Sean, if only I knew. This was delivered directly to me fresh and hot.
- Akiva Moskovitz
Wow, whatever you do, don't google "Asian guys at beach licking" if you want to find the Flickr account for this. No, seriously. Just...don't. o.O
- tinypants - Hagitha of FF
changed my life forever...I will always go to the beach with a a few chubby buddies after porking myself up for those bosoms ~ and this image is most definitely going in the ol' spank bank
- sofarsoShawn
Remember ! I bring quality product to Friend Feed !:)
- Akiva Moskovitz
you know what would be funny: ok bear with me, if we blindfolded leather donut (you know the booby man) and...yeah fill in the blanks...something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch...
- sofarsoShawn
Sir, randomly linking to your FriendFeed from one of my posts is oh wait you'll never see this because you're blocked for spamming. Thanks anyway, kaghazrangy.
- Akiva Moskovitz
damn this picture just won't go away - you have forced me to hide it
- William Harryman
Akiva, wasn't that pic taken at your last BBQ?
- Paul
Every time I see this picture I smile. Their joy is infectious, like herpes.
- Sparky
Paul, I surely do wish I had a beach in my back yard!
- Akiva Moskovitz
Sparky, I'm going to have this blown up to poster-size and attaching it to the ceiling above our bed. That'll cause some infections!
- Akiva Moskovitz
makes me want to grow a rack and diddle with my own, know what I'm saying?
- sofarsoShawn
this. . . .this. . . ugh . . . so fucking wrong.
- Peter Ghosh
Akiva - you can put anything you want above our bed.
- Sparky
i've been trying to formulate a comment for this for days, but i just...can't.
- joey
I still want to know the motivation here. is this a gay marriage argument? or are we already pushing group social contracts on friendfeed?
- Noah David Simon
oh man this one keeps popping up on ma friendfeed,....must spread virus nao
- Chris Hofmann
I'm surprised no one's noticed old boy's red-framed glasses.
- Akiva Moskovitz
oh right... the glasses are so important when three asian men are licking his nipples and all the comments are by people who think gay marriage has something to do with equality... when it has everything to do with taking protections away from children. the red glass glasses.... um yeah. chicken and Oklahoma with milk
- Noah David Simon
Mark, you have uncovered the dark underbelly of humanity except in this case it isn't dark but is rather a pasty hue somewhere in the vicinity of undercooked flan.
- Akiva Moskovitz
I'm thinking that eventually, it will have been hidden by every user on FriendFeed. It'll be the most hidden post in FriendFeed history.
- Akiva Moskovitz
WHY WHY KEEP BRINGING BACK THE EYES THEY HURT ME
- Neal Jansons
from IM
Herpes (and this): the gifts that keep on giving.
- Sparky
I wonder if the FriendFeed guys see this and say to themselves, 'Well, this isn't exactly what we had in mind when we started started FriendFeed.'
- Akiva Moskovitz
I look at it and think, "Not again."
- Steven Perez
from IM
Just about the time you FF is getting some class .. Oh well we is what we is.
- Brent - Loving Life
I can't believe after all this time some diligent FF'er hasn't dug up the identities (I said "titties") of this bunch and invited them to join the service that made them famous. Mitchell Tsai, get to work!
- Sprague D
i think if you unlike and delete all your comments anna it'll go away, but hide in general would be nice too (this photo makes me smile every time it pops up so don't mind it)...
- mike "glemak" dunn
*sigh* This is never going away, is it? It's gonna end up like James Bond movies and Swedish meatballs - always existing in the same form. never diminshing, never forgotten. :( :( :(
- Steven Perez
from IM
It will go away, to be replaced with photoshops of the original. It's all part of the meme lifecycle.
- Sparky
I am too new on friendfeed to know anything about record comments.. I love gmail tho, puts all the comments in one threaded email and I can delete them all later in one shot or not if I choose..
- David Gross
from email
well we should aim to beat the record.. i mean jeez there are tons of things that could be said about this.. like.. does it taste like chicken?
- ed fry
I'm gonna have nightmares now. thanks ed. ;)
- Alejandro
ok, in Japanese: "an, an, soko dame!"
- Rick Cogley
You can't close this thread. A lot of people say that this place is a Scoble-fest but, truly, it is this thread that is at the very heart of FriendFeed.
- Akiva Moskovitz
I'm officially going to proclaim that this is the FF equivalent of Goatse or FFoatse if you will. Lets all refer to it as that from this point forward.
- Mark Krynsky
Sparky has left 57 comments. The rest of you are slacking. Hop to it!
- Christopher Harley
Chrisitan just walked by and said "It's too early in the morning for Japanese titty licking." It's NEVER too early for Japanese titty licking.
- Haggis (Sean Loyless)
THIS is the first thing I see here this morning?
- l0ckergn0me
Chris, you just woke up? C'mon, man! It's 10:30!
- Akiva Moskovitz
I knew he would break eventually - it's fitting that it's on this thread *now to find out how to hide a thread once you've commented....*
- WorldofHiglet
As much as I am loathe to bump this post, I have to do it to say, You, sir, are a master. Well played, sir. Well played. This is why I take every opportunity to say, in my next life, I want to be Akiva. I've already called it! Don't anybody go getting any more ideas.
- ♥patricia♥
I, for one, refuse to "bump" posts...it's very unseemly...
- Live4Emma (L4S)
I wish FF-search allowed to do GROUP BY -aggregations so I could COUNT(*) who are the biggest *bump*ers. :)
- Jemm
Makes me laugh everytime I see it. Such a happy yet silly scene by the sea.
- Toby Graham
There is nothing silly about it. This is serious business.
- Sparky
The more I see this, the more I like it. Not for the ironic nipple-licking, but because these kids are genuinely enjoying themselves. :) Carry on.
- felicious
This photo looks so much better in iPhone 3.0!#!~
- Akiva Moskovitz
Seriously dude. What do I have to do to get rid of this disgusting picture!? Doh! Now I've just pushed it back to the top... yuck, I'm so sickened.
- Jason Nunnelley
I love this image, because I have no clue why it's happening. Randomness FTW!!
- Jimminy Fuller
from twhirl
I'm just thinking of all the new folks coming to friend feed and see this and wonder just what the hell did I get into anyway? And why in Gods name can't I spell Friend correctly the first time - GRRRRRR
- Brent - Loving Life
Can't believe I never hit 'like' on this! Consider the situation rectumfied.
- Bec Rowe @d0tski
Oops! I hope I didn't just bump this up again... ;-)
- Sprague D
It's just so refreshing to see genuine juvenile humour at work. These kids are no different from any other, I think it's a great happy image, given all the other shite happening in this world on a daily basis. For those that are too pompous and prudish, 'up yours with brass knobs'
- ImJustCreative
Wow. 666. Nice! Actually, the reason Asashoryu is getting a divorce ( http://ff.im/4T0UA ), is because he wants to spend time with this lot.
- Rick Cogley
To this day, the pic still comes back. Just like Herpes. :D
- Danny Minick
Although unlike herpes this photo is fun to share with friends.
- Sparky
I would rather go to http://woot.com and buy the Acer Aspire One for $259.99, I do not care that it is a refurb.. but what would I do with two laptops? Maybe #hive knows? hmm..
- David Gross
from email
What's this? A real question in this thread? Two extra laptops? Make them fancy digital photo frames.
- Jordan Hofker
Reason #696 why the Internet can grant you immortality. ;-)
- darnell
from BuddyFeed
I can't believe this thing is still floating around Friendfeed. These poor guys... ha ha ha
- Bradley Farless
@SeanMcGee sorry about the spam, this thread is sorta spammy.. I get the messages in email perfect for replying with any message because it then gets posted on twitter and facebook.. I do not do it all the time, look at my other posts in this stream..
- David Gross
from email
Lactating, males last resort to save ourselves, now that they can create sperm in labs.
- Jimminy Fuller
This is the thread that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started feeding it, not knowing what it was, and they'll continue feeding it forever just because...This is the thread that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend. Some people started feeding it, not knowing what it was, and they'll continue feeding it forever just because...This is the thread that...
more...
- David Gross
from email
I have 89 :( emails since july 10th.. that includes the ones I sent.
- David Gross
from email
gmail comes in handy, it keeps all the email in conversations, 100 messages at a time but because the subject " :( " it will not filter out so they dont go to inbox.
- David Gross
from email
*THOUGHT FOR THE DAY...* Women are like phones: They like to be held, talked to, and touched often. But push the wrong button and your ass is disconnected.
- David Gross
from email
all this oral stuff is just begging the question of when do they start with the money shots?
- Noah David Simon
I just use this image as a way to announce crap. no one really pays attention to my feed... except my enemies. so when I have something important to say I tell the Asian Titty lickers. it is my strong belief that this thread needs it's very own domain name. something like http://xrl.us/TittyLickers
- Noah David Simon
You know, every time this pops up, since FF hides the middle of the comments of which there are 804 or so, I see Akiva say "I'm sorry." at the top. It makes me wonder about how some things are just not possible to apologize for!
- Rick Cogley
wow, I can't believe tomorrow is Friday :o) no, wait, somewhere in the world it's ALREADY Friday :o)
- David Gross
from email
Thanks Rick, thats what I thought.. does that mean I can start with the #followfriday on twitter or do I have to wait till it is Friday here in NJ? would be funny to post it from this post LOL all my friendfeed goes to twitter..
- David Gross
from email
David - yeah, you can get an early start.
- Rick Cogley
Rick, I am not good at lists or #followfriday but there are lotsa good people in this thread.
- David Gross
from email
the thing that strikes me about this (aside from the obvious) is after seeing this thing pop up like 35-40 times since March its just occurred to me that I don't have any (guy) friends that a) would lick my nipples b) would lick my nipples for a photograph. Maybe I should get out more...
- J. Abdul-Qahhar
I'm a little scared that I've this has gotten more than 800 comments and almost 200 likes over nearly five months and I still haven't clicked "Hide."
- Scott of Two Countries
It's just a bit of fun. I mean watching how many comment, not the picture content (although I suspect that is all that was too!)
- Ian May
Allright, you guys ready to shoot "mirth and girth"?
- Rick Cogley
For the life of me, I'll never understand the emotion people have around this picture for or against. There's no nudity at all, not even implied nudity. Less dude nudity than a beer commercial or cigarette ad, yet there are people who really really really hate this picture.
- Matthew DeVries
I found a way to get a Tit Theme, and it involves this picture.
- Jimminy Fuller
Hahahaha! It's like a telethon. And after Joey Bishop goes off stage, they flash this picture on the screen. "Won't you think of the CHILDREN?"
- Spidra Webster
It's been a while, hope the magnetism still prevails...
- Aaman (Clone of FF)
I just had to bump this once more... gives me a whole new excuse to go look at Phoebe again!
- Mark "Godt Nyt Ǻr"
Hmmm, where do you think they're from? My guess is Japan...
- sofarsoShawn
The bumping algorithm includes things like novel people posting to it, in addition to thread age, and rapidity of comments. If the same 3 people are talking in a thread, it quits bumping because it's obviously a closed tea party.
- Matthew DeVries
I forgot, also you're a very handsome guy(saw the wedding images), I don't understand why you don't like to share your face. Rochelle is a lucky lady.
- Jimminy Fuller
Jimminy, it's an irrational phobia. No different than people who are afraid of heights, spiders, clowns, or Canada.
- Akiva Moskovitz
Akiva, now I'm LMAO at the fear of Canada. People are actually afraid of Canada, or just the fact they don't know if they're British or French?
- Jimminy Fuller
I don't think even Canadians know that difference.
- Akiva Moskovitz
If Friendfeed had sound .. this thread would be all licks and slurps
- Mattb4rd
Sorry Akiva, I think it was the display picture.. I have known male and female Akivas.. Oh and by the way guys I am not afraid of Canada LOL will be there this weekend.. Dave Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes...> - "Even a stopped clock is right twice a day."
- David Gross
from email
I popped the 666 cherry and I will get 1000 also.
- Jimminy Fuller
If it gets to 1000 will Akiva lock it so it can sink from our feeds forever? Please?!?
- WorldofHiglet
I think locking this post would be un-FriendFeedian.
- Jason Huebel
This is the immortal post everyone who uses the service must see it so WoH it just wouldn't be good to lock it.
- Jimminy Fuller
Not everyone see's it, only the people with true class do.
- Sparky
It keeps on going and going and going....
- David Gross
from email
In the Hall of Great Posts at the FriendFeed museum, this shall be hung high on the wall with pride.
- Johnny Worthington
I'M THE ROCK AND ROLL CLOWN.. AND I LIKE COCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINE
- Haggis (Sean Loyless)
*Wispering to Murderface* "Seriously man, I do... A LOT of cocaine."
- Matt Stoddard
It is now September 1st, and this has not reached 1000 comments. I am sorely disappointed. Yet, for some reason, I am uplifted by the smile of this young man, who was fortunate enough to have such great friends that fateful day on the beach.
- Josh Haley
Quick let's add some comments... Gee that guy on the far left is not really getting into the swing of things is he?
- Travis Koger
Travis... bear in mind that we don't know what "main chubby guy's" right hand is doing, or where it's doing whatever it's doing...
- Mark "Godt Nyt Ǻr"
BUT WE CAN INFER WHAT "MAIN CHUBBY GUY'S" HANDS ARE DOING. BOTH OF THEM.
- Sparky
@Mark, of interest (well not really) is the location of Front Left guy's left hand.
- Travis Koger
The photo of Akiva in the jacuzzi with the Texas A&M cheerleaders would be so much more popular. Now if only someone would post it.
- Christopher Harley
Noooooooooooooooooooooo! Posted March 1st and we are still enduring the wrath! "Akiva's posts, now with more staying power than ever before!"
- Nicholas Kreidberg
YAY! OVER 1000 COMMENTS BLAAAARGBLBLLB
- Josh Haley
It feels like Groundhog Day whenever I see this.
- Andru Edwards
Except that unlike Groundhog Day this is AWESOME!
- Sparky
This thread was how I discovered Akiva. ROFL... Y.M.C.A.! BUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP! GAZE AT IT! DON'T LOOK AWAY! >:O I SED DON'T LOOK AWAY!!! ... ^_^
- Danny Minick
You have nothing to fear - I never look away.
- Sparky
On Fark, there was this one thread, that just kept growing and growing. On Fark, it was a single page per thread. And you could post images and gif inline. Well the thread wouldn't die, people just kept posting. I forget which one it was. Anyway, it got so monsterous, that few people going to read/post to it per day (which was only a handfull) accounted for 1/3 of the server load of the site. They eventually had to cull that thread.
- Matthew DeVries
I think everyone who has participated in this thread has 'culled' themselves privately.
- Akiva Moskovitz
What with all the copycat images this has inspired I hope our muse continues to stick around and not get lost in the shuffle of so many knockoffs.
- Sparky
SHUT UP SPARKY!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111!!!!
- Andru Edwards
I refuse to shut up about the glory that is this thread. REFUSE.
- Sparky
Yes, Vezquex, I'm jealous of those guys, it is warm there, nothing like a warm beatch..
- David Gross
from email
Yes, Sparky, they do not know how good they have it there frolicking on the beach while we freeze up here.. Hard to believe it is only 49 degrees, feels like 29.. I bet it's at least 85 degrees on that beach.
- David Gross
from email
Anyone who doesn't appreciate this thread is clearly not developing a FriendFeed iPhone client because this is a great stress test case. (It crashes BuddyFeed, by the way.)
- Akiva Moskovitz
from iPhone
Also it exercises the crap out of your thumb trying to scroll down to the bottom of it.
- Akiva Moskovitz
from iPhone
Do you need to appreciate the pic in order to appreciate the thread?
- Travis Koger
If I un-collapse this thread, will it break my computer?
- Eivind
Every time this thread gets a bumped, god kills a kitten
- Matthew DeVries
Matthew, you may have given some people more reason to keep bumping this thread.
- Victor Ganata
How does it give you thumb exercise? Whatever you're doing, why don't you either use the keyboard or switch to Linux so you can middle-click the scrollbar to jump to where you want? :P
- Tanath
actually this thread does not bother me because I get it in email and gmail groups them and starts new thread after every 100 comments. I have it autoarchived so I do not have to see on phone lol and just see when I look at my ffeed label in gmail.
- David Gross
from email
disgusting? HOW DARE YOU, SIR! That is j-love! and it's beautiful (in it's own way.. a way that shouldn't be seen in public)
- Kyle Johnson
this is probably the most popular feed of 2009 in FF. lol.
- Bora Mesut PALAS
I think the one where Robert Scoble gave away money easily beats this one, but this post has staying power. ;-)
- Jason Huebel
I think that Chinese at FF post was a marriage proposal thing. They were all trying to bump the guy's photo so that it would be the first thing his girlfriend would see when she logged onto FF.
- Kamilah Gill
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 1 salty beach, 2 pairs of glasses, 3 lords a licking, 4 chubby men, 5 santa hats(O_o), 6 rolls of fat, 7 ????, and 8 moobs to view.
- Jimminy Fuller
Hey, I'd be willing to let random guys suck on my nipples if it meant I'd lose all my extra weight. *waits for wiseass random guys to suggest it DOES mean that*
- Spidra Webster
נתתי לו למצוץ את הפטמות שלי, אם לתת להם לשחק על החוף. לפחות לא כל כך קר על החוף.
- David Gross
from email
@Raphael I am not amused. That's an abuse of an idea that could have resulted in people tagging some of the best educational threads on friendfeed, to filter the best most intelligent conversations to be found here. Don't spoil it, not even as a joke.
- April Russo (app103)
gamer and also a part of the games media with my show Vertical Slice http://www.verticalslice.tv. My GF is currently seeking work in the games industry and we're off to Edinburgh tomorrow so she can attend an interview for Rockstar North :)
- alphaxion
Enthusiastic middle-core gamer, nearly jumped in the industry several times (chickened out for easier jobs every time), no longer owns a console (got burglared and not replaced) so PC-only. Currently disappointed with A-list titles and spending her gaming cash buying promising indie titles (not always playing them, but that is another story)
- Joelle Nebbe (iphigenie)
I used to game alot with PC or PS2. Been working more, but still get a chance to play every now and then. When my nephew comes over, that is when I really get a chance.
- Dan Woods
All around gamer, and Tech Evangelist for Stardock. :)
- Spencer
Say hi to Brad for me Spencer! I spent five years or so on Qt3 and Brad was a valued community voice there.
- Daniel J. Pritchett
there's an interesting social media site for people in the gaming media and production industries over at www.gameleon.net
- alphaxion
@alphaxion Thanks for the link, will check it out.
- Spencer
self-diagnosed online game addict since the first BBS MUD, long time computer, console, pen & paper, and tabletop gamer -->
- Mike Chelen
i skipped a few generations...from an NES to a Wii (& subsequently an Xbox 360)...
- Trent Olson
I spend more time reading/talking about games and the industry than I do actually playing games. I am in the progress of evolving a Nintendo fan site into a FriendFeed clone for gamers.
- Daniel Sims
I used to be a pro-gamer, win COD tournaments(2nd place on 1v1 in Turkey). I also became Match Referee in CPL, WCG (2 times) and other many tournaments. Now, I am head admin and organising Professional PC Gaming Tournaments (COD) (our new portal: www.oyuncuyuz.com) and also I am a casual PC Gamer mostly like playing racing, RTS, FPS etc. Nowadays playing Team Fortress II - steamID: th3crasher
- Zafer Yılmaz
Now, now, Jeff. I mentioned in the article that I typically prefer native apps or Web apps to AIR apps, but this one is very interesting, at least to me. I dig it.
- Louis Gray
im just trying to be funny...hehe good post btw.
- (jeff)isageek
ah! and I was wondering why my twitter vanity search hit on that topic as I do not like the air apps. but grouping actually would be a reason to try it out. problem: as long as twitter decimates the request rates it is unreliable, but a first step in the right direction. will download it now ;)
- Nicole Simon
Louis, I think you're right - there is still innovation happening around Twitter, fortunately. The fact is there is still a huge audience on Twitter and that audience still has the potential to be monetized. I'm even building something around Twitter at the moment. There is still that threat though, that developers could leave if Twitter keeps neglecting them - it's in the back of the mind
- Jesse Stay
"feels" like Twhirl. Wish it had FF support...if it does it wasn't obvious from the website. I agree with others that I'd really like to see these Adobe air apps with some better skins
- Rob Neville
from twhirl
"Now, now, Jeff. I mentioned in the article that I typically prefer native apps or Web apps to AIR apps, but this one is very interesting, at least to me." - That's part of why I like the platform so much. Most people like native apps but AIR apps are pretty easy to build so there's bound to be a few that people really like. (Ryan - rstewart@adobe.com)
- Ryan Stewart
Just posting this here as it seems it can use some coverage on FF. Blippr is micro-reviews of games,movies,music, and books (friend me if your on it!: http://www.blippr.com/profile...)
- Pascal
from Bookmarklet
FFSPY allows you to find out who unsubscribed from you by sending you hourly, daily or weekly reports via e-mail. Try it now: http://ffspy.com
- Alp
from Bookmarklet
one way to read the alerts in friendfeed is by using a group with a secret email address added
- Mike Chelen
Am I actually supposed to care if people unsubscribe? Apparently I'm too self absorbed. Never occurred to me to try and find out.
- Eoghann Irving
106 of my friends unsubscribed from me today, supposedly.
- Franz Sittampalam
@Franz, there is a bug and I'm trying to solve it. Could you check that ffspy is listed here: http://friendfeed.com/setting... and inform me after that, please?
- Alp
@Alp, it's not listed there but the website recognizes me and is setup to email me. What should I do?
- Franz Sittampalam
@Franz, thanks for your help, I'm still investigating on the issue, this is a very rare situation but happened on a few users among hundreds. Such an interesting bug. I'll inform you when I figure out.
- Alp
Alp, thanks a lot - no biggy, I just thought I was very unpopular this morning :p
- Franz Sittampalam
from IM
Next, you need to develop an app that lets you unfollow someone *without* setting off an FFSpy alert. (More seriously: I *like* the fact that FF doesn't notify someone if I unfollow them.)
- Kevin Shaum
Kevin, maybe we follow some people for trends, news and good stuff. Sometimes it does not matter whether they do follow us, or they don't.
- Alp
The logo might a bit dramatic............you know with the blood and all lol
- Franz Sittampalam
all this time you are working on a new app?
- testbeta
it only matters to ppl with a trophy mentality. vindictive ppl, at that. very MySpace. :P
- Joe Silence
why does it have to be vindictive? maybe the point is to notice if you make mistakes or do something that upsets people without realizing =D
- Mike Chelen
I don't get it. Why would anybody care who is following them?
- Otto
@Fossil @Otto, nevermind, someone cares, so more than 800 people using it.
- Ahmet Alp Balkan
@Ahmet: Thank you for not answering my question... I was asking, why would people care, not how many people use the service...
- Otto
Otto, you know some people have obsessions. They really care about who follows them. That's just obvious for some nations, they do care this trivial thing.
- Ahmet Alp Balkan
application is good thats all that matters and alp has been working on a great lot of apps for friendfeed, i am looking forward to some great unique service of its own from him, i don't care who follows me but @otto it does give some happy moments when you are followed by someone of high integrity and expertise, helps one have a smile on one's face :) thanks for the app though, i too tried it but i don't really care if someone leaves ;)
- testbeta
is that a ... good picture for software? ? ... just saying ... don't get me wronk /
- Petr Buben
I've been out on the tundra on one of these tours, I would have LOVED to have a bear stick his nose in and say Hi. They're such beautiful and incredible animals
- Will Higgins™
"Okay guys, who left the window open again?!"
- Holger Eilhard
...this reminds me of the Far Side comic where two polar bears are hovering over igloos, and one says to the other: "I don't know what you call them, but I love eating these things... they're chewy on the insides."
- .LAG liked that
"My cell phone number is on my business card. It’s the only number I ever give out. It makes sense, because I’m routinely not in my home office when someone calls me; if I want a client to be able to reach me, my cell phone is the best bet. Many web workers rely on their cell phones for work these days and some have even moved to handling their phone calls entirely through their computers, with services like Skype. There are plenty of ways to do without a landline at this point, which leads us to the question of whether it’s even necessary to pay for a telephone line anymore."
- Uncle CW™
from Bookmarklet
I was going to say; everyone that uses some forom of DSL would likely have regular land-line phone service as well.
- Kittyburgers
someone made fun of me for having a landline the other day. :/
- Anna Lynn M.
I got rid of my landline in 2003, as soon as I got a good DSL connection.
- Glen Campbell, esq.
Yeah, why would you ever want to have a phone that might work during an earthquake in California.
- Cristo
Glen, for me it's no cheaper to get naked DSL than to keep the land line number. AT&T also doesn't offer the highest speed tier as naked in my area. three's some good free market competition for you.
- LogEx
I use the land line whenever I am calling an 800 number that is likely to put me on hold forever or take forever to resolve my issue. Don't need to spend cell phone minutes/battery on that sort of thing. But I never give out the number and don't use it for anything else.
- Shannon Jiménez
Oh noes. The cell phone lines are jammed, and my DSL needs power for the modem to work to use Skype.
- Cristo
After the whole area was without cell and landline due to a fiber cut, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm still keeping it in case of a power outage and since the number has been kept for years.
- Rodfather
Sadly, I no longer have a good DSL connection. We moved "up the hill," so they say in these parts, and Charter cable is the only option. 3Mbps down, 122k up, and usually 20% dropped packets. :-(
- Glen Campbell, esq.
Actually our "landline" is via Vonage, but so far the IRS doesn't differentiate VOIP from landline. As long as our company line isn't our cell phone it's all good.
- Admiral Anika
In fact, I keep an old non-A/C powered phone around just in case.
- Cristo
Yeah, I have a few of those for power outages. -48VDC FTW.
- LogEx
One friend's family still rents a rotary phone kept in the garage.
- Rodfather
My parents had a rotary phone in their garage but it could only receive calls; it couldn't dial out.
- Akiva Moskovitz
Akiva would sit for hours in the garage waiting for a phone call, but it never rang. He still waits there sometimes when he goes home. Rochelle worries about him. She called him once there, said she was God, and that she didn't want him to wait there for phone calls anymore. He thought she was the Devil though.
- Cristo
Except that my parents are both dead and that house was destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Nice one, Cristo. Nice one.
- Akiva Moskovitz
Morton only communicates with strangers now through FriendFeed. What did you have for lunch Morton?
- Cristo
Yep, we need it for ADSL and we still receive and make calls (0800 and 0845 numbers) on the landline. If the 08 numbers were the same price on mobiles and we weren't with BT the no. Dream on... ;-)
- Kol Tregaskes
In the UK the landline delivers ADSL, it's not possible here to get that without a telephone attached. Even with cable you get a phone. With deals it's possible to get free calls to all national numbers. I have free calls to national rate numbers 24/7. Cellphones and Skype or any other VOIP service can't compete with that. So yes I need my landlines.
- Gilbert Harding
Yes. Mostly for the DSL, but also not everyone who calls me could afford to do so if I only had a mobile.
- Mellissa
Yes, because an untimed local call is cheaper than a timed mobile phone call for people who want to call us
- Bryce Roney
there are still some web services that demand you put in a landline number and will throw a wobbler telling you your mobile number is not a valid number. But, basically, my landline gathers dust for the most part unless I need to ring a premium number or freephone number since they are expensive on a mobile. I'd be more willing to go with a mobile internet solution if it wasn't for how packet shaped those connections are - gimmie a raw net connection over the mobile network and you've got me as a customer.
- alphaxion
There are some drawbacks to not having a landline (power out for an extended period of time, storms causing closest towers to flake out, poor connections at times). A better question might be who is still paying by the minute for cell phone time and long distance and why when you can get unlimited long distance plans? MetroPCS just came out with an international add-on that allows unlimited calls to any country for an extra $5 a month.
- Internet Strategist
i have a landline as being in Uk need it for ADSL, but don't have a phone plugged in, have just never got around to buying one. and with a good mobile contract I don't feel the need for one
- Yant
No landline, since my DSL is unbundled (@ 5 Mbps). Travel a lot, so no real need for a landline, mobile is the way to go.
- Nils Sandin
I don't trust cell coverage after an earthquake and that's the reason I haven't ditched the landline yet.
- Spidra Webster
Scott can't read what I write, because he's blocked me, which is why he's repeating what I said earlier. But just to add to his point, even when you can assign a cellphone to a buzzer, it doesn't work that well when you have two or more people in your residence.
- Cristo
Interesting point on the cellphone. I didn't think of that. Wouldn't it just be easier to hardwire some sort of dedicated in-house intercom system. Geesh, sometimes the simplist of things become needlessly complicated.
- Kittyburgers
from IM
We live in a historic building with 200 lofts. No one is going to advocate wiring all these places for a dedicated intercom system just to open the front door, especially since we already have something that works, and we live in a high-risk earthquake area where having a landline might be the only way to call 911 or anyone else in an emergency.
- Cristo
Every time I see this pop back up, I think: To the left, to the left, to the right, to the right To the front, to the front, to the back, to the back Now dip baby dip, come on let's dip baby dip baby
- Admiral Anika
nothing about no u-turns tho! I wonder if it's just telling you the contra code won't work in this zone
- alphaxion
YOU MAY, HOWEVER, LEVITATE UP AND AWAY FROM THE AREA.
- Josh Haley
from iPhone
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need.... roads.
- mikepk
"Do, or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda
- AJ Batac
Heh, if you read it from the bottom up, it's almost like a mirror-image of the Konami code: instead of up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start, it's no up, no down, no right, no left, stop.
- Victor Ganata
@Victor Ganata Have you tried the Konami code here on BK?
- Robert Couture
Looks like the navigational nightmare in Nanaimo harbour... a million signs leading nowhere. lol
- Fossil Huntress
"This montage of AT&T ads came from a 1993 Newsweek CD-ROM, when Newsweek thought that one day, magazines would be sent to you in CD-ROM form, sponsored with ads. It's an interesting view of the future."
- AJ Batac
from Bookmarklet
Extraordinary, AJ! Hard to believe that we WEREN'T doing those things 16 years ago! And a piece of trivia: that is definitely the voice of Tom Selleck.
- Karma Martell
They forget to mention how they'd be taking all the heat during the birth of the iphone. But quite amazing nonetheless.
- Micah Wittman
They also forgot to mention how they'd be illegally mirroring their network to the NSA.
- LogEx
If they could predict the future you would of thought they would have increased their infrastructure when they released the iPhone. Hell just network planning would of stated that was needed. #ATTFAIL!
- Uncle CW™
#ATTFAIL! - CW™ You are comparing apples and oranges. Predicting the future is creative thinking. Planning for infrastructure is a different dept - eg: operations.
- Karma Martell
"The 61-year-old American, who has predicted new technologies arriving before, says our understanding of genes and computer technology is accelerating at an incredible rate. He says theoretically, at the rate our understanding is increasing, nanotechnologies capable of replacing many of our vital organs could be available in 20 years time. Mr Kurzweil adds that although his claims may seem far-fetched, artificial pancreases and neural implants are already available."
- RAPatton
from Bookmarklet
"Mr Kurzweil calls his theory the Law of Accelerating Returns. Writing in The Sun, Mr Kurzweil said: "I and many other scientists now believe that in around 20 years we will have the means to reprogramme our bodies' stone-age software so we can halt, then reverse, ageing. Then nanotechnology will let us live for ever. "Ultimately, nanobots will replace blood cells and do their work...
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- RAPatton
I think the technologies will come, but they will take longer than 2 decades and will be more biologically based; I am also skeptical about the dawn of nano-machines, but I am a big believer in nano-materials.
- RAPatton
...I want to live forever, I want to learn how to fly...HIGH!
- .LAG liked that
Imagine the world with no kids and lots of old people.
- Ayse Musal
The thing that scares me the most is the population explosion that might result. It almost makes space exploration and colonization a requirement.
- Aaron Schaub
Immortality isn't going to be free, afaict. That'll be the true PAYG :)
- 9000
Our sun will become a Red Giant & vaporise the Earth in roughly 5 billion years. Immortality won't be much use unless you can find another safe solar system to enjoy it in.
- David Steer
Look out for 'mad Ray'. He ignores fundamental problems and puts way too much faith in systems and the 'singularity' miraculously sorting everything out. His belief in Science solving huge problems in short timescales *is* a faith.
- Tont Coles
Somehow, I don't think a picture of a time traveling robot who ends up being destroyed at the end of the movie has anything to do with immortality.
- Andy Bakun
Andy Bakun, that is crazy Free Mason type talk. I better put on my foil hat before you start making sense
- RAPatton
Singularity requires computer processing power to keep increasing like it has in the past 4 decades. Unfortunately, signs are undoubtedly showing a slow-down. Just witness practically the end of the Megahertz war.
- Pandu ● IT Optimizer
from fftogo
Pandu - well, clock speeds have plateaued, but that's not the real measure of computational power - the multicore era has just begun, after all. We can expect 1024 core CPUs to be running in research environments by 2012. Of course programming them to keep up is a colossal issue, just like immortality. My issue isn't with that, though, just Ray's blind belief that something magical will happen (funnily enough within his lifetime).
- Tont Coles
But I don't want to be mortal at the end of 52. ;-)
- Kol Tregaskes
I wonder if he's friends with Kevin Warwick.. or, Captain Cyborg to his detrac... er, friends. One question, if you could extend your life indefinitely.... what would you do? surely suicide would become rampant as people get sick of merely existing after their second century
- alphaxion
I think kurzweil is just someone who has a crippling fear of death but doesn't have a normal religion to fall back on.
- Patrick
alphaxion: Why would one be "merely existing" two centuries from now any more than they are "merely existing" now? Suppose you had your present (or much better) health 80 years from now, and as much or more interest in the world. I wonder if -- when the average lifespan in Europe was 40 years -- people thought "living to be 90?...surely suicide would become rampant as people get sick of merely existing after their 6th decade..."
- Christopher A Carr
by "merely existing" I meant the day to day chore of life. Could you seriously spend 200 years getting up, going to work, coming back... the amount of times you'll fall in love? the acrimonious splits after we discover that love is only eternal to those who live short lives? How about the brain, can it cope with 200 years of life experience? it's already struggling to cope with 100 to...
more...
- alphaxion
alphaxion: I don't suppose there would be anything preventing one from terminating their existence if they found themselves bored of the universe after 180 years or so. I've a suspicion there will be much more in the way of opportunity for novelty, learning, and creativity in 100 years, than is the case now. You intuitions (and that's of course really all they are) may be correct. The...
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- Christopher A Carr
In the future, immortality will be readily available, to those who can afford it. I doubt it'll be cheap.
- Victor Ganata
A lot of you folks have the wrong idea about life extension. The point isn't to live forever. Forever is a religious word that's irrelevant in these talks. I prefer to think of it as an indefinite lifespan. You'd chose when/if you wanted to quit existence. Also, no life extension proponent wants technologies that would keep you alive indefinitely at the state you'd be in your 70s. If we...
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- Tad
from fftogo
@chris it's not just how many memories, but of the transient consciousness too. I've known some who were fed up with life by the time they hit their 30's/40's... I'm sure there would be the odd few who have no problems with living 400 years (I'd certainly like to see what's ahead in those years), but I can't help but remember the futures predicted in the 1800's and 1900's. A life of luxury? We ended up working longer instead.
- alphaxion
As for cost, generally all technologies fall in price very quickly after they become initially adopted. Today's $300 computer is MUCH more powerful than $10k computers 30 years ago. I think nearly everyone underestimates the ramifications of the level of technology indefinite lifespans require - with similar tech we could very cheaply feed, clothe and shelter everyone on the planet and then some.
- Tad
from fftogo
I can't help but think that centuries of memories piled on top of each other won't end up being an excellent substrate for the development of mental illness, but we won't know until we try.
- Victor Ganata
Alphaxion, no one will require baseline humans to accept transhuman and posthuman procedures. My expectation is that many, many people will be happy living like early 21st century Amish for centuries to come. In fact, life for them will be much easier and simpler than for any of our ancestors.
- Tad
from fftogo
"Immortality" is another religious word. It's meaning is irrelevant in discussions about life extension. It just clouds the conversation.
- Tad
from fftogo
I'm sure it will get cheaper as the millenia pass, but when it's first available, it'll be interesting to see the sociological ramifications. Only the rich will be able to afford life extension at first. But I wonder what sort of religious/philosophical taboos will develop. Maybe some cultures will outlaw life extension on these grounds. And, no matter how you spin it, life extended...
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- Victor Ganata
You're mostly right Victor. At first it may well be expensive, but I expect the cost to fall much, much faster than you might expect. Again, think of the computer analogy and what you can buy today versus just 20 or 30 years ago (or even five!).
- Tad
from fftogo
The question, really, is whether or not the fall in cost will occur within the life span of a baseline human. Myself, I'm not as optimistic. I'm imagining the cost of life extension will parallel that of the cost of health care overall, which has actually been creeping upward over the last 40-50 years.
- Victor Ganata
@victor occasionally I will create daft and frankly ridiculous conspiracies to see how far you can take a what if subject. One such ponderance was the tech for extending human life to insane levels. What if it already existed, surely those who undertook the procedure would be noticed as time marches on for us and not them? Mix this in with the number of wealthy/talented who have...
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- alphaxion
Victor I think it will depend on the source of the Life Extension tech. If it's purely pharma related then I'm afraid you're right. Most folks in the field, though, think it will be on the backs of nanotechnology. If we can get self-replicating nano-assemblers built in 20 years the cost will be almost free.
- Tad
from fftogo
The increase in availability over time of antiretrovirals (which were quite expensive initially) in sub-Saharan Africa might be analogous to what would happen in the event that most people on Earth come to think of aging as the nastiest of diseases.
- Christopher A Carr
Tad, but nanos still need energy. That's where the on-going cost is going to come from. Chris, you do have a point, but even though antiretrovirals are way cheaper than they used to be, they're still out of the price range for many people who need them in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Victor Ganata
Solar energy is free enough. There's more of that than we'll be able to use in the foreseeable future.
- Tad
from fftogo
I remember reading similar articles more than 20 years ago. The first issue of Omni, for example, had a feature article called "Some Of Us May Never Die" -- and that was back in 1978 (http://www.omnimagonline.com/1978_10...). We'll see.
- Stephen Mack
"SGI's Octane III is a "personal supercomputer," which isn't to say it's designed for you to play video games and check your email on. It's just a supercomputer that garage physicists might be able to save up for."
- Steven Perez
from Bookmarklet
I know! The bathroom camera is supposed to be installed at seat level! What's wrong with these people? "In Soviet Russia, Bathroom goes to you".
- Morgan Haley
Welcome Baby Ryan!!! My baby Ryan (17 years!) and I are honored to welcome another superstar to our planet! Love, hugs, and lots of kisses to Baby Ryan, Mommy Maryam, Dad Robert and big brothers Milan & Patrick and of course Grandma!!! My guess on Ryan's arrival (predication) was only 23 hours off. I thought he would arrive on Friday, Sept. 18th at 11:45 pm. Love to all, Kelly & Ryan Kim
- Kelly S. Kim
What a moment, eh? I remember when my daughter came into this world, it was so exciting there were no words for it. Congrats on your wonderful baby boy!
- Michael J. Carrasquillo
Congratulations! Welcome to the world, Ryan. :-)
- Yvette Ferry
Congratulations Robert and Maryam! And welcome Ryan. If I was having a baby today, I'd begin a blog for him/her straight away as an online diary they could look back on when grown up.
- Sandra Large
الهــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــی چقده ناز نازیه.اینو فارسی نوشتم مریم جان بخونن ....راستی به باباش که نرفته:)) خوشگلتره:)) پس به شما رفته
- joupy
I was a c-section six week preemie in an era when that was seriously life-threatening, they didn't know if I would make for the first week. It always gets me a see a c-section / preemie come howling into the world. Welcome, little guy!
- Bob Morris (polizeros)
from iPhone
Beautiful baby! Congratulations daddy man :)
- Gary
:) Congrats Robert... best wishes to your family! Get her name in twitter and ff!
- Business Blogger【ツ】™
Right ON! I am so happy for you. I have 4 kids of my own and they are my greatest joys. Take care and I hope all goes so smooth for him and mom.
- Robert Anderson
Congrats! I wish a long and healthy life.
- Muammer Okumuş
Robert, you newest addition is too freaking adorable. I hope you and Maryam are doing well. Congratulations! Here's to a long, prosperous future!
- Mike Nayyar
They have me waiting outside while they prepare to surgically deliver Ryan Soroush Scoble. His life should start within minutes. I wonder what he will be like? What technologies will he see in his lifetime?
- Robert Scoble
from email