Come on, where's the Dirk Gently movie/TV series? I know, I know, it was a lot like Dr Who (in fact, I can't read DG without picturing Tom Baker in the role) but frankly it was brill and should be done at once.
I know I'm getting a bit off-topic, but I'd love to see some Neil Gaiman and/or Terry Pratchett put on film, particulary American Gods or Good Omens.
Physicists have completed a study comparing the randomness in Darl Mcbride's brainwaves to that produced by 30 typing rats.
Subsequent studies have shown that Britney Spears' brainwaves are a better source of randomness; however, they are much more difficult to detect in the first place.
How does mass importing of American goods improve any countries economy (except the USA - oh, and China)? I know thats probably not what you meant, but its what you seem to be inferring.
It's not the influx of goods itself that will improve things. It's the effect that seeing/experience goods will have on the local population. They'll get a taste of what life in the Western world is like, and they'll want more - not only toys, but better jobs, better salaries, greater freedoms, more liberal (in the classical sense, not necessarily the US-politics sense) government, etc.
Computers don't even rate on any list of things the third world needs.
I think that exposure to Western toys can have the effect of tipping these nations toward liberalization. Look at the Soviet Union and Levi's/Pepsi/rock music. When the people see what we've got, they'll want it for themselves. And if it takes WiFi and PDAs to sway them, instead of quotes from Jefferson and Locke, so what?
You'll notice just about every communications standard that doesn't go long haul alternates back and forth between parallel and serial methods every few years just to sound new and exciting and better.
That's awfully cynical. I don't think it's done to "sound new and exciting"; I think it's driven by the available technology. When advances are made that permit higher clock rates, we tend to see things shift toward serial interfaces; meanwhile, when such advances have not been made in a while, we tend to see interfaces start to get wider.
The industry has been using the term "KVM" for "keyboard-video-mouse" for years and years. Never in my life have I seen a "KDM switch"; it's "KVM", and everybody knows it that way. Why did Apple change this? Just to be soooo different? It's like when IBM calls them "planars" and "hardfiles" instead of "motherboards" and "hard drives"; it's just annoying.
And, of course, since private enterprise is always much more efficient than public ownership, that's why today the railways are now safe, clean, cheap and reliable.
LOL. IMO the British privatization was done all wrong. The government should have kept the infrastructure (tracks, yards, stations, switching & signaling, etc.) and privatized the actual running of trains, by leasing access to the infrastructure.
All the money that bill and his wife supposedly give away, but they cant donate a goddamn copy of windows to some poor family just KILLS ME.
Well, don't blame Bill. The officers of Microsoft are in the same position as the officers of any other corporation - i.e. they are obliged to "maximize shareholder value", and can be sued if they do anything that the shareholders perceive to be contrary to that mission.
1 To Survive would only be a "Very Good Thing" if humans weren't the most incredibly sucky species on the planet. If exploring space will ensure human survival then that's a strong argument for not doing it.
Anyone who uses the phrase "common good" or "greater good" is an egomaniac looking to impose their particular view of How The World Should Be(TM) on you, by force if necessary. Never trust anyone who utters these words.
Opinions about "the common good" are no different from any other kind of opinions - and you know the old saying about opinions...
Most of the recent innovations in manufacturing processes (Just-in-time, lean manufacuturing, etc) were pioneered by Japanese manufacturers.
Actually, many of the vast improvements in Japanese industry over the last 50 years can be traced back to an American, who taught the Japanese how to kick America's ass.
Although my working theory is that folks want to think of Americans as war-mongering, self-righteous Puritans, and this idea plays nicely into that stereotype
Well, I'm an American, and yeah, I'd agree that Americans are war-mongering, self-righteous Puritans. After all, Dumbya won, didn't he?
Ok, first off, I'm an Aussie. To me "PG-13" sounds really really lame... X - Generally sexually explicit, technically illegal in all AU states except capital territory, but authorities turn a blind eye.
Wait a sec - you guys have outlawed porn, but we're lame? Oh-kayyy...
Yes, this is exactly what will happen. Just think of it like pricking a hole in a balloon, next thing you know we are 'ppttthhhhhhhhhh' on our way to Jupiter.
That's fine, as long as we don't try to land on Europa.
But what if it affects your tax bracket? You move to the top tax bracket because say you earn $100,000k but when you make your $37,000,000 from stock sales you lose 37% of it. But if you earn $1 go into the 13% bracket you get much more money... see how silly the system probably is?
Um, but the amount you pay in capital gains taxes from that stock sale has nothing whatsoever to do with your tax bracket for personal income tax. It's 28% (or whatever it is now), period, completely regardless of your level of earned income.
And then what? We'll all enroll in Philosophy 101 and get stoned? Ya know, they don't call the Empire an empire for nothing. Enjoy whatever moral superiority you suppose you have. I'll enjoy my days as part of the Empire, and afterwards, we'll see who had a better time.
Gee, I'm confused - which Empire are you talking about? The Roman Empire? The Holy Roman Empire? The French, Spanish or Dutch empires? The British Empire? (Rule Britannia!) Or the Third Reich, maybe? Europe has been busy running roughshod over the better part of the world for the better part of the last two millenia. "Moral superiority"? Puh-leeze.
Neocons are children who don't want their toys taken away, and won't clean their room because it isn't fun.
That doesn't describe "neocons", that describes about 99% of the world's population. Which do you think is more effective - appealing to their self-interest, or pissing and whining about how they don't see things your way?
Slashdot Mirror
Come on, where's the Dirk Gently movie/TV series? I know, I know, it was a lot like Dr Who (in fact, I can't read DG without picturing Tom Baker in the role) but frankly it was brill and should be done at once.
I know I'm getting a bit off-topic, but I'd love to see some Neil Gaiman and/or Terry Pratchett put on film, particulary American Gods or Good Omens.
Well, the wife never complained when she found I was part horse.
Um... if I had a tail, I don't think I'd go around telling everyone on /.
Physicists have completed a study comparing the randomness in Darl Mcbride's brainwaves to that produced by 30 typing rats.
Subsequent studies have shown that Britney Spears' brainwaves are a better source of randomness; however, they are much more difficult to detect in the first place.
How does mass importing of American goods improve any countries economy (except the USA - oh, and China)? I know thats probably not what you meant, but its what you seem to be inferring.
It's not the influx of goods itself that will improve things. It's the effect that seeing/experience goods will have on the local population. They'll get a taste of what life in the Western world is like, and they'll want more - not only toys, but better jobs, better salaries, greater freedoms, more liberal (in the classical sense, not necessarily the US-politics sense) government, etc.
Computers don't even rate on any list of things the third world needs.
I think that exposure to Western toys can have the effect of tipping these nations toward liberalization. Look at the Soviet Union and Levi's/Pepsi/rock music. When the people see what we've got, they'll want it for themselves. And if it takes WiFi and PDAs to sway them, instead of quotes from Jefferson and Locke, so what?
...Don't Copy That Floppy!!!
I'm sure many of you would strongly disagree with the idea that XP can run acceptably with 128MB of RAM.
I find that even 512MB ends up being stretched a bit thin.
You'll notice just about every communications standard that doesn't go long haul alternates back and forth between parallel and serial methods every few years just to sound new and exciting and better.
That's awfully cynical. I don't think it's done to "sound new and exciting"; I think it's driven by the available technology. When advances are made that permit higher clock rates, we tend to see things shift toward serial interfaces; meanwhile, when such advances have not been made in a while, we tend to see interfaces start to get wider.
The industry has been using the term "KVM" for "keyboard-video-mouse" for years and years. Never in my life have I seen a "KDM switch"; it's "K V M", and everybody knows it that way. Why did Apple change this? Just to be soooo different? It's like when IBM calls them "planars" and "hardfiles" instead of "motherboards" and "hard drives"; it's just annoying.
And, of course, since private enterprise is always much more efficient than public ownership, that's why today the railways are now safe, clean, cheap and reliable.
LOL. IMO the British privatization was done all wrong. The government should have kept the infrastructure (tracks, yards, stations, switching & signaling, etc.) and privatized the actual running of trains, by leasing access to the infrastructure.
All the money that bill and his wife supposedly give away, but they cant donate a goddamn copy of windows to some poor family just KILLS ME.
Well, don't blame Bill. The officers of Microsoft are in the same position as the officers of any other corporation - i.e. they are obliged to "maximize shareholder value", and can be sued if they do anything that the shareholders perceive to be contrary to that mission.
1 To Survive would only be a "Very Good Thing" if humans weren't the most incredibly sucky species on the planet. If exploring space will ensure human survival then that's a strong argument for not doing it.
So why haven't you killed yourself yet?
Get me off this crazy planet. Other humans are making the environment (work, atmosphere, etc) unpleasant for me. Will bartend in zero-g for food.
I was thinking of maybe becoming a fry cook on Venus.
Anyone who uses the phrase "common good" or "greater good" is an egomaniac looking to impose their particular view of How The World Should Be(TM) on you, by force if necessary. Never trust anyone who utters these words.
Opinions about "the common good" are no different from any other kind of opinions - and you know the old saying about opinions...
Because we're curious. I/we want to know what's out there.
Yeah, but... does what's out there want you to know about them?
Most of the recent innovations in manufacturing processes (Just-in-time, lean manufacuturing, etc) were pioneered by Japanese manufacturers.
Actually, many of the vast improvements in Japanese industry over the last 50 years can be traced back to an American, who taught the Japanese how to kick America's ass.
Although my working theory is that folks want to think of Americans as war-mongering, self-righteous Puritans, and this idea plays nicely into that stereotype
Well, I'm an American, and yeah, I'd agree that Americans are war-mongering, self-righteous Puritans. After all, Dumbya won, didn't he?
Ok, first off, I'm an Aussie. To me "PG-13" sounds really really lame... X - Generally sexually explicit, technically illegal in all AU states except capital territory, but authorities turn a blind eye.
Wait a sec - you guys have outlawed porn, but we're lame? Oh-kayyy...
At the risk of incurring the wrath of a grammer flame, a minor correction to my post:
How about a spelling flame? "Grammer"? You mean like the guy who played Frasier?
Yes, this is exactly what will happen. Just think of it like pricking a hole in a balloon, next thing you know we are 'ppttthhhhhhhhhh' on our way to Jupiter.
That's fine, as long as we don't try to land on Europa.
...that they've turned it into a slick, substanceless CGI trainwreck. It's supposed to be a comedy and a satire. Dammit, dammit, dammit.
I believe even Microsoft don't always 'eat their own dogfood' on this one.
AIUI Microsoft uses a customized version of Perforce, called Source Depot.
But what if it affects your tax bracket? You move to the top tax bracket because say you earn $100,000k but when you make your $37,000,000 from stock sales you lose 37% of it. But if you earn $1 go into the 13% bracket you get much more money... see how silly the system probably is?
Um, but the amount you pay in capital gains taxes from that stock sale has nothing whatsoever to do with your tax bracket for personal income tax. It's 28% (or whatever it is now), period, completely regardless of your level of earned income.
And then what? We'll all enroll in Philosophy 101 and get stoned? Ya know, they don't call the Empire an empire for nothing. Enjoy whatever moral superiority you suppose you have. I'll enjoy my days as part of the Empire, and afterwards, we'll see who had a better time.
Gee, I'm confused - which Empire are you talking about? The Roman Empire? The Holy Roman Empire? The French, Spanish or Dutch empires? The British Empire? (Rule Britannia!) Or the Third Reich, maybe? Europe has been busy running roughshod over the better part of the world for the better part of the last two millenia. "Moral superiority"? Puh-leeze.
Neocons are children who don't want their toys taken away, and won't clean their room because it isn't fun.
That doesn't describe "neocons", that describes about 99% of the world's population. Which do you think is more effective - appealing to their self-interest, or pissing and whining about how they don't see things your way?