geekhack

geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: Voixdelion on Thu, 08 July 2010, 10:22:11

Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Thu, 08 July 2010, 10:22:11
I love you guys!  

I have not come across a place where I felt more immediately at home and enjoyed as much as geekhack.  Its odd and eclectic and wonderful and even grammatically correct more often than not.   I knew immediately after reading a few posts that I would register and I believe this place is my most prolific haunt besides p2pnet.net and in such a short time.   I have found the people here to be delightfully intelligent, kind, quirky and witty and wise (yes, webwit too!  Hmm, you think I could get him to come back if I did the topless keyboard thing?) There is a feeling of kindred spirit here that seems to extend beyond the obsession with switches and geekdom et al, evidenced by the fact that some of the most obscure references are familiar to me.  Its weird.

AND I LIKE IT!

and I really do have to go now if I am to have any chance of paying bob and spolia today!  

Cheers!
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 10:31:10
Model the keyboard bra for us. lol  Maybe that'll bring Webwit back. lol
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 10:35:30
jeez voix, yea it can be a nice corner of the net to hang out in sometimes but you havent yet tangled with the nasties. Give it time, you've only been here since april ;)

and oh yea, you should dump your boyfriend :)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 11:59:13
(besides, i'm not sure how "wise" we are when our most helpful suggestion was to dance naked while balancing a keyboard on your head ;)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Thu, 08 July 2010, 12:01:22
Most of the nasties I can handle ok, provided I am in proper frame of mind.  I only really get upset when those close to me act nasty.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 13:44:47
Quote from: Voixdelion;200732
I only really get upset when those close to me act nasty.


so are you going to dump him? Go for a fresh start? You know its far worse to be in a bad relationship than to be alone. At least if you're single you have possibilities and hopes - you have neither of those when you're stuck to a loser who oppresses you every day.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: erricrice on Thu, 08 July 2010, 14:32:59
Quote from: wellington1869;200756
so are you going to dump him? Go for a fresh start? You know its far worse to be in a bad relationship than to be alone. At least if you're single you have possibilities and hopes - you have neither of those when you're stuck to a loser who oppresses you every day.


Yeah I've got to second that with all my heart.  Bad people will cause bad things, even when you think they've made a change they often haven't.  Especially if they haven't made a change you shouldn't be giving them any headroom.

And having the freedom to see whoever you want is really a lot more fun that knowing you have someone who is just going to piss you off...get rid of him!
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: itlnstln on Thu, 08 July 2010, 14:36:09
Dump the cowboy and ride a Stallion.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 14:55:54
Quote from: itlnstln;200767
Dump the cowboy and ride a Stallion.


lol!

lose the lazy freak and date a keyboard geek
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 15:15:03
Quote from: erricrice;200765
Bad people will cause bad things, even when you think they've made a change they often haven't.  Especially if they haven't made a change you shouldn't be giving them any headroom.


in my experience is virtually impossible to change people. Like others I've wasted so much time trying, but its really an illusion. If they dont respond right away you need to take the loss and move on to the next trade. You dont want to sink 10 years into a bad foundation. He's not going to change and you're not a social worker.

I had a friend who was struggling with a bad relationship and she kept saying "but he has so much potential!". And my other friend said, girl, if its potential you want, date a convict in prison.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 17:23:29
Personal experience suggests that telling women to dump their ******* boyfriends is sound advice that is almost always ignored...
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Thu, 08 July 2010, 18:06:51
And here I was expecting an Airplane! reference.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 18:09:24
Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;200825
And here I was expecting an Airplane! reference.


she's counting on us alright ;)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: erricrice on Thu, 08 July 2010, 18:47:57
Quote from: ch_123;200808
Personal experience suggests that telling women to dump their ******* boyfriends is sound advice that is almost always ignored...

...and then looked back upon later as good advice that they should have taken...

in my experience anyway
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 08 July 2010, 19:03:45
Actually, this was the point where you have to endure weeks of "OMG HE WAS SUCH A BASTARD I NEVER WANT TO HEAR HIS NAME EVER AGAIN I HAD NO IDEA HE WAS SUCH A ****HEAD"

I have a sort of 'gay best friend' relationship with a lot of my female friends. It has its ups and downs...
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: gr1m on Thu, 08 July 2010, 19:09:35
Dumb quote of the day:

Women think men are sexists because they only date the *******s.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Fri, 09 July 2010, 01:48:31
Quote from: Voixdelion;200695
I have not come across a place where I felt more immediately at home and enjoyed as much as geekhack.  Its odd and eclectic and wonderful and even grammatically correct more often than not.
I felt the same way when I joined up about a year ago and I have to say that I was expecting to stick around, but for some of the reasons you brought up, the fit felt right. It's not too large and not too small. It's not too young and not just full of jaded oldies. There's a good mix of three things you don't often see together: IQ, fun, and sanity. Finally, it seems that a lot of people here really do care even as cantankerous as a lot of us can be (not all on the same days thankfully).

The more grammatically correct part than usual is more than an added bonus. There's nothing that gets older faster than a board full of people who write everything in shorthand like they're texting or in a chat room.

I've been parts of various online communities starting in the mid 80's. I've had a lot of online homes, but the Facebooks and MySpaces of the world took over, but those services just don't suit me well. Until I ran into GeekHack a year ago, I was without a place to hang my hat for the longest time since I got started.

iMav, thanks and to Ripster and everyone who spends a lot of time looking after this place in their own way, thanks!
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Fri, 09 July 2010, 02:25:13
Quote from: ch_123;200808
Personal experience suggests that telling women to dump their ******* boyfriends is sound advice that is almost always ignored...


My personal experience agrees with you, but with an exception. I think it's a lot easier for women to be honest with each other about who to dump. Some Women (Well, American Women at least) do this all the time and a new guy has to pass the review of the girlfriends panel of experts... not that the budding relationship comes to a quick end if the girlfriends don't like him, but they might help limit the damage.

When I've been faced with having to give this kind of feedback in the past with my female friends, I'd never be completely blunt until I felt pretty sure they were finally ready to hear it and willing to accept it and I don't know anyone who's willing to accept such a personal decision unless they feel like they've come to the conclusion herself or himself.

So for that reason, I find that it's more constructive to be supportive, but plant a seed of insight that may eventually contribute to an epiphany or give you something to build on the next time you need to have that discussion.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 09 July 2010, 02:41:40
Quote from: ch_123;200842
I have a sort of 'gay best friend' relationship with a lot of my female friends. It has its ups and downs...


Wow, that explains so much already.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 05:04:57
It's probably just a geek best friend, same thing. Women like to keep geeks around to do crap for them, like fix their macs, then sleep with and date asshats.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 09 July 2010, 05:12:27
Quote from: chimera15;200932
It's probably just a geek best friend, same thing. Women like to keep geeks around to do crap for them, like fix their macs, then sleep with and date asshats.


Ahhh, so ch_123 essentially is being used to fix girls' macs while kishy does the sleeping. It all makes sense now...
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Fri, 09 July 2010, 05:13:17
So.... this thread has somehow ended up turning into a group cry for the men. HTF did that happen? Guys... not the place to do the "women suck" thing.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 05:40:48
Quote from: EverythingIBM;200934
Ahhh, so ch_123 essentially is being used to fix girls' macs while kishy does the sleeping. It all makes sense now...


Most of the girls I know are smart enough to fix their own computers. Yes, there are girls who know how to use computers, amazingly enough.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 05:43:27
Quote from: chimera15;200932
It's probably just a geek best friend, same thing. Women like to keep geeks around to do crap for them, like fix their macs, then sleep with and date asshats.


Actually, most of the girls I know are smart enough to fix their own computers. I'm not nearly stupid enough to get used like that.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 09 July 2010, 07:07:32
Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;200825
And here I was expecting an Airplane! reference.


Not sure if this is the one you were looking for, but it sure is my favorite:

hl=en_US&fs=1">hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385">
[/youtube]
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Fri, 09 July 2010, 08:04:32
Quote from: hyperlinked;200935
So.... this thread has somehow ended up turning into a group cry for the men. HTF did that happen? Guys... not the place to do the "women suck" thing.


BWahahahaa!  LOL!

See?  It's GREAT here!  I think it's ****in' PERFECT! :peace:

                Originally Posted by chimera15                (http://geekhack.org/techforums/buttons/viewpost.gif) (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?p=200932#post200932)             
             It's probably just a geek best  friend, same thing. Women like to keep geeks around to do crap for them,  like fix their macs, then sleep with and date asshats.

Fix their...MACs?  Who fixes MACs?
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 09 July 2010, 08:57:03
Quote from: gr1m;200847
Dumb quote of the day:

Women think men are sexists because they only date the *******s.


My dumb quote of the day:

"It's change we can believe in!"
-Barack Obama
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Rajagra on Fri, 09 July 2010, 09:00:55
Actually, that is a horrible quote. I don't even know what it refers to, but it sounds completely condescending and hollow. He needs better scriptwriters.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: gr1m on Fri, 09 July 2010, 09:22:20
Quote from: microsoft windows;200961
My dumb quote of the day:

"It's change we can believe in!"
-Barack Obama


You're hopeless aren't you.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 10:34:51
Quote from: chimera15;200932
Women like to keep geeks around to do crap for them, like fix their macs, then sleep with and date asshats.


lol, QFT
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 10:36:55
this is the one the thread title reminded me of:

hl=en_US&fs=1">hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385">[/youtube]
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 12:16:18
Quote from: Voixdelion;200949
BWahahahaa!  LOL!

See?  It's GREAT here!  I think it's ****in' PERFECT! :peace:

                Originally Posted by chimera15                
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/techforums/buttons/viewpost.gif) (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?p=200932#post200932)
            
             It's probably just a geek best  friend, same thing. Women like to keep geeks around to do crap for them,  like fix their macs, then sleep with and date asshats.

Fix their...MACs?  Who fixes MACs?


You know, like "How do you turn this on?" Or, " this stupid thing doesn't do what I think it should" when it's perfectly fine.

  I had one girl_friend who locked herself out of her own computer and couldn't remember her own password.  I had to crack the windows installation for her. lol
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 12:52:41
Quote from: chimera15;201012
You know, like "How do you turn this on?" Or, " this stupid thing doesn't do what I think it should" when it's perfectly fine.

  I had one girl_friend who locked herself out of her own computer and couldn't remember her own password.  I had to crack the windows installation for her. lol


fixing macs - problem isnt a shortage of need for that, problem is finding qualified people to do it.  We have tons of mac users when we hire techs, but we have very few applicants who actually know how to fix macs. This isnt because macs dont break down -- the number of service calls we get from faculty with non-functional macs proves that; we can barely keep up with the demand for mac service calls -- rather, its because mac users generally are not tinkerers the way pc users are (because macs are not as amenable to tinkering, and mac ethos actively discourages tinkering) and whenever they had a problem they dropped it off at the mac store, paid hundreds of bucks, and magically got back a fixed mac.

As a result mac users we've seen rarely know how to actually fix their own machines, and we have a hell of a time hiring qualified mac techs. No problem finding enthusiastic mac users -- really hard time finding mac users who know how their systems actually work.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 12:57:45
As a Unix system, I'm sure that OS X is probably more tinerk-able than Windows is. I guess the issue is that tinkering with Unix requires prior knowledge or a particularly adventurous user...
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: InSanCen on Fri, 09 July 2010, 13:51:04
Quote from: ch_123;200808
Personal experience suggests that telling women to dump their ******* boyfriends is sound advice that is almost always ignored...


Quote from: ch_123;201028
As a Unix system, I'm sure that OS X is probably more tinerk-able than Windows is. I guess the issue is that tinkering with Unix requires prior knowledge or a particularly adventurous user...


It's a modified BSD distro basically, and it's all there to tinker with, it's just hidden away from people that, to use a generalisation, should stick to designing pretty things, rather than mucking around with various system settings.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: kishy on Fri, 09 July 2010, 14:30:39
Quote from: EverythingIBM;200934
Ahhh, so ch_123 essentially is being used to fix girls' macs while kishy does the sleeping. It all makes sense now...


Where did I come into this?

I'm not an asshat anymore. Read more carefully.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 09 July 2010, 14:48:39
EIBM, it's "*******" not "asshat."  Those are two entirely different people.

Me = *******

Kishy = asshat (I don't care what you put on your title, you already admitted it)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Infinite north on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:06:22
I <3 womans.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:09:36
so voix, have we convinced you to dance naked while balancing an M on your head yet? Some pretty persuasive arguments for it in this thread, no? :)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: InSanCen on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:12:28
As a professional photographer, with plenty of model/glamour Portfolio's shot, I'll volunteer to do tasteful shots of it :tongue:
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:13:48
Quote from: InSanCen;201057
As a professional photographer, with plenty of model/glamour Portfolio's shot, I'll volunteer to do tasteful shots of it :tongue:


More like "tasty" shots...

Do you have any of sheep?  Not for me, of course.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:14:33
Quote from: InSanCen;201057
As a professional photographer, with plenty of model/glamour Portfolio's shot, I'll volunteer to do tasteful shots of it :tongue:


now thats a generous offer.  For my part I volunteer to save them all to my hard disk for safekeeping.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:15:57
InSanCen is from Wales, cool.  
Everything I know about Wales comes from... you know, I dont think i've ever seen a movie set in wales.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: InSanCen on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:29:11
Quote from: wellington1869;201063
InSanCen is from Wales, cool.  
Everything I know about Wales comes from... you know, I dont think i've ever seen a movie set in wales.


The best Welsh movies are very... erm... underground ones...

"Saucy Sheep 3" for instance, teaches you the very important lesson that, at the edge of a mountain or cliff, they push back.

As for sheep pictures, they're expensive... ;-)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 09 July 2010, 15:51:12
Quote from: gr1m;200976
You're hopeless aren't you.


You're right. I'm "Change-less" too.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 09 July 2010, 16:08:36
Quote from: microsoft windows;201072
You're right. I'm "Change-less" too.


You know, me too.  Ever since I started using my Debit/Credit card for all my purchases, I never have any change, either.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: InSanCen on Fri, 09 July 2010, 16:12:12
Quote from: microsoft windows;201072
You're right. I'm "Change-less" too.


Am I the only one thinking "B&"???
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: TexasFlood on Fri, 09 July 2010, 16:29:17
Quote from: wellington1869;201063
InSanCen is from Wales, cool.  
Everything I know about Wales comes from... you know, I dont think i've ever seen a movie set in wales.

Original black & white Wolfman with Lon Chaney?
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Fri, 09 July 2010, 16:38:38
Quote from: wellington1869;201025
As a result mac users we've seen rarely know how to actually fix their own machines, and we have a hell of a time hiring qualified mac techs. No problem finding enthusiastic mac users -- really hard time finding mac users who know how their systems actually work.

I seriously doubt that there's this huge disparity between cluelessness amongst owners of one platform vs another with the exception of Linux (since you have to have some chops just to install that). People who buy the cheapest PC possible and people who spend extra money on a Mac for the sole reason that it's a Mac and they believe it's less hassle have a lot in common. They both are more likely than not to have a low technical IQ.

Rather, I'd venture to say the reason why you get more clueless Mac users is because there are fewer Mac users so if something breaks down, the average person might not have a handy fix-it friend to hit up for a free fix. Whenever someone asks me what computer they should buy, my response is "What do your more tech savvy friends own? Get that. You'll need to have someone sympathetic to call when something gets screwed."

I'm that friend for a lot of people in my town so I get called before the repair shops do. I know a lot of people and most of these requests for advice on their computer problems are for PCs and the reason is simple. There are far more PCs and people will avoid having to pay for computer repairs if at all possible. By the time you get a call, a PC may have already gone through two or three people like me who'll weed out all the easy issues.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: British on Fri, 09 July 2010, 16:43:22
Actually, after taking a look at IMDB, there's quite a few things that happened in Wales (http://www.imdb.com/keyword/wales/).
To name a few that actually ringed a bell to me:
- Torchwood (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485301/): I am yet to see any episode... but at least I've heard about it
- Cadfael (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108717/): only ever seen bits of it
- Dog Soldiers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280609/): I actually saw that one... memory sucks though, looks like I'll have to watch it again someday

Hope I helped :wink:
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Fri, 09 July 2010, 16:48:20
Quote from: British;201091
Actually, after taking a look at IMDB, there's quite a few things that happened in Wales (http://www.imdb.com/keyword/wales/).
To name a few that actually ringed a bell to me:
- Torchwood (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485301/): I am yet to see any episode... but at least I've heard about it
Torchwood is the darker and edgier (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DarkerAndEdgier) spin off of Dr. Who.

I've only seen the Children Of Earth miniseries but that was pretty good.

Any damage to your life caused by clicking that link to tvtropes are your own damn fault. It's even worse than this site, if probably cheaper.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 18:15:00
Children of Men was one of the greatest movies i've ever seen. Its in my top 10 for sure.

(set in england somewhere :)

I'll have to check out Torchwood
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 18:19:47
Quote from: hyperlinked;201089
I seriously doubt that there's this huge disparity between cluelessness amongst owners of one platform vs another with the exception of Linux (since you have to have some chops just to install that). People who buy the cheapest PC possible and people who spend extra money on a Mac for the sole reason that it's a Mac and they believe it's less hassle have a lot in common. They both are more likely than not to have a low technical IQ.

Rather, I'd venture to say the reason why you get more clueless Mac users is because there are fewer Mac users so if something breaks down, the average person might not have a handy fix-it friend to hit up for a free fix. Whenever someone asks me what computer they should buy, my response is "What do your more tech savvy friends own? Get that. You'll need to have someone sympathetic to call when something gets screwed."

I'm that friend for a lot of people in my town so I get called before the repair shops do. I know a lot of people and most of these requests for advice on their computer problems are for PCs and the reason is simple. There are far more PCs and people will avoid having to pay for computer repairs if at all possible. By the time you get a call, a PC may have already gone through two or three people like me who'll weed out all the easy issues.


you might be right, but i'd still maintain that the "mac ethos" and "steve job's ideal" is to discourage tinkerers, and that that is a different ethos from PC's from the very beginning. Its the whole reason why mac's are dumbed down for the user. THis might be good in some respects but it does discourage computer tinkering and its benefits (including computer knowledge that results from tinkering). You're right that linux may be at one end of the spectrum, but definitely apple is at the other end and PCs are somewhere in the middle.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Fri, 09 July 2010, 18:29:48
Quote from: wellington1869;201102
Children of Men was one of the greatest movies i've ever seen. Its in my top 10 for sure.

(set in england somewhere :)

I'll have to check out Torchwood


Children of Men != Children of Earth.

Just FYI.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 18:30:48
Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;201105
Children of Men != Children of Earth.

Just FYI.


i know, the title reminded me of the other title ;)

you know, free association as per GH thread rules ;)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 18:39:23
Quote from: wellington1869;201103
You're right that linux may be at one end of the spectrum, but definitely apple is at the other end and PCs are somewhere in the middle.


Have you ever used a Windows machine? For seriously, I cannot imagine how a Unix-based OS could be any where near as locked down as Windows is, let alone moreso.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Fri, 09 July 2010, 18:39:53
Quote from: wellington1869;201103
THis might be good in some respects but it does discourage computer tinkering and its benefits (including computer knowledge that results from tinkering). You're right that linux may be at one end of the spectrum, but definitely apple is at the other end and PCs are somewhere in the middle.

Ok, now you're just feeding on stereotypes. I wouldn't be using a Mac if I didn't have Unix under the hood when I want to do more than point and click on stuff. My biggest complaint about my PCs isn't that it's too powerful for me to handle. My biggest issue is that the command line runs DOS.

No company selling consumer PCs in their right mind would brand their product as the tinkerers dream and no retailer in their right mind would carry them because such a product would make 5% of the market happy and 95% too scared to buy it. What was the common perception about Vista that really tanked the sales? It was the perception that it wouldn't "just work."

Of course, there's no such thing as a computer that "just works" any more than you can make a car that "just drives." Everyone's trying to sell that illusion. Some are just better at doing it.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 19:16:56
I'm not alone in my thoughts; the briefest of googles easily produced these:

Quote
"Apple products have for the most part been highly proprietary in nature. Apple has always been inclined to discourage user tinkering or even maintenance on its hardware products, and while there is a degree of Open Source tolerated in aspects of OS X (Safari, for example), the elements that distinguish it as a Mac are off limits."
--from lowendmac.com, in 2008


I've seen the following complaint about apple quite often; even my mac friends dont disagree with it:
Quote
“Apple seems they’re doing everything in their power to stop my kids from finding that sense of wonder. Apple has declared war on the tinkerers of the world. "

From slashdot: http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/01/31/1657233/Apples-Trend-Away-From-Tinkering
Original article here: http://diveintomark.org/archives/2010/01/29/tinkerers-sunset
Quote
"A top software developer who cut his teeth hacking into the early Apples says that Jobs' Mobs' current attitude to people like him is killing off innovation.
Writing in his bog Mark Pilgrim warned that Apple's current policy of obsessive control was preventing tinkering. He said that both Apple and him got where he was today by tinkering but now that was becoming a thing of the past.He said that you don’t become a hacker by programming; you become a hacker by tinkering and it is the tinkering that provides that sense of wonder."


And a huge discussion of that article by both fanbois and haters, here:
http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/msg12240.html

Apple's trend towards eliminating tinkerers of course extended and expanded to the ipad, as many apple fans noticed immediately:
Tinkerer's Sunset (http://text-patterns.thenewatlantis.com/2010/02/tinkerers-sunset.html)
Quote
"That the iPad is a closed system is harder to forgive. One of the foremost complaints about the iPhone has been Apple’s iron fist when it comes to applications and the development direction of the platform. The iPad demonstrates that if Apple is listening to these complaints, they simply don’t care. This is why I say that the iPad is a cynical thing: Apple can’t – or won’t – conceive of a future for personal computing that is both elegant and open, usable and free. . . .

The thing that bothers me most about the iPad is this: if I had an iPad rather than a real computer as a kid, I’d never be a programmer today."
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: gr1m on Fri, 09 July 2010, 19:27:48
Children of Men is a great movie. But I'll never forgive the UK's horrible crime of producing Hugh Grant.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 20:12:45
Quote from: gr1m;201117
Children of Men is a great movie.

hl=en_US&fs=1">hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385">[/youtube]

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But I'll never forgive the UK's horrible crime of producing Hugh Grant.


lol
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 20:47:13
Torchwood is edgier really in that the main character is gay.  I nearly puked when he kissed Spike. lol
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 21:30:12
I was hoping it was edgier as in darker, the way firefly was a darker sci fi series.  

The other night I thought wouldnt it be great if someone could reboot star trek (TNG, which was my favorite of the tv series) by making a series about the Enterprise's sister ship, the Yamato. After all the crew of the Yamato also went on fabulous adventures but we dont know their stories.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 21:44:41
That was the one that blew up from miscellaneous malfunctions right?

It's aimed a bit more at adults, but it's nothing like Firefly.   Some characters do die off though, so I guess that is a bit better.

Ah yeah, it was in that Iconian incident:

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Contagion_%28episode%29

There were a lot better ships in the fleet that had more history that would make better spinoffs.  For instance the Kelsey Grammer ship,(looked it up: The Bozeman) was impressed into the fleet after it time traveled and nearly destroyed the enterprise in that one Groundhog Day episode. lol

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/USS_Bozeman

It also fought against the Borg.

It would make a pretty good show, being a retro ship in the stng timeline.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 22:02:29
Quote from: chimera15;201147
That was the one that blew up from miscellaneous malfunctions right?

It's aimed a bit more at adults, but it's nothing like Firefly.   Some characters do die off though, so I guess that is a bit better.

Ah yeah, it was in that Iconian incident:

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Contagion_%28episode%29

There were a lot better ships in the fleet that had more history that would make better spinoffs.  For instance the Kelsey Grammer ship,(looked it up: The Bozeman) was impressed into the fleet after it time traveled and nearly destroyed the enterprise in that one Groundhog Day episode. lol

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/USS_Bozeman


ya, and with the yamato we'd also have this tragic air over the whole series cuz we know how its going to end. they could really play with that, develop the idealism of the crew to be a powerful emotional counterpoint; or develop the themes of duty and death, or foreshadow that ending in various subtle ways. It could make for a darker enterprise.

yea, there's a whole movie waiting to be made around kelsey grammar's ship.  Apparently there are actually something like 16 of those 'galaxy class' sister ships to the enterprise. I dont see why they had to go make a parallel universe/storyline in the latest movie when the current star trek universe is still so under exploited in terms of the spinoffs and stories they could tell (in the movies or on series).
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 22:05:45
another supreme tragedy is that firefly got cancelled. the bozos running Fox have no freaking idea whats going on (the same bozos cancelled family guy - twice!). Firefly rocked. Such a shame they pulled it.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 22:13:51
Quote from: chimera15;201147
that one Groundhog Day episode. lol


yea, that was cool. Kelsey is all like, "can we offer assistance?" And Picard is like, uh, you're like 200 years old.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 22:15:32
Yeah, well it was on at a weird time.  I had never heard of it till a friend mentioned it to me, and I'm a huge Whedon and sci-fi fan.  I had to look it up on torrents at the time because there wasn't even a dvd of the eps out at that time.

Was a pretty good sci-fi show.  I really loved how there was no sound in space, like it should be.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 22:21:37
Quote from: chimera15;201159
Yeah, well it was on at a weird time.  I had never heard of it till a friend mentioned it to me, and I'm a huge Whedon and sci-fi fan.  I had to look it up on torrents at the time because there wasn't even a dvd of the eps out at that time.

me too! I totally missed its brief run on the air, my friends were raving about it and so i finally rented the first dvd, and i was like holy effing ****. I watched the dvd's straight thru and then marched down to the video store and rented the serenity movies and watched those straight thru and then i was like holy ****.

but a lot of people watched it after the fact, from what i gather, from word of mouth from their friends. the dvd's sold out.

battlestar galactica reboot wasnt bad either, tho it started getting a little boring towards the end. It was interesting.

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Was a pretty good sci-fi show.  I really loved how there was no sound in space, like it should be.


ya, exactly. And it was funny. And dark. And I had a huge crush on the courtesan. And that cute girl with the anger management problem (!)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 22:22:51
also loved that everyone curses in chinese in the future. That actually seemed realistic to me ;) seriously
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Fri, 09 July 2010, 23:29:36
Quote from: chimera15;201159
Yeah, well it was on at a weird time.  I had never heard of it till a friend mentioned it to me, and I'm a huge Whedon and sci-fi fan.  I had to look it up on torrents at the time because there wasn't even a dvd of the eps out at that time.

Was a pretty good sci-fi show.  I really loved how there was no sound in space, like it should be.


Whoa!  With all the Star Trek talk I read that as "a huge 'Wheaton' and sci-fi fan..."

Found that disturbing until I re-read properly.  Much better.  I love the Whedon-verse.  (And Spike...but I guess that's a given. Who doesn't?)

I didn't know Whedon did Firefly.  I'll have to check it out now.  I always associated that title with a book by the same name that was hard for me to picture as a series, but perhaps they are unrelated.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Fri, 09 July 2010, 23:42:09
Quote from: Voixdelion;201183
Whoa!  With all the Star Trek talk I read that as "a huge 'Wheaton' and sci-fi fan..."

Found that disturbing until I re-read properly.  Much better.  I love the Whedon-verse.  (And Spike...but I guess that's a given. Who doesn't?)

I didn't know Whedon did Firefly.  I'll have to check it out now.  I always associated that title with a book by the same name that was hard for me to picture as a series, but perhaps they are unrelated.


friend of mine keeps trying to get me to rent the 'buffy the vampire slayer' dvd's -- apparently also done by whedon?
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Sat, 10 July 2010, 00:18:34
Quote from: wellington1869;201184
friend of mine keeps trying to get me to rent the 'buffy the vampire slayer' dvd's -- apparently also done by whedon?

Apparently!?
 
DUDE!  Do you live under a rock?

But yes, also Whedon.  He was, btw, also working on the new Wonder Woman film for a time, but was apparently axed for creative differences.  I don't know if that film will ever materialize at all since its been in the works for like a decade now.  Just as well, since they will probably screw it up by casting someone like Halley Berry (biggest disaster I ever saw was her as Storm - and I thought the Wolverine character would have been the casting directors hardest problem for a live action X-men.)  And that's provided they can come up with a decent script that doesn't come off hokey or deeply offend WW devotees.

But seriously Buffy was a damned good show - Angel too.  Although I am inclined to think that much of the success of both was due James Marsters as Spike.  I couldn't get enough of him - evil or not, he was always bad in the best ways imaginable.  

That is not to say that Whedon wasn't providing the material.  I was one of the few who actually rather liked the original film, which he also wrote.  In fact, much of the reason the series came to be was that he was disappointed with the direction the film took and wanted to remake it closer to the way he originally envisioned, darker and less campy, but still witty.  I didn't watch the series for a long time because I didn't think Gellar had the chops to pull off the role of "Slayer" since she was so ... little.  But I must admit I was wrong.  

What's really interesting is how much different the two takes on the same material can be.  I rewatched the film after I got sucked into the series and found it easy to recognize the writing as the same Whedon, but the overall effect was completely different.  I suppose the writing is what I liked about the film to begin with in retrospect.  I recall thinking the film was much smarter than I anticipated, even with the silliness the title conveyed.

Sigh.  Kinda bummed right now as there seems a drought of new stuff to watch now that the summer is here.  True Blood left me hanging last week on the Fourth.  At least Venture Bros is due for the rest of season 4 soon; though I had hoped for that much earlier, I'll need something to tide me over till the fall besides True Blood.  What else is on now? Anything good?

Oh hey! just checked out the Firefly link on casttv and read the synopsis.  This show is based on the crew of the Serenity?  I did see the Serenity movie (also whedon.)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: InSanCen on Sat, 10 July 2010, 01:24:07
Buffy... good show. Eliza Dushku, Sarah Michelle Geller and Alyson Hannigan in the same program? Yummy.... ;-)

Oh, and it was enjoyable for everything else too, if a bit cheesy at times.


Quote from: wellington1869;201184
friend of mine keeps trying to get me to rent the 'buffy the vampire slayer' dvd's -- apparently also done by whedon?
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Sat, 10 July 2010, 19:24:38
Quote from: Voixdelion;201200
Apparently!?
 
DUDE!  Do you live under a rock?

But yes, also Whedon.

lol, i dont watch much tv, but I do get the dvd's and line up tv shows in my netflix queue, well after they've had their run on tv, lol.  Its a form of quality control -- all the crap is weeded out ;)

I just finished up with the whole "IT Crowd" series, on netflix. Also got band of brothers and john adams lined up (HBO greatness). Currently watching Peep Show...
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Sat, 10 July 2010, 19:31:19
Quote from: Voixdelion;201200

 
That is not to say that Whedon wasn't providing the material.  I was one of the few who actually rather liked the original film, which he also wrote.  In fact, much of the reason the series came to be was that he was disappointed with the direction the film took and wanted to remake it closer to the way he originally envisioned, darker and less campy, but still witty.  I didn't watch the series for a long time because I didn't think Gellar had the chops to pull off the role of "Slayer" since she was so ... little.  

see, when you talk like this its hard to imagine you dancing naked balancing an M on your head. ;)

ok, ok i'll definitely queue up buffy then. I think the title's silliness had put me off for a while but your rave review has convinced me to give it a go.

right after dolce vita which is netflixing its way to me as we speak.

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What else is on now? Anything good?

sadly nothing that i've noticed on tv. there arent even that many decent summer movies out. Probably the most original stuff is being done on HBO and showtime.

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Oh hey! just checked out the Firefly link on casttv and read the synopsis.  This show is based on the crew of the Serenity?  


your turn to emerge from under the rock ;)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Sat, 10 July 2010, 20:39:44
Quote from: wellington1869;201399
see, when you talk like this its hard to imagine you dancing naked balancing an M on your head. ;)

While I can admit to being a rare breed, I was also surprised to find that I wasn't as rare as I might have imagined.  For a long time I have been in the company of the intellectual elite; so much so that I didn't actually recognize the extent of how elite.  I used to understand the folks at MENSA (which I inquired about once in relation to a contest giving $1,000,000 away to the first person to solve a puzzle/riddle hidden in a book I had purchased back in 1990)  to be "those smart people" that would be far more qualified to fix this ****ed up world than I.  It is only in the last decade that I have felt any sort of social responsibility, due to discovering that I, much to my surprise and horror, am intellectually qualified for MENSA membership by evidence of my SAT scores.  It was, in fact, another dancer with whom I worked that enlightened me when I expressed admiration upon discovering that SHE was a member of MENSA.   The burden of responsibility came when I understood that as poorly equipped as I might be to solve the worlds complex problems, I was among the top 2% of the American population in terms of the tools at my disposal.  Scary.  If it is left up to folks like me to save the world, the world is in a whole heap of trouble!

 I also find it an extreme irony that the first actual person I met that was a member of this elite IQ club was another stripper.  Plus some of the wisest and most profound statements I have heard or read have been under the roof of the clubs I've worked in all over the country.  One of my semi-regular visitors (who I didn't manage to frighten off when I forgot myself on occasion and accidentally used a word with more than two syllables)  was an unusual young man just turned 18 years old who's gentlemanly manner put the other clientèle to shame by comparison.  He presented me with a copy of his favorite book for my birthday one year (which I have yet to read), One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, along with a book of insights collected by Susan Hayward that has become one of MY favorites: A Guide for the Advanced Soul.  Collecting in the dimly lit world of the Gentleman's Clubs... apparently this is what America is doing with its top minds, or at least what the top minds in America are choosing to do.  Kinda depressing either way.  Even more so when I realize it was one of the best jobs I've ever had, both financially and in terms of how much I enjoyed it.      


Quote from: wellington1869;201399
ok, ok i'll definitely queue up buffy then. I think the title's silliness had put me off for a while but your rave review has convinced me to give it a go.

If you liked Firefly (I'm now at Ep. 4, thanks!) then you won't be disappointed.  You may like Angel even more though, and beware of puns in both shows.  And if you're my age then the references won't be lost on you either.  It would seem that Joss is a child of our generation.  (One of my favorites is a moment in the later seasons of Buffy when Spike inquires about the recipient as Buffy picks up a telephone:  "Who you gonna call?" He asks innocently, only to pause briefly before shaking his head and muttering, "That phrase is never going to useable again, is it?" )

Also if you like those for any of the above reasons, I recommend checking out The Venture Bros. cartoon on cartoon networks adult swim if you haven't already.  In a way its kind of the "anti-comic" in the style of "The Tick" as per the animated rendition of the comic, not the live action show.

And thanks for the heads up on Firefly- Too bad its only a seasons worth of eps, as I'm sure I'll be through those in no time.  Which came first, the movie "Serenity" or the "Firefly" series?  (and a side note- this WAS entirely unrelated to the sci-fi book I read.  That one was Piers Anthony, I think.)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Sat, 10 July 2010, 20:50:55
Quote from: wellington1869;201160
 And I had a huge crush on the courtesan.


Isn't this the same actress playing Anna in the remake of the "V" Series?  I like what they've done with that so far too.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Sat, 10 July 2010, 21:19:01
Quote from: Voixdelion;201422
Isn't this the same actress playing Anna in the remake of the "V" Series?  I like what they've done with that so far too.


yup, lol. She looked better with long hair tho.  "V" -- ah, yet another series i'll have to queue up. Is it still on tv? My tv watching is limited to the family guys, simpsons, seinfelds and star treks that I queue up on my Tivo :)  Tivo really spoiled me.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Sat, 10 July 2010, 21:25:14
Quote from: Voixdelion;201419

  (One of my favorites is a moment in the later seasons of Buffy when Spike inquires about the recipient as Buffy picks up a telephone:  "Who you gonna call?" He asks innocently, only to pause briefly before shaking his head and muttering, "That phrase is never going to useable again, is it?" )

lol cute

Quote

Also if you like those for any of the above reasons, I recommend checking out The Venture Bros. cartoon on cartoon networks adult swim if you haven't already.  In a way its kind of the "anti-comic" in the style of "The Tick" as per the animated rendition of the comic, not the live action show.

i'll check that out too - btw, I *loved* the Tick :)

Quote

And thanks for the heads up on Firefly- Too bad its only a seasons worth of eps, as I'm sure I'll be through those in no time.  Which came first, the movie "Serenity" or the "Firefly" series?  (and a side note- this WAS entirely unrelated to the sci-fi book I read.  That one was Piers Anthony, I think.)


the movie came out after the series. I think it picks up right after the last tv episode actually.  every now and then there's rumors of a second movie but it keeps getting squashed.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Sat, 10 July 2010, 22:06:25
Quote
He presented me with a copy of his favorite book for my birthday one year (which I have yet to read), One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez,


i havent read it yet either tho its in my book reading queue. My reading list is twice as long as my netflix queue and i have no idea when i'll get around to them. What we need is a netflix for books, where every week one comes in the mail and you mail the old one back.  I'd pay a subscription for that. Surprised we dont have that yet.  I'd call it "Netboox".

Quote

along with a book of insights collected by Susan Hayward that has become one of MY favorites: A Guide for the Advanced Soul.  

looks interesting, he sounds like a sensitive soul

I've actually never been to a strip club, lol. Not cuz i didnt want to but because apparently i havnt hung out with the right crowd, lol.  I also didnt smoke my first joint till i was 28, though for the record, i liked it and would definitely do it again ;)

My drunken cousin (TM) on the other hand, is a regular at nyc strip clubs. I'd try going with him but I suppose I shouldnt expect to meet mensa-member stripers the first time out ;)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Sat, 10 July 2010, 22:09:21
Quote from: Voixdelion;201419
While I can admit to being a rare breed, I was also surprised to find that I wasn't as rare as I might have imagined.  For a long time I have been in the company of the intellectual elite; so much so that I didn't actually recognize the extent of how elite.  I used to understand the folks at MENSA (which I inquired about once in relation to a contest giving $1,000,000 away to the first person to solve a puzzle/riddle hidden in a book I had purchased back in 1990)  to be "those smart people" that would be far more qualified to fix this ****ed up world than I.  It is only in the last decade that I have felt any sort of social responsibility, due to discovering that I, much to my surprise and horror, am intellectually qualified for MENSA membership by evidence of my SAT scores.  It was, in fact, another dancer with whom I worked that enlightened me when I expressed admiration upon discovering that SHE was a member of MENSA.   The burden of responsibility came when I understood that as poorly equipped as I might be to solve the worlds complex problems, I was among the top 2% of the American population in terms of the tools at my disposal.  Scary.  If it is left up to folks like me to save the world, the world is in a whole heap of trouble!

well for the record i'm going in the opposite direction... spent my life with academics and deciding they're some of the most moronic people in the world. I mean seriously they've been in charge of the world and just look at it. I cant imagine ordinary people could do much worse.

I've got a healthy respect for the folks on the margins, at this point.

Quote

 I also find it an extreme irony that the first actual person I met that was a member of this elite IQ club was another stripper.  Plus some of the wisest and most profound statements I have heard or read have been under the roof of the clubs I've worked in all over the country.  One of my semi-regular visitors (who I didn't manage to frighten off when I forgot myself on occasion and accidentally used a word with more than two syllables)  was an unusual young man just turned 18 years old who's gentlemanly manner put the other clientèle to shame by comparison.

thats interesting; while i'm sure all kinds of folks wind up in all kinds of professions, it definitely bucks the stereotype :)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Sun, 11 July 2010, 06:52:43
Quote from: wellington1869;201436

- btw, I *loved* the Tick :)



Yeah, me too.  I was first amused by the "idea men" who no one could understand through their masks.   Plus, Tick and I share something more than the desire to stomp out evil wherever it may lurk; it would seem that we both share the same deep dark fear of trivial office work, and the theme song is priceless.

But they truly truly had my heart with:

 "This looks like a job  for... Captain LEMMING!"  
...leaps off roof of building...
...plummets...
...*splat*

Venture Bros. is a spoof/spin on the Johnny Quest genre, modernized and,  in Tick-like but more R-rated fashion, flavored heavily with "EPIC FAIL." And yet through all that, you can still find some wholesome values in it at the end of the day.  Kinda like the most shocking yet frighteningly close to the truth South Park episodes (in the early seasons, not so much lately.)

And also for the record, my first joint wasn't til I was about 24, BECAUSE I pretty much knew I'd like it and figured I couldn't afford to be stoned all the time I was in school.  Both The Tick and Batman the Animated Series were excellent ways to enjoy that particular state of mind whilst hanging out with the dog (who had a habit of drinking bong water or eating anything herbal that you might have left lying on the coffee table) on the sofa after work...  Ah, the good ol days. (Man, I tell you I MISS that ****in' dog!  Gotta get another Rhodesian Ridgeback someday...)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Sun, 11 July 2010, 07:41:43
Quote from: Voixdelion;201419
I also find it an extreme irony that the first actual person I met that was a member of this elite IQ club was another stripper.


That actually doesn't surprise me... not that I'd expect that most people of upper end IQs want to be strippers or would regularly rub elbows with strippers, but that you may find a slightly higher percentage of people with high IQs in taboo professions than you would find outside of them. The person of average intelligence has more difficulty going against the norm. They're more likely to do what they're expected, act the way they think they're supposed to act, and vote the way everyone else votes. In general to go against the grain, you either have to lack the ability to understand the consequences, not care, or do so because you understand the situation and you've come to a different conclusion than society in general.
Title: hmm - perhaps try the IRC, then?
Post by: dfj on Sun, 11 July 2010, 08:27:07
Quote from: Voixdelion;200732
Most of the nasties I can handle ok, provided I am in proper frame of mind.  I only really get upset when those close to me act nasty.

Well, then, you absolutely must come try out the #geekhack irc channel with us then: way less trolls, no endurance for long threads - and occasionally one's erstwhile friends will launch  into a personal diatribe upon you while addled by sleep-deprivation, heat and drunkenness - and you can only hope they are as messed up as you at that point. :)

mmmm addlechats and run-on sentences,
dfj
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Sun, 11 July 2010, 09:19:00
Quote from: hyperlinked;201552
That actually doesn't surprise me... not that I'd expect that most people of upper end IQs want to be strippers or would regularly rub elbows with strippers, but that you may find a slightly higher percentage of people with high IQs in taboo professions than you would find outside of them. The person of average intelligence has more difficulty going against the norm. They're more likely to do what they're expected, act the way they think they're supposed to act, and vote the way everyone else votes. In general to go against the grain, you either have to lack the ability to understand the consequences, not care, or do so because you understand the situation and you've come to a different conclusion than society in general.


OOooooooooh.....Nice insight! Very keen observation indeed, and nicely and concisely expressed. True all dat indeed!  You definitely get a brain cookie!

Now at the risk of exposing my lameness here (and forgive my un-geekiness when I ask)...  Ummm, what exactly is an irc.channel?  

(*ducks*)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Sun, 11 July 2010, 11:41:09
Quote from: Voixdelion;201183
Whoa!  With all the Star Trek talk I read that as "a huge 'Wheaton' and sci-fi fan..."

Found that disturbing until I re-read properly.  Much better.  I love the Whedon-verse.  (And Spike...but I guess that's a given. Who doesn't?)

I didn't know Whedon did Firefly.  I'll have to check it out now.  I always associated that title with a book by the same name that was hard for me to picture as a series, but perhaps they are unrelated.

It's actually pretty funny with the web, that Wheaton is actually now pretty connected to Whedon through Felicia Day(who was a slayer and did Dr. Horrible with Joss) and the Mediocre Films/Greg Benson group which Wheaton had done some stage work with and got to be friends with, and is now in the Guild. I wouldn't be surprised if he was in a project of Whedon's sometime in the future.

And since two of the main characters die in Serenity...the movie came out second...

Seeing the movie first kind of ruins a lot of the connection, empathy and understanding of the characters.  Definitely not the preferred way of doing things.  I waited for months for the movie to come out after seeing the series, and was really not surprised, but very sad that he'd actually kill off characters, but that's Whedon. lol
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Sun, 11 July 2010, 11:44:41
Quote from: Voixdelion;201572
Now at the risk of exposing my lameness here (and forgive my un-geekiness when I ask)...  Ummm, what exactly is an irc.channel?  


IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat."

An IRC Channel is just a chat room.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Sun, 11 July 2010, 13:50:50
Quote from: chimera15;201605
It's actually pretty funny with the web, that Wheaton is actually now pretty connected to Whedon through Felicia Day(who was a slayer and did Dr. Horrible with Joss) and the Mediocre Films/Greg Benson group which Wheaton had done some stage work with and got to be friends with, and is now in the Guild. I wouldn't be surprised if he was in a project of Whedon's sometime in the future.

And since two of the main characters die in Serenity...the movie came out second...

Seeing the movie first kind of ruins a lot of the connection, empathy and understanding of the characters.  Definitely not the preferred way of doing things.  I waited for months for the movie to come out after seeing the series, and was really not surprised, but very sad that he'd actually kill off characters, but that's Whedon. lol


S'okay - I saw it so long ago I have absolutely no recollection of who dies in the film.  I just remember I liked it and that River kinda goes terminator at the end, plus something about the atmospheric processors and the terraforming being scandalously bad.... It will be fun to approach it from the series end this time around.  

And yeah, Whedon seems to have a favorite set of folks he likes to work with, (as actors anyway- that's all that's immediately apparent to me) Dunno if Wheaton has enough edge for a Whedon vehicle though.  He's always seemed a little soft to me, even when not in Wes Crusher character.  I'd love a shot at the Wonder Woman role if Whedon was still penning THAT though.  I'm still curious what he would have done with it since I was only at all optimistic that the project had hope when he was on it and I could channel Diana since I was 3 or 4 like no-one else I know.  My moms got pics of me dressed in paper bracelets and cardboard eyeglasses  thoughout my childhood all the way to the $500 costume I had to buy at Trashy Lingerie as an adult - and I was pretty convincing in that one if I do say so myself.  (I will say I have no idea how Lynda Carter managed to stay contained in that thing if she moved at all though, especially with a figure like that! It must have been glued to her with flypaper on the entire inner surface! )
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Sun, 11 July 2010, 18:47:52
Quote from: wellington1869;201143
I was hoping it was edgier as in darker, the way firefly was a darker sci fi series.
Oh, I don't know, it's plenty dark. Not as flippant as Firefly, but I think a lot darker.

And by the way, nobody's gay in Torchwood, Everyone is Bi (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EveryoneIsBi).
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Sun, 11 July 2010, 20:43:36
Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;201748
Oh, I don't know, it's plenty dark. Not as flippant as Firefly, but I think a lot darker.

And by the way, nobody's gay in Torchwood, Everyone is Bi (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EveryoneIsBi).

Yeah he was really bi, except he hardly kissed/showed much any interest in any women, had a steady boyfriend, and made out with Spike. lol

If you have a steady boyfriend that's your same sex, I'm sorry, you're no longer bi.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: kishy on Sun, 11 July 2010, 21:17:40
Quote from: chimera15;201774
Yeah he was really bi, except he hardly kissed/showed much any interest in any women, had a steady boyfriend, and made out with Spike. lol

If you have a steady boyfriend that's your same sex, I'm sorry, you're no longer bi.

Now, without being an expert on the topic, perhaps I'm overstepping my bounds...but...

It seems to me that the concept of bisexuality is an attraction to both genders, be it equal or otherwise, but significant enough in both directions that you could end up in a relationship with either one.

According to what you seem to be suggesting, in order for someone to be bi, they would need to maintain two simultaneous relationships, one with a male and one with a female, dedicating equal time and resources of the emotional, physical, and financial nature to both (because, unless I misunderstood, you seem to be suggesting that a) your orientation will change exclusively towards the gender of who you are currently dating and b) you cannot be attracted to anything besides that which you are presently dating)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 11 July 2010, 21:21:02
Sexuality, like autism, is a spectrum.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 00:21:59
Quote from: ch_123;201793
Sexuality, like autism, is a spectrum.


thats the truth.

apropos nothing, someone in my apartment is cooking french toast at 1:30 in the morning.  And the smells are seriously making me hungry.

I always liked freud's theory about compatibility in a relationship. According to freud since we're all deeply neurotic, compatibility is simply a function of two people having compatible or complementary neuroses. lol.

for example like a sadist hooking up with a masochist. it would actually work out pretty well.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: kishy on Mon, 12 July 2010, 00:24:20
Quote from: wellington1869;201840
thats the truth.

apropos nothing, someone in my apartment is cooking french toast at 1:30 in the morning.  And the smells are seriously making me hungry.

I always liked freud's theory about compatibility in a relationship. According to freud since we're all deeply neurotic, compatibility is simply a function of two people having compatible or complementary neuroses. lol.


I'm hungry now. Thanks for that.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 00:26:06
Quote from: kishy;201841
I'm hungry now. Thanks for that.


i gotta sit here and smell it for the next half hour :)  Hmmm, it might be time for a trip to the corner deli.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: kishy on Mon, 12 July 2010, 00:48:41
Quote from: wellington1869;201843
i gotta sit here and smell it for the next half hour :)  Hmmm, it might be time for a trip to the corner deli.


At 2 in the morning?

I went and reheated some leftover Manwich. Shredded some cheese, loaded it all on some hotdog buns...no longer hungry.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 01:15:06
Quote from: kishy;201846
At 2 in the morning?

yea luckily there's a 24 hour place right on my corner :)  It doesnt do much for my waistline :)

Quote

I went and reheated some leftover Manwich. Shredded some cheese, loaded it all on some hotdog buns...no longer hungry.


perfect :)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: British on Mon, 12 July 2010, 01:21:02
Quote from: wellington1869;201840
someone in my apartment is cooking french toast

May I inquire as to what exactly those "french toasts" might be ?

It's always interesting to notice how many things are labeled as "french" overseas and still not known to most french people (or at least me, but there doesn't seem to be many vocal frenchies here).
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Mon, 12 July 2010, 01:26:53
It's "Eggy Bread (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_toast)" and I guess it goes well with French Steak, French TV, and French Coca Cola. ;)

The only way to settle the score is to popularize foods like "American Omelette" and "American Green Onion Soup."
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 01:45:33
dont forget french fries. And I know how much the french love american cheese ;)

'french toast' just sounds so much more appetizing than 'eggy bread'.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: British on Mon, 12 July 2010, 01:53:46
Ah yes, those toasts we indeed call pain perdu... though I'm not a big fan.
I take it french steak is only about the sauce.
French fries is well known around here.

But french coca cola ?! :eek:
Sounds scary... but not as scary as what that french TV might be (besides crappy series).

Oh well, cultures...
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Mon, 12 July 2010, 02:03:02
Quote from: wellington1869;201852
dont forget french fries. And I know how much the french love american cheese ;)

'french toast' just sounds so much more appetizing than 'eggy bread'.


The absolute bestest is the French Vegan Tex-Mex Spanish 4-Egg Scramble over Dutch Sunrise.

Ok, I made up the "over Dutch Sunrise" part. That must have been a really bad translation I saw at a Chinese restaurant.

British, we're totally kidding.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: British on Mon, 12 July 2010, 02:31:34
How dare you make fun of me ?!

I'll go french-kung-fu on you, with my, er... french katana-of-awesomeness !
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 08:58:48
Quote from: British;201859
How dare you make fun of me ?!

I'll go french-kung-fu on you, with my, er... french katana-of-awesomeness !


so are you british-french?

(if so, i have several more jokes about food ;) )
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 09:27:34
Quote from: kishy;201790
Now, without being an expert on the topic, perhaps I'm overstepping my bounds...but...

It seems to me that the concept of bisexuality is an attraction to both genders, be it equal or otherwise, but significant enough in both directions that you could end up in a relationship with either one.

According to what you seem to be suggesting, in order for someone to be bi, they would need to maintain two simultaneous relationships, one with a male and one with a female, dedicating equal time and resources of the emotional, physical, and financial nature to both (because, unless I misunderstood, you seem to be suggesting that a) your orientation will change exclusively towards the gender of who you are currently dating and b) you cannot be attracted to anything besides that which you are presently dating)


I'm sure the person still thinks their bi, but no one else does, especially not the person they're dating.  Was Anne Heche bi when she was with Ellen Degeneres?  Is she bi now that she's married with a child to a man?  I suppose, but at the time she was clearly defined as being a lesbian, not bi, and now she's clearly heterosexual.  Perhaps by the establishment historical relationships you can say, yes she's certainly bi, but at the time she's attracted to one sex or another, it's not clear.  If you happen upon a guy kissing another guy, you don't say, look at those bi people, which they may or may not be, you say, oh they're gay.


You can't define who the person will be attracted to, as they're basing their attraction purely on individuals, so defining them as bi, is just a way of saying they can be either hetero, or gay, depending on who they wish to be with at the time.  So it's not wrong to say that Harkness is gay, especially since he had a steady boyfriend though most of the show.

It's really a semantic thing to say, he's bi. It's the difference of siding with the character, and viewing the character externally. As if him being bi, is less of a big deal of him being the main character of a sci-fi spinoff that was originally meant for children. In reality it's worse because bi people have been proven to be the main spreaders of sexual disease among populations.

Him making out with James Marsters was a high factor of being disgusted watching a tv show for me.  In my mind because of that he'll always be considered gay. lol
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 09:43:53
its a good existential question: what defines us sexually?
a) biology?
b) desires?
c) or actual actions?

personally i tend to think c. everyone's bi in the sense of capacity to be attracted by anything that moves.
ie, biologically nothing prevents us from having sex with pretty much anything or anyone.
In terms of desires, i see desires as something culturally determined more than anything else.
but acting on (a) or (b)  is another matter, its when the potentiality becomes an actuality.

Its like in minority report. You cant define a person until the act is done regardless of desire or other potentiality. At least from the point of view of the state. So I tend towards (c) as the defining moment.

Of course this tends to offend the LGBT crowd, who lately have tended towards biological definitions.  I actually think they're shooting themselves in the foot when they do that. We've spent a long time getting away from genetic definitions of identity, only to be pulled back into it by the LGBT crowd themselves! (ie, the "born that way" argument is, I think, actually counterproductive to the fight for LGBT civil rights and equality)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 09:47:02
hell, even (c) has its problems; we often hear about people who 'experimented in college' but dont really consider their identity bound by that experimentation, even tho that experimentation was, presumably, actual acts.

I think people choose to define their identity on the basis of a, b, or c, but they switch between the three models on the convenience of the particular moment, and this lack of an agreed-upon definition in part contributes to the heated 'debates'.  But, at the same time, I dont think we'll ever have a clear definition of sexuality anyway, because
a) its in reality itself quite complex
b) any attempt at definition is going to alienate a sizeable population who will reject that definition
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 09:53:54
how does this relate to keyboards? Easy! I had sex with my Topre
:)

(Tho i considered it a "she" for the duration ;)  Which must mean i'm hetero after all ;)

Not that there's anything wrong with that?
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 12 July 2010, 10:08:26
Bro, there's a lot of things wrong with that.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 10:11:12
Quote from: itlnstln;201914
Bro, there's a lot of things wrong with that.


tee hee :)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: British on Mon, 12 July 2010, 11:30:20
Quote from: wellington1869;201902
so are you british-french?

(if so, i have several more jokes about food ;) )

Just french (http://geekhack.org/showpost.php?p=182310&postcount=6).
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: gr1m on Mon, 12 July 2010, 11:44:09
Both the Brits and the French sucked at this World Cup. You should change your username to German (not that they won this World Cup but they generally perform well).
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 13:39:31
Quote from: British;201945
Just french (http://geekhack.org/showpost.php?p=182310&postcount=6).


lol, so you are british-french.  thats interesting, I imagine it might make for some really ambiguous loyalties on your part ;)
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: British on Mon, 12 July 2010, 13:44:32
Quote from: wellington1869;201980
lol, so you are british-french.

Meh... as I said I'm only french, British is only a nickname (my only blatant lack of originality in names, back in the days, when I was creating my character on Ultima V, if you must know).
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: Voixdelion on Mon, 12 July 2010, 14:55:21
See what I mean about this place?
:bounce:

Yup, still love you guys!
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: wellington1869 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 15:10:02
ultima V rocked
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: chimera15 on Mon, 12 July 2010, 15:36:16
I'm a typosexual.  I'm only sexually attracted to people who are typing.
Title: Just wanted you all to know...
Post by: hyperlinked on Mon, 12 July 2010, 16:24:11
Quote from: Voixdelion;202007
See what I mean about this place?
:bounce:


I have a friend who's into semantic mapping. He'd either have a field day trying to plot out discussions here or he'd immediately announce his retirement.