New Zealand seems as good a place as any to make a stand. The unhalted expansion of the surveillance state reminds me of a malignant tumor: if left untreated it will consume the entire host.
Is there a foundation where donations can be sent to accomplish one of the following goals:
* Raise awareness of the situation among the NZ populace with a no-holds-barred propaganda campaign * Shame the politicians involved * Fund the relevant opposition parties
They have become a meeting ground between the excesses of left-wing (political correctness, affirmative action,everyone-a-winner) and right-wing (security paranoia, ra-ra patriotism, and anti-science agenda) ideologies, where security contractors are better funded than the teachers. The end result is pabulum for a curriculum where mind-numbing mediocrity is held up as an achievement.
I remember a while back (this was in the nineties) watching a small Hispanic boy running in a supermarket in downtown L.A.and suddenly stopping to look up in stunned silence at a very large man dressed in dark clothes,. One of L.A.'s finest.
You know what that cop said to the little kid (he couldn't have been more than four years old)?
"Do I scare you?"
Right there and then I thought to myself: something very wrong with this man, something very wrong with the police in this town.
In practice: "We'll go after you if you're not big enough to fight back."
More and more I see the actions of the federal government, and in particular those of the DOJ, as being largely career-driven and opportunistic. Which is why you'll never ever see them go after really big fish: because that could be a future employer.
If I had mod points, I would mod parent up. Nice brief summary of what's happening here. The Google aura has begun to wear off, and now the cracks start to appear.
What the hell are the super-rich board members of these multinational monsters doing with all their money: building indoor ski-slopes with mountains of cocaine?
Let's take the alma mater of my favorite modern day philosopher, Dr Phil. This would be University of North Texas. Tuition and fees alone will run you $19,608. So if your living expenses exceed $5400 p.a., guess what?
By no direct access I meant that there is no path to reaching the upper or even middle echelons of academia - as a reasearch programmer he would always remain in a supporting role. Which is fine if that's what he wants. But it doesn't sound like that's what he wants.
Well I didn't say it would be easy. Some jobs are more accomodating than others. And some people can manage it, and some cannot.Sadly I find myself more and more in the latter group as I've gotten older and taken on more responsibilities. But this guy seems young, and full of vim and vigor. Me, I'm living in a van down by the river.
One thing that should be clarified here: with these sort of programming roles there is no direct access to academia. In this way it's not like finance where, for instance, people can go from back office to front office if they show enough promise and interest: one does not simply go from research programmer to reseacher.
From the sounds of it, OP would be best served by going into academia via a graduate program.
I think a solution a lot of people find is to split their day: they pay their bills with a job they can (just about) tolerate, and then use their free time to focus on their passion, perhaps in a small community (cf. FOSS development).
Also, academia is no paradise either: it's not so much about focusing on what you are interested in, but rather focusing on where there is funding, and where you can find your own niche. It's surprising and depressing how many niches are already filled: it's like trying to find an empty shell on the ocean floor.
This reminds of how they got Capone on income-tax evasion: it wasn't his (allegedly) serious and morally reprehensible crimes which did him in the end. Likewise, the overreach (such an understatement) of the NSA and "justice" department is now having serious consequences, not just the ones you would expect (e.g,. widespread moral outrage, constitutional crisis, shutting down and arrests). Things will change because of money, not moral outrage.
Slashdot Mirror
Its priorities. The US has reached such an ethical crossroads: either strong state security or extensive individual liberty. Can't have both.
I know it is early, but posting before coffee is irresponsible (I just had to use the spell-checker myself).
It would be an ever better headline if it said "Halle Berry".
New Zealand seems as good a place as any to make a stand. The unhalted expansion of the surveillance state reminds me of a malignant tumor: if left untreated it will consume the entire host.
Is there a foundation where donations can be sent to accomplish one of the following goals:
* Raise awareness of the situation among the NZ populace with a no-holds-barred propaganda campaign
* Shame the politicians involved
* Fund the relevant opposition parties
Let NZ be the high water mark.
They have become a meeting ground between the excesses of left-wing (political correctness, affirmative action,everyone-a-winner) and right-wing (security paranoia, ra-ra patriotism, and anti-science agenda) ideologies, where security contractors are better funded than the teachers. The end result is pabulum for a curriculum where mind-numbing mediocrity is held up as an achievement.
Why wasn't Jesus born in Wales?
Because God couldn't find three wise men and a virgin.
"I keed! I KEEED!"
I remember a while back (this was in the nineties) watching a small Hispanic boy running in a supermarket in downtown L.A.and suddenly stopping to look up in stunned silence at a very large man dressed in dark clothes,. One of L.A.'s finest.
You know what that cop said to the little kid (he couldn't have been more than four years old)?
"Do I scare you?"
Right there and then I thought to myself: something very wrong with this man, something very wrong with the police in this town.
In practice: "We'll go after you if you're not big enough to fight back."
More and more I see the actions of the federal government, and in particular those of the DOJ, as being largely career-driven and opportunistic. Which is why you'll never ever see them go after really big fish: because that could be a future employer.
If I had mod points, I would mod parent up. Nice brief summary of what's happening here. The Google aura has begun to wear off, and now the cracks start to appear.
Yikes. Kind of missing the broader point while technically being quite right.
You must be an east-coast trust-fund baby if you think room and board are really part of your education.
Well it's sure as shit ain't free.
And with a name like "gandhi", everyone must seem an east-cost trust-fund baby.
What the hell are the super-rich board members of these multinational monsters doing with all their money: building indoor ski-slopes with mountains of cocaine?
Let's take the alma mater of my favorite modern day philosopher, Dr Phil. This would be University of North Texas. Tuition and fees alone will run you $19,608. So if your living expenses exceed $5400 p.a., guess what?
"You need to wake up!"
Doesn't even pay the tuition plus living expenses for an *average* college.
"It was just a blowjob."
I can tell you that with out a PhD, your are viewed as little more than a trained chimp.
Is that you, Wolowitz?
By no direct access I meant that there is no path to reaching the upper or even middle echelons of academia - as a reasearch programmer he would always remain in a supporting role. Which is fine if that's what he wants. But it doesn't sound like that's what he wants.
Well I didn't say it would be easy. Some jobs are more accomodating than others. And some people can manage it, and some cannot.Sadly I find myself more and more in the latter group as I've gotten older and taken on more responsibilities. But this guy seems young, and full of vim and vigor. Me, I'm living in a van down by the river.
The federal government (especially the intelligence agencies) also advertise openings for people with your background and interest.
Because data doesn't mine itself.
One thing that should be clarified here: with these sort of programming roles there is no direct access to academia. In this way it's not like finance where, for instance, people can go from back office to front office if they show enough promise and interest: one does not simply go from research programmer to reseacher.
From the sounds of it, OP would be best served by going into academia via a graduate program.
I think a solution a lot of people find is to split their day: they pay their bills with a job they can (just about) tolerate, and then use their free time to focus on their passion, perhaps in a small community (cf. FOSS development).
Also, academia is no paradise either: it's not so much about focusing on what you are interested in, but rather focusing on where there is funding, and where you can find your own niche. It's surprising and depressing how many niches are already filled: it's like trying to find an empty shell on the ocean floor.
This reminds of how they got Capone on income-tax evasion: it wasn't his (allegedly) serious and morally reprehensible crimes which did him in the end. Likewise, the overreach (such an understatement) of the NSA and "justice" department is now having serious consequences, not just the ones you would expect (e.g,. widespread moral outrage, constitutional crisis, shutting down and arrests). Things will change because of money, not moral outrage.
To ender of gay marriage.
Where they don't have The Bell. They have Taco Bell.
"You think this some kind of fucking game, private?!"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Because... because they're made of wood?"
Self-parody.
On my way to work this morning I saw a Microsoft ad with the tagline: "Your privacy is our priority."
People talk about Big Brother Gubmint, but seldom have I seen a better example of Doublespeak.