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A while back we had a couple isolated incidents here in the US where morons on the ground were shining their laser pens at planes... there was a big hubub about blinding the pilots and whatnot, and one guy I think even went to jail.

According to this article in today's Detroit News, that douchebag is expected to be sentenced today. In addition, there were reports of the same thing happening a few days ago at the Detroit airport.

People are stupid.

I agree with you that sports are valued too much, but you're pretty silly to assert that the United States had anything much to do with this ridiculous invention.

Dosn't look quite that way if you read this article http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20060131/SPORTS0106/601310310/1126/SPORTS0101

Prosecutors claimed that this was part of an ongoing economic jihad. I really wish I was joking.

Iceland said the same, but aimed for 2050.

Newsflash. The United States imports more from China than we export to them. They are about to get into the aviation in a big way. They are starting to export cars to the US

The main things we are exporting to China are money, garbage (for recycling), money, agricultural products and money.

We may have the moral highground, but don't think China is worried about anything but the flow of cash into their country.

Ah, Going public. The excitement of Stock Options and being traded on the stock exchange. Everyone thinks paydays will get bigger and the company with thrive and grow.

In reality, what happens is that you are know answerable to the will of mysterious stock holders. You start learning a new phrases and vocabularly like, "shareholder equity", "IPO", "Sarbanes-Oxley", "vesting period", "we must make decisions that increase shareholder value", and "the purpose of stock isn't to make employees rich."

Soon after the IPO, raises and bonuses shrink. Healthcare gets slashed and perks vanish away. Why? Because executives who are now accountable to shareholders rank their company vs. competitors and create a scorecard. Suppose the shareholders were to find out that your CEO was paying better bonuses to employees than the industry standard. He might have to answer for that on an earnings conference call or meeting with the mysterious shareholders. Executives however always want raises, bonuses, perks, and cheap stock no matter what kind of job they do. Just ask the idiot running GM into the ground. He should be well compensated no matter how poorly the company performs.

I think Google thought they could go public and still maintain control of the company, but it looks like they are careening out of control. The absolute best thing that could happen is for Google's stock to crash, then have Google buy all the outstanding shares and convert back to a private company.

There are still some really great privately held technology companies like SAS where life is good for employees. Am I bitter? Sure, I went through the whole IPO process and watched as executives were rolling in cash while they sold stock for which they had paid a mere $.01 per/share. Meanwhile, I had to hang onto my stock and stock options for a vesting period while the price plummeted and they all left to go find another company to rape and pillage. Does anyone know of a situation where going public was actually good for a company and it's employees?

The Detroit News ran an AP story YESTERDAY with a pic.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20060107/BIZ04/601070376/1013

So, you see, even after considering the tax benefits, one does not magically wind up with more money after donating than if they didn't. But, you know - if reality were different, I guess maybe you would have a point.

So, this article has nothing to do with reality?

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20051221/AUTO01/512210405

And here's a rich guy outright losing money on purpose:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20051221/AUTO01/512210405

That's not necessarily what's being done.

Many of the largest SUVs (Suburban for example) are on a longer redesign schedule than your standard passenger vehicle. Going 8 years between a full redesign means you're still getting crash technology that's nearly a decade old.

Making matters even better, is that the largest of SUVs, by virtue of their GVWR (a number that's made up by the manufacturer) are not required to meet several bare-minimum government safety standards.
The current Suburban, with a GVWR of 7000-8600 lbs, is exempt from government roof crush tests. (PDF)(As is any vehicle with a GVWR over 6000 lbs.) Unfortunately, passing them wouldn't mean much either - as the minimum only requires a vehicle with windshield intact to withstand 1.5 times its weight pressed down on the roof.
In a rollover, the windshield is usually gone by the end of the crash, and forces can easily exceed 1.5 times vehicle weight.
The current standard has been in place - and unchanged - since 1971, and many SUVs aren't required to pass even that lax standard. Many are also exempt from other minimum standards, like Steering Wheel Rear Displacement (only applies to cars with GVWR 4,000 lbs and less), and basic braking standards (applies to vehicles with a GVWR of 7,716 lbs and less).

Detroit, of course, insists the existing rules are adequate - the rules that often don't apply to their vehicles.

Even better, it's been shown that they misrepresented data from their own tests to the NHTSA.

Obviously, we all have to be more proactive in researching the safety of the vehicles we purchase - and not just go out and buy something "big" that "feels safe". Often, we may be safer in that type of vehicle, but only in multi-vehicle-non-rollover crashes - and to what expense? Raising the weight of your vehicle may reduce the risk to your family by 1/3 in some wrecks, but you've increased it threefold to the other car.

And the rest of us don't?

However on to more important ideas, I believe this is another great step forward in opening knowledge to everyone, such as when Princeton's collection of more than 10,000 works will be categorized, posted for world to study. These are pieces of work and acadamia that everyone should have access to, as it expands minds and ideas, and pushes us forward, intellectually.

If by "lie detector" you mean polygraph tests, then you're right -- they are bunk. A machine that detects lies by some other means is not impossible though -- you can detect lies with an MRI machine, for example. How you would integrate that into an airport, I don't know.

It's all the same shit!
You're missing the point of the post you're repling too.

All these machines can test is for signs of nervousness, even an MRI machine. It's not some sort of magical probe where you can read what a person is thinking.

They're basically worthless, which is why all of that nonsense is inadmissable in court. Things just don't work like they do on TV.

A machine that actually detected lies would basically be a machine that could read human thoughts. I don't think we're going to see that any time soon... perhaps ever. Even if you somehow were to accomplish it, you would only be able to tell if the subject believed he was lying, not that actual truth or non-truth of his statements.

Say you think I'm a terrorist, but I think I'm a freedom fighter. You ask me if I'm a terrorist. I say no. The machine doesn't flag it because I don't believe I was lying.

The whole idea is freakin retarded. What we need to do is stop supporting people like Osama and stop giving people like Saddam the keys to major american cities.

Of course that would place the blame where it should be, at the top, and we can't have that now can we?

There has not been a Pope John Paul III.

He already stated it was a typo. How many more people will keep chomping at the same bit?

The Catholic church doesn't often talk about science since she has stated that she can only make judgements 'on matters of faith and morals.'

Um, that's why the Vatican has a Chief Astronomer and other scientific positions? The Vatican often takes a scientific position on things. They shouldn't, but they do.

3. Yahweh is often spelled YHWH because the Torah (Old Testament to Christians) has no vowels. They is why it is such a milestone for a young Jew to read from the scrolls. Not because they can read hebrew, but that they can read it without the vowels.

Again, it's already been hashed, rehashed, hashed again, signed in triplicate, lost in the mail, rewritten, and finally buried in the compost.

Also, you can Google "Jews Egypt Exodus archeology", without the quotes.

My brother in law is 16. He wakes-up at 6.45 and leaves home at 7.15 to get to school by 8AM. He studies until 6PM then goes to after-school class until 8PM then has another 3 hours of after-class to do his homework (supervised). He comes back at quater to midnight (thankfully his school is only 45 minutes away from home). He sleeps 5-6 hours a night. How long could you go on like this? To me, that would amount to mental torture. I can't go without sleep for very long... or I'd just walk around like a zombie for the rest of the day, being rubbish at my job.
Let's go back to my brother: If he didn't study like that in middle school, he wouldn't have gotten in a good high-school. If he doesn't study now, he won't get into a good university. If he doesn't get good university grades, he won't get into Samsung (or whatever it is he wants to become... Samsung is every Korean's dream of a good job).

You know where it all stops: When (if) you get a good job, then you can breath. If you don't get a good job, there's always suicide.
When does it start,though? How hard is it to get into a good middle school or primary school? or a good kinder garden?

Pre-natal english lessons with speakers against the mother's belly aren't unheard of. That cruel operation supposed to give kids a more agile tongue so necessary to speak english is also something practised in Korea. Peer-pressure leading to stupid diets and crave for plastic surgery or women injecting engine oil in their face or intentional self-mutilation... Yes, it is all happening in Korea. The whole society is going out of control. I'm telling you, parents don't understand what their kids are becoming. How could they when they only see their kids for 1 or 2 hours a day? But somehow, they know it's for their own good and that things will turn-out ok... or not.

If you've never been immersed in the Korean society, you won't get what's happening. Let's just say... it's not about the kids being a bit overworked and needing some Prozac and Councelling help, it goes much deeper than that.

Want something to chill out and help you sleep?

In April 2000, a victim of habitual wife-beating shared her story and photos through the Internet, shedding light on the severity of inhumane violence in Korean homes. The perpetrator, who suffered from the delusion that his wife was unfaithful to him, had been torturing her in the most despicable way. He tied her up and thrashed her, poured boiling water on her body, disfigured her face with a knife, tortured her with electric shocks, pulled out her teeth with pliers, and stabbed her in the abdomen with a butcher knife. The Inchon branch of Korea Women's Hotline took charge of the case and launched an on-line signature collecting campaign. It collected a daily average of 1,000 signatures, succeeding in putting the eradication of domestic violence on the social agenda. Women groups had demanded that the perpetrator be charged with attempted murder, but the Inchon District Court sentenced the man to 15 years imprisonment for violence. This is the highest sentence that can be given for domestic violence that does not result in death.

"The problem we've had in this country," Ford said, "is there's been a real disconnect between what society says it wants and what individual customers say they want. Why? It's driven principally by low fuel prices."

Detroit News Article

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0510/18/C 01-352397.htm

Also read the other posts here about how the benefits packages of the Delphi employees are unreasonably large.

But hey, keep that sense of displaced anger going.

GM cut $3B of benefits to their employees PER YEAR with just some small concessions from the UAW. You say they give out that much money to the execs. I dare ask, do you think the high ups at GM make $3B/year, let alone the big loaf of bread this small slick of savings was cut from? Imagine how much concession they would have gotten if they actually went up against the union, like the NHL did.

I grew up in Flint, Michigan. Most families got their money from GM, many of them line workers. The pay scales were completely disproportionate to the actual job skills of the workers.

Various analysts estimate it can take up to 10 years for savings at the gas pump to equal the extra cash a hybrid costs.

It doesn't need to get to $6/gal. It's already relatively high. Thats good enough to force some change.

But the great news is this product is no longer needed. After all the FBI has put a stop to all of that: http://www.detnews.com/2005/technology/0510/16/B01 -349738.htm (For those that are easily confused, the comment was tongue in cheek)

They might want to think about stopping their cars from spontaneously bursting into flames while they're at it....

Discussing the imminent implosion of Delphi - union members are being asked to sacrifice 2/3 of their salaries or Delphi will most assuredly go bankrupt,

[UAW President Ron Gettelfinger] likely wouldn't acknowledge, however, that his union demanded "more, more, more" -- and often got it -- when its biggest employers increasingly could not afford it; that labor contracts that pay laid-off people to sit at home or bar plant closings are increasingly indefensible; that being the undisputed "gold standard" for industrial workers has long since priced UAW members out of a competitive market, enabling others to undercut the union almost at will.

Nor would a long procession of auto execs, many of them now reclining in the retired comfort of million-dollar homes far from gritty Detroit, admit that they succumbed to short-term expedience too often. Wooed by the "cooperative" union-management spirit of the '80s and '90s, they mistook labor peace for smart business decision-making and ceded control of vast portions of their companies to union leaders whose goals were antithetical to theirs.

Where were the leaders during this period? It was clear to anybody with an ounce of intelligence and reason that the deals being cut with the UAW were simply inappropriate - the people who drove this company into the ground should be held personally responsible for their errors, having been clearly incapable of running a business. Furthermore, the members of the board that appointed these people should be forever banned from holding any position of trust within any public corporation - private companies can, of course, hire anybody they want, but these people simply can't be trusted to have any say over anybody else's money. This is a prime example of the economic blight where people with no talent or ability can amass wealth and power beyond the dreams of regular people: a meritocracy this obviously ain't.

But this is fairly typical: unions ask for and management gives unreasonable packages on a regular basis. Eventually every single case will be marked by a significant correction and the unionized workers will usually end up the worse for wear. Consider the NHL action - all that fuss and the players ended up getting less than what had been initially offered. True, in some cases the unions might win, but it will always come back to bite them.

I am 100% in favor of unions on issues of workplace safety or reasonable hours and overtime. But demanding (and receiving) ... 95% of salary and full benefits when laid off in the case of the UAW? ... simply isn't a reasonable and prudent business decision. Yes, the top execs are greedy and often rather on the slow side. Even I could do a better job than many (though certainly not all) of them. But even though I may be accused of anti-people and a worshipper of the allmighty dollar the current situation at Delphi tends to show that I am in the right.

The main reason for the current oil crisis and price increases in the US was self induced by the oil companies and lack of seeing forward to meet demand, not the supply of actual crude oil. The oil companies have slowly dwindled down and consolidated crude oil refining capacity for almost 30 straight years to remain lean and mean (or by some opinions, to "limit" supply and force the price to go up). More to the point, there has not been a single refinery built in the last 30 years and many have been shut down, in fact, the US actually imports refined gas from other countries already. Now, any time there is ANY disruption in the supply of REFINED oil, the price jumps dramatically. Releasing oil from the stategic reserves or OPEC increasing production will not have any effect at all on the refining capacity, there is no main reserve of refined oil (with the exception of some heating oil in the north eastern US). There is a balancing act as to exactly what running refineries are actually producing, heating oil, kerosene, motor fuel ,diesel, and the various by-products that go with them. Being at refining capacity limits the total refined petroluem products that can come out the other end and shortages of one type or another will always occur.
Coming up soon will be the gas "shortages" and further price increases as various states switch over to the winter gas formula.
IMHO, this entire concept is a recipe for corruption and market distortion that can and has been playing out for years.

We're entering the biggest petroleum crisis in history
I don't know how old you are but the oil crisis in the mid 70's was far worse then what we have now.

Some links:
http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,16600216- 31037,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/27/bush.energy /
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20050901-090238-249 0r.htm
http://www.detnews.com/2005/editorial/0508/31/A12- 298216.htm

When someone asks/ridicules you, just say, "It's European!"

The Murse

In other words, if you disagree, how can you prove to me that America has aggressivley maintained or improved liberties since the civil rights movement?

Well for one it struck down state laws against sodomy in 2003.

City governments granted islamic mosques to sound calls to prayer in 2004.

I have three in my wallet, and use all three everyday without pulling them out; one is a Suica card for JR trains here in Tokyo, one is my company ID, and one is an Edy card (contactless cash/credit card). In Japan, this sort of technology has been in widespread use for years.

The people who are pushing this law are intending to reduce the amount of violent content in video games. However, the First Amendment currently prevents an outright ban. So, they make "adult" content less attractive to publishers, causing the amount of adult content to be reduced.

Since you've decided to be childish about this with your little logical fallacy nonsense, I'm forced to respond with documentation of the intention of Michigan Democrats toward Mature rated games. I'm not intending to convince you with this quote, since I think that you are one of the people who would be happy if M rated games were banned outright:

State Senate Democrats said Wednesday the maker of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" should recall the game and urged retailers to pull it from their shelves. Granholm sent a letter to nearly 60 retailers last week asking them to adopt a policy of not selling adult-rated games. -- Michigan Democrats call for removal of violent video game from shelves

Now, I'm tired of making the same argument over and over again to Christian liars who know what they want (games like GTA banned, for starters) and naifs who pretend that there is no political reality behind legislation that makes it a crime to sell GTA to a minor but not to sell Taxi Driver to the same minor. (Truthfully, I tend to believe no one who debates the issue is that naive, which means I include you among the liars. I don't know which is more insulting, would you rather be evil or stupid?) The penalty for violating this law is severe, it will have a chilling effect. The chilling effect is the intended purpose of this law, and the statements of the people behind it, who are full of hysterical outrage that these games even exist, is the proof:

"It is disgusting that these types of images are available," he said of the download that allows a player to see female characters naked, and shows a male and female character engaged in various graphic sexual positions. "It's pornography." -- Michigan Democrats call for removal of violent video game from shelves

The people who are pushing this law are intending to reduce the amount of violent content in video games. However, the First Amendment currently prevents an outright ban. So, they make "adult" content less attractive to publishers, causing the amount of adult content to be reduced.

Since you've decided to be childish about this with your little logical fallacy nonsense, I'm forced to respond with documentation of the intention of Michigan Democrats toward Mature rated games. I'm not intending to convince you with this quote, since I think that you are one of the people who would be happy if M rated games were banned outright:

State Senate Democrats said Wednesday the maker of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" should recall the game and urged retailers to pull it from their shelves. Granholm sent a letter to nearly 60 retailers last week asking them to adopt a policy of not selling adult-rated games. -- Michigan Democrats call for removal of violent video game from shelves

Now, I'm tired of making the same argument over and over again to Christian liars who know what they want (games like GTA banned, for starters) and naifs who pretend that there is no political reality behind legislation that makes it a crime to sell GTA to a minor but not to sell Taxi Driver to the same minor. (Truthfully, I tend to believe no one who debates the issue is that naive, which means I include you among the liars. I don't know which is more insulting, would you rather be evil or stupid?) The penalty for violating this law is severe, it will have a chilling effect. The chilling effect is the intended purpose of this law, and the statements of the people behind it, who are full of hysterical outrage that these games even exist, is the proof:

"It is disgusting that these types of images are available," he said of the download that allows a player to see female characters naked, and shows a male and female character engaged in various graphic sexual positions. "It's pornography." -- Michigan Democrats call for removal of violent video game from shelves

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0505/18/0 auto-186012.htm

The worst under GM's belt was Saturn with 136 in 100. Going back to 4th grade math, we see that if the greatest number is 136, there is no possible way that the average is 200.

Buick and Cadillac came in with 100 and 104, respectively. Toyota had 105.

If one is concerned about privacy, buy a more reliable vehicle than Toyota. Buick or Cadillac should work.

Repeatedly, in The Detroit News and in other media, the term "white flight" was used to describe the exodus that led to the city's white population decline from 1,545,847 in 1950 to 116,599 today, or 12.3 percent of Detroit's current population., which backs up White flight

"The loss of pedestrian-scale villages caused a loss of community connection. People no longer know their neighbors and rarely walk unless they place a high value on exercise."

"Although a few expensive items, such as pianos and sewing machines, had been sold on time before 1920, it was installment sales of automobiles during the twenties that established the purchasing of expensive consumer goods on credit as a middle-class habit and a mainstay of the American economy."

This is in addition to the economic dependence on foreign oil, environmental impact of pumping massive amount of CO2 into the air, and the health problems caused by these supposedly freedom loving people driving. The only "freedom" given by the car is being free to spend hours in gridlock because you choose to live far away enough from your job and think public transportation is for commoners. In very few instances is the car anything more than a glorified, highly visible status symbol.

As for it providing a life away from home and work, how exactly is it doing that, seeing as how nearly everywhere people drive to is a popular area, not Big Sur. Driving instead of taking the bus isn't freedom, it's laziness.

#1 Most popular light truck in America: Ford F150.
#2 Most popular light truck in America: Chevy Silverado
#1 Redheaded Step Child: Ford Ranger

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0507/31/D 01-264357.htm

So both the #1 and #2 most popular light trucks in America have lower fuel efficiency standards under Bush's proposal.

The Hummer H1 is well over CAFE standards since it is over 8500lbs. So is the H2, Ford Excursion, Chevy Suburban, . Interesting that the Excursion and the Suburban are both 8600 GVWR. Just 100 lbs over the max CAFE weight limit. What a coincidence!

The tax deduction is still foolish. Why depreciate vehicles over 6000lbs when practically any SUV now qualifies. This is not only corporate welfare for "small business" but corporate welfare for Ford, GM, and Chrysler. (BMW X5 GVWR: 6008lbs. 8 lbs over... what a coincidence!)

See, now it is not Bush's fault that the Gas Guzzler tax doesn't apply to SUVs but is his success that the new CAFE standards will include SUVs. I love how Bush gets to ride on successes but blows off failures as the fault of Congress.

Tax cuts worked great for Clinton, right?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5474580/
So Clinton owes it to Reagan, Johnson owes it to Kennedy, Reagan owes it to himeself, Ford to ?, Carter (WTF?). Oh yeah, monetary policy has nothing to do with the economy so let's totally discount this and the politically motivated monetary policy decisions under Carter because the Fed chairman was too much of a pussy to keep inflation under control.

I work in a *very* big company (can't say right now, in the office... but we're possibly the biggest on Earth by at least one metric)

Not hard to guess where.

Whoa, you weren't joking.

I think the term items was used because Yahoo's figure included pages, images, and multimedia. They made a claim about pages as well as items. The 20.8 billion figure was a combination of pages (19.2b), images (1.7b) and audio/video (50m) http://www.detnews.com/2005/technology/0508/12/0te ch-274198.htm

there are government subsidy programs for hybrids I believe.

Yeap, the energy bill that ended up on Bush's desk contains tax credits to consumers who buy hydrids. These credits range from $1,700 to $3,000. And I think some states offer tax credits as well.

That deduction is going down rapidly. That's for the early adopters. Check it here

Why does there always have to be a "policy" when it's clear that the invisible hand of higher prices adjusts demand automatically?

And, BTW, what does sunscreen have to do with this? Are you perhaps mixing up global warming and the ozone hole? I believe these are supposedly caused by two rather different human activities; CO2 emissions for global warming, and Freon for ozone depletion.

Homegrown Fuel Supply Helps Brazil Breathe Easy http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ethanol15jun 15,0,3313642.story?track=tothtml

Brazil's ethanol effort helping lead to oil self-sufficiency http://ethanolmarketplace.com/061705_news6.asp

Brazilian drivers love ethanol - Fuel costs half price of gasoline http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0408/27/e 03-254552.htm

Brazil embraces ethanol http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/06/26/bus iness/doc42bc788738c34906117023.txt

A technical explanation on potency, performance, etc - I leave it to you to Babelfish it. http://www.webmotors.com.br/wmpublicador/Reportage ns.vxlpub?hnid=33796

Shut up. You're being brainwashed. Again. Go vote for Baby Bush.

They have and and will continue to abstain until they are married ...

Even if your children abstain studies have shown that some children who receive only abstinence education and/or take the pledge to abstain in fact don't. Here's an article on one such study, Abstinence-only data released . This one is about a documentary made on comprehensive sex ed vs abstainance only, Documentary features sex ed debate . Google news has four links from different media sources on the document on the first page of results. Then there's this, Pediatricians Group Approves Policy Opposing Abstinence Education . Some children go so far as to pull a Bill Clinton saying they didn't know what they did was sex. Many instead of having intercourse, ie vaginal penetration with a penis, they have oral sex or anal penetration, which isn't "sex" to them.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/technology/0506/27/0te ch-229234.htm

detroit news, june 27 2005

"...This time around, a split-the-baby compromise is virtually impossible, both sides acknowledge. That's because the core difference lies with a single aspect of the disc -- a thin layer of plastic that sits just above the metal surface on which data is written. An HD DVD disc calls for a 0.6 millimeter coating, while a Blu-ray disc requires 0.1 millimeters.

While that doesn't seem like much, the half-millimeter gap amounts to a technological chasm. HD DVD's thicker coating is the same as current DVDs, which allows manufacturers to use existing disc stamping equipment to make the new discs. That gives HD DVD a significant cost advantage and more predictability about what those costs will be, backers say. HD DVD players can also rely on some of the same technology as conventional DVDs, making it easier to build players that can
handle both generations of disc.

That's an important feature, given how many conventional DVDs movie buffs already own, backers say.

Blu-ray's thinner coating requires all new manufacturing equipment, but it's the secret behind the disc's higher capacity. Because the laser travels through a thinner layer of resin, it's able to focus more sharply and write 67 percent more data onto the disc itself. "

http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0409/07/b 01-265187.htm

Old news... But they're also currently selling some big vans based on this vehicle to airports etc for shuttling people around.

Not a new idea though... some college kids did the same thing to a Gremlin in the 70's...

Questionable studies like Second-Hand Smoke Is Bad or Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day (does beer count?)

That should've been a clue that Michigan's "leaders" are clueless when it comes to technology and the costs involved. Now this. How in the hell does she plan on going after spammers? Will she end up attempting to convict someone who was a zombie spam host because she and the rest of Michigan's leadership are clueless?

Again, the intentions are good, but once again, not thought out at all.

Here she has an update written this month on some other ideas for protecting a mobile machine.

Kim Komando has a reference to several companies that do what you ask.

Dear Kim: I bought my son a laptop. Is there a way it can be tracked if it is stolen?

Dear Reader: Yes. There is software that works over the Internet to report the location of a stolen laptop. When a thief connects the laptop to the Internet, the software reports its location to a special Web site. CyberAngel (www.sentryinc.com, $60 annually), CompuTracePlus (www.computrace. com, $50 annually) and zTrace (www. ztrace.com, $50 annually) are three companies that offer laptop locator software and services.

For MACs you might also try LapCop which emails you when the computer "disappears."

In addition, as literally anything could be on the drive, encrypt it. The translation slowdown will be barely noticeable and will save you if your child decided to put your VISA card in plain text files. Also, while a hardware password may seem like a great idea, if someone does steal the machine, it will never call home because they cannot get past the password.

I would then add a real easy to use laptop lock. If it is hard to use, it will not be used. No one wants to try and grab eight books from the library while lugging around their laptop. So they set it down for "just a minute."

Finally, for the "team her to be responsible" crowd: a college is about the least secure environment to which we will ever expose ourselves. People are free to come and go in most dorms, doors are secure as your least responsible roommate. College is also where more growing up occurs. Lighten up.

This isn't the same thing, but an interesting precedent in Rhode Island, by which leasing companies can be held liable for the actions of the equipment that they lease but do not control.

http://www.detnews.com/2003/insiders/0305/27/autos -152652.htm

I love our litigious society...

That should've been a clue that Michigan's "leaders" are clueless when it comes to technology and the costs involved. Now this. How in the hell does she plan on going after spammers? Will she end up attempting to convict someone who was a zombie spam host because she and the rest of Michigan's leadership are clueless?

Again, the intentions are good, but once again, not thought out at all.

Wow, that is the saddest thing I've ever seen. Wait, what's even sadder is that it was marked "Insightful." I guess if you find complete and utter BS insightful, it makes complete sense.

I'm curious, what industrialized country is a threat to democracy? What exactly is the army protecting America from? The non-existant weapons of Afghanistan or Iraq? Hmm, maybe Korea though, right? But wait, the army isn't dealing with that. I get it. HOWEVER, do not misunderstand, in the past, I'd say the army was far more useful and effective. Right now, I do not see it being used legimately.

And the reason to make me post "And if you don't think islamofacism can spread to your back yard, read this: http://www.detnews.com/2005/oakland/0506/22/B04-22 3573.htm peace, out. "

Honestly, I read that article and it reeked off BS. First understand the god damned religion before you make ignorant statements. In Islam you aren't supposed to even have pre-marital activities with the other sex (e.g. dating) EVEN WITH OTHER MUSLIMS. So it makes no sense whatsoever. And EVEN IF IT WAS TRUE, are you saying that there aren't insane christians/jews/etc or better yet, satanists? No, no, let's suck up the media's utter BS and regurgitate it out on slashdot for the insightful marks. And nice way of showing your obvious bias "islamofacism", just tell, how much of the religion do you know before you let your mouth run betraying your naivity and ignorance?

Also, if you're basing your thoughts of a religion by extremists, that's just pathetic. Let's say all Buddhists and Christians are crazy but those are the primary religions in N Korea, alright? Seems logical.

Also, great facts. Everything on the internet is true; moreover, everything on the news is true too. Put together, that's some concrete evidence you have yourself there.

(I normally lurk on /. so I forgot my username/pw, but that post was just pathetic and rated up, so I had to post.)
"peace out."

It never ceases to amaze that a large majority of the people on this board have an innate aversion to serve the country that has provided them with the most freedom and liberty of ANY government in the history of man.

EVERY amercian owes a debt of gratitude to every soldier, sailor, airman, marine, and coast guardsman who serves or has served this country.

Without them, you wouldn't be sitting here on slashdot spouting your displaced self-loathing.

Only the last couple of generations of Americans are so self-involved that they cannot see the DUTY, the OBLIGATION for every American to repay the debt and serve at least a 2-year commitment their own country.

And if you don't think islamofacism can spread to your back yard, read this: http://www.detnews.com/2005/oakland/0506/22/B04-22 3573.htm peace, out.

It never ceases to amaze that a large majority of the people on this board have an innate aversion to serve the country that has provided them with the most freedom and liberty of ANY government in the history of man. EVERY amercian owes a debt of gratitude to every soldier, sailor, airman, marine, and coast guardsman who serves or has served this country. Without them, you wouldn't be sitting here on slashdot spouting your displaced self-loathing. Only the last couple of generations of Americans are so self-involved that they cannot see the DUTY, the OBLIGATION for every American to repay the debt and serve at least a 2-year commitment their own country. I am an 8-year (disabled, service-connected) veteran and I appreciate the experience, motivation and pride that came with my service. I am now a much more successful person because of what I learned while in the service of my country. As a result, my work shows more motivation and attention to detail than almost any of my co-workers, and employers DO take note of performance. Yes, there were times when what I was called upon to do had a very high "pucker factor". There were times that I almost lost life and limb. I am thankful that I didn't, but that doesn't mean that I should whine, cry or run away from the responsibility to ensure that the Grand Experiment lives on. By all means, hold hands, sing Cumbaya, but realize the necessity of the defense of our country. And if you don't think islamofacism can spread to your back yard, read this: http://www.detnews.com/2005/oakland/0506/22/B04-22 3573.htm peace, out.

The "free" Wifi project in Oakland county may come to an end before it even starts. http://www.detnews.com/2005/technology/0506/14/B04 -214447.htm

No, they aren't. In fact S&P and Fitch rating agencies have lowered Ford and GM to junk bond status to because sales have fallen 30 considerably.