Hey it started way before MySpace. Every generation has had its dumbing down influence: Rock 'N Roll in the 50's, Drugs in 60's, Disco and more Drugs in the 70's, Video Games in the 80's..
So he likes to tape himself, big deal! As a former prostitute, he probably has a lot of experience with a handicam. And he was kind of a member of the White House press corps, so he was sort of involved in video tapings. I mean... wait, sorry, wrong Gannon!
That's the whole point of having a gun. The fact that it exists, as a deterrent, generally reduces the need to actually shoot it.
Hey, the Cold War is over, pal! Seriously, this is not at all true in the inner city -- for instance, in Boston, kids on both sides have guns and are shooting the hell out of each other this year.
In areas where right-to-carry is present, violent crimes go down. In areas (or whole countries) where guns are banned, violent crimes go way up. It's not a coincidence.
Got any (objective) stats to back this up? I've seen much that contradicts it. At a pinch, here is 90's data just on handgun deaths:
Whatever small value guns may have as a deterrent in some locales (I'm guessing you live in a more rural area?) is far outweighed by their mere availability. The US has the most lax gun control among first world nations, and we have the highest per-capita gun violence.
This is a very interesting and worthwhile experiment, but this bit:
The curiosity system, or 'metabrain,' continually forced the AIBOs to look for new and more challenging tasks, and to give up on activities that did not appear to lead anywhere.
worries me. The researchers have created a simulacrum of evolution, and it obviously works, but it's still not evolution. That is, they have provided an external system that requires change, but that system is tainted with the team's own ideas of what is "new and more challenging", rather than survival and reproduction (presumably). So it's a cool experiment, but if the goal is to better understand how our language developed, there is a flaw.
This is a good point. IMO, we never should have granted the monopoly in the first place, at least not without the promise of net neutrality and other concessions to make sure the companies involved wouldn't screw consumers later.
It's the same with the airwaves. It's galling that the major networks charge political candidates for airtime, for instance. We let these frequencies go at a (relative) song to get a new market going, and this is the price we pay.
It would be nice if the airwaves and fiber worked like I-95 -- owned and maintained by the gubmint, or regulated like a utility (used to be). But would we have the same innovation in that case?
As others have pointed out, Microsoft can easily afford to lose a few bucks on the console -- game sales and, more importantly, securing a foothold in the living room will make up for it.
Happily, GamerDad's free blog is priced perfectly for the value of the analysis contained therein.
Their well-funded lobbying last month won them the attentions of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who... helped pass an amendment designed to kill the project altogether.
Why's that Don? Are you going to help us build a 35-mile bridge from Hyannis to Nantucket instead?
if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant and sometimes refuse them.
I like the quote (and the author), but if God is also understood to be infinitely good and powerful, as I believe is customary, this line of reasoning runs into problems.
It's really, what can theaters do and make a profit? A lot of posts here say that theaters need to improve the movie viewing experience, AND they need to lower the cost to us. It's easy for us to make dreamy wishlists, like admission for $2, no ads, and popcorn for a buck. That'll fill theaters all right -- for a few months until total bankruptcy.
There are some films (e.g. King Kong) that I'll always prefer to see in a theater, even if the DVD were to come out the same day. And others that I'll settle for the DVD. If theater owners can make some changes to what they have now, the proportion will shift towards the former.
Of course, the danger is that such a formula (further) drives the studios to make nothing but CGI films with loud noises.
What? In college, you watch TV (with ads), surf the web (ditto), see movies (with product placements), play games (ditto), and listen to music (some of which succeeds by rhyming with brand names). In college, all you DO is consume media -- while wasted, I might add, all the better to receive the ads uncritically.
It's true that cellphones and other crap have been taking over, but I had an experience in an RS store the other day that had given me hope.
There were 3 or 4 RS employees -- in matching blue jacket and tie -- having a conversation near the counter. As I browsed for an audio cable adapter, I swear I overheard one of them say, "Sure, that was true for Marconi, but not for Tesla".
I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Maybe they were space aliens?
It now looks as though the Milky Way is the biggest galaxy in the local Universe, bigger even than Andromeda. It was thought until just a few months ago that it was the other way around.
Anyone want to bet that this measurement will end up being observer-dependent in some way, i.e. everyone will think theirs is the biggest?
> The right to bear arms is to protect your sovereign, unalienable rights (not, as implied disingenuously in the Second Amendment, to field a militia).
How does one "imply disingenuously"? I would say it "states" militia, and the Amendment is open to wide (unfortunately) interpretation.
> The right to keep arms is the right to rebel.
Such a "right" exists outside a system of government. If a system contained this kind of right, it would permit dissent, not rebellion -- and thus preserve the system.
... boyfriend IMs her a retail store link... She's also postering for the next Buzz-Oven concert... and she's updating her own blog... The TV is set to TBS... she listen[s] to iTunes over her computer speakers. Simultaneously, she's chatting with dorm mate Carrie...
This is college?! Man, we need to get these kids some drugs... STAT! What ever happened to sloth and lethargy? I want those jaws slack! Pupils dilated! I want a stack of dishes this high. I want to see BEDSORES people!
As for the latter, here is an excellent definition that is neither serious nor modern (I just read it in Don Quixote): To do that thing which no one can do for you.
But the BOINC screensaver could not be more hideous. I installed the new client the other month, but could not figure out how to get the old SETI screensaver back. Searched the boards too. Anyone know a way?
Arguably, much of our current understanding of biology and bioscience... and many things that may surprise you are due to a fundamental understanding of biology. Try future developments in body armor, engineering, acoustics, propulsion and search algorithms on for size.
Good point. Surely many supporters of ID/creationism are consumers of advanced medicine, investors in pharma companies, and users of high tech devices. They will be in for quite a shock in 10 or 20 years if American science education continues to decline, and outsourcing goes from white collar to white coat.
The really scary thing is that this is the same position described by Naipul in his book
Among the Believers. People he met ostensibly rejected the West and many of its ideas, but they took the products of Western science and technology as a given, as though it existed independently of the society that created it.
> will cause a rat to become reckless and unafraid of cat smells... so that it will likely be killed, infect the cat responsible and carry on the cycle...
Or it will torment the cat using various tricks, tripwires, and other items. In rare cases, it will even involve other members of its genus (i.e. "country cousins"). Cf. "Anvils and ironing boards in the rodent-cat dialectic", authors Tom and Jerry.
In rare cases, the cat becomes immune to death, so that the rodent can torture it indefinitely (e.g. "Amateur surgery at Mouse Hospital" by Dr. Itchy).
From the current list:
"2. It's best to do one thing really, really well."
Yes, they are really good at se-gmail_desktop_im_voip_froogle-arching, all right.
Burp.
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Nice one, only two more laws to go. Well, and sentience.
Well, Max Fomitchev won't be getting many dates with that picture.
So he likes to tape himself, big deal! As a former prostitute, he probably has a lot of experience with a handicam. And he was kind of a member of the White House press corps, so he was sort of involved in video tapings. I mean ... wait, sorry, wrong Gannon!
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/27/2/214 .pdf
Whatever small value guns may have as a deterrent in some locales (I'm guessing you live in a more rural area?) is far outweighed by their mere availability. The US has the most lax gun control among first world nations, and we have the highest per-capita gun violence.
It's the same with the airwaves. It's galling that the major networks charge political candidates for airtime, for instance. We let these frequencies go at a (relative) song to get a new market going, and this is the price we pay.
It would be nice if the airwaves and fiber worked like I-95 -- owned and maintained by the gubmint, or regulated like a utility (used to be). But would we have the same innovation in that case?
Maybe shorter leases (leashes!) are the answer?
[Homer voice] Mmmm, bluky [/Homer voice]
Happily, GamerDad's free blog is priced perfectly for the value of the analysis contained therein.
Why's that Don? Are you going to help us build a 35-mile bridge from Hyannis to Nantucket instead?
There are some films (e.g. King Kong) that I'll always prefer to see in a theater, even if the DVD were to come out the same day. And others that I'll settle for the DVD. If theater owners can make some changes to what they have now, the proportion will shift towards the former.
Of course, the danger is that such a formula (further) drives the studios to make nothing but CGI films with loud noises.
You, my friend, are the marketer's wet dream!
There were 3 or 4 RS employees -- in matching blue jacket and tie -- having a conversation near the counter. As I browsed for an audio cable adapter, I swear I overheard one of them say, "Sure, that was true for Marconi, but not for Tesla".
I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Maybe they were space aliens?
Still, a charming anecdote ;-)
How does one "imply disingenuously"? I would say it "states" militia, and the Amendment is open to wide (unfortunately) interpretation.
> The right to keep arms is the right to rebel. Such a "right" exists outside a system of government. If a system contained this kind of right, it would permit dissent, not rebellion -- and thus preserve the system.
This is college?! Man, we need to get these kids some drugs ... STAT! What ever happened to sloth and lethargy? I want those jaws slack! Pupils dilated! I want a stack of dishes this high. I want to see BEDSORES people!
As for the latter, here is an excellent definition that is neither serious nor modern (I just read it in Don Quixote): To do that thing which no one can do for you.
But the BOINC screensaver could not be more hideous. I installed the new client the other month, but could not figure out how to get the old SETI screensaver back. Searched the boards too. Anyone know a way?
The really scary thing is that this is the same position described by Naipul in his book Among the Believers. People he met ostensibly rejected the West and many of its ideas, but they took the products of Western science and technology as a given, as though it existed independently of the society that created it.
Sorry, boogiemen cannot ever be stopped. In fact, I predict they will boogie all night long.
Or it will torment the cat using various tricks, tripwires, and other items. In rare cases, it will even involve other members of its genus (i.e. "country cousins"). Cf. "Anvils and ironing boards in the rodent-cat dialectic", authors Tom and Jerry.
In rare cases, the cat becomes immune to death, so that the rodent can torture it indefinitely (e.g. "Amateur surgery at Mouse Hospital" by Dr. Itchy).
From the current list: "2. It's best to do one thing really, really well." Yes, they are really good at se-gmail_desktop_im_voip_froogle-arching, all right. Burp.