1.-Think Medicis 2.-It ain't racist, or even quasi-racist, if it's so. At that point it's an uncomfortable truth for the politically correct. 3.-Way of life. Culture. What's the diff? 4.-Oprah. 5.-I'm have a barbeque tomorrow. Fatty meat and Budweiser. Yummy.
Th point is that in most of the world, life is mostly vicious, bloody, and short, except for a small elite that occasionally also sponsors the art that becomes viewed as the culture.
America's broken that. The culture is actually in the hands of the middle class, which has totally bought into life as the pursuit of happiness.
Mod me "Off Topic" if you will, but...
on
The Last Place
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I've had it up to here (hand waving just over top of head) with people dissing American "culture", as it's always put.
Let's face it, what passes for culture in, say, Northern Europe is the art produced to the taste of a small elite that maintained its position through violence and threats of violence.
In much of the rest of the world, what passes for culture involves things like clitorectomy, honor killing of women, huge rates of infant mortality, etc.
What's America got by comparison? Well, an empowered middle class that gets to do pretty much what it wants. Hence we have backyard barbeques, tailgate parties, Budweiser, The Simpsons, large bellies, and early cholesterol death.
And guess what? We like it like that!
Now, don't get me wrong, there is room in the fringes for the next Mozart. In fact, bring it on! If we like it, we'll make you a multi-millionaire.
You see, that's the beauty of American culture: it's a total democracy of taste, and the mob gets to vote with its pocket book.
Now, I know that the elites in other parts of the world just totally gnash their teeth at this. That's what elites do when confronted with deomcracy.
It's a book by Alan Coren. It includes a sendup of 1984 which reveals the fundamental fallacy in Orwell's vision of the future: it assumes that the Big Brother state functions with perfect efficiency.
Well, ok, everyone's into the EU for what they can get out of it:
1. The French want the German banking system
2. The Germans want French nukes
3. The Irish want out of England's political orbit
4. Ditto the Portugese and Spain
5. The Poles want in on the CAP
etc., etc.
But, ultimately, it's the French and their centuries of experience with bureaucracy who will win out. Who else has an ENA?
I fully expect the next 400 years of European history to be a replay of the last 400. (Well, maybe things will be rearranged a little. Who wants to be Jewish in France these days?)
1. Bill's out of his gourd if he thinks telling the Europeans that OSS is anti-capitalist will get him anywhere. If anything it'll ensure the Europeans go more into the OSS camp.
2. Is anyone worried about this tendency within the EU towards standardization and centralization? I mean, the French definitely want things back as they were in 1680, or thereabouts, with France in control of the continent. Does anyone think it's time for Europe to acquire a Bureau of Sabotage?
NPR is finding itself in trouble with Jewish groups who see NPR's policy of "balance" as little more than sponsorship of Palestinian terror against Israel.
The United States of America is the world's last hope. Read it and weap, CO2 breathers.
Nowhere here will you find demands for female clitorectomy, nor male circumcision, nor destruction of those who believe not in Allah, the Green Future, nor Socialism. Beyond our borders, well, there be dragons.
As a result we are hated by Usama, the Foes of Pym, The Friends of Pym, The Friends of the Spotted Owl, et al.
Ho hum. Thus the fate of the last defenders of reason.
Fortunately, we're armed. And we have the WTC as guidance.
Adopt ye'r treaties, ye mighty Europeans (you know, ye that surrendered at the first shot of WWIII). We'll be sipping umbrella drinks when the sands cover all but ye'r highest monuments to ye'r own greatness (Oui, j'include la Defense, you sack of decadent scum).
Moderator makes comment implying that the President of the U.S. would attempt to boost his ratings by going to war with Iraq.
Iraq. You know, Saddam Hussein's playground. The place where the ruler gets to gas his citizens, invade his neighbours, and sponsor international terrorism.
I point out the sickness of the implication and *I'm* modded down?
Slashdot Mirror
I'm staking out a place in a bog near Clifden.
The Bridge on the Rive Kwai
Dr. Zhivago
Lawrence of Arabia (oh yeah!)
in fact, pretty much anything by David Lean.
1.-Think Medicis
2.-It ain't racist, or even quasi-racist, if it's so. At that point it's an uncomfortable truth for the politically correct.
3.-Way of life. Culture. What's the diff?
4.-Oprah.
5.-I'm have a barbeque tomorrow. Fatty meat and Budweiser. Yummy.
Th point is that in most of the world, life is mostly vicious, bloody, and short, except for a small elite that occasionally also sponsors the art that becomes viewed as the culture.
America's broken that. The culture is actually in the hands of the middle class, which has totally bought into life as the pursuit of happiness.
I've had it up to here (hand waving just over top of head) with people dissing American "culture", as it's always put.
Let's face it, what passes for culture in, say, Northern Europe is the art produced to the taste of a small elite that maintained its position through violence and threats of violence.
In much of the rest of the world, what passes for culture involves things like clitorectomy, honor killing of women, huge rates of infant mortality, etc.
What's America got by comparison? Well, an empowered middle class that gets to do pretty much what it wants. Hence we have backyard barbeques, tailgate parties, Budweiser, The Simpsons, large bellies, and early cholesterol death.
And guess what? We like it like that!
Now, don't get me wrong, there is room in the fringes for the next Mozart. In fact, bring it on! If we like it, we'll make you a multi-millionaire.
You see, that's the beauty of American culture: it's a total democracy of taste, and the mob gets to vote with its pocket book.
Now, I know that the elites in other parts of the world just totally gnash their teeth at this. That's what elites do when confronted with deomcracy.
Well, get used to it.
It looks like Africa, through AIDS and misgovernance, is about to experience massive depopulation.
Does anyone know of a commercial outfit that's preparing to recolonize afterwards?
Irish music, pints, 24 hours a day.
Who has time for Linux?
It's a book by Alan Coren. It includes a sendup of 1984 which reveals the fundamental fallacy in Orwell's vision of the future: it assumes that the Big Brother state functions with perfect efficiency.
Just like the governments we know and love.
Marc! Marc Fleury! Vous etes trop age! Restez ici a Atlanta, et gagnez un grand vie!
to find that Micro$oft marketing is behind this.
Well, ok, everyone's into the EU for what they can get out of it:
1. The French want the German banking system
2. The Germans want French nukes
3. The Irish want out of England's political orbit
4. Ditto the Portugese and Spain
5. The Poles want in on the CAP
etc., etc.
But, ultimately, it's the French and their centuries of experience with bureaucracy who will win out. Who else has an ENA?
I fully expect the next 400 years of European history to be a replay of the last 400. (Well, maybe things will be rearranged a little. Who wants to be Jewish in France these days?)
2. Is anyone worried about this tendency within the EU towards standardization and centralization? I mean, the French definitely want things back as they were in 1680, or thereabouts, with France in control of the continent. Does anyone think it's time for Europe to acquire a Bureau of Sabotage?
My choice would be Trillian
"almost-implemented-ok AWT"?
Are you serious?
Bill, your skirts are showing.
a Beowulf cluster, etc., etc.
NPR is finding itself in trouble with Jewish groups who see NPR's policy of "balance" as little more than sponsorship of Palestinian terror against Israel.
...Robert Mugabe hangs out?
You know, murder, rape, and dispossess all the white farmers Robert Mugabe.
And people are surprised by this?!
...is spinning in his grave.
Or perhaps not. After all, he did predict that the Republic would last until the masses realized they could vote themselves bread and circuses.
To that, I'll add "Or Microsoft can buy FUD in his name."
Europe is one of those political unions that goes from fairly liberal democracy to fascist police state without an intervening period of civilization.
The United States of America is the world's last hope. Read it and weap, CO2 breathers.
Nowhere here will you find demands for female clitorectomy, nor male circumcision, nor destruction of those who believe not in Allah, the Green Future, nor Socialism. Beyond our borders, well, there be dragons.
As a result we are hated by Usama, the Foes of Pym, The Friends of Pym, The Friends of the Spotted Owl, et al.
Ho hum. Thus the fate of the last defenders of reason.
Fortunately, we're armed. And we have the WTC as guidance.
Adopt ye'r treaties, ye mighty Europeans (you know, ye that surrendered at the first shot of WWIII). We'll be sipping umbrella drinks when the sands cover all but ye'r highest monuments to ye'r own greatness (Oui, j'include la Defense, you sack of decadent scum).
Ozymandias
--
Moderator makes comment implying that the President of the U.S. would attempt to boost his ratings by going to war with Iraq.
Iraq. You know, Saddam Hussein's playground. The place where the ruler gets to gas his citizens, invade his neighbours, and sponsor international terrorism.
I point out the sickness of the implication and *I'm* modded down?
Sick, I say. Sick.
Having a clue-free day, are we?
Sick little puppy, aren't you?
...and I ran Microsoft, I'd build my own little DoD. $40 billion would go a long way to giving me some pretty sharp teeth.
Then I'd declare my sovreignty and dare the DoJ, etc., to do its worst.
Is it a takeoff on the Irish myth of The Salmon of Knowledge?
OK, it's not a piece of Linux software, but it is a beautful idea:
http://www.creo.com/sixdegrees/