Opinion: 1. The Internet isn't complicated That's an opinion. Considering more and more people are logging on, and I just read an article about older people turning to the Internet, consider the following... Just because to the author, the Internet, and using it is easy, does not mean it is not complicated for a new user.
Don't confuse technological iliiteracy with the author's statement. The underlying infrastructure of the internet is amazingly simple. Using a microwave oven is simple, unless you've never seen one before.
Opinion 3. The Internet is stupid. No people are stupid. Personally (this is my opinion) I believe the next generation is going to be hellishly smarter than the one I grew up (growing up) with (in). Where else can you learn so many things from without leaving your home. Encyclopedia? They're limited
No, the Internet IS stupid. It is simply a connection to move bits from point A to point B. People have added intelligence and by extension, complexity to the Internet in order to make it convenient for Grandma to send her chocolate chip cookie recipe to her cousin somewhere. Go back to point #1, above.
One of Murphy's corollaries states: "Build a system that even a fool can use and only a fool will want to use it".
I'm old enough to have purchased recorded music on vinyl, 8-track, cassette, and CD. I've bought the same music at least 4 times over due to the ever-changing "standard" of the industry. Does the RIAA (or their partners in crime, major record labels) offer a credit when you replace your vinyl recordings with 8-track tapes, then to cassettes, etc? No, they happily collect their money and are licking their chops, waiting for the next "industry standard" format to be introduced so I can have the **privilege** of buying the same recordings I've already bought 2 or 3 or 4 times all over again.
Well screw them!! I am currently ripping my entire CD collection to disk and replacing damaged tracks (due to worn Cd's) with replacement tracks I have obtained using P2P. Why the hell not...I've already paid for it.
In the 80's they sold a lot of CD's because people were replacing their tired cassette collection with audio cd's, it was a new medium and it was catching on in popularity. Plus, you had MTV (yes, they did actually broadcast music videos a long, long time ago) which helped drive sales because for the first time, massive amounts of people were being exposed to new artists. These trends dwindled away til now, where (as I see it), there's little compelling reason to buy most of the crap, er music being produced today. If I download a song, chances are it's music from the 60's or 70's that I haven't heard in 20 years or so. Much of it is out of print. If the RIAA wants me to buy CD's, then the record labels should publish what I want to listen to.
I agree with Used Cars. Kurt Russell was hilarious when he buried his boss in the Edsel in back of the dealership. "Your headstone will be a constantly revolving inventory of quality discount pre-driven automobiles." Funny!
Call me naive, but it occurs to me that if BioDiesel really works, why aren't large-scale diesel users (trucking companies, fleets, etc) using it? It seems to me that vegetable oil shouldn't be too hard to come by.
I suppose it's some clandestine plot by the oil companies to maintain the publics' dependency on fossil-fuels. Like the drug dealer, it's in their best interest to keep the junkie hooked.
When I was in management at a large North American company, we were told that the reason for conducting a credit check on an individual prior to employment is because it is against the policy of many companies nowadays to furnish references on past employees for fear of lawsuits. Most companies will only confirm that a former employee worked at that company hire/termination dates, etc. - just facts. They are not allowed to provide any subjective information with regard to the character or work habits of former employees. Using the credit check is just another tool used by the employer to "weed out" undesirable applicants from the pack. I'm not saying this is the right thing to do, in fact, my personal belief is that the only people who should have access to your credit history are those people who are extending you credit. What's next? Asking for a list of sexual partners? Drinking habits? Do you gamble? Whatch NASCAR? Where will it end?
Okay - I enjoy working on my own vehicles. I can afford to take them to a shop for repairs, but I choose to work on them myself. Call it a "caveman mentality" or whatever. I'm not some backwoods redneck who fixes problems with bailing wire and duct tape, either. I have the tools and skills to do most any kind of repair. The only repairs I won't attempt are those that are dangerous (fixing a leaking fuel tank) or require costly specialty tools (alignment rack) that would not be cost effective to purchase for my own use.
I find it personally insulting that car manufacturers purposely deny consumers access to repair information, whether it's for economic gain or because they feel the "average" backyard mechanic is not smart enough to know what to do with the information. This is the epitome of arrogance and a slap in the face to someone who has been loyal to a carmaker and has purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of their products.
Someone a few posts back drew a parallel with the copy machine industry. This is true. I serviced a major brand of copier for several years. The Japanese engineers arrogantly withheld certain specs and procedures from their American service force because it was their opinion that we weren't smart enough to know what to do with the information. As a result, you'd get technicians "experimenting" with settings and values they had no clue what effect they would have on the product. I say give the end-user the information and let them decide whether they should attempt it or defer to a "trained professional".
As long as you've gone back to "collage" (sic) - be sure you sign up for remedial spelling classes. Maybe you can't find a job because your friggin ILLITERATE!
Okay, I don't happen to like mushrooms, so when I order a pizza, I order it without mushrooms. If someone offers me a slice of pizza with mushrooms, I politely turn it down.
Same thing with movies...if you don't like violence, don't watch Fight Club, if you don't like nudity, don't watch Showgirls, if you don't like profanity, don't watch anything but G-rated flicks. My point is that these movies are produced for a mass audience. I don't care for censorship in any form. I don't watch movies on broadcast TV because they have been butchered by a censor. I pay the extra $$ to subscribe to HBO/Cinemax. But that's my choice.
If you don't like nudity/violence/profanity, too bad. Through your personal choices, you have limited the entertainment options available to you. That's not a bad thing - it's YOUR choice. But do not try to force your personal belief of what is acceptable to you on anyone else. Simply put: If you object to it, don't watch it!!!
There would be enough demand for the liquor store. The point I was trying to make was that I was told by the mayor's office that the reason there was no liquor store was because "we" didn't want one there. You have to understand that in Utah, the entire liquor industry is controlled by the State, and the laws pertaining to liquor sales, advertising, and consumption are made by people who are not only non-drinkers, but also feel that alcohol consumption is immoral. It's this narrow, one-sided view of what are considered "adult pastimes" ie: drinking, adult entertainment, gambling, etc., that makes Utah a second-class state. I support the right of the LDS Church and its members to live how they choose, but they have no right to impose their moral/religious standards on the general population of the State.
You are correct in stating that Utah pays a lot less than other states. Utah prides itself on its "pioneer work ethic". What this really means is "people willing to work for low wages". Because the LDS Church places such a large emphasis on families and togetherness, and because this is a virtual LDS utopia, many Utahns are willing to accept lower wages just to remain in the "promised land". Utah has high taxes, charges sales tax on everything, and is an expensive place to live, compared with the surrounding states. Plus, because the LDS Church encourages large families, a disproportionately large segment of the populace is children who do not pay taxes, this means more kids in the schools and less tax dollars to fund them with. Consequently, Utah's public schools are overcrowded and grossly underfunded. In fact, the public schools just plain suck. My kids are getting a much better education now than they did in Utah.
Clueless?? I can tell you from experience that in a state that is so overwhelmingly of a singular mindset, it is impossible to affect change without the "blessing" of the LDS church. Here you go: the Governor, state legislature, and virtually all elected officals at the city, state, and federal levels are all LDS. All it takes is for the LDS church to release a statement on a subject such as liquor laws, and instantly, 65-70% of the voters in the state unite against it. I've seen it happen. The Constitution of the United States was designed to protect the minority from the majority, except in Utah.
I was born in Utah and lived there all my life until two years ago. Since I was not a member of the LDS faith, I was subjected to years of both subtle and not-so-subtle discrimination. The LDS people in Utah are clannish, unfriendly, and feel that the State of Utah is theirs to do with as they please. If you complain, or try to change things (ie: their asinine liquor laws) the most common response is : "if you don't like it, leave". When I saw my kids getting the same treatment I did twenty or thirty years ago, I packed up my family and left! Even though Utah is a beautiful place, I would never live there again. This discrimination happens in the public schools, when job-hunting, and even in your own neighborhood. In the suburb where I lived, there were four LDS churches within a 1/2 mile of my house. The closest liquor store was 8 miles away, in another city. When I inquired why our suburb of 60,000 people didn't have a state liquor store, I was told by the mayor's office: "because *WE* don't want one here!" See what I mean? If you want any type of social life and are not either LDS or a ski bum, stay away from Utah. It's a shame that such a beautiful state is so closed-minded and inhospitable.
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Opinion: 1. The Internet isn't complicated
That's an opinion. Considering more and more people are logging on, and I just read an article about older people turning to the Internet, consider the following... Just because to the author, the Internet, and using it is easy, does not mean it is not complicated for a new user.
Don't confuse technological iliiteracy with the author's statement. The underlying infrastructure of the internet is amazingly simple. Using a microwave oven is simple, unless you've never seen one before.
Opinion 3. The Internet is stupid.
No people are stupid. Personally (this is my opinion) I believe the next generation is going to be hellishly smarter than the one I grew up (growing up) with (in). Where else can you learn so many things from without leaving your home. Encyclopedia? They're limited
No, the Internet IS stupid. It is simply a connection to move bits from point A to point B. People have added intelligence and by extension, complexity to the Internet in order to make it convenient for Grandma to send her chocolate chip cookie recipe to her cousin somewhere. Go back to point #1, above.
One of Murphy's corollaries states: "Build a system that even a fool can use and only a fool will want to use it".
I think that applies here, don't you?
You'd see a lot of men running around with huge hands from applying the creme!
I'm old enough to have purchased recorded music on vinyl, 8-track, cassette, and CD. I've bought the same music at least 4 times over due to the ever-changing "standard" of the industry. Does the RIAA (or their partners in crime, major record labels) offer a credit when you replace your vinyl recordings with 8-track tapes, then to cassettes, etc? No, they happily collect their money and are licking their chops, waiting for the next "industry standard" format to be introduced so I can have the **privilege** of buying the same recordings I've already bought 2 or 3 or 4 times all over again.
Well screw them!! I am currently ripping my entire CD collection to disk and replacing damaged tracks (due to worn Cd's) with replacement tracks I have obtained using P2P. Why the hell not...I've already paid for it.
In the 80's they sold a lot of CD's because people were replacing their tired cassette collection with audio cd's, it was a new medium and it was catching on in popularity. Plus, you had MTV (yes, they did actually broadcast music videos a long, long time ago) which helped drive sales because for the first time, massive amounts of people were being exposed to new artists. These trends dwindled away til now, where (as I see it), there's little compelling reason to buy most of the crap, er music being produced today. If I download a song, chances are it's music from the 60's or 70's that I haven't heard in 20 years or so. Much of it is out of print. If the RIAA wants me to buy CD's, then the record labels should publish what I want to listen to.
I agree with Used Cars. Kurt Russell was hilarious when he buried his boss in the Edsel in back of the dealership. "Your headstone will be a constantly revolving inventory of quality discount pre-driven automobiles." Funny!
"Box of Moonlight" - Sam Rockwell is great as a quirky loner and John Turturro as a man going through a midlife crisis was perfectly cast.
Sure, it's kind of depressing - but Jennifer Connelly in the buff makes it worth it!
Call me naive, but it occurs to me that if BioDiesel really works, why aren't large-scale diesel users (trucking companies, fleets, etc) using it? It seems to me that vegetable oil shouldn't be too hard to come by.
I suppose it's some clandestine plot by the oil companies to maintain the publics' dependency on fossil-fuels. Like the drug dealer, it's in their best interest to keep the junkie hooked.
When I was in management at a large North American company, we were told that the reason for conducting a credit check on an individual prior to employment is because it is against the policy of many companies nowadays to furnish references on past employees for fear of lawsuits. Most companies will only confirm that a former employee worked at that company hire/termination dates, etc. - just facts. They are not allowed to provide any subjective information with regard to the character or work habits of former employees. Using the credit check is just another tool used by the employer to "weed out" undesirable applicants from the pack. I'm not saying this is the right thing to do, in fact, my personal belief is that the only people who should have access to your credit history are those people who are extending you credit. What's next? Asking for a list of sexual partners? Drinking habits? Do you gamble? Whatch NASCAR? Where will it end?
Okay - I enjoy working on my own vehicles. I can afford to take them to a shop for repairs, but I choose to work on them myself. Call it a "caveman mentality" or whatever. I'm not some backwoods redneck who fixes problems with bailing wire and duct tape, either. I have the tools and skills to do most any kind of repair. The only repairs I won't attempt are those that are dangerous (fixing a leaking fuel tank) or require costly specialty tools (alignment rack) that would not be cost effective to purchase for my own use.
I find it personally insulting that car manufacturers purposely deny consumers access to repair information, whether it's for economic gain or because they feel the "average" backyard mechanic is not smart enough to know what to do with the information. This is the epitome of arrogance and a slap in the face to someone who has been loyal to a carmaker and has purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of their products.
Someone a few posts back drew a parallel with the copy machine industry. This is true. I serviced a major brand of copier for several years. The Japanese engineers arrogantly withheld certain specs and procedures from their American service force because it was their opinion that we weren't smart enough to know what to do with the information. As a result, you'd get technicians "experimenting" with settings and values they had no clue what effect they would have on the product. I say give the end-user the information and let them decide whether they should attempt it or defer to a "trained professional".
As long as you've gone back to "collage" (sic) - be sure you sign up for remedial spelling classes. Maybe you can't find a job because your friggin ILLITERATE!
Okay, I don't happen to like mushrooms, so when I order a pizza, I order it without mushrooms. If someone offers me a slice of pizza with mushrooms, I politely turn it down.
Same thing with movies...if you don't like violence, don't watch Fight Club, if you don't like nudity, don't watch Showgirls, if you don't like profanity, don't watch anything but G-rated flicks. My point is that these movies are produced for a mass audience. I don't care for censorship in any form. I don't watch movies on broadcast TV because they have been butchered by a censor. I pay the extra $$ to subscribe to HBO/Cinemax. But that's my choice.
If you don't like nudity/violence/profanity, too bad. Through your personal choices, you have limited the entertainment options available to you. That's not a bad thing - it's YOUR choice. But do not try to force your personal belief of what is acceptable to you on anyone else. Simply put: If you object to it, don't watch it!!!
There would be enough demand for the liquor store. The point I was trying to make was that I was told by the mayor's office that the reason there was no liquor store was because "we" didn't want one there. You have to understand that in Utah, the entire liquor industry is controlled by the State, and the laws pertaining to liquor sales, advertising, and consumption are made by people who are not only non-drinkers, but also feel that alcohol consumption is immoral. It's this narrow, one-sided view of what are considered "adult pastimes" ie: drinking, adult entertainment, gambling, etc., that makes Utah a second-class state. I support the right of the LDS Church and its members to live how they choose, but they have no right to impose their moral/religious standards on the general population of the State. You are correct in stating that Utah pays a lot less than other states. Utah prides itself on its "pioneer work ethic". What this really means is "people willing to work for low wages". Because the LDS Church places such a large emphasis on families and togetherness, and because this is a virtual LDS utopia, many Utahns are willing to accept lower wages just to remain in the "promised land". Utah has high taxes, charges sales tax on everything, and is an expensive place to live, compared with the surrounding states. Plus, because the LDS Church encourages large families, a disproportionately large segment of the populace is children who do not pay taxes, this means more kids in the schools and less tax dollars to fund them with. Consequently, Utah's public schools are overcrowded and grossly underfunded. In fact, the public schools just plain suck. My kids are getting a much better education now than they did in Utah.
Clueless?? I can tell you from experience that in a state that is so overwhelmingly of a singular mindset, it is impossible to affect change without the "blessing" of the LDS church. Here you go: the Governor, state legislature, and virtually all elected officals at the city, state, and federal levels are all LDS. All it takes is for the LDS church to release a statement on a subject such as liquor laws, and instantly, 65-70% of the voters in the state unite against it. I've seen it happen. The Constitution of the United States was designed to protect the minority from the majority, except in Utah.
I was born in Utah and lived there all my life until two years ago. Since I was not a member of the LDS faith, I was subjected to years of both subtle and not-so-subtle discrimination. The LDS people in Utah are clannish, unfriendly, and feel that the State of Utah is theirs to do with as they please. If you complain, or try to change things (ie: their asinine liquor laws) the most common response is : "if you don't like it, leave". When I saw my kids getting the same treatment I did twenty or thirty years ago, I packed up my family and left! Even though Utah is a beautiful place, I would never live there again. This discrimination happens in the public schools, when job-hunting, and even in your own neighborhood. In the suburb where I lived, there were four LDS churches within a 1/2 mile of my house. The closest liquor store was 8 miles away, in another city. When I inquired why our suburb of 60,000 people didn't have a state liquor store, I was told by the mayor's office: "because *WE* don't want one here!" See what I mean? If you want any type of social life and are not either LDS or a ski bum, stay away from Utah. It's a shame that such a beautiful state is so closed-minded and inhospitable.