Why does everyone feel the need to pretend that George Lucas didn't go looking at foreigners for inspiration for his bad guys? It's so painfully obvious that he did. Everything these people are saying is true... the only question is, should it be taken seriously, and if so, how seriously. Saying, "Yeah, so what?" is one thing, saying "It didn't happen." just makes you look like an idiot.
I only had temporary residency, but I lived there for years... my kid was born there, actually. I saw what he was talking about with the whole "wanting to be like America" thing. I mostly saw it in the rhetoric used by the folks who wanted Australia to change from a constitutional monarchy to a republic, which was pretty commonplace when I was there.
As a Canadian, I like the connection we have to Australia through being in the Commonwealth, and never saw why so many of you guys got bent out of shape over what is really just a figurehead...
i really REALLY don't get this obsession with linking violent video games to violent behavior. Take yours truly:
Born in 1980, I played all the big titles: From Wolfenstein, Doom, Solider of Fortune, to whatever latest titles are out (I can't remember what all the Call of Duty flavors are called, but you get the idea). Hell, I even designed Doom and Half-Life levels based on my old high school (shit, don't tell anyone or they'll come after me next!!!)
At some point in my 20s, I joined the Marines for 4 years, so I know how to use a rifle.
Neither before nor after my service have i EVER had violent tendencies that made me go on a shooting spree. I deal with stress every day (Hello IT, working for an international liquor company that needs to be up 24/7) yet I still score normal blood pressure numbers.
I just don't get this obsession. There are always a few nuts. The rest of us are fairly well-adjusted.
You're right. The words "cheap" and "Chinese" are sort of red flags that maybe you won't find such nice USB headers and will have power distribution problems or noise on the audio ports or heat issues or bad liquid capacitors or any variety of cheap hardware problems.
While you're technically correct today - on the other hand, a $50 dual core computer on a stick isn't a bad value proposition. Would you really want to put a $200 usb-sized computer through the wash by accident? Or take it travelling and have it filled with sand?
Also, I'm old enough to remember when "made in japan" was synonymous with the same sorts of quality issues that "made in china" represents today. Now, half my tech items are over-priced and underpowered sony products.
He's being sarcastic. Raspberry Pi had all the hardware problems he referred to.
Simple - even though he doesn't say so in so few words and has written essays on it, it essentially boils down to 'My way or the highway'.
That is how leaders are supposed to be. They are not there to coddle you, they are there to pursue and inner vision with complete integrity to that vision. You raise them up when the world needs them and you diminish their influence when it doesn't. What you don't do is expect them to sacrifice their integrity. If they do that, they're not leaders, they're just the guy who happens to be in front.
There seem to be a rash of these Mac-like OSes these days (including the hilarious Windows 8) - I don't quite understand the appeal.
That's because you (like most of us here) learned about computers using devices with separate keyboard, mouse and screen. We are currently at the tipping point where more youth learn about computers through devices with only a touchscreen (phones, tablets) and have never used a laptop.
That tipping point is driving interfaces that cater to the touchscreen user experience, even though those interfaces don't allow for as much interaction as UIs driven by the keyboard/mouse/screen user experience.
Your statement is not that far removed from "Most youth learned about computers through devices with only a gamepad. It's true, but it doesn't mean much. The thing that makes what we call a "computer" a "computer" is that it's general purpose, and designed to empower creative work. Barring radical developments, tablets and phones are not going to displace the traditional computer any more than game consoles did.
Does the Serval Project factor into your plans for Ubuntu in the mobile space, and if so, how?
BTW, thanks for funding it. I've been following the project for quite some time, and the strides that have been made in a short time are nothing short of amazing. I've got some crazy ideas about how I might leverage it to build decentralized voting systems, and may be offering you a new way to put that money of yours to good use if things go well.
Ad makers should actually ask themselves - why have we created a need for ad blocking software? When they have the answer and acted upon it then the ad blocking software is no longer needed.
You may as well ask gun makers why they created a need for bullet proof glass. If you think they're going to modify their guns so they won't hurt you, you're out of your mind.
Advertisers don't want you to make an informed decision as to what you should do. They want you to skip the decision and skip thinking about what you SHOULD do, and instead simply do whatever the client that paid them this week wants you to do. Advertisers hurt people the same way gun manufacturers hurt people, and neither group is interested in appeals to their compassion or to the common good.
There is simply no defense for what they do. They're worse than muggers. If they can, muggers will simply take your wallet and leave. Advertisers take your sanity as well.
When I hear people talk about how advertising supports the free internet, all I hear is "Leave that mugger alone and let him do his thing, he's supporting my favorite website with the kitties on it."
What's so surprising is that the current crop of intelligent people have actually succumbed to the bullies by the inferiority complex sufferers.
I too, and many like me in my generation, and those before me, had gone through the gauntlet of taunts and shovings and beatings, just because we think differently.
Those that bullied us bullied us because they felt inferior. They INSTINCTIVELY KNEW that they are inferior, but their ego just won't that happened.
It's their internal struggles - ego versus instinct - that promoted some of them to act out in violence.
As I said, I too got beaten up just because I ain't one of them, but so what?
Why should I hide my own self just because someone else don't like who I am?
Hey, I am born into this world not because I am destined to follow dumbasses. I am born into this world to do what I must do - that is, to be myself.
Yes, I got beaten up, but that didn't affect my determination to be my own self, not even a bit.
I hold my head high because I know that I am not guilty of anything. The guilty party is THEM, not me.
You got beat up because you're selfish and inconsiderate. That makes you inferior, not superior. I expect you sacrificed large aspects of the human experience in your efforts to forge yourself into a useful tool for others to use, and tell yourself constantly that your usefulness makes you better than others who didn't decide to sacrifice themselves in that way, but it doesn't. I get it because I used to be just like you, before I learned humility.
Sure, he's a jerk. But he cant really hold something he owns hostage.
There's no utility in "owning" a listing in a public directory for an organization that you're not a part of beyond misrepresenting yourself and deceiving the public. If the existing rules don't recognize that, that doesn't that we need to distort reality and pretend that what he's doing is perfectly right and good, it means that means the rules need to be fixed.
Well, it's all about the trade. Personally, I think trading for profit is evil, period. We have to make compromises because we're weak. But it's never wise to do business with someone who sells things that he didn't make. They're parasites.
People just don't seem to get that when you see a sharp horse trader who is the richest man in town, you know he's going to screw you in any business dealings you have with him because that's how he got to be the richest man in town. So, when he tells you "I refuse to do business with you", the correct response is "Thank you".
the value of New Zealand's currency has doubled, hurting exports and making it more expensive for tourists. Some 15 percent of the offices in Wellington's business district are empty.
Maybe they should quit trying to structure their society into an amusement park and rely on others to handle the practical concerns that keep them alive, and instead take a hint from the likes of, say, North Korea, who actually face the problems that life puts in front of them and address them with their own hands instead of passing the buck to someone else like a little bitch.
It means in the real world, there are scheming lying sneaky manipulators causing stupid people to behave in self destructive ways, and it regularly becomes necessary for the human race to purge them when they get out of hand. It's an entirely predictable response to such behavior, which makes it deserved by the recipients.
"What would Hitler be if nobody went along? A Charlie Chaplin stunt double, at best." Yep. Proof that when the people get sick of being manipulated, just about any yahoo willing to say "Lets get those fuckers" will do the trick...
I'm so glad you're in the minority. Misleading a person into a false understanding of reality causes them real harm. It damages their ability to behave in a fashion that is sane and wise. That's why it's central to warfare, for fucks sakes.
A man who lies to a million people has caused far more harm than any serial killer or rapist, and the punishment should be that much harsher.
It doesn't matter if I am "enlightened" and see through the lies, because I'm at risk of a million misinformed men and women destroying everything I value. So, I say, KILL THE LIARS.
Christians believe their god is the same god as the Jews, but the Jews believe their prophet was a heretic. Muslims believe their god is the same god as the Jews and the Christians, but the Jews and the Christians believe their prophet was a heretic. Bahai believe their god is the same god as the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims, but the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims believe their god is a heretic.
The first three systems have proven that they grant an evolutionary advantage to their adherents, which makes them all wise. The last one needs to be tested a little longer. All of them are flawed undersandings of the universe, which is understandable, because the universe is big and the human mind is tiny.
If you can't grant them what respect they've proven themselves to deserve, you really have nothing to offer on the subject.
Nope, free will, and all that. All you have to do is turn your back, or, if you prefer, you can make up lies about your tormentor. But you have no right to physically obstruct his speech in any way, except maybe over the decibel level. Those who actually act in bad faith are the only guilty party.
I'm not from the Philipines... is Truth an ironclad defense against libel there? Is demonstrable falsehood necessary to establish a conviction?
Libel means different things in different places... but, if statements of opinion are protected, demonstrable truth is an ironclad defense and demonstrable falsehood of statements presented as fact lead to a conviction, then there's no issue that I can see.
I've seen quite a lot in the news these days about "anti-bullying" legislation. Anti-bullying legislation that doesn't allow demonstration of truth to be an ironclad defense seems functionally identical to the worst possible interpretation of libel in the worst possible jurisdiction...
Slashdot Mirror
That means any "cloud" office is completely out of the question.
I know the perfect theme song for this product.
Turnaround, off the Onwards Through the Fog album.
Why does everyone feel the need to pretend that George Lucas didn't go looking at foreigners for inspiration for his bad guys? It's so painfully obvious that he did. Everything these people are saying is true... the only question is, should it be taken seriously, and if so, how seriously. Saying, "Yeah, so what?" is one thing, saying "It didn't happen." just makes you look like an idiot.
Oi! Oi! Oi!
I only had temporary residency, but I lived there for years... my kid was born there, actually. I saw what he was talking about with the whole "wanting to be like America" thing. I mostly saw it in the rhetoric used by the folks who wanted Australia to change from a constitutional monarchy to a republic, which was pretty commonplace when I was there.
As a Canadian, I like the connection we have to Australia through being in the Commonwealth, and never saw why so many of you guys got bent out of shape over what is really just a figurehead...
i really REALLY don't get this obsession with linking violent video games to violent behavior. Take yours truly:
Born in 1980, I played all the big titles: From Wolfenstein, Doom, Solider of Fortune, to whatever latest titles are out (I can't remember what all the Call of Duty flavors are called, but you get the idea). Hell, I even designed Doom and Half-Life levels based on my old high school (shit, don't tell anyone or they'll come after me next!!!)
At some point in my 20s, I joined the Marines for 4 years, so I know how to use a rifle.
Neither before nor after my service have i EVER had violent tendencies that made me go on a shooting spree. I deal with stress every day (Hello IT, working for an international liquor company that needs to be up 24/7) yet I still score normal blood pressure numbers.
I just don't get this obsession. There are always a few nuts. The rest of us are fairly well-adjusted.
Stupid media. Stupid fear-mongering. Stupid people.
done ranting now.
S/F
You became a professional soldier but you don't see that as an expression of your violent tendencies?
Step back from yourself for a moment and think about that.
You're right. The words "cheap" and "Chinese" are sort of red flags that maybe you won't find such nice USB headers and will have power distribution problems or noise on the audio ports or heat issues or bad liquid capacitors or any variety of cheap hardware problems.
While you're technically correct today - on the other hand, a $50 dual core computer on a stick isn't a bad value proposition. Would you really want to put a $200 usb-sized computer through the wash by accident? Or take it travelling and have it filled with sand?
Also, I'm old enough to remember when "made in japan" was synonymous with the same sorts of quality issues that "made in china" represents today. Now, half my tech items are over-priced and underpowered sony products.
He's being sarcastic. Raspberry Pi had all the hardware problems he referred to.
Simple - even though he doesn't say so in so few words and has written essays on it, it essentially boils down to 'My way or the highway'.
That is how leaders are supposed to be. They are not there to coddle you, they are there to pursue and inner vision with complete integrity to that vision. You raise them up when the world needs them and you diminish their influence when it doesn't. What you don't do is expect them to sacrifice their integrity. If they do that, they're not leaders, they're just the guy who happens to be in front.
There seem to be a rash of these Mac-like OSes these days (including the hilarious Windows 8) - I don't quite understand the appeal.
That's because you (like most of us here) learned about computers using devices with separate keyboard, mouse and screen. We are currently at the tipping point where more youth learn about computers through devices with only a touchscreen (phones, tablets) and have never used a laptop.
That tipping point is driving interfaces that cater to the touchscreen user experience, even though those interfaces don't allow for as much interaction as UIs driven by the keyboard/mouse/screen user experience.
Your statement is not that far removed from "Most youth learned about computers through devices with only a gamepad. It's true, but it doesn't mean much. The thing that makes what we call a "computer" a "computer" is that it's general purpose, and designed to empower creative work. Barring radical developments, tablets and phones are not going to displace the traditional computer any more than game consoles did.
This law is unreasonable, but it's still hard to have sympathy for the largest for-hire propaganda organization on earth...
Does the Serval Project factor into your plans for Ubuntu in the mobile space, and if so, how?
BTW, thanks for funding it. I've been following the project for quite some time, and the strides that have been made in a short time are nothing short of amazing. I've got some crazy ideas about how I might leverage it to build decentralized voting systems, and may be offering you a new way to put that money of yours to good use if things go well.
Ad makers should actually ask themselves - why have we created a need for ad blocking software? When they have the answer and acted upon it then the ad blocking software is no longer needed.
You may as well ask gun makers why they created a need for bullet proof glass. If you think they're going to modify their guns so they won't hurt you, you're out of your mind.
Advertisers don't want you to make an informed decision as to what you should do. They want you to skip the decision and skip thinking about what you SHOULD do, and instead simply do whatever the client that paid them this week wants you to do. Advertisers hurt people the same way gun manufacturers hurt people, and neither group is interested in appeals to their compassion or to the common good.
There is simply no defense for what they do. They're worse than muggers. If they can, muggers will simply take your wallet and leave. Advertisers take your sanity as well.
When I hear people talk about how advertising supports the free internet, all I hear is "Leave that mugger alone and let him do his thing, he's supporting my favorite website with the kitties on it."
What's so surprising is that the current crop of intelligent people have actually succumbed to the bullies by the inferiority complex sufferers.
I too, and many like me in my generation, and those before me, had gone through the gauntlet of taunts and shovings and beatings, just because we think differently.
Those that bullied us bullied us because they felt inferior. They INSTINCTIVELY KNEW that they are inferior, but their ego just won't that happened.
It's their internal struggles - ego versus instinct - that promoted some of them to act out in violence.
As I said, I too got beaten up just because I ain't one of them, but so what?
Why should I hide my own self just because someone else don't like who I am?
Hey, I am born into this world not because I am destined to follow dumbasses. I am born into this world to do what I must do - that is, to be myself.
Yes, I got beaten up, but that didn't affect my determination to be my own self, not even a bit.
I hold my head high because I know that I am not guilty of anything. The guilty party is THEM, not me.
You got beat up because you're selfish and inconsiderate. That makes you inferior, not superior. I expect you sacrificed large aspects of the human experience in your efforts to forge yourself into a useful tool for others to use, and tell yourself constantly that your usefulness makes you better than others who didn't decide to sacrifice themselves in that way, but it doesn't. I get it because I used to be just like you, before I learned humility.
Sure, he's a jerk. But he cant really hold something he owns hostage.
There's no utility in "owning" a listing in a public directory for an organization that you're not a part of beyond misrepresenting yourself and deceiving the public. If the existing rules don't recognize that, that doesn't that we need to distort reality and pretend that what he's doing is perfectly right and good, it means that means the rules need to be fixed.
Well, it's all about the trade. Personally, I think trading for profit is evil, period. We have to make compromises because we're weak. But it's never wise to do business with someone who sells things that he didn't make. They're parasites.
Unless I am missing something, debt doesn't come from printing money.
Maybe the solution is to print 14 trillion, and then, when the books are settled, tax the banks for 14 trillion.
Video: "Money As Debt"
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5352106773770802849
Bank collapse is not a bad thing. Honestly they should have let the banks collapse here in the USA.
Yeah, it went pretty well for Iceland.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/08/top-economists-iceland-did-it-right-everyone-else-is-doing-it-wrong.html
People just don't seem to get that when you see a sharp horse trader who is the richest man in town, you know he's going to screw you in any business dealings you have with him because that's how he got to be the richest man in town. So, when he tells you "I refuse to do business with you", the correct response is "Thank you".
the value of New Zealand's currency has doubled, hurting exports and making it more expensive for tourists. Some 15 percent of the offices in Wellington's business district are empty.
Maybe they should quit trying to structure their society into an amusement park and rely on others to handle the practical concerns that keep them alive, and instead take a hint from the likes of, say, North Korea, who actually face the problems that life puts in front of them and address them with their own hands instead of passing the buck to someone else like a little bitch.
It means in the real world, there are scheming lying sneaky manipulators causing stupid people to behave in self destructive ways, and it regularly becomes necessary for the human race to purge them when they get out of hand. It's an entirely predictable response to such behavior, which makes it deserved by the recipients.
"What would Hitler be if nobody went along? A Charlie Chaplin stunt double, at best."
Yep. Proof that when the people get sick of being manipulated, just about any yahoo willing to say "Lets get those fuckers" will do the trick...
Where the hell is Hitler when you need him?
I'm so glad you're in the minority. Misleading a person into a false understanding of reality causes them real harm. It damages their ability to behave in a fashion that is sane and wise. That's why it's central to warfare, for fucks sakes.
A man who lies to a million people has caused far more harm than any serial killer or rapist, and the punishment should be that much harsher.
It doesn't matter if I am "enlightened" and see through the lies, because I'm at risk of a million misinformed men and women destroying everything I value. So, I say, KILL THE LIARS.
Christians believe their god is the same god as the Jews, but the Jews believe their prophet was a heretic. Muslims believe their god is the same god as the Jews and the Christians, but the Jews and the Christians believe their prophet was a heretic. Bahai believe their god is the same god as the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims, but the Jews and the Christians and the Muslims believe their god is a heretic.
The first three systems have proven that they grant an evolutionary advantage to their adherents, which makes them all wise. The last one needs to be tested a little longer. All of them are flawed undersandings of the universe, which is understandable, because the universe is big and the human mind is tiny.
If you can't grant them what respect they've proven themselves to deserve, you really have nothing to offer on the subject.
You must be good at doublethink to take a position like that with a sig like yours.
Nope, free will, and all that. All you have to do is turn your back, or, if you prefer, you can make up lies about your tormentor. But you have no right to physically obstruct his speech in any way, except maybe over the decibel level. Those who actually act in bad faith are the only guilty party.
Well, not according to these laws :)
I'm not from the Philipines... is Truth an ironclad defense against libel there? Is demonstrable falsehood necessary to establish a conviction?
Libel means different things in different places... but, if statements of opinion are protected, demonstrable truth is an ironclad defense and demonstrable falsehood of statements presented as fact lead to a conviction, then there's no issue that I can see.
I've seen quite a lot in the news these days about "anti-bullying" legislation. Anti-bullying legislation that doesn't allow demonstration of truth to be an ironclad defense seems functionally identical to the worst possible interpretation of libel in the worst possible jurisdiction...
Well, when I can...