But since most geeks won't see those, either by not leaving their basements or from the beaches clearing when they do, we'll have to stick with the paperback sci-fi as the measure that a geek can observe...
This gets so old and tired. I think it's time everyone accepted that english is a living and dynamic language, always adding new words and modifying existing ones. After all, how many of you feel in a particularly jovial mood and say, "I'm feeling especially gay today," and have anyone understand your intended meaning? I suspect the answer to both is no. So let's stop playing this pathetic, tired game, and use the language the way it is used, today.
I can just hear a former college student moaning to his cellmate: "I don't know if I'm in jail for downloading Kazaa, or using it to download Britney Spears...".
Cellmate: "Neither. You're here because you like Britney Spears."
Non-transferability won't improve the lot of inventors. If they're not working for a large company, or don't have the money themselves, they will likely not be able to enforce their patent and may go out of business before they can fully market their product. That can take an innovative mind out of the invention 'industry'.
The cutting edge ones invariably look pointless at the time.
I partly agree with the point you were trying to make, but, as usual, generalities muck up the works. I'm sure most people were interested in indoor plumbing when it was created, but were probably more put off with the cost of retrofitting their homes with it. So you saw a few things with limited retrofits (like, just the kitchen and stay with the outhouse).
But let's say you still believe the majority of the people thought indoor plumbing was pointless. Let's flashback a few thousand years to the summer of the invention of the bow:
Bob: Hey, Joe! Look at this cool thing I invented! (Holds up simple bow and arrow.)
Joe: (Dubiously) What's that? It looks like a tiny spear. And why did you use that string to bend your little club? It's big enough to hurt someone, but how can you use it all bent like that?
Bob: Well, Joe it's a bow and arrow. You hook the arrow to the string, pull it back, and when you let go, it flies really fast! Here, I'll show you (Demonstrates by shooting a tree.)
Joe: Well, it looks interesting, but I don't need to put any sticks into trees, so why would I be interested in that? (Walks away.)
Winter comes along...
Joe: Man, I'm cold. I always hate winter, furs are hard to come by, and there is never enough food. (Looks over to where Bob lives.) Bob seems to be doing okay, though. I've seen him bring in rabbits pretty much every day, and he has the clothes to match. I wonder what his secret is?
Something tells me that it went a little differently than that.
Some things are obviously good to whoever sees them: the wheel, fire, domesticated animals, farming, artificial shelter. Other things have a more subtle value, or need other equally subtle inventions before the value becomes obvious: electricity, magnetism, electromagnetism, mechanical lcocmotion, the phone (which uses three of the above). All were cutting edge at one time, but some are a little more obcious in their benefits.
I was thinking more of the backyard launches. Although I did launch a few rockets as a kid, I didn't have any payloads in them, but I have seen a few bugs go up...and so few ever come back down in any recognizable form in the capsule...
And how many times hasthe Millikin Oil Drop experiment been done? How many experimental aircraft have broken the speed of sound? If you want to be part of certain communities, you have to do things yourself, the hard way. That means launching and recovering a capsule, launching and recovering a live specimen, sending man into orbit. Although you can buy your way into any industry to a certain degree, you have neither the experience or the credibility until you've achieved certain goals. After all, this isn't programming or anything...
Yes, but I think more hamsters/frogs/mice have been launched than any other species. They may not have gone as high, but the results are always spectacular...
No, this would be a new, only-used-by-NASA distance measurement unit, because one of the few things harder (apparently) than converting between two units of measure would be converting between three. That's not enough of a challenge for them, though, so they decided to give the third unit a name already used for measuring something else (time). I think we can expect the next probe sent to Mars to end up somewhere near Venus...sometime....
Not being from the US, I didn't know that welfare got >2x what defense got (would I have known if I was American?;). But here's an idea - draft welfare recipients. No more street people and defense gets more money (somewhat offset by the low-ranking, low-pay conscripts). It's a winning solution, well, except for the welfare recipients, but what an incentive to get off the dole!
Of course, I don't believe that, but you can bet there's at least one clown on the Hill who thinks that's a good idea (and he probably has half his staff telling him to shut up about that idea until pension kicks in...).
Problem looking for a solution...
on
A Mighty Wind
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· Score: 1
I'm sure KFC could make this go away if we would let them...
Ah, that's good, I was hoping to not have to change my opinions. SCO will be #2 in my heart until they're gone. But MS will always be #1...makes me feel all warm inside.
Slashdot Mirror
Wow, Mensa Babe sure has her shorts in a knot. Looks like you made her shit list too!
But since most geeks won't see those, either by not leaving their basements or from the beaches clearing when they do, we'll have to stick with the paperback sci-fi as the measure that a geek can observe...
But the sociopath part is there from the start...
This gets so old and tired. I think it's time everyone accepted that english is a living and dynamic language, always adding new words and modifying existing ones. After all, how many of you feel in a particularly jovial mood and say, "I'm feeling especially gay today," and have anyone understand your intended meaning? I suspect the answer to both is no. So let's stop playing this pathetic, tired game, and use the language the way it is used, today.
know I'm flogging a dead horse here, but isn't time we got politicians with a clue?
Sure, all you would have to do is elect them. But that would require having a population with a clue...
Or, shockingly enough, you could use it as a DVD player at home. After all, for that price, would you want to buy another DVD player for home?
I can just hear a former college student moaning to his cellmate: "I don't know if I'm in jail for downloading Kazaa, or using it to download Britney Spears...".
Cellmate: "Neither. You're here because you like Britney Spears."
I'm curious. Do you have a pet, and is it stuffed?
Overdosed speed.
Non-transferability won't improve the lot of inventors. If they're not working for a large company, or don't have the money themselves, they will likely not be able to enforce their patent and may go out of business before they can fully market their product. That can take an innovative mind out of the invention 'industry'.
Hatch is a cunt.
Heh. That needs to be said more about Hatch in particular, and politicians in general...come on, you know you want to.
The cutting edge ones invariably look pointless at the time.
I partly agree with the point you were trying to make, but, as usual, generalities muck up the works. I'm sure most people were interested in indoor plumbing when it was created, but were probably more put off with the cost of retrofitting their homes with it. So you saw a few things with limited retrofits (like, just the kitchen and stay with the outhouse).
But let's say you still believe the majority of the people thought indoor plumbing was pointless. Let's flashback a few thousand years to the summer of the invention of the bow:
Bob: Hey, Joe! Look at this cool thing I invented! (Holds up simple bow and arrow.)
Joe: (Dubiously) What's that? It looks like a tiny spear. And why did you use that string to bend your little club? It's big enough to hurt someone, but how can you use it all bent like that?
Bob: Well, Joe it's a bow and arrow. You hook the arrow to the string, pull it back, and when you let go, it flies really fast! Here, I'll show you (Demonstrates by shooting a tree.)
Joe: Well, it looks interesting, but I don't need to put any sticks into trees, so why would I be interested in that? (Walks away.)
Winter comes along...
Joe: Man, I'm cold. I always hate winter, furs are hard to come by, and there is never enough food. (Looks over to where Bob lives.) Bob seems to be doing okay, though. I've seen him bring in rabbits pretty much every day, and he has the clothes to match. I wonder what his secret is?
Something tells me that it went a little differently than that.
Some things are obviously good to whoever sees them: the wheel, fire, domesticated animals, farming, artificial shelter. Other things have a more subtle value, or need other equally subtle inventions before the value becomes obvious: electricity, magnetism, electromagnetism, mechanical lcocmotion, the phone (which uses three of the above). All were cutting edge at one time, but some are a little more obcious in their benefits.
I was thinking more of the backyard launches. Although I did launch a few rockets as a kid, I didn't have any payloads in them, but I have seen a few bugs go up...and so few ever come back down in any recognizable form in the capsule...
And how many times hasthe Millikin Oil Drop experiment been done? How many experimental aircraft have broken the speed of sound? If you want to be part of certain communities, you have to do things yourself, the hard way. That means launching and recovering a capsule, launching and recovering a live specimen, sending man into orbit. Although you can buy your way into any industry to a certain degree, you have neither the experience or the credibility until you've achieved certain goals. After all, this isn't programming or anything...
Yes, but I think more hamsters/frogs/mice have been launched than any other species. They may not have gone as high, but the results are always spectacular...
Of course, it is the nature of a bureaucracy to grow as long as such growth is possible, but maybe they could get more bang for their buck. ;)
It would be irrelevant because no real companies take /. seriously, and so would not reply...
*/joke*
It's also quite likely how your (and my) entire family history for the last >2000 years came from, so I wouldn't complain too much...
OTOH, pathetic jokes by nerds all look the same...
No, this would be a new, only-used-by-NASA distance measurement unit, because one of the few things harder
(apparently) than converting between two units of measure would be converting between three. That's not enough of a challenge for them, though, so they decided to give the third unit a name already used for measuring something else (time). I think we can expect the next probe sent to Mars to end up somewhere near Venus...sometime....
Not being from the US, I didn't know that welfare got >2x what defense got (would I have known if I was American? ;). But here's an idea - draft welfare recipients. No more street people and defense gets more money (somewhat offset by the low-ranking, low-pay conscripts). It's a winning solution, well, except for the welfare recipients, but what an incentive to get off the dole!
Of course, I don't believe that, but you can bet there's at least one clown on the Hill who thinks that's a good idea (and he probably has half his staff telling him to shut up about that idea until pension kicks in...).
I'm sure KFC could make this go away if we would let them...
Ah, that's good, I was hoping to not have to change my opinions. SCO will be #2 in my heart until they're gone. But MS will always be #1...makes me feel all warm inside.
Unfortunately, you (and your parents) are too old to correct this oversight, or I'm sure one of your concerned neighbours would have reported you.
And more than 50 cars in the country to steal...