My major gripe with Disney is all the characters are identifiable, recycled from all their other films. It's tired, so very tired and this is why even the finest animation artists can't save them.
Ever noticed how in just about every Disney film, one of the main characters loses a parent in the first act? Several parents groups expressed concern over this when the overhead kids playing with "lets pretend that our parents are dead!"
They're ahead of just about everyone in human rights violations, internet censorship, and repression of religious groups
May I be the first to point out that Amnesty International has said bad things about the US on most of those counts. You lock folk up without trial, the media follows the party line (pretty much censorship), Christians prosper, Islamics are hated.
The US is still pushing the boundaries of exploration and science in ways that neither country can hope to match any time soon
No you aren't. I'm not trolling here, just making a serious point. Your inovation has died due to patent profiteering. Your political system is openly corrupt. Science is allowed, provided it sits well with Christian theology. America is going nowhere fast, until you fix the fundamental problems. And even then, the US only inovations have been in the field of killing more people more quickly. Yay USA, something to be proud of I'm sure.
So, where exactly do you get the "can hope to match any time soon" from? I'm just curious, because the fact that the US hasn't led global inovation for decades is clear to just about everyone. Yet there is this delusional arrogance.
I completely agree with the rest of your post, and the point of it. The predicatable "USA USA USA" mantra from Americans is to be expected, as is their hatred of just about anyone that is different from them. These responses dominate the majority of any discussion on China's endevors.
This came up for me last night when I purchaced HL2. I created a new Stream account for HL2 and the other mods it provided. I already have 3 or 4 HL licenses, so I wanted to set it up so that I could use one of the retro ones along side the new one for LAN parties.
This is a big downside of the system, if the user is not aware of this. I own HL and HL2 licenses, but having them both in the same steam account means you can't play head-to-head using them.
I know that EA is not exactly one of the nicest companies to work for (as we've all seen with all the bad press), but why is everyone focusing on EA?
Self-gratification. We collectively feel outraged and have a target to vent our anger over. Then, in a few months, we can all forget about it and move onto the next thing, as it will sorted itself out like the rainforests, global warming, Nike slave labor, Nestle "drug-dealer tactics" and so on.
You see, we all love the illusion of "making a difference". EA is currently the one proxying our collective fears.
You're not gonna play Half-Life 2 on a laptop, and certainly not on a laptop so old that it's not got a CD drive.
Why not? My first Windows PC was a laptop, and I've played through Half-Life, Opposing Force and several mods on it many times over the years. Modern ones have 3D cards now.
And there is a VERY good reason for NOT wanting to rely on the CD. It's a massive battery drain, so when I'm fragging on a transatlantic flight, I want it to last as long as the juice holds out.
lot of people who wear XL shirts could fit into a Large or Medium shirt but like the extra room the XL provides
Cool, provided they WANT to look massive. If you are a big person, don't make it worse with baggy clothes!! Not only are you showing that since you left mommies house, you can't feed yourself healthilly, but also that you aren't capable of shopping for clothes that fit!!:-) Do you want to remain single for ever?
This seems like people are claiming that they are trying to destroy these companies, instead of harmless filesharing. It seems like it is their intention. Seems a little inconsistent to me.
Well, I'm sorry that the entire world doesn't think the exactly same way as each other. This whole idea of different people having different views and opinions just confuses me.
Sigh. I guess no one actually read the article. I saw it myself before it was on slashdot. From the article
BT has launched the promotion to show off the potential of a broadband connection to customers.
So, basically this is a trial to get people using their service, where after some point, they start to charge for it. And as BT makes money off the old telephone system that will be replaced by VOIP in 10-20 years. They are seeing the way the market is going, and are wanting a piece of it.
However, there will always be open and free VOIP alternatives, so I guess their market can only be those unaware of the alternatives.
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if VOIP got taxed soon, with criminal offences levied out at those who try to avoid paying, using encryption etc. And as the government would ban encryption if it could get away with it, it means efforts to ensure wire-tapping access to VOIP networks are no longer required.
Using BT lines isn't as bad as you might think [snip]
No, it's worse. In order to get DSL from any ISP in the UK, you need to have a BT phone line. I don't have a BT phone line, nor do I want one. So, I am stuck with NTL cable. Who have been pretty reliable, it has to be said.
I used to have to hang on the phone for anywhere between 45 minutes and 90 minutes before my call was answered
Yeah, seen that myself, but not recently. The solution is the same as any other busy call-centre; don't call during the busy periods. For example, if you want to pay your council tax over the phone in Glasgow, you have to phone before 10 am to stand a chance of actually speaking to someone!
Hmmm, what do we do about other things that are addictive and destructive... oh yeah, we make them illegal!
The only result of this is handing over control to criminals. It's supply and demand, and there will always be a demand. Getting wasted has been a human trait for millenia.
Banning smoking outright would be disasterous. Nicotine is harder to come off than heroin, you are much more likely to be successful coming of H than smokes. I can't imagine the harm caused by letting drug dealers work with tobacco.
The thing is, you know smoking is bad for you and everyone around you.
As others have pointed out, it's never been proven to be bad for others by any reputable study.
does that mean you have to be... inconsiderate?
Some folks might say you are the one being inconsiderate. There are many things you can do that annoy others. You have the misfortune of being seriously affected by someone elses vice.
I'm talking someone I'm having a polite conversation with. The4y just turn into an Instant Asshole.
There are a lot of arseholes about, smokers or non-smokers, that's for sure. I'd bet anyone who knew that you had a genuine need to avoid smoke would not get annoyed about your request. However, you cannot expect to dictate to people what they should do without getting the odd bit of resentment. Especially if they have already had to come down out of their office into the cold street for a smoke. Don't expect them to be in a good mood!!
they'd never ever smoke near me, smoke near me. In my own back yard! They tried to hide behind the garage...
Did that bother you for medical reasons, or the fact they did it? Surely sneaking round the back of your garage should have made it OK for you?
The thing is, you have to remember that smokers are not all that different from crackheads. Without a fix, they are irritable and often annoying. Come between them and their fix, you may live to regret it!!;-)
I know one girl with asthma in my hall that has to avoid smokers.
So what? I'm alergic to nuts and they could kill me. You don't see me telling others what to do, or trying to ban peanuts from airplanes. The smell makes me feel physically sick, but I get over it as I have no right to complain to others about MY weakness.
So it kills asthmatics, do you really think it's not unhealthful for everyone else?
No. Medical research backs this up.
Then why do people cough when they breathe in second-hand smoke?
Only the pussies. Seriously. I don't know anyone that coughs with secondhand smoke, and as a smoker I seem to be around secondhand smoke a lot.
When I ask them if please, please they could hold off on the cig while I'm around (and I/do/ ask politely) I get "We're allowed to smoke out here!!!"
As as smoker, I know why they do this. We are shat on from every direction and there are literally very few places where we are allowed to smoke. If you hastle a smoker in one of these few places, then you may get your head bitten off! Hence the "we're allowed to smoke" kind of response.
Thank god someone said it!!. Everyone was waxing lyrical about how wonderful this site was for women to express themselves. Balls. It's a members only porn site catering to those who like goths.
One of the replies to your posts suggests that they aren't in it for the money. Then, how come I saw them on TV promoting a book and their website just two weeks ago? Sounds like the usual media whorage when you've got something to sell.
Can someone explain why there is a push for ID cards of this sort?
Because the companies that make them and the back-end technologies that they use give bribes to political parties. We call them "campaign contributions" instead of bribes so it all stays nice and legal. Politics is business nowadays.
With a single form of ID, there is a single point of failure. When the One True Database has bad data about you, you will be screwed. If the One True Database says that you are a sex offender, then you are.
And that's not the worst of it!! To get one of these new fangled cards, you first need to identify yourself using current identification. Birth certificates, drivers license, passport and so on.
If you can fake the precursor to getting a card, you can get a fake one. Fake birth cert/passport/license? Relatively easy to come by if you know the right people. And because everyone trusts the new system, you get to move around freely with no one chalenging who you really are because you have this piece of plastic in your pocket that's never wrong.
ID cardswill make the terrorists life easier, not harder. Right now they have to fake several pieces of ID, and be validated using different techniques each time they are called to do so. All they'd need to do in the future is a one time con to get a card, then they are set for life, or until that ID get's "don't fly'ed", at which point they get a new one.
Wooo, 300,000. If we are compairing body counts, may I point out the the US sanctions against Iraq claimed the lives of 600,000 CHILDREN? And that the 300,000 figure is "estimated" from (as stated by the article) "the top human rights official in the U.S.-led civilian administration". So, just who exactly is paying his salary!?! Hmmm, puppet leaders are getting quite popular these days, makes life easier for the faceless corporations that rule us. But hey, stick your head in the sand and enjoy the delusion of democracy.
It almost seems like you're advocating support for a guy who voted to allow Hussein to conquer Kuwait and extend his body count across the Arabian peninsula.
You mean the US foreign service? You do realise Saddam asked for and got permission from his US masters before invading Kuwait? The western "outrage" was created by a PR firm in the employ of the outed Kuwaiti sheiks. This is where the "stealing incubators and leaving babies to die" lie, told before congress, was hatched. The girl that claimed to have seen it wasn't even on the same continent at the time. Another war based on another lie, for the profit of the already rich. Yay freedom.
I suggest that you get more history out of books and spend less time watching Fox news. USA, the land of the misled and lied to. Nice "democracy" you have over there, can't wait to see the fun next week brings. The vote diddling in Florida has already begun.
I've seen the game and even as an adult find the level of language in this one to be disturbing. I'm not easily offended either, but the constant amount of cussing gets old fast.
In my mind, that's a good thing. With all the cussing in the game, parents might actually overhear it, be shocked, then actually take an interest in their childs growth. If it wasn't for the cussing, 90%+ of parents wouldn't have even noticed what their children were doing.
Oh, and if you think that the cussing was more offensive than all the killing, then I'd say you have a pretty messed up moral system. You can pop a cap, but as long as you don't pop it in someones ass no one compains!
Why would a country populated by British criminals censor violent content in the first place?
I know, it sounds stupid. Especially when the smart folk out there know that that myth is incorrect and that most of our convicts were sent to the US. And you guys don't seem to have any issues with violence!!
Mind you, then theres the "wardrobe malfunction" that shocked the country. The US attitude to sex is similar to many other countries attitude to sex. Better to make life than end it, if you ask me!
Slashdot Mirror
Ever noticed how in just about every Disney film, one of the main characters loses a parent in the first act? Several parents groups expressed concern over this when the overhead kids playing with "lets pretend that our parents are dead!"
May I be the first to point out that Amnesty International has said bad things about the US on most of those counts. You lock folk up without trial, the media follows the party line (pretty much censorship), Christians prosper, Islamics are hated.
Not all that different really!
No you aren't. I'm not trolling here, just making a serious point. Your inovation has died due to patent profiteering. Your political system is openly corrupt. Science is allowed, provided it sits well with Christian theology. America is going nowhere fast, until you fix the fundamental problems. And even then, the US only inovations have been in the field of killing more people more quickly. Yay USA, something to be proud of I'm sure.
So, where exactly do you get the "can hope to match any time soon" from? I'm just curious, because the fact that the US hasn't led global inovation for decades is clear to just about everyone. Yet there is this delusional arrogance.
I completely agree with the rest of your post, and the point of it. The predicatable "USA USA USA" mantra from Americans is to be expected, as is their hatred of just about anyone that is different from them. These responses dominate the majority of any discussion on China's endevors.
This came up for me last night when I purchaced HL2. I created a new Stream account for HL2 and the other mods it provided. I already have 3 or 4 HL licenses, so I wanted to set it up so that I could use one of the retro ones along side the new one for LAN parties.
This is a big downside of the system, if the user is not aware of this. I own HL and HL2 licenses, but having them both in the same steam account means you can't play head-to-head using them.
Self-gratification. We collectively feel outraged and have a target to vent our anger over. Then, in a few months, we can all forget about it and move onto the next thing, as it will sorted itself out like the rainforests, global warming, Nike slave labor, Nestle "drug-dealer tactics" and so on.
You see, we all love the illusion of "making a difference". EA is currently the one proxying our collective fears.
Yeah, like as if the money will actually go to those who put in the real work. Have you ever worked in the real world? ;-)
Why not? My first Windows PC was a laptop, and I've played through Half-Life, Opposing Force and several mods on it many times over the years. Modern ones have 3D cards now.
And there is a VERY good reason for NOT wanting to rely on the CD. It's a massive battery drain, so when I'm fragging on a transatlantic flight, I want it to last as long as the juice holds out.
Cool, provided they WANT to look massive. If you are a big person, don't make it worse with baggy clothes!! Not only are you showing that since you left mommies house, you can't feed yourself healthilly, but also that you aren't capable of shopping for clothes that fit!! :-) Do you want to remain single for ever?
Well, I'm sorry that the entire world doesn't think the exactly same way as each other. This whole idea of different people having different views and opinions just confuses me.
Sigh. I guess no one actually read the article. I saw it myself before it was on slashdot. From the article
So, basically this is a trial to get people using their service, where after some point, they start to charge for it. And as BT makes money off the old telephone system that will be replaced by VOIP in 10-20 years. They are seeing the way the market is going, and are wanting a piece of it.
However, there will always be open and free VOIP alternatives, so I guess their market can only be those unaware of the alternatives.
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if VOIP got taxed soon, with criminal offences levied out at those who try to avoid paying, using encryption etc. And as the government would ban encryption if it could get away with it, it means efforts to ensure wire-tapping access to VOIP networks are no longer required.
No, it's worse. In order to get DSL from any ISP in the UK, you need to have a BT phone line. I don't have a BT phone line, nor do I want one. So, I am stuck with NTL cable. Who have been pretty reliable, it has to be said.
I used to have to hang on the phone for anywhere between 45 minutes and 90 minutes before my call was answered
Yeah, seen that myself, but not recently. The solution is the same as any other busy call-centre; don't call during the busy periods. For example, if you want to pay your council tax over the phone in Glasgow, you have to phone before 10 am to stand a chance of actually speaking to someone!
The only result of this is handing over control to criminals. It's supply and demand, and there will always be a demand. Getting wasted has been a human trait for millenia.
Banning smoking outright would be disasterous. Nicotine is harder to come off than heroin, you are much more likely to be successful coming of H than smokes. I can't imagine the harm caused by letting drug dealers work with tobacco.
As others have pointed out, it's never been proven to be bad for others by any reputable study.
does that mean you have to be... inconsiderate?
Some folks might say you are the one being inconsiderate. There are many things you can do that annoy others. You have the misfortune of being seriously affected by someone elses vice.
I'm talking someone I'm having a polite conversation with. The4y just turn into an Instant Asshole.
There are a lot of arseholes about, smokers or non-smokers, that's for sure. I'd bet anyone who knew that you had a genuine need to avoid smoke would not get annoyed about your request. However, you cannot expect to dictate to people what they should do without getting the odd bit of resentment. Especially if they have already had to come down out of their office into the cold street for a smoke. Don't expect them to be in a good mood!!
they'd never ever smoke near me, smoke near me. In my own back yard! They tried to hide behind the garage...
Did that bother you for medical reasons, or the fact they did it? Surely sneaking round the back of your garage should have made it OK for you?
The thing is, you have to remember that smokers are not all that different from crackheads. Without a fix, they are irritable and often annoying. Come between them and their fix, you may live to regret it!! ;-)
So what? I'm alergic to nuts and they could kill me. You don't see me telling others what to do, or trying to ban peanuts from airplanes. The smell makes me feel physically sick, but I get over it as I have no right to complain to others about MY weakness.
So it kills asthmatics, do you really think it's not unhealthful for everyone else?
No. Medical research backs this up.
Then why do people cough when they breathe in second-hand smoke?
Only the pussies. Seriously. I don't know anyone that coughs with secondhand smoke, and as a smoker I seem to be around secondhand smoke a lot.
As as smoker, I know why they do this. We are shat on from every direction and there are literally very few places where we are allowed to smoke. If you hastle a smoker in one of these few places, then you may get your head bitten off! Hence the "we're allowed to smoke" kind of response.
When it's a pedantic comment made in an insulting manner that adds nothing to the discussion except inciting arguement. i.e. flamebait.
Sounds like Western political spending to me to be honest. Our politicians aren't exactly shy at giving lucritive contracts to their buddies. :-)
Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with that, other than the fact the ads are distracting (and sometimes mesmerizing) when I'm over at boingboing. ;-)
I just found it silly that several posters were putting them up on a plinth as some example of higher conciousness. It's just smut!! :-)
One of the replies to your posts suggests that they aren't in it for the money. Then, how come I saw them on TV promoting a book and their website just two weeks ago? Sounds like the usual media whorage when you've got something to sell.
Because the companies that make them and the back-end technologies that they use give bribes to political parties. We call them "campaign contributions" instead of bribes so it all stays nice and legal. Politics is business nowadays.
And that's not the worst of it!! To get one of these new fangled cards, you first need to identify yourself using current identification. Birth certificates, drivers license, passport and so on.
If you can fake the precursor to getting a card, you can get a fake one. Fake birth cert/passport/license? Relatively easy to come by if you know the right people. And because everyone trusts the new system, you get to move around freely with no one chalenging who you really are because you have this piece of plastic in your pocket that's never wrong.
ID cardswill make the terrorists life easier, not harder. Right now they have to fake several pieces of ID, and be validated using different techniques each time they are called to do so. All they'd need to do in the future is a one time con to get a card, then they are set for life, or until that ID get's "don't fly'ed", at which point they get a new one.
Wooo, 300,000. If we are compairing body counts, may I point out the the US sanctions against Iraq claimed the lives of 600,000 CHILDREN? And that the 300,000 figure is "estimated" from (as stated by the article) "the top human rights official in the U.S.-led civilian administration". So, just who exactly is paying his salary!?! Hmmm, puppet leaders are getting quite popular these days, makes life easier for the faceless corporations that rule us. But hey, stick your head in the sand and enjoy the delusion of democracy.
It almost seems like you're advocating support for a guy who voted to allow Hussein to conquer Kuwait and extend his body count across the Arabian peninsula.
You mean the US foreign service? You do realise Saddam asked for and got permission from his US masters before invading Kuwait? The western "outrage" was created by a PR firm in the employ of the outed Kuwaiti sheiks. This is where the "stealing incubators and leaving babies to die" lie, told before congress, was hatched. The girl that claimed to have seen it wasn't even on the same continent at the time. Another war based on another lie, for the profit of the already rich. Yay freedom.
I suggest that you get more history out of books and spend less time watching Fox news. USA, the land of the misled and lied to. Nice "democracy" you have over there, can't wait to see the fun next week brings. The vote diddling in Florida has already begun.
In my mind, that's a good thing. With all the cussing in the game, parents might actually overhear it, be shocked, then actually take an interest in their childs growth. If it wasn't for the cussing, 90%+ of parents wouldn't have even noticed what their children were doing.
Oh, and if you think that the cussing was more offensive than all the killing, then I'd say you have a pretty messed up moral system. You can pop a cap, but as long as you don't pop it in someones ass no one compains!
I know, it sounds stupid. Especially when the smart folk out there know that that myth is incorrect and that most of our convicts were sent to the US. And you guys don't seem to have any issues with violence!!
Mind you, then theres the "wardrobe malfunction" that shocked the country. The US attitude to sex is similar to many other countries attitude to sex. Better to make life than end it, if you ask me!
Out of the three video steaming formats, which of them allow you to put them on repeat? ;-)
I've got a whole lab of hosts sitting here doing very little for the next wee while...