"Unless customers were willing to buy the replacement plan and a bunch of accessories, I was to pretend that the store was out of stock of the game systems."
I'm confused how that would work because typically my first question (assuming an item I'm looking for isn't on the shelf) is usually "do you have item X in stock?", not "can I get a service plan and accessories for item X?"
You forgot about the part where about half the people who mailed in rebates don't get their money because of one of the following
a) mailed it in late (have to mail the rebate in within 5 to 10 days of purchase often times) b) supposedly illegible handwriting c) incomplete form (didn't provide phone number, say) d) didn't include all of the necessary items (sometimes they even ask you for obscure stuff in addition to the usual receipt, rebate form, UPC - for example, they might ask you to send in a product code sticker that was on the outer shrink wrap that you threw away) e) didn't cash rebate check soon enough.
2 million dollar mansions? Do you live in rural Indiana or something? Do you also think they drive around in $5,000 BMWs and wear $100 Rolexes to match their $200 suits? "This new Aguilara album is great, let's crack open a $30 bottle of champagne to celebrate, and smoke some $10 Cuban cigars."
Oh please. And in the UK, all the people dance and sing and the plants and the animals hold hands and rejoice at what a wonderful fucking place the UK is because they count all the votes before they announce who won. I can hardly imagine what such a utopia must be like.
I would just like to point out one flaw in your post - democracy (lots of people voting) and freedom (liberty, etc) are not the same thing. For example, in a democracy a majority of people could vote to take away the freedoms of a minority. Say, a minority who's lifestyles we don't approve of because of our religious beliefs. In fact, in our democracy we do this sort of thing all the time, gives us a sense of purpose, something to talk about during the sermon, brew up a nice stew of righteous indignation.
Heh, I'm glad you pointed that out, that comment of his really struck me as amusing and offensive on so many levels, all while making a point that I agree with in principle. First of all, community college? George Bush didn't go to community college. It seemed pretty condescending and it seemed based on the assumption that all of the people losing their jobs are unskilled laborers. Second, if Pres. Bush loses his job soon, as I know we all hope he will, will he go to community college to learn some new skills?
But the honest truth is that times change. When the loom was invented, thousands of people lost their jobs sewing garments, but a few hundred years later, we're all much better off for it. You have to learn new skills, adjust to the times, and move on. It's just really painful to hear that from a silver-spoon-up-his-ass fuckwad like GWB
frightening stuff. Hardly what I'd call censored though - when a draft is coming, we'll know it, trust me. But this issue is boring, here's what I found interesting:
Award-winning journalist Jan Goodwin writes frequently on political issues.
Did she win a pie-baking contest in 1993? Family Circle Employee of the Month - July 1998? What the hell does Award-winning mean? Pulitzer? Nobel Prize? Pine-wood Derbie?
You may call them copyrights, but I call them copyWRONGs
Seriously, it's ridiculous, listen to yourself. People just want to listen to music and watch pornos. If it really hurts those industries, then a few a few less pornos will get made, and a few artists won't get signed. True artists will endure. The world will go on. No cultural harm will be done by a few record executives not getting as rich as they would like. We need to rework the whole system for scratch.
As a citizen of _IDAHO_, I was very disappointed to see my state included in this, not to mention misspelled. Idaho is generally a libertarian sort of state - you do your thing, I'll do mine. Seems our attorney general has started hanging out with the wrong crowd.
The higher prices are because taxes are so much lower in Europe so Europeans get to keep a much larger portion of their income and thus have a lot more spending money.
heh heh. heh.
Actually I have no idea why things cost more in Europe. I would say that it's because so many taxes and regulation costs are built into things - but when you're talking about a music download that doesn't really make sense. Maybe it's just because they figure Europeans are used to paying so much more for things...
RAM prices are like oil prices, they have nothing to do with supply and demand but instead, are controlled by some secret or not so secret cartel.
Geez, how stupid are you? OPEC can produce almost as much oil as it wants. They could double oil production if they felt like it, but instead the throttle it back to raise prices. Right now every single RAM manufacturer is cranking out RAM as fast as they can to try to take advantage of these higher prices. There are even companies that normally make ASICs that are switching over to making RAM to take advantage of the higher prices. Can you spot the difference?
The reason it will take quite a while for RAM prices to go back down is that it takes years to dramatically increase production of RAM (bring new manufacturing facilities online, etc). Once that happens, prices will plummet again.
That commercial irks me too - though nothing to do with databases and privacy, I think using EZPass encourages the states to put up more toll roads. You make it easier for them to take your money.
It sounds like you have a real stick up your ass about these "professional students."
My impersonation of you:
Ohh, they think they're so smart with their high GPAs. I bet they sit around all day talking about their GPAs. "Look at me, I have a 3.9 GPA, I'm soooo smart." Well I'll show them! I'll show the whole world!!! HAH! HAH! HAH!!!
Your response doesn't make any sense. He's wondering at the math involved in the current balance of how much companies spend on advertising vs the cost that that adds to the product, seeming to feel that it's a bit excessive, you're bitching about the sales/VAT taxes in a semi-socialist country.
90% of everything is crap, and we've all already seen the 10% of movies and TV shows in the U.S. that don't suck. You've seen all the episodes of Seinfeld, you've seen The Godfather and Star Wars and The Matrix. And Once you've seen all that, all that's left is The Postman and Waterworld and Crossing Over with John Edwards.
So we've seen all the good stuff that the U.S. has to offer, and we're hungry for more good entertainment. Enter anime. You pretty much never see this stuff on TV or in movie theaters, and the only stuff you do see is stuff that makes it through quite a filter - you get the very best that Japanese creativity has to offer. On top of that, coming from another culture, it's very different, it's doesn't fit the cookie cutter mold of so many of the movies and shows we see here in the U.S.
So that's why I think a lot of people like anime, we ran out of good Western entertainment, so we turn to the best from other cultures. Of course, I suppose this explanation I've given doesn't explain why we're not into artsy French films;)
Slashdot Mirror
"Unless customers were willing to buy the replacement plan and a bunch of accessories, I was to pretend that the store was out of stock of the game systems."
I'm confused how that would work because typically my first question (assuming an item I'm looking for isn't on the shelf) is usually "do you have item X in stock?", not "can I get a service plan and accessories for item X?"
You forgot about the part where about half the people who mailed in rebates don't get their money because of one of the following
a) mailed it in late (have to mail the rebate in within 5 to 10 days of purchase often times)
b) supposedly illegible handwriting
c) incomplete form (didn't provide phone number, say)
d) didn't include all of the necessary items (sometimes they even ask you for obscure stuff in addition to the usual receipt, rebate form, UPC - for example, they might ask you to send in a product code sticker that was on the outer shrink wrap that you threw away)
e) didn't cash rebate check soon enough.
2 million dollar mansions? Do you live in rural Indiana or something? Do you also think they drive around in $5,000 BMWs and wear $100 Rolexes to match their $200 suits? "This new Aguilara album is great, let's crack open a $30 bottle of champagne to celebrate, and smoke some $10 Cuban cigars."
And the best part of it is, your vote counts just as much as mine.
sigh...
Oh please. And in the UK, all the people dance and sing and the plants and the animals hold hands and rejoice at what a wonderful fucking place the UK is because they count all the votes before they announce who won. I can hardly imagine what such a utopia must be like.
I would just like to point out one flaw in your post - democracy (lots of people voting) and freedom (liberty, etc) are not the same thing. For example, in a democracy a majority of people could vote to take away the freedoms of a minority. Say, a minority who's lifestyles we don't approve of because of our religious beliefs. In fact, in our democracy we do this sort of thing all the time, gives us a sense of purpose, something to talk about during the sermon, brew up a nice stew of righteous indignation.
Also, you are a moron.
Let's try not to be outrageously optimistic.
But the honest truth is that times change. When the loom was invented, thousands of people lost their jobs sewing garments, but a few hundred years later, we're all much better off for it. You have to learn new skills, adjust to the times, and move on. It's just really painful to hear that from a silver-spoon-up-his-ass fuckwad like GWB
They're not any smaller. Also, it's not just a transistor per bit, it's a transistor and a capacitor.
Award-winning journalist Jan Goodwin writes frequently on political issues.
Did she win a pie-baking contest in 1993? Family Circle Employee of the Month - July 1998? What the hell does Award-winning mean? Pulitzer? Nobel Prize? Pine-wood Derbie?
You may call them copyrights, but I call them copyWRONGs
Seriously, it's ridiculous, listen to yourself. People just want to listen to music and watch pornos. If it really hurts those industries, then a few a few less pornos will get made, and a few artists won't get signed. True artists will endure. The world will go on. No cultural harm will be done by a few record executives not getting as rich as they would like. We need to rework the whole system for scratch.
But you're just a troll anyway.
Meaningless. Those numbers are in $ per person, not as a percentage of income. Like they say, lies, damn lies, and statistics.
Not all of our extra dispoable income comes from working "40% more hours" (that math seems fuzzy to me), we also have lower taxes.
So while we may spend twice as much on private health care, we don't pay nearly as much taxes, so it more or less evens out. It's also more efficient.
As a citizen of _IDAHO_, I was very disappointed to see my state included in this, not to mention misspelled. Idaho is generally a libertarian sort of state - you do your thing, I'll do mine. Seems our attorney general has started hanging out with the wrong crowd.
The higher prices are because taxes are so much lower in Europe so Europeans get to keep a much larger portion of their income and thus have a lot more spending money.
heh heh. heh.
Actually I have no idea why things cost more in Europe. I would say that it's because so many taxes and regulation costs are built into things - but when you're talking about a music download that doesn't really make sense. Maybe it's just because they figure Europeans are used to paying so much more for things...
Geez, how stupid are you? OPEC can produce almost as much oil as it wants. They could double oil production if they felt like it, but instead the throttle it back to raise prices. Right now every single RAM manufacturer is cranking out RAM as fast as they can to try to take advantage of these higher prices. There are even companies that normally make ASICs that are switching over to making RAM to take advantage of the higher prices. Can you spot the difference?
The reason it will take quite a while for RAM prices to go back down is that it takes years to dramatically increase production of RAM (bring new manufacturing facilities online, etc). Once that happens, prices will plummet again.
Steve: I've always loved you Carly. Let's make sweet love.
Sorry. That's the best I could come up with.
That commercial irks me too - though nothing to do with databases and privacy, I think using EZPass encourages the states to put up more toll roads. You make it easier for them to take your money.
It sounds like you have a real stick up your ass about these "professional students."
My impersonation of you:
Ohh, they think they're so smart with their high GPAs. I bet they sit around all day talking about their GPAs. "Look at me, I have a 3.9 GPA, I'm soooo smart." Well I'll show them! I'll show the whole world!!! HAH! HAH! HAH!!!
Sorry for being clueless, but what's Macrovision?
I'm on the karma payment plan!
Isn't that from a song by Dismemberment Plan? Clever reference or just your sig?
Was it really necessary to specify that she was Puerto Rican? Do you really think we care about details like that?
Your response doesn't make any sense. He's wondering at the math involved in the current balance of how much companies spend on advertising vs the cost that that adds to the product, seeming to feel that it's a bit excessive, you're bitching about the sales/VAT taxes in a semi-socialist country.
RTFC
square wheels = more jobs, i love it!
somebody mod parent up!
I think I know the answer.
;)
90% of everything is crap, and we've all already seen the 10% of movies and TV shows in the U.S. that don't suck. You've seen all the episodes of Seinfeld, you've seen The Godfather and Star Wars and The Matrix. And Once you've seen all that, all that's left is The Postman and Waterworld and Crossing Over with John Edwards.
So we've seen all the good stuff that the U.S. has to offer, and we're hungry for more good entertainment. Enter anime. You pretty much never see this stuff on TV or in movie theaters, and the only stuff you do see is stuff that makes it through quite a filter - you get the very best that Japanese creativity has to offer. On top of that, coming from another culture, it's very different, it's doesn't fit the cookie cutter mold of so many of the movies and shows we see here in the U.S.
So that's why I think a lot of people like anime, we ran out of good Western entertainment, so we turn to the best from other cultures. Of course, I suppose this explanation I've given doesn't explain why we're not into artsy French films