It's time again for me to type the words you're not going to read. I'll share opinions that you probably don't agree with. Why do I do it? Why not? That's the better question.
Your job now, citizen, is to click the read more and do what you clicked. Good luck!
Save the Planet, Eat a Vegan.
Jeremy Clarkson is funny, even if he's not driving 250 mph on Top Gear.
What are peoples thoughts on "Global Warming." Having done zero research myself, and only going off the many conflicting reports, I really don't see it as this massive problem. But, that's just my opinion.
My cobbled together bits of information with which I've concluded include the fact that we are still on the upswinging tail end of an ice age, and it seems that the planet should be getting warmer every day, at least for a number of years longer. As I understand it, many of the big budget research projects that show these big climate changes just plain do not account for this. So, when it's warmer now that it was in 1863, it's actually as it should be.
Also, that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is actually a good thing for plants, which produce oxygen and ozone. A couple of things that I've read over the years say that it's actually a good thing to pump as much CO2 into the air as possible, as it gives more fuel to the plant life on the planet, which will adapt and produce more oxygen for us. Supposedly, this has actually happened in the past, which massive volcanic activity giving rise to lush plant life.
The only thing I'm truly concerned about is the lack of fresh water, because that is a supply that is not as in abundance... fossil fuels will be gone, but we're working on alternate means, and well before it becomes a problem, we'll have other energy sources, but until we come up with some sort of catch all desalinization method, which I have no doubt will probably happen, we'll be screwed in few thousand years.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll all have various sources that say I'm wrong, and contradict me at every turn. I'm just stating the things that I've "heard / read" over the years. In my opinion, it's not this open and shut case that we're destroying our planet. My guess is that we'll kill ourselves off long before we do in the planet, and in the end, the earth will continue to take care of itself as it always has, until the sun burns out... and none of us will be here when that happens anyway.
Now, the article I linked up there has little to do with all the things I just talked about, and that's for a reason. I just picked it because of it's humorous take on one the supposed problems we are facing. Cows fart too much... the planet it doomed!
Gates vs. Jobs: The Battle of the Century.
Well, no. Actually, I have two things to share, I read / saw them fairly close to each, which made both a more interesting experience.
First of all, it must be understood that I think both are great men. The fact that they started their respective companies from garages with little more than the knowledge in their heads and a drive to do something big, well, it's astounding. Now, it's not as though all the worlds richest people were born with silver spoons in their mouths, but not all of them started in as lowly a place as these two. And those that do, well, I have a lot of respect for them as well. Mostly.
First, there's a video from D5.
The page has an edited video of the pair on stage together, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. There's also a transcript of the entire interview, which is actually very interesting to read. The thing that I love is that the video editing job definitely favors Jobs. Many of Gates responses were just cut out. It does a lot to further the image of Gates as a socially inept nerd, devoid of humor and sensibility. Jobs, meanwhile, wearing his artsy black sweater, a contrast to Gates plain striped button down shirt, and his heavy stubble and wily smirk... well, he just screams 'cool'.
Now. It's hard to look at Gates in this and think of him as an evil man. But, that's the way he's portrayed most of the time. Jobs is the hip, trendy, cool guy, while Gates is the evil monopolist, megalomaniac, money hungry, evil tyrant of the world. Steve Jobs is cool, because, have you seen the iPod? C'mon, it's just good fun!
But wait, this article talks a little about something that people don't seem to pay attention to.
Until recently, Bill Gates has been viewed as the villain of the tech world, while his arch rival, Steve Jobs, enjoys an almost saintly reputation.
Gates is the cutthroat capitalist. A genius maybe, but one more interested in maximizing profits than perfecting technology. He's the ultimate vengeful nerd. Ostracized at school, he gets the last laugh by bleeding us all dry.
On the other hand, Jobs has never seemed much concerned with business, though he's been very successful at it of late. Instead, Jobs has been portrayed as a man of art and culture. He's an aesthete, an artist; driven to make a dent in the universe.
But these perceptions are wrong. In fact, the reality is reversed. It's Gates who's making a dent in the universe, and Jobs who's taking on the role of single-minded capitalist, seemingly oblivious to the broader needs of society.
Gates is giving away his fortune with the same gusto he spent acquiring it, throwing billions of dollars at solving global health problems. He has also spoken out on major policy issues, for example, by opposing proposals to cut back the inheritance tax.
In contrast, Jobs does not appear on any charitable contribution lists of note. And Jobs has said nary a word on behalf of important social issues, reserving his talents of persuasion for selling Apple products.
Now, it's entirely possible, and it's noted in the article, that Jobs, being the recluse that he is, merely makes his donations anonymously. While that's possible, and even plausible, I just don't think it is. I think the man is not of the giving spirit. I've seen him speak enough, read enough about him, to have this constant dislike for him. I can't explain it, but it's a persistent thing, and it's been there for a long time.
Bill Gates, he's a nerd, and I like him for it. Like Linus Torvalds. I like them for it. Maybe that's part of my problem, Jobs always seems like he's trying to be something other than a computer geek. As though he's trying to distance himself from his world. Like so many Mac enthusiasts, he doesn't want to see the computer, just the hip and trendy stuff that comes out of it.
All that aside, though, I have to say, it is strange that he doesn't seem to make any sort of impact on the world, but rather sit in his mansions and count his vast wealth. He doesn't speak out about political or social things, as a matter of fact, the only thing he ever really spoke about that I can remember was against DRM. I remember thinking, and possibly stating when I wrote about it, that it was the first time I'd seen him say anything that wasn't "Hey, check out the latest iProduct you want to buy. PAY ME!"
So, make your own conclusions. But, Steve, c'mon man, tell us you care about something other than your own fortune!
Since we're talking apple...
This is how they viewed computing would be in 2011 as of 1980something. It's fairly entertaining.
Creepy Child Android CB2
This thing is just plain creepy. That's all I'm going to say. It's cool... but creepy.
WeeWar
I believe this qualifies as a Time Waster. I haven't had the chance to actually play, but I've enjoyed spectating on a few rounds. WeeWar.com....
Weewar.com is a round based strategy game featuring real action on real maps. Up to 6 players command their colorful pixel armies against each other on the many maps available.
And since it is all happening in the browser Weewar can be played from anywhere - including the office :)
I don't know if I'm willing to try, because it looks like the type of thing that would result in my not getting anything done.
Robert Goulet!
Alright, first we have the commercial that made me laugh for about ten minutes. I was literally rolling on the floor. It takes a lot for advertising to really get to me.
Next we have a blurb on a failed Robert Goulet pilot episode, for a show called Acting Sheriff. Goulet would play a failed actor turned small town sheriff. I can't believe this lost out to another season of Jake and the Fatman.
Origins of Hardcore Punk
Bad Brains - At the Movies - Live 1979.
Legendary.
That's all for now...
I'll be back.
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