"You could do better by going and casting an empty ballot. Or even putting down your own name for president. Or Crusty the Clown or Mickey Mouse. Or even a damned ficus tree would be a better action than choosing to not vote."
If we are going in for futile gestures, how about Cowboy Neal write-ins? It would be interesting to see just how far that could go...
Consider the stunning amount of bogus anti-Democrat spam, and returning the favor doesn't look bad at all. It would add some entertainment to the situation.
"He just destroyed the "Obama doesn't have the experience to lead" meme. "
VPs aren't viewed as "leaders" but as good will ambassadors and/or amusing sidekicks.
Mediocrity is no barrier at all to being VP (Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle, etc) because candidates for President don't want running mates who outshine them.
"If this is a war (which it's not), then the good guys are the American electorate regardless of party affiliation, and the bad guys are the career politicians."
I did say "without bullets"...
The electorate are the people who demand what they sometimes deride, and the career politicians give it to them because NOT to pander is a ticket to obscurity. That's how "bridges to nowhere" get built.
The politicians are willing to take the blame because while one side is "blaming" them the other side is re-electing them. Career politicians are perfectly adapted to give the voting public enough of what it wants (affirmation) to ensure their survival, much like a hooker who expresses admiration for her clients romantic skills.
The mass of people are passionate about their particular "lizards", and eagerly vilify their opponents lizard. There is no way to make stupid people smart, so while it may be a tad cynical the only alternative is use some to fight others. That is what is done, and even "alternative lizards" must and do play the same game.
"perhaps you should respect and educate your fellow citizens instead of deriding them and making it easier for the plutocracy to keep up the charade."
The plutocracy ARE also my "fellow" citizens, and much smarter and more capable than the human aphids they milk. Pointing this out is considered extremely bad taste, but it is still true. I'm better off looking for employment within the system than trying to stem it in behalf of a waterfall of retards many of who become enraged when it is pointed out how they are manipulated. If you doubt the rage bit, go tell Freepers (for example) that they are tools of the plutocracy...
"and if it was done the other way would you feel the same about it?"
(Dons flame suit.)
Sure. Politics is war without the shooting, and I'd have learned a new trick.
"Preventing people from casting legitimate votes, regardless of their political affiliation, race, religious background, or any other criteria covered under law, is both legally and morally irresponsible."
Hmm, choosing between the destiny of a nation or screwing over people who are ones enemies and dumb enough for a sucker play. If you are a Repub, you know the Dems are out to wreck much of what you hold dear, and the reverse is also true.
If you can manipulate the enemy, then do it. Your enemy is corrupt (true for both parties) so you should feel free to use corrupt methods if effective, unless the martyrdom of honest defeat is somehow more important than stolen victory. In a war without good guys, I'm fine with my side being effective bad guys.
I'd just swaddle the contents in a welding blanket, and design the vessel so the "welding shut" took place at a flange edge.
Better yet, just gasket the thing with a good automotive sealer and bolt together using anti-seize on the bolts. That way whoever digs it up doesn't have to cut it open and spew grinder sparks everywhere.
Hint: Build it like a hunk of pipeline. Flanges, bolts, all that stuff are common as dirt (and often buried therein for decades after assembly).
Since the vessel is being welded, one would assume with an inert gas involved (MIG or TIG process) tap that puppy for a pressure fitting and fill it with whatever argon etc. mix is being used. You'll have a better weld by purging it, which is a standard welding process.
It will probably (mostly) bleed off in 25 years, but a vacuum would allow nasties to be sucked IN vs keeping them out.
"Who cares. Marines have been killing folks at 1 km for a long time using scopes about the same size. Who needs facial recognition when you already know the target?"
Forget the "facial recognition" for a bit and consider the vision improvement. Making those shots easier under crappy conditions would improve sniper effectiveness and increase hit probability.
Laws should be enacted to require shredding of the entire machine (not just the hard disks, so none are left onboard) of computers containing sensitive data. Businesses cannot be trusted,so mechanisms should be put in place to control, monitor them for compliance, and punish breaches of trust.
"(Although at least it's culturally and climatically preferable to Dubai."
Dubai is actually pretty interesting, and one gets used to the heat. No worse than Arizona IMO.
The little Gulf states suck much less than KSA,for example. I'd be willing to work there if I were single, and civilians (well, Western, as opposed to the Indian subcontinent labor force) would presumably have more fun than I did during Desert Shield.
"Marketing, being a politically correct word for propaganda, which is in its essence about domination of the individual through psychology, well, it's antithetical to the values of an anarcho-communist."
So sayeth the GNU zealot anarcho-communist propaganda, but GNU would be Gnowhere without the zealotry of its propagandists. That's not a bad thing, but let's not pretend that propaganda has not been key to Gnu adoption.
Slashdot Mirror
"You could do better by going and casting an empty ballot. Or even putting down your own name for president. Or Crusty the Clown or Mickey Mouse. Or even a damned ficus tree would be a better action than choosing to not vote."
If we are going in for futile gestures, how about Cowboy Neal write-ins? It would be interesting to see just how far that could go...
Consider the stunning amount of bogus anti-Democrat spam, and returning the favor doesn't look bad at all. It would add some entertainment to the situation.
"He just destroyed the "Obama doesn't have the experience to lead" meme. "
VPs aren't viewed as "leaders" but as good will ambassadors and/or amusing sidekicks.
Mediocrity is no barrier at all to being VP (Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle, etc) because candidates for President don't want running mates who outshine them.
"If this is a war (which it's not), then the good guys are the American electorate regardless of party affiliation, and the bad guys are the career politicians."
I did say "without bullets"...
The electorate are the people who demand what they sometimes deride, and the career politicians give it to them because NOT to pander is a ticket to obscurity. That's how "bridges to nowhere" get built.
The politicians are willing to take the blame because while one side is "blaming" them the other side is re-electing them. Career politicians are perfectly adapted to give the voting public enough of what it wants (affirmation) to ensure their survival, much like a hooker who expresses admiration for her clients romantic skills.
The mass of people are passionate about their particular "lizards", and eagerly vilify their opponents lizard. There is no way to make stupid people smart, so while it may be a tad cynical the only alternative is use some to fight others. That is what is done, and even "alternative lizards" must and do play the same game.
"perhaps you should respect and educate your fellow citizens instead of deriding them and making it easier for the plutocracy to keep up the charade."
The plutocracy ARE also my "fellow" citizens, and much smarter and more capable than the human aphids they milk. Pointing this out is considered extremely bad taste, but it is still true. I'm better off looking for employment within the system than trying to stem it in behalf of a waterfall of retards many of who become enraged when it is pointed out how they are manipulated. If you doubt the rage bit, go tell Freepers (for example) that they are tools of the plutocracy...
"and if it was done the other way would you feel the same about it?"
(Dons flame suit.)
Sure. Politics is war without the shooting, and I'd have learned a new trick.
"Preventing people from casting legitimate votes, regardless of their political affiliation, race, religious background, or any other criteria covered under law, is both legally and morally irresponsible."
Hmm, choosing between the destiny of a nation or screwing over people who are ones enemies and dumb enough for a sucker play. If you are a Repub, you know the Dems are out to wreck much of what you hold dear, and the reverse is also true.
If you can manipulate the enemy, then do it. Your enemy is corrupt (true for both parties) so you should feel free to use corrupt methods if effective, unless the martyrdom of honest defeat is somehow more important than stolen victory. In a war without good guys, I'm fine with my side being effective bad guys.
"I once tried BGInfo but even that was a black background with green text."
Black text would have been much less obtrusive.
"Let the room overheat and replace all the computing hardware. So what if you're down for a week?"
Don't forget the BOFH option. :)
Back everything up.
Wait until meltdown, then be the hero for restoring the new systems.
"If I'm ever going to have to engineer something I'd like you on the team :)"
Thank you for the compliment!
I'm always interested in cool projects, and may be found
on the Shop Floor Talk forums as monckywrench (note the spelling).
I'd just swaddle the contents in a welding blanket, and design the vessel so the "welding shut" took place at a flange edge.
Better yet, just gasket the thing with a good automotive sealer and bolt together using anti-seize on the bolts. That way whoever digs it up doesn't have to cut it open and spew grinder sparks everywhere.
Hint: Build it like a hunk of pipeline. Flanges, bolts, all that stuff are common as dirt (and often buried therein for decades after assembly).
"I am so sick of a Congress more concerned about piss ant groups, having to many to satisfy, that we get the shaft."
I'M a piss ant, you insensitive clod!
"A good porn torrent (or even a bad one) is like something out of a De Beers commercial: those torrents *really* last forever."
So do the bad ones.
Pity the poor historian stuck studying hours of Ron Jeremy films looking for data.
"And evacuate the vessel."
Since the vessel is being welded, one would assume with an inert gas involved (MIG or TIG process) tap that puppy for a pressure fitting and fill it with whatever argon etc. mix is being used. You'll have a better weld by purging it, which is a standard welding process.
It will probably (mostly) bleed off in 25 years, but a vacuum would allow nasties to be sucked IN vs keeping them out.
"Though, I want to see the look on the Best Buy Employee's face when you go to return a video card that has been sitting in this goop."
Just tell him it got that way when you were watching Golden Girls videos...
"Who cares. Marines have been killing folks at 1 km for a long time using scopes about the same size. Who needs facial recognition when you already know the target?"
Forget the "facial recognition" for a bit and consider the vision improvement. Making those shots easier under crappy conditions would improve sniper effectiveness and increase hit probability.
"I suggested physically destroying the disks."
Good you.
Laws should be enacted to require shredding of the entire machine (not just the hard disks, so none are left onboard) of computers containing sensitive data. Businesses cannot be trusted,so mechanisms should be put in place to control, monitor them for compliance, and punish breaches of trust.
"Poor science in my opinion."
There goes my dream of food, clothing, sex, and navigational assistance from the same creature...
"The Homo sapiens bought out the Neanderthals tools and buried them, thus ensuring the success of Homo sapien tools."
No, our ancestors went to the overburdened Neanderthal Patent Office, "proved" prior art, and sued the Neanderthals into extinction.
"(Although at least it's culturally and climatically preferable to Dubai."
Dubai is actually pretty interesting, and one gets used to the heat. No worse than Arizona IMO.
The little Gulf states suck much less than KSA,for example. I'd be willing to work there if I were single, and civilians (well, Western, as opposed to the Indian subcontinent labor force) would presumably have more fun than I did during Desert Shield.
"Aicraft are tender thin and soft?
Speaking as an experienced aircraft mechanic, not only that, but they have a certain pleasant smell of fuel and....lubricant.
JP-4 was nicer, but I can deal with JP-8 since I grew up in New Jersey.
"Then let me submit the Ars System Guide ... every time they update it!"
The updates and accompanying forum comments are good reasons to visit the site. :)
"Marketing, being a politically correct word for propaganda, which is in its essence about domination of the individual through psychology, well, it's antithetical to the values of an anarcho-communist."
So sayeth the GNU zealot anarcho-communist propaganda, but GNU would be Gnowhere without the zealotry of its propagandists. That's not a bad thing, but let's not pretend that propaganda has not been key to Gnu adoption.
Propaganda need not be falsehood, BTW.
"It's not the name that'd make me embarrassed to recommend GIMP."
It doesn't help.
Really, the RELENTLESS insistence on cute/stupid names is not helpful.
I shouldn't have to waste time explaining the fucktarded name before explaining the software, so I don't bother with either.
A "gimp" is a cripple, by the way.
"2. A dogmatic belief that abstaining from using proprietary software will cause the development of free replacements."
Akin to a dogmatic belief that not paying for pussy will get you laid.
"How can a candidate running on a base of "change" justify picking a VP who has been in DC for 30+ years?"
Change is frightening, so only safe, predictable non-changey change is OK.
Don't think of Biden as a candidate, think of him as effective insurance President Obama will not be assassinated.
"I guess I will have to stop eating LEDs, at least while in California."
I hope insertion is still safe!