Bah. I like to type well enough, but I couldn't go back to a non-split keyboard. Keyboards aren't going to disapear in one step, but they will evolve, and may evolve out of existence as we know them. What I want my keyboard to be is a holographic projection of keys layed out in a standard (but user-configurable) pattern. One projection for each hand, that moves around with my hands (I don't figure on having rock-solid nerves forever, you know). There should be more than two sections, (at least three, probably at least 5) that can be switched between by a hand movement of some sort, perhaps a quick 90 degree rotation of the wrist. Various software programs should beable to make custom 'keyboard' sections for controlling the app/game specific activities. Actual input would be accomplished either with a high-rate camera w/ motion analysis software, or with sensor laden gloves (less than ideal, for sizing problems alone)
I never said FEMA was evil, just that they have the power to ignore / revoke people's rights. Technically, if they felt the situation was bad enough, they could effectively take over the country until further notice...
I do dislike the world-specific content, but on the other hand, it allows the more casual groups to have the neccessary content without supplemental material. Wizards made a point of saying that Greyhawk is going to be the default game world again, so it wasn't a total surprise. (and justifies all the Bigby and Tenser spells being standard as well).
I don't really care if Hasbro puts out a bunch of merchandise (with the movie, it's probably inevitable anyhow), I'm more worried about them playing editor like they've been doing a bit of with Microprose...
I assume we're refering to the page 13 drawings here... I'd have to say she's better looking than the gnome. The half-orc, with her "sexy" pose, is just disturbing though.
This thread has me wondering, what kind of numbers has the new PHB sold already?
As much as I was worried about the effects of WotC buying up TSR, I have to say that the changes have been for the best.
Greyhawk lives!
Stupid kid-friendly language controls dropped. Devils, Demons, and Hell aren't forbidden words anymore.
Cut down on the over-production of stuff.
Essentially, they fixed TSR's screwy policy of aiming products exclusively at 13 year old newbies, while producing enough product that only adults with good jobs could keep up anyhow.
I've been watching for a sale on a ~40 Gig drive... My two year old 10 is feeling pretty small these days. 80 sounds nice and spacious, but I don't suppose it will seem very impressive in another two years.
fluxrad, as much as I detest the ignorance (apathy) of the world around them, American's aren't unique in being fucking idiots when it comes to group behaviour. Hell, its looking like we Canadians might just elect rabid capitalists next federal election, which should be a within a year of Dubya "I can't name 3 countries without getting one's name wrong" gaining power of the dominant power on the planet. I wish all the people like that prick in the new Molson ad were Americans, but there's just as many anywhere else...
while i really don't care much about your arguement with fluxrad, I gotta say that I find your (implied) belief that the American government wouldn't take away personal liberties if they feel the need. Ever heard of FEMA?
Pax, Romana or Americana, doesn't do anything great for the world. All it means is the dominant world power considering its own people more important than anyone else's, even when its citizens are on someone else's territory...
Like fluxrad said, most people are fairly intelligent, on an individual basis. Many even fail to act as part of the mob when given the opportunity. Most people don't bother thinking for themselves in their day-to-day lives, and just go with the flow because its easier. "People are stupid, panicky animals" -- sheep in particular for the most part. And no, I don't exclude myself. I play nice with society's rules, even though I feel that our society is seriously flawed. So do most people who say how stupid people are...
I don't mind the ads in most papers, since we've got the Sun here to show us how low a paper can get and still pretend its not a tabloid. What bugs me is environmental or international stories getting two inches in the sidebar while Fashion and Travel are 30 page sections once a week.
The Associated Press does seem to be behind most of those non-stories, don't they? I hadn't really thought about it. Knight Ridder shows up a lot too, although I'm not really sure who they are...
Yeah, there's work being done on replacements, but its all conceptual & design work now (and even more so 2 years ago). There aren't any fully-functional prototypes sitting in hangers at Canaveral. And there's no way that space-plane type ships or going to slingshot around the moon.
few conspiracies that actually work because eventually rats them out
Just because its a secret doesn't mean that anyone's going to tell. Who was Deep Throat? What was the CIA up to twenty years ago? (lots of big secret there, surely someone should've "ratted them out" by now...
Exactly. And that's pretty basic usage. Once 100 million American's hear something like that, are they going to be inclined to believe that it was a fake? It's the same as newspaper retractions, (three days later, on page 37) not everyone's going to notice the retraction, and the impression from the original story already exists...
People are always using "I invented the internet" to make jokes, even though most of them don't know the context, or who (mis)quoted Gore in the first place. Imagine trying to make something like "I fuck sheep" go away after some malicious employee gets ahold of the editor...
What makes you think that Turner (or whatever media conglomerate buys up CNN in the next few years) won't / doesn't already own the reporter's paper? Or that the conglomerate that already owns the paper won't be happy enough with the "improved" version?
Even if the legislators can be convinced to act on this, "later that same day" just doesn't happen. Later that same month is likely wishful thinking too. In the meantime, the television news (which is the only news the majority of us bother with) hasn't mentioned that it's been editing the occasional live feed...
I used to have faith in human intelligence when I was a kid. I lost all optimism years ago. Seriously, if people were inclined to think about the TV news, phrases like "all the days news, in the first 13 minutes" would not improve ratings. Hell, if people wanted to think, then newspapers wouldn't be 1 or 2 section of news, and 5 to 8 sections of filler.
My point is that this is not mere censorship. This is the potential to _alter_ unfavourable speech, rather than merely silence it or ignore it.
There are many times when I know that the little "live" written in the corner is accurate; usually because another channel is also live at the scene. I suppose they could be collaborating, but I doubt it.
And I've seen JFK too. Imagine if the live broadcast could have been altered as it was being sent out? The networks probably wouldn't have done it then, but I'm not so sure about now.
This is far beyond the ten-second delay on live shows allowing for bleeping foul language.
If the broadcaster, or someone (like a cable company, or random evil government spook, or malicious cracker with access to the previous systems) who's systems the signal travels through, can change any part of a live broadcast they want. Don't like the President's speech decrying the conglomeration of all the television and cable corporations? Fire up the voice synth software, and rewrite the speech, as he gives it. The people that are actually there will get the real deal, but every one else will hear what you wanted them to hear...
Still, Deep Impact was a lot easier to take than Armageddon. "It's the size of Texas Mr. President." I'll believe secret bunkers before I believe secret super-fast space plane type shuttle replacements.
Yeah, I suppose it would have been. There are some categories that don't have a slashbox though, so if their stories don't make the front page, they don't get seen other than in older stuff.
Slashdot Mirror
Bah. I like to type well enough, but I couldn't go back to a non-split keyboard. Keyboards aren't going to disapear in one step, but they will evolve, and may evolve out of existence as we know them. What I want my keyboard to be is a holographic projection of keys layed out in a standard (but user-configurable) pattern. One projection for each hand, that moves around with my hands (I don't figure on having rock-solid nerves forever, you know). There should be more than two sections, (at least three, probably at least 5) that can be switched between by a hand movement of some sort, perhaps a quick 90 degree rotation of the wrist. Various software programs should beable to make custom 'keyboard' sections for controlling the app/game specific activities. Actual input would be accomplished either with a high-rate camera w/ motion analysis software, or with sensor laden gloves (less than ideal, for sizing problems alone)
Not to mention that doesn't seem to be any way to browbeat the bloated beast into starting Eudora when clicking on mail links...
If I'm wrong, someone _please_ tell me how to fix this...
I never said FEMA was evil, just that they have the power to ignore / revoke people's rights. Technically, if they felt the situation was bad enough, they could effectively take over the country until further notice...
Wouldn't it be fun to have a chance to talk to Amanpour about everything she saw in Iraq that the military wouldn't let her talk about / show?
I do dislike the world-specific content, but on the other hand, it allows the more casual groups to have the neccessary content without supplemental material. Wizards made a point of saying that Greyhawk is going to be the default game world again, so it wasn't a total surprise. (and justifies all the Bigby and Tenser spells being standard as well).
I don't really care if Hasbro puts out a bunch of merchandise (with the movie, it's probably inevitable anyhow), I'm more worried about them playing editor like they've been doing a bit of with Microprose...
I remember seeing ads for something like that last Christmas season. Don't remember what it was called, but I expect its still available.
Hey! TSR has prior art on that acronym! Bitch to Scott Addams for tarnishing a fondly-remembered acronym of our youth!
Besides, the DMG will have more of the rules anyhow.
I assume we're refering to the page 13 drawings here... I'd have to say she's better looking than the gnome. The half-orc, with her "sexy" pose, is just disturbing though.
This thread has me wondering, what kind of numbers has the new PHB sold already?
Just be happy that they've made it clear that female Dwarves don't have beards...
- Greyhawk lives!
- Stupid kid-friendly language controls dropped. Devils, Demons, and Hell aren't forbidden words anymore.
- Cut down on the over-production of stuff.
Essentially, they fixed TSR's screwy policy of aiming products exclusively at 13 year old newbies, while producing enough product that only adults with good jobs could keep up anyhow.I've been watching for a sale on a ~40 Gig drive... My two year old 10 is feeling pretty small these days. 80 sounds nice and spacious, but I don't suppose it will seem very impressive in another two years.
So's the Green Party according to the small Newsweek poll yesterday. (the one that show's Gore in the lead!)
fluxrad, as much as I detest the ignorance (apathy) of the world around them, American's aren't unique in being fucking idiots when it comes to group behaviour. Hell, its looking like we Canadians might just elect rabid capitalists next federal election, which should be a within a year of Dubya "I can't name 3 countries without getting one's name wrong" gaining power of the dominant power on the planet. I wish all the people like that prick in the new Molson ad were Americans, but there's just as many anywhere else...
while i really don't care much about your arguement with fluxrad, I gotta say that I find your (implied) belief that the American government wouldn't take away personal liberties if they feel the need. Ever heard of FEMA?
Pax, Romana or Americana, doesn't do anything great for the world. All it means is the dominant world power considering its own people more important than anyone else's, even when its citizens are on someone else's territory...
Like fluxrad said, most people are fairly intelligent, on an individual basis. Many even fail to act as part of the mob when given the opportunity. Most people don't bother thinking for themselves in their day-to-day lives, and just go with the flow because its easier. "People are stupid, panicky animals" -- sheep in particular for the most part. And no, I don't exclude myself. I play nice with society's rules, even though I feel that our society is seriously flawed. So do most people who say how stupid people are...
I don't mind the ads in most papers, since we've got the Sun here to show us how low a paper can get and still pretend its not a tabloid. What bugs me is environmental or international stories getting two inches in the sidebar while Fashion and Travel are 30 page sections once a week.
The Associated Press does seem to be behind most of those non-stories, don't they? I hadn't really thought about it. Knight Ridder shows up a lot too, although I'm not really sure who they are...
Yeah, there's work being done on replacements, but its all conceptual & design work now (and even more so 2 years ago). There aren't any fully-functional prototypes sitting in hangers at Canaveral. And there's no way that space-plane type ships or going to slingshot around the moon.
few conspiracies that actually work because eventually rats them out
Just because its a secret doesn't mean that anyone's going to tell. Who was Deep Throat? What was the CIA up to twenty years ago? (lots of big secret there, surely someone should've "ratted them out" by now...
Exactly. And that's pretty basic usage. Once 100 million American's hear something like that, are they going to be inclined to believe that it was a fake? It's the same as newspaper retractions, (three days later, on page 37) not everyone's going to notice the retraction, and the impression from the original story already exists...
People are always using "I invented the internet" to make jokes, even though most of them don't know the context, or who (mis)quoted Gore in the first place. Imagine trying to make something like "I fuck sheep" go away after some malicious employee gets ahold of the editor...
What makes you think that Turner (or whatever media conglomerate buys up CNN in the next few years) won't / doesn't already own the reporter's paper? Or that the conglomerate that already owns the paper won't be happy enough with the "improved" version?
Even if the legislators can be convinced to act on this, "later that same day" just doesn't happen. Later that same month is likely wishful thinking too. In the meantime, the television news (which is the only news the majority of us bother with) hasn't mentioned that it's been editing the occasional live feed...
I used to have faith in human intelligence when I was a kid. I lost all optimism years ago. Seriously, if people were inclined to think about the TV news, phrases like "all the days news, in the first 13 minutes" would not improve ratings. Hell, if people wanted to think, then newspapers wouldn't be 1 or 2 section of news, and 5 to 8 sections of filler.
My point is that this is not mere censorship. This is the potential to _alter_ unfavourable speech, rather than merely silence it or ignore it.
There are many times when I know that the little "live" written in the corner is accurate; usually because another channel is also live at the scene. I suppose they could be collaborating, but I doubt it.
And I've seen JFK too. Imagine if the live broadcast could have been altered as it was being sent out? The networks probably wouldn't have done it then, but I'm not so sure about now.
This is far beyond the ten-second delay on live shows allowing for bleeping foul language.
If the broadcaster, or someone (like a cable company, or random evil government spook, or malicious cracker with access to the previous systems) who's systems the signal travels through, can change any part of a live broadcast they want. Don't like the President's speech decrying the conglomeration of all the television and cable corporations? Fire up the voice synth software, and rewrite the speech, as he gives it. The people that are actually there will get the real deal, but every one else will hear what you wanted them to hear...
Still, Deep Impact was a lot easier to take than Armageddon. "It's the size of Texas Mr. President." I'll believe secret bunkers before I believe secret super-fast space plane type shuttle replacements.
Didn't the US _test_ weapons of mass destruction on their own soil? That counts as use doesn't it?
I'm happy to say that I don't have any enemies. And I have no intentions of making any who have guns and the inclination to use them...
Yeah, I suppose it would have been. There are some categories that don't have a slashbox though, so if their stories don't make the front page, they don't get seen other than in older stuff.