It would be nice if China had some kind of realization when their astronauts are up in space, flying around the Earth, looking down on a fragile ball, without any borders visible on the 'map' - that we are all one people, one race, one world.
I think the leaders of all countries would do well to get that. However, that's not why the USA or USSR went up. They went up to prove that they could drop nukes on each other on any target. So, please drop the romantic thoughts about space exploration. They do not come in peace.;-)
You can be arrested simply for looking grungy and hanging around a train station (as one of my Chinese friends was.) Similarly, you can get away with murder if you have the right connections.
It's no different anywhere else my friend, trust me on that . People of all races / backgrounds are just as corrupt as each other. At least China is open about its censorship. Monsanto (sp) milk anyone? The government controls the media where you are, while the corporations do it here. The end result is the same.
If any country in the world wants to go toe to toe against the US in anything except a world destroying nuclear match up then they have to take the GPS and satellite spying monopoly from the USA.
What on earth is wrong with you people? Why is it anything any other country does is believed to be an attack specifically on the US? Do you think we all wake up each morning and consider how best to annoy/attack America that day?
there will be another cold war and another arms/space/tech race. And for the layman, that's great news. More jobs here in the US, more investment into tech with all the trickle-down effects
So, which branch of the military industrial complex are you astroturfing for?;-)
America cannot function without an enemy it seems. I often wonder if it's part of someones grand plan, or just a quirk of fate.
Do you truly believe it was ever necessary to import millions of muslims to your little island? Did you ever ask yourself why this was done when millions of your own countrymen were out of work in the 1960's and 1970's?
Eh? Import? The Brits had the whole empire thing going, and these people where British citizens, that's the rule. We weren't discriminating against colors/religion unlike some countries. Anyone can live anywhere, their choice. They weren't chained to the boat. Seems fair, unless you are a racist I suppose.
Until we helped out in Iraq, the UK had ZERO middle-eastern terrorism involvement. Islam had no real beef with the UK. Some hate the US for very good reasons, and if you know anything about the culture or the past half-centuries history, you must see why this is. Unless you buy the whole "they hate freedom" bullshit. Having Muslims here was a non-issue for us, until now. If anything, they improved the rotten cusine infinately. We were instead kept busy with the prodominately US funded IRA. Ah, how St Patricks day usually led to increased weapons and bomb availability. Wonderful.
Anyway, I'm not British, I'm Scottish. So your comments against the state of British "democracy" fall on ears that actually agree with you there. Likewise on the farces we delude ourselves are democracies. Shame we had to resort to sniping...;-)
Actually, I know people that use iTunes that strip out the DRM from their music files.
I'd guess either because your friends also have geekish tendancies, or because you have explained to them, right? Joe Sixpack doesn't know any better, and only has an iPod as they were the thing to own a few months back.
the popularity of the service cannot be viewed as an acceptance of DRM (since it can be removed).
I disagree, at a guess I'd say the vast majority of the iTunes files out there belong to non-tech-literate people, who don't even realise you can get round the encyption. Computers are black-box to them, the believe what they are told. "These files are protected to ensure your rights" sounds good, and they leave it at that.
The popularity of the service is only a view on how god-damm good Apples marketing dept is.:-)
If she sleeps around or is unfaithful, she'll be dipped in acid or simply killed. Such is Pakistan.
You've seen some of the shit that the people on Jerry Springer do to their spouces, right? Someone here got an acid attach a few years ago. Hell, does the name Bobbit mean anything to you? They both are celebrities now!!
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Leave the nation bashing to the countries that actually are decent and friendly. There must be at least one of them out there.... Remember, you are likely coming from a nation that had separate toilets for the "black folks" in living memory, don't get us started here, we could rip you apart!!;-)
I sometimes really wonder how did these two avoid managing to nuke each other.
The fallout will still screw up the victor due to the wind. That's the ONLY reason. Likewise, it's the only reason Israel hasn't used theirs either.
Nukes are for far-off enemies...or a "deterent". Seems the neo-cons only invade countries without WMD, anything else might be risky; might turn into a fair fight!!:-)
How do you explain the fact that of the London suicide bombers was aided by a now disappeared PhD student studying Chemistry? How is it that one of the Virginia Jihadist had a PhD in biochemistry?
Because it's soo much easier to think that your enemies live in caves, are stupid and hate freedom. Keeps the public from finding out the things you and your cronies have done over the last quarter century to make them so angry and desparate.
They attack our way of life, hate freedom AND they eat babies. Any discussion beyond that is unamerican. Your thoughts are exposing the country to danger, we must strike them now!! If we keep killing them, they will soon stop comming.
/tired of the same old shit, repeating itself several times every fucking century.
We all know that DRM does't work and people go out of their way to avoid DRM content.
Em, iTunes? Most people are NOT avoiding DRM. Just wait until they want to use a non-Apple product with the music they have legally paid for!!!
So who wants to bet that this DRM will die still born along with the rest of the attempts to restrict media?
It's a long long long way off for this sort of thing. DRM'ing the whole path just isn't going to happen without replacing all the kit we currently have. And it would require all manufacturers to stop making non-DRM. It's a big world, we can't even stop them growing opium, funding the worlds third biggest industry (illegal drugs). They do not have a hope in hell of banning chipsets.
But DRM on a smaller scale, e.g. iTunes is here to stay. Most folk will just curse quietly then buy Apple again. Nice marketing strategy.
Saddam kicked out the weapons inspectors when Clinton was president. From 1998 until the war began in 2003, there were no inspectors in the country.
Prior to 1998, there weren't any inspectors either. They were inteligence officers who were only interested in Saddams whereabouts for a surgical hit. That's WHY they got kicked out.
All your post has done is provide more evidence that when it comes down to it, partisan politics is more important than truth.
Not all of us hail from the USA, so your argument is pointless. Under clinton, I didn't care what you did. Under Bush, you have destabilized the entire middle east, and now MY home country is being attacked by terrorists (UK). Tony Blair (& Bush) told us all that we need to invade Iraq to improve our own safety. Nice going Tony, I feel safer already.
Either Bush & Blair were outright deliberately misleading people (I wouldn't say lie, politicians know how to do that without actually lying) due to the overwhelming voice of those that said 9-11 and WMD claims are bogus. OR they are terminally stupid. The outcome of the highly profitable Iraq conquest was ENTIRELY predicatble. The increased hatred, long-term "peace keeping" mission, Vietnam II. The Iraqi's still have the inevitable civil war to look forward to when we do pull out. It's a screw-up from day one and it was ALWAYS going to be a screw up. Even Bush himself said in 2000 that "nation building" was not easy and something the US should NOT be involved in. Of course, when your election campaign is financed by the Project for a New American Century, they you have to do what the puppeteer tells you.
So, look at it from my point of view. I don't give a fuck about Republicans and Democrats. But what I do see is one president getting the sack because he lied so his wife wouldn't find out about a BJ. The other has killed thousands with his "lies". What the hell do you want us to think? US politians use the whole "partisan" logic to dismiss suggestions based on where they are from, rather than arguing the point instead. That's been the downfall of your pretend "democracy" and it always will. Democracy is not a two party system!
Look for wattage ratings and buy from a well-known company
Wattage can be misleading though, there are three different ways of listing the power, and each is 2x the previous one. Just make sure all five channels are the same wattage, and buy the same set of speakers for them all.
Also, different amps sound different, and none of them are "correct". Maybe not so important for movies, but if you plan to use the same setup for music, you should try and arrange a demo of your shortlist. Take along some CDs with you.
Once everything is set up, get a calibration DVD like Digital Video Essentials or Avia to tweak your settings. It can make a noticeable difference.
It will make a noticable difference, but some folk don't like the "correct" settings. For years, the TV makers have been setting the default contrast way too high, to make the set look more attractive in the show room. Ever seen a game with a brightness calibration screen and thought it was too dark? That's it. I've got mine turned up "a little" from the correct setting.
Also, be aware that if you are using component video, a few of the calibrations won't matter e.g. tint. We don't even have that control on our UK TVs, don't need it!;-)
You don't need Monster Cables.
Agreed, but also don't use the cheapest. A local HiFi mag here compares using the free cables to drinking champagne out of a polystyrene cup! Get a "decent" set of cables for the main stuff at the very least. If you have to have a fairly long run to the projector, it might be wise to use decent cable for that.
I also think the Steam Silver package was the best deal out of the bunch as it came with the complete back catalog of Valve games, Half-Life: Source, and a free copy of Day of Defeat: Source when it's released
Yup, that's 100% why I got it online rather than in the shops. Day of Defeat is quite possibly the best Half Life community mod (WW2, focus on realism). The next one promises to be up to modern standards in FPS, though in the grand tradition of DoD releases, patience is important! (release date is always "when it's ready").
The back catalogue I have already. It's funny, I download most games but I don't mind paying for Half Life. Seems to be one of the few "platforms" I actually play enough of to justify a purchase. Own at least three copies of the first one.
The movie Pleasantvile does something similar, or so I've heard (not seen it). It starts up in 4x3 then switches to widescreen when it arrives at a certain location. The Wizard of Oz probably kicked the whole idea off; it started in black and white then switched to the brand-new "technicolor" process when they got to Oz.
OTOH they've been saying oil will run out for decades and they just keep finding more of it... I don't believe them this time either.
It's not that they are running out, just that what stocks remain are harder to extract, rasing the production costs dramatically. They went for the easy stuff first, obviously. Peak Oil is real, and WILL happen. The debate is simply when.
Is it not "Cowboys and Indians"? Perhaps that's just what we've called the game here in the UK, but if not and it's a change, you gotta really question the pollitical correctness of it. Cover-up the indiscresions of the white folks with a double-think name, while leaving in the incorrect name for the Native Americans? Sheeesh!!;-)
Yes. Look at any article mentioning "outsourcing" and the majority of the posts will be racist. Likewise, any article involving the Chinese or French gets similar treatment. Some here accuse you of "stealing" their jobs, if such a thing were possible. I wonder if they are the same ones who push the "copyright infringement is not theft" ideal, probably; hipocracy is a regular theme here.
I menticulously monitor logs and most of the hardcore probes are coming from Chinese and Korean IP space... NOT from zombie PCs.
So, the Chinese attacks aren't zombies? They are actually hackers actively probing? Interesting, I don't see either country cracking down on cyber attacks on their traditional enemies. But, if that's the case, then what I said is correct; most zombies are in the EU and USA.
Who are you? Some Asian broadband user who has no experience in this area and thinks this is some kind of cultural issue?
Nah, a Scot who's been working with the net since the Mosaic days. I also have a hatred for ignorance and rasism, of which there is a lot of here. Sorry if I caused any offence, I'm just pissed at the other brainless broadband users who bitch about China with no experience in the matter. Given the size and population of China, the level of spam/attacks are surprisingly small IMHO.
Dude. You always fill out an application for a job, EVEN if invited for it. Its HR paperwork.
I've been working in software for years and not once have I filled out an application form. Give them a CV and a cover letter, interview, then start. Usually a form or two on the first day, wage/tax/next of kin, that sort of thing.
Forms are for supermarket jobs. Christ, my handwriting is so bad now I wouldn't even get an interview for one!
OK, let the humble pie eating commence. I guess what I'm really pissed off about is the way Bush & co claim that the hatred of freedom and democracy led to 9-11. That makes me really angry as it is the policies of his father and the arms industry that they are so intertwinned with that led to the whole problem. Todays attacks would not have happened if the UK was not involved in Iraq, and that sickens me. They've already started the "they hate freedom" bullshit. I wonder if any reporters will have the gall to ask Mr Blair if he feels guilty about that. Probably not, as it's a career ender WRT getting further interviews!!;-)
It wasn't so much the Iraqis that are now getting appointed (thanks to the elections) that have the oil ties. It's the people that were appointed in the interim period that have conflicts of interest. Hell, even Bush's envrionmental guy is a former oil insider!
Saudi & Al Qaida, yes, most are Saudi but they are against the current dictatorship there. Officially, the Bin Laden family have cut all ties, but I'm not convinced on that. My point there was basically that people tend to see all Islamic folk in the same light.
Al Jazeera isn't what you think it is. I don't believe that they hold terrorism to be good, they simply show the videos they are sent. The BBC and CNN are no different. I'd bet they have similar views on our media. Which does glorify our wars by the way, so in that respect they would not be far from the truth. The problem is, each side only sees the extremists on the other side. I don't know what the chat is in the workplaces in the middle east, but I would seriously doubt that the general consensus is that Bin Laden is a nice guy. I'm not so sure if they would have any exposure to the moderates in our country. Hell, there hasn't been much on OUR media over the past five years to begin with!
I have been increasingly (and pleasantly) surprised by the number of people here (in the US) that are finally taking it upon themselves to become more informed
Well, unfortunately I'm not American, but I am trying to do my bit for the whole truth and justice thing, which is no longer the american way. Seems you need all the help you can get right now on that front!!;-)
If I can get through to at least one person per day, then I can sleep soundly knowing at least I tried something!
I'll just point you to
http://www.spamcop.net/w3m?action=inprogress;type= www which lists all the spamvertised sites which were recently submitted to spamcop. Just have a look and see how many are China based at any given time.
Less than a fifth by my cursory glance, with the majority of the remainder being US and Russian hosts. But I am surprised that there were even that many; as I said, doing business in China is not all that easy. I'd suspect that these hosting companies aren't quite legal in China. (whether they crack down on them is another story!!).
Well... that is just lovely... calling me a liar and a racist when you don't even know me at all.
Well, I'd say I was fairly polite, I merely said "can you please provide examples", and explained why I thought it wasn't the case. The racist observation was more to the general feel of the thread, where many folk were pretty much stating that ALL spam comes from China, which is compete bullshit. All my spam is priced in dollar signs, I don't know about yours! Should I block US ranges for incoming mail? I'd lose contact with many friends, but it would stop most of my spam.
They explicitly refer to democracy as "evil," and refer to elections (such as those that most of the people in Iraq vigorously embraced) as contrary to Islam - making anyone who participates in them a heretic and worthy of death, blah blah.
I must have missed that meeting then. They did denounce the elections in Iraq, mostly because the candidates were all pre-selected for US puppet government approval. Provided the oil flows, anyone is valid. These people do not want Iraq to become a third-world satelite state of the US, which is basically what's happening. All of the head people so far have been former oil industry workers.
Perhaps you are confusing Al Qaida with the fundamentalists who run Saudi and Iran? Just because they have beards and are followers of the same base religion, it doesn't mean they have the same aims and beliefs. Contrast the likes of Jerry Fallwell with any sane Christian out there. Is it fair to tar all Christians with the same gay-hating "AIDS is a blessing from God" brush? I think not!
really feel for the poor bastards directly impacted by this in London, but it's really an attack on everything democratic, civilized, and open.
NO IT ISN'T!! How hard is this to grasp? They hate us because of what we have done to their countries for the past 100 years or so. Go get a history book. "Hating freedom", democracy and our way of life has NOTHING to do with anything here. The "freedom" gambit is just a tried & tested way of getting the western public on-side, as freedom is a core belief in our society. Again, may I refer you to that history book, countless examples. Please try to be less of a sheep next year.
Bin Laden doesn't like non-Islamic peoples. That's just the way it is.
No, you are wrong.
If you don't follow his religion in precisely the way he does, then you're his enemy
No, if you station troops in his home country to back up a brutal corrupt dictatorship that you helped nurture and sold most of their weapons, THEN you are his enemy. He has stated this in almost EVERY video message, you know, the ones the US government censor for you. You don't see Bin Laden attacking any other the other countries in the world that are mostly non-islamic. Just the USA, and thanks to us helping in invading Iraq, now here in the UK.
I think Bush and Blair have caused more people to harbor animostity to the United States and the United Kingdom, but blaming them for terrorist action OUTSIDE of Iraq is foolish
You CAN blame Bush Sr though. Go get a history book and stop getting your information from Fox news. They do not "hate freedom"; that's just propaganda to keep you from finding out why they really hate the USA. Because, if you were to find out, well, it might just cut into the profit margins. Lord forbid the US public actually putting aside the Brukheimer movies and learning about how your foreign policy really works. Here's a hint: no one saves the day and a lot of money is made in arm deals to asshats like Hussain.
Slashdot Mirror
I think the leaders of all countries would do well to get that. However, that's not why the USA or USSR went up. They went up to prove that they could drop nukes on each other on any target. So, please drop the romantic thoughts about space exploration. They do not come in peace. ;-)
It's no different anywhere else my friend, trust me on that . People of all races / backgrounds are just as corrupt as each other. At least China is open about its censorship. Monsanto (sp) milk anyone? The government controls the media where you are, while the corporations do it here. The end result is the same.
What on earth is wrong with you people? Why is it anything any other country does is believed to be an attack specifically on the US? Do you think we all wake up each morning and consider how best to annoy/attack America that day?
So, which branch of the military industrial complex are you astroturfing for? ;-)
America cannot function without an enemy it seems. I often wonder if it's part of someones grand plan, or just a quirk of fate.
Eh? Import? The Brits had the whole empire thing going, and these people where British citizens, that's the rule. We weren't discriminating against colors/religion unlike some countries. Anyone can live anywhere, their choice. They weren't chained to the boat. Seems fair, unless you are a racist I suppose.
Until we helped out in Iraq, the UK had ZERO middle-eastern terrorism involvement. Islam had no real beef with the UK. Some hate the US for very good reasons, and if you know anything about the culture or the past half-centuries history, you must see why this is. Unless you buy the whole "they hate freedom" bullshit. Having Muslims here was a non-issue for us, until now. If anything, they improved the rotten cusine infinately. We were instead kept busy with the prodominately US funded IRA. Ah, how St Patricks day usually led to increased weapons and bomb availability. Wonderful.
Anyway, I'm not British, I'm Scottish. So your comments against the state of British "democracy" fall on ears that actually agree with you there. Likewise on the farces we delude ourselves are democracies. Shame we had to resort to sniping... ;-)
I'd guess either because your friends also have geekish tendancies, or because you have explained to them, right? Joe Sixpack doesn't know any better, and only has an iPod as they were the thing to own a few months back.
the popularity of the service cannot be viewed as an acceptance of DRM (since it can be removed).
I disagree, at a guess I'd say the vast majority of the iTunes files out there belong to non-tech-literate people, who don't even realise you can get round the encyption. Computers are black-box to them, the believe what they are told. "These files are protected to ensure your rights" sounds good, and they leave it at that.
The popularity of the service is only a view on how god-damm good Apples marketing dept is. :-)
You've seen some of the shit that the people on Jerry Springer do to their spouces, right? Someone here got an acid attach a few years ago. Hell, does the name Bobbit mean anything to you? They both are celebrities now!!
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Leave the nation bashing to the countries that actually are decent and friendly. There must be at least one of them out there.... Remember, you are likely coming from a nation that had separate toilets for the "black folks" in living memory, don't get us started here, we could rip you apart!! ;-)
The fallout will still screw up the victor due to the wind. That's the ONLY reason. Likewise, it's the only reason Israel hasn't used theirs either.
Nukes are for far-off enemies...or a "deterent". Seems the neo-cons only invade countries without WMD, anything else might be risky; might turn into a fair fight!! :-)
Because it's soo much easier to think that your enemies live in caves, are stupid and hate freedom. Keeps the public from finding out the things you and your cronies have done over the last quarter century to make them so angry and desparate.
They attack our way of life, hate freedom AND they eat babies. Any discussion beyond that is unamerican. Your thoughts are exposing the country to danger, we must strike them now!! If we keep killing them, they will soon stop comming.
/tired of the same old shit, repeating itself several times every fucking century.
Em, iTunes? Most people are NOT avoiding DRM. Just wait until they want to use a non-Apple product with the music they have legally paid for!!!
So who wants to bet that this DRM will die still born along with the rest of the attempts to restrict media?
It's a long long long way off for this sort of thing. DRM'ing the whole path just isn't going to happen without replacing all the kit we currently have. And it would require all manufacturers to stop making non-DRM. It's a big world, we can't even stop them growing opium, funding the worlds third biggest industry (illegal drugs). They do not have a hope in hell of banning chipsets.
But DRM on a smaller scale, e.g. iTunes is here to stay. Most folk will just curse quietly then buy Apple again. Nice marketing strategy.
Prior to 1998, there weren't any inspectors either. They were inteligence officers who were only interested in Saddams whereabouts for a surgical hit. That's WHY they got kicked out.
All your post has done is provide more evidence that when it comes down to it, partisan politics is more important than truth.
Not all of us hail from the USA, so your argument is pointless. Under clinton, I didn't care what you did. Under Bush, you have destabilized the entire middle east, and now MY home country is being attacked by terrorists (UK). Tony Blair (& Bush) told us all that we need to invade Iraq to improve our own safety. Nice going Tony, I feel safer already.
Either Bush & Blair were outright deliberately misleading people (I wouldn't say lie, politicians know how to do that without actually lying) due to the overwhelming voice of those that said 9-11 and WMD claims are bogus. OR they are terminally stupid. The outcome of the highly profitable Iraq conquest was ENTIRELY predicatble. The increased hatred, long-term "peace keeping" mission, Vietnam II. The Iraqi's still have the inevitable civil war to look forward to when we do pull out. It's a screw-up from day one and it was ALWAYS going to be a screw up. Even Bush himself said in 2000 that "nation building" was not easy and something the US should NOT be involved in. Of course, when your election campaign is financed by the Project for a New American Century, they you have to do what the puppeteer tells you.
So, look at it from my point of view. I don't give a fuck about Republicans and Democrats. But what I do see is one president getting the sack because he lied so his wife wouldn't find out about a BJ. The other has killed thousands with his "lies". What the hell do you want us to think? US politians use the whole "partisan" logic to dismiss suggestions based on where they are from, rather than arguing the point instead. That's been the downfall of your pretend "democracy" and it always will. Democracy is not a two party system!
Look for wattage ratings and buy from a well-known company
Wattage can be misleading though, there are three different ways of listing the power, and each is 2x the previous one. Just make sure all five channels are the same wattage, and buy the same set of speakers for them all.
Also, different amps sound different, and none of them are "correct". Maybe not so important for movies, but if you plan to use the same setup for music, you should try and arrange a demo of your shortlist. Take along some CDs with you.
Once everything is set up, get a calibration DVD like Digital Video Essentials or Avia to tweak your settings. It can make a noticeable difference.
It will make a noticable difference, but some folk don't like the "correct" settings. For years, the TV makers have been setting the default contrast way too high, to make the set look more attractive in the show room. Ever seen a game with a brightness calibration screen and thought it was too dark? That's it. I've got mine turned up "a little" from the correct setting.
Also, be aware that if you are using component video, a few of the calibrations won't matter e.g. tint. We don't even have that control on our UK TVs, don't need it! ;-)
You don't need Monster Cables.
Agreed, but also don't use the cheapest. A local HiFi mag here compares using the free cables to drinking champagne out of a polystyrene cup! Get a "decent" set of cables for the main stuff at the very least. If you have to have a fairly long run to the projector, it might be wise to use decent cable for that.
Yup, that's 100% why I got it online rather than in the shops. Day of Defeat is quite possibly the best Half Life community mod (WW2, focus on realism). The next one promises to be up to modern standards in FPS, though in the grand tradition of DoD releases, patience is important! (release date is always "when it's ready").
The back catalogue I have already. It's funny, I download most games but I don't mind paying for Half Life. Seems to be one of the few "platforms" I actually play enough of to justify a purchase. Own at least three copies of the first one.
The movie Pleasantvile does something similar, or so I've heard (not seen it). It starts up in 4x3 then switches to widescreen when it arrives at a certain location. The Wizard of Oz probably kicked the whole idea off; it started in black and white then switched to the brand-new "technicolor" process when they got to Oz.
It's not that they are running out, just that what stocks remain are harder to extract, rasing the production costs dramatically. They went for the easy stuff first, obviously. Peak Oil is real, and WILL happen. The debate is simply when.
Is it not "Cowboys and Indians"? Perhaps that's just what we've called the game here in the UK, but if not and it's a change, you gotta really question the pollitical correctness of it. Cover-up the indiscresions of the white folks with a double-think name, while leaving in the incorrect name for the Native Americans? Sheeesh!! ;-)
Yes. Look at any article mentioning "outsourcing" and the majority of the posts will be racist. Likewise, any article involving the Chinese or French gets similar treatment. Some here accuse you of "stealing" their jobs, if such a thing were possible. I wonder if they are the same ones who push the "copyright infringement is not theft" ideal, probably; hipocracy is a regular theme here.
So, the Chinese attacks aren't zombies? They are actually hackers actively probing? Interesting, I don't see either country cracking down on cyber attacks on their traditional enemies. But, if that's the case, then what I said is correct; most zombies are in the EU and USA.
Who are you? Some Asian broadband user who has no experience in this area and thinks this is some kind of cultural issue?
Nah, a Scot who's been working with the net since the Mosaic days. I also have a hatred for ignorance and rasism, of which there is a lot of here. Sorry if I caused any offence, I'm just pissed at the other brainless broadband users who bitch about China with no experience in the matter. Given the size and population of China, the level of spam/attacks are surprisingly small IMHO.
I've been working in software for years and not once have I filled out an application form. Give them a CV and a cover letter, interview, then start. Usually a form or two on the first day, wage/tax/next of kin, that sort of thing.
Forms are for supermarket jobs. Christ, my handwriting is so bad now I wouldn't even get an interview for one!
It wasn't so much the Iraqis that are now getting appointed (thanks to the elections) that have the oil ties. It's the people that were appointed in the interim period that have conflicts of interest. Hell, even Bush's envrionmental guy is a former oil insider!
Saudi & Al Qaida, yes, most are Saudi but they are against the current dictatorship there. Officially, the Bin Laden family have cut all ties, but I'm not convinced on that. My point there was basically that people tend to see all Islamic folk in the same light.
Al Jazeera isn't what you think it is. I don't believe that they hold terrorism to be good, they simply show the videos they are sent. The BBC and CNN are no different. I'd bet they have similar views on our media. Which does glorify our wars by the way, so in that respect they would not be far from the truth. The problem is, each side only sees the extremists on the other side. I don't know what the chat is in the workplaces in the middle east, but I would seriously doubt that the general consensus is that Bin Laden is a nice guy. I'm not so sure if they would have any exposure to the moderates in our country. Hell, there hasn't been much on OUR media over the past five years to begin with!
Well, unfortunately I'm not American, but I am trying to do my bit for the whole truth and justice thing, which is no longer the american way. Seems you need all the help you can get right now on that front!! ;-)
If I can get through to at least one person per day, then I can sleep soundly knowing at least I tried something!
Less than a fifth by my cursory glance, with the majority of the remainder being US and Russian hosts. But I am surprised that there were even that many; as I said, doing business in China is not all that easy. I'd suspect that these hosting companies aren't quite legal in China. (whether they crack down on them is another story!!).
Well... that is just lovely... calling me a liar and a racist when you don't even know me at all.
Well, I'd say I was fairly polite, I merely said "can you please provide examples", and explained why I thought it wasn't the case. The racist observation was more to the general feel of the thread, where many folk were pretty much stating that ALL spam comes from China, which is compete bullshit. All my spam is priced in dollar signs, I don't know about yours! Should I block US ranges for incoming mail? I'd lose contact with many friends, but it would stop most of my spam.
I must have missed that meeting then. They did denounce the elections in Iraq, mostly because the candidates were all pre-selected for US puppet government approval. Provided the oil flows, anyone is valid. These people do not want Iraq to become a third-world satelite state of the US, which is basically what's happening. All of the head people so far have been former oil industry workers.
Perhaps you are confusing Al Qaida with the fundamentalists who run Saudi and Iran? Just because they have beards and are followers of the same base religion, it doesn't mean they have the same aims and beliefs. Contrast the likes of Jerry Fallwell with any sane Christian out there. Is it fair to tar all Christians with the same gay-hating "AIDS is a blessing from God" brush? I think not!
NO IT ISN'T!! How hard is this to grasp? They hate us because of what we have done to their countries for the past 100 years or so. Go get a history book. "Hating freedom", democracy and our way of life has NOTHING to do with anything here. The "freedom" gambit is just a tried & tested way of getting the western public on-side, as freedom is a core belief in our society. Again, may I refer you to that history book, countless examples. Please try to be less of a sheep next year.
No, you are wrong.
If you don't follow his religion in precisely the way he does, then you're his enemy
No, if you station troops in his home country to back up a brutal corrupt dictatorship that you helped nurture and sold most of their weapons, THEN you are his enemy. He has stated this in almost EVERY video message, you know, the ones the US government censor for you. You don't see Bin Laden attacking any other the other countries in the world that are mostly non-islamic. Just the USA, and thanks to us helping in invading Iraq, now here in the UK.
I think Bush and Blair have caused more people to harbor animostity to the United States and the United Kingdom, but blaming them for terrorist action OUTSIDE of Iraq is foolish
You CAN blame Bush Sr though. Go get a history book and stop getting your information from Fox news. They do not "hate freedom"; that's just propaganda to keep you from finding out why they really hate the USA. Because, if you were to find out, well, it might just cut into the profit margins. Lord forbid the US public actually putting aside the Brukheimer movies and learning about how your foreign policy really works. Here's a hint: no one saves the day and a lot of money is made in arm deals to asshats like Hussain.