And again, WHAT IS IT? Sure, there is a LOT of code out there. But show me the OSS software out there that screams, "Wow! That's unbelievably clever!"
How about Synaptic Package Manager and package files (deb or rpm) in general? You have either clearly never used a Linux distribution OR have come to completely take it for granted. There are even ports of the BSD package manager to OS X. Every time I use Windows now I can not help feeling that the whole mechanism of software distribution/installation feels archaic. Getting software for Linux is remarkably easy, innovative, and is a product of the open source movement.
Additionally, to talk to the parent article in a more general sense - there was nothing wrong with UNIX. Its an operating system. Its sole purpose in life is to provide an abstraction layer such that more human friendly software can be written and sit on top of it. Why re-invent the fucking wheel every few years?
In the 1980s, I could walk up to an ATM machine, tap a few buttons, and order airline tickets. This put me ahead of the people standing in line at the ticket counter.
That's pretty cool. Here in the 2007s, we get to wait 2 hours, strip nekkid, walk through a metal detector, and have a bomb sniffing dog rammed up our asses whenever we go to the airports. Its a shame I never got to experience the mystical place you are describing.
And you're right, this isn't really a desktop issue- its mainly a server one. Desktops really don't need all the power they have now, perhaps one percent of users outside of gamers actually use it.
Can you substantiate that? Are you including people that do ANY sort of development work where they need to compile programs or test scripts? Are you including people that edit video, retouch their family photos, or dabble in using their computer to make music? How about people who burn DVDs WHILE they browse the web? Are you including people who have installed a new operating system? EVERYTHING you do on your computer from rendering the cool background picture you have on your desktop to opening a browser window (with multiple tabs, all running webapps [concurrently] that include AJAX trickery) takes CPU cycles. Trivializing "Desktops do not need that much power" like you did tells me that either a) you work for Google and are shamelessly promoting web based applications, or b) read way too much propaganda about web based computing and did not really think through what you were saying.
To be fair, you made some excellent points in the first half of your post and I agree with most of what you said. However, the assumption/plug for moving everything off of the desktop was not appreciated and did nothing to bolster your argument.
How am I going to download an Internet browser if my Operating System has no way of browsing the Internet?
"Internet", you keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means... How about FTP? Or a package management system? The World Wide Web != Internet
It appears that you are trying to erase emails that your mistress sent you. Would you like to:
o Forward them to your spouse?
o Click on the banner ad to delete them?
o Forward them to all of your contacts?
o Buy an update to Office for the low price of $799.00 to delete them?
o See other options?
Heck, you wouldn't believe the background checks I went through for the FBI.
Yes, I would. Having worked in a similar environment (to the JPL folks) for the federal government, I am quiet familiar with the background checks that you went through. The issue is that since 9/11, our government has gone "secret happy". NASA is a civilian agency and most NASA missions are unclassified and in the public domain, like this one (CloudSat). There is quite simply no good reason that the scientists and engineers working on that mission (and others like it) need to be cleared. More importantly, science not directly related to defense belongs in the public domain. To remove it stifles innovation, creativity, and education.
Where would you draw the line? Would you start requiring background checks to go to college? Perhaps a basic background check for Physics 101 and a full secret clearance for Nuclear Physics? Following that train of thought, in the name of defense, would we start doing background checks (and clearing) workers in the financial industry? After all, an attack on that sector could cripple the country as well. As a quick aside, the baby background checks we all already go through to get jobs (criminal history, credit, etc.) are childsplay compared to what is required for a clearance. As such, there is no comparison. Back to my point, though. Following in the same vein, would we then require extensive background checks for all public sector IT workers/software engineers, in the name of security?
The reason the government can get away with the invasion of privacy is because smaller groups are targeted. That is, its fairly easy for someone to say "Yes, but since they work for the feds, they have no privacy...". However, it is not that simple. The government should be critically looking at the projects and missions of the organizations that they are requiring to go through these investigations. If it is REALLY needed, as it would be for the creation of defensive capabilities and intelligence gathering, by all means - require an investigation and clearance. If it is NOT really needed, as is likely the case with the JPL engineers in question, all the government is doing is expanding its powers and wasting your tax dollars (as getting cleared is an expensive proposition).
Do not get me wrong - I do not believe that Google is evil because they started out that way. Additionally, I do not believe that Google is evil because they are an evil corporation(TM). Rather, I believe that Google is evil because they are a publicly held/traded corporation. At this point, all of the Good(TM) mottos in the world will be unable to save them because their primary goal, second to "Don't be evil", is to serve the shareholders. It amazes me that ANY individuals are so willing to give their private data up to any public company.
The moral of the story - its a lot easier for a company to have "morals" if it is privately held.
On a brighter note, maybe we can coin a new term: Googged
Definition: To have been fucked by Google.
Usage (verb) (as a victim who has had their imagined private data used in an undesirable way against them) - Dude, I've been Googged!
reading the comments mindlessly defending how this is not "evil". Google is now beholden only to investors and the all-mighty dollar. Everything is fair game.
What is really interesting is that Google could, in theory, link duplicate files. For example if 10,000 people have the Will Farrel "SNL/Blue Oyster Cult" video in their storage area, Google could soft link to just one copy and break the link if one particular user ever edited it.
Or if the RIAA or MPAA deem you to be in position of copyrighted material or...
And I'll keep telling it, and others like it until the groups who subscribe to such theories STOP pushing it on everyone else (ala school boards calling evolution into question, government policy decisions being based on it, etc.). I believe that such policies are dangerous as they are pushing our educational system backwards, thereby potentially triggering a landslide of bad side effects (intolerance, war, and damage to the economy, to name a few). You'll notice that I have never, nor will I ever, make an Amish (or other such group) joke. I politely disagree with their position, but fully recognize and respect their right to practice those beliefs. Its when those beliefs start being rammed down my throat that I take issue...
Actually, I myself am a practicing catholic and consider myself among the faithful. That said, I have no issues with any other religion or belief system. I merely poke fun at those who insist on keeping their head in the sand AND forcing their world-view on other people.
Everyone knows that the earth is only 6000 years old, as evidenced here They even have models of Eve with vegetarian Raptors. See. I do not understand why anyone pays any attention to these activist scientists. Duh...
I sort of agree with you. However, your logic becomes problematic when it comes to support. Suppose OSX 10.5 does not run on your hardware, is unstable, or in the worse case scenario, damages your hardware. Is Apple then liable? I would argue no.
First, there is not an issue with importing foreign labor to do the jobs that are not desirable here. This country was founded on the premise of upward mobility which, ultimately, is why we get the large influx of foreign labor. Each generation, barring a catastrophe or some other off circumstance, SHOULD be doing better than the one before it. So, since you seem so confident in your post, I invite YOU to become the "back, hands, and legs" of this country and go pick up a job in construction.
Ultimately, economics is far more important than "coolness".
I strongly disagree. Somehow, within the last 50 years or so, there has been a significant shift in this country away from doing science for the sake of science and towards doing it for monetary gain only. To put it in terms a strict economist could understand, the following inventions were a direct result of the shuttle program:
The most accurate topographical map of the Earth, nerf gliders, and new alloys used in golf clubs.
We, as a country that can afford to do so, need to invest in science, art, and culture as a whole as part of humanity's quest for knowledge, experience, and understanding of the human condition and the world around us. Honestly, what would the immediate benefit of ending manned space flight be? That's right, not a fucking thing. And PLEASE do not quote me the dollar figure that would be saved. The money would go nowhere useful and invariable line some rich-prick-trustfund-baby's bank account by way of saved tax dollars. There are countless other useless/wasteful government pursuits (such as the Iraq war) that could be curbed first. Conversely, killing scientific research stifles creativity and constrains the human spirit. Once we have successfully tanked all scientific research (and killed off those branches of science with limited financial benefit, like Anthropology), we'll be able to start focusing on tanking other "non-lucrative" human pursuits, like art. Oh! Just think of the joy of automatons rolling around producing more "units", resulting in more revenue! Now THAT is exciting! Fuck you, and the entire movement of individuals looking to limit scientific research.
Sincerley,
Someone interested in science and the well being of humanity
As it stands now, Google bought a company with a couple of products, built one of the products up and turned it into a free service with a huge following while not spending a lot of resources on the other product. The ignoring of the product was evil, the building up of google analytics was good, we come out with overall neutral.
So then, if I pat you on the head and kick your friend in the nuts, I am neutral and not evil, right? I am starting to get a little sick of Google getting a free pass. And to clear, free software (according to the FSF) means:
The word "free" in our name does not refer to price; it refers to freedom. First, the freedom to copy a program and redistribute it to your neighbors, so that they can use it as well as you. Second, the freedom to change a program, so that you can control it instead of it controlling you; for this, the source code must be made available to you.
Google's "free" software is not really free. Rather, it is merely another avenue by which to ram ads down the throat of the public. I am officially coining the term "Free as in Google".
They need to castrate their marketing director
on
ZOMG New Zunes
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
From the Zune web site: Music and entertainment, your way. Learn more.
Burger King's slogans: Have it your way.
Your Way, Right Away
I propose the following for the new 3rd gen Zunes (when they get here): We do music right.
Finger Lickin' Good
Microsoft Zune. We're Hot and on a Rock 'n Roll.
Zune. Squirt fresh and... Zune. I'm McLovin it.
So, just to be clear, you're comparing stats on violence that has occurred in the name of Christian wackadoo-ness since 1976 with parts of the world where worse happens in the name of religion on many afternoons. It's not necessarily that the wackadoo Islamists are more wackadoo than the crazy Christians... it's that the Allah-wants-me-to-kill-you crowd frequently operates in a climate/culture where their BS is allowed to go on either through passive endorsement or out of fear by the locals.
I agree with you. That said, I was also trying to point out how our country could potentially be on the same path as we have allowed our own brand of Fundamentalism to take hold (and I am not just talking about abortion, but rather women's rights, evolution vs. creation, etc.). If you doubt me, I would encourage you to listen to the ultra conservative Christian talk radio shows. The problem is not just Islam nor is it inherently tied to "religion". Rather, fundamentalism in all forms is a problem and not something that the US is exempt from.
"It's the exact same thing that's going on in America. The Jesus freaks utterly reject anything that might come into conflict with their preconception of GOD MADE THE EARTH IN SEVEN DAYS AND IF YOU SAY OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOREVER."
While the muslims do the same but actually set you on fire. In the street. Right now.
So no, it's not the exact same thing that's going on in America. Others will chime in with their opinions of why it is, but they'll have a hard time finding comparable behavior amongst religiosos in the US.
More specifically: Arson, bombing, and property crime
According to NAF, since 1977 in the United States and Canada, property crimes committed against abortion providers have included 41 bombings, 173 arsons, 91 attempted bombings or arsons, 619 bomb threats, 1630 incidences of trespassing, 1264 incidences of vandalism, and 100 attacks with butyric acid ("stink bombs").[8] The first clinic arson occurred in Oregon in March 1976 and the first bombing occurred in February 1978 in Ohio.[13] More recent incidents have included:[5]
* October 1999: Martin Uphoff set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, causing US$100 worth of damage. He was later sentenced to 60 months in prison.
* May 28, 2000: An arson at a clinic in Concord, New Hampshire on resulted in damage estimated at US$20,000.
* October 1, 2000: A Catholic priest drove his car into the Northern Illinois Health Clinic after learning that the FDA had approved the drug RU-486. He pulled out an ax before being shot at by a security guard.
* June 11, 2001: A bombing at a clinic in Tacoma, Washington on destroyed a wall, resulting in US$6000 in damages
* July 4, 2005: A clinic Palm Beach, Florida was the target of an arson.
* December 12, 2005: Patricia Hughes and Jeremy Dunahoe threw a Molotov cocktail at a clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana. The device missed the building and no damage was caused. In August 2006, Hughes was sentenced to six years in prison, and Dunahoe to one year.
* April 25, 2007: A package left at a women's health clinic in Austin, Texas contained an explosive device capable of inflicting serious injury or death. A bomb squad detonated the device. [14]
* May 9, 2007 An unidentified person deliberately set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
or maybe some:
Murder
In the U.S., violence directed toward abortion providers has killed 7 people, including 3 doctors, 2 clinic employees, a security guard, and a clinic escort.[5]
* March 10, 1993: Dr. David Gunn of Pensacola, Florida was fatally shot during a protest. He had been the subject of wanted-style posters distributed by Operation Rescue in the summer of the year before. Michael F. Griffin was found guilty of Dr. Gunn's murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
* June 29, 1994: Dr. John Britton and James Barrett, a clinic escort, were both shot outside of another facility in Pensacola. Rev. Paul Jennings Hill was charged with the killings, received a death sentence, and was executed September 3, 2003.
* December 30, 1994: Two receptionists, Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols, were killed in a clinic attack in Brookline, Massachusetts. John Salvi, who prior to his arrest was distributing pamphlets from Human Life International,[6] was arrested and confessed to the killings. He committed suicide in prison and guards found his body under his bed with a plastic garbage bag tied around his head. Salvi had also confessed to a non-lethal attack in Norfolk, Virginia days before the Brookline killings.
* January 29, 1998: Robert Sanderson, an off-duty police officer who worked as a security guard at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama died when his workplace was bombed. Eric Robert Rudolph, who was also responsible for the 1996 Centennial Olymp
Do you think that people should stop buying from Coke, Microsoft, Apple, GM, Ford, yada-yada-yada because they aren't happy with the occupation in Iraq??
Yes. And I say that as an American citizen. Perhaps if the individuals or entities with the most money and thereby direct access to leadership in Washington felt the international communities displeasure with American foreign policy, change could be effected. Same goes for Chinese corporations.
The Free Software Foundation considers a GPL violation cured when the offending entity comes into compliance. Given that the software was free to begin with, I am not sure that its a good idea to pursue additional penalties (especially monetarily). Use of GPLed projects (like Linux) is popular in many corporations and is frequently allowed to fly below the radar by most management and legal departments. If the penalty for a violations stops being compliance and starts being gold digging, management, legal departments, and people in general will shy away from the GPL like a plague.
DNA has also been used to clear individuals as well. In the case of the criminal justice system, many individuals (with criminal records) are cleared already due to DNA samples on hand not matching a particular case.
In the event that I am arrested and a DNA sample is needed to prove my innocence, the authorities and my legal representation may take the sample at that time. In any other circumstance, anyone requesting a DNA sample from me will get a resounding go fuck yourself!
As a citizen of the US, I am already displeased with the erosion of civil liberties for the sake of security.
Two of our greatest statesmen (Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, respectively) have said the following:
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.
We have permitted the creation (as Jefferson alluded to) of a ruling aristocratic class that has taken control and now works solely to support their own interests. History is the greatest teacher of all and yet we ignore her teachings. I do not understand why there are not more people enraged at what has gone on in both countries over the past ten years in the name of security.
In terms of a solution to the problem, the only thing that I could see as workable would be to add term limits for the house and senate, eliminate lobbying from for profit corporate entities, and making campaigns federally funded and capping the amount of money spent to ensure a level playing field.
Our founding fathers envisioned statesmen that would perform public service in office for a period of time and return to the proverbial farm when their term has completed.
One of the things that, as a software engineer, attracts me to open source is that the communities very much function as meritocracies. I'm not sure that something like that would be applicable on a larger, country wide scale, but its a nice idea.
Slashdot Mirror
And again, WHAT IS IT? Sure, there is a LOT of code out there. But show me the OSS software out there that screams, "Wow! That's unbelievably clever!"
How about Synaptic Package Manager and package files (deb or rpm) in general? You have either clearly never used a Linux distribution OR have come to completely take it for granted. There are even ports of the BSD package manager to OS X. Every time I use Windows now I can not help feeling that the whole mechanism of software distribution/installation feels archaic. Getting software for Linux is remarkably easy, innovative, and is a product of the open source movement.
Additionally, to talk to the parent article in a more general sense - there was nothing wrong with UNIX. Its an operating system. Its sole purpose in life is to provide an abstraction layer such that more human friendly software can be written and sit on top of it. Why re-invent the fucking wheel every few years?
In the 1980s, I could walk up to an ATM machine, tap a few buttons, and order airline tickets. This put me ahead of the people standing in line at the ticket counter.
That's pretty cool. Here in the 2007s, we get to wait 2 hours, strip nekkid, walk through a metal detector, and have a bomb sniffing dog rammed up our asses whenever we go to the airports. Its a shame I never got to experience the mystical place you are describing.
little MAV could be more than meets the eye...
And you're right, this isn't really a desktop issue- its mainly a server one. Desktops really don't need all the power they have now, perhaps one percent of users outside of gamers actually use it.
Can you substantiate that? Are you including people that do ANY sort of development work where they need to compile programs or test scripts? Are you including people that edit video, retouch their family photos, or dabble in using their computer to make music? How about people who burn DVDs WHILE they browse the web? Are you including people who have installed a new operating system? EVERYTHING you do on your computer from rendering the cool background picture you have on your desktop to opening a browser window (with multiple tabs, all running webapps [concurrently] that include AJAX trickery) takes CPU cycles. Trivializing "Desktops do not need that much power" like you did tells me that either a) you work for Google and are shamelessly promoting web based applications, or b) read way too much propaganda about web based computing and did not really think through what you were saying.
To be fair, you made some excellent points in the first half of your post and I agree with most of what you said. However, the assumption/plug for moving everything off of the desktop was not appreciated and did nothing to bolster your argument.
How am I going to download an Internet browser if my Operating System has no way of browsing the Internet?
"Internet", you keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means... How about FTP? Or a package management system? The World Wide Web != Internet
Microsoft knew as much about you as Google does:
It appears that you are trying to erase emails that your mistress sent you. Would you like to:
o Forward them to your spouse?
o Click on the banner ad to delete them?
o Forward them to all of your contacts?
o Buy an update to Office for the low price of $799.00 to delete them?
o See other options?
Heck, you wouldn't believe the background checks I went through for the FBI.
Yes, I would. Having worked in a similar environment (to the JPL folks) for the federal government, I am quiet familiar with the background checks that you went through. The issue is that since 9/11, our government has gone "secret happy". NASA is a civilian agency and most NASA missions are unclassified and in the public domain, like this one (CloudSat). There is quite simply no good reason that the scientists and engineers working on that mission (and others like it) need to be cleared. More importantly, science not directly related to defense belongs in the public domain. To remove it stifles innovation, creativity, and education.
Where would you draw the line? Would you start requiring background checks to go to college? Perhaps a basic background check for Physics 101 and a full secret clearance for Nuclear Physics? Following that train of thought, in the name of defense, would we start doing background checks (and clearing) workers in the financial industry? After all, an attack on that sector could cripple the country as well. As a quick aside, the baby background checks we all already go through to get jobs (criminal history, credit, etc.) are childsplay compared to what is required for a clearance. As such, there is no comparison. Back to my point, though. Following in the same vein, would we then require extensive background checks for all public sector IT workers/software engineers, in the name of security?
The reason the government can get away with the invasion of privacy is because smaller groups are targeted. That is, its fairly easy for someone to say "Yes, but since they work for the feds, they have no privacy...". However, it is not that simple. The government should be critically looking at the projects and missions of the organizations that they are requiring to go through these investigations. If it is REALLY needed, as it would be for the creation of defensive capabilities and intelligence gathering, by all means - require an investigation and clearance. If it is NOT really needed, as is likely the case with the JPL engineers in question, all the government is doing is expanding its powers and wasting your tax dollars (as getting cleared is an expensive proposition).
Evil.
Do not get me wrong - I do not believe that Google is evil because they started out that way. Additionally, I do not believe that Google is evil because they are an evil corporation(TM). Rather, I believe that Google is evil because they are a publicly held/traded corporation. At this point, all of the Good(TM) mottos in the world will be unable to save them because their primary goal, second to "Don't be evil", is to serve the shareholders. It amazes me that ANY individuals are so willing to give their private data up to any public company.
The moral of the story - its a lot easier for a company to have "morals" if it is privately held.
On a brighter note, maybe we can coin a new term: Googged
Definition: To have been fucked by Google.
Usage (verb) (as a victim who has had their imagined private data used in an undesirable way against them) - Dude, I've been Googged!
reading the comments mindlessly defending how this is not "evil". Google is now beholden only to investors and the all-mighty dollar. Everything is fair game.
What is really interesting is that Google could, in theory, link duplicate files. For example if 10,000 people have the Will Farrel "SNL/Blue Oyster Cult" video in their storage area, Google could soft link to just one copy and break the link if one particular user ever edited it.
...
Or if the RIAA or MPAA deem you to be in position of copyrighted material or
And I'll keep telling it, and others like it until the groups who subscribe to such theories STOP pushing it on everyone else (ala school boards calling evolution into question, government policy decisions being based on it, etc.). I believe that such policies are dangerous as they are pushing our educational system backwards, thereby potentially triggering a landslide of bad side effects (intolerance, war, and damage to the economy, to name a few). You'll notice that I have never, nor will I ever, make an Amish (or other such group) joke. I politely disagree with their position, but fully recognize and respect their right to practice those beliefs. Its when those beliefs start being rammed down my throat that I take issue...
Actually, I myself am a practicing catholic and consider myself among the faithful. That said, I have no issues with any other religion or belief system. I merely poke fun at those who insist on keeping their head in the sand AND forcing their world-view on other people.
Everyone knows that the earth is only 6000 years old, as evidenced here They even have models of Eve with vegetarian Raptors. See. I do not understand why anyone pays any attention to these activist scientists. Duh...
I sort of agree with you. However, your logic becomes problematic when it comes to support. Suppose OSX 10.5 does not run on your hardware, is unstable, or in the worse case scenario, damages your hardware. Is Apple then liable? I would argue no.
First, there is not an issue with importing foreign labor to do the jobs that are not desirable here. This country was founded on the premise of upward mobility which, ultimately, is why we get the large influx of foreign labor. Each generation, barring a catastrophe or some other off circumstance, SHOULD be doing better than the one before it. So, since you seem so confident in your post, I invite YOU to become the "back, hands, and legs" of this country and go pick up a job in construction.
Ultimately, economics is far more important than "coolness".
I strongly disagree. Somehow, within the last 50 years or so, there has been a significant shift in this country away from doing science for the sake of science and towards doing it for monetary gain only. To put it in terms a strict economist could understand, the following inventions were a direct result of the shuttle program:
The most accurate topographical map of the Earth, nerf gliders, and new alloys used in golf clubs.
We, as a country that can afford to do so, need to invest in science, art, and culture as a whole as part of humanity's quest for knowledge, experience, and understanding of the human condition and the world around us. Honestly, what would the immediate benefit of ending manned space flight be? That's right, not a fucking thing. And PLEASE do not quote me the dollar figure that would be saved. The money would go nowhere useful and invariable line some rich-prick-trustfund-baby's bank account by way of saved tax dollars. There are countless other useless/wasteful government pursuits (such as the Iraq war) that could be curbed first. Conversely, killing scientific research stifles creativity and constrains the human spirit. Once we have successfully tanked all scientific research (and killed off those branches of science with limited financial benefit, like Anthropology), we'll be able to start focusing on tanking other "non-lucrative" human pursuits, like art. Oh! Just think of the joy of automatons rolling around producing more "units", resulting in more revenue! Now THAT is exciting! Fuck you, and the entire movement of individuals looking to limit scientific research.
Sincerley,
Someone interested in science and the well being of humanity
You could try something like: this.
As it stands now, Google bought a company with a couple of products, built one of the products up and turned it into a free service with a huge following while not spending a lot of resources on the other product. The ignoring of the product was evil, the building up of google analytics was good, we come out with overall neutral.
So then, if I pat you on the head and kick your friend in the nuts, I am neutral and not evil, right? I am starting to get a little sick of Google getting a free pass. And to clear, free software (according to the FSF) means:
The word "free" in our name does not refer to price; it refers to freedom. First, the freedom to copy a program and redistribute it to your neighbors, so that they can use it as well as you. Second, the freedom to change a program, so that you can control it instead of it controlling you; for this, the source code must be made available to you.
Google's "free" software is not really free. Rather, it is merely another avenue by which to ram ads down the throat of the public. I am officially coining the term "Free as in Google".
From the Zune web site:
Music and entertainment, your way. Learn more.
Burger King's slogans:
Have it your way.
Your Way, Right Away
I propose the following for the new 3rd gen Zunes (when they get here):
We do music right.
Finger Lickin' Good
Microsoft Zune. We're Hot and on a Rock 'n Roll.
Zune. Squirt fresh
and... Zune. I'm McLovin it.
Hmmm... Maybe I should trademark those now...
So, just to be clear, you're comparing stats on violence that has occurred in the name of Christian wackadoo-ness since 1976 with parts of the world where worse happens in the name of religion on many afternoons. It's not necessarily that the wackadoo Islamists are more wackadoo than the crazy Christians... it's that the Allah-wants-me-to-kill-you crowd frequently operates in a climate/culture where their BS is allowed to go on either through passive endorsement or out of fear by the locals.
I agree with you. That said, I was also trying to point out how our country could potentially be on the same path as we have allowed our own brand of Fundamentalism to take hold (and I am not just talking about abortion, but rather women's rights, evolution vs. creation, etc.). If you doubt me, I would encourage you to listen to the ultra conservative Christian talk radio shows. The problem is not just Islam nor is it inherently tied to "religion". Rather, fundamentalism in all forms is a problem and not something that the US is exempt from.
"It's the exact same thing that's going on in America. The Jesus freaks utterly reject anything that might come into conflict with their preconception of GOD MADE THE EARTH IN SEVEN DAYS AND IF YOU SAY OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL FOREVER." While the muslims do the same but actually set you on fire. In the street. Right now. So no, it's not the exact same thing that's going on in America. Others will chime in with their opinions of why it is, but they'll have a hard time finding comparable behavior amongst religiosos in the US.
Actually, I had a rather easy time of it. Try Wikipedia: Abortion related violence
More specifically: Arson, bombing, and property crime According to NAF, since 1977 in the United States and Canada, property crimes committed against abortion providers have included 41 bombings, 173 arsons, 91 attempted bombings or arsons, 619 bomb threats, 1630 incidences of trespassing, 1264 incidences of vandalism, and 100 attacks with butyric acid ("stink bombs").[8] The first clinic arson occurred in Oregon in March 1976 and the first bombing occurred in February 1978 in Ohio.[13] More recent incidents have included:[5] * October 1999: Martin Uphoff set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, causing US$100 worth of damage. He was later sentenced to 60 months in prison. * May 28, 2000: An arson at a clinic in Concord, New Hampshire on resulted in damage estimated at US$20,000. * October 1, 2000: A Catholic priest drove his car into the Northern Illinois Health Clinic after learning that the FDA had approved the drug RU-486. He pulled out an ax before being shot at by a security guard. * June 11, 2001: A bombing at a clinic in Tacoma, Washington on destroyed a wall, resulting in US$6000 in damages * July 4, 2005: A clinic Palm Beach, Florida was the target of an arson. * December 12, 2005: Patricia Hughes and Jeremy Dunahoe threw a Molotov cocktail at a clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana. The device missed the building and no damage was caused. In August 2006, Hughes was sentenced to six years in prison, and Dunahoe to one year. * April 25, 2007: A package left at a women's health clinic in Austin, Texas contained an explosive device capable of inflicting serious injury or death. A bomb squad detonated the device. [14] * May 9, 2007 An unidentified person deliberately set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
or maybe some:
Murder In the U.S., violence directed toward abortion providers has killed 7 people, including 3 doctors, 2 clinic employees, a security guard, and a clinic escort.[5] * March 10, 1993: Dr. David Gunn of Pensacola, Florida was fatally shot during a protest. He had been the subject of wanted-style posters distributed by Operation Rescue in the summer of the year before. Michael F. Griffin was found guilty of Dr. Gunn's murder and was sentenced to life in prison. * June 29, 1994: Dr. John Britton and James Barrett, a clinic escort, were both shot outside of another facility in Pensacola. Rev. Paul Jennings Hill was charged with the killings, received a death sentence, and was executed September 3, 2003. * December 30, 1994: Two receptionists, Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols, were killed in a clinic attack in Brookline, Massachusetts. John Salvi, who prior to his arrest was distributing pamphlets from Human Life International,[6] was arrested and confessed to the killings. He committed suicide in prison and guards found his body under his bed with a plastic garbage bag tied around his head. Salvi had also confessed to a non-lethal attack in Norfolk, Virginia days before the Brookline killings. * January 29, 1998: Robert Sanderson, an off-duty police officer who worked as a security guard at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama died when his workplace was bombed. Eric Robert Rudolph, who was also responsible for the 1996 Centennial Olymp
Do you think that people should stop buying from Coke, Microsoft, Apple, GM, Ford, yada-yada-yada because they aren't happy with the occupation in Iraq??
Yes. And I say that as an American citizen. Perhaps if the individuals or entities with the most money and thereby direct access to leadership in Washington felt the international communities displeasure with American foreign policy, change could be effected. Same goes for Chinese corporations.
The Free Software Foundation considers a GPL violation cured when the offending entity comes into compliance. Given that the software was free to begin with, I am not sure that its a good idea to pursue additional penalties (especially monetarily). Use of GPLed projects (like Linux) is popular in many corporations and is frequently allowed to fly below the radar by most management and legal departments. If the penalty for a violations stops being compliance and starts being gold digging, management, legal departments, and people in general will shy away from the GPL like a plague.
DNA has also been used to clear individuals as well. In the case of the criminal justice system, many individuals (with criminal records) are cleared already due to DNA samples on hand not matching a particular case.
In the event that I am arrested and a DNA sample is needed to prove my innocence, the authorities and my legal representation may take the sample at that time. In any other circumstance, anyone requesting a DNA sample from me will get a resounding go fuck yourself!
As a citizen of the US, I am already displeased with the erosion of civil liberties for the sake of security.
... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.
Two of our greatest statesmen (Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, respectively) have said the following:
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.
We have permitted the creation (as Jefferson alluded to) of a ruling aristocratic class that has taken control and now works solely to support their own interests. History is the greatest teacher of all and yet we ignore her teachings. I do not understand why there are not more people enraged at what has gone on in both countries over the past ten years in the name of security.
In terms of a solution to the problem, the only thing that I could see as workable would be to add term limits for the house and senate, eliminate lobbying from for profit corporate entities, and making campaigns federally funded and capping the amount of money spent to ensure a level playing field.
Our founding fathers envisioned statesmen that would perform public service in office for a period of time and return to the proverbial farm when their term has completed.
One of the things that, as a software engineer, attracts me to open source is that the communities very much function as meritocracies. I'm not sure that something like that would be applicable on a larger, country wide scale, but its a nice idea.