And if you're smart, you'll even buy it back from him after he uploads it!
The used music store in my town is thriving. People buy used CDs, "listen to them" for a while, and then sell them back for a fraction of what they paid. The store makes money over and over again on the same merchandise, and even more money when people find music they like and keep the CD. And it's all perfectly legal! For the store owner, anyway. (And for now...)
Right... until the first time you encounter another idiot handling one of these things. In the hands of an unskilled operator, they don't just prick you, they SLICE YOU OPEN. I've seen it happen.
Yes, developing drugs is expensive. And yes, the private sector is footing most of the bill. But contrary to the prevailing attitude among executives, profits are not some kind of entitlement, especially in an unfair market that's created through legislation. Canadian drug prices (which are still profitable, mind you!) give lie to any argument that the drug companies are not gouging American consumers to stuff their deep pockets.
This is a really thorny issue. It's clear that something needs to be done, but it's not clear what. I think that all corporations should be public non-profits. That doesn't mean investors can't make money off them; it just means that, once investments are repaid with interest, social responsibility and long-term sustainability will take precedence over profit.
The chronically lazy poor are an almost non-existent social class. The vast majority of poor people work harder than you have ever worked in your life.
That's just the thing, though -- they have not optimized the price for profit in a fair, competitive market. They have bought legislation to ensure an unfair, non-competitive market. This happens in all industries, but the pharmaceutical industry is the best example for two reasons:
1. It's something that directly concerns nearly all consumers;
2. Canadian drug prices (still profitable, mind you!) blow all counter-arguments completely out of the water.
Not really. In eminent domain cases, the government conveniently determines the fair market value of the property, and it's seldom anywhere near its real value.
Besides, the drug companies' ridiculous profits represent the unfair market value, not the fair market value!
they don't remember where they remember it from, but because they've seen the popup so many times, they remember it, and are therefore more likely to buy Brand X
I think that for every person like that, there is at least one who will remember an annoying advertisement and will refuse to buy the product specifically because of it. I am one of those people.
I had the idea (long before The Matrix came out) that our whole reality might just be a game of Sim Universe running on God's laptop.
If the simulation periodically tests to see if random events should occur, then it could explain how groups of seemingly unrelated people have the same idea or do the same things at the same time. For example, two people get into their cars; one drives five miles, one drives twenty; both walk into the same store at the same time and ask for the same extremely obscure item.
OK, assuming that's the case, then what do you think is more likely -- that the simulation bothers to calculate out widely separated start points for these two events, such that their end points coincide? That would be a very complex calculation, considering all the interactions that might occur with other events. A much simpler explanation would be that our perception of time is running backwards, that the end points of the events are actually their beginnings... and that their geographic and chronological proximity is just a bug!
I am. Every say I hope that some epidemic will kill 95% of the population (including all Christians, Jews, and Muslims) and we can go back to the old ways.
I'd unleash such an epidemic, even if it meant I had a 95% chance of dying.
F/OSS may very well dominate the marketplace by the time this bill comes back around. If that's the case, then every business and government that relies on F/OSS will be lobbying against it. It'll never pass.
The server was down before I could read the whole article, but it sounds like the same technique many amateur pulsejet builders use to manufacture their reed valves.
http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/makevalves1.pdf
"...what does it say of Canadians when billions of dollars disappear into the pockets of the rich, and we *still* vote in the bastard who was supposed to be responsible?"
Slashdot Mirror
The used music store in my town is thriving. People buy used CDs, "listen to them" for a while, and then sell them back for a fraction of what they paid. The store makes money over and over again on the same merchandise, and even more money when people find music they like and keep the CD. And it's all perfectly legal! For the store owner, anyway. (And for now...)
The copyright on Scrabble expired in 1959. If Hasbro's lawyers have a problem with that... they can just come over to my apartment and give me head.
Right... until the first time you encounter another idiot handling one of these things. In the hands of an unskilled operator, they don't just prick you, they SLICE YOU OPEN. I've seen it happen.
Nearly all of the 23,487,892 injections I got while in the military (1996-2001) were done with a device fitting that description. How is this news?
Because here in the U.S., they basically can.
The moderation of the parent as -1, Flamebait is +1, Funny!
What is your point? The headline is unambiguously wrong.
This is a really thorny issue. It's clear that something needs to be done, but it's not clear what. I think that all corporations should be public non-profits. That doesn't mean investors can't make money off them; it just means that, once investments are repaid with interest, social responsibility and long-term sustainability will take precedence over profit.
The chronically lazy poor are an almost non-existent social class. The vast majority of poor people work harder than you have ever worked in your life.
1. It's something that directly concerns nearly all consumers;
2. Canadian drug prices (still profitable, mind you!) blow all counter-arguments completely out of the water.
That's pure and simple bullshit.
Besides, the drug companies' ridiculous profits represent the unfair market value, not the fair market value!
And they want me to subscribe to this shit? Hah!
I think that for every person like that, there is at least one who will remember an annoying advertisement and will refuse to buy the product specifically because of it. I am one of those people.
Can't they just make the JavaScript interpreter silently ignore all window.open calls, no matter where they come from?
What the fuck is wrong with this country?
If the simulation periodically tests to see if random events should occur, then it could explain how groups of seemingly unrelated people have the same idea or do the same things at the same time. For example, two people get into their cars; one drives five miles, one drives twenty; both walk into the same store at the same time and ask for the same extremely obscure item.
OK, assuming that's the case, then what do you think is more likely -- that the simulation bothers to calculate out widely separated start points for these two events, such that their end points coincide? That would be a very complex calculation, considering all the interactions that might occur with other events. A much simpler explanation would be that our perception of time is running backwards, that the end points of the events are actually their beginnings... and that their geographic and chronological proximity is just a bug!
I'd unleash such an epidemic, even if it meant I had a 95% chance of dying.
F/OSS may very well dominate the marketplace by the time this bill comes back around. If that's the case, then every business and government that relies on F/OSS will be lobbying against it. It'll never pass.
Ooh! Busted!
The server was down before I could read the whole article, but it sounds like the same technique many amateur pulsejet builders use to manufacture their reed valves. http://www.aardvark.co.nz/pjet/makevalves1.pdf
Are they going to return to casual complacency that quickly?
Hmmm, that sounds awfully familiar...
I'm sure I just imagined it. That's why I have Special Agent Irwin K. Summerville's business card in my souvenir box.
If this case goes wrong, I think it opens the door for perfectly moral vigilanteism.