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User: rhalstead

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  1. One mor major contributor on The College-Loan Scandal · · Score: 1

    Our society has been conditioned to live on credit for the past several generations. Families In 2012, that carried CC debt owed an average of $7,145, down from $9,887 in 2008. This has created an atmosphere where living on credit is considered normal and students are conditioned to just accept taking out loans to cover what ever the cost. It appears that they and those carrying a balance give little thought to the cost of credit, or are completely illiterate where economics are concerned. So we have created a climate where the colleges can keep raising rates as they know they will get paid by naive students taking out loans that are beyond their ability to pay. Yes, I blame the lending institutions and schools for taking advantage of the students, but I also blame a society that has created generations that appear to know nothing about economics. If you can't afford it, you don't do it. What good does a college education do a person when they have to scrimp and save the rest of their lives to pay for it. Instead of a gateway to better living it becomes a millstone around the student's neck, essentially ruining the rest of their life. In many cases they could get a loan with much lower interest to pay it off. Seek help from a financial councilor.

  2. Not economically viable on We're Number 9! US Broadband Speeds Rise, But Slower Than Many Other Countries' · · Score: 1

    The US is far larger with a much lower average population. I would think that for the US to out pace most of them would make the cost per customer and in total, far more than these other countries. We'd have a difficult time justifying the cost per customer just for bragging rights. I'll admit having a 100 Mbs connection, although you won't see near that during prime time. I ran a test and made 60 Mbs download and only 2.3 Mbs upload at roughly 10:30 PM local. I think, but will have to test to be sure that it's considerably slower around 8:00 or 9:00 PM. The government already has too much of a view of the citizens. Them running the net would be worse than the cloud and with the cloud they claim any information you put on servers other than your own the govt says they have free access to it.

  3. Re:High risk on Hackers Reveal Nasty New Car Attacks · · Score: 1

    There's another problem with turning the ignition off, assuming you have one. It locks the steering. If you aren't going straight that's one big pile of Doggie Do just ahead. I had the throttle lock wide open on one of the earlier T-birds and it was in a corner. That little 4 took a bit to wind up but when the boost cane in it really pushed that little 4 into another realm. It was just another 4 about the first half of an intersection, but by then you were already 3 or 4 car lengths behind. I alternated between the ignition and brakes. It actually tore the port (driver's side) rear caliper loose. That sucker was expensive. In that it was a busy, 2 lane highway I was lucky to not hit any thing.

  4. 2000 and counting on Poll Shows That 75% Prefer Printed Books To eBooks · · Score: 1

    I much prefer to read a real book, but when on-the-road for the company the e-reader can carry enough books to fill my off hours, without adding weight or bulk. As to who reads more, I have over 2000 books with one wall of the living room a floor to ceiling book case. I have seven smaller book cases in the basement with double shelve. About a third are hard cover. I find that I often run into novels only available in e form. Regrettably, It's likely I will never read those.

  5. Media, Government, Sharpton Support Zimmerman on George Zimmerman Acquitted In Death of Trayvon Martin · · Score: 1

    NBC, the Government, and maybe Sharpton should have to support Zimmerman for the rest of their natural lives "in style" . If those end prematurely then it should go to his heirs. These people and departments are guilty "in my estimation" of creating a climate and racial divide where he and his family will never be safe and they should have to pay for that. They inflamed a major portion of the population and have not been held accountable. They should be and in a major way.

  6. The media doesn't just cater on George Zimmerman Acquitted In Death of Trayvon Martin · · Score: 1

    The media doesn't just cater, they have an agenda just like Sharpton and even the current administration. They out right lied, altered tapes of the 911 call to make it sound quite different. the govt also tried to influence the population. It was their goal to make sure Zimmerman was convicted, or that failing the population would not accept any other verdict. Their efforts have divided the population and set race relations back 50 tears, *or more* Their efforts have essentially made the name Zimmerman unsafe and he's unlikely to ever get a job, or feel safe again. Feel safe is too mild a statement as he *and his family* will never be safe again.and the news, particularly NBC are responsible for people still believing them and not paying attention to facts brought out at the trial where the prosecution even withheld evidence that would have aided Zimmerman. There's a drive to disbar to prosecution's one lawyer Zimmerman was found innocent, with overwhelming evidence. He may have made some unwise decisions, but Martin, *a football player*, attacked Zimmerman while Zimmerman was returning to his car, yet I see post after post (really outraged rants) on other blogs based on the false information put forth by NBC, the other networks, and govt agencies and not facts from the trial. It's bad enough that the networks did it, but our own government tried to influence the outcome. Not only that, but now they (the govt) are trying to pursue other routes to convict him., even requesting input from the public on the web. It's disgraceful conduct!

  7. What about family and reliability? on Hardly Anyone Is Buying 'Smart Guns' · · Score: 1

    I want my family to have access, but I also see it as another chance for something to go wrong. If you shoot a lot, sooner or later you will have a misfire. and although very slim that is always a chance in self defense. No thanks, I'll take the plain variety

  8. Re:I'm amazed... on George Zimmerman Acquitted In Death of Trayvon Martin · · Score: 1

    "Today, our justice system may still beat back the mob mentality and the public's need for vengance, and the corruption of the media, but once a person leaves the system -- guilty or innocent, their lives are irrevocably changed. And rarely is it for the better." Even our own government has been ass bad or worse than the media. They openly campaigned against Zimmerman. Chicago, gangland politics at its best.

  9. Re:I'm amazed... on George Zimmerman Acquitted In Death of Trayvon Martin · · Score: 1

    Don't forget, the administration openly tried to convict him as well. Now the are considering a civil case because they they didn't get their way in the courts.

  10. What Happened to Audit trails on The Savvy Tech Strategy Behind Obamacare · · Score: 1

    According to what I've read (Does the press ever get anything technical correct?) It appears that at least in some software already in use there are no audit trails. USED TO BE the FDA required all software used in the medical industry to be validated. This is not the engineering validation, but rather you have to prove every single operation, starting with the log in. Take that log-in for example. You had to log-in with a valid name and PW. Print the screen before pressing enter and again after to prove the results. Then you log in with a valid name and PW with one extra character appended to the PW. Print screen before and after. Next it is a valid name and PW, minus one character on the PW and again, print screen before and after. Now repeat withe name + and - one character. You also had to do it with empty fields. Test results were not only typed and length critical. IE numeric, character, number of digits, and if appropriate, digits each side of the decimal.. I started with a list a bit over 1" thick. When I finished I had a stack of printouts over 4 feet tall. Every entry had an audit trail as well. So with all these requirements, how could the mistakes happen that the press is talking about and blaming the software? Did Obama, in his great wisdom decide that we programmers and engineers are good enough the software doesn't need to be tested, or is the press making up stories to sell? Me? I believe there is a very high probability of both. Obama has proven, like the general public he has little to no knowledge of anything technical. If he thinks it is so, then it has to be so. The press OTOH has taken to invention of many stories that are patently false and ignore those that oppose their beliefs. True reporting has disappeared and the press is just emulating the talking heads. Long gone are the days where trustworthy information came from the press. at least 30 or 40 years ago they at least made the attempt. Now they don't even try to hide the bias. I have seen the electronic medical system work great. Any doctor "within that system" can instantly access all of your medical records. Cardiologist, neurologist,family Doctor, and even Physical therapist have instant access to all your records. Medications are visible, compared for side effects and interactions. to prevent one Dr from proscribing something that could dangerously interact with what you are already taking. Get badly hurt in an accident and the ER has everything at their fingertips. So is this an isolated example, is the press reporting on isolated examples, the press reporting on anecdotal reports, or are there really cases of non validated, crappy software being allowed to be implemented without following FDA requirements? They've taken many shortcuts in other areas that make the entire affordable care act neither affordable or safe and looking like it was crafted by a bunch of amateurs who had no idea as to what was needed.

  11. Quit finding excuses on Math and Science Popular With Students Until They Realize They're Hard · · Score: 1

    The sciences are difficult for the unprepared. Kids raise in a learning environment will do well. Science is hard because the kid never liked school, was never encouraged at home, figured 3 square, a steady job a beer, and time to watch the game. School was taught as one size fits all, or to the lowest denominator, don't let some advance or you'll hurt the feelings of the less capable. Home environment, schools, unions, peer pressure, see school as something to be endured and escaped as soon as possible, ridicule those who do better than you. If you put a kid into a learning environment early on, there are few limits to what most kids could do. Me? I never had to study, made top grades, and the first thing college taught me was I was SOL because I didn't know how to study. So..I got a good tech job, kept going to college part time with a couple classes per year. Finally learned how to study effectively, picked up the basics, quit work, went to college, earned a bachelors of science degree and was picked up on a graduate assistant-ship for my Masters. It was the long way around, but I did it and if I can do it, most any kid that wants to and is willing to work can too. The ones who just go into debt to get a useless degree are also SOL, but due to lack of ambition and expecting the government to do it for them will likely never become much of anything worthwhile.

  12. same roads, same rules. on Teenage League of Legends Player Jailed For Months For Facebook Joke · · Score: 1

    There is an element that you describe, but they may ride two abreast for safety which keeps cars from trying to squeeze through with oncoming traffic. Regular cyclists will pull over periodically and stop for stop signs and lights. Like drivers, there is an element that creats a bad impression..

  13. Couldn't agree more. on Teenage League of Legends Player Jailed For Months For Facebook Joke · · Score: 1

    It Specifically states "The right of the people shall not be infringed"!

  14. Re:Even if its electricity from fossil fuel... on Electric Vehicles Might Not Benefit the Environment After All · · Score: 1

    Non hybrids can use the same regenerative techniques used by hybrids.

  15. Lotsa toxic stuff on Electric Vehicles Might Not Benefit the Environment After All · · Score: 1

    There is the manufacture and disposal of a very toxic battery. Also the pollution from power plants including mercury and radioactive elements although the energy production is much more efficient than burning gasoline.. When manufacturing and disposal are taken into consideration, I seriously doubt they are less polluting over all. OTOH it requires far less energy than Hydrogen fueled cars. Hydrogen is (so far) the least efficient of any fuel in use and requires great amounts of energy to produce.

  16. Extreme stupidity on Teenage League of Legends Player Jailed For Months For Facebook Joke · · Score: 1

    Society at times becomes overly sensitive on some topics. We're in a time where 2nd graders are expelled for bringing small plastic soldiers to school. The only thing this kid is guilty of is near terminal stupidity.

  17. Humanities "Should be good for you, but..." on Why Engineering Freshmen Should Take Humanities Courses · · Score: 1

    The humanities should be good for us and I realize most /.ers are liberal, but: I've been around long enough to believe in Capitalism and that the entitlement mentality is a losing proposition. Spreading the wealth around has always ended up costing the middle class. I don't care how much the other guy makes as long as I receive fair compensation. The government can neither protect us, or support us. It only provides the illusion of protection for liberties. I'd much prefer the freedoms with a little more risk. I say this because it is what I've seen much of the humanities promoting (giving freedoms for support and safety) There is no such thing as treating every one equally. You hold the exceptional back and lift the mediocre up which destroys incentive to do better. No system is perfect, but I'll take what we had 40 years ago, warts and all, over what we have now and where we are headed

  18. IT didn't choose this on Ask Slashdot: Supporting "Antique" Software? · · Score: 1

    IT didn't choose this, or at least not in any case I'm directly familiar with. Industry as a whole has a huge number of PLCs which in general are programmed internally with ladder logic which interfaces with very old systems. These are the process controllers and flow controllers used in the chemical industry as well as industry in general.. As long as they work and are supported by the manufacturer or are simple enough to repair in-house, they will remain in service. I know of many systems still in service that were installed before I quit and went to college in 87. Those would be a minimum of 26 years old. If it works, don't fix it. Then you have Chromatographic integrators interfacing with data collection systems which can be another PITA

  19. No Print, No sale on DRM: How Book Publishers Failed To Learn From the Music Industry · · Score: 1

    If the book I want doesn't have a print edition, I don't purchase it. On the road I like the tablet, but for normal reading I want a real book.

  20. Re: A name for PETA on PETA Wants To Sue Anonymous HuffPo Commenters · · Score: 1

    We have "fostered" kittens that were sickly little blue eyed messy furballs. Six months later they were sleek, beautiful, playful, good sized kittens that went out for adoption. They were adopted the first day. Many shelters do resort to fostering of animals needing special attention. Families take in animals needing medication, daily bathing, and in the case of tiny kittens and other small animals, fed with a medicine dropper. They put forth all the effort possible to save the animals instead of saying it'd take too much effort to make saving the animals worthwhile. It APPEARS that PETA rarely makes this effort.

  21. Our Local shelter is No Kill on PETA Wants To Sue Anonymous HuffPo Commenters · · Score: 1

    Our Local Shelter is a "no Kill" shelter.. That may be a misnomer because they occasionally do receive an animal that is not safe and has to be "put down" but that is a last resort. PETA has long been known for its radicalism and it take little searching, as has already been pointed out to find out the truth about them. Still, try to point out the truth to one of their supporters.

  22. Re:Something It Isn't on Google Glass: What's With All the Hate? · · Score: 1

    Vertical's the way I hold one to dial.

  23. isn't that backwards. on Med Students Unaware of Their Bias Against Obese Patients · · Score: 1

    It's 25% were unaware: so 75% must have been aware

  24. Re:Fear Mongering on Terrorist Murder In London Could Revive Snooper's Charter · · Score: 1

    There are no innocent Muslims. They pray many times a day and are taught by the Koran that any one who will not convert should be killed. When you repeat something 5 or 7 times a day it becomes part of you.

  25. Most people have an ati fat bias on Med Students Unaware of Their Bias Against Obese Patients · · Score: 1

    I know quite a few fat people and many of them are my friends, BUT I have to admit it does lower my opinion of them and my willingness to accept their technical opinions over other equal or even less qualified people. I have observed this bias is wide spread in society in general. For a few it is a legitimate medical condition and those have my deepest sympathy and concerns. I do know a couple of people where it is medical and not a choice, but unlike many they work very hard with their doctors to keep it in check. Now when I say obese, I don't mean 30 extra pounds or that belly bulge common in older men although they are an indication that they should do something about it.. I mean really obese. Legs that look like pantaloons or a butt that looks like two bear cubs fighting in a gunny sack. I mean people where it affects their life style. With these people "for most" it is a life style choice and is reflected in most of what they do. They let them selves go, they let their house go, they let their car go, and they let their personal hygiene go, and their personality reflects it.. Course the poor car is just a victim. When they get in the car it drops down so far on one side you think it's going to capsize. I know one guy who has no restraint he can no longer walk because he's too heavy for his legs.. Like eating, if his wife let him have the check book or credit card they'd be bankrupt in a week. Look on the net for "photos from Wall mart" they treat fat and sloppy as a joke. If we ignore all but the health issues, these people are "usually" a load on the medical system and their life choices use limited resources that are needed by people with illnesses that are not by choice.. The over weight problem causes many serious medical conditions that use a lot of resources, drastically shortens their lives, and makes then and those around them miserable. Many can't work because of their weight so they are supported by you and me. They require special assistance to travel, at stores, at restaurants, and you hope you never get next to one on a plane. There may be hope there though as some airlines ticket prices are by weight as they are with freight. Probably never happen in the US because of discrimination law suits. More weight means more fuel burn. Obesity is a nation wide problem in the US and creates a heavy (no pun intended) and unnecessary load on the economy of which most people are aware and although they may not recognize it, the problem does create a bias. Often a very strong bias. They have to be careful what they say, but I think that % of bias in students just grows after they become professionals. I know Therapists in Physical rehab hate to see them coming. Instead of working with the therapist to get better, they just complain.