No, I'm not referencing the testicles you have near the crotch of your legs. I'm talking about the drink Bawls. It has tons of caffeine and not as much sugar. And it tastes like Sprite + Speed.
Bawls ? You're kidding me. That thing packs 'bout 50mg caffeine (or is it 80?) and pure sugar... It's a frickin' sugar bomb thats what it is...
You can get way more bang for your buck by going for Monster Lo-carb. That little can packs a whallop...
Ergo, while there maybe a percentage of people who are fairly open about things, not everybody is. And you would be stepping on a lot of toes (and quite honestly, offending just about every major religion and faith out there) by doing so.
What about every major religion offending me ? Obviously, they have the biggest disregard for my belief in evolution, and would like to force me into their belief of creationism, or whatever it's being flaunted as these day.
Like it or not, whatever you do/think will offend someone, somewhere. There ain't no pleasing everyone, so whats the point. Now to get back on topic a bit, what Blizzard is doing, in their "universe" is discrimination. The real question is are you allowed to discriminate because you created your universe ?
What if I decide to setup a game where you can be one of two faction, the nazis or the jews, and then go on erradicating one another ? Is that more ok because it's my own universe and I make the rules ?
What about a store that would refuse to serve same-sex couple ? Is it ok because they own the building ?
It's not going to be a problem, being that come monday, Canada will not have a government anymore.
The opposition has made a motion of distrust earlier this week, and will vote on monday, forcing elections before the end of the current mandate, and paralyzing all government activity until the election of a new government.
If there is even the slightest whiff of a new feature, the Internet explodes with every forum discussing the possibilities of "what could be."
I'm pretty sure there's a couple of guys over at Google that also routinely read the forums and then come up with "Hey... They're on to something here, how can we implement this...".
What if most new Google features are not innovation but a reaction to those "rumors" ?
I love Google as much as the next person; I use it almost exclusively to search for pages. However, it seems to me some fanboys won't be happy until we're eating Google brand noodles out of Googlebrand dishware wearing Google brand clothing and then we buy Google brand detergent to get the Googdles stain off of my new Google shirt.
I would just _love_ to be able to purchase Google shirts...
Shirt with a "Search" button printed in front, and a pair of pants with the "I feel lucky" one.
"feeding animals to animals remains standard practice in the U.S"
Really stupid. If politicians weren't in the pocket of industry, this would be outlawed.
I take it you're a vegan / vegetarian / vegetalist, whatever the flavor of the month is ?
Otherwise, feeding animals with animals is part of your daily calorie intake.
And to quote Homer J. Simpson "Why did god make animals out of meat ?"
Because the companies can't advertise on a phone line while someone's making a call, and when they stop calling there's no-one there to advertise to.
What's to stop a phone service from offering lowercost lines by forcing you to listen to a short ad before completing your call ? It would be trivial to skip the add on emergency calls like 911, or local PD, but to force the ad before connecting the call.
Plus, you're already exposed to ads on the phone. Ever waited on hold at any decent sized company ? They force feed you ads while you wait for an agent.
I'm guessing that if you bought a VA Linux box, you're going to have a hard time calling someone up, reading them your serial number, and getting a duplicate RAID controller FED EX'd to you.
Well... From experience with a couple of VA's box, they were built from off the shelf components. Adaptec controllers and whatnot... So a quick call to Adaptec, and boom! you've got yourself a new duplicate.
And didnt a company go into supporting VA's server ?
I agree. In fact, if you buy new wheels at Discount Tire, they have the right to use keyed lugnuts on them. That way, only THEY can remove the wheels thus forcing you to use their service
Then am I guilty of DMCA violation if I use a blowtorch or drill the lugnut's out ?
What if I'm stranded 500 miles from the nearest Discount Tire, and get a flat tire ?
And by the way, if you can't understand people from your own country speaking the same language as you that's probably your fault rather than theirs.
Ok... I'm in eastern canada, doing tech support for the west (BC and Alberta). They've had heavy immigration in the last few years, most people being Chinese and Japanese. These people get off the boat, plane, whatever, and are surrounded by other Chinese and Japanese folks. You'd be surprised at how many of them dont even bother to pickup english, and if they do, how approximate it is. Here's a real call-centre story (TM).
[Customer cuts me off]: Intenet Boken! HAHHHH! Fix it!
[Me]: Welcome to such and such, can I get your telephone number please ?
[Customer]: No no no! Phone wokin great! It's intenet that boken!
[Me]: (pulling my hair out)
Fast forward 20 minutes ends up phone is not working so great and DSL signal gets shot to shit by interference.
Now. Living in the same country, and speaking the same language definitely does not mean you get to understand one another. Ever been to Georgia ? I reckon' not.
Re:protection money...
on
Superbowling
·
· Score: 1
You watch WAY too much TV.
Actually I dont.
And I _DID_ work for an online casino that was 100% legal, but who's owner, I would not frequent outside business hours.
While they ran a tightly legal ship, I would not dare to blackmail them or try to doublecross them.
One thing you learn is that you do NOT fuck with the casino. Any one of them.
protection money...
on
Superbowling
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Does it just strike me as very stupid from the extorter ?
I will not say that most gambling site are operated by/for criminals, but say that a good percentage of it are the operations of some legitimate business mans ?
My experience in this domain is that they will be able to get their hands on some money, but that said money will be delivered by Vito and Guido, and they'll be made an offer that they cannot refuse.
Maybe spammers should start spamming the mob too. Kill two birds with the same stone ?
While I don't know the details, you can bet your last dollar that someone has already invented, and been slapped down, for this sort of dodge. "I wasn't selling liquor on a sunday! They bought a $30 lighter and I GAVE them a handle of vodka!"
I guess you're right... But still it would be SO FUN to just watch them make a case out of it... Take it to court, and have a judge laugh it right out.
These copyrights law are outdated, still, they're laws, and unless we start challenging them in court, they'll remain.
I do not know about UK laws, but here in Canada, judges have been known to reward originality in court. Especially when a "small business" goes agains one of the moguls.
Lately, we've even had judges rule in favor of large corps (phone company) opposed to the music Guido & Vincenzo Inc. that tried to impose a fee on high speed internet. I might be wrong tho... Went out for a couple of cold ones, and a couple turned into an orgy of cold ones, and last call was an hour ago. Anyways. My point is that you must fight it. Use a loophole, create one, but fight it. As long as corp will bow down to BPI, *IAA, and co. the law will stand in all it's glorious idiocy.
The law says that the copyright holder gets to control how copyrighted items are imported. You and I can still bring in for personal consumption, but not sale
So what happens, say, if I sell an officialy licensed letterhead sheet of paper bearing the autograph of the corporation's CEO for 9.99$ and as a thank you gift to my esteemed customers, I include a CD or DVD of their choice ?
Very true. Advertising on unlimited broadband is merely a nuisance. Full video, multi-MB sized advertising on a metered low-speed connection should be a crime. Why should people have to *pay* to receive corporate advertising?
TANSTAAFL.
Who's forcing them to go to these sites ? Last time I checked, you had access to this smart little "X" button that would close the window.
I'm all for those ads. They dont try and trick you by using faked windows, they just plain make their sales speech, and then you move on. If you dont like it, there are a bunch of other sites around that dont use them.
Apex DVD players are junk... and so are Cyberhome, for that matter.
I sell them at a national department store, and roughly 80% of them sold come back defective... usually the drive door breaks, or it eats a dvd, or the components come loose in the back.
I beg to differ... In this house, I have three apex players, and one of them is almost 4 year old. I've never had a problem with them, they play whatever we throw at them, and I've never returned one to the store. I've even recommended them to family and friends because they're reliable (in my experience.)
So what are those charities giving you in exchange for your money?
Let's see here. Red Cross offered us food and shelter when the ice storm hit a few years back. They also used to be in charge of the blood drives which keep my mother alive. I think that's a good trade.
As to your "priorities" comment, you don't think that access to educational reference materials and textbooks should be a priority for the underprivileged?
It should but reality is another story. Food, housing, clothing are basic necessities that some of the "inner cities" kids you mention can not even afford.
And if there's not enough resources left, they get a 'too many users' error.
And when that happens ? Another donation round ? All I'm saying (and I feel like my point is not getting across) is that they're asking for 20K, they can upgrade to a somewhat more stable, faster system. As a "perk" to those who made it possible, they could set up a parallel machine which only the donating members could access... The system overall is more stable, but there is one lonely machine that handles the traffic of those who made it possible. Just like those toll-operated highways. You can still take the other highway, or streets to get somewhere, but if you shell a little, you take the fast lane there.
You're a real gem of a human being, aren't you? It's really depressing to know that organizations fighting AIDS, river blindness, malnutrition, famine, pollution, and illiteracy in third world countries have to deal with self-centered assholes like you when they call for donations.
Those are organizations I've given and am still giving to. They're not relying on a flawed "business plan" (for no other term available for it.)
Yeah, fuck the poor kids in inner cities and developing nations who rely on resources like Wikipedia. If they can't pony up with a Visa Platinum card like you, then they can just suck wind.
Did I _ever_ say that the poor kids in inner cities and developping nations (who by the way have other priorities then a wikipedia in mind.) would get different data ? No. I said that those who shell out get access to a dedicated system that will have faster results or whatever, and that the non-paying users get to fight for whatever ressource is left. It makes sense. You get what you pay for. If you dont pay, dont come and complain.
You talk about your "hard earned money." Just how hard was it?
Hard enough for me not to go piss it around on every project that begs for money. I work two jobs and take care of my kid. So I know the value of a dollar, and choose to invest it where it will have direct return on my family. Earning a few bucks for me means time away from my family. Time away from the family is hard. Valuable educational resource is NOT an half-assed web site cobbled up by anyone with access to a keyboard.
And who are you exactly to judge the hardness level of ones earning ? Did anyone name you earnings inspector or something ?
This money is going to a FREE project that anyone can contribute to. It's not going to a site with pop-ups and banner ads. It's a non-profit (as far as I know) resource for everyone.
Actually, I kind of agree with the initial poster as lately, everyone seems to be asking for donations to keep their sites up and running.
I do however realise that it's a free ressource and all, but nonetheless, there are other ways to sustain a site, other then asking for donations.
If the product is viable, they can offer consulting for commercial installation, or they could offer a "premium" service where subscriber get access to a dedicated server, while the unwashed get to share whatever's left of the ressource.
But if you're going to come after me for my hard earned money, you better have something to give in exchange for it.
It's a cold way to look at it, but in this economic context, I'd rather spend on something other then someone else's website.
I always love seeing the "unjust dismissal" or "simissal without cause" arguement. Listen up people. If an employer doesn't like your shirt, they can fire you. It's that simple. There doesn't need to be any cause. You have no 'right' as it were to be employed by any specific person. Unless you can prove your human rights were violated (they fired you because you're male/female/white/black/red/blue/jewish/catholic/e tc..)you've got no recourse. Things are a little different in a union environment. There, you don't get fired, you get laid off
That's why I love NOT living in the US. Where I come from, if you get fired with undue cause, you have recourse. You take the company in front of the labor commission, and mediate. If mediation fails, you go in front of the Labor minister, and he decides. Decisions range from monetary compensation to full work re-integration... Once you're re-integrated, the company will have a tough time getting rid of you because any dismissal without a foot thick file containing DNA/photographic evidence will be considered retaliation.
While the system is not perfect, it works most of the time, and that's good enough for me.
I'd hate to live someplace where the color of your shirt is ground to dismissal.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, it is
But Coke is not "marketed" as an energy drink...
You can get way more bang for your buck by going for Monster Lo-carb. That little can packs a whallop...
What about every major religion offending me ? Obviously, they have the biggest disregard for my belief in evolution, and would like to force me into their belief of creationism, or whatever it's being flaunted as these day.
Like it or not, whatever you do/think will offend someone, somewhere. There ain't no pleasing everyone, so whats the point. Now to get back on topic a bit, what Blizzard is doing, in their "universe" is discrimination. The real question is are you allowed to discriminate because you created your universe ?
What if I decide to setup a game where you can be one of two faction, the nazis or the jews, and then go on erradicating one another ? Is that more ok because it's my own universe and I make the rules ?
What about a store that would refuse to serve same-sex couple ? Is it ok because they own the building ?
Do you actually believe they ever -> stopped
The opposition has made a motion of distrust earlier this week, and will vote on monday, forcing elections before the end of the current mandate, and paralyzing all government activity until the election of a new government.
So this will be thwarted very quickly.
I've checked my Scrabble(tm) manual and nowhere in it does it say I'm not allowed to play on the internet.
I'm pretty sure there's a couple of guys over at Google that also routinely read the forums and then come up with "Hey... They're on to something here, how can we implement this...".
What if most new Google features are not innovation but a reaction to those "rumors" ?
I would just _love_ to be able to purchase Google shirts...
Shirt with a "Search" button printed in front, and a pair of pants with the "I feel lucky" one.
Marketing opportunity here...
I take it you're a vegan / vegetarian / vegetalist, whatever the flavor of the month is ?
Otherwise, feeding animals with animals is part of your daily calorie intake.
And to quote Homer J. Simpson "Why did god make animals out of meat ?"
What's to stop a phone service from offering lowercost lines by forcing you to listen to a short ad before completing your call ?
It would be trivial to skip the add on emergency calls like 911, or local PD, but to force the ad before connecting the call.
Plus, you're already exposed to ads on the phone. Ever waited on hold at any decent sized company ? They force feed you ads while you wait for an agent.
Don't they have electric stimulator already in production that will make muscle work independantly of what the brain tells them ?
Well... From experience with a couple of VA's box, they were built from off the shelf components. Adaptec controllers and whatnot... So a quick call to Adaptec, and boom! you've got yourself a new duplicate.
And didnt a company go into supporting VA's server ?
Then am I guilty of DMCA violation if I use a blowtorch or drill the lugnut's out ?
What if I'm stranded 500 miles from the nearest Discount Tire, and get a flat tire ?
Ok... I'm in eastern canada, doing tech support for the west (BC and Alberta). They've had heavy immigration in the last few years, most people being Chinese and Japanese. These people get off the boat, plane, whatever, and are surrounded by other Chinese and Japanese folks. You'd be surprised at how many of them dont even bother to pickup english, and if they do, how approximate it is. Here's a real call-centre story (TM).
[Customer cuts me off]: Intenet Boken! HAHHHH! Fix it!
[Me]: Welcome to such and such, can I get your telephone number please ?
[Customer]: No no no! Phone wokin great! It's intenet that boken!
[Me]: (pulling my hair out)
Fast forward 20 minutes ends up phone is not working so great and DSL signal gets shot to shit by interference.
Now. Living in the same country, and speaking the same language definitely does not mean you get to understand one another. Ever been to Georgia ? I reckon' not.
Actually I dont.
And I _DID_ work for an online casino that was 100% legal, but who's owner, I would not frequent outside business hours.
While they ran a tightly legal ship, I would not dare to blackmail them or try to doublecross them.
One thing you learn is that you do NOT fuck with the casino. Any one of them.
Does it just strike me as very stupid from the extorter ?
I will not say that most gambling site are operated by/for criminals, but say that a good percentage of it are the operations of some legitimate business mans ?
My experience in this domain is that they will be able to get their hands on some money, but that said money will be delivered by Vito and Guido, and they'll be made an offer that they cannot refuse.
Maybe spammers should start spamming the mob too. Kill two birds with the same stone ?
I guess you're right... But still it would be SO FUN to just watch them make a case out of it... Take it to court, and have a judge laugh it right out.
These copyrights law are outdated, still, they're laws, and unless we start challenging them in court, they'll remain.
I do not know about UK laws, but here in Canada, judges have been known to reward originality in court. Especially when a "small business" goes agains one of the moguls.
Lately, we've even had judges rule in favor of large corps (phone company) opposed to the music Guido & Vincenzo Inc. that tried to impose a fee on high speed internet. I might be wrong tho... Went out for a couple of cold ones, and a couple turned into an orgy of cold ones, and last call was an hour ago. Anyways. My point is that you must fight it. Use a loophole, create one, but fight it. As long as corp will bow down to BPI, *IAA, and co. the law will stand in all it's glorious idiocy.
So what happens, say, if I sell an officialy licensed letterhead sheet of paper bearing the autograph of the corporation's CEO for 9.99$ and as a thank you gift to my esteemed customers, I include a CD or DVD of their choice ?
TANSTAAFL.
Who's forcing them to go to these sites ? Last time I checked, you had access to this smart little "X" button that would close the window.
I'm all for those ads. They dont try and trick you by using faked windows, they just plain make their sales speech, and then you move on. If you dont like it, there are a bunch of other sites around that dont use them.
I beg to differ... In this house, I have three apex players, and one of them is almost 4 year old. I've never had a problem with them, they play whatever we throw at them, and I've never returned one to the store. I've even recommended them to family and friends because they're reliable (in my experience.)
Where do you get your 80% from ?
Let's see here. Red Cross offered us food and shelter when the ice storm hit a few years back. They also used to be in charge of the blood drives which keep my mother alive. I think that's a good trade.
It should but reality is another story. Food, housing, clothing are basic necessities that some of the "inner cities" kids you mention can not even afford.
And when that happens ? Another donation round ? All I'm saying (and I feel like my point is not getting across) is that they're asking for 20K, they can upgrade to a somewhat more stable, faster system. As a "perk" to those who made it possible, they could set up a parallel machine which only the donating members could access... The system overall is more stable, but there is one lonely machine that handles the traffic of those who made it possible. Just like those toll-operated highways. You can still take the other highway, or streets to get somewhere, but if you shell a little, you take the fast lane there.
Those are organizations I've given and am still giving to. They're not relying on a flawed "business plan" (for no other term available for it.)
Did I _ever_ say that the poor kids in inner cities and developping nations (who by the way have other priorities then a wikipedia in mind.) would get different data ? No. I said that those who shell out get access to a dedicated system that will have faster results or whatever, and that the non-paying users get to fight for whatever ressource is left. It makes sense. You get what you pay for. If you dont pay, dont come and complain.
Hard enough for me not to go piss it around on every project that begs for money. I work two jobs and take care of my kid. So I know the value of a dollar, and choose to invest it where it will have direct return on my family. Earning a few bucks for me means time away from my family. Time away from the family is hard. Valuable educational resource is NOT an half-assed web site cobbled up by anyone with access to a keyboard.
And who are you exactly to judge the hardness level of ones earning ? Did anyone name you earnings inspector or something ?
Actually, I kind of agree with the initial poster as lately, everyone seems to be asking for donations to keep their sites up and running.
I do however realise that it's a free ressource and all, but nonetheless, there are other ways to sustain a site, other then asking for donations.
If the product is viable, they can offer consulting for commercial installation, or they could offer a "premium" service where subscriber get access to a dedicated server, while the unwashed get to share whatever's left of the ressource.
But if you're going to come after me for my hard earned money, you better have something to give in exchange for it.
It's a cold way to look at it, but in this economic context, I'd rather spend on something other then someone else's website.
Targus backpacks...
Survived through luggage check-ins, bumpy plane rides, bus, subway, dropped in water and fell off a moving car...
It's the best 100$ I ever invested.
That's why I love NOT living in the US.
Where I come from, if you get fired with undue cause, you have recourse. You take the company in front of the labor commission, and mediate. If mediation fails, you go in front of the Labor minister, and he decides. Decisions range from monetary compensation to full work re-integration... Once you're re-integrated, the company will have a tough time getting rid of you because any dismissal without a foot thick file containing DNA/photographic evidence will be considered retaliation.
While the system is not perfect, it works most of the time, and that's good enough for me.
I'd hate to live someplace where the color of your shirt is ground to dismissal.