Awhile back www.flickr.com changed their terms of service (ToS), and gave users a few weeks warning that they would have to create a Yahoo ID in order to log in any more. If you were paying for a 'Pro' account and you didn't want a Yahoo! ID, tough luck no refunds. After an online riot they did eventually agreed to refund money to those who wouldn't conform to the new ToS.
During the heated discussion, Flickr staff repeatedly averred that their ToS included a phrase something like "We can change our ToS at any time, in any manner, without telling users in advance." This incident lost Flickr the trust of their community, and left the perception that the company would sell their users out without any qualms.
Other Slashdotters will be able to fill out the gaps in that summary. Suffice to say that for myself I intend never to pay for access to an online service again.
name_already_taken wrote: > We've been cooling it for four years now with a Haier portable > A/C unit (yes, a cheap Chinese unit bought from Walmart.com) > which evaporates the condensate and exhausts it via a short > duct through the wall into the next room.
The aircon units around here are checked regularly. It was worrying when one unit tested positive, but better than running it without knowing. The unit was replaced, of course.
jollyreaper wrote: > "Whenever someone is exulting over inventing an instrument of punishment or death like this, > I always wonder if they ever entertain the thought that they might have it used on them."
That's precisely what happens in the Kafka story "In the Penal Settlement."
http://www.kafka.org/index.php?works "In the Penal Colony presents an officer who demonstrates his devotion to duty by submitting himself to the appalling (and clinically described) mutilations of his own instrument of torture. This theme, the ambiguity of a task's value and the horror of devotion to it [was] one of Kafka's constant preoccupations"
Here's a lighthearted example of questions squewing poll results. From 'Yes Minister'.
___________________________ Sir Humphrey: "You know what happens: nice young lady comes up to you. Obviously you want to create a good impression, you don't want to look a fool, do you? So she starts asking you some questions: Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the number of young people without jobs?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a lack of discipline in our Comprehensive schools?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think they respond to a challenge?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you be in favour of reintroducing National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Oh...well, I suppose I might be."
Sir Humphrey: "Yes or no?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Of course you would, Bernard. After all you told you can't say no to that. So they don't mention the first five questions and they publish the last one."
Bernard Woolley: "Is that really what they do?"
Sir Humphrey: "Well, not the reputable ones no, but there aren't many of those. So alternatively the young lady can get the opposite result."
Bernard Woolley: "How?"
Sir Humphrey: "Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the danger of war?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the growth of armaments?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think it is wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you oppose the reintroduction of National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "There you are, you see Bernard. The perfect balanced sample."
the Local Council will give you an annual grant if your shop's staff toilet is opened to the public. To qualify, it has to be free for use, even for non-customers. Pubs which join the scheme have a notice put up outside.
This is cheaper than opening separate public use toilets, and helps the shops and pubs keep their toilets funded.
3) Uniquely, when rowing you work both legs together, then both arms together. Other exercises work your limbs alternately. I theorise that you can expend more calories this way. Rowing with a sliding seat has been the best way to get maximum work out of a human body for the last couple of hundred years. It's stood the test of time.
4) Since it's an expensive machine just for exercise, that's an incentive to make use of it. It's sort of a gadget, like a PDA. Boys like toys and enjoy playing with them.
5) As you refine your technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnKyJdA01w you can achieve new personal records, then try to beat those records. That helps with motivation.
6) Unlike running or weight training, rowing provides a dynamic load to work against. The harder you pull, the greater the resistance.
7) Having a rowing machine at home means you don't waste time commuting to the gym. That makes it easier to exercise every day.
I've been rowing since February 2007, and at one point I lost 14 pounds in four months. This isn't much compared to some, but slow and steady is better for you than crash dieting.
Rowing is not for everyone and some people really do well with a gym membership, I'm sure. This is just IMHO - YMMV.
"The dirtiest of the major cities, ranked by micrograms of particles of pollution dust per cubic meter, was Beijing, at 142. By comparison, Paris averages around 22 micrograms, London 24 and New York 27. The WHO guideline is 20."
All these are grammatically incorrect: semi unique, partially unique, rather unique, almost unique, nearly completely unique, halfway unique, uniquish, uniquey,...
"Superlatives cannot be qualified. Something is 'unique' or it's not. It can't be the "most unique" or "quite unique." "
If you don't agree, and believe the word 'unique' means the same as the word 'rare', then pray tell what word do you use to mean a thing that is the only example of its type?
Roadrunner, roadrunner Going faster miles an hour Gonna drive past the Stop 'n' Shop With the radio on I'm in love with Massachusetts And the neon when it's cold outside And the highway when it's late at night Got the radio on I'm like the roadrunner
Alright I'm in love with modern moonlight 128 when it's dark outside I'm in love with Massachusetts I'm in love with the radio on It helps me from being alone late at night It helps me from being lonely late at night I don't feel so bad now in the car Don't feel so alone, got the radio on Like the roadrunner That's right
Said welcome to the spirit of 1956 Patient in the bushes next to '57 The highway is your girlfriend as you go by quick Suburban trees, suburban speed And it smells like heaven(thunder) And I say roadrunner once Roadrunner twice I'm in love with rock & roll and I'll be out all night Roadrunner That's right
Well now Roadrunner, roadrunner Going faster miles an hour Gonna drive to the Stop 'n' Shop With the radio on at night And me in love with modern moonlight Me in love with modern rock & roll Modern girls and modern rock & roll Don't feel so alone, got the radio on Like the roadrunner O.K., now you sing Modern Lovers
(Radio On!) I got the AM (Radio On!) Got the car, got the AM (Radio On!) Got the AM sound, got the (Radio On!) Got the rockin' modern neon sound (Radio On!) I got the car from Massachusetts, got the (Radio On!) I got the power of Massachusetts when it's late at night (Radio On!) I got the modern sounds of modern Massachusetts I've got the world, got the turnpike, got the I've got the, got the power of the AM Got the, late at night, rock & roll late at night The factories and the auto signs got the power of modern sounds Alright
"the only drug liberals I see are upper class people with no personal experience of drug abuse"
Such naïvety is easily corrected. Here's a whole website of people from all walks of life, who deal with drug abuse and would like to see the law changed.
No, this accurately represents the value people feel they get out of their vote.
i.e. none, so why bother to choose between two politicians that you distrust eqally?
Whoever gets in, Obama, Hillary or John, it really won't make much difference.
Slashdot Mirror
Awhile back www.flickr.com changed their terms of service (ToS), and gave users a few weeks warning that they would have to create a Yahoo ID in order to log in any more. If you were paying for a 'Pro' account and you didn't want a Yahoo! ID, tough luck no refunds. After an online riot they did eventually agreed to refund money to those who wouldn't conform to the new ToS.
During the heated discussion, Flickr staff repeatedly averred that their ToS included a phrase something like "We can change our ToS at any time, in any manner, without telling users in advance." This incident lost Flickr the trust of their community, and left the perception that the company would sell their users out without any qualms.
Other Slashdotters will be able to fill out the gaps in that summary. Suffice to say that for myself I intend never to pay for access to an online service again.
name_already_taken wrote:
> We've been cooling it for four years now with a Haier portable
> A/C unit (yes, a cheap Chinese unit bought from Walmart.com)
> which evaporates the condensate and exhausts it via a short
> duct through the wall into the next room.
If you haven't already. get it checked for legionella http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionella.
The aircon units around here are checked regularly. It was worrying when one unit tested positive, but better than running it without knowing. The unit was replaced, of course.
Gruesome!
I guess you've seen that film "Cube"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/ ?
jollyreaper wrote:
> "Whenever someone is exulting over inventing an instrument of punishment or death like this,
> I always wonder if they ever entertain the thought that they might have it used on them."
That's precisely what happens in the Kafka story "In the Penal Settlement."
http://www.kafka.org/index.php?works
"In the Penal Colony presents an officer who demonstrates his devotion to duty by submitting himself to the appalling (and clinically described) mutilations of his own instrument of torture. This theme, the ambiguity of a task's value and the horror of devotion to it [was] one of Kafka's constant preoccupations"
Here's a lighthearted example of questions squewing poll results. From 'Yes Minister'.
___________________________
Sir Humphrey: "You know what happens: nice young lady comes up to you. Obviously you want to create a good impression, you don't want to look a fool, do you? So she starts asking you some questions: Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the number of young people without jobs?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a lack of discipline in our Comprehensive schools?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think they respond to a challenge?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you be in favour of reintroducing National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Oh...well, I suppose I might be."
Sir Humphrey: "Yes or no?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Of course you would, Bernard. After all you told you can't say no to that. So they don't mention the first five questions and they publish the last one."
Bernard Woolley: "Is that really what they do?"
Sir Humphrey: "Well, not the reputable ones no, but there aren't many of those. So alternatively the young lady can get the opposite result."
Bernard Woolley: "How?"
Sir Humphrey: "Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the danger of war?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the growth of armaments?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Do you think it is wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "Would you oppose the reintroduction of National Service?"
Bernard Woolley: "Yes"
Sir Humphrey: "There you are, you see Bernard. The perfect balanced sample."
http://boortz.com/mp3/archive/countdown.swf
UK folk:
Stop telemarketer phone calls by registering with the telephone preference service:
http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/
Also, stop your junk mail by registering with the Mail Preference service:
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/
In Richmond, UK:
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/transport_and_streets/road_and_pathway_maintenance/public_conveniences/community_toilet_scheme.htm
the Local Council will give you an annual grant if your shop's staff toilet is opened to the public. To qualify, it has to be free for use, even for non-customers. Pubs which join the scheme have a notice put up outside.
This is cheaper than opening separate public use toilets, and helps the shops and pubs keep their toilets funded.
I've always thought of John Stewart as satire (heh heh heh) and Colbert as parody.
Some have theories as to why the Police are becoming more corrupt:
JACK NICHOLSON: My point of view, while extremely cogent, is unpopular.
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Which is?
JACK NICHOLSON: That the repressive nature of the legalities vis-a-vis drugs are destroying the legal system and corrupting the police system.
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Let's talk about acting for a minute."
http://www.mcwilliams.com/books/aint/303a.htm
Robert Heinlein wrote a book where a citizen was summarily executed for jumping a bus queue.
You should add that to your list :)
Whatever you do, don't join a gym! So many people pay a monthly fee but just don't go often enough.
I used to cycle, but that did very little for my upper body. Nowadays I row on an indoor rowing machine. Rowing has a lot going for it:
1) Low impact. Less wear on your knees than running or cycling. Swimming is another low impact exercise.
2) Works every major muscle group in the body - arms, legs, back, stomach, chest. http://www.rowsport.com/rowsport/index.php?page=get_page&id=XJSC4F8-UHUNAG0-93C15ZR-SL280W1 Swimming, Nordic skiing and Nautilus machines do this too.
3) Uniquely, when rowing you work both legs together, then both arms together. Other exercises work your limbs alternately. I theorise that you can expend more calories this way. Rowing with a sliding seat has been the best way to get maximum work out of a human body for the last couple of hundred years. It's stood the test of time.
4) Since it's an expensive machine just for exercise, that's an incentive to make use of it. It's sort of a gadget, like a PDA. Boys like toys and enjoy playing with them.
5) As you refine your technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnKyJdA01w you can achieve new personal records, then try to beat those records. That helps with motivation.
6) Unlike running or weight training, rowing provides a dynamic load to work against. The harder you pull, the greater the resistance.
7) Having a rowing machine at home means you don't waste time commuting to the gym. That makes it easier to exercise every day.
I've been rowing since February 2007, and at one point I lost 14 pounds in four months. This isn't much compared to some, but slow and steady is better for you than crash dieting.
Rowing is not for everyone and some people really do well with a gym membership, I'm sure. This is just IMHO - YMMV.
"my windows are really dirty, is there any product out there that can clean them??"
This is the right forum for laptops, but for (non-Microsoft) windows you should try these guys:
http://www.window-tools.com/windows/index.php
Not a comprehensive list, but it does include some of the cities you mentioned.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/15/news/pollute.php
"The dirtiest of the major cities, ranked by micrograms of particles of pollution dust per cubic meter, was Beijing, at 142. By comparison, Paris averages around 22 micrograms, London 24 and New York 27. The WHO guideline is 20."
All these are grammatically incorrect: semi unique, partially unique, rather unique, almost unique, nearly completely unique, halfway unique, uniquish, uniquey, ...
http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/english/Grammar/index.htm
"Superlatives cannot be qualified. Something is 'unique' or it's not. It can't be the "most unique" or "quite unique." "
If you don't agree, and believe the word 'unique' means the same as the word 'rare', then pray tell what word do you use to mean a thing that is the only example of its type?
I heard that one too. The BBC did an article on it. Check out the picture!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6187080.stm
One two three four five six!
Roadrunner, roadrunner
Going faster miles an hour
Gonna drive past the Stop 'n' Shop
With the radio on
I'm in love with Massachusetts
And the neon when it's cold outside
And the highway when it's late at night
Got the radio on
I'm like the roadrunner
Alright
I'm in love with modern moonlight
128 when it's dark outside
I'm in love with Massachusetts
I'm in love with the radio on
It helps me from being alone late at night
It helps me from being lonely late at night
I don't feel so bad now in the car
Don't feel so alone, got the radio on
Like the roadrunner
That's right
Said welcome to the spirit of 1956
Patient in the bushes next to '57
The highway is your girlfriend as you go by quick
Suburban trees, suburban speed
And it smells like heaven(thunder)
And I say roadrunner once
Roadrunner twice
I'm in love with rock & roll and I'll be out all night
Roadrunner
That's right
Well now
Roadrunner, roadrunner
Going faster miles an hour
Gonna drive to the Stop 'n' Shop
With the radio on at night
And me in love with modern moonlight
Me in love with modern rock & roll
Modern girls and modern rock & roll
Don't feel so alone, got the radio on
Like the roadrunner
O.K., now you sing Modern Lovers
(Radio On!)
I got the AM
(Radio On!)
Got the car, got the AM
(Radio On!)
Got the AM sound, got the
(Radio On!)
Got the rockin' modern neon sound
(Radio On!)
I got the car from Massachusetts, got the
(Radio On!)
I got the power of Massachusetts when it's late at night
(Radio On!)
I got the modern sounds of modern Massachusetts
I've got the world, got the turnpike, got the
I've got the, got the power of the AM
Got the, late at night, rock & roll late at night
The factories and the auto signs got the power of modern sounds
Alright
"Police really appreciates war on drugs."
No, not all Police.
http://www.leap.cc/
"And if you think the drug industry is non-violent, you're deluding yourself."
Is that true for all drugs, or just illegal ones?
If it's not true for legal drugs like alcohol (post prohibition) or tobacco, why might that be?
"the only drug liberals I see are upper class people with no personal experience of drug abuse"
Such naïvety is easily corrected. Here's a whole website of people from all walks of life, who deal with drug abuse and would like to see the law changed.
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php
At least your car doesn't waste half of the petrol you put into it.
The Dirty Little Secret of Inkjet Printers [VIDEO]
http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2008/04/13130/
or here:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1181828/the_dirty_little_secret_of_inkjet_printers/
Garth Algar, Wayne's World, (1992). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105793/
No, this accurately represents the value people feel they get out of their vote. i.e. none, so why bother to choose between two politicians that you distrust eqally? Whoever gets in, Obama, Hillary or John, it really won't make much difference.
It's a shame posts can only be modded up to +5.
"I don't see conspiracy where ever I look, but why would it have to be the US?"
Well, everyone outside the USA (and many inside) have been speculating for the last couple of years about who the USA will invade next.
And the smart money is on Iran.