[Enkidu of Abydos]

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

As it is, to quote chief Joseph, I am tired. My heart is sick and sad(okay it isn't really sick or sad, but lets be dramatic here). From where the sun now stands, I will post no more forever(just on this thread).

Your heart sure healed quickly... Luckily for us.

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

I think there are some very intelligent and sincere proponents of copyright reform, among them Cory Doctorow and Lawrence Lessig. The part about saving the species was a bit pretentious, but the absolute principle of property has allowed for unnecessary suffering in the world. For instance, pharmaceutical companies have used western governments and the World Trade Organization to prevent the prevention of cheap and generic drugs for the treatment of aids. Western governments have also withheld foreign aid when African nations have used information obtained on how to make drugs for aids because it violates the patents of the pharmaceutical companies. Even though Africans couldn't possibly afford more expensive aids drugs, pharmaceutical companies still do all they can, with government backing (or is it the other way around) to deny the production of cheap drugs and the sharing of information on the principle of property. Instead, In their quest to save Africa, Western countries spend billions on drugs that Africans could make themselves for a fraction of the cost.

You just may be the best-informed person on this thread (I mean generally, not just this post).

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

I always find it amusing when western companies complain about bootlegging and pirating in third world countries. The "estimated losses to piracy" are always a complete joke because most of the people in third world countries would never be able to afford these companies movies or music or books.

I've said the same a thousand times.

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

My cousins from Manila speak perfect English. In fact, on the phone people know they are not from the United States because their English is too perfect. They enunciate every syllable, and I don't know anyone in the U.S. that does that. I slur words, overenunciate, eat my words, mumble the end of my sentences, and butcher pronunciations altogether. And I graduated from College with Honors!

I do the same with Croatian sometimes and am also highly educated. Maybe it's a matter of laziness ? Or speaking efficiently rather then correctly ?

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

Just getting started. This is a thread that will not end. It's a zombie thread, and you can't kill the undead.

You can with a big enough shotgun.