Too often, "diversity" is a buzzword for "We practice racism". It would be far better to value excellence, and never use skin color as a criterion. In order to have diversity, you by necessity have to bar people of certain skin colors from jobs, or else you might not get the "rainbow effect" you want. This is how "diversity" becomes another form of punishing applicants for being of the wrong skin color. Choose the best regardless of race.
Now, on to another topic, Ballmer mentions "soul searching" in his letter. Let's take bets on how long until he finds it.
"This is about the fact that, at the moment, US governments are currently doing the wrong thing and opposing basic freedoms and "
In general, this was not "the wrong thing". The protesters were specifically trying to shut down the convention(s) and deny the rights of speech and assembly to those who were attending. I oppose the idea of these "free speech zone" containment camps, but support the idea of keeping a large buffer zone around someone's event especially when "opponents" announce plans to violently crash it.
"Rarely are protesters deliberately put into situations where they cannot avoid being arrested no matter what they lawfully do."
They weren't. If they had chosen to hold their events well away from others events (instead of right on top of them in order to harass those at the other events) there would have been no problems, no arrests. The protesters put themselves into the situation. They have no idea of the concept of respecting others' rights to have differing opinions and to express them.
"For ordinary mass protests, with a few honourable exceptions (million man march, et al), the treatment in normal Western Democracies is far more reasonable"
The Million Man March was not out to "shut down" and "silence" and harass anyone. They were actually respectful of others' rights. That is the big difference. If your intent is to harass, assault, and block people (the protesters' intent), it is no surprise if they get in trouble for it.
Thanks for the insight. The Capitalist version of it probably ends with "...and then you find you can't do anything because someone has patented sand dunes."
"Why doesn't China entice Taiwanese with special offers? Because the Taiwanese block spam from China too."
Which leaves those Taiwanese to shake their heads in envy as they look across the Straights of Formosa to China, where they see the men standing on the shore taunting them by waving their prodigious giant penises and making 1/2 km jumps with their super HGH-herb-enhanced powers. They say to themselves "See? If we could get Chinese spam, we'd be just like that!"
"The whole reason we're "Behind" is because we have to update old technology, whereas most of the Aisan countries weren't as technologically advanced as we were until recently. Then they could go on making new technology, whereas we have to spend money to replace older stuff."
I don't "get it". How does "not having anything in the first place" make it cheaper and easier? I'd guess that there would be no difference either way, and it might be a little easier to upgrade in the US if you have cable conduits all over the cities and wiring in the house for it.
I loved "Silent Running" as well. I have not seen it since the mid-1970s. However, it took me much less than a second to immediately think of the film when seeing this computer casemod.
"Hong-kong has been kept in a sort of Capitalist sand-box in many ways "
Is that the opposite of a Communist Sandbox? Remember the old joke: "What do you get if you bring communism to the Sahara Desert? Well, at first, nothing. Then, after 10 years, you get a shortage of sand."
If China wants to add Taiwan to its territory, why not entice them with offers of free or cheap broadband? This is sure to win more hearts than the current line which is "We'll bomb you to bits and kill you all if you acknowledge the obvious fact that you've been an independent country for 50 years."
"course you're entitled to your opinion on whether it's theft or infringement - but so is everyone else."
If you have an opinion that duplication of DVD's is theft, you are not entitled to it, because this opinion is incorrect.
"officers who are paid to break the law [cbsnews.com]."
Oh. This is CBS News. The network that bases major scoop Presidential campaign stories on Microsoft Word documents from the early 1970s. This CBS story on cops the mafia you linked to.... I wonder if part of their evidence includes DVD-R's which were burned in 1981 and contain incriminating video files.
How long before Dan Rather resurfaces with the final word on the JFK assassination: the damning list of CIA e-mail contacts found in Jack Ruby's Blackberry.
"The reason this difference should be pointed out is the same reason people should call the estate tax the estate tax, and not a death tax"
Why not call it what it is: the death tax?
"but by calling it the death tax republicans managed to convince people who will never have to pay it to fight against it"
I sure as hell will never have to pay it, but I think it is ridiculous: unnecessary government greed punishing you for having the temerity to die.
"Maybe some people do have a philisophical opposition to a tax that only effects the richest people in America"
That is misleading. The vast majority of those affected by it are small farmers and small business owners. The small farmers especially are not rich, but their farmland is counted as a vast $$$ estate: and the death tax punishes them. So yes, people do have a philosophical opposition to a tax that punishes family farmers.
We might as well talk about Family Guy, because the picture is missing from the linked page. There is, however, a huge gray area. Perhaps part of the page got slashdotted.
"Seriously though, it goes to a private organization, not the government. It's more like a royalty really"
It's a tax, and a form of corporate welfare. Consider that the government forces you to pay it! The only difference between this, and a tax that goes to subsidize corporations is that the forced/stolen/etc money goes directly to the corporate fatcats, and does not pass through the government along the way.
"Instead of encryption, it'd be useful to have the camera digitally sign images, so you can have traceability from an image back to the camera that made it, "proving" that no photoshop magic happened in between."
"Not good" when you consider privacy issues. This would be one of those things that would discourage buyers from registering cameras.
"Never mind that he's as much a thug as the bastard he replaced."
The difference is, that while he robs and brutalizes and takes away rights and consolidates dictatorial powers, he says "he is doing it to help the poor". That is enough for some who only look at words not deeds.
"While I'm certainly not defending the MPAA's actions or saying that things are hunky dory, their shitty actions are not a reasonable justification to steal."
Who ever mentioned stealing? The subject concerned illegal copies. I defy you go find a story about the MPAA cracking down on DVD theft. You might find some, but they are kind of rare.
Slashdot Mirror
Now, on to another topic, Ballmer mentions "soul searching" in his letter. Let's take bets on how long until he finds it.
In general, this was not "the wrong thing". The protesters were specifically trying to shut down the convention(s) and deny the rights of speech and assembly to those who were attending. I oppose the idea of these "free speech zone" containment camps, but support the idea of keeping a large buffer zone around someone's event especially when "opponents" announce plans to violently crash it.
"Rarely are protesters deliberately put into situations where they cannot avoid being arrested no matter what they lawfully do."
They weren't. If they had chosen to hold their events well away from others events (instead of right on top of them in order to harass those at the other events) there would have been no problems, no arrests. The protesters put themselves into the situation. They have no idea of the concept of respecting others' rights to have differing opinions and to express them.
"For ordinary mass protests, with a few honourable exceptions (million man march, et al), the treatment in normal Western Democracies is far more reasonable"
The Million Man March was not out to "shut down" and "silence" and harass anyone. They were actually respectful of others' rights. That is the big difference. If your intent is to harass, assault, and block people (the protesters' intent), it is no surprise if they get in trouble for it.
tell me, when did you last explore a Trekkie?
Yes it can, if it is factually wrong. It has nothing to do with whether or not it suits me. It just has to do with the facts at hand.
Example: "Jupiter has much less mass than Mars"
It cannot be any less valid. It is a wrong opinion.
Or: "Some Linux Advocates Surf Here. Damn overclocked Trekkies!"
Just what we need, another generation inspired to become astronauts because it means "we can have sex with green women in bikinis".
Thanks for the insight. The Capitalist version of it probably ends with "...and then you find you can't do anything because someone has patented sand dunes."
Which leaves those Taiwanese to shake their heads in envy as they look across the Straights of Formosa to China, where they see the men standing on the shore taunting them by waving their prodigious giant penises and making 1/2 km jumps with their super HGH-herb-enhanced powers. They say to themselves "See? If we could get Chinese spam, we'd be just like that!"
I don't "get it". How does "not having anything in the first place" make it cheaper and easier? I'd guess that there would be no difference either way, and it might be a little easier to upgrade in the US if you have cable conduits all over the cities and wiring in the house for it.
I loved "Silent Running" as well. I have not seen it since the mid-1970s. However, it took me much less than a second to immediately think of the film when seeing this computer casemod.
Is that the opposite of a Communist Sandbox? Remember the old joke: "What do you get if you bring communism to the Sahara Desert? Well, at first, nothing. Then, after 10 years, you get a shortage of sand."
If China wants to add Taiwan to its territory, why not entice them with offers of free or cheap broadband? This is sure to win more hearts than the current line which is "We'll bomb you to bits and kill you all if you acknowledge the obvious fact that you've been an independent country for 50 years."
I am assuming that Hong Kong is subject to the same 'Net censorship that the rest of mainland China is? Or is this true?
I know. Once they see your teeth, they give you very bad service.
"course you're entitled to your opinion on whether it's theft or infringement - but so is everyone else." If you have an opinion that duplication of DVD's is theft, you are not entitled to it, because this opinion is incorrect.
Oh. This is CBS News. The network that bases major scoop Presidential campaign stories on Microsoft Word documents from the early 1970s. This CBS story on cops the mafia you linked to.... I wonder if part of their evidence includes DVD-R's which were burned in 1981 and contain incriminating video files.
How long before Dan Rather resurfaces with the final word on the JFK assassination: the damning list of CIA e-mail contacts found in Jack Ruby's Blackberry.
Why not call it what it is: the death tax? "but by calling it the death tax republicans managed to convince people who will never have to pay it to fight against it"
I sure as hell will never have to pay it, but I think it is ridiculous: unnecessary government greed punishing you for having the temerity to die.
"Maybe some people do have a philisophical opposition to a tax that only effects the richest people in America"
That is misleading. The vast majority of those affected by it are small farmers and small business owners. The small farmers especially are not rich, but their farmland is counted as a vast $$$ estate: and the death tax punishes them. So yes, people do have a philosophical opposition to a tax that punishes family farmers.
Does this look like a prop from the movie "Silent Running"? More importantly, am I the only one who remembers that movie?
We might as well talk about Family Guy, because the picture is missing from the linked page. There is, however, a huge gray area. Perhaps part of the page got slashdotted.
CD players do not play "digital music files". They play a specific format (that of the CD).
It's a tax, and a form of corporate welfare. Consider that the government forces you to pay it! The only difference between this, and a tax that goes to subsidize corporations is that the forced/stolen/etc money goes directly to the corporate fatcats, and does not pass through the government along the way.
"Not good" when you consider privacy issues. This would be one of those things that would discourage buyers from registering cameras.
The difference is, that while he robs and brutalizes and takes away rights and consolidates dictatorial powers, he says "he is doing it to help the poor". That is enough for some who only look at words not deeds.
Doesn't everyone do this? Or were you sarcastic?
Who ever mentioned stealing? The subject concerned illegal copies. I defy you go find a story about the MPAA cracking down on DVD theft. You might find some, but they are kind of rare.