I have read all of Dune, and also enjoy these...
on
Dune: House Harkonnen
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· Score: 2
First off, the characters are not that one dimensional as you claim. I grant you that some are, but they are usually fringe characters. The later books in the Dune series had similar characters too, pretty much simple but needed to move plot along.
Now the Ixian prince is interesting because he wants/wanted to do something but never had the chance to learn how to act as he should of. In essence he had to learn his role while Duke Leto learned his. His big problem was that its very hard to learn a role when your actions are constrained such as his. For the most part I think he fell by the wayside as his sister obviously took center stage in the second book.
The books do provide lots and lots of background helping explain how the situation arised in Dune. I don't find them bastardizing the stories, for me they finally fill in the little details that were seemingly missing.
As for the book naming, the authors simply laid down names for the series without regard to the focus of the books. However the second book does concentrate a lot more on Harkonnen people that the first. BUT, where you are confused is that you seem to expect it to concentrate on the Baron, but he is not all that is Harkonnen. Duncan and Gurney are both involved heavily, and their stories are very important to set how the Harknonnen worlds were/are.
As for the Emperor and the Bene Tleilaxu situation is very interesting and folds in well with the last 3 books of original Dune (with artificial spice).
Now the only issue I have with the books is the power exhibited by the Bene Geserits (sp?). To me the current authors have made them too powerful in the aspect of their mental powers. Sorry, but the fact they could detect Rabban in the no-ship was uncalled for and not-canon. It was an ability the sisters did not have in Chapterhouse. If all they had to do was detect people then the issues in Chapterhouse about detecting no-ships would have been a moot point.
I don't mind an organization which can issue its stamp of approval, as long as that approval is not a requirement to exist.
Hence the WHO needs to have someone make sure they don't prevent sites from achieving certification simply because their views are not in total agreement with WHO.
An example of where this would cause trouble. What if a medical site provides good information but strongly discourages abortion, and points out to medical problems that can arise from both proper and improper execution of the medical procedure? Would WHO disapprove? If so, would that be grounds to disallow the use of the.health TLD?
That is the true danger of letting any organization determine the usage of a paticular TLD.
I just read your post, needless to say I had to get off the floor as I fell out of my chair from laughing so hard.
I am amazed you are not so effing ignorant to claim Jeb Bush as to having authored the ballots. I guess you realized you libelous suppositions could only get so far before even stupid people would laugh.
Let me give you some facts, though from your message its obvious you don't like facts.
Palm Beach county is majority Democrat.
The Ballot was created by a Democrat.
The ballot was approved by the Democratic party (and Republican too!)
The DNC/Gore Reps/Etc have managed call the county officials idiots, the person who drew up the ballot an idiot, and all the voters who screwed up idiots.
What do they all have in common?
THEY'RE DEMOCRATS.
Face the facts, the DNC is going to have as many recounts as possible until they can void enough non-Gore ballots to make him win. Repeated handling of ballots is a common tactic to institute fraud. They will simply accidently bend, twist, and tear ballots until they must be replaced with freshly punched ballots (which accidently appear to all be for their candidate)
Anyway you slice it, Gore and his cronies are trying to steal an election. You lay all your claims about Jeb Bush and such yet apparently you are very content that a hand-count is more accurate than a computer count.
Its 19,000 ballots that are invalid, its not 19,000 votes lost. Quit with liberal lie by omission fest.
Al Gore is out to steal the election. The DNC has found Padora's Box, defined as a court decided election, and they show no fear in using it.
Explain to me Jon, how in the hell can we have a secure and accurate system (that I agree we need) when the DNC DEMANDS A HAND-COUNT on the basis a computer is inaccurate?
TELL ME!
Whats wrong the system is that one group has decided that an election is no longer satisfactory unless they win it.
Too many of your "Can we....." are simply the result of technological advances and the desire for their continued occurence. We live in a world that is rapidly leaving a lot of people behind.
However, you fail to realize that there are indeed a great many people just as happy to be left behind as those who must be on the cutting edge.
Can we protect, standardize, legitamize, or organize everything or mostly everything.
NO.
Should we.
NO.
Fact is, most of people in this group who want to insulate, protect, coddle, smother, suffocate, and control are for the most part clotting egomaniacs who don't think anyone can think for themselves. Your own text tells me you are part of this elitist crowd which believes it must think for the poor underprivledge people.
There are cases where help is generally needed, but a lot of the world would cease having a reason to progress, let alone live, if someone was constantly speaking in their head "don't step on the grass", "thats not your money", "tell the policeman everything", "those thoughts are evil"
too hell with your world Jon, I prefer to have a chance to fuck up my own life as well as a chance to make it work.
I doubt any system could be approved before 2012
on
eLection '04
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· Score: 1
I don't see how a system can be designed that would not be challenged by the DNC/NAACP (to me they are the same)
THIS VERY DAY these people are now DEMANDING A HAND COUNTING!
If computer counting is not good enough today, what makes you think that these groups will allow for an automated system as proposed. That system takes too much control out of their hands, let alone the fact its secure. Being secure means less chance of a court allowing a challenge on esoteric claims.
I would love to have a system whereby each every citizen can vote. I would also propose that votes be spread out across 3 days without ANY hint of the current outcome. Basically the fault with our system is that results are being reported, and those results are broadcast to the areas still voting.
The ideas expressed are all very good (especially like that Brazil idea), but honestly it won't fly because it would be the DNC that would not sanction it. (btw - I voted mixed, but no Democrat got my vote)
It seems to be the one great concept that I see many people here failing to realize. Many stories go by with people either screaming that because its free it should be OS, or if its going to be OS it must be free.
What really blows me away is the number of people who deem anything which runs or interacts with an OS product (read OS or any other item) must itself be OS. These same people are then so ignorant to blame companies for not developing more stuff for their pet OS software.
Maybe if its spelled out by someone trusted it may open some of the closed eyes. Open Source advocates are not necessarily open minded.
When he had his press conference. Anyone who believes he intends to allow a recount favor Bush is just ignorant.
KEY WORDS IN SPEECH.
"Even though we won the popular vote" - misquoted I am sure, but why if he is so damn concerned with the EC would he make a POINT to mention this? He seems to be dwelling on it lately!
"Leiberman and I will not contest the results of the recount" paraphrased... I don't have the words... he continued on explaining why the EC must be followed.
Sorry folks, he was playing a political game.
OF COURSE HE ISN'T GOING TO BE THE BAD GUY AND CONTEST THE RECOUNT!
NO SHIT SHERLOCK!
He has the DNC and NAACP to do it for him. Hence his hands are clean. Get the blacks to do his dirty work... it always works.... if you can't win then scream racism
Then by chance, why don't we allow 14 years olds to vote? Why not allow the mentally ill to vote?
I am just amazed at the number of people who back these idiots in Florida. Its beyond reasonable doubt that that many people suddenly came to the conclusion 12 hours later that they voted incorrectly.
Its called the power of persuasion, in other words, the press and DNC has put doubt into the minds of these people, just so they will say what the DNC needs them to say.
Finally, if that don't work, the NAACP is lined up to go their tried and true route... invent racism where it wasn't, all the time conviently ignoring it where it is.
In this age of "sue everyone/anyone for anything/anyhow" it doesn't matter if George Bush actually was the winner in Florida. The DNC and NAACP will not allow a chance to overturn an unfavorable election result to pass them by. They will simply generate what ever evidence they need.
Look at Mo. Flat out, you have to be a resident to run for the office of the US Senate, yet they allowed a DEAD PERSON - meaning he is no longer a resident - to run for office. A CORPSE WON!, and why? Because the democrat govenor promised to give the seat to his wife if won.
Do you honestly think the NAACP or DNC will sue if the recount favors Gore?
It seems to me that the author of this piece is attempting to wake some of the Linux community up. Too much of it is really the painful truth. Even his (or hers) comment on/. was accurate... let alone the fact he/she pinned it on the "average" linux user perfectly... they don't point out why they use Linux, but instead only point out why no one should use windows.
y
This was mentioned by Salon (or one of the other online mags) recently. Vincent Cerf backed Gore up because Cerf is a contributor to the DNC, has been invited to the White House during Clinton's reign, and seemingly sides with many DNC issues.
So take his backing of Gore with a grain of salt, the man is a political lackey
who love nothing more than to slam anyone showing a view other than theirs.
Its flat out amazing to watch them fall in line, they are so damn easily mislead they actually believe democrats are their source of freedom, when in reality democrats only reduce the freedom you have.
I figure Gore is one of the people who believes that Gore "showed initative" in creating the internet and hence sees nothing but goodness from the vice perpetraitor (yes - spelled exactly how I want it)
Bush was right about the influence of content in the net in regards to its effect on the younger generation. Why do I say this?
Simply put, youths are very impressionable, and the younger they are the easier it is. There is a lot of material on the net that is not suitable to these age groups because they don't have the mental capacity to see through some of the outright lies or twists of the truth.
To me, Bush pointed out the fact that he is somewhat attuned to what the general populace feels towards the net. Don't fool yourself and think that the general populace feels otherwise, the general populace IS NOT ON THE NET!
Beware more of what Gore doesn't say... he is more dangerous to the net because I honestly believe that Gore/Lieberman are more likely to enforce the government upon us than Bush/Cheney. Worse, G/L are more likely to use the religous viewpoint to do so. Simply put they have been downright subtle in their religous overtones during the campaign, just look at the groups they purposely go talk to.
No, if your afraid of the what can happen to the net, I suggest you realize that Bush is the least of the troubles we face. At least with Bush we know where some of his ignorance comes from. That we can fight, its Gore where it gets dangerous.
Apparently his problem with VCs is that they are not virtual communism... Without strict guidelines, strict enforcment of guidelines (complete with your super secret moderators who nuke your relevence if you deviate from the norm), and willingness to sacrifice personality you cannot have a VC by his definition.
I say the we already have VCs, and have had them for some time. They have existed since the earliest BBS systems, and continue on today in form of "message forums", conglomerates like AOL, and MMORPG games.
They don't fit your definition in regards to existing without people who disagree with each other. However the do adhere to our current civilization, which is many people with similar intrest, but at the same time not all the same intrests.
So Jon, VCs already exist, quit harping on the fact they don't exist based upon your narrow perspective.
first, its been commonplace for people to buy CDs, records, or tapes after hearing a song on the air. Nothing has changed since those days, the "evil record" companines haven't changed, albums were not magically better back then. Its always been known that you here the GOOD songs on radio, and you get to hear the other stuff when you buy the CD.
However the car dealership analogy is just inane. You already have your test drive, its called RADIO. If you like the song enough buy the CD or CD Single (if you don't want the whole album). The point is that you cannot justify piracy by declaring you don't like the current system.
Jon, I understand you have to kiss-up to the/. crowd, but this is taking the cake. It so deep here now I have to have stilts.
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Most music downloaders aren't thieves or pirates but music lovers willing to pay for music.
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#1. They are still breaking the law by downloading music they don't have rights too. Regardless if they go out and buy it later they are still breaking the law. You cannot circumvent time here.
------
Artists have made more money from this new generation of music lovers than they would have without them.
------
#2. Oooh... I would love to see this proven, ain't no way in hell. What may really be the truth is that previously unheard of bands have made more money, but defintely none of the mainstream bands can be said to have made more money this way.
-------
Record companies and other corporations should be supporting file-sharing sites ratherthan hiring lobbyists and lawyers to intimidate, sue and enrage new and eager customers.
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Yes they should try to promote distribution of LEGALLY DISTRIBUTABLE music and film. However they have every right to shut down any service which does not control the distribution of content that they assist in locating.
Sorry Jon, but distribution of material you don't have copyright to was a crime before the internet and is still a crime.
One other question, just how honest do you think people are who anwser polls? Please tell me, I saw a recent one which the poll asked people who they voted for. The had nearly 80+ percent people who responded to the poll as claiming to have voted, amazing considering less than 40% were registered voters...
So Jon, this article of yours is frightfully stupid. It is a pure kiss-up article, which gleefully ignores facts and instead attempts to pass off as intelligent by blowing smoke up the backsides of readers.
Mod me down, I don't care, but this takes the cake for brown-nosing articles.
Slashdot Mirror
First off, the characters are not that one dimensional as you claim. I grant you that some are, but they are usually fringe characters. The later books in the Dune series had similar characters too, pretty much simple but needed to move plot along.
Now the Ixian prince is interesting because he wants/wanted to do something but never had the chance to learn how to act as he should of. In essence he had to learn his role while Duke Leto learned his. His big problem was that its very hard to learn a role when your actions are constrained such as his. For the most part I think he fell by the wayside as his sister obviously took center stage in the second book.
The books do provide lots and lots of background helping explain how the situation arised in Dune. I don't find them bastardizing the stories, for me they finally fill in the little details that were seemingly missing.
As for the book naming, the authors simply laid down names for the series without regard to the focus of the books. However the second book does concentrate a lot more on Harkonnen people that the first. BUT, where you are confused is that you seem to expect it to concentrate on the Baron, but he is not all that is Harkonnen. Duncan and Gurney are both involved heavily, and their stories are very important to set how the Harknonnen worlds were/are.
As for the Emperor and the Bene Tleilaxu situation is very interesting and folds in well with the last 3 books of original Dune (with artificial spice).
Now the only issue I have with the books is the power exhibited by the Bene Geserits (sp?). To me the current authors have made them too powerful in the aspect of their mental powers. Sorry, but the fact they could detect Rabban in the no-ship was uncalled for and not-canon. It was an ability the sisters did not have in Chapterhouse. If all they had to do was detect people then the issues in Chapterhouse about detecting no-ships would have been a moot point.
I don't mind an organization which can issue its stamp of approval, as long as that approval is not a requirement to exist.
.health TLD?
Hence the WHO needs to have someone make sure they don't prevent sites from achieving certification simply because their views are not in total agreement with WHO.
An example of where this would cause trouble. What if a medical site provides good information but strongly discourages abortion, and points out to medical problems that can arise from both proper and improper execution of the medical procedure? Would WHO disapprove? If so, would that be grounds to disallow the use of the
That is the true danger of letting any organization determine the usage of a paticular TLD.
I just read your post, needless to say I had to get off the floor as I fell out of my chair from laughing so hard.
I am amazed you are not so effing ignorant to claim Jeb Bush as to having authored the ballots. I guess you realized you libelous suppositions could only get so far before even stupid people would laugh.
Let me give you some facts, though from your message its obvious you don't like facts.
Palm Beach county is majority Democrat.
The Ballot was created by a Democrat.
The ballot was approved by the Democratic party (and Republican too!)
The DNC/Gore Reps/Etc have managed call the county officials idiots, the person who drew up the ballot an idiot, and all the voters who screwed up idiots.
What do they all have in common?
THEY'RE DEMOCRATS.
Face the facts, the DNC is going to have as many recounts as possible until they can void enough non-Gore ballots to make him win. Repeated handling of ballots is a common tactic to institute fraud. They will simply accidently bend, twist, and tear ballots until they must be replaced with freshly punched ballots (which accidently appear to all be for their candidate)
Anyway you slice it, Gore and his cronies are trying to steal an election. You lay all your claims about Jeb Bush and such yet apparently you are very content that a hand-count is more accurate than a computer count.
Go away.
Its 19,000 ballots that are invalid, its not 19,000 votes lost. Quit with liberal lie by omission fest.
Al Gore is out to steal the election. The DNC has found Padora's Box, defined as a court decided election, and they show no fear in using it.
Explain to me Jon, how in the hell can we have a secure and accurate system (that I agree we need) when the DNC DEMANDS A HAND-COUNT on the basis a computer is inaccurate?
TELL ME!
Whats wrong the system is that one group has decided that an election is no longer satisfactory unless they win it.
Too many of your "Can we....." are simply the result of technological advances and the desire for their continued occurence. We live in a world that is rapidly leaving a lot of people behind.
However, you fail to realize that there are indeed a great many people just as happy to be left behind as those who must be on the cutting edge.
Can we protect, standardize, legitamize, or organize everything or mostly everything.
NO.
Should we.
NO.
Fact is, most of people in this group who want to insulate, protect, coddle, smother, suffocate, and control are for the most part clotting egomaniacs who don't think anyone can think for themselves. Your own text tells me you are part of this elitist crowd which believes it must think for the poor underprivledge people.
There are cases where help is generally needed, but a lot of the world would cease having a reason to progress, let alone live, if someone was constantly speaking in their head "don't step on the grass", "thats not your money", "tell the policeman everything", "those thoughts are evil"
too hell with your world Jon, I prefer to have a chance to fuck up my own life as well as a chance to make it work.
I don't see how a system can be designed that would not be challenged by the DNC/NAACP (to me they are the same)
THIS VERY DAY these people are now DEMANDING A HAND COUNTING!
If computer counting is not good enough today, what makes you think that these groups will allow for an automated system as proposed. That system takes too much control out of their hands, let alone the fact its secure. Being secure means less chance of a court allowing a challenge on esoteric claims.
I would love to have a system whereby each every citizen can vote. I would also propose that votes be spread out across 3 days without ANY hint of the current outcome. Basically the fault with our system is that results are being reported, and those results are broadcast to the areas still voting.
The ideas expressed are all very good (especially like that Brazil idea), but honestly it won't fly because it would be the DNC that would not sanction it. (btw - I voted mixed, but no Democrat got my vote)
It seems to be the one great concept that I see many people here failing to realize. Many stories go by with people either screaming that because its free it should be OS, or if its going to be OS it must be free.
What really blows me away is the number of people who deem anything which runs or interacts with an OS product (read OS or any other item) must itself be OS. These same people are then so ignorant to blame companies for not developing more stuff for their pet OS software.
Maybe if its spelled out by someone trusted it may open some of the closed eyes. Open Source advocates are not necessarily open minded.
When he had his press conference. Anyone who believes he intends to allow a recount favor Bush is just ignorant.
KEY WORDS IN SPEECH.
"Even though we won the popular vote" - misquoted I am sure, but why if he is so damn concerned with the EC would he make a POINT to mention this? He seems to be dwelling on it lately!
"Leiberman and I will not contest the results of the recount" paraphrased... I don't have the words... he continued on explaining why the EC must be followed.
Sorry folks, he was playing a political game.
OF COURSE HE ISN'T GOING TO BE THE BAD GUY AND CONTEST THE RECOUNT!
NO SHIT SHERLOCK!
He has the DNC and NAACP to do it for him. Hence his hands are clean. Get the blacks to do his dirty work... it always works.... if you can't win then scream racism
Then by chance, why don't we allow 14 years olds to vote? Why not allow the mentally ill to vote?
I am just amazed at the number of people who back these idiots in Florida. Its beyond reasonable doubt that that many people suddenly came to the conclusion 12 hours later that they voted incorrectly.
Its called the power of persuasion, in other words, the press and DNC has put doubt into the minds of these people, just so they will say what the DNC needs them to say.
Finally, if that don't work, the NAACP is lined up to go their tried and true route... invent racism where it wasn't, all the time conviently ignoring it where it is.
In this age of "sue everyone/anyone for anything/anyhow" it doesn't matter if George Bush actually was the winner in Florida. The DNC and NAACP will not allow a chance to overturn an unfavorable election result to pass them by. They will simply generate what ever evidence they need. Look at Mo. Flat out, you have to be a resident to run for the office of the US Senate, yet they allowed a DEAD PERSON - meaning he is no longer a resident - to run for office. A CORPSE WON!, and why? Because the democrat govenor promised to give the seat to his wife if won. Do you honestly think the NAACP or DNC will sue if the recount favors Gore?
It seems to me that the author of this piece is attempting to wake some of the Linux community up. Too much of it is really the painful truth. Even his (or hers) comment on /. was accurate... let alone the fact he/she pinned it on the "average" linux user perfectly ... they don't point out why they use Linux, but instead only point out why no one should use windows.
y
This was mentioned by Salon (or one of the other online mags) recently. Vincent Cerf backed Gore up because Cerf is a contributor to the DNC, has been invited to the White House during Clinton's reign, and seemingly sides with many DNC issues. So take his backing of Gore with a grain of salt, the man is a political lackey
who love nothing more than to slam anyone showing a view other than theirs. Its flat out amazing to watch them fall in line, they are so damn easily mislead they actually believe democrats are their source of freedom, when in reality democrats only reduce the freedom you have.
I figure Gore is one of the people who believes that Gore "showed initative" in creating the internet and hence sees nothing but goodness from the vice perpetraitor (yes - spelled exactly how I want it) Bush was right about the influence of content in the net in regards to its effect on the younger generation. Why do I say this? Simply put, youths are very impressionable, and the younger they are the easier it is. There is a lot of material on the net that is not suitable to these age groups because they don't have the mental capacity to see through some of the outright lies or twists of the truth. To me, Bush pointed out the fact that he is somewhat attuned to what the general populace feels towards the net. Don't fool yourself and think that the general populace feels otherwise, the general populace IS NOT ON THE NET! Beware more of what Gore doesn't say... he is more dangerous to the net because I honestly believe that Gore/Lieberman are more likely to enforce the government upon us than Bush/Cheney. Worse, G/L are more likely to use the religous viewpoint to do so. Simply put they have been downright subtle in their religous overtones during the campaign, just look at the groups they purposely go talk to. No, if your afraid of the what can happen to the net, I suggest you realize that Bush is the least of the troubles we face. At least with Bush we know where some of his ignorance comes from. That we can fight, its Gore where it gets dangerous.
Apparently his problem with VCs is that they are not virtual communism... Without strict guidelines, strict enforcment of guidelines (complete with your super secret moderators who nuke your relevence if you deviate from the norm), and willingness to sacrifice personality you cannot have a VC by his definition.
I say the we already have VCs, and have had them for some time. They have existed since the earliest BBS systems, and continue on today in form of "message forums", conglomerates like AOL, and MMORPG games.
They don't fit your definition in regards to existing without people who disagree with each other. However the do adhere to our current civilization, which is many people with similar intrest, but at the same time not all the same intrests.
So Jon, VCs already exist, quit harping on the fact they don't exist based upon your narrow perspective.
first, its been commonplace for people to buy CDs, records, or tapes after hearing a song on the air. Nothing has changed since those days, the "evil record" companines haven't changed, albums were not magically better back then. Its always been known that you here the GOOD songs on radio, and you get to hear the other stuff when you buy the CD.
However the car dealership analogy is just inane. You already have your test drive, its called RADIO. If you like the song enough buy the CD or CD Single (if you don't want the whole album). The point is that you cannot justify piracy by declaring you don't like the current system.
Jon, I understand you have to kiss-up to the /. crowd, but this is taking the cake. It so deep here now I have to have stilts.
-------
Most music downloaders aren't thieves or pirates but music lovers willing to pay for music.
-------
#1. They are still breaking the law by downloading music they don't have rights too. Regardless if they go out and buy it later they are still breaking the law. You cannot circumvent time here.
------
Artists have made more money from this new generation of music lovers than they would have without them.
------
#2. Oooh... I would love to see this proven, ain't no way in hell. What may really be the truth is that previously unheard of bands have made more money, but defintely none of the mainstream bands can be said to have made more money this way.
-------
Record companies and other corporations should be supporting file-sharing sites ratherthan hiring lobbyists and lawyers to intimidate, sue and enrage new and eager customers.
-------
Yes they should try to promote distribution of LEGALLY DISTRIBUTABLE music and film. However they have every right to shut down any service which does not control the distribution of content that they assist in locating.
Sorry Jon, but distribution of material you don't have copyright to was a crime before the internet and is still a crime.
One other question, just how honest do you think people are who anwser polls? Please tell me, I saw a recent one which the poll asked people who they voted for. The had nearly 80+ percent people who responded to the poll as claiming to have voted, amazing considering less than 40% were registered voters...
So Jon, this article of yours is frightfully stupid. It is a pure kiss-up article, which gleefully ignores facts and instead attempts to pass off as intelligent by blowing smoke up the backsides of readers.
Mod me down, I don't care, but this takes the cake for brown-nosing articles.