This is about an 80% solution, but it has worked fairly well for me. Within the past couple years, I've noticed that most, if not all, solicitation calls to my home are dialed by an automatic system that requires the sales person to pick up their line after they are notified that someone (me) is on the line. This leads to an annoying silence, followed by an even more annoying exchange: Me:"Hello, this is Scratch" Marketeer:...[silence]..."Hello? May I speak to Scratch please?" Anyway, I started using those periods of silence as my cue to hang up immediately. I never have to talk to a salesman, and I sometimes get the satisfaction of hearing them talking just before my phone hits the cradle. The drawback is that I don't end up on a "no call list," but I figure I'm going to keep getting calls anyway, from other companies.
Thanks for providing the details as asked...I apologize for my, ahem, strong language. I'm flabbergasted that this law, as written, makes it a felony to simply wear a mask. I wonder how many other states have laws like this?
I do note, however, that the law provides for the wearing of traditional holiday costumes, but does not specify that they may only be worn during certain holidays. Therefor it seems to me that a common halloween mask may be worn at any time, or that a bank robber may dress as Santa Claus without that particular offense being added to his rap sheet.
We do NOT need machines tracking us or doing the job of the police. If the cop isn't paying attention, or isn't there when I blow by their hiding spot in the middle of the road at 105, tough.
You seem to regard law enforcement as some sort of game, and you think that using technology is 'cheating.' What if they scrap the technology and simply post a cop with a stopwatch at every mile marker and overpass? Will you feel less violated then? Will the game be fair enough for you? What if all the cameras referred to in this thread were replaced by cops with binoculars?
If you're in public, expect to be seen. If you're driving 105 mph, expect to get caught, whatever the means.
I'll admit right up front that I don't have first hand knowledge of the laws you mention, but I really have to raise the bullshit flag on your assertion. I'd love to hear any details you might be able to provide.
Their handling of Native American and environmental issues have been atrocious (so much so that they were recently called to task by a federal judge for their incompetence)
Just to be clear, Gale Norton was named by the judge ALONG WITH at least two of her immediate predecessors.
I'm not sure if this reply is directed at me or not. My response to your post was directed at the implication that everyday use of the internet must be in the form of hours of mindless chair-sitting. I wasn't the author of the "I'll smoke you" comment. I ain't fat, but I'm not going to smoke anyone, either.
Many of your points are well taken, but it sounds like you are exactly the type of user that my comments are aimed at. True, you CAN do all of those things just fine with dialup, but if you have to go through several mouse clicks and 45 seconds of dialing/connecting, then it doesn't make sense to use your connection for a 30 second task. It's a far different matter to flip open the laptop on your coffee table and type a google search immediately. Your comment reminds me, and you sound knowlegeable so please believe that I mean no offense, of a man I overheard several years ago saying "I don't need a computer...I just write everything on paper."
Understand that I am not disagreeing with your comments and complaints regarding price and content...it's just that the more convenient you make a particular technology, the more use you will get out of it. If a person doesn't want to pay the price for broadband access, that's fine, but when the subject is set in terms of "I don't need the speed because I don't use it much," then I really think the dialup user is missing out on the true possibilities.
I tell you, I'm mystified by the sentiments in this and other posts. How is going on a 5k run going to help me with the useful functions that I listed in my two posts above? Should I also do some curls when I'm tempted to call directory assistance to get a phone number? Should I knock out some crunches instead of making that airline reservation?
An interesting point of view. In fact, when I originally wrote that post I did make the comparison to TV, but I removed it because I wanted to focus on the useful informational aspects of the internet rather than the mindless, time-wasting aspects.
Your comparison to liquor does not fit my philosophy because the uses I cite are common things that people do anyway, using other resources. Examples of things that my wife and I do routinely on the internet, that we probably wouldn't bother with over dialup, include looking up phone numbers and addresses of friends and businesses, checking a word for spelling or definition, getting a quick bio of a historical person or political figure, quickly verifying or disproving rumors that we have heard in the media or from friends, and settling minor disputes by looking up facts on just about any subject. Things we do that we may also have done over dialup, but which are easier and faster over cable, include researching and making hotel, airline, and car reservations, researching any subject for work or personal interest, and buying/shipping gifts of any sort. We have a few computers, including a wireless laptop that makes all these functions quick and easy.
If we used our broadband for lurking in chatrooms or ICQ all day long, your analysis would be right on, but we make honest use of it. We now have a standard joke when we need any sort of information on any subject: "If we only had access to some sort of informational resource." In fact, we have taken to calling the laptop the "information machine." We use it a ton for all kinds of everyday functions, and we wouldn't bother if we were on dialup. And what do you have against liquor, anyway?
if you only have one line and you just check e-mail once or twice a day and do some light web surfing
One thing that I try to impress upon people about broadband is that when you have it, you will do MORE than just check email once or twice a day, etc. In my opinion, the always-on connection is every bit as valuable as the speed. When you're always on, it suddenly makes sense to use your connection to check movie times, check headlines, check weather, get a phone number, use mapquest, and a ton of other stuff you used to do with a phone/phonebook/map/newspaper/etc.
If you have Opera, Konqueror, or Mozilla, you shouldn't have to register. If you have IE, make you register. If you have AOL, make you wait five minutes while they 'download new artwork.'
Just take a copy to a notary and have the damned thing notarized. All this talk of mailing stuff to yourself is silly. It makes for interesting evidence, but it's hardly a legal principle on which to base the security of your work. How many ways are there to slip something into a 'sealed' envelope? What if it's David Copperfield, wanting to patent a new type of sword-through-girl-in-box stunt?
Well, you think critcizing the President is moronic...
Please re-read my post. I said that what's moronic is criticizing jokes and witicisms as if they were meant to be serious statements. I certainly don't mind people criticizing the President.
Slashdot Mirror
This is about an 80% solution, but it has worked fairly well for me. Within the past couple years, I've noticed that most, if not all, solicitation calls to my home are dialed by an automatic system that requires the sales person to pick up their line after they are notified that someone (me) is on the line. This leads to an annoying silence, followed by an even more annoying exchange: Me:"Hello, this is Scratch" Marketeer:...[silence]..."Hello? May I speak to Scratch please?" Anyway, I started using those periods of silence as my cue to hang up immediately. I never have to talk to a salesman, and I sometimes get the satisfaction of hearing them talking just before my phone hits the cradle. The drawback is that I don't end up on a "no call list," but I figure I'm going to keep getting calls anyway, from other companies.
it will be much easier for NASA to make fake photos of future "moon missions."
you and the secretary could get it on, and it wouldn't have to be a quicky.
Thanks for providing the details as asked...I apologize for my, ahem, strong language. I'm flabbergasted that this law, as written, makes it a felony to simply wear a mask. I wonder how many other states have laws like this?
I do note, however, that the law provides for the wearing of traditional holiday costumes, but does not specify that they may only be worn during certain holidays. Therefor it seems to me that a common halloween mask may be worn at any time, or that a bank robber may dress as Santa Claus without that particular offense being added to his rap sheet.
We do NOT need machines tracking us or doing the job of the police. If the cop isn't paying attention, or isn't there when I blow by their hiding spot in the middle of the road at 105, tough.
You seem to regard law enforcement as some sort of game, and you think that using technology is 'cheating.' What if they scrap the technology and simply post a cop with a stopwatch at every mile marker and overpass? Will you feel less violated then? Will the game be fair enough for you? What if all the cameras referred to in this thread were replaced by cops with binoculars?
If you're in public, expect to be seen. If you're driving 105 mph, expect to get caught, whatever the means.
I'll admit right up front that I don't have first hand knowledge of the laws you mention, but I really have to raise the bullshit flag on your assertion. I'd love to hear any details you might be able to provide.
Their is a really funny post above this one.
I wish I would of thought've that.
The apostrophe rule for contractions IS an important, useful rule.
Your right about that.
To paraphrase Lyndon Johnson:
"I myself do not want to go to bed by the light of a Microsoft moon."
My MSBonk crashed. Now I have the blue balls of death.
Slashdotted Gildot.
I'd deliberately cause a bunch of fake-looking stuff to occur on camera. Just for fun.
Their handling of Native American and environmental issues have been atrocious (so much so that they were recently called to task by a federal judge for their incompetence)
Just to be clear, Gale Norton was named by the judge ALONG WITH at least two of her immediate predecessors.
I'm not sure if this reply is directed at me or not. My response to your post was directed at the implication that everyday use of the internet must be in the form of hours of mindless chair-sitting. I wasn't the author of the "I'll smoke you" comment. I ain't fat, but I'm not going to smoke anyone, either.
Many of your points are well taken, but it sounds like you are exactly the type of user that my comments are aimed at. True, you CAN do all of those things just fine with dialup, but if you have to go through several mouse clicks and 45 seconds of dialing/connecting, then it doesn't make sense to use your connection for a 30 second task. It's a far different matter to flip open the laptop on your coffee table and type a google search immediately. Your comment reminds me, and you sound knowlegeable so please believe that I mean no offense, of a man I overheard several years ago saying "I don't need a computer...I just write everything on paper."
Understand that I am not disagreeing with your comments and complaints regarding price and content...it's just that the more convenient you make a particular technology, the more use you will get out of it. If a person doesn't want to pay the price for broadband access, that's fine, but when the subject is set in terms of "I don't need the speed because I don't use it much," then I really think the dialup user is missing out on the true possibilities.
NICE!
5'10, 160lb.
I tell you, I'm mystified by the sentiments in this and other posts. How is going on a 5k run going to help me with the useful functions that I listed in my two posts above? Should I also do some curls when I'm tempted to call directory assistance to get a phone number? Should I knock out some crunches instead of making that airline reservation?
An interesting point of view. In fact, when I originally wrote that post I did make the comparison to TV, but I removed it because I wanted to focus on the useful informational aspects of the internet rather than the mindless, time-wasting aspects.
Your comparison to liquor does not fit my philosophy because the uses I cite are common things that people do anyway, using other resources. Examples of things that my wife and I do routinely on the internet, that we probably wouldn't bother with over dialup, include looking up phone numbers and addresses of friends and businesses, checking a word for spelling or definition, getting a quick bio of a historical person or political figure, quickly verifying or disproving rumors that we have heard in the media or from friends, and settling minor disputes by looking up facts on just about any subject. Things we do that we may also have done over dialup, but which are easier and faster over cable, include researching and making hotel, airline, and car reservations, researching any subject for work or personal interest, and buying/shipping gifts of any sort. We have a few computers, including a wireless laptop that makes all these functions quick and easy.
If we used our broadband for lurking in chatrooms or ICQ all day long, your analysis would be right on, but we make honest use of it. We now have a standard joke when we need any sort of information on any subject: "If we only had access to some sort of informational resource." In fact, we have taken to calling the laptop the "information machine." We use it a ton for all kinds of everyday functions, and we wouldn't bother if we were on dialup. And what do you have against liquor, anyway?
It "suddenly making sense to use the connection to check movie times" requires you to boot up your PC first.
The PC stays on. Try to keep up.
if you only have one line and you just check e-mail once or twice a day and do some light web surfing
One thing that I try to impress upon people about broadband is that when you have it, you will do MORE than just check email once or twice a day, etc. In my opinion, the always-on connection is every bit as valuable as the speed. When you're always on, it suddenly makes sense to use your connection to check movie times, check headlines, check weather, get a phone number, use mapquest, and a ton of other stuff you used to do with a phone/phonebook/map/newspaper/etc.
If you have Opera, Konqueror, or Mozilla, you shouldn't have to register. If you have IE, make you register. If you have AOL, make you wait five minutes while they 'download new artwork.'
Just take a copy to a notary and have the damned thing notarized. All this talk of mailing stuff to yourself is silly. It makes for interesting evidence, but it's hardly a legal principle on which to base the security of your work. How many ways are there to slip something into a 'sealed' envelope? What if it's David Copperfield, wanting to patent a new type of sword-through-girl-in-box stunt?
shot down in a blaze of glory.
Sorry folks. I'll be here all week.
Well, you think critcizing the President is moronic...
Please re-read my post. I said that what's moronic is criticizing jokes and witicisms as if they were meant to be serious statements. I certainly don't mind people criticizing the President.
You missed an earlier part worth seeing, when the sarcophagus was opened to reveal a human skeleton:
Expert: I hope this will shut the mouths of all thoses idiots who say this place wasn't built by Egyptians.