My own favourite on this was when I recently visited Heathrow.
Went through all the security theatre no problem - along with all the warnings about knives, blades, shampoo, etc. etc.
Had something to eat - and what was on the table? A steak knife.
So I've gone through all the security where I can't take knives etc., then as soon as I'm through security I'm trusted with a proper knife, and that I *won't* take that on to the plane?
And have you complained to the owners of the car? Asked them to fix it?
Hell, you could even offer to go halves on fixing it, as it's annoying you more than it annoys them.
Otherwise, have you complained to the local police, or noise-enforcement people? (I'm in the UK, and know that this kind of thing comes under the purview of the local authority/council. Not sure when it comes to Iowa!)
Mindstar Rising was Hamilton's first book - and while it's weak compared to the later epics, IMHO it's still highly readable, and with more ideas in it than you'd expect.
Actually, that's one of the main reasons I like Hamilton's stuff - he'll throw in so many ideas in a book that you end up going with it all and just having to accept them - then afterwards it comes back and you think "Actually, that's really pretty cool"
Whereas by comparison, the UK has plenty of open-ness with nudity, semi-nudity etc., but in the US the sight of one breast at the Superbowl leads to a whole new age of broadcast puritanism...
Personally, I'd far rather that a game (or film) with a (and I'm quoting) "visceral and casually sadistic nature" was censored or limited than something containing semi-nudity. I'm not even referring to porn per se, but just nudity and profanity in a TV programme. Much as it's utter shite, the current "Secrets of a Call Girl", based on that blog by Belle du Jour, is fairly open about the entire sexuality thing.
I figure I'd rather be in a nation that's desensitised to the appearance of a normal human body sans clothing than to one that's desensitised to guns and violence. But that's just my own personal viewpoint.
It's not just that [certain operating system's company] fault though - why not have the manufacturers of the machines actually install useful *FREE* anti/virus (as other posters have suggested, AVG by grisoft, for one) that doesn't need you to pay for a subscription?
OK, a nice secure OS is better, but Joe Sixpack doesn't know that he needs a secure OS - after all, "the internet" has that nice 'secure' padlock icon. Doesn't that mean his computer is secure? So pre-install software that a) does the job and b) doesn't need Joe to do more than click "OK" when the update's finished. (Hell, AVG even times the notification window, so that it disappears after 30 secs)
My parents both use AVG on their machines now (yeah, I told them where to get it, but that's all) and are far happier with that than they were with Norton/Symantec/McAfee nag/crapware. They're well into their sixties, but they like AVG because it's simple. It does what it says, without them needing to know how it all works.
So why do the manufacturers keep on installing Norton Shitware, rather than something that works?
I fully agree. Once you're logged in, it should all be through https 'til you log out again. That would seem pretty simple to me, but then, I am a Bear Of Little Brain. (allegedly)
Stand the thing on it's end, rather than on the wheels. It might spin round, but it isn't going anywhere. Hell, you could even just trap it between two books. Or have I missed the point? *grin*
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My own favourite on this was when I recently visited Heathrow.
Went through all the security theatre no problem - along with all the warnings about knives, blades, shampoo, etc. etc.
Had something to eat - and what was on the table? A steak knife.
So I've gone through all the security where I can't take knives etc., then as soon as I'm through security I'm trusted with a proper knife, and that I *won't* take that on to the plane?
Pure theatre.
And have you complained to the owners of the car? Asked them to fix it?
Hell, you could even offer to go halves on fixing it, as it's annoying you more than it annoys them.
Otherwise, have you complained to the local police, or noise-enforcement people? (I'm in the UK, and know that this kind of thing comes under the purview of the local authority/council. Not sure when it comes to Iowa!)
It's not his only standalone novel - there's also Misspent Youth.
I'd recommend either of those for getting into his more recent stuff - they both have ideas aplenty!
On a different theme (i.e. not standalone stuff) look at Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained - not quite as epic as Nights Dawn, but pretty good reads.
Mindstar Rising was Hamilton's first book - and while it's weak compared to the later epics, IMHO it's still highly readable, and with more ideas in it than you'd expect.
Actually, that's one of the main reasons I like Hamilton's stuff - he'll throw in so many ideas in a book that you end up going with it all and just having to accept them - then afterwards it comes back and you think "Actually, that's really pretty cool"
+1 for Peter F Hamilton.
As for "nothing good in the last twenty years" have you tried *any* of the following?
Peter F Hamilton
Alastair Reynolds
Charles Stross
Neal Stephenson (Partic. Snow Crash and Diamond Age)
Just to name four off the top of my head - I know there's plenty of others as well.
Well, I can definitely see it while typing out this comment.
Ooooh, self-referential!
Might *HAVE* been , not might of.
All through your post.
Gah!
I'd give the chap a break for Britishness, except I'm also a Brit.
Therefore, the dingus should still know how to spell Bueller - I do, after all.
That's Bueller.
From "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". The spelling clue is in the title.
Yep, that's who I meant. I just had James Earl Jones on my mind while trying to write Jackson.
Sad, but true.
Sorry, I forgot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willys_MB, the link to the Wikipedia page re the Willys Jeep. My bad.
Willys Jeep.
The original Jeep (if memory serves)
I'd also add Samuel L Jones to that canon - you hear his voice, and you *know* who's playing the character.
Whereas by comparison, the UK has plenty of open-ness with nudity, semi-nudity etc., but in the US the sight of one breast at the Superbowl leads to a whole new age of broadcast puritanism...
Personally, I'd far rather that a game (or film) with a (and I'm quoting) "visceral and casually sadistic nature" was censored or limited than something containing semi-nudity. I'm not even referring to porn per se, but just nudity and profanity in a TV programme. Much as it's utter shite, the current "Secrets of a Call Girl", based on that blog by Belle du Jour, is fairly open about the entire sexuality thing.
I figure I'd rather be in a nation that's desensitised to the appearance of a normal human body sans clothing than to one that's desensitised to guns and violence. But that's just my own personal viewpoint.
It's not just that [certain operating system's company] fault though - why not have the manufacturers of the machines actually install useful *FREE* anti/virus (as other posters have suggested, AVG by grisoft, for one) that doesn't need you to pay for a subscription?
OK, a nice secure OS is better, but Joe Sixpack doesn't know that he needs a secure OS - after all, "the internet" has that nice 'secure' padlock icon. Doesn't that mean his computer is secure? So pre-install software that a) does the job and b) doesn't need Joe to do more than click "OK" when the update's finished. (Hell, AVG even times the notification window, so that it disappears after 30 secs)
My parents both use AVG on their machines now (yeah, I told them where to get it, but that's all) and are far happier with that than they were with Norton/Symantec/McAfee nag/crapware. They're well into their sixties, but they like AVG because it's simple. It does what it says, without them needing to know how it all works.
So why do the manufacturers keep on installing Norton Shitware, rather than something that works?
I thought it was just a crap business plan.
Or maybe he looked at SCO, and realised he *could* make money from bullshit...
Nope, there were a fair number of people using it.
I'm another with many fond memories of AmiPro- I suspect it'd still kick M$ Word's backside now.
Why not go to the movie's site? It's got the trailers there, no worries.
It's Old News - the trailer's been on Apple.com for a good couple of weeks now.
Hell, here in the UK, I saw this trailer when I went to see that sack of shit known as Spiderman 3...
No, RTFA or TFCA (the comment above) - 25x faster than a 6Mbps connection.
If you can get a 20Mbps connection then - duh! - the 150Mbps connection is (roughly) 7.5x faster than what you're currently getting.
Yep, sorry, my bad.
I did mean "From the start of the login process to the end of the logout process" - I just didn't actually say that.
Thanks for the correction!
I fully agree. Once you're logged in, it should all be through https 'til you log out again. That would seem pretty simple to me, but then, I am a Bear Of Little Brain. (allegedly)
"Fdisk it from orbit and restore from a known good backup - it's the only way to be sure."
Brilliant! I may have to change my sig...
I had one of those a few years ago, and it worked out damn' expensive too - I threw it through a (closed) window. Ooops.
The alarm didn't survive either...
Ah, I have a hack to stop this happening.
Stand the thing on it's end, rather than on the wheels. It might spin round, but it isn't going anywhere.
Hell, you could even just trap it between two books. Or have I missed the point? *grin*