US about to be the world's biggest oil exporter. NSA shutting down foreign surveillance while maintaining domestic surveillance Kentucky is a model for a government-run IT project done right
That's because local government is small enough to be manageable
Amusing really, when federal elections get the largest voter turnout, state midterm elections the next highest, and local elections get the least. Yet the local elections affect our lives the most directly.
I hire/fire I.T. workers. I can tell you...the education vs lack of education is the wrong argument. The best I.T. guys I get are those who love technology and care about what they do. This holds true whether they are a C.S. grad, or someone who spent the last few years hacking away on the side. When I interview, the only weight I give to their degrees/certifications is whether they learned non-technical skills. I've worked with great I.T. guys who had degrees in completely unrelated areas, but turned out fantastic because they love the profession. I've had guys with no degrees who still were worth holding in to. And I've had guys with C.S. degrees who were successful. It all comes down to liking what you do.
2012 sounds right. The surplus would grow each year as long as the economy was improving (added tax revenue). Also, power of inflation would make the 5.6 trillion shrink faster. Why can't we model the balanced budget act from the late 90s?
The US possesses the largest Navy and the largest airlist capability of the world. All these bases are worthless when they can project force through the Navy and utilize any nearby friendly country for airlift. I would say close all international bases except South Korea, the UK, and Guam. As for when things get bad, let the UN make the call or NATO, and let local allied countries take the lead and we can support.
China has no intention of fighting a *military* war. They're just sitting back and letting the U.S. bankrupt itself on a ridiculously over-sized military that it doesn't need, thus winning the *economic* war without firing a shot.
So what you are saying is that China learned well form the Cold War and how the USSR fell?
The world (and many American conspiracy theorists) don't grasp the concept of an all-volunteer armed forces. Most of them are reservists...and may be working in the next cubicle/office next to you. The fulltimers are your neighbors, your coworkers' kids, and random people from mainstream society. They are not going to be shooting their friends and family. Small units might take up loyalty to the US government, but I expect most of the military would disobey orders directed against their countrymen. The greatest encourager of apathy in Americans is that their lives are not very disrupted yet. Their TV shows are on, they get to buy the latest iPhone or Android, and they can shop at the mall or watch a movie at will. Most live in large houses and apartments and own cars. Until there is a serious disruption of Americans' every day lives, we won't see more than isolated protests like the one at the NSA data center in Utah or the OWS, or the Washington memorial protests a day or so ago.
I have insurance through my employer and they have no intentions of cancelling. That said, I was curious about plans and premiums and chose to check it out. It has now been a week, and I have only been able to get to the Contact Infomation screen before i get the Unknown Error message. It took me 3 days to create an account alone without error. I have tried IE, Chrome, and finally caved into trying Firefox as well...and the site problems are not browser-related. They are coding-related. As of today, I am still unable to see actual plans or premiums...and my time is too precious to spend on the phone when there is a website that is supposed to work. I can also say, load is not the problem either. The first day or two had massive wait times on the site, now, I get in fairly quickly...only to see Unknown Error.
Not so, It is not "padding" per se. However, this is the general way federal government acquisitions work (at least in the DoD). Staff member gets 3 quotes from vendors and submits to contracting office. Contracting office goes to their GSA-approved buddy. GSA buddy sends purchase request through 3 layers of GSA approved subcontractors. Each layer adds their markup. Last one in the chain ships product to staff member at highly inflated price. Each layer of GSA-approved vendors get their cut for doing nothing (except the last guy who shipped it), and the product cost 3 times as much. Now, contracting officers have nice new job waiting for them upon retirement from civil service, and free cash was distributed to those who can game the GSA system.
"People who think they've invented a better society are the nastiest sort. "
Yes. I hate people who try to create a better society. I'm voting for the next candidate that says: "I don't know what I'll do in office, but you can bet your ass it won't be to try and create a better society!"
At this point...the honesty would be refreshing...
Something about those theories. I recall that when 9/11 happened, my first thought was to the book where the terrorists use a 747 to hit the US Capitol and kill off most of Congress, the President, and most of the Supreme Court. He had a great storytelling ability...and spent quite a bit of time on research. Anyone else wonder if you could figure out a fission bomb based upon his explanations in Sum of All Fears?
Do you have a source for this? He looks quite alive to me still. Although the guy who hit him with his car a while back died yesterday. Is that what you are referring to?
Slight correction...he had 4 movies made after his books. The press releases keep skipping Clear and Present Danger with William Dafoe and Harrison Ford. Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and Sum of All Fears.
You left out New Zealanders, Canadians, Hawaiians, Singaporeans, Belize (Belisians?). You are correct, everyone has an accent. Some of us Americans recognize that we have an accent.
Sure, vote in enough Congressional representatives who are willing to defund or abolish it. Near zero chance of that happening as Americans are too busy...hey, wait...my show's on! What was I saying?
Slashdot Mirror
I'll probably get slapped for this...but there is Office365. If you are a bit smaller, perhaps Zoho would work for you?
US about to be the world's biggest oil exporter.
NSA shutting down foreign surveillance while maintaining domestic surveillance
Kentucky is a model for a government-run IT project done right
Did Hell freeze over or something?
That's because local government is small enough to be manageable
Amusing really, when federal elections get the largest voter turnout, state midterm elections the next highest, and local elections get the least. Yet the local elections affect our lives the most directly.
*pfft*...amateurs...I would have only lost them 50k per second...
Yes, because being more intimate with fellow passengers on a MTA train in NYC is high on my list of "wants"...
I hire/fire I.T. workers. I can tell you...the education vs lack of education is the wrong argument. The best I.T. guys I get are those who love technology and care about what they do. This holds true whether they are a C.S. grad, or someone who spent the last few years hacking away on the side. When I interview, the only weight I give to their degrees/certifications is whether they learned non-technical skills. I've worked with great I.T. guys who had degrees in completely unrelated areas, but turned out fantastic because they love the profession. I've had guys with no degrees who still were worth holding in to. And I've had guys with C.S. degrees who were successful. It all comes down to liking what you do.
They're the ones with the biggest penises and/or breasts.
*shudders*
2012 sounds right. The surplus would grow each year as long as the economy was improving (added tax revenue). Also, power of inflation would make the 5.6 trillion shrink faster. Why can't we model the balanced budget act from the late 90s?
The US possesses the largest Navy and the largest airlist capability of the world. All these bases are worthless when they can project force through the Navy and utilize any nearby friendly country for airlift. I would say close all international bases except South Korea, the UK, and Guam. As for when things get bad, let the UN make the call or NATO, and let local allied countries take the lead and we can support.
China has no intention of fighting a *military* war. They're just sitting back and letting the U.S. bankrupt itself on a ridiculously over-sized military that it doesn't need, thus winning the *economic* war without firing a shot.
So what you are saying is that China learned well form the Cold War and how the USSR fell?
The world (and many American conspiracy theorists) don't grasp the concept of an all-volunteer armed forces. Most of them are reservists...and may be working in the next cubicle/office next to you. The fulltimers are your neighbors, your coworkers' kids, and random people from mainstream society. They are not going to be shooting their friends and family. Small units might take up loyalty to the US government, but I expect most of the military would disobey orders directed against their countrymen.
The greatest encourager of apathy in Americans is that their lives are not very disrupted yet. Their TV shows are on, they get to buy the latest iPhone or Android, and they can shop at the mall or watch a movie at will. Most live in large houses and apartments and own cars. Until there is a serious disruption of Americans' every day lives, we won't see more than isolated protests like the one at the NSA data center in Utah or the OWS, or the Washington memorial protests a day or so ago.
I have insurance through my employer and they have no intentions of cancelling. That said, I was curious about plans and premiums and chose to check it out. It has now been a week, and I have only been able to get to the Contact Infomation screen before i get the Unknown Error message. It took me 3 days to create an account alone without error. I have tried IE, Chrome, and finally caved into trying Firefox as well...and the site problems are not browser-related. They are coding-related. As of today, I am still unable to see actual plans or premiums...and my time is too precious to spend on the phone when there is a website that is supposed to work. I can also say, load is not the problem either. The first day or two had massive wait times on the site, now, I get in fairly quickly...only to see Unknown Error.
Not so, It is not "padding" per se. However, this is the general way federal government acquisitions work (at least in the DoD). Staff member gets 3 quotes from vendors and submits to contracting office. Contracting office goes to their GSA-approved buddy. GSA buddy sends purchase request through 3 layers of GSA approved subcontractors. Each layer adds their markup. Last one in the chain ships product to staff member at highly inflated price. Each layer of GSA-approved vendors get their cut for doing nothing (except the last guy who shipped it), and the product cost 3 times as much. Now, contracting officers have nice new job waiting for them upon retirement from civil service, and free cash was distributed to those who can game the GSA system.
Most of the cost is probably salaries and infrastructure equipment. It appears they should have spent more on developer time.
"People who think they've invented a better society are the nastiest sort. "
Yes. I hate people who try to create a better society. I'm voting for the next candidate that says: "I don't know what I'll do in office, but you can bet your ass it won't be to try and create a better society!"
At this point...the honesty would be refreshing...
Something about those theories. I recall that when 9/11 happened, my first thought was to the book where the terrorists use a 747 to hit the US Capitol and kill off most of Congress, the President, and most of the Supreme Court. He had a great storytelling ability...and spent quite a bit of time on research. Anyone else wonder if you could figure out a fission bomb based upon his explanations in Sum of All Fears?
Do you have a source for this? He looks quite alive to me still. Although the guy who hit him with his car a while back died yesterday. Is that what you are referring to?
Slight correction...he had 4 movies made after his books. The press releases keep skipping Clear and Present Danger with William Dafoe and Harrison Ford. Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, and Sum of All Fears.
How about absolutely despise and generates violent tendencies? That would describe my feelings towards the redesign.
So aliens use plastic too eh? Greenpeace is going to have a fit...
You forget...this is the US. Where everyone wants things...but no one wants to pay for them.
Is murdering 100 thousand grasshoppers more ethical than one steer? The implications!
Depends...are they chocolate-covered?
You left out New Zealanders, Canadians, Hawaiians, Singaporeans, Belize (Belisians?). You are correct, everyone has an accent. Some of us Americans recognize that we have an accent.
Worse...the Nook's are only 109 now...75% discount for a better tablet?
Sure, vote in enough Congressional representatives who are willing to defund or abolish it. Near zero chance of that happening as Americans are too busy...hey, wait...my show's on! What was I saying?