Actually, that wasn't a crime in the jurisdiction of the SS. They can only pursue cases where actual US currency has been fraudulently produced/used/etc... since there's no $200, its just a 'dine & dash' essentially for the local constabulary to tend to.
But I loved that bill - whoever made it has to have a great sense of humor and no money!
I've lived in Texas for several years, and took a class in the machinations of the Texas Legislature last session that involved trips to local representatives, attending committee meetings in Austin, watching the Senate floor sessions, etc.
Being a CS major, I tended not to get as 'into it' as some of the other students, but I kept what I learned at the back of my mind for exactly this sort of occasion - so here's what YOU the Slashdot reader in Texas can do to help stop this bill:
1. Write to the Business and Industry committee members. That's where the bill is now, and like in the US gov't, its likely to stay if it doesn't get enough support to be passed onto the House floor. Committee members DO want all the facts before the make their decisions, and unfortunately the time has passed to file petitions to speak at the open hearings. Should the bill be scheduled for a second hearing however, common citizens can get in on the action! Contact the Business and Industry Cmte to find out more on how to speak at the hearings, or file your opinions on HB 1295. The Cmte. Clerk is Bonnie Bruce, and should be able to answer all your questions on what to do and how to do it
3.Write to Rep. Garcia He's a representative from Dallas, so if you're in the area, call his Dallas or Austin offices, write to them both! Express yourself about his feeling that everyone over 30 is too dumb to use a computer without the government forcing censorware down your throat.
If this post and information gets just 1 person to write to the Committee or to Rep. Garcia, then I'll have done my job =)
I'm a 3rd year university student at one of the larger telecom companies that's been around for awhile. Currently, I work in the switch products division helping the test engineers with their testing, putting results on the website, and generally facilitating their information to get moved along the chain in the company, as well as(through my administration of the group website), helping to keep the engineers informed of the latest test developments, documents and so on.
The first weeks were scary, as I didn't know what STP stood for, or any of the other acronyms tossed around like so much confetti at a parade. I'm still learning it all, even after 6 months, and it gets better all the time.
I am curious about the difference between a high school co-op and a college co-op. There's no way I could do what I do now 4 years ago, as I was just learning C++, had begun to play with HTML, and refused to upgrade my trusty copy of Netscape 2.0. Now, I'm writing shell scripts to process data, I'm a Solaris junkie, and have a fully networked apartment with my boyfriend.
So while the high school co-oping may suck, college level co-oping rules. The only post I read before I started posting said "Its worth it when you're older". And this is true. In 6 months I've shown and felt such improvement in my quality of work and ability to work with computers its amazing! To start in high school will be an added bonus for your personal knowledge and resumes. It sure beats my high school job at Boston Market.
As my subject says, I was called this week regarding the recent registration of a domain through dotster (whose records can also be seen through the register.com WHOIS search).
So Mr. Verio calls me up, asking me about my hosting and design needs, and is actually not so bad for a salesman. He sends me some info from their website and agrees to follow up on Monday with me if I'm interested about using their services.
Now that I've read this article, I don't know what to think/do yet. It looks like Verio provides a level of service which would be pretty affordable for my domain needs, but I also don't want to perpetuate bad business practices by giving them my business. I'll have to prepare some thoughts on how he got my name and information and grill the poor guy next time he calls.
Texas has wrestled with this issue for awhile, and it was pretty big in the last Legislature session 2 years ago. Since then, the local companies have participated in this less - and I see many more warnings, cautions, and "what to do" type information if you do find yourself crammed or slammed in my phone bills and such. There's a good link below with a story about the issue when it came through. Now all TX needs is a lower in state longdistance rate. That's something that is regulated by the local companies, and TX has the highest in the state (was 40 c/min to call Houston from Dallas for me til I got a cell phone, now its 4c... hmmmm... ).
In all - phone companies DO suck, and try to rob the unsuspecting and unaware consumer for every dollar he has.
http://www.reporternews.com/1999/texas/slam0303. html
You mean Kelly Preston... not Kirstie Alley. Both of them are $cientologists though, so its not hard to confuse them.
Other celebrity $cientologists (as far as I know): Isaac Hayes Jenna Elfman Kirstie Alley
NoooO! Not Chef! But its true - saw them all on an Investigative Reports special on $cientology
*MY* Essential Anime - perhaps others as well?
on
Essential Anime
·
· Score: 1
My anime experience is narrow. Once I find something I like I stick with it quite passionately. Such is the reason why I've never seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, or some of the other big Anime.
I have, however, a top three of Anime that no viewer of any kind of cinema, be it foreign, animated, or just plain cool movies, should go without seeing.
1. TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE This is the first 'big screen' Tenchi Universe film as far as I know, and an incredible experience. I saw it not knowing about the existence of the series, and was immediately swept into the story despite my ignorance of the characters. I loved it so much I adopted Ryoko as my usual internet handle until I saw the Matrix! This is a great introduction to the Tenchi Universe if you don't have the time or money to sit and watch all the different Tenchi shows - the movie lets you see Ayeka, Sasami, Ryo-ohki and everyone at their fullest more than a half hour could ever allow.
2. VAMPIRE HUNTER D *THIS* turned me on to anime when I was 11. Seeing Voltron-esque animation caught my eye, but the story is mysterious and involved. I'm still waiting to get this one on dvd b/c its so good. D's talking hand, the vampire lord & princess, the strange creatures, the quest to save the village girl from becoming the Vampire's bride... all elements of more classical tales put into a muted, almost otherworldy context with the characters, setting, and art of Vampire Hunter D.
3. IRIA: ZEIRAM THE ANIMATION Iria is by far the best of all Anime. The story moved me more than the Matrix did and while fast paced and relatively simple, its breathtaking. Iria wants to be a bounty hunter like her big brother. They go out together on a hunt and find the legendary monster Zeiram - who takes Iria's bother away in such a manner that it proves a conflict for Iria throughout the rest of the movie. We see Iria change from an idealistic young girl to a battle hardned woman fighting Zeiram and trying to save all of humanity, while wrestling with her the issue of her brother (an integral part of the plot). If you do anything with animation - PLEASE watch this film. The Sci-Fi channel runs it once in awhile, so keep your eyes peeled if you don't get the video or dvd.
The Matrix is a superb piece of filmmaking to use as an introduction to philosophical problems/situations. A few which could easily be covered in any semester might be: what is real, knowing thyself, faith, trust, greed, goodness, evil, man vs. machine, etc etc.
Other films could incorporate these ideas... but none as wholly as the Matrix. Dark City is a close second, but while John Murdoch in DC faces many of the same crises as Neo (strange new surroundings, being pursued by enemies, having to trust one that might be an enemy)
Having had many a philosophical discussion myself based on plot points in the Matrix, I see no reason to knock the film as a teaching tool. In this day and age, especially in college teaching methods, the more unorthodox the measures one takes to express a point the better the point is both received and understood by the students.
Raimi needs a box office hit to keep him going, and Spiderman is hopefully the project to do it - seeing as how "For Love of the Game" was a flop.
No other comic book->big screen adaptation screams for his stylistic touch more than Spiderman...To see Raimi and his signature cinematography would be a treat.. not to mention stunning in the context of Spiderman fighting Venom or that guy with the pumpkin bombs whose name eludes me at the moment...
With Raimi (and hopefully Campbell) on board.. this would be a comic film project that would be the guiding light for all other film adaptations... I hope the X-Men will do well, but alas, too many cooks in the kitchen are in that one. Marvel will have so much riding on that film that its libel to crack. Spiderman under the guided and gifted hand of Raimi will fare MUCH better... and hopefully be the example for Superman and any Gen13 or Danger Girl or JLA films in the future...
From what I know, piracy is not a major concern for Lucasfilm right now. No matter how they release the movie and other materials, other entities have been responsible for copyright enforcement (such as the RIAA pursuing anyone who served the duel of the fates mp3).
As far as *REAL* reasons are concerned, Rick McCallum has said himself at the Fan Celebration in Denver last year that they were waiting to release them all in one set... yet this again seems kinda far off for any sensible marketing plan, don't you think?
However... back in the day when the plans for releasing Ep1 were being made... Divx was still in existence. Divx a large share owned by Dreamworks SKG.. a company headed by Mr. S... Steven Speilburg - a good friend and collaborator of Lucas on many projects.
So Lucas was probably just waiting things out the way I see it... he's no dummy when it comes to technology (we all knew divx wouldn't work) but he didn't want to deliver the death blow by releasing one of the most popular movies ever on a competing format.
And Colonel Mustard did it in the Conservatory with the candlestick!
Perhaps the best film out this year (and still playing in a few places to this day) is Run Lola Run - a German film by Tom Twyker starring Franka Potente. This is a brilliant film taking non-linear storytelling elements (like how possible outcomes and futures all tie in to a series of critical decisions).. combined with amazing cinematography and a soundtrack better than the Matrix or Pulp Fiction makes this easily my favorite film. I reccomend it to any person - geek or non geek for the sheer fantastical quality of a very realistic film. The heroine and her boyfriend do exactly was any person in a desperate situation would do - whatever is necessary. It comes out on DVD on the 21st, so if you can't be one of the lucky ones to see this amazing film on the screen, be sure to rent it. I personally have my fingers crossed that they win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in March... if not something more.
Slashdot Mirror
I blinked for a second, I thought the title was DVD Watermelon on the way.....
Actually, that wasn't a crime in the jurisdiction of the SS. They can only pursue cases where actual US currency has been fraudulently produced/used/etc... since there's no $200, its just a 'dine & dash' essentially for the local constabulary to tend to.
But I loved that bill - whoever made it has to have a great sense of humor and no money!
I've lived in Texas for several years, and took a class in the machinations of the Texas Legislature last session that involved trips to local representatives, attending committee meetings in Austin, watching the Senate floor sessions, etc.
Being a CS major, I tended not to get as 'into it' as some of the other students, but I kept what I learned at the back of my mind for exactly this sort of occasion - so here's what YOU the Slashdot reader in Texas can do to help stop this bill:
1. Write to the Business and Industry committee members. That's where the bill is now, and like in the US gov't, its likely to stay if it doesn't get enough support to be passed onto the House floor. Committee members DO want all the facts before the make their decisions, and unfortunately the time has passed to file petitions to speak at the open hearings. Should the bill be scheduled for a second hearing however, common citizens can get in on the action! Contact the Business and Industry Cmte to find out more on how to speak at the hearings, or file your opinions on HB 1295. The Cmte. Clerk is Bonnie Bruce, and should be able to answer all your questions on what to do and how to do it
2. Write your own incumbents . Its a classic method to express your opinions and try to make change.
3.Write to Rep. Garcia He's a representative from Dallas, so if you're in the area, call his Dallas or Austin offices, write to them both! Express yourself about his feeling that everyone over 30 is too dumb to use a computer without the government forcing censorware down your throat.
If this post and information gets just 1 person to write to the Committee or to Rep. Garcia, then I'll have done my job =)
I'm a 3rd year university student at one of the larger telecom companies that's been around for awhile. Currently, I work in the switch products division helping the test engineers with their testing, putting results on the website, and generally facilitating their information to get moved along the chain in the company, as well as(through my administration of the group website), helping to keep the engineers informed of the latest test developments, documents and so on.
The first weeks were scary, as I didn't know what STP stood for, or any of the other acronyms tossed around like so much confetti at a parade. I'm still learning it all, even after 6 months, and it gets better all the time.
I am curious about the difference between a high school co-op and a college co-op. There's no way I could do what I do now 4 years ago, as I was just learning C++, had begun to play with HTML, and refused to upgrade my trusty copy of Netscape 2.0. Now, I'm writing shell scripts to process data, I'm a Solaris junkie, and have a fully networked apartment with my boyfriend.
So while the high school co-oping may suck, college level co-oping rules. The only post I read before I started posting said "Its worth it when you're older". And this is true. In 6 months I've shown and felt such improvement in my quality of work and ability to work with computers its amazing! To start in high school will be an added bonus for your personal knowledge and resumes. It sure beats my high school job at Boston Market.
As my subject says, I was called this week regarding the recent registration of a domain through dotster (whose records can also be seen through the register.com WHOIS search).
So Mr. Verio calls me up, asking me about my hosting and design needs, and is actually not so bad for a salesman. He sends me some info from their website and agrees to follow up on Monday with me if I'm interested about using their services.
Now that I've read this article, I don't know what to think/do yet. It looks like Verio provides a level of service which would be pretty affordable for my domain needs, but I also don't want to perpetuate bad business practices by giving them my business. I'll have to prepare some thoughts on how he got my name and information and grill the poor guy next time he calls.
Texas has wrestled with this issue for awhile, and it was pretty big in the last Legislature session 2 years ago. Since then, the local companies have participated in this less - and I see many more warnings, cautions, and "what to do" type information if you do find yourself crammed or slammed in my phone bills and such. There's a good link below with a story about the issue when it came through. Now all TX needs is a lower in state longdistance rate. That's something that is regulated by the local companies, and TX has the highest in the state (was 40 c/min to call Houston from Dallas for me til I got a cell phone, now its 4c... hmmmm... ).
. html
In all - phone companies DO suck, and try to rob the unsuspecting and unaware consumer for every dollar he has.
http://www.reporternews.com/1999/texas/slam0303
You mean Kelly Preston... not Kirstie Alley.
Both of them are $cientologists though, so its not hard to confuse them.
Other celebrity $cientologists (as far as I know):
Isaac Hayes
Jenna Elfman
Kirstie Alley
NoooO! Not Chef! But its true - saw them all on an Investigative Reports special on $cientology
My anime experience is narrow. Once I find something I like I stick with it quite passionately. Such is the reason why I've never seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, or some of the other big Anime.
I have, however, a top three of Anime that no viewer of any kind of cinema, be it foreign, animated, or just plain cool movies, should go without seeing.
1. TENCHI MUYO IN LOVE
This is the first 'big screen' Tenchi Universe film as far as I know, and an incredible experience. I saw it not knowing about the existence of the series, and was immediately swept into the story despite my ignorance of the characters. I loved it so much I adopted Ryoko as my usual internet handle until I saw the Matrix!
This is a great introduction to the Tenchi Universe if you don't have the time or money to sit and watch all the different Tenchi shows - the movie lets you see Ayeka, Sasami, Ryo-ohki and everyone at their fullest more than a half hour could ever allow.
2. VAMPIRE HUNTER D
*THIS* turned me on to anime when I was 11. Seeing Voltron-esque animation caught my eye, but the story is mysterious and involved. I'm still waiting to get this one on dvd b/c its so good. D's talking hand, the vampire lord & princess, the strange creatures, the quest to save the village girl from becoming the Vampire's bride... all elements of more classical tales put into a muted, almost otherworldy context with the characters, setting, and art of Vampire Hunter D.
3. IRIA: ZEIRAM THE ANIMATION
Iria is by far the best of all Anime. The story moved me more than the Matrix did and while fast paced and relatively simple, its breathtaking. Iria wants to be a bounty hunter like her big brother. They go out together on a hunt and find the legendary monster Zeiram - who takes Iria's bother away in such a manner that it proves a conflict for Iria throughout the rest of the movie. We see Iria change from an idealistic young girl to a battle hardned woman fighting Zeiram and trying to save all of humanity, while wrestling with her the issue of her brother (an integral part of the plot). If you do anything with animation - PLEASE watch this film. The Sci-Fi channel runs it once in awhile, so keep your eyes peeled if you don't get the video or dvd.
----
Trinity
They expect fan sites to have lawyers? Oh joy... I'm only halfway through college - perhaps I have enough time left to tack on a pre-law degree?
The Matrix is a superb piece of filmmaking to use as an introduction to philosophical problems/situations. A few which could easily be covered in any semester might be:
what is real, knowing thyself, faith, trust, greed, goodness, evil, man vs. machine, etc etc.
Other films could incorporate these ideas... but none as wholly as the Matrix. Dark City is a close second, but while John Murdoch in DC faces many of the same crises as Neo (strange new surroundings, being pursued by enemies, having to trust one that might be an enemy)
Having had many a philosophical discussion myself based on plot points in the Matrix, I see no reason to knock the film as a teaching tool. In this day and age, especially in college teaching methods, the more unorthodox the measures one takes to express a point the better the point is both received and understood by the students.
Raimi needs a box office hit to keep him going, and Spiderman is hopefully the project to do it - seeing as how "For Love of the Game" was a flop.
No other comic book->big screen adaptation screams for his stylistic touch more than Spiderman...To see Raimi and his signature cinematography would be a treat.. not to mention stunning in the context of Spiderman fighting Venom or that guy with the pumpkin bombs whose name eludes me at the moment...
With Raimi (and hopefully Campbell) on board.. this would be a comic film project that would be the guiding light for all other film adaptations... I hope the X-Men will do well, but alas, too many cooks in the kitchen are in that one. Marvel will have so much riding on that film that its libel to crack. Spiderman under the guided and gifted hand of Raimi will fare MUCH better... and hopefully be the example for Superman and any Gen13 or Danger Girl or JLA films in the future...
From what I know, piracy is not a major concern for Lucasfilm right now. No matter how they release the movie and other materials, other entities have been responsible for copyright enforcement (such as the RIAA pursuing anyone who served the duel of the fates mp3).
As far as *REAL* reasons are concerned, Rick McCallum has said himself at the Fan Celebration in Denver last year that they were waiting to release them all in one set... yet this again seems kinda far off for any sensible marketing plan, don't you think?
However... back in the day when the plans for releasing Ep1 were being made... Divx was still in existence. Divx a large share owned by Dreamworks SKG.. a company headed by Mr. S... Steven Speilburg - a good friend and collaborator of Lucas on many projects.
So Lucas was probably just waiting things out the way I see it... he's no dummy when it comes to technology (we all knew divx wouldn't work) but he didn't want to deliver the death blow by releasing one of the most popular movies ever on a competing format.
And Colonel Mustard did it in the Conservatory with the candlestick!
Perhaps the best film out this year (and still playing in a few places to this day) is Run Lola Run - a German film by Tom Twyker starring Franka Potente. This is a brilliant film taking non-linear storytelling elements (like how possible outcomes and futures all tie in to a series of critical decisions).. combined with amazing cinematography and a soundtrack better than the Matrix or Pulp Fiction makes this easily my favorite film. I reccomend it to any person - geek or non geek for the sheer fantastical quality of a very realistic film. The heroine and her boyfriend do exactly was any person in a desperate situation would do - whatever is necessary. It comes out on DVD on the 21st, so if you can't be one of the lucky ones to see this amazing film on the screen, be sure to rent it. I personally have my fingers crossed that they win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in March... if not something more.