The Interenet has totally revolutionized the way that many people run errands, conduct business, communicate, and entertain themselves. The biggest concern has been that certain segments of society (ie the poor) have been left out. But now people are leaving? Impossible. Converts are converts for life.
I have Yahoo!Mail, and every single piece of spam (except that from Yahoo itself) goes to the bulk folder. I run Adaware on a regular basis with no problems. The only thing I can think of is that these people are checking out the funkiest porn sites and clicking yes to EVERY pop-up. Come to think of it, I visit porn sites and still have no problems. I hesitate to judge, but I say they're wimps. Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just switch soaps.
I think people need to realize that 1) First Amendment rights are not unlimited, and 2) courthouses are one of the places where your First Amendment rights are bridged. Schools are another. Regardless of how much of a disturbance their jokes were making, THEY WERE IN A COURTHOUSE. You can protest all the hell you want OUTSIDE the courthouse, but not inside.
The Intelligent Design is an attempt by pseudo experts to hijack legitimate scientific skepticism and use it to further a religious dogma. Do a search for I.D. and you'll find a bevy of fundamentalist evangelicals supporting research to find SOME way that the Christian Bible is more literally true than most give it credit for.
The really sad thing is that religion and science are NOT antitheses of one another. Millions of Americans, and billions around the world, are able to reconcile the theories of evolution with the respective faiths.
Interestingly, the Islamic fundamentalists, Christian fundamentalists, Jewish fundamentalists, etc., etc. can all agree on this one thing. That and that everyone else is wrong too.
Ridiculously large numbers of people polled say that "The theory of evolution doesn't explain everything." as if that somehow discredits the entire theory. In order for a theory to be widely accepted, it only has to be the best holistic explanation for phenomenon. So while it might be altered or improved upon in the future, it should be done by legitimate scientists, not crackpot jokers with ties to the Flat Earth Society.
While these models are only being released in a select few European countries, it's only a matter of time before it spreads elsewhere. The computer industry has shown monumental growth over the past twenty years. Before computers were the realm of geeks. Today they're still the realm of geeks, but less so.
Computer usage is closing in on a critical mass, though. Most middle- and upper-class households have computers, and many of them more than one. The only way to continue the phenomenal growth of the past is to reach out to new demographics.
My aunt has an Internet only appliance that my grandmother refuses to touch. Then again, as recently as eight years ago, she claimed that microwave ovens caused sterility...
In any case, in order for the computer industry to continue to expand to seniors and the technologically deficient. If they're able to eliminate stability problems (which they probably will since there won't be any external conflicts) it'll be a big step towards drawing in new customers. If the price keeps dropping, it can close up the digital divide.
In the long run, though, the simPC has limited usefulness. Tons of middle-aged (40-50 and up) people use computers. As the population ages, they won't STOP using their computers. Eventually computers will become as ubiquitous as televisions once technophobic seniors pass away and technophilic youngsters take their place.
Marvel seems to have learned its lesson from the abysmal Captain America movies from the 80's. In basing the plots off of the Ultimates storylines (updated for the modern era and simplified to move beyond comic book geekdom), Marvel's movies appeal to mainstream audiences without overly alienating Comic Book Guys.
In the wake of the 2004 U.S. presidential election, a number of disgruntled lefties compiled a list of corporations and their financial contributions to either the Republicans or Democrats. http://buyblue.org/. Stores like Amazon.com contributed 60% of their funds to Republicans, and 40% to Democrats, for example, while Barnes and Noble donated 100% to Democrats.
The theoretical point, if there is indeed any, to both of these lists is to educate consumers so that they can make informed decisions. Citizens who adhere to one political ideology can tailor their buying habits accordingly.
But buyblue.org's list, at least, were REAL STORES. As in places people were actually likely to buy things from, and therefore ones they could also boycott. The average consumer (even ones on/.) are far more likely to buy something from B&N than 180solutions or eXact Advertising. So while this list is sort of a nice novelty, it doesn't have the same potential for activism.
Maybe it's just me, but spyware is overhyped. I run Adaware on a regular basis and I haven't had any problems in the ten years I've been using the 'net. Pop-ups are annoying, but identity theft is the real threat, and one that can be all but eliminated by running anti-spyware programs. Essentially, the stakes for spyware support are relatively low.
Contrast this with the relative importance of corporations funding the political process. Companies' financial contributions determine the taxes we pay, the services we receive, the attitudes we export, the ideals we defend. So while the list of companies contributing to spyware is kinda nifty, really, who cares?
If only he weren't cryogenically frozen under Disneyworld.
In all seriousness, Disney is in serious financial trouble, and deserves to be. Its last few animated features have been massive flops, so it decided to close down its in-house animation studios (as shocking as IBM selling off their PC division) and contract out. Its only recent hits have been from Pixar, and their exclusivity contract is close to over.
I am announcing that the Disney Corporation is dead and dying. Remaking a movie that made sense AT THE TIME IT WAS MADE two decades letter is a miserable idea. The Tron 2.0 PC game was a bad idea too, but poor PC translations of movies are somehow the norm and accepted.
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I have Yahoo!Mail, and every single piece of spam (except that from Yahoo itself) goes to the bulk folder. I run Adaware on a regular basis with no problems. The only thing I can think of is that these people are checking out the funkiest porn sites and clicking yes to EVERY pop-up. Come to think of it, I visit porn sites and still have no problems. I hesitate to judge, but I say they're wimps. Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just switch soaps.
On another note, does the paint come in seafoam?
I think people need to realize that 1) First Amendment rights are not unlimited, and 2) courthouses are one of the places where your First Amendment rights are bridged. Schools are another. Regardless of how much of a disturbance their jokes were making, THEY WERE IN A COURTHOUSE. You can protest all the hell you want OUTSIDE the courthouse, but not inside.
The really sad thing is that religion and science are NOT antitheses of one another. Millions of Americans, and billions around the world, are able to reconcile the theories of evolution with the respective faiths.
Interestingly, the Islamic fundamentalists, Christian fundamentalists, Jewish fundamentalists, etc., etc. can all agree on this one thing. That and that everyone else is wrong too.
Ridiculously large numbers of people polled say that "The theory of evolution doesn't explain everything." as if that somehow discredits the entire theory. In order for a theory to be widely accepted, it only has to be the best holistic explanation for phenomenon. So while it might be altered or improved upon in the future, it should be done by legitimate scientists, not crackpot jokers with ties to the Flat Earth Society.
Computer usage is closing in on a critical mass, though. Most middle- and upper-class households have computers, and many of them more than one. The only way to continue the phenomenal growth of the past is to reach out to new demographics.
My aunt has an Internet only appliance that my grandmother refuses to touch. Then again, as recently as eight years ago, she claimed that microwave ovens caused sterility ...
In any case, in order for the computer industry to continue to expand to seniors and the technologically deficient. If they're able to eliminate stability problems (which they probably will since there won't be any external conflicts) it'll be a big step towards drawing in new customers. If the price keeps dropping, it can close up the digital divide.
In the long run, though, the simPC has limited usefulness. Tons of middle-aged (40-50 and up) people use computers. As the population ages, they won't STOP using their computers. Eventually computers will become as ubiquitous as televisions once technophobic seniors pass away and technophilic youngsters take their place.
On a related note, visit http://http//movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/fanta sticfour.html for an on-set interview with the cast. Stan Lee even makes a cameo.
Marvel seems to have learned its lesson from the abysmal Captain America movies from the 80's. In basing the plots off of the Ultimates storylines (updated for the modern era and simplified to move beyond comic book geekdom), Marvel's movies appeal to mainstream audiences without overly alienating Comic Book Guys.
In the wake of the 2004 U.S. presidential election, a number of disgruntled lefties compiled a list of corporations and their financial contributions to either the Republicans or Democrats. http://buyblue.org/. Stores like Amazon.com contributed 60% of their funds to Republicans, and 40% to Democrats, for example, while Barnes and Noble donated 100% to Democrats. /.) are far more likely to buy something from B&N than 180solutions or eXact Advertising. So while this list is sort of a nice novelty, it doesn't have the same potential for activism.
The theoretical point, if there is indeed any, to both of these lists is to educate consumers so that they can make informed decisions. Citizens who adhere to one political ideology can tailor their buying habits accordingly.
But buyblue.org's list, at least, were REAL STORES. As in places people were actually likely to buy things from, and therefore ones they could also boycott. The average consumer (even ones on
Maybe it's just me, but spyware is overhyped. I run Adaware on a regular basis and I haven't had any problems in the ten years I've been using the 'net. Pop-ups are annoying, but identity theft is the real threat, and one that can be all but eliminated by running anti-spyware programs. Essentially, the stakes for spyware support are relatively low.
Contrast this with the relative importance of corporations funding the political process. Companies' financial contributions determine the taxes we pay, the services we receive, the attitudes we export, the ideals we defend. So while the list of companies contributing to spyware is kinda nifty, really, who cares?
If only he weren't cryogenically frozen under Disneyworld.
In all seriousness, Disney is in serious financial trouble, and deserves to be. Its last few animated features have been massive flops, so it decided to close down its in-house animation studios (as shocking as IBM selling off their PC division) and contract out. Its only recent hits have been from Pixar, and their exclusivity contract is close to over.
I am announcing that the Disney Corporation is dead and dying. Remaking a movie that made sense AT THE TIME IT WAS MADE two decades letter is a miserable idea. The Tron 2.0 PC game was a bad idea too, but poor PC translations of movies are somehow the norm and accepted.