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Tech Support

Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 14:25 by John Sinteur in category: News

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Comments:

Spaceman Spiff on February 11th, 2012 at 20:08:

As “Granddad Tech Support” for my daughter’s kids, I can relate to this! However, my day job is “Senior Systems Engineer” for Nokia.
John Sinteur on February 13th, 2012 at 17:45:

Kim Jong-un assassination rumours sparked by Beijing embassy birthday party

Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 14:22 by John Sinteur in category: News

[Quote]:

Kim Jong-il’s 70th birthday is cause for celebration at the North Korean embassy in Beijing, so much so that building is now abuzz with activity for the multi-day festivities.

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ignorant America

Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 14:21 by John Sinteur in category: News

[Quote]:

In a fascinating discussion on PBS News Hour, Zbigniew Brzezinski, (US National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981) promoting his new book, Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power, criticizes the American public’s understanding of world affairs as the least-informed of the developed countries of the world.

We see the consequences of an American public’s ignorance of world affairs in America’s foreign policy. How did this happen and what can be done to turn the tide? To enable real understanding of world affairs by the American public?

JEFFREY BROWN: Do you think the American people, the American political system is prepared to respond to this crisis you’re talking about? You’re talking about when you use words like diminishing power or a partner, rather than leader, balancer, these are sort of new terms that I wonder if people are prepared for or are able to respond to.

ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI: I think you’re really raising the fundamental question, because the part that’s dealing with America focuses not only on our economic social problems, but very much on what you have just right now said.

We are a democracy. We can only have as good a foreign policy as the public’s understanding of world affairs. And the tragedy is that the public’s understanding of world affairs in America today is abysmal.

JEFFREY BROWN: Abysmal.

ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI: It is ignorant. It is probably the least-informed public about the world among the developed countries in the world.

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Comments:

Roland Hesz on February 11th, 2012 at 21:03:

I am fairly sure that the average populace is just as ignorant in every single country, from France to Sweden to the UK.
Turnaround on February 11th, 2012 at 23:23:

Most Americans think so too, evincing the problem.
Living in Thailand on February 19th, 2012 at 16:45:

I have been to exactly one Western country other than the US, so I don’t know much. But living in Thailand I tend to meet a lot of people from all kinds of Western, developed countries. Just the other day I met a man who stopped going to school at 14 or 15 from Denmark. He was way more informed just about foreign affairs than 90% of my graduating class at the “Honors College” that I attended. (Graduating class of 2011.) A whole host of other people who consider themselves very under informed about politics and world affairs will still run circles around me, and I certainly know more than 90% of Americans. People from every Western power that I’ve met have very informed opinions about US politics, both domestic and foreign. By any measure, we are way behind the curve.
Sue W on February 19th, 2012 at 21:48:

Well your graduating class is probably back in the USA, and you’re meeting people who are travelling abroad from other places, a somewhat self-selecting group of people interested in the world, but I take your point. And I think Mr. Big is saying something that everyone knows but is afraid to talk about. Ignorance is very easily misled. Lack of critical thinking is dangerous.

On the other hand, the foreign policy of the US has been made, over many years, by a bewildering variety of brilliant, well-informed minds*. And it’s been a horrible, horrible process, with horrible results. I suppose it could have been worse. C-.

* Of the top of my head, McNamara, Kissinger, Shlesinger, Mr. Big, Rumsfeld, Mme. Clinton. Lots of smart people with (perhaps) good intentions.

Stop ACTA & TPP!

Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 14:16 by John Sinteur in category: News

Stop ACTA & TPP: Tell your country’s officials: NEVER use secretive trade agreements to meddle with the Internet. Our freedoms depend on it!

I urge you to vote no on ACTA and to communicate its severe problems to your colleagues. ACTA’s vague language locks us into obsolete copyright and patent laws, preventing democracies from updating their laws to unlock new economic and social opportunities.It criminalizes harmless remixes by ordinary users if they achieve ‘a commercial scale’ (art 2.14.1) which many amateur videos do on sites like Youtube. And it criminalizes legitimate websites by making them responsible for user behavior (‘aiding and abetting’ art 2.14.4).Worse, it permanently bypasses the democratic process by empowering the ‘ACTA Committee’ to ‘propose amendments to [ACTA]‘ without your approval. (art 6.4) In other words, it’s impossible to know what you’re voting for.The global movement against the US law SOPA showed that internet freedom is a crucial issue which belongs in the legislative process of each country. You should view ACTA as an attempt by a handful of companies to circumvent the democratic process, and you should vote against it.Thank you. Please reply if you have any questions.

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US father shoots daughter’s laptop for insolent Facebook post

Posted on February 11th, 2012 at 13:46 by John Sinteur in category: News

[Quote]:

Tommy Jordan, of North Carolina, decided to teach his 15-year-old daughter Hannah a public lesson after she wrote a Facebook post complaining how difficult her parents made her life.

Deciding that a grounding wouldn’t be sufficient, Mr Jordan decided to silence his daughter’s Facebook outbursts with his pistol.

[..]

After seven minutes he then gets up and points the camera at his daughters laptop on the ground saying, “That right there is your laptop, this right here is my .45.”

He cocks the weapon and fires nine rounds into the laptop commenting on the seventh shot, “Oh yeah and after that comment you made about your mom, your mom told me to be sure I put one in there for her. So that one’s from her.”

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Comments:

Mykolas on February 11th, 2012 at 14:55:

Isn’t America great! It shows once again the widely held belief that the best way to solve all problems is via violence and the gun. Onwetend en gek bastaard.
benjaminsa on February 11th, 2012 at 16:13:

The truly depressing thing is that the video has a high approval rating.
Roland Hesz on February 11th, 2012 at 21:07:

The question is: have you seen the video? I have watched the video.
I wouldn’t have shot the laptop if I were the father. I would have given it away.

The approval rating wasn’t for the shooting I think more for the spoiled princess getting a punishment for the public humiiation and bitching about her parents.