One by one, our new high tech military tricks are being neutralized, either by selling the secrets to the Chinese
I once saw a foreign film that seems to be playing out in parallel to the present US fixation on China.
The plot was something like:
For some reason the 'effectiveness' of the present propaganda-war against the present-American-Enemy was loosing its lustre. There were people, 'black suit' types who worked in conjunction with the nameless committees of the US intelligence underworld that were in charge of occupying the public with images and ideals to coalesce the American Psyche into a single 'Enemy Unit'.
So, as the story goes, these 'black-suit' types meet in a darkly lit room (think Big Room/Big Board from Strangelove), there around a table lit in shadows were the 'leaders'. Each small group sitting around the room were given an opportunity to "pitch" (like you see in mythos associated with advertising agencies (lively, animated presentations designed to get the potential clients involved/help them see the vision)). So, here are all these little 'black ops' groups pitching their ideas for the new 'uber-enemy' for America - one that would be evil (enough), strange (enough) etc etc as to illicit the ire and loathing of the malleable American public. Some groups pitched small islands, one group pitched Canada (my favourite), and one group hit on Peru. In their 'pitch' they said things like 'Peruvians: there strange, there dark skinned - they live in South America, South America - - who knows anything about SouthAmerica? People don't know anything about Peruvians - everyone knows an Italian or a Canadian, its hard to believe that a Canadian is Anti-American, but the Peruvians - the Peruvians can be anything we make them! Now, the Peruvians dont have alot of money, this is good, we can make them appear desperate and hungry to overtake us - the Peruvians would steal your American Apple pie cooling on the window!" The 'pitchers' then showed a picture of a Peruvian in native dress (what I know of it) stealing a pie, ala a circa WWII war-bond poster, with 'Evil Peruvians!' branded on the bottom.
So, as it goes, the Peru advocates win the 'account' and go about spinning a web of anti-Peruvian propaganda via children's cereal, toy-gun packaging (with pictures of brave American soldiers killing those nefarious and cunning Peruvians on the packaging), and popular media. (think "wag the dog" types of fabrication)
Now that Ive exhausted you with this (bad) re-telling of this obscure film, what does this have to do with this article? With the quote above???
Right now, if you turn on CNN or talk to people in the street - you will see a (growing) fear of the Chinese. This sad movie tells it pretty close to the way i believe it goes (maybe minus the Strangelove scene-rip-off).
In this case, China == Peru. And the Americans have fallen for it time and time again... Russia, Cuba, Vietnamese (gooks* of all kinds), Iraq, China... America seems to define themselves more by who they hate - and who they publicly admonish than they do anything else.
For anyone who thinks this is not the case - take a step back - and replay in your mind all the images you have of the people I sighted above... what images do you have of these people? And where did they come from? What/Who's purpose is served when you feel this way? McCarthy-Anti-Communist campaigns still go on - just much more sophisticated and subtle.
Being Canadian, who's government has had very little need to whip up these straw-enemies, it is very strange watching US citizens getting constantly 'pitched' new enemies all the time... China is just the recent one.
*American 'term' not mine...
penetrated by these swift, strong hard rods.
Ha! I nearly fell off my chair - how very good of you, penetrated/strong/hard/rod sheesh, how much more phalic could that statement be! Who wouldnt want to have a swift strong rod with which you could assault anyone you'd like by penetration?
I seriously doubt that buying Playstations to run a military computer network is the answer to Iraq's problems either.
In case no one told you: Iraq never bought Playstations for their Defense Dept. This was propaganda released for(by) Sony in order to add an air of 'technological wonder' to the device - something that goes along way with consoles (they are like drugs to techno-fetishists). In other words, the idea was an orchestrated lie in order to 'puff-up' the Playstation image, there was no reality there.
Don't assume that because a country has little to no consumer technology, that their military must be "primitive" as well.
By looking at the amount and nature of Shit(TM) that Americans 'consume' Id suggest that the USA seriously lacks any 'consumer technology'. In fact - id suggest that American consumers are the least sophisticated and the most 'stone-age' of the cultures you mentioned...
I'm sure Abdul Iraqi on his camel is surfing the web on his Nokia.
If Joe-Ignorant-Myopic-Rednecked-Yankee can; why Cant our friend Abdul?
Ohhhh - i forgot, American propaganda doesnt tell Abdul he lives in the height of humanity and should look down on others with disdain. Where sublely off-colour remarks reveal his-own point-of-view more than he realizes...
War is bad. Who/What/Why are we spending money on any kind of war-craft?
Cant we just grow the fuck up and realize that everyone has the same needs and priorities? My desire for a love, happiness, security and welbeing are the same as some anonymous Brazillian, Aussie, Brit, Egyptian or Korean. Im hold no anamosity towards them, id bet they hold none against me, so who's mandate do the conitnued military-industrial complex continue down this path of waste? The only thing that is certain is that if you hold large enough amounts of arms that Generals will eventually find a reason to use them.
I know it is really an aside to the technilogical issues in this article, but it always amazes me that we even need this crap - who the hell wants it?
Ha. Great. If Ronald has 6 BigMac(TM) Happy Meals(TM) and he gives 2 to one of the McFryKids(TM) how many BigMac(TM) HappyMeals(TM) does Ronald have left?
We should ban *ALL* advertising to children. No toys, no shampoo, no music, no food. Nothing.
but he also agreed to subscribe to the Tivo service.
Um no he didnt. The article, and many responses clearly state that the TiVo advertisied the service as optional. He signed nothing when he exchanged money for the cardboard box containing his PVR. If he had signed a contract - like you do when you sign up for phone service and receive a 'free' or 'discounted' cell phone (ex $29 per month * 3 years = free phone).
You are off base here - he most certainly did *NOT* agree to pay for the service. They have broken the unit he paid for. Like the other poster described, X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. Simple. I hope someone sues/charges these people - this is extortion... and yet another example of corporate hubris.
Tivo is fully justified in taking away any feature they want: YOU have broken the contract, not them.Completely wrong.
Now, you might not think that's a good way to do business,
X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
but consider that Tivo doesn't make a single dime from the unit sales,
X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
their model is entirely software/service driven.
X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
Therefore, I think it's completely fine for them to disable their software for people who violate the service contract they agreed to when purchasing the unit.
They have broken his unit. He did not agree to any contract. TiVo should be charged criminally for vandalism, extortion, bait-and-switch, false advertising, contract violation, etc etc.
You don't like it? Fine, buy the Philips or Sony unit and write all the PVR functionality yourself.
Why? Again, the citizen::business relationship: X,Y,Z Features in some thing for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
don't buy the unit if you don't agree to the terms.
.... need me to repeat the way this works - again?
Did you read the article? You really couldnt be *more* 'off-base'.
do you really think we would be able to maintain the world dominating position we are presently in?
hhehehhehhahahhah haheheyhehhahaha hehhah You do also understand that the rest of the world's people look with PITY on America and *NOT* envy? The only thing we 'fear' is that America's Plutocrats, with its armies, will come to enslave the rest of us as it has you! While were busy building social-systems, community, health-care and generally healthy communities we watch the hack-and-slash American-Capitalists chomping outside the gates. Ready to lie, cheat, steal and bribe there way into undermining our efforts and replacing it with a cut-throat system of consumerism.
When people say that Americans are ignorant and myopic they are not joking. We are not jealous - as in the American-Jerry-Springer-idiot -mental-mcnuggets-for-mindless-masses 'i get paid' sense. Its Pity as in the 'we cannot believe that they believe this kind of shit' sense.
Your present world position is a result of these things:
Never having fought a modern domestic war (think WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Panama, Korea, Indo-China) Although you did play your part in all: Selling arms/support/supplies/whatever, you have never hosted one. This alone I believe is your number-one contributor to the Modern-USA state.
Ruthless-ill thought out sense of 'self' (ie: selfishness, greed compounded by a predatory establishment to re-enforce this)
Age. Vast resources and natural space to mindlessly exploit. The Industrial revolution aided the USA in an accelerated planet-rape program. Most everyone else had already cleared their forests and let them regrow many times over while America was cutting (still doing it www.mattoledefense.org!) old growth for the first time. Americans are to resource management as children are to candy-stores. See: Golf Courses in Desserts and Air-Conditioned rolling blackouts*.
Basically - the present world-state of America is *NOT* proof that you are making all the right choices, it really is the result of short-sighted self-serving choices, made in a myopic vacuum, a few random events of history and an inability to be humble in the presence of (seemingly) 'good' fortune.
If you think Im blowing smoke, just some kind of Anti-Yankee nut, please dont. I am quite sure I am pretty on the mark. What pisses off the rest of the world about Americans is their lack of perspective, and their never-ending hubris. Where a statement like "world dominating position" really simply displays why you have no real future.
Corporate controlled laughing stock its political system has become. Not the American dream, but quite possibly the American nightmare.
Pretty much sums it up.
...but I should really know better than to feed the trolls... +5 Insightful? How about -1 McCarthy-Inspired Delusion.
*Note to Californians: Isnt your rolling blackouts really proof of the failure of privatization? Where is the better service, increased choice and decreased price? Looks to me like you simply got screwed, and are now getting the 'you over regulated the market - *this* caused the problem' bullshit fed back to you... AND YOU BELIEVE IT! Further, when you live in a desert, pools and lawn watering are considered 'waste'. Ever think that if you simply outlawed lawn-watering that the decrease in consumption would make up for your shortcomings?...surely there is a simple and wise solution, that involves conservation - decrease in demand - that would solve some of your over-consumption (the American Way of Life) problem that would be more elegant than drilling for oil in Federal Reserves and Building Coal-Powered Electricity Plants.. I dunno, just a thought...
...just that this 'world dominating' chest pounding really irks me....
Reality doesn't leave a lot of room for irrational paranoia these days!
Phew, I thought i was the only one... Here! Here!
Now my real paranoia is this: In all other sectors of society; health care, auto-manufacture, law etc etc etc, is this: If these weasles can have astonishing power, without any accountability, think of the absolute stiffling power they wield in whole. I mean we have watched ruling after ruling against reason - in favour of profit over and over and over in our area-of-understanding. The Technology and the Internet is the forte of the average slashdotter, what we see here is the enlightenment by slashdotters of this afore mentioned fact.
Literally, what the fuck is going on when real citizens - people - no longer have any ability to make choices for themselves and their community? This alarm is what we see in the forums on/.
..and its not isolated to/.; there are raging environmentalists, anti-GMO activists, social-justice activists, indymedia advocates and tonnes of other 'perspectives' that are citing the same exact problem: Private, non-democratic For-Profit Corporations have *WAY* too much power - they need to begin to be held accountable to the communities that they are supposed to serve. Profit-Seeking is *NOT* the highest priority && people are begining to demand that Corporations he held accountable to the priorities of our communities and not simply their own selfish interest.
Come to Washington in Sept. for the WorldBank/IMF Demo. See: indymedia.org
Anyhow, the only real competition that Microsoft will ever have is Open Source.
This is true. This crowd understands the real economics behind software - that it really is cheap to write code (software = cheap computer + good developer + free time).. and what the Free Software paradigm does to empower those people... yadda yadda.
What I dont understand is, in the world of 'economics' and capitalism (which I frankly abhor) is that with GNU/Linux being MS's only real competition is this: Doesnt this *PROVE* their monopoly? I mean really, the only viable alternative, as small as it is, is a group of Volunteers and their collaborative efforts. With MS seeking to malign and destroy (the purpose of every one of their campaigns till now) GNU/Linux this should send up warning flares at the US DoJ and FTC (the hollowed hull that it is) like nothing else.
I mean really, to your average dollar-worshipping whore how does this appear? From someone on the sideline, without any tech-clue, isnt MS *really* impaling itself by attacking GNU/Linux and Free Software?
Here is an anology: If McBlondleds managed to put every other beef-burger joint effectively out of business (Lotus, Corel, Borland, Novell) *THEN* they began to attack people in their own homes/backyards because they were giving away home-BBQed beef-burgers with the only condition being that 'when you BBQ, I expect you give me a burger also, no charge' - I mean really, isn't MS really just proving the DoJ's case here? The only people left to attack are non-profit volunteers!
However, it was a good company in its effects. It brought taxation and simple democracy to India. It breathed the first light of the west's wisdom on those dark and primitive lands.
Im sure a lot of India's people may be able to make a retort at the 'then' state of India.. a great many of them would suggest that history has proved they would have been better off - just like Africans and Indiginous People of the Americas - they all had very rewarding cultures with independant priorities to provide well-being to the residents. Your statement is not a little surprising.
..on a wholly seperate note...
The war for our hearts is not an easy one, but by virtue of its products. MS holds that position now.
The day any 'product' enters my heart is the day I go stark raving mad - have you lost your vulcan-mind? You need to do some serious analysis about how you make decisions, and what influences them, because 'products' are really a means to an end, those ends may be clean cloths or end to hunger - you *NEVER* desire 'Tibe Freshness' or 'McBlondalds MaCHapply Bleals."
Can someone please explain to me why Katz has a problem with Microsoft showing their employees motivational videos?
Because Motivational Videos are mind-control propaganda.. much like the billboards that you read but dont realize, the TV ads, magazine ads and everything else around you... to bring 20,000 people together to stick company propaganda in their heads (with undertones of the thrilla-in-manilla) is a little to Orwellian for me...
"Lean"! HA, I work for one of the Big Three Auto Co.s (hint: #4 on the Big 200 from a few articles ago). We have "Lean", we have "Six Sigma", we have "shareholder value", we have "consumer vision"... Ill tell ya man, we got's em' all.
Recently, after a company wide survey of employees cited 'stress' as a major problem (we didnt get the resutls of the survey as we were promised) they decided that to 'fix' the problem what would they do? They hired a team of consultants to conduct 16 hours of 'stress managment' at every facitliy. See, were going to solve the problem by helping you learn to deal with stress. Terrific!
Ive taken to simply mocking and laughing at the whole mess - the meetings, the double-speak-CYA-pinheads-skyrocketing-to-the-top jerks, etc etc.
our CEO has a real fancy for the word "robust". Robust, Robust, Robust. "We'll fix this problem by being pro-active with a lean and robust solution." is the way to say it - so, Ive taken to saying "ding" whenever anyone says "robust" within earshot... some of the other engineers will have their PHBs in talking to them in cubes near mine, when thier boss says 'robust' I say "ding", as if in normal conversation with someone here, and listen to them snicker while there boss asks 'what?'.
Our culture has become so fixated on their work life - that the unholy unnatural abomination that this unhealthy fixation has caused is just laughable... people are not meant to care about this kind of modern work, and these things we hear about (and witness) is the dis-functional result of PHBs (with obvious questionable balance) and their attempt to deal with their fsked up fixation on work. Basically, I believe that because people *REALLY* dont care about there work lives, but are forced to pretend and dilude(sp?) themselves and their own conscience, that these kinds of no-mind/boneheaded things are the manifestations of this situation.... its the sureal result of mass hysteria. Rent "brazil" from your local independant video-store.
FYI: Speak Softly and carry 'a bow' - I always hated playing warriors with their feable/inflexible swords, Rangers and Thieves got to use (cross)bows.. now thats the weapon to have...
Ill tell you what friend - Im a taxpayer, and a techie. Give me the name of your bosses-boss && tell me where your office is; Ill look up the MP - Ill then phone both these bastards. I will tell them I had heard about this f'ing fiasco, how Im outraged at how our tax $$ are being wasted. Give me a little more detail, be carefulll not to give anything that could enable me to point the finger directly at you, and Ill rip these twits a new a-hole.
I am BOTH of *THERE* bosses, I will simply voice my compalint.
No. I've yet to see a union that's done anything constructive. All they do is blackmail companies to try and extract unreasonable pay and working conditions.
I live in a very heavy CAW (union) town. Let me tell you that the employees demand VERY reasonable conditions and pay in exchange for giving their time to make the company money. My city wouldnt be in the place it is today had it not been for the community-centered policies of the union and its leadership. Bosses/owners will exploit (to no end) if people dont stand up and demand to be treated well. Workers do the work - workers should realize the reward.
"HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH - Your right, they are just worthless idiots.... they cant even feed themselves, it couldnt possibly help to give them any aid in distributing/creating wealth hehheheheheahhahah lets go to the mall." *slaps pal on the back*
"I mean really they stand in front of massive piles of food, unable to walk up and eat it because they are lazy and their government beurocracy prevents it! I mean really - if they cannot simply walk up and take a bag of rice home to feed themselves, instead of starving, why should we share with them! Wow - you are so right man. Now, if they would just learn to apply some good ol' fashion American capitalism then they would learn that taking for-oneself and forsaking your community actually gives *MORE* food to those without any money... silly brown-skinned twits. They arent even Catholics! Thehehheheh where did I leave my Oakley Sunglasses...?"
You are only slave labour if you choose to be, or you have a chain around your neck. Myself I choose my work environment by the education and the continuing education I have.
Care to tell us all how you managed to find the money for college? The point is that wealth attracts wealth - money is a magnet. "it takes money to make money" - and this article shows it, massive companies getting bigger; entrenching, growing, accumulating both wealth and power (via the capitalist-power dynamic). You cannot pull yourself up by the bootstraps if you havn't got any bloody boots!
BECAUSE I WORK MY BUTT OFF! It pisses me off when individuals think that we should all have the same thing and we would be free from want and desire.
What could you want outside of food, shelter, clothing and your health?
Guess what buddy, want and desire drive innovation, change, invention, discovery, mass production, commidization
Wait wait wait - people create those things, this enables them to 'make shit'. Real wealth; love, liberty, happiness, enlightenment, knowledge, joy are created by people outside of the economy. This is what we should be looking to have more of- time to spend loving/living life. Its "work to live" and *NOT* "live to work". You cannot buy happiness at the local mall Take a look around you at home, see all that crap on the shelves, the trinkets, the ornate furniture, the fancy car and expensive wallpaper? Its all just stuff looking for a landfill; fucking garbage.
If you wanna stop all that, make us all equal. Nothing good, new, or exciting will happen ever again because there is no way to increase my position in life. I am working my butt off while the jack ass next to me is sitting on his butt reading, if that happens I won't work anymore.
You are wrong - not only will you *NOT* stop working (creating), but innovation and REAL wealth will INCREASE. See Maslows Hierarchy.
Go out and farm the land, I grew up on a farm.
So did I, go ask your old neighbours what they think of Monsanto and Cargill. Most of them will be resentful and angry.
The farm that my Grandfather bought (through share-cropping when he came from Europe) has been lost to an Industrial farmer who now holds about a 3rd of the land near the small town I grew up in. When my Uncle (bought farm from my GFather when he returned home to Portugal) could not grow, could not buy more equipment and secure funds for new lands (bought from his neighbours) he was pushed out of the market - the "100 Acre Contracts" of Tomatoes disappeared as Heinz sought to start only offering "1000 Acre Contracts"... excluded from the market he was forced to sell the farm my whole family laboured on and loved.
Just as an end note - you probably are feeling that 'everyone can work harder to improve their position in life, providing for themselves'. This is not true, the centralization of wealth and power means that this 'democratic' access to opportunity really doesn't exist the way you think it does (see above). *AND* the world cannot support 5 billion people living like North Americans (..im Canadian). If everyone tries to live like us, with the ridiculous consumer desires, with the staggering amount of waste generated by selfish/petty desires, the results will be simple: A scorched earth, polluted beyond reason, where only humans live devoid of all else. I refuse to destroy the planet (our only real asset) so I can have fancy New Shit(TM) for myself.... Simply because I don't care about anything else. Which your post seems to be saying.
....when you are in a car crash and die, the GDP goes UP; when you are in hospital with cancer, the GDP goes UP; when you bury a newborn with a birth defect caused by pollution, the GDP goes UP; when you propagandize that the health of a culture is directly and linearly proportional to their GDP, the Fucking GDP goes UP UP UP!
This is fine, GPL allows this - what the issue appears to be is if someone can then DISTRIBUTE this modified version (allowing forking & an 'escape door' if he decides to completely abandon Free Software).
His email doesnt make the issue any more clear - or am I missing something?
Slashdot Mirror
hmmm... that was kinda the point.
Agreed - It was wrong then. It is wrong now.
One by one, our new high tech military tricks are being neutralized, either by selling the secrets to the Chinese
I once saw a foreign film that seems to be playing out in parallel to the present US fixation on China.
The plot was something like:
For some reason the 'effectiveness' of the present propaganda-war against the present-American-Enemy was loosing its lustre. There were people, 'black suit' types who worked in conjunction with the nameless committees of the US intelligence underworld that were in charge of occupying the public with images and ideals to coalesce the American Psyche into a single 'Enemy Unit'.
So, as the story goes, these 'black-suit' types meet in a darkly lit room (think Big Room/Big Board from Strangelove), there around a table lit in shadows were the 'leaders'. Each small group sitting around the room were given an opportunity to "pitch" (like you see in mythos associated with advertising agencies (lively, animated presentations designed to get the potential clients involved/help them see the vision)). So, here are all these little 'black ops' groups pitching their ideas for the new 'uber-enemy' for America - one that would be evil (enough), strange (enough) etc etc as to illicit the ire and loathing of the malleable American public. Some groups pitched small islands, one group pitched Canada (my favourite), and one group hit on Peru. In their 'pitch' they said things like 'Peruvians: there strange, there dark skinned - they live in South America, South America - - who knows anything about SouthAmerica? People don't know anything about Peruvians - everyone knows an Italian or a Canadian, its hard to believe that a Canadian is Anti-American, but the Peruvians - the Peruvians can be anything we make them! Now, the Peruvians dont have alot of money, this is good, we can make them appear desperate and hungry to overtake us - the Peruvians would steal your American Apple pie cooling on the window!" The 'pitchers' then showed a picture of a Peruvian in native dress (what I know of it) stealing a pie, ala a circa WWII war-bond poster, with 'Evil Peruvians!' branded on the bottom.
So, as it goes, the Peru advocates win the 'account' and go about spinning a web of anti-Peruvian propaganda via children's cereal, toy-gun packaging (with pictures of brave American soldiers killing those nefarious and cunning Peruvians on the packaging), and popular media. (think "wag the dog" types of fabrication)
Now that Ive exhausted you with this (bad) re-telling of this obscure film, what does this have to do with this article? With the quote above???
Right now, if you turn on CNN or talk to people in the street - you will see a (growing) fear of the Chinese. This sad movie tells it pretty close to the way i believe it goes (maybe minus the Strangelove scene-rip-off).
In this case, China == Peru. And the Americans have fallen for it time and time again... Russia, Cuba, Vietnamese (gooks* of all kinds), Iraq, China... America seems to define themselves more by who they hate - and who they publicly admonish than they do anything else.
For anyone who thinks this is not the case - take a step back - and replay in your mind all the images you have of the people I sighted above... what images do you have of these people? And where did they come from? What/Who's purpose is served when you feel this way? McCarthy-Anti-Communist campaigns still go on - just much more sophisticated and subtle.
Being Canadian, who's government has had very little need to whip up these straw-enemies, it is very strange watching US citizens getting constantly 'pitched' new enemies all the time... China is just the recent one.
*American 'term' not mine...
penetrated by these swift, strong hard rods.
Ha! I nearly fell off my chair - how very good of you, penetrated/strong/hard/rod sheesh, how much more phalic could that statement be! Who wouldnt want to have a swift strong rod with which you could assault anyone you'd like by penetration?
I seriously doubt that buying Playstations to run a military computer network is the answer to Iraq's problems either.
In case no one told you: Iraq never bought Playstations for their Defense Dept. This was propaganda released for(by) Sony in order to add an air of 'technological wonder' to the device - something that goes along way with consoles (they are like drugs to techno-fetishists). In other words, the idea was an orchestrated lie in order to 'puff-up' the Playstation image, there was no reality there.
Don't assume that because a country has little to no consumer technology, that their military must be "primitive" as well.
By looking at the amount and nature of Shit(TM) that Americans 'consume' Id suggest that the USA seriously lacks any 'consumer technology'. In fact - id suggest that American consumers are the least sophisticated and the most 'stone-age' of the cultures you mentioned...
I'm sure Abdul Iraqi on his camel is surfing the web on his Nokia.
If Joe-Ignorant-Myopic-Rednecked-Yankee can; why Cant our friend Abdul?
Ohhhh - i forgot, American propaganda doesnt tell Abdul he lives in the height of humanity and should look down on others with disdain. Where sublely off-colour remarks reveal his-own point-of-view more than he realizes...
Here's a newsflash:
War is bad. Who/What/Why are we spending money on any kind of war-craft?
Cant we just grow the fuck up and realize that everyone has the same needs and priorities? My desire for a love, happiness, security and welbeing are the same as some anonymous Brazillian, Aussie, Brit, Egyptian or Korean. Im hold no anamosity towards them, id bet they hold none against me, so who's mandate do the conitnued military-industrial complex continue down this path of waste? The only thing that is certain is that if you hold large enough amounts of arms that Generals will eventually find a reason to use them.
I know it is really an aside to the technilogical issues in this article, but it always amazes me that we even need this crap - who the hell wants it?
Ha. Great. If Ronald has 6 BigMac(TM) Happy Meals(TM) and he gives 2 to one of the McFryKids(TM) how many BigMac(TM) HappyMeals(TM) does Ronald have left?
We should ban *ALL* advertising to children. No toys, no shampoo, no music, no food. Nothing.
Nope. and MS doesn't give a flying fuck either because "smart tags" or no, people are going to go on buying Winders like the lemmings they are.
M-O-N-O-P-O-L-Y.
but he also agreed to subscribe to the Tivo service.
Um no he didnt. The article, and many responses clearly state that the TiVo advertisied the service as optional. He signed nothing when he exchanged money for the cardboard box containing his PVR. If he had signed a contract - like you do when you sign up for phone service and receive a 'free' or 'discounted' cell phone (ex $29 per month * 3 years = free phone).
You are off base here - he most certainly did *NOT* agree to pay for the service. They have broken the unit he paid for. Like the other poster described, X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. Simple. I hope someone sues/charges these people - this is extortion... and yet another example of corporate hubris.
Tivo is fully justified in taking away any feature they want: YOU have broken the contract, not them.Completely wrong.
Now, you might not think that's a good way to do business,
X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
but consider that Tivo doesn't make a single dime from the unit sales,
X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
their model is entirely software/service driven.
X,Y,Z Features for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
Therefore, I think it's completely fine for them to disable their software for people who violate the service contract they agreed to when purchasing the unit.
They have broken his unit. He did not agree to any contract. TiVo should be charged criminally for vandalism, extortion, bait-and-switch, false advertising, contract violation, etc etc.
You don't like it? Fine, buy the Philips or Sony unit and write all the PVR functionality yourself.
Why? Again, the citizen::business relationship: X,Y,Z Features in some thing for $MMM. They offered. He accepted. He is not responsible to their ongoing concerns.
don't buy the unit if you don't agree to the terms.
.... need me to repeat the way this works - again?
Did you read the article? You really couldnt be *more* 'off-base'.
I was happy with the functionality of the TiVo unit without the service, so I bought the TiVo and did not subscribe.
Take it back to the retailer and demand (be polite - but do not accept no for an answer) and get your money back.
Tell them the unit is now broken as far as you are concerned.
no.. I have a problem with the glorification of unworthy idols via professional sport. The fact that 'professional sport' even exists is ludicrous.
hhehehhehhahahhah haheheyhehhahaha hehhah You do also understand that the rest of the world's people look with PITY on America and *NOT* envy? The only thing we 'fear' is that America's Plutocrats, with its armies, will come to enslave the rest of us as it has you! While were busy building social-systems, community, health-care and generally healthy communities we watch the hack-and-slash American-Capitalists chomping outside the gates. Ready to lie, cheat, steal and bribe there way into undermining our efforts and replacing it with a cut-throat system of consumerism.
When people say that Americans are ignorant and myopic they are not joking. We are not jealous - as in the American-Jerry-Springer-idiot -mental-mcnuggets-for-mindless-masses 'i get paid' sense. Its Pity as in the 'we cannot believe that they believe this kind of shit' sense.
Your present world position is a result of these things:
Never having fought a modern domestic war (think WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Panama, Korea, Indo-China) Although you did play your part in all: Selling arms/support/supplies/whatever, you have never hosted one. This alone I believe is your number-one contributor to the Modern-USA state.
Ruthless-ill thought out sense of 'self' (ie: selfishness, greed compounded by a predatory establishment to re-enforce this)
Age. Vast resources and natural space to mindlessly exploit. The Industrial revolution aided the USA in an accelerated planet-rape program. Most everyone else had already cleared their forests and let them regrow many times over while America was cutting (still doing it www.mattoledefense.org!) old growth for the first time. Americans are to resource management as children are to candy-stores. See: Golf Courses in Desserts and Air-Conditioned rolling blackouts*.
...surely there is a simple and wise solution, that involves conservation - decrease in demand - that would solve some of your over-consumption (the American Way of Life) problem that would be more elegant than drilling for oil in Federal Reserves and Building Coal-Powered Electricity Plants.. I dunno, just a thought...
Basically - the present world-state of America is *NOT* proof that you are making all the right choices, it really is the result of short-sighted self-serving choices, made in a myopic vacuum, a few random events of history and an inability to be humble in the presence of (seemingly) 'good' fortune.
If you think Im blowing smoke, just some kind of Anti-Yankee nut, please dont. I am quite sure I am pretty on the mark. What pisses off the rest of the world about Americans is their lack of perspective, and their never-ending hubris. Where a statement like "world dominating position" really simply displays why you have no real future.
Corporate controlled laughing stock its political system has become. Not the American dream, but quite possibly the American nightmare.
Pretty much sums it up.
...but I should really know better than to feed the trolls... +5 Insightful? How about -1 McCarthy-Inspired Delusion.
*Note to Californians: Isnt your rolling blackouts really proof of the failure of privatization? Where is the better service, increased choice and decreased price? Looks to me like you simply got screwed, and are now getting the 'you over regulated the market - *this* caused the problem' bullshit fed back to you... AND YOU BELIEVE IT! Further, when you live in a desert, pools and lawn watering are considered 'waste'. Ever think that if you simply outlawed lawn-watering that the decrease in consumption would make up for your shortcomings?
...just that this 'world dominating' chest pounding really irks me....
Reality doesn't leave a lot of room for irrational paranoia these days!
/.
/.; there are raging environmentalists, anti-GMO activists, social-justice activists, indymedia advocates and tonnes of other 'perspectives' that are citing the same exact problem: Private, non-democratic For-Profit Corporations have *WAY* too much power - they need to begin to be held accountable to the communities that they are supposed to serve. Profit-Seeking is *NOT* the highest priority && people are begining to demand that Corporations he held accountable to the priorities of our communities and not simply their own selfish interest.
Phew, I thought i was the only one... Here! Here!
Now my real paranoia is this: In all other sectors of society; health care, auto-manufacture, law etc etc etc, is this: If these weasles can have astonishing power, without any accountability, think of the absolute stiffling power they wield in whole. I mean we have watched ruling after ruling against reason - in favour of profit over and over and over in our area-of-understanding. The Technology and the Internet is the forte of the average slashdotter, what we see here is the enlightenment by slashdotters of this afore mentioned fact.
Literally, what the fuck is going on when real citizens - people - no longer have any ability to make choices for themselves and their community? This alarm is what we see in the forums on
..and its not isolated to
Come to Washington in Sept. for the WorldBank/IMF Demo. See: indymedia.org
Anyhow, the only real competition that Microsoft will ever have is Open Source.
This is true. This crowd understands the real economics behind software - that it really is cheap to write code (software = cheap computer + good developer + free time).. and what the Free Software paradigm does to empower those people... yadda yadda.
What I dont understand is, in the world of 'economics' and capitalism (which I frankly abhor) is that with GNU/Linux being MS's only real competition is this: Doesnt this *PROVE* their monopoly? I mean really, the only viable alternative, as small as it is, is a group of Volunteers and their collaborative efforts. With MS seeking to malign and destroy (the purpose of every one of their campaigns till now) GNU/Linux this should send up warning flares at the US DoJ and FTC (the hollowed hull that it is) like nothing else.
I mean really, to your average dollar-worshipping whore how does this appear? From someone on the sideline, without any tech-clue, isnt MS *really* impaling itself by attacking GNU/Linux and Free Software?
Here is an anology: If McBlondleds managed to put every other beef-burger joint effectively out of business (Lotus, Corel, Borland, Novell) *THEN* they began to attack people in their own homes/backyards because they were giving away home-BBQed beef-burgers with the only condition being that 'when you BBQ, I expect you give me a burger also, no charge' - I mean really, isn't MS really just proving the DoJ's case here? The only people left to attack are non-profit volunteers!
However, it was a good company in its effects. It brought taxation and simple democracy to India. It breathed the first light of the west's wisdom on those dark and primitive lands.
Im sure a lot of India's people may be able to make a retort at the 'then' state of India.. a great many of them would suggest that history has proved they would have been better off - just like Africans and Indiginous People of the Americas - they all had very rewarding cultures with independant priorities to provide well-being to the residents. Your statement is not a little surprising.
..on a wholly seperate note...
The war for our hearts is not an easy one, but by virtue of its products. MS holds that position now.
The day any 'product' enters my heart is the day I go stark raving mad - have you lost your vulcan-mind? You need to do some serious analysis about how you make decisions, and what influences them, because 'products' are really a means to an end, those ends may be clean cloths or end to hunger - you *NEVER* desire 'Tibe Freshness' or 'McBlondalds MaCHapply Bleals."
Can someone please explain to me why Katz has a problem with Microsoft showing their employees motivational videos?
Because Motivational Videos are mind-control propaganda.. much like the billboards that you read but dont realize, the TV ads, magazine ads and everything else around you... to bring 20,000 people together to stick company propaganda in their heads (with undertones of the thrilla-in-manilla) is a little to Orwellian for me...
"Lean"! HA, I work for one of the Big Three Auto Co.s (hint: #4 on the Big 200 from a few articles ago). We have "Lean", we have "Six Sigma", we have "shareholder value", we have "consumer vision"... Ill tell ya man, we got's em' all.
Recently, after a company wide survey of employees cited 'stress' as a major problem (we didnt get the resutls of the survey as we were promised) they decided that to 'fix' the problem what would they do? They hired a team of consultants to conduct 16 hours of 'stress managment' at every facitliy. See, were going to solve the problem by helping you learn to deal with stress. Terrific!
Ive taken to simply mocking and laughing at the whole mess - the meetings, the double-speak-CYA-pinheads-skyrocketing-to-the-top jerks, etc etc.
our CEO has a real fancy for the word "robust". Robust, Robust, Robust. "We'll fix this problem by being pro-active with a lean and robust solution." is the way to say it - so, Ive taken to saying "ding" whenever anyone says "robust" within earshot... some of the other engineers will have their PHBs in talking to them in cubes near mine, when thier boss says 'robust' I say "ding", as if in normal conversation with someone here, and listen to them snicker while there boss asks 'what?'.
Our culture has become so fixated on their work life - that the unholy unnatural abomination that this unhealthy fixation has caused is just laughable... people are not meant to care about this kind of modern work, and these things we hear about (and witness) is the dis-functional result of PHBs (with obvious questionable balance) and their attempt to deal with their fsked up fixation on work. Basically, I believe that because people *REALLY* dont care about there work lives, but are forced to pretend and dilude(sp?) themselves and their own conscience, that these kinds of no-mind/boneheaded things are the manifestations of this situation.... its the sureal result of mass hysteria. Rent "brazil" from your local independant video-store.
FYI: Speak Softly and carry 'a bow' - I always hated playing warriors with their feable/inflexible swords, Rangers and Thieves got to use (cross)bows.. now thats the weapon to have...
Ill tell you what friend - Im a taxpayer, and a techie. Give me the name of your bosses-boss && tell me where your office is; Ill look up the MP - Ill then phone both these bastards. I will tell them I had heard about this f'ing fiasco, how Im outraged at how our tax $$ are being wasted. Give me a little more detail, be carefulll not to give anything that could enable me to point the finger directly at you, and Ill rip these twits a new a-hole.
I am BOTH of *THERE* bosses, I will simply voice my compalint.
No. I've yet to see a union that's done anything constructive. All they do is blackmail companies to try and extract unreasonable pay and working conditions.
I live in a very heavy CAW (union) town. Let me tell you that the employees demand VERY reasonable conditions and pay in exchange for giving their time to make the company money. My city wouldnt be in the place it is today had it not been for the community-centered policies of the union and its leadership. Bosses/owners will exploit (to no end) if people dont stand up and demand to be treated well. Workers do the work - workers should realize the reward.
"HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH - Your right, they are just worthless idiots.... they cant even feed themselves, it couldnt possibly help to give them any aid in distributing/creating wealth hehheheheheahhahah lets go to the mall." *slaps pal on the back*
"I mean really they stand in front of massive piles of food, unable to walk up and eat it because they are lazy and their government beurocracy prevents it! I mean really - if they cannot simply walk up and take a bag of rice home to feed themselves, instead of starving, why should we share with them! Wow - you are so right man. Now, if they would just learn to apply some good ol' fashion American capitalism then they would learn that taking for-oneself and forsaking your community actually gives *MORE* food to those without any money... silly brown-skinned twits. They arent even Catholics! Thehehheheh where did I leave my Oakley Sunglasses...?"
For those who were there, remember the protests of Quebec, Prague, Seattle, etc. There were the little people trying to gget their voices heard.
I was there - Ill also be going to Washington this fall for the IMF/ World Bank summit. http://www.50years.org/s28/call.html
Hope to see you there!
You are only slave labour if you choose to be, or you have a chain around your neck. Myself I choose my work environment by the education and the continuing education I have.
Care to tell us all how you managed to find the money for college? The point is that wealth attracts wealth - money is a magnet. "it takes money to make money" - and this article shows it, massive companies getting bigger; entrenching, growing, accumulating both wealth and power (via the capitalist-power dynamic). You cannot pull yourself up by the bootstraps if you havn't got any bloody boots!
BECAUSE I WORK MY BUTT OFF! It pisses me off when individuals think that we should all have the same thing and we would be free from want and desire.
What could you want outside of food, shelter, clothing and your health?
Guess what buddy, want and desire drive innovation, change, invention, discovery, mass production, commidization
Wait wait wait - people create those things, this enables them to 'make shit'. Real wealth; love, liberty, happiness, enlightenment, knowledge, joy are created by people outside of the economy. This is what we should be looking to have more of- time to spend loving/living life. Its "work to live" and *NOT* "live to work". You cannot buy happiness at the local mall Take a look around you at home, see all that crap on the shelves, the trinkets, the ornate furniture, the fancy car and expensive wallpaper? Its all just stuff looking for a landfill; fucking garbage.
If you wanna stop all that, make us all equal. Nothing good, new, or exciting will happen ever again because there is no way to increase my position in life. I am working my butt off while the jack ass next to me is sitting on his butt reading, if that happens I won't work anymore.
You are wrong - not only will you *NOT* stop working (creating), but innovation and REAL wealth will INCREASE. See Maslows Hierarchy.
Go out and farm the land, I grew up on a farm.
So did I, go ask your old neighbours what they think of Monsanto and Cargill. Most of them will be resentful and angry.
The farm that my Grandfather bought (through share-cropping when he came from Europe) has been lost to an Industrial farmer who now holds about a 3rd of the land near the small town I grew up in. When my Uncle (bought farm from my GFather when he returned home to Portugal) could not grow, could not buy more equipment and secure funds for new lands (bought from his neighbours) he was pushed out of the market - the "100 Acre Contracts" of Tomatoes disappeared as Heinz sought to start only offering "1000 Acre Contracts"... excluded from the market he was forced to sell the farm my whole family laboured on and loved.
Just as an end note - you probably are feeling that 'everyone can work harder to improve their position in life, providing for themselves'. This is not true, the centralization of wealth and power means that this 'democratic' access to opportunity really doesn't exist the way you think it does (see above). *AND* the world cannot support 5 billion people living like North Americans (..im Canadian). If everyone tries to live like us, with the ridiculous consumer desires, with the staggering amount of waste generated by selfish/petty desires, the results will be simple: A scorched earth, polluted beyond reason, where only humans live devoid of all else. I refuse to destroy the planet (our only real asset) so I can have fancy New Shit(TM) for myself.... Simply because I don't care about anything else. Which your post seems to be saying.
....when you are in a car crash and die, the GDP goes UP; when you are in hospital with cancer, the GDP goes UP; when you bury a newborn with a birth defect caused by pollution, the GDP goes UP; when you propagandize that the health of a culture is directly and linearly proportional to their GDP, the Fucking GDP goes UP UP UP!
. html article please.
Economists need to learn to subtract. See this http://www.adbusters.org/oldwebsite/Articles/rowe
includes modify or patch or tune, as seen fit
This is fine, GPL allows this - what the issue appears to be is if someone can then DISTRIBUTE this modified version (allowing forking & an 'escape door' if he decides to completely abandon Free Software).
His email doesnt make the issue any more clear - or am I missing something?