Yeah, but to get an HBO special, you already have to be pretty well established. The last time HBO gave specials to unknowns was back in the days when Rodney Dangerfield used to promote them on his HBO "Young Comedians" specials (helping start the careers of guys like Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, and Rosanne Barr).
It just got easier for companies like Pfizer and Monsanto too, now that they don't have to worry about any government-funded researchers trying to compete with their for-profit research.
Odd, isn't it, that people who work harder also seem to be much luckier?
Even odder that children born to rich parents are much more likely to be, and stay, rich themselves. I'm sure that's because they work hard, of course.
But...but....but....all the politicians and CEO's say companies can't get Americans and need more H1B indentured servants. Surely they wouldn't lie to us, right?
No, but there is a big difference between making rational plans for a general pandemic at some point in the future and making specific, overexaggerated claims about a specific virus that will only lead to irrational panic, especially when the claims are coming from an organization (the CDC) with a vested financial interest in inducing fear and a very long history of making these sorts of proclamations.
No, I just use my common fucking sense. I look around in my city, see that people aren't dropping like flies, and go on with my life--the same as every other rational, non-Chicken-Little, non-paranoid-nutcase out there. But if you want to panic, build a bunker, go on the news warning people to all stay home cause WESSA ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!!! then go right ahead, buddy.
And I don't think it's a scam, per se. It's just more self-serving scare tactic bullshit from the CDC and its ilk. But you keep telling yourself that THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL!!! and maybe one day your pandemic dreams will come true.
This new one, by all indications is no spring flu. This one kills, and if it does start spreading between humans directly, we are in trouble.
Yeah, that's what they said about H5N1, and a million different viruses and diseases that were the disease-of-the-moment before that, going back decades (remember the Russian Flu, anyone?). A bunch of epidemiologists get a lot of grant money, news channels get some ratings from the disease-of-the-moment, the public overreacts like they always do, much bullshit is spoken, and a year or two later it's on to the next goddamned thing that's going to KILL US ALL!
And before you cite 1918 (as is ALWAYS cited in these pandemic scares), spare me. This isn't an era of shitty sanitation, poor understanding of viruses, awful medical treatment, and scores of people living in overcrowded tenements with no sewers and in crowded WWI-era military encampments.
Would you believe that there are parts of the world where getting interest on loans is illegal?
Most of the time, when countries try to pass such usury laws, creative workarounds are found (otherwise no one would lend money or be able to get a loan). Europe in the Middle Ages was a great example. Though interest was technically illegal, you could still borrow with interest from Jews and certain Church organizations like the famous Templars (of course, this ultimately led to very bad backlash for both groups in the forms of pogroms, burnings, and other such unpleasantries). Usually they'll just charge you some sort of "administration fee" or "tribute" or some such shit that is basically the same as interest.
I just really do not like Wolf. He is a complete waste of a human being and a super sucky "news person".
Don't you just love the way he pretends to be a serious journalist while he's engaging in shameless ratings grabs, as if keeping a stoic face somehow makes his network's panic-mongering and opportunistic exploitation of every event-of-the-moment into responsible reporting?
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah, but to get an HBO special, you already have to be pretty well established. The last time HBO gave specials to unknowns was back in the days when Rodney Dangerfield used to promote them on his HBO "Young Comedians" specials (helping start the careers of guys like Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, and Rosanne Barr).
Wow, turns out Sheena Easton is still alive. How about that!
Well, clearly he needed an extra ARM.
It just got easier for companies like Pfizer and Monsanto too, now that they don't have to worry about any government-funded researchers trying to compete with their for-profit research.
With a Republican in charge, there will be plenty of grant money for anyone looking for conduct research to disprove evolution or global warming.
Odd, isn't it, that people who work harder also seem to be much luckier?
Even odder that children born to rich parents are much more likely to be, and stay, rich themselves. I'm sure that's because they work hard, of course.
Actually, Postal was pretty good.
Predicting the end of console gaming has become almost as cliche as predicting the end of PC gaming.
But...but....but....all the politicians and CEO's say companies can't get Americans and need more H1B indentured servants. Surely they wouldn't lie to us, right?
2 kids and they already cracked the glass on the ipad 2 fighting over it
I think that would be an acceptable legal defense for some pretty heavy child abuse.
A PC
You mean the console where you can't buy games, only rent them?
That core is so hot right now.
And doubled the cost of Live, apparently.
So I get to pay $10 a month for the privilege of being able to pay Netflix $8 a month to watch some movies on my Xbox? No sale, chick.
As a governor once said: "I'll be back."
No, but there is a big difference between making rational plans for a general pandemic at some point in the future and making specific, overexaggerated claims about a specific virus that will only lead to irrational panic, especially when the claims are coming from an organization (the CDC) with a vested financial interest in inducing fear and a very long history of making these sorts of proclamations.
No, I just use my common fucking sense. I look around in my city, see that people aren't dropping like flies, and go on with my life--the same as every other rational, non-Chicken-Little, non-paranoid-nutcase out there. But if you want to panic, build a bunker, go on the news warning people to all stay home cause WESSA ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!!! then go right ahead, buddy.
And I don't think it's a scam, per se. It's just more self-serving scare tactic bullshit from the CDC and its ilk. But you keep telling yourself that THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL!!! and maybe one day your pandemic dreams will come true.
We don't need to hobble our technologies to make certain people money.
As long as you're not the guy complaining down the road that Netflix still hasn't come to Linux.
Because, uh, "DRM in HTML5" is merely a framework to allow sites to require specific proprietary, browser-specific plugins to display their content?
That's the way it ALREADY is. Standardizing HTML5 is exactly what is supposed to *END* that.
DVD's had DRM built into their standard just like they're proposing to do with HTML5.
This new one, by all indications is no spring flu. This one kills, and if it does start spreading between humans directly, we are in trouble.
Yeah, that's what they said about H5N1, and a million different viruses and diseases that were the disease-of-the-moment before that, going back decades (remember the Russian Flu, anyone?). A bunch of epidemiologists get a lot of grant money, news channels get some ratings from the disease-of-the-moment, the public overreacts like they always do, much bullshit is spoken, and a year or two later it's on to the next goddamned thing that's going to KILL US ALL!
And before you cite 1918 (as is ALWAYS cited in these pandemic scares), spare me. This isn't an era of shitty sanitation, poor understanding of viruses, awful medical treatment, and scores of people living in overcrowded tenements with no sewers and in crowded WWI-era military encampments.
Yeah, I was reminded how durable Netflix was last Christmas when the ghosts of Christmas showed me the true meaning of bulletproof uptime.
Would you believe that there are parts of the world where getting interest on loans is illegal?
Most of the time, when countries try to pass such usury laws, creative workarounds are found (otherwise no one would lend money or be able to get a loan). Europe in the Middle Ages was a great example. Though interest was technically illegal, you could still borrow with interest from Jews and certain Church organizations like the famous Templars (of course, this ultimately led to very bad backlash for both groups in the forms of pogroms, burnings, and other such unpleasantries). Usually they'll just charge you some sort of "administration fee" or "tribute" or some such shit that is basically the same as interest.
I just really do not like Wolf. He is a complete waste of a human being and a super sucky "news person".
Don't you just love the way he pretends to be a serious journalist while he's engaging in shameless ratings grabs, as if keeping a stoic face somehow makes his network's panic-mongering and opportunistic exploitation of every event-of-the-moment into responsible reporting?
On the upside, I can finally put my Y2K bunker to use.