Back when my life had less direction, I used to blow half my wages at Aladin's Castle and the rest buying games for my C64. Now I throw kind of money at my bicycles so I can go out and suffer in the sun, wind and rain. Still, you can't beat rocketing down a hill with 100 other riders for pure adrenaline rush.
I'll just wait a couple years and pick up an XBox at a garage sale for $25.
So what kind of loss is Microsoft taking now to ship these things?
If they already sold the X-Box for below cost, wouldn't this just hurt them further?
Wait 10 years for when grown up kids start discovering they've got all sorts of physical maladies associated with repetitive stress from video gaming and start suing the game makers, same as with tobacco and guns.
I think i'm losing feeling in my right thumb. Could it be all the times I hit it with a hammer or a fire button injury?
today is the first day of the rest of your litigous life
Slashdot has officially jumped the shark when......it starts trumpeting quotes from rappers as news.
P.Diddy: "[I] believe that the system's cultural influence as a social entertainment brand has only just begun."
Considering the source of this wonderful social commentary, I find nothing wrong with slashdot and everything wrong with anyone whom the quote holds true. P. Diddy, a Nobel candidate ain't.
There's only one game I'd like to play on the Xbox, so adding the $149 to the price of the game (which I haven't priced lately) comes in well above the threshold for fiscal pain.
Years ago, when I lived in the home city of a large multi-national corporation, there was a Green Peace protest. A few GP folk set up shop in town to protest various past and/or present activities of the giant. Seems a local sheriff and the corporation shared some intelligence information while investigating these people. Who they were, who the were known to sleep with, what they ate, etc. A serious gaffe. Heads rolled (probably a few just for appearances) and Green Peace brought their lawyers in (who are no strangers to this sort of thing.) Suits filed, etc. Terribly ugly stuff.
That was then, 20 years ago or so. Now business and government are unabashed about doing something like this. How far we've come.
I mean, seriously, man--why get worked up about politics when you're throwing a party?
Can't take credit for this theme, it's borrowed from some short sci-fi story or stories I've read in the past. There was a good bit in the early Heavy Metals on a Captain Future selffullfilling prophecy.
"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will
slip through your fingers."
One of these days I'm just going to tear off into the woods and live Thoreau-style, because it seems like the radicals are the only people having fun these days.
Remember that off-the-cuff troll you fired off on some blog or newsgroup years ago?
The one where you joked
about blowing something up, poisoning the town watersupply or leaving a flaming bag of poop on the mayor's doorstep? It
was just a youthful indiscretion, which anyone could make after a few beers or a blunt. It wasn't meant to be
taken seriously. There were not pipe bombs under your bed or fatigues and a gun in your closet. You'd rather be
shooting the shit with friends at the mall than shooting people from the trunk of a parked car. Years pass and
you have met that special someone and settled down to a mortgage, a couple auto loans, putting some money away for
college funds and that sporty little red "mid-life crisis" Then one day you're called into the Human Resources department. There are
a couple serious looking men in suits waiting there to meet you.
It seems on a routine check your name came up. You had started or participated in a thread that someone else did.
That someone else just blew up a bus in Tel Aviv.
Remember that off-the-cuff troll you fired off on some blog or newsgroup years ago? Someone did.
People accuse of Sharon of being cruel, but nothing outmatches the sheer barbarism of terrorist groups.
The root of the problem is the hardliners on either side.
Unfortunately for many israelies, the hardliners (who generally don't serve in the army for religious reasons!) have big families and control the majority of the vote. Their view is the land belongs to them and they'd be just as happy with every palestinian dead or evicted. Each leader starts out with a hard line then, as Sharon is learning, discovers that approach only achieves more bloodshed and starts working towards practical solutions. The hardliners get mad at the turncoat and dump him for another who goes through the same education.
Unfortunately for many palestinians, the hardliners (who usually don't tied the bombs to themselves, but sucker others into doing it) control the public through fear and repression. We these people in charge it would be a theocracy no less than the Taliban.
The moderates on each side need to oust the hardliners, however as it always seems to be, hardliners are more motivated.
It won't get better until the UN or someone else wades in there and straightens the mess out, which the US being on the security council will block at every turn.
There was this nice quote I heard once, sorry can't properly attribute it, but was something to the effect of, "just because science can create such a thing doesn't mean we should", and for that matter if we can build it, should we use it? Somehow the USA avoided nuclear war in the past, but we seem far more advanced at creating weapons than avoiding need of them.
some bored geek designed the microdrones to spy on the hot chics in those apartment complexes and then had to give it up to the military when he was caught.
Radio Controlled Spy Plane: $$$
Building a jammer from readily available electronics parts: Priceless
Fly through window, Then EXPLODE... Now That would be cool.
I think there was a Doonesbury strip about this years ago, where a cruise missile was flying in and out of windows, up stairs and so on. The punchline was something to the effect that it missed the intended target by a few blocks, but still it was pretty cool to the controllers.
While I'm postive this will lead to heated debate, flames and trolls regarding the
situation in Palestine. I think it's very clever and resourceful to develop inexpensive
methods of reconnaissance. But as these things buzz around they'd be hard to overlook.
Maybe the next time the Israeli Army assasinates a
palistinian they can do it with a poison needle or dart on one of these things
instead of firing air-to-ground missiles. What's to stop the palestinians from doing likewise?
Preferably they'd eliminate the need for such things by reigning in their own
hardline elements demands and work toward peace.
I don't know if it's just me, but doesn't the first model in the set of pictures (Nomad Augmented Vision System) look like some random Borg like creature with her headset and red-eye?
Usually women's fashions require accessories. These require attachements and upgrades. Finally, something to bring geeks and models together!
There's also the idea that an informed person is also intelligent enough to have excuses ready when asked if they cant serve.
I do NOT recommend trying to weasel out of jury duty. If you have a reason, (i.e. related to a witness or either party), judges will release you, no problem. If you try to excuse yourself with some flimsy thing like 'opposition to death penalty' you may be surprised to find how judges feel about people uninterested in committment to their own community. Contempt comes to mind. The judge I sat before, during my jury selection process had some harsh words for a couple people who tried to weasel out and made it clear such a behavior could bring its own penalty. I don't expect all judges are like that, but be forewarned that some are. If not you on the jury, they whom?
When jury duty called, I was lucky enough to have a copy of Larry Lessig's new book, Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity, to take along.
Did being informed on some subject get you out of jury duty?
When I sat through my jury selection process it seemed those who were well informed got the boot. Either side could choose to excuse someone too informed to make their chosen impression on.
The first TV I can remember was a floor model (25") B&W, with the family crowded around it watching JFK's funeral procession.
I spent a good many years watching that set and actually being oblivious to the switch to color (when we got another floor model) I wonder about the radiation I was exposed to from that first set, as radiation concerns were pretty lax back then.
Very nice. I wonder how the folks at MS felt reading a quote saying that this was "nothing to do with Microsoft" attributed to a man with the most unfortunate name of Fink?
I think 'Fink' has become rather archaic in the use of labeling someone a turncoat. It will probably mean little outside USA/GBR.
These computers should be a big hit where budgets are tight, and proprietary operating systems and software have a tougher job of making inroads. The undercurrent of recent events is that many outside the USA see it as vital not to be chained to a US corporation, which makes arbitrary decisions about what's needed in an 'operating system' and rolls out a new model every few years maintain steady revenue, even bulldozing existing markets for products now bundled.
I suspect Microsoft is really secretly working on their own Linux distro and wonder when we'll see it. What better way to steer the ship than to be a captain.
Is that why I have two loyalty cards on my keyring and three more in my wallet?
Apparently you like to save a little money. I can testify that they still let you check out even without your loyalty card.
"This is not the customer you are looking for." "This isn't the customer we are looking for."
"He can go about his business." "You can go about your business."
"Move along." "Move along!"
Slashdot Mirror
I'll just wait a couple years and pick up an XBox at a garage sale for $25.
If they already sold the X-Box for below cost, wouldn't this just hurt them further?
Wait 10 years for when grown up kids start discovering they've got all sorts of physical maladies associated with repetitive stress from video gaming and start suing the game makers, same as with tobacco and guns.
I think i'm losing feeling in my right thumb. Could it be all the times I hit it with a hammer or a fire button injury?
today is the first day of the rest of your litigous life
Thank goodness my old Amiga 2000 still works :-)
Years ago, when I lived in the home city of a large multi-national corporation, there was a Green Peace protest. A few GP folk set up shop in town to protest various past and/or present activities of the giant. Seems a local sheriff and the corporation shared some intelligence information while investigating these people. Who they were, who the were known to sleep with, what they ate, etc. A serious gaffe. Heads rolled (probably a few just for appearances) and Green Peace brought their lawyers in (who are no strangers to this sort of thing.) Suits filed, etc. Terribly ugly stuff.
That was then, 20 years ago or so. Now business and government are unabashed about doing something like this. How far we've come.
Can't take credit for this theme, it's borrowed from some short sci-fi story or stories I've read in the past. There was a good bit in the early Heavy Metals on a Captain Future selffullfilling prophecy.
"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."
Careful, that's how Ted Kaczynski got started.
The one where you joked about blowing something up, poisoning the town watersupply or leaving a flaming bag of poop on the mayor's doorstep? It was just a youthful indiscretion, which anyone could make after a few beers or a blunt. It wasn't meant to be taken seriously. There were not pipe bombs under your bed or fatigues and a gun in your closet. You'd rather be shooting the shit with friends at the mall than shooting people from the trunk of a parked car. Years pass and you have met that special someone and settled down to a mortgage, a couple auto loans, putting some money away for college funds and that sporty little red "mid-life crisis" Then one day you're called into the Human Resources department. There are a couple serious looking men in suits waiting there to meet you. It seems on a routine check your name came up. You had started or participated in a thread that someone else did. That someone else just blew up a bus in Tel Aviv.
Remember that off-the-cuff troll you fired off on some blog or newsgroup years ago? Someone did.
The root of the problem is the hardliners on either side.
Unfortunately for many israelies, the hardliners (who generally don't serve in the army for religious reasons!) have big families and control the majority of the vote. Their view is the land belongs to them and they'd be just as happy with every palestinian dead or evicted. Each leader starts out with a hard line then, as Sharon is learning, discovers that approach only achieves more bloodshed and starts working towards practical solutions. The hardliners get mad at the turncoat and dump him for another who goes through the same education.
Unfortunately for many palestinians, the hardliners (who usually don't tied the bombs to themselves, but sucker others into doing it) control the public through fear and repression. We these people in charge it would be a theocracy no less than the Taliban.
The moderates on each side need to oust the hardliners, however as it always seems to be, hardliners are more motivated.
It won't get better until the UN or someone else wades in there and straightens the mess out, which the US being on the security council will block at every turn.
7. Site is slashdotted.
There was this nice quote I heard once, sorry can't properly attribute it, but was something to the effect of, "just because science can create such a thing doesn't mean we should", and for that matter if we can build it, should we use it? Somehow the USA avoided nuclear war in the past, but we seem far more advanced at creating weapons than avoiding need of them.
Perhaps he could consult with William Bennett regarding virtue and gambling.
Radio Controlled Spy Plane: $$$
Building a jammer from readily available electronics parts: Priceless
I think there was a Doonesbury strip about this years ago, where a cruise missile was flying in and out of windows, up stairs and so on. The punchline was something to the effect that it missed the intended target by a few blocks, but still it was pretty cool to the controllers.
Preferably they'd eliminate the need for such things by reigning in their own hardline elements demands and work toward peace.
No justice, no peace.
Know justice, know peace.
now what am I supposed to do with 10 gallons of tar and a sack of feathers?
Usually women's fashions require accessories. These require attachements and upgrades. Finally, something to bring geeks and models together!
Oh, wait, that's the divorce tactic.
What the heck, it'd probably work for spammers, too.
I do NOT recommend trying to weasel out of jury duty. If you have a reason, (i.e. related to a witness or either party), judges will release you, no problem. If you try to excuse yourself with some flimsy thing like 'opposition to death penalty' you may be surprised to find how judges feel about people uninterested in committment to their own community. Contempt comes to mind. The judge I sat before, during my jury selection process had some harsh words for a couple people who tried to weasel out and made it clear such a behavior could bring its own penalty. I don't expect all judges are like that, but be forewarned that some are. If not you on the jury, they whom?
Did being informed on some subject get you out of jury duty?
When I sat through my jury selection process it seemed those who were well informed got the boot. Either side could choose to excuse someone too informed to make their chosen impression on.
So it goes within a free society.
I don't watch TV.
I work on my computer.
I'm an above average adult.
I spent a good many years watching that set and actually being oblivious to the switch to color (when we got another floor model) I wonder about the radiation I was exposed to from that first set, as radiation concerns were pretty lax back then.
What is this? Solving solutions back into problems?
I think 'Fink' has become rather archaic in the use of labeling someone a turncoat. It will probably mean little outside USA/GBR.
These computers should be a big hit where budgets are tight, and proprietary operating systems and software have a tougher job of making inroads. The undercurrent of recent events is that many outside the USA see it as vital not to be chained to a US corporation, which makes arbitrary decisions about what's needed in an 'operating system' and rolls out a new model every few years maintain steady revenue, even bulldozing existing markets for products now bundled.
I suspect Microsoft is really secretly working on their own Linux distro and wonder when we'll see it. What better way to steer the ship than to be a captain.
Apparently you like to save a little money. I can testify that they still let you check out even without your loyalty card.
"This is not the customer you are looking for."
"This isn't the customer we are looking for."
"He can go about his business."
"You can go about your business."
"Move along."
"Move along!"