I wouldn't be surprised if this is Microsoft's first tentative introduction of Palladium technology into the market place.
Get people used to it, conveniently integrate it into the O/S down the track (in Longhorn?) as 'demand explodes', and then adjust the definition of suspicious application behaviour and viruses.
We'll be computing to the MS tune in no time at all!
Well, it looks like New South Wales' invasion of Queensland has been narrowly avoided for yet another week...
As for your sore point on road-spending I'd be very interested to hear your opinion, though perhaps a direct email would be more effective and prevent us being moderated for going off-topic.
cloaksmrf@bigpond.com if you're interested...
I really didn't mean it to get quite so nasty, although I will point out that this is the second time you've assumed something about me, and the second time you've been incorrect. How many hours west of Sydney in NSW is Coonabarabran? (how many hours north-EAST of that is Brisbane?) Here I sit at my desk without a degree where I have worked hard for seven years (did I mention I'm 26?).
I'll confess that my blanket statement about a growing culture of greed may have been unfair and - admittedly - unresearched. But my statements about over-representation (not a fault of farmers mind you) still stand, as does my remark on Australia's unbalanced focus on agriculture. Why should Australia's cultural exports - world favourites like Slim Dusty, Kylie Minogue and Priscilla - and the medical health of its population always have to play second fiddle to an area of our country that - although important - is still only part of the whole pie?
Perhaps we're simply observing a natural consequence of a political system that divides its population unfairly and - culturally - has always placed money above the environment? (I am not just talking agriculture!!!) I'd certainly be willing to accept that a government with more than a passing interest in our country's long-term future might be able to shape a more equal voting system and approach to the environment, but I suppose it's unlikely in the short term.
(gap of about 10 minutes while boss harrasses...)
Going back, I can see that I've hit a sore point with you, and only hope that you can accept my apology for the unfounded 'culture of greed' comment if you'll also accept that many of my points on agriculture vs the environment and over-representation are also true or at least warrant some merit. After reading your comments a few times I've realised I fell into the trap of blaming rural Australians for the flawed policies of government - which wouldn't be fair even if it made any kind of sense.
I'd also be interested to learn about what you meant by one corporation controlling most of the country's cattle production. It's certainly not something I was aware of.
Finally, please don't think that I disregard the signficance of our agricultural produce. I had fried rice and bbq pork for lunch and now I'm sitting here in a cotton shirt and pants with rubber-soled shoes on feet wearing woolen socks. I understand its significance very well.
Ignorance starts at home. Yours. I'm from Australia too, and have had more than enough of our supposedly advanced farming practices that have progressively destroyed such large tracts of QLD, NSW and VIC. The Murray-Darling basin is choking under water-table salt brought up by flood-irrigation, vast wetlands in NSW are drying up as QLD sucks its feeder rivers dry, and don't even get me started on the damage and water-deficit created by sugar-cane farming.
Add to that the fact that bush seats - despite their size - are vastly underpopulated compared to their urban counterparts and the resulting clout they have with both the Libs and Labor, and you have a farming industry that the government is beholden to far in excess of its percentage of the population. Hence over-representation, and a growing culture of greed - whether or not it is anything like the US lobby (that is not even in the same ballpark).
All this encouragement of the wanton destruction of our environment, and for what? The privilege of allowing our local small-but-potent entertainment industry and PBS to be gobbled up by the immense financial clout of US institutions?
Free-trade agreements like this are a clear demonstration of the diversity of US weapons in its government's quest for global dominance.
Why place sanctions upon and then invade a country like Australia when you can muscle in on its local laws and markets with empty bribes to a bunch of greedy farmers with grosse over-representation?
Should this supposed FTA ever become law you'd better believe that agricultural produce won't be the only thing we'll be expatriating on a permanent basis. Local content protection and regulation, a stringent but reasonable copyright law and pharmaceutical prices that match the world's very best for a developed nation - all gone the way of the grain-fed cow to fatten American wallets as well as stomachs.
Slashdot Mirror
I wouldn't be surprised if this is Microsoft's first tentative introduction of Palladium technology into the market place.
Get people used to it, conveniently integrate it into the O/S down the track (in Longhorn?) as 'demand explodes', and then adjust the definition of suspicious application behaviour and viruses.
We'll be computing to the MS tune in no time at all!
Well, it looks like New South Wales' invasion of Queensland has been narrowly avoided for yet another week... As for your sore point on road-spending I'd be very interested to hear your opinion, though perhaps a direct email would be more effective and prevent us being moderated for going off-topic. cloaksmrf@bigpond.com if you're interested...
*sigh*
I really didn't mean it to get quite so nasty, although I will point out that this is the second time you've assumed something about me, and the second time you've been incorrect. How many hours west of Sydney in NSW is Coonabarabran? (how many hours north-EAST of that is Brisbane?) Here I sit at my desk without a degree where I have worked hard for seven years (did I mention I'm 26?).
I'll confess that my blanket statement about a growing culture of greed may have been unfair and - admittedly - unresearched. But my statements about over-representation (not a fault of farmers mind you) still stand, as does my remark on Australia's unbalanced focus on agriculture. Why should Australia's cultural exports - world favourites like Slim Dusty, Kylie Minogue and Priscilla - and the medical health of its population always have to play second fiddle to an area of our country that - although important - is still only part of the whole pie?
Perhaps we're simply observing a natural consequence of a political system that divides its population unfairly and - culturally - has always placed money above the environment? (I am not just talking agriculture!!!) I'd certainly be willing to accept that a government with more than a passing interest in our country's long-term future might be able to shape a more equal voting system and approach to the environment, but I suppose it's unlikely in the short term.
(gap of about 10 minutes while boss harrasses...)
Going back, I can see that I've hit a sore point with you, and only hope that you can accept my apology for the unfounded 'culture of greed' comment if you'll also accept that many of my points on agriculture vs the environment and over-representation are also true or at least warrant some merit. After reading your comments a few times I've realised I fell into the trap of blaming rural Australians for the flawed policies of government - which wouldn't be fair even if it made any kind of sense.
I'd also be interested to learn about what you meant by one corporation controlling most of the country's cattle production. It's certainly not something I was aware of.
Finally, please don't think that I disregard the signficance of our agricultural produce. I had fried rice and bbq pork for lunch and now I'm sitting here in a cotton shirt and pants with rubber-soled shoes on feet wearing woolen socks. I understand its significance very well.
Ignorance starts at home. Yours. I'm from Australia too, and have had more than enough of our supposedly advanced farming practices that have progressively destroyed such large tracts of QLD, NSW and VIC. The Murray-Darling basin is choking under water-table salt brought up by flood-irrigation, vast wetlands in NSW are drying up as QLD sucks its feeder rivers dry, and don't even get me started on the damage and water-deficit created by sugar-cane farming.
Add to that the fact that bush seats - despite their size - are vastly underpopulated compared to their urban counterparts and the resulting clout they have with both the Libs and Labor, and you have a farming industry that the government is beholden to far in excess of its percentage of the population. Hence over-representation, and a growing culture of greed - whether or not it is anything like the US lobby (that is not even in the same ballpark).
All this encouragement of the wanton destruction of our environment, and for what? The privilege of allowing our local small-but-potent entertainment industry and PBS to be gobbled up by the immense financial clout of US institutions?
Hopefully you start to understand my grimace.
Free-trade agreements like this are a clear demonstration of the diversity of US weapons in its government's quest for global dominance. Why place sanctions upon and then invade a country like Australia when you can muscle in on its local laws and markets with empty bribes to a bunch of greedy farmers with grosse over-representation? Should this supposed FTA ever become law you'd better believe that agricultural produce won't be the only thing we'll be expatriating on a permanent basis. Local content protection and regulation, a stringent but reasonable copyright law and pharmaceutical prices that match the world's very best for a developed nation - all gone the way of the grain-fed cow to fatten American wallets as well as stomachs.