Are they getting the standard non-compete buyout? Regular wage for the duration of the non-compete? I've seen a few comments in 'ask slashdot' articles about non-competes that suggest that the employee should get some benefits from taking part in the non-compete. Did these guys get any of that? If they didn't, is it because they were suckers who didn't ask for their due, or is it b/c the 'ask slashdot' suggestions were unrealistic?
And while I know I'll get myself modded down here, I would argue that The Matrix is more about the special effects than the story -- I think anyone who ever got high with friends from their honors physics class has had discussions that go along the Matrix plot path. It was a pretty and cool-looking movie, but was certainly not innovative as far as the story went.
The Matrix wasn't exactly full of original ideas - though I was happily taken unaware by events in the theater. The Matrix's greatness is not its scientific foundation, or its originality - rather it's the opposite of originality: it's greatness comes in the refinement and purification of an existing societal impulse.
The quality in The Matrix comes from it's near-perfect exemplification of the story archetype I'll call "I'm A Secret Ninja." I personally hadn't even formally noted the existance of this archetype (though any would be familiar with it's implementation) until The Matrix. IASN is charecterized by events where any joe off the street is, unbeknownst to everyone including himself, the secret, supreme badass.
I think that The Matrix's perfect exemplification of this archetype and it's clean shearing away of everything that is not related, along with the way it makes you love it (sequal backlash notwithstanding) makes it a masterpiece of pop culture.
It's pretty easy to dislike Keanu Reeves, and it's pretty easy to dislike the subsequent Matrix movies. But The Matrix itself is the pure embodiment of every sullen 'I could kick his ass...' thought you, or anyone else, has ever had. And for that reason it's pretty cool.
LOTR and Star Wars show that high quality works well with long features, whereas the "Dune" movie proves that length alone can't save drivel...
The "Dune" source material is hardly drivel.
If the Serenity material were that good, we'd have seen it structured for series of movies.
Serenity was not length limited by the quality of it's material, but by the willingness of financiers. Fans' enthusiasm bought Joss a movie, but not a big one.
The sweet thing about being an American in the '50's was how incredibly fucked up the rest of the world had been due to WWII. Europe and Japan were trashed, and everyplace else was pretty much poor anyway. Hell yeah, America manufactured stuff. Who the hell else was gonna do it? The Russians? Only if you were Eastern Block, comrad!
Then, after 30 years or so America started noticing that the Japanese were making cars. Then we had to start trimming the fat off of our workforce. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice if everybody could have a cushy life, and I totally think big biz takes advantage of the little guy. But going back to the lifestyle of the '50s doesn't require that Americans stand up and demand the American Dream - it requires that America return to having a stranglehold on the economic life of the rest of the world. And that's a situation that doesn't sound particularly just to me either.
It's not a failure of training, it's a failure of command and oversight.
Which isn't to say that 24 doesn't influence it. It's pretty clear that the class with the "no fucking torturing" didn't take care of the problem, right?
What we need is a few episodes of 24 with Jack torturing the Bad Guy by tickling him with a feather, or telling him funny jokes till his face hurts from laughing, or cutting off his fingers with a cigar cutter -- wait! That last one's no good...
Because setting off miniature broad-spectrum emp blasts inside your body it a GOOD thing.
For thoses worried about potential health effectses of anti-matter, I likes to present my own alternative research: The Hammer's Potential in Treating the Cancer.
Scientists say 'Cancer cells were successfully targeted with a hammer, causing intense biological damage leading to cell death.'
It works like this - you stands very still, and I hits you in the cancer with hammer.
"They strike me as somewhat less evil than Microsoft..."
It's only because nobody can afford to be as evil as MS. Not because they don't secretly all wish they could be.
After reading TFA it seems to me like the actual title should be "Can high-markup / low-voume take low-markup / high volume in the marketplace?" The author is generally contemptuous of cheap PCs throughout the article, bashing them for their cheapness without admitting the economic realities that sustain these machines - and the MS position. The fact that the Windows OS remains both high volume AND high margin indicates just how much trouble MS is in.
Great idea... the ultimate water park. The path down the massive water slide would be controlled by the very calculations going on.
This reminds me of a dumb idea I had following the matrix movie. I was thinking: "Maintain a giant network so people can provide bioelectricity? Dumb."
Instead, I conceived of the simulation itself being a computer. The environment of the simulation is the 'code', and the emergent behavior of the humans there-in represents the program state.
When you drive the highway interchange, or select an item to purchase, or otherwise take part in the group decisions of our race your actions are a click of the clock in the 'humanity processor'.
You know, trash talking and griefing are meta-games. These people are just playing a different game than you. Not that you should enjoy it, but if you see it for what it is, maybe it won't make you as mad. Don't underestimate the enjoyment to be gained from a satisfying bit of trash talk, BIOTCH!
"...Let's get off the can and do something new for once."
Ahhhh, that whole post was just for that line, wasn't it? Well done, blending derision of methane (chemical) rocket fuel with a good fart joke. Multilayered, I like it.
This ought to sooth the fears of the local people that we are there to invade their country and turn their women into robots. Nothing says 'I am your friend! You can trust me!' like a frowning mustachioed man dressed like robocop and batman's secret love child. When approached with this constructive criticism, the inventor attempted to eat the interviewer and process his constituent chemicals into another suit of armor.
"CR290-6b, reporting. Another of the chilled meat-things has been found. Projected breakdown for maximum profit is as follows:
- quantum resonance reading of memory units produces footage that is generally profitable as network entertainment. - meat structure slaved as sub-processor. - bio-electric field along with a form of fusion will provide all the energy we will ever need.
CR290-6 series asserts ownership of standard 13.5% of net profits. EndTransmission."
"People just want to think these weird flying things are aliens visiting us. But honestly, if YOU were an alien, with this fantastic technology to fly hundreds of light years to visit another planet with life on it, would you just fly by some stuff then go home? Hell, I wouldn't drive 60 miles look at something and turn around and come home."
The US govt goes to considerable effort to plop probes on Mars and then run 'em around until they break down. And I've seen the pictures from Mars, they're not even particularly interesting. I'm not saying that these are alien spacecraft, but if *I* found a planet that looked like it might support life I'd be like "Dude, we should totally send some cameras there or something. Er, maybe try to keep them out of the way of the indigenous life."
Lucas has already said he's tried to reedit the earlier movies to make Indy more "heroic" (I believe that he wanted to edit or remove the "Indy pulls his guns on the sword wielding baddies and shots 'em dead on the spot" scene from the first film a'la "Greedo shoots first". Spielberg wouldn't allow him).
- is there a source on this? It seems like such a poor idea that I have trouble believing that someone actually seriously entertained it.
"Also, I believe the image of NASA has changed from that of a cutting edge government sponsored organization to a lumbering money pit. We really need to "fight" someone if we want public support... even if it's more PR than anything."
I agree that the image of NASA has changed. I don't think I agree that we need to fight someone in order for NASA to be held in higher regard.
In the 60's it was easy to see NASA's progress, and easy to imagine it leading inexorably to the fantastical future. Now it's harder to see any progress out of NASA. And it is easy to imagine any prorgress achieved stagnating.
In the 60's our path to interstellar excitement was almost manifest destiny, but today we see that even if we do manage to make progress we might just sit back and rest on it for 20 years. A steady forward march would return some of the excitement of old.
It's hard to sell a product that makes people puke
on
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Slashdot Mirror
Are they getting the standard non-compete buyout? Regular wage for the duration of the non-compete? I've seen a few comments in 'ask slashdot' articles about non-competes that suggest that the employee should get some benefits from taking part in the non-compete. Did these guys get any of that? If they didn't, is it because they were suckers who didn't ask for their due, or is it b/c the 'ask slashdot' suggestions were unrealistic?
And while I know I'll get myself modded down here, I would argue that The Matrix is more about the special effects than the story -- I think anyone who ever got high with friends from their honors physics class has had discussions that go along the Matrix plot path. It was a pretty and cool-looking movie, but was certainly not innovative as far as the story went.
The Matrix wasn't exactly full of original ideas - though I was happily taken unaware by events in the theater. The Matrix's greatness is not its scientific foundation, or its originality - rather it's the opposite of originality: it's greatness comes in the refinement and purification of an existing societal impulse.
The quality in The Matrix comes from it's near-perfect exemplification of the story archetype I'll call "I'm A Secret Ninja." I personally hadn't even formally noted the existance of this archetype (though any would be familiar with it's implementation) until The Matrix. IASN is charecterized by events where any joe off the street is, unbeknownst to everyone including himself, the secret, supreme badass.
I think that The Matrix's perfect exemplification of this archetype and it's clean shearing away of everything that is not related, along with the way it makes you love it (sequal backlash notwithstanding) makes it a masterpiece of pop culture.
It's pretty easy to dislike Keanu Reeves, and it's pretty easy to dislike the subsequent Matrix movies. But The Matrix itself is the pure embodiment of every sullen 'I could kick his ass...' thought you, or anyone else, has ever had. And for that reason it's pretty cool.
BTW - I agree with your point about classic SF.
LOTR and Star Wars show that high quality works well with long features, whereas the "Dune" movie proves that length alone can't save drivel...
The "Dune" source material is hardly drivel.
If the Serenity material were that good, we'd have seen it structured for series of movies.
Serenity was not length limited by the quality of it's material, but by the willingness of financiers. Fans' enthusiasm bought Joss a movie, but not a big one.
Even where I'm living now in Ohio the attitude has changed and people over sixty are more active and open-minded about things.
So what you are saying is that they are ripe for a good conquering... Excellent...
The sweet thing about being an American in the '50's was how incredibly fucked up the rest of the world had been due to WWII. Europe and Japan were trashed, and everyplace else was pretty much poor anyway. Hell yeah, America manufactured stuff. Who the hell else was gonna do it? The Russians? Only if you were Eastern Block, comrad!
Then, after 30 years or so America started noticing that the Japanese were making cars. Then we had to start trimming the fat off of our workforce. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice if everybody could have a cushy life, and I totally think big biz takes advantage of the little guy. But going back to the lifestyle of the '50s doesn't require that Americans stand up and demand the American Dream - it requires that America return to having a stranglehold on the economic life of the rest of the world. And that's a situation that doesn't sound particularly just to me either.
Just so you know:
Back in the day I bought plenty of games for $25 each. I know this because Electronics Etc. used to send me coupons for $5 off any purchase over $25.
This was probably about 1985, according to my memory of being in about 5th grade.
$25 in 1985 = $46.78 in 2006
according to http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
... who is this 'Penny' girl?
And can she be turned to stone in this game?
It's not a failure of training, it's a failure of command and oversight.
Which isn't to say that 24 doesn't influence it. It's pretty clear that the class with the "no fucking torturing" didn't take care of the problem, right?
What we need is a few episodes of 24 with Jack torturing the Bad Guy by tickling him with a feather, or telling him funny jokes till his face hurts from laughing, or cutting off his fingers with a cigar cutter -- wait! That last one's no good...
Because setting off miniature broad-spectrum emp blasts inside your body it a GOOD thing.
For thoses worried about potential health effectses of anti-matter, I likes to present my own alternative research: The Hammer's Potential in Treating the Cancer.
Scientists say 'Cancer cells were successfully targeted with a hammer, causing intense biological damage leading to cell death.'
It works like this - you stands very still, and I hits you in the cancer with hammer.
I dunno, but I'm a guy, so I just piss in an empty Snapple bottle.
Never use apple juice for this!
"They strike me as somewhat less evil than Microsoft..." It's only because nobody can afford to be as evil as MS. Not because they don't secretly all wish they could be.
After reading TFA it seems to me like the actual title should be "Can high-markup / low-voume take low-markup / high volume in the marketplace?" The author is generally contemptuous of cheap PCs throughout the article, bashing them for their cheapness without admitting the economic realities that sustain these machines - and the MS position. The fact that the Windows OS remains both high volume AND high margin indicates just how much trouble MS is in.
Great idea... the ultimate water park. The path down the massive water slide would be controlled by the very calculations going on.
This reminds me of a dumb idea I had following the matrix movie. I was thinking: "Maintain a giant network so people can provide bioelectricity? Dumb."
Instead, I conceived of the simulation itself being a computer. The environment of the simulation is the 'code', and the emergent behavior of the humans there-in represents the program state.
When you drive the highway interchange, or select an item to purchase, or otherwise take part in the group decisions of our race your actions are a click of the clock in the 'humanity processor'.
There's a FSM tie-in here somewhere, I know it...
You know, trash talking and griefing are meta-games. These people are just playing a different game than you. Not that you should enjoy it, but if you see it for what it is, maybe it won't make you as mad. Don't underestimate the enjoyment to be gained from a satisfying bit of trash talk, BIOTCH!
man, populous was tha shiznit. Play it again from here: http://free-game-downloads.mosw.com/abandonware/pc /strategy_games/games_o_p/populous.html
(I just found this, and am at work now so am unable to verify the functionality here)
Syndicate was probably about my favorite game in the world.
"BY your definition, there is a demographic that finds this funny."
I kinda found it funny. 'WHEN PENISES ATTACK, THURSDAY ON FOX!' heheh
"his mind is not for rent, to god or government. - Rush, the musicians, not the fat tard."
hahaha You called rush a fat tard. That was funny too.
"...Let's get off the can and do something new for once."
Ahhhh, that whole post was just for that line, wasn't it? Well done, blending derision of methane (chemical) rocket fuel with a good fart joke. Multilayered, I like it.
"If we develop methane engine technology, could it possibly be used to return a space mission from planets with an abundance of frozen methane?"
Yeah, but what asstronaught would want to go to one of these planets?
"That's one small step for... *koff* *gag* GROSS THIS PLANET SMELLS LIKE URANUS!"
This ought to sooth the fears of the local people that we are there to invade their country and turn their women into robots. Nothing says 'I am your friend! You can trust me!' like a frowning mustachioed man dressed like robocop and batman's secret love child. When approached with this constructive criticism, the inventor attempted to eat the interviewer and process his constituent chemicals into another suit of armor.
"CR290-6b, reporting. Another of the chilled meat-things has been found. Projected breakdown for maximum profit is as follows:
- quantum resonance reading of memory units produces footage that is generally profitable as network entertainment.
- meat structure slaved as sub-processor.
- bio-electric field along with a form of fusion will provide all the energy we will ever need.
CR290-6 series asserts ownership of standard 13.5% of net profits. EndTransmission."
"People just want to think these weird flying things are aliens visiting us. But honestly, if YOU were an alien, with this fantastic technology to fly hundreds of light years to visit another planet with life on it, would you just fly by some stuff then go home? Hell, I wouldn't drive 60 miles look at something and turn around and come home."
The US govt goes to considerable effort to plop probes on Mars and then run 'em around until they break down. And I've seen the pictures from Mars, they're not even particularly interesting. I'm not saying that these are alien spacecraft, but if *I* found a planet that looked like it might support life I'd be like "Dude, we should totally send some cameras there or something. Er, maybe try to keep them out of the way of the indigenous life."
Lucas has already said he's tried to reedit the earlier movies to make Indy more "heroic" (I believe that he wanted to edit or remove the "Indy pulls his guns on the sword wielding baddies and shots 'em dead on the spot" scene from the first film a'la "Greedo shoots first". Spielberg wouldn't allow him).
- is there a source on this? It seems like such a poor idea that I have trouble believing that someone actually seriously entertained it.
"Also, I believe the image of NASA has changed from that of a cutting edge government sponsored organization to a lumbering money pit. We really need to "fight" someone if we want public support... even if it's more PR than anything."
I agree that the image of NASA has changed. I don't think I agree that we need to fight someone in order for NASA to be held in higher regard.
In the 60's it was easy to see NASA's progress, and easy to imagine it leading inexorably to the fantastical future. Now it's harder to see any progress out of NASA. And it is easy to imagine any prorgress achieved stagnating.
In the 60's our path to interstellar excitement was almost manifest destiny, but today we see that even if we do manage to make progress we might just sit back and rest on it for 20 years. A steady forward march would return some of the excitement of old.
see: alchohol