" In today's rat-out-your-neighbor-to-Homeland-Security-for-not -being -patriotic-enough climate, there was no way this could go on, could it?"
Speaking of which, I just reported you through the new, slick rat-online web form: http://www.dhs.gov/rat-out-your-neighbour/
Seriously though - your post could do with just a bit less hyperbole.
"In this real world, I'm afraid that the forces of darkness are winning. Any notion of a peaceful world government is considered (at best) traitorous liberal propaganda."
Nah, more like pie-in-the-sky Liberal propaganda.
"A substantial portion of the population of the US believes that the...Jeebus...Bu$hHitler...Leftbehind..."
Just put down that Moyers editorial and step away from it one step at a time. (If the DHS finds it when they come a-knockin' it's Gitmo time for you, you treasonous liberal you!)
In order to increase market share, in order to make GPL software development more attractive, so that we can have more GPL goodness.
" just don't get it but then I never did understand why the Open Source movement splintered from the Free Software movement"
Because Open Source as a concept can be useful outside the Free Software paradigm. Thus, it has spread outside the free software paradigm. This in turn has to do with the fact that a large chunk of programmers enjoy getting a wage for their work.
"Oddly enough, I've never had problems with Slashdot on Firefox. I'm still trying to figure out precisely what the bug is supposed to be."
Dito. Anyone care to enlighten us so we can start getting annoyed by the bug(s)?
The problem here is that your son is going to have to live and socialize with people who are not autists.
While a "cure" might be impossible, it certainly is possible to come up with ways of making it easier for people with autism to interact with those around them.
"What is 'quantity'? Can I experience it? Can I touch it? Smell it? Hear it? See it? Taste it? There is no empirical test that can prove that "two" exists, for example. I have a concept of the number two, and an understanding of numbers, but the meaning I associate with it is entirely conceptual. Concepts are metaphysical. Meanings are metaphysical."
1.) As pointed out by pukerz (cute name...), thoughts, concepts, categories, etc. are all artefacts of the human brain. The human brain is very physical indeed.
2.)"So, you see, I am not trying to say that God is metaphysical, or that human chimeras are evil, or any of that. I'm just suggesting that the "empirical" assessment of the situation, which attempts to draw a conclusion about something that is metaphysical (such as "value"), is illogical."
Nothing illogical about it - "value" is a biochemical process - nothing more, nothing less.
a) This isn't really about "ultimate truth" - it's about probability. And unlike you I see no reason I should hold it as probable that any metaphysical entity exists, short of even rudimentary evidence.
b) Empiricism isn't "out of style" - it's essentialy burying all contenders, and will continue to do so for some time.
c) It is true we are limited by the limitations of our consciousness - then again, that's hardly an argument for any specific metaphysic.
"such a worker would toil in a sweatshop with singlemindedness, as oxen would plow a field."
I once again give you Chairman Yang:
"My gift to industry is the genetically engineered worker, or Genejack. Specially designed for labor, the Genejack's muscles and nerves are ideal for his task, and the cerebral cortex has been atrophied so that he can desire nothing except to perform his duties.
Tyranny, you say? How can you tyrannize someone who cannot feel pain?"
Chairman Sheng-ji Yang "Essays on Mind and Matter"
"I hope it keeps you warm at night each time a company lays off workers/consumers just so they can keep their P/E ratio in line with market expectations."
Couple of points:
1.) It's kinda hard to "lay off consumers". (I've never tried, but...)
2.) This line of thinking that 'companies can only fire people when they are on the brink of bankruptcy' is... well, bad. Frankly, I don't know a thing about the part(s) of the company they are terminating, or their reasons for doing so.
3.) In general, companies get ahead by *hiring* people. This tends to get lost in the debate though, as firings get a hell of a lot more publicicity than hirings.
Slashdot Mirror
I call BS. Good, non-cringe-inducing scifi like BSG get decent-to-good ratings. Franchises that have been warmed over 36 times or so are, well...
" In today's rat-out-your-neighbor-to-Homeland-Security-for-not -being -patriotic-enough climate, there was no way this could go on, could it?"
Speaking of which, I just reported you through the new, slick rat-online web form: http://www.dhs.gov/rat-out-your-neighbour/
Seriously though - your post could do with just a bit less hyperbole.
"In this real world, I'm afraid that the forces of darkness are winning. Any notion of a peaceful world government is considered (at best) traitorous liberal propaganda."
Nah, more like pie-in-the-sky Liberal propaganda.
"A substantial portion of the population of the US believes that the...Jeebus...Bu$hHitler...Leftbehind..."
Just put down that Moyers editorial and step away from it one step at a time. (If the DHS finds it when they come a-knockin' it's Gitmo time for you, you treasonous liberal you!)
"Why is this a laudible goal?"
In order to increase market share, in order to make GPL software development more attractive, so that we can have more GPL goodness.
" just don't get it but then I never did understand why the Open Source movement splintered from the Free Software movement"
Because Open Source as a concept can be useful outside the Free Software paradigm. Thus, it has spread outside the free software paradigm. This in turn has to do with the fact that a large chunk of programmers enjoy getting a wage for their work.
"Oddly enough, I've never had problems with Slashdot on Firefox. I'm still trying to figure out precisely what the bug is supposed to be." Dito. Anyone care to enlighten us so we can start getting annoyed by the bug(s)?
That can work for a close-knit group of friends and relatives, but it will hardly cut it with strangers.
The problem here is that your son is going to have to live and socialize with people who are not autists. While a "cure" might be impossible, it certainly is possible to come up with ways of making it easier for people with autism to interact with those around them.
Well, it used to be christianity - now it's mostly various under-occupied university types who seek to sexualise pretty much everything.
"What is 'quantity'? Can I experience it? Can I touch it? Smell it? Hear it? See it? Taste it? There is no empirical test that can prove that "two" exists, for example. I have a concept of the number two, and an understanding of numbers, but the meaning I associate with it is entirely conceptual. Concepts are metaphysical. Meanings are metaphysical."
1.) As pointed out by pukerz (cute name...), thoughts, concepts, categories, etc. are all artefacts of the human brain. The human brain is very physical indeed.
2.)"So, you see, I am not trying to say that God is metaphysical, or that human chimeras are evil, or any of that. I'm just suggesting that the "empirical" assessment of the situation, which attempts to draw a conclusion about something that is metaphysical (such as "value"), is illogical."
Nothing illogical about it - "value" is a biochemical process - nothing more, nothing less.
a) This isn't really about "ultimate truth" - it's about probability. And unlike you I see no reason I should hold it as probable that any metaphysical entity exists, short of even rudimentary evidence. b) Empiricism isn't "out of style" - it's essentialy burying all contenders, and will continue to do so for some time. c) It is true we are limited by the limitations of our consciousness - then again, that's hardly an argument for any specific metaphysic.
"such a worker would toil in a sweatshop with singlemindedness, as oxen would plow a field."
I once again give you Chairman Yang:
"My gift to industry is the genetically engineered worker, or Genejack. Specially designed for labor, the Genejack's muscles and nerves are ideal for his task, and the cerebral cortex has been atrophied so that he can desire nothing except to perform his duties.
Tyranny, you say? How can you tyrannize someone who cannot feel pain?"
Chairman Sheng-ji Yang
"Essays on Mind and Matter"
Well, we'll see in time, no? We certainly are a lot closer to having some degree of closure now than we were, say, ten years ago.
"I hope it keeps you warm at night each time a company lays off workers/consumers just so they can keep their P/E ratio in line with market expectations." Couple of points: 1.) It's kinda hard to "lay off consumers". (I've never tried, but...) 2.) This line of thinking that 'companies can only fire people when they are on the brink of bankruptcy' is... well, bad. Frankly, I don't know a thing about the part(s) of the company they are terminating, or their reasons for doing so. 3.) In general, companies get ahead by *hiring* people. This tends to get lost in the debate though, as firings get a hell of a lot more publicicity than hirings.