"You'd have athletes who's entire career would be for 1 game. After that their bones, brains, organs would be so shot that they wouldn't be usable, and their nations would just discard them."
If done by volunteers, I'd be happy to watch it. as I would gladiatorial combat. There are so many humans we have no intrinsic value, so if some people wish to entertain by expending themselves in competition I have no problem with that.
My argument is that ethics morals are merely constructs of preference.
"So are you trying to assert there's some sort of moral structure where rapacious capitalism is acceptable?"
Rapacious capitalists obviously have a moral structure where it is not only acceptable but a desirable state of affairs. That proves such a moral structure exists. There are plenty of alternate structures if you don't prefer that one.
I do not "prefer" rapacious capitalism, but I'm honest enough to admit my preferences reflect that I'm not in a position to benefit from it.
"When you are a human being, it is your responsibility to act in an ethical and moral fashion, period."
Nice try, but which ethics and what morals?
Do logically demonstrate our "responsibility" to a moral and ethical view. Some views consider it ethical and moral to kill apostates, preform clitoridectomies on children, enslave those of different religions, and so forth. Ethics and morality are situational, like it or not.
People pay some impressive prices for old notebooks and for parts machines. There ARE folks who have a use for them, so either sell them or donate them to the Salvation Army. Usable computers are promptly gobbled up at every thrift shop I've seen. PII and III machines are in demand, because with a reload they are good enough for many users.
"I also wonder if we'll see a renaissance in train travel in the US as air travel gets more expensive."
Lack of rail coverage will knife that baby in the crib. Light rail can work in urban areas, but funding it is a battle. Hybrid bus travel could work, but the problem of public transit in the US is that no one wants to ride with the CHUDs it attracts.
Here in SC, fire ants are also attracted to electricity. I've seen them short out relays and power connections in the used car lot I worked at which has many nearby ant mounds. Does anyone know if they prefer DC to AC? I haven't seen any near AC wiring.
The causes of those wars were quite complex, and have nothing to do with refusal of the US to sacrifice for others. Our choice to wait and seize the OPPORTUNITY they offered was quite useful. We had three years (1914-1917, 1939-1941) of each NOT "sacrificing for others" to prepare while the contestants bled out.
"And no one is asking for your to sacrifice but at least don't sell weapons to people whom you know are committing crimes against humanity."
Why work with the weak instead of the strong? China will be mighty for a long time. As relative US power inevitably shrinks, we must rely on useful relationships. As for the "crimes against humanity", I measure those against the tremendous progress China has made since 1948. When dealing with vast masses of simple peasants, one must have imposed discipline for those masses to build a nation. China does, and that is also what enabled it to manage the transition to Capitalism better than did Russia.
"When they are done with their country, GUESS WHO'S NEXT"
Not the US. The Domino Theory is long discredited, and China does not have a recent history of wanting Empire outside its natural sphere of influence. The US OTOH has, along with Europe, quite the history of screwing over China!
It is natural for China to want to consume adjacent countries as a buffer. It is natural for China to fear Japanese Imperialism, (the Rape of Nanking and many similar events are still within living memory) and reasonable for Chinese to want regional hegemony.
Economic relations between the US and the ChiComs are arguably more important than supporting those opposed to the Chinese government.
We don't need more adversaries than we have already, and the cultural war with Islam is a greater concern than how the Middle Kingdom deals with its subjects. We have no duty to sacrifice for others, and our own prosperity should be our first consideration. I say sell Beijing whatever it wants, and quit caring about how Asians handle internal affairs.
"In a cult, leaving the church is unthinkable and anyone who expresses a desire to do so is forcibly kept from doing so. Were I a member of a cult, expressing a desire to leave the group would likely result in my detention for "re-education" or perhaps in my "disappearance."
The difference between "cult" and "religion" is merely one of power. Were you a Muslim, some governments under Quranic law will kill you for apostasy, not to mention the other areas with less formal liquidation arrangements...
"Some other Muslim countries have laws similar to Afghanistan's. Apart from its other depredations, in the last ten years Saudi Arabia has executed people for the crimes of apostasy, heresy, and blasphemy. The death penalty for apostates is also in the legal code in Iran, Sudan, Mauritania, and the Comoros Islands."
"The church copyrights stuff not to make a profit (the leaders of the church do not make money based on how much the church makes), but so that things aren't taken out of context."
Disclaimer: I am superstition-free.
Those of us who do not share your faith have ZERO logical reason to trust that explanation, and every reason to want ALL religions exposed completely. We will then judge based on exposed evidence, rather than just what leadership chooses to show us.
"I feel it's either school or GED + vocational training"
Which is why Vocational Education is often treated as a dumping ground...
Don't wonder why the US has a shortage of SKILLED workers such as pipe welders (starting wage often is $20/hr plus per diem!) when physical labor is scorned. Let the droputs who want to VOLUNTEER go to vocational school, but don't inflict losers on the rest of the students who want to learn. It wastes their classmates and instructors time.
"The idea is kill your killer before he kills you. This is a morally dubious proposition and incompatible with the Christian theology I grew up with."
Plenty of other Christians found it morally acceptable over the last couple of thousand years, which is why your faith spread as far and as fast as it did.
The same deal works for Islam, which claims to be religion of peace but is as still as stabby and choppy as Christianity was before it became a hobby.
A fast CD drive helps, as do light live distros. I find Damn Small Linux boots very quickly.
You might also boot an ISO image from a flash drive or CF card that is write-protected and/or has no persistent home directory. Google for LOTS of info on doing this. I don't find live CD boot times to be very long on modern PCs, even with full distros like Knoppix.
That's not crazy at all. Radomes have been protecting radar antennas for almost as long as radar existed. A nice color-coordinated fiberglass shed in the backyard would work fine and protect the dish during storms. If you want it on a pole, install in an imitation birdhouse.
We need more ways to get the wealthy to spend money, because that money supports jobs for us peons. We need them to buy as many (domestically produced) toys and services as possible and should encourage them instead of envying their good fortune.
If every wealthy person that could afford a Biltmore would buy one, it would feed, cloth, and house thousands of workers.
"Is our esteemed correspondent referring to people who copulate with coprophiliac goats, or coprophiliac individuals who enjoy the carnal pleasures afforded by goats?"
The two behaviors are not mutually exclusive. I'd continue this discussion at length, but I've got to go buy an elastrator. (Nip the competition in the bud, so to speak.)
Slashdot Mirror
"You'd have athletes who's entire career would be for 1 game. After that their bones, brains, organs would be so shot that they wouldn't be usable, and their nations would just discard them."
If done by volunteers, I'd be happy to watch it. as I would gladiatorial combat.
There are so many humans we have no intrinsic value, so if some people wish to entertain by expending themselves in competition I have no problem with that.
"In 50 years we WILL have cyborg legs....should that be allowed in the olympics?"
Standardize all the legs and inspect them the way NASCAR does cars. Restrict those with cyborg legs to racing in their own class.
My argument is that ethics morals are merely constructs of preference.
"So are you trying to assert there's some sort of moral structure where rapacious capitalism is acceptable?"
Rapacious capitalists obviously have a moral structure where it is not only acceptable but a desirable state of affairs. That proves such a moral structure exists. There are plenty of alternate structures if you don't prefer that one.
I do not "prefer" rapacious capitalism, but I'm honest enough to admit my preferences reflect that I'm not in a position to benefit from it.
"When you are a human being, it is your responsibility to act in an ethical and moral fashion, period."
Nice try, but which ethics and what morals?
Do logically demonstrate our "responsibility" to a moral and ethical view. Some views consider it ethical and moral to kill apostates, preform clitoridectomies on children, enslave those of different religions, and so forth. Ethics and morality are situational, like it or not.
"Are you fucking serious? Osama Bin Laden KILLS PEOPLE."
OBL has done more than that, which is why he and AQ have supporters. When we understand that we can fight folks like him more effectively.
Take a look at Ebay.
People pay some impressive prices for old notebooks and for parts machines. There ARE folks who have a use for them, so either sell them or donate them to the Salvation Army. Usable computers are promptly gobbled up at every thrift shop I've seen. PII and III machines are in demand, because with a reload they are good enough for many users.
"I also wonder if we'll see a renaissance in train travel in the US as air travel gets more expensive."
Lack of rail coverage will knife that baby in the crib. Light rail can work in urban areas, but funding it is a battle. Hybrid bus travel could work, but the problem of public transit in the US is that no one wants to ride with the CHUDs it attracts.
DSL will run fine on that machine.
"I'm sure it's not corporate altruism."
It's as "altruistic" as putting a steak in a beartrap.
"I'd keep them on there and hide it somewhere they'd never find it."
I'd hide it inside case of the laptop/MP3 player/other gizmo.
Secure with a dot of RTV. It's just more electronics under X-ray.
Here in SC, fire ants are also attracted to electricity. I've seen them short out relays and power connections in the used car lot I worked at which has many nearby ant mounds.
Does anyone know if they prefer DC to AC? I haven't seen any near AC wiring.
"We had two world wars!!!"
The causes of those wars were quite complex, and have nothing to do with refusal of the US to sacrifice for others. Our choice to wait and seize the OPPORTUNITY they offered was quite useful. We had three years (1914-1917, 1939-1941) of each NOT "sacrificing for others" to prepare while the contestants bled out.
"And no one is asking for your to sacrifice but at least don't sell weapons to people whom you know are committing crimes against humanity."
Why work with the weak instead of the strong? China will be mighty for a long time. As relative US power inevitably shrinks, we must rely on useful relationships. As for the "crimes against humanity", I measure
those against the tremendous progress China has made since 1948. When dealing with vast masses of simple peasants, one must have imposed discipline for those masses to build a nation. China does, and that is also what enabled it to manage the transition to Capitalism better than did Russia.
"When they are done with their country, GUESS WHO'S NEXT"
Not the US. The Domino Theory is long discredited, and China does not have a recent history of wanting Empire outside its natural sphere of influence. The US OTOH has, along with Europe, quite the history of screwing over China!
It is natural for China to want to consume adjacent countries as a buffer. It is natural for China to fear Japanese Imperialism, (the Rape of Nanking and many similar events are still within living memory) and reasonable for Chinese to want regional hegemony.
Economic relations between the US and the ChiComs are arguably more important than supporting those opposed to the Chinese government.
We don't need more adversaries than we have already, and the cultural war with Islam is a greater concern than how the Middle Kingdom deals with its subjects. We have no duty to sacrifice for others, and our own prosperity should be our first consideration. I say sell Beijing whatever it wants, and quit caring about how Asians handle internal affairs.
"In a cult, leaving the church is unthinkable and anyone who expresses a desire to do so is forcibly kept from doing so. Were I a member of a cult, expressing a desire to leave the group would likely result in my detention for "re-education" or perhaps in my "disappearance."
The difference between "cult" and "religion" is merely one of power.
Were you a Muslim, some governments under Quranic law will kill you for apostasy, not to mention the other areas with less formal liquidation arrangements...
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/059fpgrn.asp
"Some other Muslim countries have laws similar to Afghanistan's. Apart from its other depredations, in the last ten years Saudi Arabia has executed people for the crimes of apostasy, heresy, and blasphemy. The death penalty for apostates is also in the legal code in Iran, Sudan, Mauritania, and the Comoros Islands."
"The church copyrights stuff not to make a profit (the leaders of the church do not make money based on how much the church makes), but so that things aren't taken out of context."
Disclaimer: I am superstition-free.
Those of us who do not share your faith have ZERO logical reason to trust that explanation, and every reason to want ALL religions exposed completely. We will then judge based on exposed evidence, rather than just what leadership chooses to show us.
"I know this is funny but the root problem here is how would YOU feel if you knew you were born out of a scientific experiment?"
That would depend on how I turned out.
"I feel it's either school or GED + vocational training"
Which is why Vocational Education is often treated as a dumping ground...
Don't wonder why the US has a shortage of SKILLED workers such as pipe welders (starting wage often is $20/hr plus per diem!) when physical labor is scorned. Let the droputs who want to VOLUNTEER go to vocational school, but don't inflict losers on the rest of the students who want to learn. It wastes their classmates and instructors time.
"The idea is kill your killer before he kills you. This is a morally dubious proposition and incompatible with the Christian theology I grew up with."
Plenty of other Christians found it morally acceptable over the last couple of thousand years, which is why your faith spread as far and as fast as it did.
The same deal works for Islam, which claims to be religion of peace but is as still as stabby and choppy as Christianity was before it became a hobby.
"yes it takes a veeeeery long time to boot"
A fast CD drive helps, as do light live distros. I find Damn Small Linux boots very quickly.
You might also boot an ISO image from a flash drive or CF card that is write-protected and/or has no persistent home directory. Google for LOTS of info on doing this. I don't find live CD boot times to be very long on modern PCs, even with full distros like Knoppix.
That's not crazy at all. Radomes have been protecting radar antennas for almost as long as radar existed.
A nice color-coordinated fiberglass shed in the backyard would work fine and protect the dish during storms.
If you want it on a pole, install in an imitation birdhouse.
"... it has been reported that a farmer has modified his cessna cropduster with machine guns.'
The armed ag plane has been done already. The airship wouldn't stand a chance:
http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n3/articles/ayres.html
We need more ways to get the wealthy to spend money, because that money supports jobs for us peons.
We need them to buy as many (domestically produced) toys and services as possible and should encourage them instead of envying their good fortune.
If every wealthy person that could afford a Biltmore would buy one, it would feed, cloth, and house thousands of workers.
The waste of helium is stupid though:
http://news-info.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/10754.html [wustl.edu]
Why isn't POLITICAL hate speech a crime?
Religion = politics, but religion has for some PC reason been made a protected category.
I can scorn and ridicule Communism, but if I scorn and ridicule Islam it's "hate speech".
"You create artificial shortages and cripple the hardware to keep the market from "eroding"."
Your business model fails, others take the market, and your gear becomes as obsolete and unlamented as the Ipaq.
"Is our esteemed correspondent referring to people who copulate with coprophiliac goats, or coprophiliac individuals who enjoy the carnal pleasures afforded by goats?"
The two behaviors are not mutually exclusive.
I'd continue this discussion at length, but I've got to go buy an elastrator. (Nip the competition in the bud, so to speak.)