Chirac awards high French order to Clint Eastwood | Top News | Reuters.com

Chirac disrespects Americans

In the latest bout of bigotry shown by the French, their President, a certain Monsieur Chirac has 'awarded' famed American Actor and Director Clint Eastwood The Legion of Honor, which is the highest French Order. However, what was failed to be shown by the general public was that France awards the Legion of Honor to EVERYBODY, thats why they have five different classes. The highest class is reserved to those who are truly respected and revered, while the bottom order is the one that is most commonly handed out. So common in fact that my grandmother was 'awarded' one, and she's never been to France.

Not only did they insult Mr. Eastwood by awarding him the lowliest honor that France can award, the speech given by President Chirac was mired with insults and hidden venom. "At this side of the Atlantic ... you embody Hollywood. In France, your films cost millions of viewers [their emotional well being] because they are simplistic...[and] cynical."

I only ask my fellow Americans, when will it all stop?

Write your next paper on a 32 inch plasma HDTV screen hanging from your bedroom wall

Mark Cuban thinks that Personal Computing will no longer be the same in the future. that future generations of gaming consoles will be our personal computers, and that we will stop having to buy a PC anymore.

I mean, think of it, without the hassle of the small screen, you can have your PS3, or XBOX 360 connected to your brand new 32 inch HDTV flat screen hanging in your wall in your living room. you can be hanging out watching the game, then get a little popup that tells you "you got new mail" in the bottom right corner. You then 'tell' your tv to "check mail" and it opens up a web browser, while pausing the game, opens up the email, and you control your screen via your wireless mouse and keyboard while sitting on your couch, still, you send the email, then click send. and switch back to your game. Oh, did I mention that your gaming console is also your new Tivo?

well, how about word processing, and other 'office tools' that you are used to using on your PC? well, you can use google applications that run just as good as MS Office, or any other tool you have used before. On top of that, the new gaming consoles could be made so that you can install programs on them similar to the way you would install a new program on your computer, such as turbo tax.

so, you can accumulate all your photo/video/audio editing/viewing software on your TV, your TV watching on the TV, your gaming on the TV, you can play all the DVDs or Blu-ray disks on your TV, you can do your word processing on your TV.

And finally, porn videos can return to where they began. the TV.

this is Cuban's blog on the subject:
The Future of Personal Computing ? - Blog Maverick

Why the middle east was NOT won.

There was a conversation that I had last night with some very smart people about the middle east, and the reason of all the problems that region of the world faces. There were many ideas that came up, but one thing stuck in my head, I'm not sure how to label it, or what technical terms would describe it most appropriately. So, I'm just going to go ahead and add my own personal two-cents.

• The main problem in the middle east is the lack of education. people aren't educated, they lack the sophistication to make informed decisions, independent of the government, or religious figures.
  
• People are bred with a sense of pride for their country, it is a form of nationalism, where people grow up learning the history of their country. start off with how great your country is (historically), you then learn that your country (much like most of the world) was either conquered by the French and/or the Brits. These French/Brits left the country after some liberation groups were able to get them out of the country. You then are proud of your country for its heroism and its ability to "defeat the hated enemy." History then gives you a lesson of post WWII middle east, a world with a country named Israel, "they" took over your land, they fought four wars with your country, or your neighbors, and they are constantly the aggressors. Couple that with the news media that constantly portrays Israel in a bad light, what with news coverage ranging from the deaths of innocent children and Israeli aggression on small villages to US aid that supports the Israeli armies. It is no wonder that the people in the middle east are so closed minded, they refuse to see the other side, and they refuse to acknowledge the mistakes that their side has made over the years. It is a mentality of "I am right, and you are wrong, and anything you say will be ignored because I don't agree with it." It is that mentality that keeps the peace from progressing forward.

I am tired of all the bullshit. I am tired of living in a world where people don't think rationally. I am tired of countries that don't educate the masses and provide them with critical thinking skills that can help them in the real world.