disaster) to systems which influence or control acceleration, steering and braking.
"Still spouting this shit? You cannot compare suicide rates at one company's factory to that of unemployed, homeless, drug addicted people across an entire country."
Nor can you AssUme that "unemployed, homeless, drug addicted people" will be over-represented in suicides. They have lots of ways to die, some self-destructive, but "citation needed" if you assert they skew the numbers.
"The bottom line is that Western consumers are perfectly happy supporting distopian labor conditions."
Dystopian is relative, and relative to the horror of most Chinese history, Foxconn conditions are wonderful. Relative to the nastiness of the mostly-gone dangerous smokestack industries in the US, Foxconn conditions are wonderful.
Americans and many Europeans are under no particular pressure to work (this isn't the Great Depression, and being "poor" doesn't mean you look like someone out of a Walker Evans photograph), so Foxconn conditions don't look appealing...any more... China and Chinese have never been better off.
They will rue the day they chase business to eager competitors such as Viet Nam.
"Killing yourself for financial compensation is a poor long-term business plan."
Depends on your cultural POV.
In China, families and groups matter while life is historically very cheap. Consider the custom of "human wave" military attacks during the Korean War. Chinese soldiers quite bravely flung themselves at their objectives, sometimes winning, sometimes not, but often being shot down in droves.
We are used to a future with hope, which we consider perfectly normal. The rest of the world is by and large a hellhole where dying to benefit ones family may be a good call.
"how we're going to survive as a civilization when we run out of drinkable water."
Who's "we"?
There are areas without enough water where the lack thereof may affect human settlement, but I and millions of others don't live there and are not affected by the death of those who do.
Slashdot Mirror
"Might be better for little Timmy to plan on being a televangelist instead of a climatologist."
It has to be tempting for those of superior intellect to exploit their superstitious mental inferiors, so some of them do.
If one is beset by savages, why NOT fuck 'em, be it by selling mortgage-backed securities or selling superstition? Most of the general public really are beneath respect, are wilfully ignorant, and eager to make life a Hellmouth for anyone different.
A fool and his money are soon parted, so why not milk the stupid?
"I like how everyone always says that the Chinese population are deceived by their government into a state of blissful ignorance."
Um, DO note that China and Chinese have NEVER been better off. Their apparent "ignorance" may often be informed choice.
Let's remember that back in 1948 (living memory for millions of people) China was an impoverished warlord-ridden ruin that had been trashed by war with Japan and war between the Kuomintang and the Commies. Mao and friends sorted that out in record time. freed China from foreign domination, and propelled it into the modern world. The accomplishment was literally awesome, and the millions of casualties a bargain for that accelerated level of development.
The Commies industrialized China, reduced the influence of religion by any means necessary, advanced women's rights (anyone miss footbinding other than a few freaks on bmezine?), and except for the silliness of the Cultural Revolution (a useful distraction from promoting Communism worldwide, good for us, less good for China) did better than anyone could reasonably expect.
Before we get too into flinging shit at China, compare the rate of progress of their workforce to that of the West in the Industrial Revolution. :)
"Buy them Lego, Meccano (aka Erector Sets), K'Nex, etc... any toy that lets them play in a sandbox with minimal limitations, and particularly any toy that allows the creation of functioning mechanisms "
Fuck yes! Toys that allow children to express themselves instead of "playing someone elses concept" are wonderful.
I still remember the hardwood blocks (2x4"-based, various interesting shapes) I played with,let alone Lincoln Logs, Legos, etc.
I've been a mechanic and techy since I was a young teen (I'm 50 now) and trace my learning curve all the way back to the sandbox.
It's paid well, independence and being able to fix most of what you own is nice, it all goes back to play, and it still IS play. :)
"What business does anyone outside Afghanistan have saying who should rule there?"
These are issues of power, it doesn't "matter" if they have any "business" (in the sense of ideals) in the region.
In the real world, actors will act, works will be done, and every situation exploited for advantage by someone thus dictating that the wise participate to THEIR advantage.
The world isn't fucking Star Trek and there is no Prime Directive.
"'The Southerners should get rich, but the wealth extraction requires expertise they don't have (killing each other has been more fun down the centuries)."
Nice try, but there is ample construction and mineral extraction expertise in the South, there are plenty of contractors in-place, and there is a large pool of workers ready to go or ready to be trained. (I work at a vo-tech training weldors.)
The same worker pool builds oil rigs, lays pipeline, and EXPORTS SKILLED LABOR TO US MILITARY CONTRACTORS AROUND THE GLOBE (KBR. FLUOR, ETC). The construction community is quite red-necky (as opposed to White Trash, know the difference!)
No "racist" remarks were made. If English is not your first language, there are plenty of references on the internet so you needn't take my word for it.
Level of social and economic development /= "race". Uneducated peasants come in all colors and ethnicitys (ethnicity is not a race either, BTW).
Referring to a largely uneducated society of peasants as such is an observation, not an insult.
If you want to pretend they are something else, feel free to do so.
The rest of the world can't afford and has no reason to wait for them to fuck about for centuries while they fund pan-Islamism and violence.
Sending people into space quickly isn't necessary, merely entertaining. It is emphatically NOT exploration.
We REQUIRE robots and remote-operated systems to interact with everything out there anyway, and those are useful on Earth too. We can EXPLORE space and learn at a much better ROI by developing remote-manned systems that don't need life support and won't need to return. Space exploration not being a mission of US conquest, let some other countries spend the money to put humans up. We can do to them what they did to us and exploit their tech later. The race isn't always to the swift.
I understand the anguished horny craving of Slashdotters to go into space. Get rich, pay a contractor for the ride, and be entertained.
The Afghanis should get rich, but the wealth extraction requires expertise they don't have (killing each other has been more fun down the centuries).
Expect leases to go up for bid as in Iraq. This is probably for the best, as competing major nations can buy in rather than fight over the nasty little place.
Absent international intervention, what we know would happen is that the Taliban would take over and we'd have "rich Taliban". Money wouldn't turn these people into secular freethinkers overnight, they'd just be rich peasants.
I'm fine with sellers requiring bundled purchases or none at all.
I can vote with my wallet if I don't like the terms, and it IS amusing when people who crave a thing are manipulated by their betters.
These early adopters should be milked thoroughly (gets the maker a quick return on their investment) so the rest of us can enjoy sweet price cuts later on.
This arrangement has resulted in rapid tech advancement for the masses. the rich Early Adopters can enjoy their penis waving (it's yours, wave it all you like!, and everyone wins in the end.
The proper response would be for the clerk to draw faster, shoot him in the face, then call the police to clean up the trash. Another positive outcome for the Armed Citizen column to cite, and the permanent "rehabilitation" of the malefactor by someone in _legitimate_ fear of their life.
OP is a good reason for the rest of us to be armed.
http://www.nraila.org/armedcitizen/Default.aspx
You are a disgrace to firearms owners and a thug.
"*(Before you freak out, I have a concealed carry permit issued by the government.)"
Who the fuck ELSE issues CC permits? Idiot. Crawl back into Mom's basement, her strap-on awaits thee.
BTW the way to punish the store is to spit out that Apple-shaped dick and not buy Apple products from them or anyone else.
Proceeding with the purchase would make you a fanboi AND a thug. I'm not sure which is more contemptible.
Him getting press is a way to promote the tech. The average USian doesn't know anything about icky science, but understands Hollywood stars.
It's the height of arrogance to assume the little people are more than they are.
It is the height of realism to market to them in ways to which they respond. The public absolutely dictate the terms of engagement.
If you live in a crowded hive the solution is mass transit, not streams of wasteful transport modules.
Replace select roads with trains, and force the issue. Suburban and interurban light rail work very well and have done so for more than a century.
Some computers are not like others. It is not reasonable to compare engine management (which can fail without disaster) to systems which influence or control acceleration, steering and braking.
I worked on fighters with electronic flight controls (F-16A/B/C/D) for years.
They are built far better than automobiles, which are and will remain consumer junk by comparison.
BTW, even the F-15 and F-16 engines have a stopcock mechanical throttle just in case of an auto-acceleration.
"My Windows PC is unimpaired by ANY of their products."
My Linux PC is unimpaired by Windows products.
"What hard drive? ;-)"
Someone with mod points mod up!
Live CD/DVD booting is handy stuff, and will keep you going even if your hard disk dies.
"Right, because I have nothing better to do than reboot my computer 100 times a day."
So use a Linux VM instead. It's trivially easy nowadays.
Entrapment is practical.
Solution:
Trust no one and shut the fuck up. The internet is as forgiving as 4chan.
"Jumping is a very gruesome way to die."
A dry dive is also quick (splat!) and a popular method in some areas. The person suiciding doesn't have to clean up the mess.
A dry dive in front of a train is quick and popular (++ for white-collar criminals who suicide, too bad they don't do it in the US):
http://www.atimes.com/japan-econ/AH04Dh01.html
"Still spouting this shit? You cannot compare suicide rates at one company's factory to that of unemployed, homeless, drug addicted people across an entire country."
Nor can you AssUme that "unemployed, homeless, drug addicted people" will be over-represented in suicides. They have lots of ways to die, some self-destructive, but "citation needed" if you assert they skew the numbers.
"The bottom line is that Western consumers are perfectly happy supporting distopian labor conditions."
Dystopian is relative, and relative to the horror of most Chinese history, Foxconn conditions are wonderful. Relative to the nastiness of the mostly-gone dangerous smokestack industries in the US, Foxconn conditions are wonderful.
Americans and many Europeans are under no particular pressure to work (this isn't the Great Depression, and being "poor" doesn't mean you look like someone out of a Walker Evans photograph), so Foxconn conditions don't look appealing...any more... China and Chinese have never been better off.
They will rue the day they chase business to eager competitors such as Viet Nam.
"Killing yourself for financial compensation is a poor long-term business plan."
Depends on your cultural POV.
In China, families and groups matter while life is historically very cheap. Consider the custom of "human wave" military attacks during the Korean War. Chinese soldiers quite bravely flung themselves at their objectives, sometimes winning, sometimes not, but often being shot down in droves.
We are used to a future with hope, which we consider perfectly normal. The rest of the world is by and large a hellhole where dying to benefit ones family may be a good call.
"how we're going to survive as a civilization when we run out of drinkable water."
Who's "we"?
There are areas without enough water where the lack thereof may affect human settlement, but I and millions of others don't live there and are not affected by the death of those who do.