You're just getting stuck because you thought the supply would always be there; you're risk, you should pay for it. But instead you're complaining.
I keep re-reading the above statement but it still doesn't make any sense.
If you came across 2 copies of the title you wanted for the asking price you want ($10), and only needed 1, are you telling me you'd only buy 1...?...Hmmm...doubtful.
Yes, because I only want one copy. The other copies mean nothing to me despite the potential to profit from their sale. There's a death of one's soul that comes with evaluating every moment of life in terms of economic profit.
Do you remember Beanie Babies? This was just one of a continuous stream of cheaply made toys that nearly every child wanted. Children are conditioned to believe that these toys will bring them happiness, so they put a lot of pressure on their parents around birthdays and holidays. These fads come and go--eventually the children stop playing with the toys and grow to despise them for not being "in" anymore. It's a fairly harmless process as long as the toys are inexpensive for the parents. It was different with Beanie Babies because some people who thought only in terms of profit began to hoard the supply and hype up the demand. These mass-produced toys became very expensive as collectors joined the craze. I have known and worked with plently of people who would be categorized as lower socio-economic class. They paid steep prices to satisfy their children's desires, often taking financial risks with car and mortgage payments. There were stories of parents fighting over Beanie Babies in retail stores and other irrational behavior. I've heard of parents smacking their kids because the Beanie Babies were lost or got dirty. Some kids weren't allowed to play with their Beanie Babies at all because they had to remain in collectible condition--an ironic fate for a toy. It is amazing to me that so much angst can surround something created as a toy. The angst has a single source: an outsider's desire to profit at any cost. This story is not unlike the book dilemma--an innocent experience is becoming tainted by artificially high pricing.
In conclusion, don't confuse "profitable" with "good". I am not saying that profit is bad either, but that the world would be better if people would be mindful of the effects of any transaction. I will gratefully pay a fair price to the author, the printer, and the distributor of the book because they have played a part in enriching my experience, but I do not feel indebted to the book hoarder, no matter how cunning he is. Perhaps he should learn a skill that is useful to someone instead.
I wouldn't be celebrating. Capitalism may be working, but book fans are getting ripped off.
This is my experience: I have been adding to my Robert Anton Wilson collection lately. In case you aren't familiar with him, he has written a large number of important and controversial books [fiction,non-fiction,fantasy]. He was also the senior editor at Playboy during the late 70's. Most of his books have been through multiple printings by various publishers. Two or three years ago I could have purchased any of his books in paperback for under $10. Now price-gouging season has begun. Some of my recent quotes: $25, $60, etc... These are prices for used paperbacks less than twenty years old. I lent and lost a copy of The Earth Will Shake a few years ago, but now I can buy a used copy for $65--I spent $10 for a new copy about five years ago.
I lamented this just the other day while in the local bookstore. Then the owner gave me some inside information: the book seller has been hoarding Robert Anton Wilson books with the help of the web. He has nearly monopolized this particular market; now he sells a small number each week for his cash flow.
That's my beef with capitalism. The "market" (really: anticipation of future sales) has caused a product to become scarce. Hence the outrageous prices. In the meantime it is impossible--without enough disposable income--to find most books written by this contemporary author. I don't doubt that the internet has opened up a lot of readers to a lot of authors, but the speculators are creating a scenario not unlike the end result of censorship.
So yes, it does piss off the book publishers. It also pisses off people who would like to buy books for a fair price to read them [newsflash: original purpose of books is for reading!].
and how bad it'll be if some of the crazy Italian drivers get into a good sized accident. If you every been to Rome, you know what I'm talking about.
Their driving sure does appear crazy to Americans--I should know, having lived in Italy. I saw one accident in five months. They drive faster and more agressively than Americans, but they also drive more competently. Driving is a right in America, but a privilege in Europe. Europeans who can not drive competently are not given licenses.
That said, I think this bridge will face more danger from seismic and terrorist [le rosse, etc...] activity than commuters.
It isn't effective for long, but still toxic. Don't forget runoff and the other costs to society that you "non-nutbar" types conveniently leave out of your analysis.
I take it you're volunteering to be the one doing the labor? I didn't think so.
Sorry, bud--I already do! Really, your cynicism prevents you from thinking objectively. You are being angry with me because our society doesn't value farm labor but [for example...] pays people thousands of dollars a day to model clothing in front of a camera.
This man's life is dedicated to peace, so they name a war machine after him. I know he was a nuke engineer and that is the reason for the dubbing.
Now that we are in a constant state of war, the USS Jimmy Carter will allow all messages of the enemy du jour to be intercepted [and modified] by the military industrial complex. Great
Agriculture is an ~8,000 year old undertaking. Most of the changes in agriculture have occured in the last hundred years. In that time much of the arable land has been developed or paved over. We have increasing food production demands and a decreasing quantity of land with which to produce food on. Hence the need for food science.
Brief segue: I read an article online [maybe here?] about research for food/air/water/waste systems for a mission to Mars. The major requirement is that the systems on the spaceship must use the waste from the other systems to minimize resources used and to keep the human cargo alive for the entire trip. Planet earth can be thought of as a space ship--and it has--and that puts everthing into a more clear perspective.
Will our spaceship be able to sustain its human cargo? Our current system of chemo-geneto-monoculture guarantees high yields for now, but has problems of its own. For example, monoculture requires high levels of fertilizers. Most chemical fertilizers have a chloride content in the teens percentagewise--eventually the salt content in the soil will become high enough to render the soil infertile. The lack of rotting organic matter in the soil causes the soil to hold very little water, which calls for additives to increase water holding. Other posters have pointed out the production costs which are borne by the rest of society--such as fertilizer runoff and cross breeding by GM crops--so I won't elaborate on that. There is also the practice of using Roundup-ready GM crops which can survive high doses of that product. What happens to that soil once the GM crops are banned or if Monsanto pulls the plug on that product? The soil becomes poisonous and incapable of growing any crops.
There is only one system of agriculture that employs sustainability in the heart of its philosophy: organic. Yes, it is labor intensive. Yes, it is expensive. However it does appear to be the only way to travel. Call me a hippy or engage in whatever ad hominem attack that your threatened sensibilities deem necessary, but don't raid my crops when your farming methods fail.
Thanks for the flame. Your rant seems to go all over the place and insinuate lots of things that weren't in my post. You should try exercise or getting laid. Anyway, have a rebuttal:
Bin Ladin ISN'T killing to encourage democracy in the Muslim world, Iran or elsewhere.
I wasn't implying that he was. Does this sound familiar: "The army of infidels must depart the land of Muhammad."? That was what bin Laden said long before the attacks. We--the uninvited--set up shop there long ago because of greed and haven't left since. We love to meddle in the affairs of the Arab world. GHWB could have done the honorable thing after Iraq invaded Kuwait: pulling America out of the region, cutting ourselves off from Arab oil, and forcing [through the invisible hand] American energy companies to implement the alternative energy IP they have been hoarding for decades. Instead he pulled off some bullshit propaganda about Democracy. None of the American media companies were brave enough to point out that it was only about oil, as Kuwait was oligo/autocratic and still has no interest in Democracy. It's nice to see that Junior is being just as obstinate. I won't speak for you, but I don't want to live in a permanent state of war. I want a president who is more concerned about the long term than his prospects of re-election; not a "one-day-at-a-time-because-I'm-addicted-to-alcohol -and-cocaine-and-Jesus-is-coming-back-any-day" kinda guy.
...but we created the CIA instead. Its inaugural mission (c.1954) was to depose the democratically elected leader of Iran because he nationalized American and British oil installations. In case you have been hiding in a box, the political instability in the region hasn't ceased since then. Just as a butterfly flapping its wings in the Canary Islands may create a hurricane that wipes out Miami, a single act of nation wrecking can lead to the collapse of two skyscrapers 47 years later.
We built the atomic bomb in just a few years. Don't you think we also have the brain power to wean ourselves off of oil? Think about it: no Iran-Contra, no Gulf War, no 9/11 attacks, no coming world economic collapse when/if the oil supply suddenly runs out.
Whew! I guess I was in a G. Gordon Liddy mood yesterday... Sorry, but I don't really advocate killing feds with Rocket Powered Grenades, Role Playing Games, or Report Program Generators.
OTOH, I would love to live in an America where the citizens aren't terrorized and thrown into concentration camps because of their choice of intoxicant.
Careful buddy, you gotta make sure she has the upper hand: when the DEA finds out about her love drug operation and busts in to her dorm (breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon, home invasion,...) and siezes her MDMA and any liquid assets (theft...), and throws her in prison (kidnapping...) make sure she can properly defend herself. I would recommend a few.50 caliber machine guns mounted on turrets near her dorm, an RPG, plenty of Kevlar and a few sets of night goggles. Throw in a nice 9mm submachine gun (H&K MP-5K) for indoor action and some quality training in automatic weapon handling. Make sure her instructor believes in the power of head shots.
Seriously, we already have over a million people in jail for drugs [usa--#1], plenty of innocent people shot dead in raids, and a virtual police state created by seizure money. This War on (Some) Drugs will go on forever unless we stop acting like victims. Would you tolerate the jackboots raiding your home to seize your beer?
There are enough people out there that take him seriously...
Johnny Cash: "I once shot a man just to watch him die"
[remainder of list is up to you to complete]
Oh my god what is the world coming to!!! Someone needs to protect the children, etc., etc...
Newsflash: artists are mirrors of society--some are like hubble mirrors, some are like funhouse mirrors. Eminem is not the problem. He is merely a messenger, like Johnny Cash. If Eminem's lyrics are scary, you haven't been paying enough attention.
I think a million Tivo subscribers returning their boxes would be a fine educational example for Tivo, BBC, and any marketroids who read about this and thought "oooh...now that's a way to increase our market share".
Really. It's a piece of electronic equipment with a power switch. Turn it off and send it back.
That acronym expands to In My Humble Opinion. What is humble about a rant by an angry elitist? Try using IMNSHO next time. Besides, no soldier has defended any American's freedom since WWII:
Korea: colonialism
Vietnam: colonialism
Grenada: Alzheimer's Syndrome
Panama: revenge
Iraq: oil [oil is pronounced "Democracy" in Arabic, according to GHWB]
I would definitely build one of these things and epoxy a bong holder, nug jar, and lighter holder to it. Then I would never have to leave the couch again. Well, 'cept to use the bathroom...
Slashdot Mirror
I keep re-reading the above statement but it still doesn't make any sense.
Yes, because I only want one copy. The other copies mean nothing to me despite the potential to profit from their sale. There's a death of one's soul that comes with evaluating every moment of life in terms of economic profit.
Do you remember Beanie Babies? This was just one of a continuous stream of cheaply made toys that nearly every child wanted. Children are conditioned to believe that these toys will bring them happiness, so they put a lot of pressure on their parents around birthdays and holidays. These fads come and go--eventually the children stop playing with the toys and grow to despise them for not being "in" anymore. It's a fairly harmless process as long as the toys are inexpensive for the parents. It was different with Beanie Babies because some people who thought only in terms of profit began to hoard the supply and hype up the demand. These mass-produced toys became very expensive as collectors joined the craze. I have known and worked with plently of people who would be categorized as lower socio-economic class. They paid steep prices to satisfy their children's desires, often taking financial risks with car and mortgage payments. There were stories of parents fighting over Beanie Babies in retail stores and other irrational behavior. I've heard of parents smacking their kids because the Beanie Babies were lost or got dirty. Some kids weren't allowed to play with their Beanie Babies at all because they had to remain in collectible condition--an ironic fate for a toy. It is amazing to me that so much angst can surround something created as a toy. The angst has a single source: an outsider's desire to profit at any cost. This story is not unlike the book dilemma--an innocent experience is becoming tainted by artificially high pricing.
In conclusion, don't confuse "profitable" with "good". I am not saying that profit is bad either, but that the world would be better if people would be mindful of the effects of any transaction. I will gratefully pay a fair price to the author, the printer, and the distributor of the book because they have played a part in enriching my experience, but I do not feel indebted to the book hoarder, no matter how cunning he is. Perhaps he should learn a skill that is useful to someone instead.
I wouldn't be celebrating. Capitalism may be working, but book fans are getting ripped off.
This is my experience: I have been adding to my Robert Anton Wilson collection lately. In case you aren't familiar with him, he has written a large number of important and controversial books [fiction,non-fiction,fantasy]. He was also the senior editor at Playboy during the late 70's. Most of his books have been through multiple printings by various publishers. Two or three years ago I could have purchased any of his books in paperback for under $10. Now price-gouging season has begun. Some of my recent quotes: $25, $60, etc... These are prices for used paperbacks less than twenty years old. I lent and lost a copy of The Earth Will Shake a few years ago, but now I can buy a used copy for $65--I spent $10 for a new copy about five years ago.
I lamented this just the other day while in the local bookstore. Then the owner gave me some inside information: the book seller has been hoarding Robert Anton Wilson books with the help of the web. He has nearly monopolized this particular market; now he sells a small number each week for his cash flow.
That's my beef with capitalism. The "market" (really: anticipation of future sales) has caused a product to become scarce. Hence the outrageous prices. In the meantime it is impossible--without enough disposable income--to find most books written by this contemporary author. I don't doubt that the internet has opened up a lot of readers to a lot of authors, but the speculators are creating a scenario not unlike the end result of censorship.
So yes, it does piss off the book publishers. It also pisses off people who would like to buy books for a fair price to read them [newsflash: original purpose of books is for reading!].
You have hit the nail on the head, my friend. I don't understand the negative moderation. Someone should mod you back up.
Hai ricordo delle Brigate? Che cazzo fanno oggi? Esistanno ancora?
Their driving sure does appear crazy to Americans--I should know, having lived in Italy. I saw one accident in five months. They drive faster and more agressively than Americans, but they also drive more competently. Driving is a right in America, but a privilege in Europe. Europeans who can not drive competently are not given licenses.
That said, I think this bridge will face more danger from seismic and terrorist [le rosse, etc...] activity than commuters.
It isn't effective for long, but still toxic. Don't forget runoff and the other costs to society that you "non-nutbar" types conveniently leave out of your analysis.
Sorry, bud--I already do! Really, your cynicism prevents you from thinking objectively. You are being angry with me because our society doesn't value farm labor but [for example...] pays people thousands of dollars a day to model clothing in front of a camera.
This man's life is dedicated to peace, so they name a war machine after him. I know he was a nuke engineer and that is the reason for the dubbing.
Now that we are in a constant state of war, the USS Jimmy Carter will allow all messages of the enemy du jour to be intercepted [and modified] by the military industrial complex. Great
Agriculture is an ~8,000 year old undertaking. Most of the changes in agriculture have occured in the last hundred years. In that time much of the arable land has been developed or paved over. We have increasing food production demands and a decreasing quantity of land with which to produce food on. Hence the need for food science.
Brief segue: I read an article online [maybe here?] about research for food/air/water/waste systems for a mission to Mars. The major requirement is that the systems on the spaceship must use the waste from the other systems to minimize resources used and to keep the human cargo alive for the entire trip. Planet earth can be thought of as a space ship--and it has--and that puts everthing into a more clear perspective.
Will our spaceship be able to sustain its human cargo? Our current system of chemo-geneto-monoculture guarantees high yields for now, but has problems of its own. For example, monoculture requires high levels of fertilizers. Most chemical fertilizers have a chloride content in the teens percentagewise--eventually the salt content in the soil will become high enough to render the soil infertile. The lack of rotting organic matter in the soil causes the soil to hold very little water, which calls for additives to increase water holding. Other posters have pointed out the production costs which are borne by the rest of society--such as fertilizer runoff and cross breeding by GM crops--so I won't elaborate on that. There is also the practice of using Roundup-ready GM crops which can survive high doses of that product. What happens to that soil once the GM crops are banned or if Monsanto pulls the plug on that product? The soil becomes poisonous and incapable of growing any crops.
There is only one system of agriculture that employs sustainability in the heart of its philosophy: organic. Yes, it is labor intensive. Yes, it is expensive. However it does appear to be the only way to travel. Call me a hippy or engage in whatever ad hominem attack that your threatened sensibilities deem necessary, but don't raid my crops when your farming methods fail.
...to predict fatal accidents on the last turn of the last lap of the last Daytona 500.
I wasn't implying that he was. Does this sound familiar: "The army of infidels must depart the land of Muhammad."? That was what bin Laden said long before the attacks. We--the uninvited--set up shop there long ago because of greed and haven't left since. We love to meddle in the affairs of the Arab world. GHWB could have done the honorable thing after Iraq invaded Kuwait: pulling America out of the region, cutting ourselves off from Arab oil, and forcing [through the invisible hand] American energy companies to implement the alternative energy IP they have been hoarding for decades. Instead he pulled off some bullshit propaganda about Democracy. None of the American media companies were brave enough to point out that it was only about oil, as Kuwait was oligo/autocratic and still has no interest in Democracy. It's nice to see that Junior is being just as obstinate. I won't speak for you, but I don't want to live in a permanent state of war. I want a president who is more concerned about the long term than his prospects of re-election; not a "one-day-at-a-time-because-I'm-addicted-to-alcohol -and-cocaine-and-Jesus-is-coming-back-any-day" kinda guy.
We built the atomic bomb in just a few years. Don't you think we also have the brain power to wean ourselves off of oil? Think about it: no Iran-Contra, no Gulf War, no 9/11 attacks, no coming world economic collapse when/if the oil supply suddenly runs out.
Whew! I guess I was in a G. Gordon Liddy mood yesterday... Sorry, but I don't really advocate killing feds with Rocket Powered Grenades, Role Playing Games, or Report Program Generators.
OTOH, I would love to live in an America where the citizens aren't terrorized and thrown into concentration camps because of their choice of intoxicant.
Okay HAL, it looks like we forgot to program you for humor.
Careful buddy, you gotta make sure she has the upper hand: when the DEA finds out about her love drug operation and busts in to her dorm (breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon, home invasion,...) and siezes her MDMA and any liquid assets (theft...), and throws her in prison (kidnapping...) make sure she can properly defend herself. I would recommend a few .50 caliber machine guns mounted on turrets near her dorm, an RPG, plenty of Kevlar and a few sets of night goggles. Throw in a nice 9mm submachine gun (H&K MP-5K) for indoor action and some quality training in automatic weapon handling. Make sure her instructor believes in the power of head shots.
Seriously, we already have over a million people in jail for drugs [usa--#1], plenty of innocent people shot dead in raids, and a virtual police state created by seizure money. This War on (Some) Drugs will go on forever unless we stop acting like victims. Would you tolerate the jackboots raiding your home to seize your beer?
Celine Dion fans don't know how to use a computer.
- Johnny Cash: "I once shot a man just to watch him die"
- [remainder of list is up to you to complete]
Oh my god what is the world coming to!!! Someone needs to protect the children, etc., etc...Newsflash: artists are mirrors of society--some are like hubble mirrors, some are like funhouse mirrors. Eminem is not the problem. He is merely a messenger, like Johnny Cash. If Eminem's lyrics are scary, you haven't been paying enough attention.
I think a million Tivo subscribers returning their boxes would be a fine educational example for Tivo, BBC, and any marketroids who read about this and thought "oooh...now that's a way to increase our market share".
Really. It's a piece of electronic equipment with a power switch. Turn it off and send it back.
They should genetically engineer malaria-resistant humans instead, right?
Hijacking someone's 802.11 connex and ordering some smack--maybe even charge it to their [insert charming British expression for "Credit Card" here].
Maybe I could rig up another long plastic tube so it can pour hot grits down my pants while I watch AOTC.
Can you tell I have too much karma? LOL!
That acronym expands to In My Humble Opinion. What is humble about a rant by an angry elitist? Try using IMNSHO next time. Besides, no soldier has defended any American's freedom since WWII:
I thought you were dead.
I would definitely build one of these things and epoxy a bong holder, nug jar, and lighter holder to it. Then I would never have to leave the couch again. Well, 'cept to use the bathroom...
"HAL, come get your daddy high". Yep.
Hmmm...I'm confused.
It's true--he had to adjourn to his office to check his list of contributors. How else is a senator supposed to know which vote to cast?