Folks, this is the Samuel Vimes 'Boots' Theory Of Socio-Economic Injustice. From Wikipedia (easier to blockquote than the dead tree):
Early in his career, while he is still a nearly-impoverished Watchman, Vimes reflects that he can only afford ten-dollar boots with thin soles which don't keep out the damp and wear out in a season or two. A pair of good boots, which cost fifty dollars, would last for years and years - which means that over the long run, the man with cheap boots has spent much more money and still has wet feet.
This thought leads to the general realization that one of the reasons rich people remain rich is because they don't actually have to spend as much money as poor people; in many situations, they buy high-quality items (such as clothing, housing, and other necessities) which are made to last. In the long run, they actually use much less of their disposable income.
So put a tax on cigarettes, and pipe (no pun intended) the money you raise into the universal health insurance system. Do the same for junk food and booze. Make people who abuse their own health contribute more to the system which will be taking care of them when their health fails.
"I don't like this at all. It seems to me to indicate that my ISP can block me from p0rn, for my own good, and I have no recourse. And it doesn't matter if it is constitutionally protected material?"
No, the Constitution only says that the *government* can't prevent you from seeing such material. Your ISP can refuse to carry it, but then you can choose another ISP. Theoretically.
The British Home Office's own study shows that surveillance cameras haven't actually reduced crime, except in a few specific types of location - parking garages, for example. There are plenty of theories on why this is the case - police are watching specific areas from the station rather than patrolling everywhere - but at the end of the day, it's been shown that cameras just don't improve things.
At the same time, that same Home Office spends over 70% of its crime prevention budget on new surveillance cameras, and the government keeps telling us that we must have more cameras in order to keep us safe. This is clearly both dishonest and a misuse of public funds.
There's a pedestrian crossing near my house in Brighton which had its traffic lights "upgraded" last year; now it has six cameras and four motion detectors. For a simple pedestrian crossing, on a single straight road with plenty of visibility, no intersection with another road. Add in the fact that the pedestrian lights are shiny, new, and impossible for a pedestrian to see once (s)he's stepped into the road, and I get the feeling that the new kit was approved by a committee who got taken to a very nice dinner-and-titty-bar combo by the contractor.
You forgot about sticky floors, uncomfortable seats, expensive tickets, ludicrously expensive snacks and drinks, smells of stale snacks and drinks, smells of members of the public, feet of members of the public on the back of your seat, lack of foot and elbow room, etc, etc, etc.
I don't even have HD or surround sound. All I have is a nice big telly, nice big stereo, half a dozen friends round at whatever time we feel like it, comfy sofas, beer, wine, microwave popcorn (my one weakness!), the occasional fat spliff, and oh-so-very-important: the ability to pause the damn film if someone needs a wee or a refill.
I've been to the cinema exactly once since the last Star Wars film, and that last visit only hardened my resolve never to go back. Okay, the fact that the film was Casino Royale might have had something to do with it...
For me, at least, not being able to add apps to the iPhone is a non-issue.
I've worked at Symbian a few times in the last five years, and they've given me several nifty new smartphones as (or before) they were released - the Nokia 7650, SE P990i, etc. I've also had cheap and cheerful minimal phones like the Nokia 8310, as well as some mid-range phones like the Motorola v600. I now use a RAZR simply because I like the hardware - thin and scratch-resistant.
The only third-party app I've ever felt the need to install on a phone was Doom on the 7650. Why? Because we could!
The phone as it came has always been sufficient; no extra apps have ever really seemed necessary. Apple's iPhone looks like it has very high-quality versions of all the basic apps I'd like on a phone - things I've tried on other phones but found too clunky or counterintuitive to use regularly.
It's kind of like Apple are saying, "Here's an appliance that does exactly x, and no more. Here's the price. Do you want one?"
The article is slightly incorrect; Shoto Tanemura Sensei (my Soke) was also a student of Takamatsu Sensei, and (as I understand it) both claim to be the recipient and keeper of the scrolls which pass to the grand master of Ninpo Bugei, with Hatsumi Sensei heading the Bujinkan organisation, and Soke heading the Genbukan Federation, of which I am a member. Both teach Ninpo Bugei, the traditional Japanese martial art of the samurai and the ninja.
I only know of Hatsumi Sensei from his website and articles about him, but I have trained briefly with Soke, and I train with one of his students here in the UK. About thirty of us went over to Japan last October for a seminar celebrating Soke's 50th year of studying martial arts, and after dinner one evening Soke spoke about the history of Ninpo Bugei, briefly touching on the differences of opinion and approach between himself and Hatsumi Sensei which lead to them forming separate branches of the Ninpo tree. All I can say is that Ninpo is an excellent martial art, developing not just fighting abilities but strength of character and inner peace as well, resulting in (in layman's terms) a great bunch of people doing a really challenging, worthwhile, and fun activity.
I agree. TFA seems to be a bit USA-centric; the rest of the world is unlikely to be catastrophically affected by the consolidation of Bells within the USA. Not that I think that that consolidation is a good thing, mind you.
"And of course, the US military budget is about 10X NASA's budget, maybe we should trim *that* back until after we've solved illiteracy, poverty, world hunger, AIDS & cancer, etc."
Slashdot Mirror
Folks, this is the Samuel Vimes 'Boots' Theory Of Socio-Economic Injustice. From Wikipedia (easier to blockquote than the dead tree):
Early in his career, while he is still a nearly-impoverished Watchman, Vimes reflects that he can only afford ten-dollar boots with thin soles which don't keep out the damp and wear out in a season or two. A pair of good boots, which cost fifty dollars, would last for years and years - which means that over the long run, the man with cheap boots has spent much more money and still has wet feet.
This thought leads to the general realization that one of the reasons rich people remain rich is because they don't actually have to spend as much money as poor people; in many situations, they buy high-quality items (such as clothing, housing, and other necessities) which are made to last. In the long run, they actually use much less of their disposable income.
"If you know what I mean."
Dude, we *always* know what you mean.
"...and even went so far as to execute their tyrant..."
Sounds like you Yanks could learn something from the cheese-eating surrender monkeys. :)
So put a tax on cigarettes, and pipe (no pun intended) the money you raise into the universal health insurance system. Do the same for junk food and booze. Make people who abuse their own health contribute more to the system which will be taking care of them when their health fails.
Twenty-three billion neurons ought to be enough for anybody.
It's quite easy to fool yourself. Especially when you *want* to believe something.
"rather than leaving for better crimes with fewer risks."
There you go - fixed that for ya.
"I don't like this at all. It seems to me to indicate that my ISP can block me from p0rn, for my own good, and I have no recourse. And it doesn't matter if it is constitutionally protected material?"
No, the Constitution only says that the *government* can't prevent you from seeing such material. Your ISP can refuse to carry it, but then you can choose another ISP. Theoretically.
The British Home Office's own study shows that surveillance cameras haven't actually reduced crime, except in a few specific types of location - parking garages, for example. There are plenty of theories on why this is the case - police are watching specific areas from the station rather than patrolling everywhere - but at the end of the day, it's been shown that cameras just don't improve things.
At the same time, that same Home Office spends over 70% of its crime prevention budget on new surveillance cameras, and the government keeps telling us that we must have more cameras in order to keep us safe. This is clearly both dishonest and a misuse of public funds.
There's a pedestrian crossing near my house in Brighton which had its traffic lights "upgraded" last year; now it has six cameras and four motion detectors. For a simple pedestrian crossing, on a single straight road with plenty of visibility, no intersection with another road. Add in the fact that the pedestrian lights are shiny, new, and impossible for a pedestrian to see once (s)he's stepped into the road, and I get the feeling that the new kit was approved by a committee who got taken to a very nice dinner-and-titty-bar combo by the contractor.
"I believe the puppet on the left shares my beliefs."
"I believe the puppet on the right is more to my liking."
"Oh wait a second," - pull back to reveal - "it's one guy, controlling both puppets!"
-- Bill Hicks
This is all because attorneys for the trademark or copyright holders want to make you pay for the rights you already have.
There, fixed that for you. :)
More like:
"You're about to have your ass handed to you in your hat. Cancel or Allow?"
(sigh) "Allow."
"cellphones and babies and loud rude jerks"
You forgot about sticky floors, uncomfortable seats, expensive tickets, ludicrously expensive snacks and drinks, smells of stale snacks and drinks, smells of members of the public, feet of members of the public on the back of your seat, lack of foot and elbow room, etc, etc, etc.
I don't even have HD or surround sound. All I have is a nice big telly, nice big stereo, half a dozen friends round at whatever time we feel like it, comfy sofas, beer, wine, microwave popcorn (my one weakness!), the occasional fat spliff, and oh-so-very-important: the ability to pause the damn film if someone needs a wee or a refill.
I've been to the cinema exactly once since the last Star Wars film, and that last visit only hardened my resolve never to go back. Okay, the fact that the film was Casino Royale might have had something to do with it...
"...and also that 2 women are superior in the bedroom..."
You're not fooling anyone, you know.
"...it's like a chicken contest: the one who pulls out loses"
Gah! Now that brought a horrible image to mind...
For me, at least, not being able to add apps to the iPhone is a non-issue.
I've worked at Symbian a few times in the last five years, and they've given me several nifty new smartphones as (or before) they were released - the Nokia 7650, SE P990i, etc. I've also had cheap and cheerful minimal phones like the Nokia 8310, as well as some mid-range phones like the Motorola v600. I now use a RAZR simply because I like the hardware - thin and scratch-resistant.
The only third-party app I've ever felt the need to install on a phone was Doom on the 7650. Why? Because we could!
The phone as it came has always been sufficient; no extra apps have ever really seemed necessary. Apple's iPhone looks like it has very high-quality versions of all the basic apps I'd like on a phone - things I've tried on other phones but found too clunky or counterintuitive to use regularly.
It's kind of like Apple are saying, "Here's an appliance that does exactly x, and no more. Here's the price. Do you want one?"
Me: "Hell, yes!"
"But it's sadder to see a innocent person goto prison."
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
Yes, gotos are evil.
The article is slightly incorrect; Shoto Tanemura Sensei (my Soke) was also a student of Takamatsu Sensei, and (as I understand it) both claim to be the recipient and keeper of the scrolls which pass to the grand master of Ninpo Bugei, with Hatsumi Sensei heading the Bujinkan organisation, and Soke heading the Genbukan Federation, of which I am a member. Both teach Ninpo Bugei, the traditional Japanese martial art of the samurai and the ninja.
I only know of Hatsumi Sensei from his website and articles about him, but I have trained briefly with Soke, and I train with one of his students here in the UK. About thirty of us went over to Japan last October for a seminar celebrating Soke's 50th year of studying martial arts, and after dinner one evening Soke spoke about the history of Ninpo Bugei, briefly touching on the differences of opinion and approach between himself and Hatsumi Sensei which lead to them forming separate branches of the Ninpo tree. All I can say is that Ninpo is an excellent martial art, developing not just fighting abilities but strength of character and inner peace as well, resulting in (in layman's terms) a great bunch of people doing a really challenging, worthwhile, and fun activity.
"So what I'm gonna do now is, I'm gonna sneak up behind the big fella, and stick a finger right up his bum. Crikey, that'll really piss him off!"
Yep, that's my excuse. :)
I agree. TFA seems to be a bit USA-centric; the rest of the world is unlikely to be catastrophically affected by the consolidation of Bells within the USA. Not that I think that that consolidation is a good thing, mind you.
"You see, here on Google, all people, places, and things are referred to as 'Google'"
"Doesn't that get confusing?"
"No. Here, let me show you. Google?"
"Yes?"
"And of course, the US military budget is about 10X NASA's budget, maybe we should trim *that* back until after we've solved illiteracy, poverty, world hunger, AIDS & cancer, etc."
Yes. We should.
...natural selection in action. Nearly.
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