The teacher slowly approaching a student with a baseball bat in hand: You must forget all you've seen and heard in this class... and ve have veys of helping you...
I find it hard to believe I am actually writing this, but Keanu could be actually a good choice for this role. Bebop's cool calls for a pulled-back emotional expression, and Keanu, being unable to express human emotion, is a natural candidate.
Also, I am sure this will brings lots of kids to the original series which is a very good thing.
I am more concerned with the script and the not yet selected director. A good director can pull out exactly what's needed from Keanu Reeves, something we saw in Matrix I.
Being able to criminalize everyone gives a tremendous amount of leverage for any oppressive government as well as the ability for endless blackmail racket to its "insiders."
"the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion"
It seems that the current *real* definition is "doing anything that a government or a private security employee sees as suspicious."
I am concerned by the lack of clarity and the over-reaching powers given to all kinds of enforcement agencies (I wouldn't call all of these "law-" enforcement).
Are we (the U.S.) becoming a society with anonymous reporting of "suspicious" activity and warrantless arrests? Are we scared enough to allow our guard dogs to tear apart anyone they or their masters don't like, just because?
Who is really safe in such an environment?
Everyone has their rational and semi-rational anxiety, fears and suspicions. Giving power to these is destroying our society and pissing me off.
Obviously we are not ready to fight for our freedoms and therefore don't deserve to be free. Meanwhile it's becoming more difficult and dangerous to do so without having one's own life destroyed (activists ending up on terrorist lists etc.)
Very much like the Obama's spokesperson who said that the cell phone was not in use about three times in their three-paragraph statement.
Having someone's call logs and the resources to find the identities associated with the numbers is a very powerful tool. In a world with 6 degrees of separation and an intentionally vague definition of "communist", ooops, I meant to say "terrorist," everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who is "paling around with terrorists."
It is trivial to discover "suspicious" connections for anyone. In a superscared police state like America, this may lead to all kinds of unpredictable consequences.
Being a hypocrite is a requirement of the job. Being caught committing illegal activities should get someone fired, though. Polititians being above the laws of the people is at the core of corruption and lack of accountability. Leads us back into monarchy, where the King's word is law and the King is above the law.
Who keeps the government accountable? One minute of choice every four or so years certainly does not work very well.
Right on, parent. We have a theoretical model for a free market and a practical implementation somewhat resembling that model, heavily manipulated to benefit large powerful moneyed entities.
Brings to mind the theoretical "socialism" model which, when applied to a bunch of countries resulted in the creation of oppressive dictatorships relying on secret police and propaganda for their survival.
As the profane mothefucka says, Conservatism is killing my country. I'd like to add greed, fear, hate and ignorance.
I am replying to your post because I see an opportunity to bring attention to the fact that punishment: 1. equals abuse 2. does not work as intended
The best possible message of punishment is "don't get caught." It addresses a behavior by inflicting discomfort, fear, pain, shaming, humiliation. Ultimately lots of anger towards the punishing party.
It does nothing to create understanding and respect for the value that behavior goes against. We ought to approach child upbringing differently than dog training (and actually I think dog training has evolved faster, we already know that beating dogs doesn't produce good results).
This is not a substitution for better network security. Or keeping secrets secret. Or promoting trust and integrity.
Discussing whether a punishment is fair or not does not change the fact that punishing children is abuse.
"Fair abuse?"
Again, this is not a reaction to your post, just an opportunity to raise awareness. The cycle of abused children becoming adults who see abuse as the norm *can* be shifted.
It's not better, as it's still extortion, just with lower numbers. Agreeing to discuss numbers is agreeing to assume fault, and then the numbers can easily be manipulated.
Copyright law is broken. The music industry is broken. Changing its business model from exploiting musicians to exploiting musicians and extortion is not an improvement.
It's like the story about the old ugly man and the hot girl at the bar: Man: Hi there. Would you suck me off for $20? Girl: What??? Man: $200? Girl: How do you dare to talk to me like that! Man: $2000? Girl: You are being ridiculous. Man: $20,000? He opens his bag, it's full with $100 bills. Girl: F*ck it, for $20k I'll do it. Man: I can't afford $20,000 but if you'd do it for $20 I'm game. Girl: What?! I am not this kind of girl! Man: We already determined what kind of girl you are, now we're just bargaining.
I know you are joking but that's the money question, isn't it?
I am *against* making choices for *other* people based on *my* religious beliefs.
Especially choices which can not be effectively and safely realized, and will create a lot of suffering and waste lots of resources better used elsewhere.
I think the current state of airport security is just that - the best the agency can do, with it's current resources, budget and enormous demand for speedy throughput.
I myself have pondered the possibility of some kind of conspiracy, but all I'm seeing is an outdated, overwhelmed structure under a lot of pressure.
This is a very difficult problem to solve: - fast processing of people - spotting potential threats with minimum resources - overstretched, tired, worn-out employees - far from state-of-the-art equipment - unbeliavable throughput
If the throughput is 1/100 of the LAX or JFK demands, then maybe it would be possible to look at each passanger, "check in" with them, evaluate their level of nervousness, clothing, carefully check for tell-signs etc.
With 1 second per passenger that's impossible and the best an agency can do is issue blanket policies including racial/name-based profiling, travel patterns, databases of destinations etc. and hope for the best.
I truly believe that the security policies are not an adequate protection. I don't think that's by design, rather a limitation of the design.
No conspiracy theory here, just lots of frustration with what I perceive as needless delay and inconvenience, bordering with disrespect and abuse in some cases (large-scale profiling and temporary detention of people entering the US etc.).
Maybe the machines can print an anonymous vote ID with indicated choices which the voter takes with them. The voter then can double check the choices he made by anonymously logging onto a website and entering the random vote ID.
Now, how do you connect to a website anonymously is another matter (i.e., the web server may still log access IP and connect it to the requested vote id, but that's another matter).
Remove anything that you are concerned about from the laptop.
Get a couple of flash thumbdrives - 16gb and 8gb versions are readily available. Carry them separate from your computer, use truecrypt.
Consider burning movies/music on DVDs. If burning pictures, use truecrypt.
Try to learn to deal with the emotions around someone snooping around your computer -- the ground troops are just doing their jobs, in long exhausting shifts, in exchange for low pay. If you want to address the problem of your privacy being abused, consider legal ways of changing the laws.
I see the current two-party system as the ultimate gesture of divide and conquer. Roughly half of the population believes that the other half is wrong and feels a mix of strong negative emotions against it. But the fact is, the whole (non-elite) population suffers, and our power and choices are taken away from us as soon as we believe the polititians' bs and forget that our unity is the only thing more powerful than the elite's tools.
If we unite, we can take down the gas prices. If we unite, we can have an *accountable* government, with public servants, actually doing their job for a change. If we unite, we can have free healthcare supported by tax money (healthcare=commodity? when did *YOU* and *I* decide that this is a great idea?) Same with clean energy.
As long as we think and believe the thoughts planted by the mouthpieces on the boobtube, as soon as we allow our frustration to be channeled towards "them," and turn a blind eye to the disastrous clusterf*ck that the government, market, economy, health care and education have become to be, we will sink deeper and deeper in the shit.
Hope we enjoy the taste.
And who knows, maybe it's better that way. Maybe we've come to a point where the uberelite is ready to "pay the price" of the genocide of its people in the name of its ultimate power.
We may have guns, but our government has brainwashed trained killers (soldiers are so last century, today our teen "soldiers" are "trained" to unflinchingly kill anything assigned as "target," including women and children), nerve gas, nukes, and weapons that can level our cities in minutes.
I think if our separation continues, a civil war or worse, a government/power-elite backed genocide is a logical conclusion.
Money is more important than human life, after all.
Slashdot Mirror
Trying to make technology obey social rules is idiocy.
Adding a clicking sound for everyone who does not have a strong enough desire to switch it off...
How do I send more of my tax dollars to enforce *that* one?!
Actually, how about a system allowing taxpayers prioritize how their tax dollars get allocated?
And, how about banning lobbyists from creating deceptive names for laws?
The teacher slowly approaching a student with a baseball bat in hand: You must forget all you've seen and heard in this class... and ve have veys of helping you...
I find it hard to believe I am actually writing this, but Keanu could be actually a good choice for this role. Bebop's cool calls for a pulled-back emotional expression, and Keanu, being unable to express human emotion, is a natural candidate.
Also, I am sure this will brings lots of kids to the original series which is a very good thing.
I am more concerned with the script and the not yet selected director. A good director can pull out exactly what's needed from Keanu Reeves, something we saw in Matrix I.
ter-ror-ism
(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorism)
: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion
It is clear who is doing the coercion and what it is resulting in.
It is so beautifully ironic.
We are being terrorized into a perpetual state of war against ... TERROR!
We are having our rights and freedoms forfeited in the name of ... FREEDOM!
Doublespeak at its greatest.
Welcome to the new world. Want fries with that?
Being able to criminalize everyone gives a tremendous amount of leverage for any oppressive government as well as the ability for endless blackmail racket to its "insiders."
... so this law will be forgotten instantly even if passed.
Until it is needed to arrest an otherwise innocent citizen :)
How is it defined by our governments?
The dictionary defines it as
"the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion"
It seems that the current *real* definition is "doing anything that a government or a private security employee sees as suspicious."
I am concerned by the lack of clarity and the over-reaching powers given to all kinds of enforcement agencies (I wouldn't call all of these "law-" enforcement).
Are we (the U.S.) becoming a society with anonymous reporting of "suspicious" activity and warrantless arrests? Are we scared enough to allow our guard dogs to tear apart anyone they or their masters don't like, just because?
Who is really safe in such an environment?
Everyone has their rational and semi-rational anxiety, fears and suspicions. Giving power to these is destroying our society and pissing me off.
Obviously we are not ready to fight for our freedoms and therefore don't deserve to be free. Meanwhile it's becoming more difficult and dangerous to do so without having one's own life destroyed (activists ending up on terrorist lists etc.)
1. Not many people are selling liquor in the streets for $10/shot.
2. And, if drugs were legal they'd be next to free so here goes the problem with addicts having to go to extremes to feed their habit.
3. Even now, when rich people have a "drug problem" they go to rehab, not to jail.
Very much like the Obama's spokesperson who said that the cell phone was not in use about three times in their three-paragraph statement.
Having someone's call logs and the resources to find the identities associated with the numbers is a very powerful tool. In a world with 6 degrees of separation and an intentionally vague definition of "communist", ooops, I meant to say "terrorist," everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who is "paling around with terrorists."
It is trivial to discover "suspicious" connections for anyone. In a superscared police state like America, this may lead to all kinds of unpredictable consequences.
Being a hypocrite is a requirement of the job. Being caught committing illegal activities should get someone fired, though. Polititians being above the laws of the people is at the core of corruption and lack of accountability. Leads us back into monarchy, where the King's word is law and the King is above the law.
Who keeps the government accountable? One minute of choice every four or so years certainly does not work very well.
Right on, parent. We have a theoretical model for a free market and a practical implementation somewhat resembling that model, heavily manipulated to benefit large powerful moneyed entities.
Brings to mind the theoretical "socialism" model which, when applied to a bunch of countries resulted in the creation of oppressive dictatorships relying on secret police and propaganda for their survival.
As the profane mothefucka says, Conservatism is killing my country. I'd like to add greed, fear, hate and ignorance.
I am replying to your post because I see an opportunity to bring attention to the fact that punishment:
1. equals abuse
2. does not work as intended
The best possible message of punishment is "don't get caught." It addresses a behavior by inflicting discomfort, fear, pain, shaming, humiliation. Ultimately lots of anger towards the punishing party.
It does nothing to create understanding and respect for the value that behavior goes against. We ought to approach child upbringing differently than dog training (and actually I think dog training has evolved faster, we already know that beating dogs doesn't produce good results).
This is not a substitution for better network security. Or keeping secrets secret. Or promoting trust and integrity.
Discussing whether a punishment is fair or not does not change the fact that punishing children is abuse.
"Fair abuse?"
Again, this is not a reaction to your post, just an opportunity to raise awareness. The cycle of abused children becoming adults who see abuse as the norm *can* be shifted.
Research:
http://www.physorg.com/news125155198.html
And, for the ones with time and courage:
http://www.nospank.net/fyog.htm
I see the trolls are hungry.
Apple users are well-trained to pay premium for everything, from the iphone accessories to the software applications.
I'd go for the well-paying techno-lusting, in-love-with their device user base.
While the bberry is highly addictive, it's used almost exclusively for the simple tasks of email/calendar/phone.
May I interest you in developing a $10,000 application which will display a message saying "I am filthy rich and you are my bitch!" on said device?
Good luck!
It's not better, as it's still extortion, just with lower numbers. Agreeing to discuss numbers is agreeing to assume fault, and then the numbers can easily be manipulated.
Copyright law is broken. The music industry is broken. Changing its business model from exploiting musicians to exploiting musicians and extortion is not an improvement.
It's like the story about the old ugly man and the hot girl at the bar:
Man: Hi there. Would you suck me off for $20?
Girl: What???
Man: $200?
Girl: How do you dare to talk to me like that!
Man: $2000?
Girl: You are being ridiculous.
Man: $20,000? He opens his bag, it's full with $100 bills.
Girl: F*ck it, for $20k I'll do it.
Man: I can't afford $20,000 but if you'd do it for $20 I'm game.
Girl: What?! I am not this kind of girl!
Man: We already determined what kind of girl you are, now we're just bargaining.
Thanks for the correction, I agree there's no difference. I guess "Man" implies "warrior" in many cultures, including mine.
I know you are joking but that's the money question, isn't it?
I am *against* making choices for *other* people based on *my* religious beliefs.
Especially choices which can not be effectively and safely realized, and will create a lot of suffering and waste lots of resources better used elsewhere.
In short, I think there's a lot of fear behind the policies, and not enough intelligently focused resources which ought to be a solution.
Being rude and abusive to passengers it not a necessary part of enforcing security.
I think the current state of airport security is just that - the best the agency can do, with it's current resources, budget and enormous demand for speedy throughput.
I myself have pondered the possibility of some kind of conspiracy, but all I'm seeing is an outdated, overwhelmed structure under a lot of pressure.
This is a very difficult problem to solve:
- fast processing of people
- spotting potential threats with minimum resources
- overstretched, tired, worn-out employees
- far from state-of-the-art equipment
- unbeliavable throughput
If the throughput is 1/100 of the LAX or JFK demands, then maybe it would be possible to look at each passanger, "check in" with them, evaluate their level of nervousness, clothing, carefully check for tell-signs etc.
With 1 second per passenger that's impossible and the best an agency can do is issue blanket policies including racial/name-based profiling, travel patterns, databases of destinations etc. and hope for the best.
I truly believe that the security policies are not an adequate protection. I don't think that's by design, rather a limitation of the design.
No conspiracy theory here, just lots of frustration with what I perceive as needless delay and inconvenience, bordering with disrespect and abuse in some cases (large-scale profiling and temporary detention of people entering the US etc.).
What's interesting for me is 5. Checkable.
Maybe the machines can print an anonymous vote ID with indicated choices which the voter takes with them. The voter then can double check the choices he made by anonymously logging onto a website and entering the random vote ID.
Now, how do you connect to a website anonymously is another matter (i.e., the web server may still log access IP and connect it to the requested vote id, but that's another matter).
Stop! We have reached the limits of what anal probing can teach us!
And remember, it's very easy for an NSA worker who feels that he's being f*cked with, to inflict, should we say, max payne in your life.
Good luck!
Remove anything that you are concerned about from the laptop.
Get a couple of flash thumbdrives - 16gb and 8gb versions are readily available. Carry them separate from your computer, use truecrypt.
Consider burning movies/music on DVDs. If burning pictures, use truecrypt.
Try to learn to deal with the emotions around someone snooping around your computer -- the ground troops are just doing their jobs, in long exhausting shifts, in exchange for low pay. If you want to address the problem of your privacy being abused, consider legal ways of changing the laws.
LOL. TerrorOverload.com!
Beautifully said.
I see the current two-party system as the ultimate gesture of divide and conquer. Roughly half of the population believes that the other half is wrong and feels a mix of strong negative emotions against it. But the fact is, the whole (non-elite) population suffers, and our power and choices are taken away from us as soon as we believe the polititians' bs and forget that our unity is the only thing more powerful than the elite's tools.
If we unite, we can take down the gas prices.
If we unite, we can have an *accountable* government, with public servants, actually doing their job for a change.
If we unite, we can have free healthcare supported by tax money (healthcare=commodity? when did *YOU* and *I* decide that this is a great idea?)
Same with clean energy.
As long as we think and believe the thoughts planted by the mouthpieces on the boobtube, as soon as we allow our frustration to be channeled towards "them," and turn a blind eye to the disastrous clusterf*ck that the government, market, economy, health care and education have become to be, we will sink deeper and deeper in the shit.
Hope we enjoy the taste.
And who knows, maybe it's better that way. Maybe we've come to a point where the uberelite is ready to "pay the price" of the genocide of its people in the name of its ultimate power.
We may have guns, but our government has brainwashed trained killers (soldiers are so last century, today our teen "soldiers" are "trained" to unflinchingly kill anything assigned as "target," including women and children), nerve gas, nukes, and weapons that can level our cities in minutes.
I think if our separation continues, a civil war or worse, a government/power-elite backed genocide is a logical conclusion.
Money is more important than human life, after all.
And, our servants have become our keepers.
What do we do now?