all those pictures of the president falling off of one were worth all the effort.
Would be even funnier to see the president run over by a fleet of Segways. But I guess will have to settle for the president's father vomiting on the prime minister of Japan.
My brother tells this story, about events shortly after I moved away from home.
Squirrels constantly got into the attic of Dad's two-story house.
The squirels entered via a hole in the attic near my brother's bedroom. He could hear everything -- skitter skitter of squirrels on the roof, then the sound of squirrels running across a small ledge, and then the rustle rustle of squirrels in the attic.
Dad tried blocking the entrance with chicken wire, etc. -- no good, the squirrels chewed through the metal.
Then he observed that the squirrels had to cross this small ledge to reach the hole. So he put an electrified grid across the ledge.
Next night, my brother heard the event:
Skitter skitter of squirrels crossing the roof.... SCREAM, SCREAM! of squirrels getting zapped... followed by the familiar rustle rustle of squirrels in the attic.
Rodents are persistent critters, eh?
Yeah, I know, this doesn't really pertain to birds and wind generators. But it made me laugh. (The screaming squirrel story, not the minced eagles.)
"It's cultural as much as anything else," said Thresher, who has a doctorate in marine biology. "There is a social stigma associated with carp because they are found in muddy conditions."
- from the article
Sounds familiar: there is a social stigma associated with geeks, and we too are often found in muddy conditions.
Fortunately, there is little need to introduce a male-only gene into geeks -- most of whom are males destined never to propagate their kind.
Maybe if game developers could dream up a genre other than fantasy, problems like this would be averted...
We wish, but it's not so. For every non-fantasy genre that game developers dream up, some other me-too company will crank out a copycat version of that genre.
Like with movies: Die Hard was a big success, so there's a rash of ripoffs -- "Die Hard in a Hockey Arena", "Die Hard on a Battleship", etc.
You could say similar things about the States. That aside, do you even know what communism is?
Or is this an attempt at humour?
Partly an attempt at humor; partly a reflection of The Gulag Archipelago, which I recently read.
I have no direct experience with communism, so I won't claim to know what it is, other than what I've read (which isn't much).
In regard to saying similar things about the States: similar, in the sense of scathing condemnation -- democracy in the US is a hollow shell, real power resides with a murderous cabal of spooks and criminals. But not similar, in the sense that the US does not "disappear" millions of innocents into labor camps. (Not yet, anyway. After the next election, maybe... if there is an election....)
There was a funny Australian movie called The Man Who Sued God [imdb.com]. It's quite funny and worth watching... you guys already basically nailed the plot.
... a "laser" is used to steal the original bits, and what is a "laser"? Why, it's light! I think the RIAA has a pretty good case here and it wouldn't be too shocking for them to announce an attack against the forces of light.
It's worse that that. This so-called "laser" is also used to burn stolen data onto CD-R discs... but the nature of binary data ("good vs. evil") requires that the "laser" to momentarily turns itself off, then back on again... in other words, data piracy requires a coordinated conspiracy between the forces of light and the forces of darkness.
For example, I keep getting spams for Circuit City stuff, they haven't learned from my 4+ year boycott of them that I don't want them to email me. We should be able to consider Circuit City to be an accomplice to the actual emailer, as they are the company that bought the "ad".
I agree with you about boycotting advertisers. But companies like Circuit City -- real companies selling real products and services to the American public, with established business presence, subject to law and boycott -- are the minority case.
Most of the spam I get is from God knows who, God knows where... fly-by-night storefronts, transient criminal enterprises in Nigeria or wherever, factories in China, etc. No leverage there -- nothing to boycott because I would never buy in the first place; and no law I can bring to bear.
"... I was about to file a story about Mandrake and OpenOffice being evaluated by the Major of Paris [paris-texas.com]."
The last thing this world needs is to confuse Texas with France... my God man, the clash of cuisine alone would be enough to spoil a strong gastronome's appetite....
Are there enough spammers in the United States to make it worth the bounty?
Not for long -- anti-spam bounties will drive the remaining US spammers offshore.
Maybe we should just keep the vile stuff here at home. I think Lyndon Baines Johnson put it well when he said "Better to have the skunk inside the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in.":)
But seriously -- no US bounty is going to affect non-US spammers. And if the bounty does actually hit US spammers where they live, expect international spammers to pick up the slack.
Slashdot Mirror
all those pictures of the president falling off of one were worth all the effort.
Would be even funnier to see the president run over by a fleet of Segways. But I guess will have to settle for the president's father vomiting on the prime minister of Japan.
-kgj
It's too soon to judge the "worst technology of 2003". Whatever it is, we'll find out later, when the side-effects have made themselves known.
Probably it's some bio-tech invention we haven't heard about, which is going to render us all sterile and hairless, several years from now.
-kgj
My brother tells this story, about events shortly after I moved away from home.
.... SCREAM, SCREAM! of squirrels getting zapped ... followed by the familiar rustle rustle of squirrels in the attic.
Squirrels constantly got into the attic of Dad's two-story house.
The squirels entered via a hole in the attic near my brother's bedroom. He could hear everything -- skitter skitter of squirrels on the roof, then the sound of squirrels running across a small ledge, and then the rustle rustle of squirrels in the attic.
Dad tried blocking the entrance with chicken wire, etc. -- no good, the squirrels chewed through the metal.
Then he observed that the squirrels had to cross this small ledge to reach the hole. So he put an electrified grid across the ledge.
Next night, my brother heard the event:
Skitter skitter of squirrels crossing the roof
Rodents are persistent critters, eh?
Yeah, I know, this doesn't really pertain to birds and wind generators. But it made me laugh. (The screaming squirrel story, not the minced eagles.)
-kgj
And half of the guys here are fags anyway, so there you go.
....
Mostly the half that strenuously deny it. But check out this post by Naomi the butterfly
------ female geek. oh, wait. I'm gay. D`oh!
... d`oh!
That's gonna make it difficult to pass on any "gay genes"
On the other hand, considering all the problems caused by heterosexual males, I gotta say: you go, girl!
-kgj
"It's cultural as much as anything else," said Thresher, who has a doctorate in marine biology. "There is a social stigma associated with carp because they are found in muddy conditions."
- from the article
Sounds familiar: there is a social stigma associated with geeks, and we too are often found in muddy conditions.
Fortunately, there is little need to introduce a male-only gene into geeks -- most of whom are males destined never to propagate their kind.
-kgj
Cool spook toys -- all very sexy.
But what about the assassination devices -- shellfish toxins, flechette umbrellas, that sort of thing?
What about MK-ULTRA -- the covert testing of hallucinogens on unsuspecting civilians?
What about CIA/Mafia alliances?
What about Operation Phoenix?
-kgj
Hi Doc -
I just want to say Thanks for the intelligent, articulate, and persevering posts. You rock.
-kgj
I'm starting to think that moderator points shouldn't be alloted unless you've passed a pop-culture test.
I recently passed a pop-culture test. Stank like hell, but I felt a lot better afterwards. Must have been something bad I ate the night before.
-kgj
Maybe if game developers could dream up a genre other than fantasy, problems like this would be averted...
We wish, but it's not so. For every non-fantasy genre that game developers dream up, some other me-too company will crank out a copycat version of that genre.
Like with movies: Die Hard was a big success, so there's a rash of ripoffs -- "Die Hard in a Hockey Arena", "Die Hard on a Battleship", etc.
-kgj
You could say similar things about the States. That aside, do you even know what communism is?
... if there is an election ....)
Or is this an attempt at humour?
Partly an attempt at humor; partly a reflection of The Gulag Archipelago, which I recently read.
I have no direct experience with communism, so I won't claim to know what it is, other than what I've read (which isn't much).
In regard to saying similar things about the States: similar, in the sense of scathing condemnation -- democracy in the US is a hollow shell, real power resides with a murderous cabal of spooks and criminals. But not similar, in the sense that the US does not "disappear" millions of innocents into labor camps. (Not yet, anyway. After the next election, maybe
-kgj
Perens and his cohorts are applying the rules of communist economics to this projects requirements.
In other words:
1. Set wildly unrealistic goals.
2. Compel large numbers of people to work toward said goals.
3. Lie about the results: goals will never be met, but always pretend they have been exceeded.
4. Arrest anyone who protests, and send them to the gulags.
5. Arrest those who know the truth, and send them to the gulags.
6. Arrest the original authors of the goals, and send them to the gulags.
7. Arrest some other people at random, and send them to the gulags. (Repeat as necessary.)
-kgj
Who's palm do I have to grease to get a decent article put on Slashdot?!?
....
That's not exactly how it works.
First, apply the grease to your own palm.
Then apply greased palm to a Slashdot editor
I'll not say more; I'm already making myself nauseous.
-kgj
There was a funny Australian movie called The Man Who Sued God [imdb.com]. It's quite funny and worth watching... you guys already basically nailed the plot.
....
Once again, life imitates art
-kgj
... a "laser" is used to steal the original bits, and what is a "laser"? Why, it's light! I think the RIAA has a pretty good case here and it wouldn't be too shocking for them to announce an attack against the forces of light.
... but the nature of binary data ("good vs. evil") requires that the "laser" to momentarily turns itself off, then back on again ... in other words, data piracy requires a coordinated conspiracy between the forces of light and the forces of darkness.
It's worse that that. This so-called "laser" is also used to burn stolen data onto CD-R discs
-kgj
Well, it appears the RIAA will have to focus on a different network layer: they'll start suing the cat-5 and fiber optic manufacturers.
Suing fiber optic manufacturers misses the point.
What does fiber optic cable transmit? Light. And who is responsible for light?
"And God said, Let there be light; and there was light (Genesis 1:3)."
-kgj
WTF does this mean? Can someone translate this to English?
... based on the management of abstract forms of wealth (rather than land ownership)."
The key phrase is this:
"A system of political authority
In other words: it's the Information Economy.
-kgj
After the initial encounter, the Texan food kills and disposes of the French food, prints out a copy of its own MSDS, and enjoys a job well done.
....
I see that we've broken into the same alternate universe
-kgj
For example, I keep getting spams for Circuit City stuff, they haven't learned from my 4+ year boycott of them that I don't want them to email me. We should be able to consider Circuit City to be an accomplice to the actual emailer, as they are the company that bought the "ad".
... fly-by-night storefronts, transient criminal enterprises in Nigeria or wherever, factories in China, etc. No leverage there -- nothing to boycott because I would never buy in the first place; and no law I can bring to bear.
I agree with you about boycotting advertisers. But companies like Circuit City -- real companies selling real products and services to the American public, with established business presence, subject to law and boycott -- are the minority case.
Most of the spam I get is from God knows who, God knows where
-kgj
There's only one real Austin, just as there's only one real Paris. Both are in Texas. ;)
The real Austin is an aging ex-astronaut.
-kgj
" ... I was about to file a story about Mandrake and OpenOffice being evaluated by the Major of Paris [paris-texas.com]."
... my God man, the clash of cuisine alone would be enough to spoil a strong gastronome's appetite ....
The last thing this world needs is to confuse Texas with France
-kgj
The subject line ought to read:
... home of Hormel Foods, maker of Spam.
"City Of Austin (Texas) Migrating To OpenOffice.org."
Otherwise there may be confusion with Austin, Minnesota
-kgj
It wasn't stoned hippies or drunken playboys who concocted the space shuttle.
... whoa, dude! Helluva ride, man!
Yeah, but if stoned hippies and drunken playboys had built a space shuttle
-kgj
Are there enough spammers in the United States to make it worth the bounty?
:)
Not for long -- anti-spam bounties will drive the remaining US spammers offshore.
Maybe we should just keep the vile stuff here at home. I think Lyndon Baines Johnson put it well when he said "Better to have the skunk inside the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in."
But seriously -- no US bounty is going to affect non-US spammers. And if the bounty does actually hit US spammers where they live, expect international spammers to pick up the slack.
"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."
-kgj
Darl is just peeing his pants in laughter right now, I bet.
I think not -- chances are, his pants are down around his ankles right now. Which means that he is, in fact, peeing on his secretary right now.
-kgj