I noticed a lot of people say that I needed to learn Spanish, or needed to realize that is the system and that I am a spoiled yankee bastard.
The funniest part of it is that I speak much better with my public education Spanish than most college educated do. I watch Spanish television daily (admittedly for the hot chicks too, BUSTED!). I speak it in Mexico. I also realize that it is "the system" as well. I am wary about the cops, but exceedingly happy to see such an interesting place. Cozumel was beautiful. You should be very proud just because it is so nice. Also, there have been in my history about 5 belligerent Mexicans I have met outside of thousands. Mostly I just see them kill themselves to give their kids the gift of America. Just like my ancestors did in Jamestown. So there you go. That is Mayan happiness for you. The work hard AND smile while doing it.
So on the fact that many of your people almost drown themselves to live in the USA, I say gracias, after all our cultures are too similar to worry about anything more than the money difference. It is a wonderful compliment. For you to admit that the police are crooked, thank you again. Most people would have gotten mad about it and called me a yankee bastard.
You know what? In this day and age I am just overjoyed that the Mexican government doesn't have Al-Qaida in its borders, or that the average Mexican citizen is not burning the USA flag in the streets. SO... short of a little street level corruption... MEXICO IS FINE BY ME.
Keep your chin up, amigo.
And thank you.
Ahhh, the old screw you foreigner tax.
on
Add-Ons Add Up
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· Score: 4, Interesting
My mother in law was in Mexico on a tiny little island, and as the plane was about to take off, the military and police stopped it for not having the official duties paid, this amounted to going seat to seat and getting 15 USD for every person. Needless to say they all had the cash to pay, but never told a soul that there was an issue about it until the plane was ready to take off. No one ever saw one official document. Hmmmm...
*Cough*. B-S. *Cough*.
My boss, who worked for CNN for decades was recently in Mexico, and he just keeps a wad of cash with him when he pulls out his news camera to work down there. I'd say about 1/3 of the people that I have talked to about Mexico have been shaken down by the police because they are foreign.
Needless to say, I went to Mexico. Great place. Same place as the relatives. No plane fee for me leaving. Surprise. But you can bank it that I had at least 50 USD for me and my wife when we got on the plane.
After all, in Mexico policing is a for profit business. You should assume like I do that the police are massively crooked whenever you go to a foreign nation, and be surprised when they are not.
Actually most people CAN'T read. Look anywhere for literacy stats, it is disgusting.
Really? You must be talking about Saudi Arabia. Or "developed" parts of Africa where literacy reaches a whopping 50%.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107947.html
Because around here in the USA, functional literacy is probably as high as it is going to go... considering that some people can't be trained to tie their shoes if they don't want to.
SO... please refrain from the literacy rate argument. There are whole load of opportunities to read in the USA or most other highly industrialized nations. So for those that can't read (or refuse to sit still long enough to learn), there is either a reading disorder, or there is an issue somewhere that doesn't accurately reflect on our efforts. Don' tblame the system. It isn't perfect, but many people won't read for a thousand reasons other than the reading programs.
But honestly, this will be difficult to regulate. And more than likely the pedophiles and grown men that cruise with names like Soccergirl342 will be there in masse. The way things are going now, the FBI is going to have to be in every chat room.
God, I hope that they do something right for a change on the internet before some place like adultsexplayhouse.com or donkeysweat.org decides to move into the kid market... and sue ICANN for "their rightful domain name" on.kids for kidsfun.kids.
So for all of you/.ers that think this is crap, or have some nutty agenda about having a kids safe internet, I suggest you go play legos with your cousins today, and then think about if they are mentally prepared yet for what some of these bastards will plan to do with them. You'll change your mind soon enough.
Gawsh... they're right. With all of this revenue shortfall, there is no way the poor bastards can stay afloat. They REALLY NEED THE MONEY.
And here I was thinking that up to 30+% of my income including a new rate for assets (federal), slightly less than 10% of all of my purchases (State of TN), and outrageous property taxes (local) was enough to keep our precious little system working.
Yeah, they need the money. To pay for crack whore children medical bills and illegal immigrant non-English language education. To pay for a bunch of government losers that come in every day late and leave at 4:20 in the afternoon, and work hours that make a banker envious. To pay for peanut farmer subsidies. To pay for the fact that GM didn't pay any taxes last year.... not a dollar.
(INTO LARGE BULLHORN)
"Thank you all for coming to the party. To the ones that are just arriving, I'd like to say welcome, the revolt has already started without you. All are welcome. Pitchforks are to the left, torches are to the right."
We need to find agents as alternatives to the media companies who can perform this filtering function and discover good talent for the consumers who can't afford to do the search themselves.
I guarantee that the record labels ARE doing this... after all, finding good new talent is a great for them, when they can get them on the cheap.
As a person that is a journalist that covers the music beat in Nashville, TN, I bet you there is an A&R man that is sitting in his office right now saying to himself, "DAMN! I need to find more unique, interesting, fresh talent that doesn't suck so that I can make a lot of money selling a lot of people new albums." Honestly, music is so subjective and fickle that there really is no way to know.
The real problem is for established artists. The record companies keep pumping out their next thing that sounds like the last thing because they cannot afford to deal with the fickle realities of the public. Mostly it is the fact that the public likes to know what they are getting. IT TAKES TIME FOR NEW TALENT. And why worry about it when the new Dave Matthews album comes out practically at the end of his tour.
"The same freedom of speech that lets the KKK spread it's evil ideas lets the rest of us oppose them."
CORRECTION:
"The same freedom of speech that lets the KKK spread it's evil idead lets the rest of us know exactly where the stupid bastards stand and let us make fun of them for being complete, utter, powerless morons instead of some hip, underground political movement that might have some real issues because the "Guvernmnt don wancha know about 'em."
For most American's it is like this: One is a little to the left, one is a little to the right. Both are standing in a field about three miles away from your daily lives cutting deals with their interests... waving at you to please vote for them.
Many people refer to all politicians now as "Republicrats."
Evidence? The last election. 50-50 baby. The political parties are not sticking out their necks, and they now get the lawyers to decide who wins. In Tennessee (my current state) the Republican party was trying to set reps at all of the poles that would try to invalidate other voters for the other side due to technicalities. That is right. Fucking over and throwing out citizens ballots for the betterment of political parties. Sorry to say this, America (after all, we were the real champions of this for so very long), but the system has gome belly up over here. But it is working for the Republicrats, I mean republicans. Keep them in contant threat of war and they will keep voting for the percieved "tough" party. And why not? Its working for the presidency. Well, the fucking lawyers and a skewed election board didn't hurt him either.
The candidates are literally merging the parties to avoid heat, and winning by parlor tricks. After all, it is about winning for candidates and no longer party platfoms, because as anyone astute has noticed, there ARE NO MORE PLATFORMS. The reason that the American people couldn't decide between the main candidates in the last election was because they didn't say anything. So we had NO IDEA WHO TO VOTE FOR. Also in America, you'll notice precious few referendum votes out on poll days... why? The politicians have to vote in a referendum to let the public decide, and why let the voters decide? There is no profit in that. Like I said, It is all pear shaped over here.
Now, because of all of this we now have a one party control of ALL branches of the government, and it is going to be a huge and terrible two years coming. There will be war.
Why do you think that after our political majority passed to one pary all over the USA, AND THEN the UN caved on the Iraq issue two days later? Because the power base here is now is going into Iraq. No matter what. You can pretty much take that as fact now.
Don't blame me. I tried to stop it. Nobody thought deep enough to prevent it. I did, but few else really thought about what it is like to have a government with no dissenting opinion. Well, as you can see, the system allows precious few dissenting opinions now, or the public to respond, only vote for "Thing1 or Thing2."
The most interesting thing is that I think if we stuck a microphone in Thoms Jefferson's grave right now (the old rebel that started this democracy, liberty, Bill of Rights thingee), I bet we could hear him say things that would make a sailor blush with shame.
"You Global Warmer Nutties. I'll stick with our energy company President and his opinions, after all, he's been good so far. Where is the evidence that the world is warming up because of mankind!?! SHOW ME!"
"AIIIIEEEEE!!!" (SUDDENLY CRUSHED UNDER TONS OF RESEARCH PAPERWORK GETTING DROPPED DIRECTLY ON TOP OF HIM)
Aw, MAN! And I was just getting caught up on all of my ridiculous case modding and converting my Geo Storm into a Geo Storm "Type R"......NOW I HAVE TO CHANGE THE COLOR OF MY OPTICAL MOUSE TO GET PROPS AT THE DAMN LAN PARTY.
The title talks about hacking crimes, and then uses cracking in the paragraph. So please/. decide on the style guide so we know what we are talking about.
Since when was missing an opportunity a reason to sue for $65K? I thought that you had to prove in a court of law that you had to have real and NOT PERCIEVED grievances that accounted to damages to collect in a court of law.
What? She didn't have a phone? Can't phone someone? I know of precious few producers in any form that wait around for E-mail when they can call someone and get to the bottom of the work at that moment. Producers might spec on E-mail, but I don't ever remember hearing about them finalizing any details on anything other than the phone.
A missed opportunity is not the fault of an ISP. If she had played her cards right, she should have used the telephone. And by the way, I am a journalist, and know a TON of freelance journalists. SO she might have been up for some Dixcovery Channel work. SO WHAT. If they want you for a gig, they will call you directly... that is the way it has always worked.
IMHO what I hear from the original poster is this:
"*Sigh* Poor Chinese, their Gov't has been holding down them for so long, and stealing all the resources and time to develop from the people for their big socialism goals, it totally justifies that they steal from someone else. *Sigh* Steal away China, we're behind you! We understand!"
IF you lived in depression era US quality wages, and someone in the 1930s showed up with a DVD player, what would you do? Well, you sure couldn't buy it. Tough stuff. Open up your economy, and pretty soon you can.
This is a chicken and egg problem. Because the Chinese Gov't decides to control the economy with a tight fist, well, that means that the Chinese populace gets screwed. Getting screwed also means NO CHEAP DVDs.
You should take that shit up with China and their fucked up economy, and not blame the rest of the world for letting their people make their own choices. Certainly blaming the free market system and saying that Chinese people are justified in stealing is saying that a)Capitalism sucks, and b)that Socialism is good, and c) stealing is an "unfortunate immoral yet justified" (LOL) act to help 'ol Socialism along. Kinda like taking it back for the people from the oppressive movie makers. What a crock. China is probably the safest country in the world to visit, and yet they have these heinous double standards when it gets in the way of the big Socialism Macarena.
Now before some Socialist nutty from Northern Europe or wherever starts ranting about the "USians" (which is their way of trying to make US Citizens an ethnic slur), let me say this. YES, the USA has double standards too. I don't support them either, so you don't really need to call me an a-hole, and assume that I am a cowboy with an assault rifle. I am an American that would like the see the Chinese people live better... and that is that.
Kirk: "Scotty? Why did we just pass our destination?"
Scotty: "Captain, ah gat ta have more time! The system, she just can't handle this light of a load! She's loading Bonzi Buddy and Clipit applications because she's bored and needs someone to talk to!"
My mother tells me a story about all of the wonderful optimistic products that she used to see right before movies. "The Chrysler Jet Car of the Future," or the "Push Button Kitchen."
The most outrageous claim was that with all of those labor saving devices, that people would have a work week of about 22 hours, leaving all of this ample time for family which never materialized. Matter of fact, we are more efficient than ever, and have no free time at all. No one just pulls a 40 anymore... unless their company is in financial trouble.
So my family made up this statement, that serves us well, and keeps us sane.
"Increased performance in anything creates even more increased expectation, complication, and increased harassment."
passengers are usually reasonably aware of what is going on on the road and will often stop talking to the driver if they detect danger,
Exactly, when someone stops talking in a car, I always realize that death is coming.
Riiiight. Put down the bong, please. It is effecting your concept of time.
Honestly, the above passage is one of the most flawed and skewed arguments I have heard, and really doesn't reflect the realities of the roadway.
If only those fictional highways that the poster speaks of have that lazy reaction time that the poster wishes. There never would be a major roadway death.
After all, as a news photographer visiting about two major interstate accidents a week, I only see the aftermath. Most people's irresponsibility actually takes out the other guy. It seems in my more than limited experience of seeing roadway deaths that drunk and distracted drivers never kill themselves, they simply bounce off of the other car that they they have now sent into oncoming traffic. Its always the drunk/cellphone talking asshole sitting on the shoulder of the road with a sad face when I drive up.
Let me take off my journalistic hat and say to all of you who drive around with cell phones running that I hate you all. Every last one of you. You are killing others. And it is a collective killing. If you are talking on a cell phone in high traffic you are a party to it. I am not going to mix words here. I am the one shooting the pictures. I see the death. If anyone is a paramedic, please testify to this truth.
Honestly, the worst thing that ever happened with the cell phone in a car thing is that Nikki Taylor didn't die from her stupidity. It became a joke lesson. Nothing learned in the face of the public. She should have died, and there should have been a national campaign. Her beautiful face, and the words, "A cell phone killed her while driving. Think about it."
But no, now were stuck with talking about it. Please. Go right ahead. Coninue killing people. Be my guest.
I am sorry that I am heavy handed, but it is the truth.
"Ahhhh, those Brits might have the lock on bizarre and useless patents. AHHHHH, but now that the internet is around, lets see how they fare with the combined eeeeevil of the US Patent Office! MuuuUUUUAAAAaaahhhaahahahaha!"
Not all journalists are writers. Look up my bio on/. It hasn't changed in years.
I would however, love to send you a tape of my best work. OR I could send you all of my work on VHS if you have a couple of packing crates and a truck.
Wow. You must be the greatest reporter on earth after all of that advice. Oh, I'll file those under completely fucking obvious.
And refresh my memory on what the PR people do for a living? Fuck up your shit royally is what they do. Put a spin on a tragedy. The only good PR person is the hot young PR person that you're banging after hours.
Otherwise its all this:
"Chemical explosion? What chemical explosion? Oh, you mean those innocent dead people next to the chemical explosion? We'll we didn't tell them to walk down that street?"
Cmon man. You really got to read the gentle subtext about this. I am not referring this to other journalists, I am giving an example of the kind of things that cause journalists to go to jail to the average/.er. They are, on average, as much of a journalist as I am a server farm admin. Just trying to expand the knowledge.
It wasn't about crossing a police line. It was getting into a security area. Namely buildings.
Probably someone didn't have a dang name tag and didn't make the requisite 5 bazillion calls to a government official to get to their office. Now, because people have heard that terrorists posed as a news crew in North Afghanistan, they don't escort you out over clerical errors, they start freaking out, and that freak out might throw your ass in jail.
I know this sounds ridiculous, but as a journalist in the US, it is nearly impossible to get in touch with a person in the US Govt if they don't contact you first. You sure as hell can't pop by their offices without some rent-a-cop giving you hell about it, or worse. So you see, this listing might not take those factors into account.
Even something as benign as a grain price advisory board is locked up in some big ass building that makes you feel like you're playing Splinter Cell to just get a call back.
Here's the scenario, you know someone that hasn't been honest in the gov't. Well, you're screwed. You don't know their home address and they won't return your call. Worst of all, you can't get to their office to even talk to them because they are at the top of the big government building to get a hold of them. The rent-a-cop is calling them as soon as you walk in the door and escorting you out like a criminal even faster. So if you even need to talk to someone in the Gov't at all AND THEY HAVE AN INKLING THAT YOU ARE AFTER THEIR IMPROPRIETY, you're screwed.
Some days you have to just grow a pair. A lot of journalists do.
So here is how most of that goes:
"Hi, Mister Comptroller. I'm from the news, you know, the group that has been calling you for weeks about you stealing from the government. Care to talk about the fact that you have been locking yourself in this office and the grand jur-"
"Security!!!"
There is an old news addage (now this is just s humourous statement so clam down people) that says that "if you haven't been thrown in jail, you aren't doing your job right."
Slashdot Mirror
Our man Flint recently passed away...
As we were talking about spy things, I thought that we would take a moment to think about him.
I noticed a lot of people say that I needed to learn Spanish, or needed to realize that is the system and that I am a spoiled yankee bastard.
The funniest part of it is that I speak much better with my public education Spanish than most college educated do. I watch Spanish television daily (admittedly for the hot chicks too, BUSTED!). I speak it in Mexico. I also realize that it is "the system" as well. I am wary about the cops, but exceedingly happy to see such an interesting place. Cozumel was beautiful. You should be very proud just because it is so nice. Also, there have been in my history about 5 belligerent Mexicans I have met outside of thousands. Mostly I just see them kill themselves to give their kids the gift of America. Just like my ancestors did in Jamestown. So there you go. That is Mayan happiness for you. The work hard AND smile while doing it.
So on the fact that many of your people almost drown themselves to live in the USA, I say gracias, after all our cultures are too similar to worry about anything more than the money difference. It is a wonderful compliment. For you to admit that the police are crooked, thank you again. Most people would have gotten mad about it and called me a yankee bastard.
You know what? In this day and age I am just overjoyed that the Mexican government doesn't have Al-Qaida in its borders, or that the average Mexican citizen is not burning the USA flag in the streets. SO... short of a little street level corruption... MEXICO IS FINE BY ME.
Keep your chin up, amigo.
And thank you.
My mother in law was in Mexico on a tiny little island, and as the plane was about to take off, the military and police stopped it for not having the official duties paid, this amounted to going seat to seat and getting 15 USD for every person. Needless to say they all had the cash to pay, but never told a soul that there was an issue about it until the plane was ready to take off. No one ever saw one official document. Hmmmm...
*Cough*. B-S. *Cough*.
My boss, who worked for CNN for decades was recently in Mexico, and he just keeps a wad of cash with him when he pulls out his news camera to work down there. I'd say about 1/3 of the people that I have talked to about Mexico have been shaken down by the police because they are foreign.
Needless to say, I went to Mexico. Great place. Same place as the relatives. No plane fee for me leaving. Surprise. But you can bank it that I had at least 50 USD for me and my wife when we got on the plane.
After all, in Mexico policing is a for profit business. You should assume like I do that the police are massively crooked whenever you go to a foreign nation, and be surprised when they are not.
Actually most people CAN'T read. Look anywhere for literacy stats, it is disgusting.
Really? You must be talking about Saudi Arabia. Or "developed" parts of Africa where literacy reaches a whopping 50%.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107947.html
Because around here in the USA, functional literacy is probably as high as it is going to go... considering that some people can't be trained to tie their shoes if they don't want to.
SO... please refrain from the literacy rate argument. There are whole load of opportunities to read in the USA or most other highly industrialized nations. So for those that can't read (or refuse to sit still long enough to learn), there is either a reading disorder, or there is an issue somewhere that doesn't accurately reflect on our efforts. Don' tblame the system. It isn't perfect, but many people won't read for a thousand reasons other than the reading programs.
But honestly, this will be difficult to regulate. And more than likely the pedophiles and grown men that cruise with names like Soccergirl342 will be there in masse. The way things are going now, the FBI is going to have to be in every chat room.
.kids for kidsfun.kids.
/.ers that think this is crap, or have some nutty agenda about having a kids safe internet, I suggest you go play legos with your cousins today, and then think about if they are mentally prepared yet for what some of these bastards will plan to do with them. You'll change your mind soon enough.
God, I hope that they do something right for a change on the internet before some place like adultsexplayhouse.com or donkeysweat.org decides to move into the kid market... and sue ICANN for "their rightful domain name" on
So for all of you
(Chanting in unison)
"Its unconstitutional to regulate interstate commerce at the state level..."
"Its unconstitutional to regulate interstate commerce at the state level..."
"Its unconstitutional to regulate interstate commerce at the state level..."
Thank you for your time.
This game is going to come out just in time for the new Zelda game to throw it in a coffin, bury it, and say, "Bye bye!"
Gawsh... they're right. With all of this revenue shortfall, there is no way the poor bastards can stay afloat. They REALLY NEED THE MONEY.
And here I was thinking that up to 30+% of my income including a new rate for assets (federal), slightly less than 10% of all of my purchases (State of TN), and outrageous property taxes (local) was enough to keep our precious little system working.
Yeah, they need the money. To pay for crack whore children medical bills and illegal immigrant non-English language education. To pay for a bunch of government losers that come in every day late and leave at 4:20 in the afternoon, and work hours that make a banker envious. To pay for peanut farmer subsidies. To pay for the fact that GM didn't pay any taxes last year.... not a dollar.
(INTO LARGE BULLHORN)
"Thank you all for coming to the party. To the ones that are just arriving, I'd like to say welcome, the revolt has already started without you. All are welcome. Pitchforks are to the left, torches are to the right."
We need to find agents as alternatives to the media companies who can perform this filtering function and discover good talent for the consumers who can't afford to do the search themselves.
I guarantee that the record labels ARE doing this... after all, finding good new talent is a great for them, when they can get them on the cheap.
As a person that is a journalist that covers the music beat in Nashville, TN, I bet you there is an A&R man that is sitting in his office right now saying to himself, "DAMN! I need to find more unique, interesting, fresh talent that doesn't suck so that I can make a lot of money selling a lot of people new albums." Honestly, music is so subjective and fickle that there really is no way to know.
The real problem is for established artists. The record companies keep pumping out their next thing that sounds like the last thing because they cannot afford to deal with the fickle realities of the public. Mostly it is the fact that the public likes to know what they are getting. IT TAKES TIME FOR NEW TALENT. And why worry about it when the new Dave Matthews album comes out practically at the end of his tour.
Cmon, you know you bought it.
"The same freedom of speech that lets the KKK spread it's evil ideas lets the rest of us oppose them."
CORRECTION:
"The same freedom of speech that lets the KKK spread it's evil idead lets the rest of us know exactly where the stupid bastards stand and let us make fun of them for being complete, utter, powerless morons instead of some hip, underground political movement that might have some real issues because the "Guvernmnt don wancha know about 'em."
For most American's it is like this: One is a little to the left, one is a little to the right. Both are standing in a field about three miles away from your daily lives cutting deals with their interests... waving at you to please vote for them.
Many people refer to all politicians now as "Republicrats."
Evidence? The last election. 50-50 baby. The political parties are not sticking out their necks, and they now get the lawyers to decide who wins. In Tennessee (my current state) the Republican party was trying to set reps at all of the poles that would try to invalidate other voters for the other side due to technicalities. That is right. Fucking over and throwing out citizens ballots for the betterment of political parties. Sorry to say this, America (after all, we were the real champions of this for so very long), but the system has gome belly up over here. But it is working for the Republicrats, I mean republicans. Keep them in contant threat of war and they will keep voting for the percieved "tough" party. And why not? Its working for the presidency. Well, the fucking lawyers and a skewed election board didn't hurt him either.
The candidates are literally merging the parties to avoid heat, and winning by parlor tricks. After all, it is about winning for candidates and no longer party platfoms, because as anyone astute has noticed, there ARE NO MORE PLATFORMS. The reason that the American people couldn't decide between the main candidates in the last election was because they didn't say anything. So we had NO IDEA WHO TO VOTE FOR. Also in America, you'll notice precious few referendum votes out on poll days... why? The politicians have to vote in a referendum to let the public decide, and why let the voters decide? There is no profit in that. Like I said, It is all pear shaped over here.
Now, because of all of this we now have a one party control of ALL branches of the government, and it is going to be a huge and terrible two years coming. There will be war.
Why do you think that after our political majority passed to one pary all over the USA, AND THEN the UN caved on the Iraq issue two days later? Because the power base here is now is going into Iraq. No matter what. You can pretty much take that as fact now.
Don't blame me. I tried to stop it. Nobody thought deep enough to prevent it. I did, but few else really thought about what it is like to have a government with no dissenting opinion. Well, as you can see, the system allows precious few dissenting opinions now, or the public to respond, only vote for "Thing1 or Thing2."
The most interesting thing is that I think if we stuck a microphone in Thoms Jefferson's grave right now (the old rebel that started this democracy, liberty, Bill of Rights thingee), I bet we could hear him say things that would make a sailor blush with shame.
"You Global Warmer Nutties. I'll stick with our energy company President and his opinions, after all, he's been good so far. Where is the evidence that the world is warming up because of mankind!?! SHOW ME!"
"AIIIIEEEEE!!!" (SUDDENLY CRUSHED UNDER TONS OF RESEARCH PAPERWORK GETTING DROPPED DIRECTLY ON TOP OF HIM)
Aw, MAN! And I was just getting caught up on all of my ridiculous case modding and converting my Geo Storm into a Geo Storm "Type R"...
(Like Heston) Damn you. DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!
Its called the US Senate.
Alright /. decide on the terms.
/. decide on the style guide so we know what we are talking about.
Are we talking about hacking or cracking?
The title talks about hacking crimes, and then uses cracking in the paragraph. So please
Since when was missing an opportunity a reason to sue for $65K? I thought that you had to prove in a court of law that you had to have real and NOT PERCIEVED grievances that accounted to damages to collect in a court of law.
What? She didn't have a phone? Can't phone someone? I know of precious few producers in any form that wait around for E-mail when they can call someone and get to the bottom of the work at that moment. Producers might spec on E-mail, but I don't ever remember hearing about them finalizing any details on anything other than the phone.
A missed opportunity is not the fault of an ISP. If she had played her cards right, she should have used the telephone. And by the way, I am a journalist, and know a TON of freelance journalists. SO she might have been up for some Dixcovery Channel work. SO WHAT. If they want you for a gig, they will call you directly... that is the way it has always worked.
IMHO what I hear from the original poster is this:
"*Sigh* Poor Chinese, their Gov't has been holding down them for so long, and stealing all the resources and time to develop from the people for their big socialism goals, it totally justifies that they steal from someone else. *Sigh* Steal away China, we're behind you! We understand!"
IF you lived in depression era US quality wages, and someone in the 1930s showed up with a DVD player, what would you do? Well, you sure couldn't buy it. Tough stuff. Open up your economy, and pretty soon you can.
This is a chicken and egg problem. Because the Chinese Gov't decides to control the economy with a tight fist, well, that means that the Chinese populace gets screwed. Getting screwed also means NO CHEAP DVDs.
You should take that shit up with China and their fucked up economy, and not blame the rest of the world for letting their people make their own choices. Certainly blaming the free market system and saying that Chinese people are justified in stealing is saying that a)Capitalism sucks, and b)that Socialism is good, and c) stealing is an "unfortunate immoral yet justified" (LOL) act to help 'ol Socialism along. Kinda like taking it back for the people from the oppressive movie makers. What a crock. China is probably the safest country in the world to visit, and yet they have these heinous double standards when it gets in the way of the big Socialism Macarena.
Now before some Socialist nutty from Northern Europe or wherever starts ranting about the "USians" (which is their way of trying to make US Citizens an ethnic slur), let me say this. YES, the USA has double standards too. I don't support them either, so you don't really need to call me an a-hole, and assume that I am a cowboy with an assault rifle. I am an American that would like the see the Chinese people live better... and that is that.
Kirk: "Scotty? Why did we just pass our destination?"
Scotty: "Captain, ah gat ta have more time! The system, she just can't handle this light of a load! She's loading Bonzi Buddy and Clipit applications because she's bored and needs someone to talk to!"
My mother tells me a story about all of the wonderful optimistic products that she used to see right before movies. "The Chrysler Jet Car of the Future," or the "Push Button Kitchen."
The most outrageous claim was that with all of those labor saving devices, that people would have a work week of about 22 hours, leaving all of this ample time for family which never materialized. Matter of fact, we are more efficient than ever, and have no free time at all. No one just pulls a 40 anymore... unless their company is in financial trouble.
So my family made up this statement, that serves us well, and keeps us sane.
"Increased performance in anything creates even more increased expectation, complication, and increased harassment."
passengers are usually reasonably aware of what is going on on the road and will often stop talking to the driver if they detect danger,
Exactly, when someone stops talking in a car, I always realize that death is coming.
Riiiight. Put down the bong, please. It is effecting your concept of time.
Honestly, the above passage is one of the most flawed and skewed arguments I have heard, and really doesn't reflect the realities of the roadway.
If only those fictional highways that the poster speaks of have that lazy reaction time that the poster wishes. There never would be a major roadway death.
After all, as a news photographer visiting about two major interstate accidents a week, I only see the aftermath. Most people's irresponsibility actually takes out the other guy. It seems in my more than limited experience of seeing roadway deaths that drunk and distracted drivers never kill themselves, they simply bounce off of the other car that they they have now sent into oncoming traffic. Its always the drunk/cellphone talking asshole sitting on the shoulder of the road with a sad face when I drive up.
Let me take off my journalistic hat and say to all of you who drive around with cell phones running that I hate you all. Every last one of you. You are killing others. And it is a collective killing. If you are talking on a cell phone in high traffic you are a party to it. I am not going to mix words here. I am the one shooting the pictures. I see the death. If anyone is a paramedic, please testify to this truth.
Honestly, the worst thing that ever happened with the cell phone in a car thing is that Nikki Taylor didn't die from her stupidity. It became a joke lesson. Nothing learned in the face of the public. She should have died, and there should have been a national campaign. Her beautiful face, and the words, "A cell phone killed her while driving. Think about it."
But no, now were stuck with talking about it. Please. Go right ahead. Coninue killing people. Be my guest.
I am sorry that I am heavy handed, but it is the truth.
"Ahhhh, those Brits might have the lock on bizarre and useless patents. AHHHHH, but now that the internet is around, lets see how they fare with the combined eeeeevil of the US Patent Office! MuuuUUUUAAAAaaahhhaahahahaha!"
"FIRE THE EULA BEAM! NOW! NOW! I TELL YOU!"
Just put a tiny "Type-R" sticker on it, and be done with it.
Sheeesh.
Not all journalists are writers. Look up my bio on
I would however, love to send you a tape of my best work. OR I could send you all of my work on VHS if you have a couple of packing crates and a truck.
SO FUCK OFF.
Wow. You must be the greatest reporter on earth after all of that advice. Oh, I'll file those under completely fucking obvious.
/.er. They are, on average, as much of a journalist as I am a server farm admin. Just trying to expand the knowledge.
And refresh my memory on what the PR people do for a living? Fuck up your shit royally is what they do. Put a spin on a tragedy. The only good PR person is the hot young PR person that you're banging after hours.
Otherwise its all this:
"Chemical explosion? What chemical explosion? Oh, you mean those innocent dead people next to the chemical explosion? We'll we didn't tell them to walk down that street?"
Cmon man. You really got to read the gentle subtext about this. I am not referring this to other journalists, I am giving an example of the kind of things that cause journalists to go to jail to the average
It wasn't about crossing a police line. It was getting into a security area. Namely buildings.
Probably someone didn't have a dang name tag and didn't make the requisite 5 bazillion calls to a government official to get to their office. Now, because people have heard that terrorists posed as a news crew in North Afghanistan, they don't escort you out over clerical errors, they start freaking out, and that freak out might throw your ass in jail.
I know this sounds ridiculous, but as a journalist in the US, it is nearly impossible to get in touch with a person in the US Govt if they don't contact you first. You sure as hell can't pop by their offices without some rent-a-cop giving you hell about it, or worse. So you see, this listing might not take those factors into account.
Even something as benign as a grain price advisory board is locked up in some big ass building that makes you feel like you're playing Splinter Cell to just get a call back.
Here's the scenario, you know someone that hasn't been honest in the gov't. Well, you're screwed. You don't know their home address and they won't return your call. Worst of all, you can't get to their office to even talk to them because they are at the top of the big government building to get a hold of them. The rent-a-cop is calling them as soon as you walk in the door and escorting you out like a criminal even faster. So if you even need to talk to someone in the Gov't at all AND THEY HAVE AN INKLING THAT YOU ARE AFTER THEIR IMPROPRIETY, you're screwed.
Some days you have to just grow a pair. A lot of journalists do.
So here is how most of that goes:
"Hi, Mister Comptroller. I'm from the news, you know, the group that has been calling you for weeks about you stealing from the government. Care to talk about the fact that you have been locking yourself in this office and the grand jur-"
"Security!!!"
There is an old news addage (now this is just s humourous statement so clam down people) that says that "if you haven't been thrown in jail, you aren't doing your job right."
Trust me, its a joke.