As another poster commented, that is the real beauty of humor. As you stated, you had thought of certain jokes to make and they WERE funny. Humor is the opening door to conversation. Once you had a chance to look at the situation more closely, the humor no longer applied.
Sure a lot of the politicians fall victim to the same greed and malice regardless of political party. But both parties aren't the same and the reason is who is their constituents.
When half of the Republican Congress gets hauled off to jail, evidenced by regular indictments and scandals, Conservative voters are happy to shout, "hey, the other side does it too."
When a Democratic member of Congress is found to engage in criminal behavior, their base is shouting with the rest to have them put in prison.
So yes, corruption happens. The question is whether or not you then hold that politician accountable, or say everyone does it, thereby excusing it.
But it just so happens that Iran is *in fact* on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Really? Is this based on *facts* given to you by the American media and Executive that said that Iraq was *in fact* also on the verge of developing nuclear weapons? I find Bush's rogue administration much more worrying as they are *in fact* planning an attack on Iran and doing everything in their power to encourage detestable warmongers such as yourself to support such action.
Who ever drops the next nuke bomb, it signals the end of the human race. Take a deep breath and think for one second. Nuclear weapons are a fact of life that we have sadly been forced to come to terms with. But we can and do live with them, and fantastic, end-of-the-world talk like that is ridiculous at face value.
Peak Oil is a nonsense theory, and deserves to be exposed for what it is. There've been dozens of predictions since Hubbert, and not a one has been correct.
Peak Oil simply states that there is a point at which demand will outstrip supply resulting in drastic increases and rapid fluctuations in price. You can argue whether that point has been reached, but to deny that such a point in time exists is "nonsense". That is, unless the demand for energy from oil is replaced by some other source of energy.
"Well of course there is more, that's what more means."
I think this sounds like a great new tool for enhansing television as a learning tool. Shows like NOW are often telling viewers to log onto the website for additional information. Wouldn't it be nice to simply have the computer pull that info up for you as you watch the program? This could be top down or bottom up, with tv shows creating web pages to be loaded, or a wiki style approach where the viewers themselves suggested links(this would of course be difficult during first broadcasts).
What's more, from a commercial standpoint, this doesn't have to be directly related to the program at all. Certain inaudable (to the viewer) clips could be inserted into all kinds of programming to trigger a specific function from the computer. Certainly there are privacy ramifications to this, but I think google is doing the right thing by using their creative staff to push the boundary and experiment on projects such as this. YMMV.
It's unfortunate but if you choose to negotiate with kidnappers (and thereby encourage more kidnapping) and further don't tell someone who's subject to daily suicide car bombs that you're going to be speeding down a road that is infamous for daily suicide car bombs, is it any surprise this happened?
To your claims that the car that was fired upon was speeding down the road, and other posters views that the shooting was justified, I would point you to Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman interviewing Giuliana Sgrena the reporter inside the car.
That is retarded. Anyone that thinks they are sticking it to the man by going into jail does not know how our system works. Push as far as you can as long as you can and no farther.
I know everyone loves to joke on the former Iraqi Information Minister, but am I the only one that is reminded of Rumsfeld and the rest saying 'there is no organized gorilla resistance in Iraq'?
The U.S. Press is not on the level of China (yet), you are very mistaken if you believe that we have a free press in the true sense. Look for stories about voting irregularities in the 2004 presidential election, war protest, or potentialy disastrous results of our current fiscal policy on the large media outlets like FOX. Also, check out:
You are missing an important point in the functioning of the music industry. Music is sold like any other product. Industries that sell to large markets benefit from a homogenous base. That is, since the market is limited, the industry benefits from everyone liking the same things. It is much more difficult to manage and sell 1000 bands than it is to manage and sell 10. And now everyone's favorite:
All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what HAS the Government done for US?
Actually you are missing the point with the easier!=illegal statement. IANAL, but I do understand that laws are created to be used to control actions and not necessarily to conform to strict moral and theological rules. Therefore, when something that the government does not want done becomes easier/more profitable greater restrictions and penalties are required to exact the same balance that existed before this change occured.
is whether or not I would get a refund if they found that I had overpayed. It seems that these kinds of programs only work to penalize taxpayers and do not work to the opposite, but equally legitimate purpose.
It seems to me that this is the perfect opportunity to save a few of our taxpaying bucks and contract with a gaming company that has an existing game. Pay the coders to add a the necessary training features and you have saved a bunch of redundant work. Don't reinvent the wheel guys!
I think that you and many others are missing the very useful nature of having a camera on a device that you would commonly have with you. Noone is seriously going to use these things to take wedding pictures, but if you are out at a bar and see something that you want to remember tommorrow morning you have a camera with you. How often do you carry your nikkon with you?
I think the bit about voice recognition that everyone is up in a storm about is a red herring. The real improvement to searching is context improvement. The computer needs to be aware of its environment and be able to make accurate assumptions as to what it is that your 'really' want when you are entering a search query. Things like the time of day, recent events, new stories... Being able to coalate that information into your search would be invaluable.
"Why should the government impose any limits at all on advertising?"
Why? For the same reason that most governments put restrictions on drugs and other abuse prone substances. Because the free market principle of reasonable decisions being made as a result of equal access to truthful information is a fantasy. Because, modern advertising has reached a level of sofistication that bypasses a great deal of rational thought. And because governments have an obligation to protect the rights and freedoms (both physical and intellectual) of its citizens.
"The US government has an effectively miniscule power to censor"
The problem here is not government censorship. First, as another poster pointed out, these stories have been underreported, not censored. Second, in this case, it is media conglomerates who's interests are in conflict with accurate and representative reporting, not government's. Ideologies and interests go beyond the scope of 'big bad government' or 'evil corporations'.
Then perhaps you haven't seen the reaction that a majority of Americans still believe that Private Lynch's "rescue" is one of the defining moments in the war in Iraq and her book and interview deals have gone for millions of dollars. So yes, in the U.S., this story was not only under-reported, it was falsely reported.
I just fired up the blog that I had nearly forgotten about after reading this article. Blogger has a banner at the top of the screen and I was amazed to see it was a (mostly) empty, white bar with the subtext "This blank space brought to you by Google." I love u google!
I saw a post relating to that question the other day. The submitter stated that should the minor be unable to pay the debt is transferred to the parents ( or other legal guardians i assume ). I was somewhat doubtful of this, but cannot disprove it. Maybe some of the IANAL's out there could speak up:)
Slashdot Mirror
As another poster commented, that is the real beauty of humor. As you stated, you had thought of certain jokes to make and they WERE funny. Humor is the opening door to conversation. Once you had a chance to look at the situation more closely, the humor no longer applied.
My 2c,
Sure a lot of the politicians fall victim to the same greed and malice regardless of political party. But both parties aren't the same and the reason is who is their constituents.
When half of the Republican Congress gets hauled off to jail, evidenced by regular indictments and scandals, Conservative voters are happy to shout, "hey, the other side does it too."
When a Democratic member of Congress is found to engage in criminal behavior, their base is shouting with the rest to have them put in prison.
So yes, corruption happens. The question is whether or not you then hold that politician accountable, or say everyone does it, thereby excusing it.
Peak Oil simply states that there is a point at which demand will outstrip supply resulting in drastic increases and rapid fluctuations in price. You can argue whether that point has been reached, but to deny that such a point in time exists is "nonsense". That is, unless the demand for energy from oil is replaced by some other source of energy.
"Well of course there is more, that's what more means."
What's more, from a commercial standpoint, this doesn't have to be directly related to the program at all. Certain inaudable (to the viewer) clips could be inserted into all kinds of programming to trigger a specific function from the computer. Certainly there are privacy ramifications to this, but I think google is doing the right thing by using their creative staff to push the boundary and experiment on projects such as this. YMMV.
Democracy Now!
According to Giuliana, they were not driving fast and the U.S. military had been informed of their presence.
That is retarded. Anyone that thinks they are sticking it to the man by going into jail does not know how our system works. Push as far as you can as long as you can and no farther.
I know everyone loves to joke on the former Iraqi Information Minister, but am I the only one that is reminded of Rumsfeld and the rest saying 'there is no organized gorilla resistance in Iraq'?
The U.S. Press is not on the level of China (yet), you are very mistaken if you believe that we have a free press in the true sense. Look for stories about voting irregularities in the 2004 presidential election, war protest, or potentialy disastrous results of our current fiscal policy on the large media outlets like FOX. Also, check out:
http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/
If the war on drugs has taught us anything, you don't go after the people selling the product, you go after the producers!
You are missing an important point in the functioning of the music industry. Music is sold like any other product. Industries that sell to large markets benefit from a homogenous base. That is, since the market is limited, the industry benefits from everyone liking the same things. It is much more difficult to manage and sell 1000 bands than it is to manage and sell 10. And now everyone's favorite:
1)Create demand for band x
2)...
3)Profit!
That is U.S. Government supercomputer.
The entire principal of universal sufferage in a democracy is the idea that everyone is in a position to judge.
All right ... all right ... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order ... what HAS the Government done for US?
Actually you are missing the point with the easier!=illegal statement. IANAL, but I do understand that laws are created to be used to control actions and not necessarily to conform to strict moral and theological rules. Therefore, when something that the government does not want done becomes easier/more profitable greater restrictions and penalties are required to exact the same balance that existed before this change occured.
As much as I hate demagogary, am I the only one that misses the Bill Gates 'Borg' icon for microsoft news?
is whether or not I would get a refund if they found that I had overpayed. It seems that these kinds of programs only work to penalize taxpayers and do not work to the opposite, but equally legitimate purpose.
It seems to me that this is the perfect opportunity to save a few of our taxpaying bucks and contract with a gaming company that has an existing game. Pay the coders to add a the necessary training features and you have saved a bunch of redundant work. Don't reinvent the wheel guys!
I think that you and many others are missing the very useful nature of having a camera on a device that you would commonly have with you. Noone is seriously going to use these things to take wedding pictures, but if you are out at a bar and see something that you want to remember tommorrow morning you have a camera with you. How often do you carry your nikkon with you?
I think the bit about voice recognition that everyone is up in a storm about is a red herring. The real improvement to searching is context improvement. The computer needs to be aware of its environment and be able to make accurate assumptions as to what it is that your 'really' want when you are entering a search query. Things like the time of day, recent events, new stories... Being able to coalate that information into your search would be invaluable.
"Why should the government impose any limits at all on advertising?"
Why? For the same reason that most governments put restrictions on drugs and other abuse prone substances. Because the free market principle of reasonable decisions being made as a result of equal access to truthful information is a fantasy. Because, modern advertising has reached a level of sofistication that bypasses a great deal of rational thought. And because governments have an obligation to protect the rights and freedoms (both physical and intellectual) of its citizens.
"The US government has an effectively miniscule power to censor"
The problem here is not government censorship. First, as another poster pointed out, these stories have been underreported, not censored. Second, in this case, it is media conglomerates who's interests are in conflict with accurate and representative reporting, not government's. Ideologies and interests go beyond the scope of 'big bad government' or 'evil corporations'.
Then perhaps you haven't seen the reaction that a majority of Americans still believe that Private Lynch's "rescue" is one of the defining moments in the war in Iraq and her book and interview deals have gone for millions of dollars. So yes, in the U.S., this story was not only under-reported, it was falsely reported.
I just fired up the blog that I had nearly forgotten about after reading this article. Blogger has a banner at the top of the screen and I was amazed to see it was a (mostly) empty, white bar with the subtext "This blank space brought to you by Google." I love u google!
I saw a post relating to that question the other day. The submitter stated that should the minor be unable to pay the debt is transferred to the parents ( or other legal guardians i assume ). I was somewhat doubtful of this, but cannot disprove it. Maybe some of the IANAL's out there could speak up :)