Neal Stephenson's writing style apes Thomas Pynchon quite a bit. Pynchon's last book was Mason & Dixon, which took place in the 1700's and was written in a faux-18th century style of writing. Neal's author biography on the Quicksilver website is written in a similar style.
Fortunately, the preview of the book isn't written like that. Last thing I want to do is slug through another 800 pages of "picnicks" and other arbitrary 18th century capitalization and spelling choices. At least Pynchon didn't also use those archaic "f"'s instead of "s"'s. (yes, I know they aren't really f's but that key isn't on my keyboard)
Good thing too. Given his style of writing and geeky subject matters, Stephenson has often been accused of writing like Pynchon a little too much....
When the sole distribution center was in the west coast, I had no trouble getting new films, but I only got 5-6 in a month because of east-west coast mailing time. Once Netflix put a distribution center in my city & I could rent 12 in a month with a short turnover, I stopped getting my high priority new releases at the top of my list and started getting the dreck down at the bottom of my list. It got so frustrating I quit. It just goes to show you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Before they're hatched. Can I be on the occupied Iraq new currency designing committee? More importantly, will occupied Iraq choose Direct TV or Dish Network as its standard?
I can tell this esteemed Rep. has his priorities straight.
He was planning to go to the midnight show, which isn't going to be over (including previews and ads) until close to 4 a.m., and he has a final exam at noon?
You're the only actor I heard of who ever did an Esperanto movie
(The Incubus). How was that experience? Don't you think that Esperanto has been greatly underutilized in film today?
That's because copyright law is federal law, but contract law and the variants on the Uniform Commercial Code (which UTICA is part of) are governed by state law.
(yes, the Uniform Commerical Code isn't uniform. discuss among yourselves...)
I'm also considering moving to freebsd because of its lauded stability. They say it has some linux binary compatibility, but how much linux-only software will it run?
Will linux WordPerfect Office 2000 work on it?
Those Loki-ported games?
If it can't run my applications, then I'm not going to switch. (gee, where have we heard that one before?;-) )
From the firm's website: http://www.hutchinswheelerdittmar.com
Mark D. Robins
Mark is an Associate of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar and a member of the firm's Litigation Practice. Mark's practice is concentrated in the areas of commercial litigation, intellectual property and insurance.
Mark received his B.A. from Trinity College and his J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School. He was Law Clerk to the Honorable Joyce London Alexander, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts.
Mark has written the following articles: Computers and the Discovery of Evidence: A New Dimension to Civil Procedure, 17 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. (forthcoming 1999); Electronic Trespass: An Old Theory in a New Context, 15 Computer Law. 1 (July 1998); The Reformation Defense to Motions for Preliminary Injunctive Relief in Trademark Litigation, 16 IPL Newsletter 10 (Spring 1998); Intellectual Property: The Path to Preliminary Injunctive Relief, 24 Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2180 (July 1, 1996); The Resurgence and Limits of the Demurrer, 27 Suffolk U.L. Rev. 637 (1993).
Gee -- if slashdot wants to become a forum for marketeer surveys and focus groups, maybe it should require that requesters pay the participants, just like in non-electronic forums. Most of these surveys pay $20, although a friend of mine participated in a "focus group" for Banana Republic for a $100 gift certificate. Market information like projected demand, prices, desired features, etc. is very valuable information, and I'm not going to give it away for free, nor should I expect Slashdot to provide a cost-free source of information for these people.
Most good law firms (or at least law firms afraid of a malpractice suit) have conflict-of-interest software. Each time a new client attempts to hire the firm (or at least sue someone), it checks to see who the other clients the firm represents are and if the new client wants to sue them. Even in the "old days" most firms had a partner in charge of this stuff.
It just goes to show that once again, it is the ambulance chasers who give the profession a bad name. Just plain sloppy.
I'm a trial attorney with the DOJ (tax, not antitrust), and as such, I cannot comment on ongoing litigation (but guess whom I'm rooting for);-)
I don't think we need specialized courts for antitrust. In fact, Judge TPJ has essentially made his court into a specialized microsoft court -- he only has 2 or 3 other cases going on at the same time, the majority of which are rather small (including one case I had). Judge TPJ is one of the most experienced judges in the DC District, which is one of the highest regarded judicial districts in the country. Having watched some of the trial, and followed the reports and transcripts, it is clear the Judge TPJ has read everything, and is always on top of all the arguments, evidence, and witnesses.
Do we need a specialized court? Based on TPJ's example, no. The number of antitrust cases (brought by the US anyway) that actually go to trial is rather low. Most go through discovery and eventually settle.
The Eastern District of Virginia, one of the districts that I handle cases in, is currently experimenting with a streamlined system that brings the average length of a civil trial from 3 years to 18 months. Although this is still a long time, most everyone refers to it as the "rocket docket." Civil litigation is not like criminal litigation -- there is no right to a speedy trial, and civil cases often get put on the back burner when a criminal matter takes precedence on the court's docket. Also discovery make take months or years. Read "A Civil Action" for some more insight into the process of discovery.
If you think that litigation takes too long, it is likely because there is a large number of vacant judicial positions that have been unfilled for several years.
FYI: no matter the verdict, MSFT did get one victory. we're upgrading to new software and replacing Netscape and Novell with WinNT, IE, and Outlook. Ick.
The above views are my own, and do not reflect the opinion of the Department of Justice.
Slashdot Mirror
Dupie Dupie Duplicate Story. Make it stop! Please please please please read Slashdot before posting stories!
I mean really. WTF with all the aliens?
Neal Stephenson's writing style apes Thomas Pynchon quite a bit. Pynchon's last book was Mason & Dixon, which took place in the 1700's and was written in a faux-18th century style of writing. Neal's author biography on the Quicksilver website is written in a similar style.
Fortunately, the preview of the book isn't written like that. Last thing I want to do is slug through another 800 pages of "picnicks" and other arbitrary 18th century capitalization and spelling choices. At least Pynchon didn't also use those archaic "f"'s instead of "s"'s. (yes, I know they aren't really f's but that key isn't on my keyboard)
Good thing too. Given his style of writing and geeky subject matters, Stephenson has often been accused of writing like Pynchon a little too much....
As I bitch about buying a G4 less than a month ago.... I shoulda waited.
When the sole distribution center was in the west coast, I had no trouble getting new films, but I only got 5-6 in a month because of east-west coast mailing time. Once Netflix put a distribution center in my city & I could rent 12 in a month with a short turnover, I stopped getting my high priority new releases at the top of my list and started getting the dreck down at the bottom of my list. It got so frustrating I quit. It just goes to show you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Before they're hatched. Can I be on the occupied Iraq new currency designing committee? More importantly, will occupied Iraq choose Direct TV or Dish Network as its standard?
I can tell this esteemed Rep. has his priorities straight.
He was planning to go to the midnight show, which isn't going to be over (including previews and ads) until close to 4 a.m., and he has a final exam at noon?
Hope it isn't an important final....
You're the only actor I heard of who ever did an Esperanto movie (The Incubus). How was that experience? Don't you think that Esperanto has been greatly underutilized in film today?
Wordperfect. The linux version stinks and there is no wordperfect for Mac OSX. If corel ever makes a modern mac version, I'd switch in a minute.
And before you ask, no, I don't want to run it in emulation.
Is from upwind.
Switzerland has no IP laws? But what about the smartest patent clerk ever?
poor guy would be unemployed today.
Another one: What's the difference between a used car salesman and a computer salesman? At least the car salesman knows how to drive.
That's because copyright law is federal law, but contract law and the variants on the Uniform Commercial Code (which UTICA is part of) are governed by state law.
(yes, the Uniform Commerical Code isn't uniform. discuss among yourselves...)
I hope so, because it works great under Windows.
I'm also considering moving to freebsd because of its lauded stability. They say it has some linux binary compatibility, but how much linux-only software will it run?
;-) )
Will linux WordPerfect Office 2000 work on it?
Those Loki-ported games?
If it can't run my applications, then I'm not going to switch. (gee, where have we heard that one before?
From the firm's website: http://www.hutchinswheelerdittmar.com
Mark D. Robins
Mark is an Associate of Hutchins, Wheeler
& Dittmar and a member of the firm's
Litigation Practice. Mark's practice is
concentrated in the areas of commercial
litigation, intellectual property and insurance.
Mark received his B.A. from Trinity
College and his J.D., cum laude, from
Boston College Law School. He was Law
Clerk to the Honorable Joyce London
Alexander, U.S. District Court, District of
Massachusetts.
Mark has written the following articles:
Computers and the Discovery of
Evidence: A New Dimension to Civil
Procedure, 17 J. Marshall J. Computer &
Info. L. (forthcoming 1999); Electronic
Trespass: An Old Theory in a New
Context, 15 Computer Law. 1 (July 1998);
The Reformation Defense to Motions for
Preliminary Injunctive Relief in
Trademark Litigation, 16 IPL Newsletter
10 (Spring 1998); Intellectual Property:
The Path to Preliminary Injunctive
Relief, 24 Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
2180 (July 1, 1996); The Resurgence and
Limits of the Demurrer, 27 Suffolk U.L.
Rev. 637 (1993).
Gee -- if slashdot wants to become a forum for marketeer surveys and focus groups, maybe it should require that requesters pay the participants, just like in non-electronic forums. Most of these surveys pay $20, although a friend of mine participated in a "focus group" for Banana Republic for a $100 gift certificate. Market information like projected demand, prices, desired features, etc. is very valuable information, and I'm not going to give it away for free, nor should I expect Slashdot to provide a cost-free source of information for these people.
Most good law firms (or at least law firms afraid of a malpractice suit) have conflict-of-interest software. Each time a new client attempts to hire the firm (or at least sue someone), it checks to see who the other clients the firm represents are and if the new client wants to sue them. Even in the "old days" most firms had a partner in charge of this stuff.
It just goes to show that once again, it is the ambulance chasers who give the profession a bad name. Just plain sloppy.
I'm a trial attorney with the DOJ (tax, not antitrust), and as such, I cannot comment on ongoing litigation (but guess whom I'm rooting for) ;-)
I don't think we need specialized courts for antitrust. In fact, Judge TPJ has essentially made his court into a specialized microsoft court -- he only has 2 or 3 other cases going on at the same time, the majority of which are rather small (including one case I had). Judge TPJ is one of the most experienced judges in the DC District, which is one of the highest regarded judicial districts in the country. Having watched some of the trial, and followed the reports and transcripts, it is clear the Judge TPJ has read everything, and is always on top of all the arguments, evidence, and witnesses.
Do we need a specialized court? Based on TPJ's example, no. The number of antitrust cases (brought by the US anyway) that actually go to trial is rather low. Most go through discovery and eventually settle.
The Eastern District of Virginia, one of the districts that I handle cases in, is currently experimenting with a streamlined system that brings the average length of a civil trial from 3 years to 18 months. Although this is still a long time, most everyone refers to it as the "rocket docket." Civil litigation is not like criminal litigation -- there is no right to a speedy trial, and civil cases often get put on the back burner when a criminal matter takes precedence on the court's docket. Also discovery make take months or years. Read "A Civil Action" for some more insight into the process of discovery.
If you think that litigation takes too long, it is likely because there is a large number of vacant judicial positions that have been unfilled for several years.
FYI: no matter the verdict, MSFT did get one victory. we're upgrading to new software and replacing Netscape and Novell with WinNT, IE, and Outlook. Ick.
The above views are my own, and do not reflect the opinion of the Department of Justice.