Wait, Wii Play is out in the UK? DAMN YOU!!!! (If you have gotten a copy of it, how is it?) It's probably only worth it for the extra controller for the normal gamer (I got it with my preorder*), the game itself is only worth the extra £5 over the cost of a controller that it costs(Controller =£30, Wii Play =£35), considering that all other Wii games are usually £40. However it's very good for introducing new players to the Wii, though both laser hockey and cow racing are very addictive. The other reason to get it is if you are a duck hunt fan, I never was.
*walking in at 10:00AM launch day, and picking up my Wii, Zelda, Wii Play and Call of Duty 3 + extra Nunchuck was a great feeling, no hassle and no queues)
This, I think, puts the fact in perspective that SETI@home hasn'tfound any signal yet, even after years of listening. They would onlybe able to detect very powerful transmissions, much more powerful thananything our own civilization could produce. Never mind what SETI are doing, the STI (Search for terrestrial intelligence) project havn't found much here on earth yet!;)
We might as well return to the british monarch all the things we took about 200 years ago when we decided we werent british anymore.
<upper class accent>What's this "weren't British any more" thing you're on about. Are you trying to declare independence now? Hrmphh! Upstart colonists!</upper class accent>
The rules are the same for everyone, every country has it's share of looneys; the USA is not exempt. Why you think that all your countries citizens are more loyal to the country than another countries citizens are to it, I don't know. Any real threat from terrorists probably comes from people already inside your country, and with no criminal record (if the terrorists have any degree of sophistication, that is; I believe it's been proved they have). Fingerprinting only serves to put tourists and business people off visiting. I doubt there is any large benefit to national security. I know I'll not be visiting the USA until restrictions like these are lifted, your country needs my tourist £££s more than I need your country. I'll just hop on the next 99p flight to the south of France, or perhaps Pizza in Italy instead (or Berlin, Prague or Rome etc. there's a lot to see on my own continent). It's cheaper and just entertaining and more relaxing than fighting my way through US customs.
Read the sentence before the one you quoted:You haven't been keeping up with who's been committing the major acts of terrorism in recent years, have you?
major acts of terrorism haven't only occoured in the USA. IIRC the Madrid bombings were perpetrated by Spanish Nationals, all the bombers in the the London Bombings were British, and the people who committed the inhabitants of Bali was blown up by fellow Indonesians. And that's only the Al Quieda attacks. I haven't even mentioned atrocities committed by ETA or "real" IRA, among others.
His blog is back up, reading and listening to the clips myself, the context of most of them is clear. Listen for yourself: http://www.spockosbrain.com/
So would I, Spocko's blog is back up (http://www.spockosbrain.com/) and I havn't come across a 5 minute long clip yet. (I've been reading some of his old posts)
After listening to all those clips ("Spocko's blog is back up: http://www.spockosbrain.com/) they are lucky that they are in the USA where you have first amendment rights, there was something in nearly every one of them that would have got them to apologise\face fines etc. from Ofcom (the communications regulator) here in the UK. I'm not sure how many would have had the presenters facing legal threat, but we have against inciting religious and racial hatred*, so quite a few I'd imagine.
*Personally I'm against these laws and wish we had our own "first amendment" protecting our freedom of speech.
Thanks for being one of the few constructive posts not accusing me of US bashing; my problem isn't so much the lack of US culture however (as many have pointed out, the US has a lot of it), but the barriers to me getting to see it. There are so many issues with getting through US customs that visiting the USA just isn't worth my time any more, and that is the point underlying my original post. France, Spain, Italy etc. (and now Bulgaria and Romania have also just been made eaiser to travel to aswell*) are all much eaiser to travel to, and all seem to want me to spend my ££s there, the US seems to want to keep travelers out.
I really wasn't trying to bash the US, just trying to say that the first impressions of US culture is that of a McCulture, not one of depth, however I realise deeper down that there is much more to US culture. Secondally I'd love to visit the US and see the sights you mentioned, but with the kinds of invasion of privicy that the article is about, I refuse to do so, bringing me to the real point of my post: there is so much here in Europe to see that I can spend my tourist ££s in France, Spain or Italy with much less hassle than spending them in the USA, so why should I put up with the annoyance of going through US customs, when these places make it so much eaiser for me to visit?
If you read my sibling post, I explain that I was generalising to get a point across. I realise that deeper down there is much more to the culture in the US, it's just that the all important first impression is that of McCulture, and with so much here in various Europian countries to see, I don't need to spend my ££s in the USA, but they do need (at least to some extent) need people like me to spend tourist ££s there.
Anyway, I've been rambling, but I hope you see my point, and thanks for your clarification. It's rather annoying to see how many people online don't consider American culture as anything beyond its consumerist capitalism. No, you haven't I totally understand your frustration, I've witnessed the ignorance you've described many times, and agree that foreign travel is rewarding in it's own right. I'd love to visit the USA again*, but much of the rest of the world, not just the rest of Europe gives me much less hassle when I want to spend money in their country. The thing that's most frustrating is that I want to visit the USA, and see all the sites you've mentioned (and more besides) but I refuse to let my privacy be invaded. Ultimately making life difficult for travellers is self defeating, I fear that it'll take people to stop visiting the USA, and loss of tourist ££s to get stupid laws like the one we are discussing repealed. A real shame as that will hurt the good people over there more than it'll hurt those in power, and I hold no grudge against the people of the USA, just their (and my own) government.
*the last time I came was before all this nonsense, and it was a trip to Disneyland, Orlando. Not the most culturally enlightening part of the USA. We also visited Cape Canaveral though and that was brilliant and much more memorable experience. IMO the Kennedy space centre is a monument to science and the American people much more than the McCulture that I started out describing.
What the EU lacks viz-a-viz the US is far worse: a free press. When truth is not a defence in a libel suit, you simply do not have a free press. I see you've never read a British newspaper, or even better Private Eye who's editor is the most sued man in Britain. I think you'll find that here, at least, the press is free, and even rags like the sun are less bias than faux News (despite being owned by the same person). as much as I dislike them I'd have the British Media over the US Media any day.
No it's not, I'm a Brit, and I complain, and campaign, about and against, my own government's actions on the privacy front as well. How am I being hypocritical?
Over here $1000 is around £500 at the moment, that's only £75 more than PS3 will cost*; how many people would raise an eyebrow if I paid for a PS3 in cash? To be blunt $1000\£500 isn't a huge amount of money any more.
*Yes, I could probably buy a cheap ticket to the USA for a little over the price of the PS3, maybe even a return one. I'm not planning on getting either.
I apologise if I was misleading, I was just trying to convey a very general feeling. Of course the USA has it's cultural merits, the destruction of New Orleans in hurricane was akin to burning down the Louvre in that respect. My point was that we have so much more history packed into a much smaller area, and in much more unexpected places. The examples I gave in a sibling post were Bunhill cemetery and this pub from the 11th Century. The USA just isn't old enough to have places like them yet. No doubt in 800 years time you will have as many places of note, if not many, many more.
As I said, no disrespect was meant I was just trying to point out I have so much on my "doorstep", that I'd never see it all, so why should I spend my tourist ££s in the USA if I'm going to be treated like a suspect before I even get into the country. The US needs people like me to spend money there; I don't need to spend my money in the US.
Slashdot Mirror
Comparing Sauron to Bill Gates, that's hardly fair; I think Sauron would have a good claim for defamation of character against you.
;-)*walking in at 10:00AM launch day, and picking up my Wii, Zelda, Wii Play and Call of Duty 3 + extra Nunchuck was a great feeling, no hassle and no queues)
6000 Yuan is actualluy about 770 USD or 400 GBP
All the links worked fine for me; I'm in the UK using firefox2 on win XP, so it might not be a dell problem.
We might as well return to the british monarch all the things we took about 200 years ago when we decided we werent british anymore.
<upper class accent>What's this "weren't British any more" thing you're on about. Are you trying to declare independence now? Hrmphh! Upstart colonists!</upper class accent>
The rules are the same for everyone, every country has it's share of looneys; the USA is not exempt. Why you think that all your countries citizens are more loyal to the country than another countries citizens are to it, I don't know. Any real threat from terrorists probably comes from people already inside your country, and with no criminal record (if the terrorists have any degree of sophistication, that is; I believe it's been proved they have). Fingerprinting only serves to put tourists and business people off visiting. I doubt there is any large benefit to national security. I know I'll not be visiting the USA until restrictions like these are lifted, your country needs my tourist £££s more than I need your country. I'll just hop on the next 99p flight to the south of France, or perhaps Pizza in Italy instead (or Berlin, Prague or Rome etc. there's a lot to see on my own continent). It's cheaper and just entertaining and more relaxing than fighting my way through US customs.
Read the sentence before the one you quoted:You haven't been keeping up with who's been committing the major acts of terrorism in recent years, have you?
major acts of terrorism haven't only occoured in the USA. IIRC the Madrid bombings were perpetrated by Spanish Nationals, all the bombers in the the London Bombings were British, and the people who committed the inhabitants of Bali was blown up by fellow Indonesians. And that's only the Al Quieda attacks. I haven't even mentioned atrocities committed by ETA or "real" IRA, among others.
He hasn't given up, his blog was taken down by his ISP, it's now back up: http://www.spockosbrain.com/ (audio clips and all)
His blog is back up, reading and listening to the clips myself, the context of most of them is clear. Listen for yourself: http://www.spockosbrain.com/
So would I, Spocko's blog is back up (http://www.spockosbrain.com/) and I havn't come across a 5 minute long clip yet. (I've been reading some of his old posts)
After listening to all those clips ("Spocko's blog is back up: http://www.spockosbrain.com/) they are lucky that they are in the USA where you have first amendment rights, there was something in nearly every one of them that would have got them to apologise\face fines etc. from Ofcom (the communications regulator) here in the UK. I'm not sure how many would have had the presenters facing legal threat, but we have against inciting religious and racial hatred*, so quite a few I'd imagine.
*Personally I'm against these laws and wish we had our own "first amendment" protecting our freedom of speech.
Yes, ageism isn't only ageism if it's against old people; being anti-young people is also ageist.
I'm sorry, I do not recognize your statement. Please rephrase
Thanks for being one of the few constructive posts not accusing me of US bashing; my problem isn't so much the lack of US culture however (as many have pointed out, the US has a lot of it), but the barriers to me getting to see it. There are so many issues with getting through US customs that visiting the USA just isn't worth my time any more, and that is the point underlying my original post. France, Spain, Italy etc. (and now Bulgaria and Romania have also just been made eaiser to travel to aswell*) are all much eaiser to travel to, and all seem to want me to spend my ££s there, the US seems to want to keep travelers out.
*by virtue of their EU membership as of yesterday
I'm paying in pounds(£) not Euros(). I did a rough calculation because at 2 dollars to the pound, because it was around that mark last time I looked.
I really wasn't trying to bash the US, just trying to say that the first impressions of US culture is that of a McCulture, not one of depth, however I realise deeper down that there is much more to US culture. Secondally I'd love to visit the US and see the sights you mentioned, but with the kinds of invasion of privicy that the article is about, I refuse to do so, bringing me to the real point of my post: there is so much here in Europe to see that I can spend my tourist ££s in France, Spain or Italy with much less hassle than spending them in the USA, so why should I put up with the annoyance of going through US customs, when these places make it so much eaiser for me to visit?
If you read my sibling post, I explain that I was generalising to get a point across. I realise that deeper down there is much more to the culture in the US, it's just that the all important first impression is that of McCulture, and with so much here in various Europian countries to see, I don't need to spend my ££s in the USA, but they do need (at least to some extent) need people like me to spend tourist ££s there.
*the last time I came was before all this nonsense, and it was a trip to Disneyland, Orlando. Not the most culturally enlightening part of the USA. We also visited Cape Canaveral though and that was brilliant and much more memorable experience. IMO the Kennedy space centre is a monument to science and the American people much more than the McCulture that I started out describing.
No it's not, I'm a Brit, and I complain, and campaign, about and against, my own government's actions on the privacy front as well. How am I being hypocritical?
Over here $1000 is around £500 at the moment, that's only £75 more than PS3 will cost*; how many people would raise an eyebrow if I paid for a PS3 in cash? To be blunt $1000\£500 isn't a huge amount of money any more.
*Yes, I could probably buy a cheap ticket to the USA for a little over the price of the PS3, maybe even a return one. I'm not planning on getting either.
I apologise if I was misleading, I was just trying to convey a very general feeling. Of course the USA has it's cultural merits, the destruction of New Orleans in hurricane was akin to burning down the Louvre in that respect. My point was that we have so much more history packed into a much smaller area, and in much more unexpected places. The examples I gave in a sibling post were Bunhill cemetery and this pub from the 11th Century. The USA just isn't old enough to have places like them yet. No doubt in 800 years time you will have as many places of note, if not many, many more.
As I said, no disrespect was meant I was just trying to point out I have so much on my "doorstep", that I'd never see it all, so why should I spend my tourist ££s in the USA if I'm going to be treated like a suspect before I even get into the country. The US needs people like me to spend money there; I don't need to spend my money in the US.