"Well, it stopped getting email two months ago and then one day I turned it on and no picture showed up and I didn't want to bother you because 'You're so busy' and I know it's my fault and..."
What Mom said her is telling. This guy probably -- LIKE MOST OF US -- has a patience problem w/ users. Ive been guilty of it thousands of times (my sisters wont call, my youngest sister stopped asking about computers the day she hung up crying (just after my "just click File. File FILE!"))...
Im sorry, Ive got a patience issue, but can we be blamed? How do you think a plumber feels if people asked them about clogged toilets constantly (dont flush tampons -- 90% solution), or a garderner about dying roses (always water (whatever) -- 90% solution), or a car mechanic constantly asked about squeeking brakes (your wear strips are rubbing, have them changed -- 90% solution).
sheesh, it gets VERY TIRED -- only the most saintly can stand it... dont EVEN try and offer support to your coworkers RE: their home machines.. ive had to install two 802.11b switches in the last 8 weeks because I recommended them as the solution to the "2pcs and 1 DSL connection" (i wouldnt dare offer them ipcop or LRP).
For those interested in seeing Bike safety improvements, please see the Critical-Mass movement.
In cities all over the world, on the last Friday of the Month (traditionally) people take to the streets and have a group ride. Its informal and fun. It is an effort to display the proof that Car-Centric culture/construction/society has an alternative.
The group just rides around town at a modest enough pace for the children amoungst us to keep up -- just a tonne of fun.
Oil is not cheap. The oil industry has just managed to externalize the costs. The cost of securing new oil-supplies via military might. The cost to the environment. The cost to your health and health care system. The cost of infrastructure to transport (your roads/pipelines/oilreserves/shipyards) are all subsidized.
In reality, you pay ALOT to maintain Car-Centric culture. You build unbelievable numbers of wide highways and roads and parking lots. If you look at it, the present incarnation of the Car, its propulsion, size, availability (2 in every driveway) you start to realize just how much EFFORT society spends in order to maintain this system.
I would prefer a future where sprawl is ended. Reasonable sized personal transport is king for short distances. Public transit is used for long distances. And I can spend less tax $$ on the infrastrucure for cars, less of my personal income on cars and less time killing people for oil. (you pro-bush yankees listening..?)
Corel Linux stuff got sold off a bit later (when they sold it to Xandros)
Now that MS has dumped them, Corel is free to get back into GNU/Linux The OS. Whats stopping them from 'forking' Xandros (or debian again or rh) and being right back in the GNU/Linux game?
well, its nice to see someone on a very close page. While i mostly agree with you (to little difference to note), I just want to make one more point.
The reason I call myself SecularHumanist is becuase I *dont* want a Definition of Negatives. Being someone who DOESNT believe/agree with something doesnt state a very powerfull point.
I believe that accepting the SecularHumanist label allows me to make obvious what I find some of the major ills w/ Diests. They rely on the omnipotence of their God for meaning to their lives, existence and everything around them.
*I* want to make it clear that not only do I reject the backwater of religion, but assert that we *should* become responsible to the planet, ourselves and one another. All of humanity is in this together. There is *no one* coming to help. We are the creators OF and the SOLUTION to all the worlds Ills. Do I believe that we can solve them overnight? No, the world is very complex. But in order that Humanity has any hope of moving forward, evolving and growing -- moving to a more just, peacefull and pleasant existance -- we must at least accept that there is no "saviour" coming.
This is the value I find in my self-chosen Secular Humanist label.
"I do not know how the world came into being" Except that question is not the only concern of religion. nor is religion the only way to answer it.
While i agree w/ your sensitivity to language, the limits and perils of linguistic traps of all kinds (war is peace, lavey's anti-church church) I dont see why you are so hostile to people who are Atheists. You may be a diest, but please, listen a moment...
Alot of atheists feel Religion is a MAJOR PROBLEM. I agree. This is a point you may (or may not) agree with - but a good portion of Western culture (~20% in canada, higher in some parts of europe) *are* atheist(agnostic/secular humanist) who may or may not have this opinion of religion in general... its a growing opinion.
Atheism is the fastest growing religion in the world. Fundies of all stripes are going to have to deal w/ that. Deists have been getting a 'pass' up until recently, I see religion as the same kind of illogical evil as racism. Both are opinions/points of view that lead to justifying all kinds of stupidity. Both can be overcome with objective thougt.
Just so you know, Socialism != Facism. There *ARE* more citizens of very successfull Social Democratic states in the world today that their are "Free Americans". Germany, France, Canada, Switzerland, etc etc all have higher standards of living than Americans, are all social democratic states.
Socalism governed by Democracy. Communism, Capitalism and Socialism are economic models. Fasicms, Feudalism and Democracy are governmental models.
Exactly the opposite is true. People who maintain their GOD sets moral standards (see the bible) exercises moral relativism. See the evidence in history... including the Christian Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, Salem Witches, Islamic Jihad -- all fought because they are justified that they are serving their higher power's wishes. Anything can be justified if you believe yours (and obviously) OTHERS lives are meaningless if not bathed in the glory your god's reward (whatever that may be... heaven, rebirth, children, food whatever)
Only Atheists, or Secular Humanists can be moral people. They accept responsibility for their acts -- understanding that the effect of their acts have a bearing on the world around them. Does this guarantee they will all be good? No, but they are reasonable enough to understand they cannot rely on a God to moralize-away their heinous acts.
In short, Deists have no morals, their morals sub serve the (fantasy) wishes of their fictional god.
HA! Christianity as a Vampire Cult! I completely forgot, a darling book I read as a teen... all christians please read: The Last Days of Christ the Vampire.
Why repeal the levy???? IN exchange for the levy, you are legally allowed to COPY Music CDs(!).
Why would you rather pay $15 for a audio cd at the mall vs. making a copy for yourself at the library for less than $1.50??? Instead of repealing the levy, we should be campaiging to INFORM Canadians to STOP BUYING CDs and copy them from their friends, neighbours and the local library.
Im not a fan of the idea that some industry-lobby gets to control where the levy-revenue goes, but in a world where we (canadians) must have SOME copyright protection for audio (this scheme changes the economic model significantly) -- Canadians get legal access to the RIAA cannon of work at SIGNIFICANTLY less $$$ than (probably) anyone else on the planet.
A swarm of electric hobby helicopters with this swarming-control scheme could be easy (?). Strap on some instrument package and youve got an instant 'survivor recovery system'. The "goal discovery" could be a heat-signature for avalanche-victim recovery for instance.
culture where adolescents rewarded only athletes and tough guysIm not fully in agreement w/ this statement. TOTALLY OFFTOPIC.
Adolescent culture is only what they inherit and learn from their environment. They do not create the culture themselves, they are taught it by their community.
I believe that brash, consumer culture teaches adolescents this shallow "idol worship". Not the kind of thoughtful, in-depth role-models which might be a rewarding experience for children. Capitalists, bent on creating the most fluid and influenceable market possible, bombard this group (children/young adults) with twisted images of reality (commercials) whose 'heros' or 'stars' are these simple people (athletes). Life itself is cloaked in a weird Brand Lifestyle shimmer, the products themselves are secondary, but necessary props in a life you can purchase at the mall. Or so they're told.
Incapable of understanding more complex ideas or views of the world, the Capitalists quickly interfere and make impotent their development. These people don't grow out of this influence, they remain mired in this sphere of simplicity - all their thinking done for them - and delivered through their Televisions.
In the End, you have millions of ill adjusted 'adults' shouting about sports teams and watching the 6 PM news. These broken adults become the cheering section for anything presented to them: Sports, OldNewDiet CokePepsi, bad literature, bad television, Orwellian Wars on Iraq, The Swifter, irrational fears of all stripes, etc etc etc.
So, whats my point? Adolescents idolize whatever you present to them. Modern marketing has one goal: create/reinforce/encourage Consumerism; a wholly unrewarding(unsustainable) existence.
Why would anyone be surprised when they see a gaggle of nike-clad mall punks smoking and acting like idiots? Look at the shallow, self-serving nature of the world that is presented to them. Further, why are we surprised when some "Geek" is ostracized because he doesn't follow the herd? Everything around him is guaranteed to make exactly that happen.
ewww, i feel dirty - like ive just channelled john Katz. eek.
The best thing you can do, to STOP them from calling someone else -- is to quicly say "OHHH! great, i was just looking ot buy a %whatever%. Can you hold a moment while I get a pad and paper".
Then put the phone down until you hear it buzzing (they hang up).
this stretches the calls out so they cant bother more people.
...or you state on your answering machine that "users of this phone line are entering a contract to speak w/ me (name/addy/etc) for non-commercial purposes. Hang up now if you do not accept these conditions -- failure to do so results in a $1200.00 (whatever) fee to be paid net 5 days." and let the phone ring through...
if you end up with a telemarketer, you can get THEM to tell you where/who/whatever and then send the bastards a bill. record the call and other details and send the whole thing to a collections agency if they dont pay.
these have NOTHING to do with display tech. They are LEDs -- nothing more. The article says they are likely to show up in room lighting as a consumption reduction effort...
Slashdot Mirror
"Well, it stopped getting email two months ago and then one day I turned it on and no picture showed up and I didn't want to bother you because 'You're so busy' and I know it's my fault and..."
What Mom said her is telling. This guy probably -- LIKE MOST OF US -- has a patience problem w/ users. Ive been guilty of it thousands of times (my sisters wont call, my youngest sister stopped asking about computers the day she hung up crying (just after my "just click File. File FILE!"))...
Im sorry, Ive got a patience issue, but can we be blamed? How do you think a plumber feels if people asked them about clogged toilets constantly (dont flush tampons -- 90% solution), or a garderner about dying roses (always water (whatever) -- 90% solution), or a car mechanic constantly asked about squeeking brakes (your wear strips are rubbing, have them changed -- 90% solution).
sheesh, it gets VERY TIRED -- only the most saintly can stand it... dont EVEN try and offer support to your coworkers RE: their home machines.. ive had to install two 802.11b switches in the last 8 weeks because I recommended them as the solution to the "2pcs and 1 DSL connection" (i wouldnt dare offer them ipcop or LRP).
For those interested in seeing Bike safety improvements, please see the Critical-Mass movement.
In cities all over the world, on the last Friday of the Month (traditionally) people take to the streets and have a group ride. Its informal and fun. It is an effort to display the proof that Car-Centric culture/construction/society has an alternative.
The group just rides around town at a modest enough pace for the children amoungst us to keep up -- just a tonne of fun.
Check it out!
well, that info could be the details our Samba friends need for NTFS, and the upcoming WinFS(?)for the next M$windows.
do you know what brand/model car it was..? for internet searching..?
. But not yet. Not while oil is so cheap
Oil is not cheap. The oil industry has just managed to externalize the costs. The cost of securing new oil-supplies via military might. The cost to the environment. The cost to your health and health care system. The cost of infrastructure to transport (your roads/pipelines/oilreserves/shipyards) are all subsidized.
In reality, you pay ALOT to maintain Car-Centric culture. You build unbelievable numbers of wide highways and roads and parking lots. If you look at it, the present incarnation of the Car, its propulsion, size, availability (2 in every driveway) you start to realize just how much EFFORT society spends in order to maintain this system.
I would prefer a future where sprawl is ended. Reasonable sized personal transport is king for short distances. Public transit is used for long distances. And I can spend less tax $$ on the infrastrucure for cars, less of my personal income on cars and less time killing people for oil. (you pro-bush yankees listening..?)
Corel Linux stuff got sold off a bit later (when they sold it to Xandros)
Now that MS has dumped them, Corel is free to get back into GNU/Linux The OS. Whats stopping them from 'forking' Xandros (or debian again or rh) and being right back in the GNU/Linux game?
MS invested in Corel in order to get Corel out of the GNU/Linux market. They did not want a Free OS ++ Corel Office competitor.
That would have been WAY to much momentum for desktop GNU/Linux at the time. MS drove GNU/Linux out of Corel.
Prediction (obvious):
ALL Telemarketing will be surveys in 40 minutes
Good work Yankee Plutocrats, youve managed to munge everything yet again.
well, its nice to see someone on a very close page. While i mostly agree with you (to little difference to note), I just want to make one more point.
:)
The reason I call myself SecularHumanist is becuase I *dont* want a Definition of Negatives. Being someone who DOESNT believe/agree with something doesnt state a very powerfull point.
I believe that accepting the SecularHumanist label allows me to make obvious what I find some of the major ills w/ Diests. They rely on the omnipotence of their God for meaning to their lives, existence and everything around them.
*I* want to make it clear that not only do I reject the backwater of religion, but assert that we *should* become responsible to the planet, ourselves and one another. All of humanity is in this together. There is *no one* coming to help. We are the creators OF and the SOLUTION to all the worlds Ills. Do I believe that we can solve them overnight? No, the world is very complex. But in order that Humanity has any hope of moving forward, evolving and growing -- moving to a more just, peacefull and pleasant existance -- we must at least accept that there is no "saviour" coming.
This is the value I find in my self-chosen Secular Humanist label.
Good talking with you.
"I do not know how the world came into being"
Except that question is not the only concern of religion. nor is religion the only way to answer it.
While i agree w/ your sensitivity to language, the limits and perils of linguistic traps of all kinds (war is peace, lavey's anti-church church) I dont see why you are so hostile to people who are Atheists. You may be a diest, but please, listen a moment...
Alot of atheists feel Religion is a MAJOR PROBLEM. I agree. This is a point you may (or may not) agree with - but a good portion of Western culture (~20% in canada, higher in some parts of europe) *are* atheist(agnostic/secular humanist) who may or may not have this opinion of religion in general... its a growing opinion.
Atheism is the fastest growing religion in the world. Fundies of all stripes are going to have to deal w/ that. Deists have been getting a 'pass' up until recently, I see religion as the same kind of illogical evil as racism. Both are opinions/points of view that lead to justifying all kinds of stupidity. Both can be overcome with objective thougt.
it would be nice if that made sense.
What kind of knee jerk nonsequitor is that?
Just so you know, Socialism != Facism. There *ARE* more citizens of very successfull Social Democratic states in the world today that their are "Free Americans". Germany, France, Canada, Switzerland, etc etc all have higher standards of living than Americans, are all social democratic states.
Socalism governed by Democracy. Communism, Capitalism and Socialism are economic models. Fasicms, Feudalism and Democracy are governmental models.
they are apples and oranges.
Exactly the opposite is true. People who maintain their GOD sets moral standards (see the bible) exercises moral relativism. See the evidence in history... including the Christian Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, Salem Witches, Islamic Jihad -- all fought because they are justified that they are serving their higher power's wishes. Anything can be justified if you believe yours (and obviously) OTHERS lives are meaningless if not bathed in the glory your god's reward (whatever that may be... heaven, rebirth, children, food whatever)
Only Atheists, or Secular Humanists can be moral people. They accept responsibility for their acts -- understanding that the effect of their acts have a bearing on the world around them. Does this guarantee they will all be good? No, but they are reasonable enough to understand they cannot rely on a God to moralize-away their heinous acts.
In short, Deists have no morals, their morals sub serve the (fantasy) wishes of their fictional god.
HA! Christianity as a Vampire Cult! I completely forgot, a darling book I read as a teen... all christians please read: The Last Days of Christ the Vampire.
thank you!
someone should teach the cave trolls to read!
being against religion is not racism. cant be. Religion is a choice, an opinion. It has nothing to do with "race".
Though, the quote "Religion is a mere matter of geography" would be relevant in this discussion... but not for the reasons you would like.
regarding your .sig:
Why repeal the levy???? IN exchange for the levy, you are legally allowed to COPY Music CDs(!).
Why would you rather pay $15 for a audio cd at the mall vs. making a copy for yourself at the library for less than $1.50??? Instead of repealing the levy, we should be campaiging to INFORM Canadians to STOP BUYING CDs and copy them from their friends, neighbours and the local library.
Im not a fan of the idea that some industry-lobby gets to control where the levy-revenue goes, but in a world where we (canadians) must have SOME copyright protection for audio (this scheme changes the economic model significantly) -- Canadians get legal access to the RIAA cannon of work at SIGNIFICANTLY less $$$ than (probably) anyone else on the planet.
A swarm of electric hobby helicopters with this swarming-control scheme could be easy (?). Strap on some instrument package and youve got an instant 'survivor recovery system'. The "goal discovery" could be a heat-signature for avalanche-victim recovery for instance.
culture where adolescents rewarded only athletes and tough guysIm not fully in agreement w/ this statement. TOTALLY OFFTOPIC.
Adolescent culture is only what they inherit and learn from their environment. They do not create the culture themselves, they are taught it by their community.
I believe that brash, consumer culture teaches adolescents this shallow "idol worship". Not the kind of thoughtful, in-depth role-models which might be a rewarding experience for children. Capitalists, bent on creating the most fluid and influenceable market possible, bombard this group (children/young adults) with twisted images of reality (commercials) whose 'heros' or 'stars' are these simple people (athletes). Life itself is cloaked in a weird Brand Lifestyle shimmer, the products themselves are secondary, but necessary props in a life you can purchase at the mall. Or so they're told.
Incapable of understanding more complex ideas or views of the world, the Capitalists quickly interfere and make impotent their development. These people don't grow out of this influence, they remain mired in this sphere of simplicity - all their thinking done for them - and delivered through their Televisions.
In the End, you have millions of ill adjusted 'adults' shouting about sports teams and watching the 6 PM news. These broken adults become the cheering section for anything presented to them: Sports, OldNewDiet CokePepsi, bad literature, bad television, Orwellian Wars on Iraq, The Swifter, irrational fears of all stripes, etc etc etc.
So, whats my point? Adolescents idolize whatever you present to them. Modern marketing has one goal: create/reinforce/encourage Consumerism; a wholly unrewarding(unsustainable) existence.
Why would anyone be surprised when they see a gaggle of nike-clad mall punks smoking and acting like idiots? Look at the shallow, self-serving nature of the world that is presented to them. Further, why are we surprised when some "Geek" is ostracized because he doesn't follow the herd? Everything around him is guaranteed to make exactly that happen.
ewww, i feel dirty - like ive just channelled john Katz. eek.
Read differently, that makes it sound like the US economy is the primary engine of the global economy.
yes, be proud of your consumption. sheesh.
The best thing you can do, to STOP them from calling someone else -- is to quicly say "OHHH! great, i was just looking ot buy a %whatever%. Can you hold a moment while I get a pad and paper".
;)
Then put the phone down until you hear it buzzing (they hang up).
this stretches the calls out so they cant bother more people.
pass it on
...or you state on your answering machine that
"users of this phone line are entering a contract to speak w/ me (name/addy/etc) for non-commercial purposes. Hang up now if you do not accept these conditions -- failure to do so results in a $1200.00 (whatever) fee to be paid net 5 days." and let the phone ring through...
if you end up with a telemarketer, you can get THEM to tell you where/who/whatever and then send the bastards a bill. record the call and other details and send the whole thing to a collections agency if they dont pay.
these have NOTHING to do with display tech. They are LEDs -- nothing more. The article says they are likely to show up in room lighting as a consumption reduction effort...
Go fuck yourself.
Im proof that the left can have just-as-much vitrol and anger as you smug plutocratic cheerleaders.
Again, Fuck-you Russ Smith.
oh comeon, dont you mean Condoleezza Rice?