The governments of small midwestern states have been pimping out their citizens to businesses as people who will work long and hard without complaining for minimum wage and few benefits. They turn around and tell those citizens they are working hard to bring quality, high-paying jobs.
The citizens of these states, especially the "young" people between 18 and 35, have figured this out and are turning their backs on the government of their homes. The past decade has been characterized by a massive outmigration from rural states to Top 50 metropolises. It's a literal brain drain for the communities they leave.
The community in which I live has a special economic development fund that has been an unmitigated disaster, taking tax dollars from our sales tax and giving it to companies who promise to bring in a certain amount of new jobs. There has been, in practice, no accountability and the jobs have sucked. Firms have closed overnight, taking millions of tax dollars with them and leaving hundreds of citizens unemployed with back pay due they'll never see.
The largest employers in this village of ~40,000 people are (besides the air force base, hospital and school district) a technical help desk contractor, a hotel reservation phone pool, a airline reservation phone pool, an insurance agency phone pool, and an adult vocational training center. Despite the "success" of most of these businesses starting within the last 5 years, the median wage has stayed flat at around $25,000.
There are some bright spots. A home that costs ~$150,000 dollars here would set you back ~$2,000,000 in Silicon Valley. Our arts culture here is very strong thanks to the local university, including our excellent volunteer symphony orchestra. I guess that's about it.
Crime isn't low because of the meth epidemic. I have a buddy on the county's drug enforcement squad and the stories he can tell would make for a terrific Al Pacino movie. Except for our housing costs, our cost of living is comparable to the rest of the nation but the fresh produce isn't as fresh nor as diverse.
Now a Super Wal*Mart is scheduled to open next year and our "civic leaders" are touting this as another economic development success. The truth is the citizens are tired of working two or three jobs to get in 40 hours a week and enough of a paycheck to support three kids in their 70's era trailer or trashy $600/month apartment.
I'm lucky to have a great federal government job as a systems administrator. My wife is a dental hygienist with an almost unbelievably fantastic work and pay schedule. We are very lucky.
But to those who would pimp out my neighbors or "outsource" more shitty jobs to communities like this I say go to hell. If the Indians or Chinese or Mexicans will take this shit they are welcome to it. That's not flamebait or nationalism or anything of the sort. It's the truth.
License the Steam technology and platform from Valve and use it to distribute the other games in your library. That way you gain the benefits of an electronic distribution channel without having to do the blood and sweat part yourself and you reward one of your forward-thinking business partners.
Or you can sue said customer and make yourself look like the idiotic, money grubbing, fear-mongering institutions of the MPAA and RIAA, which are locked in the past despite all signs customer preferences are pointing the other way. Oh, that's right. Universal is a RIAA member. No wonder.
This is what you get when crotchety septegenarians managing a confused, out of focus multinational try to sell entertainment "to the kids". Heavy handed, out of touch business practices that alienate more people than they are trying to attract.
The Sandisk Wi-Fi SD card has a retail price of $109.99 and only works with the Zire 71. The Zire 71 was discontinued before the Wi-Fi card was released.
The announced product has a list price just $20 more and is supposed to work with the Zire 72 and Tungsten T3. The 72 and T3 are both current models you can actually buy.
I bought my T3 because of the screen, which can extend from 320x320 to 320x480 as well as rotate from portrait to standard; the bluetooth which lets me hotsync wirelessly with my computers and cell phone and transfer with other Palms more reliably than through IR; the Palm OS 5 which is absolutely the best PIM in a PDA bar none; and the promise of a Wi-Fi card coming soon - an annoyance two years ago but absolutely a joke now.
Wi-Fi should have been built into the T3 from the start -- they should release a T4 that does. The Tungsten C has Wi-Fi built into it but has a stupid thumb keyboard, a 320x320 screen that doesn't extend or rotate, and it lacks bluetooth and voice memos. Yet despite missing all that it costs the same as a T3. Ridiculous.
I love my T3: it is a constant companion I refer to constantly and the best PDA I've owned (and I have owned many, many PDAs). But the constant promise-delay, promise-delay cycle has tarnished its and Palm's reputation.
The book has a section on MusicMatch because the book is comprehensive in its covering of/all/ things iPod.
That's not to say ipodlounge.com and the other in-depth ipod fan sites aren't useful resources. But this book is at least those sites' peer in terms of useful information.
You statement makes no logical sense. You are arguing the exact opposite of the findings.
Starbucks and other gourmet houses use arabica beans. They are also dark roasted. So by your statement they should have less caffeine. The report states the exact opposite of your hypothesis.
A can of Maxwell House, by contrast, is floor sweepings of robusta and the standard roast is very light. So again, by your argument, Maxwell House should be a caffeine bomb; but that is not what the report found.
The material consists of a lattice of onionlike spheres in which the particle core and its layers each contain a different dye. The material can hold four or more pieces of information in one spot--not just two as in binary optical data storage. And it opens a door to
Dude! Man! I had this crazy idea! Like, we take this, like, lattice!! And then we, like, totally, make the lattice look like an onion!
Yeah!
Then, no.., Wait. I SAID WAIT!!!
Ok, yeah, I'm chillin' again... Sorry bro.
We take each layer and color that layer a separate color with a dye. Like, I'm trippin' now, but imagine the trip then. Whoa....
But that's not the coolest part. The coolest part is this -- instead of two bits, wait for it, wait... -- it holds FOUR!!! Awesome!!!
Yeah!
What? Whazat? I said what? Whatever, pass the refer, narc.
We have used Gateway systems at our company for the past five years.
The past two years have been excellent with them. If you order a hundred systems, they'll be identical so you can image and deploy them easily. They have inexpensive long-term warranties and tech-support that will help you out when you have a complex problem. I've had them send me a better monitor when one of theirs burned out. It was there the next day, even before I'd packed up the old one to ship back.
Their cases are nice to work in now. Completely toolless to install cards and drives. The edges are rounded so no more coming out of an upgrade missing a finger tip.
We even have a few Gateway servers now and we've been very happy with them. Absolutely no problems.
I've always liked their laptops better than Dell, Compaq, HP, or Toshiba.
Yes, the first three years they weren't very fun to work with. You'd order a hundred and you'd get three different video cards, four different network cards, different motherboards, in any given machine. That's a huge pain in the ass when you are trying to image and deploy those in a corporate environment.
Don't even get me started on their "if you open the case or install any software you've voided the warranty" bullshit during those few years.
But that's turned around. They are a good computer company, and an antidote to the Dell hegemony in the PC world.
Here are two great calculus books. They are not free, but they are not expensive, they are easy to read, and you will learn much from them.
A Tour of the Calculus by David Berlinski, about $10 at Amazon. You won't learn how to perform calculus from this, but it gives a historicaly overview of what the calculus is and why it is important. Some people complain the language is too "flowery" but I think it is very readable, even engaging, and a very nice contrast to typically dry textbooks.
Calculus Made Easy by Silvanus P. Thompson and Martin Gardner, about $25 at Amazon. I recommend every Calc I student buy this and use it alongside their asigned text. Thompson originally published this in 1910 and Gardner updated and revised it in 1998. It has stood the test of time and sold millions of copies. It makes calculus easy with lucid commentary, relevant exercises, and a lack of the formality that often obscures other textbooks. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
I was a PC repairman for many years. I say from experience that all those software diagnostics suck.
Microscope from Micro2000 is actually the best of the bunch, but that's not saying much. If your computer won't even post, non of these tools will do you any good. (They do have some good training materials for those wanting an A+ or N+ COMPTIA cert.)
The PCI cards that display diagnostic codes are better than the software in those cases. They still aren't very helpful though. Basically they will tell you there is a problem with the memory, or the parallel port, etc., but they won't tell you exactly what's wrong so they aren't of much use either.
Here's my advice: 1. Get the power supply tester from PC Power & Cooling. It's $20, and in my experience most of the time the reason a computer won't even post is because the cheapass power supply that came with the case died. 2. Carry a bunch of known good parts: an AGP and a PCI video card you know work, a PCI network card and PCI modem, some known good RAM (PC 100 and DDR), and a good hard drive. Ideally, these are all in a fully working computer you've brought to the site so you can swap between the working computer and the not-working computer and narrow down the problem. Resist the temptation to fix the system with your known good parts; make them buy new, name-brand components with a warranty. 3. Bring a USB keyboard and mouse. I've seen lots of 3+ year old computers have their PS/2 connections short out or stop working but their USB ports are just fine. They can solve input problems. 4. Have a Knoppix CD in your kit. The linux forensic toolkit can be of great use recovering files and finding problems.
I'd rather have 1 good hardcover than 4 good paperbacks.
I have a number of paperback books that I've read only twice that are falling apart. My hardcover's are nowhere close to even showing wear after three or more readings.
What "less expensive Logitech set"? There are two desktop sets, the Cordless Desktop MX for BT and the DiNovo. The first one costs about 200 Euros, the second about 300...
I think you answered your own question. I was trying to conserve my typing while trusting in your intelligence to figure it out. The Logitech(R) Cordless Desktop(R) MX(TM) for Bluetooth(R) is less expensive than the Logitech(R) diNovo Media Desktop(TM).
Shiny thingie, should be in all retails packs
Ha. Funny. What witty condescension.
Of course I installed the software. Why would I expect it to work if I didn't follow the instructions they provided? (That's a rhetorical question, you don't have to answer.)
After spending more time than it was worth fighting with the devices, their software, and the Logitech tech support I came to the conclusion that it doesn't work as advertised. I shared my personal experience. YMMV.
I have to guess that you're on one of the teams that developed this disappointing device by the way you took my comments personally. Chill out.
I found out the bluetooth that comes with the less expensive Logitech set and the Microsoft set can hardly be called bluetooth.
The adapters only work with the keyboards and mice, so forget using them with your Palm T3 pda or your Ericsson T68i cellphone or your HP printer. They also don't work with your own existing bluetooth adapter.
Also, the Microsoft set has a host of problems that will have you throwing it against the wall within the first week of ownership. Google on the model name and you'll find the details.
I can't speak on the expensive Logitech set because I haven't tried it.
You know those sweet looking cars you see in auto show reports? Those one-offs designed to get people excited about the manufacturer and looking at its other models? Ever try to buy one? They're frickin' expensive. A concept of a $15,000 vehicle will set you back six figures.
That's what this case is, a concept. It's a limited run designed to get the money of early adopters, get people excited about the manufacturer and looking at its other products, and test the market viability of such a product.
It's very cool, I want one but can't afford one, have looked over their other products (well-priced nice stuff and I'll probably get one of their quiet CPU HSFs), and look forward to this case hitting the $100-$200 price range where I'll be able to afford it.
As far as Zalman is concerned with me, they have a success in a $1400 case. Crazy, huh?
Slashdot Mirror
How much would it cost to start up a small newspaper with a real press and newspaper paper? Like if I wanted to make 1000 copies a week or day?
It seems it should be pretty cheap, like cheaper than a computer and a laser printer.
Who makes real printing presses any more?
The governments of small midwestern states have been pimping out their citizens to businesses as people who will work long and hard without complaining for minimum wage and few benefits. They turn around and tell those citizens they are working hard to bring quality, high-paying jobs.
The citizens of these states, especially the "young" people between 18 and 35, have figured this out and are turning their backs on the government of their homes. The past decade has been characterized by a massive outmigration from rural states to Top 50 metropolises. It's a literal brain drain for the communities they leave.
The community in which I live has a special economic development fund that has been an unmitigated disaster, taking tax dollars from our sales tax and giving it to companies who promise to bring in a certain amount of new jobs. There has been, in practice, no accountability and the jobs have sucked. Firms have closed overnight, taking millions of tax dollars with them and leaving hundreds of citizens unemployed with back pay due they'll never see.
The largest employers in this village of ~40,000 people are (besides the air force base, hospital and school district) a technical help desk contractor, a hotel reservation phone pool, a airline reservation phone pool, an insurance agency phone pool, and an adult vocational training center. Despite the "success" of most of these businesses starting within the last 5 years, the median wage has stayed flat at around $25,000.
There are some bright spots. A home that costs ~$150,000 dollars here would set you back ~$2,000,000 in Silicon Valley. Our arts culture here is very strong thanks to the local university, including our excellent volunteer symphony orchestra. I guess that's about it.
Crime isn't low because of the meth epidemic. I have a buddy on the county's drug enforcement squad and the stories he can tell would make for a terrific Al Pacino movie. Except for our housing costs, our cost of living is comparable to the rest of the nation but the fresh produce isn't as fresh nor as diverse.
Now a Super Wal*Mart is scheduled to open next year and our "civic leaders" are touting this as another economic development success. The truth is the citizens are tired of working two or three jobs to get in 40 hours a week and enough of a paycheck to support three kids in their 70's era trailer or trashy $600/month apartment.
I'm lucky to have a great federal government job as a systems administrator. My wife is a dental hygienist with an almost unbelievably fantastic work and pay schedule. We are very lucky.
But to those who would pimp out my neighbors or "outsource" more shitty jobs to communities like this I say go to hell. If the Indians or Chinese or Mexicans will take this shit they are welcome to it. That's not flamebait or nationalism or anything of the sort. It's the truth.
Yeah, and going further, I'm a big fan of BAPP.
That's OpenBSD with Apache, PostgreSQL, and Python from OpenBSD's packages repository. Fast, secure, and correct.
Hey Vivendi Universal:
License the Steam technology and platform from Valve and use it to distribute the other games in your library. That way you gain the benefits of an electronic distribution channel without having to do the blood and sweat part yourself and you reward one of your forward-thinking business partners.
Or you can sue said customer and make yourself look like the idiotic, money grubbing, fear-mongering institutions of the MPAA and RIAA, which are locked in the past despite all signs customer preferences are pointing the other way. Oh, that's right. Universal is a RIAA member. No wonder.
This is what you get when crotchety septegenarians managing a confused, out of focus multinational try to sell entertainment "to the kids". Heavy handed, out of touch business practices that alienate more people than they are trying to attract.
So when exactly did Slashdot jump the shark? Is there a specific date or story we can point to?
I mean, with every other story being press release, blog spam, or a rehash of the most recent issue of Wired what is the point of this place.
It's been bad for awhile, but it seems in the past month, month and a half it's just crossed the line to ridiculousness.
IMHO.
Yes, they are. Not certain of the standard though, so I don't know how difficult it is to brute force.
Also, bluetooth uses frequency hopping making it even more difficult to intercept a transmission.
Could you please supply the make and model of the bluetooth router? How's your experience with it?
I'm a very interested in such a device.
-1, Ignorant.
The Sandisk Wi-Fi SD card has a retail price of $109.99 and only works with the Zire 71. The Zire 71 was discontinued before the Wi-Fi card was released.
The announced product has a list price just $20 more and is supposed to work with the Zire 72 and Tungsten T3. The 72 and T3 are both current models you can actually buy.
I bought my T3 because of the screen, which can extend from 320x320 to 320x480 as well as rotate from portrait to standard; the bluetooth which lets me hotsync wirelessly with my computers and cell phone and transfer with other Palms more reliably than through IR; the Palm OS 5 which is absolutely the best PIM in a PDA bar none; and the promise of a Wi-Fi card coming soon - an annoyance two years ago but absolutely a joke now.
Wi-Fi should have been built into the T3 from the start -- they should release a T4 that does. The Tungsten C has Wi-Fi built into it but has a stupid thumb keyboard, a 320x320 screen that doesn't extend or rotate, and it lacks bluetooth and voice memos. Yet despite missing all that it costs the same as a T3. Ridiculous.
I love my T3: it is a constant companion I refer to constantly and the best PDA I've owned (and I have owned many, many PDAs). But the constant promise-delay, promise-delay cycle has tarnished its and Palm's reputation.
* Does not detract potential revenue away from Odeon itself. .. I can't think what they're smoking.
Customers couldn't book tickets on the copycat site at all. The can on the official site when using Internet Explorer.
So yes, the "accessible" site is detracting potential revenue away from Odeon.
Regards,
foo fighter
What are the best (insightful, informative, funny) sites out there for the latest happenings in the chess world?
Esquire is much better than GQ. Check it out. They are both from the same publisher, but Esquire a more mature, style-oriented, long-term outlook.
GQ looks like its designed by design school dropouts on meth. I just can't read it anymore. And it's fashion spreads are routinely ridiculous.
There will always be a case for having a physical copy of information in your hands rather than depending on other sources.
You are wrong.
/all/ things iPod.
The book has a section on MusicMatch because the book is comprehensive in its covering of
That's not to say ipodlounge.com and the other in-depth ipod fan sites aren't useful resources. But this book is at least those sites' peer in terms of useful information.
Does the length of each line signify anything, or is it an arbitrary design element?
Actionscript is way over to the right, Fortran stops around 2003, but C and C++ seem to have died around 2001. Sup wit dat?
Secure Harddisk Eraser is worthless unless you have a single IDE drive attached directly to your motherboard via ATA.
If you have more than one IDE drive attached to the motherboard it won't work correctly.
If you have SATA drives it doesn't work.
If you have SCSI it doesn't work.
If you have an IDE expansion card on your PCI bus, RAID or plain jane, it doesn't work.
It's a pretty shite program, even for being free.
You statement makes no logical sense. You are arguing the exact opposite of the findings.
Starbucks and other gourmet houses use arabica beans. They are also dark roasted. So by your statement they should have less caffeine. The report states the exact opposite of your hypothesis.
A can of Maxwell House, by contrast, is floor sweepings of robusta and the standard roast is very light. So again, by your argument, Maxwell House should be a caffeine bomb; but that is not what the report found.
We who are about to be rooted salute you!
The material consists of a lattice of onionlike spheres in which the particle core and its layers each contain a different dye. The material can hold four or more pieces of information in one spot--not just two as in binary optical data storage. And it opens a door to
Dude! Man! I had this crazy idea! Like, we take this, like, lattice!! And then we, like, totally, make the lattice look like an onion!
Yeah!
Then, no.., Wait. I SAID WAIT!!!
Ok, yeah, I'm chillin' again... Sorry bro.
We take each layer and color that layer a separate color with a dye. Like, I'm trippin' now, but imagine the trip then. Whoa....
But that's not the coolest part. The coolest part is this -- instead of two bits, wait for it, wait... -- it holds FOUR!!! Awesome!!!
Yeah!
What? Whazat? I said what? Whatever, pass the refer, narc.
Jeebus.
We have used Gateway systems at our company for the past five years.
The past two years have been excellent with them. If you order a hundred systems, they'll be identical so you can image and deploy them easily. They have inexpensive long-term warranties and tech-support that will help you out when you have a complex problem. I've had them send me a better monitor when one of theirs burned out. It was there the next day, even before I'd packed up the old one to ship back.
Their cases are nice to work in now. Completely toolless to install cards and drives. The edges are rounded so no more coming out of an upgrade missing a finger tip.
We even have a few Gateway servers now and we've been very happy with them. Absolutely no problems.
I've always liked their laptops better than Dell, Compaq, HP, or Toshiba.
Yes, the first three years they weren't very fun to work with. You'd order a hundred and you'd get three different video cards, four different network cards, different motherboards, in any given machine. That's a huge pain in the ass when you are trying to image and deploy those in a corporate environment.
Don't even get me started on their "if you open the case or install any software you've voided the warranty" bullshit during those few years.
But that's turned around. They are a good computer company, and an antidote to the Dell hegemony in the PC world.
Here are two great calculus books. They are not free, but they are not expensive, they are easy to read, and you will learn much from them.
A Tour of the Calculus by David Berlinski, about $10 at Amazon.
You won't learn how to perform calculus from this, but it gives a historicaly overview of what the calculus is and why it is important. Some people complain the language is too "flowery" but I think it is very readable, even engaging, and a very nice contrast to typically dry textbooks.
Calculus Made Easy by Silvanus P. Thompson and Martin Gardner, about $25 at Amazon.
I recommend every Calc I student buy this and use it alongside their asigned text. Thompson originally published this in 1910 and Gardner updated and revised it in 1998. It has stood the test of time and sold millions of copies. It makes calculus easy with lucid commentary, relevant exercises, and a lack of the formality that often obscures other textbooks. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
I was a PC repairman for many years. I say from experience that all those software diagnostics suck.
Microscope from Micro2000 is actually the best of the bunch, but that's not saying much. If your computer won't even post, non of these tools will do you any good. (They do have some good training materials for those wanting an A+ or N+ COMPTIA cert.)
The PCI cards that display diagnostic codes are better than the software in those cases. They still aren't very helpful though. Basically they will tell you there is a problem with the memory, or the parallel port, etc., but they won't tell you exactly what's wrong so they aren't of much use either.
Here's my advice:
1. Get the power supply tester from PC Power & Cooling. It's $20, and in my experience most of the time the reason a computer won't even post is because the cheapass power supply that came with the case died.
2. Carry a bunch of known good parts: an AGP and a PCI video card you know work, a PCI network card and PCI modem, some known good RAM (PC 100 and DDR), and a good hard drive. Ideally, these are all in a fully working computer you've brought to the site so you can swap between the working computer and the not-working computer and narrow down the problem. Resist the temptation to fix the system with your known good parts; make them buy new, name-brand components with a warranty.
3. Bring a USB keyboard and mouse. I've seen lots of 3+ year old computers have their PS/2 connections short out or stop working but their USB ports are just fine. They can solve input problems.
4. Have a Knoppix CD in your kit. The linux forensic toolkit can be of great use recovering files and finding problems.
I'd rather have 1 good hardcover than 4 good paperbacks.
I have a number of paperback books that I've read only twice that are falling apart. My hardcover's are nowhere close to even showing wear after three or more readings.
Hardcover's just "feel" nicer to read also.
IMHO, of course.
What "less expensive Logitech set"? There are two desktop sets, the Cordless Desktop MX for BT and the DiNovo. The first one costs about 200 Euros, the second about 300 ...
I think you answered your own question. I was trying to conserve my typing while trusting in your intelligence to figure it out. The Logitech(R) Cordless Desktop(R) MX(TM) for Bluetooth(R) is less expensive than the Logitech(R) diNovo Media Desktop(TM).
Shiny thingie, should be in all retails packs
Ha. Funny. What witty condescension.
Of course I installed the software. Why would I expect it to work if I didn't follow the instructions they provided? (That's a rhetorical question, you don't have to answer.)
After spending more time than it was worth fighting with the devices, their software, and the Logitech tech support I came to the conclusion that it doesn't work as advertised. I shared my personal experience. YMMV.
I have to guess that you're on one of the teams that developed this disappointing device by the way you took my comments personally. Chill out.
I found out the bluetooth that comes with the less expensive Logitech set and the Microsoft set can hardly be called bluetooth.
The adapters only work with the keyboards and mice, so forget using them with your Palm T3 pda or your Ericsson T68i cellphone or your HP printer. They also don't work with your own existing bluetooth adapter.
Also, the Microsoft set has a host of problems that will have you throwing it against the wall within the first week of ownership. Google on the model name and you'll find the details.
I can't speak on the expensive Logitech set because I haven't tried it.
You know those sweet looking cars you see in auto show reports? Those one-offs designed to get people excited about the manufacturer and looking at its other models? Ever try to buy one? They're frickin' expensive. A concept of a $15,000 vehicle will set you back six figures.
That's what this case is, a concept. It's a limited run designed to get the money of early adopters, get people excited about the manufacturer and looking at its other products, and test the market viability of such a product.
It's very cool, I want one but can't afford one, have looked over their other products (well-priced nice stuff and I'll probably get one of their quiet CPU HSFs), and look forward to this case hitting the $100-$200 price range where I'll be able to afford it.
As far as Zalman is concerned with me, they have a success in a $1400 case. Crazy, huh?