Isn't that pretty much the argument that the pro-censorship crowd uses? That kids don't distinguish between the games and reality? "Little Johnny went out and murdered that prostitute b/c he was trained to do it in GTA" sounds a lot like "Little Johnny went out and murdered that Muslim b/c he was trained to do it in 'Left Behind'".
If individual executives cost HP $14.5 million, and are not punished by the board (either financially, or career-wise), then the shareholders need to get a new board. I'm not saying this is likely to happen (good old apathy), but it is the process by which the individuals should be punished: HP representatives piss off the state on behalf of HP, the state punishes HP, HP punishes the individuals that represented it.
One of the internal tables in our database system was developed by a guy that is no longer here. When I first took over some of his databases, I noticed that he used a very common naming convention, using foo_fk to designate the foreign key to table foo. The other DBA got a big laugh when I asked him how he pronounced the foreign key to the cluster table, cluster_fk. Somehow, they had gone for a few years with nobody thinking anything strange about the name. We didn't change the name (would be a nightmare to change all the code that touches this column), but it has become quite a joke amongst the tech team here.
I have no mod points, so I must post to say "Well done". That was one of the most comprehensive, well argued, logically constructed smackdowns I have ever read. Brilliant!
Another aspect the AC didn't mention is that the bank seizes the house if you default, meaning they sell your home, not you. What this means in practice is that $100,000 home will be sold as quickly as possible to cover the $40,000 still owed, which translates to MUCH less than the $100,000 market value. In reality, there is no way you, the "homeowner", will get your $60,000 in equity back out if you default. This is why lenders require mortgage insurance if there is less than 20% equity in a house: they know there is no way in hell they are going to get > 80% of the market value on a foreclosed house.
Why is this a different question for people than corporations?
1) Due to the nature and scale of their actions, corporations tend to be involved in much more "gray" areas than individuals, requiring more exact definitions of right and wrong. There was no need to define the amount of Chemical X one was allowed to put into the atmosphere until the first processing plant that produces tons of it per day appeared.
2) We have had thousands of years to work on the task of identifying anti-social behaviors that people might engage in, and regulating them. Pretty much the only ones left undefined are behaviors based around new technologies, which enable new behaviors. Not that this is a small set, but it is a tiny subset of the corporation to corporation, corporation to individual, and corporation to society behaviors still left to be defined.
I have no idea if the "increased tax revenues" really offset the cost of a half-billion dollar stadium, but the fact that people will spend their money in other ways isn't the point. the fact that people will travel to Seattle to spend their money for a baseball game that would have spent that money somewhere other than Seattle is the heart of the argument. Sports stadiums are tourist attractions.
I am also highly intrigued by the adjective form, fucky. I'm not familiar with this usage, but am interested in seeing how many times I can slip it into conversation this weekend.
I've also heard Fuck = Fornication Under Consent of the King, which is pretty much the opposite of the Van Halen version. I have no idea which is true (if either), and this is completely off-topic, but WTH:-)
Yeah, that was my first thought, too. At least this time, they didn't flat out admit they would be feeding false propaganda to the press. Not that this is that much more subtle; I think its cute they expect people to believe they will be "correcting misinformation".
Censorship only happens when the government censors something.
Nope, censorship happens when anyone censors. It just happens to be perfectly legal for anyone not the government to do it. Surely you have heard late night hosts make a comment along the lines "That will never make it past our censors"? They aren't referring to the government, they are referring to network employees, often operating under guidelines set by the network above and beyond FCC regulations.
One of those laws dictates that you will not travel faster that the posted speed limit. Should we start sending people to prison when they violate that law?
Probably not; we can prevent people from speeding much more easily and cheaply (for society, that is) than prison. But there should be much more significant penalties involved for me screaming through your neighborhood at 180 mph than for me going 70 on a 65 mph highway. I would even go so far as to say I think the asshat going 180 through your neighborhood should be punished more harshly than the guy that swipes $20 in merchandise from the gas station, even though one guy actually harmed somebody, and the other guy only potentially harmed somebody.
Slashdot Mirror
I've always wondered, if money is a protected form of speech, then why is it illegal for me to "talk" a hooker into having sex with me?
Isn't that pretty much the argument that the pro-censorship crowd uses? That kids don't distinguish between the games and reality? "Little Johnny went out and murdered that prostitute b/c he was trained to do it in GTA" sounds a lot like "Little Johnny went out and murdered that Muslim b/c he was trained to do it in 'Left Behind'".
Hmm, does reading /. all day while "working" a state job count as "leeching off the state"?
Bodies don't decompose before your very eyes unless you have a Time Dilation Field.
Or a LOT of patience...
Do you ever have anyone come back and tell you they were overpaid, they received three paychecks this month?
Yeah, I'm guessing not...
If individual executives cost HP $14.5 million, and are not punished by the board (either financially, or career-wise), then the shareholders need to get a new board. I'm not saying this is likely to happen (good old apathy), but it is the process by which the individuals should be punished: HP representatives piss off the state on behalf of HP, the state punishes HP, HP punishes the individuals that represented it.
One of the internal tables in our database system was developed by a guy that is no longer here. When I first took over some of his databases, I noticed that he used a very common naming convention, using foo_fk to designate the foreign key to table foo. The other DBA got a big laugh when I asked him how he pronounced the foreign key to the cluster table, cluster_fk. Somehow, they had gone for a few years with nobody thinking anything strange about the name. We didn't change the name (would be a nightmare to change all the code that touches this column), but it has become quite a joke amongst the tech team here.
I have no mod points, so I must post to say "Well done". That was one of the most comprehensive, well argued, logically constructed smackdowns I have ever read. Brilliant!
Another aspect the AC didn't mention is that the bank seizes the house if you default, meaning they sell your home, not you. What this means in practice is that $100,000 home will be sold as quickly as possible to cover the $40,000 still owed, which translates to MUCH less than the $100,000 market value. In reality, there is no way you, the "homeowner", will get your $60,000 in equity back out if you default. This is why lenders require mortgage insurance if there is less than 20% equity in a house: they know there is no way in hell they are going to get > 80% of the market value on a foreclosed house.
Why is this a different question for people than corporations?
1) Due to the nature and scale of their actions, corporations tend to be involved in much more "gray" areas than individuals, requiring more exact definitions of right and wrong. There was no need to define the amount of Chemical X one was allowed to put into the atmosphere until the first processing plant that produces tons of it per day appeared.
2) We have had thousands of years to work on the task of identifying anti-social behaviors that people might engage in, and regulating them. Pretty much the only ones left undefined are behaviors based around new technologies, which enable new behaviors. Not that this is a small set, but it is a tiny subset of the corporation to corporation, corporation to individual, and corporation to society behaviors still left to be defined.
FYI, yes it is. However, meticulousness is the more common noun form in American English.
I'm married and do get laid
Boy, I wish! I'm just too afraid that my wife will find out...
Maybe you're thinking of "I have no Mouth but I must Scream"? It confronts the idea of eternal suffering. Pretty bleak stuff.
You should try Jack Vance. I especially enjoyed his demon princes series. Plenty of action and cool ideas; very little characterization.
I have no idea if the "increased tax revenues" really offset the cost of a half-billion dollar stadium, but the fact that people will spend their money in other ways isn't the point. the fact that people will travel to Seattle to spend their money for a baseball game that would have spent that money somewhere other than Seattle is the heart of the argument. Sports stadiums are tourist attractions.
Yeah, there is no "-1, Eeeewwwww" mod....
Thanks! I am now an educated fucker.
I am also highly intrigued by the adjective form, fucky. I'm not familiar with this usage, but am interested in seeing how many times I can slip it into conversation this weekend.
Grandma is in for a surprise.
I've also heard Fuck = Fornication Under Consent of the King, which is pretty much the opposite of the Van Halen version. I have no idea which is true (if either), and this is completely off-topic, but WTH :-)
I don't know about the B&D, but it looks like the S&M crowd is already in.
If you object to psychologically invasive tests, you probably shouldn't be applying to the CIA in the first place.
Yeah, that was my first thought, too. At least this time, they didn't flat out admit they would be feeding false propaganda to the press. Not that this is that much more subtle; I think its cute they expect people to believe they will be "correcting misinformation".
Iron Condor said he hit double digits in 10 years. So he averaged about one lay a year. That's only bragging for slashdotters and married guys...
Hell - where the pints all have holes in the bottom, and the women don't!
Censorship only happens when the government censors something.
Nope, censorship happens when anyone censors. It just happens to be perfectly legal for anyone not the government to do it. Surely you have heard late night hosts make a comment along the lines "That will never make it past our censors"? They aren't referring to the government, they are referring to network employees, often operating under guidelines set by the network above and beyond FCC regulations.
One of those laws dictates that you will not travel faster that the posted speed limit. Should we start sending people to prison when they violate that law?
Probably not; we can prevent people from speeding much more easily and cheaply (for society, that is) than prison. But there should be much more significant penalties involved for me screaming through your neighborhood at 180 mph than for me going 70 on a 65 mph highway. I would even go so far as to say I think the asshat going 180 through your neighborhood should be punished more harshly than the guy that swipes $20 in merchandise from the gas station, even though one guy actually harmed somebody, and the other guy only potentially harmed somebody.