Slashdot Mirror


User: Thorodin

Thorodin's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
83
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 83

  1. Re:Man, oh man! on US Postal Service Discontinuing Saturday Mail Delivery · · Score: 1

    I thought it was the other way around. Bulk subsidizes 1st class. That's what they told me when I worked for them.

  2. Re:Man, oh man! on US Postal Service Discontinuing Saturday Mail Delivery · · Score: 5, Informative

    The US Postal Service does not get any money from the federal government and has not since President Nixon made it quasi-private. In fact, they have had to pay back to the fed's billions of dollars for pensions. That's one of the reasons they keep losing money. They actually overpaid by a few hundred million and Congress refuses to return the money.

  3. Re:Man, oh man! on US Postal Service Discontinuing Saturday Mail Delivery · · Score: 1

    Are you referring to 'conservatives' as in the well-known political term or as in 'no changes?' Because the political conservatives have been pushing to totally privatize the postal service for many years.

  4. Re:Nothing... for several years on What the FCC's Wi-Fi Expansion Means For You · · Score: 1

    (speaking from a small ent.) We're running "N" right now. If it can be rolled out in a firmware update, we may push for it. But, if worst case, we had to swap out all the AP's and possibly the controllers, then we'll have to wait a while. That wouldn't be cheap.

  5. Re:Unintended Consequences on Tech Firms Keep Piles of 'Foreign Cash' In US · · Score: 1

    That's a strawman argument. He didn't write no taxes, he stated an idea that if you raise a tax, someone will find a way to not pay it. (Except for those of us who don't have access to highly paid tax attorneys or accountants.)

  6. Re:time for a outsouring tax? on Tech Firms Keep Piles of 'Foreign Cash' In US · · Score: 1

    A lot of people working in the US under a visa program send money home to their families. Should they have to pay that tax, too?

  7. Re:Pretty radical view of intent on Thailand Jails Dissident For What People Thought He Would Have Said · · Score: 1

    Good point.

  8. Re:Pretty radical view of intent on Thailand Jails Dissident For What People Thought He Would Have Said · · Score: 1

    Thought Crime.

    Similar to Hate Crime. (i.e. we're adding a few years to the sentence because you think you're superior.)

  9. Re:How does cuba have an embargo on Thailand Jails Dissident For What People Thought He Would Have Said · · Score: 1

    But Thailand is still where a huge chunk of consumer goods in the U.S. come from? How are the communists so much worse than monarchist totalitarians?

    Communists had a tendency to spread their dogma to other countries whereas monarchists are perfectly happy abusing their own people. Unless, of course, they aspire to abuse everyone such as Mussolini (avoiding H so someone can't sling Godwin's law at me).

  10. Re:AKA pumped storage on Belgium Plans Artificial Island To Store Wind Power · · Score: 4, Informative

    I remember as a kid, Consumer's Power and Detroit Edison built the Ludington Pumped Storage facility which can generate quite a bit of power: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludington_Pumped_Storage_Power_Plant

  11. Re:Why? on The Empire Writes Back About the Failed Death Star Petition · · Score: 1

    Perhaps but it is filed under Entertainment. And what's the matter with a little silliness now and then?

  12. Re:One of the execs on Former Nortel Execs Await Corporate Fraud Ruling · · Score: 1

    Depends on how big a 'stink' the corp. exec causes. Enron and Global Crossings come to mind.

  13. Re:No persuasion required on Ask Slashdot: Should Employers Ban Smartphones? · · Score: 1

    I work in healthcare also (IT). It may not be of value (PHI) to most people but CMS will fine your company if it gets out.

  14. Re:No persuasion required on Ask Slashdot: Should Employers Ban Smartphones? · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nice, 1950's management style you got there. You do realize that threats reduce productivity to the minimum necessary to keep a job?

  15. Re:Online world carries over into the real world on Patent Troll Targeting Users of Scanners; Wants $1000/Employee · · Score: 1

    But in this case, it's (if a previous post is correct) a bunch of lawyers. I don't think (just guessing here, tho) that it would be that costly for them. Obviously, their time is free so it would appear court costs are all that's left. And I'd guess they'd only have to win one or two of their cases to get their other targets to settle.

  16. Re:It shows... on What Debris From North Korea's Rocket Launch Shows · · Score: 1

    Well, they are kind of correct in that the Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. Armistice: temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement between the opponents.

  17. Re:Missing the point. on Using Technology To Make Guns Safer · · Score: 1

    Was that referring to the US Army designation?

  18. Re:Better at Nukes? on Training Under Way For New Nuclear Plant Operators In S. Carolina · · Score: 1

    What do you mean? I am just curious and NOT trying to start a debate. I just don't know what you're referring to.

  19. Re:It's about time. on Cisco Rumored To Be Selling Linksys · · Score: 1

    I hope you haven't copyrighted "Holy Shit..." cause I'm going use it. That's a great line and can be applied to many companies such as EMC and Cisco. In fact, later today I'm attending a kick-off meeting for our VOIP project with Cisco gear. Now, if I can just get up the guts to use that phrase with the CFO in attendance.

  20. Re:Managers will be replaces on Is Technology Eroding Employment? · · Score: 1

    Love your sig.

  21. Re:Pull a few Billion... on Apollo Veteran: Skip Asteroid, Go To the Moon · · Score: 1

    Although I agree with you about the defense contractors, let's also not forget unions (and non-union) employment. Those defense contracts mean jobs for the people back home. And they're going to be mighty PO'ed if they lose their job due to the company not getting that last contract. So, remember, it's not all just money in some corporation's bottom line, there are a lot of jobs depending on those contracts. But I do agree with the previous posters idea of getting some bucks from defense. Being a big science (and science fiction) fan for over 40 years, I've always considered NASA to be jewel among government departments and one that has paid for itself many times over.

  22. Re:For those of us alive when this was launched, on Voyager 1, So Close To Interstellar Space That We Can Taste It! · · Score: 1

    Not surprising considering his legacy. Of course, Harry Truman wasn't a very popular guy in the Dem party for a while after he left office.

  23. Re:How to treat a loyal customer on Microsoft Steeply Raising Enterprise Licensing Fees · · Score: 3, Informative

    So what did they do with their EMR software? Where I work, the EMR or hospital information system, runs on Windows. Period. Not Linux. Windows. And so we're locked in. The provider's and nurse's documentation is done in MS Word. I keep asking why are we paying $200-$300 a pop for Office when there are free versions out there? Answer - the system only works with MS Word. Swapping EMR's out is not a solution. We're talking upwards of $50M and for a small hospital. But, I probably won't have to worry about it in a year's time or so. Thanks to Medicare\Medicaid reimbursement rates going down (in some procedures, the payment is less than the cost to provide the service) and ACO and Meaningful Use, small hospitals are finding it difficult to survive. So, when the takeover (around here it's euphemistically referred to as a 'meger') happens I'm sure IT along with a lot of the non-clinical areas will show a reduction in staff.

  24. Re:Sorry but... on Stolen Maple Syrup Found and Returned To Strategic Reserve · · Score: 1

    Well, for personal consumption, we have Maple trees in NW Michigan and tap them for maple syrup, too. Some people do sell it, also.

  25. Re:I have a Leaf on Electric Car Environmental Impact: Power Source Matters · · Score: 2

    That's good that you mention the cost to the user. Whether a hybrid or an electric car is the way to go, the cost has got to come down. I drive a '08 Cobalt that I bought new for $14,000(US). They keep hyping the Chevy Volt but there is no way I'm paying around $40K for a new vehicle. Perhaps in the distant future (no idea how far), all new and used cars will be electric-powered in some way so the cost is equivalent to gas-powered, but until then there is lot of people who couldn't afford a "green car" even if they wished.