Y'know, my friend of mine is a D.C. political journalist, and she's said the exact opposite of what you say.
This exact same subject came up in a forum we both frequent, and she was pretty adamant that most of the journalists covering political fronts, and nearly all of those who "ape AP wires" are simply earning a salary, and not trying to really do their job.
I'm not flaming you, because I agree that that is the way journalism *should* be. But I think you are naive if you believe that all of the people in your profession hold to the same values you do, or could be categorized as 'professionals' - which could be regarded as the same thing.
The fact is, there are many, many stories that get published, whether it was back in the days of print, or now on the internet, in which the "facts are wrong" - and yet there was still a *story*. Hell, don't you even read your local papers? I find it hard to believe that yours are any less fucked up.
Surely you took courses on the history of journalism? If they didn't point this out to you; nay, if they didn't emphasize it as What Not To Do, then your teachers were very poor ones, indeed. Why do you think that sort of thing is emphasized in journalism classes? Why do you think there are ethical standards in journalism? Because all, or even most, journalists follow all the rules? That they teach and push it in classes because it never happens?
If you don't see the horrid abuse of professionalism going on in the journalistic world, then you are just plain blind. No offense.
Sorry for the rant, but sheese, already. "Not the rule but the exception"? Come on, now. Ignorant, biased, or just plain lazy reporting is as old as the profession itself, and in this day and age of of increasing ease of publication, is increasing at a horrible rate. Most everyone who's followed it for the last couple decades could probably tell you the same thing.
BTW, when anyone puts out a blanket statement saying that "You are unqualified to assess our ability to do our job" - that's when my bullshit detector goes crazy. Surely, as a journalist, you understand that.
Understanding language. Absolutely, they do, once they learn what it means.
If I'm sitting at the computer with Pook in my lap; if the phone rings, she knows I have to get up to answer it if it's on the cradle, and if it's not, she doesn't stir.
But if I have to get up to get a beer, or some other thing, I just say "Sorry, Pookers, I have to get up" - and she'll stretch and jump off my lap, then wait patiently by the chair until I return.
Doesn't matter what intonation of voice I use, or whether I mix my words around - she knows and understands.
Man, there's no way that one can convey that to those who think it requires "study" except just plain demonstrating it to them. Over and Over. And Over. Etc. Ad infinitum redundum nauseum. Argh.
Heee! GF's cat^H^H^H Master, Kirby is the same way - he knows exactly what's going on no matter how subtle you are playing with him. He's always known, too - I've known her (GF) for a couple decades and have known Kirby since he was just a few months old. Like I mentioned in the other post, he's a real ham who knows how to make people laugh. She'll be coming back from her job in MN this summer, and once again we'll have a herd of cats. Of course we're the ones being herded;-)! [ We've often fantasized about a place big enough and remote enough to have as many cats as we can support; and dogs, and other critters, and, well, I don't have to explain that to you, do I:)
Heh heh! at Dust sitting on your shoes. Bandit attacks my bootlaces when I'm tying them - he doesn't do it when I'm just going outside or down to the local store for a few minutes, but he does when I'm going to work or leaving for a few hours. He just *knows*. He'll literally swarm my feet and wrap himself around my ankles. Stinker.;-) People who don't regard them as conscious, sensitive just aren't paying attention.
While Pook and I have some games we share, Bandit and I don't, not yet (hmmm...mayhaps the bootlace game). That may be because he's only been here a few months and I have been absolutely swamped at work - not an excuse, tho, not to play with him. He does seem to be settling in very well, tho - he was a badly neglected cat in his previous home (not intentionally, I don't think - got him from a neighbor who just didn't have time to take care of him, being a trucker - poor Bandit was alone for days at a time, and while he was fed well, he was attention starved - I'd often hear him crying next door. I finally asked them if I could take him and they agreed.) He's filled out considerably since then and is on his way to becoming a Cat among cats. Love *does* make a difference; when they came to see him recently, they were amazed at the changes.
Perhaps I've seen more of the comics in the cats because I've spent much more time with my cats? Just a thought; See below...
Pook (the female) likes to play hockey on linoleum floors - bats an object all the way down one way, then all the way another, then back again. I think she also plays defense and goalie at the same time. She hasn't gotten Bandit involved in her antics yet, I think because he tends to get bored and jumps *her*;-)
Both of them *definitely* know when my days off are; and Pook, at least, knows better than to wake me up early; Bandit seems to think that it's a day for celebration - hey, he'll be home most of the day! Yeehaa!
(only perps sneak around in the dark, eh?:) - Now, cats know this by instinct *grin* so perhaps that's why dogs also understand it - after all, those dastardly felines sneak around in the dark...
My huskie-collie cross I had when I was a kid (Flicka - swedish for 'little girl' - she was the litter runt) didn't have human humor down much - although she was *extremely* protective of me (bit my dad once when he was giving me a well-deserved licking); but as I've mentioned, nearly ever tomcat I've ever known does. Bandit playing to the camera - he didn't start his antics on his back until I opened the camera case.
Agreed about poodles - my grandparents had two until they ended up in the NHome. Both were great at making people laugh. Now I well understand the reasons for not allowing pets in most nursing homes; but I also think it's one of the most dehumanizing things one can do to our elderly...but that's a rant I'll save for elsewhere/when.
Hopefully next year I'll be buying a house on the outskirts in my new town, then I (well, we) will probably visit the local shelter and get a dog or two again. Hard for us, tho, we both have very demanding jobs and simply
Male vs. Female orientations; pretty much what I've observed. With Pook (my female cat) she's just people-affectionate nearly all the time, but when she doesn't want any, she'll walk away (*Hmph! Males!*:)
My male tom (Bandit) borders on pest behavior with his affection; he can be quite annoying sometimes, but if one scolds him, he gives you that *look* and somehow you just can't be angry at him....
Many years ago I was graced for some months with the friendship of an absolutely enormous (30lb++?, couldn't be sure as he wouldn't sit on a scale or suffer being held while on one, but he weighed way more than the 28lb cat food sacks!:) tomcat who just kind of walked into my life (then walked out again when it suited him).
He was very much the Guard Cat; if people came to the door and he didn't recognize their sounds or scent he'd growl like a huge dog would, in an earsplitting manner. From his coloring and fur I think he was part bobcat, possibly; wish I still had some pictures, I never have really figured it out. He certainly wasn't all domestic cat. He was very friendly and protective of those he liked, and scared hell out of those he didn't. He'd "heel" - walk with me when I went for evening walks - and no dog dared come near him. Keeping him inside was impossible and I only tried a couple times, he would destroy aluminum screens.
He was quite a friend for a long time; then that summer ('93) I picked up and moved across the state job-hunting; stayed at a campground over the summer until I found a place. He stayed with me until I moved into the apartment, then awakened me early one morning, very talkative and snuggly. When I came home from work that day he'd gone thru the storm screen. I never saw him again. I suspect he simply couldn't handle living in a dinky apartment in the city - his last home had been on the outskirts of a small town, and the campground had been absolute heaven for him (he liked stalking and killing full-grown racoons and often came home that summer torn up; was patient with me and stitching but wouldn't let a vet near him; neither would any vet come near him!).
I miss him a great deal, even after nearly ten years, but have always felt privileged in that he chose to spend time with me. The neighbors at the campground always joked that nobody would dare rob me while I was gone!:-)
*pause to pour a drink in remembrance of Tir*
My only real regret is I only ever took a couple pictures of him, and they are long gone now. Seems like it's all too seldom one gets graced with the honest friendship of someone like him. He was one tough hombre, and I'd bet that he's still around somewhere in N. Minnesota. I hope so. Bandit shows every sign of being a close friend (he's still less than a year old, but growing up fast - one of the most remarkable experiences in life is seeing in a cat's (or dog's) eyes as they become more and more aware of the world around them over time - as they become conscious - very few people ever understand what I mean by that, but I suspect you do)
Always feel free to babble - when it comes to my furry family, I'm frequently guilty of same.
Possibly they just don't have the peripheral vision that dogs or humans do, especially in brighter light (due to the shape of their irisis - slitted - perhaps?) I would think that'd be easy to test, maybe time to do some experiments. (Seems to me I read somewhere long ago that cats have a much narrower field of vision than we do, but a lot more sensitivity to movement within it)
Was your old cat a comedian also? I've found that that particular trait rarely appears among female felines but often among the tomcats. My younger male is showing all the signs of becoming a great comic, while every female cat I've ever had has just been a big piece of furry affection.
I haven't owned a dog in many years due to apartment living and moving, but cats I've had quite a few, and they're family:-)
I've had similar experiences with my cats and mirrors. My younger male one day was looking in the full-length mirror at me, then looking directly at me, then back at the mirror image of me again, swaying his head back and forth to see different angles. It was obvious he understood what the mirror did.
My other cat, a older female, doesn't find mirrors fascinating, but she does understand a few tens of words and has my varying work schedule memorized - she knows whether I open or close at work on any partiucular day and is always waiting for me (I've caught her on the webcam settling down by the door a few minutes before I leave work, so I know she's not just dashing in).
Can't say either of them care for tv much; but the male absolutely loves watching me play computer games.:)
My girlfriend has a 16 year old male tomcat who is probably the most intelligent 'animal' I've ever seen. He's also a wicked comedian and goes out of his way to make us laugh:)
It's not any different in the trades, either (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, etc). You always take your best estimate and pad it some, because you know that you'll run into headaches that can't be solved without extra time and expense.
That's why, oftentimes, one should be suspicious of the *lowest* time bidder on a remodeling job (particularly if the bid and estimated job time are considerably lower than the other bids). It's usually somewhat better to take the middle of the road bid, so to speak. Contractors who bid lowest money/time might sometimes be on target - particularly if they have a very skilled crew - but more often in my experience aren't hedging their bid at all, which isn't very wise.
Please note that this holds true whether it's a newer building or an older one (although older ones, especially those that have had a lot of work by various people done to them, can be real nightmares for the remodeler, newer ones often display a lot of slapdash work done by crews trying to get in under their time deadline...)
A friend of mine is fond of saying: "If you see a plumber scratching his head instead of his ass, it's because he's trying to figure out what kind of drugs the previous idiot was doing." He knows, he's been a master plumber for twenty odd years:)
I've always *loved* that exchange between Kirk and Scotty...
I think that most everything Ken said is nonsense. I suspect that he knows it, too.
and I don't think it's the place of the Linux community to defend the individual.
I do. I think that's what being part of the 'community' is about; that we support each other, and defend one another. I think Linus is perfectly capable of defending himself, but that doesn't lessen the anger I feel at assshats like Brown, because what he is attacking isn't just Linus, it's the whole community that has created one of the best software models out there.
I'm not a programmer anymore; but I use and contribute my small part to the linux community; and like what's happening in this country vis-a-vis terrorism, if you attack some of us, you attack us all, and we damned will retaliate. To do any less is to stick our heads in the sand and pretend the problem doesn't exist. I don't think I need to explain that attitude to you, you understand it already.
The major difference between the 'us' and the 'them' in this particular battle, is that we aren't using the same speculative innuendo and borderline libel attacks that they are. But have the right to, and the obligation to, respond to it.
Some slashdotters go over the line, and a pox on them. I'm not above dispensing hyerbole myself - no human being is - but what Ken Brown is doing has completely, utterly, and intentionally crossed the line between debate and slander with intent. He's doing it because it fills his wallet. We defend what we have because we believe that it makes thing better - and we can prove our point from a logical standpoint. He can't.
Fuck. Him.
The 'hybrid source' comment by Ken was FUD nonsense. He, like too many others, has no conception of what the term 'community' means. He needs to go back to grade school, and relearn the concept of the golden rule. Civilization was not built on the principle of ekking the most dollars out of your neighbors, it was, is, and will continue to prosper, from sharing responsibilites, rights, and the results, among everyone.
(To those out there who I know will call me a communist liberal - you don't have a fucking clue about what being a diehard conservative is about. Get one. Hint: It's an older concept than you can imagine.)
Well, yes. But it *is* into 'print'. Or is internet news not considered 'print' yet? (and undoubtedly it's been 'printed' somewhere, but I can't afford to subscribe to all the industry mags anymore) - I guess I can't understand what you are defining as 'print'?
Those involved can pursue it at that point if they wish, but until then, they might prefer to speak for themselves, rather than be defended by spokespeople they have no control of.
Like Groklaw? Like Linus, AST, etc speaking for themselves? Isn't that essentially part of the 'formal group response' in that they are, in effect, our spokespeople? In that sense Groklaw has already joined in the debate against Brown.
Remember, too, that if you don't fight them AT ALL; they win. Going down fighting, for the community, is much preferable to not fighting.
This is such an obvious hatchet job, I have to wonder if it isn't a draw for something, more... sinister...
If it is, Brown is fucking up by the numbers. Speculation and innuendo don't go over well with judges, especially when the star material witness (Alexey Toptygin) has already effectively testified against Brown - in public.
Linus, AST, etc, have shown remarkable restraint in what amounts to a public attack on their reputations. If they decided to sue for libel, I doubt that Brown would have any defense at all. If this is all part of a more sinister plan against Linus/AST/OSS/etc, all the defense would have to do in that case is trot out Brown's public Foot-In-Ass Syndrome (and his funding daddy:)
Nah, Brown is just trying to justify his salary - but he's too ignorant of the reality of what he's talking about to really understand it. As far as I'm concerned, he can just go on making a fool of himself. After all, it's good publicity for (F)OSS too. If this becomes media mainstream, it's likely that there will be enough journalists who really dig into it that his foolishness makes mainstream IT publications, like SCO's has.
There's not that much deep sea exploration being done that results in observations that the general public can have a look at.
Jacques Cousteau. (RIP, yeah, I know; but he did *wonderful* sea science PR). There are some others. If generating public programs concerns you, start doing what he did.
I doubt whether military observations made by subs will be made public.
Much of the data is (well, not necessarily public as being published in raw form on the Discovery channel; but scientists get to see it, and the results from their studies end up public.)
Actually we have a fairly good idea what resources are hidden in the depths of the oceans. The problem is exploiting them is just as technically difficult and expensive as space exploration is; with some exceptions (oil drilling, commercial fishing...:)
But the real point as was made above is that both programs are necessary and useful. Arguing against one just because you're involved in the other is kind of like arguing *BSD vs. Linux:) - at some point it becomes counterproductive.
Could you expand on this 'tar' business a bit? I need a new market to conquer, and road repair just doesn't sound like it's in our line - but we're willing to consider new markets.
One thing that a lot of these Luddite types don't seem to realize, is that having a longer lifespan encourages people to diversify their knowledge, to try new things, and contribute to society as a whole (not genetically, although that's possible, but in terms of shared knowledge).
I'm still waiting for a cogent argument that explains how the survival of the species is helped by people who live to be a thousand years old.
Accumulated wisdom that isn't diminished/obfuscated from having suffered thru repeated generational translation. From a social/cultural standpoint, that is arguably the factor that causes the most damage to the passing on of knowledge. Of course, to accept that you have to accept that evolution is no longer the primary driving force of the survival of the human species - debatable - and to be honest about it, both arguments have merit, it just depends on what timescales one chooses:)
At least I think so (and so does Niven and many other authors who have explored this).
We won't know for sure until it happens, however...
If people had the opportunity to live much, much longer, perhaps they'd start taking a much longer view - and such things as colonizing the galaxy might not seem so outlandish.
For myself, I know that I'd love to have a few extra centuries to look forward to, if for no other reason than getting off this damned planet:)
Out of sheer curiosity (this is very much not my field) would it be possible to repair/replace the telomeres with nanomachines or thru a basic biochemical process?
Bladerunner rocks. It's been a long time since I've seen a reference to it used this well on the internet. Thanks for the laugh!
(Whatever his other failings (LadyHawke) Rutger was the *perfect* actor to play Roy in BR. Looking at his LadyHawke performance, you can well belive he's an android:)
Damn, what a great movie BR is (and I like the original a lot better than the directors' "cut")
Dangitall, now I'm going to have to pull it off the shelf and watch it again...
twisted_pair told me that same thing, when I first adopted it, after asking him, because it was seeing it in his post that first sparked me to adopt it as a sig. I attribute it to him because it's where I saw it on slashtdot, and it's his post that inspired that to be my sig. Problem with that?
If one really wanted to be pedantic, 99+% of what is said nowadays is technically a quote. If you doubt that, go ask the Boy Scouts.
(IOTW, shut the fuck up)
Damned kids. Sometimes quoting is meant as a gesture of respect, eh? It'd hardly be practical to name all the grandfathers of the quotes down the line, now, would it? If that were required then undoubtedly slashdot would have a lot longer sig allotment...
Slashdot Mirror
Y'know, my friend of mine is a D.C. political journalist, and she's said the exact opposite of what you say.
This exact same subject came up in a forum we both frequent, and she was pretty adamant that most of the journalists covering political fronts, and nearly all of those who "ape AP wires" are simply earning a salary, and not trying to really do their job.
I'm not flaming you, because I agree that that is the way journalism *should* be. But I think you are naive if you believe that all of the people in your profession hold to the same values you do, or could be categorized as 'professionals' - which could be regarded as the same thing.
The fact is, there are many, many stories that get published, whether it was back in the days of print, or now on the internet, in which the "facts are wrong" - and yet there was still a *story*. Hell, don't you even read your local papers? I find it hard to believe that yours are any less fucked up.
Surely you took courses on the history of journalism? If they didn't point this out to you; nay, if they didn't emphasize it as What Not To Do, then your teachers were very poor ones, indeed. Why do you think that sort of thing is emphasized in journalism classes? Why do you think there are ethical standards in journalism? Because all, or even most, journalists follow all the rules? That they teach and push it in classes because it never happens?
If you don't see the horrid abuse of professionalism going on in the journalistic world, then you are just plain blind. No offense.
Sorry for the rant, but sheese, already. "Not the rule but the exception"? Come on, now. Ignorant, biased, or just plain lazy reporting is as old as the profession itself, and in this day and age of of increasing ease of publication, is increasing at a horrible rate. Most everyone who's followed it for the last couple decades could probably tell you the same thing.
BTW, when anyone puts out a blanket statement saying that "You are unqualified to assess our ability to do our job" - that's when my bullshit detector goes crazy. Surely, as a journalist, you understand that.
Gah.
SB
Oh, forgot to add;
Understanding language. Absolutely, they do, once they learn what it means.
If I'm sitting at the computer with Pook in my lap; if the phone rings, she knows I have to get up to answer it if it's on the cradle, and if it's not, she doesn't stir.
But if I have to get up to get a beer, or some other thing, I just say "Sorry, Pookers, I have to get up" - and she'll stretch and jump off my lap, then wait patiently by the chair until I return.
Doesn't matter what intonation of voice I use, or whether I mix my words around - she knows and understands.
Man, there's no way that one can convey that to those who think it requires "study" except just plain demonstrating it to them. Over and Over. And Over. Etc. Ad infinitum redundum nauseum. Argh.
SB
Heee! GF's cat^H^H^H Master, Kirby is the same way - he knows exactly what's going on no matter how subtle you are playing with him. He's always known, too - I've known her (GF) for a couple decades and have known Kirby since he was just a few months old. Like I mentioned in the other post, he's a real ham who knows how to make people laugh. She'll be coming back from her job in MN this summer, and once again we'll have a herd of cats. Of course we're the ones being herded ;-)! [ We've often fantasized about a place big enough and remote enough to have as many cats as we can support; and dogs, and other critters, and, well, I don't have to explain that to you, do I :)
;-) People who don't regard them as conscious, sensitive just aren't paying attention.
;-)
:) - Now, cats know this by instinct *grin* so perhaps that's why dogs also understand it - after all, those dastardly felines sneak around in the dark...
Heh heh! at Dust sitting on your shoes. Bandit attacks my bootlaces when I'm tying them - he doesn't do it when I'm just going outside or down to the local store for a few minutes, but he does when I'm going to work or leaving for a few hours. He just *knows*. He'll literally swarm my feet and wrap himself around my ankles. Stinker.
While Pook and I have some games we share, Bandit and I don't, not yet (hmmm...mayhaps the bootlace game). That may be because he's only been here a few months and I have been absolutely swamped at work - not an excuse, tho, not to play with him. He does seem to be settling in very well, tho - he was a badly neglected cat in his previous home (not intentionally, I don't think - got him from a neighbor who just didn't have time to take care of him, being a trucker - poor Bandit was alone for days at a time, and while he was fed well, he was attention starved - I'd often hear him crying next door. I finally asked them if I could take him and they agreed.) He's filled out considerably since then and is on his way to becoming a Cat among cats. Love *does* make a difference; when they came to see him recently, they were amazed at the changes.
Perhaps I've seen more of the comics in the cats because I've spent much more time with my cats? Just a thought; See below...
Pook (the female) likes to play hockey on linoleum floors - bats an object all the way down one way, then all the way another, then back again. I think she also plays defense and goalie at the same time. She hasn't gotten Bandit involved in her antics yet, I think because he tends to get bored and jumps *her*
Both of them *definitely* know when my days off are; and Pook, at least, knows better than to wake me up early; Bandit seems to think that it's a day for celebration - hey, he'll be home most of the day! Yeehaa!
(only perps sneak around in the dark, eh?
My huskie-collie cross I had when I was a kid (Flicka - swedish for 'little girl' - she was the litter runt) didn't have human humor down much - although she was *extremely* protective of me (bit my dad once when he was giving me a well-deserved licking); but as I've mentioned, nearly ever tomcat I've ever known does. Bandit playing to the camera - he didn't start his antics on his back until I opened the camera case.
Agreed about poodles - my grandparents had two until they ended up in the NHome. Both were great at making people laugh. Now I well understand the reasons for not allowing pets in most nursing homes; but I also think it's one of the most dehumanizing things one can do to our elderly...but that's a rant I'll save for elsewhere/when.
Hopefully next year I'll be buying a house on the outskirts in my new town, then I (well, we) will probably visit the local shelter and get a dog or two again. Hard for us, tho, we both have very demanding jobs and simply
Male vs. Female orientations; pretty much what I've observed. With Pook (my female cat) she's just people-affectionate nearly all the time, but when she doesn't want any, she'll walk away (*Hmph! Males!* :)
:) tomcat who just kind of walked into my life (then walked out again when it suited him).
:-)
My male tom (Bandit) borders on pest behavior with his affection; he can be quite annoying sometimes, but if one scolds him, he gives you that *look* and somehow you just can't be angry at him....
Many years ago I was graced for some months with the friendship of an absolutely enormous (30lb++?, couldn't be sure as he wouldn't sit on a scale or suffer being held while on one, but he weighed way more than the 28lb cat food sacks!
He was very much the Guard Cat; if people came to the door and he didn't recognize their sounds or scent he'd growl like a huge dog would, in an earsplitting manner. From his coloring and fur I think he was part bobcat, possibly; wish I still had some pictures, I never have really figured it out. He certainly wasn't all domestic cat. He was very friendly and protective of those he liked, and scared hell out of those he didn't. He'd "heel" - walk with me when I went for evening walks - and no dog dared come near him. Keeping him inside was impossible and I only tried a couple times, he would destroy aluminum screens.
He was quite a friend for a long time; then that summer ('93) I picked up and moved across the state job-hunting; stayed at a campground over the summer until I found a place. He stayed with me until I moved into the apartment, then awakened me early one morning, very talkative and snuggly. When I came home from work that day he'd gone thru the storm screen. I never saw him again. I suspect he simply couldn't handle living in a dinky apartment in the city - his last home had been on the outskirts of a small town, and the campground had been absolute heaven for him (he liked stalking and killing full-grown racoons and often came home that summer torn up; was patient with me and stitching but wouldn't let a vet near him; neither would any vet come near him!).
I miss him a great deal, even after nearly ten years, but have always felt privileged in that he chose to spend time with me. The neighbors at the campground always joked that nobody would dare rob me while I was gone!
*pause to pour a drink in remembrance of Tir*
My only real regret is I only ever took a couple pictures of him, and they are long gone now. Seems like it's all too seldom one gets graced with the honest friendship of someone like him. He was one tough hombre, and I'd bet that he's still around somewhere in N. Minnesota. I hope so.
Bandit shows every sign of being a close friend (he's still less than a year old, but growing up fast - one of the most remarkable experiences in life is seeing in a cat's (or dog's) eyes as they become more and more aware of the world around them over time - as they become conscious - very few people ever understand what I mean by that, but I suspect you do)
Always feel free to babble - when it comes to my furry family, I'm frequently guilty of same.
Cheers! (and a few tears)
SB
Possibly they just don't have the peripheral vision that dogs or humans do, especially in brighter light (due to the shape of their irisis - slitted - perhaps?) I would think that'd be easy to test, maybe time to do some experiments. (Seems to me I read somewhere long ago that cats have a much narrower field of vision than we do, but a lot more sensitivity to movement within it)
Was your old cat a comedian also? I've found that that particular trait rarely appears among female felines but often among the tomcats. My younger male is showing all the signs of becoming a great comic, while every female cat I've ever had has just been a big piece of furry affection.
I haven't owned a dog in many years due to apartment living and moving, but cats I've had quite a few, and they're family
SB
I've had similar experiences with my cats and mirrors. My younger male one day was looking in the full-length mirror at me, then looking directly at me, then back at the mirror image of me again, swaying his head back and forth to see different angles. It was obvious he understood what the mirror did.
:)
:)
My other cat, a older female, doesn't find mirrors fascinating, but she does understand a few tens of words and has my varying work schedule memorized - she knows whether I open or close at work on any partiucular day and is always waiting for me (I've caught her on the webcam settling down by the door a few minutes before I leave work, so I know she's not just dashing in).
Can't say either of them care for tv much; but the male absolutely loves watching me play computer games.
My girlfriend has a 16 year old male tomcat who is probably the most intelligent 'animal' I've ever seen. He's also a wicked comedian and goes out of his way to make us laugh
Cheers,
SB
Hell, yes.
:)
It's not any different in the trades, either (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, etc). You always take your best estimate and pad it some, because you know that you'll run into headaches that can't be solved without extra time and expense.
That's why, oftentimes, one should be suspicious of the *lowest* time bidder on a remodeling job (particularly if the bid and estimated job time are considerably lower than the other bids). It's usually somewhat better to take the middle of the road bid, so to speak. Contractors who bid lowest money/time might sometimes be on target - particularly if they have a very skilled crew - but more often in my experience aren't hedging their bid at all, which isn't very wise.
Please note that this holds true whether it's a newer building or an older one (although older ones, especially those that have had a lot of work by various people done to them, can be real nightmares for the remodeler, newer ones often display a lot of slapdash work done by crews trying to get in under their time deadline...)
A friend of mine is fond of saying: "If you see a plumber scratching his head instead of his ass, it's because he's trying to figure out what kind of drugs the previous idiot was doing." He knows, he's been a master plumber for twenty odd years
I've always *loved* that exchange between Kirk and Scotty...
Cheers
SB
I think that most everything Ken said is nonsense. I suspect that he knows it, too.
and I don't think it's the place of the Linux community to defend the individual.
I do. I think that's what being part of the 'community' is about; that we support each other, and defend one another. I think Linus is perfectly capable of defending himself, but that doesn't lessen the anger I feel at assshats like Brown, because what he is attacking isn't just Linus, it's the whole community that has created one of the best software models out there.
I'm not a programmer anymore; but I use and contribute my small part to the linux community; and like what's happening in this country vis-a-vis terrorism, if you attack some of us, you attack us all, and we damned will retaliate. To do any less is to stick our heads in the sand and pretend the problem doesn't exist. I don't think I need to explain that attitude to you, you understand it already.
The major difference between the 'us' and the 'them' in this particular battle, is that we aren't using the same speculative innuendo and borderline libel attacks that they are. But have the right to, and the obligation to, respond to it.
Some slashdotters go over the line, and a pox on them. I'm not above dispensing hyerbole myself - no human being is - but what Ken Brown is doing has completely, utterly, and intentionally crossed the line between debate and slander with intent. He's doing it because it fills his wallet. We defend what we have because we believe that it makes thing better - and we can prove our point from a logical standpoint. He can't.
Fuck. Him.
The 'hybrid source' comment by Ken was FUD nonsense. He, like too many others, has no conception of what the term 'community' means. He needs to go back to grade school, and relearn the concept of the golden rule. Civilization was not built on the principle of ekking the most dollars out of your neighbors, it was, is, and will continue to prosper, from sharing responsibilites, rights, and the results, among everyone.
(To those out there who I know will call me a communist liberal - you don't have a fucking clue about what being a diehard conservative is about. Get one. Hint: It's an older concept than you can imagine.)
SB
Holy shit, that's the funniest slam I've read here in a while.
Have to get the 409 to clean the beer off the desk
Kudos!!!!
SB
Idiots often make Money; Money often makes Idiots.
The fucked up part of all that is the times when no one calls them on it.
What you said is right on, kfg.
SB
Well, yes. But it *is* into 'print'. Or is internet news not considered 'print' yet? (and undoubtedly it's been 'printed' somewhere, but I can't afford to subscribe to all the industry mags anymore) - I guess I can't understand what you are defining as 'print'?
Those involved can pursue it at that point if they wish, but until then, they might prefer to speak for themselves, rather than be defended by spokespeople they have no control of.
Like Groklaw? Like Linus, AST, etc speaking for themselves? Isn't that essentially part of the 'formal group response' in that they are, in effect, our spokespeople? In that sense Groklaw has already joined in the debate against Brown.
Remember, too, that if you don't fight them AT ALL; they win. Going down fighting, for the community, is much preferable to not fighting.
SB
s/light bulbs/automobile
s/candles/horses
--
s/light bulbs/theaters
s/candles/VHS
--
Indeed.
SB
Well, his lawyers might be :)
SB
This is such an obvious hatchet job, I have to wonder if it isn't a draw for something, more ... sinister ...
:)
If it is, Brown is fucking up by the numbers. Speculation and innuendo don't go over well with judges, especially when the star material witness (Alexey Toptygin) has already effectively testified against Brown - in public.
Linus, AST, etc, have shown remarkable restraint in what amounts to a public attack on their reputations. If they decided to sue for libel, I doubt that Brown would have any defense at all. If this is all part of a more sinister plan against Linus/AST/OSS/etc, all the defense would have to do in that case is trot out Brown's public Foot-In-Ass Syndrome (and his funding daddy
Nah, Brown is just trying to justify his salary - but he's too ignorant of the reality of what he's talking about to really understand it. As far as I'm concerned, he can just go on making a fool of himself. After all, it's good publicity for (F)OSS too. If this becomes media mainstream, it's likely that there will be enough journalists who really dig into it that his foolishness makes mainstream IT publications, like SCO's has.
Cheers,
SB
There's not that much deep sea exploration being done that results in observations that the general public can have a look at.
:)
:) - at some point it becomes counterproductive.
Jacques Cousteau. (RIP, yeah, I know; but he did *wonderful* sea science PR). There are some others. If generating public programs concerns you, start doing what he did.
I doubt whether military observations made by subs will be made public.
Much of the data is (well, not necessarily public as being published in raw form on the Discovery channel; but scientists get to see it, and the results from their studies end up public.)
Actually we have a fairly good idea what resources are hidden in the depths of the oceans. The problem is exploiting them is just as technically difficult and expensive as space exploration is; with some exceptions (oil drilling, commercial fishing...
But the real point as was made above is that both programs are necessary and useful. Arguing against one just because you're involved in the other is kind of like arguing *BSD vs. Linux
Cheers
SB
[Bill Gates]
Could you expand on this 'tar' business a bit? I need a new market to conquer, and road repair just doesn't sound like it's in our line - but we're willing to consider new markets.
[/BG]
SB
*Very* well put.
One thing that a lot of these Luddite types don't seem to realize, is that having a longer lifespan encourages people to diversify their knowledge, to try new things, and contribute to society as a whole (not genetically, although that's possible, but in terms of shared knowledge).
Cheers!
SB
I'm still waiting for a cogent argument that explains how the survival of the species is helped by people who live to be a thousand years old.
:)
Accumulated wisdom that isn't diminished/obfuscated from having suffered thru repeated generational translation. From a social/cultural standpoint, that is arguably the factor that causes the most damage to the passing on of knowledge. Of course, to accept that you have to accept that evolution is no longer the primary driving force of the survival of the human species - debatable - and to be honest about it, both arguments have merit, it just depends on what timescales one chooses
At least I think so (and so does Niven and many other authors who have explored this).
We won't know for sure until it happens, however...
SB
If people had the opportunity to live much, much longer, perhaps they'd start taking a much longer view - and such things as colonizing the galaxy might not seem so outlandish.
:)
For myself, I know that I'd love to have a few extra centuries to look forward to, if for no other reason than getting off this damned planet
SB
Out of sheer curiosity (this is very much not my field) would it be possible to repair/replace the telomeres with nanomachines or thru a basic biochemical process?
Thanks..
SB
Yes, I have always felt that it is the best technobabble ever written.
Heck, no, Star Trek is the hands down winner there.
SB
Bladerunner rocks. It's been a long time since I've seen a reference to it used this well on the internet. Thanks for the laugh!
:)
(Whatever his other failings (LadyHawke) Rutger was the *perfect* actor to play Roy in BR. Looking at his LadyHawke performance, you can well belive he's an android
Damn, what a great movie BR is (and I like the original a lot better than the directors' "cut")
Dangitall, now I'm going to have to pull it off the shelf and watch it again...
SB
and that says a hell of a lot of interesting things about what Allen thinks is the risk vs. reward ratio in this investment, doesn't it
SB
No friccin shit, really :)
twisted_pair told me that same thing, when I first adopted it, after asking him, because it was seeing it in his post that first sparked me to adopt it as a sig. I attribute it to him because it's where I saw it on slashtdot, and it's his post that inspired that to be my sig. Problem with that?
If one really wanted to be pedantic, 99+% of what is said nowadays is technically a quote. If you doubt that, go ask the Boy Scouts.
(IOTW, shut the fuck up)
Damned kids. Sometimes quoting is meant as a gesture of respect, eh? It'd hardly be practical to name all the grandfathers of the quotes down the line, now, would it? If that were required then undoubtedly slashdot would have a lot longer sig allotment...
(Yah, I just lit off. Deal with it)
SB
Guess Dick couldn't wiretap^H^H^H^H^H^H^H record his conversations quite as good when he was an embar^H^H^^H^H ambassador to slashdot; erm, China
Funny, the Soviet embassies were bugged to hell and gone
LOL
SB