It's much easier to use, and it's much easier to learn.
What the hell?
How is learning a new programming language (which LaTeX really is) and using some incomprehensible editor like Emacs easier for a newbie than clicking and pointing?
I am a Physicist and I write all my manuscripts with Word. Why? Because it is a de facto standard (makes co-authoring a hell of a lot easier) and I don't have to waste my time learning and re-learning a new language.
No but I looked at sky through smoke heavy with human fat and God was not there. The
cold, suffocating dark goes on forever, and we are alone...
Live our lives lacking anything better to do. Devise reasons later.
Born from oblivion, bear children, hellbound as ourselves, go into oblivion.
There's nothing else.
Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it
for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. This rudderless world
is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It's not God who kills the
children. Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs.
It's us. Only us.
Streets stank of fire. The void breathed hard on my heart, turning its
illusions to ice, shattering them. Was reborn then, free to scrawl my own
design on this morally blank world.
I made other friends... But I still get that horrible feeling inside. It'll
come over me like an avalanche, a sudden crushing depression that makes me
totally silent and alone. Perhaps its clinical depression. I really don't want
want to find out.
It's like... everything feels alone. Your heart, your mind, your soul. I
need someone to hold onto, someone I can be with in a crowd or alone, and just
touch and give pleasure to because I love her. I want a woman to sleep with me
because she cares for me, not because she pities me. I gave up looking at the
flesh long ago, and have found so many special people. Why can't someone do
the same for me? Just for a while in my life... not forever. I don't
need marriage, I don't want (and probably can't have) children. Just love and
caring because of who I am.
But the meat gets in the way. I'm too fat, I'm too ugly, I'm too loud. I
resemble more a troll than a man. Self-loathing is a horrible thing all right.
And there's a lot of guilt along with it, because I know, I KNOW GOD DAMN IT,
that there are so many that have it worse... The Elephant Man and his wishes
to be human, the other freaks over the centuries... I feel ashamed of my own
self-pity.
Yahoo rep: [threatingly] We aren't all smiles und sunshine here at Yahoo...
Me: [recoils in mock horror] Oooh, Yahoo admins are mad at me. I'm so scared! Oooh, Yahoo! [hiding behind oo7tushar] Uh oh, Yahoo admins are going to get me!
Yahoo rep: Stop it!
Yahoo rep2: Stop, sir.
Me: Don't let the Yahoo admins come after me. Oh no, the Yahoo admins are coming after me.
Yahoo rep2: Please stop the `pretending you are scared' game, please.
Yahoo rep: Stop it! Stop it!
Me: [brief pause, then resumes] No! They're so big and strong!
Yahoo rep2: Stop it.
Yahoo rep: Stop it, October_30th.
Yahoo rep2: Please stop pretending you are scared of us, please, now.
Me: Oh, protect me from the Yahoo admins! The Yahoo...
Yahoo rep: October_30th, STOP IT!
I've got an idea for a niche application. I myself have finally come to terms with the fact that I can't do serious coding anymore, so what I need is a couple of good developers. SourceForge had a nice system for finding them but after reading about SF's uncertain future I would hesitate to base my project there.
You really seem to have perfected the helpline support technique: you actually manage to "solve" the problem so that the company cannot be held liable and you also keep the calls short thus saving your company lots of money.
In order to celebrate Easter, the festival of Jesus Christ the Risen Lord and Our Nothing Savior, my intention was to look for good pics of Shakira, Jennifer Lopez or women with great big butts in general.
Unfortunately (or a case of divine intervention?) the usually infallible and trusty Google failed me this time. A search string "butt pictures Shakira Lopez" gave me practically nothing useful in the form of free pictures.
So, in my predicament, I have decided to turn to you, the smarmy Slashdot reading crowd. Please help me to find great pictures with which to open sauce myself and thus celebrate this great occasion.
society is free enough for them to develop wealth themselves
Uh, right. Men are free to have babies too although they are physically incapable of giving birth.
What happened to competition? Competition means that some businesses are successful and other are not. This will mean that if everybody is supposed to make their own wealth, there will be entrepreneurs who end up losing their wealth, right? But it serves them right to end up in the gutter, because they (like me) aren't business-savy like everybody should be.
What happened to other careers? There are other important tasks like scientific basic research which is absolutely essential for future products but which will take about 10-20 years to mature. From your point of view these government funded researchers (like me) are leeches, right?
What happened to physical and mental handicaps? Contrary to the insane "EVERYBODY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL!!!! IF YOU AREN'T, YOU'RE JUST NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH!!!" optimism some people in the States seem to spout from time to time, a physical or a mental handicap like IQ 70 is a show-stopper for entrepreneurship. Telling these people to make their own money or shove off is barbaric.
Which is exactly what the government is supposed to do.
Yeah, it has been, it is and it will be abused but that's the only way to go. The western justice system is based on the idea that it's preferable to acquit guilty people rather than convict a single innocent one. Similarly I would argue that it is better to support several welfare leeches so that a single person/family in real need of support doesn't fall through the cracks in the society.
And a lot of the government programs that are worthwhile, like NASA, get almost nothing.
It might be politically "sexy" but not realistic to blame this on welfare. Watch the current increase in the unnecessary military spending and wonder where both the NASA and welfare funds went...
You seem to deny that $20,0000 is a bit more than $10,000.
In absolute terms it's more, in relative terms it's not. I am rather well-off myself (in the upper bracket, actually) but I don't mind paying more in the absolute terms because I can live more than well enough with what remains. Now if I would think that because I make more money than the most people I know, I also have the "right" to a luxury apartment, fancy car and a private jet before I help the less fortunate, then I would consider paying more taxes somehow wrong. But that's pure selfishness.
"contribution" being voluntary and a "contribution" being compusory.
And just what would this "voluntary" contribution be? Charity?
Don't make me laugh! Unless it is not controlled, it's as good as nothing. It's not in the human nature to donate enough resources to keep the less fortunate above the poverty line.
there is much more to society than that
Well, I hate to be blunt but that's just not true. The primary function of a society is to GUARANTEE the wellbeing of its citizens -- taxation would not exist it if voluntary contributions would suffice.
20% of $1,000,000 is a larger amount than 20% of $50,000
So?
When you're making more money you can also contribute more. How can that be so hard to understand?
All human beings require pretty much the same amount of income to keep up reasonable living standards. After that, it's all negotiable. You would like to keep it to yourself even though the only true function of a society is to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.
You're welcome to leave the society. No taxes, nothing. Go ahead and grab all the money you like, but don't complain when you cannot sell stuff to the society. You can't both have the cake and eat it, you know.
Not sure why you lefties want to punish people for being financially successful
It's not about punishment. It's about creating a fair society where no-one needs to starve, beg or live under the poverty line. You do know that there are countries in the world where the percentage of population under the poverty line is 0%. See CIA worldbook if you don't believe me.
And I thought the USA was supposed to be a classless society.
higher capital gains tax
Which would be perfectly reasonable. Those have a large personal wealth must also make larger contributions back to the society. Unless they wish to renounce their membership in the society, which is, of course, completely permissible. Too bad you cannot do business with the members of the said society anymore then.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, he's a gun-nut so what else would you expect?
What the hell?
How is learning a new programming language (which LaTeX really is) and using some incomprehensible editor like Emacs easier for a newbie than clicking and pointing?
I am a Physicist and I write all my manuscripts with Word. Why? Because it is a de facto standard (makes co-authoring a hell of a lot easier) and I don't have to waste my time learning and re-learning a new language.
"What the hell is that smell?", actually.
Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It's not God who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It's us. Only us.
Streets stank of fire. The void breathed hard on my heart, turning its illusions to ice, shattering them. Was reborn then, free to scrawl my own design on this morally blank world.
Does that answer your questions doctor?
It's like... everything feels alone. Your heart, your mind, your soul. I need someone to hold onto, someone I can be with in a crowd or alone, and just touch and give pleasure to because I love her. I want a woman to sleep with me because she cares for me, not because she pities me. I gave up looking at the flesh long ago, and have found so many special people. Why can't someone do the same for me? Just for a while in my life... not forever. I don't need marriage, I don't want (and probably can't have) children. Just love and caring because of who I am. But the meat gets in the way. I'm too fat, I'm too ugly, I'm too loud. I resemble more a troll than a man. Self-loathing is a horrible thing all right. And there's a lot of guilt along with it, because I know, I KNOW GOD DAMN IT, that there are so many that have it worse... The Elephant Man and his wishes to be human, the other freaks over the centuries... I feel ashamed of my own self-pity.
Please explain yourself.
I have a cunning plan too but it involves turnips, not artichokes.
Fucking ad spammer scum.
Now that's a REALLY old invention.
It's called alcohol.
Yahoo rep: [threatingly] We aren't all smiles und sunshine here at Yahoo...
Me: [recoils in mock horror] Oooh, Yahoo admins are mad at me. I'm so scared! Oooh, Yahoo! [hiding behind oo7tushar] Uh oh, Yahoo admins are going to get me!
Yahoo rep: Stop it!
Yahoo rep2: Stop, sir.
Me: Don't let the Yahoo admins come after me. Oh no, the Yahoo admins are coming after me.
Yahoo rep2: Please stop the `pretending you are scared' game, please.
Yahoo rep: Stop it! Stop it!
Me: [brief pause, then resumes] No! They're so big and strong!
Yahoo rep2: Stop it.
Yahoo rep: Stop it, October_30th.
Yahoo rep2: Please stop pretending you are scared of us, please, now.
Me: Oh, protect me from the Yahoo admins! The Yahoo...
Yahoo rep: October_30th, STOP IT!
I think you meant to say 12 girls and 12 9" black spiked strap-on dildos?
I won't be the same man after that party
Well, that's really an exaggeration. Having your anus go the goatse way doesn't change you that much.
Yahoo should be content in knowing that they are providing a service to the society. Asking for a chance to make a profit is disgusting.
I've got an idea for a niche application. I myself have finally come to terms with the fact that I can't do serious coding anymore, so what I need is a couple of good developers. SourceForge had a nice system for finding them but after reading about SF's uncertain future I would hesitate to base my project there.
They didn't actually tell any of us paying clients about this. I had to call them and ask why the binary groups and not refreshed.
Your boss must be so proud of you.
Unfortunately (or a case of divine intervention?) the usually infallible and trusty Google failed me this time. A search string "butt pictures Shakira Lopez" gave me practically nothing useful in the form of free pictures.
So, in my predicament, I have decided to turn to you, the smarmy Slashdot reading crowd. Please help me to find great pictures with which to open sauce myself and thus celebrate this great occasion.
Hey, I know you!
You do Dell's telephone support service in Canada!
Until it's time to pay for the all the electricity your mainframe and air conditioning consume.
Uh, right. Men are free to have babies too although they are physically incapable of giving birth.
What happened to competition? Competition means that some businesses are successful and other are not. This will mean that if everybody is supposed to make their own wealth, there will be entrepreneurs who end up losing their wealth, right? But it serves them right to end up in the gutter, because they (like me) aren't business-savy like everybody should be.
What happened to other careers? There are other important tasks like scientific basic research which is absolutely essential for future products but which will take about 10-20 years to mature. From your point of view these government funded researchers (like me) are leeches, right?
What happened to physical and mental handicaps? Contrary to the insane "EVERYBODY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL!!!! IF YOU AREN'T, YOU'RE JUST NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH!!!" optimism some people in the States seem to spout from time to time, a physical or a mental handicap like IQ 70 is a show-stopper for entrepreneurship. Telling these people to make their own money or shove off is barbaric.
Which is exactly what the government is supposed to do.
Yeah, it has been, it is and it will be abused but that's the only way to go. The western justice system is based on the idea that it's preferable to acquit guilty people rather than convict a single innocent one. Similarly I would argue that it is better to support several welfare leeches so that a single person/family in real need of support doesn't fall through the cracks in the society.
And a lot of the government programs that are worthwhile, like NASA, get almost nothing.
It might be politically "sexy" but not realistic to blame this on welfare. Watch the current increase in the unnecessary military spending and wonder where both the NASA and welfare funds went...
In absolute terms it's more, in relative terms it's not. I am rather well-off myself (in the upper bracket, actually) but I don't mind paying more in the absolute terms because I can live more than well enough with what remains. Now if I would think that because I make more money than the most people I know, I also have the "right" to a luxury apartment, fancy car and a private jet before I help the less fortunate, then I would consider paying more taxes somehow wrong. But that's pure selfishness.
"contribution" being voluntary and a "contribution" being compusory.
And just what would this "voluntary" contribution be? Charity?
Don't make me laugh! Unless it is not controlled, it's as good as nothing. It's not in the human nature to donate enough resources to keep the less fortunate above the poverty line.
there is much more to society than that
Well, I hate to be blunt but that's just not true. The primary function of a society is to GUARANTEE the wellbeing of its citizens -- taxation would not exist it if voluntary contributions would suffice.
Naah... you're right in that my post above was pretty gay, but I think I'll just post more seriously for a while and get new ideas.
I don't take getting myself heard on Slashdot that seriously.
Please check out my journal for reasons why I don't care about karma.
So?
When you're making more money you can also contribute more. How can that be so hard to understand?
All human beings require pretty much the same amount of income to keep up reasonable living standards. After that, it's all negotiable. You would like to keep it to yourself even though the only true function of a society is to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.
You're welcome to leave the society. No taxes, nothing. Go ahead and grab all the money you like, but don't complain when you cannot sell stuff to the society. You can't both have the cake and eat it, you know.
Not sure why you lefties want to punish people for being financially successful
It's not about punishment. It's about creating a fair society where no-one needs to starve, beg or live under the poverty line. You do know that there are countries in the world where the percentage of population under the poverty line is 0%. See CIA worldbook if you don't believe me.
And I thought the USA was supposed to be a classless society.
higher capital gains tax
Which would be perfectly reasonable. Those have a large personal wealth must also make larger contributions back to the society. Unless they wish to renounce their membership in the society, which is, of course, completely permissible. Too bad you cannot do business with the members of the said society anymore then.