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After the success of The Social Network, they decided to do a picture on Apple.

Manchu wrote:After the success of The Social Network, they decided to do a picture on Apple.

Wow, thanks for that link. Brit Marling is in it, she's the best. Another Earth is a fantastic film. Doesn't appear to have a UK release date yet.

It's funny that only Macs get a cult, but Windows or Linux don't.

If there is a PC cult, it exist within the massive fold of people who hate but use or couldn't care less or are generally positive about PCs. It'd be like a radical group of Christians -- sure, they're nuts but they're hardly representative. The Linux folks are much more unified in their beliefs but they've voluntarily removed themselves from society (as it were). So Linux fans are like the Amish. Apple worshippers are not only a large and powerful group but they are also extremely unified and they're looking for more converts all the time. Hope that helps.

Surtur wrote:It's funny that only Macs get a cult, but Windows or Linux don't.

It's complicated. Technically, there's not enough Windows fanboys to actually qualify as a religious organization, and the practitioners of Linux are too fragmented between the Stallmanites and the Church of BSD Saints to count.

Personally, I'm a reformed member of the Church of BSD Saints, vi denomination. We have a holy war going on right now with the Stallmanites. Death to the heretics and their emacs ways!

So, Windows is Christian, Linux is Judaism and Macs are Scientology. Got it.

I guess that depends mostly on your perspective, but I agree with you absolutely on that last one.

Oldie but a goodie.

Ya know, thing that really blows my mind:

Bill Gates gives billions to charity, has his own Foundation that vaccinates kids and contributes to HIV research, and is largely hated.

Steve Jobs didn't give a dime to anyone and was actually documented as being a general donkey-cave, parking in handicapped spots and driving around without license plates because he found a loophole that only someone as wealthy as he could have abused, and yet the fanboys mourn his passing literally like it's the death of their saviour.

daedalus wrote:

Surtur wrote:It's funny that only Macs get a cult, but Windows or Linux don't.

It's complicated. Technically, there's not enough Windows fanboys to actually qualify as a religious organization, and the practitioners of Linux are too fragmented between the Stallmanites and the Church of BSD Saints to count.

Personally, I'm a reformed member of the Church of BSD Saints, vi denomination. We have a holy war going on right now with the Stallmanites. Death to the heretics and their emacs ways!

That's piss-funny.

See, now this has turned into an Apple hate thread
Or at least Mac fanboy hate...

(p.s I'm not a Mac fanboy, I just have a Mac )

I don't hate Macs or fanboys. I just call them like I see them. As far as computers go, really I prefer the right tool for the job:

Windows for Gaming and my audio/video needs.
Linux for server stuff, programming, and work in general.
Mac for sitting in a coffee shop during working hours, wearing skinny jeans, and listening to Dave Matthews Band.

daedalus wrote:Ya know, thing that really blows my mind:

Bill Gates gives billions to charity, has his own Foundation that vaccinates kids and contributes to HIV research, and is largely hated.

Steve Jobs didn't give a dime to anyone and was actually documented as being a general donkey-cave, parking in handicapped spots and driving around without license plates because he found a loophole that only someone as wealthy as he could have abused, and yet the fanboys mourn his passing literally like it's the death of their saviour.

I didn't mourn his passing. Honey badger don't give a gak.

Sgt_Scruffy wrote:The people who earned the 11 billion in profit in the last few months are not making anyone poorer.

Well, there are the thousands of US citizens that could be earning a decent living if manufacturing was done in the USA. Clearly Apple can afford US labour.

daedalus wrote:I don't hate Macs or fanboys. I just call them like I see them. As far as computers go, really I prefer the right tool for the job:

Windows for Gaming and my audio/video needs.
Linux for server stuff, programming, and work in general.
Mac for sitting in a coffee shop during working hours, wearing skinny jeans, and listening to Dave Matthews Band.

That is the main thing I regret about getting a Mac, the games. I'm not a huge PC gamer, but I like the option. Have to use my Mums computer to play MW2 (how many more have there been since MW2, is it just 1, or 2?) and Warcraft 2... Stuck with COD4 and Sims on Mac. At least Diablo 3 works on both, good old Blizzard.

Is Linux actually good? I've heard good things about it, but never tried it.

And i'm obviously doing the wrong thing, I don't think i've ever sat in a coffee shop, don't even like coffee... And I don't think I could pull off skinny jeans. And as for Dave Matthews Band, well, never heard them Although I can't say your stereotype doesn't fit a few Mac users.

And Frazzled, where does the 'Honey Badger' come from? Honey Badgers are cool, they have some in the Zoo/Wild Animal Park/'Were not really a zoo , honest, we love our animals place', nearby to where I am currently located.

look it up on the internet you'll see. Its epic. Or at least it was epic after a friend and I had downed a bottle of whisky.

EDIT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crazy_Nastyass_Honey_Badger

Ya know, I don't really care how much Apple made as long as they're being taxed properly and made it through legal means. If they got a hundred kajillion dollars, good for them.

Frazzled wrote:look it up on the internet you'll see. Its epic. Or at least it was epic after a friend and I had downed a bottle of whisky.

EDIT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crazy_Nastyass_Honey_Badger

That is pretty epic, I don't have any whisky to hand so can't see if it gets any better. I do have a bottle of Vodka, will that have the same effect? Or does it have to be Whisky?


And LoneLictor, are you saying you don't support illegal operations? What about illegal ones, who pay their taxes? Do the Mafia pay tax?

LoneLictor wrote:Ya know, I don't really care how much Apple made as long as they're being taxed properly and made it through legal means. If they got a hundred kajillion dollars, good for them.

Yeah, I doubt they pay much (any?) tax on that.

I don't know exactly how the tax rules work. But form how Newspapers make it sound, rich people/companies don't pay enough tax. No idea if thats true, i'd have thought the more income you have, the more you pay. Isn't that how it works?

rodgers37 wrote:I don't know exactly how the tax rules work. But form how Newspapers make it sound, rich people/companies don't pay enough tax. No idea if thats true, i'd have thought the more income you have, the more you pay. Isn't that how it works?

Ten million accountants and thousands of pages of tax code say that is not exactly correct (in the US).
Maybe on an absolute dollar basis.

You also have to separate out taxes on companies, then taxes on dividends (if any), capital gains taxes, and what counts as a deduction. DOn't forget the types of companies matter, as well as where the cash flows came from, where the cash is at etc. etc. fun fun fun.

Thats why the flat taxers are the Don Quixotes of the tax world. I drink to them.

Strangely enough we've just stumbled on the real monster - tax law and permitted deductions. Its not that Apple or GE is bad, its what they are able to do legally that is...less good.

I am more than willing to admit I don't know enough to talk about the subject properly, so its interesting to read more about it (and much easier to understand and take in, in small doses like that). It seems far too complex really, but this idea of 'permitted deductions' does seem ridiculous, obviously not the companies fault (unless the big ones all put pressure on governments to make it so), if it exists they are going to exploit it.

rodgers37 wrote:I am more than willing to admit I don't know enough to talk about the subject properly, so its interesting to read more about it (and much easier to understand and take in, in small doses like that). It seems far too complex really, but this idea of 'permitted deductions' does seem ridiculous, obviously not the companies fault (unless the big ones all put pressure on governments to make it so), if it exists they are going to exploit it.

Now you are learning the ways of the true jedi young padiwon. Remember, not only do the company's exploit it, they write the code changes and give it to their respective politicians who then push it around and get it into the law.

I would suggest you read the book list I sent earlier first. That will give you a grounding in economic theory and you can argue more gooder against the likes of Dogma. Then you start pulling in more current topics.

Fun books to read. Barbarians at the gate and the Fall of the House of Lehman.

Frazzled wrote:

rodgers37 wrote:I am more than willing to admit I don't know enough to talk about the subject properly, so its interesting to read more about it (and much easier to understand and take in, in small doses like that). It seems far too complex really, but this idea of 'permitted deductions' does seem ridiculous, obviously not the companies fault (unless the big ones all put pressure on governments to make it so), if it exists they are going to exploit it.

Now you are learning the ways of the true jedi young padiwon. Remember, not only do the company's exploit it, they write the code changes and give it to their respective politicians who then push it around and get it into the law.

I would suggest you read the book list I sent earlier first. That will give you a grounding in economic theory and you can argue more gooder against the likes of Dogma. Then you start pulling in more current topics.

Fun books to read. Barbarians at the gate and the Fall of the House of Lehman.

Yep, Frazzled explained it pretty good. For every dollar spent in lobbying (on average) a company gets two hundred and twenty dollars back. The US is pretty crazy right now.

We're not alone in interesting tax structures however.

Frazzled wrote:We're not alone in interesting tax structures however.

Nope, the only truly uniquely dysfunctional feather in our cap is for-profit healthcare.

ShumaGorath wrote:

Frazzled wrote:We're not alone in interesting tax structures however.

Nope, the only truly uniquely dysfunctional feather in our cap is for-profit healthcare.

Actually quite a few countries have that, including Britain and Canada.

Frazzled wrote:

rodgers37 wrote:I am more than willing to admit I don't know enough to talk about the subject properly, so its interesting to read more about it (and much easier to understand and take in, in small doses like that). It seems far too complex really, but this idea of 'permitted deductions' does seem ridiculous, obviously not the companies fault (unless the big ones all put pressure on governments to make it so), if it exists they are going to exploit it.

Now you are learning the ways of the true jedi young padiwon. Remember, not only do the company's exploit it, they write the code changes and give it to their respective politicians who then push it around and get it into the law.

I would suggest you read the book list I sent earlier first. That will give you a grounding in economic theory and you can argue more gooder against the likes of Dogma. Then you start pulling in more current topics.

Fun books to read. Barbarians at the gate and the Fall of the House of Lehman.

I find it so strange that the books and opinions you advocate and the opinions and ideas you present are sometimes so dramatically different.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Frazzled wrote:

ShumaGorath wrote:

Frazzled wrote:We're not alone in interesting tax structures however.

Nope, the only truly uniquely dysfunctional feather in our cap is for-profit healthcare.

Actually quite a few countries have that, including Britain and Canada.

Every practicing medical professional in the UK works for the British government. I do not consider the state to be a capitalistic stakeholder in the equation since fundamentally it is beholden to public scrutiny rather than market forces.

rodgers37 wrote:

frgsinwntr wrote:If you hate capitolism... stop buying popular gadgets... if you don't... you're part of the problem

Does anyone NEED an iphone? NO... but its nice to have one....

Does anyone need an Ipad? HELL NO... but its nice to have one...

I don't hate capitalism, I don't hate anything.

Why is it so ridiculous that I think one individual company gaining $11 billion in 3 months is slightly off? Especially after someone has said they just sit on their profit, and since i'm fairly sure they've pretty much always been making profit, they must have quite a bit of money in the bank...

I would say half the reason for such profit is on the consumers. Buy buy buy. Don't like it? Don't buy it.

If I were a fanatic of apple I would be happy at such profit. Means more money into product development.

It's just good business.

Really don't have an issue with such an idea as long as it is done ethically and it is just luxury items.

We have private healthcare here, too...