Anybody can do it in one year if placed somewhere where you simply can't speak anything else.
There is a danger in doing this: you can lose your native language before acquiring the new one, effectively reducing you to speaking zero languages.
No, really, you can. It happened to me and a lot of people I know. Very strange feeling to speak no languages at all. Eventually it comes back, though.
We French people like to be a bit flattered sometimes
And definitely to a fault, at that.
I can't tell you how many unrequested and unwelcome extemporaneous French lessons I received from snotty Parisians while I was visiting your beautiful country. It got to the point where I had to confide in people that, while I speak 3 languages, French isn't one of them, and that is because I don't find the French language to be important enough to learn.
As the old saying goes, "France would be a great country, were it not for the French."
In order to obtain someone's credit report legally from one of the 3 bureaus (who, by the way, are not going to deal with an individual anyway), one must abide by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The FCRA states that you have to have permission of the person whose credit is being pulled or be pulling it for a permissible purpose. "Just for the heck of it" is not a permissible purpose listed in the FCRA.
There are two kinds of pulls when your credit is pulled. A hard pull, and a soft pull.
A hard pull is when you apply for a car loan, credit card, etc. These affect your credit score and are visible when your credit is pulled.
A soft pull is when you open a bank (deposit) account, rent an apartment, go through a background check, etc. These do not affect your credit score and are only visible to you when your credit is pulled.
I would assume that when the NSA or DoD pulls your credit report, it is probably done through backdoor channels and wouldn't appear on your credit report, even as a soft pull. After all, it just wouldn't do to have you be aware that the DoD is investigating you, no would it?
Summary: It won't affect your score if the NSA pulls your credit.
You go into your doctors office and he says you need to have a procedure immediatly to remove some part of your body. You might consult one more doctor but at no point do you actually truely question the actions he is about to take even if it means removing a piece of your body.
If your doctor is offering to remove a part of your body, I hope that you give the idea of a "second opinion" more than a passing consideration.
Doctors can, and regularly do, fuck up. When he whips out a knife is a good indicator that you should be asking for a second opinion.
Probably safer to drink the alcohol. One of the symptoms that you've consumed dangerous levels of water is that you feel thirsty.
On the other hand, most people are well aware of what they feel like when they have had too much alcohol. Also, the body tends to reject overconsumption of alcohol, as evidenced by the drunken sorority girl puking all over your shoes. The symptoms of alcohol overconsumption are also well-known, so somebody would have probably had the decency to call 911. Further, the contestants would likely have had to spend a long time at the radio station afterwards... don't want a bunch of drunkards on the road... where somebody could watch the contestants and call 911 if they become unresponsive.
Still a bad idea, but maybe a little safer. Personally, I would not enter any such contest. Not even competitive eating.
IANAL, but IAAL(andlord) so I know a thing or two about civil law. The standard I've always had to deal with is "known or should have known", as applied to dangerous conditions on my properties. If there is a huge crack in one of my sidewalks, which is a tripping hazard, it's possible that I wouldn't know about it (I'm not at my properties every day or even every week), but I definitely should know about it since it's plain to see.
Reports are coming in that medical professionals were calling the station in the middle of the contest, warning that drinking too much water will lead to serious illness and death. It's going to be hard for them to claim that they did not know, when there were medical professionals warning them, on-air, for the entire listening public to hear.
Many radio station contests are for prizes that are given to the radio station by the promoter/corporation/etc. It's entirely possible that Nintendo donated the Wii for the contest.
Now if we assume that Nintendo gave the Wii to the station for the contest, maybe Nintendo knew what the contest would be and maybe they didn't.
But if they gave the Wii to the radio station, and they knew what the contest would be, then they could have some legal exposure here.
I have no idea of they donated the Wii or not, but I'm just presenting this as a scenario for how Nintendo could get dragged into this.
The Middle East used to be the world's cultural and scientific center. The Muslim/Arab fall from preeminence still stings to this day, and who is the new preeminent nation? For the time being, it's the United States.
Why wouldn't they want to bomb us into the stone age? We're everything that they wish they still were.
I stopped reading at this point. Hope you enjoyed writing the rest of your comment. If you want me to read the whole thing, please don't start with something that is 100% intellectually dishonest.
This stamp duty, of course, has nothing to do with the modern estate tax. The estate tax is assessed as a percentage of the estate's value, whereas a stamp tax is just a "processing fee". The stamp tax in 1797 was the same amount irrespective of the value of the estate.
To say that this stamp duty proves "the US founding fathers put in taxes on inheritance is that the sucess[sic] of one generation shouldn't create subsequent generations already ensconced in privalege[sic]," is intellectually dishonest.
Inheritance taxes (aka estate taxes, aka "the death tax")
I'm aware of what the estate tax is.;) I can't get my financial planner to shut up about it.
But I think you overestimate the effects of the US estate tax. Estates of under $2M (or whatever it is this year) are tax-free, and estates of over $10M, you can bet are structured to avoid estate taxes.
So it's really your moderately wealthy person who never really considered estate planning whose estate winds up getting mauled. These are your farmers, your small business owners, etc.
But I definitely see a difference in attitude between a person in the US vs. a person in Europe: In the US, a person sees a wealthy person and thinks to himself, "I'll be like that guy someday," while in Europe, that same person would say, "I'll get that guy someday."
If wealth disparity is higher in the US than in Europe, and wealth disparity leads to crime like robberies, how come I'm so much more likely to be robbed in Europe than in the US? I mean, they do exactly as you recommend in Europe. High taxes on the rich and universal health care and other social services. So why all the robberies?
When traveling in Europe, I use a money belt to avoid pickpockets, I never walk with a pack on my back, etc., yet I never take those precautions in the US. Not in large cities, not out in the countryside. Nowhere.
And don't tell me that my fears are unfounded because I know many people who have been robbed in Europe. And also don't tell me it's because I'm American, because it happens to my European friends, too.
It's not that it could happen, it's that it most likely will happen.
It will probably take until it happens to you or your wife for you to show a little compassion. Not a car accident per se, but you'll see what happens when you're not 27 anymore and your perfect health starts to be a little less dependable.
Also, take a look at the lifetime maximum clauses in your private insurance policies. $1,000,000.00 isn't what it used to be.
Like I said, you don't have to like them. But you'd better know what they are if you are calling yourself a Java EE expert. Last I checked, EJB is a pretty big part of the Java EE spec.
The reason I responded to you to begin with was my amusement at a "J2EE course" that didn't include anything on EJBs. The amusement comes from people who wrote a few JSPs and since JSP is part of Java EE, they are suddenly experts on Java EE.
What happens if you get into a car accident and become totally disabled? Unable to work, and needing assistance with daily activities?
How long will your emergency fund last?
How does it feel when you are careening down the highway at 65 mph? What would happen to your earning power if you went from 65 to 0 in 0.1 seconds? What would happen to your family?
Yeah, but if there's one thing that makes it much easier to make money, it's money. It's certainly possible to start your own business with nothing,
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. 1000 times wrong. Double plus unright.
I've started three businesses to your zero, and please allow me to assure you that persistent action is the one key factor in making a successful business. And will you be more persistent if your next meal depends on it? Heh heh. You're goddamn right you will. Will you take that risk when you have a family to support, a nest egg to worry about, a high credit score, etc.? Heh heh. You tell me.
It's amazing how having $100 to your name lights a candle under your ass to go sell more, go produce more. The most successful businessmen I know started with nothing but a dream and dogged determination. Having the "heat" set at 50 is one hell of a motivator.
I've been interviewing Java EE experts for Java EE architect roles lately, and I'm getting these self-styled Java EE "experts" who can't even tell me what an EJB is.
I don't want to get into a holy war about whether or not people like EJB, but if you are a Java EE expert, then you better be able to at least tell me what one is, the different types, etc. If you don't like em, tell me why you don't like 'em... that's fine. But you better know what one is. </rant>
Regarding dress: it's hard to go wrong interviewing in an interview suit. Even at companies with a casual dress code. It makes it obvious who is interviewing, at the very least.:-)
Regarding chastisement: you can always ask the HR representative questions beforehand. "I know that XYZ, Inc. has a casual dress code. Would I feel comfortable if I still wore my interview suit?" She (yes, she) will be able to give you an answer based on the company's corporate culture, and won't have much say in the hiring decision.
Regarding requests for feedback: watch how you ask. "Why wasn't I hired?" makes it sound like you are gathering evidence for your pending litigation. How about, "Is there any feedback that you'd feel comfortable providing me? I'm always looking to improve myself."
Slashdot Mirror
I said drive on the roads, not blow them up.
Strawman much?
You, sir, obviously have not be in I.T. long enough.
No, really, you can. It happened to me and a lot of people I know. Very strange feeling to speak no languages at all. Eventually it comes back, though.
I can't tell you how many unrequested and unwelcome extemporaneous French lessons I received from snotty Parisians while I was visiting your beautiful country. It got to the point where I had to confide in people that, while I speak 3 languages, French isn't one of them, and that is because I don't find the French language to be important enough to learn.
As the old saying goes, "France would be a great country, were it not for the French."
Is it fair to the users of the site when the site gets cracked and all their personal information gets into the hands of criminals?
In order to obtain someone's credit report legally from one of the 3 bureaus (who, by the way, are not going to deal with an individual anyway), one must abide by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The FCRA states that you have to have permission of the person whose credit is being pulled or be pulling it for a permissible purpose. "Just for the heck of it" is not a permissible purpose listed in the FCRA.
There are two kinds of pulls when your credit is pulled. A hard pull, and a soft pull.
A hard pull is when you apply for a car loan, credit card, etc. These affect your credit score and are visible when your credit is pulled.
A soft pull is when you open a bank (deposit) account, rent an apartment, go through a background check, etc. These do not affect your credit score and are only visible to you when your credit is pulled.
I would assume that when the NSA or DoD pulls your credit report, it is probably done through backdoor channels and wouldn't appear on your credit report, even as a soft pull. After all, it just wouldn't do to have you be aware that the DoD is investigating you, no would it?
Summary: It won't affect your score if the NSA pulls your credit.
Doctors can, and regularly do, fuck up. When he whips out a knife is a good indicator that you should be asking for a second opinion.
Probably safer to drink the alcohol. One of the symptoms that you've consumed dangerous levels of water is that you feel thirsty.
On the other hand, most people are well aware of what they feel like when they have had too much alcohol. Also, the body tends to reject overconsumption of alcohol, as evidenced by the drunken sorority girl puking all over your shoes. The symptoms of alcohol overconsumption are also well-known, so somebody would have probably had the decency to call 911. Further, the contestants would likely have had to spend a long time at the radio station afterwards... don't want a bunch of drunkards on the road... where somebody could watch the contestants and call 911 if they become unresponsive.
Still a bad idea, but maybe a little safer. Personally, I would not enter any such contest. Not even competitive eating.
IANAL, but IAAL(andlord) so I know a thing or two about civil law. The standard I've always had to deal with is "known or should have known", as applied to dangerous conditions on my properties. If there is a huge crack in one of my sidewalks, which is a tripping hazard, it's possible that I wouldn't know about it (I'm not at my properties every day or even every week), but I definitely should know about it since it's plain to see.
Reports are coming in that medical professionals were calling the station in the middle of the contest, warning that drinking too much water will lead to serious illness and death. It's going to be hard for them to claim that they did not know, when there were medical professionals warning them, on-air, for the entire listening public to hear.
Many radio station contests are for prizes that are given to the radio station by the promoter/corporation/etc. It's entirely possible that Nintendo donated the Wii for the contest.
Now if we assume that Nintendo gave the Wii to the station for the contest, maybe Nintendo knew what the contest would be and maybe they didn't.
But if they gave the Wii to the radio station, and they knew what the contest would be, then they could have some legal exposure here.
I have no idea of they donated the Wii or not, but I'm just presenting this as a scenario for how Nintendo could get dragged into this.
What a stupid idea for a contest.
The Middle East used to be the world's cultural and scientific center. The Muslim/Arab fall from preeminence still stings to this day, and who is the new preeminent nation? For the time being, it's the United States.
Why wouldn't they want to bomb us into the stone age? We're everything that they wish they still were.
GP never claimed a link between Sadam[sic] and Bin Laden. He was commenting on Muslim extremists in general, and his comments are worth a read.
Next are you going to tell me I should be thankful for the "privilege" to listen to the music that I paid for?
This stamp duty, of course, has nothing to do with the modern estate tax. The estate tax is assessed as a percentage of the estate's value, whereas a stamp tax is just a "processing fee". The stamp tax in 1797 was the same amount irrespective of the value of the estate.
To say that this stamp duty proves "the US founding fathers put in taxes on inheritance is that the sucess[sic] of one generation shouldn't create subsequent generations already ensconced in privalege[sic]," is intellectually dishonest.
But I think you overestimate the effects of the US estate tax. Estates of under $2M (or whatever it is this year) are tax-free, and estates of over $10M, you can bet are structured to avoid estate taxes.
So it's really your moderately wealthy person who never really considered estate planning whose estate winds up getting mauled. These are your farmers, your small business owners, etc.
But I definitely see a difference in attitude between a person in the US vs. a person in Europe: In the US, a person sees a wealthy person and thinks to himself, "I'll be like that guy someday," while in Europe, that same person would say, "I'll get that guy someday."
If wealth disparity is higher in the US than in Europe, and wealth disparity leads to crime like robberies, how come I'm so much more likely to be robbed in Europe than in the US? I mean, they do exactly as you recommend in Europe. High taxes on the rich and universal health care and other social services. So why all the robberies?
When traveling in Europe, I use a money belt to avoid pickpockets, I never walk with a pack on my back, etc., yet I never take those precautions in the US. Not in large cities, not out in the countryside. Nowhere.
And don't tell me that my fears are unfounded because I know many people who have been robbed in Europe. And also don't tell me it's because I'm American, because it happens to my European friends, too.
The estate tax in the US was made permanent in 1916 after a decade or two of debate.
What was that you were saying about the founding fathers, again?
It's not that it could happen, it's that it most likely will happen.
It will probably take until it happens to you or your wife for you to show a little compassion. Not a car accident per se, but you'll see what happens when you're not 27 anymore and your perfect health starts to be a little less dependable.
Also, take a look at the lifetime maximum clauses in your private insurance policies. $1,000,000.00 isn't what it used to be.
Like I said, you don't have to like them. But you'd better know what they are if you are calling yourself a Java EE expert. Last I checked, EJB is a pretty big part of the Java EE spec.
The reason I responded to you to begin with was my amusement at a "J2EE course" that didn't include anything on EJBs. The amusement comes from people who wrote a few JSPs and since JSP is part of Java EE, they are suddenly experts on Java EE.
What happens if you get into a car accident and become totally disabled? Unable to work, and needing assistance with daily activities?
How long will your emergency fund last?
How does it feel when you are careening down the highway at 65 mph? What would happen to your earning power if you went from 65 to 0 in 0.1 seconds? What would happen to your family?
I've started three businesses to your zero, and please allow me to assure you that persistent action is the one key factor in making a successful business. And will you be more persistent if your next meal depends on it? Heh heh. You're goddamn right you will. Will you take that risk when you have a family to support, a nest egg to worry about, a high credit score, etc.? Heh heh. You tell me.
It's amazing how having $100 to your name lights a candle under your ass to go sell more, go produce more. The most successful businessmen I know started with nothing but a dream and dogged determination. Having the "heat" set at 50 is one hell of a motivator.
I've been interviewing Java EE experts for Java EE architect roles lately, and I'm getting these self-styled Java EE "experts" who can't even tell me what an EJB is.
I don't want to get into a holy war about whether or not people like EJB, but if you are a Java EE expert, then you better be able to at least tell me what one is, the different types, etc. If you don't like em, tell me why you don't like 'em... that's fine. But you better know what one is.
</rant>
Regarding dress: it's hard to go wrong interviewing in an interview suit. Even at companies with a casual dress code. It makes it obvious who is interviewing, at the very least. :-)
Regarding chastisement: you can always ask the HR representative questions beforehand. "I know that XYZ, Inc. has a casual dress code. Would I feel comfortable if I still wore my interview suit?" She (yes, she) will be able to give you an answer based on the company's corporate culture, and won't have much say in the hiring decision.
Regarding requests for feedback: watch how you ask. "Why wasn't I hired?" makes it sound like you are gathering evidence for your pending litigation. How about, "Is there any feedback that you'd feel comfortable providing me? I'm always looking to improve myself."
Good luck!