Comment Performance (Score 2) 450
Videographic performance is one sticking point.
Submission + - Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain : Phary (scienceblogs.com)
jamie writes: "There he goes again, making up nonsense and making ridiculous claims that have no relationship to reality. Ray Kurzweil must be able to spin out a good line of bafflegab, because he seems to have the tech media convinced that..."
Comment Re:NOT Dead man walking - ASTROTURFING (Score 1) 176
There are other, similar, Russian cop videos on Youtube and other web video media.
I am a former resident of Russia. My reaction is absolutely different from what I've seen so far on slashdot. I think it is most probable that this (Medvedev's speech, cops on Youtube)is part of a carefully planned "marketing" campaign by Putin's government.
As pointed out on some other postings here, a dictator must at least appear to occasionally help his people. Medvedev's speech MUST have been approved by Putin, and therefore is part of this plan. The cops probably feel safe enough to post critical opinions because it was pre-approved at the highest levels.
So? Some social steam is released, Medvedev appears to be a leader with broad reforms in democracy, economics, and government corruption.
What is likely to actually change? Nothing. In Former Soviet Russia, GOVERNMENT astroturfs YOU!
Comment Will No One Speak Up for the Fireants?! (Score 1) 398
When they zombified the fireants, I said nothing
because I was not a fireant...
Comment Top this!? (Score 2, Funny) 613
I have illegible handwriting in FIVE LANGUAGES!
Comment OMG!! (Score 1) 887
Poney!
Comment Re:Sounds like what the Soviets did (Score 4, Interesting) 337
Western countries didn't have Stalin's paranoia. Stalin moved so many scientists to Akademgorodok (Academic Village) in deep Siberia in order to segregate and more easily control them.
Oh, and they did breed. Some of the smartest young Russians I've met were born and raised in Akademgorodok.
Submission + - 22 Dead In Virginia Tech Shooting
Submission + - IRS to go after eBay sellers
prostoalex writes: "Fed up with numerous violations of tax law by individuals and businesses selling goods on eBay, Amazon Marketplace, uBid.com, etc., IRS is pushing Congress to make online marketplaces responsible for reporting the sales information to the tax man, in order to prevent under-reporting of the income. eBay's "own statistics suggest that there are 1.3 million people around the world who make their primary or secondary source of income through eBay, with just over 700,000 in the United States", News.com.com.com says."
