Foale's suggestions for leaving the comfort zone ring true on several levels. We can't really explore space until we're ready to leave the Garden of Eden behind. So far, we're trying to take it with us -- everything must be 100% safe, from the toilets to the astronauts themselves. We're not going to get past the walls of the garden until there's a flaming sword -- until we must either push forward or die.
I don't neccesarily mean that there will have to be some sort of global catastrophe, just that there will be no real exploration until a group of humans blasts off from Earth with no prospects to return. Ideally, they would be volunteers, but I don't think they can be the perfect psychological and physical specimens we're used to sending into space.
Space simply won't be a "real" place until we have a real human presence, and that means the bad as well as the good. Expanding into the new world takes more than just tilling the land and never moving on. To extend the Eden analogy further: Man didn't really start his journey until Cain's jealousy reached its breaking point. I don't think that's a story of one guy who got mad at his brother -- it's an allegory about mankind's darker side, and how it's an integral part of our experience.
To take a more recent example: when the US lost a dozen-plus troops in Somalia, we left with our tail tucked between our legs. Same thing a few years earlier in Beirut, when a few hundred troops were killed. But now, after losing several thousand lives in 9/11, we're able to bear the loss of hundreds in Iraq and Afghanistan... instead of turning tail, we're actually debating the issue.
We won't reach space in any meaningful way until all of humanity is represented -- both good and bad. That's why we're just spinning our wheels at the moment, playing on the outskirts of Eden. It won't be until Cain shows up -- until someone walks out the airlock in despair, someone fights over resources or a mate, or until there's a war over some metal-rich asteroid -- that humans will truly be able to call themselves citizens of space.
Now that Dan Rather went out on a limb and got burned, nobody else is going to go out on a limb. That means that nobody is ever going to ask Mr. Bush where the WMD are, where Osama is, how many have to die, did you really do coke at Camp David, and why the hell aren't we doing anything about the Sudan, Iran, or North Korea?
I've made the point before (here and here) that that is exactly what was intended.
Karl Rove is a sneaky, underhanded devil, and darned proud of it. I think he's behind the whole forgery scam, and you don't have to be an Underpants Gnome to see the pattern:
1. Fax obvious forgery to CBS. The 24-hour news cycle ensures its publication.
2. Wait for right-wing bloggers to "expose" the forgery, and thereby discredit the "liberal media".
3. ???
4. ELECTION!
I'm afraid that Rove knows how to use the "blogosphere" (another ridiculous term with no reasonable synonym) to his advantage. It's second nature to him, really -- the book Bush's Brain documents how Rove used the old-school equivalent to get Baby Bush elected Governor in Texas. Back then, it was a matter of spreading whispers through the East Texas cafes and barber shops. Now, it's even easier.
The Mobile Connect, as the full name suggests, is a 3G data card [...] connect to the Internet over Vodafone?s growing 3G network. The card also supports GPRS [...] You?ll also find a user guide, a driver CD and the all important SIM card.
So, for us norteamericanos, the summary of this story is simple: Nothing to see here, folks, move along.
(But I guess we can still slobber. And they say Slashdot is too US-Centric!)
It will be a long time before Americans (myself included) will accept the commy international greens as anything other than what they are..
Oh, do tell! What are we? Here, trollie trollie trollie...
By the way, it's spelled "Commie". At first, I thought you were talking about Microsoft's COM objects.
The Green Party candidate, on the other hand...
on
Nader off Florida Ballot
·
· Score: 4, Informative
Interesting that Nader was trying to get on the Florida ballot as the Reform Party's candidate. Hopefully, this will remind folks that Ralph Nader is not the Green Party candidate for President in 2004!
That honor belongs to David Cobb, who is working to build the Green Party from the ground up. Contrast with Nader, who wanted to use the party's (still limited) ballot access to prove a point.
http://www.votecobb.org/news/camden "Cobb said he is asking people to vote for him in states like New Jersey, where polls show Kerry is ahead of Bush by 10 percentage points. In states where the race is close, he said he will understand that some liberal voters would support Kerry instead of him."
Nader's time as a candidate is over. So long, and thanks for all the fi^W safety!
the 'independent bipartisan' United States Election Assistance Commission.
Good use of scare quotes. As a member of a third party, I've learned to be wary of any "independent" organization that calls itself "bipartisan". The very name implies that they will be offering "election assistance" to plans that entrench the current R-D duopoly.
So don't look for them to advocate any sort of Instant Runoff Voting (or Condorcet Voting, for those who want to require higher mathematics to understand the results). Don't expect their suggestions to simplify the process for choosing a write-in candidate. And I'm sure the question of ballot access for anyone but R's and D's will be swept under the rug entirely.
What right does paypal have to fine people. If its against the terms of service they could shut down the offending account, but fine them?
Actually, I noticed that you can't even get to the Acceptable Use Policy without being a PayPal member. Of course, you can't be a PayPal member without accepting the AUP. I'm sure there's a link buried in the signup process, but this is the sort of thing you want to think about for a while before you jump in. They're counting on you *not* stopping to think.
So if anyone would like to stop and think, here's a page I put together based on the info I can read because I am signed up with them.
I've been a PayPal user for years now, but not as a real stream of income. This really shows why anyone in business would do well to get a real credit card merchant account. How can you run a business if you never know whether your revenue conduit is going to suddenly dock your account for $500 at a whack?
All the mods listed on this are "Informative". Shouldn't that be, "Funny"?
For one thing, maybe I'm just a little spoiled, but any vehicle that launches unexpectedly "two minutes before official launch" and then "sink(s) into the Black Sea " is a lot closer to a cool model rocket than to a human-certifid spacecraft.
I think this sentence is the giveaway:
Apparently, Romanians are using a secret formula based on World War II technology for torpidoes, also used on the Kursk Russian submarine.
All in all, I wouldn't believe the mods fell for it if they hadn't done the same with my own, similar posting. I linked the effects of lightning on autonomous robots to a fan page for the movie Short Circuit, and got modded Informative. Those crazy moderators...
How can you even begin to be a viable choice if you don't have candidates across the board in a majority of electorial races. Even if your positions are fantastic on the issues without at least a glimmer of support from the congress you are dead in the water.
Assuming that Green Party candidate David Cobb gets the same opportunity as Badnarik, I hope you ask the same question. Cobb represents the so-called "electoral" wing of the Green Party, as opposed to the "ideological" wing.
He wants to *elect* Green candidates -- starting at the school boards and building up. Nader, on the other hand, has shown no such flexibility, prefering to tilt at windmills instead of opening the little door at the bottom. He gave us name recognition -- political oxygen, if you will -- but didn't know when to step aside. So at their convention, the Greens gave him a not-so-gentle push. I think the 2004 convention will be remembered as the day the Green Party grew up.
I suspect that Cobb's answer to your question will be along the lines of "We do indeed have candidates, both on the ballot and currently serving, in races from the top of the ballot to the bottom. Watch us grow!"
For the Libertarians' sake, I hope Badnarik can give the same answer.
Rather unbalanced ticket, wouldn't you say? I haven't done my research on Cthulu, but I've read the Harry Potter books, and Voldemort is the wimpiest ultra-villian I've ever encountered.
Of course, if it were the Democratic ticket, it would be Voldemort/Cthulu, given the Dems' propensity toward putting the wrong bozo at the top. To wit: Bentsen/Dukakis or Ferraro/Mondale might have had a chance.
I pine for the day... that/. can get back to the "News for nerds" part. This bitching and vote-mongering is hardly "stuff that matters."
True, but I think the editors have made a brilliant stroke by creating the "Politics" section. It's a heat sink.
The heat generated by a power transistor is an inevitable part of its operation. Unfortunately, it tends to degrade the component's operation, to the point where it's no more than a two-legged* blob of molten silicon. To prevent this, we use a Heat Sink. The transistor can then function normally, with the waste heat dissipated somewhere other than the silicon.
Slashdot generates heat, too, in the form of strong opinions that don't actually contribute to the discussion at hand. Post a story about the next release of Knoppix, and someone will say something about the government supporting/restraining Open Source, then someone will say something about the current administration, and pretty soon you're looking at a hole in the screen where a discussion used to be.
The Politics section is Slashdot's heat sink. People like me who have strong opinions can vent them here, where they don't affect the articles in the Games, Science, and Apple sections. The heat is inevitable, but you can at least make sure it doesn't interfere with your performance.
* I know transistors have three connections. I'm thinking of the power transistors where the body is the ground connector. And Bush sucks, by the way.
When I went to put the date on my calendar (not like I'll make it, but I can dream), I noticed that September 29 is also the date that earth-crossing asteroid Toutatis is scheduled to make its closest approach to Earth. The bizarrely-shaped object is the size of a "small city" (whatever that means), and is due to get no closer than four times the earth-moon distance.
According to the wsu.edu page: 'Toutatis (also called Teutates) was an ancient Celtic god of war, fertility and wealth worshipped in Gaul. His name means "the god of the tribe".' His name is invoked regularly by the French cartoon character Asterix, who also fears that the sky will fall on his head.
Certainly an auspicious day for anyone interested in the heavens. Let's hope what's already up stays up, and what goes up comes down safely.
I don't know what the moderators are smoking, but they need to pass it around.
I wouldn't reply to this bizarre AC post, but since one of those smokin' moderators modded you up, I'll reply.
http://slashdot.org/~Futurepower(R) Why did you link to some random dude's page? That's not me.
For someone who didn't start posting until the 6th of September of this year I've been posting since 2002, and I've got the Journal Entries to prove it. Remember, unless you're a Subscriber, you can't see a person's full posting history.
all of your posts are very anti-Bush, anti-Republican, and anti-government (blame the Republicans). That's because I'm anti-Bush, anti-Republican, and I blame the Republicans for much of what's wrong with America. I think you have me on this one.
You are nothing more than a troll. And you are nothing less than an Anonymous Coward. Chacun a son gout.
Yesterday on NPR's Fresh Air, I listened to long-time Austin reporter Wayne Slater talk about his book (soon a movie) "Bush's Brain", about Karl Rove and the power behind the president. Rove is a master of dirty tricks, and damned proud of it. I see his hand at work.
His methods, dating back to Bush's election as Texas' Governor, are to get dirty deeds done in ways that can't possibly be traced back to him or his candidate. Things like the whisper campaign against Ann Richards here in Texas, the "McCain is crazy" rumors in the primaries, and the Steamboat Veterans (whatever) for Truth fiasco now.
What could be better than creating an obvious forgery about Bush's service, and slipping it into some CBS exec's inbox? It fits Rove's pattern perfectly: the president will have a chance to look persecuted, everyone will be angry at whoever was evil enough to try to set up Bush. There will be enough of us liberals who fall into the "we got him!" trap to keep Rove's fingerprints off the whole thing.
I also think Rove is behind the supposedly-unexpected appearance of demonstrators at Bush's appearances... listen to the Fresh Air interview with Slater, especially the part where he sets up a nearly identical disruption of his opponent's event in the early '70s.
The two-party system is a big source of stability here, and it is one of the greatest strengths of our country. If you cannot agree with either party, then you are so far out of the mainstream that it is good that you are throwing your vote away.
You know, if you do "s/two/one" and "s/either/the" to the above comment, you've effectively justified a China-styled one-party political system. Congratulations!
While you're at it, go ahead and change "throwing your vote away" to "in prison, locked away".
Like I'm sure you supported the WWII heroes over a draft dodger in 1992 and 1996, right? Oh you didn't? I guess that makes you a hypocrite, then.
To quote Professor "Broom" (from Hellboy): "Yes, among other things."
At least I gotta give you props for voting Green. If more people voted their conscience, we would probably be talking about how many votes Kerry might pull away from Nader, instead of the other way around.
I wish people would quit associating Nader with the Green Party... I'd like to see how many votes Kerry pulls from David Cobb this year.
One more Hellboy quote, just 'cause I love that movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167190/quotes Sgt. Whitman: We're wasting our time, there's nothing on this island but sheep and rocks! [Moments later the soldiers find a large Nazi encampment in the ruins] Young 'Broom': They must be here for the sheep.
"Is I P Property?" Well, I know I P Freely, but I don't know about I P Property. I guess I P Property, technically, because it's mine to do with as I please. But when I P, it's property I'm happy to dispose of.
Or did they mean to ask if I P Properly? I like to think so. At least, I try not to miss. My young son still has a ways to go before he really gets the hang of I P law.
What did I eat for breakfast? Pea Green Soup. What did I eat for lunch? Pea Green Soup. What did I eat for dinner? Pea Green Soup. What did I do all night? I P Green Soup.
(I got a lot of Karma yesterday, so I feel the need to burn it today. Thank you for this opportunity.)
Bush LIED about some things related to his service some 30 years ago.
Kerry LIED about some things related to his service some 30 years ago. [...] What I want to know is: How does someone's experience as a junior officer over three decades ago have any bearing on their ability to be President of the United States?
I'm not voting for either of the two liars, but if they were my only choices, I'd pick the one that faced enemy fire in Vietnam over the one that played politics in Alabama. Even if Kerry never saw a single VC, he could have been killed at any time. The only time Bush would have seen VC was if someone didn't know how to abbreviate "Veneral Disease".
According to "Bush's Brain", Karl Rove's strategy is "if you make your opponent explain himself, you've won". Both sides are fighting hard (through their proxies) to put the other in that defensive position. To Hell with the both of them, I'm voting Green.
The Libertarian Party is the only political party that seems to not be afraid to give straight answers... Michael Badnarik isn't afraid to answer the tough questions and give answers that aren't always "politically correct".
Neither is David Cobb, the Green Party candidate. Don't forget that Badnarik and Cobb have already faced off in the first Presidential debate -- probably the only debate this year that will honestly deal with the issues affecting America's future.
(Go ahead, mod me offtopic... I'm just doin' a little educatin'.)
Well, the symbolism should be obvious, and it was a lot better than the old tradition of giving them animal sex organs. If you think roses don't look very good in a vase after a week...
Just in case you don't think the poster is serious: he's deadserious.
Won't somebody think of the children^W butterflies^W raccoons?!
"One of the great things about flies is that you can get them to come to you," he said. Hence the downside of the fully autonomous robot: it will have to use sewage or excrement to attract the flies and is bound to smell appalling.
Hello, McFly! I think our photosynthetic brethren figured out the solution to this problem a few gazillion years ago. The answer is flowers!
It sounds like these researchers are already taking this behemoth as their example. Great: I, for one, welcome our new Giant Corpse Flower overlords. But why not jump forward a few million years? A rose by any other name, you know.
On the other hand, nobody cares if the robot eats house flies. Butterflies might be another thing altogether. Won't someone please think of the Butterflies?
Foo: There will be no change until, for some reason, the two major parties both think it's in their best interest. And I can't imagine how that would come about. Bar: Call them and complain!
I may, but I can't put much faith in our ability to convince either candidate to make a decision that is clearly not in his best interest. I'm not willing to try to lie and say I'm undecided, for one thing. It would also be hard to hide where I'm calling from... as great as it would be for Kerry to win Texas, there are still too many folks here who remember George W. as a good governor, not as a poor president.
All I'm left with is an appeal to the candidates' better nature. While I believe that each one is probably a great guy, really, I know that their *campaigns* have no "better nature" to appeal to.
Or maybe I'm just feeling a bit fatalistic these days.
Slashdot Mirror
Foale's suggestions for leaving the comfort zone ring true on several levels. We can't really explore space until we're ready to leave the Garden of Eden behind. So far, we're trying to take it with us -- everything must be 100% safe, from the toilets to the astronauts themselves. We're not going to get past the walls of the garden until there's a flaming sword -- until we must either push forward or die.
I don't neccesarily mean that there will have to be some sort of global catastrophe, just that there will be no real exploration until a group of humans blasts off from Earth with no prospects to return. Ideally, they would be volunteers, but I don't think they can be the perfect psychological and physical specimens we're used to sending into space.
Space simply won't be a "real" place until we have a real human presence, and that means the bad as well as the good. Expanding into the new world takes more than just tilling the land and never moving on. To extend the Eden analogy further: Man didn't really start his journey until Cain's jealousy reached its breaking point. I don't think that's a story of one guy who got mad at his brother -- it's an allegory about mankind's darker side, and how it's an integral part of our experience.
To take a more recent example: when the US lost a dozen-plus troops in Somalia, we left with our tail tucked between our legs. Same thing a few years earlier in Beirut, when a few hundred troops were killed. But now, after losing several thousand lives in 9/11, we're able to bear the loss of hundreds in Iraq and Afghanistan... instead of turning tail, we're actually debating the issue.
We won't reach space in any meaningful way until all of humanity is represented -- both good and bad. That's why we're just spinning our wheels at the moment, playing on the outskirts of Eden. It won't be until Cain shows up -- until someone walks out the airlock in despair, someone fights over resources or a mate, or until there's a war over some metal-rich asteroid -- that humans will truly be able to call themselves citizens of space.
Now that Dan Rather went out on a limb and got burned, nobody else is going to go out on a limb. That means that nobody is ever going to ask Mr. Bush where the WMD are, where Osama is, how many have to die, did you really do coke at Camp David, and why the hell aren't we doing anything about the Sudan, Iran, or North Korea?
I've made the point before (here and here) that that is exactly what was intended.
Karl Rove is a sneaky, underhanded devil, and darned proud of it. I think he's behind the whole forgery scam, and you don't have to be an Underpants Gnome to see the pattern:
1. Fax obvious forgery to CBS. The 24-hour news cycle ensures its publication.
2. Wait for right-wing bloggers to "expose" the forgery, and thereby discredit the "liberal media".
3. ???
4. ELECTION!
I'm afraid that Rove knows how to use the "blogosphere" (another ridiculous term with no reasonable synonym) to his advantage. It's second nature to him, really -- the book Bush's Brain documents how Rove used the old-school equivalent to get Baby Bush elected Governor in Texas. Back then, it was a matter of spreading whispers through the East Texas cafes and barber shops. Now, it's even easier.
The Mobile Connect, as the full name suggests, is a 3G data card [...] connect to the Internet over Vodafone?s growing 3G network. The card also supports GPRS [...] You?ll also find a user guide, a driver CD and the all important SIM card.
So, for us norteamericanos, the summary of this story is simple: Nothing to see here, folks, move along.
(But I guess we can still slobber. And they say Slashdot is too US-Centric!)
You know, in the middle ages, when people set out to find a witch, they usually found one.
You know, you're right! I bet those WMD's turn up Any Day Now. I'm surprised it's taken the Bushies this long to pla^W find them.
(Ok, now if I can just find the correct [sarcasm] tag, I should be safe to hit submi...
It will be a long time before Americans (myself included) will accept the commy international greens as anything other than what they are..
Oh, do tell! What are we? Here, trollie trollie trollie...
By the way, it's spelled "Commie". At first, I thought you were talking about Microsoft's COM objects.
Interesting that Nader was trying to get on the Florida ballot as the Reform Party's candidate. Hopefully, this will remind folks that Ralph Nader is not the Green Party candidate for President in 2004!
That honor belongs to David Cobb, who is working to build the Green Party from the ground up. Contrast with Nader, who wanted to use the party's (still limited) ballot access to prove a point.
And according to Cobb's site, the Green Party has a ballot line in Florida. Unlike Nader, though, Cobb cares who wins the election:
http://www.votecobb.org/news/camden
"Cobb said he is asking people to vote for him in states like New Jersey, where polls show Kerry is ahead of Bush by 10 percentage points. In states where the race is close, he said he will understand that some liberal voters would support Kerry instead of him."
Nader's time as a candidate is over. So long, and thanks for all the fi^W safety!
the 'independent bipartisan' United States Election Assistance Commission.
Good use of scare quotes. As a member of a third party, I've learned to be wary of any "independent" organization that calls itself "bipartisan". The very name implies that they will be offering "election assistance" to plans that entrench the current R-D duopoly.
So don't look for them to advocate any sort of Instant Runoff Voting (or Condorcet Voting, for those who want to require higher mathematics to understand the results). Don't expect their suggestions to simplify the process for choosing a write-in candidate. And I'm sure the question of ballot access for anyone but R's and D's will be swept under the rug entirely.
What right does paypal have to fine people. If its against the terms of service they could shut down the offending account, but fine them?
Actually, I noticed that you can't even get to the Acceptable Use Policy without being a PayPal member. Of course, you can't be a PayPal member without accepting the AUP. I'm sure there's a link buried in the signup process, but this is the sort of thing you want to think about for a while before you jump in. They're counting on you *not* stopping to think.
So if anyone would like to stop and think, here's a page I put together based on the info I can read because I am signed up with them.
http://www.littlecutie.net/paypal.html
I've been a PayPal user for years now, but not as a real stream of income. This really shows why anyone in business would do well to get a real credit card merchant account. How can you run a business if you never know whether your revenue conduit is going to suddenly dock your account for $500 at a whack?
All the mods listed on this are "Informative". Shouldn't that be, "Funny"?
For one thing, maybe I'm just a little spoiled, but any vehicle that launches unexpectedly "two minutes before official launch" and then "sink(s) into the Black Sea " is a lot closer to a cool model rocket than to a human-certifid spacecraft.
I think this sentence is the giveaway:
Apparently, Romanians are using a secret formula based on World War II technology for torpidoes, also used on the Kursk Russian submarine.
Uh huh. The best example of H2O2 decomposition technology is Russia's worst sub disaster of recent times.
All in all, I wouldn't believe the mods fell for it if they hadn't done the same with my own, similar posting. I linked the effects of lightning on autonomous robots to a fan page for the movie Short Circuit, and got modded Informative. Those crazy moderators...
How can you even begin to be a viable choice if you don't have candidates across the board in a majority of electorial races. Even if your positions are fantastic on the issues without at least a glimmer of support from the congress you are dead in the water.
Assuming that Green Party candidate David Cobb gets the same opportunity as Badnarik, I hope you ask the same question. Cobb represents the so-called "electoral" wing of the Green Party, as opposed to the "ideological" wing.
He wants to *elect* Green candidates -- starting at the school boards and building up. Nader, on the other hand, has shown no such flexibility, prefering to tilt at windmills instead of opening the little door at the bottom. He gave us name recognition -- political oxygen, if you will -- but didn't know when to step aside. So at their convention, the Greens gave him a not-so-gentle push. I think the 2004 convention will be remembered as the day the Green Party grew up.
I suspect that Cobb's answer to your question will be along the lines of "We do indeed have candidates, both on the ballot and currently serving, in races from the top of the ballot to the bottom. Watch us grow!"
For the Libertarians' sake, I hope Badnarik can give the same answer.
Rather unbalanced ticket, wouldn't you say? I haven't done my research on Cthulu, but I've read the Harry Potter books, and Voldemort is the wimpiest ultra-villian I've ever encountered.
Of course, if it were the Democratic ticket, it would be Voldemort/Cthulu, given the Dems' propensity toward putting the wrong bozo at the top. To wit: Bentsen/Dukakis or Ferraro/Mondale might have had a chance.
I pine for the day... that /. can get back to the "News for nerds" part. This bitching and vote-mongering is hardly "stuff that matters."
True, but I think the editors have made a brilliant stroke by creating the "Politics" section. It's a heat sink.
The heat generated by a power transistor is an inevitable part of its operation. Unfortunately, it tends to degrade the component's operation, to the point where it's no more than a two-legged* blob of molten silicon. To prevent this, we use a Heat Sink. The transistor can then function normally, with the waste heat dissipated somewhere other than the silicon.
Slashdot generates heat, too, in the form of strong opinions that don't actually contribute to the discussion at hand. Post a story about the next release of Knoppix, and someone will say something about the government supporting/restraining Open Source, then someone will say something about the current administration, and pretty soon you're looking at a hole in the screen where a discussion used to be.
The Politics section is Slashdot's heat sink. People like me who have strong opinions can vent them here, where they don't affect the articles in the Games, Science, and Apple sections. The heat is inevitable, but you can at least make sure it doesn't interfere with your performance.
* I know transistors have three connections. I'm thinking of the power transistors where the body is the ground connector. And Bush sucks, by the way.
When I went to put the date on my calendar (not like I'll make it, but I can dream), I noticed that September 29 is also the date that earth-crossing asteroid Toutatis is scheduled to make its closest approach to Earth. The bizarrely-shaped object is the size of a "small city" (whatever that means), and is due to get no closer than four times the earth-moon distance.
According to the wsu.edu page: 'Toutatis (also called Teutates) was an ancient Celtic god of war, fertility and wealth worshipped in Gaul. His name means "the god of the tribe".' His name is invoked regularly by the French cartoon character Asterix, who also fears that the sky will fall on his head.
Certainly an auspicious day for anyone interested in the heavens. Let's hope what's already up stays up, and what goes up comes down safely.
I don't know what the moderators are smoking, but they need to pass it around.
I wouldn't reply to this bizarre AC post, but since one of those smokin' moderators modded you up, I'll reply.
http://slashdot.org/~Futurepower(R)
Why did you link to some random dude's page? That's not me.
For someone who didn't start posting until the 6th of September of this year
I've been posting since 2002, and I've got the Journal Entries to prove it. Remember, unless you're a Subscriber, you can't see a person's full posting history.
all of your posts are very anti-Bush, anti-Republican, and anti-government (blame the Republicans).
That's because I'm anti-Bush, anti-Republican, and I blame the Republicans for much of what's wrong with America. I think you have me on this one.
You are nothing more than a troll.
And you are nothing less than an Anonymous Coward. Chacun a son gout.
Yesterday on NPR's Fresh Air, I listened to long-time Austin reporter Wayne Slater talk about his book (soon a movie) "Bush's Brain", about Karl Rove and the power behind the president. Rove is a master of dirty tricks, and damned proud of it. I see his hand at work.
His methods, dating back to Bush's election as Texas' Governor, are to get dirty deeds done in ways that can't possibly be traced back to him or his candidate. Things like the whisper campaign against Ann Richards here in Texas, the "McCain is crazy" rumors in the primaries, and the Steamboat Veterans (whatever) for Truth fiasco now.
What could be better than creating an obvious forgery about Bush's service, and slipping it into some CBS exec's inbox? It fits Rove's pattern perfectly: the president will have a chance to look persecuted, everyone will be angry at whoever was evil enough to try to set up Bush. There will be enough of us liberals who fall into the "we got him!" trap to keep Rove's fingerprints off the whole thing.
I also think Rove is behind the supposedly-unexpected appearance of demonstrators at Bush's appearances... listen to the Fresh Air interview with Slater, especially the part where he sets up a nearly identical disruption of his opponent's event in the early '70s.
The two-party system is a big source of stability here, and it is one of the greatest strengths of our country. If you cannot agree with either party, then you are so far out of the mainstream that it is good that you are throwing your vote away.
You know, if you do "s/two/one" and "s/either/the" to the above comment, you've effectively justified a China-styled one-party political system. Congratulations!
While you're at it, go ahead and change "throwing your vote away" to "in prison, locked away".
Like I'm sure you supported the WWII heroes over a draft dodger in 1992 and 1996, right?
: We're wasting our time, there's nothing on this island but sheep and rocks! : They must be here for the sheep.
Oh you didn't? I guess that makes you a hypocrite, then.
To quote Professor "Broom" (from Hellboy): "Yes, among other things."
At least I gotta give you props for voting Green. If more people voted their conscience, we would probably be talking about how many votes Kerry might pull away from Nader, instead of the other way around.
I wish people would quit associating Nader with the Green Party... I'd like to see how many votes Kerry pulls from David Cobb this year.
One more Hellboy quote, just 'cause I love that movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167190/quotes
Sgt. Whitman
[Moments later the soldiers find a large Nazi encampment in the ruins]
Young 'Broom'
"Is I P Property?" Well, I know I P Freely, but I don't know about I P Property. I guess I P Property, technically, because it's mine to do with as I please. But when I P, it's property I'm happy to dispose of.
Or did they mean to ask if I P Properly? I like to think so. At least, I try not to miss. My young son still has a ways to go before he really gets the hang of I P law.
What did I eat for breakfast? Pea Green Soup.
What did I eat for lunch? Pea Green Soup.
What did I eat for dinner? Pea Green Soup.
What did I do all night? I P Green Soup.
(I got a lot of Karma yesterday, so I feel the need to burn it today. Thank you for this opportunity.)
Bush LIED about some things related to his service some 30 years ago.
Kerry LIED about some things related to his service some 30 years ago.
[...]
What I want to know is: How does someone's experience as a junior officer over three decades ago have any bearing on their ability to be President of the United States?
I'm not voting for either of the two liars, but if they were my only choices, I'd pick the one that faced enemy fire in Vietnam over the one that played politics in Alabama. Even if Kerry never saw a single VC, he could have been killed at any time. The only time Bush would have seen VC was if someone didn't know how to abbreviate "Veneral Disease".
According to "Bush's Brain", Karl Rove's strategy is "if you make your opponent explain himself, you've won". Both sides are fighting hard (through their proxies) to put the other in that defensive position. To Hell with the both of them, I'm voting Green.
The Libertarian Party is the only political party that seems to not be afraid to give straight answers... Michael Badnarik isn't afraid to answer the tough questions and give answers that aren't always "politically correct".
Neither is David Cobb, the Green Party candidate. Don't forget that Badnarik and Cobb have already faced off in the first Presidential debate -- probably the only debate this year that will honestly deal with the issues affecting America's future.
(Go ahead, mod me offtopic... I'm just doin' a little educatin'.)
I selected "exclude Politics from my /. homepage" in my /. preferences, yet Politics articles still show up. Why is /. shoving this down my throat? BC
Because Michael and Pudge hate you. HAND.
The flower you link to is called Amorphophallus titanum, try a litteral translation.
You mean, a littoral translation? A. Titanum is native to the tropics; I don't think it would do well by the shore.
Well, the symbolism should be obvious, and it was a lot better than the old tradition of giving them animal sex organs. If you think roses don't look very good in a vase after a week...
Just in case you don't think the poster is serious: he's dead serious.
Won't somebody think of the children^W butterflies^W raccoons?!
"One of the great things about flies is that you can get them to come to you," he said. Hence the downside of the fully autonomous robot: it will have to use sewage or excrement to attract the flies and is bound to smell appalling.
Hello, McFly! I think our photosynthetic brethren figured out the solution to this problem a few gazillion years ago. The answer is flowers!
It sounds like these researchers are already taking this behemoth as their example. Great: I, for one, welcome our new Giant Corpse Flower overlords. But why not jump forward a few million years? A rose by any other name, you know.
On the other hand, nobody cares if the robot eats house flies. Butterflies might be another thing altogether. Won't someone please think of the Butterflies?
Foo: There will be no change until, for some reason, the two major parties both think it's in their best interest. And I can't imagine how that would come about.
Bar: Call them and complain!
I may, but I can't put much faith in our ability to convince either candidate to make a decision that is clearly not in his best interest. I'm not willing to try to lie and say I'm undecided, for one thing. It would also be hard to hide where I'm calling from... as great as it would be for Kerry to win Texas, there are still too many folks here who remember George W. as a good governor, not as a poor president.
All I'm left with is an appeal to the candidates' better nature. While I believe that each one is probably a great guy, really, I know that their *campaigns* have no "better nature" to appeal to.
Or maybe I'm just feeling a bit fatalistic these days.