cactoblasta

Reply to And you call MICROSOFT a Monopoly? in Personal Computing JoeUser Forums

Not when they come out with those Ads....that smarmy, chinless wonder of a dork representing Mac Users....self-deprecating at best.. Yeah, not exactly one of their best. But I've always thought it was utterly impossible for a computer to be advertised well. I mean has there ever been TV advertising for a computer of any sort that isn't retarded, hopelessly technical or ridiculously patronising? It's enough to think the industry is under a gypsy curse

Reply to And you call MICROSOFT a Monopoly? in Personal Computing JoeUser Forums

Ok, ok, so maybe that wasn't completely fair. Walk into the computer store and ask for a new video card for your iMac (will you crickets STOP that d*** chirping?!?) Depending on the model you can actually get different video cards. There's no guarantee of compatibility unless you buy from a mac store, but the option's there. Maybe I've given you guys a bum rap. Why don't you just give me the URL of a supplier where I

Reply to Bulimics and Anorexics: the New Manichees in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Any expression of the self is acceptable to the self doing the expressing, whether you, I, or anyone else likes it or not. Really? Then why did she cry with self-revulsion every time she did it? It was a compulsion and a negative one. It was controlling her. The expression of the self that was my friend's bulimia was unacceptable to her. But, like an obsessive-compulsive, there were times when she didn't have the strength to resist. <div cl

Reply to What's your guilty pleasure TV show? in Movies & TV & Books JoeUser Forums

Well it is a guilty pleasure. So long as no one finds out I'll be fine. My deep and enduring love for Summer (and Mischa's hot mum of course) will remain a secret.

Reply to What's your guilty pleasure TV show? in Movies & TV & Books JoeUser Forums

No one who knows me in real life knows that I used to watch the OC religiously.

Reply to Bulimics and Anorexics: the New Manichees in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

A philosophical approach to the 'cure' of eating disorders would not concentrate on 'food', or 'eating' or 'disorder'. Instead it would take the line that what needs to be addressed is the Weltanschaaung of the bulimic or anorexic, that addresses the false division of physical attributes into fat = bad, thin = good, which itself is no more than a symptom of a much deeper malaise. I think that's actually quite a common approach. I know a girl who's a bul

Reply to Hypocritical Buddhists! in Religion JoeUser Forums

Which is pretty much what I said! Whenever I hear a good idea I feel compelled to repeat it until I get all the credit. It's an internet must.

Reply to Hypocritical Buddhists! in Religion JoeUser Forums

Has anyone in your experience refused to walk into a Buddhist temple because "they're full of hypocrites"? I know someone who has. He was a member of a temple in town - one of those Tibetan offshoots that have sprung up all over the shop - but ended up quitting in disgust when he heard what the Dalai Lama had to say about 'his sort'. As soon as anyone even mentions the tolerance of Buddhism he launches into the hypocrites spiel. It's really rather tir

Reply to Hypocritical Buddhists! in Religion JoeUser Forums

If you're concerned only Christians get accused of hypocrisy in this dark world, you can rest assured the others get it just as much. Friday Muslims are a big 'problem' in Indonesia and are on all the religious talk shows. And of course Tibetan Buddhism is facing its schism between the old, pacifist guard like the Dalai Lama and the younger folk who don't believe in pacifism and want to follow the Palestinians in what would be very unBuddhist behaviour.

Reply to Sunni's call on al-Qaeda to leave Iraq?? in War on Terror JoeUser Forums

Is this something you wrote or a copy/paste? I saw this story in the paper on the weekend. It's definitely great news. Anything which shows Iraqis banding together for any reason is a good thing, and at least this purpose is at least partly in western interests.

Reply to It has been interesting, to say the least. in Blogging JoeUser Forums

There's a JU gang? I've been here for ages! Is there some horribly tedious initiation process? Perhaps involving being forced to read Tuttle and/or those old business ads from way back? Because I think I've accidentally joined then. And yeah, I know. And you know I know. Best advise your little friend to quit while she's ahead. Well isn't this getting complicated?

Reply to Why God Doesn't Care in Misc JoeUser Forums

Does God care? No. But Jesus might. If you love him enough. And don't think a lot. On the other hand, if you want something enough, enough so that your wanting becomes a will; and if your reason is willing to contemplate apparently irrational means by which to achieve what you want and Will; then those who fill the space between God and the creation just might answer you. This is interesting. It's got an appealing humbleness to it. God doesn't care, bu

Reply to You Wouldn't Care What I Have to Say in Blogging JoeUser Forums

I think I'm dense. I didn't get it. You mean sex? I hope that's what you mean, otherwise I have no idea and you'll have to explain it to me. Yeah. Something gets raised before you can have a baby. So you get your raise before you get your promotion. I guess it wasn't that funny.

Reply to You Wouldn't Care What I Have to Say in Blogging JoeUser Forums

TEX SAID: Oh, I forgot to add in my article that Adrian is about to go the board for SSG. I told him it wasn't fair that I don't get promotions and he said that I just did. Haha. A "mom promotion" is having another kid. GID SAID: So ask him where the raise is that comes with it! Apologies for the dirty mind but... You get that before the promotion! HAHAHAHAHA Ah I crack myself up... More seriously, I've

Reply to Fags in Misc JoeUser Forums

Bugger: In Australia it's a general term, roughly similar in usage to fuck but much milder and usually said with deadpan stoicism when, for example, someone drives into you. It's practically a national word it's used so often. In the UK and elsewhere it means gay sex. It can mean that too in Australia, but it doesn't generally. "Well bugger me!", for example, is used to express astonishment, not invitation. There's the chips/crisps/french fries thing. Hot chi

Reply to Gays in the Military? I honestly don't see the problem... in Current Events JoeUser Forums

It's called reality. So portaloos are figments of the public imagination? I would have thought the reason would be cost, space and time. Except in permanent camps it's probably a waste of resources to make the engineers corp spend time installing walls in the latrines and the bathrooms. That plywood could be used for something else, particularly when there's also those 500 buck toilet seats to be bought!

Reply to Feeding in the zoo. in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Wow. You've come totally out of left field. What's happened to you recently to bring on this mild hysteria?

Reply to You Have To Love Nice People in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Nah, more like the ugly puppy women feel sorry for. Some women like dogs. From your stories you seem to have a string of admirers across the continental US. I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. Let's face it - if it doesn't work it's not like you have to go back there.

Reply to Homosexuality: I'm just uncomfortable with it. in Blogging JoeUser Forums

It does not wash with my macho upbringing (or is it male chauvinist?), and it goes against the grain of a World (my World), where real men live. The word "Macho" smacks of young horny bucks (young men with testosterone flowing like lava), but it goes further than that. Real men are taught to be bastards, crude but vigorous lovers, control freaks and, above all, have balls like a bull and a tumescent member that has females in awe. Totally different backg

Reply to You Have To Love Nice People in Blogging JoeUser Forums

You're a bit of a ladies man, Mason! Next thing you know she'll be bringing you nightcaps!

Reply to The Definitive 200 in Entertainment JoeUser Forums

I have 7 of those albums. Most of them are from before I was even born, or at least before I was musically aware (mid-90s). And they really haven't aged well. They're missing classic albums by the Prodigy, by Basement Jaxx, DJ Shadow, the Gorillaz, the granddaddies of pop-emo My Chemical Romance, Wolfmother's missing... It's a shambles. I'm guessing whoever compiled it is in their late 40s and, since their 25th birthday, listened solely to commercial radio.

Reply to Capitalism Offers the Best Answers for Poverty in Current Events JoeUser Forums

Our college system includes two year and four year colleges. The prices of colleges vary widely; in a decent junior/community college, one can pay less than $4000 a year for tuition, books and fees. Sure that's pricey, but what's it worth to you? For the very poor, a Pell Grant will pay the entire bill, and they are STILL eligible for state aid, student loans, and other forms of aid to meet their living expenses. For the very rich, it's just a drop in the bucket. Again

Reply to Capitalism Offers the Best Answers for Poverty in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I have a proposal for you, cacto. I like the way you debate and discuss, even though we see different sides. What say we look at starting a "debating club" like the writer's club. We could have a point/counterpoint format, and maybe get Brad in on it and have the discussion front paged. I think it would definitely be good for the site. What say you? You up for it? That really depends. There's only a few issues that really interest me a

Reply to Capitalism Offers the Best Answers for Poverty in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I have long contended that if welfare were privately funded and administered, oversight would be easier and fraud would be less widespread. Yes, and I contend we had that situation in the 19th century, and it was a horrible and bleak world for much of humanity. If the German Chancellor hadn't started social security I shudder to think of the communist hells we'd all be living in after the Revolution.

Reply to Capitalism Offers the Best Answers for Poverty in Current Events JoeUser Forums

I'd be interested, though, in doing a comprehensive study on the issue. It would be interesting to see how our poor stack up across the board with the poor in Australia and Europe. Most quality of life scales focus heavily on that sort of thing - I think the UN runs one which is fairly well respected. Europe and Australia tend to beat the US quite handily, largely because our societies are flatter. In Oz we don't have the uber-rich, but we don'