The police originally classified it as a hate crime, then the press reported that it was downgraded it to aggrivated battery. The police report filed has surprisingly little information in it. The University Daily Kansas is reporting a clarification by the police that they aren't even classifying it as aggrivated battery.
Naturally, Dr. Mirecki is refusing to discuss it further.
There were no witnesses. The pickup truck was aggressively tailing him, so he stops, and when they get out (one with a metal pipe or such object), he gets out. In the middle of nowhere.
Not to make light of the tragedy if it acutally happened, but there's something not kosher about this tale....
I stood in line for an hour in the freezing cold on Thursday night, for the chance to save $30 on a Bluetooth headset at CompUSA (store opened at midnight). Unfortunately, there were 500 people in line ahead of me (and another 700 behind me), so ALL the good stuff was gone by the time I got into the store. I left empty-handed. I was going to get up early on Friday morning to stand in line, but after that experience, no way.
I have to wonder why internet retailers aren't trying to put the kibosh on B&M outlets on Black Friday. The whole "Cyber Monday" thing seemed far-fetched to me... many people will have already blown their wad of cash over the weekend.
If I were a cyber retailer, I'd have a blowout sale from 8 PM to midnight on Thanksgiving Day, and get the jump on Black Friday. Nobody WANTS to get up at 4 AM and spend an hour or two in line outside in the cold.
To fully finish the logic of YOUR statement... How does a line of soda products that have less than 1% marketshare act as a draw for customers to come into the store and buy other items?
It doesn't. If they gave away Tabasco brand enemas for free, that still wouldn't drive any traffic. Price doesn't mean squat if demand isn't there.
If Wal-Mart sold Coke products at a loss to undercut the competition, then that would act as a draw, becuase there is significant demand for Coke, and that demand increases as price decreases.
Besides, Wal-Mart doesn't have to offer Sam's Choice soda at a loss; they are able to significantly undercut the competition and still make a profit on them. What are the main ingredients in soda? Water and sugar, packaged in a molded plastic bottle. If a 12 oz. bottle of Coke costs more than a nickle to produce, I'd be shocked; and vending machines sell them all over town for $1.25.
Wal-Mart doesn't sell soda at a loss... the situation is more that Coca-Cola and Pepsi sell soda at an outrageous profit. Sam Walton wanted Coke to sell their products at a discount through Wal-Mart; Coke refused, so Walton vowed to take them down by selling his own line of sodas at a much more reasonable profit margin.
Of course, brand image and brand loyalty are huge factors in the soft drink market, which is why Sam's Choice sodas account for >1% of the market...
Newsflash for ya... all corporate charity is marketing. When a corporation gives a large donation, they most definitely expect to get something in return.
And they say in the article that the laptops will include a programming language... a kid can program just as well on a Mac or a PC as he can on a Linux box, and the basic concepts and disciplines of what he learns will stick with him regardless of what platform he programs for when he grows up.
And as far as Apple and Microsoft committing to continue development... sure, why wouldn't they? If, as you say, this is a marketing opportunity, then why would they let it become a PR disaster? Besides, Microsoft already has to work with a HUGE amount of third-party components, so they would almost have to go out of their way to break compatibility with the laptop.
Apple has had less of a commitment to backwards-compatibility with OS's, but it's always been with hardware that has aged out, anyway, and would run the latest OS very poorly. I'm just not seeing a problem here. These laptops are going to last maybe five years, and that's about it.
Morton's Steakhouse offered to give all of the kids a free steak dinner, but the project declined, saying they needed to stick to their previous decision of powdered eggs for everyone...
Everyone is talking about a shrink-wrapped version of x86 OS X eating into Apple's hardware margins... that may not necessarily be a bad thing. The question is, How many new users can Apple pick up by selling a shrink-wrapped version of OS X?
Software development is pretty much a sunk cost, and the only real cost per unit is the cost of the retail packaging. So, will Apple be able to sell enough CD's to offset the loss of hardware revenue? Maybe even exceed it? If so, then it may make more sense to just sell OS X and not the whole computer.
I could see a future where Apple produces only a few "exotic" hardware systems (like the Mini and the iMac), and leaves the mainstream hardware to guys like Dell and HP.
Smed has gotten HOUNDED over the years from Tanarus players wanting to see more development.
At one time, Verant/SOE had promised a Tanarus 2, but it died in development, because I think Smed totally lost interest in the game.
What's interesting about Tanarus is how it thrived as a concept game. When it was in open beta, back in '97, there was an email list floating around of the hottest online games (as voted on by the players), and Tanarus frequently topped the list. I think the game was in free beta for a couple of years, and on any given night, there would be a dozen (or more) active games going, and people waiting to join.
Once Tanarus went pay-2-play, the crowds evaporated overnight. The game had been in open beta for so long that most of the people probably felt that they had gotten their fill of it and couldn't see paying for it. Granted, the reason for the open beta was for Verant to stress-test the servers and develop their skills in coding a MMOG (because the MMOG game that Smed REALLY wanted to develop all along was EQ). However, they had to go to a pay model because of the cost of the hardware and the bandwidth.
Since then, computer speeds have skyrocketed and prices have plummeted, so SOE's overhead costs on Tanarus are trivial. It's a shame they don't just open it up for free play. The core user base that has been hanging on for YEARS, paying their monthly subscription fee, has more than paid for the game.
If Cars was destined to be a winner at the box office, up there with Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, then why is Jobs in negotiations with Disney right now?
If Jobs knew he had gold on his hands, why wouldn't he be waiting to talk to Disney?
It's interesting that the trailer for the film lists the original release date as "November 2005," but the film got pushed back to mid-2006. Films generally don't get pushed back because everything is going well.
And you're right, it's totally my opinion, and I could be flat-out wrong (there's a first-time for eveything!). I'm just trying to read between the lines.
Based on the early reviews I'm reading, Chicken Little is not going to flop. It's not going to be the rousing success that Disney is hoping for, but it looks like it's going to be a base-hit for the company. And it's going to give Disney that much-needed leverage in their negotiations with Pixar. "Look, we can make passable 3D CG films without you!"
Pixar, OTOH, is set to release their first "flop" next year. Cars will probably make the same amount of money as Chicken Little, but because it won't be the box-office smash that previous Pixar films were, it's going to be trumpeted in the press as Pixar's first major misstep. Pixar has said that they are intentionally going after a younger audience with this film, and it shows; the promos look like they are straight out of Fischer-Price. As a parent, these are the kinds of kiddie film I fear most; a 90 minute root canal for the mind. Without catering to the adult audience, they are going to lose huge marketshare.
But Jobs already knows this. Look at the Pixar image in the CNN/Money photo. Notice any franchises missing?
A Bug's Life was also aimed at a younger audience. But it was Pixar's second feature film, and was a base-hit for them. It was before they really established their reputation as a blockbuster powerhouse, so it was forgivable. But whenever you see promotional material for Pixar nowadays, does it ever include Flick? Almost never.
Cars looks to be aimed at an even younger audience than ABL. The characters are less varied than any other movie Pixar has done (they're all, well... cars; how many variations of a car are there? Or should I say, How many interesting variations are there? Not many). And following up Finding Nemo and The Incredibles is no small feat; the movie definitely has its work cut out for it.
Back to my point... Steve Jobs knows that the next movie is going to be a sleeper. They are going to exit the Disney deal with a fizzle, not a bang. Not that it will be a terrible movie, but Cars is definitely going to deflate Pixar's reputation. Therefore, if Jobs is going to cut some kind of deal with Disney, he needs to do it now while Pixar is still coasting on the reputation of its previous movies, because it will probably be 2008 (or later) before Pixar can release a feature that will redeem them from the upcoming Cars debacle.
The city of San Francisco is looking for a new IT Manager. Must be able to come up with more than one password. Passwords with numbers a plus. Job to be filled immediately.
with bidding on projects on the job boards you mentioned is that you have guys from the US and guys from countries like India bidding on the same jobs. The US contractors want $80/hr, the Indian guys want $10/hr. It's very tough to land a freelance contract that doesn't require you to be onsite.
Guy makes money by setting up a blog telling people how to make money by setting up a blog.
Seems so circular to me.
At what point does the last guy to set up a blog about making money by telling other people to set up blogs to make money fail?
It's kind of like those real estate infomercials telling you how you can be a millionaire by buying his training system. If it's that easy? why aren't you doing it yourself? Why are you telling other people about it?
Actually, I guess this guy really is doing what he's telling others to do. But it's amazing how people will stampede towards anyone who says they know how to make a quick buck.
I was a little late to the webcast, but the gist is that Google and Sun are in the beginning stages of forming a partnership that begins with something about Java integration in the Google Toolbar (didn't catch all of that) and Google buying a lot of Sun servers. Whatever.
In the Q&A session, Eric Schmidt says that they will *assist* in the distribution of OpenOffice (whatever that menas), but that they are *not* announcing a new product (i.e., Google Office).
I think that the blog community got way, way ahead of this story.
From here on out, it only gets worse and worse for Microsoft.
Google's competitors (namely, Yahoo! and Amazon), who don't give one whit about dethroning Microsoft, are now going to have to develop their own web-based office suites that are compatible with OpenOffice's well-documented XML file format in order to stay competitive with Google.
Microsoft is about to be put in the same position that they put Apple in way back in the 1980's; they will become the "boutique" vendor while the rest of the market establishes and fights over a commodity product.
Slashdot Mirror
There's some controversy about the allegation.
The police originally classified it as a hate crime, then the press reported that it was downgraded it to aggrivated battery. The police report filed has surprisingly little information in it. The University Daily Kansas is reporting a clarification by the police that they aren't even classifying it as aggrivated battery.
Naturally, Dr. Mirecki is refusing to discuss it further.
There were no witnesses. The pickup truck was aggressively tailing him, so he stops, and when they get out (one with a metal pipe or such object), he gets out. In the middle of nowhere.
Not to make light of the tragedy if it acutally happened, but there's something not kosher about this tale....
you've got roughly the same amount of guts as the other guy. We all have about 7 meters of small intestines, on average...
Being a responsible parent includes being politcally involved on your child's behalf.
Well, I was counting Ray Nagin, and his four man entourage.
...for all five residents.
Seriously.
I stood in line for an hour in the freezing cold on Thursday night, for the chance to save $30 on a Bluetooth headset at CompUSA (store opened at midnight). Unfortunately, there were 500 people in line ahead of me (and another 700 behind me), so ALL the good stuff was gone by the time I got into the store. I left empty-handed. I was going to get up early on Friday morning to stand in line, but after that experience, no way.
I have to wonder why internet retailers aren't trying to put the kibosh on B&M outlets on Black Friday. The whole "Cyber Monday" thing seemed far-fetched to me... many people will have already blown their wad of cash over the weekend.
If I were a cyber retailer, I'd have a blowout sale from 8 PM to midnight on Thanksgiving Day, and get the jump on Black Friday. Nobody WANTS to get up at 4 AM and spend an hour or two in line outside in the cold.
To fully finish the logic of YOUR statement... How does a line of soda products that have less than 1% marketshare act as a draw for customers to come into the store and buy other items?
It doesn't. If they gave away Tabasco brand enemas for free, that still wouldn't drive any traffic. Price doesn't mean squat if demand isn't there.
If Wal-Mart sold Coke products at a loss to undercut the competition, then that would act as a draw, becuase there is significant demand for Coke, and that demand increases as price decreases.
Besides, Wal-Mart doesn't have to offer Sam's Choice soda at a loss; they are able to significantly undercut the competition and still make a profit on them. What are the main ingredients in soda? Water and sugar, packaged in a molded plastic bottle. If a 12 oz. bottle of Coke costs more than a nickle to produce, I'd be shocked; and vending machines sell them all over town for $1.25.
Wal-Mart doesn't sell soda at a loss... the situation is more that Coca-Cola and Pepsi sell soda at an outrageous profit. Sam Walton wanted Coke to sell their products at a discount through Wal-Mart; Coke refused, so Walton vowed to take them down by selling his own line of sodas at a much more reasonable profit margin.
Of course, brand image and brand loyalty are huge factors in the soft drink market, which is why Sam's Choice sodas account for >1% of the market...
Is that what the geek kids are calling it these days?
"Excuse me, but you stimulate the neurons in my hypothalamus. Would you like to come over to my place and study quantum entanglement?"
Newsflash for ya... all corporate charity is marketing. When a corporation gives a large donation, they most definitely expect to get something in return.
And they say in the article that the laptops will include a programming language... a kid can program just as well on a Mac or a PC as he can on a Linux box, and the basic concepts and disciplines of what he learns will stick with him regardless of what platform he programs for when he grows up.
And as far as Apple and Microsoft committing to continue development... sure, why wouldn't they? If, as you say, this is a marketing opportunity, then why would they let it become a PR disaster? Besides, Microsoft already has to work with a HUGE amount of third-party components, so they would almost have to go out of their way to break compatibility with the laptop.
Apple has had less of a commitment to backwards-compatibility with OS's, but it's always been with hardware that has aged out, anyway, and would run the latest OS very poorly. I'm just not seeing a problem here. These laptops are going to last maybe five years, and that's about it.
According to the article, the laptops will run any x86 OS.
That means that any kid who wants to can download and install Linux for himself, once he reaches that level of technical proficiency.
This type of thing needs to be ENCOURAGED, not discouraged. Even if it was Microsoft.
Besides, the OS is becoming less and less conspicuous. Get the laptop, load OpenOffice.org, Firefox and Thunderbird.
What's the big deal? Do they think these kids are going to be compiling their own kernels on these $100 laptops?
Morton's Steakhouse offered to give all of the kids a free steak dinner, but the project declined, saying they needed to stick to their previous decision of powdered eggs for everyone...
Everyone is talking about a shrink-wrapped version of x86 OS X eating into Apple's hardware margins... that may not necessarily be a bad thing. The question is, How many new users can Apple pick up by selling a shrink-wrapped version of OS X?
Software development is pretty much a sunk cost, and the only real cost per unit is the cost of the retail packaging. So, will Apple be able to sell enough CD's to offset the loss of hardware revenue? Maybe even exceed it? If so, then it may make more sense to just sell OS X and not the whole computer.
I could see a future where Apple produces only a few "exotic" hardware systems (like the Mini and the iMac), and leaves the mainstream hardware to guys like Dell and HP.
Smed has gotten HOUNDED over the years from Tanarus players wanting to see more development.
At one time, Verant/SOE had promised a Tanarus 2, but it died in development, because I think Smed totally lost interest in the game.
What's interesting about Tanarus is how it thrived as a concept game. When it was in open beta, back in '97, there was an email list floating around of the hottest online games (as voted on by the players), and Tanarus frequently topped the list. I think the game was in free beta for a couple of years, and on any given night, there would be a dozen (or more) active games going, and people waiting to join.
Once Tanarus went pay-2-play, the crowds evaporated overnight. The game had been in open beta for so long that most of the people probably felt that they had gotten their fill of it and couldn't see paying for it. Granted, the reason for the open beta was for Verant to stress-test the servers and develop their skills in coding a MMOG (because the MMOG game that Smed REALLY wanted to develop all along was EQ). However, they had to go to a pay model because of the cost of the hardware and the bandwidth.
Since then, computer speeds have skyrocketed and prices have plummeted, so SOE's overhead costs on Tanarus are trivial. It's a shame they don't just open it up for free play. The core user base that has been hanging on for YEARS, paying their monthly subscription fee, has more than paid for the game.
Well, let me turn the tables and ask you this...
If Cars was destined to be a winner at the box office, up there with Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, then why is Jobs in negotiations with Disney right now?
If Jobs knew he had gold on his hands, why wouldn't he be waiting to talk to Disney?
It's interesting that the trailer for the film lists the original release date as "November 2005," but the film got pushed back to mid-2006. Films generally don't get pushed back because everything is going well.
And you're right, it's totally my opinion, and I could be flat-out wrong (there's a first-time for eveything!). I'm just trying to read between the lines.
Is that this is all about timing.
Based on the early reviews I'm reading, Chicken Little is not going to flop. It's not going to be the rousing success that Disney is hoping for, but it looks like it's going to be a base-hit for the company. And it's going to give Disney that much-needed leverage in their negotiations with Pixar. "Look, we can make passable 3D CG films without you!"
Pixar, OTOH, is set to release their first "flop" next year. Cars will probably make the same amount of money as Chicken Little, but because it won't be the box-office smash that previous Pixar films were, it's going to be trumpeted in the press as Pixar's first major misstep. Pixar has said that they are intentionally going after a younger audience with this film, and it shows; the promos look like they are straight out of Fischer-Price. As a parent, these are the kinds of kiddie film I fear most; a 90 minute root canal for the mind. Without catering to the adult audience, they are going to lose huge marketshare.
But Jobs already knows this. Look at the Pixar image in the CNN/Money photo. Notice any franchises missing?
A Bug's Life was also aimed at a younger audience. But it was Pixar's second feature film, and was a base-hit for them. It was before they really established their reputation as a blockbuster powerhouse, so it was forgivable. But whenever you see promotional material for Pixar nowadays, does it ever include Flick? Almost never.
Cars looks to be aimed at an even younger audience than ABL. The characters are less varied than any other movie Pixar has done (they're all, well... cars; how many variations of a car are there? Or should I say, How many interesting variations are there? Not many). And following up Finding Nemo and The Incredibles is no small feat; the movie definitely has its work cut out for it.
Back to my point... Steve Jobs knows that the next movie is going to be a sleeper. They are going to exit the Disney deal with a fizzle, not a bang. Not that it will be a terrible movie, but Cars is definitely going to deflate Pixar's reputation. Therefore, if Jobs is going to cut some kind of deal with Disney, he needs to do it now while Pixar is still coasting on the reputation of its previous movies, because it will probably be 2008 (or later) before Pixar can release a feature that will redeem them from the upcoming Cars debacle.
We should be so lucky!
Somebody please, please, please get the franchise away from that hack, George Lucas!
The city of San Francisco is looking for a new IT Manager. Must be able to come up with more than one password. Passwords with numbers a plus. Job to be filled immediately.
"Slashdot vivisects Ars Technica"
with bidding on projects on the job boards you mentioned is that you have guys from the US and guys from countries like India bidding on the same jobs. The US contractors want $80/hr, the Indian guys want $10/hr. It's very tough to land a freelance contract that doesn't require you to be onsite.
Guy makes money by setting up a blog telling people how to make money by setting up a blog.
Seems so circular to me.
At what point does the last guy to set up a blog about making money by telling other people to set up blogs to make money fail?
It's kind of like those real estate infomercials telling you how you can be a millionaire by buying his training system. If it's that easy? why aren't you doing it yourself? Why are you telling other people about it?
Actually, I guess this guy really is doing what he's telling others to do. But it's amazing how people will stampede towards anyone who says they know how to make a quick buck.
I was a little late to the webcast, but the gist is that Google and Sun are in the beginning stages of forming a partnership that begins with something about Java integration in the Google Toolbar (didn't catch all of that) and Google buying a lot of Sun servers. Whatever.
In the Q&A session, Eric Schmidt says that they will *assist* in the distribution of OpenOffice (whatever that menas), but that they are *not* announcing a new product (i.e., Google Office).
I think that the blog community got way, way ahead of this story.
Google Ulcer is still by invitation only, however...
From here on out, it only gets worse and worse for Microsoft.
Google's competitors (namely, Yahoo! and Amazon), who don't give one whit about dethroning Microsoft, are now going to have to develop their own web-based office suites that are compatible with OpenOffice's well-documented XML file format in order to stay competitive with Google.
Microsoft is about to be put in the same position that they put Apple in way back in the 1980's; they will become the "boutique" vendor while the rest of the market establishes and fights over a commodity product.