It is much easier to learn a foreign language when you are younger.
I have a niece who though she hasn't started elementary school is already learning foreign languages. When she was 2 or 3 my sister enrolled her in a private school that taught young children different languages. Though 4 years old she knows American Sign Language, ASL, pretty well and is learning either French or Spanish, I don't recall which.
I agree with your statement that Chinese is a pretty easy language, as long as you can learn the pronunciation (some people have no trouble, some people have a really rough time) and as long as you never try to read or write it.
I had a private teacher for Mandarin Chinese and he taught us, I took the class where I went to for Kong Fu, to write in both Chinese ideograms and the Pin yin romanization. He'd give us an assignment and we had to do it in both.
If you want to learn a language so as to be able to speak it competently, remember: learning a language is an incredible amount of hard work, especially something like Mandarin or Russian which are quite wildly different from English.
Actually I think it depends on the person and how the language is taught. In college I took classes on campus in both French and German and I took a class in Mandarin Chinese where I was learning Kong Fu. Though we learned writing with both Chinese ideograms and the Pin yin romanization I picked up Chinese faster than either French or German. And my college classes were 3 hours a week whereas I only had one hour a week for Mandarin, then again I got to work with and practice it in Kong Fu. For one thing unlike European languages it didn't have a lot of verb conjugations or pronouns for different genders; der, die, das in German or un, une in French depending on the gender of the subject.
here in the US unless you are traveling a lot you only need to know English.
Here in the US if you can only speak English you may find your job outsourced. If however you speak another language you might be able to work in another country. The pay would probably be lower but your living expenses would be lower too. For instance an English teacher could live like a king in China. Accountants could too.
It's almost always worth it to learn something new. However in today's economy knowing a language other than just English is a good idea. Perhaps good languages to learn is Portuguese, the official language of Brazil; Hindu, India's main language; Mandarin, the official spoken Chinese language; or maybe Russian.
I think it's clear these people can't be rehabilitated.
Yea, some might not be rehabilitatable, but then lock them up and throw away the key.
Without the death penalty, assholes like Dennis Rader will rot in jail forever. I'd rather see him put to death.
When I'm thinking sadistically I may say the families of the BTK's, Dennis Rader, victims should be allowed to do to him what he did to his victims. Now if punishment is the goal then life in prison may be worse than capital punishment, some are more concerned about their freedom than about death, they'd rather be dead than locked up. I believe if I were locked up for life and saw no hope I'd do what I could to kill myself.
Yeah but people don't think "should I have an accident or be rude?"
When people are held responsible then they will pay attention, but as of now they aren't. Most people's insurance will pay then raise the premium the next tyme they renew. If however people had to pay out of pocket then they'd be more careful I bet.
So, do you know what "therapy" to give somebody who gets kicks from killing people?
I'm no expert and have no idea what type of therapy crazies or the insane should get. About all I know about therapy is the more than year I spent in therapy after an accident.
Why do you define somebody logical but evil as "insane"?
Well, you have to also bear in mind that fuel taxes are rather heavy down here, so the price of a tank of gas is higher than in the USA.
Yea, fuel tax in the US is rather low, even compared to Canada. The US imports more oil from Canada than any other country, with Mexico second. But when I was last in Canada I paid twice as much as it cost me to fill up in the US.
Using a cell phone (ie: puching in digits to dial... not talking) is just about as unsafe as tuning your radio or popping in a cd. If done properly, talking on a cell phone is no more dangerous than talking to a passenger.
As I said in my reply to the post above yours perhaps I should of said driving with the phone glued to the ear, though actually I'd expand that to driving unsafely.
The driver doesn't want to sound rude so they keep talking, distracting themselves from driving.
An accident would be a lot more deadly than being rude. I know, while in a coma in the hospital after I was hit the docs told my family it would be a miracle if I lived. Because someone who never should of been driving hit me my life as been a living hell, so I'd argue with the docs about there being a miracle. As for using a cellphone, it's the only phone I have, I never make a call while driving. I will either make a call before driving or I will a make it when I get where I'm going. And if I receive a call while driving I'll ask the person to wait while I pull over, once not a danger I'll talk. Nothing is as important as life. Well a good quality of life as my is shitty and I wish I hadn't survived.
I almost believe that maybe there should be a law against talking on a cellphone without a hands free set while driving.
In many places, there are. But they don't do any good if a) no one knows about them, b) no one is enforcing them, and c) no one bothers to obey them. People speed all the time; so what makes you think an "anti-cellphone" law will be any different?
Unfortunately what you say is true, about the only thing that would improve it is if those who caused accidents were held more liable. Notice also I didn't say anti-cellphone, I specifically stated driving without using a hands free set for the phone. Perhaps I should of said driving with the phone glued to the ear, I've had to avoid too many drivers who were irresponsible in not paying attention to the road.
What's wrong with diesel? Rudolph Diesel, the inventor and designer of the diesel engine had it running on vegetable oil. However vegetable oil isn't diesel, by mixing lye to the oil though diesel can be made. So, unlike gasoline, diesel is very much a renewable fuel.
some criminals are not only too dangerous to be left free, but also took away the life of someone who has never done anything to them.
Give them therapy while they are locked up, and keep them there as long as they aren't rehabilitated. The only tyme a person should be execute is when they request it, for instance when they believe they can't live in society without being a danger.
I think that taking that person's life is justified.
So do I, when someone's life is in immediate danger. If I came across someone who posed an immediate threat to someone else, or myself, I would have no problem shooting them. After I took reasonable non aggressive steps to stop the threat first, then I'd escalate my response.
In Zimbabwe it's cronyism with tribalism thrown in not skin colour, Mugabe's opponents are Black as well as he is, though maybe from different tribes or ethnic groups.
Sure, it might be a worse punishment to lock somebody up for the rest of his life in a small cell, but it's much more expensive
I don't have the data but I read somewhere where it's actually cheaper to keep someone in gaol for life than it to execute them. When someone is sentenced to death they automatically get an appeal and by the tyme the appeal process is done the costs can add up a lot more than imprisoning them for life would cost.
do you think your tax money should be spent to keep some mentally insane murderers alive?
Those insane should get the therapy they need to effectively function in society. Executing them only punishes them for an act they are not responsible for.
Next time people bitch about Western democracies one should just point to Iran's politics...
Perhaps you didn't know it but those "Wester democracies" are the ones who created the problems in Iran now. The CIA aided and supported the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Iran in 1953. This installed the Shah as the ruler of Iran. Without such a ruler there would not have been the Iranian revolution in 1979 against a corrupt tyrant.
At least in Italy, for the sake of privacy, you cannot know from your telco the exact phone numbers that have been dialed from YOUR own phone.
In the US we, at least I did, got a list of phone number dialed when I got the bill.
Falcon
I don't understand why you object to surveillance
on
The Privacy Paradox
·
· Score: 1
Surely if you've done nothing wrong, then you've got nothing to hide.
Why, Even If You Have Nothing To Hide Government Surveillance Threatens Your Freedom: The Case Against Expanding Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Powers.
Blaming the "mass media" is not going to help, they are not in a grand conspiracy to steal your word. They use the word the way it is known to their reader/viewership, and it's not their "fault" the word has that meaning.
Did you read the etymology of "hack"? I don't think so because if you did you should of saw how the first connotation of it as being bad was 1984 by the mass media but that it was used for year prior to that with an ethical connotation.
You obviously missed the lines before that which equate it with "prostitute" (definite negative connotations)
Two problems with this, one computers have nothing to do with prostitution. And two it's only negative to puritans and those like you, I have absolutely no problem with prostitution and believe it should be legal, require medical checks perhaps but legal still. As with many other things, I disagree with all laws that make something illegal even when there is no harm to anyone else.
But of course to you then "one who writes anything for hire" is also bad.
It's akin to using "tree" when talking to computer scientists or programmers. Quite often the first thing they'll think about is a data structure, not something barkish with real-life leaves. There are countless other words that carry a different meaning when used in smaller circles or professions, "hack" and "hacker" are no different.
There's already a word to use when people use computers to do bad things, "criminal". If a new word is needed create one, compuminal perhaps. Years ago I kept a log, journal, of neologisms, some I found and some I created myself.
The only real distinction that word has it that it has an inordinately high likelihood of being misunderstood without context; a hacker describing their latest cool hack may elicit a member of the general public to stamp them as an unethical criminal
Which is why I ask those who insist on using "hacker" with a bad connotation to at least use "blackhat hacker". You may find it strange I insist on doing stuff like this but I don't believe in letting something slide when I think it's wrong, well except grammar and spelling.
Hollywood Video is even worse. I went to Hollywood video when Blockbuster didn't have the movie I wanted, and they wanted an automobile registration!
I never tried Hollywood. Blockbuster is bad enough, if other movies rental stores are worse that's terrible. And people wonder why I buy movies instead of renting them, I admit though I usually watch a movie more than once.
I once went to Blockbuster to see what I needed to do to rent a movie and was handed this form that looked like a loan application. I handed it back saying they didn't need all that information. All they need is to know if I can pay.
Slashdot Mirror
It is much easier to learn a foreign language when you are younger.
I have a niece who though she hasn't started elementary school is already learning foreign languages. When she was 2 or 3 my sister enrolled her in a private school that taught young children different languages. Though 4 years old she knows American Sign Language, ASL, pretty well and is learning either French or Spanish, I don't recall which.
Falcon
I agree with your statement that Chinese is a pretty easy language, as long as you can learn the pronunciation (some people have no trouble, some people have a really rough time) and as long as you never try to read or write it.
I had a private teacher for Mandarin Chinese and he taught us, I took the class where I went to for Kong Fu, to write in both Chinese ideograms and the Pin yin romanization. He'd give us an assignment and we had to do it in both.
Falcon
If you want to learn a language so as to be able to speak it competently, remember: learning a language is an incredible amount of hard work, especially something like Mandarin or Russian which are quite wildly different from English.
Actually I think it depends on the person and how the language is taught. In college I took classes on campus in both French and German and I took a class in Mandarin Chinese where I was learning Kong Fu. Though we learned writing with both Chinese ideograms and the Pin yin romanization I picked up Chinese faster than either French or German. And my college classes were 3 hours a week whereas I only had one hour a week for Mandarin, then again I got to work with and practice it in Kong Fu. For one thing unlike European languages it didn't have a lot of verb conjugations or pronouns for different genders; der, die, das in German or un, une in French depending on the gender of the subject.
Falcon
here in the US unless you are traveling a lot you only need to know English.
Here in the US if you can only speak English you may find your job outsourced. If however you speak another language you might be able to work in another country. The pay would probably be lower but your living expenses would be lower too. For instance an English teacher could live like a king in China. Accountants could too.
Falcon
It's almost always worth it to learn something new. However in today's economy knowing a language other than just English is a good idea. Perhaps good languages to learn is Portuguese, the official language of Brazil; Hindu, India's main language; Mandarin, the official spoken Chinese language; or maybe Russian.
Falcon
I think it's clear these people can't be rehabilitated.
Yea, some might not be rehabilitatable, but then lock them up and throw away the key.
Without the death penalty, assholes like Dennis Rader will rot in jail forever. I'd rather see him put to death.
When I'm thinking sadistically I may say the families of the BTK's, Dennis Rader, victims should be allowed to do to him what he did to his victims. Now if punishment is the goal then life in prison may be worse than capital punishment, some are more concerned about their freedom than about death, they'd rather be dead than locked up. I believe if I were locked up for life and saw no hope I'd do what I could to kill myself.
Falcon
Yeah but people don't think "should I have an accident or be rude?"
When people are held responsible then they will pay attention, but as of now they aren't. Most people's insurance will pay then raise the premium the next tyme they renew. If however people had to pay out of pocket then they'd be more careful I bet.
Falcon
So, do you know what "therapy" to give somebody who gets kicks from killing people?
I'm no expert and have no idea what type of therapy crazies or the insane should get. About all I know about therapy is the more than year I spent in therapy after an accident.
Why do you define somebody logical but evil as "insane"?
Can you show where I did this, or is it smoke?
Bye.
Falcon
The conversation is what makes the cellphone dangerous while driving
That was only part of the conversation. Part of it, and the article, was about gas mileage.
Falcon
Well, you have to also bear in mind that fuel taxes are rather heavy down here, so the price of a tank of gas is higher than in the USA.
Yea, fuel tax in the US is rather low, even compared to Canada. The US imports more oil from Canada than any other country, with Mexico second. But when I was last in Canada I paid twice as much as it cost me to fill up in the US.
Falcon
Using a cell phone (ie: puching in digits to dial... not talking) is just about as unsafe as tuning your radio or popping in a cd. If done properly, talking on a cell phone is no more dangerous than talking to a passenger.
As I said in my reply to the post above yours perhaps I should of said driving with the phone glued to the ear, though actually I'd expand that to driving unsafely.
The driver doesn't want to sound rude so they keep talking, distracting themselves from driving.
An accident would be a lot more deadly than being rude. I know, while in a coma in the hospital after I was hit the docs told my family it would be a miracle if I lived. Because someone who never should of been driving hit me my life as been a living hell, so I'd argue with the docs about there being a miracle. As for using a cellphone, it's the only phone I have, I never make a call while driving. I will either make a call before driving or I will a make it when I get where I'm going. And if I receive a call while driving I'll ask the person to wait while I pull over, once not a danger I'll talk. Nothing is as important as life. Well a good quality of life as my is shitty and I wish I hadn't survived.
Falcon
Not really. Sales are down near zero, but people are still driving the damned things.
Total auto sales are down but truck and SUV sales are down more than car sales. According to one article, "Ford, General Motors and Toyota Show 20 Percent Sales Drop in June", the demand for small fuel efficient cars can't be met by manufacturing.
I almost believe that maybe there should be a law against talking on a cellphone without a hands free set while driving.
In many places, there are. But they don't do any good if a) no one knows about them, b) no one is enforcing them, and c) no one bothers to obey them. People speed all the time; so what makes you think an "anti-cellphone" law will be any different?
Unfortunately what you say is true, about the only thing that would improve it is if those who caused accidents were held more liable. Notice also I didn't say anti-cellphone, I specifically stated driving without using a hands free set for the phone. Perhaps I should of said driving with the phone glued to the ear, I've had to avoid too many drivers who were irresponsible in not paying attention to the road.
Falcon
That doesn't explain what's wrong with biodiesel though.
Falcon
Here in the U.S., with all the behemoth SUVs driven by morons
With high fuel prices people are dumping their SUVs.
yacking away on their cell phones when they should be paying attention to their driving
I almost believe that maybe there should be a law against talking on a cellphone without a hands free set while driving.
Falcon
What's wrong with diesel? Rudolph Diesel, the inventor and designer of the diesel engine had it running on vegetable oil. However vegetable oil isn't diesel, by mixing lye to the oil though diesel can be made. So, unlike gasoline, diesel is very much a renewable fuel.
Falcon
Just like we can't talk to N. Korea. Except we did and they stopped their nuclear program.
Until they started it again. And then they stopped it again. And then they blew up a bomb underground. And then they stopped it again. AND THEN....
What many people miss about N Korea restarting their nuclear program after the 1992 agreement is that they were promised oil but did not have it all delivered. They were also promised light water reactor (LWR) power plants, however bids for them weren't held until 1998, 6 years later.
North Korea only broke their part of the 1992 agreement after the west failed to live up to it's parts.
Falcon
some criminals are not only too dangerous to be left free, but also took away the life of someone who has never done anything to them.
Give them therapy while they are locked up, and keep them there as long as they aren't rehabilitated. The only tyme a person should be execute is when they request it, for instance when they believe they can't live in society without being a danger.
I think that taking that person's life is justified.
So do I, when someone's life is in immediate danger. If I came across someone who posed an immediate threat to someone else, or myself, I would have no problem shooting them. After I took reasonable non aggressive steps to stop the threat first, then I'd escalate my response.
Falcon
In Zimbabwe it's cronyism with tribalism thrown in not skin colour, Mugabe's opponents are Black as well as he is, though maybe from different tribes or ethnic groups.
Falcon
Sure, it might be a worse punishment to lock somebody up for the rest of his life in a small cell, but it's much more expensive
I don't have the data but I read somewhere where it's actually cheaper to keep someone in gaol for life than it to execute them. When someone is sentenced to death they automatically get an appeal and by the tyme the appeal process is done the costs can add up a lot more than imprisoning them for life would cost.
do you think your tax money should be spent to keep some mentally insane murderers alive?
Those insane should get the therapy they need to effectively function in society. Executing them only punishes them for an act they are not responsible for.
Falcon
Next time people bitch about Western democracies one should just point to Iran's politics...
Perhaps you didn't know it but those "Wester democracies" are the ones who created the problems in Iran now. The CIA aided and supported the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Iran in 1953. This installed the Shah as the ruler of Iran. Without such a ruler there would not have been the Iranian revolution in 1979 against a corrupt tyrant.
Falcon
At least in Italy, for the sake of privacy, you cannot know from your telco the exact phone numbers that have been dialed from YOUR own phone.
In the US we, at least I did, got a list of phone number dialed when I got the bill.
Falcon
Surely if you've done nothing wrong, then you've got nothing to hide.
Why, Even If You Have Nothing To Hide Government Surveillance Threatens Your Freedom: The Case Against Expanding Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Powers.
Falcon
Blaming the "mass media" is not going to help, they are not in a grand conspiracy to steal your word. They use the word the way it is known to their reader/viewership, and it's not their "fault" the word has that meaning.
Did you read the etymology of "hack"? I don't think so because if you did you should of saw how the first connotation of it as being bad was 1984 by the mass media but that it was used for year prior to that with an ethical connotation.
You obviously missed the lines before that which equate it with "prostitute" (definite negative connotations)
Two problems with this, one computers have nothing to do with prostitution. And two it's only negative to puritans and those like you, I have absolutely no problem with prostitution and believe it should be legal, require medical checks perhaps but legal still. As with many other things, I disagree with all laws that make something illegal even when there is no harm to anyone else.
But of course to you then "one who writes anything for hire" is also bad.
It's akin to using "tree" when talking to computer scientists or programmers. Quite often the first thing they'll think about is a data structure, not something barkish with real-life leaves. There are countless other words that carry a different meaning when used in smaller circles or professions, "hack" and "hacker" are no different.
There's already a word to use when people use computers to do bad things, "criminal". If a new word is needed create one, compuminal perhaps. Years ago I kept a log, journal, of neologisms, some I found and some I created myself.
The only real distinction that word has it that it has an inordinately high likelihood of being misunderstood without context; a hacker describing their latest cool hack may elicit a member of the general public to stamp them as an unethical criminal
Which is why I ask those who insist on using "hacker" with a bad connotation to at least use "blackhat hacker". You may find it strange I insist on doing stuff like this but I don't believe in letting something slide when I think it's wrong, well except grammar and spelling.
Falcon
Hollywood Video is even worse. I went to Hollywood video when Blockbuster didn't have the movie I wanted, and they wanted an automobile registration!
I never tried Hollywood. Blockbuster is bad enough, if other movies rental stores are worse that's terrible. And people wonder why I buy movies instead of renting them, I admit though I usually watch a movie more than once.
Falcon
I once went to Blockbuster to see what I needed to do to rent a movie and was handed this form that looked like a loan application. I handed it back saying they didn't need all that information. All they need is to know if I can pay.
Falcon