I guess the closest analogy would be being a straight male and announcing to your friends that you're going to become a fashion designer or hairdresser. It might get you some pretty strange looks from your bros.
I remember being so psyched for the Jaguar. It promised a great comeback for the once-legendary Atari brand, claimed 64-bit power, and had great demo games like Alien vs. Predator.
Using that attitude, you could justify doing any foolish thing. In real life, you have to weigh the possible rewards against the possible risks before taking an action. If you're asking yourself "Should I drive my car off this bridge?" you don't follow with "Sure, the idea seems crazy on the surface, but what if my NOT driving the car off the bridge causes an accident up here on the bridge that kills someone?"
As I said in another post, the rewards of reintroducing species is generally fairly minimal. The risks are potentially great. Given that, the most reasonable course is just to leave it alone (unless you can be pretty damned sure you know wtf you're doing).
The problem in Atlanta isn't just the snow. It was the fact that they let everyone out to go home all at once. Ever been in rush hour traffic in Atlanta? Even without snow and ice, it's a fucking nightmare. That city has some of the worst rush hour traffic I've ever seen, even compared to L.A. Add to that icy/snowy roads that haven't seen even a hint of salt, a generally incompetent/corrupt city government, etc. and you can understand why it turned into a disaster.
How do you know the Carolina Parakeet isn't our only weapon against an impending alien invasion
Well, that's easy. We'll just get some plucky starship captain and his skilled and witty crew to travel back in time, pick up the species we need, and return just in time to save us.
The reward of bringing back a species is relatively small, and the risk can be great. The bison and wolf populations in the U.S. have undergone extensive human-assisted replenishing in recent decades. The reward for that has been generally okay (we get to see them in the wild and eat bison burgers). But the potential harm of reintroducing a species could be much greater than this small reward. If we reintroduced a species that turned out to be a huge pest--or even a big threat to modern crops, humans, or other wildlife--the results could be devastating. Just look at the problems in Australia with invasive species.
I don't believe in heroes. For all I know Snowden is a complete shitheel as a person. Maybe he beats his girlfriend, hates The Eagles, and thinks Louis CK is overrated. That said, I do admire him for having the guts to reveal what was a clear government violation of the Constitution (in the only way that would actually result in any action), and sacrificing any future he might have in the U.S. to do it.
Seriously, nobody is actually proposing this, are they?
Artificially tampering with Mother Nature by bringing back extinct species into modern environs is probably even worse in the end than (maybe) helping to drive them into extinction to begin with. Sometimes, it's best to just let it go. Much as I would love to see the beautiful Carolina Parakeet back in the wild (and maybe even own one as a pet), I know it's best not to go tampering around where my good intentions could lead to very unexpected (and perhaps very unpleasant) results.
This era of lead-free solder further complicates things. It can be a real bitch to do even a basic solder/un-solder job on modern equipment. A lot of modern equipment just isn't even made to be repaired.
A workshop where you can learn woodworking, metalworking, etc. would be WAY more useful, but I guess those aren't hip enough. Back when my dad was in the army, they had a woodworking shop on post and he ended up making some of the most beautiful furniture (having learned how to do it from classes there). Our family still treasurers it today.
I would much rather learn to use a lathe or welding equipment than a 3D printer. But it's sort of like I was a kid. Karate studios on every corner, but not a single place where I could learn to box.
Because if you get enough major companies onboard, it drives down wages across the entire industry, even in companies who aren't directly participating. It artificially suppresses wages (the same way that outsourcing and H1B visas can).
I think everyone, Apple hater and Apple fanboy alike, has always admitted Jobs was a dick.
You haven't been around too many true Apple fanboys. Here are some of the standard cult responses:
1) He never gave to charity, despite his riches: "He probably gave anonymously" 2) He parked in handicapped spaces, like a dick: "It was probably for security reasons." 3) He screwed over his friends, co-workers, and employees on a regular basis, even Woz: "He had already given them so much just by creating the company." 4) He openly berated and insulted everyone around him: "It was just to drive them to be better and realize their potential." 5) He tried to deny the paternity of his own daughter, rather than pay child support, even after he became rich: "Well, he did acknowledge her eventually."
can't wait to see Jobs spend the rest of his natural life in prison over this one.
Ha, well if there's a god, he's certainly in hell. He's probably in the epic prick VIP area, right next to Hitler. And there are no handicapped spots for him to park his Porsche in there.
The MS approach seems to be more along the lines of "Stumble around blindly until you hit on something and then ride it until it drops." Seems to work for them, though. Not as elegant as Apple, certainly, but hey, beat most companies.
Re:The more things change the more they... change?
on
Apple Macintosh Turns 30
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· Score: 3, Insightful
I don't like the movement of Apple towards a Microsoft-like business model where they care about their own corporate agenda more than their users
I was unaware that there was a time when that WASN'T the case.
fuck everyone involved for going to craigslist for this shit. What. The. Fuck.
Having grown up comfortably in the educated middle-class world, I had a job once that forced me into day-to-day contact with the lower class worlds of ghettos and trailer parks. You would be fucking AMAZED at the behavior you see there, the things that are considered normal. Buying and selling spooge on Craigslist is actually pretty sedate compared to some of the day-to-day crazy shit I used to see there. Parents pimping their kids (and/or having them sell drugs at school), father/son gangbangers, assuming that prison time is just a normal part of life, sisters who share the same baby-daddy. And neglected kids just EVERYWHERE.
Are you referring to the Inspector General who is appointed by the very same President who would stand to lose the most of his own NSA head was embarrassed in any way, much less accused of illegal activities? Because it sure sounds like you're referring to some other Inspector General--some independent one that I'm not familiar with.
Slashdot Mirror
I guess the closest analogy would be being a straight male and announcing to your friends that you're going to become a fashion designer or hairdresser. It might get you some pretty strange looks from your bros.
I remember being so psyched for the Jaguar. It promised a great comeback for the once-legendary Atari brand, claimed 64-bit power, and had great demo games like Alien vs. Predator.
What we actually *got* was...well...not so much.
Using that attitude, you could justify doing any foolish thing. In real life, you have to weigh the possible rewards against the possible risks before taking an action. If you're asking yourself "Should I drive my car off this bridge?" you don't follow with "Sure, the idea seems crazy on the surface, but what if my NOT driving the car off the bridge causes an accident up here on the bridge that kills someone?"
As I said in another post, the rewards of reintroducing species is generally fairly minimal. The risks are potentially great. Given that, the most reasonable course is just to leave it alone (unless you can be pretty damned sure you know wtf you're doing).
The problem in Atlanta isn't just the snow. It was the fact that they let everyone out to go home all at once. Ever been in rush hour traffic in Atlanta? Even without snow and ice, it's a fucking nightmare. That city has some of the worst rush hour traffic I've ever seen, even compared to L.A. Add to that icy/snowy roads that haven't seen even a hint of salt, a generally incompetent/corrupt city government, etc. and you can understand why it turned into a disaster.
How do you know the Carolina Parakeet isn't our only weapon against an impending alien invasion
Well, that's easy. We'll just get some plucky starship captain and his skilled and witty crew to travel back in time, pick up the species we need, and return just in time to save us.
The reward of bringing back a species is relatively small, and the risk can be great. The bison and wolf populations in the U.S. have undergone extensive human-assisted replenishing in recent decades. The reward for that has been generally okay (we get to see them in the wild and eat bison burgers). But the potential harm of reintroducing a species could be much greater than this small reward. If we reintroduced a species that turned out to be a huge pest--or even a big threat to modern crops, humans, or other wildlife--the results could be devastating. Just look at the problems in Australia with invasive species.
I don't believe in heroes. For all I know Snowden is a complete shitheel as a person. Maybe he beats his girlfriend, hates The Eagles, and thinks Louis CK is overrated. That said, I do admire him for having the guts to reveal what was a clear government violation of the Constitution (in the only way that would actually result in any action), and sacrificing any future he might have in the U.S. to do it.
Seriously, nobody is actually proposing this, are they?
Artificially tampering with Mother Nature by bringing back extinct species into modern environs is probably even worse in the end than (maybe) helping to drive them into extinction to begin with. Sometimes, it's best to just let it go. Much as I would love to see the beautiful Carolina Parakeet back in the wild (and maybe even own one as a pet), I know it's best not to go tampering around where my good intentions could lead to very unexpected (and perhaps very unpleasant) results.
My bad. Sabertooth tiger and Mammoth just tasted so good.
This era of lead-free solder further complicates things. It can be a real bitch to do even a basic solder/un-solder job on modern equipment. A lot of modern equipment just isn't even made to be repaired.
A workshop where you can learn woodworking, metalworking, etc. would be WAY more useful, but I guess those aren't hip enough. Back when my dad was in the army, they had a woodworking shop on post and he ended up making some of the most beautiful furniture (having learned how to do it from classes there). Our family still treasurers it today.
I would much rather learn to use a lathe or welding equipment than a 3D printer. But it's sort of like I was a kid. Karate studios on every corner, but not a single place where I could learn to box.
Isn't money laundering just another form of anonymous speech and therefore a protected activity?
Only if you're a corporation.
That just gave me the idea for a game: "Euro-Pirates Vs. Space Pirates."
How is this not self-defeating?
Because if you get enough major companies onboard, it drives down wages across the entire industry, even in companies who aren't directly participating. It artificially suppresses wages (the same way that outsourcing and H1B visas can).
I think everyone, Apple hater and Apple fanboy alike, has always admitted Jobs was a dick.
You haven't been around too many true Apple fanboys. Here are some of the standard cult responses:
1) He never gave to charity, despite his riches: "He probably gave anonymously"
2) He parked in handicapped spaces, like a dick: "It was probably for security reasons."
3) He screwed over his friends, co-workers, and employees on a regular basis, even Woz: "He had already given them so much just by creating the company."
4) He openly berated and insulted everyone around him: "It was just to drive them to be better and realize their potential."
5) He tried to deny the paternity of his own daughter, rather than pay child support, even after he became rich: "Well, he did acknowledge her eventually."
I guess he's dead long enough now that we can acknowledge the latter again?
His cult followers still think he's a deity. Try walking into any Apple store and criticizing him to see for yourself.
Silicone Valley is in Hollywood.
can't wait to see Jobs spend the rest of his natural life in prison over this one.
Ha, well if there's a god, he's certainly in hell. He's probably in the epic prick VIP area, right next to Hitler. And there are no handicapped spots for him to park his Porsche in there.
The MS approach seems to be more along the lines of "Stumble around blindly until you hit on something and then ride it until it drops." Seems to work for them, though. Not as elegant as Apple, certainly, but hey, beat most companies.
I don't like the movement of Apple towards a Microsoft-like business model where they care about their own corporate agenda more than their users
I was unaware that there was a time when that WASN'T the case.
but why should the donor pay for it?
Because he was an accessory to welfare fraud.
fuck everyone involved for going to craigslist for this shit. What. The. Fuck.
Having grown up comfortably in the educated middle-class world, I had a job once that forced me into day-to-day contact with the lower class worlds of ghettos and trailer parks. You would be fucking AMAZED at the behavior you see there, the things that are considered normal. Buying and selling spooge on Craigslist is actually pretty sedate compared to some of the day-to-day crazy shit I used to see there. Parents pimping their kids (and/or having them sell drugs at school), father/son gangbangers, assuming that prison time is just a normal part of life, sisters who share the same baby-daddy. And neglected kids just EVERYWHERE.
Well, if it loses 50% of its users each year, it should have no users left in a few years, right? ;-)
You sound like the guy who said there'd never be a worldwide market for more than 5 computers.
No, I'm the guy in 1958 who said flying cars would never be practical.
Are you referring to the Inspector General who is appointed by the very same President who would stand to lose the most of his own NSA head was embarrassed in any way, much less accused of illegal activities? Because it sure sounds like you're referring to some other Inspector General--some independent one that I'm not familiar with.