We could also try to develop wireless with the transmission of power, like Nikola Tesla wanted to do (but, of course, JP Morgan and Westinghouse cut off his money when he told them he wanted to do this).
If this shortage is going to be as they say in the article, I could just see the ads for Monster Cable... "Our newest premium cable! New! Gold cable with copper connectors, just $199.99!"
And believe me, I would say the exact same things if this happened under a Democratic Presidential Administration.
I think that this is what most of the die-hard Bush supporters (or shills) don't get. Most of the people I know who speak out against this administration and their policies are people who would speak out whether the administration was Rep or Dem. The party just doesn't matter. It's the level of corruption, and how blantantly they go about it that is the problem. I guess all of us who don't fit into any major party's "box" is just a troll (at least to the right-wingers with mod points today;)
... and other no-bid contracts. Once a week, the Washington Post lists all of the federal contracts awarded the previous week, and almost invariably, KBR is listed as getting at least one more $10M contract (sometimes up to five in one week). IIRC, prior to this administration assuming power, KBR had no federal contracts. I'm sure that Cheney's "deferred compensation" has absolutely nothing to do with this.
Who gives a shit about Democrats or Republicans, Bush is the problem here.
I agree partially with you on this, but would like to add a little more. Bush is only a part of the problem here. He's being used as the "puppet front man." Removing him from office would only be treating the symptoms, not the diesase. We need to take a real hard look at the people behind Bush (and behind many in Congress, of both parties) to get at the root of the problem.
I also agree that this has nothing to do with partisan politics or parties. This is about greed, and only greed. Nothing more, nothing less.
No, this is clearly a "Stop the power grab". The Bush administration has repeatedly refused to acknowledge that it is bound by the same laws as the rest of us. It has been riding the fear wave since 9/11 to bypass any and all executive accountability in the name of 'national security'.
Al Gore gave a speech two days ago regarding the power grab. It's quite interesting. Although, IMHO, I think that Gore should have done this a long time ago, but maybe he thought that he would be lambasted as a "sore loser" (which is for another discussion, another day).
Back on-topic, I'm pleased to hear that these groups are filing this lawsuit. Since there doesn't appear to be any checks and balances in the US government anymore, somebody has to do it.
Looks like you're on the way to a +5 Flamebait (hehehe...)
While I normally am suspicious of almost everything done by DHS, I do see this as a good thing. It seems like a good start, anyway. If only we could get them to put the other 99.997% of their budget (based on their 2005 budget) behind Open Source...
It seems that it will be a long time before AI even begins to approach human reasoning. We may never get to the point where we can build things such as instinct and emotion into AI (which is probably a good things, IMHO).
The big concern I have is whether we can advance society and culture as quickly as technology. If we cannot, we may make ourselves extinct before we can get to the really cool gadgetry. I, for one, [hesitantly] welcome our butt-sniffing robotic overlords.
I agree with you that in theory, ministers|congresspeople having assistants who are experts in the various fields would work well. I think one of the main difficulties with the current implementation of this idea is that everybody has their own agenda, whether it's greed, religion, science, or whatever. Then there is also the tendency of highly technical people to have issues (in my experience, anyway) in clearly communicating ideas to those less technical. And still in the US, there are extremely limited timelines that the lawmakers have to review the material and consult with their experts. This is also one of the major hurdles in business.
The current system has a lot of potential, but it's not perfect and there are a lot of tweaks (or patches) needed to make it better. Perhaps we're saying the same thing in different ways?
I definitely agree with you that these decisions are made by a very small group of people. However, in the US, this small group of people are certainly not the most knowledgeable about most of the subjects for which they enact laws.
If you spend a day watching or listening to CSPAN, you'll know what I'm talking about here (especially if they are debating anything having to do with technology or science). This will make you want to pull your hair out. These people appear to be completely clueless and/or uninterested in the subject at hand. Add to the that the fact that they are rarely given time to properly read or research any of the proposals (e.g. patriot act) before having to vote on them; this creates the potential for a lot of abuse of the system (intentional or not).
This, to me, is one of the biggest issues in the US that needs to be resolved in some way. [/rant]
two minority candidates who were on the ballot were arrested because they were trying to participate in the "non-partisan" debates
Actually, it's even worse than that. They first were denied the ability to participate in the debates. After that, they bought tickets to attend, but not participate in the debates, and were arrested when they showed up. This, to me, is one of the ultimate abuses of power. I, and many others I know, would have liked very much to see them in the debates.
In addition, in Virginia (for the 2000 and 2004 general elections), none of the third-party candidates were listed on the ballot, not even as an independent). Write-ins only.
That's simple. You just get another phone and take a picture of the phone with the original message. Then, you SMS the picture back to the first phone.
But even in this, you are ignoring the teachings. Jesus said that those that would be first will be last, and that the last would be first in heaven.
Then again, you seem to have the view that there's a limit on the amount of heaven available. Pity that you have such a small view of the universe.
You are somewhat correct in that I'm ignoring the teachings. The most vocal bible-thumping people that I've seen tend to attempt to take everything in the bible literally, even though it's almost all symbolic, and even though there are many passages that, when taken literally, conflict with other passages. This leaves open many windows of opportunity for unethical (or ignorant, well-meaning people) to take parts of it out of context, as is happening a lot now. Also, most of the teachings in it no longer apply to modern times.
Actually, I tried the whole Christianity thing and, just like MLM, it's not for me. Being a christian took me nowhere in fulfilling my need for personal spirituality. I take no issue with those who have their belief in whatever god they prefer, at least if they are true in their belief, that belief is based on thorough research and education, and they do not attempt to force me to adopt their belief. The issue I take is with most current implementations of the religions, and how those in power use religion as a tool to control the masses.
This is why I don't think that having blind faith is healthy. Most people that I've met who claim to be devout tend to be hooked on the dogma, and are usually hypocritical in that their actions conflict with their preachings **. There are a few others who I know who are religious who do not try to force their religion on me, and they are some of the most ethical people I know.
As for the amount of heaven available, to me it's symbolic, and one makes their life as heavenly or as hellish as they choose. I actually have a rather large view of the universe, too. It is more of a quantum type view, based on the Gaia Theory, but applied to the whole system beyond just this planet.
** Please don't take any of this personally. It is not a rant directed at you, and it is only based on my experience. It should also not be taken as a sweeping generalization.
What if the guy at the gate of this fabulous place told you that you can come in, but before he lets you in he wants you to tell 10 other people about it? Would you find 10 other people and let them know?
The message of Christianity is much like this. Those of us that believe in Jesus Christ know that we have a wonderful place to go. The "gatekeeper" asked us to do one thing before he went back to this wonderful place. He asked us to let everyone know that they could come along. That is the reason we "preach" and "teach".
So basically, it's a legalized, tax-exempt pyramid scheme. The problem now is that it's about 2000 years too late to get in on the ground floor of this wonderful opportunity.:)
Which, IMHO, is more a statement of opinion (some may argue fact) than an insult. It wouldn't surprise me if KKK members were insulted by it though. They may be stupid, but Mr. Chimp the fucktard is clearly more stupidifiedierated than they are.:)
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We could also try to develop wireless with the transmission of power, like Nikola Tesla wanted to do (but, of course, JP Morgan and Westinghouse cut off his money when he told them he wanted to do this).
If this shortage is going to be as they say in the article, I could just see the ads for Monster Cable... "Our newest premium cable! New! Gold cable with copper connectors, just $199.99!"
I think that this is what most of the die-hard Bush supporters (or shills) don't get. Most of the people I know who speak out against this administration and their policies are people who would speak out whether the administration was Rep or Dem. The party just doesn't matter. It's the level of corruption, and how blantantly they go about it that is the problem. I guess all of us who don't fit into any major party's "box" is just a troll (at least to the right-wingers with mod points today ;)
I also just finished watching "The Corporation." Highly recommended, if you haven't already seen it.
I said in the GP, "Although, IMHO, I think that Gore should have done this a long time ago"
I should have added the ACLU, EFF, and others, too. I definitely agree that this should have been filed a long time ago. But now is better than never.
... and other no-bid contracts. Once a week, the Washington Post lists all of the federal contracts awarded the previous week, and almost invariably, KBR is listed as getting at least one more $10M contract (sometimes up to five in one week). IIRC, prior to this administration assuming power, KBR had no federal contracts. I'm sure that Cheney's "deferred compensation" has absolutely nothing to do with this.
s/one of//;
I agree partially with you on this, but would like to add a little more. Bush is only a part of the problem here. He's being used as the "puppet front man." Removing him from office would only be treating the symptoms, not the diesase. We need to take a real hard look at the people behind Bush (and behind many in Congress, of both parties) to get at the root of the problem.
I also agree that this has nothing to do with partisan politics or parties. This is about greed, and only greed. Nothing more, nothing less.
Al Gore gave a speech two days ago regarding the power grab. It's quite interesting. Although, IMHO, I think that Gore should have done this a long time ago, but maybe he thought that he would be lambasted as a "sore loser" (which is for another discussion, another day).
Back on-topic, I'm pleased to hear that these groups are filing this lawsuit. Since there doesn't appear to be any checks and balances in the US government anymore, somebody has to do it.
;)
While I normally am suspicious of almost everything done by DHS, I do see this as a good thing. It seems like a good start, anyway. If only we could get them to put the other 99.997% of their budget (based on their 2005 budget) behind Open Source...
The big concern I have is whether we can advance society and culture as quickly as technology. If we cannot, we may make ourselves extinct before we can get to the really cool gadgetry. I, for one, [hesitantly] welcome our butt-sniffing robotic overlords.
The current system has a lot of potential, but it's not perfect and there are a lot of tweaks (or patches) needed to make it better. Perhaps we're saying the same thing in different ways?
If you spend a day watching or listening to CSPAN, you'll know what I'm talking about here (especially if they are debating anything having to do with technology or science). This will make you want to pull your hair out. These people appear to be completely clueless and/or uninterested in the subject at hand. Add to the that the fact that they are rarely given time to properly read or research any of the proposals (e.g. patriot act) before having to vote on them; this creates the potential for a lot of abuse of the system (intentional or not).
This, to me, is one of the biggest issues in the US that needs to be resolved in some way. [/rant]
I simply cannot resist. As with many kinds of study or research, there can be exceptions. In this case, I think that GWB is that exception. ;)
Actually, it's even worse than that. They first were denied the ability to participate in the debates. After that, they bought tickets to attend, but not participate in the debates, and were arrested when they showed up. This, to me, is one of the ultimate abuses of power. I, and many others I know, would have liked very much to see them in the debates.
In addition, in Virginia (for the 2000 and 2004 general elections), none of the third-party candidates were listed on the ballot, not even as an independent). Write-ins only.
Oh wait...
1961 - Television: Mr. Ed debuts.
THAT is the real anniversary that is "celebrated" by being sober. Of Course.
Then again, you seem to have the view that there's a limit on the amount of heaven available. Pity that you have such a small view of the universe.
You are somewhat correct in that I'm ignoring the teachings. The most vocal bible-thumping people that I've seen tend to attempt to take everything in the bible literally, even though it's almost all symbolic, and even though there are many passages that, when taken literally, conflict with other passages. This leaves open many windows of opportunity for unethical (or ignorant, well-meaning people) to take parts of it out of context, as is happening a lot now. Also, most of the teachings in it no longer apply to modern times.
Actually, I tried the whole Christianity thing and, just like MLM, it's not for me. Being a christian took me nowhere in fulfilling my need for personal spirituality. I take no issue with those who have their belief in whatever god they prefer, at least if they are true in their belief, that belief is based on thorough research and education, and they do not attempt to force me to adopt their belief. The issue I take is with most current implementations of the religions, and how those in power use religion as a tool to control the masses.
This is why I don't think that having blind faith is healthy. Most people that I've met who claim to be devout tend to be hooked on the dogma, and are usually hypocritical in that their actions conflict with their preachings **. There are a few others who I know who are religious who do not try to force their religion on me, and they are some of the most ethical people I know.
As for the amount of heaven available, to me it's symbolic, and one makes their life as heavenly or as hellish as they choose. I actually have a rather large view of the universe, too. It is more of a quantum type view, based on the Gaia Theory, but applied to the whole system beyond just this planet.
** Please don't take any of this personally. It is not a rant directed at you, and it is only based on my experience. It should also not be taken as a sweeping generalization.
The message of Christianity is much like this. Those of us that believe in Jesus Christ know that we have a wonderful place to go. The "gatekeeper" asked us to do one thing before he went back to this wonderful place. He asked us to let everyone know that they could come along. That is the reason we "preach" and "teach".
So basically, it's a legalized, tax-exempt pyramid scheme. The problem now is that it's about 2000 years too late to get in on the ground floor of this wonderful opportunity. :)
Mind if I borrow that suit?
That should last for a few years, hopefully much less.
Yep - I hear that this team is looking for some work.
... and ICQ is owned by AOL
Wait, wait, let's try this again...
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!