I like to think that I'm more civil than most. For example, as a Jew, I was somewhat taken aback by your comment, but I feel I've responded in a rational, non-defensive manner (please let me know if I haven't). Someone less thick-skinned might have notified the ADL.:-)
Certainly you have been rational... and I probably should have put the words "vocal minority" in bold. Let me state again that I have nothing against Jews as a race. I hate Woody Allen not because he is a Jew, but because he is Woody Allen:) I dont know how you look at those who claim to speak for your "people", but personally I have been cringing at those who claim to speak for me since the loonly left tried to shutdown my highschool for failing to provide subsidised soft drinks.
You are spot on in that the great number of "its not my fault" lawsuits come from those most priveleged in society.. namely the WASPs. However, there is something in US culture that I really havent felt anywhere else in the world, which is this "Victim" culture.
As an outsider who has travelled widely, I cant understand why the richest, most powerful, most priveleged people on earth are so hooked on painting themselves as "victims". In a way, September 11 was the worst thing to happen to US society, as it reenforced this feeling. (yes, it was horrible.. but we have already had that conversation).
The only connection I can make is between those in the media who propagate this "We are still owed". I know its not everybody. I know plenty of Jewish people (as in people born into and practising the Jewish faith) who are more than capable of having a conversation without mentioning the holacaust even once. Unfortunately, there are those who appear to have no other topic of conversation.
Now, without trying to sound inflamatory.. but rather as an interested observer, how much time needs to pass, or what occurances would need to happen, before the tragedy of WWII becomes history... something to learn from rather than something still lived day to day?
> human nature has partly evolved into blaming > what ever on someone else.
Sorry, its not human nature. Its a social phenominum, largely driven by the US. I'm sure somebody will label me an "anti-semite", but part of this is because of the vocal minority of hard-line Jews who take a perverse pride in talking about how they've been oppressed and victimised for 5000 years. (I've got nothing against Jews, but whiners/whingers shit me).
Most of the "Self Help" books I have read (admittedly very few) seem to focus on "Take responsibility for your own actions", "You can take control of your life" (The famous Covey "7 habits") is a good example of this). As an Australia, I read this and think "duh". What its obvious to me comes across as a revelation to Americans.
Having said that, New South Wales (The state with Sydney as the capital) is now the second most litigious state in the world... beaten only by California. This is taking into account the number of civil actions per capita. Where Australia still lags the US is in the rediculous payouts that are awarded.
Millions of dollars for a brat who didn't get into University? How do you account for that? Lost potential income? Shit, maybe I should sue the government for lost revenue because the state school system didn't let me become a plastic surgeon to the stars?
I would imagine a robot that could speak in MANY languages
Don't imagine it, watch Star Wars. Yes, you can have a robot that speaks thousands of languages, but they end up with a personality more annoying that Woody Allen.
If memory serves, a 19th century sociologist by the name of "Darde" posited that out of 100 people, 1 is truly creative and the remaining 99 are echoic.
> Hell, most non-lawyers don't even know the
> difference between slander and libel
Slander is when you call somebody a cock-sucking shit-eater, and you have proof.
Libel is when you call somebody a cock-sucking shit-eater, and you don't.
Flip the coin, but don't look at it. As it hasn't been observed, the probability function has not collapsed, and thus the upper face is BOTH Heads AND Tails.
Better still, tie the coin to a cat and flip the cat into a box containing poisonous gas. You still won't know what the outcome is, but at least there will be one less cat in the world.
It was a fully featured word processor that fit the application, the spelling dictionary and your documents on a 360k floppy. It ran in 64k of RAM and used all 16 colours available from on my 4k of video memory at 72 characters by 25 lines.
Slashdot Mirror
I like to think that I'm more civil than most. For example, as a Jew, I was somewhat taken aback by your comment, but I feel I've responded in a rational, non-defensive manner (please let me know if I haven't). Someone less thick-skinned might have notified the ADL. :-)
Certainly you have been rational... and I probably should have put the words "vocal minority" in bold. Let me state again that I have nothing against Jews as a race. I hate Woody Allen not because he is a Jew, but because he is Woody Allen :) I dont know how you look at those who claim to speak for your "people", but personally I have been cringing at those who claim to speak for me since the loonly left tried to shutdown my highschool for failing to provide subsidised soft drinks.
You are spot on in that the great number of "its not my fault" lawsuits come from those most priveleged in society.. namely the WASPs. However, there is something in US culture that I really havent felt anywhere else in the world, which is this "Victim" culture.
As an outsider who has travelled widely, I cant understand why the richest, most powerful, most priveleged people on earth are so hooked on painting themselves as "victims". In a way, September 11 was the worst thing to happen to US society, as it reenforced this feeling. (yes, it was horrible.. but we have already had that conversation).
The only connection I can make is between those in the media who propagate this "We are still owed". I know its not everybody. I know plenty of Jewish people (as in people born into and practising the Jewish faith) who are more than capable of having a conversation without mentioning the holacaust even once. Unfortunately, there are those who appear to have no other topic of conversation.
Now, without trying to sound inflamatory.. but rather as an interested observer, how much time needs to pass, or what occurances would need to happen, before the tragedy of WWII becomes history... something to learn from rather than something still lived day to day?
Ya know, I feel like a month after I buy the extended version, they're release the super-trilogy version with more footage.
Be sure to post here when you buy the EE, so the rest of us know we have only a month to wait!
> Knowing that sooner or later he would sue you if
.. and I'm sure that passing the hat around here on Slashdot would get a top laywer at the post-mortem inquest.
> you made the slightist miscalulation
Dead men don't sue...
> human nature has partly evolved into blaming
> what ever on someone else.
Sorry, its not human nature. Its a social phenominum, largely driven by the US. I'm sure somebody will label me an "anti-semite", but part of this is because of the vocal minority of hard-line Jews who take a perverse pride in talking about how they've been oppressed and victimised for 5000 years. (I've got nothing against Jews, but whiners/whingers shit me).
Most of the "Self Help" books I have read (admittedly very few) seem to focus on "Take responsibility for your own actions", "You can take control of your life" (The famous Covey "7 habits") is a good example of this). As an Australia, I read this and think "duh". What its obvious to me comes across as a revelation to Americans.
Having said that, New South Wales (The state with Sydney as the capital) is now the second most litigious state in the world... beaten only by California. This is taking into account the number of civil actions per capita. Where Australia still lags the US is in the rediculous payouts that are awarded.
Millions of dollars for a brat who didn't get into University? How do you account for that? Lost potential income? Shit, maybe I should sue the government for lost revenue because the state school system didn't let me become a plastic surgeon to the stars?
(IANAL)
I would imagine a robot that could speak in MANY languages
Don't imagine it, watch Star Wars. Yes, you can have a robot that speaks thousands of languages, but they end up with a personality more annoying that Woody Allen.
If memory serves, a 19th century sociologist by the name of "Darde" posited that out of 100 people, 1 is truly creative and the remaining 99 are echoic.
Oh wait...
field like the Babylon 5 "private conversation booths"
Or like the Get Smart Cone of Silence.
Subaru.
Their cars may be as ugly as sin, but the engineering is still as good as it ever was.
Great somebody invented an invading force that can be defeated by a staircase. Daleks, anyone?
It is uncomfortable to drive with a pony tail, an I am 100 percent bloke....
... and if you disagree with that Ill slap you. Oh shit... I broke a nail.
Non-English speakers: "SOL" == "Shit Outta Luck"
Hispanohablantes: "SOL" == "Chucha/Chinga la mierda".
What do I get for posting snapshots ? :)
KARMA
kind of the /. for librarians...
Oh God... I can see it now...
All your books are belong to us!!
In Soviet Russia, shelves book you!!
Imagine a Boewulf of those!!
Imagine a... Oh. Wait. C-mon... somebody was going to say it.
> Hell, most non-lawyers don't even know the > difference between slander and libel Slander is when you call somebody a cock-sucking shit-eater, and you have proof. Libel is when you call somebody a cock-sucking shit-eater, and you don't.
the day hell not only freezes over but hosts the winter olympics.
Already happened.
Smacking around S.A. isn't a sport, its a public service.
Of course, the solution to this is simple.
Flip the coin, but don't look at it. As it hasn't been observed, the probability function has not collapsed, and thus the upper face is BOTH Heads AND Tails.
Better still, tie the coin to a cat and flip the cat into a box containing poisonous gas. You still won't know what the outcome is, but at least there will be one less cat in the world.
> WordStar for DOS is still the best.
Sod that. I learnt WordStar on CP/M 80.
It was a fully featured word processor that fit the application, the spelling dictionary and your documents on a 360k floppy. It ran in 64k of RAM and used all 16 colours available from on my 4k of video memory at 72 characters by 25 lines.
Matt
> Why not pay for a superior product?
Because most of us are in IT and don't earn $350 an hour.
Matt
As an Australian, I'll be awed the day that New Zealand gets back on the map for Cricket. :)
> Sun's shareholders will have to ask you why
Why?
I've still got a few of these hanging around after the dot.com boom. At least they are only cents away from what I paid for them.
I've looked for on the net a couple of times, but didn't manage to find it.
Does anybody know of a patch that turns clippy into Tux, and then has him make smart-arsed comments about windows at random intervals?
Bkn weon! Otro sanantaguino...
um...
How do you say "slashdotter" in spanish?
"puntoeslashador"?
And, while your're at it, why not your own currency system as well?
We have one. Its called "Karma".