I think that in the U.S. this would make you a libertarian.
I am of libertarian bent, but there are those in both major parties who oppose this legislation. Can't judge every pol by the Fritz Hollings and Orrin Hatchs of the Congress. After all.. the RIAA lobbyists can't afford every congressperson.
I'll try to articulate my thoughts on this.
RIAA-backed proposed legislation is way out of proportion to the crime committed. Copying and distributing those copies is copyright infringement, not theft, as the RIAA would call it. And in addition, the act of merely copying a cd is not any kind of infringement at all, its fair use under any rational interpretation of copyright law. Burning those songs into cd format and underselling the record labels would be a more serious offense, of course, but that's not what's got the RIAA's panties twisted! Its Joe Schmoe, ripping the songs, then giving those copies (for free!) to his buddies. That's who they target, cause all of Joe's buddies no longer have to go buy the (overpriced) cd! And when Joe's buddies extend to everybody with a P2P program, the RIAA starts to see Red Ink (or decreasing margins, anyway). As I see it, the RIAA labels have no competition at all, no way for a free market to regulate cd prices more reasonably... except for those mp3s.
I am a strong supporter of property rights, intellectual and otherwise (yes I know the IP rights situation is a bit more complicated). However, the RIAA's strongarm, bullying tactics are pissing me off. I would not vote for any politician who supported that organization. Yes, people have a right to make a dollar or thousand for their intellectual contributions, but people also have a right to such as "innocent until proven guilty," and "freedom from unwarranted search and seizure" and a dozen other rights the RIAA, MPAA, and their highly funded Washington lawmakers would trample on in the rush to stamp out music piracy. I used to have sympathy for the RIAA's viewpoint. No longer.
While I am all for free enterprise, I am not yet convinced that the technology exists to make space travel inexpensive enough for any organization that does not have the capability to spend hundreds of millions without seeing a return (like, say government agencies).
Sure a suborbital flight may be (relatively) cheap, but I am not sure that keeping humans in space for prolonged periods can ever be made safe and cheap.
You do, of course, realise that Australia and New Zealand are two different countries?
Not meaning to feed the trolls or anything, but I think the guy knows that New Zealand and Australia are two different countries, given the.nz domain in his e-mail addy. I pretty much think he was making a friendly poke at Australians It's really too bad that there is not a humor tag in html...
When did it happen? Or is it just the usual array of socially inept geeks, snickering behind the cuffs on their black trenchcoats that make it seem that way? This guy poured his guts into this essay of his. He was obviously stunned by the news, disappointed, hurt even, though he denied it in his story. He had to know it was coming, but it sounds like that knowing didn't help. I was sincerely touched by this. I was just as annoyed as anybody at Wesley Crusher, but I think Wil Wheaton did the best he could when he was handed what were, frankly, pretty insipid lines. I grew more and more fond of the character as the show and character matured, most particularly the last show he was in regularly.."Final Mission" I think it was. And his character grew even more intriguing with his guest appearances, like the fascinating "The First Duty." At any rate, I looked forward to seeing him in Nemesis. I wish he could have been more a part of it. I wish him the best in finding a successful adult career, and I hope that he puts the unfortunate image that Wesley Crusher has given him through no fault of his own, behind him.
I have, actually, read these books. I liked them greatly, but How Few Remain actually skipped over the part of the alternate history I was most interested in, the immediate aftermath of the war. I particularly, as I mentioned elsewhere, found Turtledove's interpretations of General Lee as postwar leader utterly fascinating. (minor book spoilers ahead) As to the science fiction plot device, I didn't find it any less believable than the device in How Few Remain. I mean, fiction is fiction and
time traveling fascists is just as plausible a plot device (if not as plausible from a historical perspective) to have the South win as that courier not losing Lee's battle plans.
I like the Great War series, but I think The Guns of the South is more entertaining. And, in particular, the detail paid to Lee and his reactions to slavery.
this is ot, but this reminds me of an excellent book I read a few years ago, The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove.. very interesting "what if" type alternate history in which the South does win... and the results of such that Turtledove postulates are fairly surprising.
...a disgrunteled postal worker handling all my E-Mail
Well, the threat of disgruntling has alway been exaggerated.. my dad is 1.)a former career US Marine 2.) a Vietnam veteran and 3.) a current USPS employee, and as far as I know, he's never been gruntled, much less disgruntled.
Despite all the people talking about viewing angles and how impossible it would be to duplicate the background for every potential viewer, adaptive camo of this type is possible, because you don't need to perfectly duplicate the background. Camo is truly effective only if the person not wanting to be seen is still. Gillie suits, modern "splotch" design camouflage uniforms and the like are perfectly useless if you are moving, because the number one thing that catches the human eye is movement. All the adaptive part of the camo would do is make the camouflage that much more effective, if it could generally replicate the color and shading of whatever the person wearing the suit was lying in.
Except of course for the silly fight between Gandalf and Saruman, which looked like a some unused Xena footage got spliced in to save people from having to exercise their imaginations.
I disagree. I believe the fight was only silly to people who have seen "Breakin'" and "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." Seriously, though, I think the scene was included for a couple of reasons. One, to bring some action to what otherwise would be a dull "traveling" scene. Two, to show Saruman's treachery and otherwise badness, plus the fact that he is a formidable person, to beat the crap outta Gandalf like that. Now, as the fight itself, I found it as an original approach to filming a magical duel as I have ever seen.
I am glad this wasn't made into one of the inane, witless summer movies we in the U.S. have been subjected to all season. The book and material was treated with respect and dignity, with the core concepts and philosophy of Tolkien's works left intact. I, personally, would have watched (many times) a blow by blow, scene by scene translation of the book into film, but I don't think such a treatment would have been successful, commercially. All in all, PJ made the right decisions about what to keep, what to change, and what to discard entirely (Bombadil).
However I thought the d10 marked 10,20,30,....
was lame. Use your imagination!
Don't blame me! I didn't do it!
THe only problem is, when you roll them 1 at a time and your ten's digit is a 0, MAN OH MAN are you praying to roll another 0! (100 being (usually) far better than 06!)
I must admit I prayed to the dice gods more than once, making sacrificies, promising never to give up my sacred virginity, stuff like that...
Actually what the kids are doing these days are, instead of rolling a d100 "golf ball," rolling two d10s, designating one the 10s digit and the other the 1s digit beforehand. I don't know the statistical validity of this, but it does keep the ol' Royal Corona bag from getting too lumpy. They even make d10s that are marked 10,20,30,...,00.
umm.. I think this tech needs a little developement before it's ready for use in holodecks. Something about a screen spinning at high RPM... "Activate Holodeck 4, Mr. Data.. and hit pureé"
Slashdot Mirror
I think that in the U.S. this would make you a libertarian.
I am of libertarian bent, but there are those in both major parties who oppose this legislation. Can't judge every pol by the Fritz Hollings and Orrin Hatchs of the Congress. After all.. the RIAA lobbyists can't afford every congressperson.
I'll try to articulate my thoughts on this. RIAA-backed proposed legislation is way out of proportion to the crime committed. Copying and distributing those copies is copyright infringement, not theft, as the RIAA would call it. And in addition, the act of merely copying a cd is not any kind of infringement at all, its fair use under any rational interpretation of copyright law. Burning those songs into cd format and underselling the record labels would be a more serious offense, of course, but that's not what's got the RIAA's panties twisted! Its Joe Schmoe, ripping the songs, then giving those copies (for free!) to his buddies. That's who they target, cause all of Joe's buddies no longer have to go buy the (overpriced) cd! And when Joe's buddies extend to everybody with a P2P program, the RIAA starts to see Red Ink (or decreasing margins, anyway). As I see it, the RIAA labels have no competition at all, no way for a free market to regulate cd prices more reasonably... except for those mp3s.
I am a strong supporter of property rights, intellectual and otherwise (yes I know the IP rights situation is a bit more complicated). However, the RIAA's strongarm, bullying tactics are pissing me off. I would not vote for any politician who supported that organization. Yes, people have a right to make a dollar or thousand for their intellectual contributions, but people also have a right to such as "innocent until proven guilty," and "freedom from unwarranted search and seizure" and a dozen other rights the RIAA, MPAA, and their highly funded Washington lawmakers would trample on in the rush to stamp out music piracy. I used to have sympathy for the RIAA's viewpoint. No longer.
While I am all for free enterprise, I am not yet convinced that the technology exists to make space travel inexpensive enough for any organization that does not have the capability to spend hundreds of millions without seeing a return (like, say government agencies).
Sure a suborbital flight may be (relatively) cheap, but I am not sure that keeping humans in space for prolonged periods can ever be made safe and cheap.
yeah yeah... Texas = rednecks. Blah blah trailer homes blah blah wal-mart, ad infinitum
Good one, Jeff Foxworthy
Remember not to exceed 0.0000000926 on the road next time!
Well, I don't know where you live, but most local roads where I am have a legal limit of 0.0000000492! 0.0000000926 seems kinda dangerously fast.
You do, of course, realise that Australia and New Zealand are two different countries?
Not meaning to feed the trolls or anything, but I think the guy knows that New Zealand and Australia are two different countries, given the
When did it happen? Or is it just the usual array of socially inept geeks, snickering behind the cuffs on their black trenchcoats that make it seem that way? This guy poured his guts into this essay of his. He was obviously stunned by the news, disappointed, hurt even, though he denied it in his story. He had to know it was coming, but it sounds like that knowing didn't help. I was sincerely touched by this.
I was just as annoyed as anybody at Wesley Crusher, but I think Wil Wheaton did the best he could when he was handed what were, frankly, pretty insipid lines. I grew more and more fond of the character as the show and character matured, most particularly the last show he was in regularly.."Final Mission" I think it was. And his character grew even more intriguing with his guest appearances, like the fascinating "The First Duty." At any rate, I looked forward to seeing him in Nemesis. I wish he could have been more a part of it. I wish him the best in finding a successful adult career, and I hope that he puts the unfortunate image that Wesley Crusher has given him through no fault of his own, behind him.
I have, actually, read these books. I liked them greatly, but How Few Remain actually skipped over the part of the alternate history I was most interested in, the immediate aftermath of the war. I particularly, as I mentioned elsewhere, found Turtledove's interpretations of General Lee as postwar leader utterly fascinating. (minor book spoilers ahead)
As to the science fiction plot device, I didn't find it any less believable than the device in How Few Remain. I mean, fiction is fiction and time traveling fascists is just as plausible a plot device (if not as plausible from a historical perspective) to have the South win as that courier not losing Lee's battle plans.
I like the Great War series, but I think The Guns of the South is more entertaining. And, in particular, the detail paid to Lee and his reactions to slavery.
this is ot, but this reminds me of an excellent book I read a few years ago, The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove.. very interesting "what if" type alternate history in which the South does win... and the results of such that Turtledove postulates are fairly surprising.
Well, the threat of disgruntling has alway been exaggerated.. my dad is 1.)a former career US Marine 2.) a Vietnam veteran and 3.) a current USPS employee, and as far as I know, he's never been gruntled, much less disgruntled.
Despite all the people talking about viewing angles and how impossible it would be to duplicate the background for every potential viewer, adaptive camo of this type is possible, because you don't need to perfectly duplicate the background. Camo is truly effective only if the person not wanting to be seen is still. Gillie suits, modern "splotch" design camouflage uniforms and the like are perfectly useless if you are moving, because the number one thing that catches the human eye is movement. All the adaptive part of the camo would do is make the camouflage that much more effective, if it could generally replicate the color and shading of whatever the person wearing the suit was lying in.
Except of course for the silly fight between Gandalf and Saruman, which looked like a some unused Xena footage got spliced in to save people from having to exercise their imaginations.
I disagree. I believe the fight was only silly to people who have seen "Breakin'" and "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." Seriously, though, I think the scene was included for a couple of reasons. One, to bring some action to what otherwise would be a dull "traveling" scene. Two, to show Saruman's treachery and otherwise badness, plus the fact that he is a formidable person, to beat the crap outta Gandalf like that. Now, as the fight itself, I found it as an original approach to filming a magical duel as I have ever seen.
I am glad this wasn't made into one of the inane, witless summer movies we in the U.S. have been subjected to all season. The book and material was treated with respect and dignity, with the core concepts and philosophy of Tolkien's works left intact. I, personally, would have watched (many times) a blow by blow, scene by scene translation of the book into film, but I don't think such a treatment would have been successful, commercially. All in all, PJ made the right decisions about what to keep, what to change, and what to discard entirely (Bombadil).
I seems like a fair trade... we get Tom Green, and you folks some of our nuclear waste.
Personally, I dont think he was talking about Terrorism. You people gotta get your mind off that shit. Life does not revolve around terrorists
No, it just ends with 'em.
Quotha:
However I thought the d10 marked 10,20,30,.... was lame. Use your imagination!
Don't blame me! I didn't do it!
THe only problem is, when you roll them 1 at a time and your ten's digit is a 0, MAN OH MAN are you praying to roll another 0! (100 being (usually) far better than 06!)
I must admit I prayed to the dice gods more than once, making sacrificies, promising never to give up my sacred virginity, stuff like that...
Actually what the kids are doing these days are, instead of rolling a d100 "golf ball," rolling two d10s, designating one the 10s digit and the other the 1s digit beforehand. I don't know the statistical validity of this, but it does keep the ol' Royal Corona bag from getting too lumpy.
They even make d10s that are marked 10,20,30,...,00.
umm.. I think this tech needs a little developement before it's ready for use in holodecks. Something about a screen spinning at high RPM... "Activate Holodeck 4, Mr. Data.. and hit pureé"