OK.. I chose the arbitrary point when a fetus emerges from a woman as the point a fetus becomes bhuman. I have just as much basis for that statement as anyone who chooses fertilization.
Eh...I'd say you don't. I've heard this argument before from people, but it seems pretty clear that once you have a fertilized egg, you have not just a, but the first human cell. I think that line is very clear cut from a technical, scientific point of view and anything but arbitrary. Fertilized cells are distinctly human; this is not a claim you can make for individual sperm or individual eggs. Is a fertilized egg genetically human? Yes. Is the fertilized egg alive? Yes.
It's all arbitrary depending on your beliefs, since there are no scientific or legal definitions for a soul. Religious definitions don't count, as you just said. As far as the law is concerned, a soul doesn't exist.
Since you can't quantify a soul your point is meaningless. I don't see why a scientific definition of human life would require a soul. I provided you a scientific definition (which is hardly arbitrary) of human life in the previous paragraph.
I've noticed it also depends on whether or not the person arguing is the one that has to support it.
Meh, I agree with you, there's plenty of bias. I don't particularly care about the abortion argument as far as ethics goes (I think the ethics part is a debate for individual States), but I do not understand how any sane, well educated person can possibly argue that a fertilized egg is anything other than human.
Most people I know who disagree with the definition given above seem to think that once you've decided it's human, then killing it is murder. I disagree. Murder is a human abstraction that implies an unlawful action, which by definition requires context for consideration. We're quite within our power to kill all the human life we want and have it not be murder.
I'm sure the population numbers are "fluid" but I think sure we can safely say it's monotonically increasing (albeit not in a strictly mathematical sense).
No, the GP is right on this one. I'm far more concerned with overpopulation, because it's a driving force for the causes of global warming. As grossly overpopulated areas industrialize - and grow - so to will CO2, CFC, et al, emissions. And that's aside from the other obvious impacts on the environment overpopulation has, including the need for vast amounts of natural resources, which has and will lead to the destruction of the largest forests on this planet.
Growing populations are clearly more of a detriment to the environment than global warming, which is still arguably "part of nature". By your own admission, there are many variables in climate change, and given our inability to determine even the most basic weather phenomenon or reach consensus on global warming, the *certain* effects the overpopulation are far greater AND more likely.
I agree with what you've said, but it's the purpose of the 2nd amendment that's important. The second amendment exists to prevent the government from disarming it's citizens, in case another revolution must occur - the 2nd amendment doesn't extend to just individuals or local militias, but states themselves. In short: the people shouldn't be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of it's people.
The purpose and intent of the second amendment is to protect our ability to change the government by force if necessary. It was included because the founding fathers weren't sure America would make it in the short term AND the long term. It has little to nothing to do with the fact that guns were just plain useful 250 years ago or that shooting animals is fun, and EVERYTHING to do with the long term preservation of the principles the nation was founded upon: democracy, personal liberty, and a small federal government. I'm sure the founding fathers knew people could murder each other with guns. But they also knew what guns are in the hands of responsible, law abiding citizens: a final check against the government. THEY knew people would be murdered with guns and saw that as a necessary evil. We don't need to decide if guns are safe and "worth the risk." That decision was made for us after the Bill of Rights ratified.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt the founding fathers could have foreseen the age we live in now; with advanced armor, automatic weapons, aircraft, and nuclear weapons. And, even more unfortunately, members in congress do the nation a disservice by removing/regulating/downplaying the second amendment as antiquated, dangerous, and useless. It should be patently obvious that the federal government *disarming the people* is a VERY VERY dangerous thing, but the great irony (and tragedy) is that members of congress limit our rights and responsibilities as citizens in the name of "peace" and "security". For some reason, we see this as the evil it is when it occurs in other nations but not our own.
The second amendment is the {last, final, ultimate} line of defense of the people against their elected officials. If you can't see/understand that, then you FAIL at early American history and you EPIC FAIL at understanding and protecting your rights and responsibilities as a free citizen. I love how willing the slashdot crowd is to bitch about wiretapping (oh nos, the government heard my phone sex!) but are completely willing to be less free but letting the second amendment go under the knife. Seriously, some of the people here are so fucking retarded I don't see how they can call themselves "nerds."
Well that's the trick, isn't it? Blogs are the new soap box, and there's no shortage of people preaching to anyone who will listen (although ironically this is usually just to other bloggers). Sure, most of them are elitist pricks whom, much like many politicians, believe that they serve some vital role in our lives and without which modern society would collapse in on itself like a dying star.
Like modern unions, this is a scam so that a few select people can wield power while deceiving everyone under them into thinking that they are necessary.
Unless someone is paying you to blog, blogging isn't a job. Shit, you certainly don't have to come home from your 9-5 job at Starbucks and blog about every fucking aspect of your life. Saying you want to be compensated for what you produce is like me asking the County to pay me for what I flush down the toilet. If you really do want to make a business out of it then charge for your content. I'm sure within a few, short days you'll realize how completely useless and trite the crap you spew out of your pie-hole is and exactly how little anyone really cares: 0.
I completely blame the media outlets for letting bloggers' egos get so ridiculously inflated to think that the trash they produce is somehow useful or important. People don't care what the 'blogosphere' is saying as they aren't a sample of any group but themselves. For fucks sake, if you want to write something meaningful, become a scientist and publish!
Ubuntu is definitely the best looking implementation of Gnome/GTK I've ever used. I was quite impressed with it, but still dislike it compared to the (yes, I know they're Windows-like) dialog boxes of KDE.
That being said, I also still like KDE more as well;) but wish they had spent more time polishing KDE-3.5's UI (why didn't they release more themes, damnit!). I'm hoping the graphics artists working on KDE4 will make that desktop look much cleaner and more organized than 3.5's!
when it comes to learning. While I've never sat anyone who's totally new to computers down in front of a linux box, I've let plenty of friends try out the relatively "Windows-like" KDE-based PCLinuxOS. Typical complaints I get are:
1. Why do the fonts look like that? 2. Why are the windows different? (in reference to GTK vs KDE apps, which are similar but not 100% the same) 3. What the hell is wrong with Firefox's save file dialog box? (This one pisses me off too, I hate the Gnome/GTK file dialog box - it's very different from the KDE ones and confuses people) 4. Why doesn't the Windows key do anything?
Sorry. The learning curve of OSX and XP/Vista might be similar to users switching between the two because their OS and software is *consistent*, but Linux is a whole 'nother story, especially when you start mixing QT/GTK applications. Believe it or not, there are people out there who don't want to try new things and just want their shit to work.
I love Linux etc etc etc, but unless you stick to JUST GTK applications (and lets be frank, Gnome is radically different than Windows) and don't ask stupid questions like "Why wont my MP3s play?" when you're running Fedora, usability is going to be a bitch.
Sure it's cliche now, but it's the ONLY weapon used to kill people that asshats have managed to somehow convince hoards of mindless zombies "have a life of their own and are solely responsible for these deaths." Personification is simply inappropriate here and only used to fulfill a political agenda.
Shit, can you imagine if someone said "bad drivers and lots of knives killing people"? Yeah, I hate when those knives just jump up and cut your throat out...
Ignoring the obvious fact that corporations aren't about to go away, let's consider this. Is it right to go back on your word, after you gave it in good faith? I wont even start into the idea that "well, I did it X times before and I didn't get in trouble..." Only a fucking eight year old would use that kind of retarded logic. Is it right to decide that, for some magical reason, you are the exception and that the rules somehow do not apply to you? No. That kind of thinking is why we have people like Paris Hilton. And where the hell did you get the idea that you have the right to someone ANYONE else's property, even if it is a corporation?
If you're going to make a poster child of someone who clearly can't tell the difference between right and wrong, I'd at least suggest a topic worth picking instead of this one. If he wanted to undauntedly "report" (and I use that term looser than goatse.cx man's asshole when it comes to bloggers) he should have waited until it was broadcast. Play by the god damn rules or don't go in the first place.
And don't give me this self serving individual rights bullshit. Just because you want to do something doesn't mean you have the right to do it. That's a narrow and childish way to view the world.
The private sector has no business enforcing laws. Arresting people is particularly risky. Of course I don't mind seeing people who so blatantly break the law (selling CDs? Only on/. could that be seen as "fair use") get busted. Get a real fucking job.
Of course I don't like the RIAA, but who do you expect to enforce the laws that are on the books?
Jesus people like you hurt my brain. Not because Karl Rove doesn't deserve a bashing (he does), but because you, and so, so, so many like you, are utterly fucking ignorant of 1) What the responsibility of the federal government is and 2) Where your taxes go. Sometime's I wish someone would submit the US Constitution as a Slashdot article, but no one RTFAs anyways (and I guess you're the ultimate proof of that.)
I despise the current administration as the next Libertarian, but get your facts straight about education funding. The federal government is not (and nor should it - look at how the "No Child Left Behind" crap flopped) responsible for funding K-12 education. If you want to complain about the misappropriation of funds to the Iraq War and the lack of science in our federal government, look at NASA, not the public school system.
I routinely switch between Kubuntu and Windows XP, on both of which I use Firefox with Adblock Plus. I run as a limited user on both machines and have *never* had a spyware/virus magic itself into my Windows box. Frankly, in my experience, people who pick up crap off the internet are morons at using a computer. 99.9999% of spyware/viruses/whatever can be avoided from Not Being Stupid (TM), regardless of whether you're using 2k/xp/whatever.
Granted I'm assuming you're using firefox here, but what the hell are you doing online that your interwebz experience is so dramatically different in Ubuntu than in Windows? I'd like some of the magic pills you're taking that make web browsing on Ubuntu so vastly more fun than on XP.
I'm not the AC you're replying to, but like you, I feel compelled to respond.
This crap about the American military being the source of all evil is getting really fucking old. If American troops weren't in Iraq, would it magically be a better place? Do you live in such idealism that you really believe that after toppling Sadam and then simply leaving, Iraq would be a better place? Are nations that have experienced "American Imperialism" by invasion, such as South Korea, Japan, (West) Germany, and yes, even Canada, such bad places? It seems to me that only those places where our presence doesn't remain (Vietnam) remain more or less shitholes. But like so many citizens, I agree that Iraq was a mistake, but almost certainly not for the same reasons. The world should have let Iraqis die until they decided they wanted freedom - clearly handing it to them on a silver platter was too much for them.
Now, don't get me wrong, I can't fucking stand the current political system in America. I sense a growing movement in my age group (late 20s) toward the independent party and away from the undeniably pandering and corrupt two major parties. In fact, I see that most of the problems with America are coming from these two parties.
When did the government step in and "pilfer your savings?" I hope you're referring to the exorbitant we're paying to support a growing lower class of illegal immigrants, or the terribly broken social security system, which my generation will pay for when it enters bankruptcy because people (mostly liberals) are somehow afraid of people actually deciding how their money is saved, or the economic aid we continually give to countries, even those that hate us. I laugh at your comparison of the U.S. dollar to toilet paper - I suggest you read up on hyperinflation and the value of the mark in post-war Germany. If the American dollar was worth that little, I doubt any other nation on this planet would be worth fleeing to.
No, the problem with this country is definitely people who share your sentiments, whom are generally liberal, and constantly instill fear into the public through continuous predictions of the apocalypse by whatever is fashionable at the time (global warming, extreme environmentalism, economic collapse, nuclear war, etc) - a policy the right seems to have, unfortunately, adapted quite well (Terrorism.) Do you really perceive that all life is so delicately hanging by a thread? If this country is a bad place it's because the Republicans dropped the ball on individual rights and the Democrats have become hyper-concerned with leftist extremists and the rest of the world has sat on the sidelines doing nothing. What's with the constant prediction of doom and gloom? Is your life REALLY that bad, or are you just pissed that there are so many stupid people out there (and if you think THAT is a trait limited to America, you're in for a surprise)? Seriously, I understand your frustrations with the current political system, but I don't understand your attitude at all.
I'd say I was in a similar situation throughout school. I was fairly open with my parents about my feelings towards school and they were supportive in telling me what real life is like out of school and that it's what you do/after/ high school that's important. Unlike so many of my classmates, I never got caught up in the campus social network and instead stayed with a relatively isolated group of very close friends. It's too bad high school is structured in such a way that some 4.0-5.0 GPA students can't even manage to get through a communications degree from a state college. 'Cool' does not pay bills or do homework for you.
Being cool during high school may be fun for four years, but being a fry cook for the next forty isn't.:)
if AMD continues to drop their prices you'll...not buy from them? Err...k.
If AMD plans to do this same type of Bulk Huge price drop, then i will plan to buy intel.
Did you mean Intel and not AMD as you stated?
All electronic devices are shielded in space, otherwise the exposure to radiation would make them completely useless. Special EMI/RMI shielding containers are built to house the electronics, and I'm pretty sure special fabrication considerations go into protecting the devices. There's no doubt other solutions put in place.
This GWB-related article is a stub. You can help Slashdot by modding it.
The EPA has been busy killing off ALL of their libraries. Amazingly, they have been disposing of all of the information that was on paper rather than save it for later scanning (and the argument of saving money is too much as they sold off 80K worth of furniture for $383).[Citation Needed]
GWB has NASA stopping scientists from talking about their research.[Citation Needed]
GWB put a stop on Sibel Edmunds from speaking (and even had a 60 minute episode about her classified).[Citation Needed]
We have our fair share of issues.[Citation Needed]
That's your problem. You don't understand the meaning of the word "show". That's why the "mafia" (i.e. people a bit more cautious than you) look down on you and your ilk, as they should. That's also why they hold academic positions, and you don't.
Yes, militarily, many major countries no longer need American troop support. Which I imagine is part of the reason troops have been moved out of Germany. South Korea might still need them, however.
If you want to see an irrelevant body, look at the United Nations. I don't think Kerry's Presidency would have magically 'unfuck' ourselves in the eyes of the world, certainly not the fundamentalist extremists who want nothing less than the destruction Israel and America, despite whatever "plans" he constantly boasted about.
Exactly who is leaving us behind and how? Is the rest of the world going somewhere? Are their economies booming ahead of America's? Or do they just like us less? Boy, that would make me sad.:(
Oh please, that's complete and utter bullshit. If you want to see virulent hate, go to a fucking university campus, where publicly supporting Bush/Cheney is likely to get your ass kicked. A bumper sticker will get your car keyed.
If you want to see people stomping on civil liberties, look no further than the extreme of the left. There's a group that's so polarized, they damn near can't enter a political debate without frothing at the mouth and calling for Bush's assassination.
I take it your big stink about "creating amendments that will take away protections and rights for some americans" is the whole gay marriage issue. News flash, MARRIAGE ISN'T A FUCKING RIGHT. If you want a list of basic human rights, as well as those granted to you by society, read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of The United States of America.
Marriage, like drivers licenses, are privileges that are defined and given by society to you. Is society discriminatory because blind people aren't permitted to drive? Is it discriminatory, or sensible by definition? Defining marriage as between one man and one woman does NOT discriminate, as it applies to ALL people, not just one group. It also doesn't stomp on your right to consensually choose who to love ("pursuit of happiness," I suppose) - it simply says that the social institution of marriage is only between a man and a woman.
If you want to make some form of marriage specifically for gay couples (I have no idea what you'd call it - the best now is 'civil union') then urge your state legislature to pass laws defining such a union. But don't equate this to removing someones right to free speech, or to bear arms, or the right to bail, vote, trial, et al. When gay people (or any group of people, for that matter) are denied any of these rights, are sent to concentration camps, etc, then I'll more than happily stand with them to defend their rights. But don't compare the privilege of marriage to the right of free speech - that just doesn't fly.
k...you must not play very many online games, as most, if not all, withold the right to pull the plug on you on whatever whim they wish.
I don't really understand what you're getting so pissy about, many games now actively monitor the activity of the players for suspicious behavior, although this is usually to find cheaters, not pirates.
Take Counter Strike for example, which is probably the game most associated with anti-cheating. They'll happily ban you from playing multiplayer if they catch you cheating.
Many other games, especially MMORPGs, have some sort of Code of Ethics that will get you banned if you break. Getting caught exploiting some type of nasty bug, especially one that acts as a DoS, will get you banned/shit listed. Most companies are up front about this and it's widely accepted in the MMORPG world as SOP.
So...why exactly are you so pissed? I'd call piracy a worse offense than cheating, and certainly more deserving of a ban, than giving yourself ub3r l33t h4ckz.
...What the fuck are you trying to say? In what manner is "what goes on in America" more frightening than this? The fact that people buy shit? As opposed to what? People...not buying shit?
One minute you call BBC the "last source of REAL news" and the next you're calling it "filth". Which extreme is it? Your post makes less sense than John Kerry's position(s) on Iraq. If you're going to be cynical you could at least practice some consistency.
Slashdot Mirror
OK .. I chose the arbitrary point when a fetus emerges from a woman as the point a fetus becomes bhuman. I have just as much basis for that statement as anyone who chooses fertilization.
Eh...I'd say you don't. I've heard this argument before from people, but it seems pretty clear that once you have a fertilized egg, you have not just a, but the first human cell. I think that line is very clear cut from a technical, scientific point of view and anything but arbitrary. Fertilized cells are distinctly human; this is not a claim you can make for individual sperm or individual eggs. Is a fertilized egg genetically human? Yes. Is the fertilized egg alive? Yes.
It's all arbitrary depending on your beliefs, since there are no scientific or legal definitions for a soul. Religious definitions don't count, as you just said. As far as the law is concerned, a soul doesn't exist.
Since you can't quantify a soul your point is meaningless. I don't see why a scientific definition of human life would require a soul. I provided you a scientific definition (which is hardly arbitrary) of human life in the previous paragraph.
I've noticed it also depends on whether or not the person arguing is the one that has to support it.
Meh, I agree with you, there's plenty of bias. I don't particularly care about the abortion argument as far as ethics goes (I think the ethics part is a debate for individual States), but I do not understand how any sane, well educated person can possibly argue that a fertilized egg is anything other than human.
Most people I know who disagree with the definition given above seem to think that once you've decided it's human, then killing it is murder. I disagree. Murder is a human abstraction that implies an unlawful action, which by definition requires context for consideration. We're quite within our power to kill all the human life we want and have it not be murder.
I'm sure the population numbers are "fluid" but I think sure we can safely say it's monotonically increasing (albeit not in a strictly mathematical sense).
No, the GP is right on this one. I'm far more concerned with overpopulation, because it's a driving force for the causes of global warming. As grossly overpopulated areas industrialize - and grow - so to will CO2, CFC, et al, emissions. And that's aside from the other obvious impacts on the environment overpopulation has, including the need for vast amounts of natural resources, which has and will lead to the destruction of the largest forests on this planet.
Growing populations are clearly more of a detriment to the environment than global warming, which is still arguably "part of nature". By your own admission, there are many variables in climate change, and given our inability to determine even the most basic weather phenomenon or reach consensus on global warming, the *certain* effects the overpopulation are far greater AND more likely.
I agree with what you've said, but it's the purpose of the 2nd amendment that's important. The second amendment exists to prevent the government from disarming it's citizens, in case another revolution must occur - the 2nd amendment doesn't extend to just individuals or local militias, but states themselves. In short: the people shouldn't be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of it's people.
The purpose and intent of the second amendment is to protect our ability to change the government by force if necessary. It was included because the founding fathers weren't sure America would make it in the short term AND the long term. It has little to nothing to do with the fact that guns were just plain useful 250 years ago or that shooting animals is fun, and EVERYTHING to do with the long term preservation of the principles the nation was founded upon: democracy, personal liberty, and a small federal government. I'm sure the founding fathers knew people could murder each other with guns. But they also knew what guns are in the hands of responsible, law abiding citizens: a final check against the government. THEY knew people would be murdered with guns and saw that as a necessary evil. We don't need to decide if guns are safe and "worth the risk." That decision was made for us after the Bill of Rights ratified.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt the founding fathers could have foreseen the age we live in now; with advanced armor, automatic weapons, aircraft, and nuclear weapons. And, even more unfortunately, members in congress do the nation a disservice by removing/regulating/downplaying the second amendment as antiquated, dangerous, and useless. It should be patently obvious that the federal government *disarming the people* is a VERY VERY dangerous thing, but the great irony (and tragedy) is that members of congress limit our rights and responsibilities as citizens in the name of "peace" and "security". For some reason, we see this as the evil it is when it occurs in other nations but not our own.
The second amendment is the {last, final, ultimate} line of defense of the people against their elected officials. If you can't see/understand that, then you FAIL at early American history and you EPIC FAIL at understanding and protecting your rights and responsibilities as a free citizen. I love how willing the slashdot crowd is to bitch about wiretapping (oh nos, the government heard my phone sex!) but are completely willing to be less free but letting the second amendment go under the knife. Seriously, some of the people here are so fucking retarded I don't see how they can call themselves "nerds."
Well that's the trick, isn't it? Blogs are the new soap box, and there's no shortage of people preaching to anyone who will listen (although ironically this is usually just to other bloggers). Sure, most of them are elitist pricks whom, much like many politicians, believe that they serve some vital role in our lives and without which modern society would collapse in on itself like a dying star.
Like modern unions, this is a scam so that a few select people can wield power while deceiving everyone under them into thinking that they are necessary.
Unless someone is paying you to blog, blogging isn't a job. Shit, you certainly don't have to come home from your 9-5 job at Starbucks and blog about every fucking aspect of your life. Saying you want to be compensated for what you produce is like me asking the County to pay me for what I flush down the toilet. If you really do want to make a business out of it then charge for your content. I'm sure within a few, short days you'll realize how completely useless and trite the crap you spew out of your pie-hole is and exactly how little anyone really cares: 0.
I completely blame the media outlets for letting bloggers' egos get so ridiculously inflated to think that the trash they produce is somehow useful or important. People don't care what the 'blogosphere' is saying as they aren't a sample of any group but themselves. For fucks sake, if you want to write something meaningful, become a scientist and publish!
Wow, I can't even begin to thank you. You've made my everyday Linux experience more tolerable. :)
Ubuntu is definitely the best looking implementation of Gnome/GTK I've ever used. I was quite impressed with it, but still dislike it compared to the (yes, I know they're Windows-like) dialog boxes of KDE.
;) but wish they had spent more time polishing KDE-3.5's UI (why didn't they release more themes, damnit!). I'm hoping the graphics artists working on KDE4 will make that desktop look much cleaner and more organized than 3.5's!
That being said, I also still like KDE more as well
when it comes to learning. While I've never sat anyone who's totally new to computers down in front of a linux box, I've let plenty of friends try out the relatively "Windows-like" KDE-based PCLinuxOS. Typical complaints I get are:
1. Why do the fonts look like that?
2. Why are the windows different? (in reference to GTK vs KDE apps, which are similar but not 100% the same)
3. What the hell is wrong with Firefox's save file dialog box? (This one pisses me off too, I hate the Gnome/GTK file dialog box - it's very different from the KDE ones and confuses people)
4. Why doesn't the Windows key do anything?
Sorry. The learning curve of OSX and XP/Vista might be similar to users switching between the two because their OS and software is *consistent*, but Linux is a whole 'nother story, especially when you start mixing QT/GTK applications. Believe it or not, there are people out there who don't want to try new things and just want their shit to work.
I love Linux etc etc etc, but unless you stick to JUST GTK applications (and lets be frank, Gnome is radically different than Windows) and don't ask stupid questions like "Why wont my MP3s play?" when you're running Fedora, usability is going to be a bitch.
Guns don't kill people, people kill people.
Sure it's cliche now, but it's the ONLY weapon used to kill people that asshats have managed to somehow convince hoards of mindless zombies "have a life of their own and are solely responsible for these deaths." Personification is simply inappropriate here and only used to fulfill a political agenda.
Shit, can you imagine if someone said "bad drivers and lots of knives killing people"? Yeah, I hate when those knives just jump up and cut your throat out...
I'd rather not have my federal tax dollars spent on sick children's medical bills anyways. That's what the FSM invented charities for.
No. They're not relevant points of discussion.
Ignoring the obvious fact that corporations aren't about to go away, let's consider this. Is it right to go back on your word, after you gave it in good faith? I wont even start into the idea that "well, I did it X times before and I didn't get in trouble..." Only a fucking eight year old would use that kind of retarded logic. Is it right to decide that, for some magical reason, you are the exception and that the rules somehow do not apply to you? No. That kind of thinking is why we have people like Paris Hilton. And where the hell did you get the idea that you have the right to someone ANYONE else's property, even if it is a corporation?
If you're going to make a poster child of someone who clearly can't tell the difference between right and wrong, I'd at least suggest a topic worth picking instead of this one. If he wanted to undauntedly "report" (and I use that term looser than goatse.cx man's asshole when it comes to bloggers) he should have waited until it was broadcast. Play by the god damn rules or don't go in the first place.
And don't give me this self serving individual rights bullshit. Just because you want to do something doesn't mean you have the right to do it. That's a narrow and childish way to view the world.
The private sector has no business enforcing laws. Arresting people is particularly risky. Of course I don't mind seeing people who so blatantly break the law (selling CDs? Only on /. could that be seen as "fair use") get busted. Get a real fucking job.
Of course I don't like the RIAA, but who do you expect to enforce the laws that are on the books?
Jesus people like you hurt my brain. Not because Karl Rove doesn't deserve a bashing (he does), but because you, and so, so, so many like you, are utterly fucking ignorant of 1) What the responsibility of the federal government is and 2) Where your taxes go. Sometime's I wish someone would submit the US Constitution as a Slashdot article, but no one RTFAs anyways (and I guess you're the ultimate proof of that.)
I despise the current administration as the next Libertarian, but get your facts straight about education funding. The federal government is not (and nor should it - look at how the "No Child Left Behind" crap flopped) responsible for funding K-12 education. If you want to complain about the misappropriation of funds to the Iraq War and the lack of science in our federal government, look at NASA, not the public school system.
Uh, what the hell were you running, IE5.5?
I routinely switch between Kubuntu and Windows XP, on both of which I use Firefox with Adblock Plus. I run as a limited user on both machines and have *never* had a spyware/virus magic itself into my Windows box. Frankly, in my experience, people who pick up crap off the internet are morons at using a computer. 99.9999% of spyware/viruses/whatever can be avoided from Not Being Stupid (TM), regardless of whether you're using 2k/xp/whatever.
Granted I'm assuming you're using firefox here, but what the hell are you doing online that your interwebz experience is so dramatically different in Ubuntu than in Windows? I'd like some of the magic pills you're taking that make web browsing on Ubuntu so vastly more fun than on XP.
I'm not the AC you're replying to, but like you, I feel compelled to respond. This crap about the American military being the source of all evil is getting really fucking old. If American troops weren't in Iraq, would it magically be a better place? Do you live in such idealism that you really believe that after toppling Sadam and then simply leaving, Iraq would be a better place? Are nations that have experienced "American Imperialism" by invasion, such as South Korea, Japan, (West) Germany, and yes, even Canada, such bad places? It seems to me that only those places where our presence doesn't remain (Vietnam) remain more or less shitholes. But like so many citizens, I agree that Iraq was a mistake, but almost certainly not for the same reasons. The world should have let Iraqis die until they decided they wanted freedom - clearly handing it to them on a silver platter was too much for them. Now, don't get me wrong, I can't fucking stand the current political system in America. I sense a growing movement in my age group (late 20s) toward the independent party and away from the undeniably pandering and corrupt two major parties. In fact, I see that most of the problems with America are coming from these two parties. When did the government step in and "pilfer your savings?" I hope you're referring to the exorbitant we're paying to support a growing lower class of illegal immigrants, or the terribly broken social security system, which my generation will pay for when it enters bankruptcy because people (mostly liberals) are somehow afraid of people actually deciding how their money is saved, or the economic aid we continually give to countries, even those that hate us. I laugh at your comparison of the U.S. dollar to toilet paper - I suggest you read up on hyperinflation and the value of the mark in post-war Germany. If the American dollar was worth that little, I doubt any other nation on this planet would be worth fleeing to. No, the problem with this country is definitely people who share your sentiments, whom are generally liberal, and constantly instill fear into the public through continuous predictions of the apocalypse by whatever is fashionable at the time (global warming, extreme environmentalism, economic collapse, nuclear war, etc) - a policy the right seems to have, unfortunately, adapted quite well (Terrorism.) Do you really perceive that all life is so delicately hanging by a thread? If this country is a bad place it's because the Republicans dropped the ball on individual rights and the Democrats have become hyper-concerned with leftist extremists and the rest of the world has sat on the sidelines doing nothing. What's with the constant prediction of doom and gloom? Is your life REALLY that bad, or are you just pissed that there are so many stupid people out there (and if you think THAT is a trait limited to America, you're in for a surprise)? Seriously, I understand your frustrations with the current political system, but I don't understand your attitude at all.
I'd say I was in a similar situation throughout school. I was fairly open with my parents about my feelings towards school and they were supportive in telling me what real life is like out of school and that it's what you do /after/ high school that's important. Unlike so many of my classmates, I never got caught up in the campus social network and instead stayed with a relatively isolated group of very close friends. It's too bad high school is structured in such a way that some 4.0-5.0 GPA students can't even manage to get through a communications degree from a state college. 'Cool' does not pay bills or do homework for you.
:)
Being cool during high school may be fun for four years, but being a fry cook for the next forty isn't.
if AMD continues to drop their prices you'll...not buy from them? Err...k. If AMD plans to do this same type of Bulk Huge price drop, then i will plan to buy intel. Did you mean Intel and not AMD as you stated?
All electronic devices are shielded in space, otherwise the exposure to radiation would make them completely useless. Special EMI/RMI shielding containers are built to house the electronics, and I'm pretty sure special fabrication considerations go into protecting the devices. There's no doubt other solutions put in place.
it's lubricant, so your rockets travel through the pipes faster than the other guys.
That's your problem. You don't understand the meaning of the word "show". That's why the "mafia" (i.e. people a bit more cautious than you) look down on you and your ilk, as they should. That's also why they hold academic positions, and you don't.
...0wn3d. If only more people took this advice...
Yes, militarily, many major countries no longer need American troop support. Which I imagine is part of the reason troops have been moved out of Germany. South Korea might still need them, however.
:(
Economically is another story entirely. All major nations economies are directly connected to America's, but others are downright dependant. American financial aid, aka "Official Development Assistance" still flows into many European countries to the tune of billions. If we're becoming so "irrelevant" then they shouldn't mind not receiving any U.S. tax dollars. Infact, if they hate the U.S. half as much as they claim, they should reject it.
If you want to see an irrelevant body, look at the United Nations. I don't think Kerry's Presidency would have magically 'unfuck' ourselves in the eyes of the world, certainly not the fundamentalist extremists who want nothing less than the destruction Israel and America, despite whatever "plans" he constantly boasted about.
Exactly who is leaving us behind and how? Is the rest of the world going somewhere? Are their economies booming ahead of America's? Or do they just like us less? Boy, that would make me sad.
Oh please, that's complete and utter bullshit. If you want to see virulent hate, go to a fucking university campus, where publicly supporting Bush/Cheney is likely to get your ass kicked. A bumper sticker will get your car keyed.
If you want to see people stomping on civil liberties, look no further than the extreme of the left. There's a group that's so polarized, they damn near can't enter a political debate without frothing at the mouth and calling for Bush's assassination.
I take it your big stink about "creating amendments that will take away protections and rights for some americans" is the whole gay marriage issue. News flash, MARRIAGE ISN'T A FUCKING RIGHT. If you want a list of basic human rights, as well as those granted to you by society, read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of The United States of America.
Marriage, like drivers licenses, are privileges that are defined and given by society to you. Is society discriminatory because blind people aren't permitted to drive? Is it discriminatory, or sensible by definition? Defining marriage as between one man and one woman does NOT discriminate, as it applies to ALL people, not just one group. It also doesn't stomp on your right to consensually choose who to love ("pursuit of happiness," I suppose) - it simply says that the social institution of marriage is only between a man and a woman.
If you want to make some form of marriage specifically for gay couples (I have no idea what you'd call it - the best now is 'civil union') then urge your state legislature to pass laws defining such a union. But don't equate this to removing someones right to free speech, or to bear arms, or the right to bail, vote, trial, et al. When gay people (or any group of people, for that matter) are denied any of these rights, are sent to concentration camps, etc, then I'll more than happily stand with them to defend their rights. But don't compare the privilege of marriage to the right of free speech - that just doesn't fly.
k...you must not play very many online games, as most, if not all, withold the right to pull the plug on you on whatever whim they wish.
I don't really understand what you're getting so pissy about, many games now actively monitor the activity of the players for suspicious behavior, although this is usually to find cheaters, not pirates.
Take Counter Strike for example, which is probably the game most associated with anti-cheating. They'll happily ban you from playing multiplayer if they catch you cheating.
Many other games, especially MMORPGs, have some sort of Code of Ethics that will get you banned if you break. Getting caught exploiting some type of nasty bug, especially one that acts as a DoS, will get you banned/shit listed. Most companies are up front about this and it's widely accepted in the MMORPG world as SOP.
So...why exactly are you so pissed? I'd call piracy a worse offense than cheating, and certainly more deserving of a ban, than giving yourself ub3r l33t h4ckz.
...What the fuck are you trying to say? In what manner is "what goes on in America" more frightening than this? The fact that people buy shit? As opposed to what? People...not buying shit?
One minute you call BBC the "last source of REAL news" and the next you're calling it "filth". Which extreme is it? Your post makes less sense than John Kerry's position(s) on Iraq. If you're going to be cynical you could at least practice some consistency.