>Hell, all those liberals and intellectuals and smooth-talkers.
Stupid liberals with their non-discriminatory laws, weekends, and social safety nets. Stupid intellectuals who don't believe in god or starting a posse!
> Decent men who believed in a day's work for a day's pay
Funny how that didn't work out too well during the industrial revolution when the market was in charge and it took regulation and labor unions as well as massive protests before that was even possible.
Ugh, I love how Rorschach went from being a complete and utter right-wing psychopath to the posterboy of "common sense" in America. Wow, just wow.
I'm out of points, someone please mod gad_zuki! up.
I'm a 40 year old history professor, but I've lurked at Slashdot for years on account of my hidden/closeted geek side.
I've just now started to learn Arabic and Mandarin Chinese. Back in college I studied Russian, and mastered it quite quickly. I am progressing nicely in Mandarin and Arabic, but by no means am I mastering them at the same pace I mastered Russian 20 years ago.
Though some here are denying it, yes, as you get older it does become more difficult to learn. Not impossible, just more difficult. We now have wives, kids, job, mortgages, and home repairs to occupy our time, so of course making time to learn new languages is difficult. But it's more than that. Our brains simply aren't the same as they were 20 years ago. I'm no MD, but this is simply a function of the evil which is "aging."
PM me an invite and I'll gladly be your friend! I've been looking to an alternative to the evil which is Facebook for years now. I can't wait to give Google+ a go.
Sorry, but if you're not under 14 years old, Dr. Who is not for you. I really is horrible scifi, with trite plots and horrible acting, across the spectrum. It was made for kids in the UK, but somehow when it crossed the pond it was marketed to adults. *shrug*
I have family in Tochigi prefecture whom I can't get in touch with. The phone lines are down, and I assume my brother's lost his Internet.
I've used the Google finder at: http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/, but perhaps some folks on Slashdot might be able to offer advice on how to proceed in getting in touch.
Thanks for the tips. My father-in-law is a Windows man, it's too late to get him on the Mac or Linux wagon. I checked out Acer for the first time upon your suggestion, and they linked to a couple decent boxes sold at Amazon. I'll give them another look over, but the prices were nice. Cheers.
Am I the only middle-aged geek who DIDN'T think Dr. Demento was funny? I never found his shtick clever or humorous, and I just don't get why so many folks are nostalgic over such low-quality entertainment. You all can argue over the merits of radio and clear channels and whatnot till you're blue in the face, but I think perhaps this is just a simple story of bad quality entertainment justifiably giving way to slightly lesser bad quality entertainment in a natural evolution of mediocrity.
I'm amazed how many people think they are ENTITLED to an education and a high paying job simply because they went to college.
Did they study while there? Did they take complex, challenging classes? Did they engage the material and actually THINK about it? Or did they just coast along, getting C's and drinking at the frat house every Friday night?
A history degree doesn't provide anything past what you could get from an online, verified information source (I dare not say Wikipedia of course). If you're intelligent, you'll be able to comprehend whatever historical issue interests you, and have no need to spend 4 years on it.
As a history professor, I can safely say it's that kind of thinking that leads students to not come to lecture and instead rely on the interwebs when it comes time to study for exams.
Of course those students fail miserably, while those who attend lecture do much, much better.
Yep, I was a big fan and user of the Jornada 820. I took mine overseas with me and recorded my daily research on it, but it was a very versatile platform. The nice keyboard and long battery life were outstanding features which sadly today's manufacturers apparently no longer care about.
Americans have stopped valuing education for a generation or two now (at least). Anti-intellectualism is at an all-time high, with the "red state," "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" mentality dominating American culture.
And an undereducated population makes bad decisions, including what to do with their dollars. It's that simple. We Americans now value our 60" plasmas more than caring about the consequences our purchases have (even if that purchase is on credit cards we can't afford).
You know, that's an interesting question re: audience, which I hadn't honestly considered. Dr. Who way back in the early 80s here in America was on late at night (on PBS), and the most recent SciFi channel incarnation (I refuse to use SyFy) was also on, IIRC, a tad later in primetime (9p? 10p?). Either way, it seems to me to have been marketed to adults.
If, indeed, it's a children's show, then I'll back off my criticisms of it.
Yes, I'm a Yank, but I love Python, I love Adams and the HHGTTG, I love Peter Sellers...so I think I'm at least a bit in tune with British humo(u)r.
I also love SciFi, from Foundation to Lost, from Heinlein to Farscape, so I think my tastes there are eclectic enough.
But Dr. Who, in every incarnation I've tried, has never been funny to me, never exciting, never clever, never interesting, and never even campy fun. It's always been boring, uninspired, trite, B (hell, not even B but maybe D) grade drivel. *shrug*
Still, kudos to Ms. Flewers for coming through, even if it's only on a customer service front. If being accommodating is possible, why not formally apologise if someone was upset enough to complain.
Because it admits fault where there is none, sets a precedent, and generally encourages this sort of behavior.
I don't have any mod points, someone give this post some credit. We Americans need to stop letting the loonies think they are on even footing with the rest of society. We're only doing ourselves a disservice. First we let the Scientologists think they are legits, then creationists, then the Tea Baggers, now Jedis? Ugh.
Slashdot Mirror
>Hell, all those liberals and intellectuals and smooth-talkers.
Stupid liberals with their non-discriminatory laws, weekends, and social safety nets. Stupid intellectuals who don't believe in god or starting a posse!
> Decent men who believed in a day's work for a day's pay
Funny how that didn't work out too well during the industrial revolution when the market was in charge and it took regulation and labor unions as well as massive protests before that was even possible.
Ugh, I love how Rorschach went from being a complete and utter right-wing psychopath to the posterboy of "common sense" in America. Wow, just wow.
I'm out of points, someone please mod gad_zuki! up.
Stop catering to the lowest common denominator.
If people are too stupid to understand time zones, then don't change time zones, change the stupid people (via education).
I'm a 40 year old history professor, but I've lurked at Slashdot for years on account of my hidden/closeted geek side.
I've just now started to learn Arabic and Mandarin Chinese. Back in college I studied Russian, and mastered it quite quickly. I am progressing nicely in Mandarin and Arabic, but by no means am I mastering them at the same pace I mastered Russian 20 years ago.
Though some here are denying it, yes, as you get older it does become more difficult to learn. Not impossible, just more difficult. We now have wives, kids, job, mortgages, and home repairs to occupy our time, so of course making time to learn new languages is difficult. But it's more than that. Our brains simply aren't the same as they were 20 years ago. I'm no MD, but this is simply a function of the evil which is "aging."
Let me be the first to welcome our Puerto Rican anole overlords.
PM me an invite and I'll gladly be your friend! I've been looking to an alternative to the evil which is Facebook for years now. I can't wait to give Google+ a go.
I wonder how many Jedi and Scientologists just started cancelling their summer vacation plans to visit Sweden....
Yes! First let's blame the primary school teachers, then let's blame their unions, now let's blame graduate students and their professors!
Just what America needs, a further dumbing down.... *sigh*
Sorry, but if you're not under 14 years old, Dr. Who is not for you. I really is horrible scifi, with trite plots and horrible acting, across the spectrum. It was made for kids in the UK, but somehow when it crossed the pond it was marketed to adults. *shrug*
Is it April 1 already?
I have family in Tochigi prefecture whom I can't get in touch with. The phone lines are down, and I assume my brother's lost his Internet.
I've used the Google finder at: http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/, but perhaps some folks on Slashdot might be able to offer advice on how to proceed in getting in touch.
Thanks for the tips. My father-in-law is a Windows man, it's too late to get him on the Mac or Linux wagon. I checked out Acer for the first time upon your suggestion, and they linked to a couple decent boxes sold at Amazon. I'll give them another look over, but the prices were nice. Cheers.
I wonder what Freud would say about such "extreme caving"?
I can't find Ninjavideo up with a new domain/registrar. If anyone finds it please let me know.
Am I the only middle-aged geek who DIDN'T think Dr. Demento was funny? I never found his shtick clever or humorous, and I just don't get why so many folks are nostalgic over such low-quality entertainment. You all can argue over the merits of radio and clear channels and whatnot till you're blue in the face, but I think perhaps this is just a simple story of bad quality entertainment justifiably giving way to slightly lesser bad quality entertainment in a natural evolution of mediocrity.
"Pa doesn't love Fa!" still brings a tear to my eye.
Garbage in, garbage out.
I'm amazed how many people think they are ENTITLED to an education and a high paying job simply because they went to college.
Did they study while there? Did they take complex, challenging classes? Did they engage the material and actually THINK about it? Or did they just coast along, getting C's and drinking at the frat house every Friday night?
You think that more than 20% of the people who finish college courses come out educated? Must be nice to be an optimist.
99% of all statistics are made up.
A history degree doesn't provide anything past what you could get from an online, verified information source (I dare not say Wikipedia of course). If you're intelligent, you'll be able to comprehend whatever historical issue interests you, and have no need to spend 4 years on it.
As a history professor, I can safely say it's that kind of thinking that leads students to not come to lecture and instead rely on the interwebs when it comes time to study for exams.
Of course those students fail miserably, while those who attend lecture do much, much better.
Can someone please mod this post up a bit? It's VERY to the point and well-stated. Sadly, I don't have any mod points left.
Kudos to you, thesandtiger, for doing what so few on /. ever seem to do: hitting the nail on the head.
Yep, I was a big fan and user of the Jornada 820. I took mine overseas with me and recorded my daily research on it, but it was a very versatile platform. The nice keyboard and long battery life were outstanding features which sadly today's manufacturers apparently no longer care about.
As a Californian, all the Midwest looks alike to me. Is there a Smallville anywhere near the meteor's GZ?
One word: education.
Americans have stopped valuing education for a generation or two now (at least). Anti-intellectualism is at an all-time high, with the "red state," "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" mentality dominating American culture.
And an undereducated population makes bad decisions, including what to do with their dollars. It's that simple. We Americans now value our 60" plasmas more than caring about the consequences our purchases have (even if that purchase is on credit cards we can't afford).
You know, that's an interesting question re: audience, which I hadn't honestly considered. Dr. Who way back in the early 80s here in America was on late at night (on PBS), and the most recent SciFi channel incarnation (I refuse to use SyFy) was also on, IIRC, a tad later in primetime (9p? 10p?). Either way, it seems to me to have been marketed to adults.
If, indeed, it's a children's show, then I'll back off my criticisms of it.
Yes, I'm a Yank, but I love Python, I love Adams and the HHGTTG, I love Peter Sellers...so I think I'm at least a bit in tune with British humo(u)r.
I also love SciFi, from Foundation to Lost, from Heinlein to Farscape, so I think my tastes there are eclectic enough.
But Dr. Who, in every incarnation I've tried, has never been funny to me, never exciting, never clever, never interesting, and never even campy fun. It's always been boring, uninspired, trite, B (hell, not even B but maybe D) grade drivel. *shrug*
Because it admits fault where there is none, sets a precedent, and generally encourages this sort of behavior.
I don't have any mod points, someone give this post some credit. We Americans need to stop letting the loonies think they are on even footing with the rest of society. We're only doing ourselves a disservice. First we let the Scientologists think they are legits, then creationists, then the Tea Baggers, now Jedis? Ugh.