Re:I was worried about this acquisition...
on
Toy Story 3 Scrapped
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· Score: 2, Insightful
I was really worried about Disney ruining everything that makes Pixar great, and I was also worried about the Jobs reality distortion field making things worse.
I wonder what the minds at Pixar could do with the Muppet franchise.
I don't understand how these two statements go together. Its weird. The way I picture it, you've got one post making the first statement. Then, you've got some disney-fan-club-dude with a room full of memorobilia arguing with the second statement. I mean, you're welcome to feel nostalgic, but if Pixar is going to help Disney get back to where they used to be, it's going to be by carving a new niche. Where Disney used to be is on the leading edge of creativity. Creativity in terms of story and direction...and creativity in terms of what it means to be entertained as a family. I can't see them getting back to that by tapping old franchies and squeezing every last drop out of them...
Maybe I should have been more specific. I was speaking in terms of the impact that the atomic bomb has had on our cultural and societal development. The way I see it, the bomb represents a fundamental shift in the way humans view the world. The potential for self-annihilation became a vivid reality, and in that same breath a windfall of scientific understanding and advancement has been pushing us forward for the last 50 years... Sorry for being so vague...
Not sure about this, but I think best buy already has an online rebate redemption thing going, also... I know compusa does, and I think I've done some best buy rebates online as well. The point of this article isn't partial-online....it's total-online. Personally, I've never had a problem with _any_ rebate (except the time I threw the box away and needed the UPC...bastards).
Rebates just suck for consumers, in general. There's absolutely no reason the stores shouldn't be able to offer instant rebates at the time of purchase with today's technology. This becomes particularly obvious when best buy starts setting up an electronic infrastructure to support online rebates. They claim to be doing it to "help the customer", but in reality...they just know there's no excuse for forcing the snail-mail issue any longer.
Taking it even further, the only>/b> arguement for online rebates vs. instant rebates is that best buy depends on a certain level of "breakage", as they call it in the marketing biz. Without that breakage, rebates wouldn't be profitable anymore. They know they're going to lose some of the breakage without the snail-mail crutch, so you should expect less rebates...or less lucrative rebates. Yay for slimy corporate bastards trying to squeeze every last cent possible out of their customers... Hey, at least the diligent customers can still benefit from it. Oh well...
Actually, now that I think about it... It could turn this planet into the socialist utopia that socialists have been dreaming about since the idea was concieved. That's not to say that we wouldn't encounter another economic game to participate in beyond our atmosphere. Oh wait... That's Star Trek. Oh wait.. science-fiction sometimes ends up being a little less strange than the truth, even...
A functional understanding of the fundamental building blocks that make up our physical reality could do everything you've mentioned in your post...and a LOT more. It's like the atomic bomb x10, if you really think about it.
Haha! I'm keenly aware of both the rise and the fall you mentioned, actually...
Still, that doesn't change the fact that China's human rights record is pretty damn terrible and not getting much better. I, personally, won't welcome our new Chinese overlords if they're trying to censor the entire world once they've reached the level of dominance that the United States has enjoyed since the end of the Cold War. However, I'll welcome them with open arms if they're able to "emerge from the dark cloud" as I so melodramtically stated (believe me I cringed as I typed it out, but I couldn't think of a better way to say it within the 10 seconds of time I alotted myself).
Don't worry about me... I've got my eye on the prize (wtf is wrong with me). I don't need to worry about competing. Not that I neglect political issues that hit closer to home, but I'm more concerned about things being better for all of the humans on this planet than I am "competing." If they're better off, then I am too.
I posted this in the Google story, but, of course; it's also relevant to this story. I think Bill's on the right track for once (whoa!):
I completely disagree with the sentiment that Google is 'being evil' by agreeing to censor search results in accordance with Chinese law. Google's job is not to legislate or protest political issues. Their job is to provide search results to those who need them.
It seems to me that, without google, the largest population of human beings in the world would be missing out on some of the best parts of the internet. Granted, many of those parts will be censored, but we all know censorship isn't ever going to be 100% effective, anyway.
What China needs is information. The more information we can get piped into Chinese cultural consciousness, the sooner their society will be able to emerge from this dark cloud. The internet is exactly the tool to provide that information, and if google is able to deliver it better than anyone else, then I say more power to them. I think it's obvious that our government hasn't had much luck in changing the Chinese government by scolding them or leveraging political and economic sanctions. Having said that, it seems pretty obvious to me that we should consider a different approach. From my perspective, that's exactly what google is doing. There's an old saying:
Agreed... However, if you're a competitive person, it's very difficult to play an MMO that way. Couple competitiveness with an addictive personality, and you've got an recipe for disaster. Very few people are able to reach the level of awareness and will-power that you have. Most would need individual guidance from someone like you who's been there/done that....and no one expects to become addicted to a stupid game so that's likely to happen very often. I think it's best to think of these things like drugs... Fun in moderation...damaging in excess...easy to get sucked in.
Personally, I've been able to keep my playing habits under control with MMOs. They've just been able to suck me in further than other genres (except for my time playing older id games competitively) to the point that I feel like I'd rather be spending time with my wife...or exercising...or whatever. I've reached a point in my life where the only gaming I want to do is an occasional 20 minute session of Quake or an occasional single player game that has a definite beginning/end... So, my experiences don't really call for the type of MMO avoidance that I promote. I've just seen too many friends get totally sucked in....and felt myself teetering on the edge.
MMOs are really just as simple as any other RPG. You just happen to be competing against a bunch of other people who have elevated their level of skill/knowledge far beyond what most of us dreamed of with regular RPGs. No need to keep up with the discussion groups and fansites unless you want to progress more quickly... You'll pick it up as you go if you have a solid RPG foundation.
Having said that, I'd just like to reiterate: DON'T DO IT! It will suck your life away. I played UO for a couple of years... Then Diablo2 (sort of a hybrid MMO if you play on bnet)... It's a real addiction. You eat/sleep/dream about it. Your character means sooo much more to you when you're so keenly aware of your standing in relation to other players. Buying items with real money becomes a difficult temptation to resist for average skill-level players (no matter how ridiculous you think the idea is). MMOs are parasitic....but insanely fun. Stay away!
Neat, I checked. Five states. Huge technological centers with lots of high income people that would use expensive Macs...OR NOT:
Alaska, Deleware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon
Also, local municipalities can and do collect sales tax most of the time. Take Alaska for example: "While Alaska does not charge a state sales tax, 95 municipalities collect a local sales tax, with a range of between 1 percent and 7 percent."
Me too... I was in 1st grade. The entire school was gathered in the cafeteria to watch the launch. I didn't know what to think after it happened. I just felt numb, I guess. We have an elementary school named after christa mcauliffe in our school district, now... Reading this article brought back some of the memories, and the emotional impact is finally hitting me...for the first time. I feel like a kid again, and it's not such a good feeling. Doh!
I completely disagree with the sentiment that Google is 'being evil' by agreeing to censor search results in accordance with Chinese law. Google's job is not to legislate or protest political issues. Their job is to provide search results to those who need them.
It seems to me that, without google, the largest population of human beings in the world would be missing out on some of the best parts of the internet. Granted, many of those parts will be censored, but we all know censorship isn't ever going to be 100% effective, anyway.
What China needs is information. The more information we can get piped into Chinese cultural consciousness, the sooner their society will be able to emerge from this dark cloud. The internet is exactly the tool to provide that information, and if google is able to deliver it better than anyone else, then I say more power to them.
I think it's obvious that our government hasn't had much luck in changing the Chinese government by scolding them or leveraging political and economic sanctions. Having said that, it seems pretty obvious to me that we should consider a different approach. From my perspective, that's exactly what google is doing. There's an old saying:
You're mostly covered. I can accept the position you've taken. I apologize for being so harsh, and you're right...it is a matter of perspective (sometimes jaded).
From my perspective...it's the lazy, fearful, sometimes stupid, sometimes inexperienced users that are the plague. It just so happens that almost *all* of them are using Windows. Also, at one point...windows was exactly as you've described. In the past couple of years, it really has come a long way... Linux has done the same. Only, instead of in coming a long way on security/stability, it's been usability for linux. Both OS's still need to improve a little in these respective areas, but at this point if you're savvy, you can be happy with either one.
Telling him to use linux for a few years more when it was clear that he was a fairly well seasoned linux user. Patronizingly adding quotes around the word "hard" as though he doesn't know what "hard" is because he's too inexperienced. That's bashing in my book. Sorry. Try adding a little tact and subtracting a little assumption next time.
How you're a zealot:
Making unqualified statements about windows to pump up your precious OS...being proven wrong...and continuing to stick to your guns.
I've got news for you... I'm one of the "ANY windows users" you referred to, and my experiences conflict with your little "fact." My dinky router provides plenty of protection while windows update automatically patches my box after installation. In fact, I bet the 'windows firewall' that's now bundled with the OS does a satisfactory job of this. My previous comments regarding never having had to install adware/spyware/virus removal/detection software still stand. Oh, and I've never "worried" about it either (like the quotes?).
You want to talk trash about windows? Fine... There are plenty of ways to do it, and I'll jump right in with you. How you've gone about it thus far, though? Not cool. Please stop.
My post was in response to dingletec's... Notice the quote in italics.:)
Not that this excuses the harshness of my post, but I was a little irritated as I'm sure you can understand because you were prompted to defend yourself a number of times.
I spend much less time tinkering with * on Linux than ANY Windows user does dealing with Antivirus/Adware/Spyware/Maintenance/etc.
Fallacy... I spend absolutely no time dealing with antivirus/adware/spyware. I don't even have software installed for any of these three, and I've never had a significant problem with any of them. In all my years of windows use, I've had a single worm infection. It was harmless and even kinda funny: Code Red. Recently, I had to install a third-party patch to protect myself for a couple of days, but that was a first... And other maintenance? I spend a minimal amount of time maintaining...maybe a defrag every once in a while and automatic updates through Windows update...the type of stuff people have to do for any OS.
Oh... I've also got an Ubuntu laptop, and I love it. I can see myself making a near complete transition from windows to linux in the next couple of years. Though, coincidentally, adding a wifi card to my laptop, recently, ended up being a somewhat painful process.
So, you see... I'm not really too much of a windows fan. I just can't stand seeing zealots like yourself bashing other linux users for pointing out obvious shortcomings and then using the opportunity to bag on Windows in a way that's completely off-base. Grow up.
Walking is a skill. Laying down is a skill. Sitting is a skill. All people have varying levels of ability in these positions. All people have the ability to improve each with practice.
Sitting is not worse than any other position. Sitting too much might not be very good for you. Sitting improperly might not be very good, either...
We are designed to stand equally as efficiently as we are able to walk. The skill of standing can be learned with a minimal amount of effort, and ultimately, it can be more restful than sitting and almost as restful as lying down.
Learning how to stand properly is much more difficult than walking properly. Walking is a natural motion we perform constantly to get from one place to another. Standing is something we rarely do.
I have to admit, I am completely new to KDE/Linux. However, I just installed kubuntu on a HP omnibook p3 600 w/ 256mb RAM. It runs beautifully and flawlessly with zero post-installation configuration. I dare say the notebook is a good deal snappier than when WinXP was installed on it. I'm very happy with it, and I plan to run it in the future...whenever possible.
Slashdot Mirror
This is a perfect example of why I've been saying all along that google is making the right decision in cooperating with the Chinese Government: http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=175251&cid =14571383
I was really worried about Disney ruining everything that makes Pixar great, and I was also worried about the Jobs reality distortion field making things worse.
I wonder what the minds at Pixar could do with the Muppet franchise.
I don't understand how these two statements go together. Its weird. The way I picture it, you've got one post making the first statement. Then, you've got some disney-fan-club-dude with a room full of memorobilia arguing with the second statement. I mean, you're welcome to feel nostalgic, but if Pixar is going to help Disney get back to where they used to be, it's going to be by carving a new niche. Where Disney used to be is on the leading edge of creativity. Creativity in terms of story and direction...and creativity in terms of what it means to be entertained as a family. I can't see them getting back to that by tapping old franchies and squeezing every last drop out of them...
Maybe I should have been more specific. I was speaking in terms of the impact that the atomic bomb has had on our cultural and societal development. The way I see it, the bomb represents a fundamental shift in the way humans view the world. The potential for self-annihilation became a vivid reality, and in that same breath a windfall of scientific understanding and advancement has been pushing us forward for the last 50 years... Sorry for being so vague...
Not sure about this, but I think best buy already has an online rebate redemption thing going, also... I know compusa does, and I think I've done some best buy rebates online as well. The point of this article isn't partial-online....it's total-online. Personally, I've never had a problem with _any_ rebate (except the time I threw the box away and needed the UPC...bastards).
Rebates just suck for consumers, in general. There's absolutely no reason the stores shouldn't be able to offer instant rebates at the time of purchase with today's technology. This becomes particularly obvious when best buy starts setting up an electronic infrastructure to support online rebates. They claim to be doing it to "help the customer", but in reality...they just know there's no excuse for forcing the snail-mail issue any longer.
Taking it even further, the only>/b> arguement for online rebates vs. instant rebates is that best buy depends on a certain level of "breakage", as they call it in the marketing biz. Without that breakage, rebates wouldn't be profitable anymore. They know they're going to lose some of the breakage without the snail-mail crutch, so you should expect less rebates...or less lucrative rebates. Yay for slimy corporate bastards trying to squeeze every last cent possible out of their customers... Hey, at least the diligent customers can still benefit from it. Oh well...
Actually, now that I think about it... It could turn this planet into the socialist utopia that socialists have been dreaming about since the idea was concieved. That's not to say that we wouldn't encounter another economic game to participate in beyond our atmosphere. Oh wait... That's Star Trek. Oh wait.. science-fiction sometimes ends up being a little less strange than the truth, even...
A functional understanding of the fundamental building blocks that make up our physical reality could do everything you've mentioned in your post...and a LOT more. It's like the atomic bomb x10, if you really think about it.
Staples did away with vendor sponsored mail-in rebates, also? Somehow, I doubt it.
Haha! I'm keenly aware of both the rise and the fall you mentioned, actually...
Still, that doesn't change the fact that China's human rights record is pretty damn terrible and not getting much better. I, personally, won't welcome our new Chinese overlords if they're trying to censor the entire world once they've reached the level of dominance that the United States has enjoyed since the end of the Cold War. However, I'll welcome them with open arms if they're able to "emerge from the dark cloud" as I so melodramtically stated (believe me I cringed as I typed it out, but I couldn't think of a better way to say it within the 10 seconds of time I alotted myself).
Don't worry about me... I've got my eye on the prize (wtf is wrong with me). I don't need to worry about competing. Not that I neglect political issues that hit closer to home, but I'm more concerned about things being better for all of the humans on this planet than I am "competing." If they're better off, then I am too.
I posted this in the Google story, but, of course; it's also relevant to this story. I think Bill's on the right track for once (whoa!):
I completely disagree with the sentiment that Google is 'being evil' by agreeing to censor search results in accordance with Chinese law. Google's job is not to legislate or protest political issues. Their job is to provide search results to those who need them.
It seems to me that, without google, the largest population of human beings in the world would be missing out on some of the best parts of the internet. Granted, many of those parts will be censored, but we all know censorship isn't ever going to be 100% effective, anyway.
What China needs is information. The more information we can get piped into Chinese cultural consciousness, the sooner their society will be able to emerge from this dark cloud. The internet is exactly the tool to provide that information, and if google is able to deliver it better than anyone else, then I say more power to them. I think it's obvious that our government hasn't had much luck in changing the Chinese government by scolding them or leveraging political and economic sanctions. Having said that, it seems pretty obvious to me that we should consider a different approach. From my perspective, that's exactly what google is doing. There's an old saying:
You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
Agreed... However, if you're a competitive person, it's very difficult to play an MMO that way. Couple competitiveness with an addictive personality, and you've got an recipe for disaster. Very few people are able to reach the level of awareness and will-power that you have. Most would need individual guidance from someone like you who's been there/done that....and no one expects to become addicted to a stupid game so that's likely to happen very often. I think it's best to think of these things like drugs... Fun in moderation...damaging in excess...easy to get sucked in.
Personally, I've been able to keep my playing habits under control with MMOs. They've just been able to suck me in further than other genres (except for my time playing older id games competitively) to the point that I feel like I'd rather be spending time with my wife...or exercising...or whatever. I've reached a point in my life where the only gaming I want to do is an occasional 20 minute session of Quake or an occasional single player game that has a definite beginning/end... So, my experiences don't really call for the type of MMO avoidance that I promote. I've just seen too many friends get totally sucked in....and felt myself teetering on the edge.
DON'T DO IT. You'll regret it. :)
MMOs are really just as simple as any other RPG. You just happen to be competing against a bunch of other people who have elevated their level of skill/knowledge far beyond what most of us dreamed of with regular RPGs. No need to keep up with the discussion groups and fansites unless you want to progress more quickly... You'll pick it up as you go if you have a solid RPG foundation.
Having said that, I'd just like to reiterate: DON'T DO IT! It will suck your life away. I played UO for a couple of years... Then Diablo2 (sort of a hybrid MMO if you play on bnet)... It's a real addiction. You eat/sleep/dream about it. Your character means sooo much more to you when you're so keenly aware of your standing in relation to other players. Buying items with real money becomes a difficult temptation to resist for average skill-level players (no matter how ridiculous you think the idea is). MMOs are parasitic....but insanely fun. Stay away!
Neat, I checked. Five states. Huge technological centers with lots of high income people that would use expensive Macs...OR NOT:
Alaska, Deleware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon
Also, local municipalities can and do collect sales tax most of the time. Take Alaska for example: "While Alaska does not charge a state sales tax, 95 municipalities collect a local sales tax, with a range of between 1 percent and 7 percent."
Me too... I was in 1st grade. The entire school was gathered in the cafeteria to watch the launch. I didn't know what to think after it happened. I just felt numb, I guess. We have an elementary school named after christa mcauliffe in our school district, now... Reading this article brought back some of the memories, and the emotional impact is finally hitting me...for the first time. I feel like a kid again, and it's not such a good feeling. Doh!
I chose the highest sales tax I'm aware of in the dallas area to help prove the point. Sales tax in my town is 7.25.
4 x $129 = $516, not $600. That's an $84 difference. $84 buys a gig of ram.
$129.99 + 9% sales tax = $141.69 141.69 x 5 = 566.76 566.76 is pretty close to 600 bucks. Nice try.
I like that quote, but can you explain the relevance here? I'm sure it's obvious, but I just can't come up with anything.
I completely disagree with the sentiment that Google is 'being evil' by agreeing to censor search results in accordance with Chinese law. Google's job is not to legislate or protest political issues. Their job is to provide search results to those who need them.
It seems to me that, without google, the largest population of human beings in the world would be missing out on some of the best parts of the internet. Granted, many of those parts will be censored, but we all know censorship isn't ever going to be 100% effective, anyway.
What China needs is information. The more information we can get piped into Chinese cultural consciousness, the sooner their society will be able to emerge from this dark cloud. The internet is exactly the tool to provide that information, and if google is able to deliver it better than anyone else, then I say more power to them. I think it's obvious that our government hasn't had much luck in changing the Chinese government by scolding them or leveraging political and economic sanctions. Having said that, it seems pretty obvious to me that we should consider a different approach. From my perspective, that's exactly what google is doing. There's an old saying:
You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
You're mostly covered. I can accept the position you've taken. I apologize for being so harsh, and you're right...it is a matter of perspective (sometimes jaded).
From my perspective...it's the lazy, fearful, sometimes stupid, sometimes inexperienced users that are the plague. It just so happens that almost *all* of them are using Windows. Also, at one point...windows was exactly as you've described. In the past couple of years, it really has come a long way... Linux has done the same. Only, instead of in coming a long way on security/stability, it's been usability for linux. Both OS's still need to improve a little in these respective areas, but at this point if you're savvy, you can be happy with either one.
How you were critical of the parent:
Telling him to use linux for a few years more when it was clear that he was a fairly well seasoned linux user. Patronizingly adding quotes around the word "hard" as though he doesn't know what "hard" is because he's too inexperienced. That's bashing in my book. Sorry. Try adding a little tact and subtracting a little assumption next time.
How you're a zealot:
Making unqualified statements about windows to pump up your precious OS...being proven wrong...and continuing to stick to your guns.
I've got news for you... I'm one of the "ANY windows users" you referred to, and my experiences conflict with your little "fact." My dinky router provides plenty of protection while windows update automatically patches my box after installation. In fact, I bet the 'windows firewall' that's now bundled with the OS does a satisfactory job of this. My previous comments regarding never having had to install adware/spyware/virus removal/detection software still stand. Oh, and I've never "worried" about it either (like the quotes?).
You want to talk trash about windows? Fine... There are plenty of ways to do it, and I'll jump right in with you. How you've gone about it thus far, though? Not cool. Please stop.
My post was in response to dingletec's... Notice the quote in italics. :)
Not that this excuses the harshness of my post, but I was a little irritated as I'm sure you can understand because you were prompted to defend yourself a number of times.
I spend much less time tinkering with * on Linux than ANY Windows user does dealing with Antivirus/Adware/Spyware/Maintenance/etc.
Fallacy... I spend absolutely no time dealing with antivirus/adware/spyware. I don't even have software installed for any of these three, and I've never had a significant problem with any of them. In all my years of windows use, I've had a single worm infection. It was harmless and even kinda funny: Code Red. Recently, I had to install a third-party patch to protect myself for a couple of days, but that was a first... And other maintenance? I spend a minimal amount of time maintaining...maybe a defrag every once in a while and automatic updates through Windows update...the type of stuff people have to do for any OS.
Oh... I've also got an Ubuntu laptop, and I love it. I can see myself making a near complete transition from windows to linux in the next couple of years. Though, coincidentally, adding a wifi card to my laptop, recently, ended up being a somewhat painful process.
So, you see... I'm not really too much of a windows fan. I just can't stand seeing zealots like yourself bashing other linux users for pointing out obvious shortcomings and then using the opportunity to bag on Windows in a way that's completely off-base. Grow up.
Walking is a skill. Laying down is a skill. Sitting is a skill. All people have varying levels of ability in these positions. All people have the ability to improve each with practice.
Sitting is not worse than any other position. Sitting too much might not be very good for you. Sitting improperly might not be very good, either...
We are designed to stand equally as efficiently as we are able to walk. The skill of standing can be learned with a minimal amount of effort, and ultimately, it can be more restful than sitting and almost as restful as lying down.
Learning how to stand properly is much more difficult than walking properly. Walking is a natural motion we perform constantly to get from one place to another. Standing is something we rarely do.
I have to admit, I am completely new to KDE/Linux. However, I just installed kubuntu on a HP omnibook p3 600 w/ 256mb RAM. It runs beautifully and flawlessly with zero post-installation configuration. I dare say the notebook is a good deal snappier than when WinXP was installed on it. I'm very happy with it, and I plan to run it in the future...whenever possible.