Faith is the basis for any knowledge as we know very little a priori. That's not a bad thing, just a fact. Science, by it's very nature, continuously disproves it's theories on a regular basis. In that sense, it is always shifting. The Bible, in contrast, is a solid truth that never changes.
As science shifts, it will at times "prove" the Bible and then subsequently "disprove" the Bible. I just like to point out the times when science says that the Bible is definately wrong on one point only to come back years later and say that it was right. I don't ever believe the so-called evidence one way or the other.
Once again, the Bible was right. Sadly, science doesn't even agree with itself, so there are many who are going to disagree. Personally, I don't find this "evidence" to be particularly compeling, but then I'm no longer the blind faith in science type. Science will never prove anything conclusively because it's a game where they continually move the goal posts.
It boils down to this: God made chickens and those chickens laid eggs. If you believe in macro evolution (I do not), then it's just a type of heap paradox, and therefore subjective.
This all sounds like a great idea, but from what I've gathered, the mass isn't really solid enough to make anything out of it. The logical conclusion is that we need more plastic.
As a general rule, I have tended to throw my plastic into landfills. I figure that, if time lasts long enough, someday they may provide us with (potentially kid-friendly and bouncy) mountains. However, seeing that science has granted us this new frontier, I suppose that I should be throwing my plastic out to sea.
I completely agree that SVG is a great standard that should be preserved and used more often. However, functionality takes a back seat to status qou and corporate sponsorship. Browsers and viewers tend to spend more energy supporting what people already use unless they see corporations pushing some new flashy thing, at which point they will support that too. People tend to only use those things which are well supported.
It's really a chicken vs. egg problem. There may be the occasional technology that finds its place before being well implemented, however, it seems that most of the new technology that will get pushed is that with commercial backing. Another great idea that hasn't seen any support is WAI-ARIA. Most people see the audio browsing as something only for the handicapped and thus unmarketable. However, it doesn't take much imagination to see how web browsing (especially mobile browsing) could be revolutionised by this technology. Until it seems trendy, it won't go anywhere.
No government really welcomes free speech. Some may claim that they do, but actions speak louder than words. The only interest that a government has in free communication is when they have a firm grip over it's contents. It just happens that the US and other western governments have measures already in place to control or obfuscate the information on the web and in the media.
They create tools such as the Fairness Doctrine, and generally flood the people with "different viewpoints" to muddy the waters. China's issue is that it has spent so much time trying to shut down the internet that it really hasn't been able to get the control that it would like. That's where this campaign comes in. It's the Chinese who are now muddying the waters. They come up with some reports that claim that the west is actively trying to hurt them. Then, when people see something online, the Chinese government can say "It's all lies made up by west. Trust us instead."
In time, and with the rise of contentless Flash pages and product ads, the web will probably stop being useful for information to any but the hardcore nerd with time and tools to push past the fluff. Where are all the RDF search engines that we were promised? With HTML5 I hear people talking a lot about video playback functionality, but I haven't heard any buzz about the semantic web. A web that gives you only pretty pictures won't help the world, and likewise won't hurt a government.
It is really hard to decide where to make the distinction. The reason that many companies are artificially large is because the government is pushing them. The reason that the government supports the companies is so the companies will push their agendas. They use terms like "go green" and "too big to fail", but all they really care about is taking our money and power.
In the end will be the government which wins. Once this "vangaurd party" succeeds in fully socializing the industries, they will promptly turn on their former allies as they won't be useful any longer. Despite what they tell you, there is no honor among thieves.
FOSS will still be around when these companies are long since swallowed up by the governments they pray to. People will still create, for good or for ill. It's part of our wiring. Some few people will desire to create for profit, and some of those will work for these immoral companies. However, that still leaves the majority of creators outside of any commercial entity. They may not cure cancer in a weekend, but they can certainly reproduce a silly algorithm.
I for one plan to archive the article. Perhaps I'll even try to recreate it. If it weren't for ridiclulous patents I would have just assumed that it would be there when I needed it. Instead, I feel the need to propigate the knowledge for future generations.
I like the website idea. However, I would recommend that they develop an API which would allow for other developers, whether they be web developers or phone app developers, to create their own way of accessing the data. At least this would be nice for something like the unemployment services. As for how to change a tire, I'm not sure how to help those people. I'm pretty sure that a phone app is not the answer, though.
I'm not at all a fan of Russia, and I don't really believe that the cold war ended. We just stopped fighting it. At least I know that they still aren't our friend. That being said, I don't trust my own government here in the United States either.
This is actually a good thing. When they fight it out, the people win. Russia will have the exclusive right to part of the information, and the US will have the other part. If both of them refuse to cooperate, then perhaps our personal data is a little safer. After all, neither one of them is a freind to the people.
This really begs the question of what it tries to load. If it simply loads the html, then JavaScript laden sites and Flash sites will have the edge over simple information sites that serve dynamic content. However, if they load all referenced content, then the reverse may be true.
I would like it if the latter were true. What could be better than every Flash site being seen as a large bundle of data that simply displays "This site requires Flash". When I surf the web, I surf for content, not pretty pictures. In my opinion, if a site can't simultaniously be surfed in Lynx, read in Braille, and parsed with a spider, then it really isn't a web site.
That's exactly what this appears to be. Not that the government hasn't been known to throw cash an resources away, but I imagine that they intent to use this data for something. Either they will use it to create rules that will reward "good" (plays well with Uncle Sam) ISPs or they will use it to provide a "public option" for internet. I would guess that this isn't so trivial as finding software pirates. Either way, it will hurt most of us.
I agree that the laws are too bloated and incomprehensible. You are also right that even the police don't know the laws which they enforce. An example of the later involves several instances of police here in TN enforcing non-existent gun laws. The question to ask is who's fault is it? I would argue that the fault is clearly that of the average citizen. It is his apathy that allows such monstrosities to exist.
While the average citizen should be inspecting businesses and holding them to a standard, he leaves that job to big brother. Tired of Adobe pushing bad products? We should simply stop using them, but instead we tell the government to stop them so that we can blindly buy whatever we see. Then when our day comes in court, we can't navigate the laws like these businesses can.
Basically, I suggest a better court: that of the free market. Imagine how much more we would accomplish if we spent that money pushing the market instead of lobbying politicians. Imagine how well OSS would do if we funded it like we do MS. Sadly, people are far to lazy and greedy to voluntarily do what is needed. Ultimately, we'll suffer for our apathy.
And so now there are a ton of nerds going off to see if they can remember what a real woman looks like. I think we may have just spoiled their test. After a few days the results will show that the ideal woman is a Japanese cat-like alien creature with a built in modem and touchscreen. I guess the next questions would be "Does she run Linux?"
This is, after all, Slashdot. Not only does this story make the front page, but will probably generate a ton of comments. Many of them, including this very one that I am posting, complaining about how this is a non-story. I wonder if there is a bit of irony in there somewhere.
That begs the question: Is the value of an operating system the programs that are built for it? Certainly that is the reason why a lot of people use Windows, but does that make it a better OS, or a better marketed OS?
If it were the case that the software could not have be easily written to work on another OS, then the answer would be easy. Anybody who has tried to do socket programming in Windows knows what a pain that can be. However, is that the case with these Windows only programs? I'm skeptical because I've personally never seen a FOSS project that couldn't be ported outside of Windows. I would appreciate insight from somebody who works on Windows only software.
While I have no problem with the Arizona law that simply makes it illegal to do what you are already 'required' to do, it doesn't solve the problem. The problem isn't that we can't find the criminals, but that we don't do anything when we do find them.
I live in TN and here there are several instances of people being killed by illegal aliens who have been arrested and released time and time again. We catch them for crimes for which we would put citezens in jail, but when we discover that they are illegals we release them for political pressure. Don't think that they don't know this and take advantage of it.
Also, let me ask a few questions. For those of you who say that we should just open our borders to anybody or that it is somehow immoral to dictate who can come into your property, would you say the same of your house? How many vagabonds have you invited to live in your home? Would you offer a burglar the status of family member because he broke in? That is your property, so how is it any different for a state? If you practice what you preach, that's fine. Post your address and I might consider moving in. It would sure beat paying rent. Also, will you pay my medical expenses too?
I'm a US citizen. I'm not required to carry papers.
IANAL, but I do believe that you are mistaken. If you'll look at the Supreme Court decision in Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada you will see that you are required to carry papers. We aren't asking them to do anything that the rest of us aren't required to do.
The problem is that we've made criminals a protected class in America for so long that they have more rights than legal citezens. IMHO, the rights of the Constituion should only apply to citizens. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works anymore.
There are many reasons why Open Source is good. The availability of developers is only one reason. Even if there seems to be a lack of competent developers ready to take over the project, simply having that potential can mean all the difference. If nothing else, the more eyes on the code, the more likely that bugs can be found and reported. At some point all closed source software will become unmaintained because technology changes, and there is only a finite set of resources. OSS, however, is always available to tinker with, even long after it seems to be worthwhile. As a comparison, think about older cars. They don't have all the bells and whistles, but still have value because they can still be worked on long after their respective companies moved on to newer models.
As a user of OSS, I prefer it even if there is a slightly better closed source alternative. Even though I very rarely look at that actual code, it's nice to know that it is there. It also says a lot about the company when they close up the code. I'm sure that others feel that way too. I don't mind if you sell your product, but I feel that once I buy it, it should be mine to take apart.
Sadly, Microsoft is a great example of how well closed source and good marketing can be. That is why I secretly want that giant to fall. I still think there is an unfortunately large number of people who don't care where their stuff comes from and what the real cost is as long as it works for the short term.
This is an example of what I believe is wrong with government censorship. I don't know how people get the idea that the web should be a safe place where you can click on any link and go to any site and never have the chance to be offended. The internet and the web, IMHO, should be a place where all information can be exchanged freely between all parties. There are plenty of things on the internet that I find quite disturbing. If you don't want to be offended, don't go there. If you don't trust the sites, don't click on the link. Wikipedia is no exception. I personally don't find it acceptable for children to browse unsupervised, but it isn't mine or the government's decision to make. On the other hand, don't be surprised if the government uses that free information to track down people who commit crimes.
The big problem that I have here is that we are using the government to legislate morality. Not only is that not their job, but they are really bad at it even if it were. So, unless we are willing to stone people for adultery we should let them make their own moral choices.
Just to clarify, I'm in no way in favor of allowing people to harm children. In those cases where actual children are hurt I have no problem hunting down those people. I just don't want to see a service shut down because somebody didn't like a drawing they had.
I am not sure where people these days get the idea that profit is bad. It is merely the accepted compensation for productivity. Since companies have more resources, they can be more productive. If that were not the case, then people would be buying computers from individuals homes rather than from Wal-Mart.
There are only two purposes for taxes. The first is to give congress the funds to bribe people with and the other is to control production. Basically, we are talking here mostly about the later. Companies like GE which play nice with the government get legislation, tax breaks, and other loop holes while other companies do not. In the marketplace, that can often mean life or death. Then, when the problems come, people blame business and even the free market for the failures when neither had any say in the matter. Ironically, this encourages people to beg for more government, and thus a cycle is born.
If you want government services, you can still pay for them by taxing their use. For instance, a wheel tax could pay for roads. Optionally, you can make your case to the public and take donations from those willing to fund your project. That would certainly take less time and effort than creating government lobbies to push your cause. There are a few exceptions and for those there could be a true flat tax. However, if you just want something for free at the expense of somebody else, then you are a thief.
Although this thread is mostly offtopic, I feel compeled to comment here. Lovecraft in his writings clearly had an dislike of certain cultures, blaming them for the degridation of our nation. Sadly, he did make some accurate observations. The slums that he wrote of had seen decline from those immigrants just as our neighborhoods see the negative effects from influx of other cultures. We are quick to rightly point out the evils of the ganster lifestyle and the "gimme" attitude.
However, in reality that is the depraved nature of men - all men. We see the faults in others when we don't acknowledge our own fallen nature. A lot of our fiction, including the Cthulu mythos, seeks to create some moster or force that we can blame for the evil around us. In truth, the evil is in us. Unless we deal with that truth, we are doomed to invent and run from these fantasy villians.
That being said, this story contains tacos, and non-euclidian ones at that! Hmm... All this time I thought that Taco Bell forgot half my order. It turns out, that it just fell into another deminsion.
The problem here is not a religious one, but an economical one. There is a greater demand than supply, and thus scarcity: the fundamental reason for economics. The trouble with a government trying to regulate the distribution of goods is that they must make decisions that will hurt some people and help others. Basically, they have to define what is "fair", and it is usually an arbitrary decision. Most often, the decision is left to who can bribe the politicians the most, and therefore relating back to money anyways.
According to the article, there seems to be some occasions where they don't mind donating an organ and therefore may be willing to give something in return. Of course, if this had anything at all to do with religious beliefs, then anybody who believes God is powerful enough to enforce a rule will believe He is powerful enough to provide when that rule is followed. Anything else seems to me more like a social club.
When I was first learning to "program" I had nothing more than an old computer with DOS. The internet was something I had heard about, but had never experienced myself, and I didn't know what Linux or even Unix was. The only way I had to learn was from some books I found at the library. At first, it was just.bat files. When I discovered BASIC (I thing it was GW BASIC), I was excited to have it. Later, I discovered QB.
There are some advantages. First, I didn't have to set anything up or worry about what includes I needed. A simple PRINT "Hello word" was enough. What was better with QB was that with the press of F1 I could browse the list of commands. Also, it came with a Gorillas.bas and Nibbles.bas. I spent hours injecting lines of code into those games.
Sure, if you have a full Linux environment with gcc, man pages, and web access then BASIC is just some lame toy, but if it's all you have It's a start.
Slashdot Mirror
Faith is the basis for any knowledge as we know very little a priori. That's not a bad thing, just a fact. Science, by it's very nature, continuously disproves it's theories on a regular basis. In that sense, it is always shifting. The Bible, in contrast, is a solid truth that never changes.
As science shifts, it will at times "prove" the Bible and then subsequently "disprove" the Bible. I just like to point out the times when science says that the Bible is definately wrong on one point only to come back years later and say that it was right. I don't ever believe the so-called evidence one way or the other.
Once again, the Bible was right. Sadly, science doesn't even agree with itself, so there are many who are going to disagree. Personally, I don't find this "evidence" to be particularly compeling, but then I'm no longer the blind faith in science type. Science will never prove anything conclusively because it's a game where they continually move the goal posts.
It boils down to this: God made chickens and those chickens laid eggs. If you believe in macro evolution (I do not), then it's just a type of heap paradox, and therefore subjective.
This all sounds like a great idea, but from what I've gathered, the mass isn't really solid enough to make anything out of it. The logical conclusion is that we need more plastic.
As a general rule, I have tended to throw my plastic into landfills. I figure that, if time lasts long enough, someday they may provide us with (potentially kid-friendly and bouncy) mountains. However, seeing that science has granted us this new frontier, I suppose that I should be throwing my plastic out to sea.
I completely agree that SVG is a great standard that should be preserved and used more often. However, functionality takes a back seat to status qou and corporate sponsorship. Browsers and viewers tend to spend more energy supporting what people already use unless they see corporations pushing some new flashy thing, at which point they will support that too. People tend to only use those things which are well supported.
It's really a chicken vs. egg problem. There may be the occasional technology that finds its place before being well implemented, however, it seems that most of the new technology that will get pushed is that with commercial backing. Another great idea that hasn't seen any support is WAI-ARIA. Most people see the audio browsing as something only for the handicapped and thus unmarketable. However, it doesn't take much imagination to see how web browsing (especially mobile browsing) could be revolutionised by this technology. Until it seems trendy, it won't go anywhere.
No government really welcomes free speech. Some may claim that they do, but actions speak louder than words. The only interest that a government has in free communication is when they have a firm grip over it's contents. It just happens that the US and other western governments have measures already in place to control or obfuscate the information on the web and in the media.
They create tools such as the Fairness Doctrine, and generally flood the people with "different viewpoints" to muddy the waters. China's issue is that it has spent so much time trying to shut down the internet that it really hasn't been able to get the control that it would like. That's where this campaign comes in. It's the Chinese who are now muddying the waters. They come up with some reports that claim that the west is actively trying to hurt them. Then, when people see something online, the Chinese government can say "It's all lies made up by west. Trust us instead."
In time, and with the rise of contentless Flash pages and product ads, the web will probably stop being useful for information to any but the hardcore nerd with time and tools to push past the fluff. Where are all the RDF search engines that we were promised? With HTML5 I hear people talking a lot about video playback functionality, but I haven't heard any buzz about the semantic web. A web that gives you only pretty pictures won't help the world, and likewise won't hurt a government.
It is really hard to decide where to make the distinction. The reason that many companies are artificially large is because the government is pushing them. The reason that the government supports the companies is so the companies will push their agendas. They use terms like "go green" and "too big to fail", but all they really care about is taking our money and power.
In the end will be the government which wins. Once this "vangaurd party" succeeds in fully socializing the industries, they will promptly turn on their former allies as they won't be useful any longer. Despite what they tell you, there is no honor among thieves.
FOSS will still be around when these companies are long since swallowed up by the governments they pray to. People will still create, for good or for ill. It's part of our wiring. Some few people will desire to create for profit, and some of those will work for these immoral companies. However, that still leaves the majority of creators outside of any commercial entity. They may not cure cancer in a weekend, but they can certainly reproduce a silly algorithm.
I for one plan to archive the article. Perhaps I'll even try to recreate it. If it weren't for ridiclulous patents I would have just assumed that it would be there when I needed it. Instead, I feel the need to propigate the knowledge for future generations.
I like the website idea. However, I would recommend that they develop an API which would allow for other developers, whether they be web developers or phone app developers, to create their own way of accessing the data. At least this would be nice for something like the unemployment services. As for how to change a tire, I'm not sure how to help those people. I'm pretty sure that a phone app is not the answer, though.
I'm not at all a fan of Russia, and I don't really believe that the cold war ended. We just stopped fighting it. At least I know that they still aren't our friend. That being said, I don't trust my own government here in the United States either.
This is actually a good thing. When they fight it out, the people win. Russia will have the exclusive right to part of the information, and the US will have the other part. If both of them refuse to cooperate, then perhaps our personal data is a little safer. After all, neither one of them is a freind to the people.
This really begs the question of what it tries to load. If it simply loads the html, then JavaScript laden sites and Flash sites will have the edge over simple information sites that serve dynamic content. However, if they load all referenced content, then the reverse may be true.
I would like it if the latter were true. What could be better than every Flash site being seen as a large bundle of data that simply displays "This site requires Flash". When I surf the web, I surf for content, not pretty pictures. In my opinion, if a site can't simultaniously be surfed in Lynx, read in Braille, and parsed with a spider, then it really isn't a web site.
That's exactly what this appears to be. Not that the government hasn't been known to throw cash an resources away, but I imagine that they intent to use this data for something. Either they will use it to create rules that will reward "good" (plays well with Uncle Sam) ISPs or they will use it to provide a "public option" for internet. I would guess that this isn't so trivial as finding software pirates. Either way, it will hurt most of us.
I agree that the laws are too bloated and incomprehensible. You are also right that even the police don't know the laws which they enforce. An example of the later involves several instances of police here in TN enforcing non-existent gun laws. The question to ask is who's fault is it? I would argue that the fault is clearly that of the average citizen. It is his apathy that allows such monstrosities to exist.
While the average citizen should be inspecting businesses and holding them to a standard, he leaves that job to big brother. Tired of Adobe pushing bad products? We should simply stop using them, but instead we tell the government to stop them so that we can blindly buy whatever we see. Then when our day comes in court, we can't navigate the laws like these businesses can.
Basically, I suggest a better court: that of the free market. Imagine how much more we would accomplish if we spent that money pushing the market instead of lobbying politicians. Imagine how well OSS would do if we funded it like we do MS. Sadly, people are far to lazy and greedy to voluntarily do what is needed. Ultimately, we'll suffer for our apathy.
And so now there are a ton of nerds going off to see if they can remember what a real woman looks like. I think we may have just spoiled their test. After a few days the results will show that the ideal woman is a Japanese cat-like alien creature with a built in modem and touchscreen. I guess the next questions would be "Does she run Linux?"
This is, after all, Slashdot. Not only does this story make the front page, but will probably generate a ton of comments. Many of them, including this very one that I am posting, complaining about how this is a non-story. I wonder if there is a bit of irony in there somewhere.
That begs the question: Is the value of an operating system the programs that are built for it? Certainly that is the reason why a lot of people use Windows, but does that make it a better OS, or a better marketed OS?
If it were the case that the software could not have be easily written to work on another OS, then the answer would be easy. Anybody who has tried to do socket programming in Windows knows what a pain that can be. However, is that the case with these Windows only programs? I'm skeptical because I've personally never seen a FOSS project that couldn't be ported outside of Windows. I would appreciate insight from somebody who works on Windows only software.
While I have no problem with the Arizona law that simply makes it illegal to do what you are already 'required' to do, it doesn't solve the problem. The problem isn't that we can't find the criminals, but that we don't do anything when we do find them.
I live in TN and here there are several instances of people being killed by illegal aliens who have been arrested and released time and time again. We catch them for crimes for which we would put citezens in jail, but when we discover that they are illegals we release them for political pressure. Don't think that they don't know this and take advantage of it.
Also, let me ask a few questions. For those of you who say that we should just open our borders to anybody or that it is somehow immoral to dictate who can come into your property, would you say the same of your house? How many vagabonds have you invited to live in your home? Would you offer a burglar the status of family member because he broke in? That is your property, so how is it any different for a state? If you practice what you preach, that's fine. Post your address and I might consider moving in. It would sure beat paying rent. Also, will you pay my medical expenses too?
I'm a US citizen. I'm not required to carry papers.
IANAL, but I do believe that you are mistaken. If you'll look at the Supreme Court decision in Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial District Court of Nevada you will see that you are required to carry papers. We aren't asking them to do anything that the rest of us aren't required to do.
The problem is that we've made criminals a protected class in America for so long that they have more rights than legal citezens. IMHO, the rights of the Constituion should only apply to citizens. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works anymore.
There are many reasons why Open Source is good. The availability of developers is only one reason. Even if there seems to be a lack of competent developers ready to take over the project, simply having that potential can mean all the difference. If nothing else, the more eyes on the code, the more likely that bugs can be found and reported. At some point all closed source software will become unmaintained because technology changes, and there is only a finite set of resources. OSS, however, is always available to tinker with, even long after it seems to be worthwhile. As a comparison, think about older cars. They don't have all the bells and whistles, but still have value because they can still be worked on long after their respective companies moved on to newer models.
As a user of OSS, I prefer it even if there is a slightly better closed source alternative. Even though I very rarely look at that actual code, it's nice to know that it is there. It also says a lot about the company when they close up the code. I'm sure that others feel that way too. I don't mind if you sell your product, but I feel that once I buy it, it should be mine to take apart.
Sadly, Microsoft is a great example of how well closed source and good marketing can be. That is why I secretly want that giant to fall. I still think there is an unfortunately large number of people who don't care where their stuff comes from and what the real cost is as long as it works for the short term.
This is an example of what I believe is wrong with government censorship. I don't know how people get the idea that the web should be a safe place where you can click on any link and go to any site and never have the chance to be offended. The internet and the web, IMHO, should be a place where all information can be exchanged freely between all parties. There are plenty of things on the internet that I find quite disturbing. If you don't want to be offended, don't go there. If you don't trust the sites, don't click on the link. Wikipedia is no exception. I personally don't find it acceptable for children to browse unsupervised, but it isn't mine or the government's decision to make. On the other hand, don't be surprised if the government uses that free information to track down people who commit crimes.
The big problem that I have here is that we are using the government to legislate morality. Not only is that not their job, but they are really bad at it even if it were. So, unless we are willing to stone people for adultery we should let them make their own moral choices.
Just to clarify, I'm in no way in favor of allowing people to harm children. In those cases where actual children are hurt I have no problem hunting down those people. I just don't want to see a service shut down because somebody didn't like a drawing they had.
I am not sure where people these days get the idea that profit is bad. It is merely the accepted compensation for productivity. Since companies have more resources, they can be more productive. If that were not the case, then people would be buying computers from individuals homes rather than from Wal-Mart.
There are only two purposes for taxes. The first is to give congress the funds to bribe people with and the other is to control production. Basically, we are talking here mostly about the later. Companies like GE which play nice with the government get legislation, tax breaks, and other loop holes while other companies do not. In the marketplace, that can often mean life or death. Then, when the problems come, people blame business and even the free market for the failures when neither had any say in the matter. Ironically, this encourages people to beg for more government, and thus a cycle is born.
If you want government services, you can still pay for them by taxing their use. For instance, a wheel tax could pay for roads. Optionally, you can make your case to the public and take donations from those willing to fund your project. That would certainly take less time and effort than creating government lobbies to push your cause. There are a few exceptions and for those there could be a true flat tax. However, if you just want something for free at the expense of somebody else, then you are a thief.
Although this thread is mostly offtopic, I feel compeled to comment here. Lovecraft in his writings clearly had an dislike of certain cultures, blaming them for the degridation of our nation. Sadly, he did make some accurate observations. The slums that he wrote of had seen decline from those immigrants just as our neighborhoods see the negative effects from influx of other cultures. We are quick to rightly point out the evils of the ganster lifestyle and the "gimme" attitude.
However, in reality that is the depraved nature of men - all men. We see the faults in others when we don't acknowledge our own fallen nature. A lot of our fiction, including the Cthulu mythos, seeks to create some moster or force that we can blame for the evil around us. In truth, the evil is in us. Unless we deal with that truth, we are doomed to invent and run from these fantasy villians.
That being said, this story contains tacos, and non-euclidian ones at that! Hmm... All this time I thought that Taco Bell forgot half my order. It turns out, that it just fell into another deminsion.
The problem here is not a religious one, but an economical one. There is a greater demand than supply, and thus scarcity: the fundamental reason for economics. The trouble with a government trying to regulate the distribution of goods is that they must make decisions that will hurt some people and help others. Basically, they have to define what is "fair", and it is usually an arbitrary decision. Most often, the decision is left to who can bribe the politicians the most, and therefore relating back to money anyways.
According to the article, there seems to be some occasions where they don't mind donating an organ and therefore may be willing to give something in return. Of course, if this had anything at all to do with religious beliefs, then anybody who believes God is powerful enough to enforce a rule will believe He is powerful enough to provide when that rule is followed. Anything else seems to me more like a social club.
When I was first learning to "program" I had nothing more than an old computer with DOS. The internet was something I had heard about, but had never experienced myself, and I didn't know what Linux or even Unix was. The only way I had to learn was from some books I found at the library. At first, it was just .bat files. When I discovered BASIC (I thing it was GW BASIC), I was excited to have it. Later, I discovered QB.
There are some advantages. First, I didn't have to set anything up or worry about what includes I needed. A simple PRINT "Hello word" was enough. What was better with QB was that with the press of F1 I could browse the list of commands. Also, it came with a Gorillas.bas and Nibbles.bas. I spent hours injecting lines of code into those games.
Sure, if you have a full Linux environment with gcc, man pages, and web access then BASIC is just some lame toy, but if it's all you have It's a start.