That pretty much sums up every single actor, celebrity or athlete:D
It's just how misplaced the values in the US really are.
If you cured Cancer tomorrow, you would win a million dollar Nobel Prize. Hooray ! Yet, be able to cry on cue or throw a ball and you'll never have financial issues ever again.
Now, of the two, which are more important ?:|
I gotta agree with you though. It's rather morale-killing to the 99% when someone is even able to make that kind of money doing something so trivial while the rest slave away doing the daily grind somewhere for a tiny fraction of that. Seriously . . . $14 MILLION for two years of talking. ( I won't even insult the working class by calling it " work " )
I won't make $14 MILLION in my lifetime. In fact, at my current rate of pay, it would take me 175 YEARS to make it. ( For the record, those making minimum wage would need 928 YEARS to make it )
And the 1% wonder why we hate them so f*cking much.
The fix isn't banning all flying things from around the self proclaimed important people hangouts. The fix is for the Government to quit over-reacting for obviously trivial issues.
It's an RC toy. . . who gives a shit ? Go pick it up and toss it back over the fence.
I might understand the concern if we're talking landing a fully armed Reaper drone on the front lawn, but in all likelihood, this is some silly ass toy. Thus, pure Benny Hill style security theater. ( And it's every bit as amusing I might add )
If an RC device flies near your home, do you:
1) Look up and wave at it 2) Ignore it 3) Dress up like a Ninja, go all commando and proceed to lose your mind over it ? ( Insert obligatory " Get to the choppah " and " Get DOWN " vocalizations here )
All he has to do is change the wording of his website a bit.
From " I will teach you how to lie to the Federal Government " to " I will teach you how to lie LIKE the Federal Government " and all will be golden. He can even call it a " Politician Boot Camp ".
Agreed.
Once enough of our species evolves beyond faith based idealism, our eyes will finally be opened to the true wonders of the universe.
Science is the vehicle that will get us there, not faith. If you want a good look at what faith will do for you, you need look no further than any Theocracy based government and where their citizens stand in the big picture of things.
We can either kill each other off in the name of some man-made imaginary ideology, or we can flourish as a species and maybe finally start understanding the wonders of our universe.
In the long term, nothing positive has ever come from faith. Why folks continue to cling to it is beyond my ability to understand or explain.
( non ton-foil hat version )
AT&T is diversifying their profit engines. It is quite likely you'll see them sell off the wire line side of the company in the near future.
The acquisition of Direct TV is most likely how they will offset any profit loss of said wire line sale. ( long term )
Though, in an era where record numbers of folks are cutting their ties to both Cable TV and satellite programming, I'm not sure if the outcome will remain positive for very long without some major changes in how the satellite service is offered.
Says the AC who probably isn't old enough to drive and thus enjoy the experience of being charged 3x normal price for " Certified " parts at the local dealership.
This is about locking down their future business model.
No one but Dealer Certified folks will be allowed to even LOOK at the software running the car. Anyone pointing out vulnerabilities and zero-days will be charged with everything under the sun because recalls cost a lot of money. I mean, we can always count on the manufacturers to do the right thing when it comes to safety right ? ( cough *ignition switch issues*, cough *toyotas phantom acceleration issues*, cough *Fords randomly catching fire*, cough *Bridgestone tires* )
We've flown for years without it, never had an issue. Try reading or something. . . . it works. . lol
You know the companies aren't going to disclose any security vulnerabilities since it would cost them to ground the planes. Many times you'll get ignored when trying to bring an important issue to light. This is because Profit > Safety. Only when Fines / Lawsuits > Profit do recalls happen and problems get fixed.
If you can't get the owners of the Airlines to fix their problem, a better way to make it happen is to get folks with more authority involved. Hence: The FBI.
NOW, the issue will get the microscope and spotlight treatment. NOW, if a vulnerability does exist, the Airlines WILL get it fixed or their planes will get grounded for them. Maybe they'll actually start taking folks seriously from now on. . . . but I doubt it.
He's a grandmaster until he gets caught cheating. Until then, he dominates the field and the pressure is on for others to cheat as well just so the playing field is level. ( The Tour De France comes to mind, as does US Baseball's Steroid issue, Online Gaming / Gambling, Standardized Tests ( like the SAT, ACT, Bar exam, etc. etc. )
It makes it impossible to compete unless you're bending the rules also.
Makes you wonder of all the "winners" out there, what percentage of them made it to that pedestal legitimately ?
What you guys seem perfectly happy with is one provider owning everything and charging monopoly prices because your other choice is not having it and fuck you. I really don't understand how any of the US public can be for that. It's just as baffling as when a bunch of you lost your shit because the government wanted to offer universal health care to poor people. But we forget good health, like utilities apparently is a privilege not a right in the US, self proclaimed bastion of good and righteousness, that's only for the rich though, everyone else can fuck off.
A misconception I think. No one is really happy with it, unless you're one of the companies who benefit from it. The problem is, while the voice of the people can be quite loud when it wants to be, the voice of the corporations who keep all of our elected officials well funded are a lot louder. You've heard the saying " Money talks " right ? Yeah. . . they have infinitely more money available to buy legislation than we do.
We would prefer serious competition in the broadband sector. Unfortunately, thanks to our corruptible leadership, we still have Monopolies ( even if regional ) who wield total control over vast areas and can set the rules and prices as they see fit. They're easy to spot, as are the Rent-A-Congressmen they control. Just look for those leading the charge against the new Title II Regulations.
As for the Universal Health Care bit, we don't really have it. What we have is a Universal Insurance Plan with piss poor coverage. We don't really want nor need another Insurance Policy to keep up with. What we need is for someone with authority to reign in the Medical Industries ability to set the prices of healthcare well into the ludicrous end of the spectrum. You fix or regulate what they can charge and it becomes easier to implement a healthcare system that could cover everyone with a simple minor tax increase. ( Or, you know, maybe reallocate some of the defense spending we really don't need ) Unfortunately, the same idiots in charge bork it up for everyone because, just like the Corporations in the Telecom sector, HealthCare is big business. As such, they also bribe . . er . . . contribute campaign donations to the same group of idiots running this country which is why their voice is heard over everyone else and why it's Business as Usual over here.
Trust me when I tell you that the government we have, is definitely not the government we want. The problem is, the corruption is now so engrained within the system, the only way to fix it would be to burn it down and rebuild it from scratch.
I turned it off years ago after tiring of hearing the same music over and Over and OVER again. You can damn near set your watch between the time you hear a particular song and the next time you hear it. Repeatable throughout the day. EVERY DAY.:|
Hell, for that matter, I don't even listen to commercialized music anymore. It's all homogenized and built around a template designed to make the studios as much money as possible. The audio is highly compressed and pushed to clipping limits across the entire waveform. If nothing else, the internet has given me the opportunity to listen to music that isn't part of the forced popularity program that the radio stations have turned into.
Not terribly different than the non-intelligent weapons we already deploy.
Take mines ( both the land and sea variety ) for example. A human deployed them ( or made the decision to deploy them ) and they pretty much just sit around until someone crosses paths with it. At least the autonomous version can have some logic built into it to discriminate against its targets.
If Israel nukes half of it the chances of peace ( at least for a little while ) are actually pretty good.:|
In all seriousness though, that region has been killing each other since before history began recording it. It's not gonna stop anytime soon unless all the players are sub-atomic particles floating about the atmosphere . . . .
Unless you're actively masking them, they know what IP you're coming from. Your OS, etc. Their database can run a lookup and determine what your likes / dislikes are based on your browsing habits to other sites where their trackers reside. By visiting YouTube, you are simply giving them even more information about what you like / dislike.
So, I assure you, they are coming out of this a bit rosier than you give them credit for.
Don't believe it ? Turn all your counter-measures off and see how long it takes before you start seeing targeted ads.
Because the only way the entire event gets the level of inspection it deserves is to make sure EVERYONE knows about it.
Similar reasoning as to why transparency in government is so important.
Those numbers are also difficult to compare because we don't have full statistics on the number of folks who are shot / beaten or killed while in police custody.
This isn't police corruption, it's police brutality, which is a separate issue. I have friends and family members
who are police officers, the lion's share of them are decent people, but knowing them and the small handful of their
colleagues who aren't decent people I can proffer a few opinions on what drives behaviors such as these:
I too have friends and family in LE ( and have my entire life ) so I offer some counterpoints for you to consider.
The problem is actually both brutality and corruption. When you beat the sh*t out of someone, it's brutality. When you
do it wearing a badge, it's corruption since you're abusing not only your authority and trust, but that of the LE community
as a whole. No one views incidents like this as Officer so and so did X. Rather it is remembered as " Did you see what the
Police did ? "
1. There's a siege mentality in modern law enforcement, manifested as "I'm going home to my family, no matter what it
takes." Do you have to worry about getting shot at your job? Probably not. LEOs have to worry about that every single time
they pull someone over. Is it a soccer mom, a businessman, or a three strikes felon who doesn't want to go back inside?
They don't know.
The " seige mentality " as you put it, is a mental construct of their own design that, in their mind, justifies their
attitude and behavior to anyone not wearing a badge.
Let's use an animal analogy. Animals aren't typically looking to harm anything. ( Unless they're hungry, or protecting their
young, different issue ) Typically, if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. However, if you threaten one or scare
it, they can become VERY dangerous. Over time, assuming you continue threatening or scaring them, the animal will fear you.
From that point forward, every encounter with the animal becomes a dangerous one. The funny thing is, it's not the fault
of the animal, rather the one who continues to threaten or scare it. The police are in the same boat. Folks are scared of
police now. Many no longer look to them as protectors or someone they turn to when they need help. The police are to be
avoided at all costs. When cornered by one, many will act irrationally based on personal or learned knowledge ( truthful
or otherwise ) of what they are likely to expect from the encounter.
Here's the fun part: The actions of a few idiots with badges jeoprodize the lives of ALL Law Enforcement because once the
trust is lost, it's very, very difficult to regain. Of course, that pendulum swings both ways. While the vast majority of
folks are decent, the thugs are what the officers see every day. After a while, officers simply view everyone without a
badge as a thug. Which starts the cycle of mistrust.
2. Modern media reinforces #1, by making line of duty deaths/injuries more accessible than ever before. Follow the "Officer
Down Memorial Page" on Facebook; there's a line of duty death in the United States nearly every day of the week. Statistically
speaking law enforcement is safer today than it has been in a long time, but in a large country statistically rare occurrences
happen with distressing frequency and modern media ensures that we know all about them.
I think it would be rather eye opening to post similar numbers of folks unjustifiably beaten and / or killed by police.
( assuming we can every get accurate numbers on that ) Want to place bets on which list is larger ?:D
3. The War on Drugs provides such a profit motive that criminals are encouraged to arm themselves and resist violently,
which in turn drives the militarization of law enforcement while reinforcing the siege mentality. The War on Drugs also alienates
the police from our poorest and most vulnerable communities. The same thing happened during prohibition, this is not a new societal
phenomenon. Nor can you blame the police, they enforce the law, legislators write it.
Pfff. The War on Drugs is merely the excuse the police use to arm themselves better
Slashdot Mirror
LOL
That pretty much sums up every single actor, celebrity or athlete :D
It's just how misplaced the values in the US really are.
If you cured Cancer tomorrow, you would win a million dollar Nobel Prize. Hooray !
Yet, be able to cry on cue or throw a ball and you'll never have financial issues ever again.
Now, of the two, which are more important ? :|
I gotta agree with you though. It's rather morale-killing to the 99% when someone is even able to make that kind of money doing something
so trivial while the rest slave away doing the daily grind somewhere for a tiny fraction of that. Seriously . . . $14 MILLION for two years of talking.
( I won't even insult the working class by calling it " work " )
I won't make $14 MILLION in my lifetime. In fact, at my current rate of pay, it would take me 175 YEARS to make it.
( For the record, those making minimum wage would need 928 YEARS to make it )
And the 1% wonder why we hate them so f*cking much.
Um . . . no.
The fix isn't banning all flying things from around the self proclaimed important people hangouts.
The fix is for the Government to quit over-reacting for obviously trivial issues.
It's an RC toy. . . who gives a shit ? Go pick it up and toss it back over the fence.
I might understand the concern if we're talking landing a fully armed Reaper drone on the front lawn, but in all
likelihood, this is some silly ass toy. Thus, pure Benny Hill style security theater.
( And it's every bit as amusing I might add )
If an RC device flies near your home, do you:
1) Look up and wave at it
2) Ignore it
3) Dress up like a Ninja, go all commando and proceed to lose your mind over it ?
( Insert obligatory " Get to the choppah " and " Get DOWN " vocalizations here )
Pffff. . . . Loophole.
All he has to do is change the wording of his website a bit.
From " I will teach you how to lie to the Federal Government " to " I will teach you how to lie LIKE the Federal Government " and all will be golden.
He can even call it a " Politician Boot Camp ".
Agreed. Once enough of our species evolves beyond faith based idealism, our eyes will finally be opened to the true wonders of the universe. Science is the vehicle that will get us there, not faith. If you want a good look at what faith will do for you, you need look no further than any Theocracy based government and where their citizens stand in the big picture of things. We can either kill each other off in the name of some man-made imaginary ideology, or we can flourish as a species and maybe finally start understanding the wonders of our universe. In the long term, nothing positive has ever come from faith. Why folks continue to cling to it is beyond my ability to understand or explain.
( non ton-foil hat version ) AT&T is diversifying their profit engines. It is quite likely you'll see them sell off the wire line side of the company in the near future. The acquisition of Direct TV is most likely how they will offset any profit loss of said wire line sale. ( long term ) Though, in an era where record numbers of folks are cutting their ties to both Cable TV and satellite programming, I'm not sure if the outcome will remain positive for very long without some major changes in how the satellite service is offered.
Says the AC who probably isn't old enough to drive and thus enjoy the experience of being charged 3x normal price for " Certified " parts at the local dealership.
This is about locking down their future business model.
No one but Dealer Certified folks will be allowed to even LOOK at the software running the car. Anyone pointing out vulnerabilities and zero-days will be charged with everything under the sun because recalls cost a lot of money. I mean, we can always count on the manufacturers to do the right thing when it comes to safety right ? ( cough *ignition switch issues*, cough *toyotas phantom acceleration issues*, cough *Fords randomly catching fire*, cough *Bridgestone tires* )
Absolutely ! Because lives always > profits ! lol
Disallow in flight Wi-Fi. Problem solved.
We've flown for years without it, never had an issue. Try reading or something. . . . it works. . lol
You know the companies aren't going to disclose any security vulnerabilities since it would cost them to ground the planes. Many times you'll get ignored when trying to bring an important issue to light. This is because Profit > Safety. Only when Fines / Lawsuits > Profit do recalls happen and problems get fixed.
If you can't get the owners of the Airlines to fix their problem, a better way to make it happen is to get folks with more authority involved. Hence: The FBI.
NOW, the issue will get the microscope and spotlight treatment. NOW, if a vulnerability does exist, the Airlines WILL get it fixed or their planes will get grounded for them. Maybe they'll actually start taking folks seriously from now on. . . . but I doubt it.
Cheating is rampant in all things anymore.
He's a grandmaster until he gets caught cheating. Until then, he dominates the field and the pressure is on for others to cheat as well just so the playing field is level. ( The Tour De France comes to mind, as does US Baseball's Steroid issue, Online Gaming / Gambling, Standardized Tests ( like the SAT, ACT, Bar exam, etc. etc. )
It makes it impossible to compete unless you're bending the rules also.
Makes you wonder of all the "winners" out there, what percentage of them made it to that pedestal legitimately ?
What you guys seem perfectly happy with is one provider owning everything and charging monopoly prices because your other choice is not having it and fuck you. I really don't understand how any of the US public can be for that. It's just as baffling as when a bunch of you lost your shit because the government wanted to offer universal health care to poor people. But we forget good health, like utilities apparently is a privilege not a right in the US, self proclaimed bastion of good and righteousness, that's only for the rich though, everyone else can fuck off.
A misconception I think. No one is really happy with it, unless you're one of the companies who benefit from it. The problem is, while the voice of the people can be quite loud when it wants to be, the voice of the corporations who keep all of our elected officials well funded are a lot louder. You've heard the saying " Money talks " right ? Yeah. . . they have infinitely more money available to buy legislation than we do.
We would prefer serious competition in the broadband sector. Unfortunately, thanks to our corruptible leadership, we still have Monopolies ( even if regional ) who wield total control over vast areas and can set the rules and prices as they see fit. They're easy to spot, as are the Rent-A-Congressmen they control. Just look for those leading the charge against the new Title II Regulations.
As for the Universal Health Care bit, we don't really have it. What we have is a Universal Insurance Plan with piss poor coverage. We don't really want nor need another Insurance Policy to keep up with. What we need is for someone with authority to reign in the Medical Industries ability to set the prices of healthcare well into the ludicrous end of the spectrum. You fix or regulate what they can charge and it becomes easier to implement a healthcare system that could cover everyone with a simple minor tax increase. ( Or, you know, maybe reallocate some of the defense spending we really don't need ) Unfortunately, the same idiots in charge bork it up for everyone because, just like the Corporations in the Telecom sector, HealthCare is big business. As such, they also bribe . . er . . . contribute campaign donations to the same group of idiots running this country which is why their voice is heard over everyone else and why it's Business as Usual over here.
Trust me when I tell you that the government we have, is definitely not the government we want. The problem is, the corruption is now so engrained within the system, the only way to fix it would be to burn it down and rebuild it from scratch.
People still listen to the radio ?
Why ?
I turned it off years ago after tiring of hearing the same music over and Over and OVER again. You can damn near set your watch between the time you hear a particular song and the next time you hear it. Repeatable throughout the day. EVERY DAY. :|
Hell, for that matter, I don't even listen to commercialized music anymore. It's all homogenized and built around a template designed to make the studios as much money as possible. The audio is highly compressed and pushed to clipping limits across the entire waveform. If nothing else, the internet has given me the opportunity to listen to music that isn't part of the forced popularity program that the radio stations have turned into.
Not terribly different than the non-intelligent weapons we already deploy.
Take mines ( both the land and sea variety ) for example. A human deployed them ( or made the decision to deploy them ) and they pretty much just sit around until someone crosses paths with it. At least the autonomous version can have some logic built into it to discriminate against its targets.
If Israel nukes half of it the chances of peace ( at least for a little while ) are actually pretty good. :|
In all seriousness though, that region has been killing each other since before history began recording it. It's not gonna stop anytime soon unless all the players are sub-atomic particles floating about the atmosphere . . . .
One of our many Constitutional Amendments already has a solution for that possibility.
They're not going to. In fact, they are likely going to sell all of the copper plant off.
A PUC complaint fixes both that humming problem and Frontier's motivation to fix said problem very quickly btw.
They take a lot more than you realize.
Unless you're actively masking them, they know what IP you're coming from. Your OS, etc. Their database can run a lookup and determine what your likes / dislikes are based on your browsing habits to other sites where their trackers reside. By visiting YouTube, you are simply giving them even more information about what you like / dislike.
So, I assure you, they are coming out of this a bit rosier than you give them credit for.
Don't believe it ? Turn all your counter-measures off and see how long it takes before you start seeing targeted ads.
Does that information survive a protocol or codec conversion ?
EG: .mov -> .mp4
Because the only way the entire event gets the level of inspection it deserves is to make sure EVERYONE knows about it. Similar reasoning as to why transparency in government is so important.
On the contrary. . .
Holding a camera and RECORDING A POLICE OFFICER puts you in quite a bit of danger.
Come on now.
It's all about how you word things.
From a police perspective, he wasn't running away. He was strategically retreating towards cover.
You should see the pay scale at the Federal level. Agencies like the DEA or US Marshals can easily exceed six figures.
Wouldn't it be nice if the police extended that same idea to those they continue to abuse and / or kill :|
Those numbers are also difficult to compare because we don't have full statistics on the number of folks who are shot / beaten or killed while in police custody.
This isn't police corruption, it's police brutality, which is a separate issue. I have friends and family members who are police officers, the lion's share of them are decent people, but knowing them and the small handful of their colleagues who aren't decent people I can proffer a few opinions on what drives behaviors such as these:
I too have friends and family in LE ( and have my entire life ) so I offer some counterpoints for you to consider.
The problem is actually both brutality and corruption. When you beat the sh*t out of someone, it's brutality. When you do it wearing a badge, it's corruption since you're abusing not only your authority and trust, but that of the LE community as a whole. No one views incidents like this as Officer so and so did X. Rather it is remembered as " Did you see what the Police did ? "
1. There's a siege mentality in modern law enforcement, manifested as "I'm going home to my family, no matter what it takes." Do you have to worry about getting shot at your job? Probably not. LEOs have to worry about that every single time they pull someone over. Is it a soccer mom, a businessman, or a three strikes felon who doesn't want to go back inside? They don't know.
The " seige mentality " as you put it, is a mental construct of their own design that, in their mind, justifies their attitude and behavior to anyone not wearing a badge.
Let's use an animal analogy. Animals aren't typically looking to harm anything. ( Unless they're hungry, or protecting their young, different issue ) Typically, if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. However, if you threaten one or scare it, they can become VERY dangerous. Over time, assuming you continue threatening or scaring them, the animal will fear you. From that point forward, every encounter with the animal becomes a dangerous one. The funny thing is, it's not the fault of the animal, rather the one who continues to threaten or scare it. The police are in the same boat. Folks are scared of police now. Many no longer look to them as protectors or someone they turn to when they need help. The police are to be avoided at all costs. When cornered by one, many will act irrationally based on personal or learned knowledge ( truthful or otherwise ) of what they are likely to expect from the encounter.
Here's the fun part: The actions of a few idiots with badges jeoprodize the lives of ALL Law Enforcement because once the trust is lost, it's very, very difficult to regain. Of course, that pendulum swings both ways. While the vast majority of folks are decent, the thugs are what the officers see every day. After a while, officers simply view everyone without a badge as a thug. Which starts the cycle of mistrust.
2. Modern media reinforces #1, by making line of duty deaths/injuries more accessible than ever before. Follow the "Officer Down Memorial Page" on Facebook; there's a line of duty death in the United States nearly every day of the week. Statistically speaking law enforcement is safer today than it has been in a long time, but in a large country statistically rare occurrences happen with distressing frequency and modern media ensures that we know all about them.
I think it would be rather eye opening to post similar numbers of folks unjustifiably beaten and / or killed by police. ( assuming we can every get accurate numbers on that ) Want to place bets on which list is larger ? :D
3. The War on Drugs provides such a profit motive that criminals are encouraged to arm themselves and resist violently, which in turn drives the militarization of law enforcement while reinforcing the siege mentality. The War on Drugs also alienates the police from our poorest and most vulnerable communities. The same thing happened during prohibition, this is not a new societal phenomenon. Nor can you blame the police, they enforce the law, legislators write it.
Pfff. The War on Drugs is merely the excuse the police use to arm themselves better