Tempting. I've never actually had a fight in my life so unless I have some as yet untapped but born-with super street fighting skill I'm going to go down like a sack of potatoes followed by the usual multiple kicks to the head. OTOH, they may just be all mouth, you don't tend to warn people in advance otherwise it gives them a chance to prepare. That's my hope anyway:-)
>I just have to say that that is the most stupid idea I've ever heard
Our locals are slightly brighter. We have kids riding quad bikes over some open land nearby (illegally) so they put up signs saying to stop. They tore down the signs. They put up signs saying why it was illegal, mentioned insurance, their personal liability etc. they tore them down. The police then spoke to dozens of people who walked their dogs there and asked if they could keep and eye out and photograph anything they saw. They put up new signs warning that anyone could be recording what goes on there. Surprise! Almost no problem there now.
Sounds all too familiar. I do sometimes approach the kids but my wife has better results - they tend to be OK with her (although the girls are usually the wirst when to comes to being drunk/agressive and they have no qualms about getting aggresive at her). The trouble is, most people know that if they do try to approach the kids they'll either get in trouble with the police or more likely become a prime target.
A neighbour who has confronted the local kids now has his car windows broken about once a month and has had his house graffitied (sp?).
I spoke to some 11-12yo recently for standing (in full view of a CCTV I might add) in front of the local shop methodically throwing french fries into rack of cut flowers at the front. I told him to stop and he slunk off (many others had just walked past and ignored him). A few nights later at the same shop there were about 6 of them outside and as I walked past they said 'you do know we're going to get you you c*nt, don't you?'.
>Seems more like they're shooting themselves in the foot, not protecting themselves.
So what's *your* idea for stopping groups of ferel kids causing trouble?
>Crime keeps decreasing in real terms
That statement is usually based on police records, here in the UK and those are generally very low compared to reality. The reason? people just don't bother reporting most crimes because they know they'll either get no response or someone will turn up a couple of days later to take a statement. I know people who have dialled 999 when someone is being threatened with a knife and no-one has turned up. Indeed, I had a guy come at me with an axe a while back. I dialled 999 whilst backing off (fairly rapidly). They turned up 30mins later because a second caller had reported seeing the attacker drive off so they figured I was probably OK. Well, yes, sort of but by then, most witnesses had long since gone.
Last year a report came out in the UK based on interviewing people in the street to ask when was the last time they were attacked, mugged, robbed, threatened etc and the numbers that came out were 2-3 times those bandied about by the government.
That said, things are improving. In my village we have been taking part in a police/community task force and vanadalism has dropped by 70% in 6 months. We are also giving members of the public access to a police speed gun to help curb the boy racers screaming along at high speed in a narrow high street.
The sad thing is that the swarms of chav/pikey kids that hang around until all hours playing loud music, vandalising, swearing, taking drink/drugs (and these are typically kids between 12 and 16) know they are untouchable. They all know their rights and care not for their responsabilities. When the police do pick some up and take them home, the parents tell the police to f-off for interfering and turf their ferel kids back out on the streets for round 2 to keep them out their hair.
That said, it *is* a minority of kids - there are maybe 10-20 trouble makers out of perhaps 1000 kids but anything that breaks up this troublesome clump gets my vote although they then usually just find somewhere else to cause problems.
In my opinion, the biggest problem here is the (European) Human Rights Act being abused. Kids can do whatever they want with no real danger of any punishment. Even repeat offenders get away with it time after time. I know someone who had their car smashed by the neighbours 15yo kid but they have no hope of financial recompense and the kid has no itention of coughing up and knows he doesn't have to. His parents aren't legally obliged to and don't have the money anyway. They also say he is out of control and have no way to make him do a job to raise the money. Parents aren't allowed to lock them in their rooms or do anything other than give them a talking to and in many cases the parents just don't care.
Along the same lines, back in the 80's, An Atari ST was used to analyse and decode the output from an analogue video disc created by Baird (I think) in the late 1920's and managed to extract and display the image of a man's face.
Re:You need to clarify your question
on
Ethics In IT
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Interesting stuff. What doesn't help is that by and large, we, as a society, reward the kind of errant behaviour you describe whilst wringing our hands and muttering about how unpalatable it is. As a species we're our own worst enemy in many respects.
Re:You need to clarify your question
on
Ethics In IT
·
· Score: 1
Thank you for the correction - an important difference it would seem although I'll wager there's a few of both in senior positions!
Re:You need to clarify your question
on
Ethics In IT
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
I read a study recently that indicated a very high % of senior execs are actually psychopathic (as in total lack of empathy) noting that it is actually a desirable trait to get to the very top. Being able to make hard decisions by looking at the bigger picture despite the decision hurting some people along the way is something most people have trouble with so someone with said trait is likely to do well and often does. Psychopaths also tend to have charisma in spades which helps.
Oh man, just had a choking fit caused by laughing whilst eating an sandwich. Don't breath in crumbs - it's a bitch.
Ethics is eithics
on
Ethics In IT
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
Irrespective of if it's IT related. You shouldn't do anything you wouldn't want done to yourself or is likely to hurt people. Just be a decent honest person.
Here you can get added to two lists, one for phone marketing and one for postal stuff to indicate you don't want to be contacted. You can also register with the Royal Mail not to receive the junk they sometimes insert too. Any firms who flout this get heavy fines. I believe there are some getouts marketeers can use but for years now I've had no more than 1 or 2 calls per year and maybe a bit of paper based junkmail per month.
After 2 terms of Bush Jnr, I'm kind of hoping Americans have learned their lesson and will vote more wisely and that includes not voting for a president whose name is perilously close to hick - I can imagine more than one or two people slipping up and calling him president Hickabee.
And this has what to do with tech? Surely the politics category is for politics relating to tech not sundry ramblings about the next election (and not one in my country either so I'm less than interested given that the important bit i.e. Bush is going is a given).
It didn't get repeated much but early on in the reporting (news.bbc.co.uk I think) a member of ground crew said a pilot had told him that had happened on another plane i.e. sudden power loss although in that case it was a rather better landing. Being just anecdotal, It does need to be treated with caution.
You say it like we don't know - it's called 'evolution theory' or 'the theory of evolution' which is kind of a hint. Difference being, unlike the Church's angle, this one features this thing called evidence.
Slashdot Mirror
Tempting. I've never actually had a fight in my life so unless I have some as yet untapped but born-with super street fighting skill I'm going to go down like a sack of potatoes followed by the usual multiple kicks to the head. OTOH, they may just be all mouth, you don't tend to warn people in advance otherwise it gives them a chance to prepare. That's my hope anyway :-)
Interesting. Wonder what the survey was I saw reported last year then?
>I just have to say that that is the most stupid idea I've ever heard
Our locals are slightly brighter. We have kids riding quad bikes over some open land nearby (illegally) so they put up signs saying to stop. They tore down the signs. They put up signs saying why it was illegal, mentioned insurance, their personal liability etc. they tore them down. The police then spoke to dozens of people who walked their dogs there and asked if they could keep and eye out and photograph anything they saw. They put up new signs warning that anyone could be recording what goes on there. Surprise! Almost no problem there now.
Sounds all too familiar. I do sometimes approach the kids but my wife has better results - they tend to be OK with her (although the girls are usually the wirst when to comes to being drunk/agressive and they have no qualms about getting aggresive at her). The trouble is, most people know that if they do try to approach the kids they'll either get in trouble with the police or more likely become a prime target.
A neighbour who has confronted the local kids now has his car windows broken about once a month and has had his house graffitied (sp?).
I spoke to some 11-12yo recently for standing (in full view of a CCTV I might add) in front of the local shop methodically throwing french fries into rack of cut flowers at the front. I told him to stop and he slunk off (many others had just walked past and ignored him). A few nights later at the same shop there were about 6 of them outside and as I walked past they said 'you do know we're going to get you you c*nt, don't you?'.
>Seems more like they're shooting themselves in the foot, not protecting themselves.
So what's *your* idea for stopping groups of ferel kids causing trouble?
>Crime keeps decreasing in real terms
That statement is usually based on police records, here in the UK and those are generally very low compared to reality. The reason? people just don't bother reporting most crimes because they know they'll either get no response or someone will turn up a couple of days later to take a statement. I know people who have dialled 999 when someone is being threatened with a knife and no-one has turned up. Indeed, I had a guy come at me with an axe a while back. I dialled 999 whilst backing off (fairly rapidly). They turned up 30mins later because a second caller had reported seeing the attacker drive off so they figured I was probably OK. Well, yes, sort of but by then, most witnesses had long since gone.
Last year a report came out in the UK based on interviewing people in the street to ask when was the last time they were attacked, mugged, robbed, threatened etc and the numbers that came out were 2-3 times those bandied about by the government.
That said, things are improving. In my village we have been taking part in a police/community task force and vanadalism has dropped by 70% in 6 months. We are also giving members of the public access to a police speed gun to help curb the boy racers screaming along at high speed in a narrow high street.
The sad thing is that the swarms of chav/pikey kids that hang around until all hours playing loud music, vandalising, swearing, taking drink/drugs (and these are typically kids between 12 and 16) know they are untouchable. They all know their rights and care not for their responsabilities. When the police do pick some up and take them home, the parents tell the police to f-off for interfering and turf their ferel kids back out on the streets for round 2 to keep them out their hair.
That said, it *is* a minority of kids - there are maybe 10-20 trouble makers out of perhaps 1000 kids but anything that breaks up this troublesome clump gets my vote although they then usually just find somewhere else to cause problems.
In my opinion, the biggest problem here is the (European) Human Rights Act being abused. Kids can do whatever they want with no real danger of any punishment. Even repeat offenders get away with it time after time. I know someone who had their car smashed by the neighbours 15yo kid but they have no hope of financial recompense and the kid has no itention of coughing up and knows he doesn't have to. His parents aren't legally obliged to and don't have the money anyway. They also say he is out of control and have no way to make him do a job to raise the money. Parents aren't allowed to lock them in their rooms or do anything other than give them a talking to and in many cases the parents just don't care.
That anyone in the US underplays the terrible crime of copyright theft.
>may cause the Canadian government to fall
!!!!!!
>Come now, when has America let a little thing like a border, trade agreements,
> international law or local democracy stop it?
Fixed it for ya!
>They are aware that Canada is a separate country, right?
At the *moment*, yes but...
http://www.aim.org/special-report/north-american-union-conspiracy-exposed/
http://rinf.com/alt-news/breaking-news/the-amero-is-real/1179/
Along the same lines, back in the 80's, An Atari ST was used to analyse and decode the output from an analogue video disc created by Baird (I think) in the late 1920's and managed to extract and display the image of a man's face.
Interesting stuff. What doesn't help is that by and large, we, as a society, reward the kind of errant behaviour you describe whilst wringing our hands and muttering about how unpalatable it is. As a species we're our own worst enemy in many respects.
Thank you for the correction - an important difference it would seem although I'll wager there's a few of both in senior positions!
I read a study recently that indicated a very high % of senior execs are actually psychopathic (as in total lack of empathy) noting that it is actually a desirable trait to get to the very top. Being able to make hard decisions by looking at the bigger picture despite the decision hurting some people along the way is something most people have trouble with so someone with said trait is likely to do well and often does. Psychopaths also tend to have charisma in spades which helps.
Oh man, just had a choking fit caused by laughing whilst eating an sandwich. Don't breath in crumbs - it's a bitch.
Irrespective of if it's IT related. You shouldn't do anything you wouldn't want done to yourself or is likely to hurt people. Just be a decent honest person.
>Splurged on the drive and couldn't go for 4GB of RAM? Vista 32bit only groks 3.5-ish GB
http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/computing/vista/vista-32bit-memory.htm
Here you can get added to two lists, one for phone marketing and one for postal stuff to indicate you don't want to be contacted. You can also register with the Royal Mail not to receive the junk they sometimes insert too. Any firms who flout this get heavy fines. I believe there are some getouts marketeers can use but for years now I've had no more than 1 or 2 calls per year and maybe a bit of paper based junkmail per month.
Oh man, and I just used my last mod point this morning - someone give him a funny, please.
OK, you convinced me. Carry on people!
After 2 terms of Bush Jnr, I'm kind of hoping Americans have learned their lesson and will vote more wisely and that includes not voting for a president whose name is perilously close to hick - I can imagine more than one or two people slipping up and calling him president Hickabee.
And this has what to do with tech? Surely the politics category is for politics relating to tech not sundry ramblings about the next election (and not one in my country either so I'm less than interested given that the important bit i.e. Bush is going is a given).
http://www.pcbookreview.com/reviews/other/review-the-myths-of-innovation.html
It didn't get repeated much but early on in the reporting (news.bbc.co.uk I think) a member of ground crew said a pilot had told him that had happened on another plane i.e. sudden power loss although in that case it was a rather better landing. Being just anecdotal, It does need to be treated with caution.
>What about Pope Benedict?
Is he the one that does that thing with boiled eggs and mayo?
You say it like we don't know - it's called 'evolution theory' or 'the theory of evolution' which is kind of a hint. Difference being, unlike the Church's angle, this one features this thing called evidence.