Whoever claimed that lawyers were the greatest threat to the free world known to man had obviously never met a marketer.
Play Tilt
Doh! It is both easier and harder than you think. I got 1903 points. 🙂 Play Tilt
Paradox
“The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; we’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals; we’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference…or just hit delete.”
…Author Unknown
RIAA and their Abundance of Sensitivity
The RIAA has dropped their lawsuit (settlement) against a dead man. Does the RIAA just not get that they have a horrible image to the public? These type of fiascoes reinforce their image as greedy scum sucking parasites.
Lots of great info at Boing Boing: RIAA’s “abundance of sensitivity” ends harassment of grieving family
My original post: RIAA is even coming after dead people
RIAA is even coming after dead people
RIAA Wants to Depose Dead Defendant’s Children; But Will Allow them 60 Days to “Grieve”
In Michigan, in Warner Bros. v. Scantlebury, after learning that the defendant had passed away, the RIAA made a motion to stay the case for 60 days in order to allow the family time to “grieve”, after which time they want to start taking depositions of the late Mr. Scantlebury’s children.
Thinking: Solving a Substitution Puzzle
Recently BrainBashers offered this puzzle: If Poland is 44 miles away, Canada is 42 miles away and Mongolia is 56 miles away, how far away is Peru?
Try it yourself before reading on, I’ll wait.
No, I’m serious, try it.
It’s not that difficult.
Basic algebra.
Eighth grade? Ninth grade? When is algebra taught anyway?
Oh good, you’re back. Here’s how I solved it.
Assume the game is assigning a value to each consonant and vowel.
Poland = 4 consonants and 2 vowels so: 4c + 2v = 44
Canada = 3c + 3v = 42
Mongolia = 4c + 4v = 56
You want to solve for one variable, so look to see what you can substitute equally. Mongolia and Poland both have a 4c, so solve for that.
4c + 4v = 56
4c + 4v – 4v = 56 – 4v
4c = 56 – 4v
Substitute the 4c value into Poland, and then solve for c, which gives you:
4c + 2v = 44
(56 – 4v) + 2v = 44
56 – (4v + 2v) = 44
56 – 2v = 44
56 – 2v + 2v = 44 + 2v
56 = 44 + 2v
56 – 44 = 44 – 44 + 2v
12 = 2v
12 / 2 = 2v / 2
6 = v
Then substitute 6 for v into any formula to get the value of c.
4c + 2v = 44
4c + 2(6) = 44
4c + 12 = 44
4c + 12 – 12 = 44 – 12
4c = 32
4c / 4 = 32 / 4
c = 8
With c = 8 and v = 6 the value of Peru is:
Peru = 2c + 2v
2(8) + 2(6)
16 + 12
28
Marketers
“Marketers are like dogs: They jump up on top of you and try to lick you everywhere, and it’s just painful to have to ward them off at every corner,” said Jason Catlett, a privacy advocate with anti-spam group Junkbusters. “Surfers are an individually minded lot, so the marketers are using browser technology to extend and exploit that attention in ways that really annoy the consumer.”
Netflix Update: July 2006
Not a bad month, eleven DVDs, none were broken but two had to be cleaned with a few parts of a chapter still unable to be read. Average return time was 15.26 hours; longest time was 34.88 hours, quickest was 4.87. Three movies were shipped the next day, resulting in the ten dvd average time trending significantly upward.
Suffering
Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. – Helen Keller
Do not
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
— Dylan Thomas