Reminds me of when Windscale power plant suddenly changed its name to Sellafield. The populace is so dumb, they'll never figure it out! They could call it maize sugar and that would really throw the discerning consumer off the scent.
I grew up in a western European country in the 1980s and it was known that if you participated in demonstrations/street protests against the US (this would be during the Reagan / Bush Sr. years) it seriously endangered your chances of either visiting or going to live in the US. The assumption was that the US had agents keeping a record of those involved in such demonstrations. It all sounds very cloak and dagger, but considering what we know these days about what 'diplomats' get up to in the countries they are assigned to it doesn't seem too far fetched to me.
However, in this case it seems to me that the US has overstepped and miscalculated. Wouldn't it make more sense to ask for an apology before banning the stupid kid from the country and let him know that if he intends to enter the US at any time his application to do so will be considered in the light of his past indiscretion? Too reasonable I suppose...
Someone in the comments here said that bibles were printed on 'cheapy' paper. Actually that bible stock is not cheaper than other kinds of paper. Because paper costs are very much decided by weight a thin stock like that used in a bible might seem to be cheaper but considering the book itself is thousands of pages long it is relative. Also that bible stock is usually very strong despite its thinness compared to other forms of paper because bibles are generally seen as books which must last a long time and possibly endure daily use and abuse by Bible thumpers and God Botherers.
Personally, I'm against any book burning regardless of the subject matter. Sure, I might really feel like burning some Dan Brown novels (because they are poorly written rubbish!), but I never would. I think it is simply wrong. I think there are some past events in history that teach us as much.
Since this question of geocentricity vs heliocentricity doesn't actually affect anyone's life in any practical sense, it doesn't matter to the vast majority of people.
Sure, I think geocentricity is bloody stupid but I really can't see myself getting into to an argument about it with anyone stupid/ignorant enough to believe it!
The problem here is that geocentricity makes sense based on impirical observation of the sun rising and setting. Sure, calendars have been buggered up for centuries, but to the majority of people, the sun, rises and sets, so it looks like it is going around the earth - and that's good enough for them. If, after they have been taught that the earth actually goes around the sun and they still insist on geocentricity, well, then you might conjecture that they have a problem.
I couldn't agree more. You said it much better than I probably would. Did you learn how to do that with Google? No sarcasm intended - just my little joke.
One difference I think you have to admit is that a very small percentage of any population consulted reference books in the days before the internet. School finished - book learning DONE!
Now you have huge percentages of any population that are at least semi-computer-literate that will actually research (look things up) on the internet. Another difference being the subject matter being researched. It is perhaps deplorable that so many young people nowadays have encyclopedic knowledge of superficial pop-culture but almost no knowledge of any subject of genuine cultural, political, historical, scientific or social significance!
You recently watched 'Bloodbath in Dr. Paine's House of Mutilation'. We recommend 'Dora the Explorer and the Number Tree', 'Yoga for Expecting Moms', 'The life and Times of J. Wilfred Newbrain - Philatelist Extraordinaire'.
Hey, I'm really poor these days. This state of penury ensures that my choices are limited. You have made me feel suddenly very fortunate to have so little choice. Thank you!
Yes, there were calculators the size of credit cards in 1986 or thereabouts. My brother had one.
What is making people IGNORANT is bad education systems, bad teachers, unmotivated students and uninvolved parents. Same as at any other time in history. (Note, nothing can make the stupid smart. Stupid is incurable). Computers and other tools have nothing to do with it.
However we all know that the introduction of the plough made farmers lazy and good for nothing! Right?
'the false belief by ~1500s scholars that English evolved from Greek' - where did you come up with this? Either you have expert knowledge denied to other students of English or you just made it up to suit your opinion. How would 'cough' be a Greek spelling?
does word perfect only have times and courier as available fonts? If so that would explain the ugly legal stuff I have had to read in recent months. I think they should just set all legal documents in Comic Sans to highlight how playful the realities they abstractly describe in funky legalese are going to affect the lives of the parties involved. Why not some glitter and kiss-cut my little pony stickers to lighten it up? The lawyers are idiots and the judges are just lawyers that got promotions. Call me cynical. I am!
it is difficult to get any real sense of the problem. Arrepiadd has been kind enough to give us some real background to the whole story and a clarification of what the issues are or might be or are purproted to be depending on the day of the week. Thanks for that Arrepiadd.
Please don't hold back from trashing Word. I hate very few things in life, but Word - as trivial a piece of crap as it may be, it is raises my hackles really intensely and I'm enjoying this potential Word trash fest too much let it go just because of a few pesky facts. Keep it coming! Word sucks! Word is the devil. Word eats babies. Word stole your car. Word is destroying the planet. Come on, let's keep it going. Crap/. story, but we can still have fun with the comments!
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It it were about Septimus Heap it would definitely be a story about a boy wizard.
Reminds me of when Windscale power plant suddenly changed its name to Sellafield. The populace is so dumb, they'll never figure it out! They could call it maize sugar and that would really throw the discerning consumer off the scent.
Sir, you are discounting Bank's remarkable writing ability.
YES! Iain M. Banks is great.
I grew up in a western European country in the 1980s and it was known that if you participated in demonstrations/street protests against the US (this would be during the Reagan / Bush Sr. years) it seriously endangered your chances of either visiting or going to live in the US. The assumption was that the US had agents keeping a record of those involved in such demonstrations. It all sounds very cloak and dagger, but considering what we know these days about what 'diplomats' get up to in the countries they are assigned to it doesn't seem too far fetched to me.
However, in this case it seems to me that the US has overstepped and miscalculated. Wouldn't it make more sense to ask for an apology before banning the stupid kid from the country and let him know that if he intends to enter the US at any time his application to do so will be considered in the light of his past indiscretion? Too reasonable I suppose...
Couldn't he at least have thrown some chairs?
Someone in the comments here said that bibles were printed on 'cheapy' paper. Actually that bible stock is not cheaper than other kinds of paper. Because paper costs are very much decided by weight a thin stock like that used in a bible might seem to be cheaper but considering the book itself is thousands of pages long it is relative. Also that bible stock is usually very strong despite its thinness compared to other forms of paper because bibles are generally seen as books which must last a long time and possibly endure daily use and abuse by Bible thumpers and God Botherers.
Personally, I'm against any book burning regardless of the subject matter. Sure, I might really feel like burning some Dan Brown novels (because they are poorly written rubbish!), but I never would. I think it is simply wrong. I think there are some past events in history that teach us as much.
How do you figure that?
Sure, I think geocentricity is bloody stupid but I really can't see myself getting into to an argument about it with anyone stupid/ignorant enough to believe it!
The problem here is that geocentricity makes sense based on impirical observation of the sun rising and setting. Sure, calendars have been buggered up for centuries, but to the majority of people, the sun, rises and sets, so it looks like it is going around the earth - and that's good enough for them. If, after they have been taught that the earth actually goes around the sun and they still insist on geocentricity, well, then you might conjecture that they have a problem.
Light is in fact reflected darkness. Didn't you know that?
Potato is a tuber not a vegetable. Right?
I couldn't agree more. You said it much better than I probably would. Did you learn how to do that with Google? No sarcasm intended - just my little joke.
RTFA? This is /.
How do you uses matches? I've never even seen one of those things. I just use my laser vision if I need to light something.
Now you have huge percentages of any population that are at least semi-computer-literate that will actually research (look things up) on the internet. Another difference being the subject matter being researched. It is perhaps deplorable that so many young people nowadays have encyclopedic knowledge of superficial pop-culture but almost no knowledge of any subject of genuine cultural, political, historical, scientific or social significance!
Yes, that should work really well.
Hey, I'm really poor these days. This state of penury ensures that my choices are limited. You have made me feel suddenly very fortunate to have so little choice. Thank you!
What is making people IGNORANT is bad education systems, bad teachers, unmotivated students and uninvolved parents. Same as at any other time in history. (Note, nothing can make the stupid smart. Stupid is incurable). Computers and other tools have nothing to do with it.
However we all know that the introduction of the plough made farmers lazy and good for nothing! Right?
'the false belief by ~1500s scholars that English evolved from Greek' - where did you come up with this? Either you have expert knowledge denied to other students of English or you just made it up to suit your opinion. How would 'cough' be a Greek spelling?
Funny!
you have to put some slashes through the letter o just for appearance sake.
Sorry sir. Word ate my homework.
So what's Windows then? The company that makes Microsoft? I always feel so inadequate when trying to comprehend stupidity!
does word perfect only have times and courier as available fonts? If so that would explain the ugly legal stuff I have had to read in recent months. I think they should just set all legal documents in Comic Sans to highlight how playful the realities they abstractly describe in funky legalese are going to affect the lives of the parties involved. Why not some glitter and kiss-cut my little pony stickers to lighten it up? The lawyers are idiots and the judges are just lawyers that got promotions. Call me cynical. I am!
Please don't hold back from trashing Word. I hate very few things in life, but Word - as trivial a piece of crap as it may be, it is raises my hackles really intensely and I'm enjoying this potential Word trash fest too much let it go just because of a few pesky facts. Keep it coming! Word sucks! Word is the devil. Word eats babies. Word stole your car. Word is destroying the planet. Come on, let's keep it going. Crap /. story, but we can still have fun with the comments!