Slashdot Mirror

You can still download these streaming videos as well, in what appears to be the original unaltered quality. Just go to http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/streaming/ and access your video library there after you start any of the streaming videos. Can even send them to your Tivo if you want.

Sorry to reply twice, but the intro to Vajda's paper mentions the Zuni language, which leads me to recommend The Zuni Enigma, wherein Nancy Yaw Davis sets forth a very interesting argument that the precursors to the Zuni absorbed a sizable Japanese community some time in the 1300s-1400s, with the Japanese language of the time forming part of the current Zuni ecumenical language. Davis's work still leaves many questions, and she is not a linguist but rather an anthropologist, but her writings are still worth evaluating. I'm a Japanese translator by trade, and some day I would very much like to be able to seriously study Zuni myself to see what I can find.

Cheers,

There's also some fun circumstantial and anecdotal evidence that one of the Kham plateau dialects of Tibetan is possibly related to Navajo.

A woman I once worked with lives in the Southwest and was at a Tibetan conference chatting with a friend of hers about the Navajo, when she turned to the Tibetans sitting at her table and apologized for not explaining who the Navajo are. The Tibetans laughed and said they needed no explanation. They told her how, in WWII, when the US hired on the Navajo code talkers, the Japanese figured out who it was on the radio and searched around for anyone who might be able to interpret. There was apparently a serious effort underway by Tibetan speakers that was making some headway before the war ended.

The recent Elliot Pattison novel, Prayer of the Dragon, plays on this potential Tibetan-Navajo connection. He talks some about the (admittedly superficial) similarities -- sand paintings, sky burial. And the Navajo themselves have a creation story about climbing down from a hole in the sky in the far north, where nowadays speakers of the related Athabaskan languages reside.

Sure, it might all be accidental, but circumstantial evidence, in sufficient quantities, begins to be a bit compelling. :)

Cheers,

There's plenty of folding USB keyboards, like this one. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EU01GO/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=2380150919&ref=pd_sl_21k505pcmf_e

I thought current generation systems were the playstation 2, gamecube, and original xbox. The reason I say this is, because, they are still making new games (I.E. Mercs 2) for the old next generation system (playstation 2).

Clearly the playstation 2 was the next generation of the playstation, therefore the playstation 4 will be the next next-next generation console. Still with me? Good.

Reminds me of the The Motel of Mysteries

Pretty sad when your idea is already out of date!

There is a Philips DVD player that plays certain video/audio codecs - and I have played movies from thumb/flash usb drives directly on my tv -- works great (as long as your bitrate isn't too high).

Introduce a 1GB flash drive, the pirate bay - and wham - free new movies on my flash drive, which I can watch today with Current Technology.

Pray tell, exactly what Taiwanese crap are you referring to? The system on chip stuff from UMC? The award-winning diagonal street technologies of TSMC? Do you even know who those companies are, what they produce, or how they've made your cell phone, computing and online life *better* and *cheaper*?

Some of things I picked up on my last visit to Taiwan: a lion-dragon marionette, definitely not crap. Two thyristor-based fly swatters. That's right, electronic fly swatters. They look like little tennis rackets. Have a little push to zap button on the handle. The racket part is a matrix of wiring. Push the button, move the dingus casually through the air, and the little beasties are zapped. It's labeled the Superhigh Voltage Bug Zapper.

I suggest that you buy one right here: http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Fly-Swatter-Bug-Zapper/dp/B000PKIW4G

It's definitely not crap.

Which is a lot more than I can say for your racist remark and the jackasses that modded you as interesting.

In other words, I'm using my Superhigh Voltage Bug Zapper right now - to kill the flies your post has drawn.

Thats your basic Beowulf cluster of telescopes.

Appropriate in this case, because one of the most loved science fiction tale about the galatic core is Larry Niven's Beowulf Schaeffer story "At the Core" (collected in Neutron Star ). Niven, however, was writing before the idea of a supermassive black hole was current.

Nonetheless, remembering Niven's story fills me with some dread at his suggestion that the close proximity of stars at the core would set off a chain of supernovas, eventually flooding the galactic periphery with deadly radiation. Now this Slashdot post has really put a downer on my day.

Hell, i could carry about a dozen USB sticks (write protected), when i go on trips.

Wow! You Mac users really don't know diddly-squat about operating systems, do you? Because if you did, you'd know about carrying *just one big* USB key on which you can carry *lots* of media.

And you can make these things called *directories* on both your hard disks and USB keys to logically segregate your media if you want.

I may only be a mortal PC user but an 8GB USB key holds more than enough movies for even the longest plane flight and the chances are that at some point in my travels, I'll be able to find a thing called a *power socket* which not only allows me to recharge my laptop battery but also gives me more than enough power to replace an movies on my USB key that I have *watched* with those that are already on my hard disk.

Hey, Einstein, you might also want to take this on one of your trips also - for a little *heavy* reading.

nobody cares. much cheaper at amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Ghostbusters/dp/B000PEX1IE

this has great application for distributing films to be viewed by critics, or giving them out to youth as door prizes at baseball games, but beyond novelty uses it's dead in the water, i think.

Not to be confused with the other Blown to Bits which seems entirely unrelated. But is also quite a good book, a readable but serious book about business strategy for companies finding their traditional business damaged by the Internet. Do skip the first chapter though, IIRC it was a bit dull.

Rich.

"Godson"... The new Jesus chip?

I'm hoping to use one to power my Network Attached Storage.

The greatest nation ever is self-destructing.

They always do, as there is a logic to that. First, some random country (Rome, Britain, US, etcetera) gets a bump in economic productivity (for any reason). That leads to (i) a growing list of interests in far-reaching places, and (ii) a growing military force to support those interests. Then the military force becomes so gangantually massive that it brings down the whole economy, and other nations can play catch up.

I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT AMERICA. Think of the British, or other empires, before modding me down.

Or better yet, read the book.

This is the first and only book I've ever regretted buying: The Guardsman.

Compared to it, SOTR sounds like just your average wannabe blog writer's vanity book.

"There is very high confidence that the global average net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming"

1.) Population in 1750 multiplied by human body temperature (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.0 degrees Celsius).

2.) Population "since the mid-20th century" multiplied by human body temperature (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.0 degrees Celsius).

Give me the Nobel Prize in Economics, the Nobel Prize in Climatology, the Nobel Peace Prize, and hopefully one day the Nobel Prize in Medicine. I say this with the utmost sincerity and seriousness. Gimme my bonus Triple Crown Nobel Trophies and Moneys. My FTL demonstration is already being ripped off by physicists who used to ridicule with their now beginning to hedge their prior claims with now "cheating" of bending "space-time". :P

I recommend the book, "When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management" for an overview of completely bogus mathematical models that have infected academic discipline after academic discipline. This is a perfect template for the coming crash of credibility for climatology. It's going to be brutal, and I'm going to push for penalties stripping all NSA funding for Universities who have funded prominent politicized climatology research in the same manner as their football teams are banned from receiving television money for recruiting violations. If you work in academia or for the Chronicle of Higher Education, consider your institution put on notice, and hope you like the payback of 5-7 years of no government grants (do not doubt that I will succeed in harnessing divisive politics to accomplish this).

http://www.amazon.com/When-Genius-Failed-Long-Term-Management/dp/0375758259

This is more for those who are serious about programming, but if they are, find it here.

Having trained three guys on my helpdesk this is what I recommend for someone interested in getting started in IT support.

For computer hardware I would go with Mike Myers All in One A+. It gives a solid overview of how computers work along with how to fix them starting at a very basic level.
http://www.amazon.com/Certification-All-One-Guide-Sixth/dp/0072263113/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369045&sr=8-2

For networking go with a Network+ book. The All in one book is decent, but there are a few out there that are just a good.

http://www.amazon.com/Network-Certification-All-Guide-Third/dp/0072253452/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369766&sr=1-2

Additionally if the students get the certifications they can probably get their foot in the door at a lot of help desks.

For the advanced class I would recommend "The Practice of System and Network Administration" by Thomas Limoncelli. It requires a moderate IT knowledge, but it teaches a lot of the basic ideas of system design that people seem to miss.
http://www.amazon.com/Practice-System-Network-Administration-2nd/dp/0321492668/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369813&sr=1-1

This isn't the best basis for a programmer, but it will teach them a lot of useful things they won't get from most programming classes.

-Tim

Having trained three guys on my helpdesk this is what I recommend for someone interested in getting started in IT support.

For computer hardware I would go with Mike Myers All in One A+. It gives a solid overview of how computers work along with how to fix them starting at a very basic level.
http://www.amazon.com/Certification-All-One-Guide-Sixth/dp/0072263113/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369045&sr=8-2

For networking go with a Network+ book. The All in one book is decent, but there are a few out there that are just a good.

http://www.amazon.com/Network-Certification-All-Guide-Third/dp/0072253452/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369766&sr=1-2

Additionally if the students get the certifications they can probably get their foot in the door at a lot of help desks.

For the advanced class I would recommend "The Practice of System and Network Administration" by Thomas Limoncelli. It requires a moderate IT knowledge, but it teaches a lot of the basic ideas of system design that people seem to miss.
http://www.amazon.com/Practice-System-Network-Administration-2nd/dp/0321492668/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369813&sr=1-1

This isn't the best basis for a programmer, but it will teach them a lot of useful things they won't get from most programming classes.

-Tim

Having trained three guys on my helpdesk this is what I recommend for someone interested in getting started in IT support.

For computer hardware I would go with Mike Myers All in One A+. It gives a solid overview of how computers work along with how to fix them starting at a very basic level.
http://www.amazon.com/Certification-All-One-Guide-Sixth/dp/0072263113/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369045&sr=8-2

For networking go with a Network+ book. The All in one book is decent, but there are a few out there that are just a good.

http://www.amazon.com/Network-Certification-All-Guide-Third/dp/0072253452/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369766&sr=1-2

Additionally if the students get the certifications they can probably get their foot in the door at a lot of help desks.

For the advanced class I would recommend "The Practice of System and Network Administration" by Thomas Limoncelli. It requires a moderate IT knowledge, but it teaches a lot of the basic ideas of system design that people seem to miss.
http://www.amazon.com/Practice-System-Network-Administration-2nd/dp/0321492668/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220369813&sr=1-1

This isn't the best basis for a programmer, but it will teach them a lot of useful things they won't get from most programming classes.

-Tim

The US Army 25B school basically uses this book.
A++ guide to managing and matining your PC by Andrews. It's probably not the best, but it does the job.

Get a copy of Head First Java.

I filly agree. Head First JSP is also a great book. Also if you want to get really good at it you should read the Java Core books. You can get away with not reading them but they can teach you lots of things that are hard to learn other wise. Good for anyone really serious about learning and using Java. For a week I googled the hell out of Java Annotations. It was only when I read the chapter on them in core vol 2 that understood what the JVM did with annotations and why.

Get a copy of Head First Java.

I filly agree. Head First JSP is also a great book. Also if you want to get really good at it you should read the Java Core books. You can get away with not reading them but they can teach you lots of things that are hard to learn other wise. Good for anyone really serious about learning and using Java. For a week I googled the hell out of Java Annotations. It was only when I read the chapter on them in core vol 2 that understood what the JVM did with annotations and why.

Upgrading And Repairing PCs By Scott Mueller
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?rs=1000&page=1&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Cp_27%3AScott+Mueller&sort=daterank
A+, Network+, Security+ Exams in a Nutshell By Pawan K. Bhardwaj
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596528249/
Building the Perfect PC, Second Edition By Robert Bruce Thompson, Barbara Fritchman Thompson
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596526863/
Big Book of Windows Hacks By Preston Gralla
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596528355/

But you might consider The IT Consultant for your third level class... the one about entering the workforce... not as a textbook, more like a study module out of a larger framework.

The book focusses, not on the ins and outs of programming to the Java API or building a sort algorithm that sorts in less than np time... but on those soft skills aspiring programmers find challenging at times... project management, client communication and satisfaction, applying your skills of intuition and logic to business scenarios.

That reminds me. Time-life did a series on computers. A bit dated but it did provide a lot of the basic in an understandable form. This one's a bit more current and comes in a series "How the Internet works", etec, etc.

I've got a book for kdawson. http://www.amazon.com/Bokutachi-kanzen-jisatsu-manyuaru-opinions/dp/4872331532

1. Get a copy of Head First Java .
2. Download the latest version of Java.
3. Download Netbeans or Eclipse (I prefer Netbeans, but I use Eclipse at the office, and I don't have a problem recommending either one). Make sure you get a version that includes either Glassfish (Netbeans) or Tomcat (Eclipse), so you can run some servlets.
4. Start going through the book. You'll learn the Java syntax and conventions in the first part, then learn about web development. Since you've got web development experience, you can probably skip a lot of the intro (web apps use the HTTP request/response cycle, are stateless unless you stick stuff in the session, etc.) and dig into some JSPs.
5. Once you can get data from the browser to the server, pick up JDBC and stick it in the database. If you've used ODBC with VB, then you'll have no trouble picking up JDBC.
6. Pick up a Spring book (I'll recommend Spring in Action) and learn about dependency injection. It's a pretty simple concept, but you'll be amazed what you can do with it.

That should give you enough to get started and maybe even get your first Java gig. Hibernate's good to learn, too, but on most of the projects I've been on, you don't use it in day-to-day development (that is, you don't have to reconfigure or redeploy anything, unless your data model changes). With Spring, just about everything you write will require that you modify a context file or two, so you need to know what's going on.

1. Get a copy of Head First Java .
2. Download the latest version of Java.
3. Download Netbeans or Eclipse (I prefer Netbeans, but I use Eclipse at the office, and I don't have a problem recommending either one). Make sure you get a version that includes either Glassfish (Netbeans) or Tomcat (Eclipse), so you can run some servlets.
4. Start going through the book. You'll learn the Java syntax and conventions in the first part, then learn about web development. Since you've got web development experience, you can probably skip a lot of the intro (web apps use the HTTP request/response cycle, are stateless unless you stick stuff in the session, etc.) and dig into some JSPs.
5. Once you can get data from the browser to the server, pick up JDBC and stick it in the database. If you've used ODBC with VB, then you'll have no trouble picking up JDBC.
6. Pick up a Spring book (I'll recommend Spring in Action) and learn about dependency injection. It's a pretty simple concept, but you'll be amazed what you can do with it.

That should give you enough to get started and maybe even get your first Java gig. Hibernate's good to learn, too, but on most of the projects I've been on, you don't use it in day-to-day development (that is, you don't have to reconfigure or redeploy anything, unless your data model changes). With Spring, just about everything you write will require that you modify a context file or two, so you need to know what's going on.

That version on Google Books is the first edition, from 2001. It only covers feature from 1.3 and earlier.(Only a handful of 1.4 features were touched on).

The second edition was released last month and now covers up through 1.6.

http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Java-2nd-Joshua-Bloch/dp/0321356683

here

Also you can download javadocs onto your hard drive to see the object oriented relationship and class structure of all the core Java api's. Whats great about javadocs is that its a tool that will automatically autodocument your whole program for you in the same tree structure. All you have to do is put a "///" instead of a "//" and your comments will be recorded in the html tree of your documentation as well. No other language comes close to this besides perldocs. Sandcastle is Microsoft's way of a javadoc knockoff for c# but its not finished yet.

This of course assumes you know how object oriented programming works which you do according to your experience in C++. You can learn java quickly if your familiar with these concepts as even data types such as strings and integers are objects in Java.

I used the sixth edition of this book when I took advanced java programming in college which is very detailed with over 10k lines of code. Its very academic oriented if you do not mind it but has directions on how to do almost anything. You can skip sections such as if/then structures and see how the memory reference object oriented model works and how its different from other languages.

This newer edition even has tutorials on ajax. Damn I am tempted to get it.

Keep in mind I have not written a line of code in over 2 years and am not a professional programmer so take what I say with a grain of salt.

However I do agree with others here that unless you have real work experience with java that you will be turned down from any job requiring it regardless of your experience. HR wants the impossible and do not understand programmers. They think programmers who use different languages can't learn another and they also worry about retraining costs. If all they have is an entry level budget then they can hire an Indian to do the work for alot cheaper sigh.

  If i were you I would write small applications in java at work for small intranet sites so you could claim you have X amount of years of experience web programming and used java. This will satisfy the HR weenies so you can then interview and you can show your better for mission critical work than abunch of Indians. (Perhaps this is why I do not want to work in I.T. again)

Do not mention you programmed in Java for X years. Just mention that you programmed for X years and used Java and this will get you past the filter. But try it at work with something small.

If you're an experienced programmer, you can't do better that "Just Java". http://www.amazon.com/Just-Java-6th-Microsystems-Press/dp/0131482114 I wrote it when I was working with Java at Sun Microsystems, and it is intended to help busy professionals pick up Java. It covers not just the language, but the whole ecosystem of tools, releases, certification, SDKs etc etc. Peter

I've found this book that is really (i mean really) simple in describing J2EE. And while it is a bit optimistic, it does tell you why to bother with J2EE in the first place. http://www.amazon.com/J2EE-1-4-Picture-Solveig-Haugland/dp/0131480103

Linksys WRT54GL , Tomato Firmware

Install Tomato via the Linksys web interface. Couldn't be easier.

I like the "Head First" series overall, but honestly I can't stand them for actually learning new languages. Their style IS fun and works very well for abstract/complicated subjects (such as in their books on design patterns and servlets and JSP) because they break down the subject matter and present it in a way that is easy to consume. As far as learning languages go though I think they do entirely too much hand-holding and they gloss over a lot of important details.

If you're learning Java for the first time I suggest Big Java. It presents the subject matter very well, and is comprehensive enough to be used as a desk reference later on, after you become familiar with the language and its tools.

Well then I guess if you want to hide what you buy, you don't buy it from a store that only sells one thing. Obviously a charge to 'WalMart, Inc' isn't going to give much clue as to what you bought, nor would one from Home Harvest Gardening Supply

http://homeharvest.com/lightingmain.htm

or for that matter Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-4-Foot-Wide-Green-Thumb-System/dp/B0001XLSGQ/ref=sr_1_7/105-3071349-1766060?ie=UTF8&s=garden&qid=1220215437&sr=1-7

Behind you are. The correct answer is 42.

Also, Robert Higgs beat her to it over 10 years ago.

Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government

• English is spoken by nearly everyone under 80 years old. There are many people that can deal with complex english conversation. Still, Dutch is available to learn as a second language, and people will love it if you can speak even a limited amount of it. Many people (immigrant and other) have gone before you in learning Dutch.
• Holland is welcoming to knowledge workers like you. Clearly, there still is an immigration procedure, and there will be hassles. But a lot is done to make things as easy as possible.
• Massive presence from international companies. For a number of reasons, many large US, Japanese, Korean and other companies have their European headquarters in The Netherlands. Also, companies like Philips, Shell, ING, ABN Amro are Dutch based companies that use lots of IT. Also, smaller companies in Holland tend to have a shortage of qualified IT personel.
• Working hours are short, with many free days available to you. Giving you time to see the country, travel Europe, learn the language, or do whatever the hell you want with the time
• Working culture tends to be (but isn't always, of course) efficient and supportive. Dutch workers don't put up much with hierarchies, and organizations are as flat as they get.
• Top notch infrastructure: in public transportation, trans-european rail, roads, biking lanes, internet access, mobile connectivity, water management (including drinking water), airport and seaports, Holland ranks among the best.
• Amsterdam - highly rated by tourists - is nearby wherever you live in the country.
• Paris, Brussels, Berlin and London are a short budget flight, or a slightly longer rail(/boat) ride away. Budget flights available to nearly anywhere in Europe, also very easy (but less comfortable) to take a bus to anywhere in Europe.
• In the case of the unfortunate: High quality health care, and you will never have to worry about the costs.
• Above all: open, approachable people, that are passionate about quality of life, freedom and having a good time

Anyway, whichever country you choose, I wish you a great time!

ps. for anyone that goes to Holland for a longer time, you might want to read The Undutchables to prevent any culture shock :-).

For a good reference describing some of the problems with RFID technology, check out the book "Spy Chips" by Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre http://www.amazon.com/Spychips-Major-Corporations-Government-Track/dp/1595550208/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220142206&sr=8-1 This has been our for over 2 years now, but the general public has no idea on the capabilities or consequences of RFID systems. Give it a look.

7. Hans' car is intelligent like Herbie, but in a fit of jealous rage his car kills Hans' wife. To protect his friend, a car, from dissection, he tries to cover up the murder and ends up getting caught.

Of course! And the car's name is Christine (book here).

What can I say? Is our children learning grammar? If not, it's probably thanks to Laxative enforcement policies.

My dear Anonymous:

<snort>

Perhaps you should take a closer look at your copy of Down to Earth REXX. Why yes, that is "Schindler" on the front cover.

As was explained earlier, Lynn and I chose these languages because that's what we had chosen three years ago. And we chose those at the time because they had the highest usage in the Evans Data surveys.

and pro-choice as far as education.

Way to use the tried and true methods of co-opting and framing with the word Pro-Choice. It's the only logical step in this completely illogical farce that is ID. As much as I hate this practice, you've got to admire the republicans' ingenuity.

Let's play this game some more, I'll be you:

• I'm pro-choice on global warming (I choose to think it's junk science)
• I'm pro-choice on logging/drilling (I can choose wherever I want)
• I'm pro-choice on immigration (They can choose to get shot)
• I'm pro-choice on Net Neutrality (Companies can choose what to charge)
• I'm pro-choice on torture (I can choose to call it torture or not)

The best book I've read on this is George Lakoff: Don't think of an elephant!: know your values and frame the debate. Required reading (only 150 pages - you can do it)

found an Amazon link of the Bible Battles show...it's really really good.

http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Battles-History-Channel/dp/B000T28PHY

Perhaps the best-known of the remaining roles in the FSF is the compliance engineer, a position currently held by Brett Smith.

When I typed in "Compliance Engineer's handbook" into amazon's search, this is what I got - the book.

So you need a Chemical engineering degree to be a compliance engineer?

For Stallman fans, it's a real shame to see him somewhat marginalized in his own community. If you know something of his life story (e.g. from Free as in Freedom ), he's passionate about coding. Yet, the growth of the FSF distracted him from software development, and now great projects like Emacs have to move ahead without him. But now, the FSF is going off into directions this bearded old guru didn't have to think about when he launched his campaign, and here he must rely on others to take charge. Oh well, at least once in a while he gives us a successful trip to India to rejoice about.

This is black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking.

Politics is a process everyone should get involved in and contribute to--but it doesn't have to be everyone's full-time job. A few will treat the problem space as important enough to them to make a job out of it, but most of the contribution eventually comes from everyone else. The real strength of the Internet masses is in their mass. Only a teeny tiny bit of it needs to be applied to make important things happen, with just enough guidance to make it non-random. See Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody. He describes a tiny surplus of effort as enough to create thousands of complete Wikipedia projects every year.

So yes, let's look at solutions that can be done as a hobby, perhaps guided by someone for whom it is a bit more than a hobby. Structure the project to encourage the masses to contribute their single raindrop, and watch the flood change the world.

Ron Paul's dream republic died when Beauregard ordered the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Trying to resurrect the Jeffersonian Republic is ludicrous, seeing as it didn't even last a century.

Lincoln deliberately provoked Beauregard into attacking Fort Sumter, very much like how FDR deliberately provoked Japan into attacking Pearl Harbor.

In x amount of years are you going to say, "Trying to resurrect the Constitution is ludicrous, seeing as it didn't last more than 200 years!"

Maybe if you understood why it fell in the first place you wouldn't have so much disdain for it. No one is saying Ron Paul is perfect or that everything he says is right.

It is just amusing that you make so many assertions that his way of thinking is wrong without any proof.

Here you go:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-MicroUSB-Adapter-RAZR2-SKN6252/dp/B001EJFZ5G/

I needed the same thing to charge my Plantronics BT headset, while wanting to not have to carry another whole cable with me. I keep it in the case I carry my headset in*, so I don't even notice I have it until I need it.

*It's the Plantronics 995 Stereo BT, which I use 98% for music listening, which is why I keep it in a case.